MelaniePenelope

Aloha Friday: Shameless Promotion

Link up with Kailani here on An Island Life if you're asking questions this Friday!

My question for you this week is:

Have you ever heard of Jafra?

Yes, no, maybe so? Well, my website is here if you'd like to check it out. I have recently signed back up after 12½ years of being a consultant, dropping out after 10 years of being a mommy and not actively selling the product, and then changing my mind about leaving behind the most incredible opportunity out there. We are a top-of-the-line skin care and cosmetics company with state-of-the-art technology. All of our products are dermatology, allergy, clinically, and irritancy tested. We literally have something for everyone out there - and NO, it's not "just make-up" - though we do have plenty of wonderful color products as well.

And right now, if you place an order through my website before next week's Aloha Friday question goes up, I'm going to give you a 20% discount off your entire order! Just leave me a note that you came from this blog in order for me to recalculate your total. We have a 100% money-back satisfaction guarantee, so there is absolutely no risk if you end up not liking something.  Try it; you'll love it!

I'll be around to visit y'all, too! Have a great weekend!

Fin.

So Two-Thousand-And-Late

(Yes, that Black-Eyed Peas song is forever running through my head today! But I was also late for dinner, so it fits.)

So let's see. Tuesday.

The first half of the day was completely unproductive for me, because of last night's sobbing episode. I ended up not having any more Effexor, so once again, Rob was forced to drive out to Portsmouth to get an emergency three-day supply for me. Really, for something that's so crucial for me, you'd think I'd be better about keeping it in stock!

While he was gone, I worked on my monthly free photo book from here. It took me the entire time from when he left 'til when he returned, but I was finally satisfied. Have y'all signed up yet? You get a free photo book, including free s/h, every single month!! I'm going to do one for every month of 2010. They aren't the highest quality, I've heard, and they do come with ads in them (which you can remove), but hey, what do you want for FREE??

When he came back, he gave me my side-Effexor and then took me up to the bed. We cuddled, and I cried a whole bunch more. So when I woke up this morning, I definitely looked every bit of my age, and more! My eyes were puffy and wrinkled. Not attractive!

I was supposed to take Jack out to Portsmouth for his visit with the Pediatric Endocrinologist this morning, but I just couldn't rouse the old-fashioned self. (I'm taking like my father talks, now.) So, I sent Rob in my place. He was grumpy about it, but he went just the same. I asked him to make sure we got a new injection pen, since the one we have is broken or something. It needed replacing, anyway.

They're going to do another bone scan on Jack's hand, because apparently his growth rate is "normal" now. I highly doubt that! He's so far behind, though, that we're going to keep giving him the Nutropin (Human Growth Hormone) shots to catch him up. Hopefully that'll help the li'l feller have a nice spurt. He's still so tiny. Thirty-one pounds of attitude, though!

Unfortunately, I fell back asleep after sending them on their merry way, and the girls didn't wake me up. So they fed themselves breakfast and watched TV until Daddy came home. Not exactly how I planned the morning, but they were fine.

It was another day off from school for the kids, because of the inclement weather and icy roads, so I didn't have a highly productive day. I couldn't find my new Jafra face powder that I've been searching for about three weeks now, so I finally broke down and emptied out the bin of toiletries I'm stockpiling in hopes of finding it. Eureka! It was there, and then the kids and I had a bit of fun admiring all the goodies I've acquired in the past month. They were just as excited as I am about all the toothpastes, deodorants and bodywashes (etc.) I've got stored. Especially since I just realized today they were out of shampoo, conditioner, soap AND toothpaste, and let them pick new ones. They go through that stuff entirely too quickly, despite my constant lectures to be conservative.

Anyway.

In the afternoon and evening, the running commenced.

First, we took Chloë to Ballet. While she danced, I'd planned to read my book, but the Littles were knocked out in their carseats, and I was suddenly exhausted. Nap time! I slept the entire hour, waking up every five minutes or so completely chilled to the bone. It was sleep, but ineffective sleep.

From there, we drove back to yesterday's Walgreens. I had to recoup that $3 from the Cold Sore treatment. The Manager took care of it right away; it wasn't a problem. When I came back to the car waving my three bucks, Jack was all excited. He thinks any money is going to buy something for him, since I'm always telling him, "No, we don't have the money for that right now." Sorry, fella, we still don't.

After that, I had to do another party store mystery shop. The place was dead - of both customers and employees. - so it went pretty quickly. I bought yet another thing for Rob's up-and-coming 40th birthday party. I think I'll have to start keeping a bin for that stuff, too!

Target was around the corner, and I wanted a few things there, so we ran in. SoBe LifeWater is on sale for a buck, and I had a B1G1 coupon, along with two 50¢ Target coupons. They let you stack store and manufacturer's coupons. I managed to get that deal, but not the other. I had 8 coupons for games (Sorry!, Scrabble, Monopoly and Pictureka) that would have made for really cheap gifts if they'd let me use them on the travel versions, but the register beeped and the manager denied them. No sale!

By that time, we were running really late for dinner with Stephanie. It was no surprise (hee) when she called to say SHE was running late, but she was surprised to find us behind, too! I hate being late, but at least she wasn't sitting there waiting for me.

So we drove out to Chesapeake for the steakhouse mystery shop where we met for dinner. The kids were so excited to see Steph and Luke. Little Man was looking adorable as always. Oh, how I ♥ that baby! When we got to the table, Steph nursed her wee babe while the kids engulfed the rolls. They were starving, and the food took forever and a day to come. So long, in fact, that the manager came out and apologized and discounted our meal. Works for me!  Plus it was nice to just sit and catch up with Steph after a couple weeks of not really hanging out. Thanks, Steph!

It was kids' night at the restaurant, which didn't turn out to mean a whole lot for us (could have sworn that meant they ate free, but no one mentioned it) other than a guy coming around making balloon animals for the kids. They were super excited about it, though, so that was fine. Jack got an airplane, Sophie two kitties, and Chloë a really cool monkey climbing a palm tree that she ruined within five minutes. Steph got some pictures, but I didn't get them from her yet. I'll share when she does!

The Super Wal-mart was around the corner from there, so we all headed over together. Jack got to ride in Stephanie's car, which devastated Sophia. She bawled about not getting to ride with her. Next time, little one. Next time.

Time for a stockpile!! And that I did:

This was a pretty awesome shopping trip. My before-coupon total was $103.04, but I got it down to $26.67 after all my coupons! Okay, so the bananas weren't exactly a "stockpile," but I needed something for fruit to put in the kids' lunches if they have school tomorrow (won't know about that until after 0500). The SoBe water is from Target. As for the rest:

• (10) various 12" DiGiorno pizzas, using up the rest of the $4-off coupons I had from House Party. I gave five to Steph, too. Since they were on sale for $3.97 (down from $4.98, as opposed to about $8-9 at Farm Fresh!), they were not only FREE but a little bit of a moneymaker. The overage applied toward the rest of the order. Sweet deal.
• (8) bricks of Kraft cheese, on sale for $1.88. I had four $1-off-two coupons. Mmm, cheese.
• (2) boxes of Wheat Thins crackers, on sale for $2. I had two $1/1 coupons. Great for the cheese!
• Wal-mart let me buy those travel-sized games! The Pictureka was on sale for $5.24 (as were all the others), and I had two $5-off coupons for those! For the rest, I had $4 coupons. I'm going to start stockpiling gifts for birthday parties and stocking stuffers, too, when I can. This was a great start!

I was really happy when I came away with such a great bargain. Stockpiling is fun, turns out!

It was half-past-late when we finally got home from Chesapeake, so I sent the kids right upstairs for a shower while I took care of the groceries. It became immediately obvious that I was going to have to do some fancy rearranging to get all those pizzas in (we still already had a bunch in the freezers!), not to mention the cheese. I didn't want to freeze the cheese, because I don't like the texture afterward.

So, at 2300 or so, I started in on a long-overdue project that I've been meaning to tackle for ages now. I mean AGES: cleaning the fridge. I don't remember the last time I cleaned it... if I even ever have in the 7 years since we moved here. It was beyond gross. Nasty. Disgusting. And something that's been embarrassing me every time we have company over. But, in order to get that cheese in the fridge, I had to do it.

It took me over two hours and a LOT of elbow grease, but I finally got 'er done! I haven't even touched the top freezer, but maybe I'll get to that tomorrow? It's packed full right now, so maybe I'll wait until it's a little emptier. Don't want stuff to thaw while I'm cleaning. I took some before & after pictures of the fridge, though. Here we go:

Fridge Before:

Fridge After:

Door Before:

Door After:

Shelves Before:

Shelves After:

Huge difference, right? It was a lot of work, but it was very necessary and totally worth it. Maybe I'll tackle the rest of the kitchen this week, bit by little bit.

Gosh, it's already 0300. How does it always get to be so late on me!?

Happy Hump Day.

Fin. 
  
  
  
  
  

I ♥ Wags

So last night sucked.

You have seen here, and if you're friends with me on Facebook, there, that I am always cold now. Miserably so. I can not get warm to save my life; I am chilled to the bone. I am absolutely certain, no-doubt-about-it (or as I remember my mom saying, "No bout adoubt it!") positive that it's because I lost weight so quickly, my internal thermostat hasn't had a chance to catch up. And I've lost my insulating body fat. So I'm very uncomfortable.

Last night was the worst. I was shivering and shaking as usual, so I decided to take a hot shower. Only, when I got into the shower, with the water set on the hottest possible setting, it still felt cold to me! I felt like I was showering under melted ice. I got in and out of there FAST, because it was making things worse.

So I was standing in the middle of the bedroom after that, dripping and wearing just a towel, when Rob came upstairs. I said, weakly, "I need some clothes..." before bursting into tears. And then I just sat on the bed and sobbed until I made myself throw up. It was awful.

Rob got me my robe, put me under the bed covers with a heating pad, and covered the comforter with his supah-dupah warm sleeping bag. Then he crawled in beside me, holding me tight to warm me up, and I finally was able to settle down and fall asleep. I slept all night long, thanks to him. I love that man. Even if he does drive me crazy!

********

This morning, I was toasty and warm when I woke up, so I was reluctant to get out of my bed. So, too, was Sophia, and it took me more than 20 minutes to get her out of her bed. Ugh! She has been so slow-moving in the mornings before school; usually that is Chloë's job. She (Soph) made us so late today that we missed the bus, and I had to drive them to school. I hate missing the bus and having to drive them in. It seems like such a waste of resources!

When I got home, I farted around online and on Facebook as usual, which I did off and on pretty much the entire day when I wasn't getting up to do ten billion other things. And my friend Erika posted a link to her dinner recipe on FB, which I saw, thought it looked good, and realized I had all the ingredients!

So, I immediately straightened up the kitchen a little, because I just can not bring myself to work in a messy kitchen, before getting out all the ingredients. I defrosted the chicken tenders before throwing them in the crockpot, and chopped up a fresh onion. Not as small as I was "supposed" to, because I love cooked onion. I used one can of cream of chicken and one of cream of onion, because it's what my hand reached first and why not? Since the onion was going in there anyway. Add a little butter and the water, and voila! Dinner. It simmered all day in the crockpot, and oh! It smelled divine. I could even go in there every half-hour or so to warm myself on the crock. Which I did.

Later, I listed my entire CD collection, the replacement Cricut, and the replacement printer, on Craigslist. I need to raise some $$ to pay the bills and, well, buy groceries! I have listed that Cricut three times now, and every single time, people ask me if it's the Expression (it's not). I clearly state in the ad, "This is NOT the Expression." And someone inevitably tells me they want to buy it, are going to come today, and will pay my asking price... only to follow up with, "Is it the Expression? Oh, never mind." So annoying!!

Meanwhile, 27 people have emailed to tell me they want to buy the treadmill, which I sold a week or two ago. I really need to find the link to unpublish that ad!

Anyway. What else?

Oh, so I did end up making a spreadsheet of all the spending and savings for 2010 so far, at least starting Sunday. I missed a week, and it's too late to do anything about that now. Guess I'll just have to end it a week into 2011, hm?

I did other stuff too, around the house, but it seems like I spent the vast majority of the day sitting here, thinking "it's too cold to do a damn thing," and shivering. That was kinda sucky. Oh, and I know, I did the reports for the three shops I did at the mall on Friday, which I couldn't (okay, didn't) do this weekend... and I read and read all kinds of blog posts on couponing and stockpiling, because I am really going to get serious about it this year!

Things livened up, of course, when the kids came home from school. As always, they were all about having an afternoon snack, but no one ever wants the same thing. I made Jack eat the sandwich he didn't have at lunch time; Sophia had about 9 different things because she's forever hungry, and Chloë made her BB&B. Oh, I didn't tell you about the BB&B? It's her own creation. She even wrote down the "recipe" for Rob. It's hanging on the fridge; let me go get it. Okay, it reads,

"BB and B

(Bread Butter Banana)

Lone Star Bread

Spread margarine all around. Put 2 slises of Banana on it.

AND

that is how you make BB and B"

Isn't that cute?!! I so love it. She made that the other day after our mystery shop there, and of course we no longer have the Lone Star bread, so it just isn't the same, but it's still her new favorite snack. She's very proud of it.

After snack and a brief unwind-and-play period, I got the kids started on their homework. It's always a bit of a trial to keep Sophia away from the other kids, and quiet so she doesn't bother them, while at the same time keeping them quiet and not hitting and kicking each other! Fun stuff. But we managed to get everything done between 1600 and 1700, a fact which is nothing short of a miracle for Miss Chloë Raine.

So, I had promised them we'd go get a Redbox movie, and let them pick it out, if they finished their homework by 5. Jack was literally finished at 1659, so I kept my word! I told them to put shoes, socks and coats on, and then my phone rang. I told everyone to be quiet so I could talk on the phone, and it ended up being a lady from the substitute teaching office, telling me everything I needed to know for next Thursday's meeting. The entire time I was on the phone, Chloë was shouting and yelling, completely ignoring my wild gesticulating. I was pissed!!

After I hung up, I yelled at her about how rude and disrespectful she was while I was on the phone, and then I noticed she never put on her shoes or coat, either! So, I told her that, sorry kid, you don't get to pick out the movie. She walked away to put on her shoes and coat, and I got up to follow her, and found her making an nasty face and sticking her tongue out at me! So unlike her... and she didn't know I'd seen it.  I confronted her, and she denied it, which always amazes me when I am telling them, "But I SAW YOU DOING IT!!" Hello, how else would I know? She finally admitted it, and I sent her to her room, for the disrespect and for lying. She would have to stay there and not go pick out the movie at all.

{And before anyone hates on me for leaving her home alone, the Redbox is literally 3 minutes away, and she is nearly 8½. Certainly old enough to leave home for a maximum of 10 minutes by herself, especially when I knew she absolutely WOULD obey and not leave her room while I was gone.}

At the Redbox, we quickly picked out "Monsters vs. Aliens" for the kids, and "The Proposal" for me and Rob. But I guess that'll be just for me, tomorrow, since he's disappeared for the night.

I called Chloë down when we returned, and she apologized for her behavior. And I apologized to her, too, because I have a foul mouth and said something not nice to her. We forgave each other and hugged it out, and all was right with the world again. But I really do need to watch what I say. For one, she's a sensitive kid, and for two, I know full well that words can hurt more than hands. I am NOT going to be my stepmother.

So. I put the movie on for the kids and then went to check the crockpot. Ooh, the smells were driving me crazy with anticipation. I threw the biscuit-dumplings in, and was just about to do nothing much when the doorbell rang. It was the Cox cable guy, here to shut off our cable. =( He came in and immediately unplugged the DVR/cable box, which made me oh-so-sad since I never got around to watching the shows I had saved. I've become so dependent on the DVR! And of course there were tears on the parts of the kids, too, first because in doing so, he cut off their movie, and second because they started asking me, "What does this mean? No more Noggin? No more Disney Channel? No more Cartoon Network?" Yeah. It was a sad day for the Odettelettes. But they'll survive, and so will I! I still got my innernet, right??

Dinner was ready, but none of the kids wanted to leave their movie to eat it. So I fixed myself a small bowl, and you know what? It was GOOD. I shall definitely make this again. Even the biscuit-dumplings, about which I was unsure, tasted yummy. Try this!

Rob came home, and he was in agony from a bad migraine. He thought he was going to throw up, so he didn't want any dinner. I again made the kids stop their movie to come eat, and Sophie and Jack were bawling about it. Normally, I don't put up with crying over dinner at the table. You either eat, no tears, or you go cry in your room. I hate that!

But tonight was Cub Scouts night, so Jack really needed food in his belly. He tried a bite of dumplings. Yuck! He tried a bite of chicken. Ew! He cried and cried for ten minutes, until I excused him to go wake up his father and find his Class A shirt. Meanwhile, Sophie was also refusing to eat, but Chloë was on her second helping. She really liked it!  Phew. Success for one kid, anyway.

The boys left for their meeting, about which I don't really have any details, while the girls finished their movie. They loved it! Not quite as much as Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, I don't think, but they were really engaged in the plot. The boys came home, finally ate some dinner (cereal for a still-crying Jack, who really didn't like the food), and the kids went to bed.

I checked in on my deal/coupon blogs once more, and found a great scenario for some products at Walgreens. I was so excited, I had to go right out and get everything! Here it is:

I paid $47.61 (after tax) out of pocket for these 22 items, some of which are very expensive high-end products (well, for Wags anyway). The savings amounted to $100.63, since the value was  $144 for all the items (before tax). I'll get an additional $10 back from the Johnson & Johnson mail-in rebate (in the 1/10 newspaper coupon insert), and I got back another $5 in Register Rewards for all the L'Oréal items I bought on clearance with coupons, making my net OOP (out of pocket) $32.61 for $144 worth of stuff! Not bad. Here's what I got this time:

 

• (2) L'Oréal nail polishes in "Breaking Curfew" (normally $4.99; I paid 29¢ each - and I really like the color!)
• L'Oréal dual eye shadow in "Mocha Buff" (normally $8.99; I paid $2.49 and also really like the color)
• L'Oréal Age Perfect Makeup in "soft ivory" (normally $16.59; I paid $2.29 and would have chosen this exact shade even if it wasn't on clearance)
• L'Oréal EverPure Smooth Conditioner (normally $7.49; I paid $5.49)
• L'Oréal EverStrong Reconstruct Conditioner (normally $7.49; I paid $5.49 and got two conditioners because I always use it up faster than shampoo)
• (2) 18oz Quaker Oats (normally $3.29; I paid 50¢ each for something we use up a lot)
• (2) Bic Comfort3 Advance razor 4-packs for Rob (normally $6.50 each; I paid $2 for both)
• (4) Lubriderm Daily Moisturizing Lotions (normally $4.29 each; I paid 86¢ for all four!)
• Aveeno Active Naturals Nourish+ Volume Shampoo (normally $7.99; I paid $5.99)
• Aveeno Active Naturals Nourish+ Volume Conditioner (normally $7.99; I paid $1.99)
• (2) Clean & Clear Blackhead Clearing Scrubs (normally $5.99 each; I paid $3.98 for both, and either Rob can use this or maybe I'll keep it in the stash for a few years and one of the kids might need it?? Hopefully they'll get my skin though, not that his is too terrible)
• RoC Multi-Correxion Exfoliating Cleanser (normally $10.49; I paid $2.24 and am interested to see how this works!)
• RoC Age Diminishing Night Cream (normally $15.99; I paid $8.97, which is still a lot for me to spend on a non-Jafraitem, so it better be good!)
• Extra Spearmint gum (normally $1.29; I paid nothing and will use it for Tooth Fairy duties tonight, since Chloë lost another tooth!)
• Mentos cinnamon mints (normally 99¢; I paid nothing)

So those prices are pretty good, and don't include the $15 I mentioned above. Sweet deals, and good stuff. I get so giddy when I get all these wonderful products! I'm going to go add everything to my Rubbermaid storage tote for all the toiletries I'm stockpiling, and then go play Tooth Fairy. After that? Hopefully sleep...

Fin.

 

 

 

Jafra Cosmetics International

Our latest order from Jafra came today. I love opening those boxes; everything looks so pretty and smells so good!

I'm in my 11th year of being a Jafra "consultant," although technically I've really only been a wholesale buyer for the past 8 years or so. I sold a lot of Jafra products those first three years. It's a high-quality, state-of-the-art cosmetics and skincare line, and once I demonstrated the items to my friends and their friends, everything pretty much sold itself.

I'm not one of those hifalutin people who needs to use top-of-the-line this and avant garde that, but when it comes to taking care of my skin, I want to use the best I can afford. And that is Jafra. And let me tell you, I definitely believe it has helped me look much younger than my 33 years. I still get ID'd often when I buy alcohol!

I use Jafra skin care exclusively. I never touch anything else, except things like Chapstick or whatever. But where I go, my Jafra goes. I use my cleanser, scrub, moisturizer and other products religiously, every day. Eye cream, lip balm, alpha hydroxy - all of it. And I love it. The really great thing about Jafra is that the products are highly concentrated, so they last a long time, making them an excellent value. In fact - true story - I almost always go into "inactive" status with Jafra between my orders, since we go such a long time before needing more good stuf!

 
  
Jafra's premiere products are the Royal Jelly line. Oh, my gosh. You have never felt a more luxurious product next to your skin - I guarantee it! I don't always use the Royal Jelly myself, but when I can get it, hoo boy, do I revel in it!

Rob has been using the men's skin care line from Jafra since we've been together. And he is no froo-froo metrosexual, either. Far from it! But he knows good stuff when he sees (and feels!) it. I have bought him several of the colognes as well, the ones that I think smell heavenly, but he's just not really a cologne person. I like them on him, though! Here is latest, updated men's set that I just got for Rob. He hasn't tried it out yet, but I'm sure it'll be great.

I've been using Jafra's color care, like mascara, lipsticks and nailcolor, almost exclusively from the beginning, too. It's only recently that I've been using one or two other things from other brands - but only because I've been able to get them free from shopping the deals, not because I prefer them. Actually, that Almay mascara I just bought? I don't like it at all.

 

When I really want to pamper myself, nothing gets better than Jafra's Spa line. Oh, man, that stuff smells amazing, and it feels incredible on my skin, too. In fact, after I'm done here, I think I'll go upstairs and give myself a little spa session tonight!

This is the peppermint foot care line. I use the scrub in the shower every time my feet get rough, and I use the lotion after every single shower to keep them soft and feeling fresh. And - don't tell Jafra this, because they would probably faint - I even use the foot scrub on my face in the shower sometimes, because the peppermint wakes me up when I'm so tired!  

 In the summertime, we go through tons of Jafra's sun care products. I use the SPF lip balm religiously on myself and the kids, and of course we use the sunblock every time we're out in the sun. But for those times when we get too much sun, the after sun lotion is a godsend. It really soothes the sting, and we slather it on just to get that "ahhhh" feeling.

When my children were babies, starting with now-8yo Chloë, I was a big proponent of massaging their tiny bodies. I would give them a warm bath and then softly rub them from head to toe, front and back, with Jafra's Tender Moments massage cream. It was an incredible bonding experience for us both, and it left their skin softer than you could imagine. I used the entire Tender Moments line on all of them, and we loved it.

This Orange & Vanilla bath set is new, and mine just arrived in today's shipment. I can't wait to try it! I use shower gel, body oil and lotion like they're going out of style, because I cannot stand to have one bit of dry skin on my body. Normally, my mainstays are either the Royal Almond or Royal Ginger lines, but I'm excited to try this new "flavor" introduced for the holiday season. So far, it smells terrific! 

I also just got this Royal Pomegranate set of shower gel, oil and lotion, and I'm excited to try it, too. I'll let you know what I think, if you're interested!

Now, why am I telling you all this? Because even though I haven't actively been selling Jafra for several years now, I'm a devoted user of their products and really believe they are the best quality available. And I'm offering you a chance to experience Jafra for yourself at a 25% discount, which is almost my entire profit margin. I'm not looking to make money off this; I just want to share some really great skin care with you!

{If you're interested in finding out how to do what I do, whether it's be a wholesale buyer or actually sell Jafra, I can help you with that, too. It was a great income supplement for me in my early 20s, and it was fun, too!}

So that's my spiel. Try Jafra! ;)

Fin.