Tag Archives: shopping

Girlie Shopping and back to Paleo

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I know some of you love to shop anytime and some of you only shop when you need something.  I usually fall in the latter category.  A couple of days ago I splurged on some “girlie” items from Ulta Beauty and Trader Joe’s.  If you’ve never heard of Ulta, they have locations nationwide and have a wide range of well-known products ranging from bath & body, hair care, beauty tools, and makeup!

On the left are the Ulta items:  Crabtree & Evelyn “La Source” Hand Therapy lotion–Deva Curl hair gel (for when I want my natural curls to look curly and not frizzy)–Yes to Blueberries Nighttime moisturizer–Sally Hansen Instant Cuticle Remover (did my own pedicure last night to save money)–Tweezerman folding lash comb (to eliminate those mascara clumps)–Philosophy Raspberry Sorbet Lip Shine (tastes yummy)–and a free Ulta eye shadow (coupon came to me online).

At Trader Joe’s, in addition to my normal organic produce and meats, I decided to try their Face and Body Sunscreen–Tom’s Deodorant (Aluminum free)–Trader Joe’s Anti-Plague Toothpaste–and another face moisturizer Nourish antioxidant.  I want to compare the two facial moisturizers since the Ulta Yes to Blueberries was $19.99 and the Nourish was only $5.99.

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For the past ten days, I’ve gone back to “Clean Eating” or actually “Paleo” for the anti-inflammatory benefits and general good health.  Basically I have either an egg omelet with vegetables or fruit for breakfast; a salad like the one shown below that I have almost every day; nuts for a snack; and for dinner a piece of fish, organic chicken or beef with a vegetable and sweet potato.  I drink fresh squeezed lemon in water in the morning and a cup of coffee.  I could give up my coffee if I wanted to…but I don’t want to yet.  I drink water during the day and usually a glass or two of wine in the evening.

I joined an organization called EarthShares, who lease 5 acres at a really cool facility called Grailville, located in Loveland, Ohio, only 10 minutes from my home.  They grow all types of vegetables and you can become either a working or non-working member and pick up your organic fresh produce weekly.  I split a non-working share with a friend (which is still more than plenty) and pay $200 for produce through October.  So far, they’ve had 3 types of lettuce, spinach, kale and radishes.  The lettuce lasts all week and is so yummy!  I make my own salad dressing with about 1 cup of extra virgin olive oil, 1/4 cup of Balsamic Vinegar and a crushed garlic clove.

If you’re interested in joining a similar organization, they are becoming quite popular, so with a little research…you can find one nearby!

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I’ve already lost five pounds by cutting out grains (all breads, rice, etc.), dairy and desserts!  It’s great to feel good and an added benefit…look good!

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Haystack Giggles in Vang Vieng, Laos

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After traveling  seven hours from Luang Prabang…we reached the town of Vang Vieng in Laos.  As you can see, the landscape was absolutely breathtaking!  One of the women that was traveling with the G Adventures tour that I was on through Thailand, Laos and Vietnam, remarked that there wouldn’t be any night life here.  There was one road leading into town and it was quite rural.

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With this to gaze at…I didn’t care!

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One of these sweet little girls stuck her tongue out at me after I took the photo…because I didn’t give her any money.

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Claire and Isabel–two of the ladies on the tour and I rented some rickety bicycles and explored some caves in the countryside.  Traversing the bumpy dirt roads made us giggle…the simple things can be so much fun!

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Then, when Claire got up on the haystack for a photo…it started collapsing…so we collapsed with laughter!  Unfortunately, I don’t have a photo of that.

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This photo intrigues me.  I wonder what the boy was doing.  His dog almost looks like a fox to me and he has a bag by his side.  I would have stuck around to find out, but we were on our bicycles, so off we went.

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We spent two nights in Vang Vieng and then drove three hours to Vientiane, the capital of Laos.  After checking into the hotel, I walked to the market and shopped.  Everything was so inexpensive – $3.00 for a purse, $5 for a silk scarf, etc.  I couldn’t resist this hand embroidered blouse and splurged on a shampoo and style for $5.00!

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Our tour finishes with Hanoi, Vietnam and the stunning Halong Bay tomorrow!

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Clap for “SnapStone”

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If you’re thinking of laying a ceramic floor…I highly recommend installing porcelain “SnapStone”.  I’m having a party and what better reason to remodel your hall bath!  Other than problems deciding which countertop, vanity, lighting and mirror to choose (I bought two sets and took one back)…it’s been easy!  Not sure my husband would agree.

Anyway, the installation time of this flooring is one-third of ceramic, because you can lay it over your existing tile or floor and you don’t need any adhesive.  You do use grout.  I’ve been using a wet saw for the first time, to install it in my other bathroom also and still have all of my fingers intact!

Here’s a photo of before and after…

Here’s their website if you’d like to check it out. 

What girls do on a girls’ weekend

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This weekend I went on my annual girls’ weekend with my friends Sherry, Gina and Dee.  This was Dee’s first trip with us.  The tradition started almost 20 years ago with a trip to Put-n-Bay and the destinations have included Myrtle Beach, Red River Gorge, Ky, Indianapolis, Shawnee Nat’l Forest,  and Nashville, to name a few.  Typically, we would find a cabin with a hot tub and the weekend consisted of eating, drinking, talking and hiking.  But more recently we’ve been heading to cities for sight-seeing and listening to bands.  I’m usually in charge of finding the accommodations and booked a 3 bedroom condo in the Highlands section of Louisville for the weekend that I found through VRBO online.  It was in a great location, within walking distance to restaurants, boutiques and a large park with walking trails.

The Highlands reminds me of Yellowsprings, Ohio.  It was an eclectic blend of boutiques selling handmade jewelry, vintage clothing, books and wares from around the world; cozy coffee shops, a yoga studio, art galleries, and many restaurants that varied from Indian to Asian.

 

This painting caught my eye in one of the shops!

 

 

An interesting sign…

 

 

While walking down the street we were stopped by a local T.V. reporter wondering if we’d be interested in giving our opinion on pornography pop-ups on the internet.  So…being it was a new experience…I volunteered.  I don’t remember most of the questions, but I’ll be able to view it on their website.

 

We had fun trying hats on in one of the shops…a little pricey for me at $190 per hat!

 

 

 

It was a beautiful fall weekend for our escape…so we went hiking in Cherokee Park.

 

 

We went to a bar that caters to the over 40 crowd called Jim Porter’s Good Times Emporium.  Boasting three live bands (Pop, Rock and Blues) we had a great time dancing most of the evening!  Our husbands don’t particularly enjoy dancing…so we indulged ourselves!

 


The following evening we dressed for Halloween and our first stop was 4th Street Live in downtown Louisville.

 

 

We stopped a man on the street to take our photo before we left the condo…he was a bit shaky I believe!  As you can see, Gina was a girl scout!  But what was remarkable about it, was that it was her uniform from when she was 9 years old!

 

 

After having a very tasty dinner at the Red Star Tavern, our plan was to party downtown…but it seemed a little dead…so we took a taxi back to Jim Porter’s.

 

 

 

 

Being “Supergirl” I had to pick someone up, so I chose this girl…but the photo turned out too blurry to post!

 

 

This girl “the naked girl costume” won third place in the contest at Jim Porter’s.  I didn’t think it appropriate to take a picture of the front, although it wasn’t real!

 

 

 

 

My husband thought I should call this post “Cougar’s Weekend”!  Hope you had a Happy Halloween!