May Empties and Resolutions Update!

Man it's that time of the month again.  June 4th.  I feel like today is important but I can't remember why.  lol  But we are almost half way through the year!  What?!

So a little update from my New Year's Resolutions...

1.  I will live off my stash for the next 12 months, the entire year of 2012 or until it is used up.


Have I been living off my stash?  You betcha!  I've used up a ton of products.  You see everything that I have gone though each month.  A ton of stuff, well except for last month.  I have been buying a few new things here and there but no stockpiling and I use up what I buy.  A good chunk of my stash is gone.  I now have one side of the kids' bathroom cabinet empty and filled with beach towels!  Yay!  And only 3 drawers in the cloth shelving unit in my closet are filled.  1 drawer has empty packaging and boxes from products I am currently using/testing. 


I've been to the drugstore 4 times since January.  I know I said that I wouldn't ever go but I ran out of a couple things and had coupons, etc...  One trip was for a friend's newborn baby, I swear!  I also had to get the 3 new Infallible eyeshadow colors which are the only ones I have been using since the weather has turned from warm to HOT!  There are a bunch more that just came out, I might have to get them. :)  I've given away some nail polish and makeup.  I still want empty cabinets at the end of the year though!




2.  I will lose 20 pounds in 2012.


I've lost a solid 15 so far.  I weigh 130.  I was pushing 150 at the beginning of the year.  My weight fluctuates throughout the day so I weigh in each morning and I'm right at 129-130.  It seems a little unreal that 6 months ago I hovered a few pounds over 145.  Nothing fit, I felt very uncomfortable.  I'm a RN so I was taking my blood pressure once a week or so and I was running 135/70.  I am now 115-120/60-65.  I am by no means unhealthy.  I cook my own food, we rarely eat out, rarely eat packaged foods, I juice and eat tons of veggies.  Exercising may have taken a back burner over the holidays but I go through phases with my running, yoga, weight training and gym schedule.  I also chase, literally run after 3 kids around the house, yard and park pretty much all day, everyday.  I'm not a snacker.  I know it seems unreal.  2 things hindered my progress though, skipping breakfast and drinking coffee.


My downfall is coffee.  The more I drink, the more tired I feel, so the more I drink.  In my coffee I would have agave or honey with coconut milk.  Again, not unhealthy.  But caffeine messes with your blood sugar, basically it impairs insulin action and for me and my body type, caffeine is the enemy.  I have an apple shaped body, even more apple-like after kids.  Apple body types carry their weight (fat) around the midsection.  We have nice legs and arms (yes!) but thick middles. Caffeine increases cortisol in our bodies that causes us to crave carbs and sugar which is stored around the midsection if they are not burned off.  Stress also causes an increase in cortisol which causes weight gain and thickening of the middle as well.  This happens in all body types but for the apple shaped, the impact can be significant.  We don't need our middles thickened any more than they are!


So I quit coffee.  I've tried it several times in the past... successfully but after I lose weight, I somehow gravitate towards it again.  This time a read a book, Clean by Dr. Junger.  I've heard about "clean" eating and thought I did for the most part.  So my husband and I went on a "clean detox."  I will go into an in depth synopsis in its own separate post because it will be very time consuming to explain thoroughly and it deserves one!


So that being said...  I think I will be able to stand to lose another 10 pounds.  I see what I look like at 130 and I think 120 will be my goal weight.  Unless I start bodybuilding and pack on the muscle.  hahaha  Then I will re-evaluate.  It's not really the number, it's the clothes that I want to fit into!


So on to the empties!  

1.   John Frieda Sheer Blonde Enhancing Shampoo:  I'm pretty sure I've reviewed this in the past.  It keeps my blonde hair shiny and bright.  I actually haven't used the John Frieda Tone Correcting Shampoo in a while.  I really need to pick some up.


2.  John Frieda Root Awakening Health Infusing Conditioner:  This is a good conditioner with a pleasant peppermint and eucalyptus scent.  I still need a deep conditioning treatment a few times a week.   But with someone with normal hair that is not color treated, this conditioner would be all that you would need.


3.  John Frieda Root Awakening Health Boosting Detangling Spray:  This has a very light weight formula but you can feel the added conditioning that it gives to your hair.  I have a back up bottle that is now in my beach bag.  I like to spritz on my hair after the pool and after rinsing off at the beach.  It has the same peppermint and eucalyptus scent as the conditioner and shampoo.  


4.  L'OREAL Ever Creme Cleansing Conditioner:  Another product I love and have reviewed before.  I will repurchase very soon, like today.  It has a lovely amber scent to me.  It might be a bit strong so someone who does not like that scent though or who is sensitive to scents in general.  But I really like it.  There have been some varied reviews on this product.  The key is using a little at a time and adding water.  It does lather but not like a regular sulfate laden shampoo.  But add a little water, massage in, add a little water, massage in.  I will let it sit on my hair while I finish up in the shower for extra conditioning.  It has built up in my hair before but a good clarifying shampoo once a week takes care of it.


5.  Almay oil-free eye makeup remover pads:  At first I didn't think these were any good.  They do leave eye liner and some mascara behind but for the post part, they remove everything.  I guess I have never came across a remover that removed every single stitch of makeup.  I just press them on my lids and wipe very gently.  They do the job pretty well.  My face cleanser can then get most of everything else.  I'm on my second tub now.  


6.  Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Daily Cleanser:  I love this cleanser.  I can't think of anything from Kiehl's that I do not like quite frankly.  My combo/oily large pore skin needs this stuff.  It has Amazonian White Clay & salicylic acid to detoxify and clear out those pores!  My skin responds well to salicylic acid.  I really need to pick up another tube of this stuff.


7. NIVEA Touch of Happiness Orange Blossom Scent and Bamboo Essence Body Wash:  This was my last one!  I have 2 more body washes to go through before I can repurchase another NIVEA.  I love the scent of this.  My skin is a lot softer and smoother when I use it.  I just love the NIVEA brand in general as well.  Great affordable products.


8.  Lubriderm Advanced Therapy Lotion:  I know this may seem kind of strange but I get dry skin in the summer!  Yes I do.  Yes my face is a greasy mess most of the time, even that is changing too, more on that later, but between the sun and air conditioning, my skin gets parched!  I really need to lay on the moisturizer on my legs and arms.  Same with my daughter.  Her eczema seems to flare up around this time.  I really liked this lotion and the smell of it too.  It non-greasy which is very important to me.  I like the pump top and frequently used it on my hands.  We have another bottle of lotion to get through and  I will probably pick this one up again.


9.  John Frieda 9A Light Ash Blonde:  Guess you could say I like John Frieda?  It is getting more and more difficult finding this specific color.  It's not at Walmart or Target.  I found this one at Ulta and there was only one other box.  This is the only color that I have found that does not brass me out.  It's not that ashy where your hair turns green, yes that has happened to me before.  I'm afraid to try another box color to be honest but this particular shade's nonavailability will be forcing me to explore other options.  I really liked 10N Extra Light Ash Blonde but that one has disappeared as well.   Hmmm...


10.  Nutiva Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil:  I use this for cooking, as a moisturizer, hair treatment, diaper rash cream, feet, hands...  You name it, I have many uses for it.  All from separate tubs I might add.  No double dipping over here!  :)  I have used it on my face and tried using it as a makeup remover but the two particular uses didn't work out for me.  I have this on Amazon click and save so it is delivered pretty frequently at a great price!


11.  Garnier Moisture Rescue Lightweight UV-Lotion:  Love this stuff!  I used to use it on my face but I found it was a bit too greasy for me.  I did find a better one for my face which I am just about ready to review.  I use this on my chest, neck, hands and feet every day.  I have a backup.


12.  Rembrandt Whitening Toothpaste:  Love this stuff.  Keeps my teeth white.  'Nuff said.  We are just flying through the toothpaste.  I guess that's a good thing since we are brushing but I thought for sure my stash of what 13 tubes was going to last us almost the year.  Well we acquired another tube from my mom (she accidently purchased cinnamon, not her fave) and currently I have 3 tubes left, 2 of which are in use!  Incredible.  I never actually figured out how long a tube a toothpaste lasted, I just assumed a month.  Well I was wrong.  :)


13.  Nuance Moisturizing Body Lotion:  I think this is my second bottle that I have gone through.  I really love the rose scent but I don't think it's super moisturizing.  It has rose hip oil, aloe vera and Irish Moss Extract.  It works well but if you have really dry skin, this won't be the best moisturizer for you.  I really like the smell and feel of it and if I can get a good deal on it, I would repurchase.  I do still have $2 off coupons for Nuance but my local CVS' did not seem to carry it a while back, end of last year to be specific.  


14.  Aveeno Hydrosport sunblock lotion SPF 85:  Now let me school you in sunBLOCK and SunSCREEN, in understandable terms of course.  SunSCREEN allows for you to receive color, i.e. a tan, without all the harmful rays.  Sunblock, blocks out all the sun's rays and you should not receive any color.  Well folks, I lathered this sunBLOCK on all my loved ones and myself last weekend and we were all burnt to a crisp.  Not once was this applied, but 3 times, yes, every 2 hours.  I bought it at Big Lots and it has an expiration of 2012/08.  Well it's June, May 26th when we used it, and suffice to say, it either expired early or it was a bad batch.  I will never buy this again or any other SPF lotion that close to an expiration date.  Lesson learned.


15.  Pond's Wet cleansing Towelettes:  Again, nothing compares to my fave Noxema wipes but these work pretty well too.  Nice thickness to the wipe, good wetness.  When I repurchase wipes, it will be the Noxema.  I did spot them at Kmart so I know they still exist!


16.  Willa Naturals Lavender Face Towelettes:  A Birchbox sample.  These 10 wipes went fast.  I liked the small convenient packaging.  Nice scent.  A little dry and didn't seem to take off too much but they felt refreshing nonetheless.  These are way too expensive for me to purchase.  I have no idea how much they cost, but I'm sure they are way more than I am willing to pay!


17.  Karma Anti-Blemish treatment mask:  Beauty Army sample.  I was going to do a separate review on this but it's hard to review something only after using it once.  I did this one night, left it on longer than I was supposed to by 5-10 minutes  My fault.  My pores were noticeably smaller...  But the next day my skin was a bit red and super oily all day long.  The oiliest it has been in a long time.   It was fun putting it on and it felt good.  Very relaxing.  Drank some tea, did my mask...  I would like to try it again though and instead of 25-30 minutes, just stick with the 10-15 per the package directions!  


18.  Aveeno Nourish + Shine Smoothing Shine Creme:  This was a sample attached to a bottle of shampoo that I finally focused enough to finish it.  It has been packed in every travel bag you can imagine.  I finally got around to actually using it.  It smells nice, almost of grapes, kind of fruity, smooths out the hair enough to get a brush though it.  Otherwise unremarkable though, I won't seek this out to repurchase at the moment as I have a ton of other hair creams to get through.


19. & 20.  John Frieda Precision Foam Color Conditioner:  I almost forgot about these until I looked back at the photo.  Seriously, why can't these be bottled up and sold in a full size.  I would totally buy it... all of the time.


So there you have it.  Another 20 bottles and boxes to hit the recycling bin!