Famous Last Words

Do you love being told you're right?  I do.

I mean, who doesn't.  That's not a question, let's be realistic.  No room for modesty here.

Once in a great while someone will say those words to me.  Albeit, not often...for anyone I imagine.  People don't like admitting defeat no matter who they are.  But when it happens...ooh baby.  Say it again.  And again.  Ohh ya, one more time.  It's so satisfying...

Those magic words, 'you're right'.  They get me every time.

Most of the time I live in the land of the eye-roll.  I get it so often I am practically immune.  As many of you know, I am quite opinionated in all matters food, chemicals, health and whatnot.  I often put in my two cents where it probably isn't wanted, but honestly I just can't help myself.  No, I don't always like to be the person to tell you that you're doing it all wrong - being the bearer of bad news all the time isn't fun, you know.  Don't think your reaction isn't written all over your face...I am perfectly aware of how people take things.  Most don't want to be told that their Vitamin Water is no better than soda, or that their after workout Muscle Milk has terrible side effects blah blah blah.  I imagine people often think I am just trying to sell my own stuff, but that's not necessarily the case.  I try to educate for better choices.  Though I have been asked, 'why didn't you tell me?', me giving bad news is not what this blog is about. (That's this one).

It's about me being right.

How many times have you been solicited for advice, or given it freely only for it to be thrown back at you unappreciatively?  It happens to everyone.  (Jeez, I hope it happens to everyone and not just me).  No matter what you say, the recipient of your good intentions seems to disagree and purposely stay very clear of anything you suggest.  It's hard to understand sometimes, why one would be discounted so quickly.  Is my knowledge not credible because I didn't go to medical school?  I think not.  Maybe to some I am still viewed as 'little Bonnie, what could she possibly know?'.

Yes, this blog is about you.  You know who you are, MOM.  And especially you Tracy, though you still haven't taken any of my brilliant advice.  I threatened to blog about you, didn't I?  See what you get for laughing?  Mwah ha ha ha!!!  Who's laughing now, Carol?!!

Some time ago, my mom was having big problems with heartburn, acid reflux kind of stuff.  She was on a prescription for it from the doc...Zantac, maybe...and even had to go back for a stronger prescription when that one wasn't working.  After having knee replacement surgery and being on so many rounds of antibiotics for one reason or another, I deduced that she would really benefit from a probiotic (in general), and specifically that it would really help her acid reflux.  Since she was so skeptical and just because I knew it would help so much I even offered her a bottle for free out of the goodness of my heart, which was refused.  Some time later, like 6 months to a year of suffering, she tells me one day that she's now on a probiotic.  A friend of hers swore that they were working wonders for her, and that my mom should try it.  She did, and her acid reflux was practically cured.  Okey dokey.  Good thing that lady told her about probiotics, huh?

Just a week or two ago, I was having another conversation with my mom in which she informed me that she joined a Jazzercise class.  Yay!!  She had sat through one class to see what it was like, saw that there is every level of ability in the class, and signed up.  Now...my mom has been retired for a couple years.  During this time I have suggested over and over that she get out and do something...a cooking class, yoga, knitting club, anything!  I also told her that the more she is sedentary, the harder it will get.  I even bought her the Tony Horton (the P90X guy) Flap-assing with the Fogies video.  Well, I got to hear those magic words...ooh I get chills just thinking about how it sounded...'you were right'.  Ahhhhh.

Say it to yourself once or twice.  Doesn't it feel good?  Ya, you know it does.

How about all those conversations about how bad artificial sweeteners are?  Well, they wouldn't sell that stuff if it wasn't just fine for you, would they?  Well, well.  Isn't that a good question.  I've been on the anti-artificial bandwagon for a long time now, and I definitely make my feelings about it known...especially to those I care about, an especially when those same people consume more than their share of said sweeteners.  But don't listen to me, noooo.  Get a chain email about the dangers of aspartame.  Read it.  Heed it.  And forward it to ME, as if I didn't practically write that email.

Lucky for me my mom has a good sense of humor, and was forewarned about me writing this blog.  We laugh a lot together, no matter whose folly is being discussed.  More often than not, I think we are probably laughing about ME.  I'm not laughing AT you Carol, I'm laughing WITH you.  

To get to the ever-present point of the story, I'm not as full of baloney as you might think. Some people actually respect my opinions and advice because believe it or not, I'm not just talking to hear the sound of my own voice.

I'm right.  Just ask my mom.

Now, what would you like to know?!

A Dirt Cheap Solution

Lately, no matter what I look at, it looks expensive to me.  Food, clothes, utilities, you name it.  I know it's not just my imagination that the cost of things are going up, especially in the food department, but I can usually overlook it at the grocery store by just not buying certain things.  As an example, I refuse to pay over $1.29 for an avocado.  I just can't do it.

A couple months ago my husband sent me an article titled 'That's pricey: 13 items that cost more, or will soon'.  They talk about gas, airfare, furniture (?!), fast food (oh. darn.), FLIPPIN' CHOCOLATE!!!  I guess expensive chocolate is good motivation for me to NOT buy it, but I still like having the option...

One of the items on that list is household products.  Now that's interesting, isn't it? *wink wink*  According to the article,

'Diapers, soap, toilet paper, toothpaste, trash bags and many other everyday items all have been targeted for price hikes as companies from Kimberly-Clark to Procter & Gamble to Colgate-Palmolive respond to rising ingredient costs' 

- and -

'The Consumer Price Index has climbed 2.7% in the past 12 months, according to government statistics released Friday. That’s the largest rise since 2009.  Price increases will continue in the months ahead...'

Well that sucks. I doubt I am the only one feeling the repercussions of rising costs, but I can happily say that the rising cost of cleaning products will NOT affect me.  Don't fall victim to this baloney!  If you've read my blog before, I make it pretty well known that I love Shaklee products.  I usually go on talking about how wonderful and green and safe they are, but have I mentioned how much money they save me?  I know some of you don't give a rats ass how green they are...if I had a dime for every time I heard 'I just love my bleach, I'll never give it up!'...well, you know the rest. 

 I just got the sale papers for a couple grocery stores,and one has Windex on sale 2/$5.  That's a 26 oz bottle for $2.50, for the record.

When I mix up a bottle of Shaklee H2 windows and mirrors cleaner it costs me less than 1 cent.  Yes, less than $.01 for a 16 oz bottle.  Hmmm...2 cents (for 32 oz, not 26!) vs. $2.50 for 26 oz?  Not a hard choice.  Suck on that, Windex. 

Before I was enlightened I bought Fantastic and Clorox Clean-Up, at about $2.39 a bottle.  Then when I greened up I was buying Seventh Generation for $4.79 or even GreenWorks (which is total greenwashing, I now know) for about $2.50.  These days, when I mix up the equivalent Shaklee H2 all-purpose cleaner it costs me .22 cents...a gallon. If I was better at math I would figure out how much that is per bottle, but I really stink at it.  Feel free to jump in, math people.

I've got more, of course I do.  But I will not go on and on because I don't think it's necessary.  You want to save money where ever you can, and so do I.  This is one of the things I do that saves A LOT.  Total bonus...you don't have to walk down the cleaning product or laundry aisle at the grocery store...it stinks so bad!  I walk through there once in a great while, and every time I do I sneeze from all the perfumes and chemicals.  Yuck!  But, that's a whole other blog...

Did I also mention that you can use H2 on anything that can get wet?  Ask yourself a question:  Does this sound like you?  'But ohhh, waaahhh, I need a different cleaner for my kitchen and waaahhhh what am I supposed to use in the bathroom or on the floooooor?'.  H2 gets used on everything.  It dusts furniture, removes soap scum, cleans kitchen counters, mops floors, washes dogs, washes children, degreases grease, de-pests plants, de-wrinkles clothes, deters mosquitoes on you and fleas from your pets, etc etc.  You can clean anything with this stuff, and throw your dirty water outside and it will make your grass greener and your roses rosier.  I even shoot fruit flies right out of the air with it, and don't tell me that doesn't sound like fun.  Drink it, bathe in it, do what you gotta do...just don't forget to tell your friends about it.   

And to answer your next question, yes it works.  You couldn't put 'Always Works' in your motto if it didn't always work.  That's false advertising, and the green folks at Shaklee look down their squeaky clean noses at stuff like that.

So here it is, folks.  The solution to saving money with cheaper cleaners is at your fingertips.  All the cleaning products in the Get Clean line are concentrated out the wazoo.  You use less, you spend less, you save money and you can buy more shoes.  Want to buy more shoes save money?  Start here.  Come to the Light Side.  Do it now!!!