Man Vs. Couch

I'm not a big fan of the gym in January. It is a natural part of American life to make New Year's resolutions, one of them being to lose weight. While I'm all for people getting off the couch and putting down the Velveeta, I hate the gym congestion. People galore! Wall-to-wall people determined to make this year's resolution stick--for a few weeks, anyway.

Since I can't just ditch the gym completely, I avoid it during the weekends. My light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel was February, since that's when people start falling off and the gym starts returning to normal.

A few weeks ago, I went to a BodyPump class on Thursday and found the class size to be shockingly normal. Hooray! People were flaking already.

That's when it hit. I actually felt sad. If the gym was returning to normal, that meant that people weren't making it beyond a full month on their road to better health. The couch and TV won. Diabetes won. Obesity won. That means people lose the battle.

Of course, last Thursday, BodyPump was so packed that I couldn't get in the door. *sigh* People...!

C'mon, March!

Name Brand Versus Store Brand, Part 1

For the last few years, I've been on a bit of a Suze Orman kick. It sure does suck when times are lean, so it's nice to have some money-saving strategies to prevent sleep loss (sleep loss results in darker undereye circles, which means you have to spend more money on concealer...you get my drift).

A few months ago, I started a personal "Name Brand Versus Store Brand" campaign, an effort to learn what products are worth springing some extra dough on, and where a few pennies can be pinched. So far, the results have been interesting. While I have tested many different items, I'm only going over a few.

Comparison 1:
Kraft Macaroni & Cheese vs. Hill Country Fare Macaroni & Cheese (from HEB)

Macaroni & cheese is a prime example of nitrates at their tastiest. Face it, boxed mac & cheese is a guilty pleasure that we can indulge in once in a while. Granted, some of the vegan lines have produced healthier versions of this fine fare, but I'm not talking about any of that stuff. Anyway, Hill Country Fare is around $.20 less than the Kraft brand, margarine and milk are added in the same quantities, and the tastes and textures are the same. Since I tend to purchase four boxes at a time, I'm sticking with the Hill Country Fare. FYI, I also tried Market Pantry (from Target) mac & cheese and was equally impressed.

Comparison 2:
Oreo Double-Stuff sandwhich cookies vs. Market Pantry Cookies n' Double Cream (from Target)

If you're grabbing Double Stuff Oreos from the shelf, odds are you want some extra cream between your crispy cookies (is my mind alone in the gutter, or did that sound naughty?). Anyway, Market Pantry's crisp cookie and creamy center (*sigh*) compare in both taste and texture to the name brand; however, Market Pantry skimps on the creamy center. It's pretty much like a regular sandwich cookie. Since I'm a cookie twister, I look for that extra cream. So in this case, I'm going to have to side with the Oreos. It's a shame, since Market Pantry sandwich cookies are just $1.99/package.

Comparison 3:
Neutrogena The Sensual Moisturizer Body Oil vs. Hill Country Essentials Body Oil (from HEB)

With a price difference of over a dollar for an entire product, this was worth looking into. The ingredient lists are identical, although I'm sure the proportions of said ingredients are different. In HEB, I unscrewed both caps and took a sniff of each oil. I've always liked the smell of the Neutrogena oil, and while the Hill Country oil had a similar smell, there was something about it that was...weird. I couldn't quite figure it out, maybe the smell is stronger or more floral, and I'm still unsure. I bought it anyway, thinking that if it sucked, I'd simply return it. Sesame oil has decent moisturizing benefits and it doesn't clog pores.

I keep the oil in my gym bag and use it after "Shower, Pt. 1" (more on that some other time, but I really do call it that) while my skin is still damp, then head into the steam room. (Yes, I know I shouldn't use products in the steam room. I guess I am a little naughty. No present from Santa for me.) Without the Neutrogena oil at the ready for a comparison, I could no longer distinguish the difference in smell between the two products. The Hill Country oil works just as effectively as the the Neutrogena, too. Both products fall into that a-little-goes-a-long-way category, so for the savings, I'm going to stick with the Hill Country stuff.

There are a few things that I simply won't compromise, regardless of savings.

• Q-Tips (My husband is no longer allowed to buy cotton swabs because twice he bought store brand instead of J & J, as I requested. Other brands are simply sticks with a little fuzz attached to the ends.)
• Aquaphor (This stuff is so good for keeping skin nice when the weather suddenly shifts. Plus, it moisturizes lips and keeps tattoos nice.)
• Tampons (Reasons are obvious. I do some strange things that may embarrass the average adult, but even returning unused tampons to the store because they're terrible is beyond my scope.)

NOTE: All products mentioned in this post were purchased by my family with our money. We do not represent any of the companies listed; we were not sent free products by said companies; we are in no way compensated for this blog post. All opinions expressed in this blog post are honest the sole property of me.

Summoning My Inner Holiday Cheerleader

Christmas is not my favorite holiday. It's commercialized, people in the malls are even more douchey than usual, blah, blah, blah. The truth is, no matter how much I don't want to like Christmas, it's hard to maintain a crappy attitude when you have a 5-year old and a 14-year old who love all things Christmas and are charming and sweet about the whole thing. Therefore, I suppose it can be said that I am warming up to this particular holiday.

Sometime next week, I will devote an entire 6-hour block (when the kiddos are at school) to gift wrapping. Although the cold front will be but a memory, I will head out for a quick run, throw on some comfy yoga pants (after a shower, indeed), and cram as many marshmallows as humanly possible into my coffee. However, the most important step in the gift-wrapping process is my video playlist. My Christmas video playlist consists of films that may not focus on Christmas, but it's at least mentionted, and the movies themselves make me feel pretty darned good. Here goes.

1. It's a Wonderful Life--Duh, right? I mean, this movie is genius, pure genius. I love a sweet remake of a classic anyway, but what makes this movie extra special for me can be summed up in two words--James Stewart. When you combine him with Frank Capra, you get magic. And yes, "...whenever a bell rings, an angel gets his wings." Just bear in mind that whenever someone rolls his/her eyes at the contents of my blog, an angel's wings catch fire. I'm just sayin'.

2. The Family Man--One of Nicolas Cage's finest films, definitely underrated. One of the things I love about this story is that Jack Campbell's life-assuming-he-went-to-London isn't really bad. I mean, there isn't anything wrong with it. He is simply shown an alternative to that life. Don Cheadle plays a great angel.

3. Serendipity--There are so many things I love about this movie, I don't know where to begin. John Corbett's hair doesn't make the list. Anyway, the plot is clever. And Christmas shopping at Bloomingdales? They could have done worse. Even Molly Shannon didn't ruin the movie.

4. Love Actually--I don't even have to give an explanation, do I? I mean, even the soundtrack is exquisite.

5. A Charlie Brown Christmas--This is seriously one of the best Christmas movies ever made. Ever. Seriously. It doesn't contain any of that Oh-Santa-is-in-trouble-and-we-can't-have-Christmas-without-him! crap. Instead, it shows the true meaning of Christmas through a grody little tree. I love the fact that Charlie Brown chooses a tree because, well, it needs someone to give it a chance; it is fan-bloody-tastic. After the other kids laugh Charlie Brown out of the scene, Linus gives them the score. I.Love.It.

At the end of the day, I hope that all of you are hanging in there and enjoying the holidays. Some things are beyond our control, so I hope you find solace to cope in those areas, or at least aren't stressing too much about them. May your health be excellent and your heart full of love.

An Adult's Guide To Black Friday

The cold hard truth about Black Friday is that the stores really don't slash prices much (with the exception of televisions and large appliances). Black Friday is about the atmosphere. There's a ton of energy in the air and a strange kind of excitement. This is for the newbs and those who dread heading out, but do it anyway.

For the Nosey People Out There...

I am pretty nosey by nature and I believe that pretty much everyone is (even if they won't admit it). Lately, I'm enjoying the "What's in my purse" posts on YouTube, and have watched many gals spill the contents of their purses. Some people carry some wacky stuff (not judging!). Big bags, little bags...It's all in good fun.

Anyway, I decided to post the contents of my bag. Enjoy! (Unless, of course, you have no interest in knowing about the junk I carry around. I confess that it's not that exciting.)

Life Goes On

I have been on the fence about posting this blog because I don't want it to bring anyone down. Rather, I wish to offer hope and perspective to someone who may need it. If I come across as obtuse or distant, it is unintentional.

Last August marked the one-year anniversary of my mom's death. Therefore, we are on round two of the stuff that she's missing, i.e. her birthday (last month). Here are a few conclusions I have reached over the last 14 months in regards to living after someone important has died:

1. If you have a spouse, child or a decent relationship with your parent(s), then you probably know how it feels to love someone more every single day. Well, this increasing love doesn't stop when someone dies.

2. Time doesn't heal all wounds. I don't feel any "better" about my mom's death; I've just learned how to deal with it and live differently. I still have moments of despair, but they sure aren't every single day.

3. My mom's death has forced me to take inventory of the things that truly matter, things that I actually believe, and unanswerable questions that I need to accept.

What the...?!

Misogyny is everywhere--I get that. Never mind that we are in 2009 and are an evolved society. But seriously, did girl-bashing have to invade the candy aisle?



I spotted this gem in the British(-inspired) foods end cap at my local HEB. There are several things about this candy bar that bother me.

1. The image of the female is not only wearing a short skirt, but carrying a tiny purse, as well. Talk about a stereotype. If said image corresponds to the slogan, "It's not for girls!" then can a grown woman with kiddos and a stretchier body enjoy this candy? Really, almost every mom I know carries a bag so big that it should probably have its own wheels. Plus, some of us who've had multiple pregnancies still have a body that has no business wearing anything that short. I'm just sayin'. Also, the girl could at least have hair on her head.

2. Yes, this may be some sort of reverse psychology--I mean, who markets chocolate to men and not women?--but assuming that it's not, the nutritional facts are located in the usual place, with the calorie count (over 350[!] for all 5 pieces) in big numbers right next to the slogan. Unfortunately, I channeled my inner male when I bought this. In other words, I ate a piece (or two, or three...) before I read the label. Whatever.

3. For all intents and purposes, it's tasty. Yeah, I said it.

4. I bought misogynistic candy. Effing hormones.