Using Gel Polish

 When my niece passed away the other week, I wanted to do something to remind me of her. When she wanted to remember a loved one, she would get a small tattoo. That's not my thing. I thought about coloring my hair purple or pink or blue - because she loved coloring her hair! That's not my thing either. 

She could work this purple wig!

What I finally came up with was doing something cute and different with my nails. That's something that she'd like. Of course, she was an artiste. With her hair and makeup and nails and life...

See what I mean? She was just beautiful, inside and out.

As for my non-artistic self... I don't often paint my nails because I hate dealing with polish that takes so long to dry or that takes more than a million coats to look nice. Then I thought of how another of my nieces gets her nails done at the salon. I hate nail salons. They are pricey and inconvenient for the hermit in me! So...

Gel nails are cute. And I can do them at home for myself. They sure are more affordable. Plus, when I looked into how to use gel polish, I loved that it dries quicker and lasts longer than regular (or lacquer) polish. That sounded like my kind of thing.

I found all different kinds of gel polish online. Who knew??? They come in both liquid and cream formats. Oh boy. As a matter of fact, I had to spend hours just figuring out which would be better to use and how to use gel polish at all...

I ended up getting a super-cheap cream palette and a set of colors in the liquid format. Then I found out that I needed both a gel base and a top coat - and a UV lamp. OH BOY.

Thankfully, I found liquid gel, a cream palette, and the base/top set all for under $25. I had to really do some shopping around, let me tell you that. Apparently, gel nail kits can get way up there in price.

Anyway.

This is my first try at doing my nails. I chose a jet-black liquid polish paired with some glittery cream polish. They turned out pretty good for my first time out:

I started with the black polish

The cream palette has glitter polish!

I added a little sparkle

And, yeah, I didn't do the best job of painting but I don't think it's that bad for the first time. Gel polish takes some practice to use. For one thing, the gel liquid has a different viscosity than regular polish. It feels thicker and seems to coat the brush heavier. No matter how much I swiped the brush, the liquid ran down the applicator and onto the brush. It's really weird. But I do like it.

I found a UV lamp for such a cheap price that I wasn't sure it would work. It was under 10 bucks. As a backup, I got a second lamp (for 16 bucks & there went my budget plan)  that I would return if it was not as good as the cheaper one. Guess what? The cheap lamp works SO much better. I realized that the cheap lamp is 54W while the other one is only 40W. I sent the 40W lamp back

So... I really like using gel polish. I will probably never go back to using regular lacquer. Using gel takes way less time and is really lasting.  I've done my nails more than once now. I hope I'm getting better at it.

I am getting better

Whenever I tried using lacquer, I had to set aside at least half an hour for every coat of polish I used. And I always, always, always made a mess. It's the drying time that kills me. As soon as I got my nails painted, I would have to scratch an itch, use the bathroom, or do something to mess up the not-dry polish. With gel, I just paint and light it up for about 2 minutes. And when gel dries (or "cures") it's seriously done. And that brings up something else.

Removing gel is much more work than putting it on in the first place. It's a process that requires 100% acetone and some way to keep the acetone on the polish long enough to dissolve it. If I had not found a workaround to the process, I would probably not like gel polish as much as I do.

Without the peelable base coat, removing gel polish requires filing the top coat down, then finding a way to keep acetone-soaked cotton on the nails long enough to let it work. I tried doing this by wrapping foil over the cotton on my fingertips. That's folly supreme. The foil kept falling off and, besides, foil is not that cheap. I ended up spending a couple more dollars for some of these clips that hold the cotton on your nails. 

~sigh~

To make removing the polish easier, I found a peelable base coat. That stuff is amazing. Still, there's always a bit of residue of polish. That's fine. I just use acetone, cotton, and clips. Easy peasy.

So. Yes. Gel polish is pretty cool. Of course, now I have accumulated the UV lamp, 2 liquid color sets, the cream palette, base and top coat, acetone, and clips. I've had to restrain myself from getting the nail art gels! I don't need another product addiction. 

Most of all, I like being able to wear polishes to remember my niece. One day, I hope to get some colors that she would use - bright pink or blue or some other kind of loud and electric color. When I get better at using the gel, I just might get some of the nail art kits. Maybe write out the letters in her name on my nails.

I still cannot believe she is gone. I hope I can think of her one day without feeling this ache in my heart.

Peace

--Free

When Your World Stops

 We lost one of my nieces this weekend. I'm not sad for her because she got saved about a year ago. I'm sad for all of us she left behind. I'm sad for her twin brother. I teased her once by calling them "wombmates". 

What is so hard to deal with when Death takes someone you love is that the world goes on - with or without you. The morning that I was told my niece had passed, I was struggling to understand why UPS was still running packages and people were walking down the street, talking and enjoying their lives. 

I got so irritated every time an email notification chimed or when I could hear my neighbors going down the halls talking and laughing and living life like my niece no longer can.

I couldn't sleep so I stayed up doing laundry and cleaning the kitchen and doing anything to keep from thinking about my niece not being here. Every now and then, when I could hear the sounds of life happening, I wanted to yell for everyone to just stop.

But the world doesn't stop for you to mourn. When a rich person, homeless or hopeless person or famous person, or a royal person dies, the world spins on and on and on.  Death is death and there are no red carpets on the way out of here. 

All we have is the remembrance of love given and accepted. We have photographs and videos and memories. But that person is gone. They aren't going to be worried anymore about laundry,  mail or work, or loneliness. All the things they owned won't matter. All the shoulda, woulda, and coulda things won't matter. Nothing matters but the love they got and gave while they were here.

One day soon - but not for a while - I will wake up and not feel like I do today. One day, my niece's twin will be able to think of her without feeling like he's been orphaned. One day, our family will get together and share our stories and memories of my niece. One day we will cry because we miss her but we will feel so blessed that we had her.

This day, niece, you are in Paradise with the Lord.

Peace

--Free

Doing IF Again (and can talk about it now)

I didn't want to talk about my current intermittent fasting until I knew I could stick with it. Well, it's been 39 days (or since Sept 14th) and I am down 18.6 pounds. Yes, I am using a weight loss tracking app. 

I started out doing the 16:4 plan and have been altering it to fit my life. The day before yesterday I felt strong enough to switch to the 20:4 plan. I really want to reach my goal weight by the end of the winter season.

What made me try IF again? I don't know. My big ol' bathroom mirror?

LOL. But seriously tho...

I think I was just feeling ready this time. And my appetite has been changing in recent months. And I was feeling unhappy with my weight. Really unhappy. 

After trying every kind of way to lose some extra pounds over the past 3 years, I was ready to give up. I had decided that my age (61), my health issues, and my low willpower had lost the battle for me. I was so upset about it that I had a small breakdown during an appointment with my nephrologist.

Losing weight is beneficial in the fight against CKD and for general wellness. Losing weight is incredibly difficult for some of us. The older you get the more difficult it gets. And, for me, that's been very frustrating.

I was not over-eating. During the past year, my daily calorie intake was around 2200 each day. Yeah - not great but a big cut down from 2300-2400 I'd slid up to in recent years. I was walking or riding an exercise bike a couple of times a week and I had cut back on sodium, potassium, and phosphorus. (My labs have been excellent.) I wasn't eating out, nor was I eating a lot of junk. But I can cook. And I like to cook. I can also bake. And I like that too.

Back to my public emotional breakdown.

Dr. T. let me whine about the yo-yo-ing up and down by 5 or 6 pounds. While he listened, he was scratching down some notes on the back of my lab report. He asked me a couple of questions while I talked. What time do I generally go to bed and and wake up? Why am I not resting well? Am I drinking enough water and cutting back on caffeine? I told him and finished whining. He finished scribbling, then he handed me his notes. 

I have kept that piece of paper because it changed everything for me. Almost immediately. But at first, I scoffed. As I said, I have tried intermittent fasting. I've tried it more than once - and it didn't work. I've tried the Keto diet, and the Mediterranean, and I even dang near went vegetarian for a minute. Why should I bother with IF again?

My doctor told me to trust him. He says that I was probably practicing IF wrong. He says that when we think of making changes in how and what we eat, we have to make it work -  for us.

This is that life-changing (or at least body-changing) piece of paper:

Dr. Fung's videos are useful

I have insomnia so my sleep schedule is insane but I generally get into bed around 10:30-11:00pm. I told the doc that I get up at 6:00-6:30am - sometimes 7. (In actuality, I was getting up between 5:30 and 6 most days and I don't know why I didn't want to tell him that.) The doctor wanted me to think about my personal schedule and lifestyle. He was right. It makes a huge difference.

As you can see, the doctor had me breaking 2100 calories up during the day. I gave his schedule a try for a couple of days, then modified it. Like he said, I had to make this work for me. 

The doctor also recommended getting more rest (maybe he knows I lied?) so I'm getting up now around 7-7:30  but I'm not a breakfast person (I'm a coffee person). Also, I don't like eating meals late at night. This is what I came up with on Day 3:

I'd get up and drink water until I have my first calories (aka my morning coffee with sweet cream!). I never had a full 700 calories because I just cannot usually deal with food before lunchtime. Every blue moon, I might have a muffin or some toast. Once I have my morning shot of java, I'm a happy gal. 

From 2 to 4 is when I would have my main meal. I got into a routine of having a piece of chicken with a piece of buttered bread sprinkled with herbs. I would use my 1200 calories and any leftover from the morning 700 allowance.

From 5 to 6 is when I would fit in any last snack or nibbles.

Garlic knots
from Mama Cozzi's dough

In between my meals, I drank a lot of water, maybe a Fresca or diet tonic water. Those are the only diet drinks I can stand. I hate the taste of fake sugar! I even got into the habit of drinking herbal tea - citrus or anything tangy are my favorites.

I adhered to this routine for almost two weeks. I would look forward mostly to my morning coffee and that lunch meal. I didn't really feel a need to snack. At some point, I realized, I didn't even need a heavy lunch. I switched from chicken to pasta with a little sauce to broccoli and pasta to rice with some butter and seasonings. 

One day, I decided that I didn't even that want much to eat. I got some summer sausage and cheese and Ritz crackers. That's what I would eat during the day. I cut back to one cup of coffee and started drinking more seltzer water and herbal tea. 

Pizza from Mama Cozzi's
dough

Basically, for the last couple of weeks, I have been having what I call "nibble meals".  I think my body has reset itself as far as appetite. I now eat what I crave and if I'm not hungry, I don't eat just because it's mealtime.

When I do want something, I have it. If I'm not hungry, I don't eat.

The other week, I found these packs of take-and-bake pizza dough. I will fix a couple of breadsticks with it or make a small pan pizza. I love making garlic knots with the dough. My whole grocery shopping routine has changed. Some of what I have been keeping & rotating on my grocery list:

• Mama Cozzi's Pizza Kitchen Pizza Dough
• Beef summer sausage (snack)
• Pizza sauce
• Broccoli florets
• Mixed vegetables (to eat with rice)
• White rice
• Alfredo sauce
• Ritz Crackers (snack)
• Tuna (canned in water)
• Mozzarella cheese shredded
• Mild cheddar block
• Chicken thighs (these cook up SO good in the Foodi)
• Gelato bites (dessert)
• Dark chocolate bar
• Cheese dip (to eat with bread stick/pizza)
• Frozen blueberries (for smoothies/ice cream)
• Macadamia milk
• Cashew milk
• Bread (cottage or thick-cut white)
• Spring water
• Diet tonic water (I can stand this but not diet cola)
• Fresca
• Ground coffee
• Instant espresso
• Sweetened condensed milk (for rice pudding)
• Rhodes cinnamon rolls (dessert)

There are days when I am okay with just having some cheese and crackers. And there are days when I try to eat the world in just a few hours.

When I say that my attitude toward food has changed, I'm serious. There was a time when I could not keep a bag of Rhodes cinnamon rolls for more than a week. They come with 12 rolls in a bag, people. There is a bag in my freezer that's been there for at least 13 days now. Same for the gelato bites I found at Aldi's. Folks, there were days when I had to remind myself to eat something. 

That was all before I made another change to the fasting plan.

It had been 32 days since I was in my doc's office, whining. I won't tell you what I clocked in at, weight-wise, but I will say that I had come down 16.3 pounds. 

Then something cool happened while I was looking for an app to help me track my fasting hours. I found one and it listed the various fasting plans. For the amount of weight I want to lose over the winter, the app suggested trying the 20:4 plan.

Uh... I guess my goal is a little bit "aggressive"... I mean, 20:4 is, well eating for 4 hours and fasting for 20. Wow.

I was worried that I wouldn't be able to handle such a short window of being able to eat. It's not that I want a lot to eat but I am used to having a lot more hours in which to eat. But I really want to get to my goal weight as soon (and healthily) as I can.

So far, the only hard thing about the 20:4 plan is that, with my sleep schedule, I don't get my first coffee until around 11 in the morning. Three and a half to four hours is a looong time to wait for my first cup of coffee with cream. And I stop all calories at 2:30 or 3. I tried staging my eating hours from 10 to 2 but that only works if I want more coffee than food. But I have been managing to do the 20:4 plan for a couple of days now. 

As I work on this post, I keep glancing at the tracker which tells me how long I have left to fast. I need to ignore that tracker! Right now there are still 13 hours of fasting time left. That is 13 hours until I can have coffee. Yeah. I do need to stop looking at the tracker until I have just 15 minutes left. By then, I am getting out my cup and the sweet cream and watching for the coffee to start brewing...

But this is working. It's working so well that I'm just mad I didn't start sooner. I'm not saying it's easy. It's not but it is doable. I don't even care when other people are eating and I can't join in. I just drink black coffee and pray.

This made me laugh so hard!

One key thing: I don't check my weight like a fanatic (anymore). I really fought to ignore my bathroom scale for the first 3 weeks. I remember someone once saying that we should judge our weight-loss success by how we feel and not what the scale reads. I highly recommend using that little tactic! Now, I only check every few days so that I can update the tracker app.

When you lose weight, you notice things you weren't paying attention to. For most of my life - up til I was about 30 - I was one of those thin people who never really gained weight and never had to think about what I ate, but I've been fat long enough now that I'd forgotten some good things about being my correct weight. 

These days, I feel more comfortable in every way. When I lost the first 10 or 12 pounds, I could see the change in my face. At 18 pounds down, I can tell how much better my clothes fit and feel. It is almost shocking to see the change in numbers when I look at the loss history on the app. I felt the results before I saw the scale.

When I put on my pants, nothing is tight, puckled up, or rolled. My thighs don't touch when I walk. My breathing is better. I don't cringe when I catch sight of my naked body in the mirror. I'm not exactly prancing around (yet), but I'm not instantly depressed at the sight. 

I have a couple of cute Dollar General dresses that I got when I moved here in 2017. When I first bought them, they made me feel pretty and comfortable. For the past couple of years, I only wore them because they were still kind of loose. That was 35 pounds ago, people. The other day, I put one of the dresses on and realized that I felt pretty in it - not just comfortable. Same with some other pieces of clothing that I tried on for the first time in a while. 

If I really want to see how gaining 35 pounds has changed me, I can just look at the wear and tear on some of my pants. The inseams are worn and the waistbands are stretched out. Just imagine how I will feel when I'm down almost double that 35 pounds!

The biggest sign that I am doing something right came when my brother and sister-in-law commented on the changes. They had taken me to that doctor's appointment. When they saw me a couple of weeks later, my SIL wanted to know what I had been doing to lose weight. My SIL has since signed up with NOOM. I can't afford that. I will stick with what is working. Intermittent fasting (or any eating plan/diet) is all about attitude.

Finally - I do realize that photographs are the best for showing a change. I am putting together a set of pictures. Luckily, I have some full-body shots from reviews I've done for some clothes. I will be doing a photo post when I hit my final goal. My first goal is about 17 pounds away but my final goal is to get back to my 2012 weight. If God is willing to let me see the day, I plan to go into next summer needing a bunch of smaller clothes...

Peace

--Free

Your Next Breath Isn't Promised

 

God has His plans. 

We think we are in control of everything but we are not. All we control is how we choose, act, love, reach out, hug, and say "I love you" right in this moment.

My mother used to remind me that "Your next breath is not promised". I know that is true but it's so hard to accept.

I lost yet another piece of my heart last night. My family is the definition of family. We are pieces of our parents and their parents. We are slowly losing our pieces as they leave us to go home to God.

Make sure that you tell those you love that you love them. Make a phone call, send a text, or drop by their home. Hug each other, smile together, and make good memories. Be a family, be a friend, be there for them and with them while you can.

Gabby, we will all see you when we get there.

Peace

--Free

**HEADS UP** Head & Shoulders Royal Oils

The "Heads Up" posts are going to be for my take on products or ideas without a lot of my usual chatter. First up: Head & Shoulders Royal Oils line of products.

Head & Shoulders was not a brand I ever thought of when thinking of products to care for my naturally nappy hair. That's too bad because this stuff is the truth.

I was looking for a product to soothe my dry scalp when a product popped up in an Amazon product search:

Not only is the product good, but the dispenser nozzle is perfect.

Since I never had a problem with dandruff, I never thought of Head & Shoulders. However, until recently, I never had a problem with a dry scalp so... The product sounded like it might work for me. Also, I was kind of intrigued that Head & Shoulders had jumped on the natural hair care wagon with a "Royal Oils" line. Good name.

The scalp cream worked. I used it in conjunction with my JBCO which was not doing the job by itself. Within a few days, my dry scalp problem was done with. I asked around in some hair care forums about suddenly experiencing a dry scalp. More than a few commenters mentioned that age, climate, and certain styling products could be the reason for my problem. One good suggestion was to try switching up my shampoo and conditioner as they could be the biggest reason.

I normally use a variety of shampoos but for a long time, I have stuck with Aussie Moist conditioners. And maybe it was time for a change because my hair has also been bone dry for a while - ever since I cut it.

Anyway, the H&S scalp cream had worked so well that when I needed to buy conditioner, I got the Royal Oils Moisture Renewal Conditioner. I still had some Aussie shampoo but that conditioner... That stuff is the truth.

My hair has never felt so good both during and after using a conditioner.  Here are the products (if you can find them at your local Dollar General, the prices are much better).

I got the shampoo and conditioner at Walmart for $6.97 each (cheaper than Amazon's $8.56 each); the scalp treatment for $8.57 at Walmart and $8.94 at Amazon; the moisture mask $9.99 for a pack of 10. I didn't see the mask at Walmart plus I ended my Plus membership with them.

Each moisture mask pack gives me 3 treatments because my hair is so short now. For my previous head of hair, I could probably make a packet last for 2 full treatments. It's a thick cream and you have to add a little water or keep your hair very wet for it to work.

I was worried that the 5-ounce bottle of scalp treatment wasn't going to last very long but it's been worth it. I've used it about 3 times a week for 3 weeks as of today and the bottle is just under half full. Not bad.

Right now, I am using a routine with the H&S Royal Oils shampoo, conditioner, scalp treatment, and deep moisture mask. This is in conjunction with the JBCO that I use on my scalp for oil treatment and some Eden BodyWorks leave-in (for dry hair). I will go over the Eden BodyWorks next time.

Our winter weather has started here so my hair is extremely dry. For now, the best of the H&S products, IMO, are the shampoo, conditioner, and scalp treatment. I'm not sure about the moisture mask yet.

Ladies, this stuff is very affordable so it's worth trying out on your nappy naps. Here is the full product line. Make sure that you shop around for the best price.

Peace

--Free

This Electrolux Vacuum...

One of my favorite subreddits is Buy It For Life. Every time I see an old-school appliance that someone's parents passed down (and now they've had it for for 15 years going on forever), I hope I will run across one that I can afford. Well, you can't beat free. I finally got a BIFL appliance.

So the other day, I snagged an Electrolux Epic Series 6500 SR vacuum. It's used and is missing a couple of basic accessories. Still, I couldn't be more excited. An Electrolux? A working Electrolux? What a find. 

My mom had a used one that she got when I was in my lower single-digit years and she used it until I was about 14 or 15 (?). That thing never broke down. It did get 'lost' during one of our final military moves - which means that someone from the moving company wanted a good vacuum... After that, Mom got a Kirby. I didn't like Kirby vacs because they were so freaking heavy and cumbersome. I sure do wish I had that old Electrolux though.

This one is in good shape and it works wonderfully. It sure puts my Bissell upright to shame - and I do love my Bissell. The only thing wrong with this Electrolux is that the On-Off foot button does nothing. I have to unplug the vacuum to turn it off. Also, the handle for the floor attachment doesn't lock so I have to hold it to make sure it doesn't come unattached. That's not a huge deal and I am sure I can get a replacement. My brother is going to look at the foot button to see why it's not working.

You can see there are no
accessories attached to
the canister

There was even a clean bag in the vacuum. The after-filter needs to be replaced but it's not totally necessary for basic use. At least, that is what I heard in one video about the machine.

Please, Lord, let this vacuum truly be a BIFL item!

I'd already just vacuumed the apartment so I didn't think I'd be able to test the 'Lux. Still, I ran it across the living room carpet just to see what I was working with... And, boy, what I am working with is a machine so effective that I'm willing to buy any replacement parts and attachments needed. 

Running that 'Lux across my already "clean" carpet made me do a double-take. The Bissell picks up the general dust and small debris and my carpets do usually look clean. After I used the 'Lux, I could see a bit of a difference. The carpet looked more plumped and "refreshed" - almost as if I'd steamed it. Plus, I could get the 'Lux into places too low for the Bissell. Like all the way under my weird bed frame.

Apartment carpeting is generally cheap and crappy. Mine is not the cheapest or worst though. It was a very light color of brown (tan?) when I moved it. Now almost 6 years later, I have to shampoo it to keep it near that color. When I use my Bissell, I get a little more "lift" than is visible before vacuuming. It makes the carpet look less worn. After using the 'Lux, I got a lot more lift. And, best of all, the carpet just felt cleaner under my bare feet. I don't wear shoes inside and rarely wear socks in the summer. My carpet never bothered me before but I downright enjoyed having it underfoot today. Well, at least the spots where I used the 'Lux!

I bet when I take the time to seriously run that thing through the whole apartment, the carpet with actually be lovely again. The first thing I plan to do is sprinkle down some baking soda to freshen the carpet. I only do that every few months because it takes the Bissell several passes to get it completely out of the nap. 

By the way, here is a video of some guy comparing this brand of the 'Lux to a Dyson. 

I cannot wait to show that video to my little brother. He has a Dyson and between that vacuum and his freaking iPhone, I am really tired of the crowing he does. 

My carpet doesn't need a lot of day-to-day care. I have no kids or pets and I spend the most time in my bedroom so I just want to keep the floors clean and fresh-smelling. And I am just amazed at how well this machine vacuums. It's nowhere near as loud as my Bissell, it's not as heavy as I thought it would be, and it certainly has better maneuverability. Now, it is taking me time to get used to the canister design. I keep reaching for more of a handle to hold onto. 

The only attachments I have are the "power nozzle" (?) floor brush that I will use most often, the combo rug/floor brush head, and the main power hose accessory that lets me attach the wands for the various brush heads. The only attachments I plan to look for are the crevice tool and the dusting tool. Right now, I am happy enough to have the floor tools.

I have never had a canister-style vacuum before. This one sure doesn't take up a lot of room. I will be able to store it in the same closet where I keep the Bissell. 

Having this used vacuum and seeing how well it still works made me want to find more Electrolux appliances. Then I went on eBay just to look for vacuum accessories. Good mercy. Some of the parts are selling for more than what I paid for my entire Bissell. Seriously. And to get a complete vacuum with or without accessories is just out of the question. I did find a potential source online for parts. You can find almost anything for this machine because, apparently, they last forever.

I sure can see why the 'Lux is a coveted machine...

Can you imagine having a metal one? #Goals.

Anyway, I am happy to have this vacuum. As I said, I will find a repair place to hunt down accessories - or not. I have already found replacement bags online for a not-too-frightening price. It really would be nice to find out which of my neighbors put this vacuum in our community freebies. I would love to buy them a thank you gift.

 Now I am going to go over to Reddit to boast a little.

Peace

--Free

**UPDATE** My Walmart Plus Failed

UPDATE:

I recently saw a Reddit post that mentioned the absolute genius of Sony. "The founder of Sony hired an outspoken critic of their products so they could make better products. 20 years later, he became the president of Sony."

Walmart, are you listening? You don't have to hire me. I give my criticism out for free.

Walmart has a membership plan, similar to Amazon Prime. I gave it a try and... boy, what a complete nightmare.

So why get a Walmart Plus membership?

First of all, what made me want the membership was the fact that there was no-minimum free shipping and free local delivery with purchases totaling over $35. About the same for most grocery store plans. Hyvee's Plus plan purchase minimum is lower at $24.99 but the item prices are higher and the store doesn't have the product variety that Walmart does - naturally because, who does besides Amazon? The other thing is that Walmart is a budget-friendly one-stop kind of place to shop. I know there are haters galore but I am a Walmart customer due to finances and my lifestyle limitations.

So.

General Pros and Cons

The no-minimum free shipping of items went well when I used it but I hated taking advantage. I did make some small orders but started trying to be more organized so that I was not ordering one single thing at a time. Besides, even though you can find almost anything for shipping, the product prices get crazy and vary greatly. I'm not paying $30 for a variety bag of potato chip snacks to be shipped when I can get them delivered or in-store for $10.

Now grocery delivery is my jam, as the kids say (said?). I am on such a crazy diet for my sarcoidosis and have such small food storage space that I usually order once every 2 to 3 weeks. Grocery delivery is a convenience for many people but for me, it is a necessity. I don't drive and I live in a tiny town where neighborhood shopping prices are driven by wealthy tourists. I truly rely on grocery delivery from big box stores.

(Side note: recently, I learned that Walmart Plus members can get Paramount Plus also. Well, that is its own nightmare story so I will save it for later.)

The Plus membership taxes my budget because, at $12/95/month plus tax, it is more than a discounted Prime membership. But again, I depend on the delivery services.

So, what went wrong?

I am going to let pictures tell most of the story. Thankfully, I am in the habit of taking screenshots because of cognitive issues. I had to go through the screenshots of the phone app and Twitter messages just to sort out for myself what the hell happened. My Twitter messages shown are in reaction to what's going on with the ordering app and the Walmart site chat reps.

Here goes:

This was the beginning. The first problem order & it was a doozy. It never did arrive & cust svc were as stumped as I about what happened. As you can see, I was actually worried that the delivery driver might have been in an accident.

Keep in mind, I had so many problems with this order that I dang near had to whiteboard the screenshots to sort them out. This one problem was to do with the water I ordered. The shopper removed it from my order as being an "unavailable" item. Funny enough, I was able to go in and add the water to a new cart. Never did get the water or figure out what was up with the unavailability. 

The same order is still a problem the next day. The app shows that the order is still being delivered. The tracking info (I think it showed the driver being 17 minutes away) had not changed overnight.

This phone text is showing nonsense info about an order that a chat rep canceled for me. They canceled it because they thought the app might be glitchy... The word "glitch" got used a lot by the reps and myself.

By the way, this text came in on August 3rd for an order that was made, screwed up, and canceled on the 2nd.

And I realized that part of this crazy, lost, glitchy order included items that were to be shipped rather than driver-delivered. At this point, my brain hurts and, because of my sarc, I'm actually taking handwritten notes to keep track of this mess.

Then I get an app message saying that my order - yeah, that crazy, canceled, lost order - is... delivered.  I have no idea what is going on. I have nothing delivered. A chat rep assured me that the order has been canceled (I was worried about credit card charges) and to go ahead and just start a new order.

 The magic water that keeps appearing and disappearing from stock is still a problem but the chat rep refunded my bad order. I'm still fairly happy at this point, I decide to hang with Walmart for the time being. (That happy feeling won't last.)

 

This is all annoying but I'm still game. I even thanked the chat rep and said that I'd once worked cust svc so "I get it". 

The bossy side of me though can't help but offer some long-winded advice to Walmart. It goes on for several Twitter messages. I won't bore you with it, but I go on for a bit. But back to the nightmare...

With that first bad order all taken care of, I foolishly think things will be better. I place another order. 

This order was made early in the morning to be delivered between 5 & 6 in the evening on the 6th. That did not happen. On the 7th, I got in touch with Walmart. Again. 

 BTW - that whole "We'd like to look into it"? That must be a copy/paste script because they use it every time. Until later, when they stop the fondness for "looking into it"...

They "look into it" and things are fixed. Then they made the mistake of inviting any more concerns - or maybe I made the mistake of taking them up on it.

One of the perks of a Plus membership is a Paramount Plus membership. Of course, I was having problems with mine. Of course.

I won't go into it all but I wasn't able to sign into Paramount. Not on any browser. Not after clearing cookies and cache and waving a magic wand over the computer. But, bless their hearts, they really wanted to help me with it. At this point though, I have Walmart fatigue & I decline.

See how they are almost begging to help with the Paramount issue? That urge to help will fade fast when we get back to problems with the Walmart ordering system...

I can do without Paramount but... Another order and another Walmart screwup. My new order is going to be delayed. Of course. Because a delay usually signals a biggre problem, I get proactive in alerting Walmart:

Late doesn't bother me. Getting another weird system glitch is what worries me.

Am I a pest for being concerned at this point?

Nope, I am not a pest. I am apparently psychic. This order is also turning out to be a problem. The order is late and the browser is not updating and neither is the app on my phone. I try cancelling to avoid another hours long delivery failure nightmare.

As usual, the chat agent is amazing and is able to get the order cancelled. However, even the agent is curious about the "glitch". He is very sorry and encouraged me to try placing the order all over again. I decide I will try that.

When I mention that I am going to try again but am wondering if it will work this time, Walmart pulls their old copy/paste "reach out" message... They want me to provide them with past order info. As if they cannot scroll back through all these messages.

I give them the problem order numbers. I provide them with a maddening screenshot of a particuarly weird that happened. An order shows on the app as both delivered and cancelled. It's like magic.

At this point, I am done. Walmart is mysteriously not responding to the provided info - info that they requested. 

They just ghost me. So I let them know that I am cancelling the order and cancelling my Plus membership.

Here is how bad that "glitching" of their system is. The chat rep now goes into "forwarding" the problem to a "team". I'm just over it at this point.

 

There are more screenshots but, at this point, I have a headache. I made sure that I canceled my membership and made sure that all charges were refunded back to the original payment method. Then I immediately went back and resumed my InstaCart membership. That's only $10 per month. Sure, I will have to InstaCart shop between Hyvee, Aldi's, Target, and the other stores but at least I won't have to work an unpaid part-time job of fixing Walmart delivery problems.

One funny thing to mention is that, before their Plus program, Walmart was one of the InstaCart shops. I guess they think they can do a better job with Plus. Good luck with that.

When I canceled my Plus membership, I still had 20 days left to use it. I tried doing a couple of shipping orders but, because of the crazy pricing, Amazon was cheaper. And more reliable.

So, as I mentioned to Walmart in the Twitter messages, I wrote a blog post about this epic failure. I will send them a link but they haven't been responding to me for a while. Their problem is in not listening to customers. One of the suggestions I made to them was to have someone take a look at how InstaCart works from a customer POV. I doubt they did that.

Peace

--Free

P.S.: I'm too weary to look it up, but I did tweet out that Walmart failed me. They did the "reach out" thing & I reminded them that they were ignoring me. So they... ignored me. You have to laugh.

Introverts & Love & Laughter

 I joined a subreddit for introverts and I'm here for the humor. I am what my friends call a randomly social introvert. If I like you, if I love you, I'll come out of my shell for you. But even then, I need my space. 

The late (and wonderfully funny) Patrice O'Neal was the male me. My last husband was not the best but I loved that he understood me. Take it, Patrice:

I will probably never be in another relationship. Unless I find my Patrice.

Peace

--Free

A Life Without Purses

 Some people are going to hate me for this but...

How do men live without purses? They do, of course, but I just don't understand how.

For me, carrying a purse is only a fashion statement because there are such cute purses. Mainly, I carry a purse because I wouldn't be able to live comfortably without doing so. If there were no cute purses and I couldn't make a cute purse, I'd carry a sack filled with smaller sacks.

Some women say they can't live without cute shoes or a certain perfume. I can but don't want to live without a purse. It doesn't have to be fancy, pricey, trendy, high-end, or on one of those must-have lists. It only needs to suit my needs for the day. I have thrift-shop purses, designer purses, purses that I was given, purses I traded for, and purses that I inherited.  

If I had to leave my house with just what I could carry in my hands, I would need many pairs of hands. I'd be carrying that sack of sacks or wearing clothes with huge pockets.

Men like to joke about women and their purses. Until they need something. They know that we could survive a 10-day car trip with just what's in our purses. A few years ago, while on a road trip with my family, I rode in the car with one of my brothers. When he cut his hand checking a tire, I had bandaids. When he wanted gum, I had it. He wanted tissue to clean the top of his soda can. Had it. After finding in my bag the fifth or sixth thing he needed, he called my Rosetti the clown car purse. He can laugh all he wants but he wouldn't have survived 5 hours in the car without me and my bag.

I really do marvel at how a man can leave the house with just his wallet and keys. I need, at minimum:

• tissues
• hand wipes
• antibacterial gel
• face mask
• lotion (regular and extra moisturizing)
• lip balm (the really good kind that costs too much and the cheap kind for when I don't want to waste the really good kind)
• hair barrettes
• reading glasses
• 
  sunglasses
• portable phone chargers (I have two because one might run out of juice)
• USB C charging cable (for my phone)
• USB B (for my earbud case)
• gum and breath mints
• hard candy
• perfume (for day)
• perfume (for evening)
• perfume (for day & evening)
• face cream
• sunscreen
• small tin of deodorant (he-ey Tussy!)
• pantyliners
• bandaids
• eyedrops
• vitamins, aspirin, and cold tabs
• Benadryl tablets and Benadryl cream
• small bottle of top coat nail polish
• tube of Manuka honey for blemishes, burns, and cuts
• small tube of hair gel (to tame those edges)
• compact mirror
• blotting tissues
• small notebook and pen
• vape pen, vape juice, and vape batteries

Oh - and my wallet. I love those slimline designs because they don't take up a lot of room. I mean, you just have to be prepared.

$8 from Poshmark

I once had to catch a plane to get to my family when there was an illness. I had an hour to pack a small piece of luggage and get to the airport across town. I made the plane with a pair of sneakers, a pair of dress flats, a pair of heels, 2 changes of clothing, 3 days' change of underwear, and my trusty purse. I had no problems looking decent, smelling nice, and dealing with my headaches.

On TV, they talk about bugout bags. I don't have time for all that. My purse is the only "go" bag I need. And it usually is a cute one with a shoulder strap and handles. 

There are days when I still tear up thinking about the handbags I had to leave behind when I moved here. I made sure they all went to good homes. Their new owners update me from time to time on how well the bags are doing. There was one leather bag that I gave to a really good friend. She had it died and reconditioned so, after 5 years, it's looking almost better than new.

If I had money, I would own as many purses as my closet or a spare room could hold. Alas, I'm stuck with very little leftover money after bills. Thank God for Poshmark, eBay, and Mercari. And that little thrift store I used to frequent back before the pandemic. I can't wait until they get back into full swing.

Usually, I carry basic bags - no visible advertising for a hoity-toity designer - and I don't mind. As long as they are sturdy and not ugly, I'm happy. My go-to bag for the past several months has been a Leibskind (or, and LB, as my friend calls it)  that I snagged off Poshmark for under $30. 

It's vintage and probably sold new for around $300 or $400. I can't believe people pay that much for a bag. Well, the old lady me can't believe it. The younger me once spent $500 for a bag. I still regret that to this day.  It was an ugly Dooney & Burke bag that looked like something a Victorian-era doctor would carry.

I can literally pack to travel with this bag  - the LB, I mean. And I actually have. I once took a day trip with nothing but this bag and a change of clothes I packed in with my laptop in its case. True story. 

When I was married (the first time), I didn't mind when I had to carry his keys and extras in my bag. This was during the heyday of that fashion wart called the "fanny pack" and sure didn't want him rocking that thing. (I actually have one myself now but, I'm old and single so I'm allowed.) My second husband never remembered to carry anything. I had to always hand him the keys so he didn't walk out without them...

So I have to admire (or feel sorry for) men who can live without a purse. I don't know how they do it - especially if they are single or have a woman who putzes around with one of those dainty little only-for-show bags. Ugh.

Men, I need to know your secret.

Peace

--Free

Midlife Reality Check

 So I am not only officially middle-aged in years (if I live to be 122!) but... I am dang near elderly according to the mirror.

The other day, I was leaving the bathroom after putting away some towels. On my way out, I happened to glance in the mirror and, for maybe a millisecond, I wondered who was looking back at me. Seriously.

It's not as if I've aged overnight. I know that I reached my probable middle age when I hit just past the age of 37. If I'm lucky enough to live that long. I am very much aware of my age and I have been noticing the subtle changes since I turned 50  - the strands of grey at my temples, fine lines across my brow, and the ones that bracket my smile. Also, a few years ago, I noticed the beginnings of a double chin. God help me and curse all the carbs I so love.

I know how very blessed I am to see the age of 61. I have friends and family who did not see too far past this milestone. So, I'm fine with the extra pounds and lines. What shocked me was the aging I saw in my eyes. They are less sparkly and gleeful. I don't have dark circles but my eyes look a bit weary.

When did that happen?

Every life - even a good one, I am sure - wears on the soul. I've had quite a few big losses and hurts that knocked me for a loop. Those made me stronger.  What I realize now is that it's the little things that wear on my optimism like little drips of water can eat away at stones.

Once upon a time, nothing could keep the smile off my face and out of my eyes for very long. Once I finished grieving and mourning the loss of a job, a relationship, or even a loved one, I could find a reason to get back my smile. I'd realize that I could find a better job. I would tell myself that not every relationship works out. When I finished mourning a loved one, I would always, always, always remember something beautiful that helped me through the grief. But those little things...

I have too much anxiety for a normal life. I'm pretty sure my anxiety about everything I can find to be anxious about is the cause of what I see in the mirror lately.

Not only do I have anxiety but I have depression and, then there are all my other little weirdities. 

My mother used to say that I was much too sensitive and could make a mountain out of a molehill. Well, I have matured to the point of being able to make even bigger mountains. If I get in the right mood, I can make the Brooks Range look like wannabe hills.

Being sensitive (and anxious and depressed) is bad enough but I am prone to overthinking everything. Ever-ree-thing.

Anyway, I have decided to try to polish that sparkle in my eyes. I am really going to fight against overthinking so much. Also, I am going to make a habit to counter my anxiety attacks with positive reminders - blessings, friends, happy thoughts. If all else fails, I will ask my doctor to up the dosage of my meds.

Peace

--Free

Stretching Away the Blues

That deep, funky blue cloud of depression that was hanging over me has started to dissipate. Finally. 

I realize that a lot of my physical and mental problems are caused by the higher than normal amount of stress I've been under. Between being depressed and the methotrexate making me sicker than usual, I spent way too much time in bed -especially the last week. One of the things that motivated me to get up was a video channel I found on YouTube. The host does stretching exercises - non-Yoga stretching, to be specific. (Christians recognize that Yoga is based on and rooted in another religion.)

This woman is pregnant in the first videos I tried following along with. Perfect. I'm old and out of shape. Her gentle nighttime stretching exercises were just what I needed to get started. And the stretching worked. I didn't realize just how tight my body was until I began to unkink the muscles. I slept relaxed that first night instead of just passing out from sustained misery.

I haven't yet worked up to doing the Full Body Morning Stretch - baby steps, people! 

By the way, it is not only my opinion that Yoga is, if not a religion, a spiritual practice. As a Christian, I don't practice anything spiritual outside of my faith. For a further explanation of why I do not and will not practice Yoga, you can check this post. Or not.

Anyway. That is why I choose non-Yoga stretching.

The other thing I did to help pull myself out of my depression was to give myself a break from my strict renal diet. Just for a few days. (My nephrologist thinks I could loosen up a bit with the diet anyway.) For the past few days, I have been adding broccoli and collard greens to my meals. I really indulged when I made the collards and added a piece of smoked turkey wing. Later today, I am going to have some pinto beans and hot water cornbread. 

So, yeah, the blue cloud is lifting. Hopefully, after my infusion next week, I will feel even better. Oh, and a couple of perfume decants I've wanted to try arrived in the mail. Not thrilled with either of them but they will be fun to review at some point.

from the House of Oud

Anyway. I'm back - or trying to be. 

Peace

--Free

Clean Smarter (and Cheaper)

This article reminded me of when I learned about the expensive LemiShine products I used for cleaning. I liked the way LemiShine products worked to clean laundry and dishes in spite of the hard water here where I  live. I did not like the prices. When I bothered to read the ingredient lists on each product, I realized the main one was citric acid.

Buying citric acid powder in bulk is much cheaper than purchasing the various LemiShine (and other brands) cleaning products. The powder can be added to water for spraying and cleaning whatever I want. I can use as little or as much of the powder itself as a laundry booster, dishwasher cleaner, or whatever. The two main ways I use the powder? To clean my coffee pots and the mineral deposits around the faucets. I also sprinkle a little into the toilet bowl once a week to soak and flush away that nasty-looking brown line of hard-water stain. 

What I never considered until recently are all the other products I could replace with some basic (and bulk) ingredients. 

Oxi Clean is my go-to alternative to bleach - especially for cleaning clothing. I now know that the main ingredient in that is Sodium Percarbonate. 

So this is just a quickie post to let you know about these base ingredients in case you want to do your own research. I will be on the prowl for more info so that I can keep saving money - and perhaps being a little healthier - when cleaning. 

Here are some links I am going to be checking out:

• More here About Cleaning Product Ingredients
• 10 Ingredients In Homemade Cleaners
• Homemade Cleaners You Can Make with Ingredients from Your Pantry
• From Healthy Cleaning 101 - Types of Household Cleaning Products

Peace

--Free