My ABCs

When my Dad and Bev come to visit they always come with a collection of hundreds of vitamins they take (ok that is an exaggeration but they take a lot of vitamins).  We'd laugh at them and question the necessity of all of them but lately I have been accumulating my own alphabet of vitamins.

This one just keeps everything in my tummy lovely.

When you volunteer to donate blood but are denied twice after they prick your finger before giving blood; your haemoglobin is too low=low red blood cells=low iron.  Also, upon checking your iron levels, your Dr says your levels are "in your boots" you start taking iron supplements.

I take two of these each day.  I take them to prevent UTIs, breast cancer and because I wear sunscreen my body does not absorb D from the sun sufficiently.

This one goes along with the iron and I take it to keep my energy levels up.  It is a higher dose because I hope to keep that energy high too.

For my brain and PMS.

I only take this occasionally when I can not sleep and even then I only take 1/2 a pill (originally I only took 1/4 of the pill, for me that was how powerful it was.  A whole pill left me feeling groggy the next day).  I have even used this one with my dogs when they are anxious during a thunderstorm.

This one helps me prevent colds and just in case I haven't eaten enough fruits and veggies that contain the mighty C vitamin.

This is the newest member to my alphabet.  It is helping me sleep better.  I can not function appropriately when I do not have adequate sleep.  

Did you know that magnesium is a natural laxative?  I did not know until I started taking 3 pills nightly for a continuous time.  My theory was, why not maximize the benefits by maximizing the dose.  I wanted the benefits of preventing/lessening PMS, anxiety and gaining a better sleep... hello toilet:(  I now take a proper dose and all is good.

Besides the laxative adventure I have had no other negative side effects.  These vitamins may be giving me some sort of placebo effect but I do feel they have benefited me too.  Or I just have really expensive pee.

Am I a Silver Fox?

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Silver Fox, that has been my Dad's nickname amongst my uncles, because of his hair.  He went grey around 16.  I have inherited this hair colour change.  Or maybe now that I am 40+ it is just a natural occurrence?

Whatever the reason, I have been colouring my hair for a looooonnnngggg time.  Lately, it has been every two weeks.  Usually, creeps in around my temples along the hairline and at my part.

Recently, I was inspired by Andrea Nair's article (click here to read) and I also worry what all that dye is doing to me...seeping into my brain???

My sister Aimee, also inherited the Silver Fox gene and she recently committed to her grey:

I took another root (hahaha).  Since last summer, I have been dying my hair black and then had been choosing lighter and lighter shades of brown but still all in the dark brown shades.  I honestly couldn't remember my natural shade other then it was brown.

I purchased OOPS from Shoppers Drugmart.  As it states, it removes all artificial hair colour.  In the instructions, they explain that hair dye opens the pores of your hair letting the dye in.  OOPS shrinks those pores leaving you with your natural hair colour.

This is what you had to do after you applied the clear solution:

When I washed it out, there was no colour running out.  I did have to wash my hair several times to get all the solution out and this was me back to my natural hair colour:

I was a little shocked by the lightness and reddish tones to it. There is also the grey which I am still adjusting to and still not committed to.  Paul helped me add a few low lights to cover some of the grey and I plan to add some thin highlights eventually.  I don't know if I can just let the grey grow wild and free...yet, but maybe slowly, ever so slowly I could eventually let it emerge.  We shall see...

So my budget is pretty tight.  I know myself when it comes to spending.  On a bad day I can have a "you only live once" attitude ... And away I go spending.  Usually purchasing things I do not really "need".

So I have learned a few things not to do that have helped me:

* I don't look at flyers unless there is something I need ~ & it is usually something for my home

*i try not to just wander through stores.  Only go if I need something

* I don't eat out ~ save it for a special occasion 

* use my PTs ~ Shoppers Optimum, PC PTs and Airmiles (you can now use them as cash for purchases where you collect them 95pts=$10)

PC Plus

So you all know how much I love Shoppers Optimum Points, well now Loblaws/Superstores/Independent stores have their own version.  It is called PC Plus.  You can get an actual card with keychain cards too or you can get the PC Plus App  https://m.pcplus.ca/

 With the app your card comes up on your phone and this is what the cashier scans.  Shoppers needs to get on board with this idea (admittedly they have me printing off coupons, this seems so old fashion these days).

With PC, they will send you deals for points based on what you frequently purchase, plus you can earn in store points on top of these.  This lets them quickly add up to $ you can turn around and spend instore.  Another feature of the app, is that it tracks and saves all your visits and purchases.

Hopefully Shoppers will go this way soon because Loblaws now owns them...

Shoppers Drugmart Optimum Pts

I am obsessed with Shoppers Optimum points.  If it is a 20x the points Saturday, if you spend $50 or more, you can usually find me there!  I have collected so many points that I am a VIP member!!!
 
But that was before I read this helpful guide:

http://www.mrsjanuary.com/shoppers-optimum-guide/

It gives you a few more tips so that you can collect even faster. 

My favourite tip is that you can collect points on Shoppers Drugmart gift cards (otherwise you can not get any pts by purchasing other gift cards and you can not use your pts to purchase gift cards at all)  Then you take that gift card and pay for your items during a 20x the pts event.
 
I got all these groceries for $2.65!!  The real total was $62.65 but I redeemed some of my points!