We are a month and half into 2010 and it’s that pivotal place where New Year’s resolutions come to die…or be recharged.  If your exercise regime is look less tae bo and more couch tater with each passing day, you aren’t alone.  But get up and move thy bootie.   24 Hour Fitness is offering free 14-day trial memberships.   FREE means no excuses….and 400 locations are waiting to get you back to your prom weight, minus the turquoise taffeta.

Cheers!

Jill

I want 2010 to count.  I’m charged up now and ready to take the bull by the horns.  Here are some of my resolutions:

1) Lose weight. Yeah, predictable and unoriginal, I know. But I gained enough weight last year to keep one liposuction doctor gainfully employed for 2 months, if I were so inclined.  So…I got an elliptical machine and a body fat tracking scale.  The Whynter Glass Digital Body Fat & Water Scale at Overstock for just $46 has a great amount of functionality for the low price and it’s well rated.

2) Volunteer. Last week I joined Soldier’s Angels and now have adopted a soldier in Afghanistan to write to and send care packages to.  She luckily has easy access to email, so we’re already writing back and forth regularly.  But even if your soldier never responds, your letters and packages mean so much to them! It cost me $1 to join and just the regular price of stamps.  The military has centers in NY and CA that send the mail abroad, so it keeps shipping costs down for people like you and me, and helps to keep spirits high over there.  I highly recommend Soldiers’ Angels if you’re willing to commit to writing a letter a week and sending a care package once per month.  They also have other options for volunteering too.  Our troops need something to smile about, so I’m thrilled to have a chance to support them.  This year, I want to get more active locally, too, and lend a hand to Habitat for Humanity and Big Brothers/Big Sisters.  What are you passionate about?  Go help out!

3) Get smarter. My personal goal is to become fluent in Spanish.  Then pick another language, rinse and repeat.  After 5 years of Spanish in high school and college, I can read, write and speak it pretty well, but have MAJOR problems when it comes to LISTENING to other people speaking Spanish.  This is the year that I will break through that wall.  Systems like Rosetta Stone cost over $200, but Learn to Speak Spanish Deluxe is just $16.99 at Amazon and has lots of praise, even from reviewers who have seen the more expensive programs.  Bueno!

Cheers and Happy New Year!

Jill

Who doesn’t love a $27 freebie with a modest purchase?!  E.L.F. Cosmetics is already known for low prices that haven’t been seen since the Beatles were scaring old people with their “communist” noise.  One cosmetic usually = $1.  That’s superb math.  A box of 5 lip glosses…and I do love their lipgloss…is $5.   Now we can get a FREE 27-Piece Mini Makeup Kit if we buy ANYTHING and use coupon code: LOYAL.  The makeup kit will be added for you automatically when you enter the code.  It’s rated 4.5 stars after 63 reviews, so I am looking forward to playing around with this.  What a great way to sample a whole bunch of their cosmetics for free. *getting kind of giddy*

Their shipping is usually $6.95 so I try to stock up all at once and order enough to feel good about the shipping.  I know it’s early, but if you are an organized type who likes to start holiday shopping in October, seriously think about giving some gifts from E.L.F.  The makeup brushes and super-affordable box sets make wonderful gifts that look way more expensive than they actually are.  And for that matter, even the free mini makeup kit could be a great gift.

Cheers!

Jill

I’ve heard it a million times before: “Jill, my chakras are clogged, my mantras are mangled and my yoga instructor just quit for a corporate job.  My hair is suffering from my maligned metaphysicality.  Help!”

I get it, girlfriend.  It’s time to get the chi flowing again.  And fate of fates, Overstock.com just dropped the price of my all-time favorite hairstyling tool, the Farouk CHI Original Ceramic Ionic Flat Iron. Chi will get your energies flowing again - to your follicles and beyond.  I paid $100 for my CHI about a year ago (unless you are my husband reading this in which case I paid $19.99), and I have been blown away by this thing.  I never pay more than ~$30 for curling irons, dryers and such, but this splurge that my hairstylist talked me into (at a weak moment) is one I am still very happy with even a year later.

What’s so great about a CHI flat iron?  Most people go ga-ga about the fact that your hair stays static-free while being straightened.  My previous flat iron got my hair straight and smooth, but static caused individual hairs to do their best Einstein hairdo impersonation.   I always had to lock down the static floaters with a good shellacking of hairspray. I’ve never had this issue with the CHI.  But…almost even more impressive to me is that this little gadget is multi-functional and is perfect for creating loose curls, and my favorite…flipping up the ends of my hair.  For whatever reason, I was not blessed with hand-eye coordination when it comes to straightening and curling my hair, so I appreciate how easy it is to go from my weird brand of wavy hair, to straight, to an added flip at the end, using just my CHI.

It retails at $169.99, I feel like I’ve gotten my $100 worth, and so I am definitely liking the price at $69.99 at Overstock.  This gadget is rated 4.8 stars after 710 reviews at Overstock and 97% said they’d recommend it to a friend.  I am not the only believer in the hair-healing powers of the CHI.

Cheers and chakras!

Jill

I was talking to a good friend who is a very busy mother of two great little girls.  She has been very focused on her kids and says that she is ready to take some time to do a mini makeover on herself.  Her exact words: “Mamma needs to up her game”.

Some cute new outfits and a an updated hairstyle are always the obvious choices when we think of upping our game, but what about revamping our makeup, skin products and hair products while we’re at it.  I still own eye shadow and lipstick that I had in high school.  I have expensive hair products that I never liked but didn’t have the heart to throw away.  Well, it’s time.  And to make the transition smooth, we just got a great new coupon code from Sally Beauty Supply which is already famous for making beauty more affordable.  Use promo code 555105 during checkout for an extra $10 off orders of $60 or more.  An added bonus - all orders of $50 or more ship free.  You can also save $5 off orders of $25+ and no promo code is needed - just click through from our “$5 off orders of $25+” link. 

There are a million kinds of mineral makeup on the market.  Some are very pricey, some are very cakey and drying, and some of them are just right, like Mineral Effects Mineral Makeup by Femme Couture.  It rings in at an affordable $12.99 at Sally Beauty and scores a perfect 5 stars after 29 reviews.  100% of the 29 reviewers would recommend this mineral foundation to a friend.  And as we all know, friends don’t let friends wear unflattering foundation, so I am calling this one a very safe bet.  There’s no talc, so it’s not drying like some mineral makeups can be, and reviews indicate that the coverage is very impressive yet lightweight in feel.

In other news, my legs are whiter than rice and I’ve been investigation sunless tanners.  Not for me, it’s for the people who will have to witness my legs.  (You’re welcome, people of Austin, TX.)  The Tanwise Self Tanning Spray is looking like a winner and is on sale for $9.59 right now at Sally Beauty.  It scores almost 5 stars after 6 reviews.  It takes 2 hours for the tan to fully develop (and you can even shower or swim that soon!), but the spray itself is also tinted so that you can easily see which spots you’ve hit or missed as you spray.  Some people complain about the overwhelming smell, but everyone digs the results, so suck it up, ladies. Let’s all practice holding our breath on the count of 3.  1…2…3.

Cheers!

Jill

I’ve gone crazy for e.l.f. Cosmetics before, but the current economy is making me really love e.l.f. even more.  Where else in the universe can you find QUALITY makeup for $1 per item?  Anybody? Anybody?  Instead of hiring Queen Latifah and Scarlett Johansson for multi-million dollar paychecks to pitch their products on TV, e.l.f. maintains a low profile and high standards of beauty and value.  They are running a great promotion now for $2 shipping with a $20+ order with promo code: SHIPTWO.  Two dollar shipping on top of all of the $1 cosmetics that your heart desires…e.l.f. could soon have the big cosmetic companies running scared.

I LOVE elf’s makeup brushes.  So inexpensive, and yet the quality has been just fine for the year or so that I’ve had my set.  I have a 9-piece set, and now have my eye on the e.l.f. Professional Complete Set of 12 Brushes for a super-friendly price of $12.  Most companies charge that much for a single brush!  This set scores 4.5 stars after 274 reviews…and Glamour Magazine also gave e.l.f. and their makeup brushes some big praise.  These are the real deal.  From what I can tell, this set does not include a travel case, so just keep that in mind and buy an inexpensive case from e.l.f. if you need one.

I also love elf’s lipgloss.  In fact, this Super Glossy Lip Shine SPF Box Set of 5 was my introduction to e.l.f. when I received it as a gift.  I loved it and NEVER would have guessed that these 5-pack sets are just $5.  There are multiple sets to choose from, or of course, you can buy any individual gloss for just $1.

Put the high-priced cosmetics aside for long enough to give e.l.f. a shot and your wallet a much-needed siesta.

Cheers!

Jill

We can’t all be Lance Armstrong.  Insane endurance, rock-hard physique, ridiculous bank account.  But, I’ll be darned if we can’t all take baby steps to improve our health.  Lance can have his “leisurely” 80 mile rides.  Some of us would be much better served by adding the Stamina 15-0120 InStride Cycle XL to our TV watching routine.  If you want a hard core workout, buy a full-size piece of equipment.  But, if you’re looking for an easy way to get your heart rate up while not turning your living room into a full-fledged workout room, this compact peddler is a very smart idea.  Amazon is offering this micro cycle for just $37 which is 38% off the $60 retail.  And in true Amazon form, it is shipped free of charge.  I looked at several similar mini cycles, and this is the highest rated that I found with four stars after 21 reviews.

Cheers!

Jill

EyesLipsFace.com, known to the cosmetically savvy as “e.l.f. Cosmetics”, is a site that moves my world.  Their big schtick is $1 cosmetics as far as the eyes (lips and face) can see.  Instead of hiring million dollar celebs to promote their products in between stints of rehab, e.l.f. chooses to keep things simple.  Minimal advertising and simple packaging allow them to offer top products at prices we haven’t seen for decades.  Seriously, a buck for almost any cosmetic item…reminds me of my fondness for hot pink $1 Wet n’ Wild lipstick and frosted, baby blue eye shadow during my junior high days.  The difference: quality in spades.  And no, they don’t use animal testing of any kind.

Without reservation, I recommend e.l.f. cosmetics at full price, because seriously, who is ever going to offer a better price for that quality?  But when e.l.f. sweetens the deal even more with a $25 restaurant.com gift card with your $25 purchase at e.l.f., I get VERY excited.  I love them both.  It’s such a happy marriage.  Is it not?  Get dolled up with e.l.f. cosmetics and then go out to a greatly discounted but fully succulent dinner compliments of restaurant.com.  Love it!

Use coupon code EGRESCT during checkout.

Cheers!

Jill