Drugstore must haves....

I got an e-mail from a lady I met through my blog and we were discussing home decor, fashion and beauty products we have changed to or started using since the economy went southward.

To be honest...I have always been a drugstore junkie. I used to love going to CVS in college with my roommates and picking out new products to try on our skin, hair and face. Now don't get me wrong...I love my Aveda shampoo & Conditioner, Marc Jacobs perfume and some MAC makeup, but for the most part I have incorporated mostly drugstore items which are way more affordable than the department store products.

So without further ado, here are my latest favorites from the drugstore (I will be doing this in 2 posts )

Revlon's High Gloss nail polish. I LOVE this nail polish, I used to be an avid OPI wearer, but this Revlon formula provides great color coverage, is pretty chip resistant and it comes in an assortment of colors. This color is (not the color on my nails) #914 Tropical Tempation. It is my favorite summer color.



My name is Jessica and I am a teeth whiteningaholic...I used to work in a dentist office and whitened my teeth very regularly. Your teeth make a HUGE impact on your appearance, but this toothpaste is a miracle worker. Since using this Crest 3D White toothpaste, I have not whitened my teeth once. Plus it leaves my mouth minty fresh!

This stuff was bought by accident about 3 years ago. I sent DH out to run some errands and grab a few things for me at the drugstore while I was sick. I asked him to pick up the the BIG&SEXY brand hair spray and he came home with this...telling me it was on clearance for $.25 (I immediately thought there was a reason this was on clearance) but tried it anyway. I love it though! It's lightweight, smells great and keeps my hair pretty tame in this southern heat and humidity. Plus it costs like $5!!

I have naturally curly hair, but I straighten and blow dry my hair about 6 out of 7 days a week. That's a pretty harsh toll on my hair. I have tried some pricier heat sprays and they make my hair feel heavy and oily. This protects my hair and I cannot even tell I have any extra product in my hair. Plus, if you want to make waves with the curling iron this product really helps your hair hold the wave.



Lastly...I cannot go ANYWHERE without this product. I am from the south...hello big hair. Seriously, mine is not that big, I just like some body. This mousse does just that. Gives you the right amount of body in your hair and it really does last about 24 hours. I use it when I wear my hair naturally curly and when I straighten it. I love how it gives me just enough volume and helps prevent my hair from laying flat from all the humidity.

Well, there is part 1! I have about 6 more products that I swear by and will post for you on Wednesday!

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Yes...I'm here...

I have been having some serious medical problems that hopefully will be getting treated soon...so the blogging has been quite slack. I promise I have some fun updates and pictures to post once I am completely healthy and whole.

For now... I will leave you with some pictures of things I would love to have at the moment.

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My favorite things...

There are so many new things this month I have been using and loving, but I will pick the top 5 that have really helped me turn my fitness and weightloss around.



The Copco ColdCup is awesome! It's a refillable water glass with an awesome plastic straw that makes is so easy to bring water around. I was using so many water bottles and I really wanted to cut down on my consumption of plastic bottles. I purchased this cup from Bed, Bath and Beyond for $8 and I bring it everywhere. It makes drinking water much easier for me.

Couch to 5K has really been a beneficial tool in getting my lazy tush off of the couch and running. It's a slow program to motivate people to go from being lazy to being a runner in 2 months. The program stresses 3 weekly runs for about 30 minutes. It's just the right kind of exercise and gets me closer to my goal of running a 5k.

Protein powder....funny, I cut back calories to lose weight and at first that helped and I lost 9.5lbs, but after the initial weight loss I hit a plateau and didn't lose anymore weight. It was suggested by several health and fitness blogs that I up my calories by about 300 more a day with a protein shake. So far I have been doing this a week and am down 1lb. and gotten past the plateau!

My running shoes...I love Asics...they are perfect for my higharches and give me great support. Of course I cannot wait for the day to get professionally fitted for the right running shoe, but so far my shoes have worked great in aleviating shin splints and pain in my high arches.

These headbands are Goody stayput headbands. I am growning out my hair and all my layers are held back by these bands while I run, lift weights or sweat. They are a great and cheap accessory for me.

So there you have my favorite things this month. Sorry they are all fitness related....fitness has just become a huge part of my life and I am loving it.

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Projects at Casa De Hendrix...

2 posts in one day....I know, I have been so slack on blogging.

We have several projects going on in our home as we speak. We are trying to tackle them one weekend at a time so we don't overwhelm ourselves or our wallets.

Projects we are working on:

1. Photo Wall in the hallway with custom painted mats by me!

2. Mini patio outside of screened porch. We have no where for the hubs to put his grill or our recycling bins, so we are working on a mini-patio (8'x6') and retaining wall for his grill and our bins. I will post pictures this weekend.

3. Remove all "builder grade" bushes from the front yard and sod. This is done and I cannot wait to show before and afters. The box bushes were a PAIN! They were ugly for one, but they were full of wasps and bees and we wanted them gone. We leveled and sodded the yard and it looks so much better! I will post before and after photos tomorrow!

4. Master bedroom overhaul! This room is completely untouched! It looks the same since the day we moved in (I am so embarrassed to admit that). We have mix matched blankets, sanded down dressers that are getting stained and the ugly original paint color the owner chose. This is our biggest project and will take a lot of work and time but I cannot wait to show you the after.

This photo is our inspiration photo found on Rate My Space from HGTV:

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Little Victory...and a shout out...

I am so excited....I started couch to 5k two weeks ago and I have amped up my other workouts at the gym so that I am making the most of my exercise time. My goal is to be able to run a 5k in 6 months. I know most people can train for it in much shorter time than 6 months...but I need to lose some weight as well.

The hubs and I have changed our eating ways...BIG TIME! But nothing we can't stick to. More water and less diet soda or sweet tea (for the hubs), lean ground turkey instead of beef, more fresh fruits and veggies instead of processed snacks...that sort of thing.

My overall goal is 50-75lbs....and that is a HUGE number and when I think about it I get frustrated. So I set mini goals...1-2lbs a week. Well this week's weigh in I am down 4lbs! I am so excited and it gives me the motivation to continue pressing on.

Another motivation is this new blog I am reading: http://enduranceisntonlyphysical.blogspot.com/

Tricia is AWESOME! She has lost weight the healthy way, blogs about her running experiences, workout gear, food and is such an inspiration and motivator! I think you should check it out!

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Couch to 5K....

Have you heard of this program? The hubs and I are starting it tonight and I could not be more excited! One of my goals this year was to find an exercise program and stick with it (besides my normal gym routine). Sure, I go to the gym and lift weights and do the elliptical or the treadmill, but I wanted something extra and something that would give me true satisfaction in the exercise department.

For the past few months I have really wanted to start running. It just seems fun to me...to be able to run on the treadmill, out in the beautiful weather or competing in races.

A friend told me about the Couch to 5K program and sent me the link. This program is literally what the title states....it takes you from being a non runner to being able to run about 3.5 miles in 9 weeks...for me it may be a few months, but I don't care how long it takes as long as I can do it.

Here is the link:

http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

Stay tuned for my progression! I can't wait to start!

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Cleanliness is next to impossible....

I kid, but that is how I feel these days. The hubs and I are very busy people...often times we get home around 6pm from work then have errands to run or clients to meet after hours or have other appointments that take away from time being at home.

It seems that weekends are always taken up doing yard work, meeting clients or with family outings...and while I love doing all of that, it's really hard to keep a clean house and be a busy person. I LOVE a clean house and hate disorganization.

This weekend I started to work on a simple cleaning list of small things I could do to keep the house spic and span during the week. I am sure I will add on to this list over time as it is a simple list...but it is a start.

Here goes:

Sunday:

• I wash my sheets and comforter as needed


• Wipe down stove, countertops and dishwasher


• Clean Frig


• Clean microwave


• Straighten pantry


• Laundry

Monday:

• Put weekly mail in appropriate place


• Vacuum and sweep hardwoods


• Dust livingroom surfaces


• Tidy livingroom

Tuesday:

• Vacuum all bedrooms with carpet


• Clean guest bathroom (wipe down countertop, clean toilet and windex mirror)

Wednesday:

• Tidy office and throw any unnecessary papers away


• Disenfect kitchen sink


• Put weekly mail in appropriate place


• Laundry

Thursday:

• Sweep and mop hardwood floors


• Clean master bathroom (wipe down countertop, clean toilet and windex mirror)


• Dust master bedroom

Friday: day off! Fridays are usually spent having dinner and drinks with friends.

Saturday:

• Mop guest and master bathroom floors
• Clean master bathroom tub and shower

2x a month I plan on cleaning the guest bathroom shower. It is rarely used so it does not need to be cleaned that often.

This is a new thing for me...usually I do all my cleaning in one day and end up spending the whole day cleaning. Hopefully this schedule will help me tackle my cleaning.

If you have a cleaning schedule and would like to share...I would love to hear from you!

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