MSG stikes again

When we finally figured out the main trigger of Candela's excema (I suppose eczema is the more accepted spelling, but I've never been a gifted speller.) in 2007 we functionally eliminated MSG from the entire family's diet. (Mom can't be eating Doritos without the expectation to share, KWIM?) Not only did Candela's excema clear up, but Eric's long history of digestive issues resolved, and I actually lost weight. (Which is a big deal in my world. The only way I easily lose weight is pregnancy . . .yes, I know that's weird . . .) Anyway, yesterday Eric fell off the wagon to his own detriment. A tempting chicken marsala and wild rice soup in the cafeteria did him in in less than a half an hour.

At least I can feel comforted that my family's allergies/intolerances express themselves fairly obviously and quickly. That was actually a great blessing in Candela's case. Yes, she got some "I really hope that's not contagious" looks, but the problem really was skin deep -- very obvious and not terribly harmful. By the way, Candela's kinesiologist is quite convinced she'll never be able to tolerate MSG well. Her explanation is that is was affecting the part of her brain that controls how much she wants to eat (among other things). It's a good thing we also got the external symptoms. I have to wonder if I'm a little brain damaged in that area. To be honest, I have to wonder if many of us are. Not trying to spend too much time on the soapbox here, but I'm becoming more and more convinced MSG isn't good for anybody.

I'm back . . .I think . . .

Okay. It's been awhile. To be totally honest, I'm not even sure where I left off :)

On the allergy front we've been working with a kinesiologist with some really nice results. Would you believe the main culprit for Candela's excema was MSG! It seems the MSG was setting everything else on fire too.

On the "where have you been?" front: We added a baby in Oct. 2006. She is cleft affected, so lots of my internetting (I realize that's not a word, but, hey, it's my blog :)) went there for quite awhile.

Soon after Chloe's birth Candela's excema really flared and my husband had a really bad back episode. It might have been God's way of making Chloe's cleft okay since she was the easy one for quite a awhile. (When we were out, Candela (and her excema) got many more "looks" than Chloe's cleft.)

Also, nothing motivates a good couponer like having to buy formula for awhile, so I'll still have to comment on the really good deals out there.

So, I guess now it's Sleeping "Youngsters" :) More soon on everything from the perils of MSG to the relief that can be provided by an epidural cortizone injection.

CVS deals this week -- flipping . . .ECBs :)

Okay, some of you have been asking, so . . . Here are some profitable CVS scenerios for the week of July 8. I round everything and have assumed that the Crest might be kind of hard to get. (Though usually CVS has free toothpaste when it isn't actually advertised as free :))

If you only have a $4/$20 (rounded)

Schick Quattro - $7
Carefree pantyliner - $4
Playtex Sport tampons - $8
Crest - $3

-$4 4/20
-$2 Quattro coupon
-$2.50 Playtex printable (www.playtexsport.com)
-$1 Crest

= $12.50 get back $16 ECB

For a $5/$30 (rounded)

Schick Quattro - $7
Carefree pantyliner - $4
Lamisil gel - $17
Crest - $3

-$5 5/30
-$2 Quattro
-$5 Lamasil
-$1 Crest

=$18 get back $21 ECB

For a $10/$50

Quattro - 7
Lamisil - 17
Carefree - 4
Sunsilk (1 shampoo, 1 conditioner, 1 24/7, and 3 anything) - 24ish

-$10 10/50
-$2 Quattro Q
-$5 Lamasil Q
-$12 3 BOGO sunsilk Q
-$8 2 CVS B2G1 sunsilk special
-$4 CVS free 24/7 sunsilk (monthly)
-Sunsilk Qs that expire Sunday if you have them and shop on Sunday ($1.50*3 -- not included in totals)

= $11 get back $19 ECB

Dawn Nosal is my real estate hero...ine

One thing that's really painfully obvious is that Richard Davis knows where his bread is buttered (or something like that), and the opening of "The Real Estate Pros" runs like the early Gilligan's Island, which ended "the movie star, and the rest". It's the Richard and Ginger show.

Why? Because nobody is searching for Dawn Nosal on Google.

But they should! Dawn's the Mom who's juggling parenting and career. If she were Ginger, she'd be carrying her toddler to all the construction sites, hanging out the open car window on the way there.

Anyone else think that Dawn's the hidden hero of the show? She's the Dawn Wells (notice the spooky coincidence?) of real estate television. If they could name the professor and Mary Ann, they can name Dawn Nosal, right?

What are Richard Davis and Ginger Alexander called?

It looks like what was once called "The Real Deal" is now called "The Real Estate Pros". Why did Richard Davis and Team Trademark change the name? I wonder if a lawsuit or trademark of a different kind started to cause problems?

Trademark Properties videos at YouTube!

Richard Davis, Ginger Alexander and the whole Trademark Properties gang (well, not the whole gang -- there are a lot of them!) have posted some videos on YouTube. If you want to see some behind-the-scenes humor, here you go.

Dawn Nosal appearance in this video is my personal favorite. I can relate!

What would Kirsten Kemp think of this?

Well, the gang at Property Ladder have finally figured out a couple of things. 1) Houses don't always sell. 2) Real estate commissions take a bunch out of profits. Kirsten is definitely still encouraging everybody to go the Realtor route. I think in most cases that probably still appropriate. However, what if the house isn't ready for a Realtor yet? I think Richard Davis and the gang at Flip This House (which is supposed to be returning to TLC -- I'm not a big fan of the new Flip This House with the Montelongos) market the house even if it's under construction. Actually, I think even the Montelongos on the new Flip This House have that figured that out. However, aside from maybe a sign in the yard and word of mouth, how does someone do that -- market a house when it's not really marketable (at least not in the traditional sense of the word)? Well, how about this:
Country Charm on 10 Acres