Lavish Lagniappe

It’s officially been a year and a half since we lost Jolie, our yellow lab.  We have had a hard time replacing her since.  She was so precious and such a great dog!

Also, being “empty nesters,”  it has been relaxing leaving town without worrying about who will watch her and take care of her.

But, lately, Rourke has been traveling extensively, and I come home to a very empty house.  I needed a companion besides my outdoor kitties, Ying and Yang.  I wanted a snuggle companion to keep me company.

We debated getting another lab, but I really was not looking forward to vacuuming EVERY SINGLE DAY!!  We went down the labradoodle path, and Rourke was just not digging the mixed breeds.

So, when we went to Thibodaux for my reunion, we stayed with my bestie with a Westie!

We fell in love.

When we got home, Rourke said, I could do a Westie.  I went for the gold, and asked, “Can we do two?”

Well, I was pushing my luck and had to stick to UNO!

So, I called the same breeder of my bestie and put a deposit down (to hold her) on a girl, NOLA!!!  (Named after one of our favorite places.).

*Still looking for a Drew Brees jersey in her size FYI!

We welcome Nola!!

We are in love!!!

Keep looking for more NOLA to come!!!

Toodle,

Melanie

For Fall Break, we decided to go over to Dallas to see the kids.  We started our 24-hour stint at the Katy Trail Ice House.  The whole gang met up for a late lunch, while we caught up, watched football, listened to some Jerry Jeff from their sound speaker and laughed a lot! Continue reading “Doin’ It Up In Dallas” →

Rourke and I recently went to see A Star Is Born at the movies.  Prior to seeing it, we wanted to grab a quick bite.  Our choices near the theatre were very limited…Whataburger, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, El Chicos, Applebees and Copeland’s.  Wanting a glass of wine with dinner, we chose Copeland’s. Continue reading “The Very Veggie Breakfast Sandwich” →

Zoinks!! These meddling kids are at it again.  We are hopping in our “Mystery Machine,” making some Scooby snacks, and watching some Scooby-Doo and the Gang. Continue reading “Lavish Libations Series: The Mystery Machine and Scooby snacks” →

For those of us who suffer through the gluten-free life, we have limited options when it comes to fast food, minus the “Unwich” from Jimmy’s Johns.

Sometimes a girl just wants a good ole hamburger!!

So here I have deconstructed one and made it Southwestern!!! Continue reading “Burger Deconstructed” →

We have several getaways planned for this fall.  Rourke likes us to pack light.  And, I have to admit I kind of like and have embraced this idea. Continue reading “Fall Getaway Packing List” →

My aunt and I both share our views in clean, non-toxic living choices.  She has been touting her love of Grove Collaborative.  They are a non-toxic cleaning/lifestyle subscription brand.  I got a chance to try them out recently, and I am here to tell you I love this idea.

I got all of these products below in my first shipment for $20.  I also got a 60-day VIP trial, which includes free shipping, a price match guarantee, speedy customer service, early access to new products and full-sized free gifts with each order.I got these amazing-smelling Meyer’s cleaning items free with my first order (minus the dishwasher tablets).

I added these three all-time faves of mine to the order. ( I put a bottle of the daily shower in each bathroom and encourage family members to spray shower after each use.  It cuts down on cleaning.). And, I got these free gifts to boot! Two dish cleaners and a spray bottle to put in The Grove concentrates (i.e. glass cleaner, multipurpose cleaner, etc.)

I know, I know, another subscription?  Really?  Well, if you are like me, you already have an Amazon Prime subscription, among other monthly fees.  Is this worth the yearly, $19.99??

I decided to compare shop, and here is what I found.

Mrs. Meyer’s Dish Soap (16oz.)

The Grove                             Target                                 Amazon

$3.89                                     $3.99                                   $3.89

(about the same price, all with free shipping with subscriptions/Target Red Card)

Seventh Generation Dish Soap (25 oz.)

The Grove                           Target                                  Amazon

$3.89                                    $2.79                                     $2.79

(about a dollars difference between The Grove and Target/Amazon)

Method Dish Soap (18 oz.)

The Grove                           Target                                  Amazon

$3.89                                    $2.84                                    $2.84

(again, about a dollars difference between The Grove and Target/Amazon)

But, with my 60-day, VIP speedy customer service, I immediately emailed my VIP concierge and asked about the price match guarantee.  She promptly emailed me back, saying, if you find a lower price, send link to them, and they will adjust the price at checkout.

You get an email asking if you would like to re-order previously-ordered products, new products or anything else each month.  You have the option to decline, of course, and not order anything.

I have decided to take advantage of my 60-day trial and decide before then whether to keep or not.  But, for now, I am taking advantage and have already added this razor/refill along with these reusable bpa-free plastic storage bags to my next order.

Have you tried Grove Collaborative?  What are your favorite clean products?

Toodle-oo,

Melanie

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