Pacifica Beauty Products

12/23/2015

Hello

Happy Happy Holidays to you all

I wanted to let you know that I just found an interesting company located in Portland Oregon
They sell online all natural skincare body care  Makeup and perfume at very reasonable prices
They have the ingredients on any item that you might be considering to buy.

All the products  that I  have looked at did have a listing that they were gluten free  I have not tried these products as of yet but I am anxious to try them

The website is www.pacificabeauty.com

Everything I have seen on the website I just love and  I have called into their customer Service department and they really put out the Welcome Wagon.  They were very nice to talk to and very informative.

I will be getting a few products shortly and I  will let you know my verdict

I hope your holidays are filled with peace love and joy to you and your families.
Stay safe and have fun where ever you go for the holidays

Sincerely yours

Ellen Gaffney
thegcats@comcast.net

FRENCH TOAST MUG

                                                   FRENCH TOAST MUG

I usually do not do recipes on my blog because there are a million or more recipes out there but this one I could not resist . I  figured I could easily do this recipe gluten free and even safe for diabetics.
I tried it and I not only liked it i loved it and it is so simple to make

2 pieces gluten free bread

1 egg

a quarter cup  of milk

1 Table spoon butter

1 teaspoon cinnamon more if you like cinnamon

1 table spoon sugar

Syrup or jam of your choice

Melt the 1 Tablespoon of butter in a mug that can go into a microwave for 30 seconds take out of the microwave.  Put the 1 Tablespoon of sugar or sugar substitute then the quarter cup of milk the egg and the cinnamon
Then crumble the two slices of bread into the mixture and stir .  Now they say microwave for 5 minutes for my microwave it is 3 minutes so for the first time it might be trial and error but this is so good.  Then just put your choice of syrup or jam on it and there you have a hot breakfast with protein that taste great and no fuss no mess.  Just sheer enjoyment. I was thinking about this and you could mix the wet ingredients in a mug with a lid to it bring two slices of the gluten free bread in a plastic bag .  bring your syrup or jam with you to work and you could just microwave it there when you get to work or for your break and there you have a great meal

Thank you

Ellen Gaffney
thegcats@comcast.net

Norwex products

11/08/2015

I just wanted  to let you know about the Norwex company.  Love love their products .  My favorite products are the Kitchen Cleaning Products .  These are all natural organic environmental  cleaning cloths that make cleaning a snap and almost fun to do.
For the kitchen I love love the Kitchen Cloth for 9.99 this is so amazing I can clean almost all my dishes with just the cloth and water .  I do not have to buy any dish detergent.  Just hot water and the cloth even stuck on food comes right off without any elbow grease
If I feel that I need a little more help with a pot or pan such as my son forgetting to clean a pot out or pan and leaving in the sink until the end of the day.  I just break out my Kitchen Scrub cloth and in no time flat clean as a whistle with out any worry about thinking am I going to have a reaction to the dish detergent.   There is no dish detergent needed just some warm water and the cloth and you are good to go.  Just rinse out when you are done and hang to dry.  Once a week just wash the cloths separately in the washer with a chemical free detergent
You can check out these great cloths on my website .  When I believe in a product I like to really get my hands into the company and be a part of it so I am now apart of this company.  My website is www.ellengaffney.norwex.biz  to get to these great cloths when you are on my web page just hit shop now then go to Kitchen cleaning and you will see them there.  I also really like the window cloth this really does a great job on mirrors and windows just like all of their cloths all is needed is water and the cloth
I hope you are doing well
Thank you

Ellen Gaffney
thegcats@comcast.net

Giant Food Stores

09/25/2015

I wanted to let you know that it used to be that only a select few of the Giant stores had lower prices then others.   Some even had much higher prices.  The sale items in all their stores stayed the same but their every day items that were not on sale had different prices for different Giant Food Stores

Starting this week a majority of the Giant Food stores are lowering their store items  to be the same for all their Giant stores.

This will be completed in the next three weeks but the majority stores have had this done starting this week.

So check out your  Giant Food store and you will  be surprised that the prices are lowered

Thank you

Ellen Gaffney
thegcats@comcast.net
www.myceladonroad.com/26304  all natural and organic products for cleaning the house cleaning your body and cleaning your dog all at reasonable prices

Hint Water

                                                         Hint Water

I just purchased this water and love it.  It is Diabetic friendly for types 1 and 2 and it is also Vegan and Gluten Free.
It taste great, it is all natural and organic
They have many many flavors to choose from Peppermint,  Honeydew, Strawberry Kiwi , and so much more there are about 15 different flavors to choose
On the company website which is www.drinkhint.com you can buy a case of water there other wise Giant food Store do carry it.  A bottle of this water sells for 1.39  at some Giants other Giants will be 1.59 for one bottle.  I do not know if you know this but not all Giants are priced the same.
Some Giants will be priced higher if they are not near a store that  they are competing with.  for instance the following Giants are lowered in price then other by more then and it can be 20 50  more cents.  Flourtown zip code 19031 is one of the lowest Bluebell Conshohocken and Plymouthmeeting are one of the higher ones.  
There is nothing added to this water except the except the fruit essence of fruit

I hope you enjoy them

Ellen Gaffney
thegcats@comcast.net

Tandem TSlim Insulin Pump

05/23/2015


When Asante Snap insulin pump closed their doors last week.  I was confused upset and wondering what was I going to do.
I only had supplies for the Snap insulin pump for about another week.  I called my doctor's office to explain what had happened.  They unfortunately never got back to me.  I received from my son's doctor who is a Type 1 Diabetic the rep's phone numbers for Animas and Medtronic.  I called them immediately gave them all the information.  I  also told them I  was pressed for time. They took my information and did not get back to me for about 4 days by that time I  had already received my new pump.    My sister said why don't you call Gary  from Integrated Diabetes.  She is also a Type 1 diabetic.  Gary is outstanding he has a website www.intregrateddiabetes.com and has classes for better control with diabetes being it for type 1 or type 2 Diabetes. His telephone number is 610 642 6055  .  I called him   I called him and he said if I  were you I would call the Tandem company .  They have an insulin pump called the Tslim and they have one called the Tflex insulin pumps both are fantastic.  He gave me their telephone number and the reps number.  This was on Monday morning I  called the rep and got her answering machine then I called Tandem.  I  spoke with Danica she was outstanding her number is 1877 801 6901 at extension 6893.  She took all my information told me their insurance verifyer was not in but would be in tomorrow Tuesday.  She let me know that she knew how important this was for me and let me know that they would take care of this right away.  Ryan called me the next day Tuesday went over my insurance again and doctor's information.  He had Angie the rep I left the message for go to my doctor's office and get all the paper work they needed on Wednesday.  By 5:00Pm on Wednesday he had it approved and sent out to me over night.  I was trained  on Friday and I  love the pump you can see it on the website  www.tandemdiabetes.com   The insulin pump is easy to read and easy to use.  It has a rechargeable battery so I do not have to have batteries on hand.  They say that it needs to be recharged about every 7 days and it only takes 10 minutes to charge.  The pump is set up like a Samrt phone you just push whatever screen you would like to get into.  I love this pump also because all your important information is right on the front screen Insulin on board  how much insulin you have left and if you have any remaining insulin from the last time you bolused
Just wanted to let you know my decision on my new insulin pump.

Thank You

Ellen Gaffney
thegcats@comcast.net

Thrive Market

04/16/2015

I just came across a fantastic little market online.  It is call the Thrive market
They are all natural and organic.  This online market is like a Sam's club but with natural and organic health products skin care and foods.
I was looking for an all natural organic shampoo and this site came up.  I was really impressed.
When you are on the site go to search bar and put in gluten free and they will show what they have that is gluten free.  I  had put in gluten free shampoos and a number  of gluten free shampoos came on the site
They have a deal where you try it out for a month if you like it then you get charged a one time fee of 59.00.  The products are at whole sale pricing so they are  extremely cheap in price.  Most grocery stores even when they have a sale on a gluten free product these products will have lower prices on that particular item
You can see what I  mean by going to this website
http://go.thrv.me/aff_c?offer_id=6&aff_id=3344
I think you will be impressed as much as I am
I purchased a Fair Trade Shampoo that was 7.95 for a 32 oz shampoo
I  will let you know when I try it out what I  think of it but for that price I am very happy.  I just wanted to let you know that I  love love the shampoo it is really is  a great buy.  I had lots of volume and shine. I never use a conditioner , I put a tiny spot of olive  on my hands after my hair is dry and rub it through my hair .  it works great and it is a lot cheaper then purchasing a  separate conditioner.  Thrive market is fantastic just go to the link above and see how great this online market is.  if you spend 49.00 or more then it is free shipping .  They have everything all in one spot.   They have vitamins hair products food and  skin care .  it is a gluten free paradise.  

Thank you

Ellen Gaffney
thegcats@comcast.net
484 684 6290

Simple Beauty Mineral Makeup & Skin care Preoducts

04/04/2015

Happy  Happy Easter & Passover
I hope you are enjoying the somewhat warmer temperatures not quite spring  type weather but at least it is not snow.
At least we  have had a few warmer days,   Hopefully more to come


I am writing today because I found an interesting company for make up and skin care products.  These products are all natural and organic
They have mineral make up and what is nice for the make up you can purchase a sample bag of mineral makeup goodies for 5.00 to see if they work well for you

I just did this for myself today.  The products are Vegan organic and gluten free with just a few ingredients in them.

They look very promising I have not tried them as of yet like I  said I  just purchased the samples but I  am impressed with them.

I talked with the owner today about the products and she knew all about Celiac disease and the problems that can occur if you are not using gluten free skin care and make up.  The products are also not too expensive.  The website is https://simplebeautyminerals.com/consultant/25

I hope you have a great holiday tonight & tomorrow with your family and friends

Thank you

Ellen Gaffney
thegcats@comcast.net
484 684 6290

The Greater Philadelphia Celiac Support Group

03/10/2015

Hello Again

I hope you are all doing fine and are beginning to thaw out with spring coming upon us
I am writing you because I am the President of the Greater Philadelphia Celiac Support Group
Our next meeting will be on March 20th 5:45 - 7:30 PM for meeting other Celiacs and  to go through the gluten free vendors that will be there for you to purchase some of their products.
We have about 10 - 15 vendors that will be there
some of the vendors that will be there will be as follows
The Happy Mixer  a gluten free bakery located in Chalfont PA
Tupperware
Bookbinder's gluten free soups
Girl Scout gluten free cookies
Dutch county Gluten Free Pretzels
Q's Cookies
Door to Door Organics online organic grocery store
Betsy's Bakery
Posh Pop Bakery
Giant Food Store ( Dietitian )
Our Speaker is Pam Cureton she is from the Maryland Celiac Research Institute
It should be a great meeting
Abington Memorial Hospital
1200 Old York Rd
Lenfest Pavilion First Floor
Abington PA  19001

It does cost 25.00 to join the group you get 2 newsletters a year and we meet twice a year at the hospital

Thank you

Ellen Gaffney
Presdient of the Greater Philadelphia Celiac Support Group

Weight Watchers & the Gluten Free Diet

03/02/2015

Hello

Over the weekend I  joined Weight Watchers to lose some extra pounds that I have accumulated
I was very impressed with their diet plan
I did not want to do the weekly meetings so I joined online
They do have 100% online support which was another thing I was impressed with.
I did a chat with an online representative they  were even there on a Sunday and asked if they had gluten free options .  The representative said yes they do

I decided to join .  Right now they are having a special where it is free for the registration all you pay is the monthly amount of the particular type of diet plan that you decide.  I decided on the basic plan.  I pay $ 19.95 a month
They do have another option that you pay $ 54.95 every three months.  You do get more out of that plan. but the $19.95 a month was what I could afford
This was a present for myself since my birthday was on Friday the 27th of February.

Yesterday I began my Weight Watchers Journaling journey
Once you join you hit Tracking and you begin putting in for each meal what you are going to have for that particular meal

Weight watchers has a point system so you just put in each food and get the point value for that particular food.    I was going to have for dinner a Canyon Bake house roll with what I was going to have for dinner   I went to put that in and they do have names of particular gluten free companies but they did not have that one.  I was thinking now what do I do.  Then I saw on the left hand side that you could put the nutritional value of a particular item in and get the points for it so that is what I did.
I am only on the beginning stages of my weight loss journey but I  think it is good
it does make you think of what you are going to eat.  You are taking the time out and putting the foods down on paper and when you do that it makes you think do I really want to eat that or is there a better choice   You only have a set number of points that you can have a day.  Once they are done for the day that is all you can eat.  They determine how many points you  will have when you put in your weight and height and how much weight you would like to lose.  Every week you weigh your self and if you are losing weight they will adjust the points system for you

Thank you

Ellen Gaffney
thegcats@comcast.net

Chestnut Henna Shampoo bar from Chagrin Valley Soaps

02/28/2015

Hello Again:

I had called the Chagrin Valley Soap and Salve company to say thank you for making such a great product with the Cafe Moreno shampoo bar
I explained  about my usual allergies and sensitivities to products and that their products did not do that to me
I further stated that my hair was mostly gray and that the Cafe Moreno was great it was giving me subtle high lights of color and that  I loved it

They said to me with your hair being mostly gray I would suggest the Chestnut Henna Shampoo Bar .   It  will give you a bit more color to your hair and a faster time of it.  I said to them I was a little bit hesitant in doing that   I felt that it would maybe because of the red tones in it make my hair orange or have pink tones.  They assured me that it would not

I felt well it is not very expensive I mind as well give it a try.  It did color my hair a bit more.  I love it .  I feel that the Cafe Moreno has a bit more conditioning  to my hair but the Chestnut Henna Shampoo does add the color I am trying to get.

I love both products my hair has never looked better and I  swear with switching to these shampoo bars my hair is in so much better condition and is growing more then it has ever grown before.

I shampoo my hair every other day and I think what I will do now is one time I  will use the Cafe Moreno   The next shampoo I  will use  the Chestnut Brown Henna shampoo bar.  I will alternate back and forth .

When I use the shampoo bars I shampoo and leave it on my head for about 15 - 20 minutes rinse and let dry naturally .  The results are just amazing soft full of volume and shine that stays until I shampoo again.

My hair is very short in a growing out pixie cut so there is lots of layers to it
The underneath layers are much darker the layers on top are just a bit darker in grey the contrast looks great.  It looks like I went to a salon and had it professionally done by a stylist  Before using these shampoo bars my hair was a very light silver grey underneath and white hair on top.  

I remember when my hair was first  going gray it was like this but a bit more dark then gray.  My hair was in great condition but with the gray through it it did not look in great condition.  I was going out with some friends for an outing and I  sprayed on it the Aveda Spray on shine and went out with my friends.  I was in a park and a gentleman came up to me and said how do you  get your hair to look like that your hair is gorgeous.  The way the sun shines on it it looks like tiny little fireworks of light going through your darker strands of hair.  He asked me what color I used to get it that way and if it was a frosting.  I said to him it is natural I did not do anything accept spray a shine on spray on it.  He said to me it is magnificent.  This is the way my hair looks now and  I love it.   It is nice to just wash my hair let it sit for 15 - 20 minutes rinse brush into the style I  want to achieve and let nature do the rest.

Yesterday was my birthday I am now 54 years young  and I feel that I am getting better with age .  I guess I am like a fine wine that just needs to mature to get the right pairing to get the results that I want for my hair.  I think I  have finally done what I was trying to do for the last 20 year and all it took was two magnificent shampoo bars.  Who would of thought 2 shampoo bars would have made my hair go from ok to a hit parade .  The website once again is www.chagrinvalleysoap.com

Thank you

Ellen Gaffney
thegcats@comcast.net
   

Cafe Moreno Shampoo bar by Chargrin Valley

02/22/2015

Chargrin Valley soap products are all natural and a fantastic company to get products from
They really care about the consumer and they care what they put into their products.
I do not work for this company but I do love their products.
I just purchased the Cafe Moreno Shampoo bar
My birthday is approaching on Friday.  Every year I want to do something different with my hair.
Right now there is not much I can do.  I had my hair cut about 6 weeks ago and  the place where I went really botched the hair cut so I had to go some where else to get it fixed.  For me my hair was finally getting long but just needed a trim.  I ended up with a extremely uneven pixie cut so it is growing again but very short.
My hair is short and grey so I was not sure if I wanted to color it again.   . I decided on the Chargrin Valley Cafe Moreno shampoo bar.
This is all natural ,  the  ingredients are Organic Coconut oil Organic Clove oil Etra Vigin oil Organic Bassau oil Organic Shea Butter organic Fair Trade coffee Organic Avocado oil Organic essential oils of clove Patchouli oil  Yinglang Lavender and organic Rosemary oil   This shampoo bar is supposed to add dark  highlights from the coffee and cloves in it.
I tried it yesterday I  washed my hair  with it yesterday left it on for about 20 minutes then rinsed off.  What I was left with was tons I mean tons of volume shine and subtle high lights of darker hair through it.  It did look like I got a very light frosting without the damage.  My hair looks great.
There is a scent to it but also very light
My hair is so soft and shinny and full of volume with some great highlights.
This shampoo bar is a winner
The website is www.chargrinvalleysoapandsalve.com  They have a trial size for 2.99 and a full bar size for 7.99 plus shipping.

Thank you

Ellen Gaffney
thegcats@comcast.net

Microwavable Pasta Maker

02/22/2015

Hello

Another product that I  love by Tupperware is the Microwavable Pasta Maker
I have not tried  this yet.   I  will be getting it soon but it has fantastic reviews and so easy to use.
I particularly love this product because it is once again BPA free and all natural.
I can not wait to get this because of not having to worry about gluten issues.
I have not had gluten free pasta for a while now I was too afraid of cross contamination.  My son and husband still eat gluten in the house hold.
We have a small kitchen so one side is for me the other for them
My family   occasionally uses the pot that I usually use to cook in so for awhile I just did not have it.
The Microwavable Pasta maker is so easy to use just cook strain toss and serve that is it
You can make all kinds of dishes with it.  It makes up to a pound of pasta at a time
This is to me a life saver for us Celiacs and what I  really love is that if you are traveling you can bring it with you .  Most hotels have microwaves in them .  You bring the pasta what sauce you like and there you have a meal that is economically sound and you  know what you are eating and is saves time
I love simplicity and this has it all.
The item number for this is 720 and once a gain it is on my website www.mytupperware.com/elleng

Thank you

Ellen Gaffney
thegcats@comcast.net

Quick Chef Pro

02/21/2015


Hello

As you know i just joined Tupperware and really love love  this company
They have a product called the Quick Chef Pro. It is fantastic it is like a multi functional blender in a green way.  When you blend with this device you do not use electricity it is all done by hand
In a way it is like the way it was in the earlier days.  I love it.
Even though it is freezing outside I have been making ice cream
It is so decadent tasting and so good without the guilt
I just put in some frozen unsweetened fruit like bananas strawberries pineapples Kiwi put them in the Quick chef Pro.  Then just put in about an 8th of a cup of  heavy whipping cream  I use organic whipping cream  sugar to taste and start turning.   You might need to put some milk to it for easier turning and some extra elbow juice but to me it is fun and if you have young children it is so much fun to make this with them
When it is the right consistency just take out the blades put into a container and into the freezer .   It is so delicious without being fattening.  If you are interested in ordering this it is item number 1249 on my website.  www.mytupperware.com/elleng  .

Thank you

Ellen Gaffney
thegcats@comcast.net

My Blog

02/17/2015

Hello

I just wanted to let you know more information about my Celiac blog
I know I promote a lot of products that I have tried
You might think well everything she writes is all on the plus side she must not pay for the products  when she writes something she gets paid for writing it.
This is not the case.  There are a very few times that I have received some products without paying for them but majority of the times I have paid for all the products that I have done blogs on.
There have been products that I have had reactions to or just did not like
I did not do a blog on it for the simple fact that I felt that this was just a reaction that I  received someone else might not have that reaction.  It is not fair for the company or the readers  that look at my blog.
I write only good reviews on products because I do have such a reaction to products that I  feel that if I do not have a reaction than my readers should know about it.  They are probably in the same boat as me searching for products that are all natural and will do no harm.
I do write about products that I do work for.  I want you to know about them.
I do work for several companies from home and if I do believe in a company I am going to write about it so that you can see what I see in the company and try out their products.  I never promote a company that I work for just to make money with it.  I do have integrity in my writing.  The two companies that I work for that I really want you to know about are Tupperware all natural BPA free and gluten free.  My website is www.mytupperware.com/elleng and Norwex www.ellengaffney.norwex.bix.   I will always be honest with the products I try.  If something gives me a reaction or I do not like it for what ever reasoning I just will not write about it but If I like a product and I have no reactions to it I will sing to the highest mountain to tell you about it.  I want everyone to know about it
This disease is hard to know what will work for you and what will not sometimes it is just not easy just to say give up gluten and all your problems will go away.
There are so many other factors that come into play.
I have never been sensitive to skin care products until I became a Celiac.  I could use any product any clothes detergent , any soap any shampoo.  This is not the case now.  It might say gluten free and even unscented I will still have reactions with some products so it is always a crap shoot when I try out a product.  I want you to know about it.  I was talking to one company Mother's Little Helper Laundry Pills I was explaining this to her and she told me there is a reason why you are still having reactions.  She said that a lot of companies will say they are unscented but they are really not it is an additive that they put in to take away the scent.  You do not smell it but it is there so you have a reaction to it.
I was very shocked  by this information.
I thank you for reading this I just wanted you to know why my blog is one sided

Thank you

Ellen Gaffney
thegcats@comcast.net

Babassu Shampoo Bar by Soap For Goodness Sake

1/29/2015

I just found a fantastic caring company called Soap For Goodness Soap
I tried their Babassu Shampoo & Body Bar.  This is an unscented Shampoo and Body Bar.  It is rich and luxurious filled with lots of lather.   It feels soft and supple on the skin.  It is unscented like I said before but even though it is unscented it still just smells natural and wholesome to the body
To me it feels like you can conquer anything that needs to be taken care of  for the day and at the same time it just lets you destress  and relax all your troubles away
My skin and hair look fabulous and feel fabulous.  As you know I have all gray hair with having all gray hair your hair can feel good but not look dried out.  This shampoo and body bar nourishes conditions and strengthens my hair.  It is full of shine and  bounce .  When I used it the other day before hand since it is the winter's months my hair looked flat and un interesting .  I used this shampoo body bar and it was like my body and hair did a jump start.  I looked in the mirror and I had Vavoom hair without looking too much.  I love volume and with gray hair you do not usually get that unless you put tons of product in and when you are done it looks great but your hair is a greasy mess,  The Babassu bar I  do not have to do anything it does it all for me.  It is full of volume shine bounce and in a word love.
When my husband came home from work he said to me you look great but I  thought we agreed we would be cutting back .  I said I did  it is all from this
little master piece of heaven in this shampoo bar.  
He said I got to tell you you really look great
Along with the great results no reactions in most cases especially if  I use shampoo bars I break out or I get itchy bumps on my scalp.  All I got from this shampoo bar was love from the inside out
I hope you will think about purchasing the Babssu Shampoo Body bar
Their website is www.soapforgoodnesssake.com
They have many other products too.  I will be trying out next their Pumpkin Complexion Facial bar

Ellen Gaffney
thegcats@comcast.net    .