I have done several cleanses in the past year. Some have been better than others. Heard of the Master Cleanse? If you haven’t– you don’t want to. It consists of drinking water mixed with lemon juice, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper. It’s pretty hard to do because that’s all you drink besides water, so it a completely liquid diet. I’ve also done a salt water cleanse, which is basically a natural colonic you can do at home. Earlier this month I tried a cleanse that requires you to drink only 100% juice and water the first day, and then fruits, veggies, and whole grains for the rest of the week.

It’s pretty hard to do a food restrictive cleanse, I am proof of that. I was able to do an all liquid cleanse for almost three months, but I really think that it impacted my health and may be the cause of my gallstone and gallbladder issues– especailly because it was such a low calorie diet.

I just read about a colon cleanser program that basically allows you to “have 2-3 bowel movements a day, and eliminate toxins in the colon to assist with overall vital organ health.” As a result, you can expect less bloating, less water retention, and improved energy and vitality. You should not experience watery stools, severe cramping or weakness of any kind– which is pretty typical with many colon cleanser programs.

You may have seen the Duel Action Cleanse on TV.  You can save $30 off the regular price with their promotion. They are also offering free shipping which is always a plus. What I like about this cleanse is that it appears these are vitamin-like pills that you take verses drastically changing your diet, so you can get all of the great colon cleansing results without all the bad diet risks. – starting at $59.90 (plus free shipping)

On Friday while I was off from work, I found myself watching the Tyra Banks Show. The topic was following up with guests that have had plastic surgery. I’ve never had any work done myself, but I can certainly appreciate the amazing things that they are able to do. One woman who previously weighed over 600 pounds had to have hundreds of pounds of skin removed by a plastic surgeon.

It goes without saying, but she looked absolutely amazing afterward. The same was true for Big Boy, a Los Angeles based hip hop DJ who had surgery to get rid of excess skin following his Gastric Bypass Surgery. I have to admit that I have some extra skin around my mid-section, and I’ve thought about the possibility of getting a tummy tuck someday. I heard that you can get one following having your baby (i.e. moments after he/she is born). I think Britney Spears did that after her first.

I’m a California girl born and raised (until we moved to Texas), so I know that plastic surgery is all the rage– especially for celebrities. If you’re not one and you want to get a procedure, wouldn’t you at least want to be treated like one? Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery (located on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills– DUH!) offers procedures including tummy tuck, liposuction, rhinoplasty, breast augmentation, and Botox.

Selecting a good Plastic Surgeon is a big decision, but RDPS has been featured both nationally and internationally on many television shows as well as in well-known magazines and newspapers.  Even if you’ve just thought about getting a procedure done, I’d recommend reading their blog. It outlines many of the options they offer and gives a lot of information that just may ease your mind. – as low as $12/month (financing available)

Dave and I are going to see Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End tonight, so in celebration of the new movie why not buy one of these cool Pirate flags? This site has a big assortment of pirate flags including one with Mickey Mouse! I think it would hilarious to fly a pirate flag outside our house.

I’ve been going around the house telling pirate jokes too– Q: What is a pirate’s favorite kind of socks? A: ARRRRRRgyle! I’m sure if you asked a pirate, these flags would be their favorite! They are really ARRRfordable. – $9.95 (shown)

Are you a big fan of online backgammon? If so, I have exciting news. BackgammonMasters.com is expanding their business worldwide, and is placing its attention and resources on Latin American markets. Aparently interest in many of their games has increased, thus prompting the company to open a branch in Central America.

They are credited with being the first company to introduce an online version of a Spanish dice game called Perudo. I have never heard of it, but it sounds really interesting and it is definitely really popular. My dad used to have an old backgammon  set that we played with when we were younger, so I am pretty familiar with the game. It is really fun to be able to play it online anytime I want without having to worry about finding the board and all the pieces.

This site also will refresh your memory on the rules, just in case you have forgotten how to play. I must admit that it took me a few minutes to get back into the swing of things.

If you enjoy playing backgammon and want to try your hand at online play, I recommend downloading the software from BackgammonMasters.com. With their growing Latin American market, there is no telling how big they will get in the future. I am sure they will be adding lots of new features. Don’t forget to check out their tiger mascot, Jean-Claude. He has his own animated series that is quite entertaining as well!