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Costco Shopping – January, 21 2022
Posted by: | January 21, 2022
| 2 Comments
| Costco Blog
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1st Costco Shopping in 2022 – $204.32 / $204.32 this year
Instant savings saved $35.50

I used to go to Costco 5 times a month. But, since the pandemic, I go to Costco less than once a month. I don’t know what I’m doing with my blog anymore. Mm.. anyway, we shall see.

I had a growing Costco shopping list. Also, I didn’t want to miss out on this month’s savings. I saved $35.50 from this month’s member-only savings. I bought some vitamins and supplements. And I got SPAMs.

Kirkland Signature Shampoo:
I still couldn’t find Kirkland Signature shampoo. I think they’ve been absent from my warehouse for a year or longer. At least they are now available online. I shall order one today. I will pay $3 for shipping. It’s still a very good price.

Irish Spring Soaps:
I have a nagging feeling these soaps will be on sale in a few weeks. As I said before (Nov 12, 2021), you don’t always see Irish Spring soap in Costco. In fact, you rarely see Irish Spring soaps. I usually see these soaps when they are on sale. After that, they would disappear for several months or for over a year (or longer).

I saw Irish Spring soaps today and noticed that they no longer say “Originals” on the packaging, but it reads “Original Clean”. They have changed the formula, and now each soap is 0.5 oz bigger. I hope I will like the new soap.

New Irish Spring soap at costco

After my Costco shopping, I bought a hot dog and a Cold Brew Mocha Freeze (with chocolate). The straws for the drinks were back. They no longer had sippy cup lids for the drinks. But they still didn’t have onion cranks. I parked my car in a partially shaded area and ate a hot dog. At home, nobody at my work noticed I took a long break. What the heck, so I took a nap. Zzz…

My Vitamix Routine
Posted by: | January 15, 2022
| 2 Comments
| Costco Blog
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I bought a Vitamix 5200 mixer 10 years ago at Costco. (10 years and 1 month as of now)

Since then, I’ve been using it twice a day for the last 10 years without stopping.

Without a doubt, Vitamix is the best purchase I made from Costco. This is possibly the most beneficial product I own in my life. Vitamix is expensive. And you don’t have to buy a Vitamix blender. You can buy any cheaper blender. You just need to use it every day. You need to replace junk food with fruits and vegetables.

Below is my 10 years old Vitamix routine.

To me, the blender is a chore. I don’t enjoy the taste. It takes a short time to fill my stomach with fruits and vegetables. I gulp it down fast, clean up, and move on with my life. I do it fast and cheaply. I don’t make Vitamix juice to sit down and savor the moment.

Sorry, the video is painfully long. This was my first time editing a video. Maybe I’ll get better the next time.

In real life, I make Vitamix juice and make coffee at the same time. I would have two timers going. It gets busy.

I am not a scientist, and I refused to pretend to be one (by looking up). I blindly trust that my green mix is better than most breakfasts that people eat. I blindly trust that having one of these before eating dinner is what’s keeping my weight down.

Buy at Costco.com

Vitamix blender container close up
Split Pea & Ham Soup Recipe – Kirkland Signature
Posted by: | December 16, 2021
| 18 Comments
| Costco Blog, Kitchen
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Posted: January 5, 2018

I make ham dinner for Christmas. New Year’s Day is when I enjoy split pea & ham soup. I make split pea soup with a leftover ham bone. I follow the recipe that comes with the ham.

Except, I do things a little differently. I put less ham. I don’t put salt and pepper. Ham is salty already, and I can always add salt later. When it comes to water, I put just enough amount of water to start. I would add more water as needed. Starting with less water is much better than starting with too much water – because there is no going back if you end up with thin soup. You don’t need to think too much about how much water is needed. You can just eyeball it and add more water as needed. The soup will tell you how much water is needed. 

To make the soup, you have to be the soup.

Also, I put a few bay leaves that are not in the recipe.

The soup was amazingly good. I ate half and put the other half in the freezer.

Split Pea and Ham Soup - Costco Recipe

Kirkland Signature Split Pea & Ham Soup Recipe

Split Pea & Ham Soup recipe

Makes 12-16 servings

  • 1 (16-oz) pkg. dried green split peas, sorted and rinsed
  • 2 quarts water
  • 4 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 cups chopped onion
  • 2cups chopped carrots
  • 2 cups sliced celery
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 kirkland Signature Spiral Sliced Ham bone with leftover meat
  • 4 cups cubed ham (or remaining leftovers)
  • 2 quarts water
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  1. Place split peas and 2 quarts water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat: reduce heat and simmer 1 hour. Drain
  2. Heat oil in a 4-quart saucepan. Saute onion, carrots, celery, and garlic in oil over medium-low heat until tender  – about 10 minutes.
  3. Return the split peas to the saucepan.
  4. Add ham bone, cubed ham, 2 quarts water, salt, and pepper. Cover and bring to boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.  Reduce heat and simmer 1 hour. Remove cover and continue simmering until desired thickness, stirring occasionally.
  5. Remove ham bone: cut off any remaining beat. Dice meat and return to soup before serving.

Kirkland Signature Spiral Sliced Ham

Costco Coupons, Member-Only Savings, December 2021
Posted by: | November 16, 2021
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| Costco Blog, Costco Coupons
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Costco Member-Only Savings, November 22, 2021 – December 24, 2021.

Savings are available only to current Costco members.

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Shampoo, SPAM, Irish Spring
Posted by: | November 12, 2021
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| Costco Blog
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I am SOOO busy. I am doing well as always, but I don’t have enough time for my blog.

Below are my random thoughts on some of the Costco products.

I will keep in touch. Please be safe. I wish you a slow and stable life with a Sunday nap. See you~!!!

Kirkland Signature Shampoo

Kirkland Signature shampoos have disappeared from both warehouse and the website. I have only noticed their disappearance 2 months ago when my shampoo was running low. Shampoos have roughly 1 year of shelf-life so that I cannot buy multiple bottles and keep them for several years. For now, I will trust that Costco Shampoos will be back in due time. I shall wait and watch.

FYI: This is not the first time there was a shortage of Costco shampoos

*I took the below pictures 2 days ago, Wednesday, November 10, 2021.

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SPAM

The last time SPAM was on sale at Costco was when the pandemic just started. People went nuts and bought anything that’s in the can. So, I missed my chance to buy SPAM.

I always keep SPAM on the bottom shelf of the pantry. I currently have one can of SPAM left. It’s a bacon SPAM, so it’s not from Costco. I hope the SPAM will be on sale at Costco soon. If not, I’ll have to pay the full price for it. I must have SPAM. I don’t have to eat them. To me, just looking at 8 cans of SPAM in my pantry is worth of money.

Irish Spring

Irish Spring is a dry soap. It’s the opposite of moisturizing soap. I only use dry soap on my face, neck, between my toes, etc. And, I don’t want dry skin. So, I use moisturizing soap on my large body surfaces, such as my front, back, arms, and legs.

So… Yes, I use 2 soaps in the shower. I know it sounds picky. I am a diva. Welcome to America.

*I may be wrong about the logistics below. I am saying it from my experience. So don’t believe me.

Costco rarely stocks Irish Spring soaps. But, they come on sale once in a while. And When they are on sale, you may not know they are on sale. Costco’s monthly coupon book will not show you Irish Spring soaps. And their sales period is shorter than usual.

At Costco, Irish Spring soaps will come and go like a ninja. They may go on sale without notice.

I currently have about 30 bars of Irish Spring soaps. They are on my shopping list. I always buy bath soaps when they are on sale at Costco.

Top 10 Items from Costco I use Every Day
Posted by: | November 1, 2021
| 2 Comments
| Costco Blog
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Below are items from Costco that I use every single day. I tried to put them in chronological order.

#1 Eyeglasses (2 frames & many lenses)

I have a pair of eyeglasses from Costco on my face every waking moment. I have three pairs of eyeglasses from Costco. I also have several pairs of old pairs with new lenses from Costco.

I keep a backup pair of eyeglasses in both of my cars. I have 2 pairs of eyeglasses at work. I carry an extra pair of eyeglasses wherever I go. For example, if you call me from a hospital to take care of you, I will put two pairs of eyeglasses in my travel bag (regular & reading).

#2 Toilet paper, toilet brush.

I use 2 toilet brushes every morning for both of my toilets. My toilets are always super clean and super white. All it takes is a quick brush every day. I scrub my toilets with a pumice stone about once a year.

#3 Toothbrush (Sonicare & Manual), Waterpik

Electric toothbrushes are the only way to go. I hope you use them, too. And, I may be wrong, but I think Waterpik is superior to dental floss.

#4 Shampoo, soap, razor, shaving cream, bath towels

I bought 6 bath towels at Costco in 2008 & 2009. I bought 6 towels because 6 will wear out twice slower than 3. But 2008 was a long time ago. They show their ages after 13 years.

Bath Towel from Costco, 13 years old, Grandeur

#5 Hair dryer – T3 Featherweight 3i

I have long hair and I use a $200 professional hairdryer. The diffuser alone was $38. 2 years ago, T3 sent me a Featherweight 3i hairdryer to review. So, I compared the 3i with my professional one. I confirmed that the T3 hairdryer can compete with expensive hairdryers. They perform so very similar, if not the same.

That was almost 2 years ago. After that review, I’ve been using T3 Featherweight 3i every day. I was too lazy to switch back to my favorite hairdryer. Featherweight 3i lacks some professional touch, such as a hanging loop. Also, it doesn’t have +/- ion switch. It generates negative iron permanently, which is good enough for me. So, I still use this hairdryer every day. Featherweight 3i is Costco’s regular stock item ($99.99). They go on sale about twice a year.

One more thing. Featherweight 3i is smaller than professional hair dryers. So, if you do your own hair, you might find a smaller hair dryer easier to operate (easier to maneuver and rich in certain spots).

*Diffusers sold separately. Most hair dryers don’t come with diffusers.

Hair Dryer, Waterpik, Sonicare Toothbrush
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Holiday Savings – November 1 – 14, 2021
Posted by: | October 22, 2021
| 2 Comments
| Costco Blog, Costco Coupons
John
John
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This is holiday savings, apart from monthly Costco member-only savings.

Costco warehouses will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 2021.

The entire month of Holiday savings (November 2021) is available at Costco website

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