There are some days when I don’t get to even sit down, till after the boys are in bed.  Along with being a mom, comes this weird phenomenon when you have kids, it is the one where if you sit everyone is right there needing something, but if you are busy doing the laundry, everyone seems to leave me alone for a few minutes anyway.  I call my laundry time, my phone time, when I can call my mom and talk while I fold, but holding the phone isn’t always feasible.  I also, like to call my husband when I am outside watching the boys, so a hands free option is always welcomed, so I can do several things at once.

Vtech has the perfect solution. I was given te opportunity to try out  the Vtech LS6475-3 cordless phone set and answering system.

Here’s what you get in the box and all very easy to set up.

• An answering machine and phone base unit with AC power adapter.
• A charging cradle with AC power adapter.
• 2 DECT cordless phone handsets
• 1 DECT headset with ear hook and ear bud
• 1 head band for use with the headset
• Phone cable, manuals, two battery packs (one for each phone)
• 3 additional ear buds and two ear hooks.

The phones themselves feel solid and well put together,  they are not heavy and I love the sleek silver that accents the handsets and is the primary color of the base.  You can see from the pictures that the phones and the base/charging units look very nice.  To me, if a phone has to sit there on my counter or wall, it needs to look decent.

The handsets were partially charged when I got them out of the box, but I decided to fully charge them for my review.  Setting up the base was very simple, the phone cord into a phone jack, plug the ac adapter into any outlet, and voila, you’re ready to go.   One thing you’ll notice right away is that Vtech added a little “lip” on the cradle for the handsets so that when you put the phone in the cradle, you know for sure it’s in there correctly to charge.  That’s a nice touch.

One of the things that makes this phone set unique is the included headset.  The headset is very versatile, it can be worn on the ear (kind of like a blutooth cell phone ear piece), but it also comes with a head band so you can wear it using the over the head band.  You get ear additional ear buds, and various different size ear hooks so you can be sure you can fit it on your ear properly.  This is a great feature if you are running around the house getting things done, yet you have phone calls to make.  The headset is well built and I was able to wear it comfortably on my ear.  More importantly, the sound on the headset is excellent, and the range is absolutely great.  I was able to wear the headset and walk outside my house over to the neighbors house while talking on the phone without any static or noise!

There is a button on the headset to answer an incoming call (which works well), but there is no way to make a call with the headset.  You have to first make a call using one of the cordless hand sets, and then you can continue the call on your handset.  If you want to be able to make calls using the headset, this unit is not for you.  One of the things I really liked about it though, is the way you connect it to the base when charging.  It has a magnetic connector that makes it super easy to put the headset on the base to charge it.  It clicks into place snugly – no worries about having the headset laying around somewhere and not being able to find it.

The two handsets come with a very clear and easily readable blue backlight, including the key pad.  No fumbling around in the dark trying to see the keys when you’re trying to call at night.  The contrast on the displays is good so the text is easily readable.  This phone set uses DECT 6.0 technology, which means it won’t interfere with your home wireless network for your PC or other wireless devices.  I tested both handsets in different areas of my house, in my yard, and even across the street — the sound remained crystal clear, the range on these phones is remarkable.  Vtech calls it “HD Audio”, and it definitely delivers.  Both handsets have speakerphones built in, just push the speakerphone button and you can use the handset as a speakerphone.  The speaker produces clear sound and the mic seemed to work well.

Another feature I really like on this phone set is “voice announce”.  The base unit as well as the two handsets announce the name and number (based on caller ID info) of the person calling using a robotic sounding voice.  The digital voice is sometimes funny in how it pronounces names, but it’s very handy to be able to tell who’s calling without having to be near any phone.  This has to be one of my most favorite features in the Vtech phones.  It is so nice, not to have to go running for a telemarketing call or for someone I don’t know.

The phone handsets also have a handy “push to talk” feature.  Just click a button and your phone becomes a two way radio with other handsets.  The set I got only has two handsets, but you can easily expand your set by adding more handsets.

The fully digital answering system works as expected, it allows you to record up to 14 minutes of messages.  The messages are recorded clearly and can be played back from any handset so you don’t have to go to the base answering machine to hear the messages.

All manufacturers claim wonderful talk times for their phones, but actual results are often less than spectacular.  Both cordless phones worked for more than a week without having to be recharged, with at least a few hours of active use.  Basically, battery time on your phones should not be an issue.  The headset lasted even longer than the cordless handsets on a single charge.

Final verdict:

The Vtech LS6475-3 generally retails for about $80.  At that price point, it’s really an excellent set.  It does everything you’d expect, and more.  It looks nice, feels well built, and can easily be set up in your home.   The headset is a feature you generally won’t find on other phone sets in the same price category.

Pros include the large feature set, cool headset with multiple configurations, voice announce, DECT technology, push to talk, and nice speakerphones.  The headset simply rocks, it’s very handy to be able to talk on the phone while keeping both hands available to do other stuff.

The only cons to this set are the lack of bluetooth (cell phone) integration and the inability to initiate a phone call using the headset.

A great way to stay up to date on all of Vtech’s latest technology you can visit Vtech’s Facebook Page, or follow along the Vtech Twitter Stream!
“I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of VTech and received a product sample to facilitate my review.”

I can remember when I used to freak out when the boys got hurt.  One time when they were toddlers, one of the boys pulled a chair down on them and a goose egg grew the size of a golf ball out of his head.  I can remember sitting on the floor next the freezer with a bag of frozen peas hysterical.  I think I was crying just as much as he was, of course I think it was the ice on his forehead more than the bump.  I think you hate to see your babies getting hurt.

The first two years, I went into states of panic whenever I heard that blood curdling scream that was a telltale sign they were hurt.  I lost most of my ability to think relatively straight and was in a motherly state of distress.  Year three, was a little better, I still ran like I was in a marathon to get to them, and my heart felt like it would pound out of my chest.

Parenting, seems to season you though, like a well marinated steak.  Now that the boys are 5, I don’t tend to run in a state of panic when they skin a knee.  I stop and survey the situation, get the injured inside and arm myself with Batman or Phineas and Ferb band aids.  I no longer go into cardiac arrest and I hardly ever cry and in a matter of a minute, the boys are off playing again.  But, even still, as a Mom, I always have that flutter of anxiety always waiting to surface, for the big things, but thankfully I don’t go all sorts of crazy at the normal bumps and bruises anymore.  It’s amazing what five mommy years can do to you!

I will admit, we aren’t big recyclers in our house.  It isn’t because I don’t think recycling is great, it is because I have no one were to put all the trash for recycling where it isn’t unsightly.  If I had a place to put all the stuff that I could easily get out to the curb in the recycler, than it would make my effort to recycle something I am more willing to do.

The Rubbermaid Hidden Recycler fits the bill.  It is a great way to hide the unsightly empty containers and bottle for recycling, it easily attaches to your cabinet door where you can hide it neatly inside.  The handle allows you just to take it outside and dump.  The five gallon lined leak proof, canvas bag holds up to 36 12 ounce cans or even milk jugs.  If the bag gets a little yucky, you can just toss it in the washing machine.  And to top it off the bag and all the packaging is made from recyclable materials.

What I love about the Rubbermaid Recycler, is that it is easy to install, and makes me more apt to take the time to recycle.  It keeps the trash im saving for the week, off my counters, and out of sight.  I like that I can tuck it all neatly away inside the cabinet.  It makes it easy to want to recycle, and I can keep things looking organized throughout the week.

Rubbermaid offers some great tips on recycling too!

Tips from the Rubbermaid Site

• Recycling does require a degree of attention to detail on the part of the recycler. And cleanliness does count—rinsing your cans makes them easier to process, which keeps costs down (and also effectively neutralizes the smell factor in your kitchen).

• DO recycle: steel cans, aluminum cans, newspapers, magazines, catalogs, junk mail, plastic beverage bottles, milk jugs, glass bottles and jars, cereal boxes, other clean and dry cardboard boxes. Probably NOT recyclable: plastic grocery bags, Styrofoam, light bulbs, food-soiled paper, wax paper, ceramics. (Check with your municipality or county for specifics, resources and guidelines.)

• Hazards: Household hazardous wastes like paint cans, motor oil, anti-freeze, car batteries and pesticides typically need to be disposed of separately. (Check online or with your municipality for resources and guidelines.)

• Hardware: Items such as computers, cell phones and even eyewear can be recycled or repurposed. Look online for local organizations that accept them (a host of retail stores across the country, for example, collect cell phones for donation or recycling).

• Food scraps: certain food waste can go into a composter (which could be located under the kitchen sink) and the results can be used later to help fertilize your garden soil. With other food products, choose a covered Rubbermaid Step-on Waste Can with its innovative easy-to-use step-on mechanism. (For composting dos and don’ts as well as a better understanding of composting in general, see compostingcouncil.org.)

The Rubbermaid Hidden Recycler retails for $14.99. You could easily put one or two in your kitchen and make recycling a a snap and is a great way to get the family involved in recycling. My boys love to help me fill and empty the Hidden Recycler.

**The Rubbermaid Recycler, was sent to me for review, the opinions expressed here are that of my own**

I am always on the look out for new recipes to try. I especially like changing up some of the standing recipes that we have in our house. I am addicted to flipping through recipes online and I love having the internet as a resource to create new things for my family.

McCormick has been a long standing name in my kitchen. Over half of my spice selection contains McCormick, my baking cabinet has vanilla, various flavored extracts, cinnamon, and nutmeg all with the classic red McCormick lid and name. McCormick also has a great resource online called the Look Book that has some really great recipes using some of McCormick’s great spices and extracts. I went looking around at all their great Spring Recipes to try and the photos all had me drooling on my keyboard.

They have a little bit of everything from breakfast to dessert. We were sent some of McCormick’s great products to make one of the recipes shown in the Look Book. Although, I saved about 10 of the recipes to make for a later date, I chose one of the healthier recipes available, the Very Vanilla Fruit Salad, since I am on a weight loss mission.  Fruit salad, is one of my favorite things to make during the Summer and when fruits become in season.  The McCormick Look book offered a new twist on our family favorite by adding vanilla and powdered sugar to your fruit salad.  I usually just toss with some fruit saver and serve it, so the vanilla was a unique twist.  This particular recipe was easy to throw together, and the vanilla gave the fruit a really nice subtle taste difference. The boys and I ate the whole fruit salad in a sitting and I will definitely be making this again in the near future.

Ours turned out lovely, and I love all the vibrant colors of the fruit and the subtle vanilla taste.

All the the recipes in the McCormick Look Book offered easy variations on products that we already use in our home.  I like that I can pin recipes, print them and save them for a later date.  Another great thing about the McCormick Look Book is that they offer images of all the recipes available, which is the first thing I look for when making something new.  The Vanilla Rich Chip Cake, will be next on on my list to celebrate when I lose my first ten pounds.  Check out McCormick’s Look Book, there are some great recipe ideas.

“I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for McCormick. I received product samples and a promotional item to thank me for participating”

It is tax time, which means everyone is in a time crunch to get their taxes done and out the door by the April 15th deadline.  If you are anything like me, you look forward to getting some sort of refund.  Most families have already earmarked what the money is for, whether it is home improvements, to pay off debt, or just to put a little money back in the bank.   With a little extra money in your pockets you feel a little richer and can set aside money for more important things.  What about college?

College advantage has a great way to put money aside for your child’s education.   Getting started is super simple and families can enroll by going online at www.collegeadvantage.com. In just a mere ten minutes, you are already taking a step in in the right direction to ensure your child’s or children’s future. You can invest as little as $25 to get started you can make contributions through payroll deduction or electronic funds transfers throughout the year. Future participants can enroll online, download enrollment materials or request enrollment materials by calling 1-800-AFFORD-IT.

When you look at College Advantage you may be noticing that is says the “Ohio College Advantage 529 savings plan” but CollegeAdvantage funds can be used at any college not just Ohio and any university nationwide to pay for tuition, fees, room and board and other eligible expenses.  CollegeAdvantage offers nationwide enrollment, so you don’t have to be an Ohio resident to participate in Ohio’s College Advantage 529 Savings Plan.   This makes it to where anyone can get a child ready for the future, whether you are a parent, a doting grandparent, or you wish to give someone a gift, it is a win win situation for everyone and a gift you can feel good about giving.

Recently, College Advantage welcomed Paul Paeglis as the new Executive Director. Paul brings more than 20 years of experience in the banking and financial services industry, with skills in finance, risk management, operations, strategic planning and relationship management. Most recently, he served for more than 10 years as Chief Financial Officer of Tax Related Products at JPMorgan Chase. With  children of his own, Paul is passionate about the mission to provide high-quality savings programs to help families prepare financially, he understands what this means to families and the financial challenges that saving for college entails.

Now is a great time to start a College Advantage Savings Plan!

Currently, Ohio Tuition Trust Authority is encouraging families invest using their tax return dollars. From March 18 through June 1, 2012 Tuition Trust will provide a $25 account bonus to any new  College Advantage direct account with a $500 or more initial contribution. Existing account holders who make a onetime contribution of $3,000 to an account between March 1 and April 30, 2012 will receive a $50 bonus. This is a great added bonus and who couldn’t use free money towards college?

So if you are wondering what to spend your tax refund on, or you want to give a thoughtful gift to a child in your life, College Advantage is a great way to do that!  They may not jump for joy at a gift that isn’t tangible right now, but will appreciate the gift of education later when it matters the most.  More information can be found about College Advantage’s latest promotions and SAVINGS by visiting www.collegeadvantage.com and entering promo code SAVINGS or by visiting the OTTA Promotions tab at Facebook.com/CollegeAdvantage.

**I was compensated for this post all opinions expressed here are that of my own**

The kids have been sick and when they are sick, I get very little sleep.  The mornings come all to fast and then I hear that little whisper in my ear “mom, it’s time to get up.”  I am usually less than enthusiastic since it feels like I just went to bed.  Our morning routine consists of me getting to the kitchen, getting the boys set up with a drink, and whatever they decide on having for breakfast.  Most days I don’t even remember to feed myself until noon, when my stomach reminds me that I am past hungry.

There isn’t anyone to make me a full course breakfast, so I have to grab and run.  Nabisco has created the perfect solution, something that is easy to grab yet is filled with all the good stuff your body needs to get going.  BelVita Breakfast Biscuits are the perfect solution to my problem.  Each individual package of biscuits is has 18-20g whole grains per serving which gives you the fiber your body needs and has four B vitamins.  In case you didn’t know B vitamins are great for stress relief and as a mom, I know I need it! BelVita breakfast biscuits also contain no high fructose corn syrup, no partially hydrogenated oils, and no artificial flavors or sweeteners. They come in three varieties, Blueberry, Golden Oat, and Apple Cinnamon.

About belVita

belVita Breakfast Biscuits are specially baked to release energy regularly and continuously in your body—which means you have nutritious sustained energy that lasts all morning.

Each pack includes four lightly sweet, crunchy biscuits to help you stay fueled up all morning long.

The sustained energy in  belVita Breakfast Biscuits comes from a combination of specially selected ingredients and a carefully controlled baking process that helps preserve the integrity of the grain. This means the carbohydrates from the grain are slowly released in your body, providing nutritious, long-lasting energy to help fuel your body throughout the morning.

Each individual package of 4 biscuits is portioned for part of a balanced breakfast. A 50 gram serving contains 18–20 grams of whole grain carbohydrates, 3 grams of dietary fiber, 3–4 grams of protein, and a good source of four B vitamins and iron. belVita Breakfast Biscuits also contain no high-fructose corn syrup, no partially hydrogenated oils (0 grams of trans fat per labeled serving), and no artificial flavors or sweeteners

 

I have been trying belVita breakfast buscuits daily now for a little over a week, and truthfully I love how versatile they are in terms of breakfast or even snacks.  I love oatmeal in the morning and usually dip toast in it, but the belVita biscuits are even better especially the apple cinnamon flavor.  You can add them to just about any snack or meal or just tuck a package in your purse if you get hungry throughout the day.  My favorite belVita biscuits however, are the blueberry, with a thin layer of light cream cheese and a few strawberries on top or some organic strawberry fruit spread.  The boys usually come and snatch them before I get to eat one.

I have really enjoyed trying some new things with them. The golden oat belVita biscuits are fabulous with a little peanut butter and an apple slice.  We have already been to the store to buy more. What I Like is how simplistic and versatile belVita biscuits are. You can just eat them straight from the package or you can jazz them up with fresh fruit, peanut butter or just dip them in coffee or tea. Even if it is quick, you are getting the things you need to get up and go in the morning or that added extra pep in the day, or just a really yummy snack.

Breakfast is supposed to be one of the most important meals of the day. But if you are like me trying to find a minute in your day, belVita may be the perfect solution. You can just grab and keep on going! For more information on belVita Breakfast Biscuits you can visit belVitaor for information on how to “Power Up” check out belVita Breakfast’s Facebook page!

**I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of belVita Breakfast Biscuits and received belVita Breakfast product samples to facilitate my review, and a promotional item to thank me for participating.**

It has been a month that I have been using the Meaningful Beauty products that were sent to me. I have enjoyed using the products more than I thought I would. Before I started using them, I rarely used any skin care type products on my face. In fact, I rarely wear make-up. After using the Meaningful Beauty products, I have begun to like taking the time out to do something nice for my skin.

Normally, my daily routine, just involved brushing my hair and brushing my teeth then heading to the kitchen to get the boys breakfast. But since taking the Meaningful Beauty opportunity, I just let the boys brush their teeth while I wash my face and give my skin a little love in the morning. It doesn’t take long at all, maybe an extra 5-10 minutes of my time. At first I was concerned about my skin reacting to new products because I have relatively sensitive skin, but everything felt great and I had no bothersome side effects. My skin has felt amazing since I have been using the Meaningful Beauty 5 step skin care program, and I have less break outs and my skin is softer. I also have these tiny capillary/veins on parts of my face that have seemed to diminish somewhat which may be because I am actually doing something to my skin other than soap and water in the shower! The eye cream has done a little bit to help with my permanent “no sleep for mommy” eye circles and I have a little more refreshed look to my face.

Overall, I am pleased with the Meaningful Beauty skin care regimen and I like taking the extra moments to do something for myself. I also like that the pricing for the the 5 step program is reasonable at around $40, plus a little goes a long way! I passed on my extra kit to my mom, and she loves it. I plan to keep Meaningful Beauty in mind for the future to put together mini spa baskets for some of my friends.
“I wrote this review while participating in a test drive campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Meaningful Beauty and received a 5-step treatment kit to facilitate my review, a second 5-step treatment kit to giveaway, and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

It’s been a few weeks since I mentioned that my family and I were taking the Listerine Oral Care Challenge in an effort to encourage us to adopt a healthy oral care regimen that the whole family could use and maintain.  I wanted to be involved with this in order for us to spend less time and money at the dentist and to get my boys to enjoy the brushing routine because it has always been somewhat of a struggle to get them brushing regularly.  More like wrestling bulls at times.

So how did we fair?

We truthfully enjoyed the challenge and made it a fun experience for the boys.  I have learned that with kids, if you make a big deal about something, like you are throwing a party, they become excited too.  We kept track of their brushing with a chart and gave rewards at the end of each week that they brushed, rinsed and flossed without argument.  I also made it fun, by making up fun songs to sing while they were in front of the mirror brushing.  I made a fool of myself, but the  boys loved it and it made them want to brush just so mommy could act silly.

Some of my favorite times as a parent are spent doing the daily things in our life, like giving the boys a bath, or brushing their teeth.  The boys have come to love this time and enjoy having choices about the rinse they used, and their character toothbrushes, and it really helped to make that positive association with brushing.  It was fun to be able to stand at the same sink doing the same thing as a family knowing that we were all reaping the benefits.  We just had our family dental check ups last week, and everyone had a good report.

After listening to the webinar and reading more information, I realized that brushing is a great way to maintain good oral health, but to be thorough you must rinse and floss on a regular basis too.  I had never been a big fan of how rinses taste, but Listerine has come out with some really great tasting products and the Listerine Zero is the best ever!  I don’t feel like my mouth is on fire, so I can actually spend an adequate amount of time rinsing.

It was nice to have several different products to choose from.  My husband likes the stronger regular Listerine, I liked using the Listerine Zero without the burn and the boys loved choosing their favorite Listerine Smart Rinse.  My most favorite product though had to be the Reach Cleanpaste floss.  I love that I can floss and have that between the teeth minty clean feeling.  Since the challenge has begun, I have already gone out and bought a couple more.  I have had a truly wonderful experience taking the Listerine Oral Care Challenge with my family.  It is great adopting healthy habits together and enjoying doing things towards better health as a family.  Most importantly, kids learn from example, and having great tasting products help maintain good oral health care. Eventually, they will have children of their own, so instilling good habits will carry on.   Why not make oral care something that you do together as a family, and make it fun?   I dare you to take the Listerine Oral Health Care Challenge!  You can visit WalMart where there is some great information on oral health care and great deals on all the great Listerine products to make your oral hygiene regimen complete!

**I received products and compensation from Johnson & Johnson and The Motherhood as part of my participation in the Oral Care Challenge. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this post are my own.**

I am popping in to tell you all hi, I am deep in the throws of remodeling our laundry room.  I got a wild hair and decided to throw some paint on the walls in the house in several rooms including the laundry room.  I have been spending way to much time on pinterest and as a result I am reorganizing most of my house.

In the last week I have added shelving in our coat closet and put all the hats gloves, umbrellas etc in their designated baskets off to the left side.  Before I started, there were things smacking me in the head and I feared for a person’s life if they opened up my closet!  Here is a picture just to give you an idea.  The shelves give me a much more feasible option for storing our things, and the boys can reach for their own hats and gloves, because before I needed to get them up on the top shelf.  Now I can store our surplus toiled paper and paper towels up there, and I still have mostly and empty shelf for more storage, but I kind of like the emptiness!

So you can see its a nice addition for my sewing things, and picnic throws etc that we will be needing soon enough!  I will have to share my laundry room redo.  Right now everything is a disaster with laundry baskets, sorter, shelves, paint buckets, and tools everywhere in there.  I can’t wait to have a nice new place to do my dreaded laundry since I feel like I live in the laundry room.  It is a major thoroughfare for everyone.  We go from the garage through the laundry room to the rest of the house, so its get a lot of traffic.  Currently the floor is turning yellow after 10 years of walking on it and that doesn’t come off.  It is the cheap sheet linoleum that is paper thin, so I will be laying a nice new floating tile floor.  I can hardly wait.  The white walls will be getting a splash of color, I will be hanging cabinets above the washer and dryer and possibly putting a folding station in.

So, if you are wondering where my blogging has gone, its all in my laundry room and house at the moment.  Hopefully I will be sharing my projects soon!

I am not a regular drinker of caffeine.  I mostly drink some Sprite, water or milk.  I was driving to the grocery store yesterday and have been feeling particularly sluggish when it dawned on me that the problem may be the caffeine.  I have been drinking a regular coke here and there, probably more than I should, and I am thinking the caffeine is making me tired!  After I drink it, it rampls me up for a few hours, but coming down from that, I feel horribly sluggish.  I am almost convinced that this drug makes you want more just to keep up the high of being alert.

After reading about it on wikipedia, I no longer think I want to have much of it.

Caffeine is a bitter, white crystallinexanthinealkaloid that acts as a stimulant drug. Caffeine is found in varying quantities in the seeds, leaves, and fruit of some plants, where it acts as a natural pesticide that paralyzes and kills certain insects feeding on the plants. It is most commonly consumed by humans in infusions extracted from the seed of the coffee plant and the leaves of the tea bush, as well as from various foods and drinks containing products derived from the kola nut.

Does this sound all that good for us?  I  hear every day that someone needs their morning coffee to get going or otherwise their day isn’t going to go so well.  At the same rate, it’s no wonder that we are a bunch of addicts because we are all workaholics too.  We work more than most people in the whole country, and get no vacation.  I wonder if we were a more rested society, if we would have so many caffeine addicted people?

In humans, caffeine acts as a central nervous system stimulant, temporarily warding off drowsiness and restoring alertness. It is the world’s most widely consumed psychoactive drug, but, unlike many other psychoactive substances, it is both legal and unregulated in nearly all parts of the world. Beverages containing caffeine, such as coffee, tea, soft drinks, and energy drinks, enjoy great popularity; in North America, 90% of adults consume caffeine daily.

Withdrawal symptoms—including headache, irritability, inability to concentrate, drowsiness, insomnia, and pain in the stomach, upper body, and joints—may appear within 12 to 24 hours after discontinuation of caffeine intake, peak at roughly 48 hours, and usually last from one to five days.    *source wikipedia*

I probably will still enjoy my occasional bottled coke, but will lay off the caffeine in general.  I think it just makes me feel a million times worse than the initial burst of energy I get from drinking it.  Do you drink caffeine every day?