thursday's ten: in order to not be a slug

mid-winter is the worst time physically for me

not only do i want to consume every creamy, savory, carb-loaded thing in sight
i also don't.want.to.move.

and since i sometimes need to say it to (a) realize that i'm already on the right track and (b) to hold myself accountable to keep.doing.it.

today's list is all about things i'm already doing to stay active and mobile even during chilly and dreary days :-)




1.  the occasional 5k.  i'm doing one this saturday, in fact.  now, i've cut WAY back on 5k registrations to save money (i can exercise for free, after all).  but one every 2-3 months is much more reasonable than my old pattern of once a month.  so i'm going to try that this year.  so i need to at LEAST do one by the end of may by those calculations...

2.  dancing.  with the baby in the kitchen while i nanny, by using the "just dance summer party" game i've purchased for the wii, or by attending contra-dancing or even a belly dancing class.  it's FUN, cheap (or free!) and even if i feel silly i'm burning calories!

3.  cleaning.  yes, i know this sounds like a stretch.  but if i tell myself to take a 30 minute break to clean the kitchen i will put it off.  if i remind myself i can put it on my fitness pal as "cleaning, light or moderate effort" i jump to do it.  i know it's weird, but hey.

4.  my fitness pal.  i love the app (and that you can add recipes by scanning the ingredients -- hellooooo user-friendly).  and i get a kick out of tweaking my eating habits so that i'm eating better calories.  but i also get a rush by plugging in all the ways i've exercised during the day and have even been known to find 15 minutes of an activity to do later in the evening so my exercise doesn't show a big fat 0.

i can NOT figure out how to add people outside of emailing them, so if you're on it feel free to look me up.  i'm msmsctchr.
<a href="http://www.myfitnesspal.com"><img src="http://badges.myfitnesspal.com/badges/show/1511/7178/15117178.weight-lost-sm.gif" border="0"></a><p style="text-align: center;width:226px;"><small>MyFitnessPal - Free <a href="http://www.myfitnesspal.com">Calorie Counter</a></small></p>

5.   hiking.  free exercise is good.  amazing girlfriends or a wonderful husband to share it with is even better :-)

6.  little things at work: at my office job, i try to move every hour for at least 5 minutes.  i realize that isn't much but it's way better than sitting at the desk all.morning.long.  and at my nanny job, i carry the baby more, go on stroller walks when it's nice out, use their elliptical even if it's only 5 minutes at a time, and even get on their balance ball while baby g plays (which she finds extremely amusing).

7.  better sleep.  who wants to work out when they're constantly tired?  i've been bad about this for the last 2 weeks or so, but i need to get back in the habit i was in for at least 2-3 months of sleeping 7-8 hours each night with rare exceptions.  yeah...need to go to bed by 11 tonight (self-reminder...)

8.  crunches.  yes, i hate them.  yes, i feel better after doing them.  so right now i at least try to remember to do them 2-3 times a week.  hey, it's a start.

9.  spurts.  when all else fails, i go in spurts.  this works for me if i have guests coming and need to clean the house and everything feels overwhelming.  9 minute tasks, move to the next one and have a rotation system.  i can always come back in the rotation, and if i only have 3 minutes of cleaning left in one room...i feel SO good about finishing it before the timer.  it's amazing how an hour goes by so much faster if you move between several rooms than if you spend the entire hour in a bathroom scrubbing.  and bonus: i'm moving the entire 60 minutes instead of taking a break every 15 or so because i'm exhausted, bored and grouchy.

10.  know thyself.  i have twice in the last three weeks injured my wrist by doing mundane household things.  ri-di-cu-lous, but it's made me realize the value of taking it easy on my wrist while not stopping activity altogether.  sometimes i need to take it easy and take that nap instead of jumping on the elliptical.  but taking a day off doesn't give me permission to take the week off!
(plus, sometimes that nap gives me better energy to clean the house later.  so it's kind of a nice payoff...)

hey, it's ok (tuesday) 1.24

hey, it's ok


...to not be surprised in the LEAST that paula deen has type 2 diabetes.
...(but to not blame it on the butter and heavy cream.  those are real foods at least, unlike the processed crap that southern cooking is full of.  done with the soapbox now).
...to not get the pioneer woman worship.  i mean, yes, her recipes look good (and taste good from the one or two i've had) but why does everyone flock exactly? (seriously, can someone explain this to me?)
...to be sad about seal and heidi klum splitting.  out of all the celebrity marriages, they seemed so much more grounded and solid
...to be writing this list waaaaaay late
...to have copycatted (kind of) a favorite dip from trader joe's to avoid having to buy it so often.  way cheaper this way! (i'll share the recipe soon, promise!)
...to be a bit tired of the schizophrenic january weather in tn.  tornado warnings twice in the last 5 days?  and temperatures fluctuating between the 20s and the high 60s...no wonder we're all sniffling
...to drink way more water now that i have my OWN pitcher in the fridge (with fresh mint leaves in it).  it's amazing what a slight bit of fresh flavor will do!
...to realize that you've used (a whole lot) of parenthesis in one blog post. (oh well)


(please visit amber's blog and post your own list of things that are ok)

thursday's ten: about 2012

ten things i desire to do (or do more of) in 2012





1. drink more cups of coffee at home


this is deeper than it sounds...i have a collection of beautiful coffee mugs that i've collected or been given, and they are rarely used.  instead, i'm usually running out the door with one of my travel mugs, racing to the next thing.  the "coffee at home" is an invitation to be in the moment more.  better sleeping patterns, which i'm establishing slowly but surely, will lead to more rest, getting up earlier, and being able to savor those early morning cups of coffee in the beautiful mugs.


2.  go on more hikes


i ended 2011 with two in the month of december.  i've begun 2012 with one on monday.  these aren't just any hikes though.  these are intentional gatherings with Godly girls...conversation is good, uplifting and inspiring.  nature around us is breathtaking.  movement is made, bodies are healthier.  and there's never a limit -- 2, 3 or 10 can join in!


3. do the 365...er 6... photo thing


i pretty much did it last year, but didn't share.  this year i'll be posting it here and possibly on facebook.  i'm hoping to bring more meaning to the mundane in this way...seeing beauty even on a tuesday in sweatpants!


4. use my technology for good


and by that i mean, not getting as sucked in to facebook, pinterest, twitter, etc.  multi-tasking is great, but once in awhile it's ok to close the laptop and read a book...made of paper :-)  a and i make a habit of playing board games fairly often, but i seldom make time to keep electronics off and actually read.


also, if i'm not completely sucked into a tv show i'm more likely to keep a clean house, stay on top of the laundry, and make it to places on time.  so while tv is GOOD, i need to make sure priorities are in place.


5. take advantage of opportunities to open our home


we've had one (well, two if you count my bachelorette party) big events in our home so far, besides having friends over for dinner, cooking with girlfriends, and having halo/poker nights (that's obviously more a than me).  2012 has the opportunity for many more.  next week i'm hosting a fashion swap, we'll have a superbowl gathering, we ALWAYS have an oscar party, and i'm planning a st patrick's day bash as well.


we want to be very intentional about opening up our home and sharing in hospitality.  we truly feel that we are called to this, and we've been given a wonderful platform for it!


6.  find some good EASY & wholesome recipes


we've changed our grocery habits (mainly because i do the shopping) and are probably 80% whole foods and trader joe's, while staying in the same price range as we were when we were less than 50%.  buying from these grocery stores don't mean we're automatically eating healthy--or that they are all low-cal, low fat foods, but it DOES mean that our ingredients are for the most part more wholesome and that at least *i* feel better cooking with them.


and i love, love, love cooking.  however, i also love spending time with my husband, so i'm trying to find wholesome and delicious crock-pot meals to add to my arsenal and have at least once a month.  i'm also expanding my soup recipes a bit.  i'm definitely open to quick/one-pot/crock pot meals if you have them to share (and i haven't already stolen them from you!)


yes, we still have a stockpile (no, really) of hamburger helper.  but having processed crap (that tastes pretty good actually) a couple of times a month isn't going to kill us.  and having really.good stuff with fresh ingredients the rest of the month is helping at least me feel better.


7.  "no.  cuddles."


the little girl i nanny for two days a week climbed on my lap earlier today asking for cuddles.  after she's been there for a few minutes i asked her if she wanted to get down and play since she seemed restless.  she thought less than a second before saying "no.  cuddles." and snuggling in.  it was precious...and a reminder that i need to press in to the cuddles too...literally and not.


sweet moments spent with friends, settling into the couch with my husband to watch a movie, emi jumping onto the bed or couch with me, enjoying hugs and high fives from the children in my life...all these things i need to appreciate more!  and when asked if i'm ready to move onto the next "thing" even if it's a good or necessary thing...sometimes i need to just say "no" and enjoy the "cuddle".


8. continue using financial wisdom God's way


which means giving it away and THEN paying our bills...i love God-math.  i've certainly experienced it over and over and over and over again -- that when you tithe and give you are blessed in ways that just don't make sense to the average person.  or to me, really.  i've often looked at my finances at the end of a month and said "that shouldn't work..." but it DOES.  i'm not saying you'll be richer than your wildest imagination or never experience financial hardship...but i AM saying that you'll be taken care of by your heavenly Daddy.


9.  let my "yes" be yes


instead of agreeing to things that i don't necessarily WANT to do but feel i should, or feeling like i have to cancel plans because a family thing came up...i'm going to be authentic with my answers.  not in a "um, i'd rather do anything BUT that" way, but in a "you know, that's a great invitation, but i already had plans to ___ tonight" or a "not this time, thanks anyway!" way.


it's harder than it sounds.  but actually sticking to boundaries and saying only authentic "YES's" will not only allow my calendar to have some relief, but will make the time spent with friends both more plentiful AND more meaningful.


we started this with new year's eve.  we had two invitations (two states apart) that were both fantastic...and craved the time spent with both the couples who had invited us.  but since Christmas had been (wonderfully) spent with family, and sort of a whirlwind, we elected to spend NYE at our own house with just each other.  we don't expect it to be tradition -- but for this year it was the authentic yes and the right choice.


10. continue to live in awe


i've mentioned the small pillow that has now hung at my last three residences at the bottom stair banister.  it reads "delight in the unexpected" and it has become a multi-daily reminder that those unexpected gifts and surprises are FUN.  


sometimes i think i'm continually in awe of what God is doing in me, through me, and around me.  and then i catch myself...because i don't EVER want to NOT live in that awe.  He is amazing, unexpected, extravagant and FUN.


that seems like a reasonable list to me...how about you?  what are your desires for the year?

3 in 30: and now for december

first a recap of last month's goals:


1. have grandpa's house cleared of my stuff, except the freezer stuff that we'll keep there.
done.  
2. have at least one meal weekly (preferably the evening meal) that is vegetarian or even vegan
i've been successful, and have usually done more than 1 meal a week, considering i bring a vegetarian lunch somewhat often.  yay veggies :-)
3. MOVE.  500 minutes or more of exercise.
i didn't quite make it, but because i was sick for awhile i'm giving myself a pass here.  i was about 50 minutes short of 500.  frustrating because 500 is not THAT many, but i'll get there :-)


now for december's goals!


1.  get both guest rooms in working order (read: guests don't have to sleep between boxes...) and the garage organized
2.  MOVE.  i'm sticking with the 500 minute mark until i make it, and then i'll increase it :-)
3.  come in well under budget in at least 3 of our categories this month.  this is clearly a combined effort with my husband, but we did really well this past month so i see no reason to not make it a goal!

3 in 30: the november ones

visit home of 3 in 30 here

one of these days i'll be good about checking in weekly.
but i'm not making that a goal just yet ;-)


so.  first, here's the october progress




1.  get the house i used to live in (anthony's grandpa's) completely cleared of all my junk.
(there's a fantastic hammock, a few random boxes, some trash...we're working on it an hour at a time, basically)
well, we aren't completely done...but our deadline is now november 15.  


2.  (gulp) file my taxes since they're due right at the end of the honeymoon...
filed!


3.  find a home for every wedding present in a cabinet, display, etc...and give away all items they "replace"
in progress, but more done than not.  we have a couple of special pieces that i still need to find the perfect spot for, and there are a few duplicates still to return.  but everything that we're donating is in a box in the garage ready for a's sister to look through for first dibs and then we'll find other homes for the rest!




and now for my november goals!


1. rolling over: have grandpa's house cleared of my stuff, except the freezer stuff that we'll keep there.
2. have at least one meal weekly (preferably the evening meal) that is vegetarian or even vegan
3. MOVE.  500 minutes or more of exercise.


and the unofficial one is to blog at least 30 times this month.  that's one a day, yes, but days like today hold two posts, so...

recipe of the week: taboulli salad

i love (LOVE) a good, fresh salad
and tabouli
(or taboule, tabbouleh, tabouleh, taboulli...whatever)
has always been a favorite of mine
(well, since i discovered trader joe's version of it...)


i had a hair and makeup trial run on tuesday this week
and 3 of my girls came to get their hair done too
so i decided to have a little spread of hummus and fresh veggies for them.
then i decided to make tabouli salad, serve pita as well and even throw in some frozen falafel for fun


it turned out fairly well*, even though i did have to substitute couscous for the bulghur most recipes i found called for.


here's my spin on it!

1 package fresh parsley
1 package fresh mint
1/2 cup uncooked couscous
juice of 2 limes
1 medium/large tomato
1 scallion
1 clove garlic

1/4 cup olive oil


cook couscous according to package directions


mince parsley and mint (this is easily the most labor-intensive part of cooking this.  it's ri-diculous.  thank goodness for kitchen tools like the herb roller i have!)

it will easily take you the entire couscous preparation time to mince the herbs.  so once they are done, add the lime juice to the couscous.

dice the tomato, chop the scallion

add the parsley, mint and tomato to the lime and couscous mixture.  grate a clove of garlic over the mix and pour the olive oil in as the finishing touch. 

  combine well.  refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

simple...yummy.  and money saving.  i made about 4 times as much tabbouli for the price i would have paid for it even at trader joe's.  i can deal with that!














*it actually turned out well enough that my friend Natasha said "it's better than trader joe's!"


which i'm pretty sure could be considered blasphemy in some circles.

so...how much weight DID you lose? and other questions about hcg

here's the skinny (ha!  see what i did there?) on my hcg diet results

honestly, i wanted to wait a bit, because technically i'm still losing weight.  at a much, much slower rate.  but it means that the diet -- cleanse and metabolism reset -- did exactly what i wanted it to do :-)

total pounds lost: 25 (ish)
total inches lost: 32.5
jean/dress sizes down: 3 or 4 depending on the clothing item

i'm now comfortably wearing about 1/3 of my professional wardrobe.  which is great -- i don't have to go shopping for new cute clothes because i already own them!  i AM planning to go get a few new items to wear on the honeymoon.  because, i need an excuse to go to anthropologie and spend a few bucks.  :-)

i've chosen to keep some of the habits of the diet -- low sugar, low carb.  now...i do enjoy my pasta.  but not every day.  i eat bun-less burgers or sandwiches, choose a wrap over bread, and space out the meals that are higher carb/starch so that i'm not eating pasta and potatoes back to back for example.

i'm happier with lean proteins, and i actually enjoy chicken.  for the first time ever!

and i don't deprive myself.  after all, pumpkin delights are back!

but the number is still going down, slowly and surely.

i recognize the girl in the mirror again.

and i feel good about where i am.

is my body perfect? nah.
am i in a size 4 again? not yet
but am i feeling better than i've felt in years?
you bet.


at first i thought my perspective on food had completely changed
but then i realized that i never had a skewed perception of *food*

my perception of ME
my treatment of myself
that's what was skewed
(and screwed up, truly)

and now that i'm healing
now that i'm recognizing myself again
the healthy food choices
that i've known and wanted all along
are falling into place

hcg gave me the kick-start
the push
the feeling of success through hard work
that i needed to get motivated

i'm not where i absolutely want to be
but i'm on the way
and i feel great
and i'm HAPPY

:-)

hcg week four wrap-up

i'm making a wild guess here that you could care less what i ate every day this week

although, for anyone doing hcg, i'll tell you that sparkling water, vanilla creme stevia, and sliced strawberries make a nice change up for a snack ;)

or that mixing your 1 allotted tablespoon of milk with horseradish mustard, tony's seasoning (spicier) and a few other random spices you find lying about makes a GREAT dressing.

or that atlanta's cnn center has a GREAT food court with several hcg friendly choices.  i had steak fajita meat over lettuce at a mexican restaurant and cucumbers with spicy chicken at salad sensations (all their stuff is made without butter or oil, it's organic...i.was.a.fan.)

and, for this week's numbers: i lost 5 pounds and 5 inches (first time ever those two have matched...)

total pounds lost: 18.3
total inches lost: 24.5

what i'm loving wednesday (8.10.11)

i'm loving that my schedule is getting ready to switch up for the FINAL time this year.  i'm going to have a 'normal' weekly schedule which means it will be SO much easier to actually schedule in a life ;-)

i'm loving fresh tomatoes from my garden (and from my dad's since i brought home an entire box last weekend!)

i'm loving the lifestyle changes that this diet has brought.  in my future i see stevia-flavored sweet tea, lower carb menus (at least 2-3 days per week with very few or no carbs), different approaches to cooking in general, and more balance between protein and veggies/fruits

i'm loving getting into a more realistic sleep schedule

i'm loving that we had a fantastic trip to indiana last weekend -- saw people i hadn't seen in years, some great friends, and ended up spending an impromptu evening with some great friends

i'm loving already meal planning with my future hubby.  i think we've come up with a system that will work so that we incorporate favorite recipes, have easy dinner nights, try out new recipes, and not get bored.  oh, and eat out once in awhile too :-)  our 'practice' month will be september

i'm loving our save the dates that we finally emailed a couple of weeks ago.  (feel free to visit our website if you so choose)

hey, it's ok (tuesday) .12

 hey, it's ok

...to eat doritos with your low-fat cottage cheese.  it's balanced, right?

...to sometimes watch silly tv shows

...to love wrapping paper and wrapping gifts in a nearly unhealthy way :-)

...to consider trading free babysitting for my clients with elipticals.  i used one of them the other day and it was a fantastic workout!

...to really, really, really be tired of the rain.

...to be thrilled that not only do you have a summer job lined up but that when the mother called to tell you she used the words "we are so happy and excited that we've found the perfect person for our family!"

...to be over-run with laundry.  all of it clean, none of it in it's proper home.  yikes!

...to be a hockey fan even if your knowledge of the game is a bit sketchy.  but hey, the fights are kinda fun.  (go preds!)

...to get excited about goodwill shopping.  no reason to spend big money on a wardrobe as i'm moving between sizes and losing the weight.  and finding actual quality pieces there makes me even more excited.

3 in 30: march checkin

quick checkin here!

• drink at least 3 glasses of water per day so far i'd say about 5 out of 7 days per week this is happening. i'm working on it!
• try at least 4 new recipes well, i'm gonna be doubling up one of these weeks because i have NOT been HOME for the last few nights...so it just hasn't happened.
• carve out at least 30 minutes of time per day for me.  this cannot include wedding planning or doing laundry... ;) this one, i'm happy to say, is happening.  perhaps 1 day in the last few that it hasn't!

hey, it's ok (tuesday) .6

hey! it's ok...

... that on your first day of "break" you did nothing of too much substance.  there's 4 other days to be productive, and enjoying some free time is not a bad thing!
... to think that one of the children on "sid the science kid" is the most annoying child EVER and that you're glad you don't know her in real life
... to be excited about the date we have set to set up our registries. 
... to have set a craaaaazy goal of minutes to work out this month.  i'll tell you at the end if i make it :D
... to have no idea what to give up for Lent this year
... to be a bit overwhelmed by wedding/honeymoon plans.  but it's a good overwhelmed.

3 in 30: march

so i started this in february, and am continuing on because it was kinda fun...and pretty effective :)

so here are this month's goals

• drink at least 3 glasses of water per day (i know that's pathetic, but my water intake of the moment is pretty pathetic too...)
• try at least 4 new recipes
• carve out at least 30 minutes of time per day for me.  this cannot include wedding planning or doing laundry... ;)

by the way, here's how i did last month:

* exercise at least 4 times each week...and stop using that "busy" excuse!
(i managed this at least 3 out of the 4 weeks, so that's not bad :D)
* eat at least 1 fruit and 1 veggie each day
(well, that was a small goal, but i'm not convinced the fruits always happened.  i'm just not a fruit girl.  however, i'm pretty sure i got in at least 3-4 servings of vegetables every day.)
* sleep. 6 - 7 hours at LEAST per night. this means when i have to get up at 5:15
(this didn't always happen, but steps toward the right direction.  i think i got between 5.5 and 7 hours most nights, which is MUCH better that what i was doing before.  so this is an ongoing goal for sure)

what are your month's goals?

hey, it's ok (tuesday) .9

(visit amber for the original)

hey, it's ok

... to wonder if you'll ever get caught up on sleep from the weekend's (good) craziness.

... to look forward to your boss's food network magazine delivery every month...possibly more than she does.

... to have been a little disconcerted to see will i am on sesame street (he was great, by the way...)

... to love the smell of new sharpies and other office supplies.

... to find yourself humming/whistling random kids show songs.  it's annoying, but it's ok.

... to find the irony in the quite overweight woman on npt giving parents advice on how to help their kids eat healthy foods and exercise.  ummm...

february's 3 in 30

i love the idea of this.
3 goals
30 days

it takes 30 days to establish (or break) habits. so this fits completely into that important formula. 3 small bites out of what i want to do...30 days to complete.

so here are my goals for this month. i'll be checking in on fridays...this week is called roll call, so i'm just putting my 3 down and signing in on the link.

•  exercise at least 4 times each week...and stop using that "busy" excuse!
•  eat at least 1 fruit and 1 veggie each day
•  sleep. 6 - 7 hours at LEAST per night. this means when i have to get up at 5:15 (yuuuucccck) i need to be in bed by 11:15 at the LATEST. 

(are you reading this sweetie? that means we have to be OFF the phone by then ;) but for REAL.)

i'm looking forward to this month -- should be interesting and FUN!

3 in 30

i love the idea of this!  little goals, 3 at a time, for 30 days at a time!
i found the challenge on this amazing blog, undeserving grace and since it's technically too late to join the actual challenge, i'll just post them here and then join for real next month!  hopefully i'll get my 3 in 30 completed so i'll have a brand new set next month!

here are my 3

1.  play the piano daily.  it's on my "30 before 30" list, and honestly it's something i should be doing as a piano teacher ANYWAY!
2.  exercise 5 out of 7 days each week.  i'm shedding pounds at this point, and grateful for it, but it's mainly because i'm MOVING.  so i need to keep that up!
3.  have a more reasonable bedtime.  i have found that 7 hours of sleep seems perfect for me, so that means i may need to be in bed by 10/10:30 on the nights before my early work days.  and you know what?  that shouldn't be a problem.  so my goal is 7 hours of sleep per night every day...with a few days of allowing 6 hours if there's a late night event or something.

join in!  it'll be fun and rewarding :)

Thursday's Ten: MORE!

has anyone else felt that air of excitement yet?
it's a different feeling than i've ever felt at a simple flip of the calendar
it's...more anticipation.  more amazement.  more delight.
i can't explain it...but in talking to some of my friends i know i'm not alone in this.

i've decided on my word of the year.
more

it's not a material thing at ALL.
more of a spiritual, relational, and well-being thing.

and here's what i want more of in 2011

1.  God, Jesus, Holy Spirit.  MORE -- way, way MORE.
2.  healthy habits.  more water, more veggies, more fruit, more sleep, more exercise
3.  more provision, more opportunities to make money while still allowing me to continue investing in people that i love
4.  more opportunities to give, more money to tithe, more ways to help
5.  more time with anthony, more time spent in purposeful love and connection
6.  more trips to see family (his and mine), more time spent with loved ones here
7.  more girlfriend time.  more cell group, more chick flicks, more glasses of wine, more mojitos, more road trips
8. more communication with those i love via face to face, phone, email, facebook, text...whatever way keeps me in touch!
9.  more writing, more reading, more reflecting
10.  more opportunities to practice and use the gifts that God has blessed me with. 

what do you want more of this year?  join me in believing that there is MORE to be had in 2011.  as one of my friends said the other night: "2011...open heaven".  meaning it's right there ready to drop down.  come ON!

Fitness Friday: what your mother always told you...

may not be the case :)

this article gives detailed explanations of why the following (and other) myths are...well, myths!

cutting off bread crusts will make your meal less healthy/vitamin-ey

going out with wet hair will make you get sick

don't cross your eyes!  they might get stuck!

gum takes 7 years to digest, so don't swallow it

an apple a day keeps the doctor away!

as long as you wear a hat when it's cold you'll stay warmer, since most head escapes from your head

stay out of the pool for an hour after eating!

always, always, always take your vitamins

interesting, no?

Fitness Friday: site highlight

today's version of fitness friday is a bit abbreviated.

i'd like to introduce you to a new discovery of mine.

eat drink better

they have recipes

food safety articles

a whole section on vegan living (which i passed on to my friend who is currently eating vegan -- great resource!)

general nutrition and health articles 

brainy laws about food and stuff

what i REALLY like about this particular site, is that it's not preachy at all.  so many sites that fall into this vein of healthy lifestyle and living are honestly kind of judgmental about those of us who aren't quite as crunchy as others.  granted, i haven't read EVERY.SINGLE article on the website, but what i have seen is balanced and informative.

and that's kind of my thing.  as long as i'm well-informed about it, there's nothing wrong with once in awhile making the choice to eat a pop-tart or cheeseburger.

so visit the website or their facebook page and enjoy!

disclaimer: this is simply a site i stumbled upon this week.  i doubt the creators of the site know that i or this blog exist, and they certainly didn't ask me for a plug.  consider it a freebie, eat drink better gurus :)

well, duh

one of my goals for the year was to become a true coupon lady

and i think i'm off to a good start

besides success at cvs last weekend

i also had mad success at harris teeter yesterday

113.82 worth of groceries for 53.98 

i saved 59.85!

highlights include:

2 packages of Martha White muffin mix: $.05 (reg price 2.36)

10 boxes of Barilla pasta: $6 (reg price $15)

7th Generation dish soap: free (reg price $2.99)

3 boxes of Hamburger Helper: $1.50 (reg price $5.55)

Bic Multi-Purpose Lighter: 1.29 (reg price $4.29)

that was with very little effort, so i'm excited to see what will happen as i begin getting into it a little more!  some coupon gurus save as much as 90% on an average trip.  over the last month or so i've been averaging 50% or so...i'm going to try to up it to at least 75% over the next month or two.

now onto my duh! moment, which does strangely correspond to the above :)

it occurred to me the other day

that my jobs (which i'm loving)

while by nature are "set my own hours" type gigs

are sometimes scheduled a little too tightly

for me to eat healthy meals

and definitely no time to cook them

and yes,

my clients are *wonderful* about saying

"please help yourself to anything in the fridge"

and i do

gratefully

but there are days that there's nothing in the fridge that i like

or there's not much of whatever meal is left

or i don't want to open a whole new package of whatever freezer meal looks good

or there's a ton of junk food in the house and i wind up eating IT because nothing else appeals

this sometimes causes me to hit the drive-thru harder than i want

either between jobs because i'm starving

or after a job because what i had wasn't filling

so here's my future solution

i'm spending one afternoon a week in the kitchen

(besides cooking on other occasions)

where i'll make one from-scratch awesome recipe

that i can divide into a meal for that day, a meal for later that week, and a portion to be frozen

and at the same time

i'll make one "convenience food"

also to freeze into individual portions

so that i can stick it in the car on my way to a job

and if i get there and they have awesome options: fantastic

i have a meal for another day that week

and if they don't?

well, thawed out hamburger helper made with organic beef

is still much better than a 10 pm trip through mcdonalds.
(and cheaper too!)