Wednesday, December 12, 2012

First Anniversary in Photos


I used the cookbook/scrapbook given to me during one of my bridal showers to make:


Irish soda bread.


I also made a veggie and quinoa soup from scratch.


The main course was baked tilapia rubbed with butter, herbs, and covered in orange and lemon peels.


Those would be the flowers and card I woke up to on our anniversary. I love that husband of mind.


Did you know you can make caramel out of a can of sweetened condensed milk? Just put it in a crockpot, cover with water, and set on low for 8 hours!


Finished product.


Table all set up.


Memorabilia from our time together.


Colors that mostly match our wedding colors.


All dressed up, hair did, make-up on. 


Already bored.


So tell me: How do you celebrate special occasions?

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

My Dear Friends, I Need Help

Do you even know how thankful I am that you all have been following along as I ramble, cook, process, whine, and get amazingly busy?

It's an incredible thing to read an unexpected message from a friend, even a faraway one. The words many of you have shared with me over the past several months has been extremely encouraging.

And I'm in need, my dear friends.

Yesterday I weighed in, the first time in more weeks than I remember. It wasn't all that surprising, but it was certainly discouraging: 209.4.

There are plenty of reasons I could give, many excuses, true situations and circumstances that have simply made weight loss and overall health very difficult for me to focus on. And looking through old pictures, seeing where I was, what I worked for so hard, and knowing where I am now, just plain hurts. I have to move on though, right? Thank the Lord I'm not alone.

My husband is the most supportive man in the world. We have decided to work on our health as a team. Each of us has goals. God bless that man, because I know I couldn't even entertain weight loss anymore if it weren't for his encouragement. 

Don't judge me, guys, but I haven't exactly stuck to any plans lately. I've been very inconsistent. It's true - I feel kinda lame about that. But! That doesn't mean I quit. Here's the new plan: finish the 30 Day Shred (DVD by Jillian Michaels) and track my calories every day - staying between 1200 and 1500, aiming for the lower amount. After I've finished the initial 30 days, I'll move it down to 5 days a week. The workouts are only 20 minutes a day, which should be doable.

It's going to suck. It always does. I started yesterday.

This is where you come in: I could really use your words of encouragement. An email (listed under the Contact Me page) from a friend, cheering me on, sending me good thoughts would be so welcome. So, if it comes to mind at some point, tomorrow, two weeks from now, months from now, would you send me a note? It would really mean a lot to me.

Wish me luck and say a prayer!


So tell me: What's going on in your life?

Friday, November 9, 2012

First Coupon Story



I've been hearing about this Extreme Coupon-ing mystery for a while. Women (and probably men, as well) out there who know how to work a grocery store. My sister-in-law spent about a year cataloging and saving after my brother lost his job. At one point she was saving 75% on their monthly grocery budget. That caught my interest. She also had this AWESOME binder, completely organized with all her coupons. That REALLY got my interest. (Read: I have a *perhaps* unhealthy love of organizing just about anything.)

And then Safeway came out with this "Just 4 U" coupon system on their website and in the smart phone app. I love my iPhone. Anything that encourages me to use my iPhone even more makes my heart all warm and fuzzy. So a while ago, I made a list of things I needed at the store, cross-referenced that list with the various coupons on the Safeway app (using my Club Card, of course), and went to the store hoping to save a few bucks. 

My total savings that trip were as follows:

Just for U Savings: $10.44
Club Card Savings: $9.58
Total Savings: $20.02, or 31% of my total purchases.

My favorite deal was on our favorite ground coffee, Starbucks Cafe Verona. It usually costs $9.99 at Safeway. To use my app coupons, I had to buy two, which would usually cost $19.98. After my savings, together they were $12.54!!!

Pretty sweet, eh?!

This has to be repeated, no? Yes! This launched me into a day-and-a-half of online research at places like TheKrazyCouponLady.com and FabulesslyFrugal.com. Check them out!

Here's a bit of what I found:

  • Safeway will stack manufacturer coupons on top of Safeway specific coupons
  • There are a lot of printable coupons out there
  • Coupon/club savings go in cycles, so the low price I see will probably be back before too long
  • You can get free stuff!
  • The Catalina print outs (the receipt-like coupons at the register) can save you money, if you know what to buy
  • Sometimes the store brand will be cheaper anyway
Today I went to Safeway with a plan to (pretty much) only buy things I could use at least one coupon on. I must confess, I spent more than I had intended to, but I did score some major deals. I'll let you in on a few of my favorite scores.

The Corn Chex was on sale for 2/$6 already, and then I used a $1 off coupon to make them $2.50 each ($2.98 in savings).

Nestle Morsels, usually $3.49. My price was $1.99 with Card and J4U savings.

2 packages of French's French Fried Onions (just in time for Thanksgiving!), usually $9.98. My price was $6.38 after Card and J4U savings.

Jif Hazelnut Spread, usually $4.99. My price was $2.50 after Card and J4U savings.

McCormick Gourmet Spices. This was one of my favorite favorites!!! My coupon saved me $2 on each spice, plus there was a Card deal for Buy Two Get One free. The three spices I bought (cardamon, curry, cajon) would usually be $25.27. My price after Card and J4U savings (manufacturer coupon) was $16.28!!!

McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract (2 boxes), usually $14.98. My price was $5.99 after Card and J4U savings! This was a BOGO free deal, with an added $1.50 off coupon.

Star Olive Oil, usually 10.29. My price was $5 after the Club Card savings!

Bounce Dryer Sheets, usually $5.49. My price was $3.06 after Card and J4U savings.

Crest Toothpaste, usually $7.79 for two packs. My price was $4.25 after Card and J4U savings.

Duracell Batteries, 16 ct, usually $13.99. My price was $9.14 after Card and J4U savings.

Navel oranges, 8lb bag, usually $7.99. My price was $5 after Club Card savings.

My VERY FAVORITE OF THE FAVORITES, you ask??? Well, the bag of Hershey's Bliss Dark Chocolates that I got ABSOLUTELY FREE!!!!!

I also got the little mix-in package of Duncan Hines Frosting Creations for free, but that is less exciting - especially since I have nothing to mix it into right now.

Side note: I took a trip over to Rite Aid on my way home to score a couple more deals. I had taken a coupon for 1ct Reach toothbrushes to Safeway, but they only had packs of 2. So I tried my luck at Rite Aid. I found online that if I bought at least two of these, the Catalina machine would spit out a $2 coupon for the overall purchase at participating stores. So, following the directions of the Coupon Ladies, I did two transactions at the register. First I used my coupon to buy the two toothbrushes (which were already on sale), taking the price total from $9.98 to $4 (before taxes). Then I used the $2 coupon from the Catalina machine to buy three boxes of Christmas cards, which were also already on sale (for Buy One Get Two free). This transaction total went from the original $17.97 to $3.99 (before taxes). I got two toothbrushes and a total of 48 Christmas cards for $8.95 (after taxes). Awesome, right?

There were even more savings that I did not picture, such as my 50% savings on a bag of Tillamook shredded cheddar cheese, or Yoplait Yogurt, usually $0.65 each. I bought 6, which would normally cost $3.90. My price was $2.30, or about $0.38 each, after Card and J4U savings, including manufacturer coupons.

And yes, some things are still cheaper even without the coupons. Example: Safeway brand salsa and Pantry Essentials butter. Each of these was cheaper (by the ounce) than the brands I had coupons for.

This took time and planning, but I am so glad I did it! 

Between the two stores, I saved a total of $101.95 today!!!

Or to put it another way:

I got the following products for a total of $141.23:

Reach toothbrush (x2)
48 Christmas cards
Nestle chocolate chips
Hershey's Bliss chocolates
French fried onions (x2)
Safeway pitted olives, canned (x2)
Libby's Pumpkin, canned (x2)
Morton Kosher salt
Jif hazelnut spread
Phillips milk of magnesia
McCormick gourmet spices (x3)
McCormick pure vanilla extract (x2)
8lb bag navel oranges
8oz bag Tillamook shredded cheddar cheese
Yoplait yogurt (x7)
Corn Chex (x2)
Crest toothpaste (x2)
Baker's 14oz flaked coconut
Duncan Hines Frosting Creations packet
16ct Duracell AA batteries
Prego pasta sauce (x2)
Lucerne aerosol whipped cream (x2)
Safeway select premium ice cream
Safeway farms bacon
Star olive oil, 1 Pt.
Zygo Cactus
Mission Flour tortillas, 8ct.
Safeway Oats & Nuts sliced bread
Bounce dryer sheets
Starbucks Cafe Verona (x2)
Safeway salsa, 4lb 6oz

This would normally cost a total of $243.18. Wow! Great shopping trip!



So tell me: What do you do to save? Do you clip coupons?

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Victor/Victoria


A short time ago, Kevin and I celebrated our first anniversary in Victoria, B. C. (Our anniversary isn't actually until November 20th, so it was a bit early.) It was the perfect trip. That husband of mine did a fantastic job of planning our very first anniversary trip, our second vacation since being married.

After carefully budgeting and saving, we were able to drive up to Seattle on Thursday night to stay at the Edgewater Hotel. That place is swanky! It was here that I discovered the color coordination of my shoes and phone:



Early Friday morning we ran (literally ran!) to get to our ferry, the Victoria Clipper. Victoria! Eee!





Very yummy breakfast!


So, we actually DID see orca whales on our way to B. C., but there was no way to get a good photo - so I took a photo of this pamphlet instead. Good stuff, eh? 

We arrived in Victoria and set out on foot for the Hotel Grand Pacific. I highly recommend it!






For lunch we tracked down an Indian Curry restaurant. The food was okay, not great. A little too spicy, and pretty spendy for what you get. Instead of mints, they brought a bowl of candied fennel seeds to chew on. 


They tasted like black licorice!

Saturday was spent watching Netflix, napping, and eating. The day before we picked up makings for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches at a 7-11 in town. That served as four of our meals while on vacation. Great way to save money! 

For dinner we ate at Vic's Steakhouse. So. Good. I had a Tuscan burger. For dessert we walked over to the Harbour House for chocolate mousse. Yum. Yum. Yum!


On Sunday we walked all around town, enjoying a day without rain. Starbucks (pretty much guaranteed clean bathrooms!), lunch at Paradiso (a restaurant we found on Friday and decided to try later), Miniature World (so cool), walking around The Bay mall (that crap was expensive), and dinner at The Bard and Banker Scottish Pub (sweet potato fries, fish dippers, corn chowder). 








Paradiso was DELICIOUS! And affordable. You really have to try it sometime.



This was a street busker we had to stop and watch for a bit. I mean, come on!


On a side note, the dip for the sweet potato fries was a ginger and lime mayo - I need to try to recreate it sometime!


For dessert we picked up chocolate truffles and walked back to our hotel to enjoy them. Our last night in Victoria gave us this view:


While we only had half a day on Monday, we walked around some more, enjoying our last hours of vacation.


Sam's Deli. Very tasty, and wallet friendly.


Steph, Jessi, does this bear look at all familiar to you?? :)


This was the only disappointing part of the trip. Mirage Coffee. Had a sign advertising coffee art. Noting my recent obsession with latte art, who can blame me for wanting to be served some while on vacation? This is what I got. Milk poured over espresso. No art. No attempt at art. Sad.

The trip was amazing. So incredibly relaxing. Miss it already. :)

Monday, October 15, 2012

Small Victories

So today Kevin and I went back "on plan".

That means no breads, potatoes, pasta, rice, etc. for Kevin.

That means only Medifast food, lean protein, and veggies for me.

We made an exception for one slice of cake each after his swearing in ceremony tomorrow.

(Did I mention that my husband passed the bar exam?! Yeah, he did. He's awesome.)

We also made an exception for our early anniversary trip that we're taking in two weeks.

I was feeling pretty good this morning when I headed in to work.

Day 1 of anything is usually equal parts exciting and suckage.

And it's Monday.

When I walked in, I saw that my coworker made her famous cinnamon rolls. Rude.

And then the Donut Guy came through the shop.

He's this guy that brings a box of donuts with him. Every. Time. He. Comes.

There are ALWAYS apple fritters and maple bars in there.

ALWAYS.

Double rude.

Guess what?!

I did not give in.

Small Victories.


So tell me: What are your small victories lately?

Sunday, October 14, 2012