Extreme Couponing

I was flipping through the t.v. channels last weekend and came across the Extreme Couponing show on TLC.  At first I bypassed it, but then decided to check it out.  I figured, why not, I'll probably learn something from it.

The show turned out to be very interesting.  It showed how these women would spend an enormous amount of time finding coupons, cutting them out and then logging them into their coupon system.  Each lady had her very own way of doing this.  Some of them used spreadsheets to keep track of it all.  Fancy, huh?  To get all of those coupons, they actually went through a lot.  One lady went dumpster diving for Sunday papers. 

I thought, "Wow, this couponing takes up a lot of time.  No wonder I always clip a few and then end up not using them.".  So as I'm sitting there watching and seeing how much money these ladies are saving, I decided that maybe couponing wasn't such a bad idea.  I mean I spend lots of money on paper towel and tissue...way too much...and I'm always paying more than I'd like to for everything else I purchase.    One lady on the show showed over 100 rolls of paper towel and said that she always get it for free.  FREE!!!  I was jealous and amazed. :)  One lady actually purchased over $1500 worth of food and other products and only paid $51 out of pocket.  I know...amazing right?!?!  So, yes, I now think couponing is well worth the extra time and effort.  Maybe I won't go to the extreme with couponing, but I will begin to use coupons to my advantage.  There are so many other things I can do with my money.

These ladies purchased every thing from dog food to pasta to cleaning products.  One lady got 150 candy bars, 218 boxes of pasta, over 40 bottles of mustard, boxes and boxes of cereal.  Really?  How can they possibly use all of that before the expiration date?  With as much stuff that these extreme couponers where purchasing, it gave me an idea.  I'll share it with you on a later blog post.

A few tips I learned while watching the show:

• Mustard never spoils.  Really?  This sorta makes me afraid to eat mustard now.
• Pre-order if you are planning to purchase a large amount (over 10) of any one item.
• If the store is out of something, ask for a rain check.
• Use your coupons with store coupons.
• Some stores offer double coupon days.
• Everything goes on sale at least every 30 months. (I'm not quite sure about the number of months but that is what I scribbled on my note pad.)
• Coupons can be found online in addition to those found in the Sunday paper.

One thing I didn't like about the extreme couponing was that the grocery carts were filled with mostly processed foods like cereal, pasta, candy, and sauces.  Of course, seeing all of that really turned me off because I'm trying so hard not to eat a lot of processed foods.  A couple of the ladies said they were able to buy produce, but I never saw any in the carts.  Then as I thought about it I realized there are a lot of things I can get by using coupons.  Things such as toilet paper, laundry detergent, trash bags, toothpaste, cleaning products, paper towel and deodorants are good items to go couponing for.

As I said before, I don't think I'll be an extreme couponer but I am going to begin using more coupons.  The holidays are fast approaching and I could sure use some extra money.  Besides, every little bit helps.

Question:  Do you use coupons?  If so, share your experience.  If not, do you plan to use coupons in the future?

Fashion Food & Friends

 

What I wore:
Occasion: Dinner with Classmates
Location: Evergreen's @ Stone Mountain Park
Cargo Pants: TJ Maxx
Top: Macy's
Necklace (charms): Stella & Dot
Gold Chain: Kohl's
Shoes: DSW

Fashion, Food & Friends
This past weekend I had the pleasure of meeting a couple of my high school classmates and their significant others for dinner. We dined at Evergreen's inside Stone Mountain Park. The food was absolutely delicious.  I didn't get a chance to take a lot of pictures of the food, but I did manage to get a shot of my favorite: crab legs.

Evergreens serves an awesome buffet on Friday nights that includes crab legs, a salad bar, a dessert bar and a hot bar. The hot bar for this past Friday had a delicious seafood gumbo, rice, catfish, collards, roasted vegetables, seafood chowder and a whole lot of other foods that I can't remember.
Alongside the crab legs (at the meat station), they served prime rib. My classmates said the prime rib was very good. It looked really juicy and moist, like it would melt in your mouth. I didn't eat any of it, but based on my observations, it must have been really, really good. :)
So if you are looking for some good food, buffet style, I suggest you check out Evergreen's on a Friday night.

Evergreen's is like a best kept secret. I don't think too many people know about it.
What are some of the restaurants you like to frequent that may be a best kept secret to others?

"To Do" List

Now that we are in the last days of Summer and headed into Fall, it is a good time for change. Let's all create a "To Do" list. Put things on your list that will help you to become a better you.

During the summer, I slacked off on doing my exercises and I allowed myself to eat a few more things that I wouldn't normally eat, like more sweets and eating out more frequently. So now that the temperature outside is dropping, I can get back outside and exercise. Walking outside is such a calming thing for me. I love just being one with nature and breathing in the fresh air. I have a treadmill, but it's just not the same.

I'm also making a commitment to get back to eating healthier. I was mindful of my eating habits all summer, but I did eat out a lot more than I had been. Traveling and spending time with family & friends will cause you to eat out more. Every one just seems to want to eat out all the time and because it is so hot in the summer, no one wants to cook (unless its a bar-b-que).  I'm proud to say that I've stayed away from eating pork and beef at the bar-b-ques this summer. Yay! No ribs for me and I didn't miss it at all.  Besides, I feel so much better when I prepare my own meals, because I know exactly what was put into them. When I cook/prepare, I eat a lot more veggies and I control the amount of sugar (if I even use sugar) and salt (I no longer use table salt, I use sea salt) that I put into my food.

I'm currently working on my "To Do" list for the Fall. Here is my list so far.
To Do List:
1. Exercise more
2. Cook most meals at home
3. Increase vegetable and fruit intake
4. Create a shopping budget
5. Get more sleep (i.e. go to bed earlier!)
6. Work on making the blog better
7. Go on a fast (juice or smoothie or master cleanse (I haven't decided yet. I may do a combo.))

I'm sure I have a few more things to add/change on there.  I'll be sure to share my completed list with you all when I'm done.  I'm gonna try to limit it to only 10 items so that it is manageable and I can complete everything listed.

What are some of the things you will be putting on your "To Do" List?

What's the most important meal of the day?

BREAKFAST!!!

Remember the saying, "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day."?
Well, I agree with that 100%.  I find that on days that I skip breakfast, I don't get nearly as many things done as on the days that I eat a good breakfast. I tend to get a slow start and be a bit sluggish throughout the day if I don't eat anything for breakfast. So with the season about to change (yeah for Fall!) I'd like to encourage each of you to make sure you eat a good breakfast every day. Put something on your stomach even if it is only a piece of fresh fruit. Breakfast does a body good!

In the above picture, I created an omelette using eggs, spinach, peppers, onions and cheese. Yum! Sometimes I will exclude the cheese. For the peppers, I use whatever I have on hand (red, yellow, green and orange).  I also sometimes add freshly grilled salmon or crab meat to my omelettes. So good!!!!
You can add whatever veggies and meats you have on hand to make it your own specialty and to fit your taste buds. My homemade omelettes taste so much better than almost any restaurant omelette I've ever paid for. :)

Omelette Recipe
Ingredients:
Eggs - 2 or 3 depending on your appetite
Almond milk - a splash (I use the Almond Breeze brand)
Onion - a handful of chopped small pieces
Peppers - 2 or 3 strips cut into small pieces
Cheese - desired amount
Organic baby spinach - a handful
Salt & Pepper to taste
Olive Oil
Optional items - cheese, meats (bacon, chicken, salmon, crab meat), other veggies
To prepare:
1-In a small bowl, combine eggs, salt & pepper (to taste) and a splash of almond milk (makes the omelette fluffier). Beat the egg mixture.
2-In a small fry pan (I think mine is 8"), add a small amount of olive oil and sautee your veggies until the onions begin to look a little opaque in color.  Add your cooked meat and sautee a few minutes more.
3-Pour the egg mixture over the veggies and let cook. At this stage, I like to place a lid over my pan.
4-Once the eggs cook a little, add the cheese and spinach. Place the lid  back over the pan and let it cook some more.
5-Once it looks as though the eggs have cooked on the bottom side, fold the eggs & veggies in half. Let cook about 2 more minutes then flip it over using a spatula so the other side can cook for another 2 or so minutes.

I sometimes add a tablespoon or two of salsa (I like the Tostitos brand) on the side for even more variety. Try the salsa, you'll love it!

Omelettes and Green Smoothies are two of my favorite breakfast foods.
What are your favorite breakfast foods (cereal, grits, smoothies, eggs, fruit, oatmeal, etc.)?

Who says "Fruit Is Not Dessert"?

Golden Chocolate Fruit Bouquet
by Delicious Blooms

Fruit is not dessert? Say What?!?  What you talking 'bout, People? (in Arnold's voice)
Well, I beg to differ.  All you gotta do is add a little chocolate...and there you have it...a healthy indulgence. 

The above bouquet was made by Yours Truly. :)
The strawberries are dipped in chocolate. So yummy! Especially the way I do it. (Okay. I'll stop bragging now. LOL!) Bananas dipped in chocolate is a very popular treat, but you can also dip pineapple slices, grapes and lots of other fruit in chocolate. The dipped pineapple is my favorite treat along with a bag of popcorn. mmmmm! There is just something about the sweet, tart, salty and crunchy combination that is just heavenly. I want some right now! Just talking about it makes my mouth water. Guess who's going to buy a fresh pineapple tomorrow?

Sprinkles Anyone!

So the next time you want to indulge, but you may be feeling a little guilty, dip your fruit in chocolate and enjoy.  Happy & Healthy...that's what I'm talking 'bout!

What are some of your favorite dessert treats?

Just right for Movie Night

Hi There!

Since it is officially the weekend, I thought I'd share one of my favorite snacks with you all.

This popcorn (Pop Secret - Homestyle) is a great crunchy, salty & buttery treat to serve when you are having Movie Night with the family or if you are just enjoying one of your favorite movies alone. I love to pop in a movie, get me a bag of popcorn, some chocolate dipped pineapple (I'll share this in a future post), a cool drink and enjoy my "ME" time. No Disturbances Please! :)

In case you can't read the caption in the red bar under the word "HOMESTYLE", it says "MADE WITH A SPRINKLE OF SALT AND A TASTE OF BUTTER". That's right...just enough salt & butter to give you a desired taste without adding on all of the extra unwanted stuff...like calories and pounds. Know what I mean?
As you can see from the box pictured, I like to buy the SNACK BAGS. I do this so I can have portion control. Yes, sometimes I want to eat more, but I know that a snack size bag is enough to consume without going overboard. I'm trying to maintain my weight and the snack size bag is enough for me to feed my cravings and enjoy a snack without feeling guilty.

What are some of your favorite snacks?

Nutter Butter

Hello Peaches!

Today I thought I'd introduce you to a food discovery I made since transitioning to a healthier lifestyle.  Meet my new found friend...Almond Butter...I'll just call her Almy. LOL!

 

This stuff is so good! It's just like the peanut butter we all grew up on, only it is made of almonds.  I use almond butter when making my green smoothies to add a little protein and to add a nutty taste.  I also like to spread it on toasted sandwich thins and have myself a good ole' Almond Butter Sandwich.  For snacking, I will spread it on fresh fruit or simply eat it by the spoonful.  Almond Butter can also be stirred into oatmeal to add a little flavor to your morning breakfast.  mmmmm! Yummy!

You can find Almond Butter at Walmart, Whole Foods and Trader Joe's.  I'm sure other grocery chains carry it too, but these are just the places where I've purchased mine from.  It comes in creamy, crunchy and a few other varieties...but not all stores sell them. You should definitely be able to find the creamy with no problem. There is even a chocolate version!

So the next time you're out shopping, treat yourself to a jar of Almond Butter. Switch it up a bit!