Now That's FREE

There is a daily deals site that is pretty new. It has been running a promo this past month for $10 off. What they are doing is every day or two, they sell an amazingly beautiful designer item for $10! Making the item FREE and shipping it out FREE SHIPPING!

Today I scored a free $300 Paige Novick Ring. Sweet.

She's after my own heart- I SWEAR!

HG's Oh-So-Mocha-Coco Swappuccino Wake Me Up Before You Coco... This new recipe is a major eye-opener, and not only because it's made with coffee and chocolate -- it will open your eyes to just how easy it is to make Starbucks-style blendy drinks at home... YAY!!! Ingredients: 2 tsp. shredded sweetened coconut, roughly chopped 2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder 1 tbsp. fat-free non-dairy powdered creamer (like the kind by Coffee-mate) 1 tsp. instant coffee granules 1 tsp. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips 2 no-calorie sweetener packets (like Splenda or Truvia), or more to taste 1/8 tsp. coconut extract 2 cups crushed ice or 10 - 16 ice cubes 2 tbsp. Fat Free Reddi-wip 1 tsp. light chocolate syrup Directions: To toast the coconut, bring a skillet to medium heat on the stove; add chopped coconut and, stirring occasionally, cook for 2 minutes, or until lightly browned. (Or, if you have a toaster oven, just toast until lightly browned.) Set aside to cool. In a tall glass, place cocoa powder, powdered creamer, coffee granules, chocolate chips, and sweetener. Add 1/2 cup very hot water and stir until ingredients have mostly dissolved. Add coconut extract, and transfer contents of the glass to a blender. Rinse the glass, if needed, and set aside. Add ice to the blender, and blend at high speed until completely mixed and smooth. Pour into the tall glass. If you like, add additional sweetener to taste. Top with Reddi-wip, drizzle with chocolate syrup, and sprinkle with toasted coconut. Enjoy! MAKES 1 SERVING Serving Size: entire recipe (about 16 oz.) Calories: 120 Fat: 4.5g Sodium: 24mg Carbs: 21g Fiber: 4g Sugars: 8g Protein: 2.5g PointsPlus® value 3*

Bug Bite

I normally don't get bug bites. The last week I have had 6 annoying little buggers show up in the same general area next to my 'bad knee'. The first aid drawers here at work often have a LOT of random health related items in it. To my surprise, there was no anti-itch ointment. I had to find a remedy and fast. It was getting really bad. And so began my search for tips on how to stop my leg from itching...

Household Items To Relieve Itching

1. Rub a bar of soap over the itch. I just tried this (Ivory soap) and the relief was near instant. I used a dry bar of soap directly on the skin, but I also have notes that you can spritz bite with water and then run bar of soap over area–or use a wet bar of soap.
2. Place a piece of scotch tape on the bite; or dab rubbing alcohol or ammonia on the bite first then stick on a piece of tape.
3. Hot water: Take a hot shower, or a hot bath, or apply a hot compress. As hot as you can stand it without burning you.
4. Ice cube, ice pack or very cold water

Dabbers For Itch Relief

The quicker you can apply one of the remedies below, the faster the relief. These are topical suggestions, apply directly to the bite area.

1. Nail Polish
2. Strong tea mixed with rubbing alcohol
3. Toothpaste (works for me)
4. Mouthwash
5. Vinegar (apply directly to bite or take a hot bath with 2 cups of vinegar in the water)
6. Honey
7. Underarm deodorant (solid or roll-on) – apply directly to bite area
8. Rubbing Alcohol
9. Ammonia
10. Bleach
11. Tea: Use a hot tea bag or a cotton ball soaked in hot tea to dab on bite area

Paste Applications

Mix these fresh then apply to bite as soon as possible. The consistency should be nice and thick so it won’t run, yet will still stay in place on the affected area. You could also spritz bite with water then apply grains/powders directly (generously) and rub them in.

1. Baking Soda & Water (works for me)
2. Meat Tenderizer & Water
3. Salt & Water (works for me)
4. Epsom Salt & Water (could also do this as a foot soak if it’s the ankle/foot area affected)
5. Tums Tablets: crush and add a few drops of water
6. Aspirin: crush then add a few drops of water
7. Aspirin – crush then apply a few drops of rubbing alcohol

Commercial Product Lotions, Creams & Applications

*Apply directly to mosquito bite area.

1. Calamine Lotion
2. Benadryl Cream
3. Orajel
4. Anbesol
5. Caladryl
6. Vicks VapoRub (works for me)
7. Preparation H (works for me)
8. Lucas Papaw Ointment
9. Tiger Balm
10. Bag Balm
11. Gold Bond Medicated Cream (or the Gold Bond Medicated Powder)
12. Mylanta (heartburn relief product)
13. After Bite

Essential Oils For Itch Relief

Apply full strength directly to bite area. Edit: There are concerns about using essential oils on children and pre-teens, especially repeated use.

1. Tea Tree Oil
2. Lavender Oil
3. Witch Hazel (astringent)
4. Cedar Oil

Leaf Applications

*Crush the fresh leaves roughly then apply to bite area

1. Basil
2. Plantains (Plantago)

Fruity Applications

*Use fresh fruit & apply directly to bite

1. Lemon Juice
2. Lemon Slice
3. Lime Juice
4. Lime Slice
5. Banana Peel (rub inside of peel on bite)

Whew! Big List! If I’ve missed your favorite remedy for mosquito bites, please add them below.

Notes

• If a remedy doesn’t provide fast relief, don’t despair. Give it another try, sometimes it will take 2 or 3 applications before it kicks in.
• The itch from mosquito bites comes from the saliva of the mosquito that it injects into you as it feasts on your blood. There are several dozen different species of mosquitoes and you may react to some species bites more than others.
• If large swelling occurs (like welts), contact a doctor or pharmacist for suggestions (especially if it’s a child with a strong reaction). It could be an allergy to the bite. It’s important to watch the throat for swelling and get treatment asap.

Organization - It worked for me

Here is an article that helped me organize my pantry into an easy to use, grocery-store-shelf-like space. I makes keeping track of my pantry items a breeze and cuts down on the purchase of unnecessary duplicate items.

 

 

Purge Your Pantry

Organizing your pantry is easier than you think. Follow these three steps to save time in the kitchen.

A Makeover Must

Multiple open boxes of pasta, cans of black beans from who knows when, and jars of spices on every shelf—sound familiar? If so, your pantry needs a makeover. It only takes an hour to clean out the shelves, sort and purge your foodstuffs, and restock in ordered zones. And when dinnertime rolls around, that box of couscous will be a snap to find.

 

 

Empty and Categorize

The first step is to get everything out of your pantry so you can see what you have and start sorting. Separate items into these four categories:

• Items you use every day
• Items you use less frequently
• Unopened items that can be donated to a food pantry
• Expired or suspicious items to trash

To find a local food bank, check feedingamerica.org.

 

 

Clean the Shelves

Now that your pantry is completely empty, take this opportunity to vacuum any crumbs off of shelves and the floor. Then wipe down each shelf with a damp cloth and let dry before reloading. If you need to buy extra containers or organizers to corral items like spice jars, now is the time to do it.

 

 

Restock Smartly

Refilling your pantry in organized zones is the best way to ensure you don’t have to do another pantry overhaul in a couple of months. Start by putting baking items (flour, sugar, baking soda, etc.) in one section and breakfast items in another. If you have kids, set up a snack zone so they can find what they need easily and don’t rifle through the other shelves. Keep heavy items, like jugs of olive oil, on the bottom shelf, and the stuff you reach for every day—lunch ingredients, pet food—at eye level.

Finally, stash a stepstool in the pantry, if you have room, or nearby to make reaching high shelves easy. You’ll be amazed at how much time you can save by being able to locate the couscous on the first try.

Overtime

It's an added bonus to my position. Because I am required to 'be the face of the World Headquarters' at all times, when my coworker takes vacation time (which she often does because she has 6 weeks of vacation), I am allowed to bank my salary PLUS overtime. It's mostly around an hour a day, because I don't take breaks when she's gone- but it really adds up! It has been supplementing my paycheck, which is great. It only pushes me that much closer to my goals.

I enrolled on a summer class, which I am very excited about. I noticed that my student loans weren't debited from my checking account this month. When I called to inquire, I found out that the university had sent notice of my being a student and the loans went into a deferment. At first I was nervous because "why hadn't the payment come out of my account?" But then, I realized that I could pay off one loan and the other would drop significantly in interest rate because of the deferment. Plus, I can still continue to make payments during the deferment period. Regardless, I will have the loans paid off 100% before the deferment ends. All in all, it ended in a surprisingly happy way.

This week brings me the aforementioned Tim McGraw concert, as well as a nice retirement fish fry lunch for one of the sweethearts in my department. Sunday is the employee 'picnic' at the Brewers vs Twins game. The company rented out the Founders Suite, which I have never been. I hear it is amazing and they are offering appetizers and beverages before the game, and then catering a dinner during the game. That's pretty sweet. Thanks work, for being so generous- You're Awesome!

My goal for those solid 6-pack abs is coming along nicely. Above, you will see my favorite cardio machine, the Cardio Wave. I am holding steady at my current weight but dropped another size, which thrills me because it means I am doing a good job of challenging my body to create muscle and reduce body fat. I have added in a lot of mat based core work that utilizes the medicine ball. I have notice a reduction in my upper arms (I can see muscle definition I couldn't before) and my stomach is noticeably flatter- even in that tough to work lower ab region women most complain about.

However, I have noticed that my right knee- on the I had injured in high school sports, has been acting up in a very weird way. Only when I kneel on do I feel a very intense burning sensation- extremely sharp pain. I think that I might start wearing my brace again for awhile to see if that helps it (whatever the issue may be) heal. When it really starts acting up, I just use the bikes to reduce the amount of stress on it- even though the bikes are probably the worst machine as far as cardio/weight loss value is concerned. I love my body too much to force it through an injury.

Free is Always Better

It is in full swing the past few weeks. Holy moly. I have come by several good deals that have just fallen into place.

First, my sister emailed me about a daily deals site that was giving a $10 credit for signing up. That day they were selling those 'nail shields' for really cheap. I purchased a few of those and am waiting for them to show up in the mail. 100% FREE!

There is another website that I visit every once in a while when I find myself having the urge to spend a ton of money shopping hit up the mall. It's a sample size sale site. It's fun to look, but by looking online, normally I just don't want to spend that money if I don't have a coupon code or six, plus free shipping and a gift card. I found a very pretty floral spring dress for really cheap. It was still available in my size and dirt cheap. Add in my credits and it was FREE!

Today, I was shopping around on the deal sites that I check out every day. There was a deal for American Eagle jeans for super cheap. I mean, ridiculously cheap. I used to work there. Trust me, I know when they are cheap. I emailed my sister to see if she would like a pair (she declined because she needs special sizing - 00 XLong). I put 2 pairs in my cart and headed for the checkout. To my surprise, I had more than enough credits on THAT site to pay for the total cost of 2 pairs of jeans including shipping!!

I ordered a new watch on Amazon. This, sadly, was not free. It was dirt cheap, so I will mention it anyway. I purchased a sports watch while on a cruise several years back for $10. It had an alarm and I didn't want to get stuck missing the boat while being immersed at port. It was a great investment, as years later I am still utilizing it. It's showing a lot of wear now. Time to upgrade to a beautiful Ironman watch!! Thrilled.

Also, I have scored free tickets to Summerfest. It's a huge music festival in Milwaukee that draws people from around the world. It's always a ton of fun, and for free, it's even better! I plan on sharing that wealth with my family and friends- so keep your eyes open for when I will be handing out any extras that come my way!

A Big Day(s)

It's been rather busy here in my neck of the woods. First off, let's celebrate my acquisition of 2 free plane tickets. Yes!!! That is one goal that I have conquered. Roo and I booked flights for a family wedding coming up in the fall on the west coast. I am thrilled and can't wait to go.

Roo's brother came into town recently and we had a great time with family. It was a long 6 days, but after all was said and done, I didn't care that I was exhausted. It was perfect.

This week we have coming up a corporate showing of Tornado Alley. It is an IMAX film that was created by Sean Casey.

Some of you may recognize him from the TV show, Storm Chasers.

I used to watch this show religiously. I am stoked to go see this at a private showing- on the company. Awesome.

Friday is my dear friend's wedding. It is going to be classy and wonderful. I can't wait to see her all dressed up and the joy beaming from her smile. It's held at the Villa Terrace, which is a beautiful historic mansion on the lakefront. The gardens are amazing.

Also, today, our company was gifted tickets for a private Tim McGraw concert!! (I actually squealed when I read the email.) I can't wait for this month to move along. So many great things coming up.

On another note, a friend of mine who overcame breast cancer a few years ago has had a stage IV recurrence. Please send thoughts, prayers, love, wishes, vibes -whatever it is you do/have- in  her direction. She's a 33 year old beautiful, thoughtful, loving mother of 2. Love you, S!

June Grocery Shop

I can't believe that it is already JUNE! I haven't even gotten halfway through my May menu calendar. We've had a few impromptu family get-togethers that have drastically reduced the need for me to cook meals at home. Double YAY! for not having to cook and having almost a full menu left for the month of June. That being said, my $150 grocery bill from May has just been sliced in half to cover 2 months instead of one.

I added some recipes that I normally don't make and had success with BBQ Chicken Pizza. Here's a photo, courtesy of my smartphone.

Mmmm. Now I'm hungry.