Produce Boxes & Kale Chips

I haven't ordered a produce box in about a year.  I really liked it before, but I cancelled ours before we moved and just hadn't gotten around to signing up again.  I love the variety of vegetables you get, some of which I had never seen before.  For instance, today I got this awesome looking Green Romanesco.

My friend recently told me about her produce delivery service so I decided to give it a try again.  It's Farm Fresh to You.  I got my first box for $15 from Groupon and signed up for the Regular mixed (veggies and fruit) box @ $31.50 every other week.  So it's not the cheapest produce, but it's fresh, organic, delivered to your door, and you're supporting local farmers.

In today's box I also received 1 bunch of Dinosaur Kale.  I figured Dinosaur Kale Chips would be the perfect accompaniment for the kids Dinosaur chicken nuggets lunch. 

Guess what... They liked the kale more than the nuggets.  Anytime you have kids asking for more kale that's a good thing!
I've made kale chips before, but not in a while.  So here is my process:

 

Rinse and dry the kale. By the way, you can use any kind of kale, doesn't have to be dinosaur.
Cut off the stems.  I also cut out the middle vein.  And chop it to chip size.

Toss the kale with oil and seasonings of your choice.
Today I used olive oil with garlic salt and lemon pepper.  In the past I've done different combos using kosher salt, pepper, chili flakes, lemon....  But I like to save the lemon for last.
Make sure the oil is evenly distributed amongst the kale.

Spread it on a baking sheet

Bake at 400 for 10 mins.  Until it's crispy.  Different varieties of kale may take different amount of time.

Ready for the best part?!

Sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan and freshly squeezed lemon.  (I do this for pretty much any vegetables I roast.)  This is what makes them melt-in-your-mouth fantastic!

Enjoy! *Warning: They go fast!*

Lipstick Saga

I NEVER wear lipstick.  I've always just worn lip gloss or tinted lip balm, etc.  A couple weeks ago we went to Valley Fair on Friday night.  MAC was having a launch event for their new, limited edition line, Archie's Girls.  Naomi saw people getting their makeup done and wanted to do it too.  We each tried on a lipstick.  I tried on "Daddy's Little Girl," and she tried on "Girl Next Door."

(MAC)

(MAC)

I instantly LOVED the lipstick I had on.  I showed Pete and we decided I NEEDED to buy it.  Sadly, when I went to buy it they were already sold out.  I was sooooo disappointed that I had finally fallen in love with a lipstick that was now unobtainable.  That night Pete secretly called around looking for it.  The next day was my 5K.  Afterwards we went to Eastridge where they had supposedly put one on hold for him.  He ran in while the kids and I waited in the car.  He was so excited to give it to me when he came out.  But when I looked at it, it was "Girl Next Door!"  I didn't want to spend $18 on a color I wasn't in love with so I had to tell him it was the wrong one.  I returned it, and we both went home heartbroken.  Suddenly we were on a quest to find "Daddy's Little Girl."  I was bidding for it on ebay and calling all the stores.  I was obsessed!  At church the next day I told Pete I seriously just needed to let go of it... It's just a lipstick after all!  So I went to Target and bought a Revlon lipstick for $4.99. 

My friend had told me she had a Mac lipstick similar to "Daddy's Little Girl" called "Up the Amp."  So when I realized the Revlon color I bought, "Berry Haute," was the dupe for "Up the Amp"  I was pretty satisfied.  Then Pete surprised me with another limited edition Mac lipstick "Seductive Intent" which was another very close match.  But since I was happy with my $5 dupe I decided to return that one as well... My poor husband just couldn't get it right, but I so appreciated his effort!

Revlon "Berry Haute" & MAC "Seductive Intent"

Yesterday I got a coupon from CVS Beauty in my email for $3 off any Revlon product.  I wanted to try the dupe for Mac "Snob" so I picked up Revlon "Pink Pout," and I LOVE it!

(Found this pic on this cute blog makeupandmacaroons.com)

The Revlon lipsticks in general work pretty well for the price... I'm a satisfied customer, and I'm just glad this whole lipstick saga is over!

Valentine's Day ~ DIY Lip Scrub

My husband and my BFF share a birthday that happens to be the day before Valentine's Day.  My BFF recently moved back to California after years away, and we are so happy to live in the same area again!  We celebrated both hers and my Husband's birthday last night at our favorite Chinese restaurant, Taiwan, in Willow Glen.



Me and my hunny

My gorgeous friends and me, birthday girl in the middle


I wore lipstick last night and noticed my lips weren't quite as smooth as they should be.  I've been wanting to try a lip scrub, one I could use on my daughter as well because her lips have been pretty chapped lately.  So this morning I thought, what better day than Valentine's Day to make a lip scrub to give me soft, (kissable), lipstick ready lips?!

I had some baby food jars I'd been wanting to repurpose so I decided to use those for the scrub.  I had peeled the stickers off, but there was still sticky residue on them.  So I filled the jars with hot water. This makes the sticky stuff a little easier to get off.  Then I just used a sponge with a dab of olive oil to rub it right off!






before




after

I painted the lids with chalkboard paint.

I have seen several different recipes for DIY lip scrub so I concocted a few different recipes using these ingredients:

I didn't like the clumpy-ness of the brown sugar nor the runniness and strong taste of the olive oil so here's my final recipe:
2 Tbs Coconut oil
2 Tbs Granulated sugar
1 Tbs Honey

1. My coconut oil was pretty firm so I just put it in the jar in a bowl of hot water until it was soft enough to stir.

     2.  Next just stir all the ingredients together and your scrub is ready to use!

     3. Use your finger to scrub your lips with it.
     4. Wet a washcloth with warm water, and wipe off your lips.
     5. Apply some kind of lip moisturizer.
     6. Enjoy the silky smoothness of your lips!

And now your lips are smooth enough for lipstick too!

Workout Woes

I posted a couple weeks ago how excited I was to get on a new workout schedule and train for the 408K in March, but my plans have been derailed due to illness, injury, and an unexpected vacation.

Friday, Feb 1 I did this treadmill workout I found on Pinterest. I had also run that Wednesday and my shins were starting to ache. For the past few weeks I've been warding off sickness as best I can with vitamin C, zinc, and healthy eating.  Early last week, however; it caught up to me and the kids. I had just signed up for the Campbell Valentine's Day 5K for Sat, Feb 9.  So for a week before the race I didn't workout AT ALL.  I kept taking my vitamins, drinking tea with lemon and honey, and eating oranges off my still thriving tree.  By Saturday my shins splints had vanished, and while still sick, I was feeling a lot better.  I wasn't going to flake on this race, but I no longer cared about time... I just wanted to finish.  My sister-in-law, who signed me up, and I started off together at a good pace.  I could tell when we got close to the halfway point she was ready to speed up, so I told her to go for it!  I just tried not to let myself fall too far behind her.  I ended up finishing a little over a minute behind her. 

(Tom Vo Photography)

What was shocking was that I came in at 28:41!  My last 5K was Thanksgiving and my time was 30:08.  Since I had hardly trained at all since then I was so impressed with myself, and proud of my SIL who broke a 9 min/ mi pace!  I felt great right after the race I'm sure due to all the endorphins.  And my husband made a huge spaghetti dinner so I could refuel.  But that evening I crashed... HARD.  I felt this sickest I had been all week, my shins were throbbing, and my whole body ached.  Up until yesterday my shins were still hurting.  My cold is lingering, and I haven't worked out since the race Saturday. 

This week we started planning our vacation to Washington to visit my family there, which I couldn't be more thrilled about.  It worked out best for us and my family in WA to visit the same weekend of the 408K.  So I won't be running it after all.  But I'm determined to get back on my feet regardless.  I can't go to the gym yet because my kids still have symptoms, but today I'm going to workout at home.  I asked my husband to take me to the running store this weekend to get fitted for the right shoes.  I know my old shoes are somewhat to blame for my injury.  And I ordered some kinesio tape online that will hopefully help with the shin splints as well. (Shin splint taping tutorial here.)  Hopefully by next week we'll be fully recovered and back on track with my workout schedule.

Always Check Your Receipt... And Other *Practical* Couponing Tips

I meant to post yesterday but my SIL and I spent most of the day making our delicious apple butter!

If you saw my last post you will know that this is part 2 of my 3 part couponing series.  Next time I'll post some store guides for my favorite stores.  Enjoy these (hopefully) useful tips!

 

 

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1. Check out some couponing blogs and subscribe to your favorites.  Or follow them on Facebook or twitter. (I use FB).  A lot of times I find great deals on Amazon through these blogs for things I might normally pay more for in the store.  Also if there’s a super great deal (like freebies) at a store they’ll usually have posts.
2. Find a cheap subscription to the Sunday paper. Newspaper companies are so desperate for subscribers these days I bet if you called them and asked for a deal they'd give you a good one.
3. Check the brand website. If you want a coupon for a specific item it’s a good idea to check the brand website.  Usually you can print out a coupon or they’ll mail you one.
4. Make a list. My life is so much easier when I have a list! I used to do my list every week in Excel, but I’ve resorted back to the old fashioned pen and paper.  That way I can add to it throughout the week or while I’m going through the ads and coupons.  Make a note of which coupons you have for each item so you make sure to have them ready at the store.   
5. Limit yourself to a few stores per week. You don’t have to get EVERY deal at EVERY store.  Just the ones you need or really want.
6. Don’t bring the little ones… If possible.  I actually don’t mind bringing my kids to the store, but it makes it a lot more difficult when trying to compare prices or figure out a deal. So If I'm planning a big shopping trip I'll try to go when my husband is home to watch them.
7. Use your phone. I don’t always have time to go through my whole routine if I’m just making a quick last minute trip to the store.  But at a minimum while I’m in the store I can check the store website on my iPhone and make sure I’m not buying something there is an online coupon for! 
8. Carry your coupons in your purse or car so you always have them on hand.  A lot of times we'll be out and decide to stop at the store for something.  I HATE buying something knowing I have a coupon for it at home so I try to keep coupons I'm likely to use with me.
9. Check the clearance section. Most grocery stores have a clearance section that has day old items or dented cans for 50% off.  Every time I go to Safeway I check for the day old sliced deli meat… It’s a great deal at half off! 
10. Always check your receipt! I'm often a little distracted at the checkout (see #6) so I can't always watch all the transactions and see that everything rung up right or that my coupons came off.  But I ALWAYS make sure to check the receipt before leaving the store.  I end up having to get money back on stuff every once in a while. 

My Super Simple Couponing System

When I was first introduced to couponing I went a little crazy with it.  I collected several copies of Sunday paper inserts and spent hours Sunday evening clipping and organizing my coupons.  Then I would visit at least 5 stores a week to get all the deals I wanted.  Much of what I was getting we didn’t even need. (i.e. dozens of air fresheners that ended up making me  nauseous.)  I definitely did save money and get some great deals, but couponing consumed so much of my life!  Today I have a much better balance between time spent couponing and money saved.  I decided to do a three part series to share my system, ideas, and advice.  Today I’ll go over my weekly low-maintenance system.  Next I’ll share some tips and advice in Always Check Your Receipt and Other PracticalCouponing Tips.  And lastly I’ll give brief store guides to a few of my favorite stores in Store Guides: Safeway, Nob Hill, CVS, Costco

Before we get started if you’re not familiar with how couponing works check out these informational websites:

The FrugalFind - She has a free online couponing class.  Her website also has an amazing coupon database if you're looking for a coupon for a specific item.

Hip2Save - I learned a lot from this website; she's very thorough.

So here is my weekly routine in 10 simple steps:

1) Get the paper. I get the Sunday paper for $10/ year through the San Jose Mercury News.  They are always offering promotions; $10 is the lowest I’ve been able to find. If you know someone who gets the paper and doesn't use coupons ask them for the Sunday inserts!

2) Label your inserts. When I receive the paper on Sunday I write the date on each insert.  There are 3 different kinds: Procter & Gamble (PG), Red Plum (RP), and Smart Source (SS).  This week I got one RP and one SS. (Don't mind the KY ad on the front of the SS insert haha)
Dating the inserts helps if you’re using couponing blogs because the coupons will be listed with the date and type of insert.  i.e.  $1/1 Almay cosmetic SS 2/3/13

3) Clip and file useful coupons. I quickly go through each insert and cut out any coupons I will probably use.  I just file these away in an envelope in my purse.  This way whether I've done all my pre-shopping prep work or I'm just making a quick run to the store I'll have coupons with me for things I regularly buy.  You can get a little file or multiple envelopes to sort your coupons however you like; I'm currently just using a single envelope.  If I get a coupon with my receipt at the store I just stick it in the envelope too.

 

4) Trash Pile - I make a pile of “trash” while I'm going through the inserts.  If there’s a whole page I won’t use I just recycle it . (For example, I won’t be buying Proactiv or Little Debbie snacks so those are going in the trash pile.)  You can trade these or give them away if you don't want to toss them.

5) Mark up the store ads and start your list. At some point during the week I get the store ads for my favorite stores typically Safeway, Nob Hill, CVS and circle any item I might need or want that’s a good price and start my grocery list.

 

6) Coupon Matchups - I try to match up any of the items that are on sale in the ad with any coupons in the inserts and add a note to my list if there’s a coupon. (I just put a star next to any item I have a coupon for so I don't forget to use it.)  You can also check couponing blogs for more matchups including printable coupons and coupons from previous weeks inserts.  I like The Frugal Find and My Frugal Adventures.

 

7) Coupon File - I file away the inserts containing the coupons I might still use until they expire.  (Most of the coupons left in the inserts are things I would get only if they were free or really cheap , but don’t really need like cosmetics or snacks.)  This is when I skim through my previous inserts.  A lot of the coupons are valid for several months.  Try to throw out any expired or useless coupons so you have less to sort through each week.

My little "command center" in my kitchen where I keep my coupon file

8) Finish your shopping list. I add to my list staples or anything I might still need that isn't there yet.  i.e. bananas, milk, and eggs are pretty much always on my list regardless of whether or not I have a coupon

9) Check store websites. Make sure to check the store website too for whichever store you’re going to and add to your card or print out any store coupons!

10) Shop and compare. Now head to the store, and make sure you still check and compare prices. (Sometimes even with a coupon the name brand is more expensive than a generic brand.) 

Remember this is just what works for me.  The most important thing is to find a system that works for you, but hopefully this helps you in some way to figure out a balanced system for yourself.  Check back tomorrow for more simple couponing tips!