Be careful --- this site will suck up hours of your time. Pure entertainment, and it'll make you think a bit, too!
http://photoshopdisasters.blogspot.com/
Monday, March 30, 2009
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Coupons and Deals!
I love scouting the Web for good deals, and finding great coupons to use elsewhere.
Here are some of my favorite sites for deals and coupons:
1. Slick Deals - This site posts all the great Internet deals in one place; it's a gold mine!
2. Wow Coupons - One of my favorite sites to find retail and restaurant coupons.
3. Retail Me Not - One of the best sites for coupon codes. They don't work 100% of the time, but I've also had good success just Googling the name of the company I'm purchasing from alongside the term "coupon code."
4. Smart Source - Another great site to print off coupons.
5. Coupon Mom - This one lists great coupons and free samples! (Which, if you remember this post, you know I love to find!)
Here are some of my favorite sites for deals and coupons:
1. Slick Deals - This site posts all the great Internet deals in one place; it's a gold mine!
2. Wow Coupons - One of my favorite sites to find retail and restaurant coupons.
3. Retail Me Not - One of the best sites for coupon codes. They don't work 100% of the time, but I've also had good success just Googling the name of the company I'm purchasing from alongside the term "coupon code."
4. Smart Source - Another great site to print off coupons.
5. Coupon Mom - This one lists great coupons and free samples! (Which, if you remember this post, you know I love to find!)
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Tacky Weddings
I love weddings! From the day I got engaged, I was scouring the Internet for fun blogs, photos, stories; anything wedding-related, I found it and I read it. It's one of my favorite new obsessions and isn't waning as much as it should now that I'm actually married. Oops.
Which leads to a new blog one of my friends turned me on to recently: http://tackyweddings.com
Just too much fun!!!
Which leads to a new blog one of my friends turned me on to recently: http://tackyweddings.com
Just too much fun!!!
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
How to Shop at Henry's...
...or What I Learned Tonight
I love Wednesdays because they are double-ad days at Henry's Marketplace. Both the ad ending that day from the previous week and the new ad beginning that day for the coming week are valid. Which means big produce savings! I rarely buy anything but produce at Henry's (and stuff from the bins, vitamins, and occasionally specialty items). It's best for cheap produce. I've also found you've gotta use that produce pretty quickly, and refrigerate EVERYTHING, even the stuff that doesn't need it. Gives it a longer life.
I usually go right after work or sometime in the evening. Tonight I decided to do a late yoga class and, since the closest Henry's is near my gym, swung by on my way home, just before closing at 10 p.m. I was shocked!
They were out of almost everything on my list and there was slim pickins' with what was left. The two employees in the produce section were NO help at all (actually just complicating the process by packing up what was still out as I was going through it...hmm, not the most productive way to assist your customers; they were also stocking the wrong item under a sale sign for a different item, it was all very confusing). So I was kinda pissy when I went to check out.
Then I remembered --- rain checks! Henry's used to have an appalling system for rain checks. They happily distributed them for various sale items that had run out, including produce, but limited you to use that rain check within two weeks and with an item limit (say only 1 package of blackberries and so on).
Now the policy has changed! I was so happy to learn that I could take advantage of the THREE items that I couldn't find with the new rain check policy. Unlimited items purchased and NO expiration date! Color me happy!
Yes, I'm a bit of a nerd about stuff like this. But it totally made me feel better. So, since I'm not having zucchini, asparagus, or cucumber for dinner tomorrow now it's time to get creative with the sole, lonely grapefruit; two somewhat squishy avocados; and the small bunch of radishes I was able to find.
Moral of the story: Kinda worth it to hit Henry's late on Wednesdays for the double ads and to reap in the rain checks (think of saving them until that item isn't so cheap and you really need it; though I doubt I'll last that long!)...but you also run the risk of making a trip almost for no reason and dealing with super cranky employees who have no desire to help you. Take it and run with it!
I love Wednesdays because they are double-ad days at Henry's Marketplace. Both the ad ending that day from the previous week and the new ad beginning that day for the coming week are valid. Which means big produce savings! I rarely buy anything but produce at Henry's (and stuff from the bins, vitamins, and occasionally specialty items). It's best for cheap produce. I've also found you've gotta use that produce pretty quickly, and refrigerate EVERYTHING, even the stuff that doesn't need it. Gives it a longer life.
I usually go right after work or sometime in the evening. Tonight I decided to do a late yoga class and, since the closest Henry's is near my gym, swung by on my way home, just before closing at 10 p.m. I was shocked!
They were out of almost everything on my list and there was slim pickins' with what was left. The two employees in the produce section were NO help at all (actually just complicating the process by packing up what was still out as I was going through it...hmm, not the most productive way to assist your customers; they were also stocking the wrong item under a sale sign for a different item, it was all very confusing). So I was kinda pissy when I went to check out.
Then I remembered --- rain checks! Henry's used to have an appalling system for rain checks. They happily distributed them for various sale items that had run out, including produce, but limited you to use that rain check within two weeks and with an item limit (say only 1 package of blackberries and so on).
Now the policy has changed! I was so happy to learn that I could take advantage of the THREE items that I couldn't find with the new rain check policy. Unlimited items purchased and NO expiration date! Color me happy!
Yes, I'm a bit of a nerd about stuff like this. But it totally made me feel better. So, since I'm not having zucchini, asparagus, or cucumber for dinner tomorrow now it's time to get creative with the sole, lonely grapefruit; two somewhat squishy avocados; and the small bunch of radishes I was able to find.
Moral of the story: Kinda worth it to hit Henry's late on Wednesdays for the double ads and to reap in the rain checks (think of saving them until that item isn't so cheap and you really need it; though I doubt I'll last that long!)...but you also run the risk of making a trip almost for no reason and dealing with super cranky employees who have no desire to help you. Take it and run with it!
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Big Easy Shrimp
This is another new favorite! We tried this for the first time last week and after the first bite, my husband said, "This one is definitely a keeper!" Always words of praise from that mouth.
This is a yummy sort-of Creole-inspired dish. We served it over brown rice and it was delicious!
Big Easy Shrimp
Can substitute shrimp for scallops.
2 strips turkey bacon or Canadian bacon
1 onion, chopped
1/2 green bell peppers, chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (16-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
Cook bacon in large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Place on paper towel-lined plate to drain. Crumble when cool. Remove and discard all but 1 tablespoon drippings from skillet.
In hot drippings over medium heat, cook onion, bell pepper, and celery 5 minutes, or until tender. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute. Add tomatoes (with juice), bay leaf, black pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and hot-pepper sauce. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low and simmer 20 minutes. Add shrimp and bacon and cook 10 minutes, or until shrimp are opaque. Remove and discard bay leaf before serving.
*Another South Beach Diet recipe. Still working through that cookbook!
This is a yummy sort-of Creole-inspired dish. We served it over brown rice and it was delicious!
Big Easy Shrimp
Can substitute shrimp for scallops.
2 strips turkey bacon or Canadian bacon
1 onion, chopped
1/2 green bell peppers, chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (16-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
Cook bacon in large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Place on paper towel-lined plate to drain. Crumble when cool. Remove and discard all but 1 tablespoon drippings from skillet.
In hot drippings over medium heat, cook onion, bell pepper, and celery 5 minutes, or until tender. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute. Add tomatoes (with juice), bay leaf, black pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and hot-pepper sauce. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low and simmer 20 minutes. Add shrimp and bacon and cook 10 minutes, or until shrimp are opaque. Remove and discard bay leaf before serving.
*Another South Beach Diet recipe. Still working through that cookbook!
Monday, March 23, 2009
Spa Week
It's that time of year again! DO NOT miss out on this amazing deal! Spa Week is coming to Southern California the week of April 13-19. Select local spas and salons will offer select services (massages, facials, body wraps, peels, pedicures, etc.) for a flat rate of $50! Take advantage of this if you can.
I did it last year and it was totally worth it and so fun to get a $200 service for only $50 (yes, you read that right). Schedule your appointment as soon as possible 'cause slots do fill up. Then come back and tell me what you did where...just so I can be jealous. :)
www.spaweek.org/california
I did it last year and it was totally worth it and so fun to get a $200 service for only $50 (yes, you read that right). Schedule your appointment as soon as possible 'cause slots do fill up. Then come back and tell me what you did where...just so I can be jealous. :)
www.spaweek.org/california
Saturday, March 21, 2009
One More Disney Thought...
On a recent trip to the Happiest Place on Earth I had an epiphany. Someone needs to make an iPhone/Blackberry application that constantly updates wait times on the various rides. That way you can traverse through the park and check on the wait times and know if it's worth it to trek from the Haunted Mansion all the way over to Space Mountain. Now if only I knew how to make this happen....
Fly a Little SWA?
I think it's so fascinating how so many companies are entering the blogosphere. I've being doing a lot of blog research lately, and think it's so interesting what's out there. Here's one from Southwest Airlines. It's actually pretty entertaining! I like how they're trying to reach out to their customers.
http://www.blogsouthwest.com/
http://www.blogsouthwest.com/
Friday, March 20, 2009
Amazing Customer Service Story
I found this story the other day and just love it. Makes me want to shop at Zappos even more than I already do!
Wonderful Zappos Customer Service Story
Do you all have any great stories of excellent customer service? I wish I had more. I have lots of bad stories, but I'll leave those for another time! Feel free to share the good and the bad here! :)
Wonderful Zappos Customer Service Story
Do you all have any great stories of excellent customer service? I wish I had more. I have lots of bad stories, but I'll leave those for another time! Feel free to share the good and the bad here! :)
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Spinach-and-Goat-Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Another fabulous recipe! My personal chef (he's so good!) made this for dinner and it was so good. Good enough that I was actually sad when I had finished because it was all gone. I love me some goat cheese!!
Spinach-and-Goat-Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts
4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch spinach, tough stems removed
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
4 ounces low-fat goat cheese
Salt
Pepper
Heat oven to 400.
Heat 2 teaspoons oil in large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in spinach and cook, stirring constantly, until spinach is wilted and liquid evaporates, about 2 minutes. Season well with salt and pepper and transfer to plate. Wipe skillet dry with paper towels.
Beginning at thickest end of chicken breast, carefully insert a sharp knife into center and cut pocket as evenly as possible, leaving 1-inch border on 3 sides. Repeat with remaining breasts. Open each pocket, sprinkle with salt and pepper, then fill evenly with goat cheese and spinach. Seal each with 2 toothpicks and season outside with salt and pepper.
Heat remining oil in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook, turning once, until well browned on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer skillet to oven and bake until juices run clear, about 8 minutes. Serve hot.
Spinach-and-Goat-Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts
4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch spinach, tough stems removed
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
4 ounces low-fat goat cheese
Salt
Pepper
Heat oven to 400.
Heat 2 teaspoons oil in large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in spinach and cook, stirring constantly, until spinach is wilted and liquid evaporates, about 2 minutes. Season well with salt and pepper and transfer to plate. Wipe skillet dry with paper towels.
Beginning at thickest end of chicken breast, carefully insert a sharp knife into center and cut pocket as evenly as possible, leaving 1-inch border on 3 sides. Repeat with remaining breasts. Open each pocket, sprinkle with salt and pepper, then fill evenly with goat cheese and spinach. Seal each with 2 toothpicks and season outside with salt and pepper.
Heat remining oil in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook, turning once, until well browned on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer skillet to oven and bake until juices run clear, about 8 minutes. Serve hot.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Disney Mania!
I love Disneyland. Plain and simple. This year my husband and I got passes and we have been loving every minute of it! Our annual trip has suddenly become a monthly occurrence and it's fantastic.
I've spent years accumulating tips and tricks of navigating Disneyland and now it's time to share some with all of you!
And just to share one of my fave photos from my most recent Disney trip...my husband and I in front of the most perfect wall!
I've spent years accumulating tips and tricks of navigating Disneyland and now it's time to share some with all of you!
- To start your day off right, head to Main Hall just inside the front gates (to the right) and pick up a personalized birthday button, Just Married button featuring Cinderella and Prince Charming, Happy Anniversary buttons, My First Time at Disneyland, and many more! They have a button for nearly every special occasion, so if you're at Disney for something special, make note of it! Every cast member you pass is supposed to comment on the button ("Happy Birthday!" or "Congratulations!") and it makes your day that much more special.
- I spent a long time cultivating my own personal list of "hidden Mickeys," fun spots throughout the parks and rides featuring a little Mickey (big circle for the face and two smaller circles to make the ears) hiding somewhere you wouldn't expect. Now there's a book for all the others who like to play the game. They have it on sale at the park, or you can find it at most Disney stores, and on Amazon.com, here.
- To experience the true G-force, while on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, watch the goat with the red eyes, and hold your gaze even as the train turns the corner. It'll take the breath out of you!
- Check out the Evil Queen who appears in the curtained window above Snow White's Scary Adventures.
- Small World was redone earlier this year and opened with new dolls portraying various Disney characters (Alice, Pinocchio, Ariel, etc.). Keep an eye out for them!
- Disneyland's Dream Suite in New Orleans Square was, until the end of 2008, offered as housing for one night to a very lucky family. Now that the Year(s) of a Million Dreams has ended, this suite is being offered to a cast member for one night a month. Pretty cool! (Heard this direct from a cast member working near the Suite at Pirates of the Caribbean.)
- Yesterday was the last day to watch the movie "Disneyland: The First 50 Magical Years" in Main Street's Opera House. Later this year, the animatronic Mr. Abe Lincoln show will return! It's being revamped, but it's coming back! (Heard this direct from a cast member working in the Opera House.)
- If you're traipsing around California Adventure and feel hungry, head over to the Mission Tortilla Factory for a free, freshly made flour tortilla. Then cross the street to the Boudin Bakery and get some fresh French bread, also for free. Yum!
- If you have time, check out the free drawing class at the Animation Academy. A real Disney animator will teach you to draw a favorite Disney character. Even my Winnie-the-Pooh came out looking relatively like the silly bear (and I really can't draw).
- Don't forget that this year you can get into the park FREE on your birthday! Sign up if you haven't already. And if you're an annual passholder like me, you can still sign up and get a Disney gift card in the amount a ticket would cost...all yours to spend at the park! You have to go to the park to get it on your actual birthday, but can spend it any time. Sweet deal!
- If you stay at any of the three Disneyland Resort hotels, you can get into the park an hour before it officially opens, at 7 a.m. Totally worth it! We did this and literally walked onto rides that usually have a long wait (Space Mountain, Peter Pan, etc.).
- If your Disney sweet tooth still isn't satisfied, check out this book, Mouse Tales. It's a fabulous behind-the-scenes look at the Happiest Place on Earth.
And just to share one of my fave photos from my most recent Disney trip...my husband and I in front of the most perfect wall!
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Debt-Proof Living
I first heard about Mary Hunt from one of my friends who has similar obsessions. Mary has a daily e-newsletter called Everyday Cheapskate that I've been addicted to for many years now. I love reading her daily tips on everyday things (from household fixes to ways to save money), her financial advice, and her all-around good sense.
I've also read her Debt-Proof Living books and they are a great resource. Once I got married, I read Debt-Proof Your Marriage and I love her way of thinking. It really is just good common sense when it's boiled down, but she has a wonderful no-nonsense outlook on savings and spending. I love finding new tips to recycle objects and new ways to cut corners and save money (since I love to do that, and love to bargain shop!). I find these tips especially helpful right now as our economy continues to downturn. I read her column every morning, and save the ones I want to refer back to in a folder in my e-mail account. Perfect for future reference (and if you have a gmail account, easy to search for later!).
Check out her site and sign up for her daily e-mail! You won't be sorry!
http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com/
I've also read her Debt-Proof Living books and they are a great resource. Once I got married, I read Debt-Proof Your Marriage and I love her way of thinking. It really is just good common sense when it's boiled down, but she has a wonderful no-nonsense outlook on savings and spending. I love finding new tips to recycle objects and new ways to cut corners and save money (since I love to do that, and love to bargain shop!). I find these tips especially helpful right now as our economy continues to downturn. I read her column every morning, and save the ones I want to refer back to in a folder in my e-mail account. Perfect for future reference (and if you have a gmail account, easy to search for later!).
Check out her site and sign up for her daily e-mail! You won't be sorry!
http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com/
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Nouveau Cheap
This is a blog I've really been looking forward to posting!
Here's the backstory:
Most of you know that I used to have a really sweet job. I left just about a year ago to go work elsewhere (which also turned out to be a great job, and which I enjoy) and I had to leave a really wonderful position where I had been blessed to work with some amazingly talented and creative people. The good that came out of leaving (besides finding my present job, also alongside some fantastic women) was all the relationships I was able to take with me and to sustain with my lovely former colleagues. One of said colleagues has recently started a blog, which I am so excited about!! She was the maven of all things beauty-related in our office and I always loved to hear her take on things. Plus, she always had the best tips and knew the best deals! Now I can share her with all of you!
Here's her new blog where she shared all of her worldly wisdom on beauty products, fun items, great deals, and the best advice: Nouveau Cheap. Trust me, you're going to want to bookmark this one.
Here's the backstory:
Most of you know that I used to have a really sweet job. I left just about a year ago to go work elsewhere (which also turned out to be a great job, and which I enjoy) and I had to leave a really wonderful position where I had been blessed to work with some amazingly talented and creative people. The good that came out of leaving (besides finding my present job, also alongside some fantastic women) was all the relationships I was able to take with me and to sustain with my lovely former colleagues. One of said colleagues has recently started a blog, which I am so excited about!! She was the maven of all things beauty-related in our office and I always loved to hear her take on things. Plus, she always had the best tips and knew the best deals! Now I can share her with all of you!
Here's her new blog where she shared all of her worldly wisdom on beauty products, fun items, great deals, and the best advice: Nouveau Cheap. Trust me, you're going to want to bookmark this one.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Chicken Couscous
So we are trying to be healthy lately, as always, and we've been cooking some yummy meals. My main motivation is knowing that I have to wear my wedding dress again soon and I want to look just as good in it the second time around! (Stay tuned for more about this in a couple of weeks!)
Most of you know I'm a huge library nerd. I love to check out cookbooks and try various recipes. I found this one in a South Beach Diet cookbook, and it's SO yummy! I added grape tomatoes to it just before serving, which added some color and an extra flavor. I think you could easily add a lot of veggies to it. It's also super easy and quick!
Chicken Couscous
Serves: 4 (we halved the amount of chicken to make it just for the two of us)
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onions, diced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup whole-wheat couscous
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
Salt
Pepper
Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook chicken until no longer pink inside and lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Remove from pan with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
Reduce heat to medium and add onion, cumin, and cinnamon to pan; cook until onions softened and lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add broth and bring to simmer. Stir in couscous, chickpeas, and good pinch of salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 1 minute. Return chicken to saucepan, combine with couscous, season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.
Most of you know I'm a huge library nerd. I love to check out cookbooks and try various recipes. I found this one in a South Beach Diet cookbook, and it's SO yummy! I added grape tomatoes to it just before serving, which added some color and an extra flavor. I think you could easily add a lot of veggies to it. It's also super easy and quick!
Chicken Couscous
Serves: 4 (we halved the amount of chicken to make it just for the two of us)
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onions, diced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup whole-wheat couscous
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
Salt
Pepper
Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook chicken until no longer pink inside and lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Remove from pan with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
Reduce heat to medium and add onion, cumin, and cinnamon to pan; cook until onions softened and lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add broth and bring to simmer. Stir in couscous, chickpeas, and good pinch of salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 1 minute. Return chicken to saucepan, combine with couscous, season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Love Letters
When I was 12, my seventh-grade English teacher had us write letters to ourselves and she mailed them 10 years later. I thought this was such a neat idea that every year after throughout junior high and high school I wrote a letter to myself and opened it one year to the day after. It was fascinating to see how my friendships and relationships changed, as well as how certain things became more clear and important in my life. The collection of letters has been a wonderful way to travel back through my teen years and remember who I was.
The year I was 22, I remember waiting for my letter to come. It arrived and was amazing to read what I was like at 12, and how much had changed in my life. When I was 12, I had my first serious crush, my parents hadn't yet divorced, school and soccer was my life, and I was worried about growing apart in my elementary school friendships. When I was 22 I was more concerned about graduating college, finding a job in my preferred career, where I was going to live and with whom, and anticipating moving from Missouri back home to California.
Today at work, a colleague and I were talking about writing letters like this and I remembered a website a friend told me about recently. It allows you to write letters to yourself and pick the date you want to receive them; the website sends it back to you at the later date of your choosing. It's the same concept my seventh-grade English teacher had, but without the second party. I love it! I wrote one to myself two months ago and can't wait to get it back in five years. I wonder how different my life will be then???
Check it out now: www.futureme.org
The year I was 22, I remember waiting for my letter to come. It arrived and was amazing to read what I was like at 12, and how much had changed in my life. When I was 12, I had my first serious crush, my parents hadn't yet divorced, school and soccer was my life, and I was worried about growing apart in my elementary school friendships. When I was 22 I was more concerned about graduating college, finding a job in my preferred career, where I was going to live and with whom, and anticipating moving from Missouri back home to California.
Today at work, a colleague and I were talking about writing letters like this and I remembered a website a friend told me about recently. It allows you to write letters to yourself and pick the date you want to receive them; the website sends it back to you at the later date of your choosing. It's the same concept my seventh-grade English teacher had, but without the second party. I love it! I wrote one to myself two months ago and can't wait to get it back in five years. I wonder how different my life will be then???
Check it out now: www.futureme.org
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Eat, Cook, Love
I love food. I love to eat it, smell it, cook it, have it cooked for me, watch TV shows about it, read about it, talk about it, and share it, and I love to grocery shop. When I was in second grade, I had to write a list of my hobbies on a poster board in front of the class. At the top of that list was “eating.” My teacher told me that eating wasn’t a hobby. I told her that for me, it sure was! Lately, I’ve been trying, as always, to eat healthy. I also always give up dessert for Lent. This year I’m just giving up desserts with sugar…I can still have sugar-free treats. So, needless to say, I’ve only been looking at more food blogs and more dessert recipes. You always want what you can’t have! I’m a diehard foodie and I obsess over my food blogs.
Here are some of my favorites (excepting the always wonderful Smitten Kitchen, of course)!
- HungryGirl: Not really a true blog, but a daily e-mail newsletter. I’ve been reading it for years and I love it! It’s such a fun way to start my day. They review new items, give out recipes with great substitutions to make food yummy yet healthy, have tons of coupons and great deals, and it’s just fun to read. They also have a couple of cookbooks now and a great search function on the website (which searches every recipe or item ever mentioned in all of the many e-newsletters. I think they’re starting to take over the world!
- The Traveler's Lunchbox: I love the writing style and the bookshelf is always good to check out for cooking references. I haven't made any of the recipes posted yet, but I love to check them out and bookmark them for future use.
- Baking Bites: I love to bake and love to drool over the photos and descriptions of some of these yummy recipes. I made a sugar cookie recipe I found on here that was delish, but can't find it again to link. But I bet all these cookies are good!
- Serious Eats: Great food news, fun facts and photos, yummy recipes, and good reading.
- Cupcakes Take the Cake: I don't think I need to say much here. Cupcakes are the BEST!!!!
And I have to share an AMAZING recipe I made that I got off of my favorite food blog, Smitten Kitchen. I think these are really supposed to be a dessert, but I have them for breakfast, too. They’re a great potluck item and can be eaten hot out of the oven or chilled. Also, you can easily substitute other fruits for the blueberries and mix it up a bit, which is always fun to do.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Free Stuff!
One of my all-time favorite pastimes is shopping. And especially bargain shopping. My mother is convinced I inherited this trait from my great-grandmother, who was the height of fashion but always loved a good deal. I'm not sure where it came from, but I love love LOVE to be frugal...in a good way, of course. I love thrift stores, clearance racks, outlet malls, and eBay. I once bought a pair of shoes for $1.99 (cute shoes, from American Eagle) and loved them so dearly that I literally wore them into the ground, until the heels came apart. I actually just had to retire them this year, but they lasted me seven good long years and they never looked their age (well, until the heel broke off). Okay, enough reminiscing about my shoewear graveyard.
So, one of my fun little hobbies is surfing the Web for free stuff. It's amazing how many goodies are out there! This is one I've been visiting for years. I've gotten a lot out of it, too! I actually have three shoeboxes in my bathroom full of toothpaste, dental floss, shampoo, anacids, trick-or-treat bags, a space camp DVD, and other odds and ends right now. Okay, so maybe I didn't really need the space camp DVD, which I've never even watched. But besides my need to occasionally buy/get for free things I don't really need....
Check out Hey It's Free. You'll get fun free stuff! And if you don't really need it, someone else might. Every year I cleanse out my stash and donate a bunch of the hygeine products to a local homeless shelter. Just another way to help out and feed my shopping/freebie addiction!
So, one of my fun little hobbies is surfing the Web for free stuff. It's amazing how many goodies are out there! This is one I've been visiting for years. I've gotten a lot out of it, too! I actually have three shoeboxes in my bathroom full of toothpaste, dental floss, shampoo, anacids, trick-or-treat bags, a space camp DVD, and other odds and ends right now. Okay, so maybe I didn't really need the space camp DVD, which I've never even watched. But besides my need to occasionally buy/get for free things I don't really need....
Check out Hey It's Free. You'll get fun free stuff! And if you don't really need it, someone else might. Every year I cleanse out my stash and donate a bunch of the hygeine products to a local homeless shelter. Just another way to help out and feed my shopping/freebie addiction!
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Blogstalkers
Now I have to share another fun list: My Top Five Favorite Blogs to Stalk
1. Post Secret - If you don't know what it is, you need to find out. I've been a loyal stalker for years (though I've never participated, promise!) and I always celebrate/mourn the start of another week by checking out the latest Sunday Secrets.
2. Melissa McClure Photography - One of my favorite photogs! I previously mentioned my obsession for weddings...well that also leads to my obsession with following the blogs of wedding photographers. Melissa is awesome!! I love her style and the way her artistic eye catches such beautiful moments. Keep an eye out for yours truly to make a guest appearance sometime in the next month. :)
3. Cake Wrecks - Just plain good fun. But it will make you hungry. Big surprise that my faves are the ones with grammatical/spelling errors.
4. Smitten Kitchen - YUM! I love to eat, love to cook, love to watch my husband cook for me (almost as much as I like to watch him do all the dishes...but that's a rarity). Food is one of my greatest life-long passions. And Smitten Kitchen does me proud. Beautiful photos of beautiful food. I've also found some kick-ass recipes on here. They have all been a hit thus far!
5. Pink Is the New Blog - My favorite way to catch up on the latest celebrity sleaze after a long day. :) It's such a guilty pleasure.
Okay, no more lists for today! I'm off to spend some quality time with my dear hubby...I've neglected him long enough on our four-month anniversary! Time to celebrate in style...that's right, we're going to Home Depot!
1. Post Secret - If you don't know what it is, you need to find out. I've been a loyal stalker for years (though I've never participated, promise!) and I always celebrate/mourn the start of another week by checking out the latest Sunday Secrets.
2. Melissa McClure Photography - One of my favorite photogs! I previously mentioned my obsession for weddings...well that also leads to my obsession with following the blogs of wedding photographers. Melissa is awesome!! I love her style and the way her artistic eye catches such beautiful moments. Keep an eye out for yours truly to make a guest appearance sometime in the next month. :)
3. Cake Wrecks - Just plain good fun. But it will make you hungry. Big surprise that my faves are the ones with grammatical/spelling errors.
4. Smitten Kitchen - YUM! I love to eat, love to cook, love to watch my husband cook for me (almost as much as I like to watch him do all the dishes...but that's a rarity). Food is one of my greatest life-long passions. And Smitten Kitchen does me proud. Beautiful photos of beautiful food. I've also found some kick-ass recipes on here. They have all been a hit thus far!
5. Pink Is the New Blog - My favorite way to catch up on the latest celebrity sleaze after a long day. :) It's such a guilty pleasure.
Okay, no more lists for today! I'm off to spend some quality time with my dear hubby...I've neglected him long enough on our four-month anniversary! Time to celebrate in style...that's right, we're going to Home Depot!
Confessions of a Listaholic
I love to make lists. I have a list for everything in my life and it gives me great satisfaction to be able to cross something off a list. Sometimes I will have one item on multiple lists, which means I get to check it off in several places; oh, the joy!
In 2008, while I was planning my wedding, I began a list called Post-Wedding To-Dos. These were things I really wanted to accomplish but knew I wouldn't have time to do until wedding craziness was over (rest assured, I'm sure you'll get to read more about my wedding obsessions soon...it's right up there with listing). At the top --- or, rather, close enough the top, falling behind "find sanity," "write thank-you notes," and "spend time with new husband" --- of that list was "Start your blog." I've long wanted to get back to blogging. I started my first when I was in college back in 2002 (that seems like a lonnnnng time ago...getting old) but lost the login/password somewhere along the way. I'm sure it still exists somewhere in the vastness of cyberspace but I certainly can't find it.
So it's time to start anew! I also listed "Start your blog" on my 2009 New Years' Resolutions list, among other items like "Get back to your wedding weight, "Spend more time with all those friends you didn't have time for while planning your wedding," and "Paint your bedroom." Now that those are all checked off, it's time to blog!
Now I don't have much to say that would interest anyone. At all. But I love to write and I love to share (Show and Tell was my second-favorite subject in kindergarten, just behind Reading). I also love to read other blogs and share the fun ones that I find. I hope to use this blog outlet of mine to share some cool stuff and some random stuff and definitely some stuff no one will care about but me!
As for my blog's name...well, I must admit that I'm a word nerd. A big one. And "spontaneous" is one of my favorite words, has been since I discovered it and, shortly thereafter, its' meaning when I was in the third grade. Spontaneous. It just sounds cool! In college, some friends and I created what we liked to call Moments of Random Spontaneity (which, oddly, really just involved ripping loose reflectors off the blacktop of lone Kansas roads, autographing them for each other, and saving them as treasured keepsakes...which is probably illegal). One of my favorite phrases is "spontaneous combustion," but that blog name was already taken by this dude...I think I REALLY deserve it more than him, don't you? Instead, I settled on Spontaneous Truth. I like it. Maybe I will tell some random and truthful things here after all.
Oh, yeah, and I'm also long-winded. Could you tell?
In 2008, while I was planning my wedding, I began a list called Post-Wedding To-Dos. These were things I really wanted to accomplish but knew I wouldn't have time to do until wedding craziness was over (rest assured, I'm sure you'll get to read more about my wedding obsessions soon...it's right up there with listing). At the top --- or, rather, close enough the top, falling behind "find sanity," "write thank-you notes," and "spend time with new husband" --- of that list was "Start your blog." I've long wanted to get back to blogging. I started my first when I was in college back in 2002 (that seems like a lonnnnng time ago...getting old) but lost the login/password somewhere along the way. I'm sure it still exists somewhere in the vastness of cyberspace but I certainly can't find it.
So it's time to start anew! I also listed "Start your blog" on my 2009 New Years' Resolutions list, among other items like "Get back to your wedding weight, "Spend more time with all those friends you didn't have time for while planning your wedding," and "Paint your bedroom." Now that those are all checked off, it's time to blog!
Now I don't have much to say that would interest anyone. At all. But I love to write and I love to share (Show and Tell was my second-favorite subject in kindergarten, just behind Reading). I also love to read other blogs and share the fun ones that I find. I hope to use this blog outlet of mine to share some cool stuff and some random stuff and definitely some stuff no one will care about but me!
As for my blog's name...well, I must admit that I'm a word nerd. A big one. And "spontaneous" is one of my favorite words, has been since I discovered it and, shortly thereafter, its' meaning when I was in the third grade. Spontaneous. It just sounds cool! In college, some friends and I created what we liked to call Moments of Random Spontaneity (which, oddly, really just involved ripping loose reflectors off the blacktop of lone Kansas roads, autographing them for each other, and saving them as treasured keepsakes...which is probably illegal). One of my favorite phrases is "spontaneous combustion," but that blog name was already taken by this dude...I think I REALLY deserve it more than him, don't you? Instead, I settled on Spontaneous Truth. I like it. Maybe I will tell some random and truthful things here after all.
Oh, yeah, and I'm also long-winded. Could you tell?
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