I love All You magazine. It's the best coupon mag out there, and they always have great little articles (and e-articles) about saving time and money, along with recipes and cute ideas for home. (If you ever see a deal online for a year's subscription at a discount, grab it up; you'll thank me later.)
Today's e-mail feature article is "23 Household Products You Don't Need to Buy." It's a list of other uses for common household items that you can use instead of buying other one-purpose products. It's really interesting and worth the few minutes it takes to scroll through. Did you know you can rub out scuff marks with a banana peel?! Pretty cool. Check it out!
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
525,600 minutes
I realized I hadn't posted a personal blog in a while. I should, in case anyone actually reads this.
I hate endings. I know they're a necessary and natural part of life, but I don't like them. I also know that when anything ends, it opens up a door for something new to begin, and that's great; but I still find endings difficult and beginnings intimidating.
There are a lot of endings on my mind lately. One thing I absolutely hate about my line of work is having to say goodbye to kids. It's in my nature/nurture-induced character to attach easily to people, and that makes goodbyes really, really difficult. As a teacher, every May I'm forced to say goodbye, and sometimes even before then.
I think I can say at this point without any air of secrecy that it's been a rough year for Jonesville. In April, we said goodbye to an assistant principal who encouraged me throughout my first two years of teaching, and an administrative assistant with one of the biggest hearts in the world. On the first of May, we lost our art teacher unexpectedly to a plethora of health issues that culminated in what seemed like an untimely death. And in the past couple of months, we've had to get used to the idea that our amazing principal will be leaving us for the high school when the year ends. This, in addition to the usual goodbyes that the end of the year imposes, has sort of overloaded me emotionally.
To top it off, I have another bittersweet goodbye in order; I learned last week that I will no longer be teaching at Sims. At this point I'm slated to split my days between Jonesville and Lockhart next year, but that could change before August. I learned a lot during my year at Sims, I grew as a teacher, and I became close to a few students, though not quite so many as I have at Jonesville. I will miss those kids, as well as the administrators who have been so graciously welcoming and encouraging to me this year. However, I think the two smaller schools will be a better fit for me, since I grew up in a small school and tend to prefer closer-knit environments. Still, my dream teaching situation would be to stay at Jonesville full-time like I did my first year. (But don't get me wrong; I'm grateful to have a job, especially in a time like this, and I think the change will be a positive one.)
Tomorrow my Jonesville 8th graders will graduate, and I will reluctantly say goodbye to several of them. I didn't get as close to this graduating class as a whole (not by a longshot in comparison to last year's group), but there's a handful that I'll really and truly miss.
I guess it's Jonesville tradition for a chorus of 8th graders to sing at graduation, and last year I became involved in the preparations for this (which is now apparently becoming tradition as well). A chorus that included some of my favorites sang "For Good" from Wicked, and I bawled like a baby at the lyrics that rang so true of these kids. This year some of my favorites will sing "Seasons of Love" from Rent (when I'm involved, you'd better bet there will be Broadway!), and like last year, I'm getting emotional about it. I've always been hit pretty hard by the lyrics. That goes double for this year.
525,600 minutes
525,000 moments so dear.
525,600 minutes
how do you measure, measure a year
In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee
In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife
In 525,600 minutes
how do you measure a year in the life
How about love
Measure in love
Seasons of love
525,600 minutes
525,000 journeys to plan
525,600 minutes
how can you measure the life of a woman or man
In truths that she learned
Or in times that he cried
In bridges he burned
Or the way that she died
It's time now to sing out
Though the story never ends
let's celebrate
remember a year in the life of friends
How about love
Measure in love
Seasons of love
In diapers, report cards
in spoke wheels
in speeding tickets
in contracts
in dollars
in funerals and births.
525,600 minutes
how do you figure our last year on earth
figure in love
measure in love
How do you measure a year? Especially a year as eventful as this one has been. I think it will suffice to say that I'll measure this year in memories. And by that scale, it's definitely been a big one.
I hate endings. I know they're a necessary and natural part of life, but I don't like them. I also know that when anything ends, it opens up a door for something new to begin, and that's great; but I still find endings difficult and beginnings intimidating.
There are a lot of endings on my mind lately. One thing I absolutely hate about my line of work is having to say goodbye to kids. It's in my nature/nurture-induced character to attach easily to people, and that makes goodbyes really, really difficult. As a teacher, every May I'm forced to say goodbye, and sometimes even before then.
I think I can say at this point without any air of secrecy that it's been a rough year for Jonesville. In April, we said goodbye to an assistant principal who encouraged me throughout my first two years of teaching, and an administrative assistant with one of the biggest hearts in the world. On the first of May, we lost our art teacher unexpectedly to a plethora of health issues that culminated in what seemed like an untimely death. And in the past couple of months, we've had to get used to the idea that our amazing principal will be leaving us for the high school when the year ends. This, in addition to the usual goodbyes that the end of the year imposes, has sort of overloaded me emotionally.
To top it off, I have another bittersweet goodbye in order; I learned last week that I will no longer be teaching at Sims. At this point I'm slated to split my days between Jonesville and Lockhart next year, but that could change before August. I learned a lot during my year at Sims, I grew as a teacher, and I became close to a few students, though not quite so many as I have at Jonesville. I will miss those kids, as well as the administrators who have been so graciously welcoming and encouraging to me this year. However, I think the two smaller schools will be a better fit for me, since I grew up in a small school and tend to prefer closer-knit environments. Still, my dream teaching situation would be to stay at Jonesville full-time like I did my first year. (But don't get me wrong; I'm grateful to have a job, especially in a time like this, and I think the change will be a positive one.)
Tomorrow my Jonesville 8th graders will graduate, and I will reluctantly say goodbye to several of them. I didn't get as close to this graduating class as a whole (not by a longshot in comparison to last year's group), but there's a handful that I'll really and truly miss.
I guess it's Jonesville tradition for a chorus of 8th graders to sing at graduation, and last year I became involved in the preparations for this (which is now apparently becoming tradition as well). A chorus that included some of my favorites sang "For Good" from Wicked, and I bawled like a baby at the lyrics that rang so true of these kids. This year some of my favorites will sing "Seasons of Love" from Rent (when I'm involved, you'd better bet there will be Broadway!), and like last year, I'm getting emotional about it. I've always been hit pretty hard by the lyrics. That goes double for this year.
525,600 minutes
525,000 moments so dear.
525,600 minutes
how do you measure, measure a year
In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee
In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife
In 525,600 minutes
how do you measure a year in the life
How about love
Measure in love
Seasons of love
525,600 minutes
525,000 journeys to plan
525,600 minutes
how can you measure the life of a woman or man
In truths that she learned
Or in times that he cried
In bridges he burned
Or the way that she died
It's time now to sing out
Though the story never ends
let's celebrate
remember a year in the life of friends
How about love
Measure in love
Seasons of love
In diapers, report cards
in spoke wheels
in speeding tickets
in contracts
in dollars
in funerals and births.
525,600 minutes
how do you figure our last year on earth
figure in love
measure in love
How do you measure a year? Especially a year as eventful as this one has been. I think it will suffice to say that I'll measure this year in memories. And by that scale, it's definitely been a big one.
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Recyclebank
As part of my teacher education program, I did a unit project for a gifted ed class about conservation--the whole "reduce, reuse, recycle" thing. I didn't really know or care that much about it before that project. The strongest memory I have from my research was learning how long it takes glass, plastic, styrofoam, etc. to decompose in a landfill (according to a Penn State study, 500 years, 450 years, and never, respectively), and looking at photos of landfills. What a sad testament to our wasteful society... and I very much include myself in that group.
I think it was then that I started getting more into recycling. I have since tried to be more mindful of waste at home and work, and I don't do quite as much as I could, I guess, but I figure every little bit helps. My husband already did recycling before we married, and because of him (and curbside pickup--one perk to living in the city) we've always had a recycling bin next to our trash can in the house.
I just joined a program called Recyclebank, which seems to be a cool rewards program for those who choose to try to live a little greener. Not that we need rewards to motivate us to be good to the environment--but, you know, it's still nice. :) Recyclebank has programs in place in many cities that actually weigh recycle bins on collection day and reward families with savings and coupons in exchange for their continued recycling. (If there's not one in your city, as is the case with mine, you can download and distribute letters from the site to your garbage hauler or city office asking them to implement the program!) In addition, the site has lots of suggestions for how to reduce, reuse, and recycle in your home, as well as green ways to earn points through the site (to redeem for savings). Seems like a win-win to me. Check it out!
I think it was then that I started getting more into recycling. I have since tried to be more mindful of waste at home and work, and I don't do quite as much as I could, I guess, but I figure every little bit helps. My husband already did recycling before we married, and because of him (and curbside pickup--one perk to living in the city) we've always had a recycling bin next to our trash can in the house.
I just joined a program called Recyclebank, which seems to be a cool rewards program for those who choose to try to live a little greener. Not that we need rewards to motivate us to be good to the environment--but, you know, it's still nice. :) Recyclebank has programs in place in many cities that actually weigh recycle bins on collection day and reward families with savings and coupons in exchange for their continued recycling. (If there's not one in your city, as is the case with mine, you can download and distribute letters from the site to your garbage hauler or city office asking them to implement the program!) In addition, the site has lots of suggestions for how to reduce, reuse, and recycle in your home, as well as green ways to earn points through the site (to redeem for savings). Seems like a win-win to me. Check it out!
Monday, May 9, 2011
Awesome article - 26 ways to get stuff free!
My favorite coupon mag, All You, has an excellent article online about 26 ways to get things free and cut costs in your daily life. There are some great tips here--some new even to me! Check it out!
Friday, April 29, 2011
Lärabar: I'm in love
Aren't snack bars just the greatest? (Wow, that sounded cheesy and lame. Forget I said that.) But really, aren't they awesome? It's like a mini-meal you can throw in your purse and munch on throughout a busy morning/afternoon/whatever. And normally it satisfies one of my major cravings--salty, crunchy, and/or sweet.
Problem: snack bars can become junk food. Why is it so many things I like are packed with junk?! Not fair!
I was recently diagnosed with an insulin-resistant disorder and was urged by doctor and nutritionist to purge my diet of excess carbohydrates. This was a huge undertaking for me, because all my favorite foods are in the carb column--sugar, baked goodies, chocolate, ice cream, pasta, potatoes, even my favorite veggie--corn--is a starch. I haven't been able to cut carbs completely from my diet yet; maybe I'll get there. At any rate, I have cut back. My nutritionist also recommended the several-small-meals-a-day plan, which is a good idea for everyone but especially for those with insulin issues, as waiting a long time before eating, then gorging, will cause blood sugar slumps and spikes. She was precious and looked at my schedule with me to determine when it would be best for me, my body, and my schedule to fit in my small meals. My planning period at the school where I teach in the mornings is right around 9am, and this is my mid-morning snack time. I've found the best (and really the only) way for me to eat during this time is to have something I can throw in my purse and munch on gradually throughout my half-hour planning. Enter the snack bar.
For me, the key to finding a good snack bar is that it's not only low in carbs but also as natural as possible. There are some carbs you're supposed to have, the kinds that come from fruits and whole grains and other wholesome ingredients. So if I'm eating something that's packed with fruit, yeah, I'm gonna have some carbs, but I also get one of my fruit servings out of the day.
I found Trio bars at Costco and got into them for a while. The tagline of these bars is "3 fruits, 3 nuts, 3 seeds." And each flavor has exactly that--3 kinds of dried fruit, 3 kinds of nuts, and 3 kinds of seeds. Plus, they've got all the right lines on the labels: "No Cholesterol, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Vegan, Wheat Free, No Preservatives, No Trans Fats, Kosher." All sounds good to me. However, there's a big fuss in the blogosphere over the fact that these bars are made in China, which unnerves some folks (though the company has released a good bit of information to assuage their fears). Also, Trio bars contain "evaporated cane juice" (essentially sugar) and "rice malt" (puffy stuff, the consistency of Corn Pops) which serves to hold the nuts, fruits, and seeds together; for me, these just add empty carbs I could be using on something better. Plus, the abundance of nuts and seeds jacks the fat count up to 12g--about the same as a bag of potato chips. :/
Fast-forward to a couple of weekends ago. My mom brought me a large box of fruit and nut bars she had bought at a club store, saying she didn't like them and wanted to let me try them. I didn't give them a second thought until a recent morning when I was running out the door with an empty stomach (a big no-no for me, since I've now grown accustomed to breakfast) because I couldn't find Slim-fast mix in the house. I literally had my hand on the doorknob when I thought about these bars that were still in the bag in which Mom gave them to me. I glanced at them skeptically--if it's health food my mother couldn't handle, it's probably straight bird seed. The flavor names, "apple pie," "cherry pie," and "cashew cookie," were intriguing enough for me to grab one and toss it in my purse.
They're called Lärabars, and it was love at first bite for me. The ingredients in the Apple Pie bar fit on one small line on the wrapper--dates, almonds, unsweetened apples, walnuts, raisins, and cinnamon. That's literally all. And the cinnamon just makes all the difference in the flavor; it's amazing. The bar is made of a fruit puree, so it's moist and sweet and chewy (and a bit tart, just enough to be interesting), and the walnuts and almonds are interspersed throughout which give it a good crunchy element. I get my solid serving of fruit with a few less fat grams than the Trio bars, 24 grabs of carbs (not terrible considering that they come directly from fruits and nuts), and I actually enjoy the taste. Oh, and it's also got all the good taglines the Trio bars boast, in addition to "Soy Free" and "Non-GMO." The website has all sorts of info on how Lärabars work with many special diets and conditions (including celiac, kosher, low-carb, vegan, allergies, and even raw diets). There are 19 flavors (all of which I now want to try), and the best part is... the company also makes chocolate. (insert Hallelujah Chorus here) The chocolate products, cleverly named Jŏcolat, are organic and made from Fair Trade Certified ingredients (no more than 7 ingredients per bar, by the way), also with no added sugar (or dairy, soy, or gluten). I'm now on the hunt for these as well.
Update: I wrote the above two weeks ago and have since also tried the Cherry Pie and Cashew Cookie Lärabars, which are also tasty. I think Apple Pie is still my favorite so far. The cherry bars have cherries, dates, and almonds in them--that's it!--and are really, really tart, but still good. The cashew cookie bars, which actually do have a cookie sort of taste to them, only contain cashews and dates. Wow. Amazing what can be done with only two ingredients. All this to say... try a Lärabar. Odds are you'll like at least one of the flavors, and it's likely better than your current daytime snacks!
Problem: snack bars can become junk food. Why is it so many things I like are packed with junk?! Not fair!
I was recently diagnosed with an insulin-resistant disorder and was urged by doctor and nutritionist to purge my diet of excess carbohydrates. This was a huge undertaking for me, because all my favorite foods are in the carb column--sugar, baked goodies, chocolate, ice cream, pasta, potatoes, even my favorite veggie--corn--is a starch. I haven't been able to cut carbs completely from my diet yet; maybe I'll get there. At any rate, I have cut back. My nutritionist also recommended the several-small-meals-a-day plan, which is a good idea for everyone but especially for those with insulin issues, as waiting a long time before eating, then gorging, will cause blood sugar slumps and spikes. She was precious and looked at my schedule with me to determine when it would be best for me, my body, and my schedule to fit in my small meals. My planning period at the school where I teach in the mornings is right around 9am, and this is my mid-morning snack time. I've found the best (and really the only) way for me to eat during this time is to have something I can throw in my purse and munch on gradually throughout my half-hour planning. Enter the snack bar.
For me, the key to finding a good snack bar is that it's not only low in carbs but also as natural as possible. There are some carbs you're supposed to have, the kinds that come from fruits and whole grains and other wholesome ingredients. So if I'm eating something that's packed with fruit, yeah, I'm gonna have some carbs, but I also get one of my fruit servings out of the day.
I found Trio bars at Costco and got into them for a while. The tagline of these bars is "3 fruits, 3 nuts, 3 seeds." And each flavor has exactly that--3 kinds of dried fruit, 3 kinds of nuts, and 3 kinds of seeds. Plus, they've got all the right lines on the labels: "No Cholesterol, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Vegan, Wheat Free, No Preservatives, No Trans Fats, Kosher." All sounds good to me. However, there's a big fuss in the blogosphere over the fact that these bars are made in China, which unnerves some folks (though the company has released a good bit of information to assuage their fears). Also, Trio bars contain "evaporated cane juice" (essentially sugar) and "rice malt" (puffy stuff, the consistency of Corn Pops) which serves to hold the nuts, fruits, and seeds together; for me, these just add empty carbs I could be using on something better. Plus, the abundance of nuts and seeds jacks the fat count up to 12g--about the same as a bag of potato chips. :/
Fast-forward to a couple of weekends ago. My mom brought me a large box of fruit and nut bars she had bought at a club store, saying she didn't like them and wanted to let me try them. I didn't give them a second thought until a recent morning when I was running out the door with an empty stomach (a big no-no for me, since I've now grown accustomed to breakfast) because I couldn't find Slim-fast mix in the house. I literally had my hand on the doorknob when I thought about these bars that were still in the bag in which Mom gave them to me. I glanced at them skeptically--if it's health food my mother couldn't handle, it's probably straight bird seed. The flavor names, "apple pie," "cherry pie," and "cashew cookie," were intriguing enough for me to grab one and toss it in my purse.
They're called Lärabars, and it was love at first bite for me. The ingredients in the Apple Pie bar fit on one small line on the wrapper--dates, almonds, unsweetened apples, walnuts, raisins, and cinnamon. That's literally all. And the cinnamon just makes all the difference in the flavor; it's amazing. The bar is made of a fruit puree, so it's moist and sweet and chewy (and a bit tart, just enough to be interesting), and the walnuts and almonds are interspersed throughout which give it a good crunchy element. I get my solid serving of fruit with a few less fat grams than the Trio bars, 24 grabs of carbs (not terrible considering that they come directly from fruits and nuts), and I actually enjoy the taste. Oh, and it's also got all the good taglines the Trio bars boast, in addition to "Soy Free" and "Non-GMO." The website has all sorts of info on how Lärabars work with many special diets and conditions (including celiac, kosher, low-carb, vegan, allergies, and even raw diets). There are 19 flavors (all of which I now want to try), and the best part is... the company also makes chocolate. (insert Hallelujah Chorus here) The chocolate products, cleverly named Jŏcolat, are organic and made from Fair Trade Certified ingredients (no more than 7 ingredients per bar, by the way), also with no added sugar (or dairy, soy, or gluten). I'm now on the hunt for these as well.
Update: I wrote the above two weeks ago and have since also tried the Cherry Pie and Cashew Cookie Lärabars, which are also tasty. I think Apple Pie is still my favorite so far. The cherry bars have cherries, dates, and almonds in them--that's it!--and are really, really tart, but still good. The cashew cookie bars, which actually do have a cookie sort of taste to them, only contain cashews and dates. Wow. Amazing what can be done with only two ingredients. All this to say... try a Lärabar. Odds are you'll like at least one of the flavors, and it's likely better than your current daytime snacks!
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
GraveyardMall Deal: Hair Straightener
Confession: I can't live without my flat iron.
My head is chock-full of hair that is fine-stranded and wavy--not curly enough to wear it curly, but not straight enough to wear it straight. After letting it dry naturally post-wash, it fluffs up like a lion's mane.
My first flat iron lasted me about six years, then literally exploded last summer (not violently, but it definitely popped a side and stopped heating up). I hated trying to find a new one; there are a billion different combinations of sizes, styles, features, etc., and of course (as with most things) the nicest ones were way out of my frugal price range--and that was just in the Walmart aisle!
One of my new favorite online deal sites, GraveyardMall, has an awesome deal on a Conair flat iron with infrared heat, which apparently is gentler on the hair. This straightener retails around $100 and is on sale today (and possibly for the next few days, until they sell out) for $18 plus about $6 shipping. I would take advantage of it myself, except for the fact that I had to replace mine just last summer!
I'd recommend signing up for GraveyardMall daily emails. Sometimes the deals aren't incredibly useful, but they have great buys on "lots" of sunglasses with decent brand names, some stuff for the home, and occasionally electronics. It's one of my new favorites to check each day!
My head is chock-full of hair that is fine-stranded and wavy--not curly enough to wear it curly, but not straight enough to wear it straight. After letting it dry naturally post-wash, it fluffs up like a lion's mane.
My first flat iron lasted me about six years, then literally exploded last summer (not violently, but it definitely popped a side and stopped heating up). I hated trying to find a new one; there are a billion different combinations of sizes, styles, features, etc., and of course (as with most things) the nicest ones were way out of my frugal price range--and that was just in the Walmart aisle!
One of my new favorite online deal sites, GraveyardMall, has an awesome deal on a Conair flat iron with infrared heat, which apparently is gentler on the hair. This straightener retails around $100 and is on sale today (and possibly for the next few days, until they sell out) for $18 plus about $6 shipping. I would take advantage of it myself, except for the fact that I had to replace mine just last summer!
I'd recommend signing up for GraveyardMall daily emails. Sometimes the deals aren't incredibly useful, but they have great buys on "lots" of sunglasses with decent brand names, some stuff for the home, and occasionally electronics. It's one of my new favorites to check each day!
When surveys are worth it...
If you are ever looking for something to do with your spare time and have access to a computer (or if you need something to keep you busy during down-time at the office), I can't even tell you how strongly I recommend getting into online surveys. (Check out my post about surveys to get started.)
Today I have an excellent reason to advocate surveys! In early February, I took some survey--I don't even remember from which company; there are so many that I can't keep track--about computer productivity software. The survey was a pre-qualifier for an online focus group that lasted a little less than an hour and was scheduled for a weekday evening a couple of weeks later. The group focused on benefits and features of an upcoming new release of Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint (and integrating the two), with an emphasis on data charts. The subject matter wasn't too terribly enthralling, but the format was kind of cool (part phone, part online) and the new features of Office look promising. I always enjoy giving input on new products.
But here's the best part: the incentive for participating. It was advertised as a $50 Amazon gift card (which I actually didn't know about until I finished the screener), but when it arrived in my email... it was $100. :D Nothing makes me smile quite like earning a nice incentive. All that to say this--surveys are worth it. Give it a try.
Today I have an excellent reason to advocate surveys! In early February, I took some survey--I don't even remember from which company; there are so many that I can't keep track--about computer productivity software. The survey was a pre-qualifier for an online focus group that lasted a little less than an hour and was scheduled for a weekday evening a couple of weeks later. The group focused on benefits and features of an upcoming new release of Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint (and integrating the two), with an emphasis on data charts. The subject matter wasn't too terribly enthralling, but the format was kind of cool (part phone, part online) and the new features of Office look promising. I always enjoy giving input on new products.
But here's the best part: the incentive for participating. It was advertised as a $50 Amazon gift card (which I actually didn't know about until I finished the screener), but when it arrived in my email... it was $100. :D Nothing makes me smile quite like earning a nice incentive. All that to say this--surveys are worth it. Give it a try.
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