Goin' green

I know that a lot of people are panicking about the warmer weather and the inevitable swimsuit season (guilty as charged!) and are working full force to get healthy, lose weight, and get in shape. While I am certainly no expert on the matter, I would like to share a few of our good habits, in hopes that I can help someone else make small changes (that make a big difference), too!

My secret weapon: Making veggies more readily available. By doing this, we encourage ourselves to snack more on veggies and less on other things, and we also use more veggies in things that we cook.

When we bring our veggies home from the grocery store, the very first thing we do is wash it all and chop it all up. With the exception, of course, of things like tomatoes that don't do so hot being chopped up and staying good. I chop them up in large, snackable chunks, but I make sure that they are small enough that I can add them to pastas, rice, soups, and salads easily.

Once the veggies are all chopped up, I put each veggie in it's own separate, clear plastic container so that when I open the fridge, I see all those beautiful veggies looking back at me! We got some really cheap, really great food savers at Ikea that have been amazing to have around! When I'm making dinner, I say, "Ok - let's veggie this up" and I just grab handfuls of whatever looks the best and throw it in with what we are eating and - voila! Instant deliciousness.

It's a huge life saver for the mornings, too when we are packing our lunches and snacks for the day. (Being healthy makes me hungry). We get a smaller little tupperware container, grab a little of each of whatever sounds best at the time, another little container of hummus, and off we go. Today I opted for bell peppers, celery, and broccoli with roasted red pepper hummus. Delish!

My friend is looking into vegetarianism and asked for a few suggestions. We started this board on Pinterest to share vegetarian friendly ideas and recipes...so far so good! If you have any suggestions or contributions, I am always looking for new ways to use all these delicious veggies!

I know it's a very small step of a very long journey, but I know that if we keep up all of our good habits, we will look better and feel better in no time! :)

Giving the Gift of Good Health

I've been called germaphobe in my day. Weirdo. OCD. Paranoid. Call me what you must, but I absolutely despise getting sick. Anything that I can do to prevent it, you can guarantee that I will do it.

Everyone around me at work has been getting sick lately. There have been stomach flus, regular flus, colds, coughs and fevers. I know that I can only do whatever I can do to keep myself clean and germ-free, but can't necessarily make other people be germ-free, too. Or can I.....?

Everyone, meet my work-friend Christmas gifts.

Sanitizer Snowmen!

Going Green With Our Garbage

This summer we had a very sad, very poor attempt at composting. The problems we faced were mostly related to the lack of space and the fact that we share a yard with several other people...and all of their animals. I did a lot of research and I think when the time comes that we have our own house I will know enough about composting to be able to do it effectively and efficiently. Looks like that counter top compost container wasn't a waste of $30 after all! :)


One thing I found out about composting is that most cities and counties in Utah offer composting services! If you have a garbage can that is specifically for yard clippings, you have your own large compost collector. Our "compost can" is our brown garbage can. This is where we put the usual garbage...grass clippings, pulled weeds, raked leaves, etc. I thought I would share with you the other items that can be placed in these bins in order to save you space in your regular garbage bins, clear up space in the landfills, and help turn these natural fibers back into nutrient rich soil that can in turn be used to grow more plants and trees!

Think twice before throwing out the following items into the regular garbage bin:

• Coffee grinds
• Hair clippings
• Nail clippings
• Egg shells
• Expired produce
• Freezer burned vegetables
• Paper towels
• Matches
• Banana peels
• Old spices
• Potato peelings
• Orange rinds
• Q tips (ONLY if they have cardboard middles, not plastic)
• Houseplant trimmings
• Corncobs
• Nut shells
• Apple cores
• Lobster shells (if you eat meat, of course)
• Lint from the dryer
• Dust bunnies, and other things you empty out of the vacuum cleaner
• Feathers and bird cage tray cleanings
• Dead flies and bees you clean out of your windowsills
• Sunflower seeds leftover from last baseball season
• Leftover Jack-O-Lanterns (sad, but I know that there are still a few sitting on porches)

Pretty cool, huh? I will keep you posted as to how the composting goes when we get our new place. I hope to be completely self-sufficient when we grow our own garden. Next year....next year....

Nothing New

Cool fact of the day: October is "Buy Nothing New Month" in Australia. True story!
Instead of going to Wal-Mart or Target every time you realize you need (or, let's be honest - want) something, (this includes all the cool stuff in the $1 bins up at the front of the store) this whole country is encouraging each other to trade, borrow, rent, up-cycle or thrift items. How cool is that?

If you think about the enormous impact that buying new takes on our environment (as well as our bank accounts) then it isn't really hard to make the decision to be more conscientious before making new purchases. I have challenged myself, as well as my sweetie, to try and keep true with this concept for this month. It's only one month, right? We can totally do this. And, hey. We may even be pleasantly surprised in ourselves and decide never to go back to our old ways of thinking, when it comes to being consumers.

Something that makes this especially interesting is that we have started our Christmas shopping already (only 5 paydays left until Christmas, folks!). It will be cool to see how creative we can be in our holiday preparation. Luckily for us, I have been collecting DIY gift giving ideas for months now on Pinterest. Cross your fingers, send me good vibes, and all of your positive and creative energy! *We will see come December 25th, how successful I actually was in my endeavor*. :)

I encourage all of my friends and family out there to challenge themselves this month to really think about it every time they make a purchase. Every time you pull out your wallet, swipe your card, or count your change at the check-out counter - really evaluate your purchase and ask yourself, "Could I have made this myself? Do I need this for keeps - or could I have borrowed it from someone else? Could I have gotten this same item second hand? It will be hard, but I know that we can all do it!

Host a swap meet with your gal pals, to trade old clothes, decorations, clothes for the kids, purses, etc. It will be a great way to get everyone together, trade things you don't need for things that you do want, and help with the whole carbon-footprint hippie stuff that is so near and dear to my heart :)

I can't wait to hear all of your stories of success! :)

Closet Cooking

I just realized today that is has been WAY too stinking long since I posted last. Things have been CRAZY in our little lives! Anyhow, I came across a super blog that I wanted to share with everyone. I have only attempted a few recipes from here, (ok, I'll admit it. They actually terrify me!) but I have found quite a few that were vegetarian friendly (or at least, easy to alter so that they are vegetarian). This site is SO useful for getting inspiration for my own recipes!

He also has a bajillion delicious dessert recipes (aka - the way to my heart) including things like Guiness Chocolate Cheescake,  Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake, and Blueberry Mascarpone Cheesecake. (Anyone else notice a trend here?)

I realized that it would be selfish of me not to share, so go forth and enjoy!

More love to Pinterest!!

For those who dont' know how much I love Pinterest...well....I do. That is all. It's Aaahhhhmazing. It's a way to record cool things you find while browsing the internet. If you're browsing recipes you want to try or Christmas presents to buy you "pin" them to your board so that later you can go back and browse through all of your things. It's kind of like saving things to your "Favorites" in that it saves the original source of the item, so going back to the exact page on an exact website is a breeze! Plus, everything you pin is categorized amongst your boards. For example, I have a board full of pinned recipes I want to try. I have a board of things I want to buy/make with my nephews. I have a board for my imaginary-future-wedding. All great things to come back to when I need to reference a specific item!

Also, other people can see the things that you "pin" so it's a great way to share ideas, recipes, cool blogs, etc.  You can choose to follow certain pinterest members or just specific boards that they have. (If you are only interested in, say, the cool DIY crafts board they have, or a board full of crock pot recipes) 

Here are a couple of things that I found, tried, and loved thanks to Pinterest:

If you are currently on Pinterest, follow me so that we can connect and share ideas, recipes, thoughts, etc. If you are not currently on Pinterest let me know and I will send you an invite.

Happy Pinning!

The Job Hunt Ends HERE!

Alright my friends...I know that there are many of you out there that are currently looking for jobs. With Christmas right around the corner and lots of friends that have kids and mortgages to worry about, I want to spread the word about all the jobs that I am currently aware of in hopes that they can help relieve a little bit of stress.

If you know of any other jobs please - PLEASE post them in the comment box so that we can keep the information flowing. You just may be the answer to someone's prayer today! :)

Wood Flooring Installation Specialist: $9/hour to start. Contact Trent @: 801-718-8368

Seasonal Snow Plow Driver (Must have CDL) On-call. $12.24/hour. Email: aaparrish@utah.gov

PT Sales Lead at Lane Bryant at the Gateway: email ashleeisawesome86@gmail.com

FT Sales Lead at Lane Bryant at the Gateway: email ashleeisawesome86@gmail.com

Utility Locator: https://statejobs.utah.gov/JobAnnouncement.jsp?rid=24606

Liquor Store Assistant Manager: https://statejobs.utah.gov/JobAnnouncement.jsp?rid=24589

Liquor Store Sales Clerk: https://statejobs.utah.gov/JobAnnouncement.jsp?rid=24580

Interpreter for the Hearing Impared: https://statejobs.utah.gov/JobAnnouncement.jsp?rid=24326

Planning and Budget Analysist: https://statejobs.utah.gov/JobAnnouncement.jsp?rid=24602

Program Manager: https://statejobs.utah.gov/JobAnnouncement.jsp?rid=24579

Human Resources: https://statejobs.utah.gov/JobAnnouncement.jsp?rid=24548

IT Specialist: https://statejobs.utah.gov/JobAnnouncement.jsp?rid=23767

Recruiter: http://www.teksystemscareers.com/Recruiter-Sales-Positions/

Another IT position: http://1800contacts.iapplicants.com/ViewJob-221185.html

FT Customer Service: https://sjobs.brassring.com/1033/ASP/TG/cim_jobdetail.asp?jobId=1553291&PartnerId=13746&SiteId=195&type=search&JobReqLang=1&recordstart=1&codes=IND

PT Customer Service: https://sjobs.brassring.com/1033/ASP/TG/cim_jobdetail.asp?jobId=1553322&PartnerId=13746&SiteId=195&type=search&JobReqLang=1&recordstart=1&codes=IND

Administrative Assistant: http://www.techcareers.com/job.asp?id=36781548&aff=AC44BA2E-E3EB-4DBC-8BDB-9FCE01C58B09

Administrative Assitant: https://www2.ultirecruit.com/ARU1000/jobboard/JobDetails.aspx?__ID=*033750FC71828808

Outside Sales position: http://www.octanner.com/about/jobs

Licensed Practical Nurse: https://statejobs.utah.gov/JobAnnouncement.jsp?rid=24610

Care Giver: https://statejobs.utah.gov/JobAnnouncement.jsp?rid=24597

Food Service Supervisor: https://statejobs.utah.gov/JobAnnouncement.jsp?rid=24595

Merchandiser (Coca-Cola): http://www.swirecc.com/careers/position.asp?c=1&id=721





Good luck to everyone looking. If the jobs above don't pan out, make sure to check this link:
http://jobs.utah.gov/jobseeker/links/employer.html
This links up to every job that is currently available in Utah.

I hope this helps to lighten your day!!


XoXoXo

Pinterest Inspiration

For anyone who has not yet jumped on the Pinterest Bandwagon...you sure are missing out! I love, Love, LOVE lists and adore ways to help me be organized. It's nice for me, too because I am a very visual person. I retain images much better than words and other instructions.

I thought I would share a couple projects that I am looking forward to taking on in the next few weeks. These projects all come from my For the Home Board.




My bedroom needs pretty curtains



And a pretty headboard



And who doesn't need more ways to organize their craft room?

Pinterest is currently by invitation only, so if you would like to join, shoot me an email and I will send you an invite!

Happy Pinning!

Black and Decker Steam Mop Giveaway!

If you know me, you know that the only thing I love more than new tools (for cleaning, crafting, or baking) is FREE tools!


Thanks to the wonderful Ms. Stacy at Not Just a Housewife, I have a chance to win free stuff. Guess what? You do, too! Just click here to visit her blog and view the many opportunities to enter this contest.

The winner will be announced Monday, August 8th. Good luck!  :)

Grocery Smarts

Alright...I will admit, when I am standing in the checkout line behind the crazy lady with 10,000 coupons I get pissed. I have no patience as it is, but when she is standing there for 45 minutes and I am waiting behind her to buy rootbeer that's getting warm and ice cream that is melting it doesn't help. That was, until I attended a Grocery Smarts class.

Kat Gibson was the instructor for my class and I learned so much from her I can't even believe it! She taught me all about organizing, planning, couponing, and saving tons and tons of money. Yes, please!

For those who are unfamiliar with Grocery Smarts, it is a free website started by some lady and her husband in order to catalogue the Sunday grocery ads and link them to corresponding coupons in order for you to "stack" your deals and get everything for the lowest price possible. The class was free, the website is free, AND I will save tons of money?? Double yes!

I won't go into the whole shpeal, but trust me when I say it is definitely worth your time to look into. I strongly, strongly encourage my friends and family to check out her Facebook page for more information on how to get started, how save your family and yourself tons of money and time, and how you can host a class to share the information with your family and friends.

All of a sudden, that coupon lady in front of me doesn't seem so crazy afterall....