Walgreens special Friday & Saturday

Did you check your email? I just didn't have the $40 or the needs to use it this weekend. Hope you had some great scenarios to use it.

Healthy Eating starts tommorrow!

Well no if's and's or gigantic butts about it. School starts this week and I'm going to continue my mission. Last fall I decided it was time and I was going to lose 30 lbs by June. well lets just say 2008 was a test. I discovered I have a problem with sugar. Not the mindless cookie eating. More like diabetic. I got a meter and tested and lost weight and all was good. I just had some tweaking to do. I lost 10 lbs struggled with it. I won't lie. After the holidays that were more stress than I care to chat about I started a couch to 5k program. I walked/jogged/ran on my treadmill ALOT. It didn't seem to help the weight except by keeping it even. I calorie counted with a couple of on-line sites. Nothing was working. Then on March 24 I fell at work and broke my foot (well it wasn't a full break more like a chippy slice and a really wrench foot muscle) that put me back alot. As a matter of fact I still have daily pain just walking 5 months later. I really wanted to walk the CRIM this year but I can hardly get to the mailbox these days. In late May I came down with an ugly case of bronchitis. So along with working full time, going to physical therapy several times a week, I also had to get breathing treatments. I have 4 kids and planning an open house for the oldest. Lets just say the summer has been one big food fest with out much exercise or cares. The countdown begins! I'm going to be 40 years old this winter and I'm going to lose 40 by my birthday. My fat pants are too small and my health is horrible. It's time for a change.

The college update

Well I did break down and call on sunday night. He's bored. Super. Classes started on Monday and so did his job, so hopefully things will begin to fill his day. His younger brother received a message that he needs all his soccer equipment because he is starting a soccer team. I can't wait to talk to him tonight to figure out what this is all about. He also sent a list of all the stuff I forgot to send with him. Yeah I'm sure. first night we bought him a frozen pizza. I remembered the pans, just not the pot holders and pizza cutter. They used towels and a pocket knife. He's not really resourseful. His sister is the MacGyver of our family. But he figured it out. He's coming home for the holiday weekend so yeah. But then the boo hoo's will start again. It's been a ruff week.

Money saved this month ?????

So this month has really been a blur. I just spent the last hour digging through my bottomless purse in search for receipts.

• *Rite Aid sent me an email that they were sending this months since I forgot to request it. (HUH? months not over, I'm not done shopping LOL) Ok well I guess I'm out those items, I have yet to enter.
• * Walgreens after much searching I think I'm getting back a dollar ($1.00) yeah me. 4 bottles of herbal essence. 4 bottles of axe got me 2 movie tickets so I can't complain. I got a bottle of free nail polish, 2 free pedicures/or/manicures since I bought the correct 4 bottles of herbal essence, I wheeled and dealed and got 2 bags of hershey's bliss for a dollar each. YUM. + I may have qualified for the $5.00 rebate with some other candy purchases. I'm sure I saved with other coupons and register rewards I just didn't keep track this month.
• Cashcrate sent me a check for $24.00 and some change. awesome. stupid surveys but worth it, I guess. (see link on side if you want some free cash)
• bought a printer through ebates and recieved 2.20 back. click & print and went to pick it up at circuit city. I also saved $20.00 from an on-line coupon. Not a bad deal.
• Not alot of savings but every little bit helps

College Moving Day

Well I lived through it. It was quite stressful time wise as I couldn't get the day off and it was just rush rush rush. I literally felt like I threw all his stuff in his room and ran. I hate my bosses! I had to come back to do a job that took me 45 minutes. Any one of our team could have done it. They all came in at 1:30 and I came in at 6:15 we all worked till 10pm. STUPID non-sense. I think that probably was the only reason I made it through work, with out breaking down. I spent the evening pee'ved. It was a little over an hour drive home and I cried the whole way. then went to work. argh. So I have mananged not to call. When is the appropriate time? hmmmm. His girlfriend is staying the weekend with her friends and then coming home Sunday night so that too will be traumatic for them. Shouldn't intrude on that. Monday he has class and starts work...... maybe monday night.

Hungry Girl's Grab & Go Breakfast Cookies

From the Hungry Girl website

PER SERVING (1 cookie): 154 calories, 1.5g fat, 166mg sodium, 32.5g carbs, 5g fiber, 10.5g sugars, 5g protein -- POINTS® value 2*

These things are large, fiber-packed, portable, and SOOO DELICIOUS!!!! Make a batch in the PM, and you'll have super-quick b-fasts for the next few AMs!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup regular oats (not instant)
6 tbsp. whole-wheat flour
1/4 cup Fiber One bran cereal (original), ground to a breadcrumb-like consistency in a blender or food processor
1/4 cup Splenda No Calorie Sweetener (granulated)
1/3 cup Gerber Peaches (or another brand of pureed peaches, found in the baby food aisle) (NOTE I just used regular peaches all mashed up)
1/4 cup canned pure pumpkin
1/4 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters Original)
1 tbsp. golden raisins
1 tbsp. Ocean Spray Craisins (original)
2 tbsp. brown sugar, not packed
2 tsp. Coffee-mate Sugar Free French Vanilla powdered creamer
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Chop raisins and Craisins into small pieces. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine the oats, flour, Fiber One crumbs, Splenda, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Mix well.

In a separate bowl, dissolve Coffee -mate into 2 tbsp. hot water. Add all other wet ingredients (pureed peaches, pumpkin, and egg substitute), and mix well.

Add liquid mixture to the dry ingredients, and stir until completely blended. Slowly sprinkle chopped raisins and Craisins into the batter, making sure they don't all stick together.

Spray a large baking pan with nonstick spray, and spoon batter into 4 evenly spaced circles. Spread batter out a bit with the back of a spoon. Place pan in the oven for 12 - 14 minutes (until tops of the treats are just slightly crispy). Remove pan from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Then grab 'n go!

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

HG Alternative! If you don't feel like whipping out the blender to grind that Fiber One, simply leave the F1 crumbs out of the recipe. Your cookies won't be as high in fiber, but they'll still taste great and clock in with a POINTS® value of 2* each.