Giveaway: Nature Valley Prize Pack!

**Edit: This giveaway is now closed.**

Hey guys, I have a fun giveaway for you today!

MyBlogSpark, together with Nature Valley® granola bars and Patricia Shultz, author of 1,000 Places to See Before You Die, want everyone to know about the this year’s National Parks Project.

From their e-mail:

This year, the National Parks Project will focus on restorative work at Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and Biscayne National Parks.

To get involved, simply purchase a box of specially marked Nature Valley Bars and mail in your wrappers to the address below:

National Parks Project
PO Box 450328
El Paso, TX 88545-0328

Nature Valley will not only recycle the wrappers, but will also contribute $0.10 to the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) for every wrapper received (up to $600,000 in total). To learn more about the National Parks Project and how you can make a difference, check out PreservetheParks.com today. And don´t forget to visit Nature Valley on Facebook or Nature Valley on Twitter to "Like" or "Follow" the brand. Facebook fans can enter to win a trip, as well as share photos and videos of their summer vacations.

Well, guess what? MyBlogSpark generously gave me a Nature Valley® prize pack to sample, and one of you will get a pack for yourself!

Here’s what’s included in the box:

- a box of Nature Valley® granola bars
- a Nature Valley® mini backpack {my little nephew will love this!}
- a military-grade compass
- a cool green water bottle {BPA-free – yay!}
- a solar-powered, key chain flash light
- the book 1,000 Places to See in the U.S. and Canada Before You Die

One of my “bucket-list” items is to take an RV trip with my kids around America one day. This book will be the perfect companion! I’ve already enjoyed checking off the places we’ve visited around the country, and I’ve gotten ideas for more great places to see.

You all know that I’m trying to eat clean and not a lot of sugar, but these granola bars are perfect for packing in my DH’s lunch when he starts his new job next week. “Whole grain oats” is the first ingredient, and they’re not made with high fructose corn syrup, which makes me a happy lunch-packer. :)

To win the prize box, just leave a comment answering this question:

Have you visited any of the National Parks? If not, which one would you like to visit most?

- We used to go camping every year on Mount Desert Island, Maine, home to Acadia National Park. We haven’t gone in a few years due to pregnancy and Luke being too little, but we hope to go back next summer! It is literally one of my favorite places on earth (and it’s listed in the book!). :)

Good luck! Giveaway ends Friday at 5:00 Eastern Time.

Disclaimer: Nature Valley provided me with the free product, information and gift pack through MyBlogSpark. I chose to accept this “spark,” and all opinions are honestly my own.

Packing Up and Leaving

These past few weeks have been totally, utterly insane at our house.  We have been working non.stop. on the house in preparation for the realtor coming today.  On a positive note, our house is cleaner than it’s been….well, ever. 

The number he gave us today was lower than we were both hoping for, but he’s been in the business for 30 years and he told us he wanted to price it aggressively.  After initially bawling my eyes out to my husband (after the man left), I’ve realized (since Chris talked me through it, lol), that it is probably the better move for us.  We’re staying with my parents until our house sells, and while I love my family, the faster, the better!  Extra money would have been nice, but a couple thousand dollars can make the difference between a house selling in 6 months or 2.  I am still not 100% happy with the number, but I am at peace with the decision. 

It’s the last few days in our house, and I’m definitely starting to get sentimental.  We have put our heart and soul into this place over the last two years, and I’m going to miss it.  We have literally changed almost every surface in this house.  Chris and I have both said before that it basically feels like we built this house, for all the changes we put into it.  Anyone who comes to see it always comments on how crazily different it looked on the day we moved in.  It was – and always will be – our first home, and the place we brought home our first baby.  I think I will probably bawl my eyes out again at closing when we have to hand the keys to the new owners. 

Anyway, tonight we are finally taking it easy.  We ordered pizza and we are just going to lay around and do nothing and probably watch a bunch of episodes of Seinfeld when Luke goes to bed.  The rest of the week will be spent seeing friends, finishing up a few projects, and then my parents will be here this weekend to help us move and prepare to leave on Sunday. 

So, other than a giveaway (come back tomorrow!!), I won’t be around the rest of this week. 

However, within the next two weeks, you can expect the following posts:

- how to get started with clean eating
- healthy fats and misconceptions about them (wow, I sound like a PBS special)
- Luke’s birthday, part 2
- hopefully a whole bunch of house before and afters!

See you on the flip side! ;)

Flea Market Finds – 8/1/10

Thank you all SO much for your help with my cabinet dilemma! I made a decision and I will show you soon. :)

Last weekend Lindsay and I sold at the flea market again. I only made $90 this time, but you can’t really complain about getting $90 for ridding your house of all the crap stuff, right? Of course, I didn’t exactly come home with $90, because I couldn’t resist these beauties……..

Toile fabric-lined basket: $2 (I think it’s official that I have an obsession with toile – I’m in deep, baby!)

Twig balls (what do you call these?), perfect for fall decorating: $.50 total

While we’re talking about obsessions, it’s also fair to say that I have a big thing for baskets. Lucky for Chris we do not live near a Container Store (although you can you imagine working there and getting the discounts?! Be still my heart!)

I am in loooooooooooove with this giant basket. I’m keeping my living room blankets in it: $4

Check out the worn leather handle! *Swoon*

Lindsay was getting rid of this one so I swapped her something I was selling – I’m using it as a second shoe basket by the front door. We don’t have a mudroom or a foyer or anything so the shoes have to go somewhere!

Vintage pamphlet – $.25 (Did you know you can freeze eggs?!)

I find these baskets everywhere. I already have two that I use for holding crafts and in my pantry. If you spray-paint them Heirloom White they turn out really cute! {$.50 for both}

I also have a minor obsession with fake fruit – I’ve never decorated with artichokes before, but I put some in my kitchen and I love them! {$2.00 for all the fruit}

So, I was out $9.25 for the day. But can you blame me?! :)

Linked to:

Today’s Thrifty Treasures @ Southern Hospitality
Thrifty Thursday @ Tales from Bloggeritaville
Frugalicious Friday @ Finding Fabulous
Garage Salen Party @ Debbiedoos

Design Help!

Okay guys, I could definitely use some opinions here. As you know, we are in the process of super-speedily selling our house to move to CT.

So before I go on and explain my design/decor problem, let me just say that we have *no time* to paint our kitchen cabinets - otherwise I would have done it, b/c clearly that would have solved my problem.

So, here goes…

The dipwads (trust me, it’s merited – wait ‘til I show you the before and afters) that lived in this house before us thought it would be a great idea to hang those crappy sticky-poster-hangers on the sides of the crappy veneer/fake wood/whatever it’s called cabinets.

When they left the house, they also left us with this:

Now, here’s my problem. Clearly, it needs to be covered, but I’m not sure what my better option is. I can only think of 2 solutions so far.

1. Paint both sides with chalkboard paint (which I already have, so I wouldn’t need to buy it). Chris isn’t crazy about this idea, and I understand his point – someone might hate that.

2. Try to find two matching, long photos/pieces of artwork that we could hang/tape/whatever over the sticky marks. The downside of this is that our realtor is coming to take pics on Tuesday, and we have a serious lack of extra money right now.

So if it was you, what would you do?? Go bold with the chalkboard paint since you already have it in the house, and risk your homebuyer hating it? Or spend who knows how much time and/or money to go with the safer option? Or go with a third option that you are going to share with me in the comments? :)

I should also mention that today is our 4-year-anniversary. We spent the whole day sweating, painting, and stripping wallpaper. It’s okay though, because my DH has promised that we can go to the Cheesecake Factory in Providence together next month after we’ve moved. I can handle anything if there’s a 7-Layer Chocolate Cake in my future. :)

Our wedding day, 8/5/06Atlantic city, 7/19/10

Happy anniversary, sweetheart! I love you!

If you have advice on my kitchen problem, I’m all ears!

Or eyes. whatever. ;)

My Pantry Looks a Lot Different Than it Did at Christmas

I feel kinda bad that I told you all I would be posting 2 new clean recipes per month and then didn’t really deliver!  The thing is, once I started Somersizing, I pretty much stopped eating most processed foods, and now that I’ve jumped on the clean food bandwagon my diet has really changed. 

Basically, my whole entire diet has changed a lot faster than I thought it would.  Because of this, I thought I’d show you some of the ways that we’re eating differently these days.

Here’s a sampling of some of the things I’ve thrown out half full/not bought a replacement for:

- Regular (sugar- and oil-laden) peanut butter
- My beloved Aunt Jemima’s (sniff)
- Vegetable oil (someday soon I will do a whole post about healthy/non-healthy fats)
- White rice
- Smart Balance spread
- Regular (sugary) pasta sauce

- Cool Whip (be still my heart)
- Non-organic milk
- My delightful coffee creamers
- Regular baking powder (made with aluminum)
- Lite mayo

And what have these things been replaced with?

(Not everything below made it into the picture.)

- All natural, no sugar, no nothing-but-peanuts peanut butter

- We eat waffles plain, buttered, with peanut butter, or with my homemade low-sugar jam now.  We really don’t like real maple syrup, plus it’s crazy expensive. 

- I use butter (rejoice! It’s actually good for you in small amounts), coconut oil, or olive oil

- Brown rice (I’ve also been cooking with bulgur and really enjoying it)

- Melted butter in the micro (ya know, old-school)

- Pre-made pasta sauce sweetened with carrot juice (I do make my own occasionally but sometimes the convenience triumphs)

- Real homemade whipped cream (it’s growing on me)

- Luke and I drink organic milks (whole for him, skim for me.  Chris hates the taste of organic so he still drinks regular.  So yes, there are 3 cartons of milk in our fridge at all times.  You’re welcome, dairy farmers of America.)

- I drink coffee with cream, cinnamon, and a Splenda (see, I have a food flaw!!! Although I don’t drink coffee everyday.)

- Aluminum-free baking powder

- Full fat, full delicious regular mayo

This is just a glimpse into our food lives.  We are a normal family on a tight budget, still working our way into total whole-food-living. 

For the most part, Luke and I eat fairly “whole” everything (he eats animal crackers and puffs occasionally, for instance, and I definitely eat desserts and junk food every so often).  Chris eats clean dinners (because I cook – ha!).  I’m still working on him, but he’s a good guy and he’s come a long way. :)

With small changes at a time, I’m totally convinced that nearly every middle-class family (the poor are a different story at this point in America, unfortunately), can eat whole, clean foods. 

I’m contemplating writing a post about how to get started with clean eating.  Would that help anyone?  If it would help you, will you please say so in the comments?  Thanks! :)

Nickel-And-Diming-It…Literally!

We are basically on a no-spending-except-for-necessities budget right now. My husband didn’t have a lot of work for a while, and then he had to officially quit to devote to time to fixing up our house to sell.

So, I’ve been reduced to spending money out of my change purse. People love it when you pay with 18 dimes, let me tell ya! haha

Seriously, though….I’ve been able to buy some pretty cute stuff with my loose change, which feeds my thrifting addiction even in this “no-spending” time. Everything you see (except for the last picture) was paid for with change. :)

From the flea market:

Glass canning jar with vintage top - $1

Cool plastic canister with sliding top (good for rice storage) – $.25

2 Pyrex bowls – $.50 (for both)

From Volunteers of America 50% off day:

Canning tongs- $.65

Pyrex glass pourer (for creamer, syrup, etc.) – $.45

Rubber-seal-top glass jar – $.65

From yard sales:

Gap lounge pants, Old Navy cut offs - $1 each

Rubbermaid reusable plastic lid – $.50

“Build a Word” cards for Luke – $.10 (I’ve started collecting preschool/kindergarten items when I can.)

This last item was bought several weeks ago when I actually had money! haha A local store is going out of business and clearing out everything – Lindsay went in and got this for me for only $3! I absolutely love it for holding pantry items. :)

So, except for the wire basket, that’s what you can buy for only $5.11! :)

Linked to:

Today’s Thrifty Treasures @ Southern Hospitality
Thrifty Thursday @ Tales from Bloggeritaville
Frugalicious Friday @ Finding Fabulous

Introducing….my Morning “Cookie”

I’ve decided today is the day to show you guys my (almost) daily breakfast meal.  I used to have scrambled eggs and veggies every day (and I still eat that occasionally), but the thought of my morning cookie perks me right up when I come downstairs with my early-morning-loving child. :)

This was inspired by my friend Lindsay, who found a recipe for a mock cookie dough created to help people with their addiction to the stuff. (haha)  I was craving something sweet one day (but not looking for something super sweet), so I called her and asked for that recipe.  I modified it a lot and I eat the combo below almost every day. 

I use the word “cookie” jokingly because even though it tastes sweet to me, this “concoction”, as Lindsay calls it, is so healthy and nutrient-rich that it keeps me full for hours – seriously! 

Here’s how I make it:

About a tablespoon of organic millet seed (for crunch, iron, protein, carbs):

 

About a tablespoon of flaxseed (omega-3s) and a few shakes of cinnamon (tons of health benefits – google it!):

 

About 1/2 a cup of oatmeal (fiber, carbs, and protein) and a large tablespoon of 100 % all-natural, *no sugar* peanut butter (protein and creaminess):

 

And a swizzle (?) of honey on top – for sweetness only. :) (I used to add a few chocolate chips but I weaned myself off of them.)

 

Add a glass of organic milk (yeah for no hormones) and you have my daily meal that makes me excited for the morning. :)

 

 

Is it low-carb?  No. 
Is it low-fat?  No. 
Did God make all the ingredients?  Yes. :)

I am definitely not afraid of fats anymore after Somersizing and reading all my “clean” books, and I’m not afraid of carbs if they’re in their natural, unrefined state.  I can eat this every morning for breakfast and still maintain my weight if I follow Level 2 Somersizing for the rest of the day. 

Enjoy – maybe it will be your new favorite thing, too! ;)

 

Linked to these foodie parties:
Tasty Tuesday @ Beauty and Bedlam
Tuesdays at the Table @ All the Small Stuff
Tempt my Tummy Tuesday @ Blessed With Grace