Friday, January 30, 2009

This is one bandwagon you should jump on

Reusable shopping bags!!  They're great because you can pile a bunch of groceries in each one so you have fewer bags to carry and they're much more comfortable.  They don't dig into your arms like when you get a bunch of heavy plastic bags.  Plus, they don't end up making our earth look like this...
Click for larger picture
  • The estimated cost of plastic bags to retailers is $4 billion annually, so by not using the bags, you will be doing your small part to help the economy.
  • Plastic bags don't biodegrade.  The break up into smaller and smaller toxic bits contaminating soil and waterways and enter the food web when animals ingest these toxins.
  • In 2001, Ireland consumed 1.2 million plastic bags.  A plastic bag consumption tax, implemented in 2002, reduced consumption by 90%.  Approximately 18 million liters of oil have been saved since the tax implementation.
So go to your favorite store and spend that dollar on the canvas bag.  Or check on ebay if you want to get something more interesting.  I even found Steelers bags at the Kmart in Pittsburgh for $2!!

Facts from www.resuablebags.com.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Caramel Dip

Wow, this stuff is good.  I made some pumpkin cookies and doubled the recipe but forgot to double the sugar!!  So instead of trying to make a frosting and icing each one (major pain in the butt), I just made this caramel dip for each person to put on their own cookie and wow, is it delicious.  This recipe is adapted from allrecipes.com.  This would also be amazing with apple slices.
Caramel Apple Dip
20 individually wrapped caramels
1/4 cup water
1 (8-oz) pkg cream cheese
1/2 cup brown sugar

Melt caramels with water in microwave.   Stir to make sure there are no chunks.  Whip cream cheese with brown sugar in separate bowl.  Stir cream cheese mixture with caramels, and voila, deliciousness.

Sunday, January 25, 2009

YESSSSSS!

Do you ever feel like that when you go grocery shopping?  I did today...with stops at CVS, Food Lion, and Kroger, I got all kinds of good crap!  I won't bore you with all the details of my groceries, but here are the highlights...

4-12 packs of pepsi
4 bags Lays chips
3 dozen eggs
Milk, ice cream, cream cheese
Bunch of Hormel chili
Lots of other random grocery items

So basically my total bill for all 3 places should've been about $84, but the grand total was only $35.50!!  Woohoo, that's less than half!!

Food Lion is not my favorite store by any means, and their products are usually pretty expensive, but one of the ways I save is their printable coupons.  Just go to this site to register and sign up for their weekly emails.  Today I used coupons for $1 off Food Lion brand ice cream, peanut butter, ketchup, cereal and potato chips.  Combine that with MVP savings and the stuff is really cheap.

Also, Kroger usually has the cheapest milk of any store, and they often mark it down when it is getting sorta close to the sell by date.  Sometimes you can get gallons for only $2!!  Sometimes Reber drinks tons of milk and sometimes not, but if we aren't using it fast enough, I just make homemade pudding or biscuits and gravy.

Happy Shopping!

Monday, January 19, 2009

MLK Day

"Faith is taking the first step, even when you don't see the whole staircase."

I am taking a moment today to appreciate Martin Luther King, Jr.  Virginia also celebrates Lee/Jackson day on Friday, and while I appreciate the day off from work, I think it's crap that they tacked that onto the same holiday weekend that honors MLK.  I like to remember him because of the strength that he showed and the difference that he made in so many people's lives.  He was no chicken.  I know that the only person we should aspire to be like is Jesus, but I think MLK sure set a good example.  He reminds us to take that first step in faith.  I love the following quote, showing his practical side...

"It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, but it can stop him from lynching me, and I think that's pretty important."

Sunday, January 18, 2009

You missed a good show...

...right here in Harrisonburg!  On Thursday night we went to Court Square Theater to see Michael Burks, who plays the blues.  It...was....AWESOME!!  Very classic elements but not old-school, intense but not overwhelming.  We were in the 2nd row and I only bought the tickets about a week before the show.  Admittedly, we went more because Reber wanted to go, but I think that deep down there is not a person on earth who doesn't love the blues.

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Football Hotties

Haha, I feel funny writing that title.  In celebration of a Steelers win today and a great football season in general, I'm doing a football post.  However, I know most of my readers (except Reber and Aaron) are women, so most of you don't give a crap about football (even though you should).

*Disclaimers:  I love my husband very much and think he is hot.  However, he doesn't qualify for this because he doesn't play in the NFL (although he was good at football).  Also, I never watch certain teams like the Raiders, so obviously this list is just from the players I see on a regular basis.  So without further ado, here are my picks for hottest NFL players.

#1 - Willie Parker - Steelers running back - this is the best pic I could find on Photobucket

#2 - Philip Rivers - Chargers QB


#3 - LaDainian Tomlinson - Chargers Running Back
I couldn't get the picture I wanted for this one, so here are some:
www.ladainiantomlinson.com  Best feature:  eyes
He's also in the Campbell's chunky commercials.

#4 - Brett Favre - Jets QB
Yes, I know he is "old," but he was the first guy I thought was cute in the NFL.  Though he is much better without the gray beard stubble.  But basically a classic, good-looking guy.Brett Favre 002 Pictures, Images and Photos

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Dollar Tree Delights

Have you been to Dollar Tree lately?  Today I got:
Dijon mustard
Jar of minced garlic
Rockstar energy drink - triple size
2 woven baskets to organize our medicines
Scented oil warmer
1 pkg real bacon bits
A coupon organizer
And apparently something else I can't remember

...for $8.26!!  I would've paid at least double for all that stuff at Wal-Mart, and they have the best dijon mustard.  You can also get Nature's Own Whitewheat bread for $1!!  Some of the stuff is crappy quality and some stuff is not a good value because it's a smaller size, but if you look you can get some good stuff at.

NOTE:  They do NOT take Mastercard but do take Visa and Discover I think he said.  Moral of the story, take some cash with you just in case.

Sunday, January 4, 2009

Go read this...

Here is a kid who is gonna make you feel like crap...in the best way possible.  Check it out.

Friday, January 2, 2009

My New Year's Resolution

I never make a New Year's Resolution.  I think they're stupid.  Nobody ever follows through with them and who can even remember it by the time March rolls around?  But for some reason, this year I have one.  It is not specific, as we learned in Social Work classes that our goals should be, but is more of a general philosophy.  So without further ado, here it is:

Stay calm.  Be cool.  Kick ass.

So I guess that's actually 3, but oh well.

Stay calm - I sometimes have problems with anxiety and freak out.  There is nothing to freak out about, so I want to do it less.

Be cool - I am the oldest 24-year-old I know.  I am responsible and work hard.  I think about my long-term health.  What the heck!  I'm only 24!  I need to live a little!  So I got my nose pierced today.  

Kick ass - This is not literal.  I am the biggest wuss you will ever meet.  What I mean is that I want to be courageous and not such a chicken.  I need to meet my neighbors.  I need to tell people that I am a Christian.  I need to not worry about what other people think.

So there you have it.  What are your goals for 2009?