Sluggish

In light of last night's discussion of comparing spiritual discipline with physical fitness and exercise, I have been super tired and rather lazy when it comes to working out lately. Ever since Jbear stopped his morning p90x routine and my gym buddies have gotten injured or started a crazy work schedule, I have little motivation to go to the gym or doing much physical activity. I haven't seen my gym membership card in over a month... not that I really need it.

It really helps to hang out with health-conscious people. They rub off on you.
In my post-Mission Peak fitness-enthusiast stage I tried to do some rubbing off on my dad.
I bought him EA active to whip him into shape while he stays at home all day.
Workouts are around 20-30 minutes and actually make me sweat a bit and sore the next day.
He asked me when it was over after 2 minutes and has not touched it since. Aiya.
Those pictures are for my eyes only.

On top of that, I finally uploaded pictures from my camera and looked at what I've been eating lately...
Sluggishness-inducing Rating: 1 healthy ..... 5 deadly

Splash Cafe: fish tacos + clam chowder w/ crab meat on top

Rating:  5
(so heavy i didn't want to go to the beach. i wanted another caramel apple and a bed to sleep.)

Coupons + 20th Anniversary BOGO totally got me.
Do you know how much sugar is in these things?!?

Rating: 3
(maybe the fruits evens out the ice cream?)

My first Sloppy Joe since elementary school.

Rating: 10
(did I have any vegetables this meal?)

Maybe sushi isn't so bad? The context of the meal wasn't so great though.
Rating: 2

chicken salad bagel
Rating: 2

i don't drink diet coke but aren't these cans adorable?

Rating: 0

fried squid balls!
Rating: 4

sukiyaki bowl

Rating: 3

wonton soup.
lol i should do a whole post on jenny's expressions.

Rating: 1.5 (msg included)

fried gyoza - pork with napa cabbage

Rating: 2.5 

claim jumper's banana cream pie

Rating: 4

(bananas are totally healthy right?)

chocolate bundt cake
if you have never had "Nothing Bundt Cakes" you are totally missing out!

Rating: 5

Today: Extreme Pita Rating: 2

Baskin Robbins Rating: 4

It's 31cent scoop night! Until 10pm!
Tomorrow Carvel has free low-fat ice cream!

Bodies are like machines.
What we put into our bodies is what we break down for energy and nutrients.

What have you been (not) running on lately?

Extra Crunchy

I always considered myself a bit green even before I knew the term. Every once in awhile, instead of playing hopscotch during recess like the other kids I convinced one of my good friends to walk around and pick up garbage around the playground. I leave my reusable hippie bags in my trunk for when I go to the store and when I inevitably forget them I reuse the plastic/paper store bags. I try my best to recycle and tend to give the sad Indian look to those who toss their empty bottles in the trash instead of the recycle bin a distant 3 inches to the left. BUT I do not drive a hybrid. I do not make my own laundry detergent. I am definitely not vegan or vegetarian. I do not compost. I do not attach solar panels to all my possessions. Apparently, I am not green at all compared to the true green lifestylers.

Earlier this week I was looking up some Earth Day deals and happenings for my event + deal blog and came across some pretty strange, ingenious why-didn't-i-think-of-that, and bizarre earth-friendly ways to reuse, reduce and recycle. Here are a few...

Reusable Cloth Pads
yes. it is what you think it is AND it is considered a party in your pants. boys- you don't know what you are missing out on. you might as well wipe yourself with a rag every time you go to the toilet instead of tossing charmin down the white porcelain train. hmmm. maybe cloth diapers already do that? if you aren't set on trying to wash your you-know-what knowaste actually turns diapers and feminine hygiene products into building products. i don't know how or what kind of products but those British are rather clever.

Matter of Trust - Hair for Oil
this is pretty creative. maybe you do not have the 10 inches of hair to donate to locks of love, your haircut may still be helping the environment... without your consent. yes, those unloved split ends and clippings that end up on the salon floor. the ones that are swept up and quickly forgotten. a stylist from Alabama noticed how sea otters hair were soaked in oil after an exxon oil spill, he came up with the idea to use hair, wool, etc. to make mats to soak up oil from oil spills. sign up your favorite salon or wig maker or sheep shearer! Louisiana may be needing some of these.


Clean the World - Save Soap Slivers
what do you do with your soap slivers? i slap them onto the back of my new bar of soap. too bad hotels don't do that. can you imagine paying $100 for a hotel stay and find an oddly colored hybrid irish spring/dove lump of soap instead of the perfectly wrapped, fresh bar in the bathroom? i'd start wondering if my bed sheets and towels were clean. luckily, hotels are signing up and donating those slivers to impoverished countries and domestic homeless shelters.

Bead for Life - Bead Necklaces
i finally saw one of these types of necklaces. it was so colorful i didn't even realize it was paper! these Ugandan women use recycled paper to make jewelry to sell. definitely an example of one (wo)man's trash is another (wo)man's treasure. here is a how-to to make your own.


Adult Toy Recycling
that doesn't mean stuff from brookstone. after seeing this i'm pretty convinced anything can be recycled. i am pretty clueless on what most of the items they mention are, but apparently they recycle batteries too. all i can say is good for them!

Tire Sandals
some companies turn rubber from tires into various other products. here are directions to turn your old car tire into your next pair of shoes. definitely a i'm-crunchier-than-you weekend activity.

Sky is the limit! We could just not manufacture anymore new items and thus eliminate the need to recycle but that is just crazy talk, the new iphone supposedly has more buttons and the new ds has a bigger screen and tv may be going 3D... i suppose those older generations would make nice paperweights?

More recycling oddities...

Closet confessionals

I did laundry today (last Saturday), including my sheets.

In the words of London, Yay me!

I think I unconsciously let my laundry build up because I have such small closet space
and I hate trying to cram all my clothes in there.

cramming = wrinkles

For some reason I seem to progressively losing closet space with each move and accumulate more junk.

I think God is trying to tell me to shop less and live more simply with less stuff.
Decrease the stuff and increase living life without worry of tripping over something.

When I was in high school my room was my palace. I had two huge closets (atleast in my mind).

One of them could have been the size of my room.

Oh wait, it IS about the size of my current room + closet space combined.

Except now-a-days I've had to cram everything from my college apartment, mom's house and dad's house into my current meager room which is actually the smallest room I've ever lived in. Ever.

(But atleast I don't have to share it like my freshman dorm. It's my own chaotic space. I am thankful.)

Thank you God for storage space.

Anyways, I was really excited to see this

Bluefly Closet Confessionals

featuring favorite Bravo stars tearing apart and sharing their closet innards.

Its amazing how many ties, shoes, purses? and clothes Christian Siriano can fit in that small space.

I remember spring cleaning my closet with my old roommate and I did not want to get rid of anything.

Everything had memories attached to them. Of course I need both peasant skirts! They are no longer in style but they might be one day. I know I only wore the white one once but I got it in Thailand and I'm not planning on going back anytime soon. So clearly, I should keep it.

She would sigh a deep sigh and quote Stacy from What Not to Wear

declaring I was holding onto emotional baggage.

Its nice having pretty things but once you start drowning in them it might be time to cut back.

You end up not taking care of the things you have been blessed with and take them for granted or get greedy and want more or get anxious about protecting them and do not want to share with others or let them become a sense of pride, etc.

Having stuff can cause a lot of worry.

One of my favorite verses

25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Matthew 6:25-34

Happy Spring Cleaning!

I Love Free #3

I heard a story on NPR about people's different tax season rituals. I haven't really come up with one. For most people its a time of stress, but once its done and sent out you can reward yourself with some of these 2010 Tax Day Food Freebies and Deals.

cmitsolutions.wordpress.com

All Deals for Thursday 04/15/2010 (Tax Day) unless otherwise noted:

Cinnabon - "Tax Day Bites" two free cupcake bites per person from 6pm-8pm. They're available only while supplies last. 

MaggieMoos' - Free slice of their new ice cream pizza from 3-7 PM. (I've never even heard of this place. Where is Clovis, CA?)

McCormick and Schmick’s - Dinner and drink specials + $10.40 (get it?) dinner and drink specials at the bar. You'll also get a “Tax Relief Certificate” for another $10.40 of free food and drink. On April 16 the celebration continues with Tax Preparer Appreciation Day. Tax professionals will receive a free dessert and their very own $10.40 certificate.

Starbucks - Bring a reusable travel mug into your local Starbucks and get a free brewed coffee. Not quite for tax day, sbux wants to encourage people to use their own mugs and save some paper.

Taco Del Mar, Del Mar’s or Mondo’ - Sign up online and get your 1099 coupon for a free taco filled with cheese, lettuce, pico de gallo and a choice of fish, pork, chicken or beef.

P.F. Chang’s - 15% discount on all food (does not include alcohol).



Tax Day Special By Store - check your location

Chik-fil-a - Some locations may be offering free mini-biscuits from 6-10:30AM.

McDonald's - Some locations may be offering a Big Mac or Quarter Pounder for a penny when you buy one at regular price. Might only be FL? How come the south always gets the good deals?


Subway - Some locations gave away free cookies in past years.

[I wish Chipotle would give out free burritos *sigh*]

NOT Tax Day Related

Jamba Juice -  Happy 20th Anniversary! Buy one get one free with coupon!

jamba yum

Sources: Slickdeals, RedPlum

My face does not like stress

These past two weeks have been unbelievably busy and rather stressful.

I think the lack of sleep and surge of cortisol has forced my face to go in revolt.

I've been on this makeup binge where I keep buying cosmetics (concealer, lipstick, lip gloss, blush, you name it) which doesn't make any sense because I rarely wear makeup and I think caking it on would slow down the face recovery process.

Maybe I'm just feeling a bit unpretty at the moment.

I think I should wear a mask until this current project is done.

Masks can be a beautiful look!

Don't Jane and Emily look lovely?

The gift shop at Ovo featured plenty of wonderful masks.

(Thanks for organizing Jane!)

But

I think I would need something with a bit more coverage 

more like this.

Jbear.

Who am I kidding. 

I will be at home toiling away in my sweats.

And when I am done...

I'm heading straight for this:

mango pinkberry + kiwi + dark chocolate crisps.

The One with Feet

They come in all shapes and sizes.

A wise person once said there's an awful lot you can tell about a person by their feet.

Where they're going.

Where they've been.

Except I think that was from Forest Gump and he was talking about his mom and she was talking about shoes.

S

Size 6 please.

Oh well, I like shoes too.

Giving it up for Lent... I mean God

In my fanatic state of trying to think up of the best Easter basket stuffers- what toys I wished I had, what goodies I think the receiver would want, should I do a toy story theme?, etc. Before I tumbled headfirst down the path of 'if I' going to do something it has to be the best ever!' a little voice in the back of my head whispered what I had been neglecting all along- "Does anything here reflect the meaning of Easter?" EEP! I was totally missing the big idea. I had turned one of the most glorious days into another materialism fest. An unfortunate practice that our commercial society banks on.

 

Jbear and I got to discussing how to try to explain the meaning of Easter to a little one. It is rather confusing. Even for adults. The disciples had no idea what Jesus meant when he said the temple would be rebuilt in 3 days. What is torture? How can someone become undead? Obviously showing Passion of the Christ is a little much for a 4 year-old. I'm thinking of getting a children's bible and hopefully that will make things a bit more age appropriate. I think its easy to get caught up in every day things and neglect the little opportunities to teach morals, values, and beliefs. Deuteronomy actually emphasizes how you should take every opportunity to be teaching children.

⁴ Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. ⁵ Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. ⁶ These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. ⁷ Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. ⁸ Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. ⁹ Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. 

Deuteronomy 6:4-9

What do kids or even grownups think of when you say the words Good Friday, Easter, or Christmas? These are some of my first thoughts:

Good Friday- markets are closed so holiday for finance people, lucky ducks! i wish i had the day off. why is it called good if it was the day Jesus died? shouldn't it be sad Friday?

 

Easter- easter egg hunts, peeps, pastel m&m's, cadburry eggs, easter baskets, flowery dresses, springtime!, rain, flowers, oh yeah a special church service!, inspirational greetings with pictures of crosses on them, Jesus, that one song Because He Lives

 

Christmas- black friday sale, shopping, red & green, santa, elfs, christmas movies!, greeting cards, company shutdown, vacation, nativity scenes, happy birthday Jesus

Even for pagan holidays, I doubt most people spent much time to think about the origins. We're too busy seeing family and stuffing our faces with chocolate or food. This was probably the first time I participated in Lent. (I gave up DDR for 40 days before. That was a big deal to me in high school.) What do people think of at the mention of Lent? Denying oneself? I utterly failed with the whole no online shopping thing (I bought a salad spinner the other day too.) Do our little sacrifices amount to the real meaning of Lent? It's easy to say I'm giving up blahblah for Lent because it's tradition or habit or expected of you. But did you really give up your whole self? We're supposed to deny ourselves daily. Daily like the whole year not just a couple weeks.

I really liked the Ash Wednesday devotional from Christianbooks.com. 

Excerpts from this book.

Small Surrenders: A Lenten Journey
by: Emilie Griffin

We are not converted only once in our lives but many times, and this endless series of large and small conversions, inner revolutions, leads to our transformation in Christ.
--Thomas Merton


I'll just paraphrase:

1. its custom to give up something for Lent

• Good for casual conversion
• But only surface deep - not what Christ lived an died for

2. there should be a spiritual transformation

• Transformation is through a series for large and small inner revolutions
• It is not the act of giving up something that changes us but rather the willingness to change
• We admit need for improvement, recognizing our hopelessness and put ourselves in God's hands
• This process is endless

3. Jesus is an example of this

• Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the Devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished.
• Hunger opened himself up to assaults from the Devil
• This was a spiritual exercise of surrender, putting himself in the Father's hands

4. This is training

• This was preparation for a larger calling and greater work later on
• Practice for improvement
• The Devil attacked and wanted to weaken Jesus' allegiance
• Jesus responded with scripture. Be solid in God's Word.

5. Lessons learned

• Jesus showed emptiness is the beginning of holiness. 
• We are blessed when we hunger and thirst for righteousness. We will be filled.
• Walk with Jesus and be nourished with the Word. It is easier to walk through the desert and our own hunger and thirst will suddenly be tolerable.
• We are converted not only once in our lives but many times through small surrenders.
• Lent custom causes us to intentionally do this.
• Through small surrenders we become free.

This kind of reminds me of reminds me of the idea in Buddhism how it is important to give up things. Attachment to things or desire are actually sources of suffering. Sacrificing actually leads to happiness. I guess the ultimate goals are a bit different (happiness vs. glorifying God) but the theme of giving up something and denying yourself seems pretty universal. Too bad its still so hard in practice.

Confessions of a Coupon Shopaholic

First,

It started with a dare.

A dare in the name of Lent. 

He got me where it hurt the hardest. 

You know that habit you hate the most?

I. will. stop. 

I was thrilled.

Name your price.

I had to give up 

*gasp* 

online shopping

 ouch. 

It was how I started my day. My inbox stuff with marketing emails and sample sale updates. Hours wasted staring at things I would never purchase. And dollars wasted on return shipping for the things I did. I'm a terrible judge of size and things never look the same in person. This could be a good thing...

I can buy my contact solution in an actual store. So what if drugstore.com is having another sale? I don't need to price compare everything before purchase or look for cashback deals. Driving to an actual store (where I run the risk of getting hit by other cars) means I don't have to look for free shipping codes. I think I can make this.

 I was serious.

I removed over 20 email subscriptions.

Reason for removal?

"I am giving up online shopping for Lent. Don't worry I will be back."

Then,

April introduced me to coupon sites. 

This is totally my favorite.

website

facebook

People are so creative! They stack manufacturer coupons on top of in-store deals with rebates so they end up paying next to nothing or even making money back. 

This just CANNOT be right!

So I tried it for myself.

First I got a coupon organizer to be super official (and its hard to keep track of everything).

Attempt #1 : RiteAid : toiletries

Jane got me totally hooked on John Freida Root Awakening shampoo. 

It smells yummy and makes my hair soft.

Its cheaper than Fekkai but still pricier than Pantene.

The Plan:

Get a up to a $6.99 Single Check Rebate #4 (must purchase a John Frieda Frizz-Ease styler AND a shampoo/conditioner; SCR will be equal to the cost of the shampoo/conditioner)
Get a $5 Single Check Rebate #41 (limit 3) when you buy $15 worth of Jergens Natural Glow or Moisturizers, Biore Facial Care Products, Ban Antiperspirant Deodorant, John Frieda Hair Care Products or Curel Moisturizers

Deal Scenario (based on on-line prices):
Buy 1 John Frieda Frizz-Ease Curl Boosting Mousse $5.49
Buy 1 John Frieda Frizz-Ease Shampoo or Conditioner $5.99
Buy 1 Biore pore strips $7.99
Buy 1 Biore Facial Cleanser $7.99
Total $27.46

Use the $5/$25 Rite Aid coupon found here (use zip code 43666) or here (PDF coupon)
Use the Buy any Deep Cleansing Pore Strips and Get 1 Cleanser free coupon from the 3/7 SS
Use the $1/1 Rite Aid Video Values Biore coupon found here
Use the $2/1 Biore Strips coupon found on most Biore products
Use the $2/1 John Frieda styler coupon from the 3/7 SS
Use the $3/1 John Frieda shampoo/conditioner coupon from the 3/7 SS
Use the $1/1 Rite Aid Video Values John Frieda coupon found here
Pay $5.47
Get back a $5.99 SCR #4 (i.e. the cost of the shampoo/conditioner that you choose to purchase) AND get back a $5 SCR #41
Final Cost FREE + a $6+ moneymaker!

What I actually did:

 

Purchased shampoo, detangler (next to the styling products), Biore strips, 

and a bottle of coke for Jbear (for putting up with my experiment).

Used $5 off $20.

Use the $1 off Rite Aid Video Values coupon for John Freida

Use the $1 off Rite Aid Video Values coupon for Biore

I don't know what SS means so I didn't have any of those.

I can get the $5 rebate.

Apparently the leave-in-conditioner/detangler spray <> styling product.

So no $6.99 rebate.
Darn it. Why do detangler sprays always smell so weird?

Attempt #1 = FAIL.

Attempt #2 : Toys R Us : games 

Every Easter I woke up to find a giant Easter basket filled with toys and candy that my mom purchased from the grocery store. Then at night she hid hard-boiled eggs from the fridge around the house and made my brother and I try to find them because if we did not they would end up smelling up the house. I didn't get a new Easter dress because my mom dressed me as if every Sunday was Easter when I went to church. 

This was our Easter tradition.

This year I decided to make lilB the best Easter basket ever! 

My goal is to make the total cost of the basket < the cost of a cool soccer basket I saw at Walgreens ($15.99). He doesn't need candy because with all his operations he has the most expensive teeth ever and I figured if he got board games it would keep him away from the TV and I can play too. haha.

 

The Deal

Buy Elefun Hungry Hippo Game Game $12.99

FREE plush elephant ($9.95 value)

Use $4 off Hungry Hippo coupon here

Get $3 mail-in rebate 

 

Buy Operation $8.99

Use $5 off Operation coupon here

Get $3 mail-in rebate

Pay around $15

After rebates around $9

Get back a $5 Toys R Us gift card for spending $20 (before coupons)

Final: $4 for 2 games, 1 plush elephant

What we actually did: 

forgot to pick up the mail-in rebate form

 I think I can salvage this one

Attempt #2 = Semi-FAIL

Attempt #3 : Toys R Us: DVDs

Andy is going to college and Woody & Buzz are devastated. How are they going to deal?

Yes I am talking about Toy Story 3. I am going to see it in theaters because I love Pixar. 

I saw Wall-E 3x in one week and Up on opening day. I love Pixar. A lot. Could you tell?

Toy Story and Toy Story 2 were both released on Blu-Ray and include and offer for a free movie ticket.

I've been holding onto my $10 off Disney Movie Reward coupons. 

While I was at Toys R Us semi-failing with the Easter basket games I found the bestest deal I could!

(Costco had DVDs $24.99 each and $10 off if you buy both but Costco only takes Costco coupons. Haters.)

Buy Toy Story and Toy Story 2 ($29.99 each)

Toys R Us deal buy 1 DVD get 1 50% off

Also, buy both get $10 off

Total = $35

Not bad.

What I actually did:

Sign up for Disney Movie Rewards here.

Use codes 786936294507 and 786936294521 in the Enter Code section.
Get $10 off coupons for each.
Final Total = $15


Final: $15 for 2 blu-ray DVD combo packs, 2 movie tickets for Toy Story 3

Attempt #3 = WINNER!!!

As for the no online shopping bet?

I made it to Palm Sunday. 

What got me?

 This.

 My bro and I bought my dad a Wii like 2 years ago to get him to exercise.

Unfortunately Wii Fit was always sold out. So poor Wiibi sat and collected dust.

EA Active has good reviews but always sells for around $60.

It was on sale for $43.54

Used $20 off $40 Promo Code: PAXEAST842 

Free Shipping

Total = $23.54

So Lent was a fail but I hope my dad likes his new fitness trainer.

His contract ends this month so he will have lots of free time and I better see some sweat! Hmph!

Jillian Michaels working it.

I don't know if I want to online shop so much after Easter. Sample sales are rather stressful.

After all this coupon madness, I may never pay full price for anything again. 

Except maybe staples like milk or oranges. 

(Did anyone else totally take advantage of the 5lb cuties for $2.97 from Safeway?)

wow this took way too long to type.