For those of you who read my previous blog post about the Vegan Cafe in Lockport, Groupon has a deal right now: $12 for $25 worth of food. Click here to be taken to the Groupon.
If you never got around to reading my Vegan Cafe post, click here to be taken to it. They serve only raw, natural foods, but everything is so delicious that you would never know what you are eating is healthy!
Monday, October 8, 2012
Friday, October 5, 2012
Free Fun!
Looking for something fun to do, but don't want to spend much money....or any money for that matter? Have you checked out your local public library?
Living in Bolingbrook, we belong to Fountaindale Public Library and they have events going on all the time.
Last week Mark and I went to a Mexican cooking night, where a chef cooked Mexican food right in front of us, explained each recipe and the process, and gave us recipes to take home. Then, when he was done cooking, we each got a plate of food to try his creations. It was informative, fun, and delicious! Check out the plate of food we each got below. Not bad for being free!
Some other FREE activities our library has:
Jewelry making class - make your own jewelry using provided supplies
Craft nights - on the first Thursday of the month you can bring your scrapbooking or card making projects and mingle and craft with others
Halloween Spooky Treats - Learn how to make treats such as witches fingers, a twinkie graveyard, and spooky popcorn. Sample in class and take the recipes home.
Zumba - If you pre-register you can take zumba classes at the library.
Yoga - If you pre-register you can take yoga classes at the library.
Drawing from A to Z - Free drawing classes
City of Ghosts - An interactive ghost theater of spine-tingling stories and local history.
These are just the events our library has, but if you look into the public library for your town, I'm sure you will find something of interest. There are also many children's events and activities as well as events for teens. Having fun does not have to mean going broke! :)
--T
Living in Bolingbrook, we belong to Fountaindale Public Library and they have events going on all the time.
Last week Mark and I went to a Mexican cooking night, where a chef cooked Mexican food right in front of us, explained each recipe and the process, and gave us recipes to take home. Then, when he was done cooking, we each got a plate of food to try his creations. It was informative, fun, and delicious! Check out the plate of food we each got below. Not bad for being free!
Some other FREE activities our library has:
Jewelry making class - make your own jewelry using provided supplies
Craft nights - on the first Thursday of the month you can bring your scrapbooking or card making projects and mingle and craft with others
Halloween Spooky Treats - Learn how to make treats such as witches fingers, a twinkie graveyard, and spooky popcorn. Sample in class and take the recipes home.
Zumba - If you pre-register you can take zumba classes at the library.
Yoga - If you pre-register you can take yoga classes at the library.
Drawing from A to Z - Free drawing classes
City of Ghosts - An interactive ghost theater of spine-tingling stories and local history.
These are just the events our library has, but if you look into the public library for your town, I'm sure you will find something of interest. There are also many children's events and activities as well as events for teens. Having fun does not have to mean going broke! :)
--T
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Style Tips From Old Navy
I went to Old Navy today, because I felt the need to jump on the colored skinny jeans bandwagon (I got a purple pair). They had free style tip papers you could take, and I especially liked the color pairings one. It tells you which colors look good together (perfect for picking out tops for the colored jeans). There is also one on how to tie scarves and belts (neither of which I have added to my wardrobe yet).
P.S. Sorry for the crumpled picture of the belts - my dog, Lucky, felt the need to walk all over it while I was trying to take the picture.
P.S. Sorry for the crumpled picture of the belts - my dog, Lucky, felt the need to walk all over it while I was trying to take the picture.
--T
Simply Homemade
I'm always on the look out for places to go with my girlfriends, and I've always held places like Simply Homemade in the back of my mind. This is one of those prep kitchens where you go and make several freezer meals to save for a day when you don't want to have to plan a meal. I've always known about Dinner by Design which had a location in Tinley Park and one in Downers Grove. The Tinley Park one closed down and the Downers one only offers pick up options (they assemble it for you and you just pick it up - boring!!). I wanted something we could turn into a girl's night so I found Simply Homemade in Naperville.
This. Place. Was. Awesome.
When you register online for your date and time you also pick your menu items. Every month there are 22 different menu options and most of them include a side item. The items I picked for September were:
Fish tacos
Classic Pork Roast with Apples
Tuscan Tomato Bisque with a Bread Loaf
Penne Pasta al Forno with a Side of Green Beans
Beef Tips Italiano with a Side of Broccoli
I tried to pick things I don't regularly make. I make a lot of casseroles and a lot of recipes using beef, so I thought the pork and fish tacos would be a nice change of pace, as well as the tomato soup.
There are several meal packages you can pick from. You can choose 5, 8, or 12 meals which each serve about 4-6 (plenty for Mark and I plus leftovers), or you can pick 12 mini meals which serve 3 (good for people who live alone).
The menus you pick the meals from also include nutrition information (including weight watchers points) and many of the meals are really healthy. Four out of five of my meals were less than 400 calories per serving - the soup was only 153 per serving. Sweeeet!
When you go to Simply Homemade, they have their kitchen set up in stations and each station has a recipe on it for you to follow. All the ingredients you need to assemble your dish are at the station - you hardly have to leave your spot to find something. The directions are simple such as: Take a quart sized bag. In the bag put 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, etc. etc. Close bag. Take a gallon bag and add meat from the refrigerator. Close bag. Take a quart sized bag and fill with broccoli. And so on and so forth. It is so SIMPLE (hence, Simply Homemade, right?) Then you put everything in one bag and put a label on it that has cooking instructions.
Here is what the label looks like on my fish tacos:
Cooking Instructions are literally to cook the fish in a pan, sprinkle on the seasonings it came with, add the bag of salsa, squeeze a lime over it, shred with a fork and make your tacos. Voila!
At home prep time: 0 minutes
Total cook time: About 10 minutes
and the Pasta:
Bake in oven for 40-45 minutes, uncover and bake for 10-12 more minutes. All done!
At home prep time: 0 minutes
Total cook time: About an hour
I made 7 meals (because two of the meals were rather large, so I split them into two containers for two separate dinners) for $105.00 and it only took me an hour to prepare them all at Simply Homemade's kitchen. I stayed longer to help a friend who was making the 12 mini meals. I consider that a great deal considering I did not have to grocery shop for 7 meals, did not have to do all the prep work OR the clean up, and it takes the guess work out of "what are we having for dinner." I am trying to save these meals for a day or week when I am too busy to think about cooking. Also, these are things Mark could easily throw into the oven and prepare.
If anyone is interested in doing this, let me know. I will definitely be returning!
Tonight I am making the fish tacos and will report back on how they tasted.
--T
This. Place. Was. Awesome.
When you register online for your date and time you also pick your menu items. Every month there are 22 different menu options and most of them include a side item. The items I picked for September were:
Fish tacos
Classic Pork Roast with Apples
Tuscan Tomato Bisque with a Bread Loaf
Penne Pasta al Forno with a Side of Green Beans
Beef Tips Italiano with a Side of Broccoli
I tried to pick things I don't regularly make. I make a lot of casseroles and a lot of recipes using beef, so I thought the pork and fish tacos would be a nice change of pace, as well as the tomato soup.
There are several meal packages you can pick from. You can choose 5, 8, or 12 meals which each serve about 4-6 (plenty for Mark and I plus leftovers), or you can pick 12 mini meals which serve 3 (good for people who live alone).
The menus you pick the meals from also include nutrition information (including weight watchers points) and many of the meals are really healthy. Four out of five of my meals were less than 400 calories per serving - the soup was only 153 per serving. Sweeeet!
When you go to Simply Homemade, they have their kitchen set up in stations and each station has a recipe on it for you to follow. All the ingredients you need to assemble your dish are at the station - you hardly have to leave your spot to find something. The directions are simple such as: Take a quart sized bag. In the bag put 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, etc. etc. Close bag. Take a gallon bag and add meat from the refrigerator. Close bag. Take a quart sized bag and fill with broccoli. And so on and so forth. It is so SIMPLE (hence, Simply Homemade, right?) Then you put everything in one bag and put a label on it that has cooking instructions.
Here is what the label looks like on my fish tacos:
Cooking Instructions are literally to cook the fish in a pan, sprinkle on the seasonings it came with, add the bag of salsa, squeeze a lime over it, shred with a fork and make your tacos. Voila!
At home prep time: 0 minutes
Total cook time: About 10 minutes
and the Pasta:
Bake in oven for 40-45 minutes, uncover and bake for 10-12 more minutes. All done!
At home prep time: 0 minutes
Total cook time: About an hour
I made 7 meals (because two of the meals were rather large, so I split them into two containers for two separate dinners) for $105.00 and it only took me an hour to prepare them all at Simply Homemade's kitchen. I stayed longer to help a friend who was making the 12 mini meals. I consider that a great deal considering I did not have to grocery shop for 7 meals, did not have to do all the prep work OR the clean up, and it takes the guess work out of "what are we having for dinner." I am trying to save these meals for a day or week when I am too busy to think about cooking. Also, these are things Mark could easily throw into the oven and prepare.
If anyone is interested in doing this, let me know. I will definitely be returning!
Tonight I am making the fish tacos and will report back on how they tasted.
--T
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Need a Hotel in Cali?
Recently, Mark and I took a trip to California. We had a great time, and we were pleasantly surprised by our choice of hotel. Most of what we wanted to do while we were in California was near the Los Angeles/Hollywood areas, but we didn't want to actually stay in LA. Someone had told Mark about Sherman Oaks, California which was about 20-25 minutes from both LA and Hollywood. We decided on a Best Western on Sepulveda Boulevard and it was great! It was designed more like a motel, with the doors to all the rooms leading to the outside, and it was only two levels. Check-in was fast (as was check-out, we were able to just call the front desk and tell them we were leaving!). One night, Mark went to the front desk, which was in a separate building, to ask for more towels, and as he was walking out of the front desk building, there was already a maid walking up to our door with the towels. There was a refrigerator in the room (some hotels you have to pay extra for this), and they kept our room stocked with bottles of water. There was a Denny's next door and you could walk the few feet to go eat or you could order room service from Denny's. The room was extremely clean, and I felt very comfortable in it.
If you plan on taking a trip to California (which I recommend you do - there is so much to do there!), remember the Best Western on Sepulveda Blvd in Sherman Oaks :)
--T
If you plan on taking a trip to California (which I recommend you do - there is so much to do there!), remember the Best Western on Sepulveda Blvd in Sherman Oaks :)
--T
Monday, September 3, 2012
My Secret Go To Store....
is Dress Barn! Often times when I get complimented on something I am wearing and tell the person "Thanks, it's from Dress Barn!" they are shocked. For some reason Dress Barn has this "it's for old ladies" stigma. Granted, some of the clothing IS for older women, in my opinion, but about 80 percent of the dresses in my closet are from Dress Barn! I also have several tops, pants, and even shoes - and I like to think that I don't dress like an old lady. ;)
My latest find is their Roz & Ali skinny jeans/jeggings. They are the BEST skinny jeans I have ever tried on. Ever. So awesome in fact that I went back the next day with my sister so she could try them on - and she bought them as well! They are not denim - they are a very "satiny" smooth material and come in blue and black. I bought both! They are also reasonably priced at $29.50.
If you would like to see them on the website, click here.
If you have never shopped at Dress Barn, give it a chance. I never walk out of there empty-handed :)
--T
My latest find is their Roz & Ali skinny jeans/jeggings. They are the BEST skinny jeans I have ever tried on. Ever. So awesome in fact that I went back the next day with my sister so she could try them on - and she bought them as well! They are not denim - they are a very "satiny" smooth material and come in blue and black. I bought both! They are also reasonably priced at $29.50.
If you would like to see them on the website, click here.
If you have never shopped at Dress Barn, give it a chance. I never walk out of there empty-handed :)
--T
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Update: Erin Condren Life Planner
I am sooooo excited to have finally received my Erin Condren Planner
in the mail today! (See previous post for more detailed information on
this awesome website).I cannot WAIT to fill it in and start using it (I'm a dork, I know). I just love organization, especially in terms of calendars, to do lists, etc, and I love that I can keep virtually everything I need to know or remember in this planner which very conveniently will fit in most of my purses :)
The planner has pages for birthdays/anniversaries for every month, a folder, a ruler, stickers that say things like "birthday, pay day, bridal shower" etc. so you can put them on your calendar. Each month has a monthly calendar and also a calendar for each day that is separated by morning, afternoon, and evening. There are blank pages, lined pages, gift labels (different from the ones pictured), address pages, and an important phone numbers page. Every single page has a cute design, font, and colors. It's not your average planner that's for sure!
She also sent me the gift labels you see pictured. There were 11 of them which would normally cost about $10.00 so that was a nice freebie! I also received a coupon for $10 off my next purchase. So when you take all of that into consideration, the $50.00 planner really cost around $30.00. At least that's the way I look at it. :)
About three days ago I went back to her website and ordered Christmas and birthday gift labels, because she is running a Labor Day sale - 40% off! Use the code LABORDAY at checkout (only good on gift labels).
--T
Monday, August 27, 2012
A Simple Yummy Recipe
If you want a really good recipe you can prepare in about 15 minutes, then this recipe is for you. I have our family friend, Laura, to thank for this one. It's so easy that even a not so savvy cook could make it. :)
1 lb ground beef
1/4 tsp salt
10 oz frozen mixed vegetables
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
16 oz. frozen tater tots (I usually just buy a big bag, use what I need and save the rest for the next recipe)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brown beef in a skillet with salt. Spoon into a lightly greased 2.5 quart casserole dish. Layer frozen vegetables, soup, and cheese on top of ground beef. Top with tater tots and bake uncovered for 30-45 minutes or until tater tots are done.
--T
1 lb ground beef
1/4 tsp salt
10 oz frozen mixed vegetables
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
16 oz. frozen tater tots (I usually just buy a big bag, use what I need and save the rest for the next recipe)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brown beef in a skillet with salt. Spoon into a lightly greased 2.5 quart casserole dish. Layer frozen vegetables, soup, and cheese on top of ground beef. Top with tater tots and bake uncovered for 30-45 minutes or until tater tots are done.
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| Photo courtesy of delicious-cooks.com |
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Impressive!
I love my job, and I like the school I work at, but I am always keeping an eye out for any job opportunities that seem interesting. Recently I saw a Groupon for a resumé writing company that will revamp your current resumé and cover letter. I bought it, knowing full well that my current resumé was pretty crappy. I've been at the same school for six years and haven't really needed to update or improve the way my resume looked. I bought the Groupon for $85.00. The service is normally $260. This seems like a lot of money, but I just received my resumé and cover letter back, and I cannot express how amazing they both are! I am actually embarrassed at what I turned in to them as my original resumé! :)
In addition to attaching my current resumé and cover letter, I also had to fill out a questionnaire. It took the company only a couple of days to get back to me with the finished product. They really highlighted my strengths as an educator and my professional accomplishments and qualifications.
If your resumé needs a face lift I would highly recommend JC Resumes. Honestly, I am so happy with their service, I do think that the $260 fee is worth it, and felt the Groupon deal was a steal at $85, especially if someone is actively job hunting and wants their resumé to stand out.
To show you the difference in my "before and after" resumés, I have attached a picture of both. I did black out my personal information (address, phone number, etc.) so obviously the actual documents don't have the big black rectangles on them. :) The company website for JC Resumes is found here.
In addition to attaching my current resumé and cover letter, I also had to fill out a questionnaire. It took the company only a couple of days to get back to me with the finished product. They really highlighted my strengths as an educator and my professional accomplishments and qualifications.
If your resumé needs a face lift I would highly recommend JC Resumes. Honestly, I am so happy with their service, I do think that the $260 fee is worth it, and felt the Groupon deal was a steal at $85, especially if someone is actively job hunting and wants their resumé to stand out.
To show you the difference in my "before and after" resumés, I have attached a picture of both. I did black out my personal information (address, phone number, etc.) so obviously the actual documents don't have the big black rectangles on them. :) The company website for JC Resumes is found here.
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| Before |
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| After |
Thursday, August 16, 2012
The Ultimate Planner
One of my friends (Thanks Andrea Meyer!) posted this website on facebook: ErinCondren.com and within 10 minutes of looking at it I had already placed an order!
She sells everything from iphone and ipad cases, to recipe cards, to lesson plan books for teachers, to life planners.
I decided to buy one of the life planners. I love organization when it comes to calendars/schedules/etc. You get to choose your cover design and personalize it how you want. You can also upload a picture and make that your cover. You can choose a 12 month or 16 month planner. Each life planner includes the following:
--A birthday and anniversary calendar
--A weekly scheduler with two month spreads
--Goals and to-do lists
--Laminated monthly tabs
--Laminated bookmark/ruler
--Lined pages
--Blank pages
--Important numbers page
--Addresses page
--Colorful stickers for highlighting important events
--Sturdy aluminum coil
--A plastic pouch
--A "Keep it together" folder
--Inspiration quotes throughout
The life planners are $50.00 and the other items on her website range in price. Anything on her website would make a great gift, especially because you can personalize it with the person's or family's name.
This is the design I chose and my first and last name will be on the bottom of the cover. If you order one, let me know what design you decided on!
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