great magazine deal

go HERE to read all about it. I know I have been so absent lately. I will tell you why later today...no I am not pregnant...I would always welcome that little surprise but that is not it:)

~type to you soon~

cake pops for cheeks

after daddy took cheeks to Starbucks for her birthday breakfast she became a huge fan of their cake pops.

her request for her school snacks was cake pops.

her request for her home snack...cake pops.

her daddy's request for after work snacks...cake pops.

needless to say cake pops are our new favorite treat around here.

~type to you soon~

shopping at the end of the season and a little good will

yesterday i hit the megaload at lands end in sears and gymboree. lands end was having an unbeatable sale. 70% off kids clearance plus an additional 25% off of the 70%. they were giving stuff away. i was able to pick up a few essential pieces for school uniforms next year but while i was parusing the racks i noticed they had tons of a particular size that a friend's little girl wears. i called her up and bought all the cuteness that i could find. i did not pay over $6 dollars for the most expensive item. most of the items were between $3-4. that is better than consignment. i want to encourage you to do this for you friends. it was save them tons of money and who knows, maybe the favor will someday be returned. my sweet friend has already helped me out in the saving money adventure. she always includes me in her discount at a local department store.

gymboree is having there fill a bag sale, except you really don't have to fill the bag. everything is 30% off. plus if you are a member of gymboree rewards you should have a 20% off coupon you can combine with the 30% off. i bought white uniform shirts for the kids yesterday for $2.99. CAN'T BEAT THAT! there are all kinds of end of the season sales right now. if you can get out and buy a few things for next season you will be so glad you did. always buy on the bigger side. they will eventually grow into it:)

UPDATE: both of the above deals are available online. great savings if you shop the clearance section!!! the in-store deals are obviously a little cheaper because they mark things down quicker, but there are still some awesome deals online and more selection.

~type to you soon~

have you ever wondered about sugar alternatives?

here is an informational chart that breaks down sugar substitutes. this topic is a new research area that I am looking into. there are many options for buying other sweet options that are not table sugar. i will let you know the best deals once i find them. i know that i am not going to be able to entirely replace table sugar because of the expense and the amount of baking i do, however, replacing it in my coffee, tea, and other areas on a daily basis will certainly help. you can read the entire article about the sugars HERE.

~type to you soon~

source: organic lifestyle magazine

Sugars & Substitutes with their Glycemic Index

Artificial Sweeteners	N/A	Never a Healthy Sugar Alternative All artificial chemical sweeteners are toxic and can indirectly lead to weight gain, the very reason many people consume them. They should be avoided. In fact, given a choice between high fructose corn syrup and artificial sweeteners, we recommend high fructose corn syrup by far (though it's essentially asking if you should consume poison or worse poison).
Stevia	0	Best Healthy Sugar Alternative Though it is 200-300 times sweeter than table sugar, stevia is not a sugar. Unlike other popular sweeteners, it has a glycemic index rating of less than 1 and therefore does not feed candida (yeast) or cause any of the numerous other problems associated with sugar consumption. Read more about stevia at Organic Lifestyle Magazine (OLM). Please note that Stevia and Truvia are not the same thing.
Xylitol	7	Xylitol is a natural sugar alcohol sweetener found in the fibers of fruits and vegetables which can cause bloating, diarrhea, and flatulence with initial consumption. It's said to be safe for pregnant women, and is said to possibly treat ear infections, osteoposis, respiratory infections, candida, and is it even helps fight cavities. In fact, in Finland, virtually all chewing gum is sweetened with xylitol.
Agave Nectar	15-30	A sweet syrup made from the Blue Agave plant, Agave Nectar is obtained by the extraction and purification of "sap" from the agave plant, which is broken down by natural enzymes into the monosaccharides (simple sugars): mainly fructose (70-75%) and dextrose (20-26%). Read more about agave nectar at OLM.
Fructose	17	Though fructose has a low glycemic index rating, fructose consumption should be limited. Fructose is linked to heart disease as it raises triglycerides and cholesterol. It is devoid of nutrition.
Brown Rice Syrup	25	Though it is said to have a low glycemic index (25), it is not recommended for diabetics, since its sweetness comes from maltose, which is known to cause spikes in blood sugar.
Raw Honey	30	A Healthy Sugar Alternative in moderation With antioxidants, minerals, vitamins, amino acids, enzymes, carbohydrates, and phytonutrients, raw, unprocessed honey is considered a superfood by many alternative health care practitioners and a remedy for many health ailments. Choose your honey wisely. There is nothing beneficial about processed honey. Read more about honey at OLM.
Coconut Palm Sugar	35	Originally made from the sugary sap of the Palmyra palm , the date palm or sugar date palm (Phoenix sylvestris). It's also made from the sap of coconut palms. With a relatively low glycemic index, Cocnut palm sugar is the new rage among health nuts. It's often called "coconut nectar sugar" or "coconut sugar".
Apple Juice	40	Fresh apple juice is good for you, though we recommend eating fresh raw whole apples. Concentrated apple juice (sometimes used as a sweetener) is closer to refined sugar than fresh apple juice.
Barley Malt Syrup	42	Barley malt syrup is considered to be one of the healthiest sweeteners in the natural food industry. Barley malt is made by soaking and sprouting barley to make malt, then combining it with more barley and cooking this mixture until the starch is converted to sugar. The mash is then strained and cooked down to syrup or dried into powder.
Amasake	43	This is an ancient, Oriental whole grain sweetener made from cultured brown rice. It has a thick, pudding-like consistency. It's not easy to find in the U.S., but it is a great alternative to refined table sugar.
Sugar Cane Juice	43	Healthy Sugar Alternative in moderation Sugar cane juice has many nutrients and other beneficial properties and is said by some health practitioners to be almost as medicinal as raw honey.
Organic Sugar	47	Organic sugar comes from sugar cane grown without the use of chemicals or pesticides. It is usually darker than traditional white sugar because it contains some molasses. (It has not been processed to the degree white sugar is processed).
Maple Syrup	54	Maple syrup is made by boiling sap collected from natural growth maple trees during March & April. It is refined sap and is therefore processed. It has a high glycemic index, and though it is much more nutritious then refined table sugar and high fructose corn syrup, there are better choices.
Evaporated Cane Juice	55	Evaporated cane juice is often considered unrefined sugar, but juicing is a refining process, and evaporating refines further. Though better than turbinado, cane juice (unevaporated) is a better choice as a sweetener.
Black Strap Molasses	55	White refined table sugar is sugar cane with all the nutrition taken out. Black strap molasses is all of that nutrition that was taken away. A quality organic (must be organic!) molasses provides iron, calcium, copper, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and zinc, and is alkalizing to the body.
Turbinado	65	Turbinado sugar is partially processed sugar, also called raw sugar. Raw Sugar
Raw sugar	65	Raw sugar is not actually raw sugar. It is processed, though not as refined as common white table sugar. Therefore, given a choice between raw and white, choose raw. There are many different variations of raw sugar with many different names depending on how refined it is.
Cola (and most other sodas)	70	Though cola has a lower GI ranking then some might expect, there are many other reasons to avoid cola, or any type of soda. There is nothing beneficial to the human body inside a can of soda (not to mention we should avoid drinking out of aluminum cans!).
Corn Syrup	75	Corn syrup has very little nutrition and should be avoided.
Refined, Pasteurized Honey	75	The nutrition is gone, and there is often high fructose corn syrup added to processed honey. Refined pasteurized honey is no better than white table sugar.
Refined Table Sugar	80	Conventionally grown, chemically processed, and striped of all beneficial properties, many health advocates believe that refined sugar is one of the two leading causes (high fructose corn syrup is the other) of nearly every health ailment known to man (or woman or child). Not only does it have a high GI ranking, but it also is extremely acidic to the body causing calcium and other mineral depletion from bones and organs (sugar is alkaline but has a very acidic effect on the body).
High Fructose Corn Syrup	87	Many health advocates believe that high fructose corn syrup and refined sugar are the two biggest contributors to health ailments in our society. High fructose corn syrup is a combination of sucrose and fructose.
Glucose (AKA Dextrose)	100	White bread was the benchmark, but for consistency glucose now holds the rating at 100.
Maltodextrin	150	Foods that have maltodextrin often say "Low Sugar" or "Complex Carbohydrate", but this sweetener should be avoided!

does your house ever smell like one BIG fart?

mine has on occasion and today was one of those days...
solution...
this is the best way to make your whole house smell divine, and quickly too. a couple of cinnamon sticks a few orange slices and some water simmering on the stove. i leave mine on the stove for days and just add more water when i want to "smell up the house pretty" (yes i know that is not proper english).

on a separate note entirely, i got about 10 inches cut off my hair today...pay no attention to the ridiculously big eyes. i have a very hard time taking good pictures of myself...

i feel light as a feather, free as a bird with my new do.

~type to you soon~

awesome sunglasses deal

go HERE to read about a sunglasses deal that is hard to beat!

~type to you soon~

a return to the old fashion lunch

why not go back to a lunch of egg salad, chicken salad, ham salad, or tuna salad?

it was so good and really economical...especially compared to $8.99 a pound for lunch meat.

~type to you soon~

$1 or less kroger deals

Kroger deals

• Butterfinger, Nestle Crunch or Wonka Candy, singles, FREE
• Pillsbury Refrigerated Breads, Biscuits, or Sweet Rolls 75¢
• Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers 53¢
• Totino’s Party Pizza or Pizza Rolls, 15 ct., 50¢
• Progresso Soup, select varieties, 18.5-19 oz, 75¢
• Hamburger Helper Meals 72¢
• Zatarain’s Rice Mix, 5.7-8 oz, 50¢
• Betty Crocker Brownie Mix, 16.5-19 oz, $1
• Chex Mix, Bugles, or Gardetto’s Snacks, 6-8.75 oz, 25¢
• Nature Valley or Fiber One Bars, 5-12 ct., 79¢
• Pringles Super Stack, 5.71-6.3 oz, 83¢
• Old Spice or Secret Deodorant, 2-3.25 oz, 99¢

go HERE to see the coupon match ups. thanks southern savers

~type to you soon~

new mascara

1. i am not meticulous about the application of mascara...two swipes with the brush and that does it...i dont have the patience for finicky make-up application

2. i usually do not recommend any type of make up because, well just because. make up is different for everyone and it can turn into a huge expense if you purchase what everyone recommends

3. BUT...this stuff is super-fan-tabulous!!!! it is Physicians Formula 100% Natural Origin Mascara Ultra Black

look at the left eye compared to the right. i really only swiped those lashes twice. plus this is one of the mascaras that is on the safe products list that i posted a couple of weeks ago...read all about it HERE. CVS has a great deal on this mascara this week. you get a $7 ECB back when you purchase it for @ $10.50. find another product that you would like to try and use the ECB from the mascara purchase to buy your second item.

~type to you soon~