How we prepared for our juice fast

It's been a busy week here, and I'm really thrilled the weekend is thisclose!! I'm so excited to start our juice fast this Sunday!   My beautiful Katie started her juice fast today.  She watned to try the 3 juice a day fast, but after getting home from her p/t job she decided she wanted dinner!   it's healthy as long as she drinks plenty of water to stay hydrated throughout the day!  Her breakfast juice was:  2 oranges, 1 apple, 2 carrots,1 lime.  For her lunch juice, she had a couple carrots, 1/4 of a peeled cucumber, 2 celery sticks, white grapes, a few leaves of spinach, 1/2 a pear, a little mint & parsley, plus a couple oranges.  She will do this for 30 days. I'm very proud of her - this is a healthy way to get the weight off that she wants to (about 30 lbs), and get a good foundation for how she'll want to eat/drink for the rest of her life, I hope!  So far, so good.

I found this webpage that explains the stages of detox your body will go through during a 30 day fast.  It is pretty amazing!  I know already the first few days will not be fun.  As in - my caffeine addiction is going to have to leave me and I'm not gonna be happy!  Me & diet coke/diet dr. p are like BFF's, it is going to BITE to give that daily fizzy caffeine drink (or 2) up!  But once you hit day 8 of this fast/detox, you are supposed to start feeling good.  I mean REALLY GOOD!  I can't wait for that to happen! Can I fast forward to that, please? lol  : )

Yesterday I went to Aldi & Kroger to get a huge amount of fresh produce.  I spent about $22 at Aldi ~ got a bag of oranges, bag of pears, 4 tomatoes, 2 lbs green grapes, 4 lbs of carrots, bag of Granny Smith apples, bag of Gala apples, a pineapple, bag of lemons, and bag of limes.  Aldi has the best prices,  but it is about a 30 mile round trip for me to shop there.  That is about 2 gallons of gas - so I have to balance the savings with the $8 (appx) I will have to spend in gas to get there too.

At Kroger I spent $25 and got 1/2 watermelon, a pineapple, fresh organic mint, ginger, 2 bunches of spinach, 1 bunch of kale, red grapes, a grapefruit, cucumbers, zucchini, and a bunch of organic parsley.  Eventually I want to transition to organic grapes, apples and greens, too.

Today,  I juiced each fruit separately.  Then, I poured the fresh-squeezed juices into ice cube trays and froze them.  Then I put them in freezer bags, marked with type of fruit, and how many cubes = how much of the fruits. (ie,  I juiced four tomatoes, and got 12 cubes, so 3 cubes = 1 tomato!)  I'll take some pics tomorrow to show you!  This way, I will just pick a recipe, pop the right number of cubes out for each fruit or veggie.  I can let them defrost and then mix them together, or throw them into my blender, and blend.  That way I can have slushies sometimes too!  I am freezing the juice immediately after juicing and I should have enough to make it through next week.  Tomorrow we are going to the Dekalb Farmers Market to get a bunch more fruits & veggies - I'll be freezing some of those as well, but juicing some fresh for the beginning of the week, too. 

Also, I don't want you to think that all I'll be posting about is juicing!  No way!!  I have recipes, crafts and more coming up!  So I'll post a lot more info on my fast on the Juicing Page - check out the link at the top of this page - it's a work in progress! It will have alot more information about juicing, our fast, plus recipes and resources!  If you are interested in juicing, or seeing how we do on this fast, I'd love to have you check that page often! : )

Hope y'all have a great  Friday, and a fabulous weekend too!

FREE magazines from Plum District - Black Friday only!

Y'all, I just found THE BEST deal on magazines today!! I love magazines, but I do not like using any money from my grocery budget to pay for them at the grocery store.  So this deal caught my attention, and I grabbed it fast! 

Have you joined Plum District?  I did a while back, and today I heard about this deal:  go to Plum District,  look for the Magazine deal - it's for $10 certificates on many magazines, including Every Day with Rachael Ray,  Reader's Digest, Taste of Home, MORE, Rolling Stone, Car & Driver, Whole Living, Dog Fancy, Cat Fancy, Men's Journal and many others!  

Snag this deal (will say buy for $10).  Go to checkout, and enter this Black Friday-only code:  enjoy10 and then complete your checkout!! You will get a voucher that you can use on the magazine subscription website to choose your magazine.

I chose Every Day with Rachael Ray - love it but it is much too pricey usually!! But FREE, that I can handle!! 

Maybe you don't need another magazine subscription, but how about choosing one for a gift? One for your best girlfriend, a family member, or perhaps for your favorite doctor's office or a local retirement home....it's FREE, y'all!!  Now hurry up and get shopping! ;0)

If you decide to get this freebie, please leave me a comment below and tell me which magazine you chose - maybe you can help me find another new favorite magazine!!

Happy Black Friday Shopping, y'all!

Coupon Alert for Atlanta readers!!

In today's (Sunday) AJC, check page B9 for a coupon good for a FREE bag of Community Coffee - it's up to a $7.99 value, and doesn't expire til January 31, 2012!

Eversave deals for Labor Day!

Good morning ~ I hope y'all are enjoying your Labor Day holiday! It's rainy here in Atlanta, but no complaints ~ we need it!

Eversave is one of my favorite daily deal sites, and they have some great offerings today! I can't decide which is my favorite! At Checkout, use the promo/coupon code LaborDay and you will get an extra $2 off ~ SWEET!

$9 for $20 worth of personalized labels and more from Label Your Stuff
Offer expires: 11:59 PM - Sep 14, 2011

$7 for $14 worth of cell phone accessories from CellPig.com, plus free shipping!
Offer expires: 11:59 PM - Sep 07, 2011

$5 for a two-year subscription to Parents magazine ($24 value)
Offer expires: 11:59 PM - Sep 07, 2011

$15 for $30 worth of eco-friendly shopping totes from Esse Reusable Bags
Offer expires: 11:59 PM - Sep 13, 2011

$26 for a three-month subscription to interactive travel adventure Little Passports ($52 value), shipping included!
Offer expires: 11:59 PM - Sep 06, 2011

Hurry ~ Get a $10 FREE credit from Eversave!!

Eversave is giving EVERYONE a $10 credit for their site!! New & existing Eversave members will get $10 in Save Rewards to use on any of their Saves.  They offer fantastic deals (aka Saves) from local & online merchants, and vacation Saves too. Use this $10 credit towards any of their Saves through 8/25 at midnight.

Sign up now to request your free $10 Save Reward.  If you are already a member your $10 Save Reward is waiting in your account!

It pays to join Eversave with perks like this - they're giving away millions!  Remember - this offer expires on August 25 at midnight!
 



* Post includes affiliate links*

Eversave Atlanta BBQ Giveaway!

Have y'all joined Eversave yet?  I just recently did and L.O.V.E. them!! They offer great daily Saves for businesses in many cities across the country.  You can get a half price meal, a salon mani/pedi for half price, deals on travel, makeup and more. These Saves are usually only available for 24 hours.  It's a nice way to try a new (or favorite) place at a really good price. It's free to join Eversave and they will even give you $2 in credits when you sign up for their daily emails!  I like that the vouchers for your Save are emailed right to you ~ so convenient!

Today is Best of BBQ Day at Eversave, and they have some fabulous BBQ deals!!




Click the text links below to check out today's national and Atlanta deals...


For all of my readers, there is a national deal from Pat Boone All-American Meats ~ $39 for $80 of premium meat delivered right to your door! And if you are new to Eversave, you'll have a $2 credit for signing up for daily emails, so you only pay $37. 

$39 for $80 worth of premium Pat Boone All-American Meats delivered right to your door
Offer expires: 11:59 PM - Aug 21, 2011

For my Atlanta peeps, Rick's Smokin' Pig BBQ in Gainesville has a yummy Save for you ~ $7 for $15 worth of delicious BBQ & non-alcoholic drinks. (New Eversave members will only pay $5 with their email credit!)  We haven't been to Rick's yet, but it's on our side of town so we'll be trying them SOON.  Their menu looks delicious!

$7 for $15 worth of authentic barbecue and non-alcoholic drinks at Rick's Smokin' Pig BBQ
Offer expires: 11:59 PM - Aug 15, 2011


And here's the best part of this post:  Eversave Atlanta is giving one lucky Atlanta reader today's Save for Rick's Smokin' Pig BBQ!  That means my winner will get to enjoy $15 worth of BBQ for FREE!  Here's how to enter:

There is one entry per person.  First of all, you need to be an Atlanta-area resident to win this Eversave voucher.  Like Eversave Atlanta on Facebook, then  follow @EversaveATL on Twitter, and of course, open a free Eversave account.   After you do these three things, please leave a comment below telling me you did, and include your email address so I can contact you if you're my winner!  If you don't have a Twitter account, just let me know that in your comment.

** If you want to enter, but don't have a google account, just type your comment, then choose "anonymous" from the pull down menu below the comment box - but make sure your comment includes your name email address, otherwise I won't be able to contact you if you win!!***

Contest ends Monday night, August 15 at 11:59 pm EST. I'll draw a winner using random.org Tuesday morning, and contact them via email.  The winner must respond within 24 hours, (or another winner will be drawn) and then they should receive their Eversave voucher via email within a few days. 

Thanks so much to Eversave Atlanta for sponsoring this fantastic giveaway! 

***Disclosure: I was given an Eversave Atlanta credit for sharing this deal, and one $7 voucher will be given to the winner from Eversave Atlanta as well.  Post includes affiliate links ***

Thanks so much for stopping by, and good luck!!

Get a free bag of Fresh Express Salad washed in Fresh Rinse!

I love Vocalpoint ~ they let me try new products first, give me the chance to share my opinions about them, and they send me coupons to share with my friends too!  I wanted to let my readers know about their latest offer!  Click here to request your free sample of Fresh Express Salad washed in Fresh Rinse, so you can try it for yourself! 

What is Fresh Rinse, you ask? Well, here's what Vocalpoint had to say ~ Fresh Express® has developed a breakthrough, eco-friendly produce wash called Fresh Rinse™ that is 7x more effective in cleaning salads than traditional chlorine wash, but is still gentle on lettuce.  It's also acceptable for use on organic products!  So basically, this is a bagged salad that is ready to serve - no washing required!  Click the link and snag a free bag of this yummy salad for yourself!!

*** disclaimer ~ I was not compensated for writing this post, but I will receive a free bag of salad, a bag clip and coupons to share from Vocalpoint & Fresh Express. ***

Super $4 Deal on Parents Magazine!

Happy Monday!! Our internet has been out since last Thursday - I was beginning to feel some withdrawal pains!! Now that it’s back, I wanted to share a wonderful deal with my readers who are parents or grandparents. Have you ever checked out Parents Magazine? It is one of the best magazines for parents of wee ones. I depended on Parents magazine many times when both of my kids were little - for advice, information, product recommendations, kid-friendly recipes and so much more! They even offer advice for parents of "big kids" - everything from Attitudes to Peer Pressure! I have plenty of articles from Parents that I cut out & saved for future reference! I’ve given this magazine as a Baby Shower gift & new parents’ gift too - it’s a fantastic resource for parents!

I’m so excited to share a fabulous deal from Purex & Parents Magazine! Using the enclosed link and entering my promo code will get you a one year subscription for only $4! That is 33 cents an issue! I’m able to share this with you because I am participating in a contest from Purex, so I will get one point for each of you who enters my code when you sign up for your $4 subscription!

So here’s the information you need to get your own $4 subscription: The website is https://www.purex.com/parents-promo and here is the promo code: PX1155 . The 100 Purex Insiders with the most points at the end of the contest will win anywhere from $25 to $250, so I really appreciate your help in spreading the word - feel free to tweet this using the button above! This offer runs through July 22, so get yours soon!
 

Get $25 worth of David's Cookies for only $2 ~ Little Birdie rocks!

I love finding new daily deal sites - and I love even more when they give you a credit just for joining!! I signed up with Little Birdie - a new FREE site, and got an instant $10 credit for doing so!! Here's the link for you to get your $10 for free too! (disclaimer - this is a referral link, so I'll also get a $10 credit - thank you for joining through my link!)

Today's national deal is a $25 voucher for David's Cookies, for $12.  YUM.   But remember that $10 credit? You can get this deal for $2!! Seriously!

They have cookies, brownies, cookie dough and more.  A 1 lb tin of cookies is $24.95 - shipping is $4.95.   I bought the voucher from Little Birdie and paid $2 after my $10 credit.  I'm registered with Shop At Home, which gives you a cash rebate for shopping online (7.5% with David's Cookies!) so I'll spend about $7 total out of pocket, but if they use my total amount ($24.95 & $4.95) spent, I think I'll get about $2.00 back, so it will be a total of $5 for a dozen freshly made cookies delivered to our door.  Sweet!  (Click the box below to sign up for Shop at Home - they partner with thousands of stores & websites to give you cash back for online shopping!)  Wouldn't fresh cookies make a great Father's Day gift? Or a sweet surprise for someone you love?



LOVE LOVE LOVE finding great deals like this! : )

How I find coupons & deals on produce & organic items...

When I teach classes, one thing that comes up time and again is this: "We don't eat a lot of the items that have coupons." or  "We eat a lot of produce/organic items - how do we find deals for those?" or "There aren't any coupons for good, healthy food."

Well, here's how I do it...

Whole Foods has coupon books, and you can sign up online at mambosprouts.com to get coupons by mail. For example, I emailed Blue Diamond and complimented their almond milk, and they sent me coupons! Most organics companies will have a website or public phone #, so write/call and ask to be put on their mailing list.  And don't forget Facebook! Like your favorite products and then watch for coupons, deals, samples and more!

Another tip: If you have a Kroger store, prowl the produce department in the early morning or evening and look for discounted produce. They have yellow and orange manager's special tags on the products. As long as we eat it within a couple days, it is a great way to get super prices on healthy veggies and fruits! Always take your coupons - salads, fruits, veggies, dips and more may be marked down, and you can still use your coupons with them!

Recently, my Kroger had Chiquita Apple Slices marked down from $4.99 for 5 individual bags, to 1.99. I had $1 dollar off coupon, so I got the 5 bags of apple slices for 99 cents! This past weekend I bought 10 Fage Greek yogurts marked down to 50 cents each, and 10 Coconut milk yogurts (regularly $2.99 each!) for 50 cents each this way!

I haven't seen other local stores that mark down products like this, but Kroger does offer these manager specials regularly. Just go later in the evening, or early in the morning! Check the bakery and meat departments too for these deals. Remember you can freeze breads and meats that are close to their expiration dates!

Here are a few other places to get coupons:

http://www.barbarasbakery.com/

http://www.fageusa.com/products/offers/

http://www.organicvalley.coop/coupons/

https://horizonregistration.icmodus.com/default.aspx?bhcp=1

http://www.rudisbakery.com/

HealthyLifeDeals offers some great coupon matchups, too!

Do you have a favorite source for deals on organics or healthy foods? Leave a comment to share with the rest of us!!

Publix Stock Up Trip - spent 60 cents, saved $65!!

Spent 60 cents, saved $65!

This was purely for stocking up - no other groceries purchased this trip, except for a large fountain drink ($1.39, not pictured).

7 Bic Razor packs, B1G1 price $2.75 e - used $3 coupons on each
7 Mahatma rice - $1.11 each, used 50 c (doubled to $1) coupons
4 Playtex - B1G1 price $2.15 e, used 2 $2.50 off 2 coupons
Also had a $5 off $50 Kroger coupon.
Rice will be donated and shared with family
Razors are for stockpile
Playtex is for stockpile

Coupon alert ~ Free Reach Dental Floss!

Coupons.com has a $1 off any Reach dental floss coupon up right now.  I've got a link to them in my sidebar down on the right ~ click it, then click the personal care link and find the Reach coupon.  Check the box in the coupon, then print.  Once it prints, don't forget to hit the back arrow and re-check the box and print it a second time!

Walgreens and CVS have this on sale all the time for $1! Kroger too! So print two, then watch for a good sale! : )

$1.50 off 1 Lysol Wipes Coupon Available on Facebook!

Hurry over to Lysol's facebook page and like them, then click the coupon link on the left sidebar.  It will take you to a Bricks page where you can print a $1.50 off 1 Lysol disinfecting wipes coupon!  When it says you've printed the coupon, click the back arrow three times and you can print it a second time.  These will make for free wipes if Publix does a B1G1 sale again soon!! (or half off wipes at a lot of stores!)

~ Aimee

Make easy $ at CVS ~ CVS Green tag rocks!!

One of my favorite money-making tips is this: Buy a CVS green tag (99 cents!) at CVS.  Attach it to your favorilte reusable bag, and stash it in your car.  When you have to make a CVS run (several times a week for me, ha!) take the bag/tag in and let them put your purchases in the bag, and scan the tag.  I actually have my tag on my key chain.  Many visits I only need one or two things, so I just carry them out in my hands or in my purse after purchasing them.  (The idea of the green tag is too save plastic bag use ~  as long as you don't leave with a CVS bag, whether you carry your purchases out by hand,  or use a reusable bag, the cashier will scan your tag.)

Why buy a green tag from CVS? It's a money maker for you, and a savings (on plastic bags!) for CVS.   Every 4th time you have your tag scanned, you'll receive $1 in Extra Care Bucks (ECB) printed out on your receipt!  Yes, CVS will pay you 25 cents to walk in and shop at their store.  Doesn't seem like much, but it will add up fast!! You can scan your green card once a day, so if you have a few small trips to make each week, scan it each visit. 

The best part of this post? The green tag is free after Extra Care Bucks this week through Saturday night! You pay 99 cents to buy it, and 99 cents in ECB will print out on your receipt. ECBs are like free money - you can use them on most anything in the store!

Printable coupons = great deals at Publix!

I was just reading my FB feed & saw that I heart Publix posted a deal about some printable coupons for deals on cheese at Publix! I've just added a link to coupons.com on my sidebar, so if you click it, then sort the coupons by food, look for these 3:

50 cents off Treasure Cave ~ if your Publix doubles, you can get a 4 oz pkg for only $1 after coupon!
50 cents off Frigo ~ Frigo Romano wedge is $2.19, after doubled coupon you pay $1.19!
50 cents off Stella ~ Stella Asiago 5 oz is $4.09, or $3.09 after doubled coupon!

You can print two of each, so stock up! : )

Thanks again to Iheartpublix.com for sharing this deal!!

Linking up with Making Friends Monday Blog Hop!

Home Sweet Home + After Christmas deals!

It feels so good to be back home!! Don't get me wrong, leaving snowy, cold Atlanta for cold but sunshine-y Orlando was fantastic! We spent Sunday through Thursday morning there with friends at a wonderful rental house, then headed towards home, with a stopover for one night in Moultrie, GA, my hometown.   There we spent precious time with my 89 year old Nana, whom I ADORE.  It was a great week.  And Friday night we were home and had our traditional Fondue party with my husband.  The kids and I crashed by 10 so we didn't ring in the New Year like usual, but that's ok - we needed the SLEEP!

So, here's my first post of the new year.  I wanted to show some of the great deals you can get shopping for next year's decor now!!

The Walmart in Moultrie had Christmas marked 75% off, so I snagged sets of 2 potholders for 37 cents a set,  3" pillar candles for under 50 cents, and fancy-schmancy sprinkles from Wilton for under 70 cents a bottle! I'll be keeping those in the fridge so they will last and keep their pretty colors!

I did shop before then at the Walmart & Target nearest to us in Florida. I stocked up on boxed Christmas cards, lots of shiny ornaments (large & small balls), I even found super-cute ornaments for the kids for next year.  Also paper plates, napkins,  chip/dip platters, treat bags, plus a lot of things I can send in to David's school.  Every year they ask for items for stockings for the kids - so that means multiples of things - I got erasers, pencils and stickers for next year!!  Plus gift bags, ribbon, kitchen towels, bath hand towels, ziploc bags, mugs, cupcake liners, stocking stuffers and lots of decor items! I am ready for next Christmas already, at least as far as wrapping and decorating goes!!  I probably spent about $45 on everything.

So, did you do some after Christmas shopping? What were your best deals?!

Here are a few shots of the stuff I haven't packed up yet....

There are also a few things not pictured that might end up in my gift box!!  I love shopping the clearance aisles this time of year - so many good deals!!

TLC Extreme Couponing TV Show airs tomorrow night!

We're still on vacation in Orlando (yay!), but I wanted to post a quick update about a show that is airing tomorrow night.  It's called Extreme Couponing and it will air on TLC (The Learning Channel).  It will feature Nathan Engels, aka Mr Coupon!  I set our DVR to tape it so we can watch it over the weekend once we get home!  If you watch it, I'd love to hear what you think about it! 


~ Aimee

Do y'all shop the day after Christmas?

I do! I try to get the things I used up this year: Christmas cards, tissue paper, bows, ribbon, gift bags, gift card holders, plus new ornaments, lights, dishes, etc.  I also look for cute stocking stuffers for next year, Christmas-themed things like Kleenex, paper towels, and even candy - red hershey kisses and m&m's can be used for Valentine's Day, the green ones for St. Patrick's Day!  And don't forget cookie tins, ziploc bags, treat bags and other holiday baking products.  They'll also be on sale!   My favorite stores for after-Christmas shopping are Target, Wal-mart, Hobby Lobby & Michaels! Pier One has good stuff too, but they are pricier to begin with, so 50% off isn't really a good deal to me.  (Now at 75% or 90%, I'm in!!)

The dollar store is a treasure trove of Christmas clearance! I get tags, tissue paper and bags here for 50 cents.  Cookie tins too!  Check the clearance section of your grocery store too - chances are you'll find some good Christmas things there.

Most Christmas items will be 50% off on Sunday, and then for the next week or two they will be marked down again and again, up to 90% off! Stock up and save now, and you'll be way ahead of the game come next November!

Merry Christmas to you and yours!!
~ Aimee

Cellfire has a Christmas present for you!

Log onto Cellfire today between 1 pm & 5 pm EST to find out which coupon Santa left for you - they are giving away coupons valued from 50 cents to $5 off your next shopping order.   Thanks Cellfire!!

Free tix for military at Sea World!

I'm busy scoping out places to visit while we are in Orlando in December, and I stumbled across this deal for military members & their dependents.  It's fantastic that Sea World is honoring our troops & their families  this way! Please feel free to share with family & friends who are in the armed forces.

Get FREE admission for one day at Sea World and other Anheauser-Busch owned parks by presenting a Department of Defense ID card at the park. To get your FREE tickets, click the link for the Heroes Salute, complete the easy online application and show your ID at the gate.  Or register at the park's Guest Relations window when you arrive.  Either way - enjoy a FREE day at Sea World with your family!  Offer expires 12/31/10.