Friend Makin' Mondays: Ten Questions

What a week! I celebrated my birthday (and 7 month Surgiversary) this past week and I had so much fun that I'm sorry to see it end. I'll make sure to post lots of pictures later in the week, but for now we will jump right into this weeks topic:

 

 



If you've take part in FMM before then you know the routine. If you're new, simply take a moment to answer this week’s question on your own blog then add your link in the comments section at All The Weigh - encourage your readers to do the same and we can all connect.

 

 

 Ten Questions

 

1. Describe the kind of home you would live in if money were no object.  An old English-style home with lots of history - nooks, crannies and secret passageways are a must!

Image courtesy Google.com

2. Are you more conservative in your actions or more rebellious? Rebellious. If you tell me I can't do something I will show you I can...twice.

3. Would you go to Mars even if it meant you could never return to Earth?  Only if Mars didn't allow stupid people. Or the Slutdashians.

4. Name one song that makes you want to dance every time you hear it. Shake by the Ying Yang Twins & Pitbull - booty shaking at its finest!

5. Share one thing that you wish you could go back and do differently in your life.  I would have taken my health and weight more seriously when I was a size 16 instead of waiting until I was a size 26. Better late than never, right?

6. Share at least one accomplishment that people wouldn’t expect you to be proud of.  I've been celibate for 3 years now. I am proud of the discipline and reserve I've shown in a society that embraces and exploits non-committal sex.

7. Describe one delicious thing that you’ve eaten lately.  Lots of Southwest Breakfast Burritos, I'm finding I like them for snacks too! Great for protein and low-carb too.

8. If you had a theme song that would play every time you entered a room, which song would you choose?  Now I'm That B*tch by Livvi Franc

9. Had technology enhanced your life, or has it over complicated your life?  Both. I love my gadgets and without the technology I wouldn't be writing this post or connecting with so many great people. Downside to that is the 'anti-social' behaviors that tend to manifest, not to mention the time I spend playing Scramble With Friends. My iPhone and iPad are never more than 3 feet from me at all times - I need therapy! LOL

10. If you could get paid to do any job, which job would you choose?  A professional shopper. I'd search far and wide for the best clearance selections! Target, anyone?

Image courtesy Google.com

Now it’s your turn to answer this week’s questions!  Don’t forget to come back and link up in the comments. Have a great week!!



Staycation 2013 {photo heavy}

Today is officially the last day of Staycation 2013. It wasn't nearly long enough but it was nice to not have to do anything for 9 days. It was pretty uneventful but I had a few NSV's so I thought I'd share.

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I probably did the most on Monday (03/04) as it was Chicago's 176th birthday and to celebrate they were giving free admission to the Chicago History Museum so I took full advantage of my time in the city. I viewed every section they had open and spent quite a bit of time in the Shalom Exhibit; if you're in the Chicago area this is a great (and inexpensive) day trip! NSV #1: being able to walk/stand all day with no pain or discomfort in back/feet!

 

This is the souvenir I picked out, does this REALLY surprise anyone?

 

 

 

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I spent the majority of Tuesday around the house doing some deep spring cleaning and organizing. I did discover my new favorite snack! Okra chips!

 

 

 

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Wednesday I took my pup, Pugsly, to the vet so he could get a shot for his arthritis.

 

Photo property of SleevedInTheCity

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Thursday evening I went to a friend's album release party and had a TON of fun! This was the first time I've dressed up and gone out since surgery. NSV# 2: the dress (and no sleeves)!

 

NSV#3: being able to stand/dance in these shoes for 4 hours with no back pain!

 

 

 

NSV#4: not being afraid of group pictures anymore!

 

Photo property of SleevedInTheCity

 

 

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Friday was a lazy, recoup day. Bella says hi.

 

Photo property of SleevedInTheCity

 

 

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Saturday was a shopping day. I went to Nordstrom Rack to have a pair of pants altered and I picked up this awesome studded iPhone case. I found this Torani syrup at World Market and it's my favorite yet. I mix 2 tbsps. with my Pure Protein chocolate shake and add some instant coffee granules...woah! 

 

 

 

My last stop was TJMaxx and I ran across a pair of NYMJ on clearance for $20! These things retail for $120 - and the best part? NSV#5....drumroll please.....

 

 

 

IM OFFICIALLY A SIZE 20!! Less than 6 months ago I was a 28 (tight). Not only do I look great, I feel great and I'm getting my health back. Nothing like seeing your hard work pay off =)

 

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That pretty much sums up Staycation 2013. I know Im missing an entry for last weekend and today but since I didn't do anything here is a picture of this weeks polish changes, Im partial to #3 myself.

 

 

 

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Until next time!

Besos xo

 



Freeze Your Food Budget

I was recently asked how I grocery shop and make my food last so long. Me being the organizational freak that I am, I decided to share a few tips and tricks with you all so we can be organized together!Whether you are sleeved, single or just on a budget - these will work for you. There's nothing special or magical, just a girl with severe OCD who wanted to make cooking for one more convenient, a snap to track food and stretch my dollar further.

Now the first thing I do is search through all the ads and make a list of what I need and where its from. For me, making a list keeps me from buying a lot of unnecessary items. If it's a large list I usually take it to Wal-Mart since they price match and kill everything in one shot. Coupons, people! I cannot stress this enough! Also, becoming familiar with standard prices for items in your area will allow you to recognize a good sale. This time there wasn't anything on sale that I couldn't get at Aldi or Meijer for cheaper so off I went.

No matter what store I'm at I always check the clearance rack - especially for meat! You can often get dented cans for 1/2 price, it may not be pretty but you aren't eating the can. I hit the mother load at Meijer, the sausage was almost half price - that's 12 protein packed meals for $.58 each!! If you freeze the food before the expiration date you are ok

Now to get it all home and to store it, right? Don't go and buy a million freezer bags, you won't need a bunch this way. A while back Ziploc came out with a product called Perfect Portions, I cannot tell you how underrated these things are! They allow you to wrap individual serving sizes of food (and prevent freezer burn) that you can store inside a large Ziploc freezer bag. Go buy these.

I broke down each package and put 2 sausages in each bag, labeling the bag so I would know what flavor I'm pulling out. I did the same with the turkey bacon, putting 4 slices in each portion protector. Now here comes the OCD in me - I track my food and there is nothing more frustrating than trying to remember what Ive repackaged in order to track correctly.

 

 

 So as you see, once placed in the large bag I cut off the UPC's, tape them to the bag and label each one. It takes an extra 3 minutes but makes my life SO much easier! I take it a step further for fresh meat by scaling my food into 4 ounce portions before freezing - as I did here with my Aldi Ground Chicken ($2.39 a pound!

 

I cant tell you how much money portioning my food has saved me. Nothing goes bad and I don't waste anything because I'm able to use only what I want. I spent $50.85 on food and by taking an extra half hour to portion it out I have enough food to last me over 40 meals! I wont have to buy any meat or vegetables for close to 3 weeks. That fits in with my Spending Diet budget nicely!

 

 

My freezer is full and happy!

  

What tips and tricks do you use to maximize shopping on a budget?

 

 

Happy shopping!

Holiday Wrap-Up & Giveaway!!

I am happy to say I made it through the Thanksgiving holiday relatively unscathed (my checkbook wasn't so lucky). This was not only my first Thanksgiving away from any family but also my first being sleeved. I purposely didn't make any plans as I wanted a low-key no-fuss no-stress day and that's exactly what I got. I took 2 naps, worked on the blog and caught up on Vampire Diaries. I did go to Meijer at 6am to get a new blender, I make smoothies so much that I broke my old one and they had the red Oster on sale for $19.99 (reg. $45). My eating yesterday was on point, I had a smoothie and a ham sandwich throughout the day and with the house cleaning I did I was rewarded with a .5 pound loss. This is the FIRST holiday EVER that I have LOST weight - I'll take it (no matter how small)!


Be warned -the lighting in my house sucks!

Today was a different story. I was up at 9 and by 5, Foursquare politely reminded me I had been to 10 places. It wasn't all fun and games, 3 of those places were for returns and today was laundry day. I did get some good deals without having to stand nuts-to-butts in line for 3 hours. First stop was Nordie's (oh how I love that place!) and I took advantage of their Buy 2 Get 1 Free on butter London polish. I also purchased my stepmom's birthday gift - which I wont reveal in case she's reading this. I also treated myself since I am 1.2 pounds away from 60 pounds gone! Yay! In hindsight, I probably should've bought underwear since I'm using binder clips on mine now but hey LOL.

Black Knight, Two-Fingered Salute, No More Waity Katie, Wild Thing

Guilty Intense for my 60 lb loss! As you can clearly see I needed more perfume ;)



 I also made a quick stop to Ikea to pick up their $4.99 end tables and onto TJ Maxx because they have good clearance - it paid off because I found this super cute Betsey Johnson laptop case for $18 with my 10% off coupon. It will work perfectly for keeping all my blogging stuff together.

The best part? SEQUINS!

 All the walking and running around paid off big time, check out the stats on my FitBit One!

 

Now on to my very FIRST giveaway!!! Yay! I'm giving away 2 annual subscriptions to Martha Stewart's Everyday Food! I freaking love this little magazine. Most of you know I love to cook and this magazine is the inspiration for half of what comes out of my kitchen. The recipes are fun, simple, and can easily be made VSG or Weight Watcher friendly.

 

Image courtesy of Bing.com

 

 

 

 I know this isn't big or fancy but as a small token of appreciation for all of your continued support and helping me get my blog out there!

 

Entering is easy and just takes a few moments. 

 

- Like my Facebook page here (1 entry)

- Share this giveaway with someone on FB or Twitter (1 entry)

- Leave me a comment here telling me something awesome about your weekend!  (1 entry)

 

*Leave a comment for each entry*

 

Don't forget to include your email address! Contest will close at 11:59pm on 11/28/12. Winners will be picked using RandomPicker.com

 

 

 

Good luck!