My New Home...

I've moved my blog to my own site. You can continue to read all about me at www.TheHouseholdHelper.com/blog

If you subscribe to my feed, you will not have to change anything as I have taken care of redirecting it to my new home.

My Short Trip to Target

I only went in to buy what I need and will use in the next 2 weeks. I'm not big on stock-piling because I just don't have the space for it. But I love these deals!

• Entenmans Little Bites Mini Muffins on sale for $2.50 each - bought 3 and used 3 $1.oo MFR coupons (online printable)
• Gerber Graduates Mini Fruit on sale for $1.69 each - bought 4 and used 4 $1.00 MFR coupons (online printable)
• Archer Farms Coffees $0.99 Sample Pack - bought 8 and used 8 $1.00 Target coupons
• Coke Zero Special Price $4.99 12/pk - bought 2 and used $1.00 Target coupon
• Milk Bone Dog Bones on sale for $1.71 - bought 2 and used a $1.00/2 MFR coupon (in last package I bought)

These are just a brief highlight - I did purchase more necessary items such as t-shirts for little man and socks for hubby. I also got a 2pk of ink-jet cartridges for $49.00.

Had I not already purchased groceries this past week, I would have taken advantage of the Campbells Condensed soup Target coupon and 'stacked' it with the MFR coupons found in this past week's inserts. Yes, you CAN use a Target coupon with a MFR coupon! Cool Deal!

I've Been Tagged Again!

I was tagged by Alyssa from Life From My LapTop to do this 4 tag. Here are my answers:

4 jobs I have had:
1. Public School Library Page
2. Waitress at a Pizza Place
3. Summer Rec Counselor
4. Server at Dairy Queen

4 films I could watch over and over:
1. Airplane
2. The Princess Bride
3. Clueless
4. Forest Gump

4 Places I have lived:
1. Butler, NJ
2. Wayne, NJ
3. Lake Hiawatha, NJ
4. Bloomingdale, NJ

4 Favorite TV shows:
1. Friends
2. How I Met Your Mother
3. ER
4. Melrose Place (Oh how I miss you! Thank goodness for Soap.net)

4 Favorite Foods:
1. Tuna Casserole (Oh yeah, I know that's odd)
2. Buffalo Wings (aka Hot Wings)
3. Baked Macaroni & Cheese
4. Strawberries

4 Websites I visit everyday:
1. Google.com
2. My blog
3. Mom Masterminds
4. Happy Housewives Club
(and so many more!)

4 Places I would love to be:
1. I'm a home body - "There's No Place Like Home"
2.
3.
4.


4 Favorite Colors:
1. Purple
2. Blue
3. Red
4. Yellow

4 Names I love but would/could not use for my children:
1. Meghan
2. Amanda
3. Aiden
4. Joshua

4 People I am tagging:
1. Annette
2. Kristine
3. Tricia
4. Patrysha

Thirsty Thursday - WARNING This One Is Different!

In my quest to meet my health goals for this year, I've been reading a lot about natural ways to become healthy, lose weight and lower my cholesterol. I've decided to try Apple Cider Vinegar.

I came across an inspiring article by my online friend Judith Davis. She wrote about the benefits of apple cider vinegar. The two main reasons I've decided to try ACV is right there in her article:

Weight Loss – Though more studies are needed to find the exact reason why Apple Cider Vinegar helps with weight loss, there are several factors that play a role. It is an appetite suppressant. Anyone who has ever gone on a diet knows the benefit of this. Apple Cider Vinegar also helps detoxify the liver. When the liver is working properly, digestive enzymes are produced more efficiently. Taken daily it is a great diet aid.

Lowers Cholesterol – Apple Cider Vinegar is what is known as a water-soluble fiber. We need more fiber in our diets. This helps our body deal with fats and cholesterol. There is also an amino acid in it that lowers bad cholesterol.

So I did a little more research and chatted with a few friends on Twitter. I also ran this by LaTara over at NaturalFromHome.com. She told me it is "good to help speed up my weight loss. You can put it on your salads or take a couple of tsp before you eat and it helps to cut fat."

So I'm giving it a try. I did 'shots' of it yesterday, mixed with water. But today, I'm going to try this drink recipe LaTara and I came up with today.

Lemon Water - a natural diuretic that aids in detoxing
Apple Cider Vinegar - benefits listed above
Honey - offers incredible antiseptic, antioxidant and cleansing
properties for our body (plus it's sweet!)

I'm going to try it cold and warm and let you know which I prefer. Do you have any thoughts on this?

My Personal Health Goal

Back in December I had blood work done and as usual, my cholesterol and triglycerides were high. The counts were 228 and 205 respectively. This has been a consistent problem for the past year and this last time my doctor said the awful 'P' word - Prescription!

I am a tad overweight, ok let's be honest, 25 lbs is a bit more than a 'tad' when you're only 5'3" tall. And high cholesterol runs in my family - my daddy who weighs a whole 170 lbs at 6ft tall even has high cholesterol. High blood pressure and diabetes also run in my family, fortunately at this time do I have a problem with either.

A PRESCRIPTION FOR CHOLESTEROL AT 34? I DON'T THINK SO!

This year's personal resolution is to get healthy. I don't need to be a skinny-mini, after all that c-section disaster pretty much ruined my chance of becoming a bikini model. But I want to be healthy and full of energy. Not just for myself, but for my son. He deserves to have a healthy mommy that can keep up with him and be around when he has his own children.

My goal is to lose 25 lbs and impress the hell out of my doctor by lowering my cholesterol and triglycerides. How will I do this - I have a game plan.

1. Eliminate the bad carbs - I'm a carb addict! So I will stop eating the 'bad' carbs - Coke, white bread, chips, etc. I will limit the amount of 'good' carbs I eat - after all I do need my daily dose of Kashi!
   
2. Cut down my caffeine intake - I was over a pot a day. Not only was that amount of caffeine bad, but the light cream in it has 2.5g of fat per serving. I can't give up my light cream, I've tried in the past. I'll just enjoy it in moderation.
3. Take my vitamins & supplements - I've been very slack on this lately.
   
4. Limit the amount I eat - Why do I have to clean my plate? Leftovers are OK!
5. Take my time eating - Let my stomach let my brain no when it's full
6. Incorporate more veggies in my diet - Taking a cue from little man - he loves his veggies
7. Drink more water - We all know it's benefits, so enough said.
8. Get more exercise - You would think with a toddler boy, I'd be more active. But I need to make it a point to get my heart rate up and maybe do some yoga.
9. Quit smoking - Yes internet, I'm a smoker. I quit when I was pregnant but started up right after little man was born. I might not have started again if the circumstances were different, but that's another blog post.
10. Laugh more - Laughter reduces stress, lowers blood pressure, and boosts you immune system. I'm already quick to laugh, so I'm going to focus on doing it more and wholeheartedly.

So now it's out there for all to see. Help keep me accountable internet friends. And share with me if you have a personal health goal for 2008!

Ha - I'm Right And Have Proof!

I'm finally getting through my Google Reader. I've become days behind and really needed to get through the posts. I subscribe to 56 feeds on blogs about cooking, frugal living, organizing, home making and business. And there are a few friend's blogs thrown in there. Well tonight, while catching up with the goings-on in the Blog-o-sphere, I came across a post that has thrilled me!

You see, ever since I started dating my husband, I've argued with my dear sweet mother-in-law about refrigerating hot foods. Ok, not really an argument - more like a light hearted bicker that deep down makes me steam with anger because I know I'm right but I laugh it off since she is my mother-in-law.

{Long Exhale}

Anyway, it drives me nuts that after dinner, she'll leave food out to 'cool down' before putting them in the fridge. Remember, I'm not talking about food straight from the oven, but food from the dinner table. She insists that it's not good for the refrigerator or the surrounding foods to put hot items in the fridge. I however remember my basic home-economics class in middle-school and know that this is a big 'no-no' because you run the risk of bacteria growing on your food.

Well, Heather at HomeEc101 has a fantastic post proving me correct, with proof from the USDA and FDA.

Foods that cool too slowly will spend a long time in the
“danger zone” for bacterial growth.

So everyone take note:
1 - Refrigerate your foods as soon as possible to prevent bacterial growth
2 - Cara is right

Thank you Heather!

Wordless Wednesday: Doing Dishes

I've always said I'm not only going to raise a good man, but a good husband!

For more Wordless Wednesday pictures, visit 5MinutesForMom.com