Hurricane Irma

Due to Hurricane Irma, I will not be posting until further notice. The safety of my family is my priority.

Be safe everyone!

Hello Fresh: Salmon en Papillote

Hello Fresh is a company that delivers meals to your door. The meals are nutritious, delicious, and easy to prepare in 30 minutes or less. 

A colleague suggested this service and enjoys this for her family. With a promotion code from her, I thought we'd give it a try!

The food arrived on the exact day as indicated on my order!

The box was organized with each bag of ingredients labeled for a specific dish. The cold packs on the bottom was where the meat was stored. 

In the box was a card for each meal with instructions along with nutrition information. The first dish I prepared was salmon en papillote. 

I followed the instructions on the card which mostly involved chopping. I had to use my own aluminum foil, olive oil, salt, and pepper. 

The dish was simple: baked salmon with a tarragon sauce over a bed of couscous served with roasted asparagus. 

Delicious, fast, easy, and free! 

An Office with a View

I have been blessed in so many ways with my new job (as of December). I now have a laptop which gives me the ability to work from home. 

While I like the discipline of going to an office and talking with people, staying home to work is nice, too. I find that I get interrupted and distracted less at home than at the office. 

I got so much work done the other day staying home. I was doing laundry at the same time as office work. 

Multitasking ninja in the house!

Holiday End

It was a lot of fun getting out of town. 

Now it is time to go back to reality, i.e. work. We're headed home.

The good thing about taking an extended weekend is returning to a short work week. Then it is the weekend again! I like to plan my time that way in order to maximize the experience. 

Plenti Rewards at Chili's

Chili's is one of my favorite chains. There is one near my workplace and is often where we do lunch. They offer quick lunch service which works out for when we are on the go. 

I posted about Plenti rewards which has perks at Chili's. I often receive emails for a free appetizer or free dessert (restrictions apply of course). When lunching with coworkers, it is a nice way to add something to the table to be shared. 

My blurry photo of the dessert being taken off the check thanks to Plenti!

Hair Hacks: Dry Shampoo

My lovely stylist friend (same who did my hair here) challenged me to wash my hair a few times a week instead of every day. I really didn't like the sound of this idea. I've been accustomed to washing my hair once or twice a day for decades. 

She introduced me to dry shampoo which can turn a limp hairdo into a newly styled do. She sticks her salon with a variety of products for her clients. Reluctantly, I purchased a spray can of dry shampoo even though she showed me how to use it. 

I'm now able to see if my hair needs a rewash or just a restyle. Saves me time some mornings when I can restyle. This dry shampoo concept is amazing!  Why didn't I know about this before?

Homecoming

When my husband was coming from Togo, Western Africa to the US, I wanted to make sure he felt at home. Well, as much as one can leaving home and family behind for an unknown land. 

I thought for a long time about how to make his homecoming special and welcoming. It wasn't easy. 

After awhile, I thought of having a clock of his hometown, Lomé, on the wall always on local time. I decided to add my own hometown to the wall. 

Once inspired, I went to Ikea to buy clocks for $1.99 each. I hung them on the wall and printed then laminated signs of our hometowns. 

The day my husband arrived, he came bearing gifts of his African country for our home. He offered a clock with the shape of Togo (like minds). 

He brought with him wooden keychains. I chose the one in the shape of Togo. 

In addition to all of this, he brought paintings on canvas to decorate our home. Being a smart man, he brought jewelry and purses for me. 

Such lovely additions to our home that I enjoy. I think, in a way, they provide the comforts of home in a foreign land. 

Make A List. There's An App For That.

I have always been one to make lists and got razzed in college over my never-ending lists. A colleague introduced me recently to an app that is all about lists! 

Presenting: Wunderlist!

I like to write a list with ink and paper. There is something about having a stack of papers that is counterproductive when that is exactly what I'm trying to avoid. 

This app means that I can keep my lists in one place and save the planet all at the same time. No wonder it's called Wunderlist!

At the home screen, you can see that I have 3 lists already created in addition to a folder with more lists related to one another. Isn't this glorious?

To create a new list, click on the plus sign at the bottom center. 

After clicking the plus sign, a new screen appears showing options for the list. It can be an isolated list or it can be a group of lists that will be in a folder with the related lists. You can make your list visible to other people who also use this app. This takes the honey do list to the next level (perhaps begrudgingly to the other spouse).

Once a list has been created with tasks, clicking the box to the left of a task will mark that task complete. There is an option to view completed tasks which will split the screen into open ended tasks and completed tasks. 

Marking the star on the right side of the task will indicate that this is a priority item to be seen on the home screen under "Starred." If a list has been shared with another user, the starred items will appear in his Starred section as well. 

Tasks are listed in the order of its' creation. It can be moved to appear in a different order. Simply, tap and hold the task and move it upward or downward. 

This app has been so helpful to get myself organized. It has also been an enormous helpful tool to get in sync with colleagues. We have been able to avoid duplicated efforts by staying in touch without having to deliberately ask one another what is being tackled. 

Office Supplies: Arc Binder

Confession: I love office supplies! 

When I was in college I had to learn how to balance my papers, projects, student teaching schedule, and ministry. An upper class man that I knew had a planner and went everywhere with this planner. I was inspired.

Seeing how well she juggled her demanding schedule, I purchased  a small leather bound ring planner. I was dazzled at all the accessories! This may be the start of my love for office supplies! There were several components to my planner including a daily calendar, to do list, address book, and business card holder. Fun stuff. 

I learned time management in college thanks to this planner and was kept on task. 

A few years ago, a friend of mine (who was also the leader of our church's singles group), found this new binder system at Staples. While I didn't have a need to balance several projects and schedules, I was drawn in nonetheless. 

I have been keeping myself on track and paperless by my iPhone and iPad with the use of various apps. Although this may be a noble effort, it is inevitable to receive papers, brochures, etc. from meetings, conferences, and Bible studies. 

My new job is not complicated but there are a lot of projects and tasks. I need to keep myself organized. One of my colleagues has the same binder system as my friend which I had forgotten. Now it is very relevant to my job. 

Meet the Arc System:

The innovative discs hold paper and the compatible accessories that have mushroom shaped indents rather than the traditional holes. Staples also sells a a compatible punch to add any document to the disc binder.

There is a built in corner folder flap with business card holder slots. There is a larger page for business cards at Staples also. 

I've had it a few days and love it already!

Election Day

It's an election year in the United States and today is Election Day. 

The last time there was a presidential election, I arrived at my assigned precinct at 6am. I thought I was doing well because I had to be at work at 8:30am. The line was already out the door and I was late to work. Fortunately, we were given time to vote and were not penalized (which is the right thing to do).

For the last couple months, I have been receiving information pertaining to this year's ballot. A recent mailing provided details on early voting including dates, times, and locations. I have never voted early, by mail in or by absentee ballot before. It seemed a little odd to vote early but then I thought about the experience 4 years earlier. Then, I reflected on many Election Day experiences in years past that entailed long lines and wait times. 

Was early voting messing with my traditional mindset of how Election Day goes? On second thought, voting early might not be a bad idea. My vote will still count. I won't have to stand in line. This is a win-win!

I voted exactly 2 weeks before Election Day. It was a nice change to walk into the precinct with no wait.

True Couponing vs. Extreme Couponing

I've talked about couponing in a few posts already. You'll notice that most of my photos show amounts of groceries that take up less than a grocery cart and sometimes less than a grocery basket.

I'm not into the Extreme Couponing show. It is really amazing the savings these folks are getting.

I don't have time to shop all day. I work full time for starters and have other things that demand my time.

After speaking with people about couponing, this seems to be the #1 block to using coupons: it takes too much time.

I prefer to follow True Couponing's method of couponing rather than extreme couponing. The method entails saving money in a way that benefits your family but does NOT clear the shelves. This method also values blessing others with items, leaving coupons on the shelf that you won't use, and using tools to ensure you're getting a good deal.

Extreme couponing entails spending large amounts of time preparing and shopping. I don't have time to spend all day in the grocery store. I also shoot for no more than 30-60 minutes in the grocery store including the check out process.

One of my recent shopping trips to Publix entailed a variety of unrelated items. I'd be hard pressed to mix these ingredients in a meal.

This shopping trip took me all of 15 minutes to gather items and 7 minutes in the checkout.

The retail amount is $34.42. I paid $9.96 after coupons. I had 1 coupon per item, both store and manufacturer.

Easy to plan and execute. Simple.

Cooking Appliances: NuWave Oven

Had it not been for my lovely sister-in-law, I would never have known about this kitchen gem! NuWave oven. Who knew? 

This is a convection oven that is table top. Although, not a space saver, it is a time saver and healthy option for cooking. The racks allow for stacking different types of food and any fat to drip into the tray.

Here is the set up:

Cooking underway!

Final product (my half of the fish)

Here is more info on how it works. 

Hooked on Hooks

You know what I love in the house? Hooks! I use them for so many things to help organize and for space saving.

Instead of a jewelry box, I put 3M hooks on the wall for necklaces.

Instead of a lid rack, I put hooks inside the cupboard doors to hold pot lids.

Instead of a draw full of potholder, I hang them on hooks.

Instead of a cluttered vanity, I hang my hair dryer on a hook.

Just recently, I tried something new with hooks. I have a small garbage can in the kitchen that has a pop open lid. Because of the size of this trash can, it is difficult to find small garbage bags. I reuse grocery bags instead of garbage bags.

More times than not, the grocery bag starts to overflow or it falls over or into itself. Its a mess. It dawned on me that hooks could save me (and my husband) a lot of aggravation. I put 2 hooks on one side of the can and 2 hooks on the opposite side. I spaced them out enough to hang the grocery bag handles.

Eureka! It works!

It saves me time and mess. My husband is also pleased with this innovation.

Time Saving Freezer Meals (Money Saving, Too!)

I am a fan of anything online that is labeled "hack." If an article or post is titled, "life hacks," "cleaning hacks," "cooking hacks," etc. chances are, I'll click and read.

Recently, I saw an article that was about time-saving-meal-prep hacks. You know I opened it to read.

There was a wealth of information regarding planning meals ahead of time. You start by doing a big shopping trip and then putting uncooked recipes together. The meals can be frozen and stored. Once you thaw out a meal, toss it into a crockpot and voila....dinner is done!

It really is a great way for those of us who have busy lives. It is also ideal for those of us who stare in the fridge and cupboards waiting for inspiration.

It's up to you to pick the recipes you want to try. The shopping lists are included. The recipes are included.

Once a month, once every few months...whatever fits your lifestyle.

I chose 8 different recipes that made 4-6 servings each. I ended up with 16 bags in the freezer. Each bag was 1-3 meals. Boom!

For more information go here: http://bit.ly/20cryUx