Still kickin'

Some of you may be wondering where I am at with my running a half-marathon plan.  The observant amongst the crowd may note that I should have run my first half-marathon a several weeks ago.  Unfortunately, life kicked in, and apparently I was training "too hard: or training "too wrong" and I wound up with a stress fracture that was identified less than two weeks before the scheduled run date.

It sucked, but I was told by the doctor that running the half-marathon was "out of the question"

Anyway, for the last month I have been in physical therapy.  It's a really interesting process and I've learn a lot about what muscles help me to run better and how to strengthen them.  Probably some things I would have never known or appreciate if it hadn't been for the stress fracture.  SO ... I guess that's the silver lining here.   

I've also began running again, albeit slowly.  According to my physical therapists, I have to do intervals (which is basically how I run anyway) and I have been running with only slight pain - so this is a good sign.  However, I'm having trouble finding that original gusto and not sure how to get it back again.  I feel running has somehow become such a chore, and I wish I could just kick myself and feel great about it again.  Right now, it feels like I'm only getting to the kickin' part though.   

Free and Cheap

It's probably well known to most of my friends that I'm pretty big fan of Groupon.  I also use Living Social and am familiar with a few other "social deal" type sites.  It's seems like a pretty simple way to save money with very little sacrifice.

Additionally, there are many other deals to be had with a pinch of internet savvy and limited qualms about giving out your e-mail address.  I have to say, I've taken advantage here.  Coupons.com is worth a look and I also visit favorite product sites (such as coffee-mate and swiffer) to find similar deals. 

Now, I've said all this first as sort of a disclaimer. 

Off and on, I have followed a number of different "frugal" blogs, and there seems to be sub-set of these strictly devoted to couponing and deal-sleuthing blogs.  What these blogs seem to share in my opinion are stories of large shopping trips costing them a fraction of the retail price (sometimes only a few pennies.) and countless links to coupons and sometime even "free" items. 

Now, while I'm still a sucker for a good bargain - I have to say some of these stories turn me off a little.  Why? While I it's impossible for me to know the exact nature or intent of the authors, there seems to be something inherently materialistic about getting all this stuff.  To me, being frugal should be synomymous with simplification of life.  Coupon mania and endless "free" samples seem like complications.  Also, there's a bit of a high in getting a deal, and it's hard to say weather these "frugal writers" are truly looking to budget or just chasing the next deal.  It almost appears "addictive" at times. 

I think the trouble is knowing where to draw the line.  I've clipped coupons, and managed some major savings from time to time.  "Free Samples" are often great ways to try new products.  In high-school I got a free-set of Neutragena products (kind of a first run in my own-deal-sleuthing adventures.)  It can be "fun" and cost-effective to combine strategy and budgeting.

However, for me, the end goal of the frugal life is for me to wind down and not to wind up.  Many coupons are for highly processed products.   Many Groupons are for things I never needed or wanted.  Adding these items to my life is neither simple, and often times not even cost effective. 

So you tell me - where is your line in the couponing, deal grabbing world?  other thoughts? 

Green Monster EXPERIMENT!

Better eat this soon!

Perhaps my most oft-advised piece of food frugality wisdom is using what you have already in the fridge to cook what you "want" to eat.  This can also be re-hashed as buying what's on sale and cooking with that instead of choosing the recipe first then purchasing the ingredients later.  Additionally, another element of frugality is using what you have around before it spoils.  At any rate, I remind you of this because recently my local store flier had both yogurt quarts and spinach bags (large) on sale.  They are both good individually of course, but like anything that has to be bought in larger quantities - it's tough to down it before it spoils.  Even with my recent vigilance about eating in - I was beginning to get frantic about the impending spoilage time line.

On an entirely different note, I really like those Naked Green Machine Drinks... but they are not budget friendly.  I've justified with Costco coupons, sales and the occasional treat, but for the most part I exercise resistance.  Anyway - my love of those peaked my interest in something I had browsed over on a friends blog not that long ago.

THE GREEN MONSTER... dun dun dun! 



Anyway, the Green Monster is not only a drink it's a movement.  A drink that is made up of Spinach and basically whatever else you want (best I can tell from the example recipes).  In this case yogurt was include.  So onto my very own recipe experimentation (this is a food blog after all).

Ruby Leigh's Green Monster Trial #1
-1 Cup Spinach, not tightly packed
-Just a bit of Chopped Carrot

Just enough cucumber and carrot to make it real.

-Just a bit of Diced Cucumber
-Whole Apple Diced (and cored)
-1/4 cup Yogurt
-2 Tbs water
-1 tsp Flaxseed oil

Ingredients are listed in the order that I dumped them into the Magic Bullet Mug.  Once in, you blend, shake a little, and blend some more.  If you use a rather large apple and a rather small blender (as I did), everything may not fit in at the start. This was the case in my experiment.  Eventually, everything worked out though.

Nice Bright Greens, Stark White Skin!

And, here's the final concoction (half-eaten ;)).  The verdict: It was very tasty, although not really comparable to Naked's Green Machine as I had thought.  However, it was a little mealy and thicker then I like my "drinks" I'm not sure if simply adding water would help or if I should also remove the apple skins.     

A cat "tail" for cat lovers and cat so-so-ers alike

Whether it be a lack of allergies, or love of the feline species.  Last fall I found myself - single with 3 cats in tow - in a large house.  Yes, I was scarily close to becoming a "cat lady".... yikes (oh well).  Anyway, a little over three weeks ago, one of my cats escaped and...

Well, let's back up a little here.  As I said I have three cats:

Kenya - the boss cat (still under the impression that she owns me)

Sugar - the scaredy cat (also the pretty one - I think)

 

and Spice - the goofy cat.

I love all my cats, but Spice is kind of a special cat.  She entertains guests, likes to cuddle, purrs the loudest and has recently tried her hand at playing RPG games (or at least the dice-rolling part).

Anyway, Spice also has a knack for escaping outside, CONSTANTLY! Usually she's pretty easy to catch, and when I don't catch her - she comes back.  So a few weeks ago when she escaped out the door for the third time that day - I figured she'd be back soon.  I figured wrong.  Several hours later, I was coming the streets with a flashlight and the significant in tow.  That night I couldn't sleep, thinking every screech was a meow and waking up to check the door constantly.

Next, I took action! In the following 48 hours - I made a couple Craigslists ad, made an animal humane society ad, called local shelters, posted lost cat signs, and distributed fliers to peoples doors.  I went on daily cat search walks, talked to neighbors, and put out food.  After a couple weeks - I wouldn't say I lost all hope, but I felt for personal sanity I needed to limit my efforts and get on with life.

So that's why when I missed a call from a number I didn't recognize - I assumed it was something from work (don't program work numbers into personal phone).  Instead it was a gruff voice saying I think I have your cat!  I couldn't believe it - I called back right away and while talking to him enough of the story matched that I said I would come right over and check it out.

So as I drove up to the determined house - I saw a cat outside and it wasn't Spice.  My spirits drooped a bit, but I figured I should still go up and say thanks and hi to the nice people who had thought to call.  When I got up the porch, they saw the look in my eye and quickly told me that the cat outside was theirs, and mine was outback. And guess what - they were right! It was Spice.

The people told me they were calling her cuddles because she is such a sweetheart, and though I didn't have much doubt, that assured me that this cat was mine.

Taco Bell lawsuit is dropped.

It is no secret to the regular readers of this blog that Taco Bell is a favorite of mine.  So earlier this year when a lawsuit was filed against them in regards to the quality of their meat - I was paying attention.  On the one hand, I was under no delusions about the nature of fast food (my only excuse being - well, I'm okay so far), but the claims of this lawsuit did seem to drop below even my more lenient of standards.   

So the lawsuit was dropped by the law firm pursuing it even went to trial.  I, for one, am happy to hear that yes, they use real meat in their food.  Not only can I go back to guiltlessly eating their food (errm on occaision, with moderation ahem), it sort of makes me feel good to know that with all the corporation scandals and shady buisness going on in the world - at least we are eating what we think we are eating at Taco Bell. 

So, all that said, Taco Bell PR people are making a move to regain some of their well sought after reputation of being the beacon of food integrity (haha):  See this ad.  I'm not sure what to think of it myself - my first reaction is that it seems a little overkill, but I'm no one's PR expert... so you tell me!

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Also, in regards to my last post - the thoughtful comments were wonderful - many thanks!

Divorce - or I might as well just say it.

Divorce is the end of a marriage.  Unlike other relationships I have been in marriage is legal, it is binding and it is meant to be for life.  When you get a divorce, there is no way to get around the publicity, the coming to terms with yourself, the and the explanations to others.  It's tiresome, to say the least.

The most difficult thing about coming to terms with my divorce, has been coming to terms with my marriage.  I've had a hard time placing why I even married the man I did and what exactly was going through my mind at the time.  However, I am going to try.

For one, very few people in my world have gotten a divorce. Growing up, it was impressed upon me that divorce was so despicable that it only happened to those who were absolutely rotten or married someone absolutely rotten.   I figured since neither my previous husband or me weren't "absolutely rotten"  (and we aren't) divorce was a literal impossibility.

Two, I didn't waste any time.  Even at the ripe old age of 24 I was the oldest in my relations to be wed (And to my knowledge, a record that has yet to be beat).  So at the ripe old age 23, I was worthlessly desperate to get married.  This sense of expedience to walk down the aisle failed me in the area of asking reasonable questions, and making sure to take proper steps... and those sorts of healthy things.  To add to this point, I will add that I met, got engaged and got married to my husband within the course of less than a year.

As one would imagine, I was still figuring myself out when I got married.  Since then, I have changed careers, changed religious philosophies, altered my politics, and a whole lot more.  It's fair to say that the person I was three years ago and the person I am today made decisions rather differently.

While divorce is whole cocktail of mixed emotions, I have to say embarrassment is one that I often feel.  The main thing that keeps me from getting buried under it, is the realization that it won't due me any good.   

If this post reeks of regret, than I should be sure to clarify that I am incredibly pleased with the road my life is on these days.  I have many good meals to be eating, and most of all many good people to share them with.  Not to mention the irreplaceable feeling of contentment that comes with knowing you are in the right place for today.

No Drive-Thru Food for One Month

I gave up "drive-thru" food for one-month (February), which basically mean no fast food at all.  Subway being the exception.   I did it for a few reasons.

1) I was beginning to feel I was depending on it all to much for my day-to-day eating.  It was gaining on the close to every-other day mark, and while I don't think fast-food is terrible in moderation - this was not "moderation".

2) I was feeling yuck a lot, and I know how you eat affects how you feel - so I thought I should try this. 

3) As a part of my "Seven for 2011" I wanted to increase the amount of meals I brought to work and cutting out my affordable option for eating out ended up heightening my motivation as I thought it would. 

How did it go?

- I was successful except for on instance, which also happened to be a "fun workout" day for me - so hopefully it was sort of "machts nichts". (It's german - look it up).

Will you never eat drive-thru food again?

Umm... no.  Sorry if that is disappointing, but I'll just be honest.   Though I have to say after my month fast - I didn't find myself craving it again anyway.  My goal is to keep it to less than once/week.  I think that makes the most sense for me.

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Overall, I was really happy I did this.  I saved money, developed a better plan for bringing meals to work, and well maybe ate a little healthier.