I am not good when it comes to any type of dieting.  I am fortunate that I’ve never been way over weight, but I know I could stand to lose a few pounds.  At this time of year it’s difficult to keep from adding pounds with all the great treats everyone is busy making.  Just the other day I was given a box of homemade chocolate pretzels.  It took all my will power to not down the entire box before I even got home!

To help me keep the excess pounds off so that I don’t look like a blimp in January, I try to eat healthy, low calorie meals that allow me to have a few extra calories worth of treats.  I think that’s why I really like the Slim-Fast 3•2•1 Plan, it pretty much allows me to follow my own plan without sacrificing taste, allowing me to feel satisfied, not hungry, throughout the day.

The Slim-Fast 3•2•1 is easy to follow and it’s flexible.  Each day I can have 3 snacks like fruit, veggies or even the Slim-Fast 100 calorie snack bar which is specifically designed to help curb those in between meal cravings for sweets.  Also, I can either drink 2 Slim-Fast shakes or eat 2 meal bars each day.  I like drinking the creamy milk chocolate shake for breakfast and the other one as a late lunch.  They keep me full while providing balanced nutrition until I cook dinner in the evening.  The shakes come in other flavors too including French vanilla, rich chocolate royale, cuppuccino delight, and strawberries n’ cream.

Finally, as part of the Slim-Fast  3•2•1 plan, I try to fix a balanced 500 calorie meal for dinner.  I’ve also learned that it helps to remember that half my dinner plate should be vegetables, 1/4 should be protein (meat) and the other 1/4 should be whole grains. 

I also like Slim-Fast because it’s available where I normally do my grocery shopping so I don’t have to make an extra trip to another store just to get it.  Heck, it’s even available at Amazon.com.  If you can’t locate it, check the pharmacy section of your grocer and don’t forget to “like” them at http://facebook.com/slimfast

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That’s right, I’m almost done with my to do list and ready to sit back and simply enjoy the holiday.  I finished my shift this morning and am now sitting here organizing my grocery shopping list and coupons, getting ready to head out the door to get the supplies for Christmas day dinner.  It’s just the 3 of us, so we keep it pretty simple.  We enjoy a spiral sliced ham, some scalloped potatoes and a vegetable or two.  We never ate our asparagus at Thanksgiving, so I think I will try to buy more today, that would go nicely with ham.

I got a few gifts wrapped yesterday and need to go get some gift bags and/or shirt boxes in order to wrap the remaining gifts.  Found out through my daughter that my husband did actually buy me a gift (a rather expensive one at that) even though he said he agreed we wouldn’t exchange with each other this year.  So, I went out and got him something yesterday.  It’s not the gift I really truly want to give him, but I can’t afford that one right now, so went with a plan B, I just hope he’s not disappointed.  Anyway, it’s wrapped and ready to go under the tree.  We don’t put gifts under the tree until the night before Christmas, a tradition started when our daughter was born.

So, I’m off to the grocery, wish me luck and I am hoping it’s not too crazy and crowded! 

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I actually sat down with my husband tonight and asked him if he would be all right with he and I not exchanging gifts this year.  I think he looked relieved and he agreed that we would skip it.  I could go out and buy him something, but it wouldn’t be what he really wants and I would be wasting the money.  The same is true for him buying a gift for me.  We are just in a number crunch right now and I told him I would rather wait a bit and get him something I know he wants and get it when I can afford it.  I just am trying so very hard to not use credit cards!

Thankfully I was able to order most of my daughter’s gifts online and was able to use Paypal.  It’s like my secret stash of funds.  It’s where all my online earnings go to throughout the year and I really never spend it except at the holidays.  It’s a very nice little fund that puts a smile on my face and has once again made holiday shopping easier on the wallet!

Maybe I need to get back to sewing and selling items, that was certainly another way of getting extra funds!

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I hope you all are enjoying a wonderful Thanksgiving. Wherever you are and whomever you are with, may you give thanks. God has blessed us in so many ways and we thank Him for all he has given us. Enjoy your day and remember, don’t eat too much (or keep the Tums handy!).

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I wish I could find my photo of the building to share with you, but unfortunately, I’m not that organized! I can tell you that the building was so easy to identify because of their bronze letters on the upper exterior of the building. After all these years, it still clearly reads Dyke Building, my great-grandfather’s last name. There is so much history in this town that if you just walk along Main Street, there are commemorative plaques on almost every building, including the Dyke Building, showing when each building was originally constructed and by who.

Lynden is really much like any other small town in our country with the brick buildings along main street. What I enjoyed was seeing how the downtown in Lynden was still thriving and that’s what set it apart. In fact, it made such an impression on me that I would be surprised if Lynden wasn’t mentioned in a Wikipedia architecture article!

Anyway, I think it’s a wonderful feeling to know our family history and to see such a solid structure representing our family.

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One thing that drives my daughter crazy when she’s batting is if the pitcher tries to back her off the plate by pitching to her inside. My daughter will respond by moving closer to the plate. This can throw a pitcher off know that a batter is not being intimidated. Well, that’s what happened in this at bat. 1st pitch was inside, daughter inches closer to the plate. Next pitch, even farther inside and the following is the result.

If you look closely, you can even see the imprint from the seam of the ball!

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According to Wikipedia, gluten “is a protein composite found in foods processed from wheat and related grain species, including barley and rye. It gives elasticity to dough, helping it to rise and to keep its shape, and often giving the final product a chewy texture.”  Unfortunately, many people are allergic to gluten and must try to maintain a gluten free diet.  I can only imagine how difficult that would be.  Think about it, how many foods do you eat every single day contain flour?  Everything from toast at breakfast, to chips at lunch and even pasta at dinner.

Schar has recently re-release their gluten-free heat & serve items, including sub-sandwich rolls, ciabatta rolls and baguettes.  The great thing about Schar, a leader in gluten-free foods, is that they have created the  Schar Club, a free club that provides everything from gluten-free recipes to the latest in gluten-free news. Joining the club also gives members access to giveaways and special member only promotions.  In fact, for a limited time,  members can get a Schar free sample by being one of the first 2,000 to request one.

After joining the Schar Club, on the left hand side you will see a column titled “toolbox” under that column, you will find the word “Giveaways”, click that and then you will be taken to the page to order your free Ciabatta sample!

I’m not required to eat gluten-free products, but I think these breads and rolls sound delicious and can’t wait to give the sub rolls a try.  Leave me a comment and let me know what you think!

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I don’t know about you, but I am constantly looking for ways to cut our household expenses, particularly in these tougher economic times  We’ve been working as a family to reduce our electric & water consumption to lower those bills and I’ve been taking a hard look at our family cell phone bill to see what can be done in that area.

My daughter and I both have smarthphones with unlimited text and talk plus we have to have data plans or the smartphones aren’t really worth having  I think maybe I can Feel Richer with Android by switching to Straight Talk which would allow me The power of Android with a smart plan and, get this, no annual contract.  With Straight Talk, it can be as low as just $45 per month with unimited use.  That’s a heck of a lot less than what I’m currently paying.  I could take that extra money and put it in a vacation account and pretty quickly have enough money to actually take a vacation for a change!

Straight Talk comes with nationwide coverage, no contracts and no credit checks, activation or early termination fees.  Even more important, there will be no surprises on your monthly bill to leave you scratching your head and digging deeper into your budget. Get all the apps you can want and they carry all the name brand phones including LG, Kyocera, Motorola, Nokia and Samsung.

What have you done to reduce household expenses?

The getting richer effect has expanded… by LittleBard95

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