Monday, March 28, 2016

March's Lifestyle Favorite.


Hey guys,

I can't believe March is about to end, it's amazing how fast the months are going by.

A lot has happened this month, good stuff happened, I could never be happier, and among the things I enjoyed are this month's lifestyle favorite.







































Fashion:

Slim-fit Lizzy Mango dark jeans. Why? They're the most comfortable pair of Jeans I've wore in a long time, they're the perfect color that goes with everything, and they're slim fit, so they elongate your legs like nothing else. They're just perfect, but an old model and they discontinued the production of it.

Black Converse. Again it goes with everything and very comfortable. There is no reason why it shouldn't make it to the list.

Tory Burch crossbody bag. It's compact, affordable, cute and it does what is asked of it. Black and petite, and easy to grab and go. It fits my cellphone, money, cards, tissue paper and my lip balm, everything I need.

Makeup:

Inglot Hd foundation. I think I should do a complete review on this foundation, it's my holly grail of
 foundations. It never looks cakey and goes on very smoothly.

Inglot concealer. Same as  the foundation, I swear by it. It's high coverage and thick, but once you set it with powder you forget you're wearing makeup. Amazing.

Candles:

SINNLIG for Ikea. I've been burning it constantly this past month, it smells incredible and fills the whole house with the amazing scent of Apples, It screams spring, plus the color the amazing.

Food:

Spinach. Anything spinach, raw, cooked, shredded, or whole. My favorite recipes are the Mini Spanakopita Triangles Recipe, these are amazing Greek spinach pies, and fresh spinach salads.

Snacks:

Twinfish OAT choco bars. These are amazing, I've been a fan of oat since I was a baby, but these oat bars are nothing like anything I've tasted before. Plus they're Vegan.

Apps:

Cooking Fever. Addictive, time consuming , and super fun. Try it. It's FREE on android.

Movies:

Backtrack. A horror movie - which I'm a fan of - Tells the story of a psychiatrist who has lost his daughter in a car accident, and has been hunted by her memory for the past year, until one day a weird girl comes into his office and reminds him of his deceased daughter, who will change his life for ever.

 Music:

This past month I've been listening to a playlist of songs on my Youtube channel, and they're are all pop songs that are romantic and touching, some are in English and some are in French but as equally as romantic and beautiful.

So, I hope you enjoyed this month's lifestyle favorite.

Please don't forget to share this post with your friends.

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Grocery and inventory Tracking





Hey guys,

Keeping track of what you have in your kitchen is key to saving money when grocery shopping and meal planning.

I've been cooking in my own kitchen for quite sometime, since 2005 when I was living alone in collage, while I don’t consider myself old, thank you very much, I guess I’ve spent a good amount of time in the kitchen.

Even before I moved away from home, the kitchen was one of my favorite places. Whether I was baking with my grandmother or helping my mom prep dinner for our large family, the kitchen was my happy place. And over time, my freezer has become one of my most beloved possessions.

The Freezer:

The home freezer, that miraculous invention of the 1940s, it’s been a tool to help me save time, money, and to have a bit more peace of mind. Over the years my home freezer has served me well. Here’s why.

1. I save time.

Through freezer cooking, I can stash a variety of home cooked meals and meal components to enjoy at a later date. Currently I have batches of taco meat, bags of cooked chicken, and bags of marinated chicken. These will make some great, quick meals in the month to come, saving me a ton of time, shopping and cooking.

2. I save money.

Buying and cooking in bulk can save me a bundle, in part thanks to lower per unit costs on bulk items, but also because we don’t eat out when we have meals ready to go. Freezer cooking helps our family eat well – at home — and spend less. In addition to my homemade meals, I use the freezer to help me stockpile good deals that I see, that might be a great sale on chicken breast. My freezer helps me load up on the items we know we’ll use but don’t want to pay full pop for later on when we have a craving for grilled chicken.

3. I have more peace of mind.

I do feel better when I know we’ve got food in the house. My freezer is my faithful friend in the kitchen. It helps me feed my family well on a budget and pinch hits on dinner whenever I need it to.

How to make it work?

Whether you have an itty-bitty fridge freezer or a large deep freeze, it doesn’t help you a whole lot if you don’t know what you have. Often we forget about something so long that we end up chucking it.

Over the years, I’ve learned how to keep a freezer inventory that works for me. It’s pretty simple and involves zero technology. Sure, there are a few apps out there that will help you keep a kitchen inventory, but I find the pen easier than the keypad.

All you need is a piece of paper, a pen, and a few minutes of your time.

1. List everything you have in the freezer.

Sometimes it helps to pull things out. Organize while you’re in there, stacking like with like, if you can.

2. Count how many you have of each item and tick ins and outs of the freezer. 

These ticks represent each individual item.You’re basically communicating to yourself and the other cooks in the household the identity and size of every inhabitant in your freezer. So you know what's left in your freezer stockpile.

3. Each time you take something out of the freezer, mark it.

Make sure to ask/insist that the other cooks do the same.

4. Consult your inventory.

Check in when you do your meal plan for the week and definitely before you go shopping.

 Check the free printable of the freezer inventory

The Pantry:

A pantry is a room where beverages, food, and sometimes dishes, household cleaning chemicals, linens, or provisions are stored.

What you need to start your pantry:

It's all up to you and your preference, although there are a few essentials for any pantry, I provided you with the common Pantry Foods and their shelf life, check them out.

Check the free printable categorized grocery shopping list.

Why Pantries are so important in every house?

Keeping extra food in the house is important to me for many reasons:
  1. My family feels secure knowing there is always food in the house.
  2. I can stock up on key ingredients when food is on sale. Real food on a budget.
  3. I have plenty of food around to create last-minute meals, which cuts down on fast food runs. A weekly meal planning is preferable.
  4. In case of emergency (natural disaster, illness, job loss, etc.) we would have food on hand.
  5. I hardly ever have to make a spur-of-the-moment store run, because I have plenty of food on hand and I can make substitutions to use what I have.

Check the free printable of the pantry inventory.

The Fridge:

To refrigerate or not to refrigerate, that is the question.

Okay, so maybe Hamlet didn't say those exact words, but it's certainly a topic many have pondered.

The FDA recommends refrigerating or freezing perishable foods right away. Meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, and certain kinds of produce should never be kept at room temperature for more than two hours, or not more than one hour if the temperature is above 90 degrees Fahrenheit. But what about other foods?

Eggs - Yes: You should always refrigerate eggs to prevent the risk of infection from salmonella bacteria.

Butter - Optional : It's recommended to refrigerate butter, and freezing butter if you're not going to use it within one to two days. But many people keep butter in a covered dish outside the fridge. Since it's made from pasteurized milk, it's less likely to grow bacteria.

Tomatoes - No: If tomatoes are kept in the fridge, they lose their flavor. That's because the cold air stops them from ripening and breaks down their cell membranes, giving the fruit that characteristic mealy taste.

Cheese - Yes: Some kinds of cheese, especially soft cheeses such as brie or ricotta, should always be refrigerated. Others, such as pasteurized or aged cheeses like Parmesan, may not need to be refrigerated (but consult package instructions).

The shelf life of refrigerated and freezed of other foods will be found in this list.

Check the free printable of the fridge inventory.


I hope you liked this post. Please give me feedback and share with me your tips on inventory tracking.
 

Monday, March 14, 2016

Office Cleaning




Hey guys,

A clean office makes for a clear head, but who has time to organize with your workload? Setting up systems and sticking to them allows you to work smarter while you work harder. It also gives the impression that you're on top of things. Who wants to leave them standing there while you shuffle through mounds of paperwork to find the one file folder they need?

Here are my five steps to organize your office.

1. Make a Plan.

As with any large project, making a plan is essential to achieving success when it comes to office cleaning. For best results, business men and women should start by identifying what items need to be cleaned, how often they should be cleaned, and where everything should go?

Try to write it down so you don't forget, or at least have headnotes just in case the ideas got lost in your head.


2.  Declutter and separate.

  • Get Rid of Old Papers.

        Chances are many of those papers piled high on your desk aren’t of any value to you. As you begin to sort through your stack of papers, begin asking yourself: Do I need this? Why? Where will I look for it when I need it? Then, create a filing system that best fits your needs, and make a point to file future printouts as they are created to keep the problem from reoccurring.

  • Separate Business and Pleasure

 Regardless of where you do the bulk of your work, it’s important to keep distractions at bay. Keep a home office free of distraction by having a designated mail location away from your office space, and encouraging family members to keep the area free of toys, tech gadgets, and anything else that might invite lost time and inefficiency to sneak into your day.

  • Keep Supplies and Often-Used Items Separate

 Daily-use items that you’ll likely need throughout the course of a day, like your laptop, pens, planner, and Post-It Notes, all deserve a spot on your desk. Other items, such as tape, stapler, paper clips, and envelopes, should be neatly stored inside your desk. This keeps less-frequently-used items from taking up valuable desk real estate, but ensures that they are easily accessible.

  • Organize Your Computer

 When your favorite desktop background starts getting obscured with icons, it’s time to de-clutter your virtual desktop. File away documents that you’ll need again, and send everything else off to the virtual recycle bin. Not only will you have a much more attractive looking desktop screen, but you will save countless hours searching for your important documents.

  • Slow Down

 One of the biggest pitfalls to organization is finding the time. Invest the time to properly organize your space, so files, supplies, and other items are in an intuitive, easy-to-find place. Once you’ve established a system that works for you, stick to it! Spending a few seconds to return items to a designated spot will help you save lots of time in the long run.

3. Clean.

A clean office is vital to the running of a business. It improves productivity, because all items are organized and in their rightful place. It improves creativity and focus.

  • Keep a closet or basket fully stocked with all of your office cleaning essentials (glass cleaner, dusting spray, microfiber wipes, rubbing alcohol, paper towels, etc).

  • Give every item in your office a place and keep it there. If you have trouble remembering where things are, label the storage locations.

  • Clean your office phone frequently by spraying cleaner onto a cloth and wiping that on your phone. Dip a cotton ball in rubbing alcohol to wipe down the dial pad.

  • Take out the trash frequently and vacuum frequently in areas that people eat. This will help keep the bugs at bay.

  • Remember to clean behind your furniture as well. That strip of dust and dirt behind your desk betrays an otherwise clean and tidy office.
Please check this free printable office cleaning checklist to help you figure out what you want to clean.

4. Organize.

There are many ways and tools to help you organize you office space, here are a few that are essential and affordable:

Binders: If you have piles of papers everywhere, it's probably best to use binder organizers to keep papers from stacking everywhere.

Keyboard organizersIf you don't have a convenient storage space at your disk this keyboard organizer will help you keep your desk clean and tidy.

Card organizers: If you're like me and have a ton of business cards laying around the office then you need a good card holder or go the extra mile and invest in a good rotary business card organizer.

Desk organizer: You need a place to sort your mail, pending documents, etc. 

Files organizer: Stash your files and bills in a cute file tote.

Drawer organizer: Use drawer trays to organize Utensils, Tools, Crafting supplies or Vanity stuff.

5. Keep it organized.

  • File As You Go

One of the biggest office offenders is piles of paper -- on your desk, on your shelves, and eventually on your floor. It's easy to get busy and start stacking papers to file for later, but before you know it, you have a task that's too big to tackle. The key is to process papers as you go. Set up a system of trays or file folders that are clearly labeled and make it a habit to use them. The same goes for your computer desktop.

  • Create two zones

Not all work is created equal. You should approach office organization with this two-zone perspective.

Zone 1: Computer work. This is your traditional desktop. You spend most of your time here, knocking stuff out and getting things done.

Zone 2: Non-computer work. This is where you go to do non-computer stuff. It could be the same desk, but simply another area that is cleared of monitors, cords, and chargers. This is where you go when you thumb through documents, use your iPad, sign papers, scan documents, or stamp envelopes.

  • Reboot Your Office Every Evening.
No matter how clean you keep your workspace, it's going to get messy during the day. That's okay, that means you're working! It's when you keep it messy that things start to become a problem. To make sure this doesn't happen, clean off your desk every evening. All it takes is 5 or 10 minutes to straighten things up, and you'll come to a clean desk every morning, ready to work.

Finally I hope you found this post helpful, it took me a long time to write and search for links that might be helpful for you.

Tell me your favorite strategy to clean and organize your office, and don't forget to spread the word with your friends and family. Thanks.

Thursday, March 10, 2016

Snacks that will curb your appetite



Hey guys,

 We all know how this works: You feel like having a snack, but all that is around you are the bad things like cake, donuts, cookies – you name it. That’s why I made a list of my Top 15 Healthy Snack Ideas. But it’s not so easy to get yourself to snack healthy, you shouldn’t have any sweet cravings anymore.

I do have a Free Printable for when you don't have internet access that you can print it and put it in your wallet or pocket.



 
 Tell me if your favorite snack made it to my list?

Monday, March 7, 2016

How work smarter not harder?

 Hay guys,



A major problem for most people is having too much work and not enough time to do it. One solution: fine-tuning your time-management skills. By using your working hours more efficiently, you attack stress on several fronts:
 
  • You’ll feel more in control, be more productive and more secure in your job.
  • You’ll get greater satisfaction from what you do.
  • You’ll give yourself more time to relax and enjoy life.

No matter how you juggle your schedule, the number of hours in the day will always remain the same. But it is possible to adjust your habits to buy more time for the things that matter most.

 1. Walk away

Walking away from a complex task might seem counterintuitive, but breaks can actually make you more productive. Removing yourself from the work environment immediately reduces stress and gives your brain a chance to “catch up.” If you’re working on a hard problem, your subconscious mind will continue working on it even if your conscious mind is trying to relax—which is why sometimes, solutions magically pop into your mind when you aren’t thinking about the problem. Either way, you’ll come back refreshed and in a healthier, more focused mental state for work.

2. Create routine habits.

 Habits happen naturally after they’re formed—they become a ritual, something you can slip into automatically, something you don’t even have to think about. For example, if you have to update an editorial calendar every day, make it an unconscious habit, sparing you the necessity of remembering it in a desperate scramble. Forming habits is the hard part—a good rule of thumb is to force yourself to commit the action every day, with no breaks from the routine, until it comes naturally.

3. Take more breaks. 

On average, your brain is able to remain focused for only 90 minutes, and then you need at least 15 minutes of rest. By taking breaks roughly every 90 minutes, you allow your mind and body to renew--and be ready to fire off another 90-minute period of high activity.
For some people, 15- to 20-minute breaks might be tough to pull off, but taking short breaks throughout the day can still help you to refresh your mind and reset your attention span.

4. Make a “to don’t” list.

Prepare a list that contains all the things you shouldn’t waste your time on – useless tasks, unnecessary meetings, worthless phone calls, and so on. Then place it next to your “to do” list.

5. Check your email first thing. 

This one is fairly counterintuitive; basically everyone says not to check email right away, but I do and find it extremely useful.
Dealing with important issues first thing helps you make quick decisions about whether your day needs to be adjusted to fit in with what everyone else is doing or whether you can proceed with the tasks you already had planned.

6. “Multitask” (not in the traditional sense).

 No matter how busy you are, there are always “negative spaces” in your day—and these gaps are when you should “multitask.” Try to fill the empty spaces with productive work: On your lunch break, watch a tutorial video or catch up on your emails. On your drive into work, listen to audiobooks or podcasts. During your workouts, catch up on some voicemails or watch a TED Talk. The more you learn and work in these negative spaces, the more you’ll get done overall.

7. Organize Throughout the Day

Remember this rule: Tuck it, transfer it or trash it. Quickly glance over every piece of mail and every memo or e-mail message you get. If it looks as if it’s potentially important, file it right away in a folder marked “pending” or delegate it to someone else to take care of. If it’s not relevant or it’s something you’ll never look at again, trash it. Handle your mail the same way at home.
 
8. Plan Ahead

Start your workday right—at home the night before. After dinner, pack your lunch for the next day, while you’re already in the kitchen. Lay out the kids’ clothes and your own and pack your briefcase. Then spend a pressure-free hour or more doing things you enjoy before bedtime.

9. Establish an opening ritual.

Try to begin your day the same way. If you work at home, maybe take a short walk before you go to your office. Have a cup of tea or read or meditate before starting your work. An opening ritual will ease your mind, body and soul into the day.

10. Guard your calendar.

Make sure your time is focused on your one or two top priorities. Ask yourself: “Is this how I want to be spending my time right now?” Remember: you are your calendar. So treat your calendar with respect.

What tips do you have for working smarter?

If you like this article, please check How to save $7897/year article.

Sunday, March 6, 2016

Weekly Meal Planner

Hey guys,
 


Are you tired of eating the same food every week, break out of your recipes.
 
For many of us, cooking dinner every night is a frustrating, time-consuming process, even if you know your way around a kitchen. Here's how I (a self-proclaimed fool in the kitchen) turned cooking from a time-consuming chore into a quick, easy, and delicious process. 
 
Effective menu planning is rewarding in terms of time and money, especially given how little effort it takes. Those who do it well seem to have internalized its rules. The good news: The rest of us can learn, too. 
 

What Is Meal Planning?

 It's whatever way you organize yourself to cook a meal, whether that's breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It is the plan you make before you shop. Some people plan a month in advance, freezing neatly-labeled packets of soup and stew. Others wing it, shopping for that evening's meal at the farmers' market and picking up whatever looks good to them. Meal planning is a really personal thing. What works for you may not work for me. The goal, I think, is to find a process that is both enjoyable and effective
 
My Tips for Meal Planning:

Getting Inspired

1. Spend time each week looking for recipes.

This may feel like an indulgence, but just let yourself do it. Browse blogs and websites for recipes that look delicious. Hang out on Tasteologie. Pile up some cookbooks and reach for the sticky notes. Get inspired!

2. Create a place to save recipes, and keep it SIMPLE.

Do whatever works for you. Don't get caught up in a system, just use whatever works best and most easily. Personally, I like Pinterest because it's easy to visually browse what I've saved.
This is my recipes board. Check it out.

3. Ask your partner, family, and roommates what they like to eat.

This might sound obvious, but it's easy to get caught up in our weeks and forget to ask our households what they would like to eat. I get extra inspired, too, when I feel like I'm cooking a meal as a gift.

4.  Check the weather.

Right now, the weather is changeable in many parts of the country. Look at the weather forecast, and try to predict if you're going to be in the mood for soup (or grilled shrimp salad!) on Friday.

5. Keep a meal journal.

One of my best inspirations is my own record of things I've cooked in the past. Take a look at what you were cooking a year ago, two years ago. It's a good way to remember things you used to cook, and still love.

Getting Organized

6. Start a calendar.

Now that you're getting inspired in what to eat, start a calendar of what you'd like to cook over the
next few days or few weeks.

7. Go with theme nights (soup night, pasta night, beans).

 Monday is pasta, Tuesday is fish, Wednesday is tacos. This doesn't work for everyone, but it may be especially helpful for those with kids. See if they want to get involved with planning their favorite tacos one week.

8. Choose a shopping day and make a shopping list.

 Looked at your recipes and make a shopping list. Some of the meal planning and recipe-saving services let you do this easily, extracting ingredients from the recipes you have saved.

9. Check what's on sale.

Some folks really like to organize their meals around sales. Is organic chicken a dollar off this week? Or canned chickpeas? Check out your grocery store circular and adjust your meal plan or shopping list a bit.

10. Plan for leftovers.

Most of us have at least some tolerance for leftovers. I regularly cook one or two big healthy casseroles at the beginning of the week and eat off them all week long for lunch. Some people can only eat leftovers for a single night. Either way, try to make your cooking always do double duty. Make a little extra of everything, and if you don't want it right away, freeze it.

Getting It Done
 

11. Prep food as soon as you get back from the store.

Wash and dry lettuce. Chop onions. Roast vegetables. Brown sausage for pizza. Shred zucchini for quick stir-fries. Stack up glass containers of prepped ingredients in the refrigerator and bask in your own awesome preparedness.
 
12. Cook components of your meals.

Going beyond prep, cook components of the meals. For instance, start a batch of tomato sauce while you wash greens and prep squash. The sauce can go on pizza one night, and in lasagna the next. Or roast a chicken right then that you can eat that night and use for sandwiches and pasta the rest of the week.
 
13. Be strategic about freezing.

The freezer is your friend. Actually, it's the friend of future you. Make a double batch of that sauce mentioned above and freeze half for later. Make a double batch of soup, stew, chicken cacciatore, cooked beans, throw it in the freezer. Let a month go by, and those leftovers will look fresh and tasty!
 
14. Don't overstuff the refrigerator.

It's easy to get overwhelmed when your fridge is over-full. Also, things get hidden in the back, lost behind the mustard. Don't let things go bad. Keep your fridge airy and light, with a sensible, realistic amount of food in it. Keep a list nearby of everything in the fridge, especially leftovers, as a visual reminder of what remains to be eaten.
 
15. Keep a well-stocked pantry.

Meals are easier and quicker to prepare if you keep your pantry well-stocked. Don't run out of olive oil at inconvenient moments. Have spices ready to dress up chicken and beans quickly. Keep a lemon and a sheaf of fresh herbs in the fridge at all times.
 
 
Download as many copies as you need and keep them around the house to make it easy to keep track of your meal planning. Give me feedback, a tell me down below if there is any concepts and subjects you want me to cover next.
 

Saturday, March 5, 2016

Food on a budget

Hey guys,



Real food, a term we hear about a lot. If you're someone who's concern about what you put in your mouth like me, then the term Real food matters to you.

A problem you'll face when you're trying to eat healthy and clean is paying to much for grocery, or that's what you're made to think, eating clean doesn't have to be expansive, at all.

today I will try to give you a real food on a budget.

There are two components to eating Real Food on a budget. One is learning what foods to prioritize sourcing well, and the other is learning how to manage your kitchen properly to stretch those dollars.
 
  •  Prioritize Food Choices
 
this is how I prioritize spending my money:
 
1. Getting High Quality Fats & Oils:
 
 The goal here is to eat a traditional balance of fats by reducing the amount of Omega 6 fatty acids in our diet and increasing the amount of Omega 3 fatty acids. Try to use more coconut oil, butter, and olive oil in your cooking. Whatever you do, eliminate all yellow seed oils like corn oil, vegetable oil, canola oil, etc.
 
2. Getting High Quality Meats, Fish, & Eggs:
 
 By this, I mean for you to eat meats from humanely raised, pastured animals or wild caught seafood.  High quality eggs are trickier to find.
 
3. Buying Organic Fruits & Veggies:
 
 If you’ve done the first two things on this list and still have some wiggle room in your budget, then start buying as many organic fruits & veggies as you can afford. Prioritize buying organic on thin-skinned fruits & vegetables like grapes, peaches, leafy greens, etc. If a fruit or vegetable has a thicker-skin or peel, you can feel safer buying non-organic b/c you can simply peel it and eliminate most pesticides that way.
 
You may say that in the short term real food is more expensive. So how do we make it work? How do we eat real food on a budget?
 
  • Here are some ways I’ve found helpful . . .

1. Always Go Grocery Shopping With A List

This is my no. 1 tip on saving money, because saving money starts at home before going out to the grocery store. Make a list of the grocery you need preferably organized by where things are found in the store.

2.  Make It Count

It’s not necessary to make everything from scratch (unless you want to, which can be fun!). To save money, though, figure out what you spend most on and learn to make THAT.
Store bought breads, Quality condiments like Ketchup or Mayo and Any specialty ingredient you love – Convert one large bag of shredded coconut into coconut milk for smoothies and coconut butter. 
 
3. Get The Scoop On Farmer’s Market Deals
 
If you want the best products for the best price you must read this article for tips on how conquer the
farmer's market.

4. Plant a Garden

“If you shop at the grocery store for tomatoes, potatoes, zucchini, salad greens or strawberries — and who doesn’t? — then you are the perfect candidate for becoming a kitchen gardener,” says Dan Shapley of The Daily Green.
“Growing your own will save you an incredible amount of money — more than $1,200 if you plant all five, according to the analysis of one Maine gardener.”

5. Or At Least An Herb Garden!

Not only will this impart tons of flavor to simple meals, you can dry the extra to use year round. MUCH more affordable than buying jars at the grocery store.

6. Make Your Own Convenience Foods

Get the hubs to watch the kids for a few hours while you prep snacks to keep in the freezer. Here are 20 Grab-and-Go Snack Recipes.
 
7.  Stock Your Pantry
 
Beans are a great way to add bulk to meals, but if you’re an idealist like me you want them properly soaked. Problem is, I often forget to take them out the night before to get the process started. Meal planning is one way to help, but an even simpler way is to have them ready to throw into the pressure cooker. Not sure what to do once they’re prepped? The bean recipes in Eat your beans post are my family’s favorites.
 
8. Make the most of “cheap” foods like broths, carrots, bananas and beans
 
For example, use leftover chicken bones to make nourishing bone broth
 
Whip up this spicy carrot salad
 
Make and freeze these banana walnut muffins (if the cost of walnuts is an issue omit them – the muffins will still be great!)
 
Or try these refried beans and eggs for breakfast!
 
  • My penny-saving tips for real food on a budget:
 
1. Shop Less 
 
I’m not sure I can commit to NO shopping, but with my new freezer packed full, I’m excited to see how little I can spend by eating the food I already have.
 
2. Don’t double up on protein
 
I do love eggs and bacon for breakfast, but in a effort to save money, it doesn’t make sense to “pair meat with cheese, eggs with cheese, meat with eggs, and the like unless I’m cooking up something special.”
 
3. Eat more Veggies
 
 Don’t get me wrong, I do love some wilted kale or steamed asparagus (both with butter, of course), but I just know they don’t pack as much nutritional punch as high quality fat and meats. BUT, to save money without gorging on tons of grains, a big serving of veggies (smothered in fat and accompanying my protein) is a great way to fill your tummy.
 
4. Make Meal Plans
 
 I swore I would never do this (it always seemed so tedious), but now I can see how planning the week’s meals in advance will save us from those last minute restaurant lunches or expensive trips to the grocery store. I will share my meal plans in the coming weeks so we can compare notes.
 
5. I don’t waste food
 
We save up unused vegetable parts and uneaten leftovers to make hearty broths and soups each week, use chicken bones to make gravy and broth. This way, I can generally get four meals out of each chicken!
 
I hope you found this post helpful and rich in advice, this is what I do usually and it helped me a lot in saving money through out the week.
 
Please share your advice for saving money and getting real food on a budget down below.
 

Thursday, March 3, 2016

13 Smart ways to deal with toxic people


Hey guys,

Do you have to deal with toxic people in your life, I do.



I will give you 13 ways to deal with them with no sweat, these ways have helped me since I was 17, when I figured them out, some of them I have retained through life and personal experience, some were given to me as an advice from people I look up to ,either way I feel these will help you as they helped me ALOT.

1. Respect Yourself

Don’t enable others to take advantage of you by making excuses for them. The more you value yourself, the less time you spend with people who don’t value you. If you make excuses to spend time with toxic people, you might have to evaluate some of your own issues. You might be dealing with a lack of self-esteem, which is attracting others of the same nature.

2. Restrain Yourself

While you may find it incredibly easy to chop down the lies and baggage that toxic people pile on, restrain yourself from getting involved. It isn't necessary to validate anything that is being questioned because you know the truth.

3.  Establish Boundaries
 
This one may seem obvious, but it requires the most pro-activity. Just because you’re in a work or home environment, doesn’t mean you have to engage with that person. If it’s someone you’re very familiar with, like a spouse or co-worker, you probably have learned some of their behavior habits, which makes him or her more easily predictable. So, in the future, think rationally about when you need to engage and when you can walk away.
 
4. Raise Your Positivity Levels
 
Toxic people are very negative and like to spread negativity amongst the people that they encounter. The saying that misery loves company is very true. When you encounter toxic people, do your best to raise your positivity levels and list the reasons why your life is worthy of more.

5. Stay Aware of Your Emotions

Maintaining an emotional distance requires awareness. You can’t stop someone from pushing your buttons if you don’t recognize when it’s happening.  Think of it this way—if a mentally unstable person approaches you on the street and tells you he’s John F. Kennedy, you’re unlikely to set him straight. When you find yourself with a coworker who is engaged in similarly derailed thinking, sometimes it’s best to just smile and nod. If you’re going to have to straighten them out, it’s better to give yourself some time to plan the best way to go about it.

6. Don’t Focus on Problems - Only Solutions

When it comes to toxic people, fixating on how crazy and difficult they are gives them power over you. Quit thinking about how troubling your difficult person is, and focus instead on how you’re going to go about handling them. This makes you more effective by putting you in control, and it will reduce the amount of stress you experience when interacting with them.

7. Understand that toxic people are in pain.

No person who hurts others is happy with themselves. By verbally beating others up, toxic people actually batter their own selves. Their external toxicity is the symbol of how they treat themselves. The pain you feel after their remarks is lesser than the pain and misery they have to live with every hour of their lives. Be compassionate, therefore; this kind of understanding and attitude will help you to be less affected by their words and actions.

8. Develop A Support System

You shouldn’t have to go at it alone. Besides, gaining outside perspective is always a good idea. Sometimes even simply talking out the situation with someone can foster a solution to your lingering problem. Someone might be able to see a solution that you can’t because they are not as emotionally invested.

9. Avoid arguments.

Trust me, toxic people are experts in arguments. They will quickly bring you down if you attempt to over-smart them with arguments.

10. Be Yourself.

Don't be tempted to bend the rules or change who you are as an individual. Always be yourself and be proud of it. Own it! Never shy away from what you believe in and do not allow others to make you feel less than who you are.

11. Busy yourself.

Make yourself seem too busy to give them your time. Keep finding ways to get busy and keep excusing yourself from having to talk to them. You can even make it obvious that it’s an excuse, for they don’t value your time anyway so you shouldn’t care if it’s an urgent business or not.

12. Have Patience
Patience really is a virtue and moreover it's an attribute that you must have when dealing with difficult people. Stay calm and do not get overly emotional. With patience comes wisdom.

13. Pray

Seek comfort in prayer. Pray for your ability to restrain from adding to the toxicity and pray for the people who feel the need to bring misery upon themselves and others. It's easy to write people off but it's important that you pray for them - as there may be a deeper underlying issue.

Finally, I hope you found these advice helpful, and somewhat assuring that everything is going to be okay in end.
 
Please tell me in the comment down below if there are special topics you want me to cover here in Aseel's corner, I'll appreciate it. Thank you.


Tuesday, March 1, 2016

Decluttering with Aseel

Hey guts,

I've started a new series on my blog to start decluttering and cleaning the house, the car and the office.

Maybe you may not think you have much to declutter, but you do. I do. I went into working on this post thinking that I didn't have much left to declutter -- but, boy was I wrong! Maybe you have SO much you don't know where to start. So, follow along and you'll soon discover the joy of decluttering -- just be careful because you could feel the exhilarating freedom of getting rid of stuff you really don't need!

The first step is to ask yourself 10 question about each item, it may take time, that's why at the end I'm going to give a schedule to declutter your entire house, so bare with me.




Once you are done with the questions, you move on to the challenge.

It's the (30 bags in 30 Days challenge)


You only need to follow along and your house will be decluttered completely in 30 days, how easy and simple.

When you're done you'll feel a relief like no other, and your house will look more spacious.

Please tell me if there are any special topics you want me to cover on this series down below. Thank you!