I live, I eat

I was so sad to get to the end of my tub of Creme de la Mer.  You know I made sure to get every bit of it out of that jar.  I love the cream and it has helped my skin to no end, especially during and after vacations.  My dry skin always pays the price when I go to the hot beachy climate.  But every time, my skin heals in lightning speed because I keep slathering this bad boy on. Okay, back to my empty jar.  I was about to get a new one when my frugal side kicked in.  I knew this stuff worked, but was it actually worth the crazy price tag?  I put it off and scoured the internet to find an affordable replacement. I read that many people will use Nivea in Creme de la Mer's stead.  Cheap, easy, found everywhere... no prob.  I bought a large container and a small travel/purse size.  Everyday, just like I would use the Creme de la Mer, I used the Nivea.  My face never looked so greasy.  And that greasy lasted.  I ended up ha...

I wish everyone knew how easy it was to do meal prep for the week so they could ensure they had healthy meals at their fingertips.  The hardest part is doing the calculations in the beginning so you do not make too much food and end up throwing money in the trash. I recommend writing down what meals you will be making.  Be honest.  Do you normally eat breakfast at home?  Do you have a day you go out with your friends for lunch?  Calculate those in.  That ends up being good amount of food you could make the following week and save yourself some money.  Another option is to go ahead and make some extra food and then freeze it into your own little lean meals you can store in the freezer at home or at work. My general plan is to choose what proteins and carbs I want for the week.  Chicken and salmon are my top two picks.  I also generally choose from eggs, chicken breast, turkey breast, and fish for my protein and i switch off between sweet p...

I love shopping.  I love shopping online.  And I especially love discount shopping.  I have subscriptions to countless discount sites, the most recent being Zulily. I've made multiple orders with Zulily.  The way it generally works is you order one (or more) of the items, they make one big order to the supplier, they get the shipment from the supplier, and then they send it to you.  The prices range on this site, and you can actually find some good deals.  I get tired of the discount sites that say they are saving you over 50%, but if you do a google search for it, everyone is offering it around that price or for less. Zulily carries a bit of everything.  A lot of baby and kid stuff, including toys and clothes.  Then you have clothes, accessories, shoes, and the what not for the ladies and soon to be moms. I made most of my orders pretty closely together.  I ordered one dress, two tops, 4 bras, and a pair of sunglasses.  All but th...

So breakfast can actually be a hard thing to seemingly find in downtown Anchorage, but after scouring the downtown area and trying some places out, I've come up with a small alternative list. 1.  Snow City Cafe - 1034 W. 4th Ave   Snow City Cafe Website Snow City can make a great breakfast.  They have two soups that change out and are available for early lunch, so if you are having a late breakfast it gives you some more options.  They also have a specials menu that you can preview on their site.  (For lunch the salad special is usually yummy.)  The service is generally slow but usually nice.  The drip coffee is actually drinkable here.  The food is tasty and well prepared.  The portions are big. This place gets PACKED!!!!!  You have the five million tourists during the hot season and then all of the local business people that come in for breakfast/lunch/coffee year round.  They have somewhat recently added the ability to put i...

I have fallen in love.  I've been on the lookout for things to do with Chinese healthy eating and medicinal food.  Mostly this is for my stomach, which is almost always in turmoil and for weight loss.  I know, I know... I need to go get a full allergy testing done.  But for some reason I can't make myself.  Maybe I am happy in my ignorance.  I do hate the thought that I would not, in good conscience, be able to eat all the foods that I love if I know what they do to me. I came across a recipe for congee on one of my searches.  It also goes by the name of jook, depending on where you are in China.  You would actually find this recipe all over Asia, and it is the go to meal for when you are not feeling well.  It is also a great breakfast food. I had recently purchased my new Instant Pot electric pressure cooker.  OMG!! This machine is awesome.  It's a 6 in 1 pot that is a pressure cooker, slow cooker, steamer, soup and chili maker...

I used to get shipments from Full Circle a long time ago.  They used to only do a couple of states and now they do many more.  When I was first getting shipments, I was impressed.  Their customer service was excellent, and the food, though a bit pricey for me at the time, was the best way to get good fresh organic produce in Alaska during the winter months.  They also had a grocery that you could order extra items from.  I would pick my box up at a local store by my work before heading home and then store everything appropriately so it could last until my next box. I cancelled my subscription back then because I just couldn't spare the money anymore.  But my thoughts of the produce and the service were still excellent. Now, if you check, they serve many states and you can order different size boxes.  I did not think that the descriptions for each size really gave me an idea of how much I would really get, so when I restarted my subscription I went ...

Let's just say that I have been going to the original I Love Sushi since they opened.  Brandon, the chef/owner is very dedicated and imaginative.  It was always easy to have something made to my specifications for whatever crazy diet I was on.  I always have my favorites too.  They had expanded the original restaurant a while back and it was very upscale looking.  Recently Brandon and his wife, Min, bought the old Tempura Kitchen.  It has the same upscale flair.  It looks beautiful. It's clean and bright, and I love the updated menu. Brandon and crew pretty much had to gut the old restaurant when they got it, which it definitely needed.  The restaurant is somewhat split up.  To the left is regular seating, with a large area for large parties or private functions.  To the right are tables with hot plates with vents above, and the sushi bar is across from that. It is located on Spenard right after you turn off of Minnesota if you are c...