watermelon times three

May 29, 2015 Leave a Comment

From the archives… Because I just cut into my first watermelon of the season and.. These 3 recipes are pretty much amazeballs!

barefootgirl in the kitchen

Ya’ll may have given up on me posting tonight.. I mean it’s almost 9 pm .. where the heck has she been?

Training for a race, that’s where 🙂 🙂 🙂

So let’s talk watermelon. It’s a melon. It’s made of water. Lots and lots of water.

It’s fun to eat in the summer. It’s fun to have it drip all over you bbq shirt. it’s a BLAST to spit the seeds. It is summer in a food

It’s PINK!

I have always loved watermelon. As an adult I started to appreciate it back in the early 90s when I read the book Fit for Life .

(anyone else read it? show of hands? oh.. only me.. that’s cool  :))

Anyhoooo… The preface is that your body is made of mostly water so you should eat mostly food made of water. Also, you should never eat a protein and…

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ibotta…  money-saving app…  put cash back in your pocket!

May 17, 2015 1 Comment

howdy, friends!   Since it’s Friday I thought it might be nice to share a great way to save money. ( so you can spurge a little over the weekend ) 

****Scratch that.   It’s taken me ALL weekend to write this!!  *****

It’s called ibotta. And it’s free. And I’ve saved almost $100 in a year! 

You need to have a smartphone with a camera.  

You start by creating a free account. You can build a ‘team’, or join one ( bigger bonuses for everyone on your team ) .. But we will come back to that .

Think of it as an instant electronic mail in rebate 

  

Start by opening the app.  It senses where you are and will let you know what is near you.  For purposes of this post, going to use grocery. 

  

We are shopping at target. Click on ‘target’. It will take you to the current offers 

  

Once you click on the store, it will show you which offers are available. 

See that cheese? We are going to buy it 

  

Once you click on it, you’ll be asked to either watch a very short video (15 seconds or so ) or to take a quick quiz 

( like, have you tried this product before?) 

  

Using your camera, you line up the barcode in the box.  It automatically scans the code

  For items with out a barcode, you skip the scanning step ( but not the ‘unlock the code’ step) 

  

When you have all of the items on you list, click ‘verify purchases’   

 

Scan the barcode and then click verify purchases ( this ensures you are buying the right product) 

  

Once you get the green check mark, you need toclick capture receipt 

  

Line it up and take the photo. Then click submit receipt 

 

That’s it! As long as they can read your recipe ( I’ve only had one issue..  So I save receipts until I know for sure..  I re submitted it and it went through no problem ) 

The money gets deposited into your account! Presto! 

For online purchases it’s a little bit different . 

Start by clicking on the store 

 

  

 

Click the unlock the code buttons

  

Once codes are unlocked, click redeem .  It will give you the option to go immediately to their website to shop or to email a code for later 

* very important… You MUST shop through the link via ibotta, otherwise the rebate won’t work*

  

Simply shop! The rebate will be automatically added to your account once you shop !  In my experience, the online rebates take a few extra days to show up, but they always do.  You just have to make SURE you shop through the link provided. 

Questions?   How about how do I get my buckaroos? 

  

 

There are many ways to cash in. They have partners and have more being added all the time.   Simply click ‘ cash out’ and click what you would like.  I’ve earned over $80 at Amazon alone! 

When I cashed in my bucks for Amazon, they immediately emailed me a e certificate and I was ordering my goodies on Amazon with in seconds!

Soooo….. What have I missed?   Ibotta is in SO many stores! 

Home Depot

Target

Petsmart

Sephora

Whole foods

Walmart

Vitamin world 

Express

Aeropostale

Walgreens

Kohls

Kmart

Macy’s

Toys r us 

Costco

Best buy

Joann fabrics

Hobby lobby 

Michaels 

Chicos

Charlotte Russe

Soma

Jc Penney 

Nordstrom

Lands end

Toms

Zumba.com

Under armour

Restaurants

Chills

  

 

Hooters

‘ any restaurant’ 

TGIFridays

Quiznos

Applebee’s 

Olive Garden 

Outback Steakhouse 

Red lobster 

Buffalo Wild Wings 

Travel

Orbitz

BEER! 

WINE! 

FTD.com

1-800 flowers

Magazines.com 

How can you resist this? 

Any other questions? Ask!

If you want to join my team enter the code

 ‘ qzjbiy’ 

when you sign up via the app.   Of course, you don’t need to join my particular team, but the bigger the team the more bonuses everyone on the team receives! 

I get a rebate everytime I buy 

Milk

Eggs

Bread

Fresh produce.

Makeup

The list goes on and on. ..

Let me know if I can explain anything else! 

* although the ibotta app was designed here in Denver, I have zero affiliation with the company.  I am just really impressed with how well this works and I do love to save me some bucks! *

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ryan’s quilt

May 12, 2015 3 Comments

good morning, friends 🙂 

Today I’m sharing my latest finished quilt.  My entire family is very intense hockey fans.  Seriously…  We live and breathe it. 

My middle child, Ryan, asked me for a Colorado Avalanche themed quilt. I had purchased the fabric last summer. And like many of my projects, it sat in my sewing room.  Until last month. 

I thought it would be fun and extra-special if I actually  made it and surprised him by having it finished and waiting on his bed when he came home from college! 

I could have just used pre printed fabric to make it, but he’s 22 and I was not wanting a ‘kiddie’ looking quilt. 

Here’s what I came up with 

  

 

Avalanche colors! 

  Sneak panel of ‘official’ fabric on the back 

  

Not quite sure why these pics are so watercolor-y….  I’ll have to see if I can fix it.  

I’m always in such a better place when I’m creating 🙂 

Oh.. And in the Jerk seasoning giveaway

Congratulations Amy!  Your seasoning will be on its way! 

Oxox

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how did we get here?

January 30, 2015 4 Comments

I don’t mean here like when I am standing vs. where you are standing, but more how are we already living in 2015?

So has has 2015 been treating you so far?

She and I definitely got off on the wrong foot.

But we’ve been working together and at least right now, we are friends.

I typically do not like to make resolutions…

Except for that that that I resolved to not make any.. That year was a success for me 😎

I’ve decided that resolving to do something was a good thing because goals are a good thing.

But I’m careful not to make my goals inatainable, because that would defeat the purpose ( read— every year for me with the exception of the non- resolution year)

Sooooo… Here are mine for 2015

1- read 15 books. I’m a very slow reader, so this is a challenge. I’ve started a book club and I’m in the middle of reading 2 books .
If I get close to the end , I can always read good night moon 😉

2- Go to the movies once a month. I went to see Wild in January. I read this true -life story at a changing point in my life and it stuck with me. I’d been looking forward to the movie for almost a year. It did not disappoint .
So I’m on track so far.

3- 10,000 steps for at least 5 days a week. I’d like to say 7 days a week, but sometimes life happens and as there are some days that it’s simply not possible.

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This was earlier this week… And I’d like to say that this was the norm… But it’s not.

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THIS is the norm for me.
This is the kind of day that I’d like to change.

4- realizing that I’m an emotional eater, and that me changing that is not very likely, I’ve decided to change whwhat I eat

So I’ve decided to seriously increase my veggies. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not cutting out any major food group, but my thought is if I fill my plate with more vegetables, then I’m less likely to be tempted by more unhealthier choices.

I bought a veggie spiralizer with a gift card earlier this month after a friend told me about it. It’s pretty awesome. You can turn many veggies, even hard ones, like beets and sweet potatoes into spaghetti-like strands.

Sunday I grilled some of my whiskey – glazed pork chops and though that I’d like something apple-y with it . So I made a non- fat Apple mustard slaw.

* I used my new toy, but you can just cut the apple in thin sticks, or I’m sure even just chopping would be fine *

Guilt-free apple- mustard slaw

Serves 2 ( recipe can easily be doubled)

2-3 Tablespoons non- fat Greek yogurt.
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 apple, peeled, cored and cut finely or cut into sticks
1 Tablespoon chopped parsley
Salt and pepper

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In a small bowl, whisk together everything except the apple and parsley. Test for seasoning..

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Toss apples and parsley in mixture and let set in fridge for about 15 minutes.

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Voila!

Enjoy, my friends!

Anyone have fun resolutions?

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True story

October 10, 2014 8 Comments

I have a shit ton of stuff to share .

I just need to get my act together

Pizza talk, anyone?

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sweet retreat

July 17, 2014 5 Comments

My home and view for the next 4 days 🙂

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our ‘new’ CSA

July 13, 2014 2 Comments

‘ morning, friends. How many of you here remember when we were part of a CSA?

CSA stands for community shared association.. Or something like that. Basically, you pay your farmer at the beginning of the season, and you and all of the other shareholders ‘ share ‘ the crops each week. It helps the farmer by getting the revenue up front, it’s a great community activity and it’s super- exciting ( like Christmas, really) to see what you receive each week!

Given that both of our grandparents were in the farming business one way or another, we really appreciate supporting them .

Whelpt, Scott and I really enjoyed it and we were walking in our neighborhood a few months ago when we saw a sign for CSA shares available.

Given that the pick – up location is 1/4 mile from our house, it was an easy sell for us.

So we mailed off our check and contract, and this past Wednesday was our first pick up

We received popcorn, beets, scallions, baby greens, baby beets, a few radishes and baby spinach . ( oops… Baby chard as well)

I sautéed the baby spinach in some olive oil, shallots, s&p and finished with a grating of Parmesan cheese. Simply amazing. ( I’m super- lucky that my kids eat things like this )

This is a bit different than our last CSA, because we used to go to the farm, but life is about making changes, so this works for us now.

Not to mention that we live a mile from an amazing twice a week farmers’ market.. annnnnd

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My little veggie garden seems to be quite happy 🙂

(Buuuuut…. My planters, not so much….)

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le sigh……

I stumbled upon the very first vine- ripened local beefsteak tomatoes at the farmers ‘ market yesterday .

There is NOTHING in the world like that first bite of a real. Tomato after a long winter of mealy, flavorless maters…

Of course this called for a pesto. But I didn’t want to drag out my food processor.. So I used my generic magic bullet!

I put

A handful of basil leaves ( picked from my garden ) 😁😁😁😁

About a tablespoon of roasted pine nuts

Freshly grated parm cheese( 1/4 cup, maybe?)

Juice and zest of a lemon

Olive oil ( use enough to make the consistency you want)

Good ol sea salt and fresh ground pepper

( you can add a garlic clove as well, but I liked the clean flavor of the basil, lemon and olive oil)

Blend away

Just layer mozzarella and tomatoes on a few basil leaves, top with pesto and a few shavings of Parmesan cheese

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This was absolutely amazing.

I always say summer isn’t my favorite time of the year.

But this is a strong argument against that.

Keep cooking, friends!
Oxox

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creativity

July 2, 2014 3 Comments

Is very important to me. It’s how I communicate. It’s how I show my love.

I’m a better person when I’m creating

Although it’s the summer and there’s plenty of things outside to do ( some
I’ve done already, some I’m gearing up to do ) I’ve been spending time with my sewing machine

The hum of that baby smoothes out all of the Commotion of everyday life’s trials and tribulations.

( feeling like a princess since I have central air conditioning for the first time in my life doesn’t hurt either 😉)

Often times when I’m working on a gift, I cannot share it here because it’s a gift for Someone who might be reading and I love surprising people

And although I am working on one of those secret gifts now ( hmmm… I have you wondering.. Right?)

I’m also starting one for my college girl, and she and I picked the fabrics this weekend, so here’s a project that I can share progress with you

So here ya go folks,

My girls’ future quilt

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my denver life

May 12, 2014 2 Comments

A good friend of mine said to me last week, ” I’m ready to start living my denver life ”

This thought has been going through my head since she said it.

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taking a break in the park with my crusier

This photo speaks volumes to me. In essence, it IS my denver life.

Today completes week one of the fitness- photo challenge!

aaaand..I’m pretty pumped with my progress!

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fitness- photo challenge week 1

The pup and I are both healing nicely, the weather has been amazing ( including a mothers’ day snowstorm, a little give from above to me )

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random biker on Cherry Creek Bike path

Ps… That’s not me or Scott 😉

And I’m excited to be so very motivated 🙂

Oxox. Shel

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photo- fitness challenge

May 5, 2014 4 Comments

Last week I mentioned that my friend, Jackie, over at As my camera sees itWas starting a 12- week fitness challenge… With a twist. In case you missed… Here are the basics.

Starting today ( May 5th…. Happy cinco de mayo, btw) you set a goal for yourself. It can be small, it can be large.

It can be many goals.

State your goal here or over here and each Monday you post a picture that has something, anything to do with you goal and/or workout.

Jackie is working on getting prizes to be awarded to participating folks throughout this entire challenge.

Truly, this is a win-win. I know many of you love to take photos, we all want to be in better shape, and to have a community in which we motivate each other? Well, that’s simply awesome.

You do not need to live in Denver to participate. This is open to anyone who wants to make themselves better in the year 2014.

So, come on! Join us! The more the merrier!

Ok.. My challenge.

I actually have a few. Some I’m not sharing ( like my starting weight and measurements, plus some other silly stuff ) until later, but I have them written out and already to post.

Here we go… No going back now.

3 weeks from tomorrow is mine and Scott’s 25th wedding anniversary.

In honor of that I am challenging myself to log 527 miles in workouts between now and August 12!

I will update each Monday, as well as throughout the week with that little ticker up in the right-hand corner!

I am also going to run/walk/jog a 5k during this time and finish in under 45 minutes.

To some this sounds easy, but keep in mind, 2 months ago I was in a knee brace after ACL/ miniscus surgery!

Here’s my first photo. It’s me. Last Friday. Taking a well -deserved break while biking in Cherry Creek State Park.

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me at Cherry Creek state park at beginning of challenge. 5/2/14

So please, come join us!

Join our Facebookpage.

Connect with all of us who are challenging ourselves to be even more awesome than we already are!

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