Review | Budgeting In the Fun Stuff

Beyond Grain & Dairy eBook Flash Sale – Ends Tomorrow!!!

December 24, 2012, at 11:40 pm

Hi! Last week I reviewed a new recipe eBook, Beyond Grain & Dairy, that helps anyone who wants/needs to avoid grains, dairy, gluten, soy, corn, or processed sugars. The feedback seemed good, so I just wanted anybody interested to know that there is a Flash Sale for it going on right now! It’s normally $17 and can be purchased right now for $12.99 if you use the code FLASH1212!

Thank you for allowing this interruption, lol. Go back to your holiday feasts.

Beyond Grain & Dairy Recipe eBook Review

December 13, 2012, at 6:00 am

Do you like yummy recipes? Or anybody out there trying to avoid grains, dairy, gluten, soy, corn, or processed sugar? I know I am supposed to be cutting back on processed sugars and two of my close friends have to avoid wheat and gluten, so I was super excited to get to review the new eBook, Beyond Grain & Dairy by Starlene Stewart over at GAPS Diet Journey. In case you don’t win her giveaway, here’s the rundown to see if you would be interested in purchasing it outright (discount code below).

What is GAPS?

In short, GAPS is Gut and Psychology Syndrome, which is a condition that establishes a connection between the functions of the digestive system and the brain. The GAPS diet was developed by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, a neurologist and nutritionist. It was created to help heal issues like autism spectrum disorders, ADD/ADHD, dyspraxia, dyslexia and schizophrenia by treating the root cause of many of these disorders: compromised gut health.

Even if you aren’t 100% convinced that your gut and your brain are super connected, the GAPS diet is great for anybody that needs to cut grains, dairy, gluten, soy, corn, or processed sugar out of their daily meals.

Why Do I Like this eBook?

Honestly, I was just really interested to see if there would be any recipes at all out of these 100+ that would make a junk food addict (like myself) drool. And there were quite a few! Here are the ones that I will be trying myself over the next few months since they sound delicious and should help me with my latest Crystal Light Challenge:

David’s Quick Chicken Soup (I love all chicken soup)
Ham Wrap Breakfast Tacos (the picture looks devine)
Cauliflower Crust Pizza (again, the picture grabbed my attention and the ingredients should all taste amazing together)
Crock Pot Stuffed Bell Peppers (yum…I love all stuffed bell peppers)
Hamburgers on Leaf Lettuce (sounds yummy and we can do this with turkey burgers)
Mom’s Salmon Patties an/or Pork Roast Croquettes (who doesn’t like a great croquette?)
Shepherd’s Pie (with cauliflower mash)
Spaghetti and Meatballs (zucchini squash in the recipe, souds great and I would even go as far as using ground turkey for the meatballs…)
Butternut Squash French Fries (I’ve been looking for good substitutes here…)
Taco Salad (again, great with ground turkey too)
Cantaloupe Smoothie (yum and looks low points)
Rasberry Coconut Milk Smoothie (diddo)
Coconut Flour Sandwich Bread (just sounds interesting)
Fudge Babies: Banana Bread Style (looks yummy and easy)

Interested? Here’s Your Discount Code

Be honest with yourself, do you need to avoid processed sugars or do you have an allergy to wheat or gluten? I was not expecting to be so tempted, but some of these recipes are in my head now and I will have to try them. If zucchini squash is as fantastic a substitute as I think it will be, my lower carb days will be much easier to obtain.

If you are as enticed as me, head on over to buy Beyond Grain & Dairy (that’s my affiliate link*) and remember to use the code “BFS201″ to receive a 20% discount that will be good until January 31st, 2013.

How do some of these recipes sound to you? Feel free to ask any questions as well and I’ll beg Starlene to stop by with answers.

*I am an affiliate for this eBook, BUT I reviewed it for several reasons. At first, it was because I knew the author, Starlene. But after looking over the recipes, I was honestly super intrigued. AND if that recipe for Butternut Squash French Fries works out as well as I’m expecting, I will have to hug Starlene personally. In short, this review is my super honest point of view. I do not personally care if these are GAPS recipes or not – I am honestly looking forward to playing with a lot of them and building up my healthy recipe stash. If they help my gut or my brain, that’s just the icing on the wheat and gluten-free cake.

Start Freelancing Now eBook Review

August 8, 2012, at 6:00 am

I know you have heard about my eBook a bunch in the last month, so let me introduce you to a different one. Where my eBook concentrates on building a money-making blog over time, Start Freelancing Now covers the many other ways you can start making money right off the bat.

Quick Intro

The author, Martin, runs a few different sites including Studenomics, which was one of the first ones I started commenting on in late 2009. He’s actually younger than me but figured out the benefits of self employment and making money online way before I did. So when he said he had written a new eBook just about freelancing, I jumped at the chance to read it.

Okay, so you know me…my posts are usually short and to the point. So here’s the meat of it all:

Start Freelancing Now covers these topics and more:

Why you need to start freelancing right now.
How to get started.
Tips to make more after you start.
Common freelancing questions.
Time management tips.
Building your following and a team.
Ways to grow your business.

My Overall View

It truly is more than 50 pages of info to get your butt in gear right now. Plus, you can email Martin with questions anytime. AND he offers a 100% money-back guarantee. In short, if you were ever interested in freelancing as a side hustle or even turning it into a full-time job someday, then this guide could be a huge help for you right now.

NOT Get Rich Quick

Now, if you are looking for ways of getting rich quick, this eBook and my own are not for you. Martin explains how you can start making money right now, but it will take time to grow your reputation, find your niche, and turn any business into a big money-maker. Sorry to have to remind you, but if there was a way to get rich overnight, everyone would know about it and we’d all be retired right now. BUT, Start Freelancing Now does show you how you can make back the price of the book itself within the week if you buckle down, use its tips to find a freelancing gig, and get it completed ASAP. Personally, I am a big fan of a resource that tries to help you make your money back right away.

What if you bought HIMMB?

My book and Martin’s compliment each other very well. I concentrate on the blogging side of making money online through advertising and then mention other ideas. This eBook concentrates on those other ideas and how to get you started. No blog necessary. And no, we did not plan it that way, lol.

CONTEST

Right now, Martin is calling everyone out to read his book and send him freelancing proposals. The best proposal will win $100 to get them started and will be published on the SFN main site!!! So if just making some money for freelancing wasn’t floating your boat, now you have the shot for $100 just for great ideas!

So please check it out and let me know what you think. If you have read it already, what was your favorite part? If you haven’t, have you ever thought about freelancing before?

*The links in this post are affiliate links. But I read the book before signing up to be an affiliate, which I only did because I do think it is a helpful resource for freelancers and people who would like to get started.

If You Can Read, You Can Cook – Spice Review

June 11, 2012, at 6:00 am

Do any of you use McCormick taco seasoning packets or any of those off brands? I am both happy and sad to say that Mr. BFS and I use at least one of those for dinner every couple of weeks. And we used McCormick Taco Seasoning every time. So, when Edward over at If You Can Read, You Can Cook mentioned that he was starting a spice line that could replace McCormick packets for way less money, I jumped at the chance to try it out!

My Spice Review

We tried out the mild flavor so far (and will be trying medium this week). It was really good! We were making soft tacos, so we used one pound of ground turkey, 1/2 cup of water, and one tablespoon of the mild flavor. It smelled great and it ended up tasting surprisingly alike to the seasoning packets we usually use. Mr. BFS is really picky and even he is won over.

As always, I will try to be concise. It tastes great, smells great, comes in a reusable glass jar, and costs less than other premade seasonings. SO, if you like premade taco seasoning, I highly suggest trying this. I know that making your own seasonings may be cheaper overall, but I also know that most of us like to save time when we can. $5 for the correct seasoning for 16 taco meat meals sounds great to me. Edward will be getting our business.

Meal Ideas

So far, here are the meals we make that use taco seasoning:

Soft or Crunchy Tacos
Burritos
Meaty cheese dip (or just use the seasoning for a vegetarian option)
Taco casserole (layers of tortilla chips, taco meat, cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes)
Frito Pie (pretty much taco casserole except with fritos and no vegetables, lol)

Do you ever use premade seasonings? Would you be willing to try out Edward’s new line? What other meal ideas can you think of that would use taco seasoning?

Miche Bag Review and Giveaway!!!

June 7, 2012, at 6:00 am

UPDATE: Congrats to the winner on July 2nd – Lance at Money, Life & More!

You all won’t believe this. Remember the Ode to My Miche post a couple of weeks ago? I took William’s advice (from Drop Dead Money) in the comments and contacted Miche. I asked them if they’d be interested in sponsoring a review or a giveaway and they asked for my site’s stats. They accepted BFS into their Miche Blogger Outreach Program, sent some shells my way to review, PLUS they included a brand new bag and a couple of shells for a giveaway for all of you too! If you were ever interested in a hobby job, feel free to check out Miche’s work from home opportunities.

Miche Review

Okay, here’s my full rundown of my classic Miche bag. I’m not really a purse person but a lady in her late twenties with a mini-backpack does start to look weird. So I started looking into purses. I needed a bag that could hold my large wallet, brush, the random crap I accumulate, and anything my husband hands me. BUT, I didn’t want a huge bag since it is a pain to lug around. So when Mr. BFS and I saw a commercial for a purse that looked like it could handle my luggage and could change its look in a few seconds, I was hooked.

I am happy to say that this is one product on a tv commercial that lived up to its hype. The bag opens up to hold a lot and the shells can be changed out pretty easily. Most of the shells just snap onto both sides via magnets and only takes a few seconds to switch. A few of the newer shells sort of go on like a sock and are held in place by the same magnets.

Here is a view of the inside:

Miche Giveaway

All of that said, onto the giveaway!!! Miche was awesome enough to send me a few things for one of you.

Here is what you can win:

Brand New Black Classic Miche Bag
Hope (Argyle) Shell
Choice Between the new Janelle Shell or the retired Kelsie Shell

You have a choice on the second option because I thought some of you may appreciate a snap on shell more than the sock on shells, so I wanted you to have a choice. Here is how they look.

Classic Black Miche Bag

Hope (Argyle) – White with Green Lettering – Fitted Shell

Janelle – Black and Dark Blue – Fitted Shell

Kelsie – Brown and Pink – Easy Snap Shell

I will ship your bag and the two shells (Hope and Your Choice).

Here is how to enter the giveaway:

Leave a comment below – one comment per person
Include which of the options you would want if you win (Janelle or Kelsie)

That’s it! I will use random.org to choose a winner. Giveaway ends July 1, 2012!

UPDATE: If someone outside the USA or Canada wins, I will Paypal $75 to that winner since shipping is insane. So make sure you can receive money via Paypal if you live outside the USA.

The official stuff:

1) Contest ends July 1, 2012 at 11:59pm CST.
2) ONLY ONE COMMENT/ENTRY PER PERSON.
3) The winner will be selected randomly and notified by email by the third day of July.
4) The prize will be held for 2 calendar days. If it isn’t claimed, a new winner will be randomly picked and contacted.
5) I reserve the right to reject comments that I consider spam or invalid entries.
6) An invalid or incorrect email address automatically disqualifies you from the drawing…it’s hard to contact a fake email…
7) Local laws, rules, and regulations apply.

Ghirardelli Chocolate Review and Giveaway!

January 29, 2012, at 4:14 pm

I love being a blogger. One of the many reasons it kicks butt is that I am sometimes approached by companies I like and am asked to review their product, tell you all about it, and then they even give me something to give away to one of you! For example, have you ever heard about Ghirardelli?

I heart chocolate. A lot. So when I was offered a sample of Ghirardelli’s three newest offerings, I jumped at it. And let me tell you, they are all yummy!

Sea Salt Escape – Milk chocolate with sea salt and roasted almonds:

This was surprisingly good. I don’t usually like fad-like changes to a good thing, but the sea salt is light enough to nicely meld with the chocolate and the almonds. My husband and I agreed that it is good, better than the cheaper chocolate you can find, but it is not as good as the next two.

Coconut Rendezvous – Milk chocolate with roasted coconut:

Picture a creamy chocolate square with bits of crunchy coconut mixed in. It is decadent. I tried to nibble slowly but the chocolate is so creamy that it quickly started melting between my thumb and finger. This is my husband’s favorite of the three samples. I think it is delicious too, but my favorite is below.

Creamy Devotion with 32% Cacao – Simple milk chocolate:

It is just yummy. Creamy, smooth, tasty…awesome chocolate. I do not usually buy any expensive candies or chocolates on a regular basis, but I found long ago that my taste buds wanted something richer than Hershey’s kisses. That said, I have tried some very awesome brands of basic chocolate and I can honestly say that Ghirardelli’s Creamy Devotion is a comparably inexpensive replacement to my “good stuff”.

Chocolate Giveaway

Now to the fun part. I requested two sample packs – one for me to base my review on and another for one of you to win! Yay – free chocolate!!! This means I will be mailing the winner the three sample bars of the Ghirardelli types I described above.

Instructions:

1. Leave a comment below by February 12th, 2012 and you will be entered to win!

Yep, it really is that easy. If you’d like a suggestion for your comment, what is your favorite treat and why?

Thank you!!!

The official stuff:

1) Contest ends February 12th, 2011 at 11:59pm Central Standard time.
2) ONLY ONE COMMENT/ENTRY PER PERSON.
3) The winner will be selected randomly and notified by email and asked for their address so I can mail this out to them. If you do not want to divulge your address, please do not enter this giveaway as I cannot magically send it to you otherwise.
4) The prize will be held for 2 calendar days. If it isn’t claimed, a new winner will be randomly selected and contacted.
5) I reserve the right to reject comments that I consider spam or invalid entries.
6) An invalid or incorrect email address automatically disqualifies you from the drawing…it’s hard to contact a fake email…
7) Local laws, rules, and regulations apply.

Steve Jobs Biography

December 16, 2011, at 6:00 am

The following is a guest post.

I just finished reading the Steve Jobs biography, and it’s a great book! Here is my review.

The Life of Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs honestly had great parents. They poured all their life savings into his college tuition fund. They bought a house which they could barely afford in a neighbourhood that had a good school.
When Steve was young, he became a Buddhist. Here’s why:

Steve Jobs was a Catholic at birth. But one day, at a young age, he saw a picture about children dying from hunger in Africa. So he goes to his priest, and says “does God know everything?” The priest replies “of course.” Then Steve points to the picture and asks “Then does God know about this?” The priest says “of course.” Then Steve says “so why doesn’t God do anything about it?” And the priest doesn’t have an answer. Ever since then, Steve has converted to Buddhism.

The thing is, all these faiths ask you to believe in something that you don’t know if they even exist. They all ask you to believe that the world will be better, there is someone else watching out for you, etc. But the problem is, none of them ask you to take any specific action.

Buddhism is more than just a religion. It’s a way of life. It’s telling and helping you to live a better, more peaceful life, instead of asking you to blindly believe in something.

Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs were at first great friends. Woz was really great at inventing technology (actually, the word “genius” would be more descriptive), and Jobs was good at tech, but more of a great salesman. Wozniak would be the one who created the gadget from scratch, and Jobs would be the one to figure out a way to make money from the invention. In Isaacson’s (the author’s) words, “Wozniak would be the gentle wizard coming up with a neat invention that he would have been happy just to give away, and Jobs would figure out how to make it user friendly, put it together in a package, market it, and make a few bucks.”
From the early stages of their relationship, Jobs realized a fatal flaw in Wozniak. Wozniak was a pure engineer – he was a genius when it came to making gadgets, but he had no skills at playing corporate politics, nor the skills to be a great leader. “He believed in extreme honesty”. At first the Jobs-Wozniak relationship worked out because Woz was great at handling the technical side of things, and Jobs was great at handling the promotional/marketing side of things. But eventually, their relationship broke off, because Woz was a pure engineer. He was replaceable, as there are thousands of genius engineers out there.
Jobs went to a great arts college – Reed College. He liked being at Reed, just not taking the required classes (same with me!). So he dropped out, and instead dropped in on the classes that interested him. “I decided to drop out, and trust that it would all work out.” The older we get, the more we need to believe in fate – that whether it be Buddha, Allah, or God, has a plan in store for us.
Steve Jobs was clearly a genius from birth. His success is not something that 99.999% of us can emulate through hard work. There was a certain “geniuessness” in him that attracted many colleagues and friends. When he went to India on a spiritual trip, a Buddhist monk grabbed him, because the monk saw something special in him. Probably, the monk saw a man in front of him who was gifted a very, very special talent from Buddha.

My Favorite Quote from Steve Jobs

- “Simplicity is the highest form of complexity.” Totally agree. This is his best quote in the whole entire book.

Other Thoughts on Apple and Steve Jobs

- Steve Jobs has a need for perfection. This was good for him, because he made his products perfect. But people who are perfectionists tend to live short lives, because they put so much stress on themselves and those around them.

- What is one of the key factors between Apple products’ design and the product designs other companies create? Apple products are S-E-X-Y. So why is it that Apple manages to make such great looking, well functioning products? At Apple, the process of designing a product is integrally related to how it would be engineered and manufactured. When designing the product, they have teams of manufacturers, designers, and engineers all working together.

Other companies would have the designers pass along a great product to the engineers, who would scrap some of its’ great components because “that’s not possible to make”. Then it would passed along to the manufacturers, who would also scrap some of its’ great components because “what you’re asking us to do is impossible.”

So you start off with something great, and end up with something that’s average. Not so at Apple. Design, engineering, and manufacturing teams all work together so that everyone knows all the great components in the gadget are feasible to create.

Crystal’s Comments: Thanks for a review of Steve Jobs Biography - I only knew about some of this from NPR.

My eBook!!!

Most Popular Posts

Recent Posts

Card of the Month