Category Archives: Wellness

25

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862261_happy_birthday

In this my 24th year I commit to…

giving it my all.
developing my daily meditation practice.
being committed to myself 100% of the time, regardless of what that 100% means.
earning my MPH with pride and success.
being loved + giving love.
opening myself up
growth. spirit. love. change. amaze.

This post isn’t meant to be a scorecard.

In fact, its just the opposite: an honoring of the past 365 days of growth, hardship, triumph, fear, and joy.

I thought 23 was hard… my body betrayed me and left me breathless, pained, and confused.

Yet I found the light.  I said yes to myself, I cleansed, and I rose out of the ashes.

24 began full of promise.  Hopkins, Baltimore, newness.

One final hurrah with my best friends followed by two glorious months of sleeping, working out, cooking, travelling, and savouring every moment I had with the ones I loved.

I moved, the power went out, classes started, everything changed.  Having anything remotely close to a regular schedule just didn’t happen, not with 8 week terms during which time you spent 2 weeks basically living at school doing for mid-terms and finals.  As I write this I realize that part of the reason this year challenged me so was this very lack of a steady schedule.  Everytime I started to feel comfortable, everything changed.

Tangent: Thank the Universe that’s almost over.  As much as I am terrified for what’s next, I am looking forward to life settling down a bit.  Which, of course, is ironic since I despise the word settle and all it connotes.

24 ended up being just as difficult as 23 but in a completely different manner.  My injuries weren’t physical this year, although my symptoms certainly manifested themselves that way.  Instead, I dealt with an uprising of my Gremlins who had been silenced for so long.  <–Think of yourself on Easter when you can have that thing you’ve been denying yourself.  I did so much self-work during my 23rd year that I started 24 feeling grounded and sure and on top of the world.

As I look ahead to 25, I can’t say quite the same.  I can’t say I’m totally ungrounded as the last few weeks have seen me coming back into myself and living with so much more self-awareness than I have in a long time.  But there are so many questions and my road to recovery is still in its early stages and I’m dealing with the guilt over hiding my truth for so much of this year.  More often than not, I didn’t let myself feel…good, bad, or indifferent.  Instead I isolated and ignored and numbed.

What, then, is my overarching theme for 25?  Hope + trust.

Both are emotions I’ve started to feel again after months of experiencing the exact opposite.  As graduation comes closer, the bank account balance declines, and the question marks stack up, I’ll need these two emotional heroes to buoy me and guide me through.

Selfishly, I can’t help but hope that this year will be a bit easier physically.  But I’m excited as it brings with it the newness of a graduate degree, a new career, and a new way of defining myself as a professional.  I’ve no clue what’s next but I’ve got the love and support of people near and far and the confidence that I will make it through.

Yoga/beauty/birthdays

Kait xo

Integration

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Last week I began to integrate all parts of me, even the one I’m not proud of or excited about.  I felt the puzzle pieces falling into place.  I felt myself opening up and accepting even my demons.  Because my shadows and my light make me who I am.  And the harder I try to keep out the parts I don’t want, the more they want to stick.  The more I tell myself that “this illness isn’t who I am,” the more it controls my life.  The more I try to couch what I do in PC terms, the more fake I sound.  Yet the more I say, “yes this sickness is part of who I am” or “I’m a health educator who focuses on sexual health and I’m looking for jobs in education, communication, and program planning”  the lighter + freer+ less symptomatic I feel and the more opportunities come my way.

Project: Food Budget, Week 41

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Happy Thursday lovelies. :) I’m writing this post on-the-go so I apologize if there are any errors. I’m not totally used to writing posts on my phone! Probably because I’ve never done it before….

Anyway, this is week one of the cleanse and boy did I miscalculate my food needs. I ended up making two extra trips I the grocery store just for more greens. I kind of forgot how much I consume during the cleanse! Add into that the fact that I’ve been eating more to fuel my hardworking brain and … well you guessed it, I went over a bit again. Thankfully when I budgeted for the year, I did $200/month which actually works out to be a closer to $50/wk so I’m still ok and, to me, that is what counts as I continue acclimating to my new lifestyle. :)

I don’t have any photos of the food I made on my phone but I don’t want to leave you without anything to feast your eyes on so I figured I’d tempt you with some delightful dishes I’ve eaten over the past few weeks. Apparently I can’t insert these wherever do keep on scrolling to indulge your senses! ;)

Spending Savings

Whole Foods:$9.58
Wegmans:$25.95
Trader’s:$11.88
Farmer’s Market:$9.50

Total Spending:$56.41

Of that I saved about $15.00.

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The best “MD Freak Storm” dish ever: sauteed arugula, Thai sticky rice, and homemade refried beans.

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Fried deliciousness at Sticky Rice.

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Veg sushi at Sticky Rice.

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Decidedly not-vegan brownie trio from a wine bar in Fell’s Point.

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Burrito with grilled plantains + summer squash + corn from Golden West.

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Curry falafel sandwich from the Gypsy Queen food truck.

Yoga/beauty/savings,

Kait xo

Let the Cleanse Begin…again!

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Hi folks!

I hope you had a beautiful weekend.  Mine involved lots of Brothers & Sisters, adeliciousinternational potluck with my classmates, dancing until the early morning hours, late night girl talks, lots of grocery shopping + cooking, a 3am shower, a trip to the farmer’s market, dancing in my car, and fantastic conversations with new friends.

And…restarting the Crazy Sexy Cleanse.

A couple weeks ago one of my good college buddies bought and read the book.  Both of us have similar struggles with our weight + eating and I had been suggesting the book to her since I did my last cleanse.  She wanted to do the cleanse and I offered to do it with her, both for some moral support (it isn’t always the easiest + she isn’t plant-based to begin with) and because I know it won’t hurt me to do it again.

So last night I enjoyed all sorts of Indian, Asian, and American food + dessert + beer (and that dancing) and today I started my day with fresh vegetable juice (carrot/ginger/beet/apple/parsley/kale/celery/garlic) from the farmer’s market, followed by some baked fresh this morning whole wheat walnut bread and sun butter, and topped off tonight with a new-to-me raw kale salad.

I forgot how good it feels to eat this way.

I won’t likely be talking about the cleanse quite as much as last time but I will be following the principles to a T.   For those just joining me, that means: no meat/poultry/seafood/eggs, dairy, sugar or alcohol.  It also means daily meditation, workouts, and dry brushing, as well as using toxin-free health & beauty products and getting enough sleep.  Kris suggests giving up gluten but I’m not quite there yet (personally or budget-wise).  Quite frankly, I think that I probably will feel even better and I’m not ready for that change.  I have no doubt that I’ll get there (and have certainly learned to never say never).

I hope you join me over the next 21 days as I work my way towards a lighter, more cruelty-free life.  My goals with this cleanse are fat loss (not to be confused with weight loss) + more focus.  I’ve been doing much better with the focus thing, often choosing to do that what needs to get done than that which I want to do.  As many of you know, this is a huge step for me and I have no doubt that cleanse will help strengthen this new muscle I’m building…plus a whole lot more.

Yoga/beauty/veggies,

Kait xo

Unconventional Eating

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Update: I have power!  It came back on sometime during the afternoon on Tuesday.  Thank you for all your well wishes + concern.  xo

I can’t remember the last time I wrote about food!  Sunday’s last minute trip to Giant (aka Stop & Shop for all my New Englanders) inspired me and explained something I had been struggling to properly answer for a long time.

At the time when I wrote this (Sunday night), my power was still out.  So was Whole Foods’.  For those who know me, this is practically a tragedy in and of itself.  I did a big haul at Wegmans on Saturday but only bought non-perishables (lara bars, trail mix, canned beans, tomatoes, etc).  Since ended up having access to a fridge and a blender (yay!), I figured I’d pick up some green smoothie + salad ingredients for around $10.

My grocery list:

  • romaine hearts
  • spinach
  • celery
  • 1 avocado
  • yogi detox tea (coupon)
  • non-dairy milk (coupon)

Given that Trader’s was at least a half hour away from the cousins’, I figured I would suck it up and head to the Giant that is right up the road.  I figured the prices wouldn’t be that bad and since the beau had given me some extra $ to shop with (since, you know, I had no power and we assumed I’d be eating out a bit), I figured it wouldn’t matter if it cost a bit more.

I bought everything on that list plus a box of Anna’s Chocolate Thin Mint cookies (accidentally vegan and only $2.49).  I used $2 worth of coupons and the total came to…$20.20.

WTH?

$14 of that was the produce.  Yes $14 for organic romaine hearts, organic spinach, organic celery hearts, and one lonely avocado.  I was shocked.  Then angry.  Then it all clicked.

Now I understand why people think eating healthy is so expensive!  Add “organic” or “veg” into the mix and BOOM!  It makes sense…if you shop at a place like Giant.  The vegan cookies were all at least $4 a box.  The nondairy milk was at least $0.75 more than I can purchase it for at Wegmans or Target or Walmart.  I can see why I hear, “Well isn’t that expensive?” equally as often as, “Where do you get your protein?”

Fact of the matter is, “conventional” grocery stores are set up for “conventional eaters” (aka those on the Standard American Diet).

And we all know I am far from a conventional eater.  I like whole foods.  I like plant-based foods.  I like artificial-crap-free junk food.  I love foods made with only the necessary ingredients (like water, yeast, and flour for bread).  Etc.  Whole Foods and Traders and Wegmans are my meccas (true story: to cheer myself up after bidding the beau farewell, I went to Wegmans…I have no shame admitting this).  Until Sunday, though, I didn’t realize why these places mean so much to me: they are geared towards me and my tribe.  They “get” us unconventional eaters.  And because all of the products in the store are geared towards us, the prices are lower (because the product moves more quickly).

Wegmans, the closest of my three meccas to a regular grocery store, has a saying: “Food shopping will never be the same.”  And it hasn’t been because they’ve found a way to draw in, to appeal to, both conventional and unconventional eaters while keeping prices competitive.  Unlike Giant…or Stop & Shop…or Big Y.  Or anywhere else really.

Now I know…the next time someone asks me, “How I do it?” or “Isn’t that so expensive?” I’ll let them know…not if you go to the right places.

Yoga/beauty/life,

Kait xo

Change Your Vision

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What a whirlwind couple of weeks its been.  As I write this, I’m sitting on my not-quite-yet family members’ couch enjoying some solitude + reflection on what many of my classmates (and sometimes myself, although I’ve been trying to catch it!) are referring to as our last day of freedom.

By the time you read this I will be well into my first day of Orientation.  I have no clue what my future holds and am trying to breathe deep and remember that it doesn’t matter because, at the end of the day, I’m not in control.  I’m working on opening myself to all of the goodness coming my way…as well as the (perfect) challenges that will undoubtedly accompany them.

Challenges like saying goodbye to your love…again.

Challenges like getting back to being on a strict budget + schedule.

Challenges like having your power go out mere days before you are set to go back to school.

All of these and more I’ve experienced in the past couple of days (and two weeks).  I’m currently staying with the beau’s cousins who have kindly opened their house to me so I do not melt and do have access to the internet which will really be critical because of that whole going-back-to-school thing.  They gave me a key + free reign to come and go as I please + the downstairs (ridiculously comfortable and large) couch.  Did I mention they’re getting married this upcoming weekend?

Needless to say, I’m feeling pretty blessed right now.  Yesterday, between the power outage plus saying yet another tearful goodbye at a train/bus/plane station (yes I know…but airport didn’t really flow right there folks) I was not feeling too optimistic.  Its amazing what three beautiful, loving pups, the kindness of near strangers, and a good night’s sleep can do for the psyche.

Today I chose to change my vision.  I didn’t 100% recognize what I was doing until my yoga class this morning when my now fave instructor talked to us about this topic.  She was quoting a story that quite frankly I can’t remember all that well.  What did stick out to me was the choice we had: to change our vision or continue live in conflict.  Each and every one of us has this choice.  And this one not-as-simple-as-it-seems realization totally calmed my spirit + opened my heart to the lesson in this conflict (because, yes, there is always one)

Maybe the Universe wanted me to have a little extra support after the beau left + on my first days of school.  Maybe it wanted to remind me that the simple life is the good one.  And maybe it just wanted to say, “Hey girl…remember that you are not in control of anything but your reaction, your thoughts, your emotions.  Choose to see this in a positive way and so it will be…because, hey, its already done.”

Yesterday I wrote this on my Passion team’s page that I needed a pick me up…that I felt ungrounded…that I only had my computer, my yoga mat, my toiletries, and a change of clothes.  This morning I realized…what else do I need?  Yoga is life…it is everything.  So long as I have my mat + my essentials (clothes, toiletries, and my computer), I can not only survive but thrive.  Looking back the Universe had been whispering these lessons to me for the past several weeks.  Sometimes, we get so stubborn it needs to jog our memories with something more, *ahem*, electrifying.  Like, you know, freak storms.

Lesson received Universe.  Thank you.

Yoga/beauty/life,

Kait xo

For the Love of Sweet Potatoes

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Ah…the humble sweet potato.  A fall staple, one of my favorite foods, and my recent re-obsession.

Now I very well recognize that November is more sweet potato season than May but the past couple of days these guys have been the star of multiple meals.  Why the surge in SP love?  Plain and simple : root vegetables are extraordinarily grounding foods. Let me explain.

I’ve been a bit sporadic with my blogging and that is a perfect reflection of the upheaval I’ve experienced in all areas of my life recently.  I blogged about it briefly so you would know I was still kicking. The short, simple, hurried structure very much represented that impact this transition has had on my mental, physical, and spiritual state over the past couple weeks.  In other words, its been pretty brutal.   I feel a bit like I’m floating with little more than a piece of silly string connecting me to the earth.  My mom’s house, where I’m currently residing, is full of boxes.  There is barely enough room to sit on the floor in my room to meditate (I have East-facing windows) and I’ve yet to establish a set schedule for my vacation from life.  All in all, life is pretty chaotic right now.

What I expected to be relaxing and rejuvenating has turned into something more stressful than I imagined.  I’m lucky to be loved by so many who want to hang out, catch-up, and be together…but every fiber of my being is craving hibernation.  I want to sleep late, work out, watch trashy TV (aka re-watch the entire season of Once Upon a Time and order Mad Men) and read even trashier books (the Fifty Shades and Hunger Games trilogies).  I want to cook and spend time with my family and pretend for a little bit that I’m not moving 5+ hours away from home.  <–yes, me the girl who’s eschewed family connections for the entirety of her life  Because fact of the matter is, my next big adventure is equal parts exciting and terrifying.  All major change is.  Anything can happen but one thing I know for sure is that my next step won’t be a walk in the park.

New city. New schedule. New lifestyle.  Back to strict budgeting and stricter time management.  The rewards will be great but I know I’ll have earned them.

So that brings me right back around to this humble little root vegetable.  While I figure out which yoga studio will feed my soul for the next couple of weeks, and which plans I can cut back on so that my time is more my own, I’m doing whatever I can to ground.  And that means eating root vegetables.  And walking outside barefoot.  And drinking calming tea.  And hugging the ones I love.

Now back to those taters… not only do you enjoy the benefits of a grounding vegetable, SPs are also really good for you.  I’m not going to go into too many details but lets just say they are among the highest sources of beta-carotene in the plant world and contain a host of other cancer-blocking, anti-inflammatory, blood sugar-regulating nutrients.  Its important to eat them with a little bit of fat to ensure maximum uptake of the beta-carotene.  Like, you know, the nut butter of your choice.  Its also important to purchase organic whenever you can as root vegetables are particularly susceptible to absorbing all sorts of nasty stuff from the surrounding soil.

Here’s my fave sweet and fave savory ways to prepare the versatile and amazing sweet potato.

Sweet

Bake potato (microwave or oven).  Mix 1 Tbsp nut butter (I use TJ’s sunbutter) with 1 tsp each milk and maple syrup.  Stir in a couple of drops vanilla extract and a few shakes each of cinnamon and nutmeg.  Microwave for ~30 seconds, checking every 10 seconds to ensure it doesn’t burn.  Add more milk if the mixture is too thick.  Drizzle over baked or roasted SP.

Savory

Wash and chop SP.  Toss with cooking spray and some salt and pepper and transfer to a greased casserole dish.  Try not to overlap.  Bake at 400 for ~30 minutes, turning once.  While the SP is baking, make your my fave cheese sauce.  When there is 10 minutes left, pour sauce over SP and continue to bake.  The SP is done when its easily pierced with a fork.

Neither of these recipes are particularly pretty.  Instead they are quick, easy, delicious, and filling.  And what more can a girl ask for when multiple seasons of Don DraperMad Men are calling her name?

Yoga/beauty/grounding,

Kait xo

 

Project: Food Budget, Week 29 + a Giveaway!

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Tip of the Week

A little PSA today.  Over the past few weeks, I’ve noticed some things getting a little *ahem* tight.  And not in the “Hello Sexy” way!  There are numerous factors which played a role in this situation, couponing included.  So today’s tip is a bit of a lesson and a bit of a cautionary tale.

Repeat after me: just because you can buy something and have a coupon for it doesn’t mean you should buy it.  That Dagoba chocolate bar..those packets of Justin’s…all that Nature’s Path <–too many links to share you get the picture.  But wait, you say, you only use healthy coupons!  Yea…I know.  Nutbutter is healthy…in small amount.  So is cereal…when I’m not eating it by the (several) box-fuls.  Again, I’m not blaming couponing entirely, but it certainly played a role.  Here’s the thing, it is way easier to snack when you know you’ve got a stockpile of your drug of choice or coupons for to get it for cheap or free.  Want to know how I know?  My last bag of Udi’s is still sitting in my pantry.  That definitely did not happen with bags 1 or 2 (I had three free product coupons)!

I’m not being too hard on myself (most days…) because I know right now things in my life are absolutely crazy.  In fact, a part of me is happy that this occurred because now that I’m aware of this “trigger” so-to-speak, I can take the steps to change it and not accidentally fall into this pattern again. Use coupons to fuel a healthier lifestyle, not the opposite!

Weekly Menu

Asparagus Caesar Salad

Bday oats and mango + coconut

The Morning After

I also made…

  • Dijon Rice with Broccoli (EHH I added Tofurkey beer brats…delish!)
  • Crazy Good Hummus (P&TY)
  • Lots of green smoothies and arugula salad

This week and last week I’m eating out a ton between bday and farewell dinners + luncheons.  Its awesome and sad all at once…

Spending Savings

Wegmans: $28.13
Trader’s: $12.08
Total: $40.21 <– w00t!  :)

Eligible Spending: $28.13
Savings: $11.97 (43%)

*whew* and I’m back.  I’m also happy to report that my entire cart was fresh foods…except for the Tofurkey Beer Brats I got for $0.99.  Here’s to recommitting to my healthy lifestyle.  Also, since I didn’t have to buy as much as usual (see above note re: eating out), I was able to splurge on some things I wouldn’t normally get.  You’ll have to check my next Adventurous April post for that!

Company of the Week

Source

Man-oh-man am I excited to share this company with you.  I discovered their products on accident and have become obsessed.  I honestly love everything about this company, especially their Mission Statement:

We are a team of fair trade visionaries and food-loving explorers on a mission to connect you to our farmers and their honest foods. When you taste the sweet justice of our mission you will understand our persistence, and our invitation to join us in finding your Alter Eco.

Seriously, that makes me want to get up and dance.  Or run off into battle.  Same difference, right?  I love me a company that is 100% committed to animal, human, and environmental rights and activism.  Now onto the food!  Their 16 gourmet products come from small farmers all over the world and include things like sugar, rice, quinoa, and chocolate.  YUM. I’ve only had the quinoa but it is by far the best I’ve ever tried.  With some coupons I found on Common Kindness, I’ve been getting it for the same price as the Trader Joe’s version.  For all the reasons I mentioned, Alter Eco won.

Anyway, last week Chelsey reviewed some awesome products that Alter Eco sent her.  Now I’m not quite on the up-and-up as these longer-established folks so I hadn’t been contacted.  No biggie…I did what any good food blogger in desire of products does: e-mail the company and ask.  What a response I got…

Now this is their picture…my box is waiting in CT at Mom’s house for when I move home for the month.  You can bet a full review will take place once I get there.  For now though, I’ll have to be content drooling with my imagination.

Not you though.  No no, I wouldn’t tease like that.  <–at least not with food!  Tehe ;)   I know you’re salivating on your side of the screen.  Seriously, don’t try and deny it.  Wouldn’t you just love a gift basket like the one above?  Yea I thought so.  That’s why I e-mailed Alter Eco to see if they would sponsor a giveaway.  The box of goodies they sent me was just the icing on the cake.

If you’d like to win your own basket of Alter Eco heaven goodies, leave a comment below:

1. Which Alter Eco product would you like to try the most?

2. For extra entries do any of the following (you must leave a separate comment for each):

Contest ends Wednesday, April 26, 2012 and winner will be chosen randomly. Open to continental U.S. residents only.

That’s it for this week folks!  Don’t forget to check out my fellow P:FB bloggers!

Yoga/beauty/savings,

Kait xo

Disclaimer: AlterEco provided product for giveaway.  I am not affiliated with Alter Eco and all opinions expressed are my own.

Out sick / uber brief P:FB

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Between travelling, starting my coaching session, and the general transitional period I’m currently in, my body is taking a beating!  After my trip to Vegas, I was holding so much tension/stress/worry/overwhelm in my upper back that I could barely move my neck for days.  This time, I’ve been experiencing a whole lotta gastric distress (to use the clinical term).

Lessons learned. I need to focus more while travelling on eating my usual diet, even if it means going out of my way or spending more $.  I also need to ease back into eating clean if I haven’t for a while.  Trying to jump back into a 1 week Crazy/Sexy Cleanse after weeks of abusing my body with travel, inconsistent workouts, sugar, bits of dairy, and just not fresh foods was not ideal.  Got it body.  And I’m sorry I took you for granted.

My mantra the past two days has been: “I give myself permission to let go with ease.”  And yes, I mean this both figuratively and literally.  <–couldn’t resist!  ;)   I’ve been on mostly liquid foods diet with the addition of some soluble fiber (read: half a box of cereal) and some “gentle” fresh foods (green smoothie + apple with peanut butter).  I’ve been rocking supported bridge pose and various hip openers for minutes at a time.  They haven’t done a ton to resolve the issue but I can literally feel stuff (I shan’t say “shit” I shan’t say shit) moving around.  And, after much research, I went and bought myself some of this stuff.

That’s right folks…15 billion bacterial cultures, twice a day (per the recommendation of the health food store lady).  My real-life go-to guru for all things holistic, Sarah, suggested this brand and, luckily, my local health food store had it.  *whew*  I’ve taken two doses so far and am happy to report that I am, in fact, starting to *ahem* let go with ease.  In plainer terms, I can fit into jeans again, a feat which was not even close to possible yesterday when I looked at least four  months pregnant (I’m not at all) and couldn’t even squeeze into leggings!

As part of my let my body rest and heal and rejuvenate, you are getting a very quick P:FB post today.

Tip of the Week

Shop around!  Don’t go out of your way and waste excessive amounts of gas and and time and energy, but see if you can combine trips in a way that allows you to get the most stuff for your buck!  For example, this week we needed TP.  So I picked it up at Wegmans after doing the math out.  I wasn’t super happy with the $10 purchase but it was later on Sunday and I just wanted to get my goodies and go.  On the way home I stopped at CVS to pick up some new wrist braces and figured I’d check out their TP prices on a whim.  I ended up saving a close to $6 on TP just by taking those couple of minutes to walk across the store.  So if there are other places you pass en route to your “main” store, check their circulars.  If you pick up prescriptions at a pharmacy rather than your grocery store, check their prices while you are there.  If you purchase two of the same item, no worries…return the other (obviously this depends on your store’s return policy) and enjoy your savings!

Meal Plan

This, this (I used the whole sprout), this (basically the best mac & cheese ever), and this plus lots of green smoothies, tea, and cereal!

Spending Savings

Wegmans: $22.66
Trader’s: $15.42
CVS: $2.25

Total: $40.33 :)

I’m back in the game!  woot

Total Elgibile Spending: $24.91
Total Savings: $16.26 (65%)

That’s all for today folks…gotta get back to nourishing and healing my God Pod.

Yoga/beauty/healing/savings,

Kait xo

PS Give my fellow budgeteers some loving!