Review: Food Saver

One of the gifts we got for our wedding was a Food Saver. This was an item I knew I'd love and use but the price was a little steep to justify buying myself so I was really excited that someone got it for us. For those who don't know - I love buying meat in bulk and then freezing it. This is great for saving money but over time, the meat definitely loses integrity and gets freezer burn. Now that I'm typing this out, I probably should have just bought the thing...

Anyways... so far I am loving the Food Saver!!

Once we got back from our honeymoon, I made it my mission to buy all the meat at Costco... actually, let me rewind. The closest Costco to our house is a Costco Business Center. It's still accessible by regular members but it's catered more to business owners. Things are sold in SUPER bulk but at prices (per unit) even cheaper than regular Costco. Sounded like a perfect mission for Food Saver.

So, I went to Costco to pick up some meat for burgers and ended up with a 10 lb log of ground beef. Easy solution - divide it up and freeze it! I decided to go with 2lb bags so each one had enough for several burgers and if I didn't want to use all of it, I could just take out a part and seal it again!

It worked awesome! I now have 4 bags of beef in my fridge and the rest I made into burger patties. I actually feel like removing the oxygen has made the meat better too.... The booklet said that the meat may darker but I've noticed all the meat I've sealed has looked redder and fresher (compare to the top right package which was the original log). 

I also suggest using a kitchen scale. They're really cheap and totally get a lot of surprise use (some recipes prefer grams to traditional measurements because they're more accurate) and great for knowing how much you're freezing.

The Food Saver came in handy later that day too. I also bought a top sirloin at Costco... and it turned out to be two of them! They were pretty big also so one was enough for dinner. I seasoned both, cooked one, and vacuum sealed the other. Down the road when we want steak again, I've also saved myself the trouble of seasoning it. 

Now the big question... the bag refills. The Food Saver comes with a starter pack of 4 bags and 1 roll. The rolls are cool because you just create your own bag at the size you need so you're not wasting any of the material. Since I went pretty crazy at Costco, I decided to also get a replacement package. It comes with 5 rolls (which are 20ft long) and 36 bags. It's pretty pricey at $40 but doing the math, if you use 1 ft for each package you make with the rolls (you will probably use less) then it's about $.30 a bag. Definitely not cheap but if it holds up much better in the freezer, I think a 30 cent premium on our meals isn't too bad. We finally worked through the starter roll that comes with the food saver so it took about 3 months. That means I won't need to buy more refills until the middle of 2018. Not bad.

Other than that, you do need quite a bit of clearance to fit the bag into the vacuum seal which seems a little wasteful too. I few times I didn't get it in well and the machine just tried to vacuum forever. 

Mostly though, I love it! So far everything we have defrosted from the Food Saver freezer bags has tasted great and definitely held up really well. It's only been a couple of months so it will be interesting to check in on some of that ground beef down the road and see if it still holds up.

2017 - No Resolutions, Just Habits

I think this post will make the most sense if you read my last one about 2016 resolutions so I highly recommend doing that now. Ok - all good? Great!

So - if you read my last post, you know that I had... quite the year in 2016. I got married, I bought a house, and had some huge life changes. I also had the really normal experience of feeling self conscious and like a really imperfect human. I gave myself a couple of weeks to feel sad and wonder what was wrong me and then I decided to stop being sad and to be awesome again. 

How does one do that? You throw yourself into meaningful habits. Some people might call them resolutions but resolutions always feel really tied to New Years. They also feel like something that expires when the year is over. I had two problems with this - I started at the end of 2016 so it didn't feel like something I was doing just for this new year.... and I wanted these to be lifelong changes. 

Family Time

When I felt really disconnected last year, I remembered that even though I sometimes feel lonely, I'm not alone. I have a husband. That's like a built in friend for life that will have to jump through a lot of hoops to not have to put up with me (sucker). I think he kind of likes me too so that's good. We came back from our honeymoon and I wanted to see all of my friends and show off our house and talk about our wedding and honeymoon - but they didn't seem to want to do that. Instead Dan and I spent a lot of time together. We put together our house. We went on hikes and walks. He came with my to visit my parents and cheered me on my races. We continued our mission of drinking every stout in San Diego. One person can't always be the whole world for you but sometimes one person is enough to make a really big difference and I'm happy Dan is my person. 

It reminded me that as much as I am a social butterfly that loves hosting parties and spending time with lots of friends - spending quality time with my husband is just as important. I decided that once a week we should at least go on a long walk or hike together. Two weeks in, it's been really fun. In addition to some quality time together (plus dog), we've already checked out two new trails in San Diego. Next week it's supposed to rain so we'll have to find another plan but that's ok. We, of course, still have every day things like dinner and tv shows together but there's something nice about getting out of the house together... especially doing something free. And sometimes we do not free things like go on beer and donut dates. 

These two pictures were the same day. #earnedit

Stick to a Regular Fitness Schedule

The second thing I did after our honeymoon was to get back on a workout schedule. I started pretty slowly too. One class one week, two the next... and on and on. I found out a friend and her boyfriend go to my climbing gym so I now had climbing partners and friends to keep my accountable. Dan and I take body pump together every week and I even started grabbing a second class on weekends. I take the dog for more walks than ever. Last week I logged 10 workouts so I think that's a good place to cap it (If you're wondering how I can physically bear doing that much - some days the double workouts were a short yoga class or a walk with the dog). 

I feel fantastic. Up until now I'd been feeling... lethargic. I'd get a full nights sleep and still feel tired in the middle of the day. Now I wake up on my own before my alarm and I don't get that afternoon crash. I can't wait to really measure my results at my next couple of races. 

Meal Planning

If you're like me, you think of meal planning and you think of 7 really boring copies of the same meal stuffed into various tupperware.

Yea, No. 

What I mean by meal planning is looking at my week and figuring out what to cook for dinner each night. I love cooking so that's not the problem. My problem comes with shopping. I have this very human habit of going to a store and buying everything that looks delicious. It all sounds great until I get home and forget about it and then it goes bad. Not only is it bad for money but it's really wasteful.

For a couple weeks last year, I wrote out what I wanted to make each night, what I needed for it, and when I'd go shopping for each meal. This included when we'd eat leftovers. It was super cost effective and had very little waste. It also helped me plan meals around the workout schedule. Like Thursdays - our class is at 6:30. At best, if I start dinner right when we get home, we're eating at 8:30 and usually later. Thursdays are a perfect day for slow cooking. 

It also has the added benefit of letting me be creative or reference my many cookbooks and all of Pinterest. A couple of times, I realized I had some awesome protein that I didn't have any ideas for. I got to spend time looking through recipes for something cool to do - something I wouldn't have been to throw together with out a little planning. 

I haven't been doing this the last few weeks but I want to get back on the meal planning train very soon. 

Take an Annual Trip with my Husband

Not very long into our honeymoon Dan said "We should take a trip like this every year." My response: "You are absolutely right." Up until that honeymoon, we hadn't taken a trip that wasn't for a race, wedding, or family. That's crazy. It was so nice to be away from all our stress and also not have to be anywhere at a certain time. 

I'm so excited we already have our trip to Europe planned. It's something we've talked about since we first started dating and we are finally making it a reality. It will definitely be a very different trip than our honeymoon in Mexico but I know it is going to be one awesome adventure. 

Read a Book a Week

This is a goal I had in high school and re-visited a couple of years ago. The last two years, I came just a few books short of my goal of 52. So far this year I've read 4 books in 2 weeks so I'm ahead of the game a little bit. I like getting a head start in January because life happens and you just can't always set aside reading time. Although - part of this habit is to make sure reading time is a priority. Sunny day? Go lay in the backyard and read. Rainy day? Go curl up on the couch and read. Sick day? Lay in bed with some tea and Emergen-c.... and read. Waiting for something? Read. Mad? Read. Bored? Read. Hungry? Make a sandwich and read while you eat. 

Read.

Me Time

I am definitely the kind of person who stretches myself too thin whenever I can. I hate saying no to things because I hate when people do it to me and I know I always have a great time when I go out. Sometimes though, I just want things a little quieter. I also get the feeling that most people already are deep into the habit of just saying no when they need time for themselves and maybe it's time I did it too. 

Finally, at the beginning of this year, I was able to find a little pocket of time that was truly for me. While reading may seem like "me time" I'm usually up against a deadline for book club or the library so sometimes I'm rushing a book in when I'd kind of rather be doing something else. That something else is playing video games. It may seem silly, but it's one of my passions and I hadn't truly been able to play one since 2015. I was a little worried I'd turn on my PS4 and forget what buttons did what but it came back so naturally and being able to really escape to another world was just what I needed. The games I like usually have a good amount of adventure and problem solving (Assassain's Creed, Batman Arkham, God of War) so taking the animus to the French Revolution lately has been so good for my brain. 

And Yea All the Stuff From Last Year

I still want to be patient and find balance and go to Mexico and not be a Bridezilla (I think I'm going to NAIL this one) and watch my temper. Resolutions shouldn't be about doing something for a year and then stopping. They should be about making positive changes for life.... then you're not getting older, you're just getting more awesome.

2016 Resolutions Re-Visited

Hey blog world - it's been a while. Normally this is the point where I apologize profusely and give lots of excuses on why I didn't write. I had a lot of excuses too - planning a wedding, travel, family illness, burnout.... but the truth is... I did write, a lot. I have so many drafts saved.... but I felt really self conscious and got the feeling that I didn't have any place to stand on a pedal-stool and give my opinions on things because I don't have it all figured out and most of the time I'm really really not sure of things myself - so I decided to not post the posts I'd written and to not write the things in my head or share the opinions I was creating. I'd go on long walks or runs (aka thinking time) and draft blog posts in my head.... and not do anything with them. I'd try out a new gadget I'd bought or received and think about how amazing it was (or wasn't) and want to tell someone... but not. Eventually, I decided that maybe it was good to at least circle back to my annual resolution posts, even if they were a little late.

And for my insecurities? They're still there. Some have worked themselves out through time or patience (not my strengths but I'm working on it) or just brutally throwing myself into any other passion within reach. Others are still forcefully there but they kind of came to a head this weekend with two friendships I was feeling a little disconnected from. One responded to me with coldness and bluntness and the other said "Why didn't you just tell me how you felt?" It always sucks to have your feelings disregarded but the bright side is that everyone is different and while someone might hurt you, someone else will show you kindness that reminds you why you do this and why you want to keep writing your blog even if you feel insecure sometimes.

So back to the main event - New Years Resolutions!!!! Looking at the list from last year is kind of a wonderful thing. While 2016 was a terrible year for most, it was the year I got married and bought a house and I will always remember the good that came from it. It was also the year I knocked off the most off my resolution list. While I can't give myself a 100% because a lot of the items weren't "all or nothing" - I have to admit, I didn't fail any of the items either. I had some missteps but in the end it all came out ok.

Here goes...

Not Be a Bridezilla

Well, I had my moments. I feel like I burned some of my Bridezilla-ing early on and it showed me I need to keep my cool and be more understanding. Looking back, I wish I hadn't over re-acted early on because it just made for some tough patches with friends and in the big picture, it all worked out ok. I think the hardest part about weddings is that it's not always obvious what's a huge deal and what's a little deal and it makes everything seem really huge. Spoiler alert big deal stuff is: family, groom, and marriage license showing up. Yea, food and clothes and alcohol are important too but you can get married without them. After that cheetahs and people having fun. Lastly, things looking nice. Everything else is a cherry on top. Spoiler again - the stuff I got mad about didn't even make that list. I'm an idiot sometimes.

 I still had some stressful moments later but I think I kept a better perspective as it got closer to the wedding and my priorities changed. Everything ended up looking amazing and all important people were accounted for. Our guests had a great time, we have amazing memories and pictures, and mostly, I got a pretty great husband out of the deal. I give this resolution a C.

Maintain or Gain

This one may seem a little weird. I wanted to make sure I didn't lose any more body mass last year. I wanted to either stay the same weight or build muscle. I've always wanted to be a strong girl and I think I'm above average but I wanted to push it last year. The wedding really side-lined my workout plans but afterwards, I became a more regular fixture at the climbing gym and at Body Pump class. I eventually added in some cardio (in the form of dog walks and runs so that the benefit can extend to another). I did two obstacle races at the end of the year that I strongly out-performed my past self in and have several more lined up for this year. All in all, I'm definitely stronger than I was this time last year and I'm moving more towards a fit physique than a skinny one.

My plan for this year to add in a weekly yoga class by my friend Lindsey (who also sells amazing natural products) as well and keep taking any opportunity to head outdoors with the dog for a walk, run, or hike. That will put my at something like 7-10 workouts per week. It might sound intense but since I didn't nail this goal in 2016, I definitely will this year. I give this one a B+

Start a Passive Income Business

My Etsy shop has been rocking! I really wanted to add some more patterns and things to my shop so I could just make money without doing much. I found that the hardest part of making patterns was finding good images to convert so whenever I wanted a distraction, I would just look for cool images to use. I also figured out how to use the Etsy advertising and while it's costing me a little bit, it's bringing in so many sales that it's totally worth it. It's gotten to the point where I sell a few patterns a week and I'd love to work on boosting that even more so that the income is enough to supplement the extra expenses we have now that we are homeowners. And if it's not that much - it would be fun to move it to own's account and use whatever's in it at the end of the year to splurge on an expensive treat like a fancy night out.

I've also been working on starting an active income business because I realized the only way to get rich is to really work for myself. However, those plans took a side line for wedding planning and house buying but 2017 is definitely the year to tackle that. I don't want to get to much into it but look for more later this year. This one gets an A-.

P.S. Look at this picture compared to where it was last year!!!! I didn't have a ton of time to stitch this year, and a lot of it was spent making a gift for a friend but the comparison is AMAZING. It will probably take me ten years to finish this but I should just post a picture a year so I can track my progress.

MexiCAN

WE FINALLY WENT TO MEXICO!!! We wanted something really relaxing and not super expensive after our wedding. I think some people call this kind of a trip a honeymoon but we keep telling ourselves that our trip to Europe this year is our Honeymoon... I digress.

Mexico was incredible. We went to an all-inclusive resort in San Jose del Cabo and it was amazing. We did an activity in the morning like bike riding or archery or shooting or swimming with dolphins (wait, what?) and then relaxed by the pool and ate all the food all afternoon. Oh you want to know about the dolphin thing? Well, Dan won the shooting competition and won BOGO dolphin swimming passes. That was more than enough to persuade us so we got to live that dream!

I know an all-inclusive resort isn't real Mexico but we got to the country, we spoke Spanish (even Dan said a few words!), we saw some beautiful sites, we drank a lot, and we swam with dolphins (I'm not going to let that go). I've been wanting to cross the San Diego border into TJ this year and I REALLY want to take a little road trip to Ensenada. Some friends keep suggesting it and I keep responding very affirmatively so I think we'll be making that happen. This resolution gets an A.

Watch My Temper

I will probably always be working on this one. If you read the Bridezilla section of this one, than you know I obviously didn't ace this one. This feels like the kind of thing that will be a growth project for me my whole life and I can only take it situation by situation. As I talked about in the intro to this post, I felt really self conscious after the wedding last year. The reasons were normally things that I would have gotten really mad about and sent some angry texts. Instead I kept it mostly to myself. I'd broach it a little with Dan or some outside friends (because another thing I've been working on is not gossiping as much, at least not to friends of the people involved) and it seemed like something that would work itself out. Months later when the issue seemed to be getting worse instead of better, I finally decided to stand up for myself. I'm sure it didn't go well but I'm happy I gave myself months to think about it instead of just snapping like I did other times this year.

The most important thing I've learned from this one - most of the time I'm overreacting and I just need to be more patient or understanding and it's better to be the bigger person and give it another shot. However - some of the time, you've rolled over one too many times and you need to stand up for yourself because patient and understanding or not - YOU ARE A PERSON WITH FEELINGS and maybe those feelings are little more sensitive and maybe you have a bad temper but you still deserve to be treated with respect. I give this one a B because holy fuck I came really far by the end of the year.

Keep It All About Balance

This was the shining light of my year. In a year full of craziness in the world, craziness in my life, and the usual craziness of just living in my head... I think I'm getting really close to this balance thing. The whole trying to be angry less and work out more - they're kind of a perfect partnership. When I was feeling left out and insecure and self conscious - I threw all of that energy into working out more and reading more and immersing myself into some of my passions. I created a workout schedule that is as good as having plans. Some of that workout schedule involves working out with friends who keep me accountable for showing up and yes, one of those friends is my dog. I reached out to other groups of friends and have connected more with them. I picked up from my book club hiatus with a stronger passion than ever for my group. I joined some new meetups that reflect the direction I want my life to be heading in. I played a video game for the first time in a year and half or so. I'm finding that when I feel disconnected from people, maybe it's good to focus that time on my husband, my pets, and mostly, me. I give this one an A because as the most subjective of the resolutions, and one that probably no one ever gets perfect, I feel really good about where I am.

And that's our lead in for 2017....