Fresh Thyme Comes to Chicago!

Get excited Chicago, there is a new store opening at 2500 N Elston October 14!

Are you familiar with Fresh Thyme? I have not been, but I've heard about it, and I'll be shopping with excitement when they open. In a nutshell, their mission is to improve the way communities eat by offering fresh and healthy food at amazing values. That sounds great to me.

Their grand opening is October 14 (Ribbon cutting is at 6:45am.), BUT you'll want to check out the #FreshThymeChi Twitter party from 5-6pm, October 13. Giuliana Rancic will be a special guest at the Lincoln Park store during the party!!

The first 250 customers on Grand Opening Day will receive a FREE Bag of Groceries valued at $50 or more. I'm told you'll want to get in line early to reserve a place in line.

 Keep up with everything going on with Fresh Thyme at freshthyme.com. Or, keep in touch by checking them out on Facebook and Twitter.

*While I was compensated for this post, all opinions expressed are my own.

0

Want vs Need

I know these boots are solidly in the want column. Doesn't make me want them any less...but I know I don't need them. Still want them though. I'm thinking if I put them on my blog...then I may want them less. Let's see if that works...

2

Scan & Go & Bake Cookies!

I. Love. Apps. If I had my way, I'd create an app for everything. Want to bake cookies? There's an app for that. Want to build a website? Here's your app. Going shopping? We have an app!

 I downloaded the Walmart app to my iPhone. It's an app that has many features; coupons, shopping lists, and more! I was excited to use it...but truth be told...I was just a tiny bit nervous. I wasn't in the store yet, and I couldn't figure out how I was going to actually scan items.

My worries disappeared the second I walked into the store. My phone knew what to do. I was immediately prompted to switch to in store mode, which I did, and I was off to the races!

This could not have been easier to use! We all know what a bar code is, and we are a savvy bunch, so we all know how to scan a Q code from our phone. That's it, point-n-shoot! When I scanned a bar code, my phone pulled up the item with price and I clicked "add to list" and that was that.

If you are a budget shopper, this is the ticket. I knew I wanted to be under $30. My estimated total was calculated right at the bottom of my list tab, so there was no guessing. I was way under budget even after being talked into candy bars by my cute little companion...so we hit the toy department as well! Lucky son!

I will totally be taking advantage of the coupon feature. Who doesn't love saving money? I clicked the coupon tab at the top and browsed all the deals. When I saw one I needed, I just clicked "Clip". My coupon was then totaled at the bottom of the tab with my savings. Easy-peasy!

My nerves kicked up again for a split second at checkout...would I be able to find the right lane...would I be able to check out and go? No. Worries. The signage was absolutely clear at the self checkout. The scan and go lanes had the phone cart chicklet clearly marked. Right on the screen was a large, clearly marked button "Transfer Scan & Go", I pushed it, and up came a Q code. I scanned it with my phone...done and done. I swiped my debit card and we were off to bake home made chocolate chip cookies!

Nestle Toll House Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup(2 sticks) butter
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1 10oz package Nestle Toll House chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. Beat butter, sugar brown sugar and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop rounded table spoons of mix onto a baking sheet, and bake for 9-11 min. Cook until golden brown. Allow to cool, and then enjoy!

A long time ago, my father said to me: "One of my favorite things in life is home made, right out of the oven, chocolate chip cookies!" It's such an easy, simple thing, but it's something I don't always get around to doing. He's right, there's nothing like the simple goodness of chocolate chip cookies. I enjoyed making them, and we all enjoyed eating them!

5

Feeling Happy, and Healthy!

I take a TON of pictures with my iPhone. Yes, I have the great digital camera...but I never carry it:/ SO, I've made it my mission to take great iPhone pictures.

This leaves me to wonder. If my photos only exist on my phone, or on my blog...do they actually exist? Does anyone print photos anymore???

You bet...and it's SUPER easy with the Walgreen's app!

First thing you do is download the app...easy.

Once you've done that, it is shocking how straight forward it is to cue up pictures and print them.  I chose to print from the albums on my phone, but you can take a picture, or load from Facebook.

They had them ready to print in uder 30 minutes...how crazy is that?!?

I chose to go to a Walgreen's Food Oasis store, because I had no idea what I was making for dinner tonight...so let's go pick up my photos...and do some shopping while we wait...

Check out all this loot! Yes...we're making tacos...no, they won't include orange juice and bananas...that's tomorrow's breakfast;)

I already had meat at home (or you could go meatless) so I grabbed:

• 1 head of lettuce
• 1 can of diced tomato's
• 1 avocado
• 1 can of black beans
• 1 package of Mexican style shredded cheese
• sour cream
• salsa
• 2 packages of corn tortillas

1. If you are going with meat, go ahead and brown the meat in a frying pan.
2. Heat the corn tortilla's about 20 seconds on each side.
3. Heat the black beans.
4. Dice up the lettuce and avocado
5. Place them on the counter, with the sour cream and salsa and let the kiddos have at it!

 So fun, so easy and REALLY yummy...just ask Miss Peach!

Walgreen's is at the “Corner of Happy and Healthy”!

Don't forget to plug your Walgreen's App into your Walgreen's Balance Rewards card so you can earn Balance Reward Points!

To find more #HappyHealthy recipes, be sure to follow Walgreen's on Facebook and Twitter.

Don't forget to check out my google+ post for more.

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias® and Walgreens #cbias #SocialFabric

5

I Live on Mars

I would think that for most people, going to Target...is not that big of a deal. For me, it's a bit of a production...

For one thing, I never go there (maybe a handful of times a year). It's not that I don't think it's a great store...it is. Thing is, there are only a handful of them in the city...and the one anywhere close to my 'hood, isn't really very good:P

Today, I map quested my way to the closest Target Greatland (in the suburbs). I don't mind going to the 'burbs (especially since we now have the highest taxes in the country...boo Cook County Board). Now then, no matter how confident I am...no matter how much I think I know where I am going...I always get lost in the suburbs:P

Today, was no exception. I headed down Willow thought I had gone to far...turned around...headed back on Willow...came back to the expressway...turned around again...and on, and on. Finally, I saw a mailman...score!

I flagged him down, he got out of his truck to help me...Holy HOT mailman Batman! We are talking mailman shorts and t-shirt...just a big 'ole bucket of hotness! Now, I don't have a thing for mailmen or anything...It's just, to my knowledge, we don't have hot mailmen in The Big City (at least I've never seen them)...Yes, hot mailman knew where the Target was (Yay!)

So, the kidlets and I pack into a cart and head into the store. Now, remember, I'm spending my $500 Target gift card that I won from my little Momversation contest. Can I tell you...I bought so much stuff...Miss Peach kept saying "This is the best day ever!" Just because Mommy said "yes" to everything.

This kiddo isn't aware she's cute...not!

I swear to you...bags and bags of clothes for the kiddos, an ipod for me, swimming suits for everyone (me included), jammies, a pool...The bill $250! I only spent half of the card...how crazy is that!

I swear to you...I am a Martian...most people just swing by Target on the way home...right?

17

Stay Cool

I had myself an itty bitty issue with my Lil' Mac. Basically, this machine is such a power house, and I work it so hard, that it gets really hot. I'm talking physically hot where the battery is. I called the folks at the Apple help line, (was shocked to get an actual person). He told me to try a cooling pad....Off to Best Buy I go...

Can I tell you, I bought the Cush Top, and Cooling Hub from Belkin (I think the total was about $60) Wow...what a difference! I sit Indian style on the couch with this on my lap, and my computer is sooooo happy:) It makes a world of difference...no. more. heat. How crazy...a product that says what it's going to do, and does it. Quite a concept;)

Ummm...I Shopped!

What did you do on your vacation Nap Warden? Good question! Yes, I did a lot of running. Yes, I did a lot of napping...yummy:) Oh and guess what else I did...She who does not shop, shopped! I know, crazy right? Especially since I just got done telling AFF that I never shop.
Well there is an outlet mall about 20 min. away from where we were staying, so I decided to stock up on some winter clothes for the kiddos. I got tons of toddler stuff for next to nothing...yay!
You know what else? I bought a couple pairs of jeans for myself! I know...it's the last thing on God's green earth I need. In my defense, they were crazy cheap! Check 'em out...No, this picture doesn't do them justice...but they were $365 marked down to $50...$50! At first, I tried them on just to see what a pair of $365 jeans did:P I am telling you...bam! These jeans totally rock! I just wish I could take a better picture of them. They have really cute stitching down the side, and on the back. They have just the right amount of taper at the bottom. They just fit me perfectly. Oh, who has the nerve to charge $365 for jeans...Ralph Lauren, of course. As I bought them, the salesgirl said "We were wondering if anyone was going to fit them?". OK, well lucky me...I fit them:) Now I am going to crawl back into my hole and not shop again for another year...

24