An apple a day…

I recently invested in a juicer for us, the Breville Juice Fountain Plus, to be exact. I researched which juicer I wanted for a long time, and finally decided this was the one. It has 2 power speeds for juicing soft and harder fruits and veggies and cleaning it is not that bad. We have been juicing almost everyday since we got it! I couldn’t be happier! I usually just throw in a little of everything we have and it tastes amazing! Casey drinks his glass in less than a minute it is so yummy! We are definitely getting a lot more fruits and veggies in our diet than we used to that is for sure!

Here is what I usually use to make our juice:

2 apples
2 peaches
2 handfuls of spinach
3 carrots
1 celery stalk
3 handfuls of blueberries
2 handfuls of strawberries
2 handfuls of blackberries or raspberries
1 orange
1 kiwi

My new favorite pastime

So I found some great sites that I thought I would share! I have been really into finding coupons for our grocery shopping trips, finding online deals, and getting freebies. I only clip or print coupons that I know we will use, and do not buy a product just because it is an amazing deal if we do not need it-though it it is very tempting!

Some of my favorite sites that post freebies and have them nicely organized in categories are:

http://www.heyitsfree.net/

http://www.sweetfreestuff.com/

I love getting Penny natural dog treat freebies from those sites!

I have also been reading up on how to use the “bonus dollars” that certain drugstores such as CVS, RiteAid, and Walgreens offers. There are sites that post the best deals of the week for each drugstore and then post coupons that make the deal even better. Some products in the store will be “free” after you get your bonus dollars printed on your receipt. Those offers, combined with coupons, can give you what is called a “money maker.” You just have to get the ball rolling by purchasing an item that will give you the same amount of bonus dollars in return. From then on, adding coupons into the mix, doing multiple transactions, and rolling your bonus dollars to future weeks, you can get SO much free stuff! And these are some of my favorite sites that make it easy and walk you through it:

http://moneysavingmom.com/

http://thefrugalgirls.com/

http://www.couponingtodisney.com/

http://www.savingcentswithsense.net/

http://theprudentpatron.com/

http://www.stretchingabuckblog.com/

http://www.mypetsavings.com/

http://print.coupons.com/couponweb/Offers

They also have tips on how to cut down your grocery budget, save money, menu ideas, and links to other helpful sites.

I have also found this site that lists recipes that cost under $5 if you buy items on sale! Who doesn’t like to save money?! Pretty neat!

http://www.5dollardinners.com/

Also, check out the free entrance days coming up at these National Parks to see if you can go!

http://www.nps.gov/findapark/feefreeparks.htm

2010

Taking the dogs out

Penny sticking her head out the car window

Visiting Robby at his new house in SLO

At bubblegum alley!

Robby sticking his gum on the wall

Walking Baron in Ellwood

Dinner with Laura!

letting the tad poles go in the creek

Penny stuck on a rock in the middle of the creek

Going hiking

Dog walk with Allie and Hula

Big crab on the beach

sea urchin and crab leg

Frisbee golf

Goleta beach with Tanda and Richard

on the pier


me and Tanda

I caught a snake!

and a baby turtle!

On a walk around the pond by our place

Graduation weekend!



walking across the stage!

Me and my parents 🙂

Grandpa and Shirli!

Me and Grandma!

with Kori and Robby

with Dad as he wears the “Stole of Gratitude”

Me and Casey!

Robby and Dad

Running wild

Sadie

Jump for joy!

Looking at the tad poles

got one!

got my toe shoes on!

this one has legs!

sisters 🙂

WEEE!!

WooHooo!

At the Douglas Preserve

Me and Casey

with Penny!

getting a bath in the driveway for touching poison oak

her first swimming lesson

visiting Robby in SLO

going horseback riding!

Sharell and Kermit cross the creek

me and Kermit

the girls


at the dog beach


Hiking up to Inspiration Point

at the start of the trail

at the top!

Family Reunion!

found a clam at the beach

neat fort

big starfish!

found another one!

it only has 4 legs!

🙂

getting frozen yogurt with Tanda!

on the pier

Happy Valentine’s Day!


Casey got me flowers on Valentine’s Day 🙂

We got to go on an exclusive tour of PAWS-the Performing Animal Welfare Society!






Our trip to ARK 2000



getting fed candy while her nails are being trimmed…..she is over 50!

conducting beaver research at a nature preserve

hiking at Lake Barryessa

waiting for my turn to speak

Presenting my turtle research at the Undergraduate Research Conference


someone is ready for the living room camp out!

Penny learns the hair dryer won’t hurt her


Going for a walk at a new park


Opening her Easter eggs

Happy Easter!

She found another one!

searching for eggs on the patio

Our new patio table!

Penny loves her brother Bentley

Helping with the laundry

Playing with Sadie

Me and Penny!



CRAZY FACE!

My mom and Kori visit us in the spring and we go to the Sacramento Zoo!


We saw all sorts of cool stuff!

Going into the Herp House! My fave!

Just chillin’

Red Panda!

Me and Kori VS. Casey

caught a newt!

2009

visiting the Mission at Christmas



Snack time!

Cute baby donkey!

Big dinner

the group chowing down!


first time at the beach

running around at the beach


at Nojoqui Falls



with her grandparents 🙂

waiting for her treat

learning her tricks

what big ears!

stretch!

caught red handed!

eating her candy cane

opening her presents

Her first Christmas with us

Baron wears Xmas pjs!

helping with laundry


learning how to walk in her new gentle leader

heeling

yummy treat

post surgery

tired girl

getting the treat from under the cup


cuties 🙂

Penny’s 1st Birthday! Nov. 30th

hiking

what a big girl!

getting out the last little bit

A special treat!

Naw, she’s not spoiled at all 😉

walking in the Arboretum

Penny chases the ducks in the Arboretum


play time

playing with Mandy

sitting with Sadie

kitty cat

Little piggy

Peasant Penny

our little pumpkin

What a cutie!

Penny the firefighter

bath time


learning her tricks

nap time

her new hiking pack

at the archery range

Upside down sleeper

frisbee golf

Casey and Jake on the playground

The Golden Gate Bridge!


Jake and Casey

Squaw Valley

Skiing!

So pretty!


His first time in the snow!



So handsome 🙂

Out to breakfast with my mom

Toe shoes!

Cool colors

eating some crickets

A bunch of Ring Neck Snakes!

A Desert Iguana caught in the Mojave

desert tortoise

sidewinder eating a kangaroo rat!!!

2 at once!


one of our camps

skull we found while herping

uromastix

horned lizard

CA tiger salamander paedomorph

gopher snake

Collared lizard

baby!

Baby turtle from the Arboretum

At the archery range

Nice shot!

Robby comes to visit!

Relaxing at the Arboretum

Going to see the DP Robotics competition

Yummy breakfast!

At Picnic Day!

Neat old fire engine!

growing up!

Bentley!

He likes his BBQ sauce!

Giving Sunny a bath

Making pork chops!

We tried wine for the first time…

We both hated it…

…so it went down the drain

Christmas in Costa Mesa

Neat waterfall in the mall

Merry Christmas!

Visiting Gana and Papa

Visiting Ang and Molly in Georgia!

In one of her classrooms

Picking out the Christmas tree!

Getting it up on the car

The tree is all decorated!

At the Coke a Cola Factory!

All decorated in red for Christmas

Trying all different flavors of Coke from around the world

tasting all the flavors

HUGE tree!

And HUGE presents!

At World of Coke

Happy ketchup and coins for the jukebox at Johnny Rockets!

They are a lot of fun at Johnny Rockets!

At the Georgia Aquarium!

Ray does summer salts


Looking from below

Tunnel aquarium

Jelly fish!


Sea turtle!

Sea turtle swimming!


Scraping ice off the car

At an old war surplus store

Levi!

Look at that big belly!



Awesome colors!

Showing my mom and Kori around campus

We found a huge lemon!

At Cheesecake Factory! yumm!

With Kori

And he ate it ALL!

Valentine’s Day

Mom and Kori visit!

Robby visits and we go to watch the AMGEN Tour of CA ride through town

Rainy day in the Arboretum

Road trip to the beach!

It was SO windy!

🙂

The view

Then to the redwood forest!

a huge fallen tree

Rock climbing!

Taking Baron for a walk

Yay for beach walks!

We went hiking and found THOUSANDS of ladybugs everywhere!

They were covering everything!

Even in the trees!

Jake and Casey

Casey and Robby working on his car

Dinner with Allie!

Us!

The whole group 🙂

Sibling love!





before our haircuts….

…and after!

Sunny wanted to join in on the picture

Fistulated cows!


We bought our first car together! Goldie!

Finding hidden geocaches in the park

Lake Berryessa

Fourth of July fireworks in the park

Our 3 year anniversary!

At Folsom Lake

Our trip to Lee Vining

at the beaver dams

Ready to go hiking

Gana and Casey ready to get on the boat

on the boat

with Gana and Papa!

Taking pictures

Hiking it up!

going through the snow

lunch time!

Lunch stop at Saddlebag

Such a beautiful hike





at the top of Tioga Pass

Back at the house

checking out the town

At the craters

At the craters

looking for obsidian

Lunch stop at Rush Creek

We found a geocache by the lake!

Scoofin’ in old Greenie

Floating in Mono Lake

Visiting the tufa towers

Going swimming in the lake

Relaxing in the RV

Gana took us to see Bodie the ghost town!


In his cycling attire

New aero bars

WE GOT A PUPPY!! Meet Penny!

In Central Park

On campus

Her first bath!


Tired after playing all day

she got all kinds of new toys!

Her first accident…look at that guilty face!

Daddy brushes Penny 🙂

All clean after a bath!

All settled in to our new apartment

2008

we like taking pictures of nature





cherry blossoms

sunset silhouette

Technicolor!

gecko


Redford

sleeping Bentley

Dioji!

I love my job!

pool time!

SO CUTE!

sleeping in the dog house

trying to secretly dig a hole

The living room in our new apartment

Our little kitchen

The kitchen table

Ang visits us! Taking a walk in the Arboretum

Pretty leaves!

One of his faves-mac n cheese and sausages

Our moving truck for moving to Davis together!

We packed it full! (And it was over 20 feet long!)

We made it to Davis, time to unpack it all

Taquitos and quesadillas

Hiking in Santa Barbara

with Kori!


Our goodbye dinner at Carlitos

Relaxing with Mandy

Leo and Sunny having a play date

H.O.M.E.

BBQ in the backyard

At Tucker’s Grove Park

Sillies

Baron!

Man’s best friend

Family

Sibling love

Dad and Robby

early Christmas Eve dinner

Sadie and Mandy open one of their Christmas presents!

At Universal City Walk going to see Batman in IMAX with the family

with Tanda!

Ready for dinner!

Making us Mickey Mouse pancakes!

making Mickey Mouse pancakes

Riding through the Greenbelt in Davis

Lots of mac n cheese makes for a happy Casey

Sporting our new UCD sweatshirts!

Jumping at Farren

Going to Kori’s Jr. High graduation

UCD!

Levi is growing up fast!

Sunny!

Sunny takes a bath

Road trip!

Our first day of classes at Davis! Go Aggies!

At the beach in Santa Barbara

A finished puzzle

We got a chameleon! This is his baby cage

Baby Levi!

Changing colors

Hiking 7 Falls

The group

AHHHHH!!

Look out below!

Robby jumps off!

Caught a snake 🙂

Tanda visits! Going for a bike ride

Blue tongues!


Hot chocolate and cookies

The new bird, Sunny!

on the play gym: Sunny, Ollie, Leo

We found a HUGE starfish!

A cave at the beach


Valentine’s Day


Going to see a movie

Walking the dogs at Steven’s Park

playing ball at the park

2007


Taking pictures at the Mission’s Rose Garden on our 10 month anniversary

sunset pictures at Farren

Boat trip on Lake Cachuma

me and mom 🙂


Dissecting our fetal pig in biology lab

Lunch with the fam surrounded by aquariums!

Pizza!

Dad carving the turkey

Happy Thanksgiving!

Mandy loves her doggles 🙂

Casey and his new parakeet Ollie.

Visiting UC Berkeley.

Robby graduates High School!

Robby’s Senior Prom

Watching Molly and Kori do hula in the Summer Solstice Parade!


Merry Christmas!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Our 1 year anniversary!

Hiking at 7 Falls

Kori’s Birthday dinner! 14 now!

Casey got a new job as a Medical Assistant at Sansum!

Hiking it up!

Us and Mandy Lu!

Happy Halloween!

Our spider pumpkin!

Out to eat with the Nielsen family at McLintocks!


Half way to LA! The AIDS ride: SF to LA

Riding through Santa Barbara

Picnic dinner at Haskulls Beach

Casey trying out my new road bike

Casey and Baron

Road trip to visit UC Davis for the first time!

Walking around UCD

Egg Heads!


Aggie pride!


The beautiful Arboretum-where I would be spending much of my time looking at turtles 🙂

2006

We both decided to go to our local community college after high school to get our general education classes done before transferring to a University. Thank goodness for Political Science 101. Casey decided to sit next to me one day in class and the rest is history!

Going ice skating

Riding the surries down by the beach

L.O.V.E.

Christmas on the beach

Us 🙂

Casey, Sadie and Mandy

Taking the dogs to SBCC

Working at the zoo! The blue tongued skink was the best!

big hissing cockroach!

feeding the giraffes

my little butterflies flapping their wings 🙂

snack time

story time

craft time

Eating at Cold Spring Tavern with the family

The Nielsens

Bowling for Casey’s Birthday


At the beach

Hiking

All 3 teens! 19, 13, 17