That's Fit

I don't know about you, but I love flipping through the pages of Cooking Light magazine (or, really, any gourmet food magazine). The pictures are gorgeous and inspiring, and the recipes are well written -- even I haven't managed to botch any of their recipes. However, while the pictures and dishes send me into a state of bliss, there is something I don't like -- the ingredient lists that run the length of my arm and cost that, plus a leg.

For special occasions, I'm willing to spend a bit extra for special ingredients. However, if I'm looking for an everyday recipe that I can make on a weekly basis, I don't want to have to keep purchasing a huge variety of expensive ingredients. I want a recipe that looks and tastes like a fancy dish, doesn't pack a ton of calories, and doesn't blow my budget every time I make it. Is that so much to ask?

I generally try making the recipe as it's written the first time, and remove or substitute something for the expensive ingredients after I've tasted it. It's not a perfect system, but it works for me. Do you have tricks to keep costs down on would-be cost-prohibitive recipes? Or do you just bite the bullet and make the dishes will all ingredients listed? Or, do you just find healthy recipes that are inexpensive to make in the first place?

I think I spent $150 on my last pair of running shoes and already it's time I dole out more cash on this fitness necessity. Exercise just might break my bank over time -- unless I scale down on the price a bit.

Experts say paying less for sneakers is a wise move -- and it won't compromise quality at all. Just stay in the $85 range and all will be well, says a recent study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. Spend less and you might sacrifice support and cushioning. Go overboard and you won't gain anything much.

As for replacing your athletic shoes, strive for at least every six months or every 300 to 500 miles. Even if your shoes still look good on the outside, chances are the insoles will be worn out and the tread will be nearly gone.

For many, Thanksgiving this week doesn't just mean a day of giving thanks, eating turkey, watching football, spending time with family and enjoying a day off of work. I'm sure that for a lot of you out there, one of the best things about Turkey Day is that it also signals the beginning of the holiday shopping season. I'm Canadian and we celebrate Thanksgiving at least a month before our neighbors to the south, but I know enough about American traditions to know that the day after the big event is traditionally one of the biggest and busiest shopping days of the year.

Unfortunately, not all of us deal well with malls that are packed to capacity with bargain hunters. I'm not a good shopper and admit that I'd rather pay more for just about anything, if it means that I can avoid a tugging match with a frenzied shopaholic over the last cute hoodie or pair of yoga pants on the sale table.

So what are we non-shoppers to do at this time of year? Most of us can't just ignore the craziness altogether and show up at a family gathering empty-handed. While it really is better to give than to receive, I'd still like to see the looks on all of our mothers' faces when, after gratefully accepting some lovely new slippers and an expensive set of sheets, we announce that this year we're just giving the gift of love and good cheer. However, I still don't want to have to spend hours of my precious holiday time duking it out for the best deal at Linens-n-Things.

I've discovered that the answer, at least as far as I'm concerned, exists online. While a mere few years ago I was skeptical of anything I could buy on the web, online shopping has become my savior. So in the interest of the spirit of the holidays, I'd like to share with those who may not yet be in the know, two of my favorite companies to find the gift of beauty, online.

The first is the fabulous H20+, a company that has several freestanding stores across the US and Canada, but which isn't as widely available as a brand like the Body Shop or Bath and Body Works. I've had the chance to visit H20 stores in Las Vegas, Vancouver and even Sydney, Australia, and every time I walk through the doors, I feel completely relaxed. The company specializes in 'sea-derived skincare', offering products for hands, feet, face, body, hair and more. They've got a pretty fantastic men's line for those looking to find something nice for a special guy in their life, and also carry a few nice, light fragrances that smell great but don't overwhelm. I've loved pretty much every product of theirs that I've ever tried and one of the best things about H20 is that, while some of their stuff gets a bit pricey, they also offer fantastic, reasonably-priced gift sets, give away 'gift-with-purchase' items and shipping is free for any order over $100.

My second favorite place to find great beauty items online is at the site for Vancouver-based spa company Skoah. The relatively new company only has three physical locations (2 in Vancouver and 1 in Calgary, Alberta) but will ship their products all over the United States and Canada. Like H20+, their stuff doesn't always come cheap, but as far as skincare products are concerned, they're pretty reasonable -- plus in my opinion, everything they sell smells great. I've tried a number of their products and a few of the best include the luxurious dewlux face kream, the eye kandy moisturizer and the lip dip, which at $15CDN for .5oz (15g), is an awesome deal --seriously, it will last you for years.

I'm sure that there are loads more excellent online sites where you can find some great beauty products without having to leave the comfort of your home or office, but these are just two of my personal favs. If anyone else out there has an excellent site that they've frequented, those of us hoping to avoid the mall rush this season would love to hear about it!

I'm so excited. My husband and I just purchased the Smart Cycle as a Christmas gifts for our kids, ages two and four. The Fisher-Price Smart Cycle Learning Game System is a cool little stationary bike that hooks up to a television and allows children to pedal through learning adventures. Kind of like a spinning class for three year olds, who can learn their ABC's while working out.

My husband and I purposely seek out toys that will encourage our children to be active. Along with the bounce house we keep in the unfurnished dining room and the scooters they zoom around the house on, this Smart Cycle will fit in quite nicely in our playroom.

The Fisher-Price Smart Cycle Learning Game System Cycle retails for $99, but we bought ours for $89 at Sam's Club. I'll look forward to December 25th, when Parker and Ginger can jump on this thing and go for a ride. Of course we do a lot of bike riding outside, but this thing will make rainy days a lot more fun. Hopefully the two of them will take turns nicely.

Fall can be an expensive time of year as far as clothing is concerned. Kids are heading back to school and need the newest, hippest pieces if they don't want to become social outcasts (please, note the sarcasm), and the rest of us need to find new outfits to replace the stuff that got worn-out or donated to charity last year.

Unfortunately, we can't all afford to be fashionistas so if you're looking for Todd Oldham style on a Old Navy budget, consider some of these suggestions to find cool clothes at a decent price. Tips include using different accessories to transform an outfit from boring to bold and digging through the racks at consignment stores for designer clothing that has been cast-off before its time (granted this kind of treasure may be rare but with some patience you could be duly rewarded with a fantastic, unused or rarely-worn piece),

Also, consider throwing a clothes swapping party. You may have grown (hopefully) too small for a great pair of jeans that you've hardly broken in, while a friend could have been gifted an incredible top that isn't her style, but which she neglected to return. Remember, one woman's throwaway is another's hottest new outfit. For more tips, take a look at the entire article here.

A rule instituted by the New York Restaurant Association that would require certain fast food establishments to list the calories each item has in bold letters next to the price of the item isn't going to be followed by many NYC eateries. Burger King, McDonald's and Wendy's have said they won't be posting calorie counts -- doing so will be confusing to people visiting the restaurant, as the menus will contain too much information. Such menus would be an eyesore.

I find that fast food menu boards are already confusing, and I agree that adding the calorie count them will make them more mind-boggling than they already are. But at the same time, I think providing the calories alongside the price is a fantastic idea. What do you think?

Via Fitsugar