Lovely Day

It's a lovely day in Atlanta and no reason to wait on the sunshine, it fills the sky. I'm humming the hit song by Bill Withers after giving this blog post its title;-) I am listening to one of my favorite Atlanta radio stations that plays classical music from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m., WABE 90.1 FM which plays a variety of programs all morning into the afternoon. I've mentioned this station before, but wanted to showcase it again. City Cafe' with host John Lemley is coming up next at noon so tune in as the station streams live online.

As I was looking around for interesting stories that I might share in the post, I came across this one from the NPR website on their Planet Money page. It's about a man that makes beautiful suits, but he can't afford to buy one. Check out the story here and I think you will agree that he has a unique talent indeed.

Savings Tip of the Day

Happy Monday everyone and a new day and week ahead for us. So what's in the brown bag lunch today? Don't forget to clip some coupons from Sunday's paper to find some delicious ways to kick up your lunch. Plus, the kids will enjoy healthy buys on snacks. They say Hurricane Isaac might drive gas prices up so it's always good to find other ways to save money. Here's to a great week!

3 Things to Motivate Monday

Oh happy day and have I got 3 things to motivate Monday just for you. I know everybody is working away and the to-do list has checks signifying that task is done.

"The secret of getting ahead is getting started." ~Writer Agatha Christie

OK, here we go.

1. Clean out your email inbox of last week's emails or some you received over the weekend. Don't forget to use those folders you set up to help organize emails you need to keep. Also, use those file folders with the name of the contents to go inside written on the tab to clear off your desk. An uncluttered mind helps motivate the projects ahead and start fresh for the day.
2. Pack a healthy piece of fruit in your brown bag lunch each day. Get your dose of potassium with bananas, Vitamin C with oranges, and fiber with apples or pears. If you work from home, keep these same fruits in the bowl when the mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack attack hits.
3. Review the to-do list items and get started on the easy ones that will only take a few minutes. Your energy level will be up and ready to take on the more difficult ones.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Holiday Leftovers ~ Brown Bag It

The Memorial Day leftovers make great brown bag lunches for a day or two. Take a hot dog, hamburger, or grilled chicken in a baggie along with a bun to whip up a sandwich for lunch at work. Bring a small container of  potato salad or baked beans to jazz it up. The nice thing about grilling out during a holiday is the leftovers that still pack a yummy punch.

Head outside for lunch in a shady spot to get away from the desktop computer for awhile. One good thing about brown bagging lunch is the money you will save. Have a good 4-day workweek, Sweet!

Healthy Spring Brown Bag

Good morning, I bet many people in parts of the country didn't think they would need their snow scrapers to wipe off the car windows. What a surprise, but spring can still bring the chill. It's almost noon and time for lunch around the workplaces. Even people who work from home try to keep a 9-5 schedule which is a good idea. If you are looking for work, staying on track with scheduling the day will help  the transition.

Just as spring colors are part of our wardrobe for work, take those colors along in your brown bag lunch each day. Here's how to add a healthy pop of color with fruit:
--->Banana for yellow and loads of potassium
--->Red delicious apple and strawberries for red, get your fiber
--->Granny smith apple or Bartlett pear for green
--->Orange, speaks for itself and has a bunch of vitamin C
--->Pink with watermelon, refreshingly cool & quenches thirst
--->Blueberries, grapes and plums for that healthy pop of deep blue and purple, plenty of antioxidants

Have a wonderful week!

Brown Baggin' It

 

Happy Monday and back to work, Zippidy Do Dah! It's noon time on the East coast and time for a lunch break. The classic brown bagging lunch is still a popular mainstay at work. Gather the lunch bunch and take a break!

I know the pollen is reeking havoc for allergies and going outside for lunch might not be pleasant. Just the fact that you brought lunch from home is great. It's a sure-fire way to save money especially with the high gas prices. The money saved from brown baggin' it can go into the gas tank or dinner on the table.

The term brown bagging is 'old school' as many people use the vinyl carry bags with the zip close these days. Remember to pack a piece of fruit and plenty of water to stay hydrated. Enjoy every bite of the yummy lunch you packed today and the rest of the day's ahead this week.

Frugal Deal in December

As many readers know, I encourage people to carry their lunch to work everyday to save money. I do realize that taking the same thing each day can get boring and recommend changing up the sandwich with other deli meats, cheeses, and toppings. Also, use a different salad dressing instead of the same one all the time when you take a salad for lunch. Just in case you want to take a break from the brown bag lunch you usually carry each day, the frugal deal below is great and won't ding the wallet.

The folks at Subway are having $2 Customer Appreciation Month for the entire month of December. You can get either the 6" Cold Cut Combo or the Meatball Marinara sandwich for just $2. Enjoy!

Photo Credit: Subway Cold Cut Combo