You can garden for free when the Gay Addams Family meets the Dalai Lama

Its SPRING TIME!!! Our attention turns to gardening as we dream of days sitting under a shade tree reading a good book. The birds sing anew, and we realize its because they are mating, so we play some Marvin Gaye and Barry White and hope it encourages them. Nests are being built in anticipation, so we supply some pieces of yarn and clipped dog hair to keep the babies warm. One can hear the sounds of lawnmowers and smell the sweet onions as they are unceremoniously chopped down with the blade. I sit quietly and crochet until the cats realize I have yarn, and we wrestle for it to the death or until one of us gives up. Jamie whittles, large knife in hand, and silently warns against any proselytizing, soliciting, or turning around in our driveway. Buddhist prayer flags send prayers of intention into the universe with every breeze and a dozen "No Trespassing" signs dot the landscape.   We watch the lesbians across the street watch us watching them, but we all do it so smoothly, because we're cool like that. Its a Gay-Addams-Family-Meets-the-Dalai Lama- kind of thing. So nice.

In 2008, before I came along, Jamie chose this property for its trees. Mature maples tickled the driveway and provided homes for a myriad of critters, shade from the hot sun of summer, and sufficient pollen to ensure spring allergies. A walnut tree stood guard over the dogs' play area, and flowering crab apple, dogwood, and quince announced the end of winter with their powerful, yet delicate, display.

As time passed, and Jamie came closer to finding me, she added trees, shrubs, and perennials to the landscape. When I arrived, it was a beautiful welcoming place, once I passed the seal of approval from the dogs, cats, and a mouse named Maple.

What I found interesting was, that every new plant put on this property by Jamie and her parents who helped her, was either free or nearly free. After the discovery that an Apostolic Church wanted to move in next door and another neighbor wanted to be a nuisance, it was decided that a fence needed to go up. Unfortunately, there was only enough money for a privacy fence on the west end of the property. Come autumn one year, the beginning of a natural fence began.

Forsythia Fence

From the overabundance of forsythias at Mom & Dad Farris' house, 70 plants were planted in a row. Now they run from the road, north, to the top end of the property. They are a big, beautiful "No Trespassing" gift from Mother Nature. Forsythias, known around here as simply "yellow bushes" are hardy, giving shrubs. Very easy to propagate, they can be transplanted easily and are fast growing plants. They replant themselves when the tip of the limb touches, and grows into the ground. If you have to trim them back, take the clipping, plant it where you wish for a shrub to grow, keep it watered, and many times they will take root and flourish.  Transplanting with the root intact is more promising, however.

The overabundance shined another gift down on our home here at Whisper Creek when Mom & Dad Farris had too many perennials growing in their garden. They were kind enough again to let us have them. While they might need this year to establish themselves rather than blooming, they should give us years of enjoyment.

Free Perennial

Thus we have two frugal ideas for gardening. 1) When your family, friends, or neighbors are ready to give up their excess plants, offer to dig them up for them. You can also trade from the excesses in your own garden. 2) Plant perennials as they will come back year after year. If you decide to plant annuals, be sure to collect the seeds. For an excellent guide on collecting annual seeds for next spring's gardening, see The Weekend Gardener.

Jamie hates to kill anything. I think she mourns when she mows. She won't cut down a seedling or weed she thinks has potential unless she absolutely has too. This has actually proved fruitful. Be it through bird poop or wind, seedlings popped up that grew into trees. Mimosa trees we never had to buy, maples we only had to transplant, a mulberry tree that produces the most delicious berries you've ever tasted.  A new maple even came up by the stump of one that the previous owner had cut down. This is an awesome way to get free trees! Be selective in your mowing and weed eating. When the tree is old enough to handle it, you can transplant it to another location if necessary.

Baby Maple

Jamie has purchased trees in the past. Looking for the unwanted imperfect trees in the same way she looks for pets to rescue, she has acquired trees that with a little TLC and patience, became beautiful flowering trees. She does the same for houseplants and pays a fraction.

The final method she has used with success over the year is buying from The Arbor Day Foundation. For a $10 membership, you can get 10 "free" trees. You can choose from flowering trees, trees to attract wild birds, evergreens, red buds, autumn classics and more. The trees will be bare root and take some time to grow, but patience pays off in a big way. If the tree doesn't make it, they are replaced, for free. Not only can you get your "free" trees, but purchase other trees and shrubs at a good discount. We just planted 2 crape myrtle we ordered from them.

A once, unwanted tree

While you may think that it will take forever for these to grow, the tree in the foreground of the photo below was planted less than five years ago.

So as I crochet and wrestle with the cats and Jamie gives people the evil eye even though she's a teddy bear at heart, click on the link, and order those ten "free" trees. Then make sure no tree feels like an ugly, imperfect, unwanted tree. Patience and love always pay off.

Namaste and blessed be.

Arbor Day Tree

Quince

 

Jackpot! $12.50 for $125 worth of Clothes :)

OMG....OMG....OMG.....You know you've hit the jackpot when you find $125 worth of NEW clothes plus some beautiful slightly used summer dresses, 2 shirts for Amber (our daughter), 2 more shirt for Abigail (our dog), and several more pieces of clothing for $12.50.

I kid you not.

We arrived at the Community Clothes Closet thrift store before 9 am this morning only to find they didn't open until 10. Thankfully, we live close by so we went home and waited until 9:45. When we returned, the line outside the door was long. We grabbed a parking place in front of the apostolic church while people gave us the evil eye because they wanted our spot. Or maybe it was because of the "Born Again Pagan" bumper sticker on Jamie's car. Anyway, once we joined the crowd, the women waiting with us told us that come hell or high water, that door wouldn't open until 10 or even 10:05am. 

Inside, they teased us coming near the door and then walking away. It was torturous. We looked through the window scoping out the clothes making a plan of action in our minds. The door opened and we were sucked in by a vacuum of people. It was wonderful.

This is the fun of thrift store shopping. Its a treasure hunt.

Neither Jamie or I buy new clothes at big box or clothing stores unless we absolutely cannot find it anywhere else. If you've been reading our blog, you know that we found awesome deals of new clothes at TJ Maxx and Ross on items we hadn't been able to find in thrift stores.

But today was THRIFT STORE DAY. We were giddy.

Generally undergarments are an item that we always buy new. However, today at the Community Clothes Closet,  I found three new pieces of Cupid compression "foundation wear" (as I like to call undergarments).  These normally sell for about $15 each. I paid 50 cents each!  (And no, I'm not showing pictures of my undies).

Probably our most exciting finds included a new one piece Kathy Ireland bathing suit for $1 that is selling for $32 on Ebay. Next was the Liz Claiborne overalls with a MSRP on the tag of $49,  for only 50 cents.

We added these wonderful pieces to the mix for a total was $12.50!! Summer dresses, hippy wear, camisoles, workout gear, two shirts for Amber as I mentioned, and a Miami Ink t-shirt for Jamie.

Jamie's favorite score was an autographed copy of June Carter Cash's book Among My Klediments for 25 cents.

I needed to try on some of the clothes and went to the dressing room...that had no mirror. So I asked the ladies in nearby dressing rooms if they had a mirror. They did, so I decided to wait for one of those to open. Once one came open, I went inside. Apparently, no one realized I was there because a conversation ensued between the women on either side of me.  "I don't need no mirror to know how I look in my clothes cause I'm fat. But my husband doesn't call me fat. He calls me fluffy." The other woman answered, "Me either. That girl wouldn't try her clothes on without a mirror. Have mercy." 

Anyway, I walked away with a treasure trove that fit my unfluffy body just fine.

Thrift stores, consignment stores, and yard sales are very popular here in East Tennessee. While some people look down on purchasing used items, what they don't realize is that new items can be found there too. 

Thrift stores differ from consignment stores in one important way. Thrift stores generally raise money for charities with donated items. Consignment stores sell items on behalf of others and pocket a percentage of the profit for their troubles. They can be more selective in what they sell, but their items are more expensive. Here is an example of an item sold at a local consignment store:

                                                                                                              

   

In case you can't read the price, the original price of these Ed Hardy jeans was $240. (I know, I can't believe it either). The consignment store's price was $39.99. I don't know about you, but I would (and could) buy a closet full of clothes for that price. However, there is a customer for every type of store. 

Thrift stores often have awesome sales in addition to their already low prices. The selection changes often because they ask very reasonable prices. The Community Clothes Closet has a half-price sale the first Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of the month. That's how we hit the jackpot. Plus we met some nice, fluffy folks.

So shop smart. Shop thrifty.

THUNK! The Wall That Made Me Wiser

Hello all!!  We're still alive!!

Its been a few weeks since we've written, which gives us something pretty important to write about.

As you may recall, Jamie and I weight train. We love it. Two hours six days a week, including cardio.

That is, until I hit a wall.

Not a real wall, but a proverbial wall of complete and utter exhaustion.

Speaking of walls, within the walls of my body lies an auto-immune disease. I rarely speak of it, and few people know about it. It is a pesky little virus that mutated, called Chronic Epstein Barr Virus (or, for brevity's sake, CEBV.) I had been diagnosed approximately two years ago by an immunologist.

It is a very rare disease in the United States and Europe. It occurs more frequently in Asia and South America. It was found in my T cells, B cells, and NK (Natural killer) cells in my blood. While there is no cure, there is some concern that the outcome can be nasopharyngeal cancer or Burkett's lymphoma.

Epstein Barr Virus

At the time of my diagnosis, I had already lost 60 lbs and my doctor made it clear that I needed to lose the remainder of my weight (80 more lbs) and exercise every day until I sweated. He started me on supplements and vitamins as well as four injections per week to boost my immune system.

The CEBV activated allergies I didn't have before. Testing showed I was now allergic to every grass, tree, mold, mildew, and even my favorite fruits and vegetables. I had to purge my home of all chemicals, including home cleaners, shampoos, and soaps. Prepackaged, processed foods-gone. Sugar and sugar substitutes all gone because they could cause an inflammatory response.

Three years prior I had made many positive changes losing my weight slowly and keeping it off, but now I had to make more changes to extend, and in reality, save my own life. 

I had to change almost every aspect of my life, and I did.

I lost the weight, and kept going. As I lost the weight, ate healthier, and avoided those things I was allergic to, my CEBV went into remission. Unfortunately, I took it a bit too far.  I became underweight. I was obsessed with the scales and with exercising. My family and friends prompted me to see my family doctor and I agreed to go into treatment for an eating disorder. A team including my general practitioner, immunologist, and nutritionist, helped me.

However, as I struggled to comply with my nutritional needs, I still had the mindset that with exercising, more was better. Pushing my body through the pain only showed I was doing what I should be doing. I would lift weights, do cardio, and take additional classes 6 days a week. No pain, no gain, right?

I never stopped once to consider that I was pushing my body to the brink of madness. Over training led to over use injuries, but that was normal, wasn't it? Its not like it was permanent.

Then, BAM, it happened. The wall.

I could not get out of bed. I couldn't lift my head, couldn't move my legs. My body ached as it never had. I developed a severe skin rash. The fatigue and deep muscle pain never left. Nausea would surprise me at a moments notice. My right upper abdomen hurt terribly.

My worst fear.....my CEBV had re-activated and then some.

This rash covered a large portion of my body

Weeks of testing, doctor visits, emergency room visits followed.  Everything was tested. Full abdominal CT scans and ultrasounds, chest x-rays, thyroid x-rays, thyroid ultrasound, blood work, bone density scans, mammograms, a diagnostic colonoscopy with a 14 day prep. (14 DAY PREP!!!). All in all, I saw eight health professional (doctors/therapists/nutritionists/immunologist/gastroenterologist/nurse practitioners, yada, yada, yada).

In the end, we found that I had done permanent damage to my body. My liver is now enlarged. My colon is permanently damaged and I will have to be on medication for the rest of my life. The road to recovery is long. I am still exhausted. My employers, The Greater YMCA of Kingsport, who have been more than supportive, are allowing me to return to work slowly. I worked one day this week (as I will next) and came home and slept for hours. A long recovery, indeed.

I will soon start back on the injections to boost my immune system. I will probably have to be retested for food allergies. My doctor has limited my training to four days a week. My diet has had to change again.

I have learned the hard way the ill affects of over training and now I want to share it with others. I don't want anyone to go through what I experienced the last several weeks. 

The body has an intricate system of checks and balances. Chronic over training can lead to serious brain, muscle, and metabolic imbalances. Testosterone can decrease in men. The body's immune system in both men and women can become depressed and one may notice more upper respiratory infections and flu. Disturbed sleep, changes in mood, and persistent fatigue become apparent. When muscles are not allowed to rest appropriately, injuries result as well as poor muscle performance. You can become weaker. Not stronger. Rest makes you stronger because it allows the muscles you have broken down to repair themselves and grow. It is during sleep that growth hormones are at their highest.

Exercising more than four days a week does not allow the body to heal or muscles to grow and eventually it can lead to some serious problems. Even without my CEBV, I know I would have hit this wall. It was only when I hit that wall that I activated my CEBV.  Now I must live with that.

I'm determined to follow my doctor's advice, eat as my nutritionist suggests, and listen to my body.

Exercising is important for a healthy life. However, we only have one body. While it is healthy to have goals to reach for, its important to allow your body time to reach those goals and incorporate rest into your training regiment. I hope you can keep an open mind when examining your own approach to exercise. Be kind, gentle, and compassionate: please listen to your body. 

Jamie and I returned to the gym this week. Jamie hit her own wall during this time coming down with a fever of 103 degrees and then later injuring her back. We took turns taking care of one another. She was exhausted from the emotional roller coaster of it all as well.

It felt good being back in the gym and I was somewhat relieved knowing that I didn't have to push myself as hard as I had been pushing. I can still have the muscle gains with the four day a week program I have chosen and still be good to my body at the same time.

I only wish I had realized that sooner. I'm still a beast in the gym, just a much wiser beast than I was before.

The Treasury of Hippy Cost Savings Tips

We just emerged from our East Tennessee igloo and finally found our way back to Hippy on the Edge.

By the way, this hippy would like to throw patchouli icecycles at all climate change deniers before returning to my usual Buddhist self. OMMMMMM........

Hippy Patchouli Icecycles

But I digress.....

People have responded wonderfully to our cost saving tips, so we are dedicating this blog to some generalized tips we use all the time:


1) Window shopping is dangerous! Resistance is futile! (or fu-TILE for our fellow Trekkies). Its extremely difficult to window shop without actually shopping. I suppose you could leave your cash, checks, and credit cards at home if you're really determined.

2) Shop only one to two times a month. The more you shop, the more you buy. You need a plan.

3) Surprise! Get a plan. Keep a running list of things you need throughout the week(s). The night before you shop, organize the list in a way that makes sense to you. I organize by department.

4) Don't stray from the list you have made unless it is a food staple you know you can use at a great price. This can be exceptionally hard if you shop at salvage grocery stores, because there are so many awesome values, but get a grip on yourself.

5) Be willing to shop at more than one store.   Start with the salvage grocery stores for grocery items and thrift or consignment stores for other items.

6) Avoid the sales papers. Retailers advertise overstocks to get you into the store. Most of those items are junk and processed foods that you don't need, and in the end, you aren't really saving at all.

7) Learn the difference between a "need" and a "want". Sometimes that's harder than it sounds. You may feel like you need a new car, but can only afford a used car. You may be want a big screen television with surround sound and hundreds of channels, but can only afford Netflix on your laptop computer. You may want a closet full of designer wear, but you can only afford thrift store clothing. Don't feel bad about that. Be thankful for what you have.

8)  Live within your means. If you can't pay for it in full, don't buy it. Toss the credit cards away. While this may seem difficult to do, there is great freedom in not worrying about debt. You sleep much easier. While there may be exceptions such as transportation and house payments, give great thought before entering into a credit related transaction.

9) Reuse. Reduce. Recycle. Upcycle. Use cloth diapers instead of throwaway diapers. Not only is this good for the environment, its cheaper. While it is a bit more work, (I know, I did it with my daughter) the savings add up quickly. Instead of buying expensive storage containers, use cardboard boxes. The simple box below became an awesome protein bar dispenser. Turn paper towel holders into toys for your pets or make it the base for a suet bird feeder. Stop using toilet paper and buy a bidet. For tons of ideas for upcycling, Pinterest offers this list: Upcycling Ideas See our blog on inexpensive bidets Here.

10) Use items as long as they are usable and/or cannot be repaired anymore. This should not be a disposable society. My rice cooker may be held together with duct tape, but it has lasted me 25 years and counting.

11) Take care of what you have. Recently we bought new workout shoes. Those shoes are for use for the gym only and kept in their boxes when they are not on our feet. I still have my Birkenstock I bought more than 10 years ago. They have been resoled twice and are wonderfully comfortable.

12) Don't waste money on processed foods, but go back to the basics. Not only do processed foods negatively affect our health, and potentially increase our healthcare costs, but they cost more and give us less nutrition. Learn to rely on staples. Learn to cook real food. Shop the perimeter of the store where the healthier food is than the center aisles where the processed food can be found. $10 worth of food staples can make several meals, while $5 will barely buy a nutritionally incomplete and unhealthy frozen pizza. What if your microwave breaks during a snow storm? What will you eat? In our 2 week snow imprisonment, we ate well. Fresh fruits and vegetables and the necessary staples to make anything we needed. No microwave required. We still would have had plenty to eat without electricity. Does your shopping cart look more like Grand Central Junk Food or a fruit and vegetable stand?

13) If you can make it, don't buy it. Laundry detergent, hand soap, bleach alternative, household cleaners, shaving cream...all can be made with very simple and inexpensive ingredients. A few recipes can be found here with many more available online.

14) Never let anything go to waste. For instance, turn unused food items, leftovers, and more into highly nutritious and safe canned dog food. Ideas can be found here. 

15) Prioritize, plan, and comparison shop. If you know you will need some important items in the future, figure out what you will need first, plan far ahead and save money in small amounts long before the item is needed. Also buy out of season if possible. Consider buying smaller amounts of the item stretched over a longer period of time. For example, having our rescue, we need plenty of flea preventative in the summer months. We comparison shop for it online, particularly on Amazon and Ebay, and buy a little at a time beginning in the winter months. That way, the pains of purchase aren't so bad if spread out over several months time. We also use tips (shameless promotion ahead) from Jamie's book Secrets of a Vet Tech, available on Amazon.

It takes a while to change the way you think. We have developed this way of living over years and often, out of absolute necessity. Luckily this path brought Jamie and I together and it is wonderful to share this life with someone that shares your values.

Namaste and Blessed be. 

Haste Makes Waste, but Smart Hippies turn waste into safe, nutritious DOG FOOD!

One of the best ways to save money, is not to allow anything to go to waste if at all possible.

Having T.Paws Rescue and ARFranage in residence at our Whisper Creek farmhouse, we have a lot of mouths to feed. Just as we try to maintain a healthy diet for ourselves, we try to do the same for our animals. While purchasing more expensive kibble is not financially easy for us, two things make it possible.

1) Higher quality kibble is more nutritionally dense allowing us to feed less while still getting the tummies full and proper nutrition provided.
2) Adding our leftovers that are nutritionally proper and in amounts that will not cause intestinal upset. This allows us to replace some of their kibble with something we have already purchased and save money on dog food.

While Jamie covers the both in great detail in her book Secrets of a Vet Tech II: A Low Cost Pet Care Guide for Pet Parents, Animal Shelters, Rescues, & Homesteaders,   (coming Spring 2015), I would like to explain how the second one works in our house hold and saves us money while providing excellent nutrition to our pets. 

Prior to getting our groceries, we must clean out the refrigerator to make room for the new stuff. Its amazing what you can forget you have. In the last clean out, we discovered raw carrots and apples that had become too soft for our taste, celery, organic turkey broth, organic baked chicken breast, some leftover rice, acorn squash, egg muffins, and egg shells from our boiled eggs. 

A few notes about these foods before I go on. You have to know what is unhealthy and/or toxic to your pets when you are going through this process.   It is also important to note that regular non-organic chicken breast adds fillers to their meat to "plump up" the chicken. It is generally high in sodium among other things. Its why we chose organic only. Also note that apple pits and seeds can be toxic. Remove them before you add your apples.
 
Below you will find a list from Jamie's book to help guide you in foods to avoid. While we mostly use the food we make for our dogs, I have included the list for cats as well.

Food/Drinks Toxic or Problematic to Dogs:

• Chocolate – bakers chocolate is the most toxic; can cause seizures and death
• Caffeine products like coffee/tea – similar effect as chocolate
• Grapes and Raisins - cause liver damage
• Macadamia Nuts and Walnuts- can cause weakness, paralysis, avoid nuts in general, but it seems that occasional peanut butter is okay
• Onions and Onion Powders – destroy red blood cells causing anemia
• Xylitol- a sweetener in many chewing gums and other products, can cause liver failure
• Pits of Fruits such as peaches, cherries, and apples- contains cyanide; rest of the fruit okay
• Tomato plant and/or green tomatoes – can cause heart issues (member of nightshade family)
• Avocados/guacamole -can cause breathing difficulty and fluid accumulation
• Alcohol – causes liver damage, but is much more toxic in dogs than in humans because they are much smaller
• Fatty meats- meats in very limited amounts are okay, but there is a reason the rates of pancreatitis (which causes vomiting/diarrhea) increase at Thanksgiving when a turkey is on the table. MODERATION IS THE KEY
• Yeast dough- especially bad for dogs prone to bloat as it can expand in the stomach and cause torsion
• Mushrooms – safely assume most of the mushrooms in your yard are poisonous and get rid of them

Food/Drinks Toxic or Problematic for Cats:

• Milk- Most cats are lactose intolerant. It can cause major stomach upset. Cat milk from the pet store is an occasional okay treat. According to Linda P. Case, MS, adjunct assistant professor at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine and author of The Cat: Its Behavior, Nutrition, and Health. The only time cats are exposed to lactose is while they are nursing, so, much like humans, as they get older they can develop lactose intolerance. The issue can cause acute diarrhea. (http://pets.webmd.com/cats/guide/cats-and-dairy-get-the-facts)
• Tuna- although put in some cat foods, giving straight canned tuna on a regular basis can lead to yellow fat disease (steatitis). It can also lead to mercury poisoning. Most vets say a little bit occasionally is okay, but a regular diet of tuna is not.
• Liver- again in moderation as too much can lead to Vitamin A toxicity.
• Onions, Chives, Garlic-while garlic and chives simply cause stomach upset, onions can cause anemia
• Grapes and Raisins-can cause kidney failure in cats
• Caffeine and Alcohol – both can be deadly to cats, and there is really no antidote. It takes very little of either to cause death.
• Chocolate, Candy, Gum- Just like with dogs, theobromide in chocolate is life threatening. Xylitol found in candy and gum can be extremely toxic, eventually leading to liver failure if severe enough
• Raw eggs, meat and fish-the dangers in all of these is how it affects Vitamin B, one affecting the absorption of Vitamin B and the other destroying an important component of Vitamin B
• Raw Yeast Dough-once dough is consumed, it swells in the stomach and can cause lots of pain. Another interesting component of this is that the process to digest dough turns it into alcohol which can cause alcohol poisoning.

Now, with that in mind, I sliced the carrots and apples (making sure to leave the core and seeds of the apples out), added the organic chicken and turkey broth, and a little water, brought it to a boil and simmered it for 2 hours. 
 
Once cooked, Jamie added the other ingredients with some day old bread and processed it in the food processor until it was well mixed. 

The result was our own home made "canned" food. It make a LOT of food.  In fact, it made over 7 lbs of food that would have been considered "waste" in many households, and dumped in trash or down the garbage disposal. Smart hippies!!!

Then we stored it in the refrigerator. It will need to be used it within the next 5 days since we are not freezing part of it (although it can be frozen if you have fewer pets). 

The photo below shows you just how much food was made using this process. Jamie stored it in a large recycled red protein powder container. 

Sometimes Jamie does this in smaller portions. For instance, if we have salad leftovers (that have none of the toxic-to-dog ingredients in it), Jamie will throw the leftovers in the Ninja blender, add vegetable or low salt organic chicken broth, and blend for the next day's feeding.

For some of you, this probably brings two questions to mind. 

1) Why can't this be the primary food you feed your dogs
2) How can you avoid tummy upset from "people food". 

As Jamie explained to me, pet food must be nutritiously balanced. While one can make home made dog food with proper instruction, simply feeding leftovers do not qualify as properly balanced food. The point I am making in this blog is how to utilize, rather than waste, food. 

To avoid intestinal upset, a few guidelines must be followed. Be careful of the ingredients used and avoid fatty and spicy foods. Slowly acclimate your pet to eating a kibble diet with this home made addition. Use only a small amount per feeding. In the beginning, it is a helpful to add plain yogurt to the diet. 

Since we feed so many pets, Jamie finds it easiest to mix the food in a large bowl and divide the food according to weight of the pet. The following pictures show you her process in feeding the dogs. A few of our dogs take medication, so that step is additional. 

She used only about 2/3 the amount of kibble

Mixed well with a little hot water

Add the proper amounts to the bowls

Stack in order food is to be given and add medication to bowl as prescribed

 Our goal as Hippies on the Edge is to find the most efficient and ethical way to live that helps reduce our impact on the environment, produce less waste, help others, and live happy, fulfilled lives. Sometimes, its the little details that allow us to do this. Stay tuned for more cost saving tips to come!

And now for some reason, I feel it important to feed the cat.

Beast Mode Shopping Leads to JACKPOT!

O.M.G. I feel like the wellness fashionista and a super duper shopper after our jackpot find this weekend.

As I have said before, Jamie and I weight train. We work out for at least two hours 5-6 days a week and the things we need include workout wear, protein bars and protein powder. 

If it can be found at thrift stores and salvage groceries, we are thrilled, but sometimes, we simply cannot find them, particularly protein powder. However, saving big in several other areas allows us to have a little extra cash for those items we can't get at salvage grocery stores. Combine that with some serious comparison shopping and we make it work. 

In regards to workout gear, Jamie is happy in tank tops and shorts as she focuses mostly on weight lifting, saving her cardio for recumbent bike and lap swimming. My workout requires cardio acceleration which means one set of weight lifting followed by one minute of intense cardio work, then immediately back to weight lifting. I repeat this process throughout the workout. People say I'm a beast in the gym. I'm also a beast in the store.

Anyway, in addition to deodorant, being a beast in the gym requires proper support and compression which only comes in the form of compression gear.   

During our shopping day this past Friday, we happened to be in JCPenny as we were taking a short cut through to the mall. We decided to see what the compression shorts would cost there. Jamie cursed (more specifically "What kind of !@#$% dumb*** spends $40 for this @#$%%).  I nearly fainted (not from the cursing diatribe, but from the price).

So after escaping JCPennies and the mall, following our AWESOME trip to salvage groceries (which I will tell you about in a minute), we decided to try TJ Maxx and Ross, looking for compression gear.

I'll let the pictures speak for themselves, otherwise I'll get just too darn giddy talking about it. 

Underarmor: MSRP $57.99 only $24.99

Puma: MSRP $24.00 only $7.99

Reebok: MSRP $35.00 only $6.49

Adidas:MSRP $16.00 only $6.99

In addition to the items in the photos above, we scored a $42.00 Calvin Klein toboggan for $5.00 and  a $30 pack of puppy pads for $12.99, and good quality weight lifting gloves for $6.99. All of this at TJ Maxx and Ross.

At the risk of sounding like a weird infomercial personality, I will say it.....wait, there's more!!! I'll even post a cool picture saying the same thing just to keep your attention.

<-----------------------------------------See?

In our trip to our salvage grocery stores we found protein bars, normally $2.00 (or more) each for...wait for it...10 cents each! You read it right.

McCoy's sold us a case of 173 protein bars for $17.00. In addition we found boxes of other brands at 6 bars per box for $1.49 each, and Think Thin bars only 39 cents a bar. We couldn't make our own protein bars for that price! Keep in mind, these are good quality bars that are not outdated or stale.

In case you are wondering why protein is so important for us as we weight train and why we are so freaking excited, here is what protein does for the body:

"Protein is used for the production of muscles. Proteins are also used to manufacture hormones, enzymes, cellular messengers, nucleic acids, and immune-system components. Without adequate protein, our bodies can't put together the structures that make up every cell, tissue, and organ, nor can it generate the biochemical substances needed for cardiovascular function, muscle contraction, growth, and healing.... " Delivering protein to your muscles immediately after a workout allows it to  "begin healing the "micro tears" (very small tears in the muscle tissue, caused by intense contraction of the muscle during workout) in the muscle." (from Bodybuilding.com)

Being vegetarians, it has the added benefit of ensuring enough protein in our diet.

So while I decide if I'm hot and hyper with excitement or a middle age hot flash, please feel free to marvel at the savings.