Savvy Brown

DIY Workouts on a Budget

Savvy — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 23:06:44 +0000

One of my New Year’s Resolutions (like half the country) is to shed a few pounds. But another New Year’s Resolution is to stick to a budget! A third New Year’s resolution is to keep things simple. That’s means I’m not going to pay for a gym membership that I will barely use, I will take exercise seriously, but I’m not spending half the day doing it. What I have been doing lately is a combo of cardio on my elliptical machine at home, along with a series of DIY workouts I’ve cobbled together from my new favorite hangout Pinterest. I’ve actually been doing twice-daily workouts of at minimum, 25 minutes, and usually max 40 mins.

I really don’t have a lot of time (or money) I can spare right now, so this works for me.

So far, this method, along with eating healthier, keeping a food diary and counting calories I’ve been able to drop about 5 pounds since the beginning of the year. Yaaay!!

So here’s what I do:

In the morning I do ONE of the following workouts:

Level 2 or 3 of Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred – It’s like 22 minutes of P90X or Insanity but it’s less reps, without all the screaming…and like $200 cheaper.

OR I do a combo of one of the following workouts for 25 minutes:

Then in the evening, when I get back from work, I “wind down” by watching one of my favorite shows for 30 mins straight on the elliptical machine going at a moderate pace, or, if I have the energy, rolling hills or intervals.

That’s it! I’ve been doing this method at least 5 times a week since December and right now it’s working for me, because I totally have exercise ADD. I get bored easily, and I really need to mix things up in order to stay motivated. Also, even when the workout gets hard, I keep going, cuz I’m like “It’s only 20 minutes, come on!” I happen to already have free weights and an elliptical machine), but if you’re really on a tight budget, just start by doing one of the calisthenic workouts above.

But GET MOVING!

My goal is to lose 20 pounds by July. Wanna see my before pictures?

Nope. Not gonna happen. Nice try though.

For more workout ideas, check out my Workout Page on Pinterest. (Check back often, I find new stuff all the time!)

My gear:

Eco Workout Mat

Free Weights

Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred
Elliptical Machine

What’s your budget DIY workout?

(Oh, and if you want to join Pinterest, just leave me a comment below with your email address, and I’ll send you an invite!)

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Savvy’s Banana Almond Java Breakfast Smoothie

Savvy — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:14:44 +0000

I was in a hurry the other morning and lamented the fact that I really wanted a smoothie for breakfast. I also hadn’t gotten much sleep and I really needed some coffee, and then this happened…

Savvy’s Banana Almond Java Breakfast Smoothie

Ingredients:

1/2 cup brewed coffee (cooled)
1/2 large banana
1/4 cup almond milk
1 tbsp almond butter
3 tbsp Amaretto flavored creamer (or whatever you favorite flavored creamer is)
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
handful of ice

Throw everything in the blender (ice first) and let the magic happen.

This makes a really filling breakfast that gives me enough energy to get to lunch without a snack sometimes! If you don’t want the caffeine, don’t add the coffee and it still tastes great!

cal: 385; protein: 8g; carbs: 46g

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Review: Shea Moisture Organic Shea Butter Shampoo

Savvy — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 20:00:06 +0000

I kept passing this stuff whenever I was at Target, because I remember the old Shea Moisture brand, (remember the ones in the white bottles with the red and green lettering?) and they were chock full of icky ingredients. Then one day someone asked me had I tried their reformulated shampoo and I got curious. I’d already tried their Deep Treatment Masque, and I really like it. So I thought I’d check the shampoo out for you guys. Here’s my review:

Shea Moisture Organic Raw Shea Butter Moisture Retention Shampoo (12 oz.) $9.99

Ingredients: De-ionized water, Decyl Glucoside (sugar beets), African Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea butter) (denotes certified organic ingredients), aloe vera leaf juice, Argan Oil, Panthenol (pro-vitamin B-5, rosemary extract, sea kelp extract, vitamin E, Lonicera Caprifolium (honeysuckle) flower and Lonicera Japonica (Japanese honeysuckle) flower extract.

Ok so, I separated my hair into sections and washed each section with this stuff, concentrating mostly on my scalp and well wow. First of all, a little goes a long way. It really
suds up! Which made me nervous enough to re-read the ingredients like 5 times to make sure that it didn’t have any sulfates in it.

It doesn’t.

I really judge shampoos by how well they clean my scalp, because I don’t really put much on my hair when I use them. (Unless I’m rinsing out some crazy product I’ve tried). I use my conditioner for that. This product really got my scalp clean on the first try! I also don’t believe in shampooing more than once.(I read somewhere, that that’s just a manufacturer’s claim to get you use up more of the product more quickly). It was extremely emollient with a lot of slip. So much, in fact, that I was able to finger detangle the section BEFORE I used my Trader Joe’s Condish and detangling comb to finish the job!.

On top of that, my skin felt great! In fact, I’ve used this shampoo as a body wash a couple of times, I love the scent and the shea butter really softens my skin. I even squirt a little on my pumice stone at the end of a shower to scrub at my heels and elbows. Nice!

RATING: 5 Savvy!* – Great product, great ingredients, great price, multi-use!

You can find this product in bulk at the Savvy Shop

*Savvy Ratings: 5=Savvy 4=Smart 3=Suitable 2=Satisfactory 1=Stupid

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Big Chunky Knitted Cowl Pattern

Savvy — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 16:11:58 +0000

I’ve had several people ask me where I get some of the knitwear that I’ve posed in on the site, and to be honest, I can’t usually find exactly what I want, so I end up making it a lot of the time. I knit and crochet and I find them both to be extremely therapeutic and calming. I learned to knit from my grandmother and to (properly) crochet from my aunt. I mostly make accessories, because I don’t really have the attention span for a sweater, (sorry Nana). So here’s the first in a series of patterns I’ll be posting this season. Enjoy!

Big Chunky Knitted Cowl Pattern by Savvy Brown

Skill Level: Easy

Wool: Brown Sheep Lamb’s Pride Bulky
(or any super chunky wool you want to try)

Colors: – 2 skein Chianti, 2 skeins Brown Heather

Gauge: – 3 sts = 1” on US 10.5 circular needle
(told ya it was bulky)

Pattern:
Starting with the Chianti yarn:

Cast on 70 sts. Carefully join the row without twisting the stitches K1,p1 for 3 rows. Then Stockinette stitch for 28 rows.

On row 29, start knitting with the Brown yarn, leaving a bit of a tail that you can weave in later. P across the full length of row. Then Reverse Stockinette Stitch for 18 rows.

Stockinette Stitch for 3 rows. Reverse Stockinette 2 rows. Stockinette Stitch for 3 rows. Cast off. Weave in ends.

The finished product looks like this!

When you wear it, you fold one side down, so all the stitches match! It’s also big enough to wear as a hood if you want, and it’s nice an wide so it won’t mess up your ‘do! Tada!

Notes: I’m a “loose” knitter, so I tend to use needles one size smaller than what is suggested on the yarn package for the proper gauge. Also, if you’re not comforatble using a circular needle, then use straight ones, and work the pattern back and forth. You’ll just need to whipstitch the end together when you’re finished.

Hope this all makes sense! (It’s the first time I’ve actually written out a pattern). Please let me know if I missed something!

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12 Ways to Fight the Holiday Crazies

Savvy — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 15:30:20 +0000

Don’t let the holidays make you crazy, broke or gain 30 pounds. That’s just putting more pressure on those New Year’s Resolutions you never keep. Here’s 12 ways to stay sane this holiday season with out breaking the bank, (or your cousin’s arm).

Shop online – There’s absolutely no reason to stand online for hours on end and fight the holiday crowds anymore. Not when just about everything we own can be ordered online. So save yourself the headache and cybershop this season. You easily find coupons for kinds of items at sites like Retail Me Not, Coupon Cabin, Current Codes, DealCatcher
Regift – Got a gift from someone already that doesn’t suit you but would be perfect for a co-worker? Regift! The only time this is not a good idea, when the original giver is present when you make the exchange.
Gift Cards – Have and uncle that needs everything but wants nothing? Yep. Time for a gift car. Some of the most generic to choose from are at Amazon. Check out Savvy Amazon Gift Cardsfor simple, last-minute gift giving.
Gift Yourself first – Don’t go crazy with this one. But don’t forget about yourself this holiday season. And it doesn’t need to be a physical gift either. How about getting a massage after a day of shopping? Or giving your self a facial and a bubble bath the evening before you visit the family.
Just Walk Away – Only friends and family can drive us that special brand of crazy. Don’t participate in negative behavior from attention seeking people. Walk away from arguments, ignorant, mean and (especially) drunk people. It’s not worth it and the anger alone will take years off your life. The best revenge? Live longer.
New Year’s Cards – Many of my friends and clients don’t celebrate Christmas, and I got tired of running around like a crazy person trying to get Christmas cards out in time. Now I just send out little notes that say “Happy New Year” and I mail them all the first week of January. much.less.stressful.
Get Creative – Just because a gift is handmade does NOT mean that it has to look like your child’s 3rd grade art project. (Which is genius by the way!) Use your crafty skills to make some great gifts this season. Knit, crochet, sew, give recipes or even things like cookies in a jar. Not crafty? You can still DIY gifts
Group Host a Party – These tough financial times can really stress you out. But you’ve gotta see your friends right? Well group-host a party, or have a potluck between Thanksgiving and Christmas or between Christmas and New Years so that the “day of” holiday pressure is off.
Eat Smaller Meals – Invited to a bunch of dinner/office parties? Don’t wanna go broke? Don’t want to gain 40 pounds over the holidays? Order smaller portions at dinner like a side dish or an appetizer. And drink a TON of water. Better yet. Eat dinner at home before hand and make your favorite low-cal dessert for yourself when you get home.
Get Sleep – This really is of vital importance to keep your immune system running at its optimal best. It’s a great way to handle stress, so if you’re not at a party, then get some rest, so that you can be.
Workout – Don’t wait until the New Year to get fit. This is the best stress reliever ever. What I’ve been doing is squeezing in two 20 minute workouts a day for no longer than 20 minutes. I workout with Jillian Michaels in the AM, then after work, I hop on my elliptical machine and watch one of my favorite shows. I can’t seem to spare an hour in my day, but 20 minutes I can do.
Volunteer - Don’t cook. Don’t clean. Don’t worry about your dad putting the silver-edged wedding china in the microwave (ahem). Go out and help someone else, and then catch up with friends or family later for a quick visit.

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DIY Winter Foodie Masks

Savvy — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 00:20:24 +0000

When the temperature drops, I tend tend to drink less water, (because I’m cold!) and my skin suffers. So I’ve gone back to my weekly facial routine, and it’s really helped a lot. My favorite part of the pampering ritual is the mask. It always leaves my face feeling so refreshed, even Sexy noticed a difference! Below are three of my favorites:

Bentonite Clay and Oil Mask

1 heaping tbsp of Bentonite Clay
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp of olive, coconut OR Jojoba Oil

Mix until well blended into a smooth creamy paste, apply to whole face and neck. Leave on for 30 mins. Use a warm wet washcloth to remove.
Honey and Spice Mask

2 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp teaspoon of nutmeg

Mix into a brown thick paste. Apply the mask to your face and neck. Leave on for 30 mins. Wash it off with warm water, scrubbing softly in circular motion for exfoliation. (Note: I wouldn’t exfoliate before doing this mask, the nutmeg will exfoliate on it’s own and you don’t want to over do it!)

Honey-Mayo Mask

1 tbsp raw honey warmed up in water
1 tbsp mayonaise

Put the honey in a glass or ceramic dish into a pot with just enough water to cover the bottom of the dish. (The bowl shouldn’t float!) Let the water heat up until the honey turns almost clear and is smooth. Carefully remove the bowl with tongs or an oven mitt and let cool for 1 minute before mixing with the mayonnaise. The mixture will be opaque and creamy like icing. Apply to face and neck and allow to sit for 30 minutes. Wipe off with a warm washcloth.

Benefits:

Honey is an excellent antioxidant and moisturizer, and is very gently so it’s excellent for sensitive skin!

Mayonaise has both protein (egg) and oils (olive oil) which thirsty skin just drinks up and helps revitalize skin cells.

Cinnamon is excellent for blood flow, and brings blood to the surface of the skin, plumping it. It should never be applied raw, because it’s strong, it should always be mixed with a carrier such as live oil or honey.

Nutmeg is a natural anti-inflammatory and has been used for years in the treatment of acne. Also should not be applied alone, but with a carrier such as honey or oil.

Bentonite Clay (also known as Montmorillonite) is an edible clay from naturally occurring volcanic ash sediments, and contains over 70 trace minerals. It has a myriad of skin benefits, and I wrote a post last year about how I use Bentonite clay in my hair. On the skin, Bentonite clay draws impurities to the surface so that they can be removed from the body. (Note: Some people may see more pimples after their first Bentonite clay mask. As long as your skin is not stinging or burning, the clay is working properly! Your skin is reacting to the toxins being pulled out of it, don’t worry, it will calm down after a couple of uses).

The best things about all of these recipes is that you can easily find most of the ingrediens in your kitchen for free!

Buy Bentonite Clay here.

DISCLAIMER: I am not a qualified dermataologist. Please check with your doctor before trying any of the above recipes to make sure you are not allergic to any of the ingredients.

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Review: Wonder Curl Butter than Love

Savvy — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 17:56:03 +0000

My girl Scarlett is back with some new products in the Wonder Curl line and I couldn’t wait to try them! I’ve reviewed and done giveaways on her Wonder Curl Get Set Hair Jelly here on the blog, and so I was excited when she told me that she was coming out with another product call Butter Than Love. It comes in two formulations: pudding and whipped. Here, I’ll review both:

Wonder Curl Butter than Love Whipped 4oz. $12.00

Ingredients:
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Castor Oil, Shea Butter, Caprylic/Capric/Stearic Glycerides,Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Acrylates/C-10 Alkyl Acrylates, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin

Although some of the ingredients aren’t 100% natural, the product does not contain any sulfates, parabens, cones, mineral oil, or petrolatum. I also know for a fact that Scarlett makes this product in her kitchen, where I’m sure she wouldn’t be handling any harmful chemicals!

This product is thick and rich and emollient. I like using thicker products on freshly washed damp hair because I think they lock in the moisture better because since they have less water in them, there’s less to evaporate. (I would say that I have 4a/4b hair with 4c back in my “kitchen”.) I damp twisted my hair with this product and added a dab of [WonderCurl Get Set Hair Jelly] to about 11 medium-large sized twists (because it was really humid and rainy out) and let them air dry. In the morning, I untwisted and fluffed and got these fab results!

My curls were nice and defined, but did shrink a bit (which I don’t mind) and were definitely tight that first day. After a couple of days they loosened up a bit.

Wonder Curl Butter than Love Pudding 4oz. $12.00

Ingredients
*Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Castor Oil, Cetyl Alcohol, Shea Butter, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Acrylates/C-10 Alkyl Acrylates

Now this product is a little thinner, has less chemicals and reminds me of the consistency of thick conditioner. I used this mid-week last week when my twist out was in need of a little TLC, and my hair felt a little dry. I spritzed each section with a little Oyin Handmade and slicked each section with Love Pudding before twisting. This product alone, doesn’t seem to provide much hold, so again I paired it with WonderCurl Get Set Hair Jelly, and twisted up 10 or 11 sections.

The results were soft moisturized hair that extended my twist out a few more days before wash day. I also like smoothing this product on my edges before I put a scarf on to smooth out my up dos.

RATING: 4 Smart! – Good ingredients, great price, curls looked great, will buy again!*

*Savvy Ratings: 5=Savvy 4=Smart 3=Suitable 2=Satisfactory 1=Stupid

FULL DISCLOSURE: These products were sent to me free of charge, but I was NOT compensated for this review. For more info about this product, please see info below.

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Sweet Vegan Cornbread

Savvy — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 22:20:55 +0000

I’m always looking for recipes that can make enough to last more than one day, something vegan for Sexy, or can be eaten over more than one meal. This is all three! I adapted this from a recipe I found on allrecipes. This corn bread isn’t dessert sweet, but it’s definitely not bland either. Now, some purists might say that corn bread should never be sweet.

I disagree.

But, for those of you who subscribe to that point of view, feel free to decrease the sugar in this recipe.

Sweet Vegan Cornbread Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal (I like the real stone ground stuff, not Quakers)
3/4 cup turbinado sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
1.5tsp Ener-G egg replacer plus 2 tbsp of warm water*
1 cup soy milk or almond milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray or grease a 9 inch round cake pan or cast iron skillet (I like using my mom’s old skillet for this!)
In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt and baking powder.
Ina small bowl pour warm water into egg replacer and stir until well blended and thick (like batter)
Stir egg substitute mixture, milk and vegetable oil into dry ingredients until well combined.(Don’t over mix! The batter will be a little lumpy) Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean.

I enjoy eating a small slice of this bread solo for breakfast with a dab of butter and preserves, or even in the afternoon as a snack with tea. I think I’ll whip up a batch Thanksgiving morning, so I won’t be tempted to take a slice out of the pie before dinner!

*You could also use 1 egg for a non-vegan version

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Simple Vegetarian Stuffed Pepper Recipe

Savvy — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 19:38:21 +0000

This is a great weeknight dish to make and is simpler than you think! It’s basically a rice and bean dish served in bell peppers. The whole thing takes little over an hour to make, and only 35 minutes if you’re using pre-cooked rice!

Simple Vegetarian Stuffed Pepper Recipe

Ingredients

1 can of black beans
1 jar of chunky salsa (any heat, I prefer medium)
1 can corn
1 1/2 cups brown rice
3 cups vegetable broth
1 med onion chopped
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp dried oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp dried cilantro or 2 tbsps fresh
8 small bell peppers (any color)

Directions

In a large saucepan cook onion and garlic in hot oil over medium heat about 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Stir in broth. Bring to boiling, then add uncooked rice, oregano, black pepper, salt, and paprika. Simmer, covered, about 40 minutes or until rice is tender. Remove from heat and stir in all the rest of the ingredients except for the peppers.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice tops off of the bell peppers and remove and discard seeds. In a 3-quart rectangular baking dish, arrange peppers in a single layer. Spoon rice mixture into sweet peppers; place pepper tops back on top. Pour about a 1/2 cup of water into the bottom of the dish, and bake, covered lightly with foil about 30 minutes or until peppers are crisp-tender and rice mixture is well heated.

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Savvy DIY Cable Organization

Savvy — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 19:47:47 +0000

In my continuing quest to organize stuff in our home, I had pushed cable organization to the top of the list. Both my husband and I have a couple of laptops, not mention various video game systems each with its own set of cables. I was tired of not being able to find the correct cable when I needed it, or resorting to a dusty game of twister when something blew behind the TV and spending an hour trying to find the right cord, before I could troubleshoot the problem. These ideas helped us, and maybe they’ll help you too!

image from unpluggd

Cables Under the Desk – You know those little plastic thingys that keep the bread bag closed? Well they make EXCELLENT cable holders/labelers! Put one near the outlet and another up near the top of the cord at the back of your monitor, computer, drive, cable box, video game…whatever. This negates the need to play cable roulette whenever you have to move a drive or find out why the XBox isn’t working.

image from diyphotography.com

Cables On the desk – I use binder clips for everything as you can see from [this post]. But they’re really come in handy when I’m trying to organize the cables up on my desk. Just clip one to the back or side of your desk and snake your USB, fire-wire or even your phone charger cable right through it. That way it’s always within reach, and you can avoid c”able yoga”" trying to reach around and under the desk plugging things in.

image from lifehacker aus.

Cable Storage – I’ve been using empty single toilet paper rolls for awhile now to hold the cable for the iron, the hairdryer and the toaster. But I never thought of collecting a few for multiple cord management! Take multiple empty toilet paper rolls, (or cut a few paper towel rolls into thirds), and fit into a shallow box. Like a shoebox. Fold up each cable and push through the rolls, label each roll accordingly and place in the box. We currently have an ugly wall hanger full of a spaghetti full of cables for all kinds of things. I might get another box just to hold all the game controllers. I can’t wait to try this!

What are some your cheap/handy cable storage ideas?

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