e-mealz

Do you dread figuring out what you'll eat for dinner?

Do you feel like you are eating the same meals over and over?

Does menu planning bore you?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, boy do I have something to show you. There's hope for all of us who like to cook, but dread all the planning and shopping that accompany it. Let me introduce you to E-mealz.

E-mealz is an online service that does all your menu planning so you can spend more time with family and less time in the grocery store aisles.

For only $5 a month, the talented team at E-mealz creates weekly dinner menus based on your grocery store's weekly specials. Not only do they provide the menu, but a shopping list categorized by aisle.

I have no problem paying $5 for someone else to scour the weekly grocery specials and then create a dinner menu. It's still saving me time and money!

Oh, and no need to worry if you are on a special diet. They have several plans to choose from, such as Low-Fat, Gluten Free, Portion Control, Vegetarian and Low Carb.

If you don't have a Kroger, Publix, Aldi, Walmart or Ralph's in your area, you can still save time and money by using their Any-Store meal plan.

After hearing about E-mealz from Dave Ramsey, Mr. Price and I decided to give it a shot. E-mealz requires you to buy a three month subscription, but you can cancel anytime before the next quarter to discontinue.

I've been pretty pleased with the service. The recipes are easy and not time consuming. Now that I am working two part-time jobs, I don't want to come home and cook a complicated meal. I haven't been crazy about every single recipe, but all in all I think it's a wonderful service and has been a great help!

If you decide to try E-mealz, please comment and let us know how you like it.

I LOVE

madewell


jcrew


emersonmade

STRIPES

lately, i've really been drawn to stripes. check out more of my faves at anthropologie, old navy, jcrew and loft. and loft again.

2nd Helpings - a new local favorite

The Rescue Mission is a big deal in Roanoke. It's actually the largest rescue mission in the state of Virginia. I've actually heard that because Roanoke has such great programs for the poor, many other cities in Virginia bus their poor and homeless to Roanoke so they can receive adequate care.

The Rescue Mission often provides shelter for over 300 people each night. It also offers meals, health care and a recovery program for addicts.

As you can imagine, none of this would be possible without generous donations and committed volunteers. The Mission operates two stores to help generate income, The Thrift Store and 2nd Helpings.

2nd Helpings has quickly become one of my favorite places to visit. I've been volunteering there since October 2010. All items sold at the Thrift Store and 2nd Helpings are donated by local citizens plus a few local corporations.

2nd Helpings is a shop, gallery and cafe all in one. The shop receives all the "up-scale" donations received by the mission. It's not uncommon to find big name labels. Needless to say there are many bargains to be had!

The shop is set up just a like a department store. You'll find men's, women's and children's clothing. Accessories such as shoes, ties, belts and jewelry can also be found. There's an excellent selection of home decor, linens and furniture.

One hot item the shop sells is Orvis dog beds! Orvis is a big contributor of dog accessories and home furniture. If you've ever perused an Orivs catalog or store, you know what quality items they have. At 2nd Helpings you can find these items at a third of the original price.

Domestications and The Company Store are two other businesses that occasionally donate items.

The gallery and cafe like to support local artists and suppliers. You'll find paintings, drawings, photography, pottery and hand-made jewelry in the gallery, all from local artists.

The cafe features bagels from the Roanoke Bagel Company and ice cream from the local dairy, Homestead Creamery. The food is delicious! I've never been disappointed. My favorite items are the homemade soups and the Drumstick Dash, which features Boar's Head turkey, sweet raspberry aioli, creamy brie cheese and field greens on a whole wheat wrap.

It is certainly a pleasure shopping at 2nd Helpings. Where else can you find great merchandise, be inspired by great artwork and satisfy your hungry appetite, all while supporting a worthy cause?

The shop, gallery and cafe are open Monday - Saturday 10 am - 5 pm.

If you are in the Roanoke area and haven't stopped by 2nd Helpings, you are really missing out! I can't wait to take my family when they make their next visit!

A Wish List

I love to take pictures! Mostly because I like to document even the most insignificant occasions. I own a Nikon D70, but most of the time I'm not sure what to do with it. I usually just set it to aperture priority, and hope I get lucky.

After spending lots of time browsing blogs with great photography, I've come up with a little photography wish list. Photography is no cheap hobby! All those interchangeable lenses, accessories, books and one stylish bag to keep it all in, will put a dent in your budget.

But I don't see any harm in dreaming.

Take a look at my wish list, and please feel free to leave a comment about your favorite photography gear!



1. Kelly Moore Posey Bag - When I am out and about with my camera, I am usually carrying a very old camera bag, plus my purse. This Posey bag not only looks great, but would eliminate the need to fool with two bags. It has room for a couple of lenses plus the camera body. The front section is perfect for personal items like credit cards and lip gloss. I love the slate grey color!

2. Nikon D90 - I would love to upgrade my Nikon D70 to this D90. The D90 is a newer model with enhanced features including video.

3. Canon PowerShot G12. I would love to have a camera that I could just throw in my purse and have ready at a moment's notice. I don't carry my D70 everywhere I go because it is so big and bulky. I have read some really great things about this Canon. It's a point and shoot, but with manual controls. One of my favorite bloggers uses it, and so does Martha Stewart!




4. Nikon ML-L3 Remote - I'd love a remote control. It would be so much easier than setting the self-timer. It would also help me take sharper shots by reducing camera movement.

5. Nikon Zoom Normal- Telephoto 55-200mm/f4-5 - I bookmarked this lens, but don't exactly know why. I'm sure that some blogger has it in their collection. From reading the customer reviews, it looks like a good lens for shooting sports, and taking pictures from a distance.

6. AF Nikkor 35mm f/2.0D - This is one of Pioneer Woman's favorite lenses. It is a prime lens which means it does not zoom. If you want a close up you have to actually get your camera closer to the subject. If you want to include more of the surroundings, you have to create more distance between you and your subject. Right now I own a 50mm/f1.4, which is also a prime lens. I think I'd like the 35mm, because it would give me more focal length.



If I ever want to make photography a serious hobby, I'll need to learn a lot more about aperture, shutter speed, exposure and composition. I think the books above will help.

7. Scott Kelby's Digital Photography - His books are praised for his easy to understand language. He doesn't get into the technical terms. If you want to know how to shoot a waterfall or a landscape, he tells you specially which camera settings to use. He doesn't go into detail explaining aperture or shutter speed. Yes, this sounds like my kind of book.

8. After I get a handle on shooting in Aperture and Shutter Speed Priority, Understanding Exposure would probably take my pictures to the next level.

9. Expressive Photography by the Shutter Sisters - Shuttersisters.com is a collaborative website for women photographers. I flipped through this book during a recent trip to Barnes and Noble and loved it!


I don't know a photographer today who doesn't use Adobe Photoshop to enhance their pictures. I have access to Photoshop, but it overwhelms me to think of learning how to use it on my own. I'd love some personal instruction from Pioneer Woman or Scott Kelby. Can anyone get me the hook up?

10. The Pioneer Woman

11. Adobe Photoshop

12. Scott Kelby

Please tell me what's on your photography wish list!

Music Monday

Unfortunately this Music Monday is not written by Mr. Price, but it is about music. Last night our church had a special service of worship. Journey's two campuses got together in one location to celebrate a parent-child dedication, communion, two baptisms and music from a new acoustic group. Mr. Price was part of the new band playing cello and guitar. The group has been practicing for several weeks, and it was fun to finally see the fruits of their labor (or should I say hear the fruits of their labor). I've had fun listening to the set list while Mr. Price practices, so I thought I would share the songs with you. I was able to find Youtube videos for all but two songs. Take a listen and then let me know your favorite in the comment section.

This World by Caedmon's Call.

Something Beautiful - Needtobreathe




Fix You - Coldplay




Nothing But the Blood of Jesus - Hillsong United



Held - Natalie Grant




Faithful - Enter the Worship Circle.

Valentine's Day 2011

Hello dear friends! How was your Valentine's Day? We spent a relaxing day at home and then cooked a Mexican pizza for supper, recipe courtesy of e-mealz. Of course Valentine's Day wouldn't be the same without something sweet! We finally brought out our fondue set! The chocolate fondue was actually quite simple to make. I don't know why I've been so intimidated by it. We had fun dipping our strawberries, pound cake and apples!
I did try to make the apartment a little festive by creating a version of this banner.

Please tell me what fun things you did for Valentine's Day!?

Sunday Edition

This is what happens....



when you peek into the oven to check on your quiche, and you decide it needs just a few more minutes to cook. But instead of standing in the kitchen for three more minutes, or setting the timer, you go back and sit in front of the computer. That's when a few minutes turns into...let's say....45 more minutes. Although, I really have no idea how much time it was.

Please tell me this has happened to you!?

currently hooked on...

We watch a lot of streaming Netflix since we don't have cable, and you might be surprised to hear what we are currently hooked on watching. Right now we are into the 1970's crime fiction show Columbo. We're watching one, sometimes two episodes a week.

Columbo is not like most whodunits. Actually its a reverse of the typical whodunit show. In the opening scenes of the show, viewers get to watch a murder take place with the perp in plain view.

You might wonder what's the point of watching a crime fiction show if you already know who done it?

Well, when the disheveled, trench-coat-wearing Lt. Columbo enters the scene to investigate, it's hard not to watch him piece all the evidence together. He always knows more than you think, and he always trips up his suspects with their own words. In the picture below, you'll see him striking his trademark look. He rubs his forehead as he tries to throw off the suspect by pretending he's having a hard time putting all the clues together. But he knows who's guilty! If you like murder mysteries, this oldie but goodie is worth checking out!

Favorite Links: Valentine's Day Edition

Here are my favorite Valentine's Day inspirations from around the web! Most of these links have been around the blog block.

Valentine's Day is all about chocolate and flowers. Here's a pretty party that combines both! btw, carnations are so under-rated.


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I could definitely get cozy with this gourmet hot chocolate...on a stick no less.
Watch her demonstrate how to use them.


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What an intriguing cake! Want to make it? Here's a DIY tutorial.


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Rifle Paper Co., my favorite stationery store, has a great Valentines Day collection!

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Emersonmade does it again!


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Hike #3

A few weeks ago while driving back from the creek, we took a short detour to stop and stroll through Fenwick Mines. Mr. Price has been wanting to show me this place for months. Since we were nearby and the temperature was in the upper 30's, we finally decided to stop. Fenwick Mines is another Virginia recreation area with picnic tables, trails and a fishing pond. We took a short walk to the waterfall and then back to the fishing pond which was frozen! Check out our pictures below...





There must be a dam somewhere, because we suspect beavers cut these trees.

Friday Favorites

On Fridays I like to post my favorite links that have inspired me during the week. Hopefully you'll find some cool things here. I post everything from cool parties to my favorite inspirational words. Have a great weekend!!

Do you see through people or into people?

I love a good map, and they look good on more than just walls. Check these out. Spotted on Design Mom.

A new way to introduce yourself - Icebreaker Tags. Check out their flickr for creative inspiration.

Another great read.

Learn how to take your party to the next level. Great ideas!

Link Love

This week's wonderful finds from the around the web...

An awesome baby shower. Love the bunting.

Was Jesus radical? A must read.

I'm tired of looking at our bare walls. Liking these prints.

This is a dorm room?

A little long, but worth the read.

A new food and health blog I think you will enjoy!

Rent A Green Box. A franchise opportunity?

I was trying to write a post about the company Rent A Green Box, but I decided to let the video do the talking. Rent A Green Box eliminates the cardboard box by presenting a much more earth friendly way to move. Please take a few minutes and watch the video below. You'll be amazed!

Unfortunately, the company is currently only serving the southern California area. So I wrote the founder and told him I would love to see Rent A Green Box on the East Coast. Guess what? He actually wrote me back! He said there are plans to launch a nationwide franchise!

I love love love this idea! Anyone want to start a franchise?

Links for your weekend.

Some link love...

If you read Vogue, you may get a kick out of this.

I'm addicted to sugar and chocolate, so I must try this.

I need to hide my credit card, because I've been lusting over this camera for quite some time. Everyone seems to love it!

Well Branded...I'd say so!

Chic jewelry organizer.

I could get into running if I had these.

Another reason to hide the credit card.