cinch!--Book Review

Cynthia Sass, the creator and co-author of the New York Times Bestselling Flat Belly Diet presents her new break-through, 30-day weight loss program Cinch! targeted to end overeating, leaving dieters feeling full and satisfied while enjoying the best food combinations to burn fat and boost metabolism.
Cinch! by Cynthia Sass, M.P.H, R.D. and co-author of Flat Belly Diet
Conquer cravings, drop pounds, and lose inches
Stop counting and start living.

I want to say from the get go....if one of your New Year's Resolutions is to lose weight, this is a must have book.  You can find it on amazon here Cinch!: Conquer Cravings, Drop Pounds, and Lose Inches
.  Just out today, December 28, 2010!!

I jumped on the chance to sign up with one2one network to review this book.  I didn't want the book for myself, but instead for my 14 yr old daughter.  For some reason she just keeps gaining weight.  I can see pretty much that it's because she eats almost constantly and isn't very active just sitting in front of her computer most days....or riding in the car with me.

I wanted to see what Cinch! was all about.  What I found out is that it's all about a whole lot!!

My daughter really wants to try the Cinch! plan.  The plan starts out with a 5 day fast forward program, in which you can lose up to 7 lbs in those 5 days.  It's based around just 5 foods, along with approved beverages and approved seasonings.
If you so choose, you can skip this part and go right in to the Cinch! core plan.
If you choose to do the fast forward, you then would do 25 days of the core plan.  If not, then 30 days of the core plan.

I am just so impressed with this book.  The nutrional advice, guidance and education alone makes this book priceless to me.  I learned so many things I didn't know as I turned each page.
I do not need to lose weight....just the opposite in fact....I need to gain weight.  One thing I learned was the importance of maintaining scheduled times to eat to fuel my body.

Let's go back to the 5 day fast forward plan.  You are given a shopping list as well as recipes for those 5 days.  Now, you use the same recipes each day for the 5 days.  You can mix them up for variety over having the same thing each day at each time.
There is a test in the book to help you determine if you should do the fast forward, or just start in with the core program.
I've asked my daughter if she was sure she wants to try this.  Her answer time and time again is a resounding YES!  We've not started with it yet as we are gathering up the groceries, but we are well on our way.

The next step is the 25 day core program.  With it, you use the same 5 foods, plus a lot of others.  Cynthia Sass has provided over 100 recipes in the book for cover breakfast, snack, lunch and dinner and beverages.  You even get to indulge each day with dark chocolate...yes, every day!  Recipes are included for some great dark chocolate treats as well.

As you are doing the core program you will learn what the "puzzle pieces" are so that after the 30 days you can stay on the right track with the program.
Are you worried that you are away from home too much to stick with a time schedule for meals and snacks?  Not to worry, she covers this in the book as well.  She even gives you ideas of what to order when you go out to eat at a restaurant.

One chapter is dedicated to questions that you might ask...with the answers.  As I stated earlier, the information in this book is phenomenal.  I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to get a better reign on their health, whether they want to lose weight or not.

You can find Cynthia Sass and the book at these links:

• Cynthia's Bio  »
• Cynthia's Weight Loss Blo  »
• Cynthia Sass on Twitter  »
• Cynthia Sass on Facebook  »
• CynthiaSass.com  »
• Cinch!  »

Disclaimer:  I was not paid to do this review, all opinions are my own.  I was sent a copy of the book through one2one network for the purpose of my review.
 

Giveaways Linky Tuesday

Happy Tuesday to all.  It's time to share your giveaways!

The linky remains active until the following Tuesday, so feel free to list all throughout the week.

Please make sure to list the prize as well as the end date.

Thanks and good luck!

Mailbox Monday 12/27/10

I am late getting this posted today.  Please join in on the fun and/or see what others have gotten free this past week by clicking the button at the bottom of my post.

Slow week for mail this week for sure, especially with a day off.  I did get some good things.

magazines: Newsweek, Entertainment Weekly and Sports Illustrated.
3 Christmas cards--Thanks!
envie that included coupons for me and a Kentucky postcard for Jasmine's 50 States book--Thanks Lisa!
Cinch!--Book to review for one2one network
Check for some books I sold through homeschoolbuy

In my email this week:  $3.50 paypal from matrixmails.  I also got a last minute order of a fabric bag through my etsy store.

That's all folks  :)

My Frugal Christmas 2010 Part 5

I am going to include my baking and food making this year as part of my frugal Christmas, which I will explain below.

Normally I wouldn't consider the food goodies to be frugal.  I usually would have spent more money on food items than I did on all the rest of the gifts!  In past years, I've had food stamps, so there was no actual cash going out of my pocket.  I'm sure that's why all those years ago I even started baking bread and cookies and making some kind of candies and such.

I was worried this year as to how I was going to do the baking.
Here is a photo of the total of 11 boxes I fixed up.....whew!  got them done about 1 pm this afternoon.

Now for the fun part.  The Lord works in mysterious ways and does provide!!
I was chosen to do a giveaway through myblogspot with Chex cereal and Kroger.  The prize package included a $25 Kroger card to make my favorite Chex cereal holiday recipe.  I've been making the Muddy Buddies for a few years now.  These were TOTALLY paid for, including the Ziploc bags with the gift card!  Plus, there was some left over for a few other groceries as well.

I "cheated" this year on the cookies.  I used Krusteaz cookie mixes.  They were on sale at my store for .99 a box and there were $1 coupons out!   I had 6 coupons, and therefore got 6 boxes of cookies mix free (just paid the sales tax).   I did peanut butter and frosted sugar cookies (powdered sugar for the frosting was left over from making the Muddy Buddies)

Then, I won a blog giveaway for a $25 Del Monte gift certificate good on fresh fruits and veggies.  The bananas for the banana bread all came from that (along with 3 pineapples and 9 large tomatoes).

Steve bought the ingredients I was missing.....1 dozen eggs, 2 boxes of stick margarine and a bag of brown sugar.

And, even the boxes I used I didn't pay much for.  They were all part of a larger bag full of the boxes, plus some gift wrap that I picked up at my church Christmas fundraising sale for just $1!

So.....how did I do?  I want to say again, that God works in mysterious ways...and here's proof that he listens to prayers and does provide!

Here is wishing all my readers a very Merry Christmas!!

Marsha Seiberling's blog - Would You Please Give Us a Vote?

Marsha Seiberling's blog - Would You Please Give Us a Vote?

WIP Wednesday 12/22/10

Welcome to this week's WIP Wednesday in conjunction with Every Day Crochet.
(click the button at the bottom of my post to join in the fun)

This week has still been a lot of preparing for Christmas.  I need to be having a work in progress of baking cookies and making my Muddy Buddies.  I did get the banana bread baked so far, but that's it.  Oh oh  3 days until Christmas!

I did some My Frugal Christmas posts in 4 parts.  Part 4 has the photo of the completed hot pads.
I also had a last minute order for a fabric bag that had to be put together and mailed out.

I did get some more scrubbies made.  I made taking netting along with me while running others around my project.  I finished about 9 of them and added them to my jar.  As you can see, I still have a long ways to go to fill the jar.

I also got in some more work on my current toothbrush rug.  I hope to have it completed before next week's post and listed in my etsy store.  I posted scrubbies in my etsy store.  As I get 4 of a color I am listing them there.

That's it for this week.....I want to wish all of my readers a very Merry Christmas!!

Giveaways Linky Tuesday

Christmas is just around the corner and there are lots of great giveaways still going on!

Look at the list below to find some to enter.

List your own giveaway if you are having one.  Please list the prize and end date.

Most of all.....have fun and good luck!

Mailbox Monday 12/20/10

Mail's been good this week again.
Magazines:
People
Time
Sports Illustrated
Entertainment Weekly
Good Housekeeping
Newsweek
Other mail:
Spent (book) redeemed for with pointsandprizes.com
Birdseye .50 coupon
6 free coupons for Healthy Request soups from shespeaks
Kashi Go Lean cereal sample box with coupons from vocalpoint
coupon train
Pillsbury 2011 calendar
Jerky Direct autoship (price covered by my downline)
(items above aren't pictured as some of the  magazines are still at my mom's)

In the Pink prize package that I won in a blog giveaway (pictured below)  includes coupons for 5 free products.
Also pictured below:   Lego Set I redeemed for with clubbing.com








In my email:  $10 paypal from gather and $4.92 paypal from squidoo.

My Frugal Christmas 2010 Part 4

As the last of my banana bread for this season is baking, I thought I would get part 4 of my frugal Christmas this year posted.

It seems I've been working on these hot pads for months...I'm sure it's only been a couple of months.

I used leftover materials from the quilts that I gave my kids and grandkids last year.  I hope you will visit my squidoo lens all about them at Blankets For Christmas.

When I was cutting the material last year for the quilts, I was throwing away the smaller pieces of fabric.  It was actually my boyfriend that pointed out as to why I wasn't making 2 inch squares to use some time later.  Well, go Steve!  
I had what seemed like piles of them in my dresser drawer.


While we were at Wal-Mart one day there was some of the Insulbrite material in the remnant bin.  I picked it up quickly, knowing I had been wanting to make hot pads/pot holders with those small squares.  I don't remember the exact cost, but it was right around $6.

I also did pay $1.97 for the package of plastic rings that I sewed to the back of each one.

All of the women on my list are getting a set of 2 this year.  My daughter's boyfriend is also getting a set since he recently bought a house.  (Can't wait to see his reaction when he opened them  he he)


What do you think?   Sure looks like a load of them when I put them all down for the photo once they were done!

I'm thinking of doing a part 5 with my Christmas goodies, but I'm not sure yet.  It's turned out to be more frugal than most years, so I probably will  :)   Just wish me luck on getting all the baking done this week!

My Frugal Christmas 2010 Part 3

Welcome to part 3 of my frugal Christmas this year.

By accident I had discovered making the fabric bags when someone contacted me asking if I could make them.  From there it blossomed to me making one for each of 5 grandchildren for their birthdays this year.  Filled with goodies of course.

I decided that for Christmas I would make my other 2 grandchildren, as well as my niece and nephew each one as well.

Below is the photo of just the bags--Thomas for my 3 yr old grandson, Cash--Scooby Doo for my 9 yr old grandson, Tristian---pink and brown sparkly for my 11 yr old niece---and KU for my 16 yr old nephew.

Below is the photo with the contents in each.  I now have these wrapped and ready to go.

 I'm not sure how well you can see, but the body wash and body spray I had gotten at Walgreen's using coupons and receiving back full price in register rewards.  The deoderant was part of a sale and coupon deal at the grocery store  and I paid just 5 cents for it.

My 9 yr old grandson is getting the same school supplies that the other are getting in a box, just inside his bag instead.

My niece is getting a Teddy Bear that I paid $1.79 for at a close-out store, body spray I paid $1 for, a ruler that was 5 cents, and body wash that I just paid sales tax on after sale and coupon.

My 3 yr old grandson is getting 2 tray puzzles and an activity book boubht at Walgreen's 3 for $1.  Another activity book I paid 25 cents for on clearance.  A box of crayons that I paid 25 cents or less for and a Tonka tractor that I paid .50 for at a yard sale.

As far as the bags....each takes 1/2 a yard of material.  The most expensive was the KU licensed material at $3 plus.  The Scooby Doo was $2.24 and the brown and pink was $2.22.  The Thomas material was given to me by a gal at church.

I strive on finding bargains, and I love making home made Christmas gifts.  These fulfill both!

Part 4 will be the hot pads I am almost done with!  Stay Tuned!