Link Love and a Friday FREEBIE!

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We’re starting with the freebie again, People, but first it’s time for a flashback.

Remember this post? if you skim down you’ll see that I mention, with longing, a company called Meal Mixer.

Bing Bang Boom the owner contacted me and offered to donate 2 memberships (TWO. how kind is that?!).

Boom Bang Bing the owner, Marianne, became an active and hilarious member of our Bumbling Band (MizFit note: Im a moron. I just realized TODAY that there’s a blog at MealMixer.com. Marianne? I sucketh. I shall now commence to readeth.) .

As a result, I wanted to let her tell you about, well, HER in her own words:

Im that friend who comes over for a cup of coffee, turns all the coffee mug handles to the same angle, and then casually rearranges your spice cabinet. If we don’t go for a walk, I’m going to coerce you into reorganizing your ‘fridge and freezer.

I like lists. I like to know what has to be done, what should be done, and what might be done. One of the things that has to be done is feeding my family (2 pre-teen sons and a husband who thinks he is), and they like 3 healthy meals a day–plus. This takes planning.

In 1998, my software guru husband landed on the plus side of a buy-out, leaving him free to direct his destiny. He created software that put recipes into a database for mixing and matching meals, and making grocery lists. We put it on-line and found out that there are many like-minded people!

The site has grown into something much more than just a way to organize meals. Today, our commercial product lets people share recipes, edit them for taste and dietary preferences (Like when you want to make your friend’s casserole but not use the can of mushroom soup), allows for weight tracking, and customizing diets of any kind, over and above generating the weekly menu and shopping list. (There is a version of the site coming out for multiple food allergies this summer, but the naturopaths haven’t finished fine-tuning it yet).

The bottom line is that anyone can make a plan, execute it, be done with it, and move on to the next task (in my case the ‘fridge/freezer). Now if only MizFit can design an exercise program around a shopping trip: produce–deep knee bends, frozen foods-jogging in place, canned goods–arm work…. (MizFit note: sadly, this is totally coming your way soon and it was NOT to the Renaissance (Camera)Man’s delight.)

A chance to win a membership to her amazing company can be yours for the low, low price of a comment below.

Our first link is keeping with the MealMixer healthy food mentality.

This is a new (to me) site which offers games for parents & children to play and attempts (and kinda succeeds) to make learning about health FUN.

Im not six (despite my behavoir at times) so I cant really tell you if the games are amusing or not—but the DID YOU KNOW tips are helpful/informative for kids of all ages (from whom am I stealing that line? Ringling Brothers Circus?).

Staying in the food aisles for a bit longer—-did you see this quiz?

If you missed it— take a minute now & see how you do (heck, post how you did and there’s yer entry to win the Meal Mixer membership!).

This next one ties in with our past two Monday Facetimes. Read it. Live it. Own it.

I found that my life got a whole heck of a lot easier when I decided that if *everyone* liked me I must be (far too vanilla and) doing something wrong!

Not tying in with anything is this link. Anyone ever seen it in person? tried it? I love the promise of no chest strap…

And speaking of no chest straps (really? no, not really.) Ive never much liked the LOOK of the Bluetooth (the necessity is a whole ‘nother story. I dont think we need to be that ‘in touch’ but I digress…) HOWEVER I love this. so fashiony. so hip. so NOT MizFit yet she longs for one.

LinkLastly, if you can get your menus, recipes, and shopping lists from the fabulous Marianne what do you still need? This.

Do any of you grocery shop online? On a regular basis? Ive never done it and, for all my longing to make my life as cushy as possible given the choice, Im not at all tempted!

I think I’d sorely miss the days of navigating the behemoth known as the car cart through the way too narrow aisles with the Tornado shrieking GO!GO!GO! at the top of her lungs.

But I could be wrong.

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Comments

  1. MizFit, it’s just you and me up at the crack of dawn this morning ;-).

    Meal Mixer looks pretty darn amazing…and I thought I was so cool for keeping my grocery list as a Word document on my computer. I swear a woman at the deli accosted me one day and said, “What is that? A computerized list?” Clearly, the idea of more organized grocery shopping appeals to so many of us.

    Pre-planning, while so very hard, makes such a difference in what the family eats during the week that it’s hard to justify not putting in the time and effort.

    I’ve tried to grocery shop online and while it’s convenient, I really like to touch my tomatoes and stuff (OK, that sounded oddly dirty, but you know what I mean). It is nice to have someone else carry the bags into the house, though.

    Loved the link about letting go of the need to be liked, too — a message I rather needed to hear after an experience yesterday.

  2. I got a B on the quiz. Stupid refrigerated fruit. Who ever heard of such a thing. 🙂

    I haven’t done the online grocery shopping. Considering that I’m shopping for one and the grocery store is less than a half-mile away, I never could justify it. I can see it would be helpful if I was an impulse shopper, but I save that for Target.

    Have an amazing weekend!

  4. I online grocery shop, and I love it. I don’t “overbuy” and it is delievered at my convenience. I take advantage of the shipping specials to save a little extra. I do have the luxury of being able to afford the shipping cost, for which I am grateful – although these days the gas will cost you almost as much!! My husband and I both work full-time and it saves tons of hassle.

    I missed two on the quiz. Not bad. Didn’t know the cups measurements – I eat tons of fruits and veggies, so I don’t really ever measure them like that!

  6. I’ve done online grocery shopping in the past — both with PeaPod and The Teets (aka, Harris Teeter).

    I didn’t like PeaPod because we’d get milk that would expire the next day and the bananas would be at the bottom of the bag.

    The Teets was nice…but you picked it up at the store so it wasn’t so much in savings of time. But both my girls love grocery shopping because at The Teets you have options for carts (car, mini for the kids), they give out cookies and samples *and* you can bribe good behavior out of your kids with a free balloon at the end. So we usually just go there.

  10. if by SPECIAL you mean Im shoving my Tornado’s hiney into Curious George panties and letting the bidness fall where it may to try and spur on the potty training then YES!!!

    (if by special you mean birthday then nope :))

    M., who wishes YOU a HAPPY HAPPY THIS SH** TAKES WORK & EFFORT & IS A DAILY CHOICE *AND* IS SO WORTH IT HAPPY day

  12. Okay, just last night my parents were asking me what I wanted for my birthday. MEAL MIXER, MOM! Can you hear me?? I think I’m in love with Marianne.

    And that lifehack was awesome. But please don’t talk to me about cell phone accessories. Just got a new suh-weet phone last night and am already freaking out about all the cool gadgets I can’t afford to trick it out with. 😉

  13. Great links as always! And loved your poetic guest post.

    The need to be liked by everyone is something I’ve had to work to overcome. One of our friends got married, and his fiance took an instant dislike to me from the first time we were introduced. (WTF? Must be because I’m so **little and cute and bubbly**, and she’s this giant of a woman who would have fit in nicely with the Amazons…hehehehe) It has curtailed our involvement with this buddy, but she and I try to be civil to each other…well, most of the time. 🙂

    **totally untrue – the Bag Lady would never be described as little, cute or bubbly – more like average, average and depends on how much she’s had to drink!!!**

  14. I spend a lot of time each week in meal planning, and something like Meal Mixer sounds like it would save me a lot of time.

    I don’t shop online, although our local store offers in-store pickup…I’m really picky about produce and I’ve heard bad things about the quality of fruit and vegetables they give you. I’d rather go to the store and touch every single one before I pick the best one 🙂

  15. Our lack of need to be liked is why we don’t fit in at mommy groups – you know that, right?

    And while I don’t think I would invite Marianne over for coffee (a compulsive person might spontaneously combust in my kitchen) – she’s got a pretty cool product there.

  16. I want this. I WANT this. 🙂 I want this so much that if I don’t win, I may actually have to PAY for it… (gasp)

    I have never grocery shopped online…but I’m wondering if I should start…hmm…cause, you know, I’m not glued to my monitor ENOUGH. Heh. But hey, it would save me about four hours once a month, plus much frustration. And I DO impulse by (not just at Target either Cammy, though that’s the worst) so it might save me dinero as well.

    I love the links. I’m really bad about wanting people to like me…I’ve gotten better as I’ve gotten older, but it’s still an issue. I need to work on that.

    AND I’m pretty much slavering over the exercise monitor, and that’s not a bad price at all if it works as advertised. Let’s see…birthday’s a few months away, I should start hinting now. 🙂

    Ah, the plethora of link love today…I’m overwhelmed by all the cool stuff…

    V.

  17. I really sucked at the quiz. I got the first three totally wrong. That heart rate monitor looks so weird! I’ll take my chest strap over that any day. My hands get too hot in the summertime to be covered up and how would that work running outdoors in the winter with gloves on?

  18. I like the heart rate monitor. It has a cylon robocop vibe somehow. It might not be good to use while doing upright rows, but prety cool.

    Int he more resources section they have links for low calorie and low fat, but nothing on low carb. That would be sweet (no pun intended).

    Am I the only XY that reads your blog?

    Tony

  19. Meal mixer sounds like a life saver.

    Love the link about being liked and being you. I think that’s something we all need reminding about every once in a while.

    I got almost all the answers right on that quiz – surprisingly!

  20. Meal Mixer looks excellent–I’m so disorganized about meal planning and grocery shopping. I really need to get my bum in gear!

    I loved the LifeHack article about being liked–something I definitely worry about a bit too much!

  21. as i collapsed into bed last night, thinking I’ve got to streamline, I woke up to read your post- the meal mixer! love it. got to get me one.

  23. i didnt know meal mixer had a blog either! i must sucketh too. am too hungover to comment on anything else, my brain hurts.

  24. Quiz…found it confusing? At least the first part because I wasn’t sure if they were meaning actual cups or if they meant servings? I guess they meant servings, so why didn’t they say servings? So I got 8 out of 10.

    As far as I know, no online grocery shopping my neck of the woods. For the most part, I think I prefer doing my own shopping anyway, but some weeks when things are just too busy, I can see how it might be nice.

  25. Tony? nope. you ARE one of the few. the proud. the COMMENTING xy’s!

    ya’ll got a theme song yet?

    M.

  26. 8 out of 10 for the quiz (my simple addition skills apparently aren’t up to snuff:)). I love grocery shopping so doing it online isn’t at all appealing. The heart rate monitor looks fancy schmancy and I totally want one. Also the Meal Mixer software is so cool! That’s such a brilliant idea. Must go check out the blog now.

  27. i am moving toward online shopping…I cannot stand the car cart and the screaming either.

    and please, can i send my toddler to you for training?

    meal mixer software looks very cool, I am going now to check it out some more.

  29. I don’t think I could ever do my food shop online, purely because my step-mother once had a part-time job as an online shopper. She basically worked in our local Sainsbury’s (Brit store) putting together people’s orders for them. Thing is, a lot of the time they didn’t have the item in that the shopper wanted, so my step-mum was told to just sling any old thing in. And the staff took “any old thing” quite literally – no 0% yoghurt? Chuck in some full-fat. No rice-cakes? Chuck in some REAL cakes.

    OK, so this may just be for that one branch of that one store in the UK, and my slightly food-paranoid brain may be exaggerating the extent of the swaps slightly… but it has totally added a whole new fear dimension to the prospect of shopping for groeceries online.

    Anyway, who am I kidding? I just love to go into shops and spend money.

    TA x

  30. I about choked on my carrots when you said the peach pit! LOL.

    I got all the answers right.. I sure know my fruits and veggies!

  31. Fitarella – the Bag Lady is shocked that you have a hangover! Drink gallons of water. (Of course, that helps if you do it the night before, after consuming all the alcohol – then you don’t get the hangover – just a little trick from a old broad who has had her share…probably more than her share…shit, probably all the Presbyterian’s shares, too – they don’t drink, do they? Gad, I can’t remember anything…must be all those shares…. okay, I’m done.)

  32. Hi Everyone! Thanks for all of your nice words….

    Bag Lady…I’ve got your share covered here in the US… Totally agree with the gallons of water. Poor Fitarella must be a rookie… LOL

    Dara, I also like to squeeze my tomatoes and stuff. Besides, a trip to the grocery store is 60 minutes of no one asking me for stuff (I pretend not to get cell phone service in the store!).

    Awesome Wii Fit post. Does Guitar Hero count if you think you’re Pete Townshend?

    Happy Friday Everyone!! School is OUT!!

  33. I am a meal planning maniac. With work, teaching at the gym, taking care of the dog, etc, I need a plan for dinner each night or I will eat whatever (and we all know that = excess weight!). I would love a membership for this sweet tool!

  34. re: the quiz. I got 9 out 10. I store most of my fresh fruits and veggies on the counter, and eat them within 3 days.

    Love the look of the jawbone. and the noice cancelling feature, too.

    Never did the online shopping myself, but a friend going through chemo found it a life line!

  36. How I long for a heart rate monitor w/out a chest strap but that is some kinda honkin’ piece of equipment. Not so sure and kinda pricey. Who knows, payday cometh . . .

  37. I’ve tried to use peapod to shop but if they don’t store your items in their local warehouse (say grapefruits, that was my thing) – you can’t get them. They are not shopping at the actual store for you, so it can be annoying! I really really want to do it because it will save time and it’s not that expensive but I found it too limiting!!

    I am going to email you a question… that you may have the answer too!

    Dee

  38. i think i’d feel like an alien hand with that hrm… i don’t really mind the chest strap.

    and i wouldn’t buy groceries online… i need the perfect fruits.

  39. i just don’t like the idea of online shopping because then i wouldn’t be able to see if there was anything new and exciting at the store.

  40. Love the Meal Mixer. Looks fabulous.

    Haven’t grocery shopped online but this summer I MIGHT. Two kids at the store is my worst nightmare.
    As far as the HR monitor, I think it would bug me. I need someone to invent a chest strap/jog bra that does not chaff!

    Have a good weekend.

  41. Pick me! Pick me!

    I’m with Rachel – the Meal Mixer is a GREAT idea. And I’m SUPER excited that there will be a version to help those of us who have to cook around food allergies and silly self-imposed restrictions (like no cottage-cheese, yogurt . . . or, like you MizFit – MAYO – it took all I had to not dry heave while typing that word – I can’t even stomach the SOUND of the word!!!).

    My husband swears by his HR monitor and credits it to his speedy running pace, but that and a sports bra together make it nearly impossible for me to BREATHE! Somehow after 2 kids my rib cage expanded, but after nursing my cup size shrank, so now I’m an A cup (on a good day!) who needs a Medium width for the ribs – which is nearly impossible to find. Guess I’ll check out Title 9, as they have a great selection and guarantee a fit that works. Maybe they could help with the HR monitor stuff, too.

    Happy weekend to you – and you should be getting something in Word format from me soon. I haven’t forgotten you!

  42. Meal Mixer sounds very cool! I’ll have to read more about it when I’m at home and have more time.

    I also got 8 out of 10 right on the quiz. The whole cups/servings things confuzzled me, too.

    As for online grocery shopping, I do purchase a few things online using Amazon’s Subscribe & Save service. That’s how I get my Z-bars and my Rainbow Light vitamins. I also use their grocery service to occasionally donate stuff to a food pantry that a friend of mine in Indiana helps run. Since I’m in southern California, it sure makes it easy and I’m helping a great cause, too. 🙂

  43. I tried out that game site with the 7 year old I nanny for and he LOVED it! How exciting! We talk about nutrition a lot and we play ‘Who Wants to Be Healthy’ all the time (a Who Wants to Be a Millionaire style computer game I made).

    The ‘Jawbone’ is HOT but as a vegan (or at least as one who aspires to be) I can’t get with it since it uses leather 🙁

    I’m loving the meal mixer too! Fun Fun!

    Thanks for the awesome links,
    R

  44. MealMaker sounds fun.

    I liked the fruit & veg quiz.

    In a bit of a rush, but wanted to stop by!

  45. Meal Mixer looks like a great resource. OK I get a B on the quiz why am I still fighting the weight. LOL!
    Looks by my score I should be right on.

  46. Hi. We have a Wii. Some day I am going to get the WiiFit! My son will like it, too. Wish I had time to read more.

  47. ha, i got all the questions right on the quiz! thats weirs for me because i suck at multiple choice (i got in to college soley on my charming essay and good grade, the SAT’s were my fatal flaw).
    I feel so awkward grocery shopping online, i really need to feel my produce before i buy it, i need to smell the bread, its like a whole expeience, even when your just picking up a carton of eggs and canned beans. but then again i am a chef, so maybe i look at food shopping differently….

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