The following recipe is from a friend of mine. I haven’t made them myself, but people who try these homemade granola bars can’t stop raving about them! The great part about making your own granola bars is that you can tailor them to your own preferences. So if you like them with lots of nuts or dried fruit, or if you want to add and exotic ingredient like chia seeds, you can. The sky is the limit so have fun making these unique to your taste and lifestyle

Homemade Granola Bars

Mix-ins:

Dried cranberries
Chocolate chips or peanut butter chips
1/2 cup peanut butter (plus some chocolate chips, of course!)
Nuts
Dried fruits (apples, bananas, cherries, blueberries, etc.)
Pretty much anything your heart desires!

Directions:

 

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This is part 2 of Candi’s Journey. If you missed the first one, be sure to read how she started in her first article My Adventures in Weight Loss – Part 1

Once I began working out every day I began to realize that I was actually starting to feel better. In addition to how I was feeling, I was noticing that my pants were starting to fit me more comfortably.

Even with the changes I was feeling, I was afraid to step on the scale. I truly feared seeing that the scale hadn’t changed at all and I knew that was going to take away some of my motivation. I didn’t want to be putting in all this work and not see results. Yeah, I was only working out 20 minutes a day, but to me that was a lot of work, as it was way more than I was doing before.

Eventually about a month into my new lifestyle, I did step on the scale, and guess what?! I had lost 9 pounds!!! I was so excited! My first thought was “Only one more pound and I will have hit the double digits.” So my motivation soared and I was determined to make even more changes.

With my new found extra motivation, I decided that I was going to kick it up a notch. I started by upping my cardio and I started paying more attention to what I ate. While I didn’t exactly eat unhealthily, my diet could certainly use some improvement, because it hadn’t been exactly high on my priorities.

Did I mention that during this time my husband had become a personal trainer? How cool is that right?! I now had my very own personal trainer that could give me a workout plan to follow. One of his strong points as a personal trainer is that he could teach me some cool tricks for my workouts. I learned that the best way to burn calories is by High Intensity Intervals during my cardio sessions. Well, that wasn’t going to happen, because, at the time I happened to hate intervals. Since I was hesitant to do the intervals, I knew that I could also burn calories by doing a slow paced longer workout on an empty stomach and that helped a lot! I decided to wake up ahead of my family and get my workout in then. I am a morning person by nature, so that worked out for me.

By the end of my second month, I had lost 15 pounds and had dropped a dress size and I had begun to love my new fit lifestyle.

It was at the end of the second month that I really decided to make some changes. My diet was about to change drastically and I was going to be adding a new level to my exercise routine!

The post My Adventures in Weight Loss ~ Part 2 appeared first on The Life You Live.

    

 

 

These super cute Valentine’s Day candy heart magnets are very simple to make and work great as a quick and easy gift. Follow the steps below to create your own.

Supplies:

• ModPodge
• Paint Brush
• Clear Stones, Large and Small
• Candy Heart Template
• Be sure to print this Valentine’s Template as a full 8.5 x 11 page as it normally would or the hearts will be incorrect in size.)
• Scissors
• An adult scissors will need to be use to cut through the magnet.
• Adhesive Magnets
• Either a roll, or precut circular adhesive magnets.

Instructions:

1- First you will want to be sure the stones are clean. The clear stones can be purchased at any craft store in the floral section. They typically only have them in larger sized bags, however they are inexpensive and can be used for many things.

2- Cut out your hearts, do not cut the heart shape out, but rather a square around it. See the photo for an example. Be sure to leave more room around the larger ones than you do with the smaller ones.

3- Using your paint brush paint the back of the stones (the flat side) with a thin layer of ModPodge. ModPodge can also be purchased at any craft store and a little bit goes a long way. You will see in the photo that it will look white when applied.

4- Take your paper pieces and lay them all out flat with the hearts facing up, then place the stones with the wet ModPodge on top of them painted side down, placing them right over the heart shapes.

5- Let these sit for five to ten minutes to be sure they are dry before the next step. While waiting, complete step six and prep your magnets.

6- I personally prefer to use a roll of adhesive magnets for this project, but small circle adhesive magnets that are precut can also be used. The circular ones also tend to be stronger when it comes to holding paper up on the fridge. Cut the magnets into strips as wide as the stone to be applied to the back. If you have circular magnets, skip this step.

7- Place the magnets onto the back of the stones, it will go over the edge, and that’s okay. The next step will take care of it.

8- After the ModPodge, paper, and magnet have all been applied, cut around the stone to take off the excess paper and magnet. For the best results cut at an angle with the scissors against the edge of the stone.

9- Once you are done cutting off the excess paper and magnets your candy heart magnets should be complete and ready to place on the fridge.

The post DIY Valentine’s Day Magnet appeared first on The Life You Live.

    

 

 

Valentine’s Day Treats & Sweets

I think Valentine’s day is a great excuse to put on an apron, bake some delicious treats and share them with people you love and appreciate. These Valentine’s Day Treats & Sweets are recipes from some of my favorite blogger friends. These baked goods are delicious, pretty and make a great gift. So please take a look at all these yummy options and rest assured that no matter which one you choose, you will be delighted with the final result ♥ !

Make Valentine’s Cookies ~Mommy Octopus

Chocolate Amaretto Swirl Fudge Recipe ~Ann’s Entitled Life

Salted Caramel Brownie Recipe ~Thrifty Jinxy

Valentine Blondies ~Raking in the Savings

Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies ~Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks

Valentine Sugar Cookies ~Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese ~Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks

Strawberry Cheesecake Bars ~Simplee Thrifty

Dipped Conversation Hearts Krispies Treats ~Snappy Gourmet

Chocolate Stout Cupcakes ~Snappy Gourmet

Gluten Free Sugar Cookies ~All She Cooks

Waldorf Astoria Red Velvet Cake ~Mama Plus One

Strawberries and Cream Miracle Cookies ~Mama Plus One

Rice Krispy Valentine’s Day Treat ~Family Frugal Fun

Chocolate Pavlovas Wine ~Food Done Light

The post ♥ Valentine’s Day Treats & Sweets ♥ appeared first on The Life You Live.

    

 

 

DEAL OF THE DAY:

72% Off Waste King A1SPC Knight 1.0 Horsepower Garbage Disposal

50-70% Off Bras, Panties, Socks, & More

TOP LIGHTNING DEALS:

9AM EST: Nike Vintage 81 Sunglasses – Variety Colors

9AM EST: Puma Match Vulc Men’s Retro Tennis Sneakers Shoes

9:30AM EST: New Balance KV554 Running Shoe (Infant/Toddler/Little Kid/Big Kid) (Prime members can access 30 mins earlier)

10:30AM EST: Jessica Simpson Women’s Faux Leather Legging (Prime members can access 30 mins earlier)

10:30AM EST: Disney Little Girls’ Minnie Mouse 1 Pieced Bow Tie Dress (Prime members can access 30 mins earlier)

10:30AM EST: U.S. Polo Assn. Boy’s Zip-Up Striped Jersey Hoodie (Prime members can access 30 mins earlier)

11AM EST: Graco DuoGlider Classic Connect Stroller, Dragonfly

11AM EST: Graco My Ride 65 DLX Convertible Car Seat, Matrix

11AM EST: Graco FastAction Fold Jogger Click Connect Travel System, Fern

11:40AM EST: Voit 48-Inch 9-in-1 Combo Table Game

12PM EST: Ivation Multi-Function Bicycle Speaker (Prime members can access 30 mins earlier)

12PM EST: Graco Highback TurboBooster Car Seat, Mosaic (Prime members can access 30 mins earlier)

12PM EST: Graco Pack ‘N Play with Newborn Napper Elite, Vance (Prime members can access 30 mins earlier)

12PM EST: CIA Masters Collection Stainless Steel 10-Piece Measuring Cup and Spoon Set

12PM EST: Oneida Impact 20-piece Flatware Set

12PM EST: Pyle Street Vibe Bluetooth Speaker with FM Radio

1:30PM EST: New Balance Women’s WE573 Trail Shoe (Prime members can access 30 mins earlier)

1:30PM EST: Calvin Klein Little Girls’ Aqua Tunic with White Leggings

5PM EST: Quicken WillMaker 2015

5:30PM EST: Disney Little Girls’ Frozen Sisters Forever Tutu Dress

5:30PM EST: Disney Little Girls’ Minnie Mouse 3 Piece Nylon Vest Set

HOT AMAZON SALES:

34% Off Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Bottle, 9 Ounce, 4 Count

Up to 60% Off Kids’ Valentine Cards & Stickers

50% or More Off Boys’ Watches

Up to 35% Off Select Kids Arts & Crafts

Save Up to 30% on Select Beauty Tools

46% Off Cuisinart Single Cup Grind & Brew Coffeemaker

24% Off Panasonic SR42FZ 23-Cup Rice Cooker / Steamer

42% Off ASICS Women’s GEL-Noosa Tri 9 Running Shoe

70% or More Off Little Girls Hello Kitty Apparel

50% or More Off Girls Watches

70% or More Off Little Girls Rare Editions Apparel

50% or More Off Little Girls Frozen Apparel

70% or More Off Little Girls Young Hearts Apparel

70% or More Off Little Girls Playwear Dresses

The post Amazon Deals for Wednesday 1/21 appeared first on The Life You Live.

    

 

 

Does your guy need new cold weather clothes?  Amazon has the Columbia Men’s Steens Mountain Full Zip 2.0 Fleece Jacket for as low $19.90, down from $60! My favorite thing about these jackets is their versatility.  You can layer them in the winter for warmth, but they are also lightweight enough to wear them throughout the year!

I am a Columbia junkie and recently bought this same jacket for my hubby at a Columbia outlet, but it was not priced this low, so this is a great deal!

*Be sure to check through all the colors.  Many are priced differently.

Check this deal out here! And while you are over there – check out these other great Amazon deals.

The price you see on this post is valid at the time published on 1/21/15.  However, please keep in mind that Amazon’s prices are known to change without warning  

The post Men’s Columbia Fleece As Low as $19.90! appeared first on The Life You Live.

    

 

 

Amazon has these MIU Flexible Cutting Boards, Set of 5 for just $5.91, down from $12.99! I use these at home and they are great for preventing cross contamination of your foods! You don’t want to use the same cutting board for your veggies as you did the chicken. Color coding makes food prep less of a guessing game.

Do you have any great safety tips that you use in the kitchen?

Check this deal out here! And while you are over there – check out these other great Amazon deals.

The price you see on this post is valid at the time published on 1/21/15.  However, please keep in mind that Amazon’s prices are known to change without warning  

The post Flexible Cutting Boards (5 ct) Just $5.91! appeared first on The Life You Live.

    

 

 

Is it time to stock up on bath tissue again?  Right now at Amazon you can get Angel Soft, Double Rolls (40ct) for just $16.63 shipped with Prime.  That is just $0.21 per single roll shipped!

I generally exclusively shop for toiletries on Amazon.  The prices are usually far lower than store prices.

Check this deal out here! And while you are over there – check out these other great Amazon deals.

The price you see on this post is valid at the time published on 1/21/15.  However, please keep in mind that Amazon’s prices are known to change without warning  

The post Angel Soft Double Roll Bath Tissue (40ct) Only $16.63! appeared first on The Life You Live.

    

 

 

Do you like to keep healthy snacks on  hand?  Hurry over to Amazon and clip the $1 off coupon on these Balance Bars and get them for as low as $0.68 per bar shipped after coupon and Subscribe and Save!

Check this deal out here! And while you are over there – check out these other great Amazon deals.

Choosing the Subscribe and Save option gives you a lower price (5% or greater depending on how many S&S items you have) plus it gives you free shipping on the product.  It also enrolls you in automatic shipments of the time intervals you set.  Subscribe and Save is a no obligation option though, once your item ships, you have the ability to cancel your subscription with no penalty.

The price you see on this post is valid at the time published on 1/21/15.  However, please keep in mind that Amazon’s prices are known to change without warning  

The post Balance Bars $0.68 Per Bar Shipped! appeared first on The Life You Live.

    

 

 

Another awesome accessory deal at Amazon!  Get this Reversible Paisley Pashmina Shawl for just $9.95!

Check this deal out here! And while you are over there – check out these other great Amazon deals.

The price you see on this post is valid at the time we publish.  However, please keep in mind that Amazon’s prices are known to change without warning  

The post Peach Couture Reversible Paisley Pashmina Shawl $9.95 appeared first on The Life You Live.