Amanda's blog

Make Healthy Food Choices and Stay on Track with a Meal Planner

Submitted by Amanda on January 8, 2013

Topic: Home Helper

Tags: Resolutions New Year Lamination Home Helper Finishing Services Customized

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About eight months ago I made a radical diet change to improve my overall health and help me lose 10 pesky pounds I had been carrying around for a while. The eating plan was simple: no refined flour or sugar, no dairy, and lots of lean protein, veggies and complex carbohydrates, like sweet potatoes. That paired with a gym routine of three to four 60-minute workouts per week and I quickly dropped the excess weight (I actually ended up losing 16 pounds!) and felt better than I had in years.

The holidays, though, threw me off track. The office was loaded with sweet treats, popcorn tins and candy. I am a sucker for sugar.

Determined to get back into my healthy eating habits, I created this laminated meal planner for my refrigerator door. On it, I can list what I’ll have for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks for the entire week. I can even include items for my grocery list, which really makes shopping once a week a lot easier.

Here are the steps to create this custom meal planner:

Create Personalized Thanksgiving Day Menu Cards

Submitted by Amanda on November 20, 2012

Tags: Thanksgiving Personalized Holidays Holiday Hints Customized

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Thanksgiving is just a couple of days away, but you still have time to add some special flare to your holiday dinner table. This year, I decided to help our Thanksgiving host (my grandmother) by making menu cards for the table. She always decorates with a festive centerpiece, so these really brought the colors together and provided a nice touch to the table.

Here’s how I create these personalized menu cards:

Step one

Before you can write a menu, you have to plan a menu. Decide in advance what will be served on Thanksgiving Day. If your family is like mine, the basics (turkey, dressing and sweet potatoes) are always served, but sometimes we like to mix it up and try new recipes.

Step two

Create a menu template in design software.

Personalize Your Smartphone with a Custom Case

Submitted by Amanda on September 18, 2012

Topic: Random Ramblings

Tags: Random Ramblings Photo Personalized Gifts DIY Customized Crafts

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With the holidays on the horizon (yes – it's already THAT time of year again), big tech companies have started to announce and release the latest versions of their mobile phones. If you're like me, you don't want to wait in line outside a store for hours (let alone camp out!) or elbow your way through a mass of eager shoppers all waiting to get their hands on the newest devices. I say save your sanity and give your current phone a makeover.
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Coffee with the Bloggers: Amanda

Submitted by Amanda on September 13, 2012

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Q: If you weren’t blogging for Out of Office, what kind of blog would you want to write?

A: A lot of people claim to be foodies. Well, I am a food nerd! Food science fascinates me, so I’d love to write a blog on everyday nutrition and cooking tips that are easy for anyone to follow. I’d incorporate a section on how certain foods fuel different parts of the body. Of course, it would have to have a glint of humor in there, too. Who wants to read a boring blog on yams?

Q: Favorite type of food? ...read more