Happy New Year 2017 to you and yours! 🎉🍾

Hope you had a safe and peaceful transition from one year to the next….

Today’s post is about the popular topic of New Year’s Day “Lucky Foods” with a peak into what’s on my “lucky New Year’s Day” Dinner plate 😂🍽

Now I don’t believe in superstition, but I do like the idea that most all of these “lucky foods” are consequently “healthy foods” or in my case for bodybuilding  they would be considered “clean or lean  foods”! 

So here’s a quick look at what I consumed from the New Year’s  Lucky Foods list on this lucky 1st day of the year 2017: 

Fruit: 

Not just any fruit a “round” fruit. It’s symbolism represents coins (money) and prosperity. This “lucky apple” was my post workout snack today! 💪🏃🏋🍎💱

So aside from its “lucky New Year ” benefits it’s jammed packed with fiber and vitamins to fuel a very productive and prosperous year! 

Greens:

Leafy green foods are said to represent money or a year of financial gain. So my leafy green of choice on this “lucky New Year’s Day” is Spinach steamed into the shape of round balls to symbolize bank rolls (ok not really: they just come out like that) 😂

However,  I may not be able to spend my spinach or save it in the bank, I can reap the health benefits of the abundance of healthy nutrients found in spinach, I’ll be able to enjoy the financial fruits of my labor for many years to come 💸

Beans:

Beans, like round foods and fruits, are also said to represent coins (money) 💱 , prosperity and longevity. 

My lucky beans of choice today were black beans,  known for their high fiber content and bad cholesterol fighting, healthy ❤ and healthy  weight management benefits. I think that’s enough to qualify these little guys for the longevity award. 🏆

Grains:

Aah the grains….yeah I know any paleo followers out there, it’s ok. I won’t dwell on this one very long.

Grains are said to symbolize abundance because they swell when they are cooked,  unfortunately they tend to swell elsewhere for most folks as well (dear carb bloat do not visit me this year). Any who,  my grain of choice is a gluten free ancient grain: quinoa. Packed with all its protein and fiber goodness, it’s a grain I can safely say I am ok consuming in a reasonable abundance.  🍲

Fish:

Last but not least,  the Alpha and Omega of everything I love about life in general is symbolized by fish. Aside from fish scales representing silver coins, but the concept of progression and moving forward as well as abundance in such activities is said to be symbolized by the forward swimming motion of fish and the fact that they typically travel in groups called schools 📚😂 Talk about forward thinking and progression for the year ahead! 

My lucky fish of choice this New Year’s Day is salmon, one of my all time favorites. Jam packed with protein and Omega-3 fatty acids for a strong and healthy start to a very productive and forward thinking new year!

Happy New Year 2017🎉🎉🎉

Bon a petite 


Until next time…. I AM Candice Maria 

ibotta App: Better than Coupons

Last but not least, the most recent app added to my super saver mobile app collection and the final app I will review in this series is the ibotta rebate app.

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Save before,  during and after you shop. Online or in store,  ibotta alerts you to new rebates at stores nearby, and stores that you shop at the most.

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Even your favorite online shopping retailers offer rebates from time to time that can be redeemed through the app.

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So how exactly does ibotta work?

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Simply check the app for available rebates, shop online or in store with your favorite retailers,  submit proof of purchase or link a loyalty card and instantly cash is added to your ibotta account to cash out on later.

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To redeem your cash,  just link a PayPal or Venmo account or choose a gift card from one of the supported retailers to cash out your rebates from past purchases.

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Just keep in mind that your ibotta rebate balance must be a minimum of $10 to cash out.

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Another fun way to earn extra cash through the app is through brand bonuses…

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…and getting friends involved through the ibotta teamwork program.

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This concludes my Super Saver Mobile App review series and overview of my 2015 quest to find additional ways to save extra cash along the way.

Until next time. …Happy Saving!

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~ I AM CANDICE MARIA ~

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“Earn cash for living healthy,  paid by members who don’t. ” ~ #PactApp

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Pact App – Commit to You

So this is one of my true favorites because it “pays” me to work out,  track in my food journal, and even eat the never ending amounts of veggies I eat as a figure competitor….lol! Now don’t get it twisted, these are activities I do regardless of compensation, and no the few dollars a week aren’t busting my piggy bank, but it’s nice to see my commitment to my lifestyle not only reward me physically and mentally,  but also financially overtime.

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So here’s how it works: Commit, Meet, and Reap! Just that simple!

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Three commitment levels to choose from:

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The gym pact. Commit to a regular exercise routine. I deactivated my Facebook account earlier this year,  and if I can count all of the times, myself and those in my friends list “checked-in” at a gym, and/or took a selfie or two to post with that “check-in” before leaving the gym over the past year or so,  we’d all be rolling in some serious spare change right now. That’s just how easy the Gym Pact is! Gives a whole new outlook on the art and lifestyle of being a “gym rat”! We’re pretty darn savvy! #BOOM! 😉

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Hit the gym, check in on the app, workout a minimum 30 minutes,  track what you did and snap a pic (ie. A postworkout Selfie) and it’s done! You just earned money towards your Pact! To think people are still out there doing this same nonsense (checking in on apps like Facebook and Instagram) for free “LIKES”!

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Another plus, for my adventurous fit fam is that this process can also work for my pavement pounding, road warriors out there. The app syncs with some of the most common fitness tracking apps, so even if you do a none gym workout and hit the great outdoors instead, you’re still covered! Just be sure the GPS setting is on, you do your activity for a minimum of 30 minutes, and you’re all set! Talk about yet another savvy fitness junkie! #ChaChing!

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This is a big one for helping people initiate the formation of healthy lifestyle habits of being conscious of their daily food choices, and honestly the easiest to complete. It’s great for those who are simply wanting to learn how to count and keep track of their calories each day. The food log Pact! Log a minimum of 1200 kcal/day or 3 meals and a snack, in your myfitnesspal app, and it automatically syncs to your pact!

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Like the gym pact, how many times have you scrolled through the news feed of your social media apps and saw the never ending posts of what your contacts ate for breakfast,  lunch and dinner! Oh boy if they only knew that if any of those pics involve them eating fruits and/or vegetables they could earn spare change instead of just “free likes and comments” !? I bet that news feed would drastically clear out…lol! Now we enter the third and final Pact of the PactApp, the Veggie Pact

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Veggie selfie for my Veggie Pact

Imagine getting paid just for submitting pictures just like this. There is one catch though, other PactApp users, the “Pact community,” must vote for your food pic, judging whether “yes or no” you actually ate or are eating a fruit or vegetable in your pic, so make it obvious as to what you are eating in your food selfies or food porn…as it’s so commonly hash tagged in social media these days.

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So go ahead and give it a go, you only lose when you don’t keep your Pact each week,  but have everything to gain when you do, physically and financially!

Until next time….I AM CANDICE MARIA

So I ended my 2014, and started 2015 with a goal/resolution to save more money! Something I am honestly not the best at…

Any who,  I have found a few handy ways to tuck away spare cash throughout the year using special apps that reward me for the things I do all the time: workout,  track my meals,  and go grocery shopping. ..lol!

Three apps in particular are on regular rotation in my cell phone practically every week and some everyday. Their website links and my personal use and app reviews will be outlined in the following blog series: Super Saver Mobile App Review. The first app review begins as follows:

Target Cartwheel -CHOOSE:SCAN:SAVE

To get started simply download the app and register with your Target account or any of the popular social media accounts, or simply your basic email address.

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This app let’s you choose hundreds of offers from across every category in Target stores and receive discounts from 5 to 15% off. Plus, new offers are added regularly!

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Just simply create a shopping list of items you want that you find in the offers list and scan the bar code at checkout to receive an instant discount on your purchase.

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The app is very user friendly and can even be used on top of any clipped coupons you have.

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~Happy Saving ~ I AM Candice Maria~

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My Target Cartwheel