ZEVIA-the Zero Calorie Drink Review & Giveaway! CLOSED

A couple of months ago I reached out to a company I had heard about.  The folks at ZEVIA were making a zero calorie all natural soda and I just had to give it a try.

If you're like me, over the last few years, you've become more concerned with what you put into your body and with what you feed your family.

I confess I use to be a diet soda addict....yes, it's true!
A bout with aspartame poisoning 3 years ago put an end to my relationship with diet sodas and artificial sweeteners.  And drinking regular soda and all those extra empty calories was just not an option for me.
 But there were times I sure missed having a fizzy soda experience.

And then in walked ZEVIA into my life!

ZEVIA is the 1st all natural zero calorie soda.  There is nothing artificial in it.  You can kick all those diet sodas to the curb now. ;-)
Not only is ZEVIA zero calorie but it's gluten & dairy-free, has a zero ranking on the Glycemic Scale and certified kosher.

So what makes Zevia sweet?
Two things.....Erythritol and Stevia.
Erythritol is a natural product found in many fruits and vegetables. It's technically a sugar alcohol and is extracted via a natural fermentation process.  I buy it at the health food store and have used it as a sweetener in my home in baking for years.
The other sweetener used is Stevia.  Also known as Sweet Leaf it is sourced from the stevia plant, an herb that has been grown and used as a natural sweetener for centuries in Central and South America.  Stevia has become popular in recent years in the US so I'm sure you've heard of it before.

ZEVIA has a website HERE.  There is a very thorough Q&A page located on the website HERE.

So the fine folks at ZEVIA agreed to send me a 6 pack to try out.
And the verdict at Chez Sluggy?

Two big thumbs UP for ZEVIA!

I tried the Orange, Twist(a lemon-lime flavor), Black Cherry, Ginger Root Beer, Dr Zevia(a Dr. Pepper/Mr. Pibb type flavor), and Cola varieties.  The only one I didn't get to try was the Ginger Ale.

All of the 6 flavors I tried were very good.
They were as fizzy as any diet or regular major brand of soda I have ever had.
The flavors were bright and enjoyable and you'd be hard pressed with the fruit flavored varieties to tell them from other brands of those flavors.
I especially thought the Black Cherry and the Ginger Root Beer flavors were great.  These two were my favorites.  The Black Cherry had a very strong cherry flavor. The Root Beer was intriguing from the first sip as it had a different note of something besides the root beer flavor mixed in.  After I read the can closer I saw it was GINGER Root Beer, so that 'special' extra flavor was the ginger root.  I have to say that the ginger really Really enhanced the whole root beer experience.  I may never go back to drinking plain old root beer again.  ;-)

So did I miss the sugar....the cane sugar and the HFCS that all the leading soda manufacturer's put in their soda?
Not one bit.
Some people find that the sweetener stevia has an aftertaste.  This is true for me.  It's sort of a licorishy taste.  But then again, ANY sweetener you consume gives off an aftertaste, even natural cane sugar and especially those artificial sweeteners like aspartame and sucralose.  After awhile though you get use to it.

I'd much rather get use to the stevia aftertaste than the others since it means I'm NOT ingesting all those extra calories associated with cane sugar or high fructose corn syrup or the unhealthy chemicals of the artificial sweeteners.

Zevia does cost more than the major brands of soda.  Using quality, better-for-you ingredients does cost a bit more, but aren't you worth it?   I look at it this way....I'm frugal in lots of other ways, so I can spend a bit for other things, like a soda that is better for me and better for the environment.

ZEVIA might not be readily available at your local grocery store or beverage outlet as it's new.  There is a store locator on their website HERE.
I can tell you that the WEGMAN'S grocery chain carries Zevia, as do some Natural and Health Food Stores here in PA.

You can buy ZEVIA directly by the case, on the company's website if you can't find a local outlet.

WIN IT!
The folks at ZEVIA have graciously consented to let one of my readers receive a free 6 pack of assorted  flavors to try for themselves.


*** FOR your chance to WIN....go to the ZEVIA WEBSITE and come back and tell me what flavor you would most like to try and why.

For additional entries.....
You can earn additional entries by doing any or all of the following--

1. Become a follower of "DON'T READ THIS; IT'S BORING"...(just click on the follow button on the right side bar) and leave a separate comment for it.  If you already follow, just say so in a separate comment.
2. Go "Like" Zevia on Facebook and leave a separate comment that you did.
3. Subscribe to "DON'T READ THIS; IT'S BORING" via RRS feed and leave a separate comment for it.  If you already subscribe, just say so in a separate comment.
4. Blog about this Giveaway and leave a separate comment that you did and the link or URL to that post.

If you do all these things you will receive FIVE entries into the Giveaway. 8-)


This ZEVIA GIVEAWAY will remain open until August 24th at 11:59pm Eastern Time, at which time I will select a winner via the random number generator.
Any questions?... feel free to email me directly.

Good luck to all!

*Official Legal Mumbo-Jumbo and Disclaimers....Zevia supplied me with product for the purposed of conducting my taste-test & review.  All opinions expressed here are my own and I was not compensated for my views otherwise.  All product information was obtained from the company's website.

Sluggy

Another 2010 BORING BLOG BOX of FUN GIVEAWAY is OPEN! Box #3 POST 2

This is the 3rd Sluggy's BORING BLOG BOX GIVEAWAY for 2010!

It's time again for a Boring Giveaway.
I run a Boring Blog here so why not giveaway boring stuff, right?

Just to recap, I put things in the box(mostly what I have gotten for free or almost free)each week and when the box is filled we draw a winner from all the entries received.  The stuff can range from HBA, food, toys, collectibles, home decor or books.  Someday if enough people click on enough ads and this blog makes some cold hard cash, I may add a gift card, so get to clicking already!!lol

For all you Primping Princesses, here is what went into the Box today.....

1. White Musk Body Spray
2. Lavender & Vanilla Body Spray
3. Revlon Eye Shadow Set-Coastal Blues

If this is your first time, please go read all the rules for these Giveaways on THIS POST.

Please NOTE--You MUST be a follower to enter the Giveaway.  If you aren't one, just click on the "Follow" button on the right hand side of my blog to become a follower---->


TIME TO ENTER.....

I entry per person on this POST.

When I post again about this BORING BLOG BOX GIVEAWAY, entries on this Post will be CLOSED and you can post on the New Giveaway Post and enter again.  I hope this isn't too confusing. ;-)

Here are the ways to get UP TO 2 EXTRA entries PER POST.....

1. Put my blog on your blog's Blogroll.  Leave an extra comment for this entry on THIS POST only with the URL of your blog. If I'm already on your Blogroll, say so in an extra comment.
2.  Blog about this Giveaway on your blog or on a Message Board.  Leave an extra comment for this entry on THIS POST only with a link to your blog post or the message on the board.

You can do each of these 2 things once per post, so that's a total of up to 3 entries per person per post.
(*Sorry M & F...no daily entries this time because of the vacation.*)

Again, you can enter on this post until I put another Giveaway Post up and then you need to enter on the NEWER Post.
FYI if you are new here....it generally takes 4 weeks to fill the box, so there will be 4 posts(give or take)about this Giveaway where you can enter to win up to 3 times.

Any questions?  Just email me at slugmama@yahoo.com

Oh yah, I pay for all the stuff in this giveaway and nobody(business or person) gives me stuff or pays me to hold them or promote their products.  I even pay the shipping just because I loves ya'll and....and.....that's how I roll!  ;-)

Happy Entering!! 

Sluggy

What I Did on My Summer Vacation.....Part One

*This is the first in a series of posts about our summer vacation saga.  WARNING-Lengthy rambling ahead!*

I made my first trip to Maine in the summer of 1980.
It wasn't for pleasure but for work.
I had been accepted as an intern for the summer season at the Brunswick Music Festival Theater, located on the campus of Bowdoin College in Brunswick Maine.

 *The Picard Theater building from the back.*
It's now called the Maine State Music Theater.  Here's their Website.

I spent the bulk of my 1st summer in Maine in the windowless basement of the college's theater building constructing costumes, wardrobing shows and doing a bit of acting..not all at the same time obviously.
At night I'd dragged my exhausted sleep-deprived carcass the 4 blocks to the wretched old beer soaked carpeted frat house where us interns were housed.  I shared a 3 room shotgun suite there with a dancer gal from NYC called Betsy and a native Mainer college student named Brenda.

Brenda and I became good friends.
And Brenda had a car.
Brenda showed me around that part of Maine on our few and far between days off and on a student's cash strapped budget.

We hit the touristy places, but more importantly I got to see the places off the beaten path too, where the tourists don't go.  And I hung out with Brenda's family too.
And yes, I made a few trips to FatBoys....

Ah, the menu hasn't changed since 1980. Literally, it's the same SIGN!....Fat Boy Burgers anyone?

This place is/was across the road from the local Air Force base runway.  Legend has it that Bill Clinton would jet up in AF1 and have some grunt run over to FatBoys for a sack of burgers every now and again, but I digress....

Over the past 30 yrs.....good gawd!?!?....has it been that long?....I've kept in touch with Brenda.  And I've visited with her sporadically over the years though she's never taken me up on my offers to stay with us here in Pennsyltucky.  I guess coal slags, strip mines and underground mine fires aren't her thing.

And after Hubs and I married, I dragged him to Maine on numerous vacation trips.
The 1st time, he will tell you, stands out in his memory because I left him to wander the streets of Brunswick Maine for an entire day alone.
Why?
Because we visited the theater where I had worked and the Costume Designer I had worked for years before was employed that summer again, and was struggling to get the costumes ready in time for opening night of Evita.  They needed extra help, so I was talked into spending one day of my vacation sewing costumes for the show in that windowless basement room again.
Of course, this time, I was free to leave at the end of the day and didn't have to collapse in the frat house, and I earned a nice little paycheck for the day's work, along with a pair of balcony seat tickets to the opening night of the show. ;-)


In spite of that trip, I dare to venture that Maine has become a place near and heart to Hubs heart as well.

For the first time since we had kids, we were able to take a week ALONE so we headed back to Maine last week.

First off, let me state that we don't vacation like typical tourists in Maine.
We don't stay where they stay.
We don't do what they do.
We don't even get to Maine like they do.

You won't find us driving up I-95 through Portsmouth, NH over the bridge to Kittery ME.
Nah, nah, nah!
Now we sneak into Maine through the local backroads across NH.
That way we avoid the parking lot of I-95 and the Mass Turnpike in the summer, especially on weekends.


Two years ago, we traveled to Maine along with #2 son.  We also took the BIL and the nephew just for fun.  We rented  a couple of RVs set up in a campground outside of Bangor Maine.

Bangor Maine is not listed in many people's book as a tourist destination.....unless you are stalking Stephen King....

*#2 son and nephew pose with Stephen's batty gates.*


Or you have a Paul Bunyan fetish....

*#2 son and nephew w/the World's Largest Statue of Paul Bunyan.*


So why stay in Bangor?
Well, 3 reasons.
1-It's not crowded with tourists.....heck, it's not crowded with ANYBODY!  Sluggy does not like crowds.
2-It's only a short drive away from the coast and on the Penobscot River so you are close and accessible to lots of local fresh seafood.
3-It's cheap.  And even better, an RV set up in a campground is a very frugal alternative to a motel room and alot easier to find available at the last minute("last minute" meaning 2 months before you plan on visiting).

Unless you are in one of the larger cities or one of the real bigtime touristy hot spots in Maine, there are not alot of chain motels/hotels.  Most of the places in Maine have small or family owned motels, b&bs, housekeeping cottages or campgrounds.  There are a ton of them but they book up fast and often the same people come back every year for YEARS so rooms never actually come available as visitors rebook for the next year as soon as they arrive for the current year.
There are also people who rent out their homes or own guest houses to rent to the vacationers but usually these are NOT a frugal option, often going for $900-$3,000 a WEEK.  Plus you have to stay a week in the same spot and we like to move around a bit.


So we booked 4 nights in the RV in that campground outside of Bangor.
Not only is it a fair price for lodging that could accommodate 4 people, but you have the woods right outside your door so your He-Man can satiate his primal need to burn stuff....

*Hubs communing with nature and enjoying his campfire.*

To Be Continued.....

Sluggy 

$30K Savings Challenge JULY 2010 Totals.....Xtra Paycheck Time!

I have posted my JULY End of Month $30K $AVING$ CHALLENGE Totals.
Check out the side bar to your right for the specific numbers.

I have to report that we finished up July in the black....with a healthy addition!

The extra cash amount we ended the month of June with was.......$3,161.44.

Income
We had $3,066.46 left over of DH's salary after expenses were deducted. Add in $94.98 of Rebates applied to the food expenses and you have a deposit of $3,161.44 toward the Savings Challenge!

Seeing as our monthly target is $2,500.00 to reach our Year End Goal, this month will go a long way to keep us ahead of schedule.

Outgo
As for the expenses in July.....it was our most expensive month so far this year!

While this month saw the water bill drop to almost half and a nice decrease in the electric bill there were many 'out of the ordinary/non-repeating' bills this month.

Out-of-the-ordinary expenses in July...
Yet another car repair at $277.30.
A deposit for camp for next year for $50.00.
Dog licenses were due at $18.00.
That June Food Stamp Challange Food Bank donation for $100.00.
House insurance at $609.00.
And the whopper.....car insurance semi-annual payment of $1,482.63.
UGH!
That's $2,536.93 in out of the ordinary expenses.

The credit card bill(paid off each month)was $624.36, which was less than half of the previous month's total.

Even though July was a bad month for bills and spending, the thing that salvaged our goal this month was that extra paycheck that came this month.  If you gets paid on a biweekly basis, you know all about those 2 extra paychecks a year that sneak into 2 of your pay months.  This year for us it's July and December.  Did I mention that I love July and December?lol

The Food Budget costs for July are in another post, which is located HERE.  Food/Toiletries spending in July was .94¢  under the budgeted $200.00 amount and our Savings percentage was 80.45% which is right about average for us this year so far.

Looking Ahead to August....
Well the first week of August wasn't very frugal as we were on vacation.lol
Most of the costs for the trip were budgeted for & taken out of monies we saved in last year's Savings Challenge.  No funds were taken out of this year's income to pay for this trip.  And for heaven's sake, we didn't take out a loan or use a credit card to finance this trip....but of course, you probably figure that already.  ;-)
There were some items I bought while on vacation that will come out of the food budget for August.  I'll explain fully in a later post.

August is college tuition time but that comes out of the college money account we have funded over the years.
It's still a heart stopper of a bill, even if you have the funds set aside to pay it....

Looking at last August as a guideline, I don't see any unusual or reoccurring large bills coming due this month.   We will have a large credit card bill to pay fully in August(from charges for the vacation trip)but that has been budgeted for & that part of the bill will be funded from sources besides the monthly income.  The only unusual charges will be for any of the various repairs/upgrades we need to do on the home and possibly for the purchase of a new freezer.

But I am determined to get through August frugally and meet our monthly goal of $2,500 saved this month.
It's going to be a challenge this month so cross your fingers I meet that goal!

YTD Standings....
We have a Year To Date Total of $19,782.91 in Savings.  To save $30K for the year, we need to put away $2,500 per month average, at this point in the year we need to have $17,500 saved. With the extra paycheck in July we are looking good for meeting our Savings Challenge for the year!

So how was your July financially?  Leave a comment and share with us what you did with your money, both the good and not-so good.   Do you have any tricks or tips that help you to end your month before the money runs out?    Let us know!
If you posted your financial progress on your own blog, leave a link in the comments so we can go check you out too!


Sluggy

JULY Budget Results....Food and Toiletries Spending

Here are my FOOD BUDGET spending totals for JULY 2010.

I am listing subtotals for each store I purchased from in July.  If you aren't interested in that much detail, just skip to the bottom information.

These Totals include Food, Toiletries/HBA, Pet Supplies, Cleaning Products, Paper Goods & tax where applicable.We are a family of 5(between 5 & 2 at home this month) & 3 dogs. No kids under 14.

BAKERY OUTLET
OOP $16.00
Value $62.94
Savings  74.58%

BIG LOTS
OOP $31.04
Value $52.66
Savings  41.06%

CARONE'S(small local independent store)
OOP $61.25
Qs/Ads $37.81
Value $99.06
Savings  38.17%

FAMILY DOLLAR
OOP $21.19
Qs/Ads $11.19
Value $32.38
Savings  34.84%

FARM MARKET

OOP  $12.55
Value  $21.89(compared to same items' prices at grocery store)
Savings  42.64%

PRICE CHOPPER

OOP  $6.95
Qs/Ads $16.93
Value  $23.88
Savings  70.90%

RITE AID
OOP $23.51 (whole amount put on Rite-Aid Gift Cards)=$.00 actual OOP
Qs/Ads $412.55
Value $436.06
Savings 94.41% before gift cards/ 100% savings after gift cards

WALMART("that" store)
OOP $8.96
Qs/Ads $5.00
Value $13.96
Savings  35.82%

WEIS (local chain Grocery store that doesn't take IP Qs in my town)
OOP $126.39
Qs/Ads $127.74
Value $254.13
Savings  50.26%

I don't track CVS's ECBs & Walgreen's RRs. They will be included when used on purchases under "Coupons".   I'll keep track of what rebates are received monthly.  Rebate money/gift cards will be considered 'income' & will go into the Food/Toiletries budget, offsetting the Out of Pocket. Cash will go immediately into the Budget kitty, while Gift Cards will be calculated in when spent.

REBATE CHECKS RECV'D. IN JULY

Kraft(2 different rebates)...$30.00
Pinecone Research....$6.00
Rite-Aid SCR....$58.98
Subtotal........$94.98

GIFT CARDS and CERTIFICATES
MyBlogSpark Cheerios Giveaway $25 Visa Gift Card
Rite-Aid $35 in Gift Cards($25+$5 bonus Skin Care & $5?-can't remember for what)
Rite-Aid RX Transfer $25 Gift Card

Subtotal....$85.00

TOTAL Value of Cash/Store Checks/Gift Card Rebates Received..$179.98

FREE ITEMS

Vocalpoint Crystal Lite Samples
DiGiorgno Pizza
Huggies Diapers Pack

COUPONS

$2/1 Bounty Towels
$2/1 Crystal Light (multiple)

My best 3 Store Savings Totals were from Rite-Aid at 100%, Bakery Outlet at 74.58% and Price Chopper at 70.90%.

TOTAL Out of Pocket...............................$294.04
TOTAL Coupons & Store Sales Savings...$724,25
TOTAL Value of Items Purchased.............$1018.29
TOTAL Savings of..........71.13%

TOTAL of CASH Rebates........................$94.98
TOTAL OOP After  Rebates....................$199.06
TOTAL Savings of..................................80.45%

This closes out the July spending.

THOUGHTS & COMMENTS for this month-
I stayed under my $200 budgeted amount for JULY by .94¢! after rebates were applied.  It was an expensive month as I bought alot of meat in July for stocking up purposes.

What's ahead for August 2010.....

I am setting the August 2010 Food/Toiletries Budget at $300.
Why?
Because we have 4 at home now and all 5 family members by the latter part of the month.
Because there may be a family picnic lurking at the end of the month which will add to the food expenses.
Because I plan on packing the freezer with farm bought bulk buys of some veggies for the winter and this month is when things will be ready for harvesting and purchasing.

As always, any rebates received this month will be added to the food budget spending.  I have few outstanding rebates at the moment so there will be little extra cash to cover food expenses in this way for August.

With half of the year behind us, we have averaged $170.35 per MONTH after rebates on food/toiletries spending for 2010 for a family of 4-5 adults/teens.

How did you do in July with your Food Budget?  Leave a comment or link to your post and let us hear!  By sharing our struggles and efforts we can help each other stick to our budgets and learn to be better guardians of our resources.

Sluggy

I'm Back....From the Sea(Food)!

       Photo courtesy of LOL Dogs(http://ihasahotdog.com/)

"The time has come," the Walrus said,
"To talk of many things:
Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--
Of cabbages--and kings--
And why the sea is boiling hot--
And whether pigs have wings."

"But wait a bit," the Oysters cried,
"Before we have our chat;
For some of us are out of breath,
And all of us are fat!"
"No hurry!" said the Carpenter.
They thanked him much for that.

"A loaf of bread," the Walrus said,
"Is what we chiefly need:
Pepper and vinegar besides
Are very good indeed--
Now if you're ready, Oysters dear,
We can begin to feed."

"But not on us!" the Oysters cried,
Turning a little blue.
"After such kindness, that would be
A dismal thing to do!"
"The night is fine," the Walrus said.
"Do you admire the view?

-excerpt from "The Walrus and the Carpenter" by Lewis Carroll


Yep!
Like the Walrus & The Carpenter and the pup above, I eated it......I eated allll over Maine and I eated it ALL....but it was NO Hot Dog!lol

Not quite Oysters tho.....
But....
It was clams....

and scallops....

and clams....

and haddock....

and clams.....

and lobster....

and clams....

and shrimp....

and did I mention CLAMS yet?

And not those nasty rubber band tasting/texturing clam strips you get frozen in the grocery store.

It was whole, full bellied Ipswich clams!
Mmmmmmm......


Oh and then there was the excitement on the trip home....
and then the *fun bonus* after I got home later that night, which stretched into even *MORE FUN* for the next 2 days.
I will spare you the lovely pictures of the Fun Bonus Times later in the week(when I get around to recounting the trip and it's aftermath).

So I'm back online and slowly getting up to speed and getting laundry done and my bad self's head back in the game called REAL LIFE.
And I'm doing it kicking and screaming in protest the entire way!!!
Ayuh....

So bear with me as I move rather slowly with new posts and tying up old business from last month, and most importantly as I catch up with all my online friends' blogs and lives.

It was so nice to get away but it's always nice to come home....
Stay tuned for more. ;-)

"It seems a shame," the Walrus said,
"To play them such a trick,
After we've brought them out so far,
And made them trot so quick!"
The Carpenter said nothing but
"The butter's spread too thick!"


"I weep for you," the Walrus said:
"I deeply sympathize."
With sobs and tears he sorted out
Those of the largest size,
Holding his pocket-handkerchief
Before his streaming eyes.


"O Oysters," said the Carpenter,
"You've had a pleasant run!
Shall we be trotting home again?'
But answer came there none--
And this was scarcely odd, because
They'd eaten every one.

Sluggy

Swimming with the Loons

Hello from an undisclosed location!.....the photo & the post title should give you some hints. ;-)

I bet ya'll had thought I had fallen off the face of the Earth.
Nope.

I am alive and well somewhere near the location of the photo above.

I finally got internet access for awhile and thought I'd check in.

I still have seafood to eat and Rite-Aids to pillage but should be home and back online by Saturday.
So keep on keepin' on being frugal and I'll be seeing ya'll soon.

Sluggy