Things have changed for the last ten years of my life. I am not getting any younger so a healthy eating habit is crucial. I know that it is hard for a food lover like me, but keeping healthy will bring a lot of benefits. I came up with these top three fruits and you and I can include in our everyday diets.

Cherries
This fruit is one of the best sources of vitamins, nutrients, and minerals - excellent factors in maintaining your health. It is high in antioxidants and can lessen the risk of cancer. It is also low in fat and calories. In cooking, cherries are perfect for sweet dishes. One recipe I found in Fine Cooking is the Cherry and Onion Stuffed Pork Tenderloin - an absolutely exceptional recipe for dinner.

Apples
“An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” And it surely does because the apple is the number one fruit that can improve your heart and keep it healthy. It has flavanoids that can lower your cholesterol and can reduce the adherence of platelets in your arteries.You can eat an apple fresh or you can include it in your daily meals through healthy desserts like Apple Pie, Apple Tart, Apple Cake, and Apple Muffins.

Prunes
A distinct kind of plum that can add flavor to your diet and provide you with abundant antioxidants. Plum, being rich in antioxidants, can protect your body’s cells, strengthens your heart and cell membrane, fights viruses and bacteria. And like cherries, they also help reduce the risk of cancer. I recommend Braised Pork with Prunes for dinner and Spiced Meringues with Coffee-Soaked Prunes for dessert to give you that needed prune fix. Search Good Food for these recipes.

Healthy eating is possible with fruits. Take every opportunity to eat them for the sake of your health. And as for me, I have made them staples in my diet.

 
One lazy afternoon, my bored best friend called me up and invited me to go with her to the mall to do some shopping. I refused but instead suggested a food trip since I am home alone with my cat. She agreed and went to our house right away. We decided to have a pizza trip so we browsed the internet for food deals.

Waka Network was our first stop. We found Pizza Hut’s deal offer for one large pizza but it was only available in Los Angeles. We tried GroupOn next and found nothing there. We decided to go to our last stop - RetailMeNot. Finally, we have a deal! We found a coupon from Extreme Pizza that allows us to buy one pizza and get an equal or smaller pizza for a 50% discount. That is just perfect for our pizza trip!

We ordered two different flavors 14” pizza and they delivered them to us hot and fresh. The first pizza we ate was the YARD SALE. It consisted of my favorite pepperoni, Italian sausage, salami, black olives, fresh mushrooms, green peppers, vine ripe tomatoes, red onions, tomato sauce, mozzarella, and cheddar. It was flavorful and we enjoyed eating it. Also, the other pizza we ordered was ideals for our taste. Extreme Pizza’s new HANOI FEVER is, without a doubt, our new favorite! My BFF and I love eating spicy food and this one is no exception. The shredded pork marinated in a spicy hoisin-style sauce was exceptional. Blend that with the other ingredients and you have an extraordinary pizza experience.

My BFF did not regret that we stayed at my house for pizza instead of going to the mall. She enjoyed the pizza, the time we spent together, and the money we saved through RetailMeNot’s coupon. We are looking forward to more experiences like this one.
 
_ As part of my cousin’s birthday celebration, she decided to try paintball with all our friends using a Paintball USA deal she found in Groupon. We haven’t tried paintball yet so I thought it would be exciting. We purchased the Ninja Special Package and invited all of our closest friends for my cousin’s birthday.

Before the action, I did some research about paintball. I looked for the dos and don’ts in playing paintball. I also looked for helpful techniques that I can use against the opposing team.

The Field and The Game
Paintball USA has numerous fields to choose from. You have a choice of a colorful field with inflatables or a desert-like field with rusty tanks and dirty vehicle tires. We chose the desert-like battlefield to add more excitement and thrill.

Before the game started, we had an orientation on how the game should go. The rule is to attack and eliminate the opponents using paintball guns. However, every player must keep the velocity of the gun under 300 feet per second (FPS) to avoid sever skin damage. And since close-range shots are more painful, the player who got caught should surrender.

The Action
We were divided into two teams, red and green. Clad in camouflage outfits and armed with paintball guns, we were ready to conquer the battlefield. I actually didn’t have a clear game plan: the only thing on my mind that day was to shoot any opponent in sight. Since my cousin and I belonged in the same team, our first tactic was to hide for two minutes behind the bushes before an offensive move.

When I was just about to attack someone, I got shot on the right shoulder. Luckily, it was a friendly shot (shot from your own teammate). When I finally had the opportunity, I shot an opponent (one of my close friends) on the legs and she fell. I saw another target hiding behind a tank but I felt like someone was going to shoot me from behind so I hid first. I managed to save my bullets and shoot an opponent on the body. I thought I was saved from paint bullets until one member from the green team hit me on the chest. The paint scattered all over my outfit and I even tasted some of it, too.

The game lasted for 30 minutes. Afterwards, we were all exhausted and complaining of body aches in various places. It was an exhilarating experience, though, and we’ll definitely do it again!
 
There I was again the other day. I was staring blankly at my computer monitor, watching the cursor blink crazily towards me. I typed in some words only to delete them later on. I clearly know what is happening and it has been going on for a few days now: writer’s block.

After realizing that nothing will happen no matter how I tried to squeeze out words from my mind, I shut down my monitor and did some breathing exercise. “Relax...Calm down...All is well.” I kept on repeating these words until I was able to divert my mind from that experience.

This scene is familiar for freelance writers like me. Occasionally, writer’s block comes haunting me, even when I’m chasing deadlines. However, having been a freelance writer for the past three years, I’ve developed numerous ways to conquer writer’s block. One of my most favorite - not to mention the most effective - ways to manage mental block is through yoga.

I was able to attend five yoga classes at Ocean Mist Yoga last month courtesy of discount vouchers from Wakanetwork.com. It’s available for only $30 instead of its original price of $70 so I immediately grabbed the deal. There I learned how to focus my mind and bring myself into deeper relaxation, enabling me to detach myself from difficulties like a writer’s block.

After that class, I was able to be more creative and focused on my work and, ultimately, write better articles. So if you are a freelance writer like me, an artist, or even a regular employee, don’t forget to do some breathing exercises to feel better. Better yet, join a yoga class so you can be more collected and focused at everything you do.

 
I had a toothache last week. My best friend gave me a pack of assorted confections and I ate them all in one sitting while watching my favorite movie at home. I just can’t get enough of those sweets.

My friend, knowing that I don’t generally go to dentists I am not familiar with, sent me a dental coupon from RetailMeNot’s Printable Coupons. This is my first time to visit Dr. Nichol’s clinic and I was glad that my friend was able to save more than $300 for the deal.

Carrying the coupon in my hand, I went to Dr. Nichol’s clinic to have my teeth checked up. As I entered the clinic, the doctor’s assistant politely welcomed me and led to a couch to wait. I waited longer than I expected and by then, I was thinking if it was even worth it. I waited for half an hour before the doctor called out for his next patient, which was me. I was pretty uncomfortable because of my toothache, but the doctor was very pleasant that I can’t help but smile.

He carefully examined my aching tooth, gave me a complete prophylaxis, dental X-rays, and oral cancer screening. It was a great and very comforting experience.

After our session, I felt relieved and I haven’t even taken any medicine yet. Now, I can say that it was worth the wait. This deal is advisable for people who want to try a new dentist at an affordable price - you will surely get more than what you paid for.

 
It has been a long time since I have given a special gift to my best friend. She doesn’t even care if I don’t have a present every time her birthday comes because my presence is what she counts on the most. However, I don’t want to make her feel that she’s not special anymore so I made a surprise party for her together with my family.

A week before my BFF’s birthday, I searched online for a special accessory I can give her as a gift. One of my friends told me that she found a beautiful butterfly pendant on Dealster, so I browsed the net until I saw the deal. The deal features a Genuine Butterfly Pendant in Solid Sterling Silver, 18 inches sterling silver chain, and a jewelry gift box - perfect for gift giving. I immediately purchased the deal because I know my best friend would love it. Its original price is $189 and I bought it for only $30. It looks expensive yet very much affordable!

The day came and my best friend went to our house. I had told her that I was the only one staying home that is why I invited her for a one-on-one girl talk dinner birthday. She was really surprised when she entered and saw my family waiting there, greeting her a happy birthday. She could not believe that I managed to hide this surprise birthday from her. However, the most unforgettable moment, according to her, was when I gave her my butterfly pendant gift. She loved it and was very thankful that I gave her such a wonderful gift.

 
After the two-week long vacation alone in Costa Rica, I decided to get a deal from one of my favorite deal sites to treat my girlfriends for a pole dancing class at Berkeley. My friends thought that I have forgotten them during my brief stay outside the country, so they were quite surprised with my invitation. After all, it’s not everyday my girlfriends and I can get a pole dancing class for half the price.

We enjoyed talking and catching up on the way to Berkeley. Also, the experience of learning something with my friends was truly exceptional. We really had fun learning pole dancing at Phoenix Aerial Art and Pole.

By the way, my friends were so grateful that they prepared food for me at my house. Getting this deal from wakanetwork made the day perfectly unforgettable. I am looking forward to trying out my pole dancing skills with my girlfriends soon!

 
India is one of the countries in Asia I want to visit the most. I love their rich culture, scenic views, and unique architecture. However, it is their exquisite food that fascinates me the most. Right now, I don’t have enough money to go on a trip to India, but I can get the next best thing: an Indian restaurant experience.

I came across a restaurant called Khana Peena in Berkeley, specializing in Indian and Pakistani dishes. After reading the reviews, I decided to give it a try. I found a 50% discount on wakanetwork and figured that it might be worth it.

I asked my good friend to go with me to the restaurant. She loves spicy food and she will definitely love Indian cuisine. We sampled their famous dishes - lamb curry, chicken misala, and naan. Even though I love Indian food, I was still surprised with how their food tasted. The lamb curry was delicious, with all the ingredients complimenting each other. My friend has never been a fan of curry dishes so this dish shocked her a bit. The misala, on the other hand, was very tasty that we just wanted to ask for more.

The place, however, was not as appealing as I hoped. Although the ambiance was accommodating, I found it small. I was expecting more space for the diners.

Overall, our experience at Khana Peena was great. The service was nice and the food was outstanding. My friend and I will definitely come back.

Through it all, my experience just makes me want to go to India more.
 
Hi, guys! It’s been a while since I have updated my blog. Anyway, please check below for a  quick rundown tips on how to coupon for beginners:

1. Don’t get newspaper subscription if you’re new to couponing. It will only waste your time and money.

2. Check the deals that interest you first through browsing for daily deals online.

3. Check eBay, a shopping website and coupon reseller, and search for your deal of interest by typing “buy it now coupon" in the eBay search box. By doing this, the coupons you'll purchase will arrive on time.
 
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It's been a full two weeks of tropical vacation for me, courtesy of this one deal that my uncle shouldered for me as a gift. It was a getaway in Costa Rica, something that this girl needed after my depressing 2011. I just wished I had my girl friends with me. For now, I'll leave you with this scenic Retreat resort where I had a wonderful time.

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