The Savvy Life

I am catching a flight to San Diego in a few hours for a two day speaking seminar.  I am both excited and intimidated by the session.  It is being taught by Loral Langemeier, who is one of the top speakers and money coaches worldwide.  She regularly shares the stage with Tony Robbins, Jack Canfield and T. Harv Ecker among others.  It is going to be an intensive two days!  Although I love speaking, standing in front of a room full of people and knowing you are going to immediately be critiqued is tough. 

Knowing that I  need to be 100% both physically and mentally for the next two days, I have packed my own snacks for the trip.  I know they will have snacks there, but I also know that I can stay better focused if I eat a handful of almonds and dried cranberries rather than a cookie after lunch.  

Even if I was heading out on vacation, I would take my own snacks for the airport.  To give you an example, I spent $4.99 on snacks at Trader Joes that will last me four or five days.  I could hardly pick up a candy bar and a soda at the airport for that.  Besides, if I'm going to burn calories or cash - it's going to be on an amazing dessert at a restaurant or bakery - not at the airport bookstore.

Wish me luck for the next two days!  I can use all the help I can get!

Yesterday's FFIT Fearless & Savvy Woman's Event was a success!  The day is still a bit of a blurr for me as it was non-stop and action packed.  I look forward to seeing more photos and video of the different events and speakers that I was not able to catch including the fitness fashion show.

One of my biggest takeaways for the day was how powerful it felt being surrounded by like-minded speakers and attendees who continuously strive to improve their health, wealth and personal happiness.  

This is me giving the keynote speech.

I am very proud to be a part of a brand new event that will be taking place in Foster City, CA tomorrow - July 24, 2011.  The 1^st Annual FFIT Fearless & Savvy Woman’s Event will be held at the Foster City Recreation Center in Foster City, CA.  The conference gathers experts from across California, focusing on the health, wealth and personal happiness of women. 

At the event, I will be teaching a Savvy Personal Finance Tools breakout session in addition to giving the keynote speech about what it means to be a FFIT Fearless & Savvy Woman.  Other activities that will be taking place include: 

• Massage therapists will be on hand from a local spa giving free chair massages. 
• Attendees will receive free mini makeovers from the makeup artists of Sephora.
• Chipotle will be doing a guacamole making demo and giving away free tacos.
• There will be a fitness fashion show featuring clothes from Lucy Activewear.

In addition to speakers and exhibitors in the main room, there are two separate rooms that will house individual breakout sessions including:

• Workshops on meditation and yoga.
• A self defense class given by Paul Tosetti (you don’t want to miss this one!)
• Panels on weight loss, nutrition and women’s health.

The ultimate goal of the conference is for attendees to go home inspired, empowered and energized with new ideas, resources and connections.  For more information about the event or to purchase a ticket, visit www.FFITFearlessSavvy.com.  If you purchase your ticket today for just $15, you can bring a friend for free! 

I am happy to answer any questions you may have about the event and can be reached via email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or by phone at 650-787-1785.  I hope to see you all there.

I just finished eating the most delicious plum.  It reminded me of how much I love summer produce like nectarines, pluots and peaches. The only thing I don't like about them is how quickly they ripen.  If you buy too much, it can be hard to consume before they go bad - wasting food and money.

I fell into the habit of only buying enough summer produce for a few days and supplementing our fruit bowl with heartier items like apples.  We eat the summer items first and when those are gone, the apples are still fresh and ready to enjoy.  Just in case we go on a serious fruit bender, I also keep a bag of frozen mangoes from Trader Joe's in the fridge.  At less than $3 per bag, they last forever and we eat them frozen with our fingers.  Frozen mangoes can also a good way to kick a bad ice cream habit.

One of our family's traditions is that I bake every weekend.  I have always loved to bake, but started to do it more regularly in an effort to save money and calories as well as to ensure that I regularly do something I love.  Let me explain.

Save Money - Knowing that I am going to bake something each weekend keeps us from feeling the need to have other treats in the house such as ice cream or store bought cookies.  I can bake homemade chocolate chip cookies with ingredients I always have in the house vs. spending $3.50 each on several pints of ice cream (Paul has a significant sweet tooth).  

Save Calories - Because we both know that I will be baking on the weekend, it's easier for us to forego eating store bought cookies or pastries during the rest of the week.  That reduces the amount of times we have dessert to just once or twice a week.

Ensure That I Do Something I Love - Have you ever noticed that the things we most enjoy doing, we don't often do?  I have friends who love to write, paint or play music, but they rarely make time to enjoy their passions.  I have found myself in this same trap.  Although I know how much I love spending time in the kitchen, too often I get distracted by other things.  Knowing that Paul and Dante are counting on a baked treat on the weekends forces me to spend some quality time in the kitchen.

For the past three weeks I have been OBSESSED with a Salted Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe I discovered at a wonderful website called StoneSoup.com. These cookies have blown my mind!  First, they are the best cookies I have ever tasted in my life.  It might have something to do with the fact that there is more sugar in them than flour.  They also have this crazy way of spreading to eight times their original size!  One of the cookies from the batch I made on Sunday night spread out so far, it became larger than the small dinner plate I use for my meals!  What  I really can't get over is that they are by far, the easiest chocolate chip cookies I have ever made in my life!  Unbelievably easy to make!

There is one major downfall to the cookies.  One of the ways I keep from over eating treats is that  I only like cookies or brownies when they  are still warm.  Once they cool, they just aren't as appealing.  Unfortunately, these cookies are just as delicious cool as they are fresh out of the oven.  I am so screwed.

Photo from StoneSoup.com

I'm thoroughly enjoying a quiet Sunday evening at home with Paul and Dante.  I made tacos for dinner and we're watching Season 2 of Castle - a birthday gift from Paul.  In just a few minutes, I'll start baking dessert...

Although we have been working on creating the Living the Savvy Life Coaching Program since late February, the last two weeks have been especially intense.  I actually worked a 19 hour day on Monday, the day before the launch.  The hard work was definitely worth it.  I am very proud of what we have done with the program and look forward to being able ot help so many more people than I can reach with my one-on-one coaching or seminars.

Today is still a bit intense.  It's 6:30 am and I am leaving the house in about 30 minutes to drop marketing materials off for the FFIT Fearless & Savvy Woman's Event at a Weight Watchers meeting in Palo Alto.  One of Weight Watchers' leaders will be on the weight loss panel at the event which is exciting - talk about a program that has reached out and helped people!

After dropping off the materials, I am meeting with Kevin at 8:30 am in Foster City to work on material for the Living the Savvy Life Coaching Program. 

At 11:00 am I'm taking a strength training seminar at Fearless (whichI have been looking forward to for weeks) and then I'll meet with Coach Erika later today to deliver more marketing materials for next week's event. 

If all goes well, I hope to be on my couch with a book in one hand and a glass of wine in the other hand by 4:00 pm where I will... just breathe!

The kick off promotion launching our new Living the Savvy Life Coaching Program went brilliantly well.  I want to thank everyone who purchased a copy of Living the Savvy Life and is now trying the first month of the coaching program free of charge.

I would also like to thank my savvy friends for the bonus gifts they generously provided for the promotion including: 

• The Working Woman’s eCookbook from Leanne Ely of Saving Dinner.
• Free 90 Day Membership to FFIT at home, an online exercise, nutrition and support program from Coach Erika.
• Free copy of Healthy Beauty Spy, the phone app that helps you choose healthier beauty products while you shop from Todra Payne of The Healthy Beauty Project.
• Free French Inspired Breakfast & Afternoon Tea Menu and Recipe Guide from Adrienne of The Rich Life on a Budget
• Free Article on the 10 Must Have Wardrobe Staples and How to Wear Them from Alison Gary of Wardrobe Oxygen  
• Build Your Own Control Journal - Instruction Manual courtesy of Marla Cilley, The Flylady

I encourage you to visit their websites.  They are rich with articles, photos, ideas and inspiration for savvy living!

This Promotion is now over.  We want to thank everyone who purchased a copy of Living the Savvy Life and is now trying the first month of the Living the Savvy Life Coaching Program free of charge. 

Purchase a copy of
Living the Savvy Life
from Amazon today and
  receive a free one-month membership to the
Living the Savvy Life Coaching Program
along with downloadable bonuses from some
of our favorite savvy friends worth $190.
 

A Personal Note from Melissa Tosetti:
 

Hello,

Since the publication of Living the Savvy Life I’ve wanted to take the information presented in the book and create an interactive program that guides you step-by-step, day-by-day to gain control of your finances, focus your spending on what you truly want and enjoy your life to the fullest. 
 

I am proud to announce the brand new Living the Savvy Life Coaching Program which brings the book to life.  Each day, members of the program will receive an email aimed at a specific goal for that particular day. Each email will give you either an action item to do immediately or introduce a habit to adopt.  In addition to the emails, members will have full access to the interactive Living the Savvy Life Coaching Program website containing:

• Forum– Interact directly with Melissa Tosetti and Kevin Gibbons, authors of Living the Savvy Life, as well as other Living the Savvy Life Coaching Program members. Get answers to your questions, share your stories and learn how others are changing their lives.
   
• Savvy Living Makeovers–We show members how to interpret their What’s Important to You Questionnaire and give them direction on how to enhance their own Savvy Life.  You can have your questionnaire evaluated personally by Melissa and Kevin as well. 

•  Videos– How-to videos covering topics from creating your own money saving network to starting a spending account.

• SuccessStories – Read or watch video interviews with Savvy Coaching Clients and seminar attendees.
   
• Templates– Access to templates that organize and streamline your spending such as: Expense Tracking, Grocery Meal Planning, Grocery Shopping, Annual Gift Giving, Holiday Gift Giving and more.

• Seasonal Savvy Living– Exclusive articles and resources to help you plan ahead and get the most enjoyment out of holidays and seasonal activities.

• Melissa’s Savvy Life Video Blog

When you order a copy of Living the Savvy Life from Amazon.com today, you will receive a one month free subscription to the Living the Savvy Life Coaching Program valued at $19.95. 

If you already own a copy of Living the Savvy Life and would like to take advantage of this offer, you can use your previous order number from Amazon to retrieve your gifts. You can find that order number by logging into your account on Amazon, click on “Your Orders,” and then select the time period in which you purchased the book in the “Date” dropdown menu on the right.

As an added incentive, some of my savvy friends have offered valuable downloadable gifts for free to help you on your savvy path. 

Remember, you have to purchase Living the Savvy Life from Amazon.com today to take advantage of this great offer.

I am happy to answer any questions you may have about the promotion, Living the Savvy Life or our new coaching program.  You can reach me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or by phone at 650-299-1500.
 

Warmest regards,
Melissa Tosetti
 

                     AdditioBonus Gifts 

• Free copy of The Working Woman’s eCookbook from Leanne Ely of Saving Dinner ($20)
• Free 90 Day Membership to FFIT at home, an online exercise, nutrition and support program. ($149.85)
• Free copy of Healthy Beauty Spy, the phone app that helps you choose healthier beauty products while you shop! ($1.99)  Note: Apps will be given to the first 1,000 people who download them.
• Free French Inspired Breakfast & Afternoon Tea Menu and Recipe Guide from The Rich Life on a Budget (unavailable anywhere else)
• Free Article on the 10 Must Have Wardrobe Staples and How to Wear Them from Alison Gary of Wardrobe Oxygen (unavailable anywhere else)
• Build Your Own Control Journal- Instruction Manual courtesy of Marla Cilley, The Flylady
• Favorite Savvy Websites Directory compiled by Melissa Tosetti

Order Now and Receive Your Bonus Gifts!

The Living the Savvy Life Coaching Program 

Hurry, this offer ends today!

If you are in the process of taking advantage of our limited time special offer to receive a one month free subscription to the brand new Living the Savvy Life Coaching Program, plus $190 in free bonus gifts, check your email for registration information.

If you would like to take advantage of the offer visit Living the Savvy Life for details - but, hurry, the offer is only available July 12th - 13th.