Life's great journey is made up of day by day delights.

Saturday, June 30, 2012

Be a Dollar Bin Diva: Gift Bags

Need to get your frugal juices flowin'? I have the answer for you. Dive into your local dollar bins....particularly at Target. TARGET = LOVE for me. Combine that affection with savings and I might as well change my Facebook status to, "In a Relationship with the GREATEST Store Ever." Sorry, Hubs. Looks like you have some tough competition. 

Example: Check out these amazingly fantastic bags I have been grabbing. You'll  be glad you did!





You think these are awesome? Check out this wrapping papper I picked up.


I'm a "rapper" (cue the poorly imitated beat box)
Now this bright, deep pink wrapping paper didn't actually come from the $1 section BUT it did come from a sale aisle. Always, always, always check out the "caps" to aisles, no matter the store. They often have seasonal items or speciality items marked WAY down, like this awesome wrapping paper. This will be perfect for wrapping a girl friend's birthday present or to change up the color scheme for Christmas!

Giving someone a gift is always such a joy but sometimes it isn't quite a joy to your budget so take a few extra minutes to find those special pieces that don't require a down payment. I find that part of what makes a gift special is not just the gift itself but the packaging as well. Paying attention to those little details are what make your gifts stand out and show that you care. Inexpensive, cute bags like these are a great time saver (down the road) and even better money saver. Stock up when they are available, file away and use when needed. Target is always a fantastic place to look!

I can't wait to find another treasure at the dollar bin soon!! I wonder what I will find. What has been an all time favorite dollar bin buy of yours?? Until next time, HUGS AND KISSES!

Friday, June 29, 2012

Canning for the Modern Day Woman

CANNING. The latest craze. Ya' know....like 100 years ago. Latest craze or not, I am completely excited about canning.

It all started with gardening. Basically, I wanted a garden which has since turned into a mini-farm (or not so much...in my dreams). Excited for this new venture it all of a sudden hit me that I can't eat all of my tomatoes or corn in one sitting then LIGHTBULB MOMENT! I'll can them. I'm going to go all Little House on the Prairie on those veggies!

Now, as it not yet harvest time for the majority of my garden, I have only canned some fresh, grocery produce so far. I have made strawberry jam, salsa, blackberry preserves, and corn. Take a look at these babies!


Care to JAM with me?....I have something wrong with me. I can't even stop myself from saying corny things like that. If anyone knows of a 12-step program for Word Vomit, I'd appreciate the phone number.
Salsa....no word vomit problem here because apparently I am just not that creative.
I won't lie. Canning is kind of hard, time consuming work. Although canning does take some time, if you plan for it, you can totally do it.

Totally worth it because:

1. It will save money on food throughout the year.
2. We will eat food that I know what exactly the ingredients are. No creepy chemicals or preservatives here, Folks!
3. It is a very rewarding experience.

IF canning intrigues you in the slightest I would be more than happy to do a whole tutorial post about it. For now I will stick with the basics.

1. Study, study, study! There are many great resources out there. Use them! This is not something you want to wing.
2. Prepare time, food, and utensils.
3. Do not stray from the instructions or recipes.
4. HAVE FUN AND EMBRACE YOUR INNER DOMESTIC GODDESS!

I'm so happy I have started this journey in my life. What are some hobbies that you have started and feel excited about? Until next time, HUGS AND KISSES!

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Stuff I Love

Hey, Hey! I wanted to share some products with you that have CHANGED. MY. LIFE. Ok, maybe nothing that dramatic but they are pretty awesome and I want them to make your life awesome too. Here is the Stuff I Love...

1. Curel Ultra Healing Lotion


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All my life I have been the girl with random skin issues (or rather annoyances). If it's not one thing then it's another....acne, dry skin, acne, oily skin, elephant elbows (ya' know....dark, ashy elbows),acne, eczema, etc., etc., etc. The latest skin plague was overly dry skin, concentrated mainly on my right pinkie...weird, I know. I would have shared a "Before" pic with you but I'd like to have some friends after this post. It was weird, scaley, desert like patches on my aforementioned finger. VERY annoying especially since I had tried several different types of solutions. FINALLY I found what I and my finger were looking for....Curel Ultra Healing Lotion. This stuff is blow your mind amazing. Within one day it was like my skin had gone from lizard to human again. I now use it religiously on every part of my skin, even my elephant elbows! Now on to battle the blemishes! P.S. This stuff feels like silk and has no strong odor which is fab!

2. HSI Argan Oil Leave in Conditioner

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I recently bought this when I {had} to get a new straightening iron. I have been intrigued by Argan oil for a while now. I am seeing this stuff in stores like Sephora and on online beauty tutorials. This product specifically mentions being used for hair but I have seen Argan oil being used on faces, body, and  hair. Use this stuff sparingly. A little goes a long way which is fantastic since some brands are a little pricey. I literally use a dot amount the size a pencil eraser would make...itty bitty. But it makes my hair shine like I am from another planet, it smells super yummy, and makes my crazy hair so soft and manageable.

3. REMBRANDT DEEPLY WHITE + Peroxide Fresh Mint Toothpaste

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I have always kind of been obsessed with having white teeth but I have to tell you buying those whitening strips really adds up so I use Rembrandt Deeply White + Peroxide Fresh Mint Toothpaste. This is a quick, inxpensive way to get those pearly whites actually white!

4. Sally Hansen Vitamin E Nail & Cuticle Oil

I have been using Sally Hansen Vitamin E Nail & Cuticle Oil for years now and for good reason! This little bottle contains nail and skin magic. MAGIC. If I'm in a rush and my nails/hands are looking a little rough and in need of some TLC, I swipe this wonder-maker on my cuticles and massage it on. It makes it look like I take better care of my nails than I actually do. When I am feeling extra ambitious, I use it every night before bed. Not only do I use it for some cuticle love but I use it on my heels too. If I am about to go out and plan on wearing strappy sandals, I use a little of this on each heel. It makes my dry heels breath a sigh of relief and look a thousand times better! Yeah, pay attention to the big details (hair, make-up, clothes) but I find that paying attention to those little details make me feel a lot more confident.

5. PINK Fresh Vanillas FEEL FLIRTY
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 Normally, I am not a vanilla scent kind of a girl but this Pink Feel Flirty from Victoria's Secret has stolen my heart. For some reason, I could not find this exact scent on the Victoria's Secret website. It may be a speciality scent. I am absolutely in love with the PINK line of fragrances and have several in my arsenal of awesomeness but this one is kind of trumping the rest. Like I said, I don't really dig vanilla scented items...or anything that smells like I could eat it. Feel Flirty doesn't have a very strong vanilla influence. It is a very clean, light scent perfect for summer. My mom, who also doesn't wear anything vanilla, literally stole this from my hands and sprayed it all over herself saying, "I. MUST. HAVE. THIS." To me, that says a lot. I bought this in the mini size because I wanted to stow it in my purse and good thing because 1) It is HOT out and when this girls begins to "glow", she needs a little fragrant refresher AND 2) You never know when you need to block out the scent of a neighbor that might be in close quarters. Yes, I discreetly sprayed this bad daddy the other day to protect my nose from someone's horridly offensive B.O. Don't judge.

I highly recommend you try any or ALL of these little gems. I also highly recommend you tell me what are some of your favorites, new or old. :-) Until next time, HUGS AND KISSES!