Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Brit's Bachelorette Party!

Hello and Happy Tuesday to you!

I didn't get anything posted up here yesterday because I was completely exhausted after a busy weekend. I'm also getting used to my new schedule which is difficult as I'm sure you know!

This weekend was Brittni's Bachelorette Party! If you don't know, Brit has been one of my best friends since first grade. I feel like a part of her family whenever I am around them and always have a great time being part of anything that involves Brit and her family.



On Saturday night we celebrated with a party at Brittni's apartment. We played Cards Against Humanity which was a blast. We had a pretty low key night and went to bed fairly early since we needed to be up early the next day.... 



On Sunday morning Brittni, her sister Katie, Julia, Rachel and I hopped in the car and drove to Boston! Katie got us all Team Bride t-shirts since we were headed to a Red Sox game. Unfortunately our t-shirts were almost the same color as the Toronto Blue Jay's jerseys but that didn't spoil our fun!


We spent the morning wandering around Faneuil Hall...



And taking some photo booth pictures...


...and showing off our wicked awesome t-shirts.

Then it was time for lunch!




We had lunch at Dick's Last Resort which was a blast. In case you've never been to Dick's the idea behind the restaurant is that your waiter is a total jerk to you. He made us all hats that said funny things on them. Mine said "Will twerk for loose change", which was hilarious because I regularly pick change off the ground =)

Our waiter threw our silverware and menus on the table, kept pushing my hat down over my face, and brought Rachel water in a cup that had holes in it. He was absolutely hilarious and we all left saying what a great time we had.


Then we headed to Fenway! It was reallllllly hot at Fenway- not a cloud in the sky. We had a great time watching the game even though the Red Sox lost. It was the perfect way to end the weekend!


Happy Bachelorette Brit!

Friday, September 5, 2014

Weekly Couponing Wrapup

This week was pretty slow in the couponing world! I did manage to get a few deals in though.



At CVS:

2 Sensodyne Toothpastes @ $4.99 each
used $2 CVS coupon
Paid $3.99 each

2 Dawn Dish Soaps @ 99 cents each
used $1/2 coupon
Final Price: 49 cents each

1 Charmin Toilet Paper @ $9.99
used $1 CVS coupon
used 50 cent coupon from the paper
Final Price: $8.49

3 Wet and Wild Nailpolishes @ 99 cents each
used three $1/1 coupons
Final Price: 3 cent MoneyMaker!

I also used a $5 off $25 coupon, and $3 in ECBs
I paid $10.81 on my gift card and received $3 back in ECBs!


At Rite Aid:

2 Neutrogena Facial Bars @ $3.29
On sale B1G1 50% off
Paid $4.95
Received $5 back in +Up Rewards!

I also used $2 in +Up Rewards.
I paid $3.28 on my gift card and received $5 back in +Up Rewards!


How did your couponing go this week?

Thursday, September 4, 2014

Project 365: Week 35

I'm back on this lovely Thursday with another Project 365 update!


Day 241 my mom and I were working hard on getting everything ready for our yard sale. The basement is where we initially collected everything and I gave you a preview of all that we were selling in this Instagram picture!


Day 242. Roxy had a rough time because my mom and I were running around like crazy people and she much prefers all her humans to sit still so she can keep track of them!


Day 243 was the day of our yard sale! I recapped it here.


Day 244. We were all exhausted- as shown by Roxy flattening herself out on the floor.


Day 245 I did some couponing! In tomorrow's post I will break it all down for you!


Day 246. My last day before starting work was complete with two Bachelor in Paradise episodes and a peanut butter and fluff sandwich- yum!


Day 247. Yesterday was my first day at my new job! It was an exciting day!

How was your week?!

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Planning a Budget- Paying off Credit Cards and Loans the Organized Way!

Good morning everyone!

Today is an exciting day for me since I will be starting a brand new job. However, a brand new job means a brand new budget. I have the opportunity of a 401K at this new job as well which is new to me so there is a lot to take into consideration.

I have been using my Organization Binder to house my spending log, savings log, making money log, and most importantly my budget sheet for over a year now. It works well for me but sometimes I just need to write out a full plan on good old notebook paper and see my plan laid out in front of me.

I have racked up a decent amount on my credit cards- not a ton but enough to make me a little nervous, meaning I'm ready to pay it off immediately. I also owe a little under $3000 on my car which means I'm almost done with monthly payments! I'm getting anxious to pay that off as well.

The first thing I did was figure out exactly how much I owed on each card and what other things would need to be paid in the coming months.

(I will be using fake amounts and accounts on the blog because I don't feel entirely comfortable sharing my personal information)

Visa Card: $500
American Express: $1500
Macys: $200
Taxes: $50
Owe: $300
Membership Fee: $150
Car Payment: $3000
Car Insurance: $350

The next step was to write down the due dates for everything.

Visa Card: 7th of each month
American Express: 28th of each month
Macys: 15th of each month
Taxes: September 7th
Owe: ASAP
Membership Fee: September 30th
Car payment: 29th of each month
Car Insurance: October 10th

Now, I know my first paycheck will not be until the 19th, so I need to spend sparingly between now and then. So here's an idea of the payment schedule I have come up with (with fake amounts and information of course)

9/1 Taxes $50
9/12 Visa Card $50
9/19 Paycheck

After my first paycheck I know I will be able to start paying off more- so here is the next step of my plan.

9/21 Dues $150
9/21 Owe $300
9/28 American Express $100
9/28 Car $300
10/3 Paycheck

10/3 Visa $450
10/3 Car Insurance: $350
10/17 Paycheck

10/17 Macys $200
10/17 American Express $300
10/17 Car $300
10/31 Paycheck

10/31 American Express $400
11/14 Paycheck

11/14 American Express $400
11/28 Paycheck

11/28 American Express $300
11/28 Car $300

By the end of November I plan on having my car payment down to about $2000 and having all my credit cards paid off.

I also plan on saving 10% of my paycheck each week. I've opened a savings account at a bank that I typically don't bank at so 10% of my paycheck will go to that bank every week and I won't be touching it. I'm thinking that way I won't be able to move it to my checking account and spend it.

Since I'm turning 26 next month I know I need to get serious about saving money so I'm hoping with this plan I will be able to turn my saving and spending habits around!

Do you follow a budget or a saving and spending plan? I would love to hear how you save money!

Have a great day everybody!



Tuesday, September 2, 2014

End of Summer Empties

Throughout June, July and August I tossed all my empty products inside a huge DSW bag so I could give you a bunch of reviews in one post!




I went through a ton of products over the last three months- over 80 products total! We're going to get through them as fast as possible- so we better get started!


I went through a ton of haircare products this month.

Pantene Prov V Advanced Keratin Shampoo and Conditioner- This was a great shampoo and conditioner combination, along with the Pantene Pro V Age Defy Hair Mask they made my hair feel incredible silky and light. I would use these thee products again without question..however since I got them couponing I'm not sure I would ever actually pay for them because there are other products I like a little bit more.

Macademia Deep Repair Masque is one of my all-time favorite hair products. It's quite pricey but I do love it and will continue to repurchase it. It makes my hair feel great and smells incredible!

Clear Scalp and Hair Therapy Shampoo and Conditioner are my favorite shampoo and conditioner combo currently. I would use them exclusively if I didn't get other things for free! They are amazing and they make my hair feel like it is completely healthy. I like the concept behind the Clear brand with hair health starting at the root, I think it truly makes a difference with my hair.

Loreal Advanced Shampoo and Conditioner this was a decent shampoo and conditioner. Not my favorite but I would use it again. I also liked the Loreal Repair Conditioner it seemed to make my hair feel nice and soft.

Biolage Matrix I hated this shampoo and conditioner. It made my hair so stringy and gross and I wanted to pour other types of conditioner on my hair to just make it feel a little bit better. I definitely will never purchase this and I don't know why so many people go crazy over it.

Suave Shampoo and Conditioner This is another okay shampoo and conditioner. It wasn't my favorite, it didn't do anything incredibly wonderful for my hair but it wasn't bad by any means. I wouldn't pay money for it but I would definitely use it again. The Suave Leave In Cream was okay but I didn't like leaving such a thick product in my hair.

Beauty Protector Shampoo and Conditioner This shampoo and conditioner was from a Birchbox and was absolutely awful. My hair felt like it was gluing itself together into mounds of tangles. I wouldn't recommend this particular shampoo and conditioner to anyone whose hair tangles easily.

Purse Brush I have been carrying this brush inside my purse for years and it's finally time to let it go!

Klorane Dry Shampoo I liked this dry shampoo but I'm excited to try other ones. This one was great and really made my hair feel nice when I didn't wash it so I would definitely pick it up again.



Diamond Candles Carnival Candy This was a great candle that smelt just like cotton candy! I didn't get a very good ring out of the candle (I NEVER get a good one!) but I love how much scent throw the soy candles seem to have. I would repurchase this scent again in the future- but I have loved every scent that I've tried from Diamond Candles. I will keep ordering from them- they make really great gifts too!

Bath and Body Works Palm Beach Cooler This is my favorite candle ever. Unfortunately, it wasn't brought back this year- meaning that this was the last candle of its kind that I will ever get to burn. I enjoyed it immensely while it lasted!

Bath and Body Works Coco Lobo This was a nice smelling candle but the small size made the scent throw awful. I want to actually smell my candles while they're burning! The scent of this was mostly sunscreen and I loved it!

Bath and Body Works Tiki Beach I liked this candle but once again- there was no scent throw! This smelled like the beach and had a great fresh scent and I would definitely consider repurchasing it in the future.

Febreeze Set and Refresh This air freshener made my room smell nice and fresh, however when you have it right in front of you it smells horrible! I got these for free when couponing and would be willing to get them again if I got them free.

Yankee Candle Vanilla Frosting Car Vent Clips These didn't seem to work at all! I don't think they smelt like vanilla frosting, nor did I feel like any scent was in my car from these vent clips. I would not purchase these again.



Sensodyne Toothpaste This is the only toothpaste I use anymore and this summer I finished up three travel sized ones and one large sized. This is the only toothpaste that doesn't give me canker sores so I refuse to use anything else! I highly recommend it if you have any issues with canker sores.

Crest 3D White Strips I liked these but I don't think that they are entirely necessary. If I happened to get a good deal on them I would purchase them and use them again.

Crest Pro Health Mouthwash I love this mouthwash- it''s so gentle and works well without making you feel like your mouth is on fire. I have stocked up on these and will continue using them. It's really easy to find these for free at the drugstores after coupons and sales so that makes them even better.

Listerene Mouthwash I used two of these free samples but I really don't care for this mouthwash. I don't really like feeling the burn in my mouth when I use this mouthwash but I would use it again if I got it for free but I definitely wouldn't pay for it.



Method Antibac Toilet Cleaner The toilet bowl cleaner works great and I love that there are no harmful chemicals in it but I didn't care for the scent of it. I would be interested in repurchasing it in the future, but I would definitely like to look for it in another scent if they offer it.

Pledge Multisurface Cleaner I liked this cleaner and it seemed to work well on all the furniture in my room. I have another in my stockpile and I would repurchase it in the future. The scent was really fresh and clean and didn't smell overly like cleaning product so I definitely enjoyed that.



Fragonard Shower Gel This shower gel smells orange-y, but not in a sickingly sweet orange way. It's actually from my trip to France last fall and the hotel that provided it was near the Fragonard perfumery. I wouldn't purchase this because it's just not a scent I really enjoy but I don't think that would be a possibility anyways.

Mercure and Me Shower Gel I finished up three of these little shower gels from my France trip. They were okay, not great. They smelled fresh but I couldn't pinpoint a particular scent they relate to!

Bath and Body Works Sweet Pea Shower Gel I am so sick of the sweet pea scent so I am definitely happy to see this shower gel take a hike. I love Bath and Body Works products but this scent is just one that I'm not repurchasing in the future.

100% Pure Gingerade Shower Gel I love 100% pure products and the theory behind them but this was not a product I would ever repurchase. I hated the scent it smelled mostly like ginger and was just a scent I don't find particularly appealing. The shower gel also felt like it didn't really get me clean and just kind of ran off my skin. I would be willing to try another shower gel from them but definitely not in this scent again.

Dr Hauschka Body Wash I hated this scent! It was almost like a lemon lollipop which I wasn't a huge fan of. I don't particularly want to smell like a lemon lollipop but I used up this Birchbox sample and will never use it again!


Harvey Prince lotion I liked this lotion. It was creamy, smelled great and if I needed lotion I would definitely consider purchasing this in the future.

Avojuice Coconut Melon Juice Lotion I honestly didn't finish this lotion because it was so horrible. The smell was horrendous and I couldn't even open up the bottle because it just smelt so bad. Never again!

Sweet Pea Lotion I'm a little sick of this scent and will not purchase anything from Bath and Body Works in this particular scent anytime in the near future. I do love the lotions from Bath and Body Works however, I will definitely be getting other lotions from them and already have a bunch of backups in my stockpile.

Perlier Lotion This lotion was nice, not great but nice. I like the consistency of it and it smelt like almonds (almost a little bit like the Jergens lotion). I got this in a Birchbox and although I enjoyed it I will not purchase a full size in the future because I have other lotions I like much better.


Almay Makeup Wipes These wipes were very nice and I thought they did the trick with taking off all my makeup. I thought they were light and didn't hurt my skin in any way which is definitely a plus. I have another of these in my stockpile and have already started using the next package.

Almay Eye Makeup Wipes These eye makeup wipes are great and I love that I can use them and my eyes aren't affected. I always get nervous when using products around my eyes since they are often sensitive due to my contacts. I can wipe my eyes and not feel any pain at all, nor do my contacts move around when I wipe with them. I have a ton of these in my stockpile and will definitely continue using them.

Covergirl Lashblast Clump Crusher Mascara This is my favorite mascara of all time. I hate wet mascara and this mascara is great because it's on the drier side. I am able to use it and not worry about the mascara getting all over my face. It also doesn't clump at all which I suppose is why they call it the "clump crusher".

Loreal Black Eyeliner I thought this was a great eyeliner. I use black eyeliner almost exclusively and this one went on really nicely and I would definitely repurchase it.

Nyakio Coffee Body Scrub This scrub wasn't my favorite, the granules were really tiny and I really like thicker scrubs that aren't quite as runny. It smelled like coffee which wasn't bad, but also not the scent I want my body to smell like either so I will not be purchasing this in the future.

Urban Decay Primer Potion I liked this product but I don't know that it's entirely necessary. I wouldn't purchase it unless I found it on sale because I don't think it's something I need to use every day.

Boscia Blotting Linens I didn't find these blotting linens to be entirely necessary either. I liked them but I found that it took me a really long time to get through the small package of 25 because my skin doesn't get oily enough to get enough use out of them.

Laqa Purple Lipstick I'm sorry, but purple lipstick isn't really my thing! I was a little upset that Birchbox sent me this because I don't know many people who go around wearing purple lipstick regularly so I am tossing this!



12 Burts Bees Chapsticks I have a serious addiction but I love the tingly feeling that Burts Bees gives off!


Supergoop Sunscreen I liked this sunscreen a lot from the two samples I had. I would be willing to try this again in the future, but I've seen it listed as very expensive online so I'm not sure it would be something I would want to spend money on.

Coola Mineral Sunscreen I didn't care for the fact that this sunscreen was tinted. It made me feel like my skin was discolored. I am really interested in trying other Coola products, although I've heard they are pricey so I will need to look into it.

Coppertone Sunscreen I liked this sunscreen- it worked really well and felt lightweight on my skin. It smelt great and I would definitely purchase it again!


Aerie Perfume I am so thankful to say goodbye to this shampoo. It is a fresh scent but has changed a little bit over the years. I have so many perfumes and I'm trying to use up a few of my older perfumes so I can focus on the ones I actually love and enjoy using- so I'm thrilled to see this one go!

Catherine Malandrino Perfume As I mentioned in my Birchbox Review last Friday I was surprised that I actually liked this perfume. It was a little strong at first but I really liked the scent and it's worth checking out.



Jason Tea Tree Deodorant This is the only deodorant I've been using lately because I've switched to all-natural deodorant as I mentioned in a previous post called My Deodorant Story and I've been loving it. It works really well and the scent is light which is great since I hate really heavily scented deodorants.

Bath and Body Works Caribbean Escape Hand Wash This hand wash was kept in the bathroom I share with my brother. It smells fantastic and I would definitely purchase this in the future. I actually have another container of this and can't wait to use it again.

Febreeze To Go This little bottle has been living in my car for years now. I take it out and spray my car when my dog has been in it or if I've left any food or coffee in it long enough for any odor to develop. I would definitely pick this up if I could work out a couponing deal for it.

Biotrue Contact Solution This has been my all-time favorite contact solution and I actually received it as a free sample. I will definitely purchase this when I run out of contact solution because it's very gentle on my contacts and more importantly on my eyes!

Skintimate Dry Skin Shave Gel I liked this shave gel but I'm not picky about what kind I use. I would pick this up again if I got it while couponing. It smells like baby power which was pleasant but not my favorite scent for shave gel!

Skintimate Luscious Kiwi Splash Shave Gel This shower gel had a great scent and I would definitely pick it up again while couponing. I have used this a few times and although I'm not picky about shower gel I think that this kiwi one is one of my favorites.

Bath and Body Works Pear Antibac I enjoyed this antibacterial soap and kept it in my purse for the whole summer. It only had a little bit of an alcohol scent, but it wasn't overwhelming.

Q-Tips Who doesn't love Q-tips?! I only purchase this brand of cotton swabs because I use them for both my ears and removing makeup under my eyes. I keep repurchasing these and will continue for the foreseeable future!

Neutrogena Cream Cleanser I use this face wash religiously and it makes my skin slightly less dry. I've already repurchased it and have started a new one.


That's all for my summer empties! What products have you finished up recently?

Monday, September 1, 2014

An Organized Yard Sale!

Happy Labor Day!

It was quite a laborious week around here last week- we spent a ton of time getting ready for the yard sale we held on Saturday. Since we had a successful yard sale I thought I would share with you my experience and how we kept things organized!

We (my mom and I) spent a great deal of time digging through every closet, attic space and bookshelf  decluttering. Our current home has a ton of storage and is quite a bit bigger then the house we are moving into- meaning we need to get rid of anything we don't absolutely love and use.

Originally we had gathered everything in the basement because we planned on having the sale in our side yard. After further thought we changed the location to our front yard- meaning everything had to be lugged back out of the basement and into the living room. 

Here's the start of the pile...


On Friday we started taking everything from the living room outside. My mom and I aren't exactly early morning people- meaning we didn't want to be lugging stuff outside at 5AM- so we thought that setting everything up the day before sounded like a much better plan.


I decided that I would bag each set of earrings into individual ziploc bags. I thought it would be easier for people to see and this way nothing would get lost in the shuffle. I placed all my jewelry in a little basket and marked it all as one price which made everything much easier.


We put like things together- all kitchen items together, sports equipment in the same area, all glass items grouped together on the same table, and all toys together under a tent.






We also had a free section across the driveway which we continued to add to throughout the day. This definitely drew in a lot of customers, and we managed to get rid of a ton of items that were destined for the Salvation Army anyways!


I actually sold the entire Barbie bin despite the fact that I had cut a bunch of their hair...



My beloved dollhouse furniture and people were taken home by a family that I know will appreciate it!






One of the best things we did was grouping items together in bins. You can see above how we kept all the picture frames contained in two bins side by side.



The 10 cent bins were a great idea for small items and things we didn't want.






I hung up all the clothing and allowed customers to take the hangers home with them which worked out nicely. We actually sold quite a bit of clothing which surprised me!




Roxy was completely wiped out!


I kept track of all our sales to make sure each of us got our fair share! As a family we made about $300! Not bad for four hours of selling items!

Of course there were a ton of items left over- we listed both TVs as free on Craigslist and one has already been picked up. I listed two papasan chairs on Craigslist and also listed a ton of items on Ebay, so hopefully I will sell at least a few of those as well. My personal take home after this yard sale? Just under $100- not bad for decluttering!

Have you ever had a yard sale? What are your tips for making a yard sale successful and organized?

Enjoy the last day of your long weekend!