Tag: fun

Target Practice

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Hey ya’ll,

It’s your favorite flake here– just trying to get through toddler life and also take showers– so writing kind of took a back seat. Sorry, so..sorry. But, life..right?

Anyway, I’ve been thinking I need to get writing again, and I’m going to take their toddler free week (thanks Mom and Dad!) to get on here and do my thing, but sleep..right?

There’s a ton of things I’ve been doing to better my life, which I’m super excited about. I stopped eating sugar (No, I’m not going to be annoying about it), I quit smoking (for good this time), and I finally got a handle on my work/life balance. What I haven’t done? Wrangled my anxiety and have a handle on my finances– because Lilly is cute, Longchamp has sales sometimes, and anxiety is the best friend that just won’t.stop.tagging.along.

But, we all have our issues. If I’m doing right by my body, I can be rich when I’m dead, right?

Today, I came on to tell you all about my frivolous purchase of the weekend from the blackhole many call Target. I haven’t been on the crazy train to Target in a while, but when I saw their new gingham trench, I decided I was going to stalk it until it suddenly popped into my cart and called me mom. Today, it did just that! I got to take the trench home with me along with some mules that make me feel like Steve Harvey. Talk about #sprang

The trench runs super big, so make sure to size down when grabbing this spring essential. The mules can make anyone feel like they have a pair of paddle feet. I had to grab a size 11, when I’m a size 10. Ok, I already have big feet, but still that’s a whole size up! I can’t wait to rock these two with a pair of black skinny pants, a white top and a pop of bright yellow, just to say…bzzz. They had some great items in their women’s section, especially their newest diversion from the exit : Who What Wear. It is everything you want for your Instagram-worthy pics for your ~blog~

Speaking of Target in general, they have a whole lot of things on clearance. The Target near my house is kind of sketchy, so I travel the extra 15 to go to the boujee one. There’s clearance sheets, lamps, water bottles, curtains, and floor mats. Just what ever domestic diva needs in her life. Just don’t get too out of hand in the first couple of aisles. It’s literally a warzone in there.

 

Love you, mean it.

 

K

 

 

 

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5 Go-To Recipes Under $20

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Just like Taylor, I’m back.

Needed a bit of space– blank space if you will.

So, what have I been doing? Well, I’ve been:

Trying to make sure my kid stops being so mobile, haven’t put on make up in like a month, starting lusting over the color mustard, and making my lunches at home.

Yea, that’s right. It only took me about 3 years working in the same damn mall to realize that the food is actually shit there, and maybe it’s the reason I can’t seem to lose any weight. Bitter? Yes. Truthful? Yes.

Let’s just start with the choices that the state of Pennsylvania gives you as a whole: Applebees, Longhorn, Chickies (it’s good I get it, but like..not every Friday), Grand Lux, etc. The list of chains is endless. I guess being from New York makes me spoiled– but I’ll say it again. There’s literally nothing worth writing home about in this part of PA. Sorry, boo…but when you can’t find good Italian food 10 miles in any direction from your house, you start to get a bit irritated.

So, my lovely cook husband has started to whip up some awesome “take to work friendly” lunches and dinners. My problem with making lunches at home is that my hands are so full from my purse and my coffee that I usually don’t have a free hand to carry Tupperware in and out of work. I like easy, and simple, and lazy. Here’s a list of my favs and links to their recipes:

  1. Deviled Egg Macaroni Salad
  2. Paprika Parmesan Chicken
  3. Avocado Caprese Chicken Quesadilla
  4. Coconut Chicken Strips
  5. Avocado Egg Salad

If you wanted me to give you the recipes, you really are just reaching for me to do more work. In case you were wondering, this isn’t a cooking blog. But, alas– all 5 of these have something in common: They are so easy you won’t even feel like you’re really cooking– and with a 10 month old, I don’t really have enough time to cook a 5 course meal. Mostly because I’m too busy watching him crawl into my dog’s crate and try to eat one of Marlow’s 10 thousand tennis balls. Motherhood looks good on me, right?

Pro tip: Want to use Avocado in your lunch? It’s actually a freaking process– being that avocados oxidize like, super quick. You could put lemon juice on them or just leave the pit in to try to prevent oxidation. BUT I usually just wait to cut my avocados until lunch time–which is extra, and the ladies at the food court think I’m crazy when I ask them to cut an entire avocado open…but I do what I have to, amirite?

Want another pro tip? Make sure to remember to bring your containers out of your car. I know people probably adult much better than me, and that seems like a no-brainer, but just take the piece of advice and file it under your “Alright, I’m def more sane than Kate” tab. You may need it someday when your car smells.

 

Anyway, check back later this week (if I remember) to check out some new posts!

 

Love you, mean it.

K

 

Best Planners out There?

I must say, I’m still not a planner person.

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So, we talked about stationary…a basic girl’s most used drug. However, we didn’t talk about their secret weapon: planners. Ugh, not this again…I know, I know. Planner talk means back to school– but with popular brands getting their planner options for the new year out NOW– it’s time for all of you guys to take charge and shop smart for a great planner. I’ve gone through a couple– and I must say, I’m still not a planner person.

Guys, I really try– but I can never seem to keep track of it, or keep up with it as the months go on. Let’s face it, I buy planners because they’re pretty. If you love planners, good for you– because I sure as hell can’t seem to get it together.

Even though I forget about my planners a month into buying them, I’m still on the look out for some bitchin’ ones for you all. That’s right– I’ve been doing my homework, and I must say, we have some pretty steep competition this year.

Here it is, the best of the best planners for everyone out there:

Lilly Pulitzer, kate spade, Emily Ley, Erin Condren

Let’s just talk about these guys for a hot sec, because you know I sprinted to Lilly the day the new planners were released. These are the staples of every instagram worthy post. The artistic details, and beautiful colors, and the cute sayings all make everyone forget about the most important thing: The price. These planners can run you from about $20 for smaller versions to upwards of $65-$70 for a personalized EC. I love to waste money on frivolous items, but that’s just ridiculous. If you need to have your monogram on everything, here’s a pro tip: Go on Etsy and buy your monogram on a sticker for like, $5, and stick it on your $35 Lilly planner. Sure, we all know the paper quality is good– but let’s all face the reality: You’re writing in your plans to get drunk with your one college roommate at 6 and calling your ex-boyfriend at 9. #notapologizing

Target

Sure, the paper quality isn’t like, resume paper..but it’s good enough for what it is. I walked into Target the other day to get cookies (don’t ask) and my eyes caught a huge display of adorable, gold leaf planners. Now, I like a spiral bound notebook..so I can get a bit picky, but these are fairly cheaper than the Lilly that I did end up buying. If you can do without a spiral bound– you have even cheaper picks. They can range between $7- $17 for the dupes of your favorites.

Walmart

Oh, no. No, no, no..I’m not becoming a Walmart person (not that I don’t like it- the prices are bomb, but the people sometimes aren’t) Interestingly enough, the ones that I saw at Target had a fraternal twin at Walmart. If you want a good price, you’re gonna get it here. That’s all I’ll say. I have a couple more jokes, but I’m leaving myself to be unbiased.

Blitsy

HAVE YOU SEEN THIS WEBSITE? I’m not too sure about this whole..sticker thing, but the planners are so so cute! Low to mid $20 for these newly found beauties. There are a couple that are in the high $50-$60 range as well, so you do get a variety. First off, they bombard you with coups, and have pretty nice clearance that includes Rifle Paper Co right now!

Passion Planner

Ok, so these all have similar designs on them, but different colors. I’ve never seen these before, but they are super cute and pretty competitive in price. Right now, they have a simple black, purple, blue, gold, pink, brown, and turquoise. The options are straight forward, too. Academic, undated (who does that), and dated.  What I love? The questions that are featured for goal planning. Also, check out their mission statement below:

This is why for every planner purchased, we give one away. We’re more than just a planner company—we’re a group of goal getters making a change in the world. We’re creating something more than a community, we’re creating a #Pashfam that encourages one another to graduate college, land their dream job, plan their wedding, battle depression, overcome anxiety, and achieve their dreams. And we want you to be a part of that.

So here’s to helping more people, together.

– www.passionplanner.com

Since I battled depression for most of my life so far, I felt that this is a super great way to help out, even if they are “just” a planner company.

 

 

Anywho, just know– if you like planners because they’re pretty, you aren’t alone. If you like them because you use them: more power to ya. Just remember, an empty planner doesn’t mean you have an empty life, it just means you can’t get your shit straight to write it all down. (Like me!)

Love you, mean it.

 

K

 

 

Lilly Pulitzer, Emily Ley, kate spade, Walmart. (Links attached)

5 Websites You Need In Your Repertoire

Free shipping is yours for a mere $49..which isn’t hard to do once you find their selection of throw pillows.

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We all know I created this blog to get better at saving money, and all I’ve done is help you guys save money while you laugh at my constant regression into Lilly Pulitzer shopping sprees. I’ve been clean for 12 hours at this point, and I’m feeling okay.

I’m here to give you a taste of the good life: 5 ~new~ websites for you to go spend your money at…and maybe feel good about?

The Charity Websites:

Ok, so I have two of these, and I’m not sorry. I’ve purchased from both, and I’ve never regretted it. Reason why? The profits go to something that you support. Each week, Sevenly.org chooses an organization or cause that is in need of support. From the website:

Sevenly makes a pledge of $7 per purchase in its 7-Day Campaigns and 7% for its cause-themed Collections to selected non-profits.

– sevenly.org

Under each cause, the website gives you some info about what you are donating to and how this purchase will help. Here’s what I like: They don’t lie about how much is going back to the cause. They tell you straight up that they do take some of it back in order to maintain the company, etc. If you’re still skeptical: here’s their FAQ.

On to the next: Serengentee.com

“By purchasing fabric from over 25 countries, we support artisans, their families, and ancient fabric making traditions.

And, by giving back 10% of our profits to a diverse range of grassroots causes, we work to improve lives in their communities.” -serengentee.com

You’ve probably seen these a bunch of places, or imitations of the same style. Basically, the founders of this company purchased fabric and patterns from various countries and communities around the world. With that, they used their t-shirt sales to give back to the community that the fabric/pattern came from. Each pattern is so beautiful and colorful. When you select the shirt you want, the information about where the fabric came from is on the page. Here’s my favorite right now.

Marley Lilly

marleylilly.com is one of those websites that you kind of miss when browsing around on the web. Not sure why, because everything is very reasonable and really cute. They even have a “monogram bloopers” on the bottom of the page that is for monograms that they made by accident and put up for sale at a discount. They even have a bridal party section! My personal faves? The 1/4 zip pullover, the baseball hats, and the earrings!

Society 6

Ok ,this place isn’t only on Ebates for a sweet 3.5% cash back, but it has just the kind of stuff that you know you shouldn’t even be looking at! Society6.com is literally the mecca for great prices on wall art, throw pillows, and mugs with smart ass comments on them. They support local artist’s work, and do a ton of collabs with artists, too.

Hayneedle

Ever go into a home goods and think…I feel like I need more? Me too. Here’s where you get it. But more…like much more. You could go crazy on here. If you want bougie for a buck, here’s where it is. Lighting, home improvements, or even just some damn silk flowers– you’re in business. Free shipping is yours for a mere $49..which isn’t hard to do once you find their selection of throw pillows. They even separate product based on styles.

I technically gave you 5 websites already– but here’s another, just for good karma.

Keep

This is sort of a mix of late 2014’s Looksy.com (where did they go?) and Wanelo. It has trending items, gift ideas, and great places to go this week for the best deals. It’s a blog, but it’s great to be in the know. There’s an app you can download so that you can be notified about sales near you, or upcoming deals. They have special deals for subscribers, such as Blue Apron discounts, etc.

 

That’s it for now, hope you go and get your browsing on. It’s okay to spend a little, as long as it’s not on a credit card!

Love you, mean it.

 

 

K

 

 

Wanna Save Money?

I wouldn’t call myself exactly…broke AF– but we’re scraping by…so I wanted to close that gap by trying out a couple of ideas that you always see on the internet– and see if they work: Guess what? They don’t.

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I wouldn’t call myself exactly…broke AF– but we’re scraping by…so I wanted to close that gap by trying out a couple of ideas that you always see on the internet– and see if they work: Guess what? They don’t..and NO you can’t make $5,000 by doing surveys because you will literally kill yourself from frustration 10 minutes in.

So, I figured out that I should take out my daily spending money per paycheck in cash and leave the rest in my bank account– untouched. WHALE– that kind of worked– but if I didn’t want to spend my spending money because of something I just …needed…to buy, I would just swipe my debit card. SO, that didn’t work too well, but I did figure out that I am deathly afraid to be without a credit card for fear I’ll get kidnapped from work and need to pay for my way home after I escape. So glad I watch so much Person of Interest.

Anywho– here’s what I found works if you are looking for some extra cash, and you have no dignity– like me!

Stop Having Friends

Yea- I said it, but you were thinking it. Friends are super expensive. Weddings, Bar nights, dinners out– sure, you end up sitting home alone every night wondering what to do with the decor of your house– but at least you have your money. (Loljk)

For real though–

Poshmark

Yea, that’s right. Put your crap up for sale. No, not your crappy crap– but your clothes and accessories that you don’t need. And by that I mean– if you didn’t wear it this past season, and it doesn’t fit you…and you forgot about it– SELL it. It makes you feel good!Don’t just sell your clothes, sell your baby’s unworn clothes, or your husband’s clothes that he doesn’t like!

Granted, Poshmark takes out a portion of your profit– but you know what, the app is super user-friendly, and after a couple great reviews– you can shop their wholesale and really turn a profit! However, I haven’t tried that yet, because I’m not too big on the whole…risk your own money for a 50% chance of a reward. Knowing me, I’ll end up with 5 duplicate graphic tees that say “Barre so hard” and no one to sell them to.

Be A Guinea Pig

This too…you read that right. Look up research groups or research study groups. Guess what? If they’re willing to pay me $60 to taste their off brand peanut butter cup…I’m in, and you should be too. Check out local college unions or libraries to see if there are advertisments. They need people, and honey– we’re people!

Stop Buying

Guess what else worked? Not shopping at Nordstrom’s. Or Lilly, or francescas, or etsy…The easiest way to see money in your bank account is not to waste it away on something frivolous. You worked hard for your money– stop wasting it. (Says the girl who was on a mission to buy a new dress for a wedding today)

Well, we can’t all be perfect all at the same time.

Love you, mean it.

K

 

 

What Did I Do This Week?

On Wednesday, my husband got home and we decided to go out and grab some unnecessary home decor to help us get our minds off of stuff.

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Hey you guys!

So, after a long and stressful week, we are finally at most people’s favorite day, Friday! For me, it’s not really the start of my weekend, but you guys like it, so I’ll post for you! This week, my husband and I were faced with some pretty tough decisions regarding his career, but we finally were able to solve it!

When we get stressed, we shop. It’s a super bad way to relieve stress, but we got stuff to make our house cuter– so that’s okay..right?

On Wednesday, my husband got home and we decided to go out and grab some unnecessary home decor to help us get our minds off of stuff. We went to home goods on 202 in Blue Bell, PA. Let me tell you, there’s a difference between good and bad Home Goods. The ones that get hit all the time…and the ones that don’t. This one– it’s a good one. It’s SUCH a good one.

We didn’t go too crazy, but they were just putting out their spring and summer stuff– so I knew we were going to find pineapples and flamingos galore. Let me tell you, I wasn’t disappointed. We walked in, and we immediately went to the mugs. #mugmonday anyone? If you go into a store and immediately put something in your cart– you know you’re going to be there for a while.

Michael found a mug that perfectly described his relationship with coffee. This one is pretty similar to what he found. I walked into the next aisle and found a new tablecloth!

Does anyone else have rules when they go into a Home Goods? Thankfully, my husband has caught on– and walks through every aisle with me and doesn’t stray. I promise you– you’ll miss something!

After debating some other items, we made a promise that we would throw more parties this summer. As you all know, I was pregnant and miserable last summer, so I didn’t want anyone to have fun. This year, I’m ready! We got an adorable pineapple outdoor tray as well as a wooden utensil holder, because I’m really rustic.

The moral of the story is, if anyone comes to my house this summer, they will feel super welcomed.

When we got home, we went right to sleep, and went right into work on Thursday. Today, I was off, and had plans of being in bed all day, but MP3 had other plans. He wanted to be up and out, so I put on my big girl pants and drove around to Marshall’s and Carter’s. (That stuff is in my haul also!)

I am super excited to be adding on another type of media into my blog, so please enjoy my random as hell vlog channel too! We all know I’m not organized to do this all the time, but I’m trying!

 

Love you mean it.

K

 

 

 

 

 

50 Things to Do…When You’re Short on Cash

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Okay, so today is Sunday…and I figure that I should make a theme: Sassy Sarcastic Sunday. So, there’s that.

As promised, here are 50 things you can do when you’re broke as hell.

  1. Brush your hair.
  2. Take up a semi cheap hobby… Crocheting is hella inexpensive! Have you seen how much a ball of yarn is?
  3. Paint your nails.
  4. Watch *free* episodes on hulu or youtube.
  5. Invent something.
  6. Get your invention idea stolen because you talked about it in a Starbucks.
  7. Drive around aimlessly… Of course that cost more money in gas than going out to a bar.
  8. Concentrate on your exercise.
  9. Reorganize the apps on your phone… It keeps things fresh.
  10. Carve your initials into a tree.
  11. People watch.
  12. Look up a diet cleanse and not do it.
  13. Practice your typing.
  14. Play monopoly with your dog/cat/rabbit.
  15. Organize your planner, and then forget about it the next week.
  16. Design your house on Pinterest.
  17. Start a blog.
  18. Plan your wedding on Pinterest. Whether it be real or fake.
  19. Window shop on the interweb.
  20. Finally clean out your inbox.
  21. Unsubscribe to shopping emails in your inbox. 😦
  22. Become an expert at origami
  23. Live vicariously through those who go out on the weekends.
  24. Envy your dogs life.
  25. Work more hours at work.
  26. Start a savings account.
  27. Call it: One Day…
  28. Rerecord your voicemail message.
  29. Do your voicemail message in the voice of Bane from Batman.
  30. Perfect your Russian accent
  31. Text your friends pictures of puppies.
  32. Build a treehouse, or a snowman, depending on your weather sitch.
  33. Make your own coffee. (AS IF)
  34. Try to figure out how mirrors work.
  35. Count how many times a ceiling fan spins per hour.
  36. Volunteer.
  37. Become a youtube sensation over night.
  38. Become insta famous.
  39. Train your dog to bring you food.
  40. Clean your bathroom.
  41. Create a fan page for an obscure actor from the 90’s. (Ron Orbach) (Best DMV Tester Cher could have had)
  42. Cry when your Rue LaLa app reminds you about new sales.
  43. Take up ribbon dancing.
  44. Brew your own beer.
  45. Do your laundry.
  46. Apply for jobs.
  47. Apply to graduate school.
  48. Learn how to cook.
  49. Learn how to be the burger king.
  50. Don’t take any of these seriously.

Well, that was too easy.

Anywho, look out for a list of actual things to do on a budget sometime this week! I’m thinking Tuesday evening? After work? I get out at 10. See you then 🙂

xoxo -Kate