How to Spot a Well-Made Garment

When I was little, my mom sewed much of my wardrobe. Because of this, I learned what a quality, well-made garment looked like. I also learned all about different fabrics. It can be difficult to tell what quality looks like since expensive doesn't always mean well-made, and vice versa. Here are some tips for finding well constructed items on the clearance racks and in thrift stores in case you didn't have your own seamstress while you were growing up. ;)

* Be aware of different fabrics. NEVER pay a lot of money for acrylic, nylon, rayon, or polyester. Cotton, wool, linen, silk, and cashmere last longer, breathe better, and look nicer. (I will say that I have some poly items, though.)

* Before you go shopping, go through your own closet. Feel the fabrics, look at the stitching. What makes certain items fit well? You will be able to see the difference between things that are constructed well and those that are not.

* Look for linings in pants, skirts, suits, jackets, and coats. Bonus points if they're lined in silk. (I hate lined pants, though, and never buy them.)

* Button down shirts and cotton dresses should have darts in the front and/or back that make them fit better. Same with most coats and jackets.

* With shoes, examine them for even stitching. There should be no noticeable glue anywhere. Set each shoe flat on the floor to see if they are stable or if they wobble. The best shoes (in my opinion) have leather lining rather than man-made lining. Your feet will not sweat in these beauties!

*In handbags there are a couple of things to look for. As in any item, you want nice even stitching. Soft leather and metal hardware (particularly metal zippers) are also indicators of good quality. Lately there have been a lot of moderately priced ($15-30) handbags at T.J. Maxx that have fooled me into thinking they would be expensive because they had all of the marks of quality.

*This is the underside of a skirt hem. When a hem is finished off with lace, trim, or ribbon (as in the picture), this is a hallmark of good sewing. This takes extra time and is not often seen in clothing that is manufactured now. However, you do often see this in vintage clothing.

*This is an example of a well-stitched hem. It is neatly folded over and is sewn in an even, straight line less than 1/8 inch from the end.

For more reading on quality for less, see dressing professionally on a dime.

Stupid Tax

Dave Ramsey has a section on his website where people write in with stupid things they've done financially. I like to read them from time to time, and I'm usually a bit smug while doing so. Ah, smugness. You are often my downfall. Well, now it's happened to me.

I just paid my first (and it will be my only) insufficient funds fee.

When I moved, I opened a checking account with Washington Mutual. It turned out to be more of a hassle than a convenience, so I decided to stick with my hometown bank. I only had a little bit of money (less than $200) left in the WaMu account, so I decided that I would just pay for everything out of that account and try to get it as close to a zero balance as possible.

Not a smart idea.

I mixed up some receipts between my two accounts and wound up not subtracting the right amount of money out of my WaMu register. Which led to an overdraft. $1.88 charge is what got me a $32.00 NSF fee. This was totally stupid since I have plenty of money in my regular account, and WaMu deserves the fee for my stupidity.

I've learned my lesson!

Exercising When You Don't Really Want To

Exercise is obviously good for you physically, but it has also been shown to be as effective on mood as a mild antidepressant. Since I trained as a health psychologist, I always encourage people to exercise! Here is some tips to getting going when you don't really want to. Plus, exercise is free entertainment.

1) Exercise first thing in the morning or right when you get home from work. If you sit down or lie around, it is unlikely that you will get back up again to go exercise.

2) If you do have to/want to sit around for some reason, put on your exercise clothes and shoes. Be ready to go.

3) Set "do-able" goals. If you are new to exercising, running three miles three times a week is NOT a do-able goal. Be honest with yourself about what you really can and should be doing. Baby steps. It doesn't matter if it's ten minutes three times a week to start with. The goal here is to...

4) Make it a habit. The more you exercise, the easier it is to fit it into your life. I've been exercising consistently enough now that I am at the point where I feel gross if it's been a few days since I've worked out.

5) Understand that you may not ever be to the point where you are really pumped to go exercise. I have been exercising regularly for some time and I still have to drag myself out the door. I just focus on the way that I feel during and afterward.

6) Focus on health, not on physical attributes. Losing weight and looking great are fantastic goals. However, I've found that if the focus is on health, you are much more likely to feel like you are succeeding. And feeling successful is key to staying on course.

The Monthly Budget

No Thank You, Classmates.com

Shortly after graduating high school (in 2000) and before the days of My Space, several people from my graduating class signed up at Classmates.com. I did, too, as a "free" member. I never visit the site, but today I received an email stating that someone had signed my guestbook. I didn't know I had a guestbook. Anyhoo, I decided to see what it said. Well, surprise, you have to pay join (i.e. pay money) to view your guestbook. The cheapest option is $15 for three months.

No thanks, classmates.com. I guess my guestbook will remain a mystery forever.

Walgreens October Freebies

Looks like October is going to be a great month for free after rebate items at Walgreens. The following are free all next month:

*Breathe Again Adult Nasal Spray with SinoMarin, 3.3 oz
*Pepcid Complete or Pepcid AC, 8 count
*Colgate Total Advanced Clean Toothpaste 4.2 oz
*Ameal BP Capsules, 60 Pack or Chewable Tablets, 90 Pack
*Garnier Fructis Shampoo or Conditioner, 10.2 oz
*Beano To Go, 12
*Buckley’s Chest Congestion or Cough Suppressant Liquid, 4 oz.

As always, you can use coupons to purchase the items and make the deal a little sweeter. If you are not getting the freebies at Walgreens every month, I beg you to start now!!!!!!!!! WHY would you not get all of your toiletries for free???? It takes very little effort, and I have a closet full of free or almost free stuff to prove it.

Quotes of the Week

Just in case you think I'm the only "quirky" one in the family, here are some quotes from this week.

"So, 25 is the new 5. Yeah, apparently you're 5." -My mom, talking about how tired she is of hearing that 50 is the new 40, 40 is the new 30, etc.

(Said in a firm and knowing voice) "Duct tape." -My auntie, while discussing the broken battery container on my camera.

"Actually, today I look like a dude. And yesterday I wore ugly shoes just because they were comfortable." -Me, while texting a friend about how my style is going sharply downhill since starting internship.

Introducing...

Ivy the cat! I'll try to get a better picture of her later when she's not acting like a dope.

I adopted Ivy about two weeks ago from a local humane society. She is 11 months old and has spent most of her life at the shelter. Because of this, she was very very nervous about human contact. She is still a bit nervous, but she has really come out of her shell! She is a tiny little thing with a bushy tail.

There was a very traumatic incident on Monday where I *had* to get her back into her (enormous) cage because the apartment people were coming to work on the air conditioning unit. We have both mostly recovered from this incident, although one of us is still scratched and bruised. She never bites or scratches under normal circumstances, though.

I don't know that there's going to be anything frugal about having her. I'm pretty sure that she will eat better and have better medical care than me. ;)

Sleigh Bells Ring, Are You Listening? Christmas is Coming!

It's time again for another Christmas shopping update! I got busy this morning with a bit of online shopping- utilizing free shipping, free samples, and good deals, of course!!! I have now finished buying for almost everyone on my list. Still need to buy for: Grandpa (I can't purchase it until closer to Christmas) and two of my friends. I also will need to make something for the females in my family (I have the supplies) and will need to make some food stuffs later on. My handmade scarves for coworkers are almost done.

I am also still giving the stockings I talked about earlier. I have accumulated a LOT of pretty cool free stuff over the last nine months and I am still collecting. Another reason that I want to do this is because I want people to see just how much stuff you can get for free and how that free stuff can potentially eliminate some of the financial burden of shopping for toiletries and other items. Anytime that I can proselytize about frugal living, you know I will. ;)


Things that make gift giving easier:

1) I purchased the majority of my gifts online. Whenever stores offer free shipping, have great sales, or offer freebies with any purchase, I try to think if anyone I know would like anything from that store. Oftentimes the answer is yes. The deal is that much sweeter if you shop through a rewards portal like Ebates.

2) Whenever I got a really nice coupon (like $10 off any purchase), I would think about if I could use it toward a gift. Same with gift cards that I earn through My Points and through my credit card's reward program. Otherwise, it would just go towards more shoes. ;)

3) I plan early and keep my eyes open. For example, I have part of my sister-in-law's birthday gift and her birthday is not until April. When the good deals and cute stuff that I know people will really like come around, I jump on the deal.

4) Shop end of season clearance. One of my friends is on internship in Florida. The flip-flops that I ordered from J. Crew for $4 each will still be appropriate as Christmas gifts.

5) Budget and stick to it. I didn't do such a great job of sticking to my budget this year, but I won't be going over by much. I think I set the amount too low for the amount and quality of gifts that I wanted to give. The burden is much lighter if you shop throughout the year.

Happy shopping!

I Shoulda Blogged This Long Ago...

...but totally forgot about it. In June, I purchased this FAB toile tote from Monica. I love, love, love toile, and she did such a great job on it! If you haven't visited her blog yet, be sure to do so. You will be amazed at the crafty genius that she has going on. She really makes every occasion special. I know that I have stolen her ideas numerous times.

Because Every Weekend Should Be Three Days Long

My awesome primary supervisor (i.e. the one who is responsible for me and my work) told me that she was going to switch her hours from 8-5 Monday through Friday to 8-7ish Monday through Thursday, leaving Friday as a day off. I thought it was a great idea, so starting sometime in October I'm going to do the same! WOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! Three day weekends EVERY SINGLE WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I know that Monday through Thursday will be long hours, but I've had a lot of even longer days while in graduate school. And I have a feeling that Free Fridays will keep me motivated.

The End of The Frugal Line????

For the first time since I started writing this blog, I cannot think of a single frugal thing to say. I have blogged about all of my brilliant ideas and some of my finds. I am also having problems uploading pictures to my computer.

Don't worry, this is not the end. Things just may be slower for a while.

Unexpected Blessing

I commute two days a week to an office about an hour away. I found out that I will be paid mileage to do so. The mileage is a rather generous amount, and I will have several thousand dollars extra at the end of the year. Commuting is not a big deal for me since I have done it for the last 7 years. So, I have decided that I will put all of the mileage money into my saving-for-my-next-car account. I would really like to pay cash for my next car, so this is a big step in the right direction. I plan on paying all routine maintenance and gas out of my regular paycheck, but any major repairs will have to come from the mileage money. Still, what a blessing!

Sweet Sassy Molassy, You Need To Make This Recipe!

Seriously, it is that good! From the September 29, 2006 issue of All You Magazine:

2 cups uncooked pasta
6 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 head broccoli, cut into florets, stalks peeled and sliced (about 3/4 lb.)
8 oz. extra-sharp Cheddar, coarsely shredded (2 packed cups)
Pepper
8 Saltine crackers

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a large pot of biling salted water, cook pasta, stirring often, for 7 minutes. Transfer 1 cup of pasta cooking water to a bowl, add cream cheese and whisk until smooth.

2) Add broccoli to pasta in pot. Continue cooking until pasta is al dente, about 4 more minutes.

3) Drain pasta and broccoli and and return them to pot. Add cream cheese and 1 1/4 cups Cheddar; stir until cheese is melted. Season with pepper. Transfer to a 9-inch square baking dish. Crush crackers, toss with remaining Cheddar and sprinkle mixture on top of pasta. Bake until top is golden and sauce bubbles, about 20 minutes.

Tessa's notes: I used Mexican blend cheese instead of Cheddar and it tasted great. Also, I think it could've used more Saltines on top.

Planning Meals

After a few weeks of disorganized grocery buying, I decided to come up with an obsessive-compulsive plan. The Ramblings of T: Come for the frugality, stay for the OCD.

Anyhoo, I was tired of wasting groceries and eating not-so-great. I have a ton of recipe books, but they are no good to me if they never get used! I went through all of my recipes and selected a few weeks' worth of dinner recipes and a few lunch recipes. I selected recipes that were inexpensive to make, sounded good, and were comprised of ordinary items. I hate it when a recipe sounds good but I have to buy 23 weird items for it. I then put all of the recipes in clear plastic pages inside the binder. I plan to work my way through all of the recipes in my planner, and then start through them again. The binder has sections for Lunch, Dinner, Side Dishes, and Dessert. This has really cut down on excessive buying and I have been eating some yummy stuff. Plus, I am not tempted to eat out since I know what I can cook for each meal.

Friday's Outfit

Dress $15 from T.J. Maxx, J. Crew tank top $7, Bandolino shoes. I have some shoes that would've looked cuter than this, but I was going for comfort. Which leads me to my current dilemma: I have too many "cute" shoes and not enough "functional" shoes. I think I may need to get rid of some tall heels and replace them with kitten heels and/or flats.

I know you are all just weeping for me and my shoes. ;)

A Hodge Podge Post

Well, I didn't get to take an outfit pic yesterday, and today's outfit was just shameful. I will continue to try to post outfit pictures as I am able.


A new addition to the kitchen:


This painted metal cart was $15 from an antiques store and was spotted by the eagle eye of my Auntie. I have wanted one of these for awhile! The green cast to the picture is due to fluorescent lighting and taking the picture at night. ;) I would also like to note that the phone and the answering machine were both free.


Here is another scarf that I am working on. I just finished a black one with little specks of color. I was serious when I said I would try to use up all of my yarn this year!!!

I will try to plan my posts this weekend and take pictures so that I can have a better organized week next week.

First Day! Sort Of.

First, a rather shaky outfit of the day. You aren't going to be able to see all the cute details of my outfits, but you'll get the general idea. Cato chocolate brown button down $7, Joneswear brown patterned skirt from J.C. Penney $7, Bandolino heels $15. I also carried this brown croc print purse $40 and this briefcase $35. Anyhoo, so I met with my secondary supervisor for the first time today. Three days a week I will be in the town that I live in and two days a week I will be about an hour away. I have already met my primary supervisor (the one in the town that I live in). I really like both of my supervisors and I think this is going to be an amazing internship!!! I was a little nervous because some of my friends are having a bad experience with their internships.

Some of the things that I love:
* My hours will be 8-5, Monday through Friday. No crazy hours.
* I am never on call (carrying around a pager for crisis clients).
* I have a full 24 hours to complete my paperwork (this is actually a long time!).
* Everyone works together in a collaborative manner.
* My supervisors seem to really be on top of things.
* I get my own office in both places.

I am really getting excited about this year. Thanks to all of you that prayed for me and my internship, and a big thank you to the One who arranged such a perfect site for me.

Free Download

Hurry! If you go to www.walmart.com and go to their music download section, they are offering a free BarlowGirl download called Million Voices. I am not familiar with this song, but I do like BarlowGirl.

Sassy Poodles

I just had to show you a picture of these sassy poodles that used to belong to my great aunt. I put them to the side of the window seat and they make me smile every time I look at them.

I Missed My Blogiversary!

It was on the 28th. I can't believe it's been over a year. Here's to many more!

Oh, Good Grief.

So I was checking out my blog stats and I noticed that I seem to have a fairly regular visitor from Missouri. It's a new one- I don't recognize the internet provider as having visited before. I think "Yay, someone local! Maybe I should post encouraging them to comment!"


And then it occurs to me. The Missouri visitor?


It's me.


(IN MY DEFENSE, I *have* switched internet providers since moving.)

Saving Money Around the Apartment

For most of you, these ideas are nothing new. However, it is exciting for me to finally be able to put these ideas into practice and see how they really work!

1) I use cloth napkins (pictured above!), rags, and dish towels rather than paper towels. I do have some paper towels on hand for really yucky stuff, but for the most part I use all cloth.

2) I have compact fluorescent bulbs in almost all of my lamps. I can't do anything about the lights in the bathroom or kitchen, but nearly all of my lamps have CFLs. They really provide tons of light, too!

3) I use power strips for plugging in electronics. I only have three power strips, but they are attached to the computer stuff, the television and DVD player, and my stereo and a lamp. These prevent any "phantom" power from being used when these are shut off. I will confess that I'm not very good at remembering to shut off the T.V. strip, though!

4) I have the thermostat set between 75-80 degrees, normally right on 78. Whenever I leave the house, I turn it to 80 degrees.

5) I don't really use much lighting during the day. My apartment has GREAT windows with tons of natural light coming in, so I don't use much electricity that way during the day. I also shut off lights when I leave the room.

6) I live in an apartment that has the sewer, water, and trash paid by the management. This is a nice little bonus!

If you have any other great ideas, feel free to leave them in the comments.

Internship and Fashion

Well, internship is now finally in sight! I begin next week on Tuesday. I have a really easy introductory week: Monday is Labor Day, Tuesday I only go in for 1/2 day, Wednesday and Thursday I go to my school for an orientation/training, and Friday is a full day back at the clinic.

I'm thinking about posting pictures of my outfit everyday in an attempt to make sure that I actually wear all of my clothing. I may give it a go if I can figure out how to take pictures of myself in the mirror. :P

Cute Pillow

Okay, this is a day of bad lighting in my pictures. ;) I found this cute little pillow for .25 at a thrift. A little Spray n Wash on some stains and a tumble through the washer and dryer and it is perfect!

Since I've been focused on putting my apartment together, I've noticed that most of my decorations and furniture are used. It occurred to me that I much prefer used stuff to brand new stuff. For some reason, I think it has more character.

Finished Window Seat Cushion

It's a pale yellow and I put the red cushions from the couch on it to pull it all together. Thanks, Mom!!!

Organization: Over-the-Door Shoe Holders

In the ongoing saga of trying to find places to store all my junk, I bought a couple of those over-the-door hangers that are meant to store shoes. Now, my shoes are stacked in the hallway outside my bathroom and in boxes under my bed, so I wasn't planning on using them for their intended purpose. Rather, I installed one in my closet to hold necklaces and sunglasses (top photo) and one in the closet that holds my stockpile to hold toothpaste and other small items. I HIGHLY recommend the Martha Stewart brand at Kmart. They are heavy duty material and are well constructed. They are worth every penny of their $10.99 price tag. However, I had a $15 off of $25 purchase coupon (thank you Auntie), so I bought these, a kitchen timer, and some swimming goggles for ~$15.

New Dishes!

I've been living off of plastic dishes until I could make my mind up on a pattern AND find a good deal. Recently Amazon had a deal on this Corelle Red Floral Livingware where you got $20 off when you purchased two sets. I also had a $10 gift certificate from completing a survey, so I paid $39.98 total for eight place settings of four pieces (small plate, large plate, bowl, and mug). That would have originally cost me $69.98! I absolutely love the pattern and think it will be something that I won't get tired of for a long time.

Gettin' Crafty

Since I have all this time on my hands, I figured I'd better get to craftin'! I have TONS of yarn and other craft materials just waiting for me to do something with them. I finished a chocolate brown scarf yesterday and started this scarf. I'm about 75% done with it. I'm planning on giving my coworkers handmade items for Christmas, probably all scarves if I have enough materials.

Living Room

I tried taking pictures of the whole room so that you could truly see the adorableness of it, but unfortunately that didn't work out so well. So, you will be getting bits and pieces pictures. Use your imagination!


This is the famous red couch. I have owned it for 3 years because I *thought* I would be moving out three years ago. Oops. I have a great mama that patiently stored all of my junk for a very long time. I love this couch and it folds out into a bed. The pillows on it I just purchased from a thrift for $4 each. They are really well made out of a heavy tapestry fabric. My mother is making me some light yellow pillows that will match the future window seat cushion (below).

The rug in front of the couch!

This is to the left of the window. The television is on a cedar chest that I bought for $5 at a yard sale. The color of the chest matches the wooden legs on the mod chair below. I am seriously obsessive compulsive about things like that but I am trying to be better! Also pictured is the other book case and part of the lamp.

This is my cute mod vinyl chair and one of my bookcases. This is to the right of the window. See that wooden foot-thing on my bookshelf? I love that!

These are the pictures on the right side of the window. The top is a print I picked up for $1 at a yard sale. The bottom is a beautiful photograph that my mom took. I had it blown up to 11x14 when a photo company offered a free 11x14 print. I paid $2 shipping.

These are the prints on the left side of the window. The top print is a page from a 1913 catalog and the bottom is actually an old advertisement for a pattern.

This is the pretty window seat. My sweet mama is making me a pale yellow cushion to put on it.

This is the doily that my sister-in-law gave me as a housewarming gift. Isn't she talented! Also pictured is one of my cool coasters (.25 for four at a yard sale). Both are sitting on one of two wooden t.v. trays that serve as end tables.

I also have a vintage stool behind my couch and tons of photos on the wall. Since I'm one of those individuals who needs her privacy, I won't be showing you those. ;)

Because I Really Am Blonde Under All This Dark Hair

Note: I am starting a new "tag" category called Blonde Moments. Because my dark hair is apparently a LIE.

Okay, so my apartment doesn't have a lot of overhead lighting. It does have several of those "plug a lamp into this outlet and flip the seemingly useless light switch and your lamp will magically turn on and pretend to be real lighting" things.

One day I prepared to iron, and my iron didn't work. I was very bummed. Another day, my vacuum cleaner mysteriously quit working when I moved to the spare room. Imagine my suprise when both items miraculously started working again when my mom was here trying to fix them.

Guess who plugged them into the lamp outlets? No, not outlets. The *same* lamp outlet in the *same* room. In my defense, (have you noticed that I say that a lot on this blog???) the outlets are flip-flopped in each room, so it's hard to tell which is the lamp outlet. But still.

Just goes to show that having ridiculous amounts of education DOES NOT mean that I have smarts, y'all. Or maybe I am one of those geniuses that have a hard time completing simple everyday tasks?????

Nah.

Time

Once I begin my internship, I will be working 8-5 Monday through Friday. And yet I keep talking about all of the glorious free time that I will have.

Let me explain. For the last three years, I have gone to school year-round, with four terms per year. Classes would change every 12 weeks. I would have class 3-4 days per week. On top of this, I saw patients/clients every week for between 7-15 hours and sometimes ran anger management groups. I also had projects, papers, and presentations to take care of- always something hanging over my head. The day didn't end when I got home as I would have to complete some project or study for some test. Some days I would leave for school at 7 or 8am and not get home until 9 or 10pm. It was very demanding and exhausting both physically and mentally. There was little room for anything outside of school.

Beginning in September I will only be seeing patients/clients. No more schoolwork or papers. I have to finish my dissertation, but am about halfway through that and see it as something that I will actually enjoy. I have nothing hanging over my head, and my days will begin and end at a set time.

I feel like a new person. And I am really enjoying all of this free time. ;)

Frugal Exercise

I have never paid to exercise. When I lived with Mom, I would walk outside during nice weather, do a weights DVD, and in the cold months try to force myself to do cardio DVDs. I wasn't sure what I would do when I moved. Lo and behold, the local community center offers a free membership for residents of the city. They have an outside trail, inside track, weight and other machines, and a pool! All for free! :P Needless to say I have already joined.

Bedroom Details

When I posted the pictures I was too tired to write the details, so here they are! My headboard and footboard are vintage, purchased by my mom 10+ years ago, so I'm not sure how much they cost. The bird picture was a thrift store find for $5, and the frames were all free from various sources. I got the frame idea from an Anthropologie catalog. :)

I use the hatboxes beside my bed to store scarves (I have a million coats- are you surprised that I have a million scarves???). The hatboxes were gift containers from my Auntie. The bureau is vintage wood and was purchased for $65 three years ago. I used garage sale proceeds to purchase it, so it cost me nothing out of pocket at the time.

On the other side of my bed is a vintage tin T.V. tray that my mom spray painted yellow for me several years ago. I also got this idea from an Anthropologie catalog. The lamp on it was $7, but Mom bought it for me as a gift a couple of years ago.

I love, love, love the new (vintage) flower print. I got it for $6 in a flea market in Arkansas. It is a Nelly Littlehale Murphy print. I believe it is a reproduction, but it is still quite old.

The wooden chair was scrounged by my dad from a dumpster to be my childhood desk chair (I was a tall child!). It matches the bureau perfectly.

The amber lamps were a gift from my grandparents many birthdays ago. I put new ($1 at a yard sale) shades on them.

The shoeboxes- well, there is no place else to put them but in the hallway outside my closet!

The quilt was purchased for $40 three years ago at T.J. Maxx. They still have the most beautiful quilts. For me to not be tired of something after three years is nothing short of a miracle!

I didn't realize how frugally my room was put together until this post. You know that makes me happy!

More pictures are on the way.

My Bedroom in the New Apartment

Updated Showcase Link

Here is a fancier version of the showcases: www.frugalhacks.com

Use that link rather than the link below. The header is so cute!

Good News!

This is a two-parter:

1) I now have internet at my apartment! Whoo! It went suspiciously well, so I'm expecting my computer to blow up or something at any minute.

2) I am being showcased right now on The Frugal Blog Showcase. Go check it out! And I was very happy to see that the ever frugal and amazing Meredith commented about me over there! :P She is a blogger celebrity and I aspire to be like her, so that was pretty awesome.

Pictures will be up tomorrow, I promise!

Moving, Moving, Moving!

I signed the lease on a two bedroom apartment last Tuesday. I will be living in a town less than thirty miles from where I currently live. The past week has been spent hauling loads of my stuff over to it. I am only about 75% finished. This is my first move!

1) Moving is hard work and not so fun. However, seeing the apartment s-l-0-w-l-y taking shape is very, very fun.

2) My biceps hurt like crazy last week. I'm a little surprised that my legs didn't since I've been going up and down steps.

3) I have a bunch of things to do but can't seem to get them done because I am so exhausted.

4) On Monday I will move my clothing, shoes, coats, and purses. Pray for me. ;)

5) I have way too much stuff.

Pictures will be forthcoming!

Walgreens Deals

Here is my weekly rhapsody to Walgreens. I purchased: 2 Infusium Conditioners, 1 Infusium Shampoo, 1 Herbal Essences Shampoo, 1 Aussie Shampoo, 1 Aussie Conditioner, 2 packages of 3 Venus disposable razors, 2 Oral B Indicator Toothbrushes, 3 100 count Excedrin, two packs of gum, and two packs of computer paper. Total retail value: $91.93.

I paid: $17.46 out of pocket. Subtract from that the $10 coupon off my next purchase that I received and a $2.99 Excedrin rebate that I will send in= $4.47 total.

It took some patience studying the ads to figure out what coupons that I could use and how I could work the Register Rewards coupons in my favor (I checked out three times and alternated the P&G and the Novartis orders). Plus I had about $9 leftover on a couple of gift cards. Now that's what I call good shopping!

P.S. While I was taking the picture for this post, I realized how odd it is to be lining up HBA items on a table in the breezeway to take a picture of them.

Spotty Posting and Good News

The internet here is acting completely ridiculous, so my posting may be a bit spotty.

Good news: it seems that I am approved for an apartment that I have been wanting! Yay! I will drive over tomorrow to sign on the dotted line and get the utilities put in my name. This will be my first big move, so I'm very excited. :P More info will follow!

Recent Cheap Purchases

Yesterday at Yard Sale:
4 children's books for my office for a grand total of .25

Today at Yard Sales:
3 canvas or mesh tote bags to be used as grocery bags .25 each
3 children's books for my office .30 total
2 Nancy Drew books for me .20 total (Yes, I still like Nancy Drew!)
1 Tupperware Deviled Eggs Container $3

At my beloved Walgreens:
Package of 2 purple gel pens FREE after rebate
Lysol Neutra Air Freshmatic (one of those machines that automatically dispense air freshener) originally priced $11.99-2.00 sale-4.00 WG coupon- 5.00 manufacturer's coupon= .99 total!

The Winnahs!

The blog giveaway winners are Becky from Joyful Mother and Christy at Mama Said Sew. Congratulations, ladies!!!!!!!

A Post In Which I Notice The Problem Too Late

All right, I've posted before about my odd memory. Last Thanksgiving, I made this cauliflower dish that included cheese, bacon, and garlic. It was good, but very, very garlicky. I had shared the recipe with someone who worked at my school and she said it was fantastic, so I didn't know what went wrong. About a week ago (I don't know why I figured it out then), it occured to me that I was supposed to use two cloves of garlic. Instead, I used almost two full BULBS of garlic. Yikes.

No wonder it was garlicky.

Enter the Giveaway(s)!

There are two giveaways here and the contests are now open! Enter to win a copy of Decorating With Color: The Best of Martha Stewart Living OR Better Homes and Gardens' Christmas All Through the House! Both books are hardback: Martha Stewart is gently used and the Better Homes and Gardens is brand new. Leave a comment in the comments section between now and Friday, July 27th at noon Central time. This will enter you into the drawings for both items. Open ONLY to U.S. residents. Winners will be picked at random on Friday at noon or thereabouts. Good luck, and for more contests, visit Shannon's blog.

Nalgene Coupon Code

Get 25% off your order at Nalgene with the code BC2. I found this code at www.retailmenot.com, such a cute coupon code site!

Anyhoo, don't get the pretty colored bottles. Get the ugly white with blue print made out of HDPE so you don't get nasty chemicals leaching into your water. I use plastic bottles all the time for water so I bought three 32 oz. narrow mouth bottles and one 16 oz. narrow mouth bottle. I am excited about the narrow mouth since I ALWAYS spill down my front. I have limited eye-hand coordination, okay?

Fashion Feature!

I sent in this outfit photo to the fabulous Rebecca over at The Space Between My Peers and she featured it today as part of her Real Fashion for Real People segment! Go check it out! While you're there, browse around the site. Everything that you ever wanted to know about fashion and how to wear clothing is there. It is a fascinating read and informative to boot (pun intended).

My Secret Shame

There is very little that is frugal about this picture. If you've ever wanted to see how I'm not frugal, you're lookin' at it. I love coats. Love, love, love. I blame my mother. You see, Mom stayed at home with my brother and myself until he was 13 and I was nine. When Mom started working outside the home, she made herself the most fabulous wardrobe, including a long tan dress coat (she is quite the seamstress although she rarely sews nowadays). Mom also purchased a long wool grey houndstooth print coat. From that moment on, I was hooked. I could not WAIT to work so that I, too, could have such a fabulous wardrobe. And, I decided, I would have long wool coats in every color.

Today, I don't have them in every color. But I do have a lot of coats. The picture above consists only of the coats that are going to the dry cleaner today. Those coats are a chocolate brown wool from J. Crew ($150), a red wool from J. Crew ($80), a grey wool Michael Michael Kors ($100), a silver-y grey puffy coat from Jones New York ($50, but my mother purchased it for me in 2000 to replace my high school letter jacket), and a tan wool peacoat from the thrift store ($5).

I also have four short trenches (light green $12, grey $8, tan plaid $8, and khaki $30), a long black trench ($10), a cropped faux-fur leopard print (!) that was $18, and a tan boho-ish vintage coat that was a gift from my friend's mother.

There. Now you know my dirty, unfrugal secret. I feel much better.

Giveaways!

Shannon over at Rocks in My Dryer is hosting a bunch of blog giveaways next week. Here at Ramblings, there will be two, count 'em, two giveaways. Giveaway #1 will be a used but excellent-condition HARDBACK copy of Decorating With Color: The Best of Martha Stewart Living. Giveaway #2 will be a brand-spankin'-new HARDBACK copy of Better Homes and Gardens' Christmas All Through the House, a $34.95 value! Check back on Monday for the post to enter. The drawing will take place next Friday.

Card and Stationery Organization

Since I recently purchased all of those vintage cards, I had to come up with a way to store them. There are too many to store in my card and gift organizer, so I will start using that to store each month's selected cards (example: January birthdays go in the January folder, etc.). I used this box that I believe used to hold reams of paper, although it's smaller than the typical reams box. Then I added dividers made from my surplus of blue cardstock, and voila! Simple, frugal organization!

I Love the Swaps!

The Paperback Swap and Swap a CD, that is. I keep an Amazon wishlist and try to acquire the stuff on it for free or really cheap. Two more items knocked off the list!

Yes, that is the Willy Wonka soundtrack. Don't judge me.

Bounty from Branson Trip

Top photo: Gap tank top $3, Gap tee shirt $2, Payless heels $2.04 (LOVE these shoes, but they are definitely "sitting down" shoes)

Bottom photo: Rubber ducks .60 each, body wash $1, lip balms $1 each. All from Bath and Body Works and all will go into my gift tub.

Vacation!

Last weekend, I went with a friend, her sister, and the sister's friend to Branson, MO for a mini vacation. This is the same friend that I went to Branson with back in December. It was a good time, but I have learned that I don't like spending money. I think that may be a new development since I seem to have enjoyed spending money before! I took with me the Springfield/Branson Entertainment Book and my coupon binder. While we were there, we picked up several free coupon books and received a free VIP coupon book from the timeshare. Some Branson tips:

* Search the internet for coupons before you go if you know what attractions you will be visiting.
* There is a wide range of hotels available at every price point, so you may be able to save some money there.
* Another good way to save money is to purchase some groceries and eat some meals in your room.
* Do pick up the free coupon books located at the entrance of hotels, restaurants, etc. We wound up using a couple of these coupons.
* Purchasing the Springfield/Branson Entertainment Book may be a good way to save money depending on how many coupons you plan to use. A friend had given me her copy when she moved, so I didn't pay anything for it.
* There are some inexpensive attractions available if you do your homework.

We stayed from Thursday night through Sunday morning. Here is the total price break down:

* Time-share that we stayed in: FREE (we used their grandparents' condo!)
* Giftcard as a thank-you to the grandparents: $10
* Gas money: $20
* Friday night dinner at McFarlain's: $8 including tip (used a 20% off coupon)
* Groceries: $6.02 (there was a kitchenette in our room- we prepared and ate most breakfasts in the room)
* Mascara at Walgreen's because I forgot mine: $5.59 (used a $2 coupon)
* Shopping at the Gap Outlet: $5.41
* Shopping at Payless: $2.04 (I had a $10 giftcard)
* Shopping at Bath and Body Works: $5.70
* Friday lunch at Cantina Laredo (located in the Branson Landing shopping complex): $15
* Friday dinner and show at the Dixie Stampede: $40 (used a 20% off coupon)
* Visit to the Titanic Museum: $21
* Saturday lunch at the Chateau on the Lake: $15 (and worth every penny, I might add!)
* Imax movie: $8.69 (used a $1 off coupon)
* Baskin Robbins milk shake: $3.82
* Stationery from $1 Shop: $1.09
* Pizza from Domino's for Saturday dinner: $2 (used a 50% off coupon and split four ways)
* Sunday breakfast at The Uptown Cafe: $6.44

Grand Total: $175.80

Not too bad for several days of a non-frugal vacation!

Reason Number 12,879 Why I Love Walgreens

Two Sunsilk conditioners, one Sunsilk shampoo, a 20 count bottle of Advil PM, and four packs of college ruled filler paper. I paid $7.60 out of pocket after coupons, and I will get $7.00 back in rebates! Yay!

Blogger Issues

I'm having issues with uploading pictures and changing my template, so bear with me! It may be awhile before this is resolved.

Style Quiz!

I took Rebecca's fun quiz on style and got these results:

Which Kind of Elegant Are You?

Glamorous: Your dramatically polished appearance makes you the most intimidating kind of elegant.
Take this quiz!








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I am going to try to practice taking outfit pictures this weekend, so maybe I will post some!

Vintage Greeting Cards

Lately I've been perusing my favorite thrift store for vintage greeting cards. A few weeks ago, I bought a bag of vintage-y greeting cards for under $2. On Saturday I hit the jackpot! I found lots of these vintage cards in a bag for $1.17. I have even more than is shown in the pictures above. I have been making my own cards for a while, but I think I will be taking a break and sending these beauties out. I have been looking for an excuse to start writing letters- here it is!

Frugal Tooth Whitener

I found this Natural White 5-Minute Tooth Whitener at the local Dollar Tree store. The clerk told me that one customer had come back in and purchased 11 packages of it! As your trusty frugal guinea pig, I had to buy it and try it. It is made in the U.S. and has the standard tooth whitening ingredients. You are supposed to use it 2x per day for five minutes. However, I am lazy, so I use it 1x per day while I am in the shower (~15 minutes). My teeth are fairly white to begin with, but I do believe it is working. I particularly like it because it whitens slightly further back into my mouth than Crest Whitestrips do. When I went back to purchase another package of it for future use, I found that they were nearly sold out, but you may be able to find some at your local store. They were located with the toothpaste.

I Love Tracfone!

I posted a couple of months ago asking about people's experiences with Tracfone or other prepaid phone services. I took the plunge at the end of April and just have to RAVE about my Tracfone. I love, love, love it! I bought a phone that included 400+ minutes, a year of service, double minutes for the life of the phone (example: you buy 200 minutes and it automatically doubles to 400), no roaming charges, and international calling for the same price as local calling. I can't sing its praises enough! I get great reception and no hassle. I highly recommend it!

Removing the Stench of Graduate School

Last Friday, I cleaned and packed for my upcoming move virtually all day. My room and car sparkled by 9pm. I also sorted through papers and my filing system and got rid of all excess. I guess the cleaning made me feel free or young or something. This was proven on Saturday during an outlet shopping jaunt when all of the sales people seemed to think I was quite a bit younger than I am. They greeted my mother and ignored me at a restaurant and in several stores. A sales guy at the Polo outlet called me "miss" rather than the usual "ma'am". At Barnes and Noble, the sales girl tried to get my mom to sign up for their discount program by stating that "Even your college student [looking at me] can use it!" Hee!

And now I find myself wanting to shop, shop, shop. I've bought more in the last two weeks than I have in the last two months. I'm allowing myself a bit of this until I can shake the "freedom" out of my system. I think part of it is that I have been dressing older for the last three years and now want to dress my age. I also find that I want a wardrobe/lifestyle overhaul right before every major life change.

I think it's time to reign myself in now. ;)

Frugal Eyewear Version 2.0

Last year, I blogged about my quest to find frugal eyewear. You can read about it here. As I posted before, I have crazy prescriptions AND the bonus gift of a gigantic head. Don't worry- my head does not appear gigantic in person. It is only when buying hats and glasses that the enormity of it becomes apparent.

Anyhoo, these factors complicate things a bit. I wear toric contact lenses most of the time, but it is important for me to have glasses to let my eyes rest sometimes. I get a year's supply of lenses for about $116; $101 after rebate at Wal-Mart. When I first started wearing lenses (13 years ago!), my poor parents had to pay $300 for ONE pair of lenses that had to last a whole year. Needless to say, that was a disaster, but the contact situation is now under control.

The cheapest glasses at a store such as Wal-Mart still run $300+ for my prescription. I do get the optional "compressed" lenses to reduce the Coke-bottle-ness of my prescription. I also found last year that cute plastic frames tend to hide the thickness of my lenses. Last year, I got glasses at www.39dollarglasses.com for about $118. I was happy about that but I decided to try and go even cheaper this year. I wound up using Zenni Optical for a total of $68 shipped. I'm a happy camper and will update when I receive them!

Saving For A Vacuum Frugal Style

I have wanted the Eureka 437AZ Optima Lightweight Upright Vacuum since the fall. At that time, the only place I could find it was at Amazon for $80. I decided to get creative in how I saved for it. I saved coins for a while and wound up with $35.61. I took it to a Coinstar machine and had it counted and converted to an Amazon gift certificate for free. Next, I took part in a survey that netted me a $10 gift certificate to Amazon. I also have saved random bills throughout this time- $1 here, $5 there . Today, I counted and realized that I am only $4 away from my goal, so I am going to go ahead and order it! :) Walmart.com is offering the same vacuum for ~$10 less, but by the time I found it, I already had $45 in Amazon gift certificates. At least I will not have to pay sales tax!

Sephora Order!

My dear dad was kind enough to give me a $50 gift card to Sephora for my birthday. He even walked into the store by himself to get the card, so he deserves a lot of credit. ;)

I decided to buy online since I had a coupon code for free shipping with a $50 purchase. I also went through www.luckymagrewards.com to get 7% back on my total purchase. That should nearly offset the tax that I had to pay, so ordering online paid off in that way as well.

I took the opportunity to order a couple of pricy things that I wouldn't otherwise buy.

Here's what I ordered:
* Nars Afghan Red Lipstick, $23 (the search for the perfect red lipstick continues)
* Bourjois Volume Glamour Mascara, $13.50
* Sephora Cheek Stain $6 (50% off)
* Sephora Short Handle Crease Eyeshadow Brush $7.50 (50% off)
* 3 various samples for free

I only paid ~$3 in tax which will be reimbursed to me. Yay!

The End

On Tuesday evening, I had my last class. Did you catch that? Last. Class. Whoooo!

I am done with the classes part of my degree now. I still need to finish my dissertation and will be working on that a bunch over the next couple of months. The last step for the doctorate will be the one year internship beginning at the end of August.

What will I do with all my free time????????????

Thanks to all of you bloggy friends who have been so sweet and supportive. I have appreciated your kind words more than you will ever know.

And now, let the blogging begin!

Ruth Graham

I think this is beautiful. From Yahoo! News:

"Ruth was my life partner, and we were called by God as a team," Billy Graham said in a statement. "No one else could have borne the load that she carried. She was a vital and integral part of our ministry, and my work through the years would have been impossible without her encouragement and support.
"I am so grateful to the Lord that He gave me Ruth, and especially for these last few years we've had in the mountains together. We've rekindled the romance of our youth, and my love for her continued to grow deeper every day. I will miss her terribly, and look forward even more to the day I can join her in Heaven."

Milestones

Right now I am working on the last paper that I will ever write for class.

I am SO. HAPPY.

P.S. It is due tomorrow. ;)

We Interrupt This Blogging Break to Bring You Shoes

I haven't been blogging lately because I am SUPPOSED TO BE GETTING PAPERS DONE. Ahem. Side note: Finals are next week and after that I will be blogging like crazy.

BUT. When there are shoes on sale, I must tell you about it. Flip Flop Trunk Show is having a pretty nice summer sale here. I've ordered from them before and they have good service. The shipping is kinda high, but use code TOUTIE15 for fifteen percent off your order. I ordered the beauties above for $29 down from $69. (Yes. I realize that I paid more for these shoes than for one of these chairs. Obviously my priorities are in order.)

P.S. Honeymoon girl, it's your turn. ;P

Want to See The Cutest Dog In the World???

Here he is. And I can enjoy him frugally since I don't have to feed him or pay his vet bills. ;)

My 25th Birthday

Today is my 25th birthday!!!

P.S. There are tons of food freebies to be had on your birthday if you sign up for emails at different restaurant's websites.