How to NOT End Up With 10 Red Nail Polishes Ever Again!

Are you ever out at Target, Ulta, T.J. Maxx and the like and browse on over to the nail polishes?
You spot some really pretty colors or a really great deal.
And then you go through one of these scenarios:

"Do I have a red color like this one? This is a darker red than I own, right? No, maybe I already have a color like this? I don't remember!" 
(Puts nail polish back and leaves store. Comes home and definitely needed that color!)

"Do I have this shade of pink already? I know I have at least 5 different shades of pink colors but I don't have this one, right? I don't remember! But, It's so pretty!"
(Purchases nail polish, comes home and you have an almost identical color!)

This was me quite a bit. Either purchasing an almost duplicate to something I owned or not buying a great color I could have used. And then recently I came up with a simple solution to the problem.
Take pictures of all of my nail polishes and store it in an album on my phone.
I know, I've seen this done with clothes and outfits but who knew it could solve my nail polish problem too!

Group your nail polishes by color (makes it easier to see what you have in that shade family) and take a photo of them.

Once you have your pictures done, create a separate album on your phone called 'nail polish.'
Under 'Albums', click on the plus sign (+), name your new album, click the pictures you took of your nail polishes and then click 'done.'
Bam! All set up for easy reference when you are out shopping.

You could do this for anything you tend to buy duplicates of. Maybe you do this with eye shadow, jewelry or certain craft supplies.

Do you make albums of anything on your phone? Do you have anything you think you'll use this technique with to avoid buying multiples of the same thing?

Cole Haan Sunglasses + 4 Tips for Shopping for Sunglasses

I was on a mission to find a nice pair of sunglasses but
I just wasn't going to pay a lot of money.
I'm too afraid of loosing them or breaking them. But I really needed to upgrade from the $5, crooked, peeling sunglasses I was currently wearing. 

So off to T.J. Maxx I went on this mission. I'm really happy with my find, a pair of Cole Haan aviator style sunglasses that retailed for $98. I walked out paying $16.99 for them.

A few tips from my search on scoring higher end sunglasses at a great price:

1. Look at every pair: I went shopping by myself and took the time to look at every pair of sunglasses on the three displays. I wanted to make sure I didn't miss any good finds.

2. Know your brands: There are plenty of sunglasses from brands like Jessica Simpson, Nine West and  Betsey Johnson. And while those are nice brands, their sunglasses aren't super great quality.

3. Google Search: If you are unsure of where a brand stands on quality, whip out your phone really quick and Google them to see what their sunglasses sell for. That's what I did for a pair of Seven for All Mankind sunglasses. I knew the brand was higher end but I didn't know where their sunglasses ranked...I did a little Google search and saw they retailed for around $80-$90 dollars.

4. "Retail for $34+" means better quality: This is specifically something I noticed at T.J. Maxx. I realized that all of the brands that were higher end or better quality stated on the tag that the retail price was $34+. This could be a quick guide to help you narrow down your picks.

There you have it. Just a few tips for scoring some higher quality sunglasses at a great price!
Most sunglasses are priced around $12.99 and with just a little bit of patience you can easily spend a few dollars more for a much high quality pair of shades!

P.S. This was not sponsored by T.J. Maxx. I just think this is a great, budget friendly place to shop for quality sunglasses.

Do you have any favorite places to grab sunglasses? Or any tips on how you save money when on the hunt for new shades?

5 Tips for Shopping for a Baby Shower

Good Morning! I hope you had a great weekend.
We hosted dinner for family that was in town on Friday, painted our kitchen on Saturday and did some grocery shopping on Sunday.
I took off last week from posting to give myself a wee little bit of extra breathing room.
I'm back today to share some of my tips for shopping for a baby shower.
We just attended a shower last weekend for friends of ours who are having twins. I thought this would be a good example to use to give some tips on how to save or get the most for your money when shopping, if you aren't just purchasing one large gift.

First I'm showing you what I purchased to create this basket. I really wanted to tie a bow with ribbon around the basket but needless to say I ran out of time. I did pad it with a little tissue paper and I think it came out pretty cute!

Ross Dress for Less
Basket $5.99 // Infant Nike Socks $4.99 // Trucks Book $2.99
Pacifiers $2.99 // Pacifier Clips $2.99 / Burp Clothes $6.99
Infant Beanies $2.99 // Baby Toys $ 3.99 & $4.99 // Bottle Brush $2.49

Dollar Tree

Snack Cups w/ Lids // Outlet Plugs

Sleepy Monster & Giggle Monster Board Books

Target
Wipe Warmer $26.99 // Faucet Cover $7.99
Saline Nose Drops $3.69 + 10% off w/ Cartwheel App
Infants Acetaminophen $4.02 (clearance price) // Pampers $8.99 - $1.50 coupon

5 TIPS FOR SHOPPING FOR A BABY SHOWER

1. Book as a Card: Don't buy a baby shower card. Instead, purchase a book and write a little something on the inside cover. You can buy a book for as low as a $1 from the dollar store or Target's Dollar Spot or spend a few bucks more at places like Ross or T.J. Maxx. Instead of something to throw away, they now have a keepsake book with a special note to their little baby. I actually requested this for my baby shower and I love opening up the books to find those special notes.

2. Container as a Gift Bag: Instead of putting your gifts all in a gift bag, pick out a container that can be utilized by the parents. I purchased a nice basket with handles. This can be used for toys, extra clothes, etc. You can also use a large clear tote with a lid. These are great to also store extra clothes or even clothes the babies start to grow out of. A hamper would also be a fun way to package your gifts. Not only do these things act as your gift bags, they can be utilized afterwards and are an extra little gift.

3. Use Coupons and Apps: This might be a given but sometimes we don't plan as much when purchasing gifts. Figure out where you might shop and what you want to buy and look for coupons. Your traditional registry places like Buy Buy Baby and Babies R' Us put out store coupons. Places like Target have coupons for baby items on their website and discounts via the Cartwheel App.

4. Shop Outside of the Registry Store: Sure, it's easy to shop right off the registry. But sometimes you can get better deals and stretch your money by shopping outside of the store the parents are registered at. I looked up the two registries online and made notes of what was listed and hadn't been purchased yet. This way I could use that as a guide when shopping during my trips shown above.

5. Don't Just Buy from Off the Registry: OK, so if you are clueless about what new parents might need for a new little baby, stick to the list! But if you are a parent yourself, think of some of the things YOU really utilized. They might not be on their registry. The things we purchased that we knew we really utilized with our children that wasn't listed on their registry was the wipe warmer, faucet cover, saline drops, pacifier clips and the infants acetaminophen.

I hope these few tips help you out next time a baby shower is on your calendar! (Or even if you just know someone who is expecting.)

15 Easter Basket Filler Ideas for Kids

Happy Monday Everyone! Hope you had a nice weekend.

We had lovely cool but sunny weather pop back up over the weekend. Perfect for the outdoor activities we had on the agenda.

With Easter this weekend, I'm still trying to track down a few more things for the Easter baskets. I always want to make sure I have enough things to fill the basket without spending too much money. But I also like to make sure whats in the basket is something that will get used rather than more junk I'll end up throwing away. So here are some ideas on Easter Basket fillers for young children.

1. Band-Aids: Gosh, my kids love to put band-aids on any possible boo boo. So any character band-aid is great to have and the kids use them up. Character band-aids run a little over a $1 each normally. And sometimes you can find them at the Dollar Tree.

2. Bubbles: We tend to go through bubbles (and lose or spill them). Walgreens currently has bubble wands for .49 with in-store coupon.

3. Hot Wheels: My son can never have enough hot wheels cars. Walgreens has them on sale this week for .69 with in-store coupon. Otherwise, these are never more than $1.

4. Stickers: These are great for sticking all over arms and legs or making artwork on paper. Always  great choice and you can find tons at the Dollar Tree.

5. Head Bands or Bows: I love having ones to match every possible outfit. And we seem to lose them here and there anyway. I found some adorable headbands in the Target Dollar spot this year.

6. Kites: We've still got some windy days ahead and for just a couple of bucks they can have something to fly in the sky.

7. Mr. Bubbles Bubble Bath: Just like regular bubbles, we go through our bubble bath. Can never have enough. A large bottle runs around $3.50.

8. DVDs: I'll gladly add another movie to the kids collection. Best Buy always has a bin of great kids movies on DVD or Blu-Ray for $4.99. Plus you'll see sales at Target and Wal-Mart. I'd like to get HOP and The Little Rascals this year.

9. Coloring books/Crayons: You can find both for a $1 just about anywhere. And there is nothing like a fresh set of crayons and a coloring book. :-) If you want to spend a few more dollars, I do think these crayon gems are really different and fun! (Found at Target but no longer available online.)

10. Play-Doh: Wal-Mart has single regular size containers of Play-Doh for .50 each. These are always drying out or being mixed with other colors turning them a nice mud brown or marble color. Pick a fun spring color for your basket.

11: Books: I think kids can always enjoy a new book to read. You can find ones for all different ages at the Target Dollar Spot and the Dollar Tree. Ross and TJ Maxx are always places to find nice books for under $5 each.

12. Sidewalk Chalk: A fun activity, coloring out on the sidewalk under the beautiful spring weather. Again, just a $1-$2 at just about any store.  

13. Clothes: Kids are always growing out of their clothes or staining them up, right?! The best place for some clothes coming in at just a few bucks or under is the Target Clearance rack. But check out Wal-Mart and the kid's clothing stores clearance racks as well. You never know what you'll find!

14. Craft Supplies: Check out the Michael's dollar section at the front of the store, Target Dollar Spot and the Dollar Tree. All great places to find craft paper, paint, paint brushes, stamps, pre-packaged art kits and any other fun craft type supplies.

15. Treats: Okay...and candy. But I like to keep the candy to a few single pieces usually. My kids love all of the Gerber Graduate puffs, bars and such. Treats like those are great as well. I picked up some cookie sticks with dip in the Target Dollar Spot this year.

*In addition to items like these suggestions, in the photo above I got my son a paratrooper and my daughter some bath toys that they are still playing with a year later.

What things do you like to fill the kids' Easter Baskets with?

Linking Up with:

Tatertots & Jello

The World of Podcasts

How is your week going? Hanging in there?

I've got a rough 1 hour plus drive to and from work every day. I always just listened to the music on the radio, found a talk show to listen to or browsed SiriusXM whenever we had free access.

Then finally one day a few months ago I noticed a purple Podcast app on my phone. I'm sure it had been there for awhile but I just never noticed or paid attention to it. I decided to check it out ...life changer! (Or commute changer?!)

Now, I had heard of podcasts but didn't really think much of them. Until I started adding some to my playlist on my phone and checking them out. There is a load of free podcasts under all types of categories. Just hit the subscribe buttons on the ones you want to check out and it will keep you up to date on when new episodes are loaded. You can listen to them on your phone, in your car through Bluetooth or on your computer.

Below are some of my favorites...check them out!

Serial- Serial unfolds one story - a true story - over the course of a whole season. The show follows the plot and characters wherever they lead, through many surprising twists and turns.

Death, Sex and Money- A podcast about the big questions and hard choices that are often left out of polite conversation. Host Anna Sale talks to celebrities you’ve heard of—and regular people you haven’t—about the Big Stuff: relationships, money, family, work and making it all count while we're here.

Start Up- A series about what happens when someone who knows nothing about business starts one.

This American Life- Official free, weekly podcast of the award-winning radio show "This American Life." First-person stories and short fiction pieces that are touching, funny, and surprising.

Criminal- Criminal is a podcast about crime. Not so much the "if it bleeds, it leads," kind of crime. Something a little more complex. Stories of people who've done wrong, been wronged, and/or gotten caught somewhere in the middle.

TED Radio Hour- The TED Radio Hour is a journey through fascinating ideas: astonishing inventions, fresh approaches to old problems, new ways to think and create. Based on Talks given by riveting speakers on the world-renowned TED stage, each show is centered on a common theme - such as the source of happiness, crowd-sourcing innovation, power shifts, or inexplicable connections.

{NPR} Planet Money- Money makes the world go around, faster and faster every day. On NPR's Planet Money, you'll meet high rollers, brainy economists and regular folks — all trying to make sense of our rapidly changing global economy.

Freakonomics Radio-  In their books "Freakonomics," "SuperFreakonomics," and "Think Like a Freak," Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner explore "the hidden side of everything," telling stories about cheating schoolteachers and eating champions while teaching us all to think a bit more creatively, rationally, and productively. The Freakonomics Radio podcast, hosted by Dubner, carries on that tradition with weekly episodes. Prepare to be enlightened, engaged, perhaps enraged, and definitely surprised.

And a few new ones I just subscribed to:

{NPR} Invisibilia-  Invisibilia (Latin for all the invisible things) is about the invisible forces that control human behavior - ideas, beliefs, assumptions and emotions. Co-hosted by Lulu Miller and Alix Spiegel, Invisibilia interweaves narrative storytelling with scientific research that will ultimately make you see your own life differently.

Reveal- The official free download of the award-winning radio program “Reveal,” produced by The Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX. Hidden stories, uncovered – that's what this show is about. It takes you deep inside stories that impact your world, revealing injustice and holding the powerful accountable.

Reply All- A show about the internet, hosted by PJ Vogt and Alex Goldman.



Do you listen to any podcasts? Can you share some of your favorites?

Redbox: $2 Date Night

We've made it to Friday! 

A perfect night for a date night. But if you don't want to battle any crowds or leave the house, a Redbox Date Night is the best! My husband and I have these typically once or twice a week.

Redbox are like Starbucks, you can find one on every corner.

If you haven't tried out this method of renting and watching movies, give it a try.
Cost: $1.50 for DVD and $2 for Blu-Ray plus applicable tax.

Here are a few tips:

• You can find and reserve movies ahead of time online. Just create a Redbox account online. Or you can just stop by your closest Redbox location and see what they have available to rent.
• Sign up for the Redbox text alerts. You'll get codes for free rentals, buy one get one codes, .50 off a rental and more. Text SIGNUP to 727272.
• Sign up for email newsletters to see what new releases are available each week. You'll also periodically get rental codes.
• When you sign up online, make sure to choose to join the Redbox Play Pass.You'll get 10 for each movie you rent and once you hit 100 points you'll get a credit for a free movie rental.
• Grab a few snacks to enjoy while you watch your movie. Our favorite right now is blue corn tortilla chips and guacamole. And a coffee on the side for me so I actually make it through the movie!

Seen any good movies lately? 

M·A·C Addict

Confession: I'm not really a M·A·C addict.
But I am really enjoying some of their products.

A few years ago my mother and mother-in-law got me a few M·A·C items for my birthday and Christmas. And continued to buy different products over the next few years for different occasions.

I've tried the eye shadows, mascara, blush, lipstick, etc.

I did quickly fall for the blush which I have repurchased multiple times.
{Powder Blush: Well Dressed and Dame are my current favorites.}

And over the past year as I have become more interested in lipsticks over glosses...I've really started loving their lipstick.

Did you know this? If you save up 6 empty containers of product you can trade them in for a new lipstick??? I have been saving my empty containers and finally hit up the mall to trade them in.

 {These are just the empty packages I have left...I traded in 6 for the lipstick below.}

I decided on a lipstick in a coral color: Vegas Volt.

So for you addicts and occasional shoppers out there...save your empty containers!

Do you have containers to trade in? Any lipsticks picked out to trade them in for?