HELLO!!!

Hey everyone!

I know it's been forever...I always go back on forth on whether or not I should even HAVE a blog since I can't seem to find the time to update it. However, it's times like these that I am THANKFUL to have one, because I want to share a great deal that I came across today!

If you love Target as much as I do, you can get $5 off of a $5 or more purchase online. You need to sign into your Target account (or just make one real quick, it's easy!) and find anything on the website you want to order. (I ordered some mascara!) When you check out, enter the promo code:
TGT75HFN
...and you get $5 off your purchase! You have to pay $0.99 for shipping, but hey that's not bad! I paid only $0.99 for my purchase and shipping!

Hope everyone is well! I keep up on all of you, and will find some time soon to update this thing!
XO

Summer time at last...

It’s finally summer!

I have been a bad blog owner for the past month, not because I’ve been neglecting to do so! No…my family has been hit with a bout of bad luck. It all started three weeks ago on a Friday night, when my mom tripped over the vacuum cord and fell. We had to take her to the ER – she ended up breaking her arm and smashing her shoulder into pieces. She was in the hospital for six days – four of those she was waiting to get operated on. I spent the night for 2 nights and my sister spent the night as well, she couldn’t move anywhere since she was lying in a bed with a broken arm. She needed help because the nurses were slow so we had to be there.

Fast forward to the next week, when my dad had scheduled surgery already planned. He has prostate cancer and he also needed a hernia repaired. Since my mom can’t drive, I was already doing all of the shopping and cooking once she got home. Now I am also chauffer to both my parents since my dad can’t drive either.

The day before my dad was supposed to be released from the hospital; my mom had another emergency and had to go to the ER. We ended up being in the ER until almost midnight that night. I needed a sweatshirt and some shoes since it got really cold, so my boyfriend took me home for a few minutes to grab some. On the way back we found my cat dead in the middle of the road. Someone hit him in the 5 minutes that we were at my house. I had to deal with that then pick up my mom who was waiting at the ER. Not a fun night.

The next morning, my dad got released from the hospital. We took him home, and about 2 hours later, his catheter stopped working. We had to take him back to the ER, and he was there for about 4 hours. We came home and ate dinner, and the same thing happened again. We went back at about 9:30 and didn’t get out of there until 2pm. This was a Saturday. The following Monday I started my summer job (Boys & Girls Club).

I also had a job interview for a teaching position at a charter school close by my house. It didn’t go so well, I was really distracted and couldn’t focus as much as I should have been able to. We will see what they have to say about it in a couple of weeks.

Things have finally started to slow down a bit…I’m dog sitting for a couple of days, but should be back to updating soon! xoxo

Things I’ve learned working in a school

#5 – Children often times confuse poop for an art tool.

I cannot tell you how many times in a year I get an all-staff e-mail about a “poop artist” in the lower or upper el boys bathroom. More times than you want to know about!

#4 – Don’t assume a child knows how to do something – no matter how simple – because most of the time they can’t. Even after you teach it to them.

i.e. Today, at the end of fourth grade, one of my students couldn’t add 14 + 14 + 14 + 20 + 23. He put that the answer was 47, and then proceeded to tell me that he was “close” when I re-added it. 47 IS NOT ANYWHERE NEAR 85!! I was fuming.

#3 – Most kids are brutally honest.

They will ask you pretty much anything. The one question I got the most this year…”When are you going to make your hair yellow again? It looks better that way.” Brutally honest.

#2 – The gym teacher is always the favorite teacher.

There must be something inviting to a kid about a teacher who wears sweat pants and t-shirts to school every day of the week. In every school I’ve been in (with the exception of my middle school years) the gym teacher is ALWAYS the favorite. Kids love gym!! (PS - I know they get a bad rep from movies and tv shows...but in real life, they are the favorite!)

#1 – Never, and I mean NEVER, eat homemade baked goods for a student’s birthday.

You don’t know where those baked goods came from, and chances are they came from somewhere very unsanitary. I know it sounds mean, but in this year alone, I have seen students eating cupcakes and cookies with hairs baked on or in them on MANY occasions. It’s DISGUSTING. I don’t care how good they look, DON’T DO IT. You can eat baked goods from the store though! Those are usually safe J

Weekend Shopping (and savings!)

I’ve been finding lately that my favorite thing to do on Sunday mornings is to get my shopping done early. My weeks are busy with school, tutoring, and other activities so it is hard to find the time during the week unless it’s a quick stop after school. Here’s where I went and what I bought!

CVS

5 – Honest Tea (assorted flavors) on sale 5/$5

1 – Nivea lip balm, on clearance for $0.75

3 – Eucerin hand & body lotions (assorted) @ $5.49 each

1 – Oral-B toothbrush, on sale for $1.99

1 – Oral-B brush head refills for electric toothbrush (orig. $46.99 – on sale for $29.99)

1 – Bic Soliel Shimmer razor, $6.99 on sale

Coupons used:

4 - $1/1 Honest Tea product

1 - $1/1 Nivea lip product

3 - $1.50/1 Eucerin lotion

1 - $1.50/1 Oral-B toothbrush (certain types)

1 - $3/1 Bic razor

Total before tax: $37.70

Total saved: $49.18

Received $31.00 in Extra Care Bucks (you can use these on almost any products in the store – they are good for a month!)

I didn’t plan on spending so much money there, and I could have saved more out of pocket by doing multiple transactions. I was just so excited that the brush heads were the right ones for my toothbrush, and I wasn’t thinking clearly about it. I got $20.00 in ECB just from that item alone. You will never find those brush heads for $9.99. I also see it this way – yes I spent $40.00, but I will get to put the $31 toward all of my upcoming purchases there. I may not have to spend more than pennies there for the rest of the month! Which makes me very happy!

Walgreens

4 – Degree deodorant (4/$15)

2 – Right Guard deodorant (both with free trial size body wash attached!)

1 – Ritz Crackerfuls on sale for $2.00

1 – Aquafresh Kid’s toothpaste

2 – Caramels from the register…sooo delicious (and cheap!)

Coupons used:

2 – B1G1 free Degree deodorant

1 – B1G1 free Right Guard product

1 - $1/1 Ritz Crackerfuls

1 – in ad coupon for Aquafresh @ $0.99

1 - $0.50/1 Aquafresh kids toothpaste
$3.50 in Register Rewards

Total paid: $6.19

Total saved: $28.63
Received $7 in Register Rewards to use on my next purchase 

I was excited about all of the B1G1 free coupons that I could use this week to make my deals even better. The Degree products were 4/$15, plus you got $5 in Register Rewards. The Right Guard deodorants were already B1G1 free, and with the coupon, both were free! I also got the Ritz Crackerfuls for $1 out of pocket and got $2 in RR back on those, making them free as well.

I read on a blog that they are in great need for product donations at the Salvation Army of Monroe County. I gathered a large bag full of some of the products I don’t need at the moment and will be taking them to the site this week sometime. This is why I got the Right Guard deodorants and the kids toothpaste – both were either free or just pocket change to buy and someone that really needs these items will get them. It feels good to be able to make a small difference in the world by spending very little money. I donate money as much as I can, but donating products is a bit easier when you don’t make a ton of money.

Rite Aid

This was my smallest (and cheapest!) haul of the day. I went in basically because my UP+ rewards were going to expire this week, and I needed to use them!

1- RenPure Organics conditioner (@ $4.99)

1- Lady Speed Stick deodorant, on sale for $2.99

1 – Revlon Just Bitten lip stain (Reg. $8.99, on sale for 40% off)

1 -  Ms. Pedicure Foot Scrub (clearance @ $0.99)

1 – Spic and Span dish brush (clearance @ $0.25)

1 – 3 Muskateers candy bar (for the boyfriend) @ $0.50

(as you can tell, I was struggling for items at the end to make it to $15 total so I could use my $3 off coupon!)

Coupons used:

1 - $3 off $15 purchase
1 - $1 off a non-prescription purchase

1 - $2/1 Revlon beauty product

1 - $0.50/1 Speed Stick deodorant
$7 in UP+ rewards

Total Paid: $1.61

Total Saved: $13.50

Received $6.99 in UP+ rewards to use on my next purchase

Not a ton of coupons to use, but my total was really small! Not a bad weekend aside from all of that money spent at CVS!

I also got a really great pair of shoes this weekend! I got a gift card to Betsey Johnson for my birthday, and I already had an incredible pair of shoes picked out to spend it on! Check out these awesome shoes....

All mine!

Guilty pleasures in action

This morning - while I was eating my McDonald's breakfast in a Meijer parking lot - I realized the true scale of my guilty pleasures. Don't ask....just take a look.

 

Exhibit A: My car radio. I had the four choices above...and I LOVE 30 Seconds to Mars and also Silversun Pickups. Yet I chose to listen to N.K.O.T.B.S.B....I even teenied a little bit when the song came on because I haven't heard it yet on the radio. Then I proceeded to turn it up and finish my egg and cheese biscuit, all while the family in the van parked in front of me gave me disapproving looks.

Now I am going to watch The Real Housewives of Orange County until bedtime!

8 Guilty Pleasures

#8 – Betsey Johnson

This may sound funny, but yes, loving Betsey Johnson is a guilty pleasure! It's literally every girly-girl's dream come true. Not that I am embarrassed about it, it’s just that I have a hard time spending so much money on one thing. Her stuff is expensive! I love it just the same…and if I ever get rich one day, you will find me wearing Betsey dresses every day! I am lucky enough to own 1 dress and a few shirts, plus tons of purses, socks, and jewelry. LOVE IT!

#7 – Tiny Chef

This is embarrassing to admit, but I am kind of addicted to the app Tiny Chef. You have a restaurant and you cook food and design it. Then you start expanding and buying more restaurants and yeah…you get the idea. (And to be even dorkier, those are actually screen shots of 2 of my restaurants! NERDxCORE)

#6 – Gourmet cupcakes

Every area has their own cupcake places – my favorite around here happens to be Just Baked cupcakes. Their red velvet cheesecake cupcakes are TO DIE FOR. I mean it. I literally die when I’m eating them. (Well afterwards, when I’m trying to work off the extra pounds from devouring a large cupcake in about 5 seconds.) I have no self control when it comes to cupcakes!

#5 – iCarly

Another embarrassing fact to admit...I like watching iCarly. I can’t help it. Carly’s brother Spencer is HILARIOUS. And have you SEEN the ostrich episode? (See pic above) So funny!!  I like to watch on weekends when I’m not doing anything. Sam and Carly can be pretty annoying, but it’s worth sitting through for the parts with Spencer. Don’t judge.

#4 -  Music from Glee

Yes – I love watching Glee. And yes – I download a lot of the music from the show as well. I can’t help it. A lot of times they are singing songs that I don’t always like, but the way the song is arranged makes it so much better. They also put modern twists on some older songs. I love their version of “Somebody to Love” by Queen (even though no one will compare to Queen – one of my top 5 favorite bands ever!) and also their rendition of “Poker Face” by Lady Gaga. And whoever creates the mash-ups (where they mix 2 songs together) on that show is a freakin’ GENIUS. The mash-ups are incredible! Come on – “Start Me Up” and “Livin’ on a Prayer”??? SO AMAZING. Plus it’s the girls singing it!

#3 – Vanilla ice cream cones with sprinkles

I tried really hard not to make my entire guilty pleasures list consist of food, although I could have easily done it! I love that you can go to different ice cream places and the ice cream and sprinkles taste just a little bit different at each place. My current favorite happens to be Dairy Queen. Their vanilla is very tasty and MAN – they have the best sprinkles! I try not to go more than once a week, although sometimes it’s hard!

#2 – Driving

I know this one doesn’t sound like a guilty pleasure, but in my case it kind of is. I included it because sometimes I feel guilty doing it. Driving isn’t good for the environment and gas prices are out of control, yet I continue to drive when it isn’t necessary. The problem is that I really love to drive! I love listening to music and just driving. Not a single day goes by where I don’t get in my car and go somewhere. Or 10 somewheres.

#1 – Bad (but sooooo good!) Pop Songs

Ever since I was little, I’ve always loved pop music. I grew up listening to the Beach Boys and Wilson Philips. When I was in middle school, I used to listen to the Top 8 at 8 on our local radio station and keep track of the songs every single night. I love and was obsessed with Hanson and the Moffatts. And boy bands…you name it, I loved them! You can still catch me jamming out to N’SYNC and BSB in my car!

Horrible pop songs that I am currently listening to:

Avril Lavigne – “What the Hell”

NKOTBSB – “Don’t Turn Out the Lights”

Glee cast – “Friday” (cover of Rebecca Black)

NLT – “Do It Like I Love It”

Charice – “Pyramid”

I know right….it’s BAD. But I love!

What are YOUR guilty pleasures???

In my past life....

...I was chubby and had a sick perm...

 

...I lived in pools as much as I possibly could...

 

...I had the biggest (and best!) family ever!...

 

...I was in love with 2 different Scotts...

 (real first boyfriend Scott)

(pretend famous crush Scott)

...I had blonde hair...

 ...and pink hair...

...I spent a lot of time at concerts...

 

...and hung out at concerts with this guy a lot (oh HEY Deon)...

...I helped coach a very successful Varsity competitive cheer team...

 

...and that was a pretty great life.

I don't know about you, but I feel like once big changes happen, the things I leave behind don't belong to me anymore. It's sad in a way. I miss a lot of those things. I'm glad that there are pictures so I don't completely forget my past life.