"Pretty Toes" The 5 minute at Home Pedicure

Being a one-income household and living on a tight budget, many “luxuries” such as getting a pedicure, I do myself.  I will admit, it can be a little depressing sometimes but it is short-lived knowing that I am saving money and I am in control of how it turns out.  

Save yourself the $20 or more that you will normally pay for a pedicure and do it yourself. All you need is a body scrub, nail clipper, nail file, nail polish remover, cotton balls, your nail color of choice and a clear top coat.  Most of these items you more than likely already have.  

Clean (0-2 minutes)

Remove any old polish using a cotton balls and nail polish remover.

Massage a handful of a body scrub onto your feet rubbing it everywhere including over your toe nails.  

**If you dont have a body scrub, make a quick homemade one with about 2tbsp of the lotion or oil of your choice and 1 tbsp of epsom salt or sugar.

Dip your feet into a tub of warm water, rinse the scrub off and pat dry.  

File (2-3 minutes)

Clip nails down if necessary and file straight across to even out their shape.

Polish (3-5 minutes)

Wipe any access file residue and oil with a damp cotton ball or washcloth. Apply a generous layer of the nail color of your choice, so that you wont need to do a second coat.  Wait one minute and follow with a clear top coat.  Wait at least 2 minutes or until your nails are dry to the touch before you go on with your day.  **My top coat of choice is Rush 60, I love, love, love it.  After 1 minute my nails are dry to the touch and in 5 minutes, they are dry plus, it gives a nice shine.  

Viola, you have just done your own pedicure!

**Continue to do your own pedicures more often, you will get better and faster plus, you will have a lot of fun experimenting with different colors, styles and new trends too.

Pasta Zero, Shirataki Noodles

Watch as I try Pasta Zero Shirataki Noodles for the first time.  I first heard about these noodles after reading"Wheat Belly" and I recently saw them on last grocery store trip and decided to give them a try.  

What are Shirataki Noodles?

Shirataki Noodles are thin noodles made from the konjac yam that has been an Asian health food for over 1000 years.  The word "shirataki" mean white waterfall describing the appearance of these noodles.  

I call Shirataki Noodles the "Fitness Pasta" as opposed to traditional pasta its healthy- with no fat, very low carbs and calories, its gluten-free along with many other benefits. The million dollar question is how does it taste?  Lets find out.......

No Makeup Monday

“Sweat pants, hair tied, chilling with no makeup on…”  

Drake said it best, and most days this is me, being that I am a stay at home mom.  As a mother, I dont have as much time as I did before to get ready-do hair, makeup, etc because I have to keep in mind that I have another person to get ready.  Sometimes, this means that something will fall short and I refuse to leave the house without doing something to my hair, so now more than before I leave the house without putting on any makeup.  

At first, I thought "Oh goodness I must look awful without any makeup!"  But after a few times of doing so, I felt more and more confident, comfortable and actually felt a little liberated!!  So every now and then I dont wear any or very little makeup for a quick self-esteem boost.  

Actually, there have been several studies that prove that men prefer women with no or very little makeup. One done recently by the Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology even concludes that women are more likely wearing cosmetics to appeal to the mistaken preferences of others. You can read more about it here http://tinyurl.com/mjqt9lo.  

Every now and then or when you are running late, try leaving the house wearing little or no makeup and see what it does for you.  

Four Mistakes You are Making with Receipts

At any given time you can pretty much find a receipt in the bottom of any womans purse but, you wont find any in mine because I dont like disorganization and not being able to something when I need it.  I have developed an easy way to keep up with your receipts, keep them organized and be able to find them when you need them.  Here are mistakes you may be making with your current receipt process and an easy way to improve the process

Immediately throwing them away

Keep your receipts for at least for 2 weeks or until you actually use the item you have purchased.  Receipts are the easiest and definite way to prove that you purchased something.  You may need to make an unexpected return, most of which will happen within the first two weeks of purchase.  Most stores wont do returns without a receipt.  

Clothing/shoe tags- in addition to keeping the receipt also keep clothing/shoe tags they could also serve as a proof of purchase and you can at least get a store credit in the event that your receipt is lost.  

**the exception would be receipts for things that you will immediately use and know for sure there will be no need for return, these will include food items or items you purchase regularly

Having receipts in different places

Your purse, your dashboard, dresser drawer just a few of the many places where your receipts may be.  How do you know which receipts are where?  Leave the guess work out by keeping all of your receipts in ONE place.  I would suggest an envelope sized accordion file in which you can keep receipts together and separate accordingly.  *See example in pictures below

Not making Receipt Notes

You may be asking.  What are receipt notes?  This is one of my favorite receipt practices.  It surely has taken the hassle and stress out of trying to figure out what Ive purchased and if I need to return something I am able to easily find the correct receipt.  

With the exception of grocery store receipts,  when you get home after shopping gather all of your receipts and on the back of each receipt write each item that you purchased as you take them out of the bag.  Doing this on the same day helps you remember what you purchased and be able to easily write it on the back of the receipt.  This takes the guess work out of wondering what it is if you look at the receipt later and makes returning simple.  *See example in pictures below

Not taking advantage of e-receipt options

We are living in the age where many things are available now via email/web including receipts.  Many stores offer an email receipt with your purchase.  When given this option, take it.  I know you may feel that you already have too many emails coming into your inbox and thats ok.  You can put all of your email receipts in a separate folder and access them when you need them. With e-receipts you dont need to worry about losing them, stains, fading, etc and you will always have them with you.  

Always Shop Clearance Racks First

As women, we look forward to shopping, it serves as our therapy, our way of “getting away” but more often times than not, the effect is regret.  We get home, look at what we purchased and feel a sense of regret in the amount that we have spent.  We feel like we could have saved more money if we would have been more patient, looked for coupons, etc.  By shopping the clearance racks first, you can attempt to eliminate this shopper’s regret.  Here are five reasons why you should always shop clearance racks first:

1- You may find an item/the item that you came shopping for

2- You will often times find a “surprise item” something that is normally very expensive, something unique, something that you wouldnt think would be on clearance, or item that you have been watching/waiting to go down

3- You get to know the pricing strategies of a store such as new item arrival times, when they will go on sale, how long the items will be on sale, the best time to buy, if you should buy it all full price or not, etc.

4- Gets you into the habit/mindset of saving money when you shop

5- Saves you money!

I know it may be hard as Ive heard many women say, “I dont have the time or patience to shop clearance racks”, I understand but, at the very least do a quick scan focusing on the sizes and colors that you are looking for.  

The next time you go shopping ignore everything thing else when you walk in and head straight for the Clearance racks, it will pay off.    

The "Fitness Fantasy"

I competed in a Figure Competition in 2010, it was a great experience and I learned a lot about fitness, shedding fat and gaining muscle.  It wasnt an easy process.  It required major changes in my lifestyle in the areas of exercising, diet, time management, sleep habits and even my budget.  I did lose weight and was more in shape but even with all of that hard work and sacrifice I still didnt quite get the body I really wanted.

Now, I could have continued to work harder and compete to actually get the body I dreamed about but I knew what it would require and it wasnt for me.  While I do enjoy fitness/working out, it is not my passion. For the average person, while fitness and exercise is enjoyable, it isnt a passion nor their job/career. This is where I think the disconnect lies with what we often see.

We are constantly bombarded with advertisements that often times put an emphasis on desire- how to obtain the things that we dont have.  One of the most common of these center around our bodies and weight loss, Lose 10 lbs in Two Weeks, Get the Body you Always Wanted, Get Abs of Steel, etc.  We then see an image of our “dream” body we say to ourselves- “I want to look like that!” as the ad strategically answers the question “How?”

I call this the “Fitness Fantasy” what you see will more than likely NOT be obtained through the purchase or consumption of the good or service that is advertised.  WHY?

1. Most of these methods are a quick, temporary way that will not lead to long term success.
2. Most are endorsed by paid actors and actresses who may not have actually done or consumed what they are endorsing.
3. Endorsers or product promoters are those in which fitness is there life, not a hobby.    They live and breathe fitness and most of their day centers around fitness in some way.
4. Endorsers may already be thin or dont have as much body fat therefore, it isnt as hard for them to “get in shape”.
5. Additional money is often needed to spend on fitness related products and services i.e.- supplements, gym memberships, etc. in order to obtain and maintain the “dream body” isnt mentioned.
6. More time than you may have is often times required in order to get that “dream body”.

If you are looking to lose weight and/or get in shape, dont get caught up the in fantasy of trying to obtain “the perfect body” or the unrealistic desire to get a body like someone else.  When we chase after a fantasy, we often times fail.

You can get a better body, get in shape and lose weight but first you will need to  focus on you, your own personal goals and how you can realistically achieve them. Focus on the long-term, asking yourself “Will I be able to do it long term at least three months to eventually lifetime maintenance and Will it fit into your current lifestyle?  

Dont get me wrong, I am not saying that getting that “dream body” is impossible but it will take a great sacrifice in your current lifestyle with major changes in your fitness and diet regimens.  You will need to make a realistic assessment and ask yourself if you can realistically make this changes and maintain them long-term. If so, go for it!

Take a look at the “ The Fitness Reality” images and dont get fall into the trap of the “Fitness Fantasy”.

Index Card Shoebox Organization

Like it or not, shoeboxes will always be a part of our life, at least for now.  I got very tired of looking at the eyesore of shoeboxes that made me reluctant to get certain pairs or even go in my closet at times. To get rid of this “tower of tragedy” I came up with a very simple and quick way 3 Step Way to organize my shoeboxes using index cards.  

1- Arrange your shoeboxes on top of each other in a way that is visually appealing.  This will vary depending upon the number of shoeboxes you have and space

2- Make a note of the shoes that you have and write the shoe description on the index card

**Suggestion: Use colored markers or pencils to make it pop and use whatever

description necessary that will help you to know exactly what pair of shoes they are as soon as you read the index card.  Example: the shoes that I wore on my wedding day, I wrote “Wedding Shoes” on the index card

3- Tape the index card to the outside of the shoebox and Viola!

Take a look at my example

Heels Happen

We all have a pair or several pairs of shoes that we love and will wear them until the heels just about fall, they have several scrapes and scratches or almost to the point where you feel embarrassed even wearing them.  But dont throw them away just yet!  

If your heel happens to fall off or if you have any other shoe other mishaps, research local shoe repair shops and take them to see if they can be repaired instead of throwing them away right away.  Using this method will save you money, you will still have your shoes and saves you time and frustration in trying to find a replacement pair.  

Here is an example of a pair of purple heels that I purchased and absolutely loved until the heels started to wear and one of the taps came off. I took it to a local shoe repair and it only cost me $10 to get them fixed! They look awesome and are like new again.

Organization on the Go!

Once your leave the house, you cannot predict what is going to happen, you need to have these items on hand(in your purse on in your car) so that you are prepared.  

1.  Ink Pen/Something to Write with

2.  Hand Sanitizer

3.  Lotion

4.  Lipgloss/Lipstick/Chapstick

5.  Gum/Mints

6.  Change/Coins

7.  Kleenex

8.  Toothpick/Pluckers

9.  Safety pin

10. Travel size deodorant

11. Pocket Snack- ex: Raisins, Crackers

Why you may ask?

1.  Ink Pen/Something to Write with- most of us have smartphones in which we can put important information in but sometimes a pen and something to write on is faster and more convenient when you need to jot down information quickly. Pen and paper is also a backup if your phone is dead or you dont have much battery power left.

2.  Hand Sanitizer- Not much to explain here. A quick way to clean your hands when soap and water isnt readily available.

3.  Lotion- We are constantly washing our hands which sucks up the moisture, you dont want to get caught with ashy hands or shake someones hand when yours are dry.

4.  Lipgloss/Lipstick/Chapstick- Tyrone Biggums, enough said.

5.  Gum/Mints- After eating or drinking coffee, you will need to refresh your mouth

6.  Change/Coins- For the bus/subway, you dont want to break a bill for just a few cents or maybe to give a beggar on the street.

7.  Kleenex- You sneeze or cry and a quick way to clean a small spill.

8.  Toothpick/Pluckers- When you want to get that spinach or obvious food out of your teeth.

9.  Safety pin- For an unexpected wardrobe mishap such as too much cleavage or loss of a button. A safety pin will fit conveniently in the coin section of your wallet.

10. Travel size deodorant- Lets face it, there are times when we all forget to put on deodorant and dont realize it until we have already left the house.

11. Pocket Snack- ex: Raisins, Crackers- For those times you may have skipped breakfast, you need something to tie you over in between meals or you may not feel too great because your blood sugar is getting low.

I always have these items in my purse and they have come in handy in so many situations. Dont let a small mishap such as coffee breath or a wardrobe malfunction ruin your day, save yourself time, frustration and money by having these items handy when you are on the go!

Why Ebay and Amazon are a must when it comes to Shopping

What was once lost, can now be found on eBay and Amazon

eBay and Amazon are two of the largest and most widely used e-commerce companies in the world.  

I have to admit it, I am an addict you can find just about ANYTHING you want or need on eBay and Amazon for a fraction of what you would normally pay for it through traditional purchases and thats why I love it so much.  

-Use eBay and Amazon as your number one source to find items that cant easily be found in stores or unavailable/sold out in your area

-Use eBay and Amazon to purchase popular/high demand items at discounted rates

-SELL, SELL, SELL items on eBay and Amazon you no longer want/use but want to get something out of getting rid of it

If you have the preconceived notion that eBay and Amazon is just one big online Yard Sale where people go to sale their used items, you are wrong.  You can find anywhere from Gently Used to Brand New Items.  

You can also shop according to your preferences such as Free Shipping, Pricing, Size and Colors, etc. Most items arent just auction-style purchases, they are available to "Buy-it Now".

The next time you are looking for something you cant find in stores search eBay and Amazon. Better yet, challenge yourself and do a search of items you buy on a regular basis, you will be amazed at what you find. Take a look at a few examples of my latest steals from eBay.