Feature Friday: Dating Chaps On Apps

Say cheese!

Since I was ranting in my previous post about profile pictures I figured I owed it to you to elaborate.  For those of you who have already dabbled in the online dating scene, you know exactly what I’m talking about.  For those of you online dating virgins, you are in for a treat!
The “illusionist” !  Sometimes their profile picture looks kinda cute and you’re thinking….alright…here is some potential.  Then you scroll through the rest of the pictures and it’s bad news! Always make sure you scroll through all pictures ladies!  A lot of guys will also take the brilliant approach to post photo after photo without a face shot, very distant or blurry.  For example: a ski shot, a wakeboard shot, a rock climbing shot, an underwater scuba shot, random web images, etc…can you visualize it?  I’m sorry but if you don’t have a close up face shot what’s the point?  Let’s be frank,  I want to see what you look like…am I going to want to kiss you?  It may sound shallow, but I call it how I see it…initially it’s a physical attraction from the photo…then you read on to see if you connect on a level other than physical.
The “Where’s Waldo”!  This is a very common profile problem.   You really have no idea which guy is the eligible bachelor because all of his pictures are group pictures with about 10 other guys(usually doing keg stands, dirt biking, mud wrestling, etc…).  And I hate to say it, but all to often it’s the unattractive man taking this approach which is silly.  I get all excited because there are hot guys in the photo, only to find out it’s the one homely guy in the photo…ugh!  I kinda want to say, “yeah you look nice guy but …are your hot friends single?”

READ THE REST OF THIS POST HERE 

About

Hey Girlfriends,

This blog is solely about the dating world after divorce.  No advice here ladies!  I will share my experiences of being thrown back into the dating world 2015.  My hope is to make you belly laugh out loud, occasionally bring a tear to your eye and show you there is hope, humor and fun to be had for all us single girls out there.

I found myself single after being married a very, very long time and frankly, anticipating a dating scene that I quickly discovered no longer existed.  The harsh realization that my memories of being 20 something, carefree and hooking up with guys at bars, parties or at work were long gone.  I was thrown into 21st century style dating.  Meeting men online? Whaat?  I had no idea what to do. I was overwhelmed and kinda scared. After I mulled over the idea of window shopping for a boyfriend online all I all wanted to do was jump in bed, pull the covers over my head, cry and then hang with my rabbit-HA!

Not only had I lost my “A” game (did I ever really have one?), I was starting over.  Back when I was dating I didn’t have a cell phone so texting, checking your matches on Match, swiping to the right on Tinder, answering compatibility questions on E-Harmony – these instant, virtual means of connecting and meeting people were foreign and felt lame.  This old bittie felt out dated!

YOU CAN CHECK OUT HER BLOG HERE

Feature Friday: CreativWriting

Screw Perfection – It’s All Relative

I’m a writer. I’m also a mom. And if you had to ask me which comes first, I would tell you hands down, being a mom.
Raising a healthy and happy family is essential to my own happiness. There is just no greater joy for me than seeing the happiness in my children’s eyes through their play, activities and affection. They represent the best and worst elements of myself and that of my husband… and through them, I grow as an individual… watching myself in them. Plus, they give me plenty of stuff to write about.
It is because I’m a full-time mom (and time limitations) that I’m not a perfect writer or even a perfect mother. If I had all the time in the world to take writing classes or classes on how to be the perfect mom, then I’d have no excuse. But the limitations of time and my own perception of what is valuable keeps me from pursuing that level of perfection.
Today, my youngest has crazy hair and my toddler has a runny nose with snot streaks across his face. We’re at the library reading and playing dinosaurs. I didn’t pack a lunch because we’re going to go eat horrible fast food as a treat. We’ll probably go shopping and miss nap time. See, I’m not a perfect mom. I don’t have it all planned out all the time and my writing sure isn’t perfect either. But as a mom, I get the job done and at the end of the day, I’m pleased and happy. So is my family. As a writer, my readers seem pleased as well. I’d rather embrace my imperfections knowing that I can always improve but at the time, remember with a loving heart how I spent my day being happy.


CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THIS POST

About

Hi I’m Leah Hart!
I’m the voice and writer behind the CreativWriter, and I’m so glad to have you here checking out the website and maybe even picking up some free ideas and eBooks. I’ve been helping writers (and businesses, too) behind the scenes for several years now, designing covers, creating content, doling out advice here and there, but most importantly, watching and evaluating statistics on book sales.
I’ve been in the business of writing and books since I first entered a writing contest for National History Day on Benjamin Franklin. For 4th grade, my writing wasn’t half bad. I got an honorable mention. Since then, I’ve become a book lover, a book supporter (I buy a ton and probably have a copy of your book), an avid creator of book covers and an amazing (yes, I have my moments) writer of business-boosting and book marketing tips.


YOU CAN CHECK OUT HER BLOG HERE

Feature Friday: Here Wee Read

7 Ways Reading Has Made Me a Better Mom

Growing up, I didn’t have a nightly ritual of snuggling up with my parents while they read books aloud to me and my sister.  Instead, I read books on my own when I was old enough to read.  I always wanted to have someone read me bedtime stories so I vowed that whenever God blessed me with my own children I would read to them every night.
Since becoming a mom almost three years ago, (I seriously cannot believe “Sparkles” is almost 3) I’ve managed to stick to my plan of daily read aloud time with the kids.  The only times I’ve skipped our read aloud sessions are the few times when I traveled out of town for work.  Other than that, I’ve been very consistent squeezing in 15-30 minutes of reading time each day either in the morning or at night.
Perhaps you can relate, but I believe reading aloud to the children over the past three years has made me a better mom.  Here’s how:

1. It Calms Me
Reading calms me and makes me feel productive.  It’s also a great stress reliever for me as it allows me to escape even if for just a few minutes.  This is a win-win for my entire family because when mommy’s happy, everyone’s happy.
2. It’s Boosting My Vocabulary
By reading books, magazines and blogs daily my vocabulary has increased tremendously.  Also, now that I’m learning Latin I’m gaining more knowledge and insight of how words were formed in English, Spanish and other foreign languages.  The kids will benefit from this directly because I’ll be able to pass on what I’m learning to them.
3. It Makes My Children Happy
I love seeing the look on the kids’ faces when I sit down to read to them.  They’ve come to expect that reading books will be a part of our day and whenever I say it’s story time their eyes light up and they run and go grab the books they want to read.  Love it!


CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THIS POST



About the author:
Charnaie is a Computer Programmer by day and a wife and mom 24/7.  She has over 15 years of experience in the Information Technology field.  She has both a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Computer Science/Information Technology.  She blogs over at Here Wee Read, (http://hereweeread.blogspot.com) where she shares the books that she reads aloud with her two children as well as the books she reads.  Charnaie makes no claims to be a parenting guru who has it all figured out.  Instead, she likes to refer to herself as a perfectly imperfect mom raising two children the best way she knows how.


 

Feature Friday: Cherished Magazine

As I began to try to decide what I was going to share with you guys over at The Unperfect Family I found myself in tailspin. Maybe this, no that, could this idea be better. I sort of had give myself a shake to pull me out of the tail spin of worry. I realized I was worried about "not getting it right".

Now...if you think about it...it is sort of ironic. I'm writing for a blog called "The Unperfect Family" but yet I am worried about well...being perfect, getting it right. It's not the first time.
There have been many times in my past that I have done nothing instead of trying something because I might fail.

 How about you? Afraid to fail? Ever worry about not getting it right? Has fear crept in to the point you can't move forward?

 Here is what I do to get through when I find myself in these situations. I grab my journal and try to figure out what is really stopping me or to see the situation from a new angle.

 Grab your journal and answer these questions:

 1.What are you really afraid of?
 For example, the first time I was on a microphone in front of people I was ready to run from the room. After some thought and journaling, I discovered I was really afraid of forgetting what I wanted to say.

 2.Is there something I can do to help lesson the fear?
 For example,when I speak, I use visual aids and notes to keep me on track.It helps me to have it and lesson the underlining fear of being in front of people.

 3.Ask yourself,"Do I really feel that I am suppose to do this and why?"
 If you answer "yes", then write this down in your journal. I am meant to do _____________, so I'm going to do __________ afraid.

 I hope that helps you. I decided to do a quick journal sheet that you can print out and work through the next time you find yourself in the paralyzing thought process of "I can't do this. I don't know if I can get it right".

 Just hop on over the Cherished Magazine's Cherished Everyday Fall Tour Extravaganza and get your printable.
 You are chosen, cherished and loved!
 PS - I just also wanted to let you know there is special pricing for Cherished Magazine during the Cherished Everyday Fall Tour Extravaganza. Get your journal sheet and information on the pricing here.

Feature Friday: A Splendid Messy Life

 

9 Tips to Save Money and Curb Impulse Shopping

I just got my December credit card bill. Sigh. You know that saying "shopping is my cardio"? Can online shopping be cardio? Well, that's my weakness. But I'm resolving to save a little more in 2015, so that means less spending in 2015. Here are the tips I'm going to try and follow to help grow our savings and pay for the two bigger trips we have planned this year.

1. Unsubscribe from retailer emails and unlike their FB and Instagram pages. Bye bye J. Crew. Au revoir Anthro. No more will I allow you to assault my Facebook news feed with free advertising because once upon a time I clicked 'like'. And my inbox? It already feels lighter. I do like following the Chapters/Indigo Instagram feed, so that one got to stay. They don't post everyday, and their pics are beautiful. But otherwise outta sight, outta mind.

2. Tell a friend about the item. This trick I do often with my friends or on the blog. Sometimes I find something that I think is so great, but I probably don't really need it, so I feel better when I tell others about it.

3. Don't buy for "sometime." I often find gifts and think, "Oh this would be a great baby shower gift, or this would be a great gift for so and so." But the problem is, I just end up buy more things and don't always gift them when I thought I would. If it's not something I need right now, or I don't know exactly when and for whom I need a gift, I won't buy it.

4. Use up what you have.  Stationery, food, cosmetics. These are all things that I have multiples of at home. I resolve to use up the things I have at home before I buy anymore. Seriously, there is a 1/4 of a cow in my freezer.

5. Brown Bag It. I'm usually pretty good about bringing my own lunch, mostly because at work I really don't often have time to run out and grab something. But, I can be better at making Rob's lunch for him so that he buys it less often. At least that's what I tell myself. Rob tells me that whenever I make him lunch, he eats it at 9:30am and then still gets "second lunch". Ugh. So maybe this one doesn't really work.....

6. Use the library. Buying a Kobo has got to be one of the best investments I've ever made. Ebooks are little bit less expensive when buying them, but I can download books from the Toronto Public Library right onto my Kobo. Free books. On my Kobo. Plus the waitlists for ebooks is often shorter at the library. I also don't have to go pickup or return my books because they just disappear off my Kobo when my lending period is over.

7.  Make a universal wish list. I have a Pinterest board that serves a bit as a running wish list. I can pin things here that I'm coveting and come back when I'm ready to make a purchase or forward the list to my husband when he's asking for gift ideas.

8. 3 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Making a Purchase.  Check out this article. The idea is to ask yourself, how will you feel about this purchase in 10 minutes? in 10 months? in 10 years? Focus on short and long-term profit/loss. I've been trying to use this one more and more lately. In 10 months I'll likely be annoyed that I spent X number of dollars on a third grey sweater, but I'll probably be ok with splurging for a glass of wine when watching a movie with a friend.

 9. Sell your stuff. I'm a purger. I'm constantly going through our house and getting rid of stuff we never use. Sometimes I just give things away, mostly stuff like books and the like, to friends. Other times I'll send a big pile of stuff off for donation. But if something is still in great shape, I may try to sell it on consignment. Here are 2 online consignment stores I use:

i. For clothing, my favourite consignment shop is called Trend Trunk. It's a Canadian online consignment store. Here's my Trend Trunk Closet if you want to see the items I'm currently selling. They even have an app, so it's wicked easy to take pictures of your clothes and post them to the store.

ii.  For baby stuff, I've used Baby Pre-Loved. This is a Toronto-based online consignment store. What I like about this store is that the commission you earn is a little less, but they will pay you upfront and take the risk themselves. So, you're guaranteed either cash or credit to their store if they take your item. I prefer this than waiting to see if my stuff has sold at a traditional consignment store.

So those are my money-saving tips. Do you have any to add? I'm sure we'd all love to read them too!
xo
J 

 

 

 

 

 

About Me

 
This is a blog where these things matter: women, moms, friends, family, having fun, experimenting with life, plus a few DIYs from Pinterest that may or may not totally fail. 
Here is where I hope to share bits and pieces of my life with you. 

A Splendid Messy Life is a mommy and lifestyle blog written and edited by me, Jennifer Bairos. I am a working mama living in Toronto with my husband, Rob, our son, Sebastian, and our cat, Lily.

Both the journey to get and stay pregnant, and then my first year of motherhood weren't easy roads. It helped me to connect with others and read stories about how motherhood didn't always look like walking with a sleeping baby in the stroller while drinking a Starbucks latte.  (I don't know why, but for some reason I thought I'd be doing this every day as soon as Seb was born).

When I was on maternity leave, I started to follow a few blogs and loved hearing the voices of these women sharing their tips, tricks, and thoughts on motherhood. I was, and continue to be, inspired by these women and wanted to join them by sharing my experiences with others too. I write about books and toys that are loved in our house, things we love to do in Toronto, resources I've found that have made life a little bit easier, or just my thoughts on parenting.

I don't write exclusively about motherhood, however. I also love to share wonderful and fun things I've found that I think any woman would love. I call them les petits plaisirs.

If you'd like to get a taste of what I've written, a few of my most popular posts so far have been:
Breastfeeding, Bottle-feeding, and Balance
Instagram vs Real Life
Chemo Angels
Non-Cheesy Anniversary Gift Ideas for the First Five Years

Thank you for stopping by, and welcome to my blog :)

"She generally gave herself very good advice, (though she very seldom followed it.)" Lewis Carroll

 

Frequently Asked Questions  

Where do you find the time to blog?
Usually during nap time. Most of the year I work full-time, so I will write a post during naps on the weekend or maybe work on a post over a few evenings during the week when Rob and I are binge-watching something on Netflix. That's why Seb will nap until he's 18 and off to his next grand adventure. I don't know when I'll write when he stops napping!

How do you keep your house so clean and seem to have your life all together?
Ummm....I think you have the wrong blogger. Refer to the picture below and this blog post.

Tell us some of your favourites.
Sure thing!
Books:
A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving, The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill, The Help by Kathryn Stockett, Spilling Open by Sabrina Ward Harrison, and I posted earlier how I love pretty much any kind of trilogy.
You can check out my reviews of the books I've been reading recently here.

TV Shows:
Downton Abbey, The Mindy Project, The Big Bang Theory, Mad Men, Suits, and Orange is the New Black

Beauty products:
Jurlique Calendula Moisturizer, Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream, NARS Blush in Orgasm, CoverGirl LashBlast Length Mascara, Stila Lip Glaze in Guava, and Essie nailpolishes (usually in Wicked or Mademoiselle)

Stores:
Chapters Indigo, J Crew, Gap, Sephora, Etsy, and Anthropologie

Shoes:
9 times out of 10 you can find me in either these Roots boots, black Havianas, or a pair of Tieks.

Blogs:
The Mom Edit, Rookie Moms, The Honest Toddler, The Average Girls' Guide, and Girl Meets Box

Small claims to fame

Guest posts for The Rookie Moms: My Year of Rookie Mom Challenges and Baby Activities in Toronto.
Guest post for The Ruralist: Finding a Small Town Within a Big City.
Contributor for VoiceBox: Why I'm Not Having a Birthday Party for my 3 Year Old.

A few comments about posts (and comments)

I do not collect or share data (other than traffic stats) from my readers.
I believe in honesty on this blog and would never promote a product or service that I did not totally love and think you would love too. Any compensation provided will also be fully disclosed in the blog post. A Splendid Messy Life does include affiliate advertising links in posts and can earn a very small referral commission from these links. This blog is written and edited by me and all opinions are my own.
A Splendid Messy Life reserves the right to remove any comment that is offensive in nature, self-promotional spam, or in any other way not related to the post.


Feel free to email me anytime at asplendidmessylife@gmail.com. I'd love to hear from you!

xo
J 

 

 

You can read more of A Splendid Messy Life here. 

 

9 Tips to Save Money and Curb Impulse Shopping

I just got my December credit card bill. Sigh. You know that saying "shopping is my cardio"? Can online shopping be cardio? Well, that's my weakness. But I'm resolving to save a little more in 2015, so that means less spending in 2015. Here are the tips I'm going to try and follow to help grow our savings and pay for the two bigger trips we have planned this year.

1. Unsubscribe from retailer emails and unlike their FB and Instagram pages. Bye bye J. Crew. Au revoir Anthro. No more will I allow you to assault my Facebook news feed with free advertising because once upon a time I clicked 'like'. And my inbox? It already feels lighter. I do like following the Chapters/Indigo Instagram feed, so that one got to stay. They don't post everyday, and their pics are beautiful. But otherwise outta sight, outta mind.

2. Tell a friend about the item. This trick I do often with my friends or on the blog. Sometimes I find something that I think is so great, but I probably don't really need it, so I feel better when I tell others about it.

3. Don't buy for "sometime." I often find gifts and think, "Oh this would be a great baby shower gift, or this would be a great gift for so and so." But the problem is, I just end up buy more things and don't always gift them when I thought I would. If it's not something I need right now, or I don't know exactly when and for whom I need a gift, I won't buy it.

4. Use up what you have.  Stationery, food, cosmetics. These are all things that I have multiples of at home. I resolve to use up the things I have at home before I buy anymore. Seriously, there is a 1/4 of a cow in my freezer.

5. Brown Bag It. I'm usually pretty good about bringing my own lunch, mostly because at work I really don't often have time to run out and grab something. But, I can be better at making Rob's lunch for him so that he buys it less often. At least that's what I tell myself. Rob tells me that whenever I make him lunch, he eats it at 9:30am and then still gets "second lunch". Ugh. So maybe this one doesn't really work.....

6. Use the library. Buying a Kobo has got to be one of the best investments I've ever made. Ebooks are little bit less expensive when buying them, but I can download books from the Toronto Public Library right onto my Kobo. Free books. On my Kobo. Plus the waitlists for ebooks is often shorter at the library. I also don't have to go pickup or return my books because they just disappear off my Kobo when my lending period is over.

7.  Make a universal wish list. I have a Pinterest board that serves a bit as a running wish list. I can pin things here that I'm coveting and come back when I'm ready to make a purchase or forward the list to my husband when he's asking for gift ideas.

8. 3 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Making a Purchase.  Check out this article. The idea is to ask yourself, how will you feel about this purchase in 10 minutes? in 10 months? in 10 years? Focus on short and long-term profit/loss. I've been trying to use this one more and more lately. In 10 months I'll likely be annoyed that I spent X number of dollars on a third grey sweater, but I'll probably be ok with splurging for a glass of wine when watching a movie with a friend.

 9. Sell your stuff. I'm a purger. I'm constantly going through our house and getting rid of stuff we never use. Sometimes I just give things away, mostly stuff like books and the like, to friends. Other times I'll send a big pile of stuff off for donation. But if something is still in great shape, I may try to sell it on consignment. Here are 2 online consignment stores I use:

i. For clothing, my favourite consignment shop is called Trend Trunk. It's a Canadian online consignment store. Here's my Trend Trunk Closet if you want to see the items I'm currently selling. They even have an app, so it's wicked easy to take pictures of your clothes and post them to the store.

ii.  For baby stuff, I've used Baby Pre-Loved. This is a Toronto-based online consignment store. What I like about this store is that the commission you earn is a little less, but they will pay you upfront and take the risk themselves. So, you're guaranteed either cash or credit to their store if they take your item. I prefer this than waiting to see if my stuff has sold at a traditional consignment store.

So those are my money-saving tips. Do you have any to add? I'm sure we'd all love to read them too!
xo
J

- See more at: http://www.asplendidmessylife.com/2014/12/9-tips-to-save-money-and-curb-impulse.html#sthash.zwOlodyT.dpuf

9 Tips to Save Money and Curb Impulse Shopping

I just got my December credit card bill. Sigh. You know that saying "shopping is my cardio"? Can online shopping be cardio? Well, that's my weakness. But I'm resolving to save a little more in 2015, so that means less spending in 2015. Here are the tips I'm going to try and follow to help grow our savings and pay for the two bigger trips we have planned this year.

1. Unsubscribe from retailer emails and unlike their FB and Instagram pages. Bye bye J. Crew. Au revoir Anthro. No more will I allow you to assault my Facebook news feed with free advertising because once upon a time I clicked 'like'. And my inbox? It already feels lighter. I do like following the Chapters/Indigo Instagram feed, so that one got to stay. They don't post everyday, and their pics are beautiful. But otherwise outta sight, outta mind.

2. Tell a friend about the item. This trick I do often with my friends or on the blog. Sometimes I find something that I think is so great, but I probably don't really need it, so I feel better when I tell others about it.

3. Don't buy for "sometime." I often find gifts and think, "Oh this would be a great baby shower gift, or this would be a great gift for so and so." But the problem is, I just end up buy more things and don't always gift them when I thought I would. If it's not something I need right now, or I don't know exactly when and for whom I need a gift, I won't buy it.

4. Use up what you have.  Stationery, food, cosmetics. These are all things that I have multiples of at home. I resolve to use up the things I have at home before I buy anymore. Seriously, there is a 1/4 of a cow in my freezer.

5. Brown Bag It. I'm usually pretty good about bringing my own lunch, mostly because at work I really don't often have time to run out and grab something. But, I can be better at making Rob's lunch for him so that he buys it less often. At least that's what I tell myself. Rob tells me that whenever I make him lunch, he eats it at 9:30am and then still gets "second lunch". Ugh. So maybe this one doesn't really work.....

6. Use the library. Buying a Kobo has got to be one of the best investments I've ever made. Ebooks are little bit less expensive when buying them, but I can download books from the Toronto Public Library right onto my Kobo. Free books. On my Kobo. Plus the waitlists for ebooks is often shorter at the library. I also don't have to go pickup or return my books because they just disappear off my Kobo when my lending period is over.

7.  Make a universal wish list. I have a Pinterest board that serves a bit as a running wish list. I can pin things here that I'm coveting and come back when I'm ready to make a purchase or forward the list to my husband when he's asking for gift ideas.

8. 3 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Making a Purchase.  Check out this article. The idea is to ask yourself, how will you feel about this purchase in 10 minutes? in 10 months? in 10 years? Focus on short and long-term profit/loss. I've been trying to use this one more and more lately. In 10 months I'll likely be annoyed that I spent X number of dollars on a third grey sweater, but I'll probably be ok with splurging for a glass of wine when watching a movie with a friend.

 9. Sell your stuff. I'm a purger. I'm constantly going through our house and getting rid of stuff we never use. Sometimes I just give things away, mostly stuff like books and the like, to friends. Other times I'll send a big pile of stuff off for donation. But if something is still in great shape, I may try to sell it on consignment. Here are 2 online consignment stores I use:

i. For clothing, my favourite consignment shop is called Trend Trunk. It's a Canadian online consignment store. Here's my Trend Trunk Closet if you want to see the items I'm currently selling. They even have an app, so it's wicked easy to take pictures of your clothes and post them to the store.

ii.  For baby stuff, I've used Baby Pre-Loved. This is a Toronto-based online consignment store. What I like about this store is that the commission you earn is a little less, but they will pay you upfront and take the risk themselves. So, you're guaranteed either cash or credit to their store if they take your item. I prefer this than waiting to see if my stuff has sold at a traditional consignment store.

So those are my money-saving tips. Do you have any to add? I'm sure we'd all love to read them too!
xo
J

- See more at: http://www.asplendidmessylife.com/2014/12/9-tips-to-save-money-and-curb-impulse.html#sthash.zwOlodyT.dpuf

9 Tips to Save Money and Curb Impulse Shopping

I just got my December credit card bill. Sigh. You know that saying "shopping is my cardio"? Can online shopping be cardio? Well, that's my weakness. But I'm resolving to save a little more in 2015, so that means less spending in 2015. Here are the tips I'm going to try and follow to help grow our savings and pay for the two bigger trips we have planned this year.

1. Unsubscribe from retailer emails and unlike their FB and Instagram pages. Bye bye J. Crew. Au revoir Anthro. No more will I allow you to assault my Facebook news feed with free advertising because once upon a time I clicked 'like'. And my inbox? It already feels lighter. I do like following the Chapters/Indigo Instagram feed, so that one got to stay. They don't post everyday, and their pics are beautiful. But otherwise outta sight, outta mind.

2. Tell a friend about the item. This trick I do often with my friends or on the blog. Sometimes I find something that I think is so great, but I probably don't really need it, so I feel better when I tell others about it.

3. Don't buy for "sometime." I often find gifts and think, "Oh this would be a great baby shower gift, or this would be a great gift for so and so." But the problem is, I just end up buy more things and don't always gift them when I thought I would. If it's not something I need right now, or I don't know exactly when and for whom I need a gift, I won't buy it.

4. Use up what you have.  Stationery, food, cosmetics. These are all things that I have multiples of at home. I resolve to use up the things I have at home before I buy anymore. Seriously, there is a 1/4 of a cow in my freezer.

5. Brown Bag It. I'm usually pretty good about bringing my own lunch, mostly because at work I really don't often have time to run out and grab something. But, I can be better at making Rob's lunch for him so that he buys it less often. At least that's what I tell myself. Rob tells me that whenever I make him lunch, he eats it at 9:30am and then still gets "second lunch". Ugh. So maybe this one doesn't really work.....

6. Use the library. Buying a Kobo has got to be one of the best investments I've ever made. Ebooks are little bit less expensive when buying them, but I can download books from the Toronto Public Library right onto my Kobo. Free books. On my Kobo. Plus the waitlists for ebooks is often shorter at the library. I also don't have to go pickup or return my books because they just disappear off my Kobo when my lending period is over.

7.  Make a universal wish list. I have a Pinterest board that serves a bit as a running wish list. I can pin things here that I'm coveting and come back when I'm ready to make a purchase or forward the list to my husband when he's asking for gift ideas.

8. 3 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Making a Purchase.  Check out this article. The idea is to ask yourself, how will you feel about this purchase in 10 minutes? in 10 months? in 10 years? Focus on short and long-term profit/loss. I've been trying to use this one more and more lately. In 10 months I'll likely be annoyed that I spent X number of dollars on a third grey sweater, but I'll probably be ok with splurging for a glass of wine when watching a movie with a friend.

 9. Sell your stuff. I'm a purger. I'm constantly going through our house and getting rid of stuff we never use. Sometimes I just give things away, mostly stuff like books and the like, to friends. Other times I'll send a big pile of stuff off for donation. But if something is still in great shape, I may try to sell it on consignment. Here are 2 online consignment stores I use:

i. For clothing, my favourite consignment shop is called Trend Trunk. It's a Canadian online consignment store. Here's my Trend Trunk Closet if you want to see the items I'm currently selling. They even have an app, so it's wicked easy to take pictures of your clothes and post them to the store.

ii.  For baby stuff, I've used Baby Pre-Loved. This is a Toronto-based online consignment store. What I like about this store is that the commission you earn is a little less, but they will pay you upfront and take the risk themselves. So, you're guaranteed either cash or credit to their store if they take your item. I prefer this than waiting to see if my stuff has sold at a traditional consignment store.

So those are my money-saving tips. Do you have any to add? I'm sure we'd all love to read them too!
xo
J

- See more at: http://www.asplendidmessylife.com/2014/12/9-tips-to-save-money-and-curb-impulse.html#sthash.zwOlodyT.dpuf

Feature Friday: Stephanie Dube

Gourmet Baked Macaroni and Cheese Recipe

This Gourmet Baked Macaroni and Cheese Recipe is for those times when you want something that reminds you of a simple comfort food, but with an adult, more complex-tasting twist. It’s a delicious creamy meal with three types of cheese, artichoke hearts, garlic, olives, and capers. The unique mixture creates a delicious taste. Of course, this recipe is completely modifiable, so you can add or subtract any ingredients pretty much!
I used to make a plainer baked mac & cheese a lot when I was younger. But the dish always tasted … well … plain. Today I had some free time and I loooove to de-stress by cooking, so I decided to experiment, throw a bunch of ingredients together, and see what happened. What resulted was pure deliciousness!

This Baked Mac & Cheese comes with capers and olives. YUM!

To make this concoction, you’ll need the following. (And don’t forget, there’s a recipe card at the end of this post where you can print or save a simple recipe version!)

Ingredients

1/4 onion
5 garlic cloves (to taste — add more or less)
Olive oil (3 to 4 tablespoons, however much you need to saute the onions and garlic)
1/4 cup green olives with pimento
1/4 cup artichoke hearts
1/4 cup capers
2 to 2 1/2 cups of penne pasta (I use whole wheat penne, but you can use macaroni or whatever pasta you like)
2 cups 2% or non-fat milk
3 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons butter + a little more
1/4 cup white wine
1 “dash” of dijon mustard
Garlic powder to taste
1 dash of red pepper flakes
Salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning to taste
1/4 cup each of feta, extra sharp cheddar, parmesan
Panko

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350.
First, chop the onions and garlic cloves. Saute in olive oil on low to medium-low until the onions are soft and translucent. Add the garlic towards the end of this process, so it doesn’t get burned. Chop the olives and artichokes and add to the saute mix, sauteing with the onion. Add the capers too. Keep on low while you’re cooking the penne and the sauce.

Boil the penne according to instructions. Set aside.
Make the sauce. You’ll start out by creating a “roux” with the flour and butter. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter on low. Then mix in the flour until it’s all congealed. Then slowly add the milk, with the burner on low to medium-low so you don’t burn the mix. This will take awhile. Keep stirring periodically and keeping a close eye on the sauce. Let it heat and stir until the mix sickens to a mac-and-cheese sauce consistency. Add the white wine. (You may need to add a little extra flour if the wine thins out the mixture too much.) Add the mustard (3 quick squeezes), garlic powder, pepper, salt, red pepper flakes, and Italian seasoning to taste.
Make sure the sauce is really hot, and then add the cheese. This will further thicken the sauce. Stir and stir until the cheese is completely melted into the sauce.


Pour the saute mixture into the sauce and mix it up well.
Now, pour the penne into a baking dish. Pour the sauce on top and mix it all up really well. It will look like this:

Sprinkle Panko on top and then either pour a little melted butter on top of that or spray some “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter” on top.
Bake in the oven on 350 for 15 minutes. You’re done and ready to eat a delicious meal!
 

About This Blog

I went through numerous iterations picking a name for this blog. I considered "Trial and Error," something about cats, something about sparkles... "A Blog by Dube" pays homage to my old blog, Dube's World. It's also my nickname. :) You'll find writing advice, recipes, lifestyle tips, and articles about women and TV here. Enjoy! 

 

Check out StephanieDube here

Feature Friday: A Fresh Start On A Budget

How I motivate myself to get things done

By Karissa

Do you have trouble getting motivated to put ideas into action?
Such a great question and I’d answer it this way. If I want something and it’s important to me I will be motivated. To be honest I like to make myself happy and that’s ok. So if I want it the motivation is there. The struggle comes when I need to do something that I don’t really want to do and then I have to figure out how to make myself motivated to do it. So really quick I want to share my little tips to doing things I don’t want to do and finding motivation. There are plenty of days I just want to do nothing and on those days I have to push myself a little harder.


1. Switch off the tasks with someone: If I really don’t want to do something then I try to find something my husband needs to do and doesn’t want to and see if we can trade. That way things still get done.
2. Break into time chunks. For me this is the best way to get myself motivated to do big tasks around the house. I will do it for 20 minutes then I get a break and then another 20 minutes and so on. During the breaks I do something fun like read or go online to relax and then get back to it. Most things don’t seem so bad if I break it up like that. Even things I dread like cleaning Bella’s room or putting away laundry.
3. Get what’s most important done. Not everything is going to be accomplished in my home but not everything is a priority to me either. I focus on what is and that takes some of the pressure off which motivates me to get things done.
4. Make a list. I use to write them before my hand stopped working but now I keep lists on my blog and in evernote on my ipad and phone. It’s great motivation to mark stuff done. Especially when I make them private like on my weekly to do post.

5. Going public about projects as well as lists. If I tell someone that I’m going to do something that is great motivation to actually get it done. I know I will get asked about it either online or by people in my real life. So I want to make sure to work on stuff so I can say what I’ve been working on.

About Me!

I’m Karissa and you’ve found my blog, let me start out by saying how glad I am that you are here. I love my blog and even more than that I love my readers. Since you clicked over to this page then I guess you want to know about the women behind the blog. So I’m in my early 30’s, I’m a wife of 11 years to my high school boyfriend, I’m the mother of a wonderful 8 year old daughter named Bella and hope for more kids one day. I am a San Diego native and am a part time blogger hoping to go pro in the near future.

Here is my family!

My blog is a positive and upbeat place, full of tips and advice. The reason I started my blog was because I was in a bad place. I was 25 and had a stroke. My recovery was long and isolating so I got into reading blogs. This lead me to want to try writing my own. I discovered that I had a love of writing and that I love the blog community and readers.
So I have wanted to create a place of helpful advice and encouragement to other women and bloggers. I also host a weekly blog link up full of positive and motivational quotes to help my readers start their week of right and also to help create a place for sharing our posts and supporting each other.


You can check out A Fresh Start On A Budget here. 

Feature Friday: The Life Jolie

Blueberry Buckle

June 15, 2015

I love blueberries. Seriously. They’re so healthy and incredibly delicious. When I was a kid, I would eat them like they were going out of style. Some things never change, this is still the case. While I’m normally quite frugal, I will pay big bucks to have them around to snack on. And one of my favorite ways to enjoy blueberries is in a Blueberry Buckle.

My sweet Grandma Eve has been whipping this up for as long as I can remember. Looking back, I can think of many a happy summer gather ending with this simple confection, on a warm night around my parents kitchen table. If I was lucky, my parents might even allow me to have a small second piece!

This is the quintessential summer dessert. It whips up super quickly, making it an excellent candidate for that last minute get together.  The results of this simple dessert are moist delicious cake, bursting with sweet, juicy blueberries with the most incredible streusel topping to add a bit of crunch. I like to enjoy this at all hours of the day, if it lasts that long!

Blueberry Buckle
Source: Eve Repp
Ingredients:

• 3/4 of a cup of sugar
• 1/4 of a cup of softened margarine (I used butter)
• 1 egg
• 1/2 of a cup of milk
• 2 cups of flour
• 1 tsp. of baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. of salt
• 1 cups of blueberries, rinsed and well drained

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
Grease and flour a 9″ x 9″ square pan (I usually only grease it).
Mix sugar, butter and egg thoroughly. Add milk and mix to combine.
Whisk together dry ingredients and add to the sugar mixture. Mix until everything is combine and stir in blueberries. The dough will be sticky (somewhere between a batter and a dough) and not seem wet enough but it is just as it’s supposed to be, so don’t add any more liquid!
Spread the batter carefully to cover the bottom of the pan. Top with the streusel topping (recipe below) and bake for 45-50 minutes.
Streusel Topping
Source: Eve Repp
Ingredients:

• 1/2 of a cup of sugar
• 1/3 of a cup of flour
• 1/2 of a tsp. of cinnamon
• 1/4 of a cup of soft margarine (I used butter)

Mix all ingredients thoroughly until it gets to be a crumbly consistency. Serve warm (though this is also delicious once it has cooled!)

About

Hello there. Welcome to The Life Jolie. This is my place to document living this Pretty Life.

What is the Pretty Life, you ask? It is an idea that drives me. The idea is quite simple; life is beautiful. It’s ups and it’s downs and everything in between are so very pretty. We are here for such a short time, and often times we focus on the stressful, negative things. I’ve certainly been guilty of this all too often in my life. No more.

This blog, this place, is a call to action for me to celebrate this Pretty Life that we live. To find the joy in the little, every day things that present themselves. To see the positives and the blessings in each day. To document the various parts of this Pretty Life, in an honest way. And most of all, to be grateful for all aspects of it.

Who am I? My name is Jessy. I live in Western New York with my husband, Justin. We have a daughter Alice and a dog Macie. We have a house that we purchased in 2013. It’s not large or fancy, but it’s our home and we love it.

J and I enjoy a simple life. I love spending time with our friends and family, working on our home, traveling and now exploring our new journey of parenthood. I have a sense of humor that can be dry, sarcastic, and a bit raunchy at times; I love a good laugh. Cooking and food are a passion of mine and a favorite way to show my love. I try to be crafty and the results are definitely a mixed bag. I’m also trying to decorate our home, slowly. It’s coming together.

Grab a seat and stay a while.

You can check out The Life Jolie here. 

Feature Friday: Homestead Wishing

Simple Tips for Natural Cleaning

July 26, 2014 by Homestead Wishing 

Vinegar:

White Vinegar Spray: 1 part vinegar, to 3 parts water

This is what I use on my stove top. It is a wonderful degreaser! You can also use it to remove hard water stains. I put some in my dishwasher to clean the build up off of the coils! I basically use vinegar for almost everything. Not to mention that it is only a few bucks for a gallon! Then I also dilute it. I save lots of money by using vinegar to clean! Here is a list of ways I use it to clean in my home.

Photo credit: Artist Sumodaz

The Natural Cleaning List:

• Toilet bowl -Add a little vinegar and a little bit of baking soda
• Countertop – spray on and let it sit for 5-10 minutes, and then it wipes clean with minimal scrubbing
• Stovetop – same as countertop instructions
• Fabric softener/odor remover – Put 1/4 cup vinegar into your washer to soften clothes
• Bug repellent – I am currently working on a recipe that works (I will share when completed!)
• Dog bed cleaner – My dog is extra stinky. I take the inserts from her bed spray with my vinegar spray and lay in the sun to dry. Works great!
• Vegetable/fruit wash
• Clean dishwasher – Fill a small bowl halfway with vinegar and run a full cycle
• Wood floor cleaner – Vinegar 1/p to water 3/p plus 1/4 cup of olive oil
• Microwave – Fill a small microwavable bowl with vinegar, and cook until the vinegar boils. Do not open the door, let it sit there for 5-10 more minutes. Then wipe clean!
• Walls/baseboards/door handles/light switches – I just wet the rag with the vinegar spray and wipe away. For spring cleaning add some soap to your rag.

• Bathtub Cleaner – 1 cup vinegar, 1 cup soap, 1 quart water, 2 TBSP baking soda

Other cleaning tips…

Coffee Pot – Old school hack ~Clean that decanter with Ice, salt and lemon! Swirl it around for a few minutes let it sit, swirl it around again. Repeat until stains are gone! 
Homemade Laundry Detergent recipe.

Kitchen sink – I like to wash with soap and water, but for a deeper clean I will put some baking soda in the sink and scrub it really well.

Bathroom odor control – If you place just a little of baking soda around the bottom of the toilet. Just on that little lip where the bolts are. I have all boys and lets face it, they MISS! Baking soda not only deodorizes the pee smell but it also soaks up some of the miss. When I clean the bathroom I just sweep it off clean it up and apply more. I know it is gross. That is life with boys.

Well, I sure hope that this helps you. I am super happy to not be using really strong chemicals. I have been cleaning for many years, and I swore by the nonsense of harsh chemicals. I really thought that was the only way to really get things clean. I wish I had known about vinegar and it’s magical powers then!

Thank you for stopping by!

Do you have any favorite natural cleaners you use?

 

You can check out Homestead Wishing here. 

Feature Friday: Through The Lens

{Gluten Free, Sugar Free} Peanut Butter Cookies

Posted in Recipes by Hannah Diane

Happy Monday, everyone! Did you know that last Friday was national peanut butter cookie day? Seriously! So, of course I needed to make some pb cookies! But….I’m trying to stick with my Trim Healthy Mama plan for the rest of this pregnancy. I decided I would make this (almost) THM-style!

Yum! Don’t they look delish?

---

Ingredients:
1 cup no-sugar added peanut butter (or other nut butter)
1 egg
1 cup stevia (or other natural sweetner)
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup sugar-free chocolate chips
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375. Mix the first 4 ingredients together in a bowl. Shape into balls, and slightly flatten with your fingers. Press some chocolate chips on the tops of each cookie. Bake for 10-15 minutes. Let cool before moving them. Enjoy!

---

Did you enjoy peanut butter cookies on Friday?
Sincerely,
Hannah Diane

About

Hey there! I’m Hannah Diane. I am married to my best friend, Luke. I have a horse, and we have two kittens. I love my Saviour, Jesus Christ, and have a love relationship with Him first and foremost. I am a book lover, and a lover of all things simple and old-fashioned. I wish I lived in the 1800s. I love blogging about my life….fitness, healthy living, recipes, DIY projects, horse training, what the Lord is teaching me in my life, and being a wife. I hope to make many friends along this journey…won’t you join me?


That there is my Handsome Man, Luke. He’s the best. He’s my best friend, encourager, leader. He’s so sweet and such a hard worker. I don’t know what I would do without him. We met when I was 15 and he was 19. We started courting when I was 17 and getting ready to start my senior year in High School. He proposed on Christmas Eve when I was 18 and we got married the day before our two year anniversary.

I love working out and eating right. Wow! I never thought I’d say that. My struggle with being healthy and at a healthy weight has been life-long. But I seriously love working out! Lifting weights, biking, running and yoga are some of my favorite things.
I love my Ameera. She’s amazing. We’ve had our ups and our downs. Being a horse owner and training your two year old filly from the ground up can be difficult, frustrating, fun, exciting, but always rewarding. I’ve had Ameera for over two years now and we’re finally to the point of riding. I learn something new every time we work together.

And my favorite….I blog about life. My relationship with Jesus Christ. What He has taught me and what I am learning. He’s my all in all. I would be nothing without Him. He took my dirty, nasty rags of self-righteousness and traded them for His spotless ones so I could have a relationship with my Father. To Him, I owe my life.
I hope you grab a cup of coffee (or water) and stay to chat. Let’s get to know each other, okay?
~Hannah Diane



You can check out her blog here. 

Feature Friday: Whole Food Bellies

Garlicky Quinoa and Spinach Brunch Bowl

June 4, 2015 by Whole Food Bellies 

 

For those of you who don’t know; we moved this weekend! It was a bit of a process, but we made it, and we are now all settled in our beautiful new home. It’s so lovely!

Now, I thought I was well prepared for the big weekend, as I had made lots of snacks for the kidlets, and I had packed all the necessary cooking utensils in an easy to access box.  The best laid plans huh….I forgot my kids have bottomless pits as tummies, and that moving is hungry work for mum and dad too. So the snacks didn’t last long. I also forgot to tell my husband that the box needed to be accessible…so it was only found and unpacked last night.
Ahhh, thank goodness for takeaway

Now we are (somewhat) unpacked, I have gotten back into the swing of things, and our fridge is full of real food again. Yay! I find it so hard to make good choices if I haven’t prepped for the week, so it was all falling apart for a while there.

This meal is delicious. I have had it for second breakfast brunch twice this week already, and my husband requested a double batch, so he could take some to work again today. My husband requesting spinach…unheard of!

It takes a maximum of 10 minutes to prepare (if you have pre-cooked your quinoa) and it really packs a punch flavour-wise. The perfect dish to serve up for brunch as it looks quite fancy and cafe-ish with a perfectly poached or fried egg on top, but is a cinch to prepare. I do make it quite heavy on the garlic, so adjust up or down depending on your preferences.
Hubby has suggested it would be perfect with a nice piece of fish nestled on top. I wholeheartedly agree, and will be trying that out this week How would you eat it?

I would love to hear what you think!

Print

Garlicky Quinoa and Spinach Bowl

Rating 
Prep time:  5 mins
Cook time:  5 mins
Total time:  10 mins

Serves: 2 serves

Fragrant garlicky quinoa with wilted spinach and lemon zest - fantastic for brunch, with a perfectly poached or fried egg on top. Or make it for dinner and serve with a nice piece of fish.

Ingredients

• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 cup chopped spinach (or whole baby spinach to make it even quicker)
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 cup cooked quinoa
• 2 poached or fried eggs (optional)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Heat cooking oil of choice (I used avocado oil) in a medium sized saucepan (with a lid) over medium heat. When hot, add in the chopped garlic. Cook until fragrant
2. Add in the chopped spinach and lemon zest, pop on the lid and leave for 2-3 minutes, until the spinach has wilted
3. Add in the cooked quinoa and stir to combine. Cook until just heated through and remove from the heat (I added in about a tablespoon of olive oil here to keep things from drying out)
4. Serve up, salt and pepper to taste, and add a perfectly poached or fried egg to the top. Enjoy!

Meet Donna

Food was not something we worried about in our house when I was growing up. Don’t get me wrong we definitely ate plenty of it and we ate as a family as often as we could but food was, for the most part, something we ate just because we had to. Except for special occasions….and Friday nights. My parents weren’t into health or nutrition in any big way so food just wasn’t that big a deal. I remember helping my mum bake in the kitchen on the odd occasion, but it was always for a special treat, not something we did often.
My school lunches were filled with rubbish (sorry mum). Not literal rubbish of course but I’m talking chips, chocolate, a carton of juice, a ham sandwich and a wee piece of fruit. Mum wasn’t doing anything unusual, in fact, pretty much all of my friends had a similar packed lunch. I do remember having one friend who would come to school with these little homemade pork pies, salads and raw veggies and every time I saw her lunch I would thank god it wasn’t mine!
I moved out of home for university at seventeen and not much changed. The first couple of years of my degree were fuelled by 2 minute noodles, bake at home rolls with melted cheese and mashed potatoes. I can’t even claim the ‘poor student on a budget’ excuse as I worked a lot through uni and always had money….I just preferred to spend it on beer and music – priorities guys!!!
Then something happened…I met a boy (who would have guessed). He was, in my naive opinion of the time, the ultimate foodie. He had been one of those ‘weird’ kids who had been eating raw veggies and hummus for lunch and had eaten McDonalds maybe once a year. He cooked, he knew about all of these foods I had never heard of (wonton soup?) and food really excited him!
He cooked for me an embarrassing number of times before I finally ran out of excuses and was guilted into cooking for him. Having never used the internet for food research purposes I was way out of my depth in that field and ended up having to borrow a bloody cookbook for the occasion! Needless to say it was pretty average and being the competitive person I am I decided I was going to have to figure out this cooking thing.
Anyway we travelled the world and ate everything in sight and my foodie horizons broadened beyond my expectations. I became a little bit obsessed with all things food and spent a lot of time mastering my culinary skills. I thought I was pretty awesome….until I had my babies.
As soon as I became pregnant and suddenly responsible for the health and nutrition of someone other than myself I had to re-evaluate everything I knew about food! Sure I could cook all these lovely meals which I would never have dreamed about a few years back but they still contained a fair few ingredients I couldn’t in good faith give to my little people. Plus a lot of my lovely recipes called for a couple of hours in the kitchen….haha as if thats going to happen with two kids!
Overnight I became the women in the shop who scrutinises every label before putting anything in the cart, the women who literally dreams of ways to make favourite unhealthy foods into healthier and better versions…I am now even that mum who supplies the ‘weird’ food in the playground! But I will have you know that weird food is so yummy and popular my daughter has to guard her snacks very carefully (she is 2 and she literally guards her food – it’s pretty cute)! Plus I need to be able to make them while wearing one baby and entertaining the other. Oh how life has changed.
My foodie dream in life is to make sure our bellies are beautiful things filled with lovely whole foods that taste amazing
Happy eating!


You can check out Whole Food Bellies Here