Money Saving? Am I doing it right?

So, I'm not good about clipping coupons, I don't buy everything cheap. I like quality. I also like saving money if I can.

I was at Target with a friend not too long ago. She was scanning everything in her basket. I thought it was weird for sure. I found out she was using the Target app to see if there were any Cartwheel offers on her items.

What is Cartwheel? It's a target only thing that gives you deals that may not be advertised when you are shopping. That's why you have to use the app and scan your products. You show the cashier your app scan bar when you are checking out, they scan it and the savings are applied. Easy peasy!

Then there's Target's Red Card. It is a card that links directly to your checking account. (You can get a cerdit card Target Red Card...it's probably not the best idea if you're trying to save $$ since there are interest rates associated with the credit card version.) It's only valid for Target stores and online Target purchases. There are no fees. Every time you use that card you get 5% off your purchase along with any Cartwheel deals that you scanned into the app. I'm behind the game, I just found this out. 🙃 Target has deals like this one; I buy Toms of Maine toothpaste. I found it on sale for 20% off plus if you buy 4 they give you a $5.00 Target gift card. Totally worth it for me. I will use the toothpaste and save the gift card for grocery shopping.

I have been comparing Amazon, Wal-Mart, and Target to get the best price on EVERY THING! Amazon has some very good deals on some subscription items. For example I feed my dogs Rachel Ray dog food. Amazon and Wal-Mart sell it for the exact same price....UNLESS....you subscribe for monthly deliveries on Amazon. I was paying $22.00 for a 11.5lb bag 2 or 3 times per month. Amazon offered a 23lb bag on a monthly subscription for $39.88 there was an Amazon coupon for $2.00 off plus, my first month 20% off plus, an additional 5% off for subscribing to more than one monthly item. My first 23lb bag cost me $28.00 and has free shipping. (That means I save on gas money too!) A 23lb bag at Wal-Mart is $42.00. That's a $14.00 savings! I'll subscribe, thank you Amazon! My dog will always need food so this subscription works for me. I also signed up for Amazon's pet profile to receive additional coupons and discounts. Amazon pantry is also a super cool way to save without a monthly subscription on some items!

Now, I have another good example. I was buying Sara Lee brand Artisano bread. Wal-Mart and Target sell it for $2.50/loaf. That's expensive! So I've been buying frozen dough that is ready to rise and baking it at home. Totally my moms idea, she was doing it first! Thanks, Mom!! Wal-Mart sells a bag with 5 frozen dough loafs for $5.00. Not bad, $1.00/loaf, that's already a huge savings. I was shopping at Target yesterday and found the bags of frozen loafs on sale 2 bags for $7.00! That's $0.70/loaf! Plus I have a red card so I will get an additional 5% off! Score! So I got 10 loafs of bread for $0.67 each. I do have to bake them but who cares? They taste so much better than any store bought loaf so the effort at home is absolutely worth it!

I have also signed up for a Gas Buddy card through the Gas Buddy app. It's exactly like the Target Red Card. It links to your checking account. No fees. It gives you $0.05 off per gallon at ALL gas stations. If you have reward cards like a Shell card you get that discount plus the Gas Buddy discount. If you report gas prices at stations you visit you can earn points everyday and enter for a chance to win a $100.00 gas card. Super good idea. Cool app.

I just thought these were some neat ways to save some money. It does take a little time to make sure you get the best deal, but in my experience so far...it's totally worth it!

Happy shopping! Spread some sunshine!

How I threw my son a Nerf Party

My 8 year old wanted his birthday party this year to be at a place called Dart Warz. They have an indoor area for Nerf gun wars and my son loves it. I checked into packages and prices which ranged from 11 to 21 people from 300 to 500 dollars for 75 minutes. No thanks! So I needed an option that worked on a budget. That's where creative thinking and Pinterest came in!
The decision was made to have a Nerf war at a park. I called around to a few parks in the area to find out about renting a pavilion since his party was on Memorial Day weekend, I wanted to be sure we would have a place to set up and have some protection from the sun and weather if needed. The pavilion was $48.00 for 4 hours with a $100.00 deposit.  I can deal with that! (I did make this reservation one month in advance and informed them it would be a Nerf war. They were completely fine with it. Just FYI)

Okay, I have a place, great! Now what??!! How am I going to make this a Nerf war? I bet there's something on Pinterest! Well what do ya know!? The answers to all of my questions were on Pinterest after all. I just typed in Nerf Party in the search engine and let the pinning/planning begin.

1. The goodie bags:
     I decided on one shot Nerf guns and
     sunglasses that I found on Amazon.

Nerf N-Strike Jolt Blaster (blue) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009T45X78/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_bzCtxb80ZYC4H

Rhode Island Novelty Neon 80's Style Party Sunglasses with Dark Lens (Pack of 12) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000NBM3KG/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_JxCtxbZQEQDQA

     That was perfect and cost enough that
      I didn't get anything else for the bags.
      Speaking of bags, I decided on paper bags.       They are cheap and everything would fit in         them. I found some tutorials on Pinterest           for printing on paper bags and then got to.         it!

      First I typed up a Thank You message
      then got to work figuring out how to
      put the bags in the printer so they
      would come out right. I used painters
      tape to keep the bottom down while
      printing.

They turned out PERFECT! :)

The Goodies!

Okay, a place, goodies, cool bags.....game, what about a game?

2. Shooting game:

Once again, Pinterest came to the rescue. I decided on a game that requires solo cups, prizes, tissue paper and a display board. The cups are filled with prizes and covered with tissue paper then inserted into the board. Then the kids line up and get one shot with a Nerf gun each turn. That way everyone gets a chance to shoot and win! 

We used a protractor and a box cutter to cut the holes. Make sure the holes are smaller than the rim of the cup so the cups stay in place. 

Prizes were random: 

Jerky sticks, glow sticks, a cheap hand held game, candy, hot wheels and a Mine Craft figurine did the trick for this game. 

Stuff the prizes in the cup, cover with tissue paper and tape the tissue paper in place. Place cup in board. This is how it turned out.....

The kids LOVED IT! :) 

Okay, how about a Nerf war now? I didn't want to complicate it for the kids, so we had a blue team and a yellow team. Really the only rules were wear the sunglasses so no one gets an eye shot out, and if your are shot you had to run to a certain tree on the play ground touch it then you were in again. We used blue and yellow streamers and tied them to the kids arms so they could tell who was on what team. (Yes, the cheap paper decorating streamers.) 

The BLUE team!

The YELLOW team!

Let the war begin!

They had a blast. 

We also had water balloons, volleyball, bean bag toss, spike ball, and All of the playground equipment to entertain party goers young and old! 

This party was so much fun to plan and host. My son and all his friends had a great time! Plus we all got to enjoy some Sunshine! 

Home sweet home

Well, it's been awhile, I have been busy Adulting and such. Finally got all the details worked out to get the home my ex and I had refinanced into just my name. Moved in December 1, 2015, and the work to update the interior hasn't stopped. It's taking awhile but, that's what happens when you also have to work full time. My sweet boyfriend Matt has worked so hard and never complains one bit. So here's a break down in pictures of what's happened;

So the kitchen is mostly done. Now we are working on the dining room, living room, and mud room. The walls are painted, carpet is out new floors going in and fireplace being redone. Have a look:

We live in a construction zone but, I wouldn't trade it for the world. I've worked hard for this place I call home. Just wanted to post as an update and a memory to look back at. 

I highly recommend giving your home some tlc. Paint is cheap if you can't do anything else! Get out there and create some sunshine indoors for yourself! :) 

2 years in a row skin cancer free

At the age of 24 I was diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma. It's a very common form of skin cancer usually found in much older adults. It is slow growing and very treatable. Though, If left untreated, it could spread and cause problems.

So, how did I get it? Well, honestly, I was told it was from too much sun but I believe that it's from STRESS, the amount of CHEMICALS found in everything we ingest and put on our body, and only a small percentage from the sun.

Stress does so much to a body and you may never even realize it. When you stress your body's automatic response is to release adrenaline because it thinks it's a fight, or flight situation. For a short period of time your immune system increases, your muscles contract and your entire body prepares itself against harm. Your body has no idea what's really going on. In the long run you become fatigued and susceptible to sickness because your body can't stay in a constant fight or flight mode. Your healthy gut flora has been depleted, your immune system is shot, you are constantly sore, you may not sleep well, you may be eating/over eating less than benificial foods, maybe you're not even eating at all and you're mentally and emotionally exhausted. You've just opened the door for illness.

The meds you just picked up from the doc will help, right? They might mask or reduce symptoms for the time being, but in reality, you just killed any good bacteria left in your already fragile body.
So you continue to make poor food choices, not sleep well, and create a perfect environment for unwelcome guests. On top of what's going on inside we are bombarded by doctor's and big companies to "use this sunblock it's safe", put this cream on, use this deodorant, eat this, drink that, blah, blah, chemical sh*t storm!

Twenty four year old skin cancer victim.... it's the "SUNS" fault. I call B Effing S! The thing about it is people have survived so long without sunscreen. They were in the sun 90% of the time. Don't tell me the source of life is the reason I have this weird growth! A huge percentage of the population is severely vitamin D deficient! We are inside so much that we are ruining our bodies.

In the last couple of years I have been working very hard at getting rid of stress, learning to let go, to make my well being a priority, to explore and experience life, to get outside and soak up a healthy amount of sunlight. I am trying to improve my life choices. Maybe what I eat is wrong, maybe some people in my life are toxic. Im doing my best to put the right things in my body and on my body as well as remove toxic people.

I can tell you that my skin has improved, my weight has become a much healthier weight, and I have officially made it through 2 full body checks unscathed and skin cancer free. I do not avoid the sun. I avoid stress. I'm a work in progress, I'm doing my best to respect my body and age gracefully. That was a terribly stressful time in my history not to be repeated if I can help it!

Get out in the SUNSHINE! Don't let stress or chemicals destroy you.

Family.

I would like to have a discussion about family. What it means to me. What my interpretation of it is, and what I think it should be.

I was raised in Colorado with my parents and siblings. We moved here when I was a baby. My grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins are mostly in Michigan.

To me family is unbelievably important. Family by no means has to do with blood, it's about people who show up in your life and are always there for you no matter what. The people the truly love you and respect you as a human. Family should feel like a community. Blood and non blood family is so important. These people have a history to share. They have love to give. They are our foudation, our stability, the glue that holds us together. Family should be cherished and always shown love and respect.

I've always had the utmost respect for my grandparents, I cherish every moment God has granted me to have with them. I have absolutely no idea why some people don't show respect and cherish their grandparents. They have so much knowledge, history and love to share. At least mine did and do. It bothers me when people act annoyed or like they are a burden. Show some respect, listen to them, love them. They will be gone before you know it.
My mom's mom passed when I was 14. I deeply cherish the memories I have of her. I can still hear her giggle, and remember every detail of her kind, always smiling face. I remember curling the tiny bit of hair she had grown back after her final round of chemo. She was so happy to let us pamper her.
My mom's father passed when I was 19. He was a joker and always working. He had strong opinions and loved to debate. I will never forget the last time I saw him. It was hard to see someone who I remember being so strong look so weak. 

My dad's parents are both still very alive and pretty darn healthy. I have so many beautiful memories with them. They are kind loving never judgmental and always supportive. They have beautiful stories to share. Grandma always makes the most delicious treats and Grandpa is always making beautiful things in his workshop. I am so thankful my son has been able to meet them and see where my family lives this summer.

Unfortunately I haven't had lots of time with my aunts, uncles, or cousins. I have awesome memories of all of them with the exception of a couple cousins I haven't yet met. Somewhere along the road of life distance has come between some of my family. I don't understand it, but luckily this week I've been able to have some time with some cousins I haven't seen in years. We've been able to share stories and reconnect. It's been so fun!

I hope all of my aunts, uncles, and cousins know how much they mean even though there is a lot of distance and years between us. Maybe someday we will all cross paths again.
I hope my non blood family members know how much I cherish and appreciate them. Life without you all would feel incomplete.

To the people reading this, take some time to share love with your grandparents. Don't act annoyed, show some respect. Cherish your time with blood relatives. Recognize the people who aren't blood related that have come into your life and filled a void in your world, they are sometimes more family than your actual family. No matter how long it's been or what may have come between you and family, have an open heart. We all have weirdos that we'd rather not claim, give them kindness and love anyway.

I recognize that there are times when we absolutely have to cut people out of our lives. Try to let them be, don't judge. Always offer a smile and love of you cross paths. Don't let yourself become bitter.

Spread some SUNSHINE!

Your perception may not be mine.

Opinions, perceptions, and judgments. We all have our own, but they can get us into sticky situations.

We are all taught from the time that we were born not to judge. Yet, on the other hand we are told that we have an undeniable freedom to have our own opinion and voice about everything. So, how do we not judge?

I can have an opinion about a subject and get on the internet real fast to find tons of articles supporting why I think my opinion is right. On the other hand, a person who differs in opinion from me can get on the internet and find millions of reasons why I'm wrong.

That's life. We are all different. I want to be different. If we all had the same beliefs and opinions how horrible would that be?

When you are faced with a difference in perception or opinion, try your best to not jump into being defensive. This is where you should be able to have a mature conversation. You might learn something new! Just because you believe you are fully educated on a subject doesn't mean that you are. Remember there are two sides to every story. Becoming heated before you even hear the other side could make you say something you may regret. You may seriously hurt or offend people.

Be open and give people a chance. Ultimately what you believe is best for you is what you should do. But being open can bring a different perspective. Maybe you will learn something new. Don't shut people down. Don't say hurtful things.

Remember, a statement of FACT can be proved TRUE or FALSE. A statement of OPINION is what someone believes or thinks. There may or may not be a good reason to think this way. Words that give you clues that a statement is an opinion are believe, like, and should.

Never stop learning. Keep growing as an adult. Listen, be kind. Learn to debate and be level headed. Never be like everyone else. Keep your beliefs true to your heart. Remember facts are facts. Your right may be someone else's wrong. That's okay. Don't judge others for not seeing things your way.