I just recently reviewed a new product from Dynamic Shape. The product is called Exercise Gliding Discs and you can find them on Amazon for $15.94. I received these Exercise Gliding Discs discounted for my honest review. These discs are great for core and lower body and even upper body exercise! When I got the discs in the mail I got them in a nice nylon carrying bag. The discs are well made and not made with cheap material. The discs are made to work on hardwood and on carpeting. I recommend sweeping before using the disc with a hardwood floor or they will get pretty dirty. For hardwood flooring you put the foam side down and when you are on carpeting you put the foam side up. I watched the videos on how to use them in exercise, which can be found on youtube. There are a few exercises in the videos that were demonstrated that I personally think would be better off done without the discs, but the majority of the exercises were great and even enhanced the intensity of the exercise! Continue Reading
Thrift Books
I am an avid reader. I love books! The problem is that I am a college student on a low budget who can't afford to go to Barnes and Noble all the time to get new books that I want to read. I recently went to the local library and got a library card which has helped with my reading addiction but I find it inconvenient to borrow books for a set amount of time. I prefer to own my books. I was on Facebook today just looking through my timeline and I saw an ad for "Thrift Books" so I decided to visit the website to see if there would be any good deals. THIS WEBSITE IS AMAZING! I only had to be on this website for 5 minutes to know that this website is amazing! They have a wide range of genres and the book prices range, but from what I've seen you can get a number of books at a range from $3-6 if you get paper back. If you want hardcover the price range is higher but in my shopping cart right now I have a hardcover book for $4.39! I have Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire in my Continue Reading
DIY Travel Box
I was browsing the aisles of Porter's (a craft store near me) when I saw the cutest DIY project that I had to do and now that I have to share! What you will need: A Wood Memory Box A Sheet of Decorative Paper Paint Paint Brush Scissors Tape "Keep Calm and Travel On" Sticker The first thing I did was measure, cut and tape the decorative paper I chose to fit in the back panel of the memory box. Then I painted the box with some left over blue paint I had from a previous project. I put about 2-3 thin layers of paint and I let it dry for about 30 minutes. After the paint dried I put the "Keep Calm and Travel On" sticker centered on the glass. The finished product! I put some plane tickets to NJ, Disney tickets, BYU football tickets, Metro Subway cards and whatever else I had from previous trips into the new travel box. And now whenever me and my husband go on a new trip, we have a place to keep memories of where we have been! Continue Reading
Make Your Own Laundry Detergent
Make Your Own Laundry Detergent Don't laugh! Making your own laundry detergent is quick and easy and will save you tons of money. I first made this laundry detergent here, but I have refined it a bit and I love my new concoction. Supplies Needed: One 55oz Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (Walmart) (you will use one cup) One 76 oz box of Borax (Target) (you will use one cup) One 14.1 oz Bar of Zote Soap (Walmart) (you will use 1/4 of the bar) One small bottle of lavender essential oil (I had some on hand) (optional) Downy Unstopables (1 cap full) One large pot (it should hold at least one gallon of liquid) Cheese Grater Two - One gallon buckets with lids - Argee Corporation Versa-Tainer (Smith's) Instructions: Cut the Zote Soap bar in half and grate with a cheese grater. Place gratings in bottom of large pot. Measure in 128 oz (1 gallon) of water into the large pot. Turn on the heat to medium high. Stir occasionally until the soap is completely Continue Reading
How to Make Foaming Hand Soap
How to Make Foaming Hand Soap One way that I save money at my house is to buy items on sale or on clearance. One of my favorite clearance items is liquid hand soap at Bath & Body Works. My favorite is the foaming hand wash and it retails for $5.50 each. However, I usually buy a bunch when they are on sale and can sometimes get them for $3.00 - $3.75 each. However, I wondered if I could make hand soap myself for even cheaper! I found two small soap bars that I had collected from my hotel stays over the years. These soap bars are approximately 1.3 ounces a piece. I decided to see how much soap I could make from these two small bars. Here is what I did: Grate the soap using the fine side of my grater. This makes it easier for the soap and water to mix. Put the soap shavings and 2 1/2 cups of water into a saucepan and cook on medium heat until the soap is melted. Remove the pan from the stove and let sit overnight. The next day, check the soap Continue Reading
Five Money Saving Apps
Five Money Saving Apps for Your Cell Phone I use my cell phone all the time. I have an iPhone and I love that I can get apps that help me save money. Here are my top five favorite cell phone apps that I use that have saved me money: Favado - I was recently introduced to this app at a blogging conference. Basically, the app lists all of the sales at over 65,000 grocery and drug stores. You can compare prices on your favorite items at different stores or look for a specific item and see if it is on sale. Creat your own list of favorite categories and Favado will tell you when items that fit this category are on sale. This is a great way to save money on your grocery bills! Ibotta - Is a free mobile app for iPhone or Android devices that actually pays you money! Ibotta lets you unlock rebates by simply tapping a button in the app. You get to choose your favorite store and then see what rebates are available. You will be prompted to complete a task to unlock that particular Continue Reading
Yearly Savings Plan
This year, as one of my New Year Resolutions, I want to start a yearly savings plan to save money for a Christmas Cruise! My sister, who will be turning 50 this year, wants us all to cruise together to celebrate her birthday. Unfortunately, cruising can be very expensive when you factor in five tickets plus excursions, sight-seeing and souvenirs! 52 Week Savings Plan You may have seen across the web a simple savings plan that starts with $1 dollar and adds a dollar each week. By the time you have finished saving money for 52 weeks you will have saved a total of $1,378. It looks like this: Aggressive 52 Week Savings Plan This is a great plan if you want to save for a bigger purchase or for Holiday Giving, but this is just not enough for the cruise that I want to take. So instead I came up with an Aggressive 52 Week Savings Plan. The Aggressive Plan is simple. Start with an amount other than $1 and then add $1 every week to the amount. You will be amazed at how much money you Continue Reading
12 Days of Christmas DIY – Organization
This is the second day of my 12 Days of Christmas DIY. I have scoured Pinterest and found so many cool and fun crafts and DIY projects just for Christmas. Today is all about Organization. I don't know about you, but sometimes I struggle with organization. There is nothing more stressful than not having things organized. This year, I tried to find some great organization ideas for Christmas. The first thing I do it print out a calendar using Word. They have many templates and themes. I write in all the concerts, parties and activities that we are involved in. Then I had drop dead dates to make and send Christmas cards, purchase or make teacher gifts and service projects. This keeps me at least on the right track for the season. Here are some of my favorite organization projects that I have found for Christmas on Pinterest: Continue Reading
12 Days of Christmas DIY – Advent Calenders
This is the first day of my 12 Days of Christmas DIY! I have scoured Pinterest and found so many cool and fun crafts and DIY projects just for Christmas. Today is all about Advent Calendars. Its not to late to start and Advent Calendar. Over the years we have made many different calendars. Some were very simple, some were a little more elaborate. Last year I made one that feature pictures of Christ with related scriptures. Making Advent Calendars is a fun family activity and is sure to get the whole family involved. Below are my favorite advent calendars that I have pinned to my Pinterest Board. Make sure you check them out and have fun making an Advent Calendar with your family! Continue Reading
Five Last Minute Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas
Valentine's Day is tomorrow - did you remember? This year I am way ahead of the game! I ordered treats for my older daughter and husband and bought cute gifts for my two younger kids. I am not always so prepared though! Here are some of my favorite last minute Valentine's Day Gift Ideas that are easy and fun to put together: Make a Candy Bar Card - These cards are easy to make and fun too! Make one for your significant other or for your kids. Included are a list of candy bars with appropriate sayings so you don't have to do the thinking. Love Notes Jar - Cut up strips of paper or cardstock and write down what you love him or her! Get the kids involved too. Add some treats and put it all in a mason jar. The notes can be opened up during the year making this gift last. Doughnut Holes - Grab a paper bag and add in some doughnut holes. Then print out this free printable and you have a quick and easy gift! Stud Muffin - Go to your local grocery store or bakery and buy a Continue Reading