Cheap Earrings

I found packages of these cute (but fragile) shell things 

and they already had holes in them. 

I bought 2 packages so I'd have 2 of each color. 

(They were .75 each thanks to my favorite store in the world... Hobby Lobby!)

Then I bought a few rings and the loop earrings. A set of needle nose pliers and a few minutes later 

and look how cute these are! 

(I actually got 9 pairs of earrings out of 15 minutes and less than $3.00)

Lots more jewelry to come! 

I find a great deal of savings and satisfaction come from making it myself.

A Little Cellophane Goes A Long Way

There is nothing I love more than giving gifts. 

I love the wrapping and the frivolity of it all. I've discovered a few things along the way.
 

1 - A little cellophane goes a long way in helping it look extravagent

2 - Cute ribbon is an essential part

3 - A basket or a large plate/tray helps stabilize it all. 

I'll never give another gift without one or all of these. Don't these look fabulous?! 

Become a client of my husband and you just might get one too!

Caffeine Comparisons

I saw these numbers in the paper the other day. The info was provided by the Bear River Health District and I simply found them... insightful. Actually, it makes me feel a little better about that Coke that I have every once in awhile.

This is simply a caffeine comparison for some common energy drinks:

1 8oz. Red Bull = 3 cans of Coke

1 16 oz. Full Throttle = 4 1/2 cans of Coke

1 16 oz. Monster = 5 cans of Coke

1 16oz. Rock Star = 5 cans of Coke

1 16oz. Wired = 11 cans of Coke

 

 

OCDness

I'll admit... I'm a little OCD when it comes to cleaning. 

I just think it's incredibly important to have a clean home 

(not perfect... just clean) 

Therefore, I'm going to add a few cleaning tips of my own

that might help you to make a difference in the feel of your home. 

1. Take a light spray of Lysol to the door handles and light switches in your home. 

As it dries, it kills germs. 

2. All those obnoxious hard water deposits can be removed with a little white vinegar.

(Just soak it for 10 minutes or so) 

3. When is the last time you vacuumed under your couch cushions? 

Won't take you long and it might save you some embarrassment later. 

4. Oxi-clean works wonders! Fill up the washer and add 8-12 scoops and let it soak overnight. 

You'll be amazed at the difference!

5. Clean your counter tops and sink with a spray bottle of Clorox and water, or Lysol.

Leaves the kitchen totally disinfected (which leaves me feeling better) and a "clean" scent.

That's all for today! You're going to sleep well tonight. 

Hit The Floor

When we moved into our current place, the floor was hideous! 

I couldn't believe it! 

Nothing worked until I tried my new miracle worker...

(drum roll please)

The Magic Eraser

While these shouldn't be left in the reach of kids,

they really are amazing and work incredibly well. 

Now, less you think this is a quick and dirty cleaning project, 

let me correct you. 

It costs a lot

(around $25 or more) 

because I went through 15 to 20 sponges

and it is a full blown 4 hour work-out depending on the size of your floor. 

I worked on my hands and knees the first time (with gloves) and it took me about 6 hours. 

This time I got up on my feet and did "the Twist" and it only took about 4 hours. 

However, who wouldn't love results like these?

My floor is clean enough to eat off of and I love it! 

(Can you tell which side is done?)

Bountiful Baskets

If you haven't heard about this yet, you're missing out. 

But let me fill you in on a few things you should know. 

1. It's worth every penny!

2. It's all run by volunteers so you have to be nice!

3. It's simply a collaborative way to buy produce so that you can get it for less!

4. You don't get to choose what you get. 

(You'll get a basket of fruit, and a basket of veggies.)

5. You need to bring your own box, bag or basket!

Cool huh?

Go to bountifulbaskets.org 

 to see if there's a site in your area. 

 You can only sign up on Monday at the time selected.

(They give you til Tuesday but it will probably be full by then)

It may take awhile because their site gets bogged down with a lot of traffic.

I usually have about an hour before my site is filled so be quick and patient.

(kind of contradictory huh?)

Hang It!

This is nothing new, creative or even cool. It just made my life a little easier! 

Hang it up... and get it off the floor where it keeps falling over. 

Just a few screws or nails should do the trick. 

(Don't mention my dirty dustpan... should I really clean it? I think my OCD is kicking in)

Color Theory

Color theory is a great thing to have in your basket of knowledge. 

It gives you the ability to control the kind of moods and feelings that you bring into a room. 

Here's a little bit of basic info:

Red - 

the color of love, warms a room, raises blood pressure, 

too much can cause headache and stress

Orange - 

warms a room, gives room a feeling of energy (would be great for a game room), 

causes hunger and restlessness (think of McDonalds, Burger King), 

is a pleasing color on most people

Yellow - 

warms a room, happy color, 

can cause energy and hunger (McDonalds, Burger King), 

too much can make you feel a little sick

Green - 

the color of life, gives energy to a room, cool color, 

too much can cause nausea

Blue - 

cools a room, lowers blood pressure, 

can be depressing in large quantities

Purple - 

the true color of romance/love/royalty, 

is the most pleasing color to the eye, 

is the easiest color for your eye to see, 

no effect when used in large quantities

And the moral of the story is... 

If your room is feeling bland, dull and all around depressing, 

try some greenery for starters, 

then maybe change the color of something!

My Favorite Website

I can't believe how many people don't yet know about my all time favorite website. Okay, it's not the site so much as it is the savings. 

pinchingyourpennies.com

There are so many ways and systems and I've tried half of them but I'm all about simplifying so this is what I've figured is easiest. 

I get their emails.

I go through the "new PYP grocery lists" 

I look at "all stores" on the pull down list. 

Click Start

Look at only the 4 and 5 star deals.

Click on whatever looks good to you. 

Print any coupons that will help you out. 

Go to Walmart, do my shopping, price match everything and 

SAVE TONS OF MONEY!!!

Now for the disclaimer (and my true confessions): I'm not a huge fan of Walmart. If I had time (and no kids to carry in and out) I would go to each and every store just to keep the little guy in business. But when that's not an option, I buy into the whole "one stop shop". 

I don't get any coupons in the paper. It got to be too confusing and too much to keep track of. I only use the coupons that PYP links to. (which is actually quite a bit) 

Good Luck!

Happy Shopping!

and HAPPY SAVING!

Please email me with any questions I'm always happy to help! 

theanythinggirl@gmail.com

or

thejackess@gmail.com

Just this week I went and did this and I was really going for minimal stuff. I saved almost $25 bucks!

Sugaring - Waaaay Better Than Waxing!

Then again, I wouldn't really know... I've never had my legs waxed. However, I went to this class (apparently I believe anything anyone tells me) and the owner of a local day spa was teaching it. She said that when ladies that aren't sure what they want, she'll wax one leg and sugar the other. They always come back screaming

"Sugar me!"

I figured (like I always do) that if somebody else is doing it, I can do it too... but for cheaper. 

So, I found a sugar recipe online.

1 cup sugar

2 Tbsp lemon juice

2 Tbsp water

boil til amber color

That's it. There's nothing to it... not! 

I played with this recipe for quite a while and although I've perfected the recipe, 

I have NOT perfected the technique... yet!

I mix it all in a pan and turn the stove on low (I have a gas stove and I turn the flame down almost as much as I can) then set the timer for 16-17 minutes. I kid you not, a minute over is too much and minute under is not enough. Keep it at a low boil for that amount of time (consider your elevation too... I'm at about 4500 ft above sea level) and then pour into something you can cool it in, and later store it in cause you're not getting it out of there! 

The idea is that when it's cool, (it's WAY thick and pretty hard) then you smear it on your leg (against the hair growth) and rip it off (in the same direction of the hair growth... opposite of waxing). 

It's a food grade product so it should be better for you, your skin, your hair follicle etc... 

Supposedly after 3 treatments of so, most the hair won't come back. 

Now for the technique. I bruised the first time (quite a bit) and almost all the hair came out. It doesn't get every single one. 

The next time, I bruised just a little and most of the hair came out. 

This time, my mixture seemed to warm up too much and didn't pull out hardly any hair, but I also don't have any bruising. 

I'll be studying the technique, making another mixture, and trying it all again. I think it's worth not having to shave hardly ever again! 

So... it's 2 months later and I have an important Add-On for this post.
I've tried soooo many times to make the paste with just the right consistency.
When it comes down to it, the best thing I've figured out
is that it's easier to smear it on your leg
lay fabric over it and rip it off!

Call it waxing if you will! 

Just wash the fabric when you're done and then do it again in a few weeks.
Hurts less, it's less mess, costs less and hopefully the hair eventually stops!

Throw Away Your Sponges!

I read an article awhile back about how bachelor pads are actually much cleaner than your typical woman's kitchen. The reason is because bachelors generally leave the mess confined to the sink, where perhaps the dishes stack up and germs grow. Disgusting yes, but at least it's confined to one area. Women on the other hand take their dishrag  or sponge that may have been sitting in the sink all day, moist and warm, and growing bacteria, and then they clean the kitchen counters with it, spreading germs and bacteria to every surface. This is officially more disgusting. 

My solutions? 

I have a few. Keep a clorox/water mixture close by and use that to clean your counters. It will definitely disinfect. Lysol or Clorox wipes; use them once and throw them away. Change out your dishrags every few hours than then still use a disinfectant. A little more laundry, but not much. 

I say NEVER keep sponges. They do nothing but breed germs. 

Let's change our ways and show these bachelors who can keep the kitchen cleaner! 

Color Help

I learned the coolest thing the other day! For those of us that are not so color savvy, these are 4 foolproof steps to put together a color scheme and have it look fantastic.  Let's say for example, that we're doing pillows for our bed. 

1. Begin with your inspiration fabric 

My choice would be a huge floral with olive green and light turquoise flowers. 

2. Select it's contrast

Perhaps a large stripe with like colors. Very sophisticated and linear. 

(This will help you avoid the "grandma effect" ex. grandma loves florals so there are florals on everything!) 

3. Select a different texture 

In my case it may be a plush upholstery fabric in black and white with a contemporary animal print. 

4. Select 2 other fabrics to tie them in together. 

And there you have it! A great way to put together a color scheme. 

This picture shows some awesome textures put together. I absolutely love it!

This isn't a major color issue... I just want to point out how the euro pillows and yellow floral pillows in front of it, are a major contrast. Then some different textures, and two fabrics to tie it all in. 

It's amazing to me that somebody could put that together. I'll try my hand at it... soon.

Places I Love

I'd like to be upbeat and positive, but I've just got to get this chip off my shoulder! My husband won't let me say that I "hate" JoAnn's, so I'll just tell you why I strongly don't love them! They're ripping you off!!! I've done so much with JoAnn's in the last 10 years and I'm simply not impressed with what I see. Their prices are outrageous, their customer service is terrible, and they're stingy. 

Now, that being said, let me tell you what I do like about them. They have and they're one of the few places that still carries stuff to do your own reupholstering. But I'd NEVER go in there to buy anything that isn't on sale, clearance, or can be bought with a coupon. Now, while they have found a smart business strategy, let me give you some hard proof and evidence that may make you think twice about them. Fabric is never perfect. It's never perfectly straight or on grain. JoAnns found that they could save lots of money by not giving customers that extra inch, or two inches. They cut exactly what you ask for. So a project that may only take me a yard of fabric at Hobby Lobby, now costs me a yard and 1/4 or a yard and 1/2 at JoAnns. cute stuff and a great selection...Smart, but stingy.

Places that I love, love, love include Hobby Lobby (everything is 50% off, one week or the next) and Home Fabrics. Michael's is a little overpriced, but thank goodness for coupons, and I still have some deep heart strings for Robert's Art and Craft. 

There, now I'll get off my soap box, you can shop where you want, but you've been warned. 

-the anything girl