Resolutions

It's that time of year. You know... Where everyone says they want to lose 25 pounds, quit smoking, wake up earlier, then my the second week of the new year, 8 out of ten people ( just a guesstimate) have already failed on their resolutions.

While resolutions are a pretty good idea, I don't understand why people make huge goals only one day a year, putting themselves on such high a pedestal, they almost doom themselves to fail. I mean... Honestly- do you really think you can lose 50 pounds, find your dream job, move across the world, find the love of your life, marry and pay off all your student loans while waking up at 6 am and going to bed at 9 pm? Maybe if you're super human or are just really really good at serious multi-tasking.

With that little rant out of the way, I will now list my logical resolutions.

1. Exercise more. I'm not giving myself a weight goal. If I get there, I get there.
2. Gradually transition to waking up an hour and a half before I have to work.
3. Try to like tomatoes. Just... Try.
4. Blog more. I started this ages ago and from work to school to extra curricular activities, time was not on my side.
5. Calm down more. I'm a pretty chill person, but lets be honest, I get a little more snarky and overactive sometimes.

Just don't over do it. It's perfectly fine to commit to something fully, but remember, you're human.

(three days ago was) Thrifty Thursday

Yes... I'm aware it's Sunday,but I just could not NOT post this...

As a college student I don’t have an enormous amount of money lying around. The only problem with that is the fact that I like to shop! To my advantage, though, is my superpower.

Thriftiness.

My motto? I want to get what I want at a price I am willing to pay. Now this, naturally, leads to the occasional item staying in my online shopping cart for a few months until I see it go on sale.

Most recently I had my eye on these adorable appetizer serving bowls from Hobby Lobby.

I was not about to pay the listed price. Why? I’m cheap. But to be honest, if you are paying for something full priced at Hobby Lobby, you are doing something wrong, but I’ll get to that later. Anywho- the little dishes were so darn cute and because I love to cook and have people over for holidays, little dishes are great for me. The can also be used for more things than just appetizers. Think mini desserts, dips possibly, maybe even for décor if that’s your thing! Now the best part was the price at which I purchased them. All of Hobby Lobby’s Spring Shop was 66% off. Yes, please and thank you, may I have another, Sir. I will certainly pay less than half the marked price for something I wanted. These little cuties don’t even go out of style “in the spring”. They aren’t floral shaped or printed, they aren’t bright colors or pastels- they are beige and at most “leafy looking”.

Hobby Lobby continuously marks down seasonal items, so it is very possible that when things get scarce, items will drop to 80% off (sometimes 90%!). Keep an eye on their sales and you can really snag some great stuff.

Now as I mentioned above, usually if you pay for anything full price at H.L., you aren’t doing something right. Because I live so close to the store, I visit several times a week. If I have a project planned over the weekend, I will slowly gather items for it during the week using the 40% Off Coupon. On www.hobbylobby.com, a weekly (Monday-Saturday) coupon is posted. Now, if you are part of the smart phone world, you can show the cashier the coupon and there you go- all electronic, no killing trees. If you do not have a smart phone, the coupon is printable or you can even find it in one of the newspapers…. No idea which, but I’ve seen it! You can you the e-coupon more than once. Trust me. I’ve done it.

So if you have the time, gather items over the week, or have a buddy come with you to use the coupon, too, because I have realized that usually things that are needed to do a project go on sale at different times (i.e. flowers and glassware). You can save a ton of money by “working the system” and having a bit of patience.

WEEKLY AD
http://www.hobbylobby.com/weekly/entire_ad.cfm

COUPON

http://www.hobbylobby.com/weekly/weekly.cfm

Hobby Lobby- There’s an App for that!

A (Relatively) Wired Wednesday!

So my full time Summer II term classes are in full swing, and one of them is bright and early at 9:15- okay, maybe not super early, but I'm a night owl. Mornings do not like me and I do not like them. Because of this unfortunate pairing at the moment (and any other morning I encounter) I have taken up coffee. 

Now I know what some of you might say. "Coffee is bad for you!" or "Caffeine is horrible for your body!" I'm not a compulsive drinker (all the time), but I know my way around syrups and creamers. I'm no Starbucks barista (YET!) but in my own little apartment, I can sure whip up a mean cup of Joe.

Here are my tips for Java a la Bobbie:

1. Coffee is not to be consumed black. If it isn't tan, it isn't happening. Which leads to...

2. Creamer. I use flavored International Delight. My go to is Hershey's Chocolate Caramel

3. Experiment with stuff in the cabinet. (to an extent)

4. When it's hot out, add ice. I love coffee, ice, I.D. Almond Joy creamer, fat free whipped cream, and coconut blended up all frothy. So. Good.

5. Torani. Amazon- $35 (usually) for a set of six of these babies! Mind you when stock is low, prices increase a bit.

• Regular-   http://www.amazon.com/Torani-Variety-Regular-25-4-Ounce-Bottles/dp/B003PFWNSE/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1341985184&sr=8-8&keywords=Torani  
• Sugar Free Holiday -  http://www.amazon.com/Torani-Sugar-Holiday-Variety-150-Ounce/dp/B005VOOJL6/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1341985184&sr=8-6&keywords=Torani
  
  
• Sugar Free-  http://www.amazon.com/Torani-Variety-Sugar-25-4-Ounce-Bottles/dp/B003PFUNU4/ref=pd_sim_gro_1 

I swear by these. I've had mine for ages because you only need a little bit to add an awesome punch of flavor. Also, buying from Amazon allows for great discounts off the MSRP as well as options for lower shipping or Prime!

While I love making my own coffee concoctions, I still love Starbucks, though. They're my main supplier of Chai Tea and mugs. I just love mugs. Plus their Pumpkin Muffins during the fall are INCREDIBLE.

Health tip:

One thing to remember when drinking coffee is to drink more water. Because coffee is a diuretic, your body can become dehydrated and leave you with an awful, morning after hangover feeling. Drink. Water. 

Some of you, though, may like your coffee black and nothing but black. While I commend you for your bravery (it is just so BITTER), my coffee will always be beige.

I hope to have inspired to you whip of a few cups of your of imagination! Happy brewing!