Thrift Store Fun

My good friend is starting out 2010 right - by saving money. She is going to do some Goodwill &
thrift store shopping for the first time and asked me for some tips. I am an avid Goodwill, Thrift Store, & Garage Sale "shopper" and have learned some things along the way. So for those who are new to shopping thrift stores, here are my tips:

1. Make a list of things you need and only things you need! How many pairs of pants do you really need to Survive?
2. Plan on at least 2 hours per store - seriously, if I don't have 2 hours to spend at the Goodwill, I don't go. Especially when shopping for clothing. There is alot of crap to sort thur to find the good stuff!
3. Look the items over really good before you buy them. Stains, rips, holes, ect... (especially the t-shirts, the tags they use can put tiny holes in that type of material)
4. I take advil before I go too because my arms star to hurt from sliding each item in the rack over and over and over....no joke
5. Sometimes there are women's items mixed in with the mens, so always skim the men's stuff - I have found some great items in the men's section!
6. Just because it is $1.50 does NOT mean you need to buy it!!!! Stick with the list!
7. Eat before you go or bring water and a snack.
8. Try stuff on! Finding things that fit you correctly well look better and will be more function in your wardrobe. What can I say, I watch a lot of What Not To Wear (if you don't check out their website for tips
9. Watch your cart! People WILL take things out of them! If I try stuff on I always take the "good stuff" inside the stall with me so no one can take it!
10. Have fun with it - try on stupid stuff just for the hell of it and take pic's to post on FB :)

Few of my Favorite Things

We bought a Keurig Coffee Maker this summer as an anniversary gift to ourselves and we LOVE it! Normally we would not spend that much for a coffee maker but it was a special occasion and we had been using the one at our Aunts house for the past 2 years when we were up visiting her. Plus, my mom sent us some money because it was our 20th anniversary (I'm an only child), so with that and a coupon from Bed Bath & Beyond we paid next to nothing for it. I know it is not the most practical way to drink coffee but it is much cheaper than going to a coffee house and the coffee is just as good. Besides, it's the simple things that make me happy!
If you live in a house hold that like hot beverages but not the same kind of beverages or flavors, then I would highly suggest checking one of these out. Keurig sets the price so anywhere you go the price is the same, however, I bought mine at Bed Bath & Beyond and used a coupon :) I also buy the coffee K-Cups there with coupons (for the same reason). And of course if you drink tea or hot chocolate you don't have to buy the K-cups you can just use the machine for hot water - and it's really hot and really fast. Sure beats getting a pan or kettle out and waiting forever for one cup of tea!

This is the model we bought: http://www.keurig.com/b60.asp?mscsid=AQ7122A1JGTB8LRJU21B2PVK5FUJ9DC7

Cleaning Tips

I am always looking for easy, fast, or cheap ways to clean. So, after reading about using baby wipes to get stains out of clothing many times, I figured there must be some merit to it. I gave it a try on several different types of clothing and stains. I can't say that I was real impressed but in a pinch I would use them if I was out and about and did not have a stain stick available.
However, I did find an awesome use for the wipes I had left over. I used them to clean off the baseboards in my house and was very impressed. I also use them to clean the the bathroom sinks and toilets and even the floors. You can combine the cleaning effort with anti-bacterial sprays or whatever cleaners you normally use. They are cheap and work lots better than paper towels!

Entertainment Corner

It's 2010 and I am back to blogging - for real this time :)
One of my favorite things in life is the world of entertainment. Movies, Music, TV, Books, whatever. I love it all!
Last weekend I went to see Avatar 3D. It really was incredible. Boy, has 3D come a long way! Long gone are the days of paper glasses with red and blue cello. I don't particularly like going to movies theaters (H1N1 Factories), but there are certain movies that just have to be view in a theater setting. I'm a big sci-fi fan, but even if I wasn't I would have loved this movie anyways. And of course I think everyone should see it, especially in 3D.
Sure, we all know the familiar storyline, but it's a movie people. It's entertainment - pure and simple. All these opponents just need to "shut it" and take it for what it really is - a movie, a really cool movie. Go see it!