Coupons

(Image found here.)

Many people jump at whatever chance they get to save money, whether it's from 50 cents to $50. So, I thought I would share the coupon sites that I have to help you guys save money! The links are in bold.

1. Coupon Database. This database is actually off of a blog. If you're looking for a coupon for a specific item, just type in the item and search until you find a coupon that you like. Then you just download and print it.

2. A Full Cup. This database gives you coupons for grocery items. Just like the website above, you can search for the items that you need coupons for.

3. List of manufacturers. Out of the three websites I've listed, this one is my favorite! This website has a list of 173 manufacturers that you can send an email or letter to and ask them for coupons. Sometimes they'll send you coupons, and other times, they won't. It's worth a try!

Happy couponing!

Paper Hoarding

One thing I've developed over time is paper hoarding. Paper is hoarding is when you save every piece of paper that only has the front side used and there is nothing on the back side. I'm not even sure how I got into this habit... it just kind of happened. I save pretty much everything that I can use the back side of, from receipts to previous school years' tests. The paper I saved gets used to make flash cards, lists, notes in class, etc.

One might never think that there's a reason behind this madness of mine, but there is. Paper hoarding saves paper and money. This technique saves paper because I'm not constantly wasting paper when I need to write something down. Money is saved because I'm not going out to buy paper; I'm just using what I have.

I hope you all get inspired to do the same!

Alex and Anis

A popular accessory among teenage girls and women today is Alex and Anis. An Alex and Ani is a bracelet that has a little charm on it. The purpose of Alex and Anis are to remind the wearers of the bracelets to stay positive. Each bracelet has a different meaning consisting of three nouns. However, not every bracelet means something; I know that the wraparounds and the initials don't have any meanings. Also, Alex and Ani creates their bracelets from recycled materials - how cool is that?! Below is a picture of all of my Alex and Anis and their meanings.

1. "A." No meaning.

2. Seahorse. Patience | Protection | Contentment.

3. January birthstone. Creativity | Patience | Perseverance.

4. Horizontal quill feather. No meaning.

5. Smile - It's All Good. Happiness | Flexibility | Peace

These bracelets typically cost less than $30, unless the one you want is horizontal (like the feather I have) or has more than one charm (like the smile - it's all good one I have)! They're also a great gift to give.

Winter Birthday Ideas

My birthday is today, so I thought I would dedicate this post to ideas for winter birthdays! I've always had difficulty thinking of what to do for my birthday because there's basically nothing to do in the winter, which is why I haven't done anything for my birthday since kindergarten. The ideas are basically aimed towards girls.

1. Go out to dinner. You can obviously do this no matter what season your birthday is, but it's still fun to just go out and eat!
2. Go ice skating. This is fun when you have a big group of people. You can either go skating indoors or outdoors.
3. Have a party. This is another one that can happen no matter what the season is. However, I never really like to have parties because I have so many different friends that I would feel obligated to invite, and I obviously wouldn't be able to invite that many.
4. Go somewhere and spend the night. New Hampshire would be a great place to do this - you and your friends could go skiing or tubing for the day!
5. Get "beautified." Go and get your nails and toes done - this is costly, but very fun and refreshing!

Pinterest

(Picture found here.)

One thing that has become extremely popular over the past year is Pinterest. This website is extremely addicting and fun, as one can tell by my Pinterest. I think of Pinterest as an online journal where one can share all of their thoughts, hopes, dreams, and likes.

Because of this amazing thing, I currently have my dream wedding planned and have the image of the perfect dream house in my mind. Pinterest definitely raises one's expectations - but that's not necessarily a bad thing!

A Delicious and Easy Dessert

The reason why I love making the above dessert is because it's not only easy to make but delicious as well. Once I have one, I can't help myself from having another! This dessert is very popular around the holidays, but it can certainly be made any time of the year. I've made these so many times that I have the recipe memorized!

Ingredients

  1. Small pretzels (square or normal)

  2. ROLOs

  3. Anything that you want to put on top of the ROLOs (Reese's Pieces, M&M's, nuts, etc.)

Directions

  1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and place wax paper on the cookie tray.

  2. Place as many pretzels as you want on top of the wax paper.

  3. Put one ROLO on top of each pretzel.

  4. Cook the pretzels and ROLOs in the oven for 3-5 minutes or however long it takes for the ROLOs to

      melt.

  5. Place your desired topping on each ROLO right when they come out of the oven and let the treats cool.

  6. (Optional) Put the cookie tray in the fridge to help the treats harden.

These are great for a party, hanging out with friends, or just for yourself! Enjoy your treats :)

Adding a Little Organization into the New Year

One thing I absolutely love is a planner. Planners help me to become a little less stressed and worried because I can map out everything that I have to do and won't forget about any assignment. A planner that I dream of getting is a Lily Pulitzer planner.

(Side note: This isn't my planner - it's my sister's.)

Lily Pulitzer planners aren't only very pretty to look at, but they're really organized inside as well. They have different tabs for the different months, a tab for notes, and so much more. So for those of you who are a huge fan of anything Lily Pulitzer, like me, go out and buy one of these to start your 2013 with organization!