I consider myself to be a saver, but I certainly wasn't before dating C. In fact, my ex and I would spend pretty extravagantly on trips, dinners, and outings. Was it hard to change my spending habits? Heck yeah it was. But it was also made easier when we decided to move in together, because I was away from the "big city life" and had much more at stake- I knew from fairly early on that we would be building a future together, and I wanted to change my habits. I think that part was key. If I feel pressured to do something, but don't want to, I will usually fight it. But C never forced me into doing anything- we would talk through things, and slowly I began making some changes.
For instance:
- I make coffee every morning and take it with me in my traveler's mug every morning
- I bring my lunch to work every day (because C makes it for me, because he's awesome)
- I use Netflix, but pay the lowest monthly fee
- I use PaperBackSwap: a free book swapping service
- I don't buy/pay for anything full price, except Metrocards and my train pass
- I don't own any designer clothes/accessories that weren't purchased via some ridiculous outlet/online price or secondhand (I was never really into labels)
- I use Ebates whenever possible for online purchases
- I also use Groupon, BuyWithMe, and Living Social to budget in the fun stuff
I guess what I splurge most on is travel and experiences:
Two years ago, C and I went to Maui, Hawaii for two weeks (which I am still trying to pay back) and Puerto Rico
Last year we went to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico and a 3 day cruise to the Bahamas
This year we are planning a two week trip to Delhi, India.
And all of that doesn't include the small getaways we have taken or will be taking, like a long weekend in Tampa, Florida, Long Island, Washington DC, or Providence, Rhode Island. In each of these trips, we went with friends, either for a wedding or birthday. And we had such an amazing time!
This is why I save. So I can have these experiences, create memories, and get to see different parts of the world with the people I care about most.
So I wanna know...Are you a saver or a spender? What do you save (or splurge) on?
So I mentioned yesterday that-- I chopped off all my hair! I had touched on the fact that my hair was 22 inches long last week. But my hair is very thick and curly/wavy, and it was taking for-ev-er to actually style it, and I'm pretty lazy. But I wanted to grow it out for my friend's wedding in India. But I figure, her wedding is almost 6 months away, it will grow in some by then (my hair grows pretty fast), I don't feel like pretending to style it anymore, and I could donate it. So I decided to chop it off.
I went to Jean David Louis salon. I had this coupon that was expiring that day from Living Social. The deal was $12 for $25 worth of service- and I called before and learned that a haircut was only $27.
Now, this salon has several different locations in NYC. I went to the one closest to where I was (duh). And they were so incredibly unhelpful!!! They had a note posted saying that they were no longer accepting the Living Social deal. When I asked them about it, they changed their story several times.
First they said it was expired- but I pointed to the expiration date on the notice that they had posted that clearly stated the expiration date was June 25th.
Then they tried to tell me that Living Social had cut the deal early, and that if I had an issue, I had tot take it up with them; it wasn't the salon's fault. I almost believed this line, because there was a time when Living Social offered a coupon to a place that closed down by the time I went to use the coupon. However, they were very nice about it and refunded my money with absolutely no problems.
But then I asked if this was the case with all of those salons. I asked them to call one location- they said it had closed down. I asked them to call another one, they tried to tell me that I had to call. "No, it's your salon chain, YOU call your other location." So the guy did. But there was this other woman who worked there, who I think was the hairdresser, who kept talking in our ear (my mom joined me), so we couldn't hear the conversation. The guy hung up and started talking to the hairdresser in Spanish. He was saying that the other salon was accepting the coupon,...but the hairdresser was saying to tell us that the other salon wasn't accepting the other coupon either so we would pay full price.
Well, weren't they in complete shock when my mom interrupted them...in Spanish! She said something to the effect of "I know what you're saying you know. And I have to say you have very poor customer service. Now, I want the name of the manager of this establishment [wrote it down]... and so you know, I am reporting you to the Smaller Business Bureau for your complete lack of customer service/ disrespect for your customers." (I understand some Spanish, but I don't speak it, but this is the gist of what she said.)
So off we went to the other location, and there was this wonderful hairdresser named Angela. I told her I wanted to see how short it would be if she cut off 10 or so inches so I could donate. It looked shoulder length, so I told her to do it. But then after all the shaping/styling, and my curly texture, the front pieces are at my chin, and it's even shorter in the back! But I really do like it. And everyone who has seen it has complimented me on it, saying that I look older (in a good way), more mature, and more sophisticated. I've also heard the words "Fox", "Diva", and "Bombshell" being thrown around...talk about an ego trip! But I was a little self conscious, so it definitely helped!
Without further ado, before, during, and after pics!
Miss Long Hair Don't Care!
choppity chop!
my hair is thick! this is about half way through- you can kinda see me wincing!
the amazing Angela, shaping and styling
playing with my new do!
finished product!
I should also mention...I didn't tell anyone I was even remotely thinking of cutting it that short. I had mentioned to a few people that I had a coupon, but would only be getting a trim. I only told my mom when we were crossing the street right before walking into the salon. She stopped dead in her tracks before I urged her along as we were about to be roadkill. And I didn't tell C at all. In fact, when he asked what I did to it I purposely fibbed and said I got a trim and a blowout! So you can imagine his surprise when he came to pick me up at the train station and I walked up with a super short, curly do!
Honestly though, he did say he preferred short hair on girls! But I've never ever had my hair this short. I think he was in shock for about a day or so. He seems to like it now though!!And I love how easy it is to style- I can literally wash it, add some mousse, and be on my way!
Have you done any surprise or impulsive makeovers? Or have a hair success or horror story? I'd love to hear it!
Ahh another manic Monday. All I wanna do is go back to the weekend! I LIVE for weekends, especially during the summer! I had such a perfect summer weekend- got to hang out with C, my friends, and by myself, which I'm learning with age is also important. Here's a quick recap of the latest:
[one] Friday night I had a date night with C. Well, it was supposed to be a date night- just a simple dinner out at Joe's Crab Shack (we had a gift certificate), which I realize I have been talking about a lot recently, but it's soooo gooood! I got a bucket of crabs- half Old Bay seasoning, the other half BBQ, though C got one crab "Fire Grilled" and it was fabulous! and the movie Machete. But I kinda fell asleep within the first 10 minutes of the movie...oops! Thank goodness we rented it on Netflix, so we'll watch it sometime this week...hopefully.
[two] On Saturday, I went to NYC solo. I met up with my friend from work, and we headed to The Skinny Cow Perfect Cups Tour. Have you heard about this fun event yet? Basically you go and they give you free ice cream, cocktails, makeovers, a bra-fitting, and a coupon to take to Macy's to get yourself a free bra! It was so much fun!! You can see if they're headed to a city near you here!
[three] After that, I went and got a MAJOR haircut! But that needs its own post and pics, so check back tomorrow for details! I will say that word around the office today is that I'm a bombshell!!! My coworkers are so sweet!~
[four] Sunday C and I met some friends at Island Beach State Park for some fun in the sun! It was our first beach day of the year-- hoooray! Unfortunately it was kind of cloudy for most of our time there, and a little chilly, but we still got a little tan! And it was really nice to just lay out, relax, and catch up with our friends.
[five] We got take out from Surf Taco on the way home. They have sort of a Tax Mex/California style taco place and taste feel. Getting food from here is definitely a must whenever we go down the shore. It's always so fresh! We both got burritos, and they were absolutely delish!
[six] The wait is finally over....TRUE BLOOD IS BACK!!! I freakin love that show! I'm a little nervous that they're moving from vampires to witchcraft and faeries, but I will definitely be glued to my couch every Sunday night at 10PM through the season finale! Oh, ...and I was very happy to see Alcide return! :p
Wanna share some of the randoms in your mind? Link up with Carissa at lowercase letters!
Between horrible commutes on 2 days (one which included me getting to work almost 2 hours late), juggling several different "high priority" tasks at work, and several after work meetings/calls with mom and "other people" (will talk about in a different post)-- Friday could not come fast enough!!
So now I'm sharing whats making me smile today, other than the wonderful fact that it's Friday!
Miss Tangles from Tangled in Texas gave me this awesome award- Thanks Tangles! If you haven't read her blog yet, definitely check it out- she keeps things interesting with lots of different types of posts, from OOTD's, to savings, and interviews to day to day stuffs!
The rules for the Sunshine Award are:
1. Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them.
2. Tell us something about yourself.
3. Nominate 10 other bloggers.
4. And let them know you awarded them!
One thing ya'll don't know about me (other than apparently I say "ya'll"...don't know where that came from) is that my hair is 22" long. Yup, I just pulled one out and measured it. I think I need a haircut!
I meant to post this weeks ago, but as I've said before, I'm not so great at remembering to upload pics!
Without further ado, watch me clean!
Under the bathroom sink:
Hot mess...
Less mess! I have no idea where that red tub came from, but it was perfect for holding all our first aid and cold meds!Also, you can't see it in the pic, but behind that Pantene is a decorative box filled with various lotions/shower gels,etc.
C's clean laundry, atop his dresser (because where else would clean laundry that his loving gf washed and folded go?!)
Oh snaps! He put it away!
On top of my dresser: dumping ground of mainly beauty and jewelry stuffs...
All tidied up!
And my favorite success, our walk-in closet. My stuff on the left, his on the right, bags/boxes of crap in the middle!
yuck.
Aaah! Much better! That box has some random clothes to donate/sell, annnnd...some other crap I can't remember!
Did you see my Blog-Arage Sale? I posted some pics! Nothing is priced yet...I guess everything will be $5 or best offer? Except the corset...I think. I guess we'll see if I get any offers! Email me if you would like anything! Also, I finally updated my 101 in 1001 list! Hooray!
Have you heard of Joe's Crab Shack? It's one of my favorite restaurants. And I just found out that they have Eat At Home Meals and Appetizers now available!! Here are the options:
· Cod with Cajun lemon butter sauce, parmesan basil orzo and petite green beans
· Salmon with honey Dijon sauce, jasmine rice and broccoli florets
· Salmon with sesame ginger sauce, sweet potatoes in dark sugar sauce and petite green beans
· Mahi Mahi with tropical salsa, coconut rice and sugar snap peas
They have appetizers too....
coconut shrimp, parmesan panko shrimp, sweet chili shrimp, "crazy good crab dip", and great balls of fire (Made with jalapenos, cream cheese, jack cheese and shrimp).
Wanna try it? Click here for a coupon!
Don't know where to get it? Click here for a list of participating grocers near you!
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Have you heard of Flirty Aprons? I hadn't until today- but they have super cute aprons! Lately, I've been really good about not shopping online, but with an upcoming Bridal Shower, I just couldn't pass up the deal they have right now. Currently, they are running their "Irregular Apron" Sale with discounts up to 65% off!
From the website:
"Flirty Aprons go through a rigorous quality inspection. As with all things sewn, sometimes things don’t turn out absolutely perfect.
Currently, a limited variety of Flirty Aprons are on sale for some irregularities.
These aprons typically have small blemishes like restitching, loose seams or pockets, or minor printing flaws. Most of the flaws are minimal and difficult to detect."
I just got this Luscious Lemons apron for $14.99 (marked down from $32.95)
Click the link above to get yours!
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You know what else? The Body Shop is having Free Shipping Day with any $15 purchase, plus their buy 2 Get One Free (OR Buy 3, Get 2 Free!) Sale! I loooove their body butters and scrubs (which happen to be $10, marked down from $16!)...especially coconut- it smells like summer in a tub! I've also heard great things about their Chamomile Gentle Eye Makeup Remover ($4) ...now seems like a great time to try! Oh, and I swear by their Tea Tree Oil products for getting clear skin fast- nothing else works as well on my skin! They also let you try make-up, and if you don't like it, it's the wrong color, etc. you can return it easily in store or by mail.
Have you heard of anything awesome lately? I'd love to hear it!
Got home a little early, commenced lounging on the couch and watching 3 episodes of Game of Thrones. Have you guys seen this show? It's over now (which is why we had to watch alltheepisodes by Sunday night!), and usually I'm not into fantasy type shows, but because C likes them, we watched.
It.Was.Amazing!
Such such a good show- if you have HBO and On Demand- I highly suggest you watch it! I was a bit thrown off after watching the first episode- they throw so many names at you that it gets a bit confusing- but if you don't focus so much on getting the names straight, it will suck you in! And it's a fairly short season, or so it seemed- only 10 episodes....until next year! I think we get spoiled nowadays with fast production time on TV shows and movies. When the finale was over and I saw that it's coming back Summer 2012, i was seriously upset. How can I possibly wait that long to find out what happens?!? But alas, I have no choice. Hmph.
Saturday:
Woke up late (C was at work...muahahaha!), did some laundry and straightening up, took a nap, went to Dolce and Clemente's Italian Market to find some "gift meats" for C's Dad's "Swine and Wine" Gift basket (a gift basket stocked with hot sauseeg, salami, cheeses, and of course wine), stopped at CVS, liquor store, etc., ate dinner, and headed into NYC for my buddy's open bar birthday party at Turtle Bay. Unfortunately, my camera didn't fit in my purse, so I have no fun pics from the night. Boooo. But it was fun. I met a few of my Guy Friend's other friends, and they were hysterical. Especially this tall super-white boy who wanted the large black chick and knew all the words to (and serenaded us with) NSync's Tearin Up My Heart. No joke. And probably my favorite line of the night:
"She looks like Spike Lee's sister."
This was in reference to my old roommate (who I am no longer friends with) and my best Guy Friend's current wife (though they are separated, just haven't done the divorce yet). I don't even know why she showed up. I mean yes, she was invited, but only because Guy Friend sent out a blanket invite via Facebook. She basically ruined his night. All she ever brings is drama, and his birthday was no exception. She was all "Oh I'm so sorry, I messed everything up, I want to be with you, I want us to have a family (they have a child together), blah blah" while she was texting her current jailbird boyfriend!!!
Re.Dic.
Sunday:
Woke up late again, and slightly hungover. (Yeah, I must've had about 5 Jack n cokes. I haven't drank that many in...a long time!) C made pancakes awww! and then I took a nap on the couch. C woke me up only to make me move to the bed to continue napping. I seriously love naps! Then we went to his cousin's house for a Father's Day BBQ. It was fun! It wasn't too many people, the food was good, and there was ice cream cake. I love any occasion where there is ice cream cake! And C's littlest cousin (she's 4) seems to really like me! She always either showing me her room, or trying to sit next to me, or cuddling up to me- she's so adorable!
And then we came home and finished watching Game of Thrones!
How was your weekend loves? What did you do for Father's Day?
I was just thinking on Monday night of all the things planned for this summer...and realized I only have 4 weekends in the entire summer that are still free to do whatever I want! So Cornflake Dreams Summer Bucket List post could not have come at a better time! Click on the link and share what's on your bucket list! ----------------------------------
Attend my friend's 4th of July JimmyJam BBQ/ Pool Party (They host a big party every year, but this year since they are getting married at the end of the summer, they're keeping it smaller)
Go tubing down the Delaware River
Go to the Jersey Shore...specifically Wildwood, NJ and Raging Waters Waterpark
Attend another Phillies Game
Visit a few yard sales/flea markets/street fairs
Reorganize my clothes and storage closets
Eat lots of good food, particularly at Joe's Crab Shack, Ginger & Olive, and another restaurant that is a surprise for C, but he reads my blog so I can't list it yet!
* I am having an off day. Not bad, just off. I was late getting in to work today because of train delays. About 5 min after I walked in, the heavy duty printer broke down in the beginning of printing the ever-important month end report (Yes, I'm aware it's June 13. Why we are just closing May is beyond me, but that's not part of my job). The technician can't come until tomorrow. Then I step away from my desk for 2 minutes, and come back to a manila folder waiting for me. I open it up- it's a card for a coworker's birthday. Normally, I'm the one to buy cards for people's birthdays and bring in snacks or whatever. However, we as an office decided not to "do" birthdays anymore, unless you wanted to do something on your own. Obviously, someone didn't get the memo. But, as it already had several signatures on it, I decided to just sign it and pass it along. I did not deserve all the "Why does it have a cat on it- she doesn't like cats she's a dog lover...Well why does she get a birthday card?... I thought we weren't doing birthdays anymore?... Oh, so now we're only doing birthdays for "special" people?" comments I received when passing the card along. Seriously people- I didn't decide to get the card. And you're all really upset about a stupid card? There's not even snacks or balloons or anything- don't you have other better things to worry bitch about?!? Everyone in the office is either in a bad mood or in meetings today. And I have no motivation to do squat!
* I have been sick for a little over a week now. Actually, I had a head cold for like 3 days last week, but then it moved into my chest and I have had a gross cough for about a week. I started taking Mucinex, which helped a lot, but I don't want to be living off that stuff. And last night the coughing actually woke me up at like 4AM. Not cute. C wasn't too happy either, as he's been telling me to go to the doctor since about Thursday. But 1) I don't wanna and 2) I don't actually have a doctor. I have insurance, but I haven't been to a general doctor because I haven't gotten more than a common cold since I've had this job. So I went online under my insurance provider and found a doctor and called...but they were on lunch break. le sigh.
* I love weddings. I love my friends. I love my friends' weddings. I really do! But what I'd really love is a weekend to myself!!! I feel like every weekend I either have a wedding, or bridal shower, or bachelorette party to attend. It's madness! While I'm grateful that I have so many friends that want me (or C) to be a part of their special days, I feel like I need a break already! And it's summer, and I haven't had anything BBQ or gone down the shore at alll. And I don't foresee either of those things happening in the near future. And I want to plan a tubing trip down the Delaware. C and his friends used to go every summer, right before we started dating (Dang!) so I never got to experience it. He always said it was so much fun, and I really want to do it! But most of our friends are getting married as in no time to do anything but wedding related stuff. Selfish? Maybe. But while they're all getting married and honeymooning etc, I still want to do something un-wedding related!
* My apartment is a disaster zone. For realz. I walked in yesterday from another wedding when it really hit me- we're living in a pigsty! (Ok, it's not that bad- mainly just cluttered/disorderly, not like bugs and mold on everything- it's just much messier than what we're used to.) But, I didn't clean or do any laundry last week because I wasn't feeling well, and last weekend and the two weekends before that we were at (non-local) weddings. I usually straighten up on weekends. Plus, between all the packing/unpacking, the apartment was even worse than the usual day to day clutter. So sometime this week I have to clean up. I started yesterday, but it wasn't long before I wanted a nap! Which brings me to my next point...
* Naps are seriously underrated. C gets at least an hour nap every.single.day (he's a teacher, and I don't get home until after 7). I wasn't jealous until I got the best nap yesterday. Hmmm...I could really use a nap right now actually!
Sorry for being a big pile of stinky poo today. Hopefully I'll be back to my bubbly self tomorrow. Until then...
I forgot to include this in my budget and spending, but we went to the outlets in Jackson, NJ! And I got sooo much stuff! 3 sweaters and a tshirt from PacSun, a regular white button down from the Gap, 2 pairs of pants, a skirt, a cardigan, 3 earrings, a ring, and a bracelet from Banana Republic (l.o.v.e. that store!) all for....
$100!!! Score!
Sunday
We picked up our friends and headed out to North Fork, Long Island for some wine tasting. It was such a beautiful, warm day- perfect!
C and I!
black halter shirt dress: Express
hat: gifted from a friend
sunglasses: Charlotte Russe?
flippies: Old Navy
bag: LL Bean, bday present from another friend
biggie cup o' corks
I would like to have one of these
raise your glass!
swirl swirl like a wine connoisseur!
Lil Desiqua did NOT like that one! I'm more of a red wine drinker really
There was a farm area at one of the wineries we went to. We met some farm animals...
mega-balls
smooches with my new goat friend!
(thank goodness I didn't *actually* kiss it, I was a lil nervous!)
heading to another winery...
C bought some sauseeeg and cheese!
C also made friends with a duck family!
Aww, he even matches them!!
In his defense, we made him wear this ridiculous hat. He does look rather cowboy in it though, no?!
