24 November 2015

Save Money This Holiday Season

Image Credit: Flickr

Christmas is always one of the most expensive periods of the year. Unless you’ve been saving up since last year, you’re probably worrying about how much it’s going to cost. You want your family to have the best Christmas ever, but it can be difficult to know when to say no. A lot of families will find themselves paying off their Christmas expenses well into the following year. But you don’t need to feel pressured to spend more than you have to this holiday season. There are things that you can do to save your family money. Follow these tips for a magical Christmas that won’t break the bank.


Hunt for discounts

Nobody wants to pay full price if they don’t have to, especially while Christmas shopping. You just need to know where to look. Sites such as https://www.couponchief.com/ showcase current deals that are available at hundreds of stores. The deals range from free delivery offers to substantial discounts. It’s worth taking a look at these sites to see if you can use any of the deals when buying your Christmas gifts and cards. It’s also good to vary your shopping between in store and online. Some brands will have separate promotions for each, so check to see which is the best deal for you. Just buying in store could mean you miss out on a better promotion online and vice versa. It might take more time to hunt for these deals but you’ll save yourself a considerable amount overall.


Scale down your shopping

Christmas is a time for giving, but there is such a thing as too generous. You don’t want to put your family under strain because you’ve bought every person you know a gift. Make a list of everybody you want to buy for. Think long and hard with your family about who you want to include. Once you’ve made your list of close family and friends stick to it. Don’t feel bad about removing anybody. Send them a card instead. You can ask some of the recipients of your list if they mind not exchanging gifts this year or set a price limit. Christmas is all about children and they should be the priority. You can ask your family and friends to only buy presents for the children this year. That way you won’t have as many presents to buy and will cut your spending dramatically. If you don’t have children why not try the Secret Santa game, with a limit of $10. You’ll only have to buy one present and it’s fun seeing who bought for who.


Control your food spending

If you’re responsible for the Christmas feast, it can be easy to go over the top with your shopping. You can spend a lot and end up with lots of unnecessary waste. Try shopping at a cheaper supermarket so you get more for your money. You can also consider the size of your portions. Could you half the size and buy less? Also ask your guests if there is anything they don’t like as this could also be removed from your feast. With these tips you can have a fabulous Christmas without the added financial stress and strain. Just be smart with how you spend your money and get planning now!


Disclosure:  This is a contributed post.




Lessons I Learned From My First Pregnancy


Being a mom of four I remember after my first pregnancy looking back and thinking about what I could have done differently or what I wish I would have known going into motherhood.  After my first pregnancy I definitely felt better prepared when it came time for my second child, and of course even more prepared when to my surprise I found out years later that I was pregnant with twins.  The following are the lessons I learned from my first pregnancy.

Knowledge is Only Half the Battle

When I was pregnant with my first child I tried to educate myself on pregnancy and babies as much as possible.  How was my body going to change every month?  What stage of development is the baby going through each week?  What is labor going to really be like?  These are just a fraction of the questions I had as a first time mom.  I got all the best pregnancy books for moms like What to Expect When You're Expecting and devoured every page trying to soak up knowledge.  What I learned however was that knowledge was only half the battle.  When you're in labor with your first child and then when you first get your new baby home reality sets in.  Somehow during 12 hours of labor I didn't really feel like the book quite prepared me enough for all of that!

Be Fully Prepared for Baby's Arrival

Any fellow mom will tell you this advice but it really is true that being prepared with the essentials well ahead of time before baby's arrival is key.  This is just one of many things you can do to prepare before your baby arrives.  I did this ahead of time and I'm glad I did because I had a lot of pre-term labor complications with my first pregnancy.  You truly never know what might happen and you will want to be prepared.  If there's one thing I learned most surrounding this rule from my first pregnancy is even though may think you are stocked up on diapers for your baby's arrival, more never hurts!  Watch for sales and add them to your baby registry.  Diapers are expensive and you will go through them fast!

Relax and Enjoy the Experience

My most important piece of advice and the biggest lesson I learned is to relax and enjoy the experience of being pregnant and having your little one while they are still that small.  Mine are growing up so fast and I wish I could hit the rewind button to enjoy the days when they were babies again, so cherish those moments.  While pregnancy can be hard sometimes it is important to find the joyful moments.  Relax and pamper yourself.  Your first pregnancy will always be one to remember!

The Best Fashion Clothes: Wholesale Apparel

In today's time, you can essentially buy modest fashionable clothes from the online wholesale suppliers that are all situated to meet your prerequisites whenever. It gets simple for you to pick as they have all the up to date dressing accessible with them showed on their site. You can then request for your favored pattern and cut of the configuration. Each of us longing to match the advanced models of present times, yet the rates of the dresses is high, fundamentally in the neighborhood market. Obtaining wholesale fashion clothes is a far reaching methodology to stay aware of the wholesale fashion. Thusly does not request a long time of time or gigantic whole of cash on the coveted clothes. 




Fashion enthusiast: more ladies than men 

The significant some piece of the universe of fashion undoubtedly has a place with ladies than men, as they are more fashion cognizant. So the ladies are the ideal focuses for fashionable clothes on the web. Ladies truly appreciate looking and hunting out down most recent plans which they can bring home. They generally need to present themselves in the best look then whether it may be cool
dresses at social get-togethers or hot swimsuits fashion clothes at cool vacation spots, or some architect stockings for the kitty parties. They need to dress themselves in the most cutting edge and trendiest brand. This is accessible on the online stores with a wide mixture then you may discover at the neighborhood stores. With the alternative of online wholesale stores, you get to the neighborhood showcase as well as even the universal business. You even get a chance to dress yourself in the most recent example that is main stream in every aspect of the world. You even discover clothes that are propelled from the celebrated fashion magazines. 

Business with the wholesale fashion clothes
 

The other reason for buying wholesale
fashionable clothes online may even be to stock your retail clothes shop. This is the best decision as you will get the dresses of the most recent pattern and fashion for your store without actually leaving the limits of your store. You can get the gathering of guaranteeing clothes for your store in the wake of having the take a gander at their presentation on the web. To add to the your event, online stores offer rebates on the buy of mass amount from them and attempt to give the best cost to the fashionable clothes in the business. As they are a lot of online stores on the web each with an enormous accumulation and things, your stress for looking new wholesale clothes retailer has no base. The universe of wholesale fashion clothes is currently kept to neighborhood markets, as well as has been globalized with the various wholesale stores offering most recent and trendiest wears on the web.

Visit at Enewwholesale.com now for more information and wholesale products!


Disclosure:  This is a sponsored guest post.

22 November 2015

Feed Your Hair Giveaway - Win a $250 Gift Card!


Today I want to tell you all about a great giveaway going on by the folks at Hair La Vie!  It's the Feed Your Hair Giveaway and it ends tonight November 24, 2015 so you will want to hurry and get your entries in before the deadline of 11:59 PST.  They are giving away 4 awesome prizes including a grand prize of a $250 gift card and three secondary prizes of a Hair La Vie hair care collection set that includes three bottles of Hair La Vie, a Moroccan Repair Serum, and a Revive Deep Hydration Masque.  Just click here to head on over and enter to win!  Remember you only have until tonight so hurry up and get those entries in to have your shot at winning!

12 November 2015

Your Essential Guide to a Stress Free Christmas

Christmas can be one of the most stressful times of year. There’s so much build up all for one day, and then before you know it - it’s gone! But not before giving you a big fat headache. This post is going to give you some ideas to help you have a stress free Christmas. Enjoy!

Start Planning Early


It makes sense to start planning as early as possible. Whatever you do, don’t leave anything until December! Even if you come up with small ideas in advance, it’s better than leaving everything until the last minute. Plan where you’ll have Christmas dinner. Will you make it and host it, or go somewhere else? If you can get away with going somewhere else, you’ll save yourself a lot of time and hassle! If you start planning early, you can even make some things yourself


Make a List


Make a list of all the people you plan on buying for, and then any ideas you have next to their name. Don’t just buy for the sake of buying. Many people get into the gift giving spirit at Christmas time, which is fine, but you don’t want to enter into January broke! Be vigilant with your list, and avoid spending more than you need to. It really is the thought that counts here. Set a realistic budget for each person based on your relation to them and what you can afford.

Do Your Christmas Shopping Online


Going Christmas shopping for gifts is possibly the most stressful part of Christmas. Once you’ve made your list, start ticking things off one by one. Start a few months in advance if possible, so that you don’t have to spend too much money at once. Shopping online is much less stressful, as things get delivered right to your door. You don’t have to push your way through crowds of people, nor do you have a panic attack when you can’t find something on the shelf. If you do decide to go shopping in person (as it can be quite atmospheric), don’t go too close to the big day. You’ll get stressed out and it’s likely that all of the good gifts will be gone. There are even pages you can look at for great suggestions on gifts for men and women if you’re stuck for ideas.

Send Emails Rather Than Cards


Instead of sending cards, send emails or e-cards.  Prefer to send cards?  Beautiful holiday cards can be found everywhere!  You can even give to a charity in their name. While cards are a traditional part of Christmas, sending them is a little pointless. They waste trees, so it’s bad for the environment. They get thrown away too! It’s much more thoughtful to give to charity, and is usually free to send an e-card. You won’t need to worry about cards arriving on time, or forgetting anybody this way either.

I hope my guide helps you to have the most stress free Christmas yet. Remember; you should never stress out about things you can’t control. Take a few deep breaths and enjoy the festive season with your family!



Disclosure:  This is a contributed post. 

09 November 2015

My Favorite Ways to Spend Time With My Kids

Being a mommy, I love to spend time with my children in a social context. It’s nice to interact with them in a way that isn’t telling them to go do their homework or chores! This is a list of a few of my favorite things to do with my kids.

Movie Night

One of my favorite pastimes is having a movie night (or day) with the children. Kids develop tastes and interests very quickly. So at a young age I might find myself sitting through several different movies a week. Some weeks it might be the same thing over and over again. But I love seeing how my children react to films and how they experience things for the first time. I would recommend you try to have a movie day with the children at least once a week.

Arts and Crafts

If you have the time and space, I would suggest you think about having arts and crafts sessions with your kids. It’s important to make sure that they are supervised, of course, but this is an excellent idea. I love to spend time with my children doing art and craft bits. It’s a way for us to work together as a team, and it helps to develop creativity and interest. Whether we’re making hanging bats for Halloween, or picture frames with macaroni, I love our crafts days. You need to spend some time getting creative with your kids. It will help them develop important skills and help nurture their brains.

Day Out

When you are a full-time parent, it can be difficult to get any time out of the house. This is especially true if you are working as well. I always try to make sure I take at least one day a month to have a day out with the kids. This is something I think is very important because it allows the children to experience the outside world. And it gives me a break from being cooped up inside all day long. Days out for kids are important for stimulation and education. And that’s why I value them so highly for my own children.

Play Date

I feel it’s important for my kids to get out there and make friends with other children. Until they hit school age, it can be tricky to facilitate this. And that’s one of the things I love about play dates. They are an excellent way to give the kids some social interaction, and I get to spend time with another mommy too! If you haven’t tried a play date yet, I would certainly suggest trying it out once. It’s not for everyone, and it may not be for you. But it’s one of my favorite things to do with my kids.


As a mother, I pride myself in spending as much time as I can with my kids. And I’m not talking about all the normal mother stuff like feeding and changing them. I mean spending time with them just hanging out! It’s amazing to observe them and see how they develop personalities and interests. This is my list of some of my favorite things to do with my kids. I hope you like it and take some inspiration from it.


Disclosure:  This is a contributed post. 

06 November 2015

Hostest with the Mostest: How to Throw a Successful Dinner Party

Photo Credit: Flickr

I love entertaining at home, and being the host of an evening where everyone has fun. It doesn't take a lot to put on a great dinner party. All you need are an interesting group of people, good food and plenty of drink. Some people like to toss in some entertainment too, but usually the conversation is enough to keep everyone happy. If you've never had a dinner party before or your last one was a disaster, you might be worried about it. However, it's easy to get it right if you just follow my golden rules.

Invite Compatible People

You don't have to invite all your friends to every dinner party. For one thing, you probably don't have room. But also, don't presume all your friends will get along just because they like you. It's important to be able to recognize when they might not be able to get along with each other. For example, it may be best not to invite your logical, science-minded friend to the same party as your hippie, spiritual friend. Not that they would be incapable of a civil conversation, but things could end up getting heated. Try to invite people who are compatible with each other so everyone gets along.

Choose a Menu You Can Manage

It's easy to get carried away with deciding what you're going to cook. You want to put on a magnificent spread that everyone will love. But you can't spend all evening in the kitchen because you'll be abandoning your guests. You need to pick something you can make while you stay engaged with the party. It's a good idea to do something where you can prepare most of it in advance. Then you can either put it in the oven or quickly finish it off just before you need to serve. It's also a good idea to choose sharing dishes. It can be more social and everyone can serve themselves.

Keep the Drinks Flowing

You need to make sure that everyone always has a drink in their hand, whether it's alcoholic or not. Keep checking up on everyone, although be careful not to be always asking if anyone wants a refill. Try having different drinks for various stages of the evening. You could offer prosecco or cocktails as everyone comes through the door. Then move on to wine with dinner, and then have something harder after dessert. On special occasions, take out something a bit more expensive to share. You can do a Macallan 18 price check online, and find out how much other spirits cost too. Don't forget to provide plenty of water, and offer some other soft drinks too.

Be the Glue of the Party

As the host, it's up to you to hold everything together. Introduce people who are looking a little awkward and prompt conversation when it goes quiet. Just don't panic if things aren't going swimmingly at the beginning. You should all get into the swing of things soon.

Dinner parties are great ways to have some adult fun. If you're not sure what to do with the kids, getting them set up in another room with a DVD can be a good idea.
 
 
Disclosure:  This is a contributed post.


Keep Your Skin Feeling Fresh and Hydrated This Fall with derma e


While fall is great for snuggling up with some hot apple cider and watching the leaves change colors, one thing it isn't so good for is how dry it can leave your skin feeling.  You may have seen my previous review on derma e products and I am back again to tell you about their wonderful products to help you keep your skin nourished for fall.  What's great about derma e products is that they are 100% vegan and cruelty free.  All of their products are also packed full of vitamins and antioxidants.  Healthy skin is what derma e is all about!
This time I had the opportunity to review derma e's Hydrating Night Creme.  This Hydrating Night Creme uses Hyaluronic Acid to help moisturize and plump the skin while also reducing the look of fine lines and wrinkles.  This creme also contains a formula of soothing aloe, antioxidants, and vitamins C and E which helps to defend the skin from free radicals and effects from the environment.  

I was looking forward to trying this formula as fall weather tends to leave my skin feeling very dry.  I like the idea of a night creme because I can put it on before bed and let it do it's magic!  After just a couple of days using derma e's Hydrating Night Creme I started noticing my skin was feeling more hydrated.  After a full week I also noticed my skin did look plumper, especially around my eyes where I tend to have that sunk in tired look.  Once again I am very pleased with another derma e product.  I love that they deliver results and that they are cruelty free.  If you are looking for some quality skin care products I recommend giving them a try!

Save With a Coupon Here!

Right now you can get money saving coupons on derma e products available at your local Walgreens by visiting the link above.  You can save $4.00 on the night creme product I reviewed or their day creme product, as well as money saving coupons on some of their other fantastic products!  You can also shop for derma e online by visiting their website here.


Disclosure:  This is a sponsored post on behalf of BrandBacker.  All opinions in this post are 100% my own and are not a result of any outside influence.


Cute Ideas to Celebrate a New Baby

Photo Credit: Flickr

I love it whenever a friend or family member has a new baby. It's almost better than having your own because you only have to experience the fun bits! Visiting a new bundle of joy and celebrating their arrival is always a lot of fun. I see lots of new parents looking for ways to mark the arrival of their new baby. They all want something unique and interesting, that's more than just having a party or buying some balloons. There are some ways you can create something that will last forever. If you want to celebrate the birth of a new baby, here are some of my top ways to do it.

Plant a Tree

Planting trees has been a popular way to mark a birth for a long time. A tree is something that you can watch grow as your baby grows up too. You can put one in your backyard so that you can keep an eye on it every day. If you ever move houses, there may be the option of taking it with you, depending on how big it has grown. Another thing you could do is find a park or another piece of public or private land you where you can plant a tree. Putting up a plaque will mark it as yours.

Unique Jewelry

Jewelry is another popular choice for celebrating a newborn, either for the parents or the baby. If you want a unique option, you can create your very own diamond. You may have heard of using a loved one's ashes to put the carbon in diamonds. But you can do it using the DNA of someone living too. Using a lock of hair, you can make a diamond from your newborn's DNA or perhaps from yours at the time of their birth. This creates a unique piece of jewelry that you can treasure forever. It will be a unique, one-off piece and no one else will have one exactly like it.

Create Art

I love the idea of making a piece of art that you can display in your home. A lot of families decide to do a newborn photo shoot, which can be really cute. There are also other ways you can create a unique artwork to hang. For example, you can get a piece of paper and put the hand prints for the baby and parents on it. Then you just have to frame it, and you can keep it forever.

Time Capsule

Time capsules can be fun things to make and something to look forward to in a few years. Choose a date for when you're going to open it up before you fill it. Maybe you want to save it for when your baby turns ten, or hold on longer until they're 16 or 18. You could write a letter to them in the future, include some baby items or put in some photos of the day they were born.

There are lots of ways to celebrate a baby being born and create memories for the future. Pick something that speaks to you.
 
 
Disclosure:  This is a contributed post.


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