Showing posts with label blogger. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blogger. Show all posts

 

I wasn't really looking for an online library but since we have to do many things we are used to in a different way, I start searching for various book titles online. We live in a new day in time and going to the library was out of the question two years ago (Y'all remember 2020) But did you know you can still borrow books for free online?! I know there are probably plenty of websites like this one but Internet Archive is my absolute favorite! I’ve been reading books everyday since I found this website! To a nerdy type of person like myself this is better than Netflix! (Which I canceled by the way)  There are not just books but articles and videos. It really feels like the library because you have an hour at a time to read and once the hour is up you have to borrow again for another hour to continue reading. I’ve sat on the Internet Archive for hours reading and giggling. It’s a must if you're on a strict budget like myself but want some free entertainment in the form of a book.

Make sure when you find a book you like to add it as a favorite. This way all your books are in your favorite section and when you go back to borrow and continue to read it will take you back to the page you left off at. I’m super happy I found this one by accident. Internet Archive is a non profit online library and a true gem. I’ve been reading celebrity autobiographies lately and have been quite amused. One night I stayed up till 3am because I couldn’t stop reading the book I'm currently on right now.

I’ve been MIA lately on social media and my blog. I'm trying to really get my scheduling together because I’m all over the place. I had to post something about this though. The stereotype of people of color not reading is a bunch of B.S. I’ve always liked to read and so does my Mother. Your imagination will beat out a movie any day. Why do you think the movie version of a book is never as good as when you read it and pictured it yourself. I hope you guys take this resource and use it to your advantage. There is so much to gain on the internet if you use it correctly. Have a great one and read a book today… it's on the house.


 This is one of my favorite quick bean salads I make when I need to prep some food to last a couple days. Dairy-free garbanzo bean aka chickpea salad is my favorite because there is REALLY no cook time. Unless you would like to make your garbanzo beans fresh. Mines are out of the can but you can make this with homecooked garbanzo beans and it will be even tastier! Here is everything you need to make this delicious dish!

I'm just one person so I used one can of garbanzo beans (chickpeas) but feel free to add more if you are making this dish for more people. Black olives, Sweet relish, Plant based Mayo, Yellow Mustard, and red onion (its not pictured here but I added some sliced green olives also.
Chop everything up into a bowl of your choice (everything except the garbanzo beans) get ready to add some seasoning and our wet ingredients.
I go a little crazy with the seasonings and I added sunflower kernels. The sunflower kernels give the salad a crunch and a nutty flavor which is a great compliment to the taste in this garbanzo bean (chickpea) salad. Seasoning is optional you can use any type of seasoning that works for you here is what I put in this garbanzo bean salad: garlic powder, chopped chives, fine pink Himalayan sea salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, ground paprika. Only use the seasonings you like in your dish.
Came out excellent! Added some crackers and topped it with some shredded dairy-free cheddar cheese. This is definitely one of my top quick recipes! Garbanzo bean salad can be a side dish for a dinner a quick snack with some crackers or just lunch by itself. You can find garbanzo beans (chickpeas) in a can for under $1.00 each or you can make them from scratch a bag might cost 1.49 but they are worth it. It's a staple in my pantry to have canned garbanzo beans and bags of dry garbanzo beans. Add them to your grocery list and start feasting!




 I did it again! I was able to scoop four colors of nail polish from The Dollar Tree all Sinful Colors brand! I'm super excited because its very rare to see Sinful Colors nail polish in The Dollar Tree. Sinful colors nail polish is usually in a store like Sally's or a higher priced beauty store. I was also impressed with the shades I picked up. Usualy the colors all look alike or they are dull and unwanted but these colors are POPULAR!.

First color is a deep lush red called "Redrum" It's a sexier type of deep red. Would look great on nails or toes. This is more of a classic color. If your a red lover this is a beautiful shade of red for a set of nails.
Next color is called "Charmed" it's a fine glitter sparkle type of polish. This charmed color can be worn by it'sself but I feel like it would have popped so much more over a cool tone colored nail polish. But is very suttle by itself. Very fine and glittery without the flash. Like a elegant champagne glitter.
The third color named "Interglamactic" it's a violet purple but brighter type of shade. Not quite purple but not pink either so I would say it was more of a pretty violet shade. Great to step out of your comfort zone with. Not to bright but a stand out nail polish color.
Last but not least is "Spirirted" a lilac purple shade that is super cute. I have this shade on my pedicure right now and it looks great! I'm not a purple person but I might start doing a purple manicure and pedicure once in a while. It's a nice break from red or blue.
I'm very pleased to put all of these Sinful Colors nail polishes in to my collection. I would love to see a lot of these shades as press on nails. More manicures and pedicures with these nail polishes before the summer season is over.
You guys already know the drill! Check your local Dollar Tree or just a dollar store and even discount places like big lots and you can possibly run up on deals like these.
So grateful to have found these for a total of $4.00! (Plus tax of course) Thank you for checking out my Sinful colors nail polish swatch blog! As soon as I find more shades I will swatch them. Have a great one!












 This is my D.I.Y recipe for shaving lotion. I've used this recipe for years and years and I haven't had any cuts since I start making it. I used to buy shaving cream and I would be cut a couple times by the time I got done shaving my legs. With this DIY shaving lotion I never had that problem. 


All these products are from of course... The Dollar Tree! You can use any brand of conditioner, baby shampoo, lotion and baby oil you would like. Here is the measurements for this quick DIY shaving lotion:

(1) Cup Conditioner
(1) Cup Baby Shampoo
(5) Tablespoons Of Lotion
(5) Tablespoons Of Baby Oil


I also got my product mixing measuring cups and spoons from The Dollar Tree. I keep these things in the bathroom so they never mix with my measuring cups and spoons from the kitchen. The container is just a used old plastic jar from a hair product. I love to recycle!


Put everything in a jar (preferably recycled :) take any object to stir (I'm using a craft stick) and mix all the ingredients up until smooth. Let the mixture sit for about (1) hour.


It's an hour later and your mixture is ready to use! It will get thicker as time goes on so stir it up before using. 


This is one of my favorite DIY projects for self care. You can shave your legs and under arms in minutes and feel smooth afterwards. I love using it right before I get in the shower. This DIY shaving lotion last so long! I did the video to make a batch in the video below in 2018 I didn't have to make it again until 2021! Talk about savings! Here is the video:


Thank you so much for stopping by! Stay Happy and Frugal!💙💛💚














 Make sure to check your local Dollar Tree for LA Colors nail polish. I've been getting loads of new colors. I stock up on LA colors nail polish for my manicures and pedicures and also my custom press on nails I do for people on Ebay, Depop and Mercari. These colors are all in the nude/neutral family and they are very popular with my customers. I'm also a fan of these nail polish colors because they are more chill and laid back. I still go on public transportation alot so I like my colors to be more toned down.

I absolutely LOVE these colors from the lightest to the darkest they all have a great classy look. Here are the colors individually with the name of the LA colors shade of polish.
This shade of LA colors nail polish is "In The Nude" I love this color for designing. It's a great color on it's own or for a back drop for acrylic paint or other nail polish colors.
This LA colors shade is called "Intimate" it has a nice light tan color to it. Perfect for a low key manicure/pedicure but still looks classy and neat

This LA Colors shade is "Innocence" it's in the same tan/brown family as "Intimate" it's a slight bit darker but it's a great tan/nude type of color. Also would work well as a nail polish to add colors to.
This LA colors shade is "Warrior" I'm usually not a fan of this type of color but it's very pretty on the nail, I would definitely wear a manicure / pedicure with this color. It's also a perfect color if you have to go to work. It just blends so nicely and looks very rich. 
Love all 4 of these LA colors nail polish shades! I can't believe I only paid $4.00 I would have easily paid more to have this collection of nail polish colors.
Make sure to check you local dollar tree and see what steals you can get on LA colors nail polish. I'm in Georgia and currently (its June 2021) all the dollar tree stores I've been to have been STOCKED with LA colors nail polish. So go on the hunt and get you some cheap nail polish.














 It's hot outside! I've been dressing a little grungy. This is more of a casual I don't give a &%4# look. I really like bleach, holes and rips in my clothes. The more worn it is the more I like it.

I actually bleached this tee myself. It was in the give away bag but I decided to rescue it and the shirt came out very nice. My ripped arizona jean shorts I wear every spring/summer season. I'm happy I can still fit them. I put the outfit with a comfortable burgundy Sketcher sneaker. For some reason I can only wear them without socks (I know that's gross)
I will definitely be wearing outfits like this all summer 2021 long
You got to make sure your edges and hair don't care either. We have to have matching energy.
This has to be one of my favorite looks so far. It has MELLE DON'T GIVE A &*%$ written all over it.

Shirt: On Fire
Shorts: Arizona Jeans Co.
Shoes: Sketchers
Necklace: Random Brand (Beauty Store)








 

  


At first I was sure that went I got my apartment I was going to to need cable. 

No boyfriend hardly no friends your over 30 and lonely your going to need some cable!  

I grew up with cable most of my life living with family so of course hike my bill up to $200 let’s go! But then I thought about the times when the family fell on hard times. I can think of about (3) times I lived in a house or apartment with no cable and there was really no difference as long as there was internet.


I moved into my apartment in 2018 and you know what I decided don’t want cable. I’m frugal I’m a rebel (I thought to myself) I’m going to march into Xfinity and tell them to give me internet only. That’s what I did! I don’t regret none of the decision. I pay less than $100 a month and here are my 10 top streaming apps some paid but most are free.

         



  1. Netflix (Paid)

       It took me a minute to get used to the idea of paying $12.99/ month but it’s well worth the price. Back in the day on one movie theatre ticket I would spend $8.00-$10.00 after popcorn, drinks and snacks I spent well over $20.00. With so many television shows, stand up comedies, romance, drama, it’s hard to chose what to watch from day to day. My favorites right now are Bridgerton, Living Single (90’s throw back) and Forty Year Old Version. It’s definitely worth the monthly fee on my credit card.


  1. Hulu (Paid)

       I needed Hulu for a writing class assignment. I was kind of pissed because I wasn’t really trying to add any more monthly expenses. I got the $5.99/ month I was going to cancel it but then I saw some reality shows from TV I wanted to watch. Then I got totally hooked on Grown-ish and that basically made me keep it.


  1. Pluto (Free)

      Pluto is free! I really liked the interface. Pluto is set up like cable television and even has the music channels all the way at the end. There is MTV, BET all types of channels for specific genres like reality or comedy. Pluto was one of the first apps on my Roku TV it was great! I watched cooking channels all the time and movies. Pluto is a great free streaming app on my TV.


  1. TUBI (Free)

     When I want to watch a really good D list movie… This is it! Tubi reminds me of a bootleg Netflix. Yes you have to watch a couple commercials but there is so much to watch. My favorite section of all time on Tubi is the black cinema. I can watch old movies from that section all day long and there is some new ones too. Tubi is also free and is a must if you don’t have cable


  1. Pandora (Free for me)

     Yes you can pay for Pandora but the free version is great for me. Even though this is streaming music and not television shows or movies it’s still a source for entertainment that is free. Sometimes I just want to play some jazz or chill music and make some accessories or list in my shops while I jam to my music. Get a cup of tea going and we are having a good time. 


  1. Roku Channel (Free)

   I have a Roku TV so this app was already on my television and ready to go. Roku Channel interface is also set up like Netflix and Tubi. Roku Channel has different categories of TV Shows and Movies to watch. It was a steal to come with the television


  1. YouTube (Free)

  Don’t be confused there are two streaming apps to choose from. YouTube TV that is the one you pay for and the regular YouTube App similar to what is on your phone and computer. You will have to put the regular YouTube app on your TV. I was trying to use the YouTube TV app and it kept saying I have to pay. That’s not the correct one we want free! So download the YouTube app right on your television and you’ll be able to watch movies (yes they have ads), your favorite you tubers and if you anything like me you watch yourself!


  1. Film Rise (Free)

 I have Film Rise but I have never watched anything on it. There is a good amount of choices and categories. There are also other apps to download like Film Rise Comedy, Film Rise Thriller so that’s a win win to get all the different apps from Film Rise for free.


  1. Crackle (Free)

Crackle is another app sitting on my TV that goes unwatched but I just put on a Crackle original movie and it looks pretty good! Loads of choices but there is commercials. That is pretty much with anything that is free your going to watch advertisements. 


  1.  Live Antenna TV (Free kind of)

   It’s free but you do need to attach an antenna. I got one from Wal Mart for about $12.00 there are not a lot of channels anymore but there are some local ones and there is always something playing


So there goes my top (10) Streaming Apps on My Roku TV. If you don’t have cable or your on a budget and don’t want to do the paid streaming apps you can still have plenty of television.

💚💛💚💛💚💛💚💛💚💛💚💛💚💛💚💛💚💛💚💛💚💛💚💛💚💛 💚💛💚💛



 The Dollar Tree has really been coming through on these LA Colors nail polish! Every time I go to a new location they have more new colors. This week I picked up a LA Colors nail polish called "Watermelon" very beautiful deep dark berry pink color. 

This was my first time getting this nail color most are duplicates so I buy the same colors over and over. It was nice to see a deeper shade of pink.
LA Colors nail polish "Watermelon" was such a pretty color on my pedicure I decided to throw in a quick manicure also
Definitely will be keeping the watermelon nail color from LA Colors for my nails and toes for this summer. Hope I can stock up on some new colors for the next post! Make sure to visit your local Dollar Tree and see if you can find any nail polish steals from LA Colors.






 I’m always running around doing errands and trying to vlog at the same time. I saw there was a problem though, everything was always scattered everywhere. My camera would be in my jacket pocket, SD and battery in my pants pocket, and then my tripod would be too big to go in my purse so I would have to leave it at home. My old canon was on the way out so I said I was going to make the most compact affordable YouTube set up ever! It’s going to be so compact it will fit in a standard fanny pack! So here is the YouTube vlogger on the go fanny pack gear :

FANNY PACK

Of course you need a basic fanny pack. The more zippers and pockets the better. Got this one of eBay for I think $8.00 it was meant for the gym actually.

DIGITAL CAMERA

This is my old Canon Powershot Elph I used for vlogging before the sound went out. UPDATE: I wanted a camera I could see myself in so I got the Canon SX740 SX. It's a great deal to me for the quality of footage I get plus the fact that I can see myself makes it all worth it!  (Yes the new camera fits in the fanny pack as well)

MINI TRIPOD

This little tripod is the best thing ever! It’s a Manfrotto mini tripod. It’s so small and fits in your hand perfectly. I didn’t know if it was going to fit into the fanny pack or not so when I saw it fit my day was made! I haven't stopped recording since.

EXTRA BATTERIES

The extra batteries for me are a must! I use the record feature a lot so when my camera flashes red and tells me to change the battery I stop, change it, put the other one on charge and continue. For me I have (3) batteries for the Canon SX 740 SX that’s enough to keep me going for the entire day. The most I’ve ever had to change the battery is once in a day. (I do the same with the Canon Power Shot ELPH 340 HS and my DSLR Canon)

SD CARDS

All together I probably have about (29) SD Cards because I list online daily and do videos on multiple platforms. For the average person 2-4 SD Cards with between 8GB to 16GB should be well more than enough to get started. When I’m out I have one in my camera and one in the fanny pack. UPDATE: I have now moved up to 32-64GB because of more photography and more video but it’s not necessary starting out a 16GB SD Card is ideal though)

MINI RING LIGHT

This was a very inexpensive light and helps to be seen on camera when you are losing light. It’s meant to be clipped on a cell phone but it can be clipped anywhere. It gives off (3) strengths of light and it’s great at night time.

When it’s time to go out I make sure everything is charged and put on my fanny pack and I’m ready to record anywhere I go! This compact fanny pack set up can also be used for photography. You would probably need a mini bookbag to carry a bigger camera like a DSLR but you would still need everything I mentioned in the fanny pack You Tube set up.


See being a YouTuber, Instagrammer or Tik Toker is only a fanny pack away! Get some starter gear and start creating!


 This is one of my favorite quick breakfast recipes Vanilla Allspice Cinnamon Pancakes! It taste so good you wouldn't realize how low cost it is. Take a box of any brand Pancake mix I chose Kroger buttermilk pancake mix. The whole box is under $2.00 which is a steal because as a single person I will have that box for a long time.

Here are the couple ingredients that are going to turn your basic morning pancake into a gourmet five star restaurant tasting pancake.
This is all we are adding to the pancake mix. Water, Cinnamon, Vanilla Extract and Allspice. My cinnamon and imitation vanilla extract are from the Dollar Tree. The Allspice was from a farmer's market a very long time ago and was under $2.00.
I combine all the ingredients into a mixing bowl. I don't measure out anything just put as much of everything as you would like. Some people don't like cinnamon or allspice you can omit both and just add vanilla if you chose.
My batter made about (3) fluffy small/medium pancakes. I like to mix the batter for at least (5) minutes. In my mind it makes the pancake cook more fluffy.
And there it is! A (3) stack of beautiful golden brown vanilla cinnamon and allspice pancakes topped with some plant based butter and syrup. You can definitely stay in budget and eat great tasting meals. 

Here is the video I made on these pancakes on Youtube.

Thank you for coming by to read the blog! Hope you make these for your next frugal breakfast!





 






 This was more of an experiment. I saw a quick video with a lady grating a bar of  Zote melting it with water, adding essential oils and storing it to use on dishes, clothes, for cleaning and even a bleach alternative. I have plenty of Zote bars in my pantry and I love DIY so I gave it a try. I must say that this is one of the BEST DIY projects I've ever done and I will use it for LIFE!

This one bar of white Zote grated with a grater from the dollar tree, mixed with about a gallon of water, scented with eucalyptus & lavender essential oil and mixed with a hand blender made all of this soap!
I had to look for more containers! I had so much soap I couldn't believe how much liquid one bar of Zote had made! It was very soapy and creamy. I'm not going to lie after it sits it has the consistency of snot (I know I'm gross right?) But it's good clean snot. This was the perfect recipe in times like this were you have people literally fighting over soap, hand wash and toilet paper. I even gave one bottle to my Mom there was so much! The only word that came to my mind was "ABUNDANCE" I wrote it on my dry erase board.
This was a clear example of abundance and how we have everything we need right in front of us if we look for it. I was very humbled that day. I actually made this batch on May 8th 2021 (5/8/2021) It's close to a week of having this stockpile of soap and I haven't even put a dent in it! I've hand washed some clothes, washed all my dishes, put some in a foaming hand soap dispenser and I still have plenty. It's truly a blessing to learn these type of things at this day and time. No fighting over soap for me.

Another tip if you want it to come out more like a liquid. Put a little squirt or two of your favorite dishwashing liquid in each bottle. I used some lavender scented Dawn and it gave it more bubbles, more scent and it's a little less thick. I will be using this Zote DIY soap FOREVER! On my next batch I might just make a tutorial post because it's too easy not to try! I wish abundance for anybody reading and make sure to try this at home!


NOTE* A Bar of Zote is about $1.00 in some places $1.09 but the popularity of Zote and the simplicity of the ingredients is getting noticed and I expect the price to be going up. It's sold out a lot at Wal Mart so if you see it at the $1.00 or $1.09 price grab a couple while you can at that price.