A Mother of a deal!

Bargain hunters, deal seekers, penny pinchers, coupon queens:

This post is for you!

I love a deal! Who doesn't? I have my own personal agenda when I hit up my local Target. Shop for the things I need, then roam past all the back end caps in each section to see what's on clearance! (Tip: look at the right upper corner of the orange clearance sticker and it will tell you what percentage off the item is!) So, I thought I'd put together a list of my favorite sites with daily deals for all to see. Sometimes the items sell out quickly and I've been left empty handed (carted?) as I contemplated my purchase. 

I've worked really hard to convince my husband, E, that if it's on clearance and it's a good deal, it's a buy it now or lose it situation. How many times have you gone to TJ Maxx or Marshall's, found something you loved and decided to wait on it, then return even a few days later and it's gone? How disappointing! 

Check these out:

Zulily - I've ordered many items from this website; from baby items, a skirt, artwork and even a rug. They have great customer service as well. 

P.S. I Adore You - Think of this as a daily deal Etsy site. I have not ordered from here yet.

Brickyard Buffalo - Similar as above with more items. Some are handmade, some are from popular companies. I have not ordered from here yet. 

Groop Dealz  - Also similar as above, with double the items. Some items come directly from Etsy sellers/shops. I have not ordered from here yet. 

Baby Steals - this website offers one to three items from a company that is pretty popular. This is one of the sites that sells out quickly! Also check their sister sites (at the top of the page) for other deals.

Let me know what you think, if you find a good deal, or have an even better site for me to check out!

-A

I forgot...

...about this blog.

Okay, not really. But sort of. Life got busy. I've been blessed with a beautiful new house that I've been slowly but surely decorating. Piece by piece this will all come together soon! I'm quite proud of what I've put together so far.

                         

Here she is sans grass

Here's a glimpse at the master bedroom. I ordered this bed from a local furniture company. I ordered it in November. It was delivered in March. Huge fight for it; never ordering from them again. Nonetheless, it's beautiful!

My sanctuary

Anyways, I've thankfully discovered Ikea. Yeah, I knew about it before but didn't have any reason to go there. Now with a little one who has oodles of toys and books I needed some place to shove all that crap. Please do yourself a favor and spend the $89.99 (I think it just went up by $20 bucks!).

                  

     - Image source: ikea.com -

 I fit a huge amount of books in/on this thing. I'm going back for another one soon for the playroom. The picture shows the bookshelf upright, but I've laid mine down on its side. You can also buy baskets to fit in the cubby-holes!

Word to the wise: it (as well as most items from Ikea) comes in one large box that is heavy as hell. I didn't put it together either; my husband did. Apparently it's not a desirable to do list item. 

Happy shopping!

-A

Coconut Oil

                   

After scouring the 'Search all' pages of Pinterest (for hours) and then reading some other Google searched pages, I decided to give coconut oil a try. The 'Old college try' as my dad would say!  There are many, many uses for coconut oil. Look here and here for the info.

I went to my local vitamin store and purchased the exact tub of coconut oil that was pictured on the pin.  I'm sure there are many other brands out there, but for research sake I purchased the one that was pinned to test the effectiveness.

Here's what I was testing : hair and skin.

For my skin I applied a palm full of the coconut oil to each of my legs for shaving instead of shaving cream. The product applies onto the skin very nicely as it is a solid at room temperature and turns liquid when touched by body heat.  I shaved as normal with a brand new razor head and did not receive any razor burns or cuts.  After rinsing and drying off, my legs had a slight sheen to them, but certainly nothing greasy. I decided not to apply lotion either. Even after the one use my legs feel nice. There could be improvement, of course, and only time will tell.

After one use (yes, one) my hair was so soft and luxurious. I blow dry my long hair and sometimes use a straightener ; my ends are often fried and crispy. I scooped out a small palm full of the oil into my hand and spread it into my hair. I let it sit for about ten minutes, then showered as normal. It wasn't until after I dried my hair did I feel how nice it was. The ends are defenitely softer and accepts the curl I usually add easier. I will  continue to use this in my hair once a week. I don't always have the extra time to let it sit in there before a shower to let it work it's magic.

I will keep using/testing this product to see if there are improvements over time and report back on my findings. So far I would recommend this just for the hair alone!  Give it a try, there are a multitude of uses.

One caution: this oil will make your bathtub and/or shower very slippery.

-A