A Kid Again with Mini Pizzas

A few weeks ago, I decided to introduce Howard to something that most kids have had as part of their childhood: mini English muffin pizzas! I happened to have one more jar of Classico pizza sauce in the pantry. This time it was the Traditional version as opposed to the Fire Roasted version that we didn't like as much. I also had gotten a free bag of Stop & Shop cheese because I purchased other items, so I chose the pizza blend that had mozzarella and cheddar in it. I think that worked out SO much better than just having all mozzarella. I sliced up some white mushrooms I had in the fridge to put on top. You can tell that the ones at the bottom of the picture are mine and the ones for Howard are on top based on the amount of mushroom!

Of course, all the ingredients must be placed on Thomas's English muffins! There are some things where you do really need the brand name. I tried the store brand once, and they were thick and chewy without the nooks and crannies. It also just didn't get the same amount of crispiness. I followed the baking directions on the website, and after a quick 10 minutes, our simple Saturday lunch was ready. It definitely brought back so many memories of being a kid and my mom making them for my older brother and me. 

Happy 4th of July!

This past Saturday when Howard and I went to the zoo, we saw that there were actually 2 bald eagles there! They were rescued after serious injuries, and the sign stated they wouldn't be able to survive in the wild because they are unable to fly now. One of them is also blind in one eye. Well, we stood there for quite some time admiring the eagles because they're so majestic and rather large! It was also rather funny when we were standing there watching them because a girl came by and said, "Look, Daddy! It's America!" I'm pretty sure she was joking, but she continued to call them "America/Americas." It has become a joke for the two of us now.

Howard posted one of the pictures he snagged on Instagram/Facebook a few days ago, and his cousin Olivia who lives in Canada commented on it. I felt that the whole exchange was clearly very appropriate for July 4th!

I hope you all had a great day! Have a fabulous weekend!

Accumulating or Using Nail Polish? (Part II)

These were the last two colors I've used recently. The first one is an NYC New York Color polish called "Prospect Park Pink." I was really in the mood for a brighter pink without being too light or neon, and this one definitely fit the bill. These polishes are only $1.99, but the color actually lasted a pretty long time on my nails. There wasn't much chipping at all as the week came to an end.

Every time I use an inexpensive drugstore polish that lasts, I'm still amazed by it. When I first started buying polishes, I asked my friends a question on Instagram because I wanted to know what brands they liked that lasted. I knew that there were a ton of Essie fans, but I just couldn't see myself spending that much on ONE bottle. In the same way that I'd rather spend the amount of money that others would use to buy one designer bag on a bunch to have options, I do the same with nail polish. Of course, it has to last and be worth even the $0.99 or $1.99 though! I would definitely get more of these NYC "In a New York Color Minute Quick Dry Nail Polish." That's a mouthful!

The following week, I still chose a pink color because I was going to the 8th grade graduation. I had taught them when they were in 6th and 7th grade, so it was important for me to see them on that special day. I used Sinful Colors "Ablaze" on my hands and my toes. It was definitely darker than the polish used the previous week, and I liked how it was eye-catching without having to use an actual red polish. This is the bottle that I got in my PinchMe box, which is basically a service that sends out freebies if you can snag them in time. This is the second time I've been able to get nail polish in my box. If I didn't get this for free, I don't think I'd purchase it. I personally am not as big of a fan of Sinful Colors. Though they have a wide selection of colors, I found it too thin for me to work with comfortably. I know it's supposed to be 2-3 thin layers, but I'm used to using polishes that are a bit thicker. Maybe I just don't have patience and want the polish to be opaque a bit faster. Some of my nails required the 3 layers. But because it was absolutely free, I still loved it because of the color!

 

By the way, even though I've been doing my nails more often, I haven't taken the time to take care of my cuticles, so that's why they're not moisturized and pushed back. It's okay though because I've gotten used to painting my nails and staying away from the cuticles, which is what you're apparently supposed to do anyway! It doesn't require any clean-up for me, and the removal process is much easier. For me, it's definitely a cleaner look by staying away from the sides.

Okay, I used pink colors two weeks in a row. I definitely need a blue or a green next!

(Read Part I of the series)

Haul: Old Navy ($1 Flip Flop Sale!)

Last Tuesday, I mentioned that I was setting an alarm for Saturday morning so that I could head over to Old Navy to get some $1 flip flops. I'm so excited that it worked out this year! On the website, it said the store opened at 9am, but I knew I had to get there earlier. I had seen that some people who went during previous years had to stand in line outside the store just to get inside. I didn't want to have to wait too long for that. Howard was the one who actually suggested we go extra early because it would be less frustrating waiting before the store opened than waiting later on in the day, so we actually made it to the store a little after 8am!

As we drove into the parking lot, we saw two people standing outside. Then we realized they were actually employees and that the store was already open! That was so exciting because we wouldn't have to deal with crowds at all! I was actually thinking about calling the store the day before to ask if they were opening earlier than the regular time, but I never got around to it. It would definitely pay to find out because when 9am rolled around, there were definitely more people in the store though it wasn't too crazy a little after 9 when we left the store.

The employees out front gave us paper coupons for $5 off $35. I saw that it was in the email ON sent that morning, but it was nice not having to deal with my phone since it wasn't fully charged. I really need to get one of those rechargeable portable batteries! Anyway, I went straight to the back of the store for the flip flops! There were some women back there, but it wasn't difficult at all to access any of it. If anything, I just had to wait a bit to get to the section that had black flip flops.

Along with the ones hanging on the wall, they also had flip flops in boxes organized by the sizes. If it were a mad rush, grabbing 5 from the boxes would probably be the easiest bet just to secure your 5 of any color and then swap them out once you can get to the wall. I did read that some couponers and freebie sites mentioned that if you get there later and they're out of your size, you could just grab 5 of any size and color and exchange them on another day. 

Unfortunately for me, they didn't have any black flip flops in my size! They only had sizes 5 and 6, and later on others asked the employees if there were any in the back, and they said no. Oh well. I would have purchased 3 of my 5 in just black since that's what I wear outdoors, so that means they'd wear out the fastest compared to my home slippers. Regardless of the lack of black, I still purchased 5 of them so that I won't have to go next year either! We checked the baby clearance items too, but we didn't find anything worth getting. Then I figured since we were there early, others should benefit from it too! So Howard texted his sister, and I texted my sister-in-law and brother to ask if they wanted any flip flops. Howard's sister did want 5 of them since company uses them as slippers when they visit (and I'm sure they'll have more visitors soon since it's almost time for the baby to come!).

We were there for maybe 45 minutes browsing. The few times we actually make it to Old Navy, I like scouring the clearance sections especially for baby boys since we're so excited to have a nephew. Howard took some time to browse as well and found this rather awesome Star Wars shirt of the Millennium Falcon! Unfortunately, it was XXL, and that was the only one! He had to make do with just a picture.

He also saw these sharks shorts, but again, there weren't any in his size. It really is difficult being a guy! But I guess to some degree, it's also a bit on the easier side since there isn't a lot of variety so you end up saving money since you already have what you need, haha.

We were at Old Navy for about an hour, but the waiting on line was only a small portion of that, and it's all because of these babies! I thought I was going to purchase colors, but then as I stood there and debated, I ended up sticking with all neutral colors. Haha, I'm really kind of a boring person when it comes to footwear, but that's okay since my tops usually have the color. As I said above, there no black ones, so I only got one black with white straps. I'm not too big of a fan of that look, but I'll deal with it. I initially had one light purple one too, but I knew I'd probably not get as much use out of it, so I switched it for another white pair. I kind of tried it on in store, and they look nice since I always have a pedicure during the spring and summer. My only concern was that they'd get dirty quickly, but I'm not too worried about it. If anything, I can also use a white pair at home for slippers and use the gray ones I have on right now for outdoors. By the way, they did change the gray as the strap portion is shiny in the new ones, but the ones I bought years ago aren't. 

Since I knew that I was getting the flip flops anyway, I considered the coupon to really be $5 off $30 in terms of saving. I know 17% really isn't that big in terms of savings, however, it would make sense to use it in store on things that count as Everyday Steals because percentage savings aren't allowed to be used on those things! I knew for sure that I wanted to get tank tops. If you've EVER seen me in the summer months or if you've EVER seen any of our Disney World vacation pictures, you will know that I wear the same tank top all the time. I just have it in different colors! That's Old Navy for ya! They're my favorite. But I have paid only $2 for each tank, but I haven't seen that price in a while so I figured the $4 price (retail $8.50) was good. However, I didn't want to buy 8 of the tanks since I didn't need that many. I browsed for a while before I found this great buy: $8 shorts (retail $19.94)! I tried on the 3.5 inch length and the 5 inch length thinking I'd prefer the latter. I ended up going with the shorter inseam though since they're a little wide, so the longer ones swallowed me up too much. I grabbed the black pair since my only black shorts are the messy cargo roll-up kind that I LOVE, but I like that these are neater. I decided to get a navy blue pair too. I can see pairing these with a nicer top and wearing them on the occasions when my regular shorts are just a little too messy.

And now here are 3 of the 4 tanks I purchased that day! Years and years ago, I had similar colors, but they were the thicker straps and thicker material. They also shrunk in the wash, so I wear the old ones as pajamas. I also prefer long tanks so that I know it won't ride up on my back; Old Navy tanks are exactly what I like. I don't even bother with other brands because I have purchased a Target tank once, but it wasn't the same. I have to wear those as pajamas too! Anyway, I also have a dark navy blue one too, but I ended up wearing it that day to the zoo! I kept the same shorts on that I wrote to the store, but the blank tank I had was not long enough for me. It's in the wash, so I couldn't include it in the picture. Realistically, I could pay the $8.50 price and get a lot of use out of it, but why do that when there are sales and coupons?

Though it may not be a stylish haul since I'm not the kind of person who really owns currently stylish clothing, I'm very happy with my purchases! Summer, here I come!

April-June 2014 Empties

Whoops, I totally thought I'd be doing empties every month, but we just don't finish things that quickly! I didn't keep all the bottles since January, of course, as that would've meant we'd only have half our apartment left to live in, haha. Here are a few of the products that we finished in the past two or three months.

Pantene Aqualight Rinse Shampoo

I don't really have a preference in terms of shampoo other than the fact that there are some shampoos that make my scalp a little bit itchier than others. I should probably look more into what shampoos will help deal with dry scalp, which is different than dandruff because that's when your scalp gets flaky. For some reason, the clear shampoos in clear bottles mentally make me feel better! I couponed for a bunch of different brands of shampoo, so once one bottle is finished, I switch it for a different brand. I read that it's good to do that because your hair gets too used to one type when used for a long time.

Garnier Fructis Pure Clean Shampoo

The same stuff I said above could apply to this shampoo too because it was clear. Clear shampoo in clear bottles make me happy, haha. I do have to wash my hair almost every day unless I didn't go out that day and know for sure I won't go out the next day. However, I still feel dirty and slightly greasy on the second day and really can't wait to wash it.

Opti-Free Replenish Contact Lens Solution

The last time I went to the eye doctor, I told him that my eyes are always getting dry with my contacts and feeling a little uncomfortable after the first few days of wear. He told me that it would be best for me to switch to daily contacts for better eye health and less dryness. That has definitely been a great change for me. That means I don't have to clean my contacts (uh, not that I really took the time to clea them that well ... does anyone?) or use lens solution for my case. However, if I only wear a pair for a few hours for like, errands or something, I reuse them again. Because of that, along with the rare occasions when I need to moisten the contact again or if there was an eyelash causing me to remove the contact to clean before putting back in, I still use solution. I don't really have a preference anymore, so I just have Opti-Free because my parents bought the double packs from Costco. They do have expiration dates on them, so this is one thing where you can't stock up on!

Softsoap Advanced Clean Hand Soap

Living in an apartment means that we only have two sinks, but that also means we only have two places to have soap! I have a ton of Bath & Body Works soaps from exchanging a body care set that I got from a student a few years ago. I also purchased a few of the Sicilian Lemon ones that I've mentioned before during the winter 2013-2014 semi-annual sale. That means I still have plenty of foaming soap left, but we only use it in the kitchen. I'll talk more about it down below since I have 4 finished bottles. In the bathroom, however, I still use Softsoap. These are the refill bottles my parents picked up for us at Costco where you get two at a time. The reason why I still use this in the bathroom is because I wash my hands before I brush my teeth, and I really don't like scents since I use my left hand for the water. It's also nice to have a different soap option at our place throughout the day because the foaming soap from BBW is definitely drying if used a thousand times in a day.

Colgate Total Advanced Pro-Shield Mouthwash in Wintermint Rush

Colgate mouthwash is so much better than Listerine or Crest! It doesn't burn the way Listerine does or leave a strange aftertaste the way Crest does. I'm glad I couponed for these bottles of Colgate because we are stocked with all 3 flavors for free or close to free from CVS. The Wintermint Rush was the purple one. We have the green one in the bathroom now, which I think is spearmint, so that'll be the next flavor.

Herbal Essences Body Envy Shampoo

This is a HUGE bottle from Costco! It was in the shower for quite some time. I think we used one of the other shampoos at the same time since I was getting bored. I'm glad it's done because such a large bottle is a huge commitment, haha.

Bath & Body Works Gentle Foaming Hand Soap in Tuscan Vineyard 

This was a scent chosen by Howard because he loves grape things. I love fresh grapes, but anything that's grape-flavored kind of grosses me out a bit. It might be from my childhood of taking Dimetapp. Though the medicine was definitely a good-tasting medicine, from that point on, I associated anything grape with medicine even if it actually tasted good! I don't like grape juice, and the only time I have it is for communion, haha. I don't like grape jelly or grape candy. This foaming soap definitely fell under the category! If I liked grape, I'm sure I would enjoy this because Howard liked it! This scent seemed to last a lot longer on my hands than the other soaps we've tried. Personally, I wouldn't purchase it again. If we did get it again, I'd have to have two soaps out because it's not worth it for me to use since I don't enjoy it.

Bath & Body Works Gentle Foaming Hand Soap in Sicilian Lemon

I wrote about this already in my January 2014 Empties post that you can find via the link at the bottom of this post. I really am super happy that I have a few backups of this scent since I don't think they'll have it again. I didn't see it at the semi-annual sale currently going on.

Bath & Body Works Gentle Foaming Hand Soap in Peach Bellini

Anything peach-scented from BBW is really pleasant! Howard especially likes it. Like Tuscan Vineyard and Sicilian Lemon, it just works perfectly in the kitchen. 

Bath & Body Works Gentle Foaming Hand Soap in Ocean Pearl

This was definitely my LEAST favorite foaming soap that I've ever used. I remember smelling this collection in the store and liking it, but when we actually used it, I found it too strong. I also had this in the bathroom along with the Softsoap, and I kind of had to force myself to use it to finish it. After a quick Google search, I found the scent notes since it's no longer available for purchase. It's listed as having the following scents: pink grapefruit, watery white freesia and blue water accord. I really enjoy grapefruit scents (though I don't actually like grapefruit!), but it might've been the floral notes that I didn't enjoy. I don't even know what blue water accord is. This is one that I would NOT purchase again even if it were only $0.25!

(See January 2014 Empties)