L'il Blog & More Giveaway: $25 Gift Card

Holiday Recipe: Peppermint Ice Cream Pie

Today's recipe is a personal favorite for both me and my family. It's super simple and so tasty!

This ice cream pie has numerous ways to make it. I'll include a few of the substitutions. Also, if you are diabetic, you can substitute sugar free candy and ice cream!

Ingredients:

-1 carton vanilla ice cream (can use peppermint ice cream and omit candies)

-20 starlight mints

-2 premade Graham cracker crust (can use plain or chocolate)

-chocolate syrup (I think dark chocolate tastes best, but you can use any)

Super easy directions:

Crush mints into a fine powder. If you want, leave very small pieces underused. Stir into softened ice cream until well mixed. Gently spread into pie crusts. Freeze for at least 4 hours. 

To serve, run a knife under hot water, dry, and then slice the pie. Drizzle chocolate syrup over top of each slice.

You can use this recipe for any ice cream, so feel free to get creative! (I did chocolate ice cream with chopped mini Reeses.

Enjoy!!

Holiday Help!

Oh my goodness. In 3 days, we will be halfway through October. I don't know about you, but my life is stuck on fast forward! My investor and I had a financial discussion and agreed it would be prudent to plan out the next few months in advance, as there are a few big purchases in the future. (Ahem.... my fiancé and I decided to budget for Christmas because we want to do something awesome this year, lol.) I am becoming an extreme bargain shopper, so starting at least a month ahead lets me find the best deals for what we want to do.

Why the heck am I telling you guys this? Well, I figured that I could pass on my deals and amazing finds to you!!!

As you already know, I run a feature called Worth It Wednesday. To aid in your search for the perfect gift, I am going to showcase gift ideas in the Wednesday post. For example, this week is about a site that offers out of the ordinary items!

Also, I will be adding a feature on Fridays for activities or recipes to make your holidays shine. Keep an eye out this week for the first one!

Don't forget to follow me on BlogLovin so you don't miss anything!

Worth It Wednesday: Crazy Items Edition

So, this week I decided to be lazy and just search for interesting things on Google. Holy cow, did it pay off. The first site I found is a goldmine for wacky items that I didn't know existed!

Here's the site, which is full of not-your-average items. Instead of being a store, it is more like a showcase. When you click on an item, it takes you to Amazon.com to learn more and purchase.

There are a few items I have seen before, like the color-changing showerhead and the whiskey stones. But, it also features stuff like a jellyfish tank, a tree root chandelier, and a lockpick training kit. My personal favorite is the hidden door kit, which helps you make a bookshelf with a hidden doorway. I'm sorry, but I totally need that.

Hopefully this helps you find something creative for the people on your Christmas list! (hint: no one wants sweaters or socks when they could have a Batarang knife.)

Worth It Wednesday: Free gift cards!

Christmas is coming!!! I don't know about you, but I start to panic at the end of September. The next few months fly by for me, with my daughter's birthday, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and my birthday happening in rapid succession. So, if there is anything I can do to save money, I am all for it.

Amazon gift cards are my go-to for saving cash. They are easy to get if you know where to look, and can be used for so many great things. Today I am going to touch on a few of my favorite sites to get them for free!

1. Bing

If you don't know something, what do you do? Chances are you Google it. BUT, you don't get anything from it, besides information. With Bing, you can get paid to search. You get daily points that can be used for gift cards, sweepstakes, or travel points. Also, if you want to give back, you can donate to charity.

It takes a little over 2 weeks to earn a $5 Amazon card just by searching. You can earn it faster by referring friends!

2. MemoLink

This is a newer site for me, but so far I like it. Within 2 days, I have earned $5. Once you hit $10 you can cash out for gift cards.  MemoLink has various ways to earn, like shopping, surveys, and trials. Right now they have point deals for Halloween costumes, which is great because I will be buying 2 this month. Also, they have a bonus "game" that you earn by doing a 100+ point transaction (which is extremely easy).

3. InstaGC

This site is the easiest option for cashing out. You earn points by doing surveys, listening to radio stations, shopping, etc. Once you reach 100 points, you can trade it for a gift card, or build up your earnings. Also, you can get points by referrals, and by codes from this site.

Bonus Earnings!

If you are looking to earn money while having fun, I personally like Inbox Dollars. You can earn money for searching, playing games, surveys, even downloading apps. It takes a little bit of time to cash out (you have to reach $30 before you get the option), but you can get a check mailed to you, or a virtual gift card. Also, the games are through Game Show Network's site, which has opportunities to win money as well as cash out points earned for prizes.

I hope you enjoyed this week's post, and I hope it helps! Good luck and happy earning!!!

Worth It Wednesday + Review: Arbor Teas

I am so behind on my posts! So sorry, but life has a way of zooming by me right now. I think it's the newness of being a SAHM when everyone else is gone all day... I have no clue what month it is half the time, let alone the day.

Anyway, onward through the fog!!!

Today is a twofer: I ordered a few teas months ago, and finally got to try them, so I can review this as well. YAY!!

Today's Worth It Wednesday is Arbor Teas.

I have been on a crazy tea kick for about a year now, and I am always on the lookout for quality products without a steep price. This mama is on a budget! I stumbled onto Arbor Teas by accident. I went on a search binge after reading an article about loose leaf teas (yes, I am that lame, lol).

I only had a small amount of money to work with, but wanted to try something new. I looked at a few other companies (including a few well-known ones) but they were too pricey. I cannot afford to pay $15 for a full-sized tea I have never tried. If I don't like it, it gets wasted. I am the only tea lover in my house.

Wait... OMG!!! Arbor Teas has sample sizes?!?! Yup. You have the option of getting a small package of tea for a reasonable price. I ordered Crimson Berry Fruit Tisane and Vanilla Bean Black Tea. Both came in a mini bag (about the size of an average smartphone) with 6-8 servings. Both have instructions on the bag for how much to use and how hot your water should be.

Crimson Berry

I will admit, I am not a big fan of many fruit teas. I decided to give this a shot because it was the beginning of Summer, already hot, and reviews said this was good iced. The first time I made it, it was way too strong... because of a user error. I used too much tea and steeped it too long. Oops. I tried again, this time using a little less than recommended, for less time, and added sugar. Perfect. It is tangy and sweet without being bitter. This is a great tea for during the day.

Vanilla Bean

I chose this flavor on a whim. I wanted something rich and comforting. This is like a blanket to me. I love this tea! I have never had a vanilla black tea before, and I doubt I will find another one I like more than this one. The vanilla flavor is very mild, so the black tea flavor is more pronounced. It is a little strong (because black tea is strong, duh), but with a sweetener or even a dash of milk it is a perfect replacement for morning coffee. I also like it before bed (it does have caffeine, so if you are sensitive to its effects, I do not recommend drinking this at night).

The Company

Arbor Teas is a family-owned business out of Ann Arbor, Michigan. That being said, the customer service is amazing! I had issues with payment (my bank's fault), and I emailed them to make sure I didn't get overcharged. I wasn't really expecting a fast response, but Sarah responded within an hour. She not only addressed my worries, she told me that she had already packed up my order! Amazing.
(As a disclaimer, because this is a small company, and the family has small children, this may not always be the case. However, I mention this experience because it shows that they CARE about their customers, which is always worth talking about.)

Making Loose Leaf Tea Easier

This was a big concern for me when I was shopping. I didn't know if I had a tea strainer, and I was looking to spend less than $20. My solution: T-Sac Paper Filters. I had never heard of these before, but I am so glad I found them. It provides the ease of the tea bags you get in supermarkets while giving you the benefits of loose leaf tea. (If you don't know how loose is better, bag teas have preservatives as well as a muted flavor, among other things.) I like the convenience of these filters, and just like with a strainer, you can use the bags twice to get more bang for your buck. Then, you just toss them in the trash. Eventually I will get a strainer or diffuser, because I hate having more garbage. But, for now, this is a good option.

My Recommendations

If you like tea, or even if you want to try to incorporate tea into your daily life, I highly recommend trying out this company. Even if you try a sample and hate it, you only made a small investment. (If you don't like strong flavors, a good option is green tea with flavor. It's naturally lighter than black tea with a milder flavor.)

Also, Arbor Teas offers a Tea Of The Month Club. Each month, you get a full-sized tea (you can see the list on their page) sent to your door. When you do the math, it comes out to $16/month. Not a bad price. Avid tea lovers should check it out!

A Tale Of Two (Lost) Kitties

This is not a happy post. If you are sensitive to animal loss, please do not read.

At 3am, We lost my Goober. I knew it. I woke up to my father moving around in the living room, but couldn't bring myself to check. He had gotten worse the past few days, and even as we planned to take him to the vet, I knew he probably wouldn't make it through the night. Yesterday was spent sitting next to him, making sure he knew how much I loved him.

He had diabetes, and had been in the vet twice the past month because he wouldn't eat. This time around, it got bad way too fast. I had been handfeeding him. I figured out he couldn't see much anymore. Yesterday he could barely move, where he day before he was walking, even though he had been shaky.

It's hard when you feel helpless. Our car doesn't work, so we had to find someone who could take us to the vet.  He just couldn't hold on anymore. He was an older cat, and his entire life had been full of medical problems. His body had had enough.

This hurts even more because a month ago, my dad lost his best friend, Buster. Buster was one of a kind. He was wild when we got him, and it took a lot of work to tame him. He was a jerk, and insisted on having his own way, and we loved him. He had diabetes, but the day before he died, he went into shock. He had gone into remission. On top of that, he had an infection that caused problems.  He was having frequent seizures, and my dad decided to end his suffering. He held Buster, and even though the tech said he wouldn't know dad was there, in between the seizures, he put his paw on dad's chest like he always did.

Buster was Goober's father. I raised Goober from birth, and he and his brother were my partners in crime. His favorite food was peanut butter, and he could smell it a mile away. He was my shadow and his absence will be felt just as we feel Buster's.

 

 

This photo is Buster, Goober, and Peabody, taken a few years ago in my room. They sat on my bed for about an hour looking out the window, and I still don't know why. Peabody passed a little over a year ago.

 

I am no stranger to pet loss. Over the years, I have had 16 cats, 3 dogs, and 7 lizards. Each one hurt when they were gone, whether they died, ran away, or was taken by someone else. I still remember each one by name, and remember what they looked like. I will always love them. I will also always know that they felt love from me. And that gives me peace.

Worth It... Tuesday??? A Chomp Plate giveaway

I know, I'm a day early. I just needed to share this with you! I'll also find something good to share tomorrow. But this is too good to miss!

I found a giveaway for something called a Chomp Plate. Simply put, it's a plate that turns into a storage container. Anyone with kids knows that they ALWAYS have leftovers. This makes it way easier to save the food they can't eat.

Go enter now, mainly because I am unsure of the end date!

How To Do What's Best

In the past month, I have read a ridiculous amount of articles. Mainly because I have no life, but also because I have an insane amount of questions. The internet is the perfect place to get answers, right?

WRONG.

Everything I look up has advice, counter-advice, and crazy people saying that it's common sense and people are stupid to be looking for answers. It gets worse when you are searching for health symptoms. Everything comes down to YOU ARE DYING.

My main problem right now is with my baby. To be clear: my baby is not the problem. She is perfect, even when she isn't (parents understand this statement without explanation). My problem is the advice. I do not go one day without seeing at least 5 articles on my Facebook about how to raise babies (I am guilty of sharing them, too; I'll explain the reason later.) They range from how to feed your baby> where baby should sleep> how to carry baby> HOW OFTEN TO TOUCH BABY?!?! It's too much.

Add on to this that there are people in your face about how to raise your child as well, and it's overwhelming. You have well-meaning parents, friends, strangers, and doctors telling you what's best, and asking personal questions. If you let it, you will start to second guess yourself.

So... how do you know what's best for you?

Stop listening.

No one knows your life better than you. If you don't time your baby's feedings, that's okay. If you think the cry-it-out method is barbaric, that's fine. If you want to "spoil" your child, do it. It's your prerogative. This goes for everything in life. If you are not hurting anyone (feelings don't count), then it shouldn't matter.

So, why do I share all of these articles if I feel this way? I read them, say "this is nonsense, I'll never do that", and then pass it along because: EVERYONE HAS A CHOICE. I lean toward a more natural approach to parenting, but not everyone feels the way I do. I also remember what I was like with my first child. I was so confused that I listened to everyone else instead of following my intuition, and I still regret it. This time around, I followed my heart as well as chose my role models better. By sharing what I find, even if it doesn't work for me, I hope to help someone else find their own way.

Good luck to everyone in life, even if you don't have a child while reading this. This philosophy goes for all aspects of my life. You know yourself best, so why would you let someone else tell you how to live?

Updates for this week: Etsy shop is up!

Just a quick status update, since I have not been on for a few weeks.

We got hit by a huge storm where I live, and were without power for about 4 days. Our internet is still not working properly, so I will be postponing Worth It Wednesday until the first week of August. Sorry for the inconvenience. I promise that during the down time, I will find some awesome things to share!

Also, during the next few days, I will be opening my Etsy shop. To start with, I will be offering a few different tarot spreads. Later, I will be adding readings with a second deck, as well as rune stone readings. I will post the link below once it is live!

Have a great Fourth of July weekend, and be safe!!!


Update: Etsy shop is live!