Cutting Back and Going Green

Top 5 Young Adult E-Books

noreply@blogger.com (erinannie) — Mon, 12 Oct 2015 17:11:00 +0000

New York Times Best Sellers

The Fifth Wave by Rick Yancey

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it's the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth's last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie's only hope for rescuing her brother--or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey

The sequel to the New York Times bestselling The 5th Wave, hailed by Justin Cronin as “wildly entertaining.”

How do you rid the Earth of seven billion humans? Rid the humans of their humanity.

Surviving the first four waves was nearly impossible. Now Cassie Sullivan finds herself in a new world, a world in which the fundamental trust that binds us together is gone. As the 5th Wave rolls across the landscape, Cassie, Ben, and Ringer are forced to confront the Others’ ultimate goal: the extermination of the human race.

Cassie and her friends haven’t seen the depths to which the Others will sink, nor have the Others seen the heights to which humanity will rise, in the ultimate battle between life and death, hope and despair, love and hate.

Paper Towns by John Green

Quentin Jacobsen has spent a lifetime loving the magnificent Margo Roth Spiegelman from afar. So when she cracks open a window and climbs back into his life—summoning him for an ingenious campaign of revenge—he follows. When their all-nighter ends and a new day breaks, Margo has disappeared. But Q soon learns that there are clues—and they’re for him. Embarking on an exhilarating adventure to find her, the closer Q gets, the less he sees the girl he thought he knew.

From the author of "The Fault in Our Stars."

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

"You’re going to want to remember the title. Liars details the summers of a girl who harbors a dark secret, and delivers a satisfying, but shocking twist ending."
- Breia Brissey, Entertainment Weekly

A beautiful and distinguished family.
A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth.

We Were Liars is a modern, sophisticated suspense novel from New York Times bestselling author, National Book Award finalist, and Printz Award honoree E. Lockhart.
Read it. And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will become busier still.

Liesel Meminger is a foster girl living outside of Munich, who scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement.

In superbly crafted writing that burns with intensity, award-winning author Markus Zusak, author of I Am the Messenger, has given us one of the most enduring stories of our time.

Gifts for Men

noreply@blogger.com (erinannie) — Sat, 10 Oct 2015 20:18:00 +0000

Amazon Fire Stick
$39.99

The Amazon Fire TV Stick connects to your TV's HDMI port. It's an easy way to watch TV episodes and movies on Netflix, Amazon Video, HBO GO, and Hulu, plus games, music, and more.

If you want to cut the cord, and stop paying for cable TV, the Fire TV Stick is the way to go.
You can bring the Fire TV Stick with you to watch your favorites away from home, even in hotels and dorm rooms.
Amazon Prime members get unlimited access to Prime Video, including original programming like Transparent, plus over 1 million songs with Prime Music.

iGrill2

$74.99

(or get the iGrill mini for $34.34)

This BBQ companion is the answer to precision grilling. The iGrill works with bluetooth so that dad can monitor the internal temperature of his favorite cuts from his phone. Now, he’s guaranteed to have the exact medium-rare steak he’s been craving.
Four probe capability to easily track more than one temperature at once including two pro-level meat probes to resist higher heat and steam
Use preset or custom temperature alarms with a min and max temperature settings of -22° F (-30°C) to 572° F (300°C)
150 foot Bluetooth smart range with a 200 hour battery life
Magnetic mounting with illuminated display to quickly view temperature progression
Compatible with iOS devices (iPhone 4S+, iPad mini, iPad 3+ and iPod touch 5+) and most Bluetooth Smart Ready Android devices running 4.3+

Dollar Shave Club

Beauty Deals

noreply@blogger.com (erinannie) — Fri, 09 Oct 2015 16:00:00 +0000

Did you know there is an entire page on Amazon that shares beauty coupons?
You don't need a coupon to take advantage of the special deals. Instead, Amazon gives you the price on many items that you would need a coupon to get on sale in a local store.

Check it out!

10 Uses for Vinegar

noreply@blogger.com (erinannie) — Thu, 08 Oct 2015 17:57:00 +0000

Ten Great Ways to Clean With Vinegar

Remove crayon marks from clothes with a few dabs of vinegar.
Remove stickers and price tags by dabbing a little vinegar on the sticker.
Disinfect cutting boards by wiping it down with vinegar after every use.
Wash away mildew from your shower curtain by spraying vinegar on it after you bathe..
Remove stains from pots and pans by mixing 1 cup vinegar 2 tbs baking soda 1 cup water.
Peel off wallpaper by mixing equal parts of water and vinegar and spraying directly onto the wallpaper.
Clean and disinfect baby toys. Then rinse them well so babies don't taste it when they put them in their mouths.
Fabric softener by adding about 1/4 cup of vinegar to your laundry load to soften your fabric.
Gum remover — spray vinegar on the area where the gum is stuck & the gum will dissolve.
Get shinier, streak-free glasses by adding a cup of vinegar to your dishwasher with each load.

12 Uses for Clear Nail Polish

noreply@blogger.com (erinannie) — Wed, 07 Oct 2015 17:48:00 +0000

12 Uses for clear nail polish, besides using it on your nails! Great DIY life hacks!
Check out Joni's website: www.jonihilton.com
Visit her Facebook: http://on.fb.me/1bXAsXd

Popular Children's No Gender Halloween Costumes Under $20

noreply@blogger.com (erinannie) — Tue, 06 Oct 2015 17:32:00 +0000

Despicable Me 2 Minion Costume (no gender)
$19.75

Star Wars Darth Vader Costume (no gender) $16.60

Harry Potter Robes $17.21

Olaf from Frozen $19.50

5 Non-Fiction Books You Should Be Reading

noreply@blogger.com (erinannie) — Mon, 05 Oct 2015 13:48:00 +0000

26 Very Important Nonfiction Books You Should be Reading - Buzzfeed

Amazon Best Sellers: Non-fiction

New York Times Best Sellers- paperback non-fiction

Yes, Please by Amy Poehler

Do you want to get to know the woman we first came to love on Comedy Central's Upright Citizens Brigade? Do you want to spend some time with the lady who made you howl with laughter on Saturday Night Live, and in movies like Baby Mama, Blades of Glory, and They Came Together? Do you find yourself daydreaming about hanging out with the actor behind the brilliant Leslie Knope on Parks and Recreation? Did you wish you were in the audience at the last two Golden Globes ceremonies, so you could bask in the hilarity of Amy's one-liners?

If your answer to these questions is "Yes Please!" then you are in luck. In her first book, one of our most beloved funny folk delivers a smart, pointed, and ultimately inspirational read. Full of the comedic skill that makes us all love Amy, Yes Please is a rich and varied collection of stories, lists, poetry (Plastic Surgery Haiku, to be specific), photographs, mantras and advice. With chapters like "Treat Your Career Like a Bad Boyfriend," "Plain Girl Versus the Demon" and "The Robots Will Kill Us All" Yes Please will make you think as much as it will make you laugh. Honest, personal, real, and righteous,Yes Please is full of words to live by

Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell

There is a story that is usually told about extremely successful people, a story that focuses on intelligence and ambition. Gladwell argues that the true story of success is very different, and that if we want to understand how some people thrive, we should spend more time looking around them-at such things as their family, their birthplace, or even their birth date. And in revealing that hidden logic, Gladwell presents a fascinating and provocative blueprint for making the most of human potential.

In The Tipping Point Gladwell changed the way we understand the world. In Blink he changed the way we think about thinking. In OUTLIERS he transforms the way we understand success.

The Ugly Game by Heidi Blake and Jonathan Calvert

When the tiny desert state of Qatar won the rights to host the 2022 World Cup, the news was greeted with shock and disbelief. How had a country with almost no soccer infrastructure or tradition, a high terror risk, and searing summer temperatures, beaten more established countries with stronger bids? The story behind the Qatari success soon developed into a global news sensation.

In 2014 The Sunday Times Insight team in the UK spilled the secrets of a bombshell cache of hundreds of millions of secret documents, which were leaked by a whistleblower. In forensic detail, they reported how Mohamed Bin Hammam, Qatar’s top soccer official, used his position to help secure the votes that Qatar needed to win the bid. The investigative team spent three months painstakingly piecing together Bin Hammam’s activities and reporting on cash handouts, lavish junkets, and evidence of payments to soccer officials around the world.

Now in this remarkable book by The Sunday Times journalists at the center of the investigation, Heidi Blake and Jonathan Calvert, comes a comprehensive account of what happened and who was involved. A bestseller in the UK, The Ugly Game is undoubtedly the biggest sporting story of recent times.

The Last Act of Love by Cathy Rentzenbrink

In the summer of 1990, Cathy's brother Matty was knocked down by a car on the way home from a night out. It was two weeks before his GCSE results, which turned out to be the best in his school. Sitting by his unconscious body in hospital, holding his hand and watching his heartbeat on the monitors, Cathy and her parents willed him to survive. They did not know then that there are many and various fates worse than death. This is the story of what happened to Cathy and her brother, and the unimaginable decision that she and her parents had to make eight years after the night that changed everything. It's a story for anyone who has ever watched someone suffer or lost someone they loved or lived through a painful time that left them forever changed. Told with boundless warmth and affection, The Last Act of Love by Cathy Rentzenbrink is a heartbreaking yet uplifting testament to a family's survival and the price we pay for love.

The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James

The improbable, intimate account of how nine working-class boys from the American West showed the world at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin what true grit really meant.

It was an unlikely quest from the start. With a team composed of the sons of loggers, shipyard workers, and farmers, the University of Washington’s eight-oar crew team was never expected to defeat the elite teams of the East Coast and Great Britain, yet they did, going on to shock the world by defeating the German team rowing for Adolf Hitler. The emotional heart of the tale lies with Joe Rantz, a teenager without family or prospects, who rows not only to regain his shattered self-regard but also to find a real place for himself in the world. Drawing on the boys’ own journals and vivid memories of a once-in-a-lifetime shared dream, Brown has created an unforgettable portrait of an era, a celebration of a remarkable achievement, and a chronicle of one extraordinary young man’s personal quest.

Can You Refreeze Thawed Foods?

noreply@blogger.com (erinannie) — Fri, 02 Oct 2015 16:58:00 +0000

Can you refreeze thawed foods?
According to the New York Times Well Column - yes!

Ironing Tips and Tricks

noreply@blogger.com (erinannie) — Mon, 07 Sep 2015 16:25:00 +0000

Ironing Tips and Tricks - Your YouTube Mom shows you how to use a flat iron (for hair) to iron hard-to-reach places on our clothing.

What Kind of Paint is Best for You?

noreply@blogger.com (erinannie) — Mon, 17 Aug 2015 16:28:00 +0000

What Kind of Paint is Best? Your YouTube Mom tells you which kind of paint is best for which room, and which surface. Learn all the types of sheen and why you use different ones on different surfaces.

How to Store Plastic Bags

noreply@blogger.com (erinannie) — Mon, 03 Aug 2015 16:23:00 +0000

How to Store Plastic Bags - Joni Hilton shows you a slick trick to keep them compact and tidy.
Check out her website: www.jonihilton.com

How to Store Tablecloths

noreply@blogger.com (erinannie) — Fri, 24 Jul 2015 16:35:00 +0000

What is the best way to store tablecloths so they don't wrinkle? Your YouTube Mom Joni Hilton gives you some tips.

Cool Uses for Ice Cube Trays

noreply@blogger.com (erinannie) — Mon, 01 Jun 2015 16:20:00 +0000

Joni Hilton shows you neat tricks for storing foods in ice cube trays!
Check out her website: www.jonihilton.com

Chocolate Wontons

noreply@blogger.com (erinannie) — Fri, 04 Apr 2014 23:59:00 +0000

It's time for me to come clean.
I'm addicted to Thai food.
I could eat Thai food all day every day and never tire of it. I just love it.
Unfortunately I'm a girl on a very tight budget and I just can't afford to order Thai delivery every day, no matter how much I crave panang curry.
So, being a frugal and adventurous person, I thought I'd look up a few recipes, buy a few ingredients, and learn to make panang curry and wonton soup myself.
Let's just say it's a work in progress and I haven't succeeded yet. Not even close.
Meanwhile, I bought a lot of wonton wrappers that won't live forever. And I don't have the courage to try making Thai-style wontons again for a while.
So I looked up some fun recipes that would use my wonton wrappers. And these recipes passed my idiot-test (aka- I successfully made them). And since they were so cheap and affordable, I thought I'd share them here.

Chocolate Wontons
10 wonton wrappers (I found mine in the vegetarian refrigerated section of Whole Foods)
1 small bag of Ghiradelli chocolates (individually wrapped) (I picked Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt Caramels, but you can pick whichever one floats your boat)
1 tablespoon butter

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Unwrap your chocolates.
Try not to eat them.
Spread a dab of butter inside a flat wonton wrapper.
Place one chocolate in the middle of a fresh wonton wrapper.
Fold and pinch shut the wonton wrapper around the chocolate.
Spread a little dab of butter on the outside of the wonton wrapper.
Bake on a non-stick pan for 5-8 minutes. Just long enough for the chocolate to melt on the inside.

OR
Instead of baking it, you can fry the wontons (I prefer to fry it in butter). Also delicious.

Check out this Better Homes and Gardens fancier version called Chocolate Pillows. Just call my version the idiot-proof wontons!

(Sorry no picture. I ate them all too fast!)

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How to Use Herbs

noreply@blogger.com (erinannie) — Tue, 01 Apr 2014 22:19:00 +0000

A great guide on how to use herbs - both dried and fresh grown - by Your YouTube Mom (and my friend), Joni Hilton.

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Soup and Cracker Bowl

noreply@blogger.com (erinannie) — Tue, 17 Dec 2013 23:56:00 +0000

I have discovered the most awesome thing ever.
I'm pretty sure you could give this to just about anyone. Difficult Secret Santa gift needed? How is this not the perfect gift for everyone?
Behold, the soup and cracker bowl!

$12 on Amazon, plus free shipping with Amazon Prime!

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For the person who has everything (including first world problems)

noreply@blogger.com (erinannie) — Fri, 13 Dec 2013 04:57:00 +0000

So this exists.
I want to mock it.
And yet... I know people I might buy it for.

"Digital Pedestal Stand" aka the iPad and toilet paper roll holder.
$39.99 on Amazon, and is Amazon Prime eligible. So you can get free shipping and have it there in 2 days.
I suppose if hotels can put a fancy TV in a bathroom without shame, people can have iPad toilet paper holders.

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The Most Awesome Thing You Never Knew You Needed- Shower Shaving Foot Rest

noreply@blogger.com (erinannie) — Wed, 27 Nov 2013 01:20:00 +0000

Last year I brought you the "Tip and Grip" as the affordable, awesome, gift that you never knew you wanted and knew you would love.

And now I have found this year's awesome gift.

Ladies, meet the Safe-er Grip Foot Rest.
It's a step you adhere to the shower wall to put your foot on while you shave. HOW AWESOME IS THIS?

And it only costs $10.24, and available through Amazon Prime, which means fast, free shipping!

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How to Save on Cyber Monday

noreply@blogger.com (erinannie) — Wed, 27 Nov 2013 01:05:00 +0000

Looking for some good deals on Cyber Monday? Check out this infographic from Coupons.com!

And don't miss their blog post on the do's and don't's for CyberMonday!

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Clever Pumpkin Ideas from Joni Hilton "Your YouTube Mom"

noreply@blogger.com (erinannie) — Fri, 22 Nov 2013 16:52:00 +0000

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10 Ways to Teach Your 10 Year Old About Money

noreply@blogger.com (erinannie) — Thu, 21 Nov 2013 17:30:00 +0000

When it comes to having kids, it seems like the days go by painfully slow, but the years go by incredibly fast. That’s why there’s no better time than the present to start teaching your kids about money. Money lessons learned in childhood will stay with them through the rest of their lives.

One of the most important things you can do is to make sure you tailor your teaching to your child’s age. Ten years old is a great time to start introducing really exciting financial concepts to your kids in a simple, fun way.

Read "10 Ways to Teach Your 10 Yr Old About Money" at the FlexScore Blog here.

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2 for 1 sale on eShakti dresses!

noreply@blogger.com (erinannie) — Wed, 20 Nov 2013 13:47:00 +0000

Need a new dress? Need a dress that doesn't show all your goods and then some?
It's time to check out eShakti and their awesome customizable dresses!

Here is what the Little Navy Sheath Dress looks like on their site -

And here is what it looks like on me-

Not only did the color change (and I added a belt), but you might also notice it suddenly has sleeves, and is a little bit longer.

This is the magic of eShakti. YOU CAN CUSTOMIZE EVERYTHING (for just $7.50)!!!
You can add sleeves, change the neckline and/or the length of the dress, plus add or remove pockets, to make the dress suit you.

But that's not all folks!

You can also have the dress custom FIT to you!
Instead of picking size 2, 10, or 18, etc., you have the option of putting in your exact measurements, and having the dress custom fit precisely to you.

I have always had a difficult time finding dresses that fit me. I am short, but with long legs, and a very curvy torso. Finding dresses and skirts that reach my knee is a total joke. Finding dresses or shirts that fit me through the bust, and with my narrow shoulders? Never happened. All of my dresses are either too big in the shoulders, or the waist hits in the wrong place, etc. I usually just compromise with empire waist, or no-waist wrap dresses, and make do.

When I put my measurements in to eShakti I discovered my waist was a size 8, my shoulders a size 10, my bust a size 18, and my hips are size 12. No wonder nothing ever fits!

Which is why I LOVE my eShakti dresses that not only fit me, but actually hit at my real waist and hips as well. The measurements even take into account the distance between waist and hips, so the waist of my dresses actually are on my waist, and not around my hips (like what happens with most of my dresses).

Now, keeping in mind that I am a) not a model, b) not thin, c) not a photographer, d) not very good with any sort of photo editing service, I now share with you what I look like in my eShakti dresses, compared to my other regular clothes. (Also, I could really use a haircut.)

This is the "Ponte Knit Sheath Dress." This is the same as my red dress above, but I chose a different neckline and slightly different sleeves.

And here is what I look like in a regular sheath dress that isn't custom fit to me.

Okay, so the picture isn't as bad as I want you to see. I'm really not photogenic so the good and bad are all just mediocre bad! Anyway, in this second dress, the black one, it's too curvy, with fat rolls. I look much thinner, and have a much better silhouette in the eShakti dress.

This next dress is the eShakti "Virginia" dress ($74.95). I LOVE this dress. I have never been able to wear a dress with a full or pleated skirt before, because the waist is usually around my hips, and therefore too wide, and really just looks BAD. I still have unfortunately wide hips, but it helps a lot to have the waist fit just right to make it look much more flattering than the alternative.

And here's the closest thing I have to a similar cut dress-

I like how the eShakti dress has a less revealing neckline, but is still a slimming v-neck (important to us full-figured girls). You can see in the second dress that the waist is right around my hips, making me look considerably wider than necessary.

And this last dress is the eShakti Havana dress. I bought this one for my 20th high school reunion. It got tons of compliments. It's just the right combination of modest/not too revealing, and party/sexy. I LOVE this dress. (I just wish I had a better picture in it.)

I don't have anything to compare this dress to because I've never dared to wear anything like it before. It definitely shows off my curves! (A lot!)

Here's a few more details to know- these dresses are VERY comfortable. As in, I'm still sitting here in the Havana dress right now because it's probably the most comfortable dress I own. I love it.

Did I mention it has pockets? And a side-zip?

And they are not dry-clean only. You can wash these at home and hang dry them.

I love them.

So why am I telling you all of this?

Because eShakti is having a 2 for 1 sale.

And they have free shipping.

So in 10 days from now you could own 3 custom-fit, gorgeous dresses, for less than $150. And you know you want that. You want it a lot.

Full disclaimer- I like eShakti enough that I am excited that I just got accepted to be an affiliate marketer for them. (But I've been talking them up long before I even applied to be an affiliate for them.)

So go get yourself some awesome dresses for the holidays. YOU KNOW YOU WANT ONE!!!

I know that I want this one- (I just added it to my Amazon Wish List.)
Retro Plaid Shirtdress- $129. (I would change the sleeves to elbow length, take the "remove embellishment" option, and make it knee length. And of course have it custom fit to me. That would only be an extra $7.50. Oh and every time you buy from them they send you coupons for your next order, so I'll be taking at least $25 off the price to start with.)

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How to Open a Stuck Jar Lid- from Your YouTube Mom

noreply@blogger.com (erinannie) — Sun, 17 Nov 2013 16:47:00 +0000

Get more helpful and great tips from Joni Hilton, "Your YouTube Mom," on her YouTube channel- http://www.youtube.com/user/jonimhilton

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50% off Night-Out and Cocktail Dresses

noreply@blogger.com (erinannie) — Sat, 16 Nov 2013 16:42:00 +0000

Who needs a new dress for all the holiday parties coming up?

Who needs to find a good deal on a dress because they have to save a few bucks for all the expenses at Christmas?

Look no further!

50% off party dresses on Amazon until Monday!

For instance, this gorgeous dress normally $143, on sale for $51. Plus it's Amazon Prime eligible, so FREE SHIPPING!

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Christmas Craft

noreply@blogger.com (erinannie) — Wed, 13 Nov 2013 00:44:00 +0000

The problem: Too many different styles of Christmas decor. The answer: re-purposing and revamping it so it all fits my style & donating what I know I won’t use. Enter: the DIY Christmas garland from scraps of ribbon.

Check out the solution over at a Frugal Lifestyle Blog.

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