Anyone Know of Some Good Etsy Shops??

I need your help! I moved last summer and I still don't have many things on my bedrooms walls. I know there are tons of great etsy shops out there, but it takes an eternity to search through all of them! Do any of you know of anyone that has one with wall decor??

Week One of 2012 and I am Sticking to My Resolutions :)

So I know it is only week 1 of the new year, but so far I have met one of my monthly goals of donating to a charity by renewing my membership in the World Wildlife Fund. I made my donation for the month of January today for $17. Its not a lot, but it will sure help with something I bet! Oh and look at the cute bags they are sending me as a thank you:

How cute are those!!!

The shopping thing is a little bit harder. I did buy some throw pillows for the couch today at Target, but I got 2 for $12.99 so that's a pretty good deal right? Oh and WBshop.com had my new obsession, The Big Bang Theory, on sale for only $14, so I had to buy seasons 1-3 of that. I am calling it good for now though! No more buying anything for me except groceries until next paycheck. We will see how well that works out :).

The blogging more goal is going strong since this is, I believe, my fourth post of the new year.

I also plan on using coupons at the grocery store and buying the ingredients to try out a new recipe for this week, so we will count those as good too :).

Finally, my last resolution was to get more organized and with nothing on the agenda for tomorrow, I plan on getting some cleaning and organization done then.

One week down, only 51 more to go!!

Love Wine?? Check this out!!

Brought To By Wine.com, Purveyors of Fine Wine and Champagne

If you are a wine drinker I found this great web site where you can find many wine options among numerous other things! Right now they even have a year end clearance going on so you can get up to 50% off select wines! Oh and your first order shipping is only a penny!!! You pretty much can't beat that! So head to Wine.com now and check it out!!

Welcome 2012!!! Time for some new goals!!

As I posted yesterday, I made a lot of goals last year and if you read my post, you know many of them didn't quite pan out. So of course since I was so successful last year, I figured I would make another list of goals for this year! So here they are, things I want to accomplish in 2012 (oh and I will spare you the traditional lose weight, eat better, etc. type :) ):

1. BLOG MORE!!!!

I have fallen so far behind with my blogging its ridiculous. Although it is only January 2 and I am two for two for the year so far, so that's an improvement right? I plan on posting reviews on various items including products, books, movies, and TV shows. Although I've decided that I think I will take this season off from "Idol Live with Nicole". Its just too time consuming and I seem to be losing interest in the show. I will be posting various ramblings, recipes, and other sorts of randomness so stay tuned and please, please leave me some comments so I know that I still have readers!!! I LOVE when you all leave me comments!!! I also plan on getting back into keeping up with the blogs I follow also. Love those giveaways you all have!!

2.  Become More Organized!

OK so I know this is one of those traditional ones that many people make, but I really need to do it! Last summer I moved from a one bedroom to a two bedroom apartment, so I have more storage space now so this is a goal that I should be able to meet. In the next few months I plan on going through all my clothes and donating a ton of them. I have way too many and if I haven't worn it in over a year, chances are I won't miss it right?

3. Shop Less!!!!

I absolutely LOVE shopping. There are of course things I buy that I actually need, but I also buy things just because I want them. Now I know we all do this, but I need to cut back on the "want" things. I've decided that I am going to make a "wish list" of the things that I want to buy and then buy one or two items, depending on cost, with each paycheck. This way I won't splurge, but will still get the things I want. This Christmas I don't think I used credit cards at all so I have been basically broke the last few weeks so I haven't done a lot of personal shopping. This being said, my goal should be easy to meet! Oh and I will not be buying any "want" items unless they are on sale!!

4. Try Out A New Recipe Every Two Weeks

I would say I would try a new recipe every week, but that won't happen with me. So every two weeks is more realistic. I live alone so cooking for one seems like a waste of time sometimes, but leftovers always make good, cheap lunch options! I have tons of cookbooks too so I might as well use them right? I will post some of the ones that turn out good for you all to try out also :)

5. Start Couponing Again

I went through a phase where I was couponing pretty regularly, but then stopped for some reason. So starting with this weeks grocery trip, I will be back to using coupons. I absolutely love it when I can get my toiletries and some of my food items for free to close to it. I did hear that Kroger will be done with their doubling up to a $1 though sometime soon, so that bums me out :(. Saving some money is better than none though!

6. Donate to Charity Monthly

This was one of my goals from last year and like I mentioned I did somewhat well with it, but then got behind the second part of the year. I am ready to get back to it starting with this weeks check though! I have received so many free gifts from various charities lately so I guess its time I pay them back :).

So there are a few goals I have for this year. They all seem reasonable so there really is no reason why I can't make them happen!!

What are some of your goals for this year?? Please share below, I would love to hear them!!!

Let's See How I Did on Last Year's Resolutions.... :)

Happy New Year everyone!! Hope you all had a happy and safe New Year's Eve. I personally hung out at home, but that was fine with me :). So tomorrow I will be posting my resolutions for 2012, but before I do that I thought I would see how I did on last years goals. I went back through my blog to refresh my memory on what they were, so here we go:

1. Lose some weight/get more in shape:

 

Negative....although I don't think I gained any so I guess that's something right :)

 

 

2. Try to be more optimistic:

 

Hmmm yea this may have happened at the beginning of the year, but can't say I made it all 365 days with a postive outlook :(

3. Go to a Detroit Tigers game!!!

 

YES!!!! I did make it to a game this season. The Sunday of opening weekend to be exact :). They lost, but always a good time! Oh and they made it to the playoffs so maybe I need to go to opening weekend every season!

 

 

4. Go on vacation somewhere!

 

Negative!! Although I spent a good chunk of money moving and buying new furniture so I guess that's something. That by the way, was not one of my goals last year.

 

 

5. Make it "up north" again this summer:

 

Didn't make it up to Higgins Lake this summer, but thats partly because my BFF was prego throughout the summer and had an absolutely ADORABLE baby girl Taylor :).

6. Blog more!!!!

 

Hmm well I think I started out the year pretty well with the updates. My "Child of the 90's" posts were and still are pretty successful. Really got behind on the blogging towards the second half of the year though. I am determined to get back to it though! Stick with me my lovely readers!!

7. So for my last resolution I decided this year I am going to donate to a different charity every month.

 

Well I did this for about the first six months of the year. Then I moved and fell really behind on it. I do have an automatic donation taken from my account once a month to the Childrens Miracle Network so at least I was still somewhat chartiable! Gonna try this one again too this year!!

 

 

So looks like I wasn't too successful this past year. Hopefully 2012, I stick to the resolutions!!! I guess the fact that some goals were met is better than none though right??

 

How about you?? DId you stick to your resolutions from 2011?? Leave me a comment and let me know!!!

 

Stay tuned for this years goals/ resolutions!!!

House Flipping

Guest post from: Steve Delaney

I’ve grown up listening to my grandfather talk about how when he was down on his luck he would pick himself up by his bootstraps and try again. Thanks Grandpa for the guidance that you provided all those years ago, because now, that is exactly what I’m going to do. After my company closed its doors, I thought that my world would crumble around me. However, thanks to my Dad teaching me how to be a saver, I’ve now got a small fund to start out on my own. With my expertise being in the construction industry, there were not very many places that I could turn to for employment. Instead, I’ve decided to take matters into my own hands. I’ve done a lot of research lately on flipping houses and with my knowledge of construction and the small amount of funds that I’ve managed to stock away; I think that I’ll be able to turn a profit easily. However, being in the construction industry, I am also very aware of the theft problems surrounding new and renovated properties. To protect my new investment, I did a search for home security SYSTEMS indiana and found a company that could install a security system in my newly purchased home. Now that I have the peace of mind that a security system is in my new house, I can focus on making the necessary renovations so that I can resale the house for a profit.

My 5 Monday!!! - Fave things of 2011!

Wow it has been a long time!!! I hope I actually still have people that read my actual posts!! Well I thought it was about time to do some year in review posts so what better way to start than with "My 5 Monday"!! This week I will be discussing my 5 favorite discoveries of 2011. These may be brand new things from this year, or they could be a few years old, but I just recently discovered them! Enjoy!!

1. iPhone 4S

This is the first iPhone I have ever owned. I have had ATT for as long as I can remember, but I just now got the iPhone. I figured if I was going to wait as long as I did to get it, I might as well get the newest one right? Let me just say, I LOVE it. I seriously discover something new just about every day. There really is an app for everything!! You want to reward me for walking into stores Shopkick app? Alright I will accept! You want to provide me with basically a free GPS system, Mapquest app? I will accept!! Oh and don't even get me started on my addiction to Words with Friends (which is actually Scrabble with a diff name!). Siri is pretty cool too. She answers most of my questions and the ones she doesn't now the answer to, she apologizes. I actually ask her random things every now and then just to see what she says :). I love you iPhone!!

2. The Big Bang Theory

Yes I am aware this show has been on for, I believe, five seasons now. However, I just started watching it recently (gotta love syndication!!). It is becoming my new favorite show though!! It takes a lot to knock out Friends, but this one may be coming close to it (actually nothing really beats Friends, but this one isn't far behind). I don't know what the heck they are talking about a good amount of time, but somehow it still entertains me greatly. This show actually makes me laugh out loud. Sheldon, Leonard, Penny, and their friends that dress like they are from "That 70's Show", are just too funny!! If you have yet to see it, I HIGHLY recommend it!!!

3. Social Network

I am aware that this movie came out last year. I also am aware that it was nominated for multiple Oscars. Still, I was hesitant to believe that a movie about Facebook could actually entertain me. I was wrong. It started out slow, but once Justin Timberlake entered the scene, it got a lot better (as do most things). Like "The Big Bang Theory", I don't know what the heck they are saying sometimes, but that doesn't seem to stop me from watching it and being intrigued. Pretty cool to see how Facebook actually got started too! Once again, I recommend watching!!

4. The Voice

Watch out American Idol, The Voice is right in your rear view mirror! This show first caught my interest with the previews and the fact that they had FOUR current, popular singers as judges. I mean American Idol got better this season, but Steven Tyler is a little dated isn't he?? The Voice judges consist of Adam Levine from Maroon 5, Cee Lo Green, Christina Aguilara, and Blake Shelton. All pretty big names in their respectable genres. Add in the fact that everyone can sing pretty darn well and you have an amazing show! Of course the concept of the show is for the judges to pick their teams based on voice alone and not on looks. Looks and personality can of course play a part in the later rounds, but they were originally picked on their voices, and all the contestants this year were great. Javier Colon was the winner of this season (who you can check out below...AMAZING!!!). The show will be back for a second season this winter, premiering after the Super Bowl. Can't get a better lead in than that now can you??

5. Detroit Tigers

    

So I am obsessed with the Detroit Tigers, and this season they did not disappoint. They started out a little slow, but had a fantastic second half. They made it to the playoffs, beat the Yankees in the first round before getting knocked out in a tooth and nail fight by the Texas Rangers. MY Tiger, Justin Verlander, had an amazing season himself, which included a no hitter. He ended the season by winning both the Cy Young award and the AL MVP. He will also be gracing the cover of MLB 2K12 next year, which I will be buying for that reason alone. Looking forward to next season!!!

So there you have it, my completely random list of favorite things from 2011. What were some of your favorite things of the year, be it new things from 2011, or things you just discovered in 2011? Let me know in the comments, that way I will know people actually read this thing still!!!