Breakfast: Bologna Omelets

Lately, I've been in a bit of a breakfast rut. So, I've found myself defaulting to the quick, easy, and completely unhealthy "biscuit" for breakfast. Done with it.

I was trolling the internet and found a recipe over at Mr. Breakfast that I'd like to share! I'm not a fan of eggs by themselves. I always have to pair them with something. Lucky for me, I'm a fan of "fried bologna"! Per the original recipe, this yields two servings. It's going to yield 6 servings for me. I made a few changes to the recipe.

Bologna Omelets

8 slices bologna (get the turkey kind, less calories!)

3 large eggs

2 tablespoons milk

chopped Vidalia Onion 

Shredded Mild Cheddar Cheese

Pinch of Salt

Have an un-greased muffin tin ready! 

In a non-stick skillet or on a griddle set to medium heat, cook six slices of bologna until the center puffs. 

Meanwhile, chop the two remaining slices of bologna into smaller pieces.  Chop the onions, too! 

Place each of the heated bologna slices in its own muffin cup. 

In a small bowl, beat three eggs and add milk and salt. Stir in the chopped bologna and onion. 

 

 Pour egg mixture into bologna cups. 

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 15 - 20 minutes (or until the eggs are set). 

Top with shredded cheese and let bake until cheese is melted. 

Enjoy! 

 

 

Subscription Box: Beauty Army March 2013

The Beauty Army subscription was referred to me by a friend. The biggest perk is being able to pick the six samples that will be sent to you. I found no discount codes for Beauty Army, so I purchased this box at full price ($12).

Beauty Army allows you to pick six "categories" of samples (i.e. Nails, Body, Hair, Makeup, Men, Anti-Aging, Masks, Moisturizers, etc.). I had to manipulate my category selections about ten times before I was able to get the samples I wanted. (Truth be told, it's a little aggravating.) Beauty Army emails you once a month to let you know when your new samples are available to choose. If you don't see anything that appeals to you, you have the option of skipping the month. You also have the option to cancel your subscription at any time.

Moving on to the good stuff.

This is what the box looked like when it was taken out of the postal box it came in. 

Truth be told, this box will be re-purposed. It's a hard cardboard with a flip top. 

Could come in handy for storing small samples I receive or even for organizing pictures! 

 Here's a quick glimpse of everything that came inside.

I haven't calculated the full value of the box, but it's worth more than 

I paid for it. I promise.

 This is New York Streets Dry Shampoo. This is not a "Sample size".

This is a full-size product. I've seen retail values for it for anywhere from

$15-18. This product alone is worth more than the $12 price tag attached to the box.

(Note: I used this product today, and I like it. I don't LOVE it, but it's definitely worth having on hand. I love that it doesn't make my hair "grey" like other dry shampoos. I don't love the smell.)

 The mister gets bummed when I get all of these awesome things in the mailbox,

so I chose "men" as one of my categories, and this was the only thing available.

Honestly, not a fan of the name, but the scent is pretty legit!

This is a sample of Yes to Blueberries Eye Firming Treatment. 

I saw the full-size in my local Target. I'm pretty anxious to try this one! 

I'm a sucker for anything that has the potential to prevent crow's feet. 

Judge me if you want.

 This sample of Amlactin Moisturizing Body Lotion. 

The full-size (7.9 oz) retails for around $15 at Walgreen's. 

The value of this sample is around $2.25.  

This is a Mark. Scanda-Lash Hook-up in Black. This is a full-size product. 

The value of this product on the Mark. website is around $7. 

Beauty Army also provided the small hook up, so a lipgloss

or additional mascara can be attached to the other side. 

 The last item in the box is an Enspri dual sample. 

One side is a moisture locking serum, and the other side is an anti-wrinkle moisturizer. 

The anti-wrinkle moisturizer retails for $42 for a 2 oz. bottle. 

Thus, the cost of this sample (both sides) is around $3. 

The estimated value of this box is somewhere between $25 - $30. I'm satisfied with this purchase. Do I think this will be a regular monthly purchase? Honestly, no. I'm not completely thrilled with the sample selection. I will probably continue to receive the emails, so I can be aware of new samples, and just opt out of boxes until I see something I'm really eager to try.

NOTE: This product review was not solicited by Beauty Army. I am not affiliated with Beauty Army or any other beauty subscription.  This review contains only my honest review of products I purchased.

Subscription Review: Julep Maven Box x2

In a previous post, I mentioned a Julep Maven subscription box. The cost of the box is $20 per month. I also mentioned using the code JULESVIP to get your first box for only $4 (shipping included)!

I'm a sucker for a great deal and the opportunity to try new products.  Needless to say, I ordered two Julep Maven boxes (Classic with a Twist and It Girl). Both came on the same day. Unfortunately, I was so excited to get to the goodies, the "unboxing" photos are courtesy of my iPhone. However, I did take better pictures of the actual polish colors and products inside the box.

The Retail Value of my "Classic with a Twist" box is $50. This is what came inside! 

This is the initial "unboxing". Again, sincere apologies for the poor photo quality. 

The contents: 

 

 The box contained two polishes. Retail Value $14 each.

 Color #1: Claudette

 Color #2: Helen

 

 

 This box also included a Warming Food Scrub (which is INCREDIBLE!) with a Retail Value of $20ish bucks!  (I just want to add that I used this, and my feet felt soft for days, literally.)

 

 Lastly, each box contained a sample of the Glycolic Hand Scrub. I tried one packet, left my hands feeling as smooth as my feet! 

 

The Retail Value of my "It Girl" box is $42. This is what came inside! (plus a sample of the Glycolic Hand Scrub!)

Initial "unboxing" (Sorry! Picture isn't great!)

 

Here's what was inside:

 

 The first polish is a Trina Turk polish "Eileen" from the Fall '12 line. While it says "Fall", I used it under the gold glitter, and it looked fabulous! 

Color #2: Sasha

 Color #3: Oscar (I think that's a very appropriate name for this polish color!)

 

 Overall, I was very satisfied with the quality of the products in each of the boxes.  I wish I could splurge and keep even one of the $20 boxes. With a looming furlough and a cut in pay, that's probably not in my best interest.

My only complaint is that cancelling requires calling Julep's 800 number. You're unable to cancel via their website. However, the wonderful folks on the other end of that Julep line are incredibly awesome! The girl I spoke with was super, super nice!

Again, if you're interested in Julep Maven subscription boxes, I totally recommend them! Don't forget to use the code JULESVIP to get your first box for $4 shipped!

NOTE: This product review was not solicited by Julep. I am not affiliated with Julep or any other beauty subscription.  This review contains only my honest review of products I purchased.

Birchbox: March 2013 [March Madness]

Birchbox is a $10/month beauty product subscription. Boxes are assembled based on the profile you create when you set up your account. (Based on my profile, I'm 18, adventurous, and rich as hell. All of which are clearly untrue.)

This month's Birchbox came mid-month, as promised. I can't lie, opening the mailbox to see that little pink box makes my entire week better! It's like Christmas once a month! [Apologies in advance for the poor quality of the pictures to follow!]

If you're interested in signing up for a Birchbox subscription, please use my referral link. When I signed up, I was placed on a wait list. Luckily, I only stayed on the wait list for about four days. Trust me, it's worth the wait!

This is what was inside my Birchbox this month --

 

I thought I loved last month's box. This one is the best of the two. 

Incoco Nail Polish Applique: Full Size $9-11

"Eye catching nail strips are the easiest way to get a flawless mani."  Since my gel polish is still holding up nicely, I've not tried these yet. Not the "pattern" I would've picked for myself, but I can definitely pair it with some cute spring colored clothes in a few weeks. Definitely excited to try them! Bonus points for Birchbox for a full size product! 

 

 Twistband Headband: Full-size (pack of 6) $19

"Keep your hair perfectly in place with these colorful elastic headbands."  I will admit, this is the first thing I used from my box this month. It's habit for me to throw my hair up as soon as I get home from work. Birchbox day was no different, except this time I had a super awesome headband to keep my bangs out of my face. I adore this! Definitely will consider purchasing a whole pack! 

Serge Normant Meta Revive Dry Shampoo: Full Size $25
"The A-list stylist created this volume-boosting mist to give second-day locks a lift. Bonus: the subtle fragrance leaves hair sweetly scented." I will admit, I read not so awesome reviews about this product on the Birchbox website. However, I must beg to differ. I tried this product on second day hair as soon as my box showed up. It wasn't "watery". It had a beautiful smell to it! Also, since I have dark brown hair, most dry shampoos tend to leave me looking like I have grey hair! Serge Normant didn't do that. Sprayed it on my roots, brushed it out, just like new! The best part is the volume that accompanies the fresh look. I fully intend to purchase more!  

Whish Shave Crave Shaving Cream: Full Size $20
"The organic shea butter in this foam-free shaving cream makes for an insanely close shave and leaves skin incredibly soft. We love the exclusive blueberry scent."  I haven't tried this product yet, but I can vouch for the blueberry smell and the lotion like texture. I find the smell refreshing, some find it too stout. To each his own. The lower portions of my legs tend to be prone to razor burn, so if this prevents that, I'll let go of $20 or some points to restock! Can't wait to try! 

Madewell for Birchbox Emery Board: Full Size $5

"We teamed up with Madewell to create this adorable mani saver, patterned after a print from their new spring collection." This emery board was the Beauty Extra this month. Since the creation of at home gel polish, I've become quite the lover of a good mani. That being said, this emery board is cute and comes with a plastic sleeve which makes it great for my purse. What do you want me to say, y'all, it's a nail file!! 

Next time I open the mailbox and find a little pink box, I'll be sure to make a new post so you can see what goodies I got! In the mean time, if you're interested in receiving a monthly subscription to Birchbox, please use this referral link. Birchbox is a $10/month beauty product subscription. Boxes are assembled based on the profile you set up based on the creation of your account. (Based on my profile, I'm 18, adventurous, and rich as hell.)

NOTE: This product review was not solicited by Birchbox. I am not affiliated with Birchbox or any other beauty subscription.  This review contains only my honest review on products I purchased.

 

Addicted to Subscription Boxes

Hi, I'm Traci, and I'm addicted to Subscription Boxes. As with most things, I'm sure this, too, will pass. In the meantime, I'm going to enjoy seeing my mailbox fill with little surprises and know I'm getting to try great products at a minimal cost. I've posted about this quite a few times this week on Facebook, so I decided I'd take some time to make a blog posted about it for the people who've messaged me to inquire. I've found a lot of what I've located on blog posts in my random searches online.

Birchbox
The first subscription box I signed up for was Birchbox. It's a monthly beauty box subscription for $10/month. The value of my most recent box was $33. Most boxes contain a various array of beauty products (cremes, nail polish, hair products, makeup, etc.), and usually have 4-6 samples per box. Birchbox will put you on a wait list when you register, but trust me, it's worth the wait [and I only waited about four days!]. You can cancel your subscription anytime! [Not that you'll want to!] Also, you have a one month window to review the products in your box. If you do, you receive 10 points that can be used in the Birchbox store to purchase full size products. 100 Points is the equivalent of $10, and the points are good for one year from the date you earned them! If you're interested in signing up for a Birchbox, please use my referral link. Also, you can see what was in my March 2013 box.

Julep
Julep is a monthly Nail Polish subscription. Each Julep polish sells for $14 at Sephora. With this subscription you receive 2-3 polishes per box and 1-2 extra products. The boxes run $20 per month and can be cancelled anytime. $20 a month is honestly more than I'm willing to spend. However, I found a coupon code that I'll share with you that allowed me to purchase my first box for one penny plus shipping ($4.00 total). I couldn't pass up three polishes for $4.00 (Boho Glam is my favorite starter box!) Honestly, I will probably cancel this subscription after I receive my first month, because let's be honest, I'm not dropping $20 a month on nail polish. Anywho, here's the code that will allow you to get your first box for only $4.00 (enter code JULESVIP).


Ipsy
I've read a lot of reviews for Ipsy on various blogs, and I've been referred by some friends. I registered and was placed on a wait list. So far, three days and counting. From what I understand, Ipsy sends out more makeup products rather than "general" beauty products.  It's $10/month and can be cancelled anytime. The products (usually 4-6) come in a custom Ipsy makeup bag once a month. Once I come off the waiting list and receive my first delivery, I'll let you know!

Beauty Army
This subscription was referred to me by a friend. The biggest perk is that you can pick what six samples you'd like to receive based on what type of products you'd like to try. I purchased my first box for $12. I was slightly hesitant; I didn't see much I liked or wanted to try. However, I was able to get a full size Avon mascara ($8) and a full size dry shampoo that retails on Amazon for $17. That was enough to sell me on my first box. Those two things are staples in my routine, so why not get them for a great price and get to try some other samples while I'm at it. Also, when the next set of monthly samples are out, Beauty Army will send an email to let you know. If you don't like the options, you can choose not to receive the box (which is nice!). That subscription is $12/month and can be cancelled anytime.

I've seen quite a few other options, but none held my interest like the ones I listed above. Here are some others I found that I like on an adhoc basis: Crave Box, Sample Society, Glossy Box, Pop Sugar, Beauty Box 5. 

Hey!! We can't forget the men and the pets in our lives! 

Bark Box
I signed my Lucy girl up for a Bark Box. It comes once a month at $29/month for a one month subscription (the more months you sign up for, the more affordable the box. Six months is $18 a box.) 10% of the proceeds from these boxes go to save shelter animals, which I LOVE. The boxes contain a plethora of dog toys, treats, and grooming goodies. You can cancel anytime! If you're interested in a Bark Box, please use my referral link to get $5 off! Also, I found a coupon code on Facebook (don't know how long it will last!). The code is FBBX10OFF9. 

When it comes to the MEN, the three that interested my mister the most were:

The Mystery Tackle Box 
This is exactly what it says, a tackle box. It's a monthly subscription that will provide $25+ worth of fishing lures and supplies.  The monthly subscription is $15/month and can be cancelled at anytime. The best part is you can get the first box for ONLY $5 if you use the code GET499. You're welcome.

Goodie.co
My mister loves this box! We've not received the first one yet, but we're anxiously awaiting. This box is actually affiliated with Wal-Mart. It's a $7/month subscription that can be cancelled anytime. It contains new "snacks" and different types of food. Totally cool.

Loot Crate
This subscription box is for the "Nerds and Gamers". I can't lie, some of the things in past boxes even I, the non-gamer, thought were pretty cool! This box is around $20/month and can be cancelled anytime! Check it out. If you sign up for their newsletter, they give you 10% off.

That's all I've found that I care to share in the last few weeks. Once some of our boxes come in, I'll post some reviews for you! When you become addicted to getting low cost surprises in the mail, I am not to be held responsible. 

I Am Not the Status Quo

Today, I sat in a meeting regarding “Sequestration” and the impact it will have on my paycheck. In that moment, I remembered exactly why I wanted to try my hand at “No Frills March”. I am angered to the core by many facets of this sequestration, but I believe the two things that anger me the most are that people are uneducated about the repercussions of this and act like it’s “no big deal”, and that I am being punished for the mistakes and poor financial management of the people who run this country. I manage my money, well, and always have, so why do I have to pick up the slack because no one in an elected position can figure it out?

For those who are not directly impacted by sequestration, brace yourselves. You will be. Follow the logic – I’m losing 20% of my paycheck, therefore I have less money to spend, therefore I don’t go to local businesses, therefore they have to cut back on the number of employees, therefore more people are out of a job collecting unemployment benefits. Why is this so hard for someone who makes 10x’s my salary to understand?

I can do one of two things, I can sit around being angry, or I can try to turn this into something positive. I’ve chosen to do the latter. While I do have moments of sheer anger, like the last hour of my life, I’m embracing this opportunity. Fortunately for me, I was taught how to manage money. It’ll be hard for me, but I’ll be okay. My main goal is to continue building my savings. In order to do that, I must give up some of the things that I tend to take for granted. This is where No Frills March comes in. Since my paycheck won’t be impacted until around May, I have some time to practice going without. I have some time to strengthen my willpower to say “no” to something I think I might like to have. Do I need to go out to eat? No. There’s bread and peanut butter at home.

This week has been challenging. Not so much in the fact that I’ve not been able to go out and buy things, because I’ve bought nothing frivolous. I’ve spent the week having quiet conversations with myself. For instance, yesterday I was planning to go home and get right to work cleaning the house and doing some laundry. I decided I did not want to spend my time cooking dinner. I had two choices: Captain D’s $4.99 Fish Stick dinner with corn and green beans (Yum!) or a grilled cheese and a can of campbell’s soup. Dilemma: I didn’t have bread. After a conversation with myself, I opted to go to Dollar General and buy a loaf of bread (because it would feed me more than once, which is all I’d get from Captain D’s). Once inside, I see my favorite bread “Nature’s Own” at $2.85 a loaf. I look down to the bottom shelf where I see the “Dollar General Brand” at $1.50 a loaf. I opted for the lower cost loaf of bread. Shocker, it didn’t kill me when I ate it. So rather than spending $5 on a Captain D’s dinner, I spent $1.50 on a loaf of bread that I can use to eat 5+ times.

Another scenario I’ve encountered this week, I use Neutrogena Mineral Powder. And go figure, I ran out. Now, it’s anywhere from $10-13 depending on where you buy it. I used every single bit of it I could get out of the container, but I still did NOT want to part with that money. Low and behold, in my makeup drawer, I find some Bare Minerals makeup that I used a while back and “didn’t really like it”… guess what? I like it now. Two fold, it’s good makeup, and it was essentially “free” since I didn’t have to go out and purchase it. So, I opted to keep the $10+ in my pocket and use what was available. Again, just another example of the mental conversations I have with myself.

Yet another – I posted on my facebook that I was ready for Saturday and my cut/color. Someone asked me if that was something “required to live”. The answer is no. However, I get a haircut/color once every ten weeks. That’s about $10 a week that I save for 10 weeks for this purpose. I always budget for a haircut. However, in this pay period (two weeks), I will have saved enough money by not buying frivolous things that I don’t need to use the money I’ve saved for the last ten weeks. So any way I slice it, I feel like I’ve saved $100.

It all comes down to finding the willpower to say “no” and to know what you really need and what you don’t. There are some things that will be harder to give up than others, but this is a lesson in simplicity for me. I realize that many people live on far less than I do, with far more mouths to feed. Some do it because they want to, some do it because they have to. For me, I’m just me. Trying to do what I have to do to lay a solid foundation for a financially secure future in an economy that, I believe, will be unstable for many, many years. So, some people might think I’m crazy for essentially volunteering to live with less when I don’t necessarily have to. I’m okay with that. Being financially aware and living below my means isn’t the status quo – kind of makes me feel “not normal” sometimes, but I’m okay with that. This little “experiment” and a change in lifestyle have the potential to teach me to embrace simplicity, to love my life for what it is rather than what I can buy. Buying things I don’t need isn’t a “happiness requirement”. The people around me, the choices I’ve made for my life, the smile that crosses my face when I wake up every morning, those are the things that make me happy.

No Frills March Continues...

No Frills March, Day 2: The second day of my no frills March was spent on the go for twelve solid hours. The morning started out with a Pike Alumni/Actives basketball game. Prior to the game, I had a McDonald's breakfast for $2.50 (Yogurt Parfait and a Diet Dr. Pepper). After the game, the Mister, the miniature, and I met my mom at Chick-fil-a for lunch. That ended up costing me a whopping zero dollars. Mom insisted that she pay for my sammich... who can turn it down?! Finally, ended the night with a cookout with some friends. So - all-in-all, after having been gone from home for 12 hours... I spent $2.50.

No Frills March, Day 3: Today makes the third day of this adventure. Woke up, hit the road to go catch the Good Word at church. After church, the mister and I were completely starving, so we decided to take the lazy way out and hit up Jack's for lunch. [Never go to the grocery store hungry, that's like rule numero uno!] I had a buy one combo get one free coupon, so both of us ate for $6.50. Once lunch was over, we hit up the grocery store where I landed $130 worth of groceries for $55. That's almost a 60% savings, which is AWESOME!!! What'd I get for $50? Here's a photo and a comprehensive list.

• Two 6 Rolls Packs of Sparkle Paper Towels
• Two 12 Roll Packs of Angel Soft Toilet Paper
• Two Bags of Whole Grain Rolls
• Four 4 Packs of Sugar Free Jello
• One 2-Liter of 7UP-Ten
• Four boxes of Crystal Light on-the-go
• Two EDGE Shaving Creams
• Two Onions
• One Lime
• Three Cans of Campbell's Soup
• Two Cans of Rotel Tomatoes
• Two Cans of Black Beans
• Two Cans of Spicy Chili Beans
• Steak for making Stir Fry
• Two Bottles of Clorox Bleach
• One HUGE Jar of Peter Pan Peanut Butter
• Two bags of SteamFresh StirFry Mix
• Two Bottles of Hunt's Ketchup
• Two Packages of Strawberries
• Two Boxes of Orville Popcorn
• Two Boxes of Lucky Charms Cereal 

I also had to hit up RiteAid for two sticks of Maybelline concealer and a Sally Hansen Top Coat Polish... grand total $6.

I've had plenty of people ask me how I save all of this money on my groceries. The answer is two fold -- I give the vast majority of the credit to Southern Savers, and their "How to Coupon" tutorial video. It's an hour long, but most definitely worth watching. The other comes from lots and lots of practice. (Note: If it's not on sale... do NOT buy it.)

No Frills March Spending Total: $83.50

March: The Month with No Frills

For the month of March, I decided I wanted to live simpler. My timing is pretty impeccable considering the impending government furlough stands to reduce my income by 20%. I make financially wise decisions 98% of the time, so I feel like I am a little more prepared for this than most.

A few weeks ago, I decided that this month, I would only spend money on things required to live. I'm sure I will veer off course. I'm human. But I'm doing this to see how much money I waste on things I simply don't need. The Mister has agreed to join me.

This is a very busy weekend, so eating out is nearly unavoidable. Decisions have to be made in advance as to where we will eat. That way I can mentally prepare myself to find the cheapest (most healthy) item on the menu. This will be all about planning and preparation, I can already tell.

Day 1: This is going to be a lot harder than I expected. It's slightly a double edged sword. I find myself thinking "Maybe I should spend a little money while I have it to spend." Then I start thinking "if I'm going to be forced into a 20% pay cut, I need to figure out how to live simply while I have time". So, on day one, I went into target to buy something my mom sent me for... And I came out with nothing extra. I will go ahead and chalk that up as a success. My failure came in being forced to eat out. Spent about $20. This living with only essentials is going to become a competition with myself ... And give me anxiety. I can already tell.