So I tried something new...for the girls only!

First a disclaimer and a warning. The disclaimer is regarding the product I'll be writing about. I was not asked or compensated in any way to write this. I was just nosy and wanted to try it out. And the warning is for any of the guys who might read this blog (Dad?), if you're a guy or very squeamish about girly issues, stop reading now.

OK-so I've admitted in the past that although I really want to be more environmentally responsible, I'm just not a very green or crunchy person. So I'm trying to make some changes. Remember me mentioning the great island of trash? Yep, learning about things like that really bothers me. We only have our one little planet. If there are things we can do to cut down on trash and what-nots, then why shouldn't we? Plus in some cases it behooves us financially to make changes. I don't know about everyone else, but right now we need every cent we can save!

So after much ado and then not and back and forth, I finally took the plunge and got a...Diva Cup! Though I don't think the cup itself is biodegradable, it equals a whole lot less trash than some of it's counterparts. It's reusable, in fact it's supposed to last for a year. And though I didn't do exact calculations, a quick thought or two and I realized that in the long run it's less expensive than other products I use. But I didn't use it right away. I mean it wasn't time first of all and I'll admit it, I was scared. It's new. It sounds kinda gross. It took a while for me to actually make the commitment to trying it out. Finally though, I did it! And so I figured now I've got to tell you all about it.

First thing to tell you, there are two sizes and it's very easy-under 30 or over 30 and have you had a baby or not (regardless of type of delivery). That's it.

The instructions for insertion and removal are pretty straight forward, so I won't go into details here. Just know that I did practice folding it up the way they say to a couple of times and I was able to put the cup in place properly the first time.

Removal was even easier. It does need to be emptied and cleaned out a couple times a day, the maximum time limit is 12 hours. There can be a bit of an "ick" factor involved with the whole process. My experience was that it wasn't messy, it was just the "ick" factor. With lots of handwashing, cleaning the cup (they make a Diva Wash) and even latex gloves if you wanted to use them, there really isn't any problem at all. (I would suggest skipping the gloves if your desire is to go "green").

If the cup is inserted properly you don't notice it at all while you're wearing it. And again, I didn't have any problems doing that. Somehow that thing manages to stay put just fine.

Most importantly, I had no leaks. Not a one. Not even an almost leak. Even overnight. I was very leery. Wondering how it would stay where it belonged, not leak, not spill during changes, etc. And it was all needless worry. No Diva failures!

I didn't attempt to empty it while I was out and about. The instructions explain how you could work it out. It doesn't seem like it would be a big deal though.

Again the cup is cleaned every time you empty it. Lots of handwashing, a quick dump or wipe, a scrubbing with the cleaner and hot water. Not at all bad, and I had imagined lots of icky scenarios.

Once you are done with it for the month, it is supposed to be washed and then, and this is the only place I ran into hesitation, you are supposed to boil the cup. And I had problems with the whole idea of bringing it to the kitchen, filling a pan and boiling the cup on the stove. The instructions included a big list of things you should not use to sanitize the cup, risking damage to the silicone. It just so happens that rubbing alcohol was not on the "no" list, so that's what I did for sanitizing. (Of course I just looked at the FAQ's on the website and it does mention it. Darn!).

Mr. H didn't think it was a big deal to boil the cup, and depending on what others think, I may change my mind next time. So far it doesn't appear that the alcohol did any damage

The instructions tell you that you will become familiar with your cycles and you will learn how often you'll need to change it-which may vary day to day. So far I've only tried it for one cycle and I did notice day to day changes, but I'll need to continue to pay attention. It's amazing to me how little umm "stuff" is actually involved, it seems like a whole lot more with the other traditional methods.

So there you have it, my experience with the Diva Cup. I give it a good rating! Honestly, I have no complaints and already prefer it much more than it's counterparts. I guess I'll have to get over the boiling conundrum. But that's my one and only qualm. I'm impressed with the reliability and comfort. Oh and it comes with a cute little drawstring bag to store it in when not in use!

If you've been curious, are wanting to cut back on monthly expenses, are wanting less waste...this may be the your best option. And no leaks? Perfect!

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some deals from gap and old navy! and a my points mention...

update: while putting together my gap order, i popped over to old navy to see if they had some shorts to match a couple of shirts on sale at gap. old navy is having a big sale on their kid's and baby items. i only took a quick peek and saw that they had some awesome discounts! i'm getting ready to do a little more shopping now.

a couple things i did notice...first of all they had a better selection of madras plaid type shorts than gap. also, bethany loves hello kitty and gap only had one style of HK shirts. old navy has several styles that i know bethany is going to love. and old navy's prices were much cheaper! i don't know about y'all but i've never had any quality issues with old navy and unlike the brands that i resell, i wash and dry old navy stuff like normal instead of my reselling laundry routine...it holds up fine for me.

i haven't checked for any promotional codes yet. however it looks like shipping is free with orders over $50. and again don't forget my points, they are also giving 4 points for ever $1 spent. you can't beat that! ok, off to shop! and yes i do have some shopping issues LOL. though, i am remembering my goal to cut back...

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seems like i have a bit of a shopping theme happening around here. i do love to shop. i do most of my shopping online since my small town has very few good stores. can you imagine not having a target? that my friends, is the place i live. i've noticed something strange now that i'm so used to shopping online...when i have the opportunity to shop in an actual clothing store, i become totally overwhelmed by all of the clothes everywhere. really overwhelmed! i'm so not use to being able to see everything all at once.

i have been reading a lot of new blogs lately that are about being frugal (but that doesn't mean cheap...frugal people like nice things, too!). so now i'm going to blog about spending money. but to my fellow frugal bloggy friends-i promise that your lessons are making an impact on me. it's just that time for me to start looking ahead to spring and summer clothes for the girls. well, more so summer, as florida's spring lasts about a week. i haven't forgotten my "65 in 365" goal to cut back on buying clothes for the girls. but they do grow and i still love to shop. i'm going to make a big effort to buy less and i am pretty good about always shopping during sales and promotions.

so, on to gap's deals...

jean promotion-buy one pair of jeans and get another pair for $10. i've noticed some capri jeans in the mix which will be good for us and the florida heat. this offer is available online til 2/10 and in stores til 2/11. shop quickly, the jeans usually sell out fast!

25% off spring stock up event: unfortunately this is for adult sizes only, i think, and ends tomorrow 2/7. enter code GAP25 at check out. i really don't need any new clothes, but will take a peek and see if i find any must haves.

if you happen to have a gap card (sadly i don't), my frugal fashionista friend *fancy* (how's that for alliteration? LOL) shared some good deals...

$10 off of a $10 or more purchase: use code thankyou. she says that it's a little iffy, working only some of the time but hey it's worth a try!

free shipping for card members: try codes mycard or silver for free shipping.

i did a search for promotion codes and came up with several codes for 15% off your entire order. i don't know if they are one time use or if they will work on my order. i'll try when it's check out time.

if you happen to know of any codes for gap kids and wouldn't mind letting me know, i'd be really happy! =)

also, don't forget to go through my points-you can earn 4 points for every dollar you spend at gap.

i stopped shopping through my points for a year or so cause i would get so mad at myself when i would forget to check out through them. which was really silly because my points really does give you money back in the form of gift cards (especially if you shop a lot). so i've started using them again, and have been remembering them most of the time. it's been only two months and i've accumulated quite a lot of points. i try not to think about the points i've missed.

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another great deal for the shopping mommy!

this really sounds promising!

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It's an invitation only shopping club for kids clothes, accessories and toys. Everything you can imagine that our kids need - established brands and up and coming designers, at up to 70% off retail. The important thing: It's not just clothes, it's strollers and great toys, fabulous bags, we're even looking at some innovative furniture and amazing accessories you don't want to be without. And if we can find it, it will be green and sustainable - there is such a need for those brands.


Twtsy - just launched their initial pre-launch sign up and they'll be ready in about 4 weeks for the real thing to go live and the deals to roll in!

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check it out! if you join through my link and then pass it along with your link... every time someone signs up through you and then buys something you get a $20 credit!

you can sign up *here*

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sharing some websites that i like

the only problem with changing blog templates is that the different links, buttons and widgets don't make the move. i'm sure most of you know that already, but just in case, always copy and save all of your bloggy extras when you change your template! finally i've got everything back in place and have added a couple of new things too. i thought this would be a good time to tell you about some of them.


here is my disclosure statement: my blog isn't monetized, meaning i don't have any ads that pay me money when you view my blog or click on ad links. i do have a couple of buttons for places that i am an affiliate for. none of the owners of these websites have asked me to write about them nor am i receiving any compensation for writing about them. as an affiliate, if you click on the button for one of websites and buy something or join the site-i get credit, points, or money to spend on the same site or to go towards my own membership costs. i can't tell you how much i receive because at this point i haven't received anything. and i haven't read the small print. honestly, i just enjoy the sites and products and would love to pass them along to you all. and maybe one day i'll get something in return.





the first site is swagbucks. i'm new to using this site so i don't know all of the in's and out's yet. i use it as a search engine just like i would use google. that's it! every so often i win a "swagbuck" when i search. swagbucks can then be collected and traded in for prizes and gift cards to various places like amazon. i believe you can also take advantage of great offers and win prizes! i use the swagbucks search to visit all of my normal internet stops, even my blog. it just takes a couple seconds to type it in and click-but i earn more swagbucks. since i'm new, i'm still in the accumulation phase of earning. if you join by using my button and begin using the swagbuck search, when you win-so do i up to a certain amount. i have had a couple friends sign up but so far they haven't started utilizing the search engine, so no extra bucks for me yet. i'd love for you to sign up with my button because i love free money! but even if you don't, please still take advantage of this program, it's a win/win!









the silver jewelry club. this site is cool! they offer free (!) jewelry around the clock, several items at a time, switching every 15 minutes. the catch? you just pay for shipping which is usually $6.99, that's it. they list each item's retail value usually at $50 or more. i have gotten lots of earrings, rings, pendants and have always been pleased with them. i always feel like i'm getting my $6.99 worth and then some. for pendants they offer optional necklaces to buy. the items are pretty and good quality and always come in a little pouch. my blog has a current feed of one of the items available at that time. if you click from my button and purchase one of the other items, i'm not sure if i get a commission. but again, doesn't really matter-it's just fun to treat yourself to a little gift. not sure about you, but i love getting goodies in the mail!





you can make this. i love, love, love this site! they offer all sorts of crafty project patterns. from sewing to scrap booking to jewelry-there's sure to be a sweet project for everyone! i am such a crafty wanna-be, i dabble in a little bit of everything. i haven't perfected any skills. but what makes this site so awesome is that the contributors have perfected their skills and make them available to all of us in easy to learn and follow patterns. the directions are step by step and seriously couldn't be any easier to follow. there are different skills levels, even projects that you can do with your kids. they also offer a ton of free tutorials! once you purchase a pattern/instruction set it is available for immediate download and then it's yours to keep forever!





clickin moms. this is a great community forum all about photography! from point and shoot cameras to the more skilled DSLR cameras, you can learn how to take the BEST photos! always wanted to have a crisp, clear photo of your subject with that beautifully blurred background? you can learn just how to do that and so much more at clickin moms. any question you have about cameras, lighting, photo editing, printing or just how to get great photos, can be answered here. the members are of varying degrees of skills from me who is just starting to learn how to use a DSLR camera to professional photographers. and the members? they are all nice!

funny cancer shirts. i'm not an affiliate for funny cancer shirts, but wanted to give this online shop a shout out too! the owner and inspiration of this site is a friend i met when i was diagnosed with non-hodgkin's lymphoma and he was diagnosed with hodgkin's lymphoma. we all know that cancer sucks. but sometimes ya just gotta laugh! this shop makes all sorts of shirts and other items to do just that. and not only are you supporting a real live cancer survivor, but also a proceeds of sales go to various cancer charities.





the liz logelin foundation. i'm not an affiliate for this organization either. if you aren't familiar with the logelin family, you can check out their blog *here*. liz logelin died suddenly the day after her first child was born. her husband, matt, found himself not only a widower but also a single parent to a newborn. matt and madeline's adventures and life are shared via their blog. it's sure to make you laugh and make you cry. out of this tragedy came the liz logelin foundation which raises funds for other widows and widowers. one of the ways they raise money is "$7 on the 7th", donating $7 on the 7th of each month. it doesn't seem like a lot, but it does add up and many families have been helped through these efforts.


well, this is just a short list of websites i enjoy. and i hope that all of you will find one that you will enjoy too. if you sign up for any via my links...thank you! but even if you don't, still check out some great sites!

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a kitty update and some must haves for the cat owner

our neighbor babysits the little girl from the family who adopted our kitten. the girls got an update on how our little guy is doing in his new home. so far so good! he still loves his favorite blanket we sent and sneaks into the little girl's bed just like i hoped he would! they did change his name which made kelley a bit sad, but i explained that he would get use to the name quickly. i bet he's enjoying being the only kitty.

funny, he was the most mellow of the kittens. but now that he's gone, our crew doesn't seem as hard to handle.

and a couple new discoveries that i've made that are cat *must haves*!

an affordable self cleaning litter box. it's not electric-which we've had in the past (and didn't have good luck with, not too mention they are way too expensive), this one works by turning it on it's side. the "scoops" end up in a handy drawer that you pull out and empty. then tilt back. easy peasy! we are in the process of switching all of our boxes to this type. you can check it out *here*.

and a toy, the best one i've found...the kittens love it and the big guys seem to think it's pretty cool too! it's a round track with a ball to bat around and has a scratching pad in the middle (those are replaceable). check it out *here*.

now i know these can be hard to find and i don't recommend paying an arm and a leg for them, but the cats really love zhu zhu hamsters! the good news is that i'm starting to see them at various places for reasonable prices!

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great shoe sale for kids!

i have a really cool friend, fancy. she is beautiful, fun, and has a precious family. she also has awesome fashion sense and fabulous taste. and...she is great at finding good deals. be sure to check out her blog "living the fancy life" because she is always sharing great deals!

she just recently shared a great sale on quality name brand kids shoes on amazon. i love when they have this sale! i stocked up on some super cute shoes for the girls that averaged $14 a pair. be sure to check it out *here*...happy shopping!

p.s. don't forget free super saver shipping on minimum orders of $25!

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great oprah magazine deal!

are you a fan of oprah? you can get a whole year of her "O" magazine for only $5! the offer is good through 12/19.

check it out at amazon- "O" magazine deal

enjoy!

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update!

the halloween costumes arrived on wednesday! true to their word, they were shipped with expedited shipping that i was not charged one cent for. kelley and bethany are so excited and i sighed a big sigh of relief!

so yay for kohl's!!!

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a shout out for good customer service!

bad customer service is something that we experience so often that we don't even think much of it anymore. isn't that a shame?

good customer service seems rare these days and i definitely think it is worth spreading the news about. my shout out for good customer service goes to kohl's!





here's what happened...kelley and bethany decided to be vampiresses (is that a real word?) this year for halloween. we screen shopped quite a bit (living in a small town causes most of our purchases to be done online). turns out that kohl's had two styles that were k & b approved and with online coupon codes, were a great deal.

(as a side note for anyone who doesn't already do this-when shopping online always search for online coupon codes! more often than not you will find good ones ranging from a discount to free shipping.)

i placed the order a couple weeks ago. and the costumes seemed to be very slow in arriving. i had placed another order from kohl's around the same time and it had arrived within a couple of days. why the red flag didn't go up in my mind, i have no clue. but bethany's red flag did go up and she's been asking for days where the costumes are. today i decided to investigate. and this part is my bad...i have a few email accounts and one is reserved for online purchases and all of the advertisements that go along with them. sure enough there was an email from kohl's that my order had been cancelled as the costumes were sold out. the date of the email was quite awhile ago. again, my bad i just didn't think to check it.

so now, a week from halloween i'm in a panic! there is nowhere local to find decent costumes. i'm only a crafty wanna-be so making them is not an option. and if i can find replacement costumes online i will be paying a hefty shipping charge to get them here in time. i went to kohl's website and found that there was one vampiress costume left and by golly it was available in the two sizes i needed. but were they really available? because the original ones were apparently available as well, but not really. and i gasped at the cost of the expedited shipping cost-what a terrible waste of money.

i called kohl's and explained my conundrum. the nice guy was more concerned that the original costumes were shown as available when in fact they were not, than my slacking of checking for an email that had shown the order being cancelled. he confirmed that the costumes i was now purchasing were indeed available and offered to cut the expedited shipping cost in half. that was a relief! i did ask that an email confirmation be sent and within minutes of our call it was.

here's the biggest surprise of good customer service...he completely waived the expedited shipping costs! the costumes will be here in time (i hope) and the shipping is free for me!

so a big shout out to kohl's!!! i hope in turn that this post will encourage you to check out kohl's the next time you need to order something. (don't forget to look for coupon codes, there's a few good ones out there!).

the only downside to this story is that both kelley and bethany will be matching vampiresses. but i'm pretty sure that when i explain this to them they will be fine with it!

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the gift closet

while i wish i could take credit for this tip, i can't. but i can pass it along!


we have a gift closet. which is just that-a closet full of gifts. things that i see that i think someone may like...or atleast i like (but don't really need) go into the gift closet. and usually if i come across a great deal on something again that i may not necessarily need, well i'll snatch them up and add them to the gift closet. over time you can collect a lot of gifts!


so what do i do with them?


do you have any relatives or friends that seem to have everything? well you might have something in the gift closet that is perfect for them! once a friend shared a great deal on mechanical scissors which i guess do the cutting action for you. it was a hard deal to pass up even though i really had no need for them, but i got them anyway. and some time in the future during a get together my grandfather mentioned he was having hand problems including using scissors. if i hadn't had that particular item in the gift closet i may not have caught the casual mention. instead i had a great birthday idea for him...one of those hard to shop for people!


other uses for gifts in my closet? i have a lot of friends i've met in various online communities along with friends at home. and the holidays aren't the only time to give a gift. sometimes people just have hard times, a period of gray days. it's so handy to check out my gift stash and find something perfect for them. i love to cheer people up!


do you have a gift closet? what kind of things to do you add to your gift collection?


and if you don't already have one, maybe this will inspire you to start collecting gifts. just because!

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great e.l.f. make-up deal from nordstrom!

just incase i wasn't the last to find out about this...nordstrom is selling their make-up from the e.l.f. line for $1 an item! thanks to heather and krissy for sharing!

check out the awesome deal here: e.l.f. cosmetics

also enter the code CAROLINA to save an additional $7.50 off of orders of $15 or more-that's like free shipping! and there is free shipping on orders of $75 or more.

this is not only great for us, but i also stocked up on "play" make-up for the girls...it's a deal that can't be beat!

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as if you need a good reason to shop...

banana republic, gap and old navy are having a 30% off sale march 12th-15th call "give and get". they will be donating a portion of their proceeds to the leukemia and lymphoma society.

so mark your calendars and get your coupon and multiple use online code here for the big sale!

thanks to kelly and bekah for passing this along!

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"gymbo-eh"

i recently confessed about my girly clothes habit. and it all started with gymboree. sadly though, not discovering the store when the girls were babies and even worse missing out on the mod zebra and splash lines.

when i did discover gymboree, it didn't take long for them to have me hook, line and sinker. the first line i got was spring fun followed by bonjour provence, tropical paradise and pool party. you've got to admit that was quite a line up.

but-i think i was so seriously addicted by that point that i didn't realize those were my only truly favorite lines. looking back, none of the rest stand out to me. and now, well maybe it's that the girls are getting too old for a lot of the styles or that school has what they call a "dress code" or even that i'm just really tired of all the fuss...but i really don't think i like gymbo anymore. there...i said it.

it became apparent this weekend. i had a coupon to use and although i am cutting back A LOT, kelley seriously has grown and needs new clothes and an occasional outfit for bethany so she doesn't feel left out. now back in the gymbo hey day i would have seen the new line before it came out and my shopping cart would have been arranged and rearranged perfectly for the next big shopping event. this time however i hadn't even been to site til i went to buy. i noticed it was gymbuck earnings time again...is this a constant now? seems like it.

so i browsed. a couple of things jumped out at me and kelley promptly vetoed them. so i browsed some more. i just wasn't feeling it. but kelley needs new clothes, clothes that fit and i was determined. in the end i got some pretty basic outfits. and instead of feeling so excited when i hit submit like the good old days, it was more just an "eh".

oh and yippy i earned gymbucks.

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