Out of the Office

Hey Everyone,

Sorry I've been "out of the office" these last several days. Today I guest posted over at The Blog of ashLeeNikol on hints and tips to saving money on fashion, beauty products and decor.

Check it out:

http://www.ashleenikol.com/2012/10/how-jacqueline-saves-money-while.html


Tomorrow I'll be back with another all natural DIY Beauty Segment!





XOXO
Jacqueline

Guest Post: Event Planning!

Hello Everyone! I've got Yelle from Yelle Events today! I love having get togethers and planning things so I was so happy when she agreed to do a post on event planning which is her specialty!

First and foremost, thanks to Jacqueline for having me as a guest poster! If you don’t know me, my name is Yelle and I am an event coordinator for a museum. I am currently finishing my bachelors degree in Event Management, and I love to post about events, entertaining, and over all merrymaking! My passions include event design, entertaining friends and family, and home decor. I love everything about events, from the organization to the problem solving to the celebrating! However, very few people go to college specifically for events, thus there are so many things that are often over looked! 

source

Event Management can be a bit of a mysterious area of expertise. There is so many different components that go into event operations. From my experience, whether you're planning a wedding or special event, there are some things you need to keep in mind that most people over look. 

source

Tips for planning an event:

• Invest in a day-of-coordinator, or at the very least, delegate someone to know all the details of the day and to be the "go-to" person for the night. They will be in charge of all of the components such as letting the DJ know where he is supposed to set up and letting the caterer know that it is time to cut the cake. Often times, events are celebrating someone or some people who are tied up with guests all night, having a third person to be the know-all is beneficial to the hosts, the attendees, and the vendors.
• If the event is having more than 100 guests, do not do open seating. People will get confused and often it will create more chaos than necessary. At the very least, assign tables if assigning seats is too controlling. If you are having less than 100 people and are doing open seating, be prepared to bring in at least 1 or 2 additional tables (and chairs and linens to go with the table) because attendees will often not fill tables completely. A few overflow tables will catch all of the groups that have pre-determined that they will sit with each other.
• Lastly, vendor meals. This is something that is often overlooked and I understand. But the way that I put it into perspective is that all of the vendors will be working between 6 to 8 hour days and they have to each. Would you rather have your photographer leave to grab a sandwich? Or would you rather have them there the entire time, and take a few minutes to themselves to eat on-site? 

source

There you have it! I hope that you learned a little bit about the back of house production of events! There are so many elements to an event, a complete list would be endless!
Salut, Yelle @ Yelle Events

Money Saving Move: Using-What-You-Got Crafts

Salt Dough Crafts/Ornaments

 

 

So, it was a snowy, chilly day here in Colorado. J is on fall break and I needed some indoor entertainment for both the girls. Bring on the Let's-Look-Around-The-House-And-See-What-We-Can-Come-Up-With tactic.

 

We did this craft using only things we found around the house so this craft was (yes, my favorite word) FREE!!!

 

 

Salt Dough:

 

2 cups flour

 

1 cup salt

 

warm water (about 3/4 cups)

 

Mix all ingredients together in a mixing bowl.

 

Bake at 200 degrees until stiff.

 

 

Other supplies:

 

Kitchen utensils

toothpicks

paint/paint brushes

ribbons

stamps

glitter

jewels

tissue paper

mod-podge

any other things you can find around the house that would be useful.

 

Tip: if you want to minimize the post-baking painting, you can use food coloring to dye the dough before hand. ( I did not have any, so I did not do that.)

 

 

 

 

So J had this little stamp set laying around.  We decided to make Hello Kitty ornaments with them.

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We made various shapes and ornaments. The bug ornament on the right is our family's thumb prints. Daddy, Mommy, J and A. I think I would like to start a tradition of a family ornament every year. Maybe next year we'll do a flower with our prints? Just a thought......

 

 

I thought this would be another cute one.

 

 

After it was painted (right) and J's bedazzled Hello Kitty ornament (left)

 

 

This little snowman will be a cute mantle decoration. I made him a little hat, I just have to glue it on. I also want to get a cute ribbon or some twine/burlap and make him shabby-chic scarf.

 

 



 

 

While searching (unsucessfully) for cookie cutters, I grabbed other things in the kitchen that could be useful. We made angels and flowers using an apple slicer/corer.

 

 

 

 

 

 This is a great money saving craft and the kids typically love it. Happy Crafting






XOXO
 Jacqueline

Guest Post: AshLeenikol

Hi Everyone! I've got Ashlee here today sharing with us her tips on saving money this Christmas! Check out her blog! She's got a little bit of everything and it's all wonderful!

Hey there, Beauty and the Budget readers!  

I'm Ashlee :), the voice behind the lifestyle blog, the blog of ashLeenikoL.  

First things first, a big THANK YOU to Jacqueline, for letting me take over her blog today!  She is so nice and I love everything that she crochets! I can't wait to try out this pattern for the infinity scarf.  

And second, I'm here today talking about the ways I'm saving money on my Christmas shopping and ways that you can hopefully save too!  Shall we get started?

***

Each year when October rolls around I start stressing about what gifts I'm going to buy for my family/friends and how I'm going to afford it.  Well, this year I'm taking a different approach and I want to share it with all of you Beauty and the Budget readers!

Ways I'm Saving Money On Christmas Shopping

1.  Christmas Club money - For the last 8 years, on November 1, I have started a Christmas Club account to prepare for the next year's Christmas. This has been a lifesaver for me, but this year I'd like to spend less of my hard earned money and put some of it into savings.  A lot of people use their entire Christmas Club plus extra money to buy gifts and that was me at one time, but not this year. :) 

2.  Swagbucks - Swagbucks is a site where you earn points daily by searching online, answering a daily poll, taking surveys, and much more.  It's super easy!  Once you receive so many points, you "cash" them in for rewards, like gift cards, electronics, and more.  The gift cards are the best!  So far I've got $50 in Paypal cash to spend on whatever I want.  Right now I'm trying to rack up enough points to get another $50 in Paypal cash or an Amazon gift card to help buy at least three gifts.  If you're on the computer a lot, it's definitely worth checking in to!  It's like free money!

3.  DIY Gifts - Making gifts is another way I'm saving money on Christmas this year.  I've already started making finger knit scarves and crocheted earwarmers.

More DIY gifts I'm hoping to make:

A set of dishtowels labeled Sunday-Saturday. 

Mom's and Grandma's would love these!

A nice handscrub!  According to this website, this scrub is compared to Mary Kay's Satin Hands, which makes your hands feel incredibly soft.

Burlap pillows!  For the couples in your family. 

This is one thing I'm striving to make this year.

***

What ways do you save money during the holidays?  Do you use any of these methods? 

I'd love to know!  

Liebster Award!

I was nominated for a Liebster Award by Esther's Norine Designs!  Go check her out!

DIY Beauty Series: Part 2

Man it's been a busy week. I had the opportunity to guest post on two other blogs yesterday. If you missed it, you can check them out at Wannabe Green and Michelle's Pixie Dust. Both blogs are great!

We will now return to your regular scheduled broadcasting with....

 

DIY Natural Skin Exfoliant

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a natural solution (Natural solutions magazine 2008) to blackheads and is recommended use is 2-3 times a week.

 

 

Ingredients:

 

Baking soda

 

water

 

Instructions:

 

Take a quarter sized dab of baking soda in your palm. Moisten with a few drops of warm water and gently press into your skin.

 

Tip: The emphasis is on press, as scrubbing can tear the edge of your pores and spread bacteria

 

Tip 2: If you find your only breaking our on one side of your chin, try cleaning your cell phone. The bacteria on the phone can get pressed into your pores.

 

 

 

 

Jacqueline

 

 



Guest Post from Michelle's Pixie Dust

Today I have the honor of having Michelle from Michelle's Pixie Dust guest posting on thrifting. Check out her blog! She's got great things to share!

The Beauty of Thrifting

One of my favorite things to do is shop the thrift stores for items to make my home more beautiful. Just like many of you, I live on a tight budget. I would love to go out and spend thousands of dollars on home décor, but this is not in the cards for me at this time.

Today I was the crazy person in Goodwill taking pictures. But I just had to show off some of these finds! Everything was individually priced under $10.00. If I had more space, all of these beauties would be in my home J

The first thing I spotted was this little kitchen storage box. Wouldn’t this be adorable for a rustic or shabby chic kitchen? Aside from storing onions and potatoes, this looks like great storage for dish towels and cloths.

 

I imagined this little shelf sitting on the corner of an end table or maybe an accent piece to a buffet. It could really go anywhere. I think it would also fit in with a rustic or shabby chic décor.

 

 

 

This vase is so simple, but I love it! I can see this on an end table with some fresh flowers, making everything feel more like home. And can we say CHEAP? This little friend was only $1.00

I fell in love with this little table because it is so different! I haven’t seen many others like it. This could be a plant stand or a little end table. I think it ads character to whatever room it would be in. It’s definitely not a “standard” piece.

 

 

 

I took a little stroll over to the record section and this cover caught my eye. Someday I would love to do a piece of art with old record covers. Wouldn’t this be cute in a small frame? The orange ads a pop of color.

 

 

 

 

I thought this hot pink fabric was amazing! How great would it be to make throw pillows with this? Or maybe even a camera strap cover?

 

 

 

 

And then lastly…these shoes! All I kept thinking in my head was “pumped up kicks…” when I saw these. I know these will not fit everyone’s style, but I can imagine them looking super cute with some leggings and a trendy sweater. What do you think?

 

 

 

 

Beautiful things don’t have to come at an expensive price! It’s all about forming a “look” for that room in your house and searching out pieces to match. I have an extreme love for looking at things the way they could be and not just the way they are. I hope you will try it with me!

Guest Post: DIY Mulling Spices

Hey Everyone!

So Today's guest post comes compliments of my very own sister, Kristen. She can put a lot of people to shame when it comes to her kitchen skills. She was kind enough to share with me her recipe for Apple Cider. Enjoy!!!




It's that time of year for comfort foods including Apple Cider, or even better, mulled Apple Cider. I prefer not to buy expensive mulling spices that only last for a cup or two so I decided to make my own this year. I don't follow an exact recipe but have made a concoction based on my personal tastes. Here is the gist of it:

I cut slices from oranges, lemons, and apples and put them on my cooling rack to dry for 24 hours.

Then I make a big batch of the spices.

6 cups of brown sugar

3 tbs cinnamon

2 tbl cloves

2 tbl allspice

1 tbl nutmeg

Mix all together in a big bowl. Then to create individual servings I put 1/2 cup of the spice mixture in a prep bowl.

 

 

 

 

 

Then I put 2 dried orange slices, 1 dried lemon slice, and 1 dried apple slice on top.

 

 

 

I usually add one prep bowl of spices to 2 cups of apple cider. It makes a pretty strong cup but that's the way I like it. The best thing about making your own mulling spices is that you can customize it to your personal taste. You can add less brown sugar and more dried fruit for a less sweet taste or add more cloves or cardamom for a spicier cup.

This is just a basic recipe so experiment!
 

 

 

Kristen Childs

 

For cooling rack and prep bowls used in this recipe see www.pamperedchef.biz/aspeck

 

 

 

 

Beauty Budget Steal of the Week: Color Block Top

Allen b color block top: JC Penney $0  (FREE)

YES, my favorite word, FREE! JC Penney sent out, via email, these coupons for $10 off your purchase of $10 or more.  This shirt was on cleareance for exactly $10. So I paid nothing for it!



DIY: Beauty Series Part 1

So about 4 years ago, in a Natural Solutions magazine, I came across some DIY beauty remedies that were simple, time efficient, natural and inexpensive. I copied and held onto them and am going to be sharing them with all my wonderful readers over the course of the next few posts.

Natural Remedy for Chapped Lips

 

 

http://www.newbeauty.com/hottopic/blogpost/6578-read-my-lips-its-all-about-hyaluronic-acid/

Materials:

Honey

Brown Sugar

Instructions:

Mix a dab (about dime size or so) with a bit (a pinch) of brown sugar. Apply to lips and using your finger (or old toothbrush) massage back and forth across lips. According to the magazine: "Sugar is a naturally abrasive exfolliant and honey contains an exfolliating enzyme as well as a mild antiseptic that kills bacterial and natural humectant that helps skin retain moisture."






Jacqueline





I'm Obsessed

 

Yet Another....... Crocheted Cowl Pattern

 

Ok, so I know I've been posting a ton of crochet patterns lately. But I've been on a kick since they are easy and usually come together really quick.

 

 

 

This pattern is my own, so if you do use this pattern and feature it on your blog/website, I would appreciate if you just throw in a quick reference back to this blog. Also, if you use this pattern and want to, feel free to email me a picture of your creation. I would love to see how this comes out for other people!

Materials:

Yarn: Red Heart with Love in Merlot

Hook: 6.5

Yarn needle.

Pattern:

Row 1: Ch 21

Row 2: *Ch 2, sk next 2 sts. sc in next st" Repeat * till end of row.

Row 3- Repeat Row 2. (a hint to this is that as you continue on in the pattern, you'll notice that the st you need to sc in becomes large and more pronounced than the other stitches. So you'll be able to move quicker after about the 3rd row.

Beauty Budget Steal of the Week: $1.99 Kid's Craft

Pine Cone Owl


So this past weekend here in Colorado was kind of rainy and very cold. So we lined the kids up with a slew of activities. Among them was this little pine cone owl which I found on Pinterest.

Materials: Cotton Balls, Pine Cones, Googly Eyes

My kids had a blast with this project. So simple and inexpensive but they loved it.

 

 

Materials:

Pine Cones: Bag for $2.99 from Michaels (or if you hunt for your own, it's FREE)

Cotton balls: already had so they were FREE

Googly Eyes: $1.99 from Michaels


Instructions:

Stuff cotton in between all the crevices of the pine cone. Use a pencil to make sure the cotton gets in there really good.

Glue Eyes on

For nose, wad up a little piece of cotton, glue on and paint.

For wings: Take a cotton ball, pull apart into a fan shape. Trim edges to shape.





Original Inspiration for this project found at artexperiencesfortots.wordpress.com

Twisted Chunky Cowl

 

 



This pattern is my own, so if you do use this pattern and feature it on your blog/website, I would appreciate if you just throw in a quick reference back to this blog. Also, if you use this pattern and want to, feel free to email me a picture of your creation. I would love to see how this comes out for other people!

Materials:

1 skein Lion's Brand Wool-Ease Thick and Quick in Wheat

Hook: P  (11.5)

Yarn Needle

Pattern:

This pattern is worked in rows (like a scarf) and whip stitched together at the end.  

Row 1: Ch 41 loosely (or however long you'd like.)

Row 2:  in 1st st, *Sc, ch 1, dc, ch 1* sk next 2 sts Repeat * in next st. Continue to the end of the row.

Row 3-6: Repeat * in every stitch across.

To finish: Hold one end of the cowl in one hand. Using the other hand, twist the cowl twice. Bring the two ends together and using your yarn needle, stitch them together. Enjoy!

Jacqueline



             

 

Weekly Money Saving Move: Gardening

Gardens are a great way to grow some fresh. organic produce. Growing your own food is not only good for you but is also a little easier on your pocket book, depending on how much your plants yield.

Pea plants are great if you're limited on space. They grow vertical and are not very bulky. I've grown peas the last two seasons and they are very productive plants. You can harvest them all season long.

If your cramped on space there are a few things you can do. The picture below illustrates a great idea for a balcony. You could also do individual pots.


http://pinterest.com/pin/48906345923510179/







http://retrohipmama.wordpress.com/category/homemaking/outdoors/





The picture above illustrates how you could use landscaping materials to make a small garden as well. Spices and herbs work well for small spaces.

 



theorganisedhousewife.com.au

The last idea is using coffee cans that can hang as a way to grow a small garden as well. And they would be fun and cheap to make! It's like a 2 for 1!