About Me

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I am 26 and live in a little city. I am married to an amazing man -- Chris. I have a beautiful, spunky 4 year-old, Alexandria (Lexie) and a little boy, Cameryn (Cam). I am a photographer. I have a passion for arts and crafts. I get a high from party planning and decorating. I have an addiction with getting freebies and entering giveaways/instant win games. I coupon, and I am always hard at work searching for local deals. I love finding new places that my family and friends can enjoy!

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

The Day After the Anniversary and the Birth of Mylah Denise!

Yesterday was mine and my husband's 1 year wedding anniversary! We didn't do much yesterday, but today we had a ball. Of course, we have a 4 year old and a 2 month old, so we have to do thing that involve them.

First we enjoyed a nice lunch with them and my best friend Laura. We are super broke at the moment because of the move we made at the beginning of June, but I was able to afford it with Jingit. (Check out my "Favorite Websites" page for more information on Jingit)

Then we went to the mall, where we ran into Laura's brother and his family. Laura then treated Lexie, Mia (her niece), herself, and me to a mall train ride! If only the train would take you from store to store to shop. After that was a stop at Dillard's for free perfume! Not kidding. Full size bottles of the good stuff... but they were testers. BUT we got them for free, and they had a good majority of their perfume. Not going to complain. I got Harajuku Lovers Music, which still goes for $30 on some online stores.






At home we excitedly awaited word on the arrival of Chris' cousin Allie's baby, Mylah Denise! Haven't gotten to see her yet, but seen pictures. She is beautiful! She has dark hair and looks like her daddy. (I mean she is half Hispanic. How could she not be beautiful!) Mylah has great, level-headed parents and an amazing, loving family! She is going to have the good life!

Mylah Denise Gonzalez 9 lb 1 oz, 21.5 inches long born July 31 at 7:50 pm

"A baby will make love stronger, days shorter, nights longer, bankroll smaller, home happier, clothes shabbier, the past forgotten, and the future worth living for." - Unknown

Monday, July 30, 2012

Freebies for the weeks of July 16th - 22nd & 23rd - 29th




Pictured:
Week of July 16th - 22nd:
- 4 count sample pack of Brew over Ice K-Cups
- A coupon for $1 of Meow Mix
- A coupon for a free cup of Meow Mix Pate Toppers
- A coupon for a free pint of Edy's ice cream
- A sample of Bissel carpet cleaning solution
- 4 sample packs and reusable wash cloths from ProForce cleaning solutions
- A free tee shirt from Hershey's/Reese's for their NCAA March Madness promotion
- Febreze Set & Refresh from a Febreze giveaway
- 6 hair care samples for curly hair from Miss Jessie
- Dove deodorant sample from Costco
- 2 full size bottles of Bio True multipurpouse contact solution
- 2 samples of seasoned macadamia nuts from Island Princess
- Sample of chocolate covered coffee beans from Island Princess

Week Of July 23rd - 29th:
- A coupon for a free Nivea lip care product
- 2 coupons for $1 off any Nivea lotion
- Rubber bracelet that says "Mommy to be" (for a family member)
- Free greeting cards (that whole pile of white envelopes and the two that are open)
- Babytalk magazine (free subscription)
- Family Fun magazine (free subscription)
- 2 samples of Fekkai hair care products
- A tube of Neutrogena sun block
- 4 sample packets of Enfamil baby formula
- Sample of Perfectly Simple by Zone Perfect peanut crunch bar with $1 off coupon
- Pink BIC permanent marker with $2 off coupon
- A coupon for $1 off Snuggle fabric softner
- A coupon for $1.50 off Children Advil
- Revlon ColorBurst lipstick sample
- Target coupon book
- A bottle of TRESemme shampoo and bottle of TRESemme conditioner
- A bottle of Aveeno daily detox scrub
- Fructis shampoo and conditioner samples
- Blue make-up bag from Target beauty bag giveaway (which most of the beauty freebies from this week came in)

Not Pictured:
Free sweet tea from McAlister's Deli

Always remember: freebies are a privileged, not a right. Never get mad or upset at a company/brand over a freebie or giveaway. It's not worth the stress, and it's very immature. If you get a freebie, awesome. If you don't there will always be more! Companies do not have to give anything away to anyone for free, so always thank them when the chance arises.

"Appreciation is the highest form of prayer, for it acknowledges the presence of good wherever you shine the light of your thankful thoughts."  - Alan Cohen


Mommy/Daughter Crafts on a Rainy Day




Clay was made with flour, salt, water. Very simple to make. The baking part... eh... Took about 4 hours at 250. Also, you would think that since baking in a hot oven makes them hard that the heat from sitting in a car would effect them... nope... wrong. They will get soft and try to fall apart. Only one of them had to suffer, but the rest got to their destinations before that horrible fate.


“You cannot help but learn more as you take the world into your hands. Take it up reverently, for it is an old piece of clay, with millions of thumbprints on it.” - John Updike

Tackling a Pinterest Recipe: Butterfinger Cake AKA Better Than Sex Cake

The Better than Sex Cake is not a name a came up with, but it's the name that is most used for this cake on Pinterest. Yes.. it is THAT good.

I found the recipe from this blog: http://mariescookingadventures.blogspot.com/2012/01/butterfinger-cake.html

I followed the recipe except I add some red and yellow food coloring to the cake to make an orange color. I felt it made the cake look so much yummier.

I used 5 Butterfinger candy bars. I tried to crunch up the candy bars in to bits, but once a Butterfinger is broken it becomes a make shift razor blade (Don't give a prison inmate a Butterfinger). My plastic baggy was shredded in seconds. So, that is why there are still big chunks of the candy bars on the cake.

This cake is rich and moist. This a cake you can give to someone you love... or hate (they will eat it all, and they will probably gain a million pounds or go into a sugar coma).

"I eat quite healthily normally but, like everyone, have relapses and give in to the odd cake."  - Denis Van Outen

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Free Tip Tuesday: Making Gifts from Freebies!

Anyone who knows me knows I love freebies! I requested all that I can for myself, friends/family, and donation. But sometime you might get way too many free samples (I know you are asking, "How is that even possible?" hahaha). I mean, I own so many samples of free lotions and shampoos on top of my usuals that I buy. These are great to donate, but lets say you have a friends birthday coming up. Or, you are having a party and what to do door prizes, or sleep over for you kids, or sleep in at church, or game night.... the list can go on and on. That's when those freebies really come in handy!

Back in April, I had my baby shower. When you read further on you might think it is weird I threw my own baby shower, but I LOVE throwing parties/decorating for them, and I am a control freak. I knew I wanted to play baby shower games, and I needed prizes for the winners. The I remembered, I had stock piles of free samples (and even some full size products I got for free in giveaways/couponing). So I went threw the freebies and decided what I could part with. I them had to decide how many games were going to be played and how many prizes were needed. I decided 5. I am a sucker for presentation. I wanted my prizes to look like and some what professional. I when to Dollar Tree where they had cute, purple plastic gift baskets, 4 for $1. I also has some wicker gift baskets from gifts that had been given to me (Admit it. At least once in your life, if not every year, you have received that spa gift set with basket that you did know what to do with after you took the goodies out. SAVE THAT!) Also, I save all my tissue paper and gift bags from parties, so I used the tissue paper to line the bottom of the gift baskets.

I then organizes my freebies by category. I had one basket with tea and sugar samples along with coupons if that sample came with them. Next, I had a coffee sample basket, then 2 shampoo/conditioner sample basket, and a make-up/lotion sample basket. An idea for the tea and coffee samples are to put them in a mug as the basket, but that will cost a little more. You can get mugs at Dollar Tree, but you might not find one that you like or that was too cheesy (that was my issue.).

You can play around with these idea to work for you and whatever event you want to use them for! It will barely cost you a dime, and your gifts/prizes will be a big hit. More ideas are care packages for military members overseas or families who have lost there homes, donations to charity auctions (presentation will bring in more money!), teacher gifts, "get well soon" present for someone in the hospital. etc.

If you have more ideas/suggestions to add to this please let us know by commenting below!

“The manner of giving is worth more than the gift.” ― Pierre Corneille, LeMenteur

Crafty Wine Glasses


Lots of people get married every year (Which is why I hate the whole "Why is everyone getting married?" jokes and complaints, like this is the first year it's happened.). If you are like me you want to do something crafty, cute, and creative for your wedding and/or friend's wedding. Well, for my bridal shower I had come up with the idea to make personalized wine glasses for my bridesmaids. I am great with coming up with ideas, but sometime I need a little help... ok a lot of help. Which is why I am lucky that not only my maid of honor is my best friend, but super crafty and artistic!
She made mine, hers, and all the other bridesmaids wine glasses.


Mine is a little nit different from the girls'. It was made re-using ribbon from another wedding gift. I loved it so I wanted to use it for something, so it's the bow on my wine glass and the ribbon on my ring bearer pillow (that was hand made by my mother!)


As you can tell my wedding colors were blue and green, but of course this can work with any color. My best friend even put together the wine glass charms.


To make this for your own shower/wedding/birthday/girls night/whatever, first you need a wine glass. We got ours from Dollar Tree. Be warned though, Dollar Tree wine glasses are cheap for a reason. They have weak steams the break very easily. Then chose some ribbon that you like. A hot glue gun is a must to keep everything from falling down or looking droopy. I'm sure the names can be painted on with acrylic paint, but she used stain glass paint the you can buy at a craft store. You also need some one with fancy hand writing! She then coated the black paint with glitter glue. The plastic jewels under the name are just strips of sticky jewels you can get at a craft store in other colors, shapes, and sizes. We then picked out blue and green dragonfly charms for the wine glass charm. This was found in the jewelry section of a craft store. She then used wire you can get from a craft store or hardware store to string the beads and charm. She then used needle nose pliers to bend both ends into hooks to hold the wine glass charm onto the base. And.... that's about it.


"Crafts make us feel rooted, give us a sense of belonging and connect us with our history. Our ancestors used to create these crafts out of necessity, and now we do them for fun, to make money and to express ourselves." -Phyllis George

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Tackling a Pinterest Recipe: "Best Ever Post Roast"


I made this "Best Ever Pot Roast" for my family yesterday. It was pretty good. It tasted just like any other pot roast I have eaten, but I also didn't a crockpot to cook it in.. so... maybe the flavor didn't soak in a well as it should. Above the picture I linked the original recipe, but I didn't not follow it exactly. I had to change it up since I did not have the crockpot.

First off I cook it in a turkey roaster instead of a crock pot. I had a 3 to 4 lb pot roast which I browned a little bit first. I use 2 packets a Ranch and 2 packets of Italian seasoning. I used one cup of beef broth, and about 4 cups of water. I forgot to put in the brown gravy mix :/ Haha. I also add some chopped onion. I put all the said ingredients together and cooked for 1 hour. Then I flipped the pot roast over and cooked for another hour, added the potatoes and carrots in in the last half hour. 

Like I said. I made changes to suit my needs. This modified recipe above may not work for you. Just click the link and work with the original recipe til you perfect it to you own liking!

"When baking, follow directions.  When cooking, go by your own taste."  ~Laiko Bahrs

Freebies for the week of July 9th - 15th


It was a slow freebie week by still received some nice freebie!

- Cosmopolitan magazine (Free subscription)
- Coupon for Hungry Jack syrup and pancake mix
- 2 free samples of Carnation Breakfast Essentials
- 2 travel size bottles of Bath and Body Works lotion - free internet coupon

Not picture:
- Free Dippin Dots Cluster - free internet coupon

Always remember: freebies are a privileged, not a right. Never get mad or upset at a company over a freebie. It's not worth the stress. If you get a freebie, awesome. If you don't there will always be more!

"Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds you plant" - Robert Louis Stevenson.

Friday, July 13, 2012

Bic Soleil Savvy Review (For BzzAgent)

 I am a Bzz Agent and every so often I get to test and review products. This is a great honor because I get to make an impact on brands and item on the market! Today I am reviewing the Bic Soleil Savvy razor.

So, what is the Bic Soleil Savvy razor? It's a razor that combines the convenience and performance of a cartridge razor with the price of a disposable razor. This razor has a 3 blade on a pivoting head, supported by an easy grip disposable handle. It comes with 4 replaceable heads.

I shaved the right leg with the new Bic Soleil Savvy razor, and I left the left leg untouched to show the difference. 

The razor itself is cute. It sports a pink color that is appealing for a girly-girl. I love the fact that it is suppose to be comparable in price to disposable razors, but with the convenience of a reusable razor with disposable heads, but I was not impressed on the shaving performance. I am use to using 4 and 5 blade razors, while this is a 3 blade razor. My legs still felt prickly. The picture above was taken on my second time using the razor with the same results both time. I have sensitive skin, so for others with sensitive skin, the good news is this razor did not irritate my legs. I think this razor is probably great for women with thinner leg hair, but being half Puerto Rican, my leg hair is some what thicker than most. So will this product be on my "obsession list"? I don't think so.

Here are some shaving tips that will work with any razor straight from BzzAgent:

1.) Shave at night. Shaving removes dead skin cells and the superficial layer of skin. While this process is healthy, it reduces your skin's defenses for a couple of hours. Shaving at night gives your skin time to recover its strength and suppleness to resist irritation.

2.) Shave clean skin. To help prevent infection and bumps, make sure your skin is perfectly clean before you shave. Apply hot water beforehand or shave after showering. Warm humidity increases skin elasticity and soften your hair, making it easier to shave.

3.) Apply shaving cream or gel. Use shaving cream or gel with Aloe Vera when shaving -- it's gentler on your skin than regular soap and can help lift hair. Lather the cream or gel, then leave it on for two minutes prior to shaving. Once your hair is softened, the razor will glide more easily over skin.

4.) Use a sharp blade. Change your blades regularly, especially if you have sensitive skin. On sensitive areas like your bikini line and underarms, shaving with a dull blade can result in red spots.

To learn more, please visit feelthesoleil.com and facebook.com/bicsoleil

Baby Shower Creations!

So my sister-in-law, Anna, and my husband's cousin, Allie both had baby showers, so I made some goodies for them:
 Gift basket with goodies for Anna and baby Ayden. I did the same gift basket (only pink) for Allie (not pictured).
 Picture frame for Anna made from a $1 wooden unfinished frame from Walmart. Painted brown then glued scrapbook paper and blue ribbon.
 Gift I made for Allie's baby shower. Initial and signature plates for baby Mylah's room! Plate chargers from Michael's with silver scrapbook paper, and sheer blue ribbon. Just drill holes for the ribbon.
Baby wipes case I made for Allie with batten and pink fabric hot glued to it. The trimmed with blue ribbon, blue flower, and blue plastic jewels.

 "Other kids did drugs; I did crafts. I never knew where I fit in." -Kathy Lee Gifford

Living with a newborn again!




This time around I feel... calmer... I handle situations better... less stressed... Well, I feel like I feel this time around is different because I am more experienced. (lol) A lot of things have happened since I last posted. I had my little man, Cameryn Harper Garland via c-section on May 5th. I was due May 19th, so he was a little early. We moved closer to the college my husband goes to. My sister-in-law and brother-in-law had their baby: Ayden Blake Garland. My husband's cousin is due with her first baby, Mylah Denise (named after their Aunt Cindy Denise, who passed away from breast cancer), July 29th. I am hoping for good news in the next couple of weeks about jobs. So... until next post, remember:

“The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.”
― Eleanor Roosevelt

Baby Shower #2

 All the presents and goodies from my husband Chris's lovely family!
 Diaper cake made by my mother-in-law Nancy! She made the felt monkeys by hand!
 Cake my by my husband Chris' step-sister Sarah!
The hubby and I!