2013

It has been an interesting year. Started out normal. Nothing special, just another year, month, week, day. I was struggling with medication changes. Kalikat was still alive and pooping everywhere, but giving lots of love. I miss her, even though I hated the mess I was constantly cleaning up.

It was winter, then it was spring. I was very happy to be back on my Vespa which was all fixed up from the fall over and the transmission. My poor Geo Metro was neglected. I was working a decent schedule at COAST.

Summer came and with that I got to go on an amazing trip to England with my mom. It was awesome. I got to see my aunt, uncle, other uncle, Grandpa, plus all the beautiful scenery. My mom showed me where she grew up. It was amazing.

I got hired with the one company I really wanted to work for on the Seacoast. Unfortunately, it is only a temporary position, but it means I am in the door, so I will just wait and do my best until I can get a "full time" job there with amazing benefits. It also means I am behind the wheel of school buses again,, which is where I am happiest!

I had to say goodbye to Kali, but hello to sweet Oliver. Oliver has been an awesome addition to Hobo and I's life. He is a great companion and a great playmate.

This last month has been crazy and weird. Things changed rapidly. The marriage kind of fell apart. There is just not enough romantic feelings to make it work. Nothing is official yet, it's complicated. But either way, we are better off as friends than a couple.

With the upcoming year my goal is to find happiness. I have spent too much time being miserable. Life is short. I am looking forward to what may come in the next year.

Not so Merry Christmas This Year

The Christmas season  is supposed to be filled with happiness and joy. Not really sure why other than its complicated and personal, but this year all I know is I am no longer happy. It's just no good. But, such is life. We make decisions, we move on, continually searching for what it is that truly makes us happy, hoping one day to find it.

I saw a bumper sticker once that kind of sums up how I feel about life: Do What you Like, Like what you do. I know I have that feeling when I am behind the wheel of a school bus, but I would like to have all aspects of my life be like that.

Life is short, you don't know when you will leave . It is so important to find what makes you happy, and avoid unhappiness as much as possible. I know there will always be some disappointment and sadness, that's all just part of the a normal life cycle, but I try to minimize that.

I hate that I live with so many regrets, although I guess if I didn't make the decisions I did, then I wouldn't be where I am today with the potential to get the job I really want, and have met the people I have met. It's hard to see that sometimes when you are just going through the motions of day to day life.

Right now, I am wishing that my perfectly realistic fantasy would come true. Lets hope the upcoming year will bring me more happiness and what I am looking for.

Stocking was stuffed!!!

I do have to say, the presents were very nice this year. :-) Those were a bright patch of light to an otherwise boring day. I also had a nice Christmas Eve breakfast with a friend that was nice. I don't get to go out all that often other than to work or the store, so that was a welcome change. :-)

I was especially excited about the Greys Season 9 DVD, the trunk pull for my Fiat, the sewing machine (now, to find out how to use it!), and the Jurassic Park Trilogy on BluRay.

I got my 4th Rainbow loom as well which is pretty cool. Came in handy when I made a lanyard for my work ID!

Under the Tree!

Black Friday Recap

I love Black Friday. I love getting stuff cheap. I love having saved up money to be able to go on a shopping spree. It is one of my most favorite days of the year!

I got up Thursday morning while my husband was voluntarily working (triple pay...yay!) and headed to the Tedeschis convenience store near my apartment to pick up a coffee and the newspaper.  This is my new tradition as of last year. I love the fresh newspaper with the humongous amount of ads! I actually saw something online that said the Portsmouth Herald had the largest selection of Black Friday ads, so the Herald it was! Of course, I didn't even open the regular paper part, going straight for the most important part, the ads!

I had previewed most of the stores I was interested in through either the store site or an iPad app called Black Friday from FatWallet. Nothing compared to actually going through each circular in it's paper form, being able to slowly peruse each item and it's price. The digital world just can't replace it. It's just not the same online.

This year I had a fairly limited budget as my work hours have been cut so drastically and I need to keep something in savings just in case. I had to really plan my shopping and keep a list.

I went through each flyer looking at the deals and writing down the ones I was interested in and the Out of Pocket cost. I focused on the pharmacies (Rite Aid, Walgreens, and CVS) as they had a lot of household and candy deals that paired very nicely with coupons and their rewards back programs. I planned on two transactions per store, one that gave me the rewards certificates and the next that used those rewards certificates. This plan worked perfectly at CVS and Walgreens, but unfortunately I was unaware that Rite Aid did not give instant rewards on your receipt. Luckily, they were a small portion of my overall plan.

I was able to get two of my larger purchases online so I didn't even have to deal with the stores! One was an amazing deal on a present my husband has been wanting badly, and the other one was a $15 Craftsman Multimeter at Sears, which was something I have been wanting as my Geo Metro Convertible has been cranky with some electrical things.

I also went through the lists for Target, Walmart, and a couple other stores. There were several DVDs I wanted both for myself and as a gift. I wanted to go to Kohl's as I had a $10 off $10 purchase coupon and an additional 15% off everything. I also love crafts, so Michaels and JoAnns were two more stops I had toward the end of my trip as I didn't actually need anything, but would like to find a couple things as they had nice % off entire transaction including sale items.

Household Stuff

I packed myself a tote bag with the ads of the stores I planned on going to, a list of the items and their prices/coupons/rewards totals paper clipped with the necessary coupons, and a paperclip of the other coupons for the various stores. As I struggle with low blood sugar I packed a lunchbox with snacks and drinks to keep me going throughout the day.

I have to say all the planning I did Thursday paid off big time Friday!! I saved 56% on my entire purchase overall. Best part is I didn't leave my house until 6:30AM Friday!

Obviously all my deals can't be shown as quite a few were gifts, and he reads this blog!

I got some great deals on Laundry detergent as the pharmacies had buy 1 get 2 free that I combined with coupons. I got Buy 1 get 1 free batteries (Duracell and Energizer) also combined with coupons and rewards. It was great being able to stock up on name brand products at less than the generic prices! I was very happy that the pharmacies had plenty of stock, as I was worried they would have sold out on Thanksgiving.

Fun stuff for me

My all time favorite deal, and the one I had to work the hardest for was the Cat's Meow toy and the GoGo Pillow. Walgreens had an awesome promotion where it was Buy 1 get 1 free on select As Seen on TV products, the other pharmacies had a similar deal, but not on products I actually wanted. My husband and I decided the cats were getting the Cats Meow toy as their present this year, so regardless of sales, we were going to purchase it. When I saw it was included in the Walgreens sale, I knew I had to try and get one. I almost caved and went out on Thanksgiving to buy one, but didn't. Unfortunately, when I got to my local Walgreens, they were sold out. The associate was very nice and checked in the back and even called the other store semi-nearby. As it turns out, they other store had a truck come in that morning that hadn't been unloaded yet, so I was asked to call later to see if they had them in stock. I did, and was able to go up to the other store and get the toy and got a GoGo Pillow for free (which I totally love!!! It's perfect to support my iPad!).

My luckiest find was the off brand loom bands....the peachy color is usually only sold at one store, which is not in my area and regularly cost $3 or more; they were only $0.99!  I need this color as I plan on making the nativity scene. I purchased extras to list online and they sold within a day! Awesome!

Of all my lists and stores, there was only one thing I did not find....a DVD copy of the Vow for around $4. Oh well. I would say this Black Friday was a resounding success, and I didn't even have to wake up stupid early or shop on Thanksgiving to do it! :-D

I can't wait for next year!

Thanksgiving 2013

Hobo

Every year it seems I struggle to find what I am truly thankful for. I mean, I am lucky I am able to work, have a job, I can walk, I can breathe, I have a roof over my head, etc;

This year, I am most thankful for my cats. My Hobo cat is a wonderful, fun, adorable ball of fluff. He makes me smile. We were lucky enough to adopt a wonderful cat we named Oliver last week from Cocheco Valley Humane Society. He is 5, which is perfect as Hobo is 4. They are getting along fabulously! It is so nice to have two cats who seem to enjoy each other's company. They definitely brighten my day. It is impossible to be miserable while interacting with these two handsome boys!

I am also very happy to be back employed by a school district driving school buses again! Although I am technically a temp, I have my foot in the door for the one local bus company I really really want to work for. I am hoping by next year there is a full time position open.

Lets hope next Thanksgiving will bring about a happier entry. 

Review: Rimmel London Scandaleyes RetroGlam Mascara

I am a newcomer to makeup, I only started learning how to apply makeup a little over a year ago. Yeah, I know, late to the game at 27, but I was a tomboy in high school and never bothered to learn even for special events, but I was missing out! Now, I like to wear makeup for date days or special events. I have amassed a rather decent collection, mostly thanks to couponing and Ipsy (which I will review in an upcoming blog post).

Used for this look

Another way I have acquired new makeup is through Influenster. In the past I received the Olay Fresh Effects BB Cream which I enjoyed. This most recent VoxBox, the Rose VoxBox, contained Rimmel London Scandaleyes Retrogram Mascara. I have found my new mascara! It's amazing! It makes my lashes look so long and dramatic and the best feature, IT DOESN"T CLUMP! As I said, I am a newcomer to makeup, but the other mascaras I own do not go on as smoothly and nicely producing such a glamorous effect as this Rimmel London one does. You can find this in stores starting November 2013.

One of my tasks to complete the badge for the VoxBox (which will allow me to receive more Rimmel Products!) was to create a video or a blog detailing a 60s glam look. Well, you may know I do not do videos if I have to talk in it, self conscious of my voice, blah blah, blah...so a blog post it is!

Of course the first step in creating a 60s look for me was to google what 60s makeup looked like. I found a WikiHow that I used as inspiration for my look. It was a nice simple tutorial I was easily able to follow.

The first step was to pluck my slightly neglected eyebrows. Ugh, what a PITA that is, but at least I've gotten pretty good at it. Thank you internet! My Chella eyebrow filler helps define my brows.

My next step was using my Olay Fresh Effects BB Cream to even out my skin tone. It is a really great product! I had tried to use a primer and traditional liquid foundation, but it turns out my skin desperately needs exfoliating and it was doing a weird scaly thing. Gross. So off it came and the BB cream was the perfect solution, providing coverage plus much needed moisturization.

A quick sweep of NYX Cream Blush and Pixi Beauty Bronzer (both found in my Ipsy bag!). A nude lipgloss from Juice Beauty topped off my base look.

As suggested by the tutorial, I swept a pearly white eyeshadow across my lids and up to my brow bone. A light blue went across my lids. My Cailyn gel eyeliner was perfect for the thick liner with a nice wedge finish rather than a cat eye.

To really tie the 60s glam look together, the lengthening property of the Scandaleyes Mascara really topped it off. It gave me a nice open eyed look. It did not irritate my sensitive eyes either, another plus! I definately recommend trying this mascara! I know it is my new go-to!

The sad thing is, I spent time on this lovely look, but I have no where to go! Must be for the best as it is the middle of the first extreme cold snap of the season.

Review: Dr Scholls For Her Cozy Cushions

I was a very lucky recipient of the free Rose VoxBox from Influenster (If you would like an invite, message me your email address!). Included in this box was a Lindt Chocolate Truffle, Rimmel London Scandaleyes RetroGram Mascara, Kiss Gradation Nail Art, Dr Scholls for Her Cozy Cushions,  and BelVita Breakfast Biscuits.

 One of my favorite products in this box are the Dr Scholls Cozy Cushions. I have always liked the Dr Scholls brand, they make comfortable, quality insoles, plus they often have coupons. Currently there is a $2 off For Her insoles, as well as other offers.

As I have knee and joint problems, comfortable shoes are a must for me. They need to have some form of cushioning and support. These insoles offer just that and then some. An amazing soft fleece, think Ugg lining, will keep your feet warm and dry (very relevant considering this cold snap attacking the nation today!) According to the Influenster website, these insoles are designed to insulate your foot from the weather, absorb sweat, and provide support.

To get the best fit, remove your existing insoles, trace them onto the new ones, and then place the new insoles in your shoes. I did this and got an absolutely perfect fit! If your insoles are not removable, start by trimming to one size bigger than your shoe size and check the fit.

I placed my Cozy Cushions in my Bearpaw Meadow Boots (which are my all time favorite boots!) as the original insoles are worn out from a couple years of wear! Best. Decision. Ever. My already comfy boots just got better! The new Cosy Cushions are warm, comfy, and supportive. I was able to go for one of my mini marathon shopping trips which usually leave my feet sore regardless of what shoes I wear, with no pain! I want a pair of these insoles in all of my shoes for the winter!

Overall, these are the most comfortable insoles I have ever owned. I would definitely recommend them to anyone wanting to make their boots (or shoes) more comfortable this winter! You will not regret it!  

My latest addiction...

So, as I made a temporary return to school buses, I was introduced to the concept of the Rainbow Loom. At first it was like, that is silly. I'm all set. Then I was in Michaels and they had them in stock, so I figured, what the heck. I could do something cool with this. Then I was hooked.


I started simple. I made a couple bracelets. I used YouTube tutorials to inspire me, then I chose my own colors. I love that I can take what is considered to be a "children's" craft and make it more mature by choosing my color combinations. I like making the bracelets to represent something. The pink/white one was for October Breast Cancer Awareness, the yellow, black, orange, and red one is School Bus. I made an orange, black, purple, and green one for Halloween. I also made them just to have pretty colors together or to match an outfit.


Of course then there was the fun of organizing the bands and looms (yes, plural, I ended up with a second one). So I grabbed a under-used adjustable container and filled it up. As many of the bands came in multi-color packs, it was very helpful to separate them out.

Fall Leaves

 After making a few, I thought, huh, maybe I could sell some; I'll jump on that trend/fad bandwagon. So I finally opened up my Etsy store (Hobo Cat Creations) before I even was ready to list my intended products (a line of quality cat toys, more to come in a future post). Now, on to the promotion and getting my Etsy store name out there! You can find HoboCat Creations on Facebook and on Twitter, please like and follow!! I will post coupon codes!

Glow Keychain

I currently have the school bus bracelet, fall leaves bracelet, and a  custom glow in the dark keychain (you pick the other color). They are running $4. If you are local, you can pick them up, or they can be shipped. Check out my Etsy store for more information if you are interested!

If you have any ideas as to a color combo or design you would like to see, leave a comment!