Schnoodle Sunday - Doggie Comics

I just discovered Off the Leash comics, and they're adorable! Linked below are two comics that I think best personify my doggo.

http://offtheleashdogcartoons.com/off-the-leash-dog-cartoons/the-belly-scratch/#.W3iLYOhKjIU

http://offtheleashdogcartoons.com/off-the-leash-dog-cartoons/the-cling-on/#.W3iSfehKjIU

What comics (from any strip) best describe your dog? I'd love to read them!

Watch It Wednesday - Week 1

Hi all! Sorry for the inconsistent posting - I've been focusing on my book blog (akbookworm.com, if you want to check it out). Since "Reading Wednesday" has been moved to AKBookworm, here's "Watch It Wednesday" to take its place. Here are random YouTube videos I discovered and enjoyed. They're not necessarily new, but they were new to me. I hope you enjoy!

Some really awesome nail art:


I just discovered these mashups, and they're great! This one is my favorite so far:


Apparently pumpkin spice is already back? Here's why we like it so much:


This YouTube channel is in Spanish! I find it a good way to practice my listening, since I've seen similar videos on English channels... so I have some context as to what's going on!



Blast from the Past
(The oldest video on my "Liked Videos" list)

This is a really, really, stupid video. But I've never been able to watch it without laughing!

Happiness Podcasts!

Welcome to Makeover Monday! Here I hope to feature all aspects of a makeover - from hair and nails to fitness and happiness. Today I want to share with you two of my favorite happiness podcasts - they go over the science of how to be happy and share many great tips to incorporate into your everyday life.

My friend recommended The Science of Happiness. In this podcast they have a "guinea pig" (usually a really interesting person) and have them try a happiness activity from The Greater Good Science Center. They introduce the activity and discuss the person's experience. In the second half of the podcast, they go behind the science of why each particular activity makes someone happy.

Happier with Gretchen Rubin is a little less science based, but is still fantastic. Gretchen and her sister give weekly happiness tips (I love these!) and discuss different aspects of happiness and hurdles throughout their lives. They also focus on creating good habits.

What's your favorite happiness-themed podcast? (Or, what podcasts make you happy?)

Schnoodle Sunday - Things My Dog and I Have in Common

It was a stressful six months or so after I got Daisy. We moved in the middle of that, which didn't help either of our stress levels. :P But I did a lot of learning and growing as a dog owner, and Daisy did a lot of calming and relaxing as we settled into a daily routine. I'm so glad I have her in my life, even if she drives me crazy every once in a while.
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Here's just a funny post for you about things my dog and I have in common.

1. We both love to devour good books
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Do you notice the bite taken out of the corner of the book?

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2. We both love getting packages in the mail
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She opened this entirely by herself. (There's dog food inside, so there was nothing that could hurt her, and it sure occupied her for a while!)

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3. We both have great taste in accessories
(I couldn't get a good picture of this one, but she's done her fair share of chewing on purses and shoes.)
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4. We both like playing with yarn
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You should see her go to town "attacking" the yarn, throwing it in the air, and getting it to unravel and take up more space than you imagine one ball of yarn could take! (Also, none of the yarn is super tight on her [even though it appears it might be] and she had my full supervision as well as help getting untangled.)

What do you and your dog have in common?

Sippin' Saturday - Starbucks White Mocha Frappuccino

I'm trying to move away from drinking sugary drinks, but I haven't completely done so yet! So until then, you'll probably see more of these posts. :)

I'm not sure if I've shared the following drink with you, but I've been enjoying it enough lately that I'm going to share it anyways.

This drink is very, very sweet, so if that's not your thing, you won't like this drink. However, if you're a fan of the white mocha, then this is a great alternative for summer! Same flavors, caffeine rush, and sugar rush, but it won't make you miserably hot when it's already 115+ outside.

What's your favorite frappuccino at Starbucks?

Thrifty Thursday - August 16, 2018

Welcome to Thrifty Thursday! I hope to make this a regular feature where I share different ways to save money and make some extra! A couple of caveats:
* Some of these deals may only be applicable locally (I'm in the Phoenix, AZ area)
* Some of these deals may not be available to everyone. Sometimes apps give custom deals.
* I'm new to this! So there's a lot for me to learn, budget-wise.

Ways to Earn

Sell Stuff on Ebay - This week's idea - sell unused dog toys. My dog ended up with way more than any she would ever use. On to Ebay they go!

Use Long Game - If you save using this app (it's FDIC insured), you get points that you can use to  play virtual games... that have real rewards! I earned $3, which isn't much, but is something.

Follow Up on Fees/Charges - Stay on top of things! And don't be afraid to ask what unknown or unexpected charges are. This can help you save (or recoup) some cash.

IBotta - I don't treat these like coupons - I treat it like I earn something in exchange for buying something. So usually if I wouldn't buy it at the full price anyways, I'm not going to buy the product for IBotta. I also try to focus on $$ rewards instead of cent rewards.
(Don't have IBotta? You can use my referral link here - this will help both of us earn some extra cash!)
Bonuses I'm going to try for:
Back to Basics Bonus - Receive $5 when you redeem 4 different offers.
Best Foods Real Ketchup and Mayonnaise - Receive a total of $4 when you buy both.

Ways to Save

Fry's Friday Freebies - If you have the Fry's app, every week they have a coupon for something free on Friday. Two weeks ago I got a free box of mac and cheese. Yum!

Also, Nabisco snack crackers are 99 cents a box on Friday/Saturday. (Limit 5, I think)