Declutter Game Challenge - Day #8

Hey!! Checking in!! This declutter day was so much fun!!

I hate wasting anything, especially food. So, I had several (8 to be exact) OVERLY ripe, not quite or completely rotten (don't judge me) apples in my fridge. I love apples, but I don't always eat them during lunch time. They are usually my snack, but if I get busy at work and don't eat it, it comes back home and back to the refrigerator. I only like them when they are hard, so by now, they've softened, but I don't want to waste them...

I remember my bestie making the best fried apples ever a few years ago before she moved away. I decided to take a page from her book. I cored them with my handy dandy kitchen gadget, threw them in a pan with some butter, added sugar and cinnamon and IT WAS ON!! They were delicious!! I had them for a nice dessert all week long, along with some Vanilla Bean ice cream. Yum!!

So, I decluttered my fridge without wasting the food!! SCORE!!

Frugalicious Diva Teaming Up with Curvy Connect Magazine!!

Hey everybody!! Big news!! 

I am now a Contributing Writer for Curvy Connect Magazine, an online publication and website whose mission is to create an international network of professionals and businesses that support the curvy community and movement. Guess what? I will have a featured piece in the upcoming May issue!! 

Want to be part of the fun? Do you have any "Mommy Knows Best" advice to share? Submit yours to the email in the photo for your chance to have it featured in Curvy Connect Magazine!! (Like their page too, for updates)!!

Share the BEST motherly advice that you've been given at submissions@curvyconnectmag.com.

Your mom's words of wisdom may appear in the magazine or on this website!

You have until April 20 to tell us!!

Declutter Game Challenge - Day #6

Hey frugalicious ones!!

Just a quick update!! I've had to do some skipping around for the Declutter Game Challenge, but I promise to get them all done before April lets out!! This is a catch up, but I'll still be posting them "in order", as much as possible.

This was a great one for my desk...my schedule and work load keeps me busy, so sometimes things pile up. So...don't judge me, but I finally decluttered my Desk Dishes at work.

Some were clean and some not...but I washed them all and returned them to their rightful places (in the work kitchen cupboards). Six less items on my desk and one less mess. Another declutteriing challenge DONE!!

How's your Declutter Game going?

Happy Easter!! Still decluttering!! Declutter Game Day 4 & 5

Yesterday was the first free Saturday I've had to myself for MONTHS!! For me that meant, it was a FREECYCLE day!! I tried to take full advantage of this free day to do some Spring Cleaning. OUT WITH THE OLD!!

I was on Day #4 of the Declutter Game, so I was going to do four categories of items to freecycle since I was getting rid of way more than 4 items. Come to find out my group changed its name and by the time I found out, it was too late to post and I didn't feel like leaving the house (I meet up with freecyclers at a public location).

So...I settled on four bags of shredded paper recycling, that I threw right in my own recycling receptacle (don't be fooled though, I still threw out and recycled way more stuff)!! The bonus was I reused paper bags I already had to recycle this clutter!!



Day #5...Happy Easter!! I didn't forget and this decluttering day was a good one!! My sorority reads
books to the kids at a neighborhood library. In addition to reading them books, we serve cookies, milk and we bring them books to take home. I had leftovers, so these were the perfect gift for my own family kiddies at Easter time. They got these after the super fun Easter egg hunt today!!

So happy to give them away and I hope they enjoy reading them. I actually ended up giving away 8 books, but took a pic of five for the sake of day 5!!

I'm getting my declutter on, even on the holiday!! Hope you had a great day too!!

April Declutter Game Challenge - Day 1-3

It’s April!! Time to make way for the sunshine, the flowers and new season!! For me, that means it’s time to DECLUTTER. I love the beginning of the month because I love the feeling of a fresh start; being able to start over regardless of how your yesterday ended.

I've decided to participate in the Declutter Game, which is my 30 day decluttering challenge to get rid of items in my house, my work, my space, and my life that I no longer need, want or love. IT’S GOT TO GO!! I always feel like this when I can sense something big coming my way. In truth, I've been getting good news ALL WEEK, so it’s confirmation for me to remove the old to make way for the new.

I saw a similar challenge online and it inspired me to act like a minimalist for these next 30 days. The idea is to let one thing (or series of things) go for every day of the month it is. So on the first day I got rid of one item, on the tenth day I will get rid of 10 items and on the 23^rd of the month…right I’m disposing of 23 items.

I don’t really care how I get rid of them, just as long as they leave my life. Follow my journey because I know I’ll be giving away, dumping, sending off and possibly even selling stuff. I hope you’ll be encouraged to join me and de-crapify your corner of the world too.

Though I’m late sharing this blog post, I can honestly say I haven’t been procrastinating (another challenge on which I’m working). 

I started on Day #1. This is how I recycle my paper items. These include printer paper, notebook paper, old coupons, inserts, envelopes and junk mail. I always remove (and shred) any personal information. There's an outside paper recycling center in my neck of the woods and I just simply dump it there.

I completed Day #2 as well. The whole day went by and I couldn't think of what to declutter. At the close of the day (after Scandal), I noticed that two of my light bulbs, in my six bulb chandelier, were burnt out. Interesting that there were two...perfect for day two. Obviously these were trashed.

And at work, I've already finished Day #3. I reached out to my co-workers for ideas and they blurted out I should clean out my drawer. Whew!! I really needed to do that and organize, so I was happy to take their advice. I got rid of three piles of old plastic utensils, old food I knew I wouldn't eat and old office supplies (some of which I inherited from a co-worker. Never again)!!

One big swoop sent them to the can. **dusting off my hands**

That's that!! I'll keep pulling, purging and posting and I hope you'll join me!! Until next time, stay frugalicious...muah!!

We're Couponing Again...COUPON CLASS!!

Hey there frugalicious ones!! Tasha and I conducted a Coupon Class earlier this month. If you missed that one, don't fret because...we're couponing again...

If you're a beginner looking to learn or already a couponer looking to refresh, join us to get current coupon info!!

With all the changes going on in the coupon world, who knows what's going on? WE DO!! Lots of updates, but can still save big!! Hope to see you there!!

Respect Your Money (for its growth and yours)!!

We're spring cleaning around here; learning how to tend to our money so, like the flowers in the springtime, it will grow and flourish. I know we see cliches and clever sayings all the time about "getting our money right", "taking care of our money" and "letting our money work for us", but if you apply a few simple principles those things really can come to fruition.

If we truly want to obtain wealth, we have to look at it differently than we have in the past. Really, if you're not where you want to be financially, how well are those current thought patterns working for you? I'll wait...

Okay, well then, let's chat!! Years ago, I remember watching a video from one of my favorite money gurus, Suze Orman. It was an older video with late 80s/early 90s hair and dresses, but the advice I took away from that video was not only timeless, it was priceless (literally, it was a library video; just had to add my frugal spin)!! That advice seriously changed my life and my mind about money and it's relation to my life. Since then, I've been on a path to RESPECTING MY MONEY!!

Having respect for money can be determined any way you like because it is exactly how it sounds. Respect it like you would a person you love. That may sound crazy to some, but if you've practiced this, then you know it's not crazy at all; it's imperative to your money life. It's the Law of Attraction and whether you are versed in it or not, you live it out every day of your life regarding yourself, your family, your career, your own happiness and of course your financial existence. Whatever you are feeling about your money, it will react to you based on those feelings.

Want to foster a good, positive relationship with yours? Then take heed to the following advice:

1) Expect to have it. This is self-explanatory. Simply EXPECT to have money; in your pockets, your wallets, your bank accounts, etc. Develop the feeling of what it's like to have the amount of money you desire. Instead of complaining about "all these bills", envision money constantly coming to you. Things may not go your way all the time, but does that mean you should expect bad things? Try changing your mind and expecting the good. Wake up and face the day with gratitude for what you do have, then the good will begin and continue to flow.

Here's an easy affirmation you can use several times daily:
"Money comes easily and frequently." Say it, believe, expect it!!

2) Speak good to it and of it. Speaking of affirmations, adopting them into your fiscal life will prove to be profitable...literally. Even before I really starting using them, there were signs that I should watch what I say about myself and of course my money. This is one quote I found and it resonated in me so heavily, I had to take it seriously. It is by Brian Tracy, a self-help author and motivational speaker.
"Never say anything about yourself you do not want to come true".

These word truly motivated me to change my words, so I gave my vocabulary an upgrade, especially when it came to my finances. I removed words of lack like "broke" and "poor" along with the "I ain't got it" mentality. I replaced them with positive affirmations and a wealthy living mindset. Adding "prosperity" and "abundance" proved to give me a lift in spirits and it showed in my wallet.

3) Physically treat it well. Take a look in your wallet or wherever you keep your money. How does it look? Do you have bills all over the place? Crumpled and torn? What about your checkbook; is it balanced? Do you know how much you have available at any given time?

If your money is out of order, take a look at your life. Is it out of order too? Chances are, it is. If your money is wayward, so is your life. When you take time to learn about it, neatly put it in your wallet, balance your checkbook and review your bank account, life will follow suit and be easier. If you are not where you want to be financially, organizing your money is the way to begin the wealth journey. Order allows you to address issues directly instead of being forever bogged down with searching for this receipt or trying to recall where you put that $20.00 you had earlier.

Learn to respect your money and your money really will respect you back; growing to it's fullest potential. Since we're getting organized, you will be in position to address next week's topic: credit reports. Again, we are getting finances in order this spring. We will see the growth and the fiscal bloom before you know it. Hope this inspires you to get you and your money in order!! :)

Frugalicious Diva
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