Forgotten shopping bags.

How often do you forget to unpack your shopping bags? For me, it always happen, silly but true. While cleaning up my closet, I found several shopping bags with its contents and receipts. I realized that I have been shopping too much of the same items without knowing that I already bought similar items over and over again only to forget unpacking them. I know I am in a habit of stashing shopping bags to the guestroom closet and forget about it, then when I open my drawers, finding out I need this and that for my next shopping trip. Am I getting old or just making excuses to shop?

Well anyway dry goods like intimate apparels will not go bad, unlike food which I made sure I put them in the fridge or in the pantry. But sometimes, I have boxes of pasta which are way past the dates. Call it a total waste. But I can't keep track of what we have in stock.  I tried not to buy more than we can consume in weeks food supply because we both work full time and seldom cook. During our days off, we'd rather eat out than cook. Simple as that. We are saving our energies for the next days of work. 

Shopping bags kept in the closet untouched for months

Shoes and more shoes

I cleaned up my shoes' closet and took away couple of pairs which I haven't worn for quite sometime. I decided that its about time to give them up and pack in a box and send back home. I know, some people here might not understand why I'm giving used stuff, that includes my husband, though later on in our married years he understood. Visiting back home helped him understand why. Now, he's the one reminding me to send some stuff home, especially when summer season ends. His gestures made me happy.

 

All of these are in good condition and is ready for a new owner.

always fun to shop

As  a woman it is always fun to shop. When I first set foot to the American soil, I was thinking of where to shop. Luckily, our house has a nearby mall, so I didn't have a hard time looking for place to shop. My equally shop-a-holic father in law enrolled me to check the high end stores around our area, the rest of my designer craziness is a history.

I am crazy about designer purses, I spent most of my shopping bills in it than jewelries or its counter part.  To make sure I got my money's worth, I see to it that I am buying the genuine items, I shop at the brands own store or at a high end malls like Nordstrom. You know where to go with a doubt!

Is it a sin?

I went to attend our mandatory in-service meeting at work (was paid for it + free snack). Since I work nights, I have to attend meetings on my days off, and I swear to the godess of shop-a-holics that I will not wear anything crappy. Working full time is more than enough to wear my scrubs and the whole nursing ensemble. But please give me the liberty to wear my normal attire when I don't need to clean-up human wastes & discharges.

To make the long story short, I went to the meeting with my usual get-up on a day to day basis, be it going out to dinner or shopping. The meeting started at 10:30 am and lasted 30 minutes. 

 

The picture above shows my outfit except that I put on a brown cardigan on top. I heard from the grapevine that I was overdressed! Whattt? As far, as I am concern, I knew I wasn't, if we based on the proper corporate dress code, for heavens sake! It doesn't mean that, if my co-workers wear their sweatpants to meetings, I should do the same. I am not undermining sweatpants, I do wear them at a proper time and place...maybe when I am at home or going for a walk at the park. 

A close colleague  told me, one of the bosses had been wanting to buy LV purse. There you go I got the message, loud and clear! Then, I told my buddy, you know this one isn't my most expensive purse! Let them eat their heart out ... of envy!

Dainty water bottle

I had been wanting to buy a nice water bottle for work. It must be unique from my co-worker's, must be pretty and of course something that would suit my discriminating taste. I am a trying hard affluent wanna be! Need I have to spell that out?

I browsed online and luckily find what I wanted. In fact I bought four different colors. Most people at work couldn't help themselves but appreciate with a side question as to where I got the bottle.

Here's what I am talking about:

 

Isn't it pretty?

A love affair

I am currently maintaining a love affair with shoes, flip-flops, and anything that has something to do with my self-confessed lovely feet that looks like a ginger harvested from a well vegetated soil. My thought balloon would always disagree with that, mind you! My right brain would say "you just want to justify your spending habits"; and my left brain would surely tell me "get what you want you work hard, you deserve to treat yourself".

Anyway so much of that disagreeing sides of my brain, no matter what I know I can't resist the temptation to shop. So, I got a new pair of flip-flops for the coming spring/summer 2012 fashion. 

 

Isn't it pretty?

Online Red Carpet Viewing

This post brought to you by I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter. All opinions are 100% mine.

I am very excited to watch famous Hollywood stars in their full glamor while showcasing their best recipes.  I will definitely not miss to watch the online red carpet viewing of Toast to the Red Carpet – LIVE, presented by I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!.  I intend to watch this show as Hollywood stars offer insider access and dish on red carpet fashion.  I can't wait to see and try the new recipes that the Hollywood stars will be showcasing.

This is an exciting event so don't miss this online red carpet viewing which will be streamed live on the I Can't Believe It's not Butter Facebook page on February 26 from 3:00-4:30PST.  Are you excited about this show?  Why will you want to watch it?  Interact and comment on this blog post.  By watching the show and posting your comments to this post before 11:59pm February 26, you will get a chance to get a coupon for a free tub of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter. The giveaway item is provided by I can't Believe It's Not Butter per FTC guidelines.

I am really excited to watch famous movie stars and their favorite recipes using I Can't Believe It's Not Butter.   I am a very health conscious person and I make sure to make healthy meals for my husband thus I always have this product on hand.

This is one of our favorite recipe using I Can't Believe It's Not Butter:

Cheese Puffs

 

Ingredients

-  1 cup water   -  6 Tbsp. I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!® Spread   -  1/2 tsp. salt   -  1 cup all-purpose flour   -  4 eggs   -  1/2 cup shredded Gruyere or Swiss cheese (about 2 oz.)   -  1/8 tsp. white pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425°. Grease 2 baking sheets; set aside.

Bring water, I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!® Spread and salt to a boil in medium saucepan over high heat. Remove from heat and stir in flour with wooden spoon, all at once until smooth. Return to heat and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture dries and begins to leave sides of pan, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and continue to stir to cool slightly. Beat in 3 eggs, one at a time, with wooden spoon until blended. Stir in cheese and pepper.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls on prepared baking sheets. Beat remaining egg; brush on tops. Bake 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 375° and bake an additional 10 minutes or until golden. Serve warm or on wire rack, cool to room temperature.

 

I need luggage!

You read it right! I need two medium sized luggage for our trip to the Philippines. Yesterday, I went to Macy's and found huge luggage, almost my height! Goodness gracious what am I going to put in it? The way I see it, I would really fit inside! Most of them are very expensive, I am trying to shop on a budget as I am about to spend my meager salary for the trip. My friends couldn't believed that I am looking for deals(read barat). Why don't they believe that I can make myself frugal? I am just thinking of leaving those luggage bags at home when all of its contents are to be given away! So, it is just but right to spend as cheap as I can be for a single use, because there is no point of bringing an empty luggage back.

Next stop...TJ Maxx & Marshals...wish me luck!

Walgreens Efforts

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Walgreens for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Walgreens is one of the country’s best pharmacies. They have affordable brand names and generic medicines available and they offer 24-hour drive thru services all over the country. These are just a few of the benefits of being a Walgreens member. But just recently, one of Walgreens’ business partners, Express Scripts has rejected the efforts of the company to continue services as a pharmacy provider. This means that customers will have to change their pharmacist.  Check out Walgreens and Express Script dispute and find out what happened.  The disruption and inconvenience threatens the existence of community pharmacies. Aside from this, Walgreens doesn’t want to put the troops in the middle, as Tricare, one of Express Scripts’ clients is also in jeopardy.

 

For smoother transition and to minimize the inconvenience, Walgreens is taking steps. Among these is offering special discounts to its annual membership to Walgreens Prescription Savings Club for only $5 for individual membership and $10 for family memberships this month. Big discounts are given to members and bonuses are also given when customers purchase Walgreens brand products and photofinishing services. Walgreens also offers 24-hour and drive-thru pharmacies in the country, thus making prescription filling easy and accessible.

 

Upset customers can voice out their dissatisfaction by contacting the local media or even by writing in blogs to let others know and support the efforts of Walgreens by also liking Walgreens on Facebook and following Walgreens on Twitter.