1.  My friend said she only has to wax twice a month, if that. I have to shave almost every other day if I don’t want the hair on my legs to get obscene and scary.

2.  All razors are a waste of money. I don’t care if you buy disposable or a fancy electric one. If you have to shave every other day it’s a headache. At some point my time and effort has to be taken into consideration.

3. My friend said to try the wax strips. So I did.

First, I have to say that the wax strips work amazingly well on my legs. I am no pro when it comes to waxing and my education consisted of carefully reading the directions on the box I purchased from Walgreens. You basically rub the strip in your hands, peel it apart, slap it on your leg and rip the hair off really fast. It is nowhere as painful as you may think. The only problem I had with waxing my legs was that apparently the hair on my legs is stubborn and sometimes I had to go over certain areas more than once. Okay, sometimes three times.

Still, I did not have to do it every other day (goodbye rusty razors) and on the second week everything still looks smooth enough to wear skirts or shorts without long tube socks.

The problem with the strips however, is when an uneducated person like myself attempts to wax her armpits. I won’t go into too much detail to save anyone from reading from being grossed out, but let’s just say you can’t really see your armpits well enough to be ripping the hair out of them with sticky paper. I basically skinned the left one, which at this time looks like I have been attacked by a wild animal. The right armpit hurts worse though, and wasn’t even damaged. It’s like an invisible chafe. Even worse, the hair wasn’t even removed so I ended up having to shave anyway.

My advice is to use the wax strips on your legs. It’s way too simple and effective not to. Wait until you have mastered that before attempting the armpits. I also noticed that the instructions mention cutting the strips down to size for smaller areas of the body. This tidbit could quite possibly have saved me some pain and suffering.

So as long as I keep my arms at my side, I’m ready for the beach. When it’s all said and done, the wax strips are worth it and I will continue to use them.  Unless my armpits become infected. Then that could be really embarrassing.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Did I mention that I don’t need any more clothes? Part of Springtime, however is cleaning, organizing and refreshing. There’s nothing fresher than new clothing, but there are some simple ways to update a spring wardrobe for almost nothing.

The Backward Hanger Method

If for some reason you don’t know for sure if you need certain items any more, you can try the backward hanger method. Everything you’re uncertain of, turn the hanger backwards in the closet. If you do wear it, after cleaning put it back in the closet facing the normal direction. It has been suggested to wait a year and whatever is still backwards get rid of.

Anytime you’re getting rid of clothing, consider how  you may make a few dollars from it. Consignment shops, second hand stores and even garage sales make getting rid of old clothing worth it. Also don’t forget about charitable donations for your taxes. Use any extra money for versatile accessories as they are the cheapest.

Minor Repairs and Alterations

Some of the clothing I don’t wear is for simple reasons, like there is a button missing, or a small tear. Whenever you come across something that needs a minor repair, set it in a pile. Pick a day of the weekend to go through and make all of the repairs that are necessary. This includes shoes as well. Do they just need a little polish? Is that heel worth having repaired? Can the sole be hot glued? Yes, I have done all of these. I am also not against using a sharpie to fill in tiny bleach spots on black sweaters and duct tape for quick hems in pants. What can I say. It’s all about survival out there.

Additionally, cut off those dumb jeans that shrunk and are too short. You aren’t ever going to wear them again. Everyone has a few cool cutoff shorts for weekends around the house or on casual outdoor excursions.

Hold a Clothing Swap

This is not only a fun get together but a great time to exchange some of the pieces you may be tired of with pieces your friend, sister, mom is tired of as well. Invite everyone you know regardless of size and style and have a clothing swap party. It’s good to have a few ground rules, one being no one is allowed to just straight out bring crap. Provide snacks and drinks and in the end, you may have  not only a good time, but some new to you clothing.

Accessorize

I noticed recently that all of the blouses and dresses have belts now. Which is fine with me, because I have lots of belts and they work well when I need to add something to whatever I’m wearing. I have also added a belt to a tube top so trust me, if you don’t have a cheap, thin belt, get one.

I also suggest long chunky necklaces and scarves, yes even in the Spring. These pieces help update any regular old shirt or blouse and cost almost nothing.

Mix and Match

Mix and match things that you wouldn’t think you could normally wear. Tube tops are very popular items which you wouldn’t think can be worn to the office, but yes, if you wear a shrug or light jacket, you’re still within the dress code (exact quote from a friend and tested by myself).

Some of these tips help freshen up a wardrobe for any season, but will definitely give a boost to springtime attire. What are some tips you use to avoid buying more clothes?

Coloring your hair at home is not nearly as difficult as it may seem. I’ve done it for the low low price of $4 before and it not only saved me a truckload of money, it took less than an hour. That was one of the things I hated the most about visits to the hair salon. It would literally end up being a large part of the day.

Here are some tips for trying it out yourself. Trust me, there are a lot of horror stories out there about at home hair coloring projects. Unless you do it intentionally, your hair is not likely to end up green.

1.  Don’t choose a hair color more than 2 shades lighter or darker. If you’re naturally a dark brunette and you want to be platinum blonde, maybe save that for the professionals. This would be the only time I would think you risk ending up with an odd color. The reason for this is because you cannot control the peroxide in premixed hair color.

2. Use vaseline or cream around your hairline to protect yourself from stains. It makes it a lot easier to rub off the hair color without scraping your scalp at the same time.

3.  Select the box of hair color that is a) in  your price range and b) the shade  you want. Honestly, I’ve tried the very cheapest brands as well as the more expensive and haven’t noticed any difference in quality. Sometimes the pricier ones smell a little better but that’s about it.

4.  Go for the extra color saver conditioners. I’m not sure if it makes a difference but if you’re debating between a box that has one and a box that doesn’t, go with the one that does. The conditioners not only take away some of the home hair color odor and usually have a nice scent, but they also serve as a sealant sometimes for the hair color. I have also noticed that the conditioner really conditions quite well and leaves the hair pretty shiny, which you want when you’ve just colored your hair.

5.  Do not jump in the shower to rinse your hair color out. I did this once because I thought it would be easier than trying to blindly rinse in the sink and it resulted in an auburn mess. Hair color is sometimes darker than what it shows on your head and no matter how careful I was in the shower, I had a dark red color all over the shower curtain, the walls, the tub and me. Use the kitchen sink if  you can, they’re usually larger and that sprayer thing works really well.

6. Get everything ready first. Put down old towels as well as having some on hand. Wear an old tshirt and be prepared to wipe up any spills immediately to avoid stains.

7.  Read and follow the directions on the box. If you’ve colored your hair before, it’s easy to think we just do what we always do, but always take a second to, at the very least, skim through the instructions and see if there is anything new. This is your hair remember, don’t mess it up because you didn’t read the directions.

8.  Watch the time. Leaving hair color on too long can result in permanent damage. Alternatively, if you wash it out too soon, the color may not take and you’ve just wasted your time and money on a color that’ll wash out in 2 days. Not only that, the color won’t be as rich as you expected.

9.  Keep it simple. You’re doing it at home because it’s supposed to be easier and cheaper. Save the highlights, lowlights, and chunks for the professionals and stick to a great all over color.

10. Wash your hair a couple days before coloring. If you can, use a deep conditioning treatment. This will allow the natural oils in your hair to rebuild which will help protect your scalp from the chemicals of coloring and help your color set better. Do not wash your hair right before coloring as it could end up drying it out quite a bit.

Most of all, have fun, try something new and relax. It may be easier if you pair up with a friend or family member. It not only makes it a little easier having extra hands, it can end up being  a nice girl’s (or guy’s) night in.

There are a few basic supplies you’ll need that don’t cost much and can be used over and over again. Here are the basics:

Nail Polish Remover and Cotton Balls- Obviously to remove old polish.

Hand Lotion- any kind will do, nothing fancy is necessary. Keep some of the little bottles to refill and carry in your purse or keep at work. Moisturized hands and fingers will keep them looking young.

Nail File- I like the ones that include buff and shine edges in case I don’t want or have time to do a full manicure. I suggest a stronger grade file for toes as sometimes they seem to be thicker than fingernails. Maybe it’s just my toes.

Nail Polish – Most manicures include a bottom clear coat, a nail polish, and a clear top coat. I’ve found that the bottom coat isn’t necessary unless you’re using a color of polish that will stain your nails, like Fire Engine Red. If you’re really in a hurry, the clear top coat isn’t necessary either, it does give the nails a nice shiny finish. It will also look more like a professional manicure with the top coat as well as seal in the polish so it’ll last longer.

Steps for the Home Manicure and Pedicure

1. Wash and dry hands. If you have time soak your fingers for a couple minutes to make the cuticles soft and easy to push down. This step can be done anytime you’re in the shower or bath also. I should also mention that all nail polish should be removed before you wash your hands.

2. File your fingernails, straight on the sides and across the top for square nails (which don’t break as quickly) or round the edges if you prefer the oval shape (which makes the nails look longer). Use the buffing edge or a buffing nail file to smooth out any ridges in the nails. This will help the polish go on easier and will look better.

3. Apply the polish, one stroke in the middle then one on each side. Let dry and apply a second coat of color and after that one has dried apply the top coat.

4. Lotion your hands after the polish is completely dry. If you put the lotion on before the polish, it could mix with the polish and become oily.

Tips for Pedicures:

1. If you’re giving yourself a home pedicure, soak your feet for a while. It’s a nice relaxer after work and will help loosen any dry or rough skin on the feet and toes. There are inexpensive buffers for the rough parts of your feet that are a good investment and will help keep off the dead skin.

2. If you have extremely dry skin on your feet, try soaking them in a bath of water and then applying vaseline to them before bed. Cover with warm socks and wash off in the morning.

Manicure and Pedicure Extras

If you feel like trying something different, there are cheap kits to do your own French manicures. Also consider trying the stencils or decals. There are rhinestones, flower stickers and all sorts of artsy things you can try for usually just a couple bucks. Way cheaper than going to the salon and you can usually buy a packet that will last a while.

There is also a number of types of quick dry sprays that you may want to buy just to keep on hand if you’re in a hurry. This isn’t a necessity though, I’ve found that most polishes dry relatively quickly.

Always keep a bottle of clear polish on hand. Clear nail polish has saved me many times and can be applied without giving yourself a full blown manicure. It will appear as though you do have perfectly manicured nails even if you don’t.

Stained nails can be freshened up by soaking them in peroxide for a while. Clean nails with a coat of clear nail polish can sometimes pass for a light French manicure.

My daughter and I actually do manicures and pedicures together on the weekends. It’s a fun and cheap activity that makes us feel pretty. Once you get into the habit of doing your own, you’ll see how much more relaxing it is at home…and save a ton of money.

Operation Where in the Heck is My Money Going? (WITHIMMG)
Day 9-30.00 gas, filled up the car. Actually cost 29.40 for some reason there was some kind of discount. I’ll stop at that gas station more often.
Day 10-2.00 juice and chips
5.00 stopped for fast food. I have an excuse but I’ll leave that out.