6 Hacks For Affordable Living

One of my New Year's Resolutions last year was to SAVE money! However, it can be challenging when you also want to have fun and enjoy the life we are working so hard to maintain. It can be difficult to find areas in life where we can cut back, but believe me they do exist! 

This year I plan to save even more with these simple life-hacks that can be turned into vacation inducing habits!

1. DIY anything you can! - If Pinterest has taught me something it is that you can pretty much do anything yourself. Whether it is having you own vegetable garden, or making your own baby food, or even setting up a line to dry clothes in the summer and spring! These things may sound time consuming, but they are shockingly easy and relaxing. There is something serene about doing things the old fashioned way, so break out the elbow grease and get your hands dirty! 

 

2. Unplug it! - In our home, we have made a habit of unplugging the things that we aren't using. Examples? The stove, the coffee maker, the microwave, the TV, not charging the computer while we use it unless it is dying, etc. Not to mention NEVER leaving any lights on in rooms that we are not in, especially in the morning and afternoon. By doing this, we have managed to reduce our electricity bill by 20 to 30 dollars a month! It may not sound like much, but in a year that adds up to at least $240. 

3. Ditch the smartphone! - These days, everyone has a smartphone. When I was growing up, I remember that smartphones, such as Blackberries, were reserved for professionals to help them with their careers. If you are not using your smartphone for school or work, or if you already have a tablet AND a laptop AND a digital camera AND an Ipod, maybe you should rethink that $400 investment. If you can access Facebook via, laptop, is it really necessary to have it in your pocket on the go? For the past year I have been using a very affordable, and virtually indestructible, prepaid phone from AT&T. The phone itself cost me $20 and the monthly unlimited plan (which includes internet) costs $45 - $50 a month. If all you are interested in is unlimited texting, they have an even cheaper plan that is $25 - $30 a month. Plus, I never have to get my screen repaired. 

4. Drink more water! - Stop buying juice and soda all together. It is loaded with sugar and salt, which is not good for you, let alone your children. (If you are concerned that they won't get the nutrients they need, buy multivitamins, and fresh fruits and veggies!) Instead, buy a filter or purifier to clean the tap water from the sink. If you simply can't live without juice, buy powered juice which is just as tasty and lasts much, much longer. OR buy a juicer and make your very own juices at home (revisit hack #1)!

5. Cook at home! - Eating out can be fun and exciting on occasion but if you are trying to save money, maybe you should turn your weekly visit to you favorite fast food joint into a monthly visit. You can make so many of those meals at home and what's better is that you can usually make it taste better! All you need to do to be an extraordinary chef is follow directions well, have patience, and pay attention to detail! Trust me it really is as simple as it sounds!

6. Carpool isn't just for school! - Good news, we can carpool almost anywhere. This is especially true for those of you who don't have children. Not only can you catch a ride to work with coworkers, you can also go shopping with friends, which makes it all the more fun! Take a buddy with you grocery shopping; one week you use your car, the next you can use theirs! Not only does carpooling save on the monthly gas bill (and regular car maintenance) it is good for the environment. Talk about two birds with one stone!

It's Getting Hot In Here!

 

No, it's not just you, it is really getting warmer, and the United States is not the only country being affected. The World Meteorological Organisation reported that the global average land and sea surface temperatures for the first 10 months of 2014 had soared higher than ever recorded. WMO also reported that 14 of the 15 hottest years were recorded in the 21st century. 

Global Warming is no longer a crazy, extreme theory, as once believed by many!

Now that people have finally accepted it, what are people doing about it? 

The United Nations weather agency gathered in Lima to discuss climate change negotiations in attempts to prevent the temperatures from rising to dangerous levels. 

While that is a very good thing, we have to remember that it is NOT only up to them! 

It is up to humans to collectively realize this dangerous problem and work together on the solution. 

The best part is that the things we can do to help are so simple!

Tips on bringing downs the heat:

- Change your light bulbs in your home to Energy Star qualified products.

- Carpool to work with your coworkers. Make it fun by sharing breakfast pastries and coffee!

- And one that I hope we all know, REDUCE, REUSE, and RECYCLE!

 

3 Tips to Keep the Winter Weight OFF

Yeah, it's that time of year again. We are putting away the bathing suits and busting out the sweat pants and leggings! We are finally stepping away from the scale and hiding that extra chub under giant comfy sweaters. 

But wouldn't it be nice if we didn't have to get back in to shape come summer 2015? Imagine a world when you look good in a bathing suit ALL YEAR! 

With these simple tips, you can enjoy this holiday season and still avoid falling out of love with your beautiful body! 

1. Toasty Workout! - In some places, I'd imagine that it is getting in to the "Too Cold" temperatures. Too cold to go out for a jog, too cold to take the kids to the park, too cold to enjoy the outside world, just TOO COLD! When the threat of frost bite seems too high, you don't have to risk it. Here is a secret you might not have known; there are hundreds of free full length workout videos on YouTube! And the best part is that there is an excellent variety to fit different needs. Whether you like Zumba, Krav Maga, Belly Dancing, or Weight lifting, I guarantee there is something for everyone. Find a quiet, private place (like your room) and get physical! 

2. Portion Makes Perfect - You might have heard of the healthy alternative to all of the yummy holiday snacks that are floating around this year, and if you are anything like me, that is simply NOT an option. Everything tastes better with an extra scoop of butter, am I right? So, instead of eating cinnamon spice celery sticks, eat whatever you want, just be mindful of how much of it you are eating. If you must try everything this year at Thanksgiving, again like me, try 2 bites of everything and then go back for you favorite. And since you're trying one of everything, you might want to hold off on that second piece of pie. Food for thought. (get it?)

3. Get a dog! - I love animals, but dogs are my all time favorite. No animal will make you feel as loved and welcomed and needed as a dog. Yes, they need you to love them back, and care for them, and most of all, they need you to walk them. A dog will force you to brave those "too cold temps." and by taking them out to do their business, you will receive some much needed sunlight and a breath of fresh air! (Don't only get a dog for this reason though, get one because they are AWESOME!)
But seriously, go outside every once in a while to change your body out of that comfortable sitting position you find yourself in throughout most of the day. Sometimes it is easy to forget that we have legs too!

The Learning Box: Teaching Baby!

 

Over the week I began to notice how fast Nico is growing! It seems like he learns something new everyday and I usually am not the one to teach it to him. These early years are when babies learn the most, this is the time when their brains are still forming important connections. I read that in one private learning preschool, 12 - 18 month old's were already peeling their own fruit and throwing away their trash!

The problem is teaching materials and preschools these days are kind of expensive! A few board books can cost as much as 40 dollars. 

As an alternative to fancy schools and simple books, I decided to try it myself.

 

After doing some research, I learned that toddlers who are 12 months and older can learn a multitude of things! They can identify shapes, numbers, letters, colors, and they can even distinguish between different emotions! 

It only took me and hour and a hand full of materials to put together this Learning Box for Nico. If you have older kids, you can even have them help you create this and make it a family project. After I drew and cut out all of the figures (obviously not perfect) I took everything to be laminated at Office Depot ($20)

The result; he loves it! 

Each day we spend 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes after nap time learning new things! 

He knows where to get his Learning Box and he knows how to put it away! 

His favorite thing to do is pull things out, put them in, and open and close the lid of the box. Through this he has also learned to throw things away, though we are still trying to teach him the difference between trash and toys! 

 

Over all I think that both parents and children will enjoy the time spent together using the Learning Box!

Inspiring Youth: Angelica M. Prendez

The message that young people are being sent is that the more we party the cooler we are. Young people are given poor examples from reality shows and the media. It seems like we are all expected to binge drink and sleep around every weekend with out considering the repercussions, wasting our energy and our time. 

Energy and time, that could go into something which involves getting us some how one step closer to living out our dreams!

Due to lack of inspiration, I would like to officially start something called Inspiring Youth. 

At least once a month I am going to dedicate a post to some one who is spending the "prime of their life" doing something meaningful. It time to shine the spotlight on better Role Models of Today!

I could think of no one better to start with than 21 year old Latina, Angelica M. Prendez.

 Angelica loved modeling and being in front of the camera even as a little girl. She dreamed of one day being able to show people that inner beauty counts just as much, if not more, than outward appearances. She learned how to set and realize her goals appearing in local fashion shows and beauty pageants. 

 

(Photo Shoot)

 

(A Night in Rio Fashion Show) 

 

(Photo Shoot with Jose Gomez) 

You can see that she is no stranger to not only reaching for the stars, but plucking them out of the sky! Recently she made the decision to audition for the popular Latin American beauty pageant TV show, Nuestra Belleza Latina. 

She trained and practiced and prepared for the audition day and she was there bright and early to face the challenges of the day head on!

Values are the core to any successful person. In order to be successful in mapping out the future, you have to know who you are, where you come from, and what you stand for. When I asked Angelica what she believed in, she replied,

" I believe in doing good, because when you're a good person at heart and give off positive energy, good things happen."

It is also important to accept that sometimes the door might close before you get there. But where one door closes another one is opened, and occasionally a closed door unlocks in time. Angelica did not make it to the final round of the audition process but she did not hang her head. Instead she is certain that there are better opportunities to come! 

For people like her there is no such thing as failure, only slight setbacks. What makes Angie so inspiring is her determination to follow the path to success no matter what the obstacle! She stated,

" I didn't make it into the last round but this is only the beginning!"

 Remember her face because you will definitely be seeing it again soon!