DIY Laundry Soap - And Testing It Out!

Part of my New Year's Goals, which I talked about here, I wanted to be a bit more frugal, get back to basics a bit more, and DIY a lot more!

What a better way to start than gathering up some easy things I already have around the house, and making something I use every day, and can be freakin' expensive too.

Laundry Soap!

The recipe is so easy, and you probably have in your cabinets right now:

Ingredients

4 Cups Hot Water

1 Cup Regular Washing Liquid

1 Dishwasher Detergent Pod

1/2 Cup Baking Soda

1/2 Cup Washer Whiffs (for Scent)

1 Empty Detergent bottle

I didn't really want to go 100% natural. And I know there is still regular laundry detergent in there. My reasoning behind an edited, super-boosted formula is my husband is a Transport Truck driver, who the majority time is driving around on the muddy roads of the woods. He often times comes home covered in mud, smelling like diesel fuel, and usually has some sort of grease on him somewhere. I've never really had much luck with stain-blasting power of all natural remedies I've tried, but I'm not really happy with going through bottle after bottle of store bought detergent either. I always wished I could have a happy medium, and amp up certain aspects of the detergent to really target my needs, instead of just dumping in an extra cap-full and hoping for the best.

The recipe was kind of born by my own experiments in stain removal, and put together for my own stain fighting, super powered, cost-effective super detergent. The dishwasher pods are targeted to fight stuck on food and grease, so why wouldn't they be helpful in removing stuck on vehicle grease? The brand I bought for that purpose is a natural brand and super gentile, and baking soda is also kind of famous for stain removal, and freshening fabrics. Need I say more?

Directions:

1. First, brew 4 cups of hot water. I used my Keurig, but any method of heating works, just make sure it's super hot. Set aside 1 Cup in a separate bowl.

1. Dissolve the Washer Whiffs in the Cup of hot water. They take a while to dissolve, so make sure to stir often. I used Scentsy Washer Whiffs in Black Raspberry Vanilla, which are to die for. Just sniffing them makes my mouth water. I have the whole Scentsy line of laundry products, and I hoard them for special occasions. Using the whiffs in this detergent recipe helps me extend the amazing smell without wasting my precious Scentsy laundry liquid on my husband's smelly socks. He-he.

1. Rinse out the bottle, and dump in the washing liquid. Snip off the corner of the dishwasher pod, and dump the powder in. 

1. Add in 2 Cups of water, and give the bottle a good shake to mix up the soaps. Measure out the baking soda, and add that in afterwards. You can finish up with the remaining 2 Cups of water.

1. Make sure to shake the bottle really well to mix everything together. Allow to cool for a few hours before allowing the cap to remain on tight.

That's it! But I couldn't just leave it here, of course I had to put it to the ultimate test for this post too!

I grabbed a hoodie my husband had worn to work the day prior, and a dish towel that had taken some abuse in the kitchen. It was a bit crusty from a sticky coffee spill, and had chocolate on it from making some whoopie pies,and I squirted ketchup on it for good measure.

Mess.

I threw it in, added the detergent to the dispenser, and set it to my usual wash cycle.

My first impressions were it smelled super nice. The consistency was slightly runny, and you could really smell the washer whiffs. It was slightly cloudy from the baking soda, but all in all looked like your average detergent.

The cycle ran through normally. I checked on it a few times, because I was paranoid. I have an HE washer and anything that produces too much suds will really slow down the wash cycle (it wants to rinse way more) and will eventually give the washer drum a musty smell. This one gave virtually no excessive suds. A few to make me feel like it was actually doing something, but not enough to ruin my machine.

Once finished, I opened the lid. I didn't smell much, but fresh, if you can describe a smell. There were  no overwhelming perfumes, but everything in there smelled clean.

Now was the true test, towel inspection.

Stains totally gone! And maybe it's just me, but I feel like its brighter! I smelled it, and there's a nice lingering touch of the Washer Whiffs, and it smelled totally fresh. The sticky texture from the coffee was totally gone as well.

As for the hoodie, let me preface by saying nothing will truly get the smell of a diesel spill out of fabrics. You're pretty much screwed with that. However, this hoodie just had a diesel fume smell from being inside and around a working truck all day, and after the wash it had the same smell as the towel.

Amazing! 

I popped them both in the dryer, and they're tumbling away now as I type.

Not only does this formula have stain-blasting power, but it freshens, brightens, and stretches a dollar. By custom boosting my own detergent, I can really tweak where I need the most strength, and what I look for most in a detergent.

Give this a whirl! Make your own adjustments, and enjoy the savings!

xoxo - Court

New Year, New Goals. Yay!

Just a disclaimer, I'm going to be a total broken record of everyone else on the entire planet, and talk about new year, new me, bla bla bla. 

But it's so wonderful, a fresh slate, recognized by the whole world, to really be able to put 100% into your goals. How could someone not be excited about that? Now, don't get me wrong, if you're unhappy with certain aspects of your life, you shouldn't wait until January 1st to take charge and go after happy. I'm just feeling very sentimental that things that had been weighing on my mind the last few weeks coincided with the universal refreshing of the world.

So, I had kind of let blogging go by the wayside, and one of my goals for 2016 is to get back on it and write whats on my heart, even if it's just a quick few pictures or a recipe. Even if one person, somewhere, gets something out of a post, I'm happy.

So lets get to it!

Go After the Happy

"Going after the happy" is kind of a blanket term for my general, new mindset year. I want to just be happy. For too much of 2015 I spend way too much time comparing every. stinking. aspect. of my life to others' lives. How much of a great year did I waste by doing that? How many times did I miss a deep belly laugh when I was wondering why my legs don't look like Carrie Underwood's? How many snuggles did I miss from my cats when I had an iPad in my face obsessing that my hair isn't long enough?

Too many.

Physically, i'm a bigger girl. I've always been wider in the hips and heavier-set in the chest. So what? I do not have to be model thin to be happy or a person worth a place in the world. My goal this year is to not be thin, it's to be healthy. Everyone's goal should be to be healthy. Life is too short, people! Eat that cupcake, but maybe do an extra squat after. It's all about balance! I do have goals to work out more, I'd like to tone up my legs and stomach a bit, but I'm never going to be a bodybuilder; nor do I want to be. But, if I can have a little more definition and a little less jiggle, I'll be happy! As far as dropping 50 pounds, or something wild like that? If I eat well and exercise regularly, as I plan to just for longevity and quality of life, if 50 pounds magically fall off, great! But, if it doesn't and my doctor pronounces me healthy, I'm a happy girl.

Don't strive to be beautiful like someone else, strive to be beautiful like you. That's something that's been rolling through my head like a credit reel lately. I wear glasses because I need to, contacts are not an option for me, thats okay. My hair is thick, blonde and sometimes unruly, that's okay. My legs are short and thick, a and I love a good skirt and baggy sweater combo. All of that is okay. I'm never going to be a Pinterest or Tumblr girl, people will never come to this blog for fashion or fitness advice, because I'm not the poster girl for it but all of that is okay. I'm happy with myself. Beauty comes in so many shapes and sizes, and honestly, I'd rather stand out than fit in. 

When did not being yourself become so in style? This year I plan to wear what I like, do my makeup  how I like and how I want. Pinterest will not grab me each morning and tell me what I will wear to garner respect and people's attention. Instead, my inner beauty and personality will win people's hearts. What Kate Middleton or Julianne Hough wear should inspire my style, not dictate it.

This year I don't want to be beautiful like you, I want to be beautiful like me.

Mentally speaking, spending all that time knees-deep in Facebook and Pinterest wondering why my life doesn't look like their's takes a toll on your mental health. This year, I plan to enjoy the joys of social media for what it's worth - networking, keeping up with friends, and cat videos.

Snapchats from your cat. THIS is why the internet was invented!

Get Organized

This goes for my professional life as well as my personal life, and let me tell you, it comes in handy and has already. I've tidied up my house over the Christmas break and de-cluttered a ton. You do not, and will never need, three toasters. When I went back to the daily grind at work, I took the time I always said I was to busy to set aside, and completely organized everything on my work PC, and backed up the files. And guess what? The afternoon I finished that, my computer was totally wiped by a nasty virus! I had to grab a temporary computer and send mine off to the IT firm my work hires to handle things I can't fix in-house. What a lifesaver! Because I took the half hour to back up all my files, I easily moved the folders to my new computer, and saved myself a ton of downtime. Because I forced myself to take a bit of time from my packed schedule to clean up after myself, something that could of sidelined me for days was a 15 minute fix. Amazing. 

I intend to apply the same principal to my personal life as well, things as easy as cleaning up as I go when I'm cooking instead of having a huge job after not only saves time, but keeps stress levels down as well. 

Be Humble

My sweet Grandmother, who passed away when I was in 8th grade and was, and continues to be, a huge part of my life, was deeply religious, and as I get older I feel a pulling to adopt bits and pieces of her beliefs as well. She wasn't the obnoxious type of religious person, but you knew God was her best friend, and she wasn't afraid to tell you that. She took the very best parts of scripture and His word and applied it to her life in every way. She was bitingly truthful and blunt, she didn't believe in telling a lie. But, she would also give you the shirt off her back and go to battle for anyone she loved. I feel my heart being pulled in those directions, but sometimes I stop myself because going around saying Jesus is our Savior and keeping a clean vocabulary isn't "hip" or "how a millennial" should be. Well, in 2016 I'm giving up on being everyone else's type of cool, and being myself. Each night when I have time I'll do my Bible readings, and feel connected to my Grandmother while I'm at it. I may not attend Church, or I may. If the feeling's there, I'll do it without any care of how I look or what my friends would say. I'm living life for me, and that's how it should be.

Going along with cleaning out and slowing down, I plan on DIY-ing a lot, home recipes, cleaning products, laundry products, all of that good stuff, and I plan on sharing that journey on here. Why? Because it's something I generally like to do.I want to live more simply, and begin to live a life that shows I know what's important to me, in my little corner of the world. Doing that also helps save money, which is another small goal - to be a bit more frugal, and invest the money back into my home, DIY, of course!

So that's just where my mind is this Winter. 

In a nutshell, I want to live for me and live for what I deem as important, not what anyone else says is important, and not get so caught up in the hype.

When I look around, I have a great family, great husband, my own car and my own house, as well as two pretty great cats. Why in 2015 did I let that stop being enough?

2016, the year of me, the year of getting it right.

What are your plans for 2016?

xoxo- Court

Being Thankful

Here in Canada, it was just Thanksgiving weekend!

In case you are unaware, the Canadian Thanksgiving holiday is more focused on being thankful, for our health, for the harvest, and for our families and friends. It doesn't have too much to do with any settlers or anything like that, just the day of, my favourite word, plenty. 

This thanksgiving was particularly exciting for me, all of my best friends who have scattered on up to the Fredericton area to start their lives, returned down home to my neck of the woods! My best friend Laura even stayed most of the weekend with me at my house! We had endless best friend nights watching movies, drinking wine, laughing our butts off watching movies and comedy skits. So refreshing, just what the soul needed. 

Thing I'm Thankful For: Best Friend Visits

On Saturday, we went for a hike with Kelsey. Hiking I've always loved, but with my recent health problems over the last three years, but are now, thankfully free and clear, I'm getting back into at the sides of two of my best girlfriends. We hiked out to a gorgeous waterfall a few towns away.

Thing I'm Thankful For: Being Healthy and Able To Spend Time With My Best Friends in Nature

Now, I'm short and squat, not really built for hiking like my long legged skinny friends, but I make do. You're sensing the foreshadowing...aren't you?

Long story short, to get to the waterfall, you had to jump from the shore to a rock. I didn't make it.

Holding on to Kelsey's hand, i lept, and initially sunk the landing. Cheers! Except then my foot slipped off the rock, and the book bag I was wearing slipped to the side, throwing me off balance, and plunging me into the river!!!

Without hanging onto Kelsey, I totally would of fell a lot worse and been totally soaked! They were convinced I was hurt, but nope! Totally fine! Just a pulled arm muscle and a little scrape on my eye. I was lucky!

Thing I'm Thankful For: Kelsey Always Having My Back

They were so sweet, fawning over me, making sure I was ok and saying we could go home. I was now soaked, but totally laughing my butt off. Of COURSE me, the always uncoordinated one, would fall into the darn river. But I only face planted.... No way was I calling it quits, I wanted to see that waterfall! My fall was not going to bein vain!

I reach into my backpack (which wasn't too wet) to grab my phone to take a picture.... No phone.

Uh-oh.

We race back to where I fell, and Laura sees it, my less than a year old iPhone 6 laying at the bottom of the crossing where I fell. She saved it.

Thing I'm Thankful For: Laura Always Saving the Day!

After towelling it off, it was the moment of truth. Was it a goner? 

No. It wasn't. Full bars, full wifi connectivity, full sound, the only thing I lost was the touch screen! Totally fixable, people smash the screens out of their iPhones daily!

Thing I'm Thankful For: Apple Technology!

The rest of the day was awesome, and went off without a hitch. Except when my wet foot slipped and I fell AGAIN on the trail, but whatever. I was fine.

The purpose of this post is not only to make you laugh and share my misfortunes, but to illustrate the true meaning of the thanksgiving season. I fell, got soaked, broke a very expensive phone, yes. But I wasn't hurt. My friends were there for me. I laughed it off.

It's important to be positive. Everything in that situation could be fixed. I would dry off, my phone can be fixed. Those things were so minor. I was with. My two oldest, best friends witnessing something so beautiful. I wasn't hurt, nothing was broken, nothing was bleeding. Aside from a bruised ego, everything was right in my world.

This thanksgiving, don't take yourself too seriously. Laugh without abandon, enjoy the little things. Hug your family and friends close and put the phone down. It's refreshing to not have my iPhone for a while.

Photos courtesy of Kelsey

Wishing you all the best,

Xoxox Court

How to Have the Best Day Ever! (And an Instagram Roundup!)

Guys, I've had an "AhHa!" Moment.

For a little bit, I've been kind of stressing out about turning 25 this coming winter. When I was a kid, 25 was that magic number that I had in my head where I just imagined all my life goals and dreams would come true, and in a way, they sort of did. I have a house, a wonderful husband, loving family and great career, among countless other blessings. 

But I don't feel set yet.

In fact, I kind of feel like a giant 12 year old stuffed in an adult's body.

When did I come an adult?? *shudder*

In my newly, more conscious of myself state, I've been trying very hard to work on who I am on the inside. That mainly consists of putting an emphasis on family, giving back to my community and world that's blessed me so much, growing closer to God (my Grandmother would be so so proud, no longer is it "uncool" to attend church, shame on me for thinking that) as well as becoming a more poised and kind young lady. Or maybe just lady. Maybe I'm too old to call myself a young lady.

*shudder again*

Through my work, I've started doing daily "mini" devotionals, where I've downloaded a cute little scripture app on my iPhone that gives me a little verse of the day. From there, I write it in my little notebook, put my thoughts on what the verse means to me, and write a note to God on what I need help with that day. It's surprisingly grounding, and I've been pleasantly surprised on how the last little bit the verses have directly corresponded to what's been on my mind that day.

The devotionals help me keep on track. They remind me to be kind, be patient, and be the light I want to see in the world. However, there are days where it's hard to let your little light shine.

On Monday, I had a case of the Mondays so horribly. I woke up late, had 1 Million problems jump in my face the second I walked in the door, and I let it get to me. Because I let myself get so stressed, I was not kind to my co-workers, and it set the tone for the rest of the day. Not only did my grumpy mood soil their days, but even once I cheered up, it soiled the rest of my day, because I felt so bad about being so grumpy!

It was then I realized I'm responsible for my own happiness and the kind of day I give myself, and right then and there I decided, yup, it's time to change.

After my little devotional to center myself, I employed my new little tricks to have the Best Day Ever!

1. Wake up Early 

I've done this in the past, and it's worked wonders, however, I just got back into it. I try to wake up at least 2 hours before I need to step out the door, so if I want to be out the door at 7:30am, I get up at 5:30. This gives you lots of time to wake up, stretch, check out your social media reading and whatnot, and do everything you have to do without being rushed and harried. I even have time to load and unload the dishwasher, thus having a clean kitchen when I get home, and it just makes my mood so much better. 

2. Do at Least One Small Thing that Makes You Happy Before You Leave

Watch a funny video, message a friend, spend a good few minutes playing with your pet, make sure you give yourself some quality happy time before letting the tasks of the day crowd your thinking. For me, I usually allow myself five quiet minutes before getting ready to sip my coffee and scroll through Instagram, which is one of my Happy Places!

3. Remember Your Blessings

This one can be a tough one, especially on the days you wake up and the world just seems to scream "Nope!" at you, but it's essential. I started doing this after recovering from Cancer, where as soon as I would open my eyes, I would just take a couple of deep breaths and just feel how good the air felt coming in and out of my lungs, pain free, and easy. It's the simplest most basic thing, and some people don't have that luxury! For so long during and after Cancer, I was in such pain and so weak that it was even difficult to breathe. I always take a moment to be thankful for my health. I also think about stuff that puts a smile on my face, something funny my Husband recently said, my cats, the beautiful flower blooming in my garden, just think of 3 things around you that make you smile.

4.  Practice Good Karma

On your way to work, classes, wherever you need to be during the day, try to spread the kindness. Throw an extra quarter in a parking meter, let someone merge into your lane, stop and smile at the waiting pedestrian and let them cross, pay it forward and pay for someone's coffee. You'v been the one in the wrong lane trying to merge out, and you know how it makes your day when someone lets you in with a smile, mistakes happen, and don't scowl at you and flip you off for getting caught in the wrong lane. You've been the pedestrian late for work, trying to cross the busy street, you know how nice it is for a driver to stop and let you go. Even if you're running late, be kind, and you'll get it back tenfold.

I hope my little words of wisdom help you have your best days ever, as well as spread a little sunshine around you!

Here are some things that made my day great this Tuesday!

Finally being able to wear my very favourite sweater!

Rocking out to my favourite tunes while stuck in traffic. 45 more minutes onto my commute means 45 more minutes for belting out Katy Perry!

Being able to put this pretty pink on my lips!

Remember, it's the little things!

Xoxo -Court

Weekend Roundup! - Weekend In The Life

Every once and a while I have a super fun, jam packed weekend, and I love to do a little weekend roundup to share with everyone!

I live in a pretty unique Country, and even more so, a quirky, tiny Province, studded with eclectic communities filled with wonderful people I get to call family and friends.

This weekend was a last minute, very fun experience, honoring a community that has quite quickly become a second home to me.

A little background - how I came to know this community and all its' fantastic residents I owe 100% of the credit to my best friend Jessie, who a few years back began dating a man from up there. Quickly, we all became a rock solid group of friends, and would travel up to his hometown to spend summer weekends lounging on beaches, participating in Canoe runs, and soaking up rays at his family's beautiful camp along the river.

During trips up there, their friends and family became our friends, and those friends quickly became like family to us. One of my other best friends met a man from there on a long weekend Canoe trip, and everything became history. Marriages, babies, birthday parties, it's been a spectacular few years I've been so honored to share up there.

My best friends are basically my sisters born to a different Mom, and their significant others become by default brothers, so their home is my home, and mine is theirs'.

Me and my Harvey Girls!

This particular weekend, was a festival they call Harvey Community Days, and let me just tell you, this festival has been hands down the best I've ever seen, and I've been to quite a few. A fireworks display better than any big city display, especially the harbor-front displays my home city of Saint John has even put on in the past. They even had merchandise, adorable T-Shirts and Coozies, breakfasts, dances, parades, I could go on for ages. Linked above is the official Facebook page for the event, which I highly recommend you check out.

Harvey Coozies, Image Via Harvey Community Days official Facebook page

Friday night began with a BBQ with our group of friends hosted by my best friend Kelsey, and we made our way down to the lakefront with full bellies to catch the tail end of free concerts put on by the community, and a spectacular fireworks show. I give a standing ovation to the community of Harvey and all the sponsors who made that fireworks display possible. It was truly, honestly, breathtaking. I was almost too mesmerized to take pictures, but I'm glad I snapped a few. I even heard a few onlookers exclaim that the show was better than some they had seen at Disney, so honestly, that is something to be immensely proud of.

We were also given the opportunity to be in the parade with Kelsey and her boyfriend's race team. Her boyfriend, Justin, races the #38 Street Stock car at Speedway 660 in Geary, NB. The car was loaded up, shined up, and pulled in the "Cowboy" themed parade, and I think every business in the small town was present, and dressed in their western best. There was even candy supplied to us to toss out to excited children, and I don't think I had heard so many kids exclaim "Wow, look at the race car!" in one day. Justin even got mistaken for Jimmie Johnson by one excited onlooker, and finishing a podium third that Saturday night, I don't think it was a comparison he minded.

The events themselves went from August 5th-9th, so I didn't get to experience all of them, but the ones I did left me with such a warm fuzzy feeling in my heart. Never before had I felt such a sense of community. I left feeling full, happy, thankful for such amazing friends, and slightly envious that my own small town I call home doesn't do anything to this degree.

If you are able to plan a trip, I strongly suggest Harvey and its surrounding communities any time of the year, let alone during Harvey Community Days. I've never been welcomed so quickly into a community and felt so at ease. My husband and I are now convinced.. we're looking for a plot of land up there to build a summer home! So if anyone has any for sale... holla!

Below is a list of links to businesses and places in the Harvey area that deserve a shout out:

Harvey's Website

Places to Stay

Tweedside Road Home Decor - Based out of Harvey area, however has a storefront on Water Street in St. Andrews

Good Eats

Westphalia Bakery


xoxo - Court

Courtney's Ultimate Summer Reading List

The only time I ever find myself hunkering down and reading, it seems, is to be in the summer time, and we're in the thick of it in my area. The days are perfectly long, and the air thick and warm.  It kind of makes sense, I guess, that I only really read in the summer, since I love nothing more than sitting out in the warm sun, a glass of lemonade in hand, luxuriously lapping through an easy, indulgent, summer read. It's always been one of my greatest pleasures. I even went so far as to make myself a cozy little reading nook in my bedroom, which I have an upcoming post getting ready to hit your screens within the next month or so (my bedroom is currently a HUGE work in progress, and I'm so excited to share!!)

So, as this is my first summer reading list, with titles I think you just have to try, it's turned out to be a bit of an eclectic mix of oldies but goodies. Seriously.... this baby is about 24 years in the making! How perfect! Dare I call it the ultimate summer reading list?!

Oh yeah, I just went there.

Hope you enjoy!

1. The Buenos Aires Broken Hearts Club
This book is forever stamped on my heart and mind. I loved this book, and read and re-read it so many times! The plot is simple, the 28 year old protagonist was always living life super safe, and always had everything planned out. Until she gets fired, and find's her fiancé in bed with another woman, on the same day! Gasp! Like any self respecting woman would do, she gets super drunk and books herself a one way trip to Buenos Aires. Logical, right? No turning back. What ensues next is hilarity, adventure, and light-hearted healing, making you wish you had the guts to leave it all behind for a strange, but beautiful new life. Meeting new people along the way, and starting a "Broken Hearts Club" with her new-found friends, mixing in a few new love interests.... It makes for a book you can't put down!

2. Something Borrowed

This one, I just can't. I love it so much. They even made a movie out of it, which I love too, but the book has way way way more detail, and puts so much more depth to the characters, that you really can't hate any of them, despite their huge flaws. This novel finds a love triangle between three long-time friends, Darcy, Rachel and Dex. Handsome Dex and pseudo- good girl Rachel were friends since college, only Dex is now engaged to Darcy... and getting married in the fall! Where does Rachel come in? Well, she's been friends with exuberant, spotlight stealing Darcy since elementary school, and is the maid of honour, and sleeps with Dex mere months before the wedding, the pair just now figuring out they've had feeling for each other the whole time. What's a gal to do? 

3. Something Blue

Something Blue is a sequel to Something Borrowed. I love this book because it gives more information into Darcy's background, giving some explanation to why... ahem, she is the way she is. It also gives Darcy's end of things on the happenings in the previous book, and how she overcomes her shortcomings, and gets a personality transplant, of sorts. This is Darcy in all her best ways, and I love her transformation.

4. With Her Boots On

Fashionista Mel is tasked with being a bridesmaid in her brother’s wedding and the bridesmaids’ are dresses from Hell. These dresses are the poofiest ever, even before the full-crinoline attachment and are, the kicker, construction cone orange colored. But that's not all that's going on, Mel’s career is run off the rails with she clashes with co-workers, makes a friend with a very large dog, and her plain as rice boyfriend's sudden love affair with modern dance...and the instructor.   This book takes you through the trials and laughs of Mel's journey to self discovery, and learning to let go, and keeps you chuckling along the way. You'll find yourself cheering with her triumphs, and fighting the urge to pick her up off the ground during her low points. Page turner is not a strong enough description.

5. Safe Haven

My little paperback copy of this book is beaten to death, because I cannot put it down. I love the movie version of this as well, but much prefer the book, for deeper character analysis and more detail. Katie, a young woman, gives herself a makeover and moves to a quiet, coastal town of Southport, North Carolina in search of a new beginning, running from her haunting past. There, she finds peace serenity, and that love is a true safe haven. The backdrop of he book is just as beautiful as the story, and the scenery is just as much a character as the people. For greater visual effect, pop in the movie to really get how adorable this town is. Bonus, it's a real place!

6. Can You Keep a Secret?

I read the crap out of this book when I was in High School. It was my "out on the deck, tanning" special, and I think every one of my friends borrowed it. Emma is a young lady set in London, England. She has a steady, but boring relationship a good guy, and is trying to advance her career at a Cola company. She's pretty pleased with life,  until she blurts out all her secrets to a stranger on a plane, when she thinks its going to crash. She thinks she's OK though after it lands, I mean who ever sees strangers on a plane ever again? Except this guy is the founder of the Cola company she works for, and things just get a bit wild after that. Best pool read!

7. Thin, Rich, Pretty

This is a really great kind of, "ensemble character" book. When they were kids, Holly and Nicola were the outsiders at a summer camp. Holly was the "plump" one, and longed to be an artist. Nicola, was shy and plain and wanted nothing more than to be beautiful. Their "Mean Girl" was Lexi. Rich, spoiled, and had everything the girls wanted. Holly and Nicola decided to get back at Lexi,  but they never knew at the time,  that mean things that happened in childhood can hurt  for life, even for "perfect" girls. 

In the present, Holly owns a successful art gallery, even though she isn't an artist herself. She still is insecure about her weight, and always wants approval from her, in my opinion, horrible boyfriend. Nicola is a pretty decent actress, and thinks that she's just one plastic surgery appointment away from real fame.. Lexi is down on her luck and totally broke.

Holly will do anything to be thin. Lexi will do anything to be rich. And Nicola will do anything to be pretty. Funny isn't it? The grass is never greener on the other side. This is a funny book that puts the emphasis on every woman's inner "if only" monologue. It really re-iterates that the grass is greener when you water it, and perfect for when bikini season gets you down. 

8. Hope in a Jar

This book was probably the only impulse buy I have never regretted. I grabbed it because it was called Hope in a Jar, and at the time I really liked the moisturizer by Philosophy of the same name. Add that in with my love of makeup and beauty products, and you have a great lounge book.

Back in High School, Allie was the pretty one and her best friend Olivia was the smart one, and they were inseparable, until a rumor tore them apart.

On the eve of their twentieth high school reunion, Allie finds herself single, chubby, and feeling old. Olivia has made something of herself as a beauty editor in New York,but  realizes she’s lonely, and is finally ready to face her demons.

This book is a great read for when you have the summer blues. It touches how most women can get a little bit of confidence from a jar, whither it be a new shampoo, haircut, or tube of lip gloss.

9. Water for Elephants

If books can take you from where you are currently sitting, to a brand new world, this one does it flawlessly.

The story is  a series of memories by Jacob a 93-year-old man who lives in a nursing home.

As the memories begin, Jacob is a 23-year-old preparing for his final exams as a vet student, when he  devastating news. Because of this, he takes off and jumps on a train, a Circus train. Because of his vet training he is hired to care for the circus animals. Jacob is thrust into the circus life, making many memorable friends along the way.

Among these friends, is Beautiful Marlena, a performer who does a liberty act with horses, who is married to August, the equestrian director and is a brutal man. Jacob and Marlena slowly fall in love. 

Through this, there are trials and heartache, as you pull for the Circus to go on, and Jacob and Marlena to be together. I read this book in seriously 3 days. I couldn't put it down.

10. Swapping Lives

Amber and Vicky have the opposite lives, Amber a mom of three in Conneticut, but hasn't found fulfillment from just being a Wife and Mom. Vicky is a successful magazine editor for a Magazine in London, but hasn't found love yet. What would happen if the two swapped lives, to sample their "missing pieces?" 

We find out in this book!

This book is adorable and heartwarming. It's another one that was passed around heavily by myself and my friends.

Soo... what's on your reading list this summer?

Share titles below, I'm sure a few will make next years' list!

xox- Court

The Classy Way to be Frugal... How I Coupon

Brought over from my previous blog.

I'll be honest, it just recently struck me that I need to be more frugal.

I'm human, I've racked up some credit cards, bought some unnecessary things, and now as I look at my finances, I sit here and think, "Wow... I've got to get this on lockdown".

Not that I'm going to lose my house or anything, in fact some would probably wish to have my minimal amount of debt, but some bills are a little higher than I'd like them to be, and I've started employing some strategies on how to strecth a dollar a little farther, get those card balances down, while still having a life and not having to give everything up.

Some of the tactics I've been using as of late are:

• Lists. I've always been a really big list girl, it helps me feel organized. When I go to the grocery store, if I don't have a list I find I can get distracted by flash sales, or pretty packaging. I also find I forget what I have at home, and come home with 2 more boxes of cereal when there's 1 and a half still to be eaten. A few days before grocery day, I'll go through my kitchen and really take inventory of what I need, and when I get to the store, its laid out for me and there's no little surprises.
• Don't Forget About Yourself - I always set aside usually $30-$50 dollars (depending on what I have coming up) for myself each pay, to do whatever I want with. Usually in the Winter I'll only do $30, because I go out way less during that season, but in the warmer months I'll set aside $50. With that I'll get a cute pair of shoes I see, or some books, jewelry,  anything that I just have to have or want. Without doing that, you can often "starve" yourself, which can lead to bigger, more expensive slip ups. This is different from needs money, its basically myself giving myself an allowance. See a cute bag for $100 dollars? Better save up!
• Have once every few months where you allow yourself to splurge. I try to at the beginning/mid to every season. That's when I'll buy a few new things for Spring/Summer/Fall/Winter to update my wardrobe. I'll sometimes make it more fun, by taking trips away to do that kind of shopping, like going down to the States or to Moncton.
• Couponing

Couponing is the heart of this post, and I think it's way under-rated, and has a bad rap. You see all these crazy shows like "Extreme Couponing" and think... ehh.. better not. I really only coupon at one store, which is where I do 90% of my shopping.

You don't have to know me very well to know that I am obsessed with Target. That place is my happy place. I'd always seen YouTube Gurus do their Target hauls and be like "Why.. WHY can't Canada have stores like that??" Well, now Target has finally come into my life and I'll never let it leave. That place is my jam.

Me... when I'm at Target unsupervised...

Its my ultimate love because of many reasons, but one big one, is their coupon section on their website. It's right at the top bar, and you click coupons, go through the bunch of things they have offers for, and bam. Instant savings.They print right out and you're ready to go.  They're good coupons too! Not just save 5 cents or anything, but a good few dollars or so. I always get most of my groceries (and clothes, and housewares, and makeup.....) at Target. I find their prices are the best, and I love the quality of product they carry. The only thing I don't get there is meat or vegetables, which I save for my local grocery store. 

Coupons have changed with the times. I always take a mild panic attack when anything happens when I'm checking out someplace to hold up other customers, but Target is great. When my items are on the belt, I set the coupon on its corresponding product, the clerk scans it, and boop! Done. On my most recent adventure the clerk told me I don't even have to do that, just hand her the stack before we begin, and she can scan them all at the end and the computer automatically deducts the prices. How wicked is that?!?

Another good thing to look into is the Target Red Card. It's a debit card that hooks right up to your regular bank card, and saves you 5% on each purchase. It doesn't sound like a lot, but you can use it on everything, T.V's, anything! And if you're like me and get your groceries there, 5% off that total is really worth it! Think about at Christmas time, people! They also let you have the 5% WITH your coupons! I can't believe I didn't know about this sooner.

On my last grocery order, I saved just shy of $20.00, and it would of been more had my Red Card arrived in the mail before we were starting to starve to death (Bi weekly grocery day probz). At the end of the day, that amount isn't going to make or break you, but when you think of it, that's an extra few kilometers in your gas tank, a movie on Friday night with your Hubby, or being able to treat yourself to going out for lunch at work an extra time.

Like everything, use your judgement. Try to restrain yourself from buying "just because", always have a plan, and if its readily available, swipe that coupon to save a few bucks. 

Maybe someday I'll be able to afford that Michael Kors purse, Ha!

Want to learn even more about being classy and frugal? Check out my good buddy's blog, Downstairs And In Debt! Girlfriend is whacking her way out of debt, and no longer downstairs! I'd say her tips work!

http://downstairsandindebt.wordpress.com/