Archive for January, 2010
Best Household Products for Apartment Living
Citra Solv Multi-Purpose Spray Cleaner
Citra Solv is my new favorite cleanser. This and vinegar are all I use around my home, and I love that it’s natural enough that you don’t have to worry about getting it on your skin or using it around pets. It cuts through anything, has a pleasant orange scent, and you can buy it concentrated and mix it yourself rather than going out and buying a new spray bottle each time you run out. Other than Citra, I love Mrs. Meyers All-Purpose Cleaner. Eco (and family) friendly cleansers are important in any home, but especially in small spaces where everyone is forced to inhale fumes.
Ninja Master Prep
We used to have the Magic Bullet, but the Ninja Master Prep Blender and Food Processor basically kicks the shit out of it. Perfect for apartments because it’s a multi-tasker, the Ninja will chop up salsa, blend wet and dry ingredients, or make the perfect smoothie with a few pulses. It whips frozen fruit into sorbet and cuts up ice with ease.
My favorite part of this processor is how easy it is to clean. It’s dishwasher safe, but just as easy to rinse under the faucet. There are no hard-to-reach crevices in any part of the product. The removable blades are sharp, so be extra careful cleaning them and keep away from children and clumsy friends or it will cut you like a ninja. Keep Reading
OBEY Adopt
Zumiez is currently featuring clothing to sponsor causes, and my charity of choice is OBEY for Mutts Like Me. I already love OBEY designs, and I can definitely get behind animal causes. I plan to order this Obey Adopt t-shirt. 100% cotton, all profits from this shirt go to the cause. Advertise this worthy cause on your body with great pop art and know your proceeds go on to help needy cats and dogs.
From the site:
Whether you want a specific breed or a marvelous mutt, you can be sure to find your new best friend at a shelter or rescue group near you. And if you can’t adopt a pet, there are plenty of other ways you can help our four-legged friends.
When you’re looking for your next pet, it’s easy to get lured in by the appeal of designer breeds, and even our dog wasn’t adopted from a shelter, unfortunately. When you find the right pet, you don’t care where they come from. I’m not saying to turn down any pet, but try searching shelters and adoption websites first, before you move on to breeders. I know firsthand that nothing compares to raising a puppy, and you don’t have to compromise that experience just because you adopt. My search of Adopt a Pet turned up several puppies and young dogs as well as older companions.
Looking through the pages, my husband and I couldn’t help but bookmark a couple pets to scope out. We haven’t even paid off our pet deposit for Rufio yet, and we also want a (human) baby soon, but I do think Ruf deserves a live-in friend, and cute dog faces are hard to resist.
This is my fave dog, adoptable in Oregon:
How to Make Easy Money Online Via Surveys, Shopping, Referrals
For SAHMs (Stay At Home Moms) or women who work from home, there are lots of opportunities to bring in extra cash online, from blogging to selling handmade items on Etsy. One easy way to boost your income is to use your social network to your advantage, referring friends to fill out surveys and shop as you do the same. If you refer enough people, you’ll find you pull in checks without having to do any of the actual work yourself!
CashCrate is my favorite way to make quick cash online, because how much you make is really up to you. It’s totally tedious, but making $20 or more a month is really easy. A little more invested time could easily double, triple, etc. that amount, and the more people you refer, the more you’ll rake in without even having to log into the site. The payout threshold is just $20, meaning that is all you have to make to request payment. The only downside to this site is that you will get swarmed with emails after signing up and filling out surveys, so I suggest setting up a free email account with Yahoo or Hotmail as your junk inbox.
When it comes to actually filling out surveys and such on CashCrate, use common sense – I have never had a problem with any security or privacy issues. You can ask to only be shown 100% Free offers, as there are tons of basic surveys you can get paid to fill out. You can also click Go Shopping to see which retailers will reward you for shopping – they might be places you are already spending money, so might as well get some of that cash back!
Inbox Dollars doesn’t spam you nearly as much as CashCrate, and you do have to click within emails to confirm receiving them, so it’s up to you whether you use a junk account or your primary email address. The payout threshold here is $30, and there is an automatic $5 credited to your account just for signing up. The friend who referred me just got a check for $200.
Ideeli isn’t set up to make money, but it does give you a kickback when your friends shop! The site offers designer clothes and accessories at discount prices in short online sales that last from a few hours to a few days each. I ordered some luxe lace-up Matisse Henna Gladiator Sandals
Similarly, Beyond the Rack will give you a $10 shopping credit for referrals. Their sales run a bit cheaper, so it pays off.
Fashion Tattoos
Chanel is coming out with temporary tattoos, and I’m not sure how to feel about it.
As someone with actual, inked tattoos, it’s hard for me not to find fake tattoos a bit offensive. It’s the same way I felt when they put fake ink and piercings on Californication actress Rachel Miner rather than finding an already-tatted actress. I would be very irritated if someone assumed the tattoos I put thought and money into were anything but real.
Then again, it’s cool to see body art in the mainstream, and I would love to play with a sheet of high-quality faux ink, if for no reason than to visualize possible real designs. I kind of love the idea of wrap-around stickers instead of bracelets, and I’d love to go all Kat Von D and ‘ink’ around my face.
I understand that models get paid to be versatile, able to transform any designer’s vision into reality, so for them, pressed or painted on designs are a great option. For the average fashionista on the street, however, I’d love to see more permanent self-expression.
I do not recommend actually tattooing yourself with logos, Chanel or otherwise, under any circumstance, although at 18 I did toy with the idea of inking myself with the Roxy symbol.
Chanel will be selling temporary tattoos for $75 (for 55 designs on five sheets). That’s enough to buy you a small real tattoo, one that won’t rub off, but if you aren’t ready to commit, designs will go up on Chanel.com for spring 2010.
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