Back To School With Minted.com

** This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. I was compensated for this post. ** 


You probably already started your Back to School shopping or if you're like most parents, you never really stopped school shopping! Between my homeschooler, my elementary kids and my high schooler, I seem to spend most of my summer checking for the best online deals and grabbing a few things every time I go literally, anywhere. I keep a notebook with websites, coupon or discount codes, and save emails with sales announcements and anything else that might come in handy for any and all kinds of supplies or clothes. (I named this folder, "Deals And Sales") Each kid starts making a list of everything they need and want and I add these lists to my notebook so I can work on checking everything else as I get to it.

Sometimes, an email surprises me and I find a website that has something that we absolutely need for school supplies and I take advantage of whatever discount code they have available. For instance, I have a shoe organizer behind our laundry room door and fill the pockets with little odds and ends so the kids can take what they need. The pockets make this super easy to keep track of inventory and easier for them to find! A couple of years ago, I started buying little, flavored dental floss packs and put these in the pocket next to sugar-free gum and mints. (At 25 cents a piece and several flavors and a coupon code for 25% off, I simply couldn't resist!) Besides the typical pens, pencils, lead refills, erasers, dental floss, gum, mints, and pocket packs of tissues, I like to stock up on antibacterial wipes and hand sanitizers. I'm always in search of new places to shop or new things I should buy or stock up on so, I was pleasantly surprised when I stumbled upon the "Back To School" on Minted!






Not only do they offer some super fun decor for dorm rooms and kid's rooms and desks of all ages, they also have stationery, notebooks, labels, and journals! I'm sure we can find a lot of good uses for all of the above this year!




Did I mention that you can order personalized stationery? You choose the colors, backing, type of paper, and yes, you can add their names! (PS You can always order samples of the stationery at Minted.com by paying just $1! They will credit that $1 to your order if you choose to place an order!)

There are options for journals too! My favorite option is turning the journal into a day planner or an address book if you prefer. Or you could order one of each in each option for yourself and your children.

If you decide to check out the options at Minted.com, you may want to check into a Minted More membership. This will give you year-round savings and special promos as well as free standard domestic shipping. The membership costs $50 per year but, if you sign up now, you get a Minted More gift box valued at $160! On top of the everyday discount of 15%, 30% off holiday cards, free shipping, (and a 30% off bonus sale on back to school supplies right now!) you will receive a gift box filled with some of the finest products Minted has to offer! Everything from a 12x12 pillow to stationery samples to a gift wrap essentials kit and more! This is a great way to get some school supplies knocked off of your list, grab a gift box for yourself, an annual membership that could very well pay for itself in just a few website visits (or even just 1!) and you're set for the next 12 months!

Mix & Match Mrs. Meyer's Scents with Grove Collaborative

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By now, summer is in full swing. I've fallen into a slow, easy routine since our calendar is a little emptier and we don't have to rush out the door in the morning.

But as much as I'm enjoying these slower days, I sometimes feel like my routine needs a little shake-up.

It's amazing how one small tweak, like changing up your usual household scents, can energize your entire day.

Now is a great opportunity to try a different scent (or three!) because my friends at Grove Collaborative are giving away this FREE set with your first order of $20:

Free Mrs. Meyer’s hand soap

Free Mrs. Meyer’s hand lotion

Free Mrs. Meyer’s dish soap

Grove Collaborative cleaning caddy

Free shipping & 60 day VIP trial

I started using Mrs. Meyer's products a few years ago and have been hooked ever since. They're made with plant-derived ingredients and essential oils, in scents inspired by a backyard garden.

The three Mrs. Meyer's products all come in lavender, honeysuckle, lemon verbena, geranium and basil. When you grab your free set from Grove, you can mix and match to create your own custom combination!

Why stick to just one when there are so many fun ones to try? I've tried them all, and I can confidently say that they all smell fantastic and clean beautifully.

If you came to my house right now, you'd see that I have Mrs. Meyers soap and lotion next to every sink in my house. Right now, I have the basil scent in the kitchen, lemon verbena in the guest bath, and lavender in the mudroom. Whenever I use up a bottle, I switch to a new scent. It instantly changes the atmosphere of the room and makes it feel like a fresh space!

I like to keep a few extra soaps and lotions on hand so I never run out. This gorgeous, multi-functional enamel caddy is perfect for corralling extra products until you're ready to use them. (It's also a stylish way to round up cleaning products, gardening tools, or the kids' summer art supplies!)

Another way I make sure I never run out of my favorite products is by using Grove Collaborative. Grove delivers the best natural products right to my doorstep, on my schedule. They make creating a healthy, beautiful home effortless and affordable. I've also discovered some of my favorite cleaning products through Grove. Here are some products I think you should try:

Mrs. Meyer's multi-surface cleaner $3.89

Grove Collaborative cleaning gloves $6.95

Grove Collaborative walnut scrubber sponges $3.95

Method antibac bathroom cleaner $2.99

Full Circle grunge buster grout and tile brush $6.99

Mrs. Meyer's dish soap FREE

Mrs. Meyer's hand soap FREE

Mrs. Meyer's hand lotion FREE

Grove Collaborative cleaning caddy FREE

You'll get all these products for $24.77 plus free shipping when you place your first order from Grove Collaborative! And when you sign up for Grove right now, you'll also get a free 60 day VIP trial. For 60 days, you'll save even more with free shipping, free gifts, price matching, exclusive sales, and personal service. Here's how to take advantage of the free offer:

Sign up for Grove Collaborative here. You will receive the Mrs Meyers cleaning kit and cleaning caddy for free when you sign up! To receive this offer, your order needs to be a minimum of $20. Choose the combination of products and scents you love and receive your first box within a few days. You made it! Click Finish & Pay and place your order.

5 Creative Ways To Use A Cleaning Caddy

** This post contains affiliate links. I will earn a commission if you choose to purchase through my links! **

It's no secret that I love organizing. I love making lists. I love anything that promises to make my life easier and more efficient. 

That's why, within minutes of receiving this stylish, multi-functional enamel caddy from Grove Collaborative, I'd already thought of a reason to order two more!

It’s also why I'm so excited to share this free offer with you: When you place your first order of $20 from Grove Collaborative using my link, you'll get this free caddy filled with Mrs. Meyer's dish soap, hand soap, and lotion — plus free shipping!

Caddies are perfect for neatly storing and carrying just about anything around your home. 

Of course, you could go the traditional route and fill it with multi-purpose spray, microfibers, a wand duster, Mrs. Meyer’s dish soap, and so on. But why stop there?

Here are five creative ways to use your Grove Collaborative caddy:

1.Mini herb or succulent garden

I love the idea of a kitchen herb garden in an unconventional planter. Add a few inches of gravel or pebbles for drainage, then a layer of potting soil, and your plants. My favorite herbs to grow are basil, cilantro, and rosemary. Another benefit of the caddy: The handle makes it easy to carry your plants to the sink for watering!

2. Garden tool organizer

Here's a gardening hack for all my green thumb friends: Turn your Grove caddy into a garden tool organizer! Fill it with a cute pair of gloves, trowel, pruning shears, hand rake, and kneeling board. Easily carry your garden tools around the yard instead of running back and forth to the shed. When you're done gardening, Meyer's hand soap and lotion are perfect for pampering hardworking hands.

3. Hair tool organizer

Low on storage space under the bathroom sink? Create a styling station with your hair dryer, brush, flat iron or curling iron, and products all within reach. I recently added Seed nourishing hair and body oil (which is available through Grove) to my kit, and it’s perfect for taming summer flyaways!

4. Dog toy holder

Your furry best friend will love this trick: Turn the caddy into a dog toy bin that matches your decor. Fill the caddy with tennis balls, stuffed animals, and other toys. Your pup can reach his own toys, and you won't have to worry about stepping on a squeaky toy in the middle of the stairs!

5. Ice chest

Raise your hand if you're ready for patio season! This caddy is just the right size to hold ice and a few bottles of wine or lemonade. It's easy to carry outside, and so much cuter than a plastic cooler. I also recommend adding Murphy’s Naturals mosquito repellent candles to your Grove order to keep summer pests away from your party!

Tell me, how will you use your Grove cleaning caddy? Don't forget to grab your free set while supplies last. Here's how:

1. Sign up for Grove Collaborative here. You will receive the cleaning caddy and Mrs Meyers collection for free when you sign up!
2. To receive this offer, your order needs to be a minimum of $20. Choose the combination of products and scents you love and receive your first box within a few days.
3. You made it! Click Finish & Pay and place your order.

Tip to save: Once you have submitted your Grove order, you will be signed up for the free 60 day VIP trial. For 60 days, save even more with free shipping, free gifts, price matching, exclusive sales and personal service.

Freelancing Isn't Just For Writing

When someone says they “freelance” what is the first thing you think of? I used to figure they meant they are freelance writers. But, there are so many other options out there. Especially since so many of us have access to the Internet. Maybe you need some extra income or maybe you prefer to work from home FT and you don’t know where to start. You’re starting in the right place!

What Are My Options?

There are thousands and thousands of options out there. What are your interests? Hobbies? Skills? Maybe you had the best Myspace layout and helped all of your friends create the coolest most colorful pages. If that is something you’re into, maybe you could help others with web development and design. You could start by creating a portfolio or media kit and advertising yourself on a variety of websites.

Teaching and tutoring is another great way to earn some extra cash. You could offer tutoring lessons on Skype and Google Hangouts or you could offer lectures. Websites like Udemy, offer thousands and thousands of courses and topics. You can even sign up to be a teacher on Udemy.

If you are an artist or a musician, you can start accounts online to promote and sell your work. This can also boost your portfolio! Kickstarter is a great way to get your work noticed, grab some funding for a project and find new fans. Maybe you’re not a singer or a painter but you have some photography skills. Why not offer deals for people in your area for sessions? There are so many people out there looking for stock images for websites (I do the same!) and there are websites for you to upload your images, start an account and start selling stock photos. Not only does this bring in extra income for a very minimal amount of work but it also helps to get your name out there and brings repeat customers.

If art isn’t your thing but you are super duper organized, maybe you would do well as a virtual assistant. You might be surprised at the number of people who are out there looking for someone to keep their datebooks nice and neat and orderly and to make sure they don’t miss a meeting, a birthday, a deadline, or maybe they just need an assistant for a specific project.

Technology is one of the fastest and most promising and most rewarding careers out there. Adrian Rubin is a great example of this! Whether you’re interested in game development, app development, or computer programming, there are so many options out there and so many customers. If you don’t have a whole lot of experience but have always had a knack for technology, you could always pick up some courses or attend school while freelancing on the side.  

One of the most interesting freelance jobs I’ve come across is; research. There are businesses and people who will pay you to research practically anything and everything. You could be in charge of polls, surveys, or simply searching Google for bits and pieces of information. The only experience you really need is to be organized, have time, and know how to surf the web.

Social media management, Search engine optimization, writing, sales, and marketing, are all in demand. If you have experience and time to be online (lots and lots of time!) the next step is to promote yourself and get the word out!

I Made My Choice So, Now What?

Build your brand and get out there!

You can do this in your pajamas if you want!

Start a portfolio, offer some freebies to prospective clients, ask for testimonials in return, advertise, advertise, advertise!

Start a website to showcase your work and build a social media network for your new business. Tweeting a few times a day about your business and other things related to your business is free so take advantage of this!

Always Read Your Credit Card Contracts

Credit cards can be very useful in times of emergencies and when building credit. But, what happens when the interest starts to pile up and reality kicks in and you start to realize that it will take close to a decade to pay off a $500 purchase?

Of course, there are times when we can’t simply pay the full balance on credit cards each month. Maybe not even more than the minimum. We’ve all been there. You might start searching for options when you get stuck and sometimes it seems that opening new accounts might really benefit you and your credit.

Balance transfers are an ideal way to consolidate debt and try to lower your monthly payments. Sometimes you’ll find a higher interest rate for balance transfers. Other times you may see the special introductory rates of 0% interest and that might be enough for you to jump at that offer! Be warned, if you don’t read every word on that annoying little pamphlet that comes with your offer or with your card, you may be in for a rude awakening if something happens down the road. That jaw-dropping 0% introductory rate may only be good for 12 months and it may also only be good for that specific balance transfer. (Don’t start making purchases with that card thinking you don’t have to worry about interest!) Some credit cards will stop the 0% rate if you miss a payment or you are late with a payment. One of the tricks I’ve found when I was lured in for a 0% interest rate was most of the time, these cards will add their regular interest rate at the end of the 12 months if you haven’t paid the balance off yet. (Sometimes you’ll find that they will also add the interest that would have been there from day 1.)

The most important thing to do is to read every tiny line. There are a lot of hidden rules inside those tiny print contracts. You don’t want to have to be even more surprised later down the road. Especially if you were in a bad spot and used this to save yourself only to find that it will end up making things worse.

A credit card interest calculator is a very handy tool to have! Whether you just want to check on random amounts and how much you would pay if you buy a new stereo, use your card for vacation, or just use it for regular everyday purchases, this can be very eye opening.

If you are in a position where you can afford double the minimum payment or even just an additional $20 on the minimum payment due, take advantage of that! It may seem small but you’re saving yourself months and even years of payments and quite a bit of money.

If you look at your statements each month to see what you were charged for interest and deduct that from your minimum amount due, you might be in for a shocker! Buying that game console may have seemed like a fun idea but when you realize that you will end up paying (in some cases) 3 times that amount, you might try to find another way to earn enough money to make that same purchase with cash.

Just a few more things to keep an eye on when jumping into credit cards and finding yourself swimming in debt:

Rewards cards are only really worth it if you can commit to paying your full balance off each month. (This is a great way to entice people to apply for credit cards but you could end up paying much more in the long run.)

Be sure to check the fees that are included with your credit card. There may be annual fees, late fees, and even administrative fees.

Check and recheck the interest rate and be sure you understand the rates and how they could fluctuate depending on your payments and usage of that card.

Check your credit report periodically and take note of the effects of these cards on your credit.

If you find yourself stuck and you feel overwhelmed or you need some help, it’s always best to check with professionals to evaluate your options and how you can take control of your future. Nationwide Debt Reduction Services could help you catch up and breathe much easier!

Stella & Dot Engravables

** I was compensated for this post and this post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.**




It's not too late to find the most perfect Mother's Day gift! (Or a special gift for yourself!) At 20% off, you may as well start knocking some gifts off of your list for the holidays too!

Yes, this includes rings, bangles, necklaces, lockets, gold, silver, and rose gold! So, you could stock up to be sure to match everyone's taste and outfits! Make sure you check out the sale on charms too! 

20% Off Engravables at Stella & Dot

If you haven't heard of Stella & Dot or you haven't checked out their products or even looked at their stylist opportunity, you have to look into this while you're shopping their engravable and charm sale. There are a ton of incentives for stylists including a low investment, lots of perks, 50% off during your first month, and much more! (Stella & Dot often run promotions for stylists so, keep checking back for bonus opportunities!) 

If you're not in the market for a new career you could always find a stylist near you and maybe hook up for a truck show. You will earn rewards such as; half off items and a percentage of sales to put towards your own purchase. 

Now is a totally fab time to grab a few chains for under $20 and you may as well throw in a few charms. Birthstone charms are under $20 through May 14th too!

You could shop for end of the year teacher gifts, any wedding, bridal shower, hostess gifts, any upcoming birthdays, and it really is never too early to start shopping for the holidays. 

Don't forget, Stella & Dot always offers a flat shipping rate of $5.95 and free returns!

Sign-up to be a Stella & Dot Stylist Today!

Minted Art

** This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. I was compensated for this post. **




Whether you are shopping for graduation cards, Mothers Day cards, wedding invitations, or stationary, you're probably already aware of Minted.com. You may have seen their sales or visited their website. (Or maybe you read about them on this blog!) Either way, Minted.com is the top place to go when you're in the market for everything from greeting cards to art. I know, I wouldn't have thought that I could purchase actually artwork and help independent artists through a greeting card website either! You should check out Minted Art! You could spend an entire day searching through their site, going through so many different styles and varieties.

Spring is here! (Well, in some places!) Birthday parties, baby showers, weddings, all of those up and coming spring and summer festivities are all reasons why you should take a look and fill your cart with gifts for all ages. If you don't find what you're looking for you can request to chat with an artist who offers commissioned custom art. All you need to do is choose your artist, click "request", fill out a short form, decide on your custom piece, and all you need is 50% down so your artist can get started. The possibilities are endless with so many artists available. You can check out their bios and work with them directly through the Minted website!



 

Maybe you don't have a lot of ideas for how to fill up space in your living room or another room inside your house. You can Text Your Photos to Minted and answer a few questions through your phone and a Minted Stylist will get back to you with suggestions and even fill your cart with their recommendations! (You are not obligated to buy and this service is absolutely free!)

There are lots of other options available at Minted. (I know, it's starting to sound more like an art shop than a greeting card store!) You can get your children's silhouette, handprints, footprints, or their artwork foil-pressed, letterpressed, or printed in your choice of color. Maybe you want to have a framed, custom piece with your wedding vows or a favorite poem. (This would also make a phenomenal anniversary gift!)

So, make a list of all of those parties, invites, and celebrations and create a gift list for virtually everyone! I think you'll be surprised at the quality and variety of Minted artists!