THE Summer Beauty Cravebox

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My last Post was a complete debbie downer :(

So here are some Pictures from my Cravebox till i get my fabulous video loaded :)ImageImageImage

Please let me know if you have any questions regarding the products i have received.

Speaking of pictures... my picture quality should be upgrading soon!! on a recessionista budget of course.

Actually in my latest video i mention how i am working all the time.

I am always on the go but i am also in GRAD school right now. Grad school is more than half my paycheck so i'll be a recessionista for quite a while.

Meanwhile. i hope you liked my cravebox and consider getting yourself one as well!

I found this cravebox well worth every penny.

The razor, soap , and protein bar were all things i would have purchased on a weekly basis which would have cost me more than $11- The brands are high quality and the scrub and eye treatment are the best gifts i have received in a while.

I dare you all to check it out if you have a spare $11. You can choose which box you are interested and they will randomly choose the winners- till they have more openings for their monthly subscriptions

Feel free to comment or message me!

xoxox

missLADA

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cravebox

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Hi Recessionista's, I have some good but bad news..I received my long anticipated cravebox today! I created my video and nothing is working. My computer is fully capable of exporting the video but it's just not working :(

But if you follow me on twitter @misslada you will be able to see pictures and when i post the video!

Hope you all had a great friday!

oh PS meanwhile you can check out this article on how to save BIG $$ @TARGET. Tarje.. in my book

http://shine.yahoo.com/work-money/save-money-target-210300584.html

xoxo

missLADA

JEWELMINT AND STYLEMINT PACKAGES ARRIVED!

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HELLO!

My jewelmint and style mint pieces have arrived!

I was so excited when they did.

My favorite thing about them is that they give you FREE SHIPPING.

As a new member i did receive a discount on the items which was nice because that gives me a chance to test their pieces before i may 29.99- as a recessionista that is still a lot for a shirt or a piece of jewelry.

Okay JEWELMINT:Image

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THE JEWELRY:

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I am more than pleased with my purchase! I have put this on every cardigan and light jacket i have for a week! its sturdy it elegant and its very well made- which is hard to find!

Okay now for STYLEMINT:

To start i have always been a fan of Mary-kate and Ashley. I could never really afford their clothes. I always go to niemans and imagine i can afford to buy them but then i replicate my own versions. What i love about their style and clothing lines is that its very comfortable and well made. Which is why i turned to stylmint.. i wanted affordable edgy pieces i can use. They have so many styles you can choose from. Although unlike jewel mint- i had very few selections.. i was able to narrow it down to one. I chose an elegant shirt- Ballet flat Melrose. Yes! i did pick a color instead of my regular neutrals and blacks :)

check it out!

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I chose a size bigger than what they recommended. I wanted a loose shirt. I keep wearing this shirt over and over again. It's so soft and well made i could sleep in it and then wear it with a pair of slacks to work. I am deeply in LOVE!

It has small details which make it beautiful and its well designed and the cut is very flattering!

I am definitely looking forward to purchasing clothes from these sites again.

SHOEMINT- has yet to impress me but if your deeply into shoes i would check them out!

xoxoxox recessionistas!

P.S Jewelmint and style mint are having a specials this weekend in honor of the Oscars! Once you sign up remember to read their program and credits. make sure you understand that once you start purchasing they charge you 29.99 whether u make a purchase or not- unless u decide to not purchase within that month :) u must declare to remove your credit within the first 5 days of the month.

STYLEMINT: http://stylmnt.me/zC3Lp1

20% OFF- MKA20

JEWELMINT: 

60

60% off- jmsale60 and 50% off: jmsale 50 - certain items ( almost all)

ENJOY!~

Filling healthy breakfast made on the CHEAP

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I can't count the number of times that have run to work and forgot breakfast or haven't had time to eat breakfast at home. What's the outcome of that? Well.. i can't starve myself.. so i end up running to the cafeteria of our building and getting some yogurt or coffee or eggs and more yummy food.

This ends up costing me anywhere from $4- $10. I personally don't enjoy paying much for breakfast- even though its the most important MEAL of the day to me.

So i have prepared a breakfast plan to keep my budget under control.

Quakers Oatmeal bars- 5 bars for ~$2.50

Abundance- Apples and Cinnamon Oatmeal- $1.70

Special K Protein Bars- make me full till LUNCH! ( 18/$11-SAM'S)

Green Smoothie for weight loss ( thanks lindawagner.net)

Recipe:

  • 1-2 bananas
  • 1/2 cup frozen peaches
  • 1/2 cup frozen mango
  • a couple handfuls of spinach
  • water
  • ice (if desired)

I actually did lose a couple pounds on that smoothie! But warning- it does cause a bit of gas..

I hope you all liked my suggestions! I really do think it's important to budget meals carefully. Each dollar relays adds up. That way you have that extra cash when you really want to dine out!

P.S i gave up drinking- it really saves you money$$. Even though i'm not much of a drinker to begin with, refraining from happy hour specials has saved me a couple $20's.

Have a great week Recessionista's!

xoxoxo

Pretty Pieces for Work

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One of my new years resolutions was to spend less and be super frugal with my money since graduate school is so expensive. But working full time means i need to dress nice and dress for the job i want.

Although i do not wear suits to work- i figured i should hit up all the sales this past weekend to load up on some essential pieces suitable for work- yet still stylish for after work and weekend brunches:

Some things i picked up:

Cardigan- in black and tan- each under $20

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The Fit and flare pant- in coffee and a black and white wool blend- each <$30Image

My favorite piece!  each <$100 !!! I was eyeing this coat for so LONG.Image

I also picked up some black and white vneck tops ( each <$15) for under suits and cardigans- no pictures :(

Express always seems to have great stuff at relatively great prices.

One tip i can give is always keep in mind what you need and if it's a great price. I bought the coat even though it was 76 degrees outside and i was wearing a tshirt. But knowing the state i live in- it dropped down 40 degrees really quickly.

- I also try to stick to classy pieces that i always know will be in style- or that fit me so well that i would wear it anyway.

I really want to do a work bag blog- but i need to do some big hunting- stay tuned- they usually have great deals on bags in the Spring Time.

Stay warm recessionistas!!!

MORE SCARFS! HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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Okay, so i want to make sure you al know that i will make it a GOAL to blog more. i always have these great ideas but never blog about them. RESOLUTION! To start the year off right i decided to post about the first thing i saw and LOVED!

MORE WAYS TO WEAR SCARFS. and i would like to thank this site (scarves.net) :) for all the amazing scarf ideas i get.

wear your hearts out in these great ideas and have a safe and Happy new Years!

25 ways to wear a scarf! the fall POST

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October is gone and daylights savings time has occurred- i'm not sure about you guys but it has not helped me wake up earlier or arrive earlier to work or the gym- in fact i wake up so early that i go back to sleep and end up being late to everything! But back to the real deal. It's COLD. But i live in Texas so cardigans and jackets are the number one essentials for me... except they are soo routine and boring i need something to spice up my outifts

This is when i turn to scarfs. Lately i ran across Wendy's look book video that shows 25 ways to wear a scarf!

This has recessionista written all over it!

check it out :)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=5LYAEz777AU]

PS i purchase a creme colored plaid scarf today:) first purchase from an H&M IN PLANO, TEXAS.

Summer Dresses

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I finally decided to post the top must have dresses for the summer 1. The Tube Top dress- White or Black

This dress is AMAZING. This is why:

1. It's white, and looks great over a bathing suit as a cover-up

2. Versatility: You can wear it to the beach or throw a belt over it and dress it up.

3. 100% cotton makes it super super cool to wear in the summer heat.

4. You can get them anywhere: American Eagle $15-$25, Target: $20, Macy's and Forever 21 have some in different colors as well.

2. Little White Dress- same as above except shorter and sexier- American Eagle $25

1. Short and Sweet

2. Great with a Belt

3. Accessories and blazers/jackets compliment this dress perfectly.

I wear mine with a cardigan.

4. American Eagle and Urban Outfitters flourish with similar dress all summer round.

 

 

 

 

3. Little Black Dress// Vneck Crisscross $20 American Eagle

1. Sexy back, makes it the perfect little black dress for summer

2. Cotton

3. Not too long and not too short. I am a tall girl and it is perfect on me. Right above the knee.

4. What i love about this dress is that I can wear it with tights in the fall or leggings in the winter. Super versatile.

 

 

 

 

 

4. Chiffon Dress- $20 black. grey or RED

Enjoy! I have more coming!
- xoxoxo misslada

3 Books That Will Change Your Life! ..and Your Bank Account.

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I recently came across a friend who is as in touch with Feng Shui and Astrology as I am. Although I may claim to know alot about this subject, I am still an amateur.

She recommended a book to me and as i looked through it I knew i had to blog about it! I actually have 3 books I wanted to mention. All these books can be found a BARGAIN on Amazon. Click on the titles and it'll direct you straight to their Amazon page.

I love this book but found it a bit confusing, I should have read it when I wasn't answering phones or squeezing a 15 minute break at work:

1. Feng Shui Bible

It's absolutely fabulous. You find what year your birthday falls under and there are 3 numbers. Each number represents something about you. Your love life, your work life, and you true inner self. I have to admit, I learned a few things about myself that I always denied.

The second book she recommended was:

2. The Secret Language of Relationships

Now What i love about this book is that you find what week you are born under. For example, I am an Aries and I am born in the week of the star. Not all Aries are alike! Which is very interesting because my sister is an Aries, and i can promise you we are nothing alike. Now to get into more details. It goes down and dissects who is best fit for you in love, marriage, family, work, and several other categories. It's a very interesting read. 

3. City Chic

Okay so best for LAST! I highly recommend reading, skimming, referencing this book for anything you need during this economy. Although I don't live in "THE CITY" I do have a budget, and the extra money I save helps me splurge on a few things a year. This book is great for anyone! Even if you don't live on a recessionista budget, some of the advice one can learn from this book is useful and can save you headaches later on. For example, I learned when the best time to buy household items, sheet sets, towels, dresses, and where exactly i should go for my dry cleaning. From home furnishings to dining out and finding the best style staples on the cheap.

Although my mom has taught me almost EVERYTHING, there are things this book has taught me that i could have only learned from hard rough experience. I saved myself after a few big splurges i shouldn't have made and saved several bucks down the road.

Learn the in's and outs of living on a small budget and making every paycheck last to the FULLEST, and actually having a little left over to save.

You may not DIGGG Astrology or Feng Shui, but saving money is always a good thing. Plus Amazon has this book listed as low as .01 cent. :)

Donate  to your favorite Charity or find one today. My favorite Charities include St. Jude and FEED The Children.

:) Leave comments! My next post will most likely be about summer and dresses!

- xoxo Miss Lada

BANANA SALE

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Just wanted to do a quick post on Banana Republic having sales all week. It's random in some Banana's but i know it's going on tomorrow. You get 40% off all sale items as well as tops for men and women! SUCH a great deal. Especially for such high quality clothes- the clothes dont shrink when i wash them! This time of the year really is a great time for shopping!

Some of the best items to grab at Banana include: dressy tops, pants, business wear, and DRESSES!

Sign up for their card and you get an extra 25%!

ah.. my clothes came out cheaper than if i had purchased them from Forever 21 except.. i got better quality!

Pretty Nail Polish- in a bottle

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My sister lately introduced me to this new crackle nail polish trend. At first when I saw her nail polish i thought she went to some high end nail salon. But then she whipped out her crackle nail polish she ordered on Amazon- Mia Secret ~$3.99. My first thoughts were- BIGGEST SUMMER TREND EVER!

Although it's on the cheap side- she said the quality was worth every penny!

Here is an MTV article one of our bloggers commented on a previous nail polish post.

My sister had on the black crackled nail polish- look into the bright summer colors for summer :)

SPRING TIME LIP COLOUR

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One of the ways you can stay up to date with Spring Fashion and still be financially responsible is with the latest makeup trends!

Bright colours are in this Spring. well of course they are. Grab a bright orange lip stick and go crazy! You can skip on most of your other makeup by wearing such a bold lip colour. $aving$. Red was last years colour. This year we are all about the deep red-orange and NUDE!! Some of my favorite brands include, Milani, Bobbi Brown, Mac, and Yves Saint Laurent. Then again, the best money wise I would say are Mac, Sephora, and Revlon!  Get it girls!

pssssssssssst: here are some other in trend colors including the new NUDE!!

XOXO miss Lada

Glitter nails

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Need i say more? Add some glitter nail lacquer to your tips to spice things up. This is great for the summer. Plus the great thing about glitter is that if you mess up.. no one can tell!

Do it yourself.. instead of having to pay to get it done. Also, with glitter nail polish you don't need to buy any fancy brand. Go with the cheapest you can find :)

Enjoy RECESSIONISTAS!!

What to skip and what NOT to Skip at Forever 21

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So an update from my last blog on what you should and shouldn't buy… i saw this great article on Yahoo! and i completely agree with it.  i decided to copy and paste it, but i also have attached the link at the bottom :)

VERY Helpful especially with the summer season coming up!

read away recessionistas!!

Things to Skip

1. Jeans

Typically, $20 jeans don’t last too long. Denim at this price is usually thin to begin with, ill-fitting, and just plain not made for long-term wear.

2. Earrings

Yes, Forever21 earrings are a steal at about $4 per pair, but they’re also generally low quality, and even potentially harmful.  Since they’re coated with a “high polish finish” instead of being rhodium-plated or made from 18k gold-plated brass, they can cause infection among those with sensitive skin.

3. Dresses

If you’re not planning on layering a Forever21 dress with opaque tights, leggings, or even jeans, you might be less than pleasantly surprised to discover the micro-hem on most of the dresses Forever21 offers. This floral dress boasts a 25-inch length from shoulder to hem, which, if you’re about 5-foot-8-inches tall, will barely cover your lady parts.

4. Shoes

While $23 peep-toe heels are hard to turn down, we’ll bet after one block in your bargain platforms, you’ll be wishing you’d kept your cash.

Things to Snatch 1. On-Trend Tops

Forever21 is the perfect place to shop the latest trends. Chances are you won’t be too upset when your $12 sheer lace or tribal crop top goes out of style.

2. Sunglasses

$6 sunglasses? Heck yes! We’ll take three pairs: one for the car, one for our beach bag, and one over-the-top style to wear at night when we’re feeling extra cool. And when they get scratched, cracked, or pass on to the resting place for all lost and forgotten shades, we won’t even shed a single tear.

3. Bags

Another accessory that’s okay to purchase at Forever21 is a special-occasion bag. While the $25 shoulder styles won’t cut it as your everyday bag, there’s little risk in snatching up a $2 beach tote or $15 evening clutch. One of our editors has a studded Forever21 tote that made it to London and back and still makes a great carry-on travel bag!

4. Swimwear

Since bathing suits typically fade from sun exposure and get ripped up from sitting on concrete anyways, a $20 style that lasts an entire summer sounds like a great deal to us!

credits go to: kaboodle.com blog

Little Secrets for SMART Shopping

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I went to the Gap yesterday since they have this HUGE sale and promotions all throughout the store and on top of that i wanted to use my 25% birthday discount.

I bought a dress and a pencil skirt. roughly $40.

But that's not what this blog is about. As i stood in line for the cashier to check me out, i realized what i don't buy from the Gap anymore.. sweaters. I have found myself very unfortunate with the sweaters at the Gap, they always tend to get some kind of hole in the neck or sleeve after the second wash.

This reminded me of the two clothing retailers i worked at before during my freshman year at UTD, and i decided to give away the secrets i learned whilst i worked there. (from personal experience-this is not company secrets by any means-)

Hollister and Express.

So here is what i can say about each:

  • Sweaters, cardigans: are great but they will stretch and you will find a hole eventually.
  • Tshirts: softest tshirts i have found in a long time, wait for the sale, because these t-shirts make wonderful sleep shirts- but i don't think anyone wants to spend $18+ on a sleep tshirt. well not a recessionista anyway.
  • Denim: the best jeans you will find under $50. Some are a little over that but they are relatively around $50. They last a long time, and for $50 dollars these days you can't find a nice pair of jeans that will last. This i will recommend for girls only. I don't have that much information on the guys jeans. Also if you go now, Hollister has 50% off jeans that are on sale. So they come to roughly $14. wow.. what a STEAL. (if you can find your size)
  • Everything else at Hollister is relatively the same or not that much different.

  • Denim:The only jeans that will fit you correctly are their premium jeans, the rest have always had a weird fit, you might get lucky though. ( i find that a very small percentage of people get lucky with finding a decent pair of jeans there)
  • Work Wear: Their suits, trousers, blouses, anything professional, they have is absolutely wonderful. I have shopped that section for years, 8 years, and all my shirts and pants are still wearable. They last a long time and compared to other stores they are very well priced. If you join their credit card points system you will get incredible discounts. You could also sign up for their emails, you can receive discounts that way as well.
  • Party Clothes: Most of the time their party dresses go on sale. As low as $20-$30 per dress. Typically they go on sale for $49.
  • Casual Wear: This is the part where i recommend staying away from. Although they have great promotions on their casual wear. I personally have not had good experience in this department. Their casual wears don't last long and aren't as high of a quality as their other lines.

Well there you have it. Those are my secrets.

I have alot more secrets from other retailers, but i will leave those for future blogs.