The Guest Room

I have had family member after family member stay with me in the last few weeks. The guest room has had a workout. I treat each guest the same, family or not.

1. Stock the guest bathroom with unopened toiletries:  toothpaste, toothbrushes, floss, tampons/maxi pads, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, loofah sponge, bar soap, toilet paper, and fresh towels.

2. Provide new magazines in the guest room. This can include a couple of small novels.

3. Provide at least 10 hangers in the closet.

4. Purchase new pillows for the guest room bed. Dust mites are a very real thing.

The guest room in your home should be better and cleaner than any hotel room. Provide guests with as much care as you would expect in top tier hotel. Other things to remember:

5. Stock the refrigerator with fresh fruit, a veggie tray, and other grab-and-go items. Guests hate to bother the homeowners when they are hungry off meal hours.

6. Stock the pantry with cereal, oatmeal, bread, cookies, and chips. Again, grab-and-go items that they don't need to ask permission to take.

7. Leave a notecard in the laundry room with instructions on how to use the machines. This is especially helpful for out-of-the-country visitors. Yes, other countries have different machines, settings, and soaps.

Lastly, and it goes without saying, keep noise to a minimum, let the guest always have the remote, and always ask if you can get them something to drink. Being courteous goes a very long way.

Diana

Statement Necklaces

I have been on a hunt for low-priced statement necklaces to fill my wardrobe for Summer. Since I knew I needed a lot of necklaces, I searched countless Twitter and YouTube feeds. One lucky day, I found out about 10dollarmall.com. I immediately purchased pretty necklaces for $1.99 to $4.99. I also purchased a purse, but that came with a defect. The necklaces are perfect and exactly what I was looking for. At stores like Target or Kohls, chunky necklaces are over $10 a piece.

Below are photos of the necklaces. The order shipped in the matter of three days of placement, and I chose the $5 shipping option (USPS). If you are looking for something similar, visit the site. Let me know what you find.

Diana

Small Laundry Room Organization

Organizing small spaces are hard enough, but a high-traffic room is much harder. The laundry room which connects the house to the garage is the highest-traffic room in the home. Not only do we use that door as the main door, but also it is a catch-all: shoes, keys, mail, cleaning supplies, and tools.

The room is 58 square feet, which is about the size of a bathroom. It is narrow and allows a bit of walking room in front of the washer and dryer. Formerly, I was using the one wire shelf above the w/d to store detergent and other supplies. I had a hard time reaching for these items, so I purchased a six-inch, four-tier rolling cart for $21 from The Container Store. To keep from compulsive shopping, I only go the TCS for certain items. This cart was a must have. It is perfect for so many rooms, such as the laundry rooms, bathrooms, and garages. Since it is very light weight, heavier items should be placed at the bottom.

I am still working on organizing the wire shelf. I purchased two stackable shoe racks from Walmart for $20 each. They are perfect for beside the door.

How are you organizing small spaces on a shoestring?

Diana

Home signature scent

I might be late to the party - the scent party. Every home, and car for that matter, has a signature scent. Some are good, but most are bad. At my home, I cook a lot of smelly things, like fish, onions, garlic, etc. Plus, buying odor neutralizing sprays and powders gets expensive.

In an effort to create a new home signature scent, I took to organic recipes that are boiled on the stove and simmered for up to three hours. The smell permeates the home and neutralizes bad odors from cooking, pets, and other odorous things. You could purchase a potpourri crock pot, but I prefer a small saucepan. Try out one or all of these great recipes. All it takes is fruit, herbs and spices. Select any recipe below (I prefer orange and vanilla) and fill a sauce pan 3/4 full with water. These can be made ahead: combine ingredients in a jar, fill the jar with water, and store in the refrigerator for up to three days. Let me know how it turns out.

Recipes:

4 sprigs of fresh rosemary, a teaspoon of vanilla extract and one sliced lemon

1 tablespoon vanilla, 1 sliced orange

1 sliced orange, 5 cinnamon sticks, 2 tablespoons of whole cloves

1 sliced orange, 1 tablespoon almond extract

2 sliced limes, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon peppermint extract

5 1/4 inch slices of ginger, 1 tablespoon almond extract, 3 cinnamon sticks

1 lemon, 1 tablespoon of peppermint extract, 4 sprigs of rosemary

1 lemon, 1 tsp black peppercorns, handful of basil

Earl Grey tea, 1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tablespoon coconut extract, 1 sliced lime

Diana

Finance Fridays: Travel

Just returning from a business trip to Chicago made me think of how much more I could have spent while traveling. It is easy to get sucked in all the gift shops, tips to hotel employees, and meals. The most important thing is to stay organized.

Plan the logistics of the trip. If flying, try to avoid driving to your local airport and paying parking fees. If a family member or friend is not available to drive you to the airport, a public bus may get you there. If you have to park at the airport, park in the economy lot. If you are driving, fill up on gas before leaving and avoid stopping unless you need more gas. Stopping at convenience stores or restaurants will entice you to spend more.

Spending on meals can be pricey, especially in a city like Chicago. I purchased crackers and granola bars for the drive and stay so I was not temped by convenience stores. Try to purchase food at restaurants you know are inexpensive.

It is preferred that you tip the valet, bell hop, taxi driver, and room service. A small gesture can go a long way, so a few dollars (less than $5.00 each) is acceptable. A big smile and a strong "thanks" will do.

What tips do you have?

Diana

New Obsession - Country Chic

For the longest time, I thought contemporary interior design was the best. Being a city person, I was never drawn to the country. In fact, I think I went out of my way to avoid a country look. Now, there is just something beautiful and charming about this aesthetic. It speaks to me.

No one does it like Mallory Jane at Hayseed Homemakin'. Very clean and pretty aesthetic. Nothing dirty or dingy about it.

Site

The one who started the design revoluation, Shabby Chic. Just look around the site because it speaks for itself.

Site

Finance Fridays: Credit Reports

The first step in understanding your financial health is requesting your three credit bureau reports online at annualcreditreport.com. This site, which you can you use once a year for FREE reports, is connected to Experian, Equifax and Transunion. A credit report will display all open, closed and in collections accounts you have.

I cannot stress enough the importance of these reports. Print them and place them in a binder labeled "Credit Reports".

The first time I pulled my free reports, I had a lot of accounts in collections. My debt-to-credit ratio, the amount I owed compared to the amount someone was willing to give me, was bad. What boosts your credit scores, which I'll cover next week, is a good debt-to-credit ratio, as in more credit and less debt.

I have two people in my family with the exact same name - nothing to identify them apart but social security numbers. When they pulled their credit reports, several accounts were crossed. So, we disputed those accounts online through the credit bureaus site (free online to dispute; can also dispute via mail). After some time, the right accounts went to the right person. But, had we not checked, there would have been more problems down the road.

You are judged by banks and other financial institutions by your credit health. Everyone, even apartment leasing offices, pull credit reports. Be vigilant and on top of it because no one else will do it for you.

Diana

Finance Fridays

I am thrilled to introduce a segment of the blog called Finance Fridays. Each Friday, I will cover financial tips that have not only helped me but also those around me.

As someone in the finance industry for several years, I have learned so much that I would like to share all of it with you. There is a wide variety of self-help business books, finance gurus (such as Suze Orman), and unlicensed finance professionals handing out advice. What all this tells me is that only YOU can fix your fnance woes. And, believe me, you can do it with no sweat.

Now, my history with finance dates back to when I turned 18 - when I received my first credit card during my first week in college. Debt sounds like such an ugly word today, but it sounded great back then. I could buy now and pay later - much later.

Fast forward to the end of college, when I had several accounts in collections. I couldn't even open a bank account! Through all this time, I was working at least 25 hours a week while going to college full time during the day.

What enlightened me? A public TV station was airing a speech by Suze Orman, and it could have been for her book Young Broke and Fabulous, but I'm not sure. She was talking to the audience about steps to take to clean up debt. I sprinted to the nearest library and checked out her book, where she included a letter template to send to creditors to begin payment plans. I thought no way can I afford payments, but her book helped me make a budget and I knew I could do it. And, I did it!

I'll share more details with you so you can follow them and be financially fit.

When was your first debt experience? I'd love to find out how you handled it.

Diana

Easy BBQ Chicken Recipe

Being at home sick has its rewards, like catching up on my reading and ownership of the remote. Then, it has its pitfalls, like the need to clean and cook before my family comes home. I threw together simple ingredients into the crock pot this morning so dinner will be ready in time of their arrival.

 

Easy BBQ Chicken

 

Ingredients:

• 3-4 lbs. chicken drumsticks or thighs 
• 1 pkg. McCormick Slow Cookers BBQ Pulled Pork or McCormick Slow Cookers Souther BBQ Ribs mix
• 1/2 c. packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 c. apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 c. ketchup

Instructions:

• Place rinsed chicken sections in slow cooker.
• Mix seasoning mix, brown sugar, vinegar and ketchup in separate bowl.
• Pour mixture over chicken.
• Set cooker on high for 4 hours.

I'll bake some potatoes and veggies for side dishes, and we're good to go. What is your easy chicken recipe? Please share.

Diana

Beauty Necessity

I was thrilled to find this beauty at my front door today. After watching review after review, I thought it was worth a try given issues with my skin lately. I have seen a local dematologist, which I recommend you do as well. Beware of them selling you a specific line of treatment, which I don't buy into.

Clarisonic Mia

At $120, it is the most I have spent on a beauty product. I am not that person who gets her hair and nails done, or spends much on make-up or lotions. The Clarisonic Mia is white with my name engraved (no additional cost). It is the limited edition, probably because it is white. It comes with a small bottle of cleanser, but I will be using Cetaphil. It is cordless and comes with a charger cord. To top it off, it has a pretty storage bag that could double as a make-up bag.

I'll write a review on the product after a few tries.

I'm including this post here because it is important to have confidence. When I know I look my best, I have unstoppable confidence. Let me know if you've tried this as well.

Diana