how I use pinterest for my christmas shopping

Pinterest can be a time-suck and super overwhelming, but I use it during this season before Christmas to help me stay organized and on a budget.

You may be thinking, "Uh. What? How? Show me  your magical ways." 

Oh, friends. I will.

The first thing I do is create a new board.

are you judging how many tabs I have open? hahaha

Make it secret! You don't want anyone to know about it, especially the ones who should be surprised! 

Then I start pinning. I'll pin from other boards I have (crafty mccrafterson, gift giving) if there's something I already know I want to do/buy/make. I also add things from other websites. 

To add a pin from outside of pinterest, click the "add a pin" then choose "from a website." Next copy and paste the link and where it says "describe your pin" I put the person's name and the cost of the item there. 

Seriously how cute are these peg Elsa, Anna, and Olaf from Pegtales? 

She does personalized families too when it's not a busy time. Love it! 

I use this A LOT to keep track of what I've bought and what I'm planning when I'm out shopping and trying to make decisions. I just pull the app up on my phone and double check my memory.

Y'all know I'm a student on a limited income...a whole lot of the fun is creating and shopping and finding the perfect item at a great price. ha!

A few more places I shop during this time:

• 6pm.com - this is my go-to for shoes and purses and AWESOME deals. Black Friday is usually baller, last year was a different item every hour for 48-hours or something like that and they were deeeeeeeeeply discounted. 
• Pen + Paint - one of my FAVORITE shops! She like many independent sellers runs specials here and there during this time, BUT you have to shop in advance with most independent sellers. This isn't Amazon. [She also runs dented/imperfect sales on IG every once in awhile, I've gathered treasures there as well.]
• Emily McDowell was sent to me by a friend and I love her stuff! So fun! She's having a scratch + dent sale next week for cards! I love to take a card and frame it like it's fancy! 
• Brad's Deals often has some crazy-good savings if you can get to them in time. 
• Get out to your local retailers! See what they have and what you can find there! 
• Find your favorite people on IG or social media - they often post about sales and discounts there! 

I hope that helps anyone who wants to try something different for organizing this year! 

xoxo

wild & free

I found some street art from one of my favorite artists, Katie Daisy, in Bend. Then I proceeded to be my ridiculous self. (-: 

Today is the last day to put your name into the mug exchange. 

Don't forget to sign up on the Google Doc if you want to participate! 

sunday funsies

Today I touched the Butte.

I ate baked goods filled with cream cheese and jalapeños or sweet almond cream, made entirely of butter, flour, and love.

I watched a movie. I wandered around Whole Foods. I had meaningful conversation. I listened to a sermon on where Christianity and Environmentalism collide [shoot, that's some good stuff].

All in all? It was a good one.

ten things

1. It's October. When did that happen? [The fact that it's half-way through October and I'm saying this now, should tell you something...]

2. In honor of Autumn and All Things Pumpkin I made these pumpkin muffins:

oh.my.lanta. I don't want to toot my own horn, but these were stellar. *toot toot*

Let's give credit to the recipe creators: the muffin portion was from Annie's Eats and the crumble [double it!] was from The Café.

3. Conversation last week while listening to the The Little Mermaid OBC album:
me: I always forget that Ursula and King Triton are siblings.
friend: in real life?
me: . . .
us: **hysterical laughter**

3b. If Ursula and King Triton are siblings what do their parents look like? Are they half-siblings? Was it a mer-mom and a octo-dad? Just think about it for awhile...how do those genetics work out?

4. School has been stressful, in the stress I realized how much I want need a paper calendar. I like to write lists and add things AND CROSS THEM OFF. My phone reminds me, but the process of writing allows me to feel like I'm getting stuff done and remembering them. I ordered a cute Paper Plum Designs calendar, but it doesn't start until January, so I made this adorable notebook [The cover art is Katie Daisy, and I got it in a 3-pack from Target] into a calendar to take me through December. I know the Paper Plum calendar is expensive, but if it makes me less crazy and I use it daily it's an $0.11 a day dose of sanity.

5. I recently experienced my second doctor crush: I was assisting with intake and this physician was incredibly kind and patient with a older visitor who had an accident with a power tool and the shortening of a finger.

Kindness...be still my heart. *sigh*

6. I just spent an hour deleting stuff from my phone so I could do the new iOS update. Is this really worth it? UGH.

UPDATE: it's been 1 1/2 hours and it's not done yet. 

7. I can't decide if I want to stay in Indianapolis or not. I can't decide anything right now. People keep asking though and my answer is: I will go where I get a job [within one hour of a CNM program].

8. While attempting to take a picture of my fall nails my fingers looked like worms. Don't try to make it better, the look like worms.

9. I just took this personality test. I'm still an introvert and strongest in the "feeling" category.

10. I'm headed to Oregon to see my sweet, lovely cousin for fall break! I'm so excited to spend time with her and see the place she's lived for the past few years. Expect pictures...maybe no words, but definitely pictures.



P.S. Did you sign up for the mug exchange yet? I'm excited. There's one more week to sign up and invite your friends to sign up too! If you're thinking "but, Amy, I have a ton of mugs I don't even like" [and you live in the Indy area] holla at me and I'll help you donate them to an agency a church friend recommended. (-:

mug exchange!

A few weeks ago I mentioned on facebook the potential of a mug exchange...LET'S DO IT!

Why not? (-:

What the heck is a mug exchange? Well...if you follow as many bloggers and instagrammers as I do you may have seen the A Cuppa Kim mug swap. She's the original--all credit to Kim and her brilliance. [I don't even read her blog, but I love this idea!] Anyway, the mug exchange is kinda like a secret Santa. You put your name into the mix, I'll draw someone for you and send you her/his name, you pick out a sweet mug for your partner, send it to her/him, and anticipate some happy mail for yourself.

Why would you want to participate? Why wouldn't you? Sometimes I find gift giving stressful, but let's be honest: can you really go wrong with this? Nope. A totes cute mug could make anyone's day. Plus, if you wanted to add a little of this or that [this=candy bar? coffee? hot chocolate? Trader Joe's Pumpkin Spice Pumpkin Seeds? allergy friendly cookies? that=print? washi tape? adorableness that you made?] you're on your way to a totally instagrammable moment. #everymomentcanbeinstagrammed

Technically you don't even have to send a mug. Be creative! Have fun! Enjoy yourself!

TO PARTICIPATE FILL OUT THIS QUICK FORM

email, address, and additional information will just be 

between you, me, and the person who's sending you mail

Questions? Concerns? Words of wisdom?

pumpkin black bean soup

I dropped off the face of the earth! [Except not really.] I keep telling myself that this is the last super-difficult-crazy-busy-insanely-nutty semester of nursing school. Once next semester [THE LAST ONE!] comes along, we'll know for sure. (-;

Anyway, I have things I want to say and post and do with you, but priorities. Ugh. Sometimes being responsible stinks.

My apartment was FREEEEEEEZING today, so I made soup...and I will now attempt to eat soup for one meal per day until it's warm again. Because I love soup.

And I'd totally marry it.

Freals.

This is a soup my friend shared with me several years ago and I forgot about it! WHYYYYY!?! Think of all the winters it was missing from my life! Luckily, Missy re-shared after a facebook plea for all the soups!

pumpkin black bean soup

3 cans Black beans (15 oz), rinsed and drained
1 can Diced Tomatoes (24 oz), with juice
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 medium Onion, chopped
2 stalks Celery, chopped
3 cloves Garlic
S&P to taste
1 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1/2 Tbsp Mushroom Bullion (optional)
1 box Vegetable Broth
1 can Pumpkin Puree (15 oz)
3 Tbsp Sherry (optional)

Soften the onion, celery, garlic, and bullion in the olive oil. Season with S&P and cayenne. While they’re softening add 2/3 of the can of tomatoes and two cans of black beans to a food processor or blender, blend until smooth. Once the onions and celery are softened add the blended beans and tomatoes, the remaining can of beans and reserved tomatoes, broth, pumpkin, and sherry to the pot. Allow the soup to simmer for an hour.

I enjoy this soup served with sour cream or unsweetened greek yogurt or a few crumbles of goat cheese and topped with pumpkin seeds for crunch.

It's soup season, y'all!