Saturday, August 16, 2014

School Supplies Haul, Reviews, and Recommendations!

      When I shop for school supplies, I want to get the basics first and later I'll purchase the rest since the first week of school teachers usually hand out their syllabus for what is needed in the class. So I purchase the binders, papers, a few folders, and pencils and pens the week before school, when it is tax-free week in Maryland! (August 10- August 16). Although it's not much, it does save some money! 

         Over the past few days I have been shopping! Unfortunately it's not the most fun shopping there is, but hey, I needed some school supplies. This haul is mostly just school supplies I purchased, reviews, and recommendations for supplies and saving money! When I first went shopping I bought BIC mechanical pencils, Foray medium pt. gel pens, a mini highlighter set, and a huge pink eraser for "Big Mistakes" :P.
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    The BIC pencils have always been a favorite of mine. They have 0.9 mm lead, are #2 pencils (which are needed for tests), the pencils are cheap for a box of 40-50, plus they're brightly colored! :) Another favorite of mine are gel pens. Now, these aren't technically needed for school, but I use the pens for outlines and annotations. When I purchased the highlighter set, I didn't expect much since I only paid a dollar for them. I bought the set from the Target dollar section and thought they might work, but the formula isn't great so the tip of the highlighter dried out. Although this set didn't work out, I will be buying a new  Sharpie highlighter set. And the eraser was just one of those impulse buys, whoops! :)


     Another favorite of mine is the Lite-Touch Easy to Open binders (Wilson Jones brand) from Office Depot! These are literally my favorite binders I've ever used. They're easy to use and can hold all of my papers for a class without breaking open like other binders! I highly recommend them.  I'm still using mine from two years ago, and there isn't a single tear in the plastic! :)
(Image found on Google)

Bonus: Not only these binders, but most binders have coupons in the sleeves. If you're shopping for a few kids, this is helpful!


I also use RetailMeNot for coupon codes. You can use it on your laptop or there is an app in the Google Play Store or in the app store. They always have up to date coupons. ( I also use the app for free shipping codes! :) )


         This concludes my post, I hope you enjoyed it and that it may have helped you out with school shopping! Thanks for reading, Blog you later!

Friday, August 15, 2014

Family Night... and Cruise?!


Ten Things You Wouldn't Think to Add to Your Cruise Packing List

          Ever since I was a little kid, my family always tried spending every Friday night together. Usually we'll order some pizza or make homemade pizza with pita bread, and then we'll watch a movie or play some games. Our family really enjoys playing card games like Rummy, BS, and Black Jack. But our two most favorite games are 10,000 and charades. 10,000 is a dice game and is so much fun, and who can't resist charades? :)

         So, on this last Friday of summer break, my mom, sister and I went shopping, ordered pizza, and spent the night in watching TV together and planning our... cruise!!! I am an ambassador scout in Girl Scouts and for our senior trip we are going to the Bahamas for spring break! This is the largest trip that we have planned with the troop, and definitely the most expensive. We have been fundraising and raising money, and brainstorming ideas for this amazing vacation. :)
     
         I found out yesterday that we officially registered for the cruise, and I decided to look at packing lists. Let me just say, Pinterest has helped amazingly. There are so many packing lists and neat tips and tricks from people who have taken cruises before and what they wish they had brought with them. I really do love planning trips, hearing tips, and hacks for a better trip, and making lists. If you've ever taken a cruise, please leave a tip of what you wish you had with you or what you thought was helpful! I'd love to hear it! :) Here's what I found on Pinterest. None of these are my ideas at all, just from helpful genius bloggers on this glorious thing called the Internet!


       Well that's going to be it for this blog, hope you enjoyed! Blog you later!

Cruise Packing List Extras - list of items that you should pack for your cruise StuffedSuitcase.com #family #travel

Feel free to follow me on Pinterest here: http://www.pinterest.com/bethanyst/