Dollar Tree Mini Haul

Hello folks! Back to share some of my recent Dollar Tree finds...

Microfiber Towel| I like to keep these on hand in my car and in the little ones travel bag to help with messes. In my opinion, these feel nice as well as clean and dry easily. 

2.5 Gallon Freezer Bags| I use these large bags to sort and store away the little ones clothes season to season, pack away clothes and items that we give away. I also used these large bags for a DIY sensory mat a year ago (click >>>here<<< to view that project).

Storage Containers| I randomly have started buying these 2 at for store under our bathroom sinks, bedrooms and anywhere else that little hands may roam. There aren't as durable as I'd like (ie: clearly not from The Container Store) but they serve their purpose. 










Labels| These sticky office labels are cute and I use them on my desk for reminders. I prefer handwritten reminders over digital ones that can be setup through email or on mobile devices so I was super excited when I spotted these. 

Decorative Stickers| I have shared some of these before from a previous blog post and I have gotten in the habit of looking for different stickers when shop. I'm still working on our family photo album these will be a nice addition.







Bubbles| I have stocked up on bubbles for Button because like most kids, she gets a kick out of them and DT has some cute character themes bubble bottles. 

Candles| Now...It is a rare occurrence that I purchase candles from DT because quite frankly, majority of the scented candles stink to me unless they are cinnamon, peppermint or something along the lines of a basic scent. I saw these rose water candles and purchased two to burn when I'm having my "day at the spa" in our bathroom. Haven't burned them yet but the scent is soft and refreshing.




Bolero Beverly Hills Products| These are some older items however, I am just getting around to finishing some of them up. I saw people on YouTube buying the brand up at their local Dollar Tree and most of them raved about how well the products work. One thing I like about the products is the packaging. It's cute!

Argan & Shea Butter Body Cream
& Face Wipes

Coconut Milk & Honey Fizzer

Lemon Verbena & Mint Body Oil & Body Cream 

The products weren't anything to rave about in my opinion. The body oil has mineral oil in it soooooo... you could make it yourself and make it with more natural and nourishing oils.Same goes for the body creams; they served their purpose somewhat however, aren't that moisturizing for troublesome skin. I used the face wipes to remove my mascara and as a quick face refresher after a workout.

What are some items you have purchased from Dollar Tree?

No Fast Food February| Update

UPDATE



Hello, back and give an update on the February challenge of not eating takeout food whatsoever...

I DIDN'T MAKE IT
*hangs head in shame...not really*

Of the 29 days I made it 19 without any sort of fast food or takeout. The temptation was real and at times it slipped my mind that I was suppose to go without:

• Invitation to go out for sushi
• Kind gesture of someone bringing buying fries
• ...or pizza...
• ...or ice cream...

Yeah, it was a bust however, I will say that I'm better off than I was 2yrs ago because I'm not compelled to buy a "quick meal" to combat hungry.

Avoid the easy way out (ie: fast food) has helped me realize that I'm an OK cook and I don't always need a recipe to follow to create a meal.

Aaaanywho... two meals that I really enjoyed to during the challenge and actually made multiple times in February were:

Vegetable stir-fry 

Spinach panini with creamy chicken soup

Even though the challenge is over and I failed miserably, I am still working on it because it helps save money by forcing me to cook what is already home and not allowing groceries to spoil. 

Did you participate in #NoFastFoodFebruary or any other monthly challenge?

Dollar Tree Mini Haul

I have become a fan of Dollar Tree over the past few years as they have some items that I [personally] never found there prior. Other than cleaning supplies, I have found e.l.f. products, glue guns, essie nail decals and other items that have wowed me.

A new DT recently opened by my house and of course I went in to take a look at their inventory and ran across some really nice items and wanted to share what I found: 

Books | Mama Ruby by Mary Monroe

I own and have read some of Mary Monroe's books before and was very surprised when I saw this book in Dollar Tree. Retailed for $24.00.

Books| Special Occasions Craft book

Pretty cool book on paper crafts; banners, cards, place cards and more. This book is full of cute ideas and even has templates in the back to cut out and use as a guide. 

Beauty| Face Mask with Charcoal

I have a regimen that I try my best to stick to when it comes to skin care, One thing I enjoy doing at least once a month is a face mask (on that rare occasion when I have a full day of pampering). I figured why not take a shot at this mask at DT because I enjoy using mask with charcoal and well....it was ONE DOLLAR.

Beauty| Cooling Face Mask 

To contribute to my full pampering day, I will incorporate this cooling face mask to my day to help with puffy eyes (which may or may not have gained with our new addition finally coming home for us to love on). You simply place the mask in the refrigerator for a few minutes and then put it on for a few minutes to combat the puffiness. 

Beauty| Facial Brush

I actually use this facial brush every night before going to bed to assist in exfoliating and clearing my pores; I dampen the brush and rub it across my Shea Moisture Black Soap then clean my face. I have noticed that it helps my face out a lot to clear up dead skin and avoid using a wash cloth which can house germs. It also comes with a brush cover. I since gone back and purchased 2 more.. 

What interesting items have you found in your local Dollar Tree?

No Fast Food February

It's that time again!!!

February is coming and I'm attempting to do the #NoFastFoodFebruary challenge again this year.

In short, the idea of No Fast Food February is to avoid  take out food of any sort for the entire month. While accepting this chanllenge, I plan to share meals and recipes with you to give a glimpse into the domestic side of Creatively Coiled.

( Click >>> here <<< to view some of last years meal ideas)

Care to join me?

Well c'mon! Use the Hashtag #NoFastFoodFebruary on Instagram and share your meal ideas and recipes. 

Ready... Set...Go!

No Fast Food February UPDATE

February has come and gone so, I wanted to come and give you my...

UPDATE

I honestly enjoyed this challenge as it forced me to really plan out our meals: prepping food a day in advance and going into my recipe box to pull out some recipes that I hadn't used in a while. Along with this challenge, we tried our best to prepare meals that consisted of fresh produce so there was a lot of fresh veggies filling the fridge and with there being more fresh food, we were more moved to go ahead and actually cook and eat so none of it would go to waste.

With the cold weather taking over the month, comfort food was the name of the game: 

Pictures Clockwise: Grilled peppers and onions (rice not pictured).
Turkey Kielbasa, peppers, potatos and onions.
Buffalo chicken, broccoli, cheese and potatoes.
Turkey chili.

We enjoyed a lot of hearty meals throughout the month and had the opportunity to take a crack at making a soup (mind you, this is was a very random soup where I literally just purchased broth and veggies...Chopped 'em up and threw them in a pot... It turned out yummy):

Shared via Instagram

Shared via Instagram

With all of this being said. I am sad to report that I only made it 14 days straight without any fast food (insert sad face here). See, what had happened was...Sir and I hit the town and on Valentine's night and had all the intentions of coming home and preparing a meal HOWEVER, mother nature saw fit to hit Wake County with winds so harsh that when we arrived home, our power was out. 

All in all, we had takeout food 5 times last month...Which to me, was still good although I would have loved to complete the full 28 days with just home cooked meals. This was easy on the pockets and helped us clean out the fridge and actually start eating more of what we purchased. 

I will be trying this again. 

Did you participate in #NoFastFoodFebruary? If so, did you make it through the month?

-creatively coiled

Guess Who's Back?

Having a larger figure than the average person means there are limited choices as far as clothing stores with trendy items that are reasonably priced. So when I find a store I stick with it.

Unfortunately, in the later part of last year, a store that I would frequent for cute and simple items announced they were closing down HOWEVER, this past Saturday I received the following email:

Is this a cruel joke?: Sending me an email to a store that [last I checked] was long gone.

So, I followed the link and realized that there is an online ordering option. To verify, I did a Google search for news and discovered that dots was bought by a company in Florida that decided to give the chain another chance. Along with this, some of the store locations would reopen. 

(Source: crainscleveland.com)

So yes, dots is back and the location in Garner, NC has re-opened. I took the time to swing through to take a look at things and while speaking with a sales rep was informed that the store has been opened since January 30th.

Were you a dots shopper? If so what items do you enjoy?

My World - Raleigh Food Truck Rodeo

Photo from Downtown Raleigh Food Truck Rodeo's website

Sunday, October 11th, sir and I took a trip downtown to enjoy the last Food Truck Rodeo of the year. This even takes place on Fayetteville St (by News Channel 11) and stretches roughly 10 blocks. All the local food trucks in one spot for the choosing. 

DOESN'T GET MORE ACCESSIBLE THAN THIS!

We enjoyed jerk chicken, rice, and plantains from Virgil's Jamaican Restaurant...

...Bahn Mi Pork belly sandwich from Foster's on the fly...

...And dumplings, and chicken wangs from Dump Pho King.

Unfortunately, I did state above that [from the looks of it] this was the last rodeo of the year BUT, for more information, please visit downtownraleighfoodtruckrodeo.com to see when they'll announce the next dates. 

Have you ever attended the Food Truck Rodeo? Whether you have or have not, what are your favorite local trucks?

- Creatively Coiled

Pick 6 - Winter 2014

Winter is almost over and if you have not, I sure have had my fill of cold weather and I am looking forward to warmer weather. With that being said, it is time for my Winter #Pick6:

Random - NC weather is out of control at times: One day it is in the 70's then the very next day you are dealing with temperatures in the 30's. I'm not one for getting sick (as I am sure none of us are) so, when the temperature drops I'm prepared. I purchased this Timberland scarf and hat this Summer while at the Carolina Premium Outlets in Smithfield, NC. These are certainly being put to good use. 

Skin - I am sure you have seen these egg-shaped beauties everywhere. I must admit that I am obsessed with them. eos lip balms are always somewhere close by: in my drawer at work, my bag, and a container of them at home (yeah, it is that serious). They are made with shea butter and go on so smooth. I'm loving the pomegranate lip balm right now. 

Hair - Such a simple thing that I take for granted...Bobby Pins. In the cold weather I try to avoid wearing my hair loose but, at times I'm just not in the mood to really style it (ie: flat twist/braided up-dos). Now that my hair is getting longer I am able to rock chunky twist on the weekends and just pin them out of the way. Bobby pins also work great with keeping my Winter hats on.

Beauty - I am slowly building my makeup arsenal and decided to pick this up a while back. e.l.f. Studio Mineral Infused Primer. I'm must say...Thumbs up e.l.f.! A little goes a long way and when applied to my face my skin feels smooth like satin. I can definitely tell the difference when applying my makeup as it goes on smoother and my face does not look excessively oily (as it tends to no matter the season when I apply makeup). I am excited about seeing how this will work in the warmer months.

Fashion - Combat Boots are back! These Khalea Combat Boots in cognac from Target are lovely. I was a bit skeptical at first when I saw them because facing inward is a zipper on each boot but...I am so thankful for that zipper. Do you remember to hassle of lacing your boots up in the 90's?! 

Accessory - Another Target item I refused to pass on was this Limited Edition handbag backpack. O-My-G!!!! Is this not fly?! It functions as a back pack BUT there is this strap across the top and allows it to function as a regular handbag. It is the perfect size for everything that I take with me to work. At times a feel like the bag lady because I will have my bag, lunchbox (yes I have a lunchbox) and my thermos....Everything fits in this bag! An extra bonus that I purchased it for only $10.00. 

What were your favorites Items for Winter?

FabEllis Soiree Mini-Haul

Saturday I was able to attend A FabEllis Soiree hosted by Ms FabEllis  (click click here to view information about the event) and walked away with some items:


The 1st 25 attendees received swags
bags with products samples from Eco-Styler,
Beautiful Textures, Organics Oyl, coupons,
a go green bag from Value Village Thrift Store,
and more.





There were lots of giveaways and
I was lucky to win the shampoo, conditioner,
deep conditioner, and hair milk from
Eden Body Works Jojoba Monoi line









I browsed the racks while at the event and
spotted a black Lane Bryant skirt.
That was scooped it up for only $7.99  (ow!)

Operation No Buy Update

 ...UPDATE!

If you read my last post you'll find that I did end up purchasing some products from the Curls Gone Wild event in Greensboro. HOWEVER, before you boo and hiss, Operation No Buy is still in full effect. I'm happy to report that I went 5 weeks without the purchase of products. This includes lotions, fragrances, and hair products. I've put a pretty good dent in my collection. Along with using up what I already had at the house, I've gave away majority of the free products that I received from the Expo to friends and family.

And with that being said I'm still on a mission to get rid of as many products as possible. 

#OperationNoBuy