|
...we entered Las Vegas and went to our destination to get settled in for the night. This was just a stop over on our way to San Diego. We thought it would be fun to take our two college age children to stay on The Strip. Now, it has been over 20 years since we had been on the strip to stay so we really were not ready for what awaited us.  Check out the video below to find out what our experience was like so that you know what to expect if you decide to stop in Las Vegas on your travels.
2 Comments
This is a trip we didn't think we were going to be able to make, but things came together and we were able to do a quick trip over the Labor Day weekend.  We started in Saratoga Springs, Utah. This part of the vacation landed us in Las Vegas. Here is part one. XOXO,
Natasha Thinking of looking for a new home...daunting. We are hoping to move within the next year. In order to keep an eye on the market, I have a tool up my sleeve. Here are some deets on this tool.  This tool is called Homie. I am still learning more about it, but I can really easily search for homes in the areas that we would like to relocate to. I can use a search tool, search by map or list, and narrow it down to what features I would like in my new home. I've been using this search tool to keep an eye on the market. I know what houses are going for in the areas we are looking in and keep  See all of those dots on the map above? I can click on any of those and look at pictures and details on any of these houses I am interested in. That includes price and address. So easy! It's a free app and website too! When we decide to sell, Homie sellers pay a low flat fee in place of traditional commissions. This will save a ton of money!  Sellers pay a flat fee to list, $199 at setup, and $1,299 at closing. This fee covers Homie’s listing services. Seller may pay an additional buyer agent commission if they choose to list on the MLS. Buyers don’t pay anything. There is no cost to use Homie as a buyer and buyers can qualify for either the Homie-2-Homie deal or up to $5,000 through the Homie Buyer Refund.  If you want help negotiating the ins and outs of the real estate purchase contract, you’re in luck. Homie has licensed real estate attorneys and agents who will walk you through the contract and help you draft your addenda, making sure everything is worded correctly and nothing is missing.  Homie also makes home loans easier.
Homie has a sister company, Homie Loans, that is owned and operated by the same owners. Homie Loans provides some of the most competitive loans in the state. It uses technology to streamline the loan process and has an app that increases transparency into the loan process. Homie Loans loan officers are paid different than others, reducing commissions in order to save you thousands on your home loan. I've given you most of the Homie facts, so if you would like more you can find those details here. I find that Homie is a really useful app and website and it makes me excited to know that I can save so much money and that the real estate experience can be so much better. I look forward to our next home buying and selling opportunity, knowing Homie can be a big part of it. Feeling the budget pinch? Here are 50 ways to save money, all of which you can do right now.  1. Stop buying. Start selling. Most of us have too many things. Things we don't use. There are two places (besides the flooded Facebook Marketplace) that I use to sell the items I don't need and don't use.
Poshmark I love Poshmark, the #1 app to buy and sell fashion, and know you will love it too! Make money and shop over 5,000 brands at up to 70% off. It's fun and easy - I promise! Install free app now! Sign up with my code NTASHACALL to get $10 off your first order. But HURRY, this offer won't last long! Mercari Sign up for Mercari and get $10 off your first purchase. Here's my invitation link : https://merc.li/NGBk35b 2. Cut the cable. You are paying for 200 channels you don't need. What we use is Apple TV and play everything we watch on the apps. There are similar things, like Chromecast and Roku. This way, we are intentional about what we watch. We pay a small fee for Hulu to make sure there are no commercials, which is totally worth it. We also pay a small fee for Netflix. The options are vast and the savings are great. You’ll save on time and money. 3. Turn off the TV. You’ll save on electricity and reconnect with those around you. 4. Use customer rewards. For example, we live close to Smith’s Marketplace and shop there for some of our groceries. They have a rewards card and we use it all of the time. We use it for groceries, pharmacy and gas. As we rack up points from groceries and pharmacy, we get a discount on gas. At times, we receive $1 off each gallon of gas and trust me when I say that we load up. 5. Meal planning. Plan your meals for the week. You’ll eat out less and know what you are shopping for. You’ll be able to create a list and look for the best prices. Plus, you’ll eat out less and there you’ll save your money. 6. Use a shopping list. Stick to that shopping list. Having a meal plan will help you to create a solid shopping list. 7. Use what you have on the shelf and create meals around those items so that you can rotate your food and utilize what you have. I call this “Rotation Cooking”. 8. Use coupons. There are digital coupons that you can load onto your rewards cards and there are paper coupons. Use your weekly ad and find what is on sale. Then, use coupons in addition to the sales prices and you’ll love what this does to your budget. 9. Learn some basic sewing skills. Repair your clothing. When buttons fall off, sew them back on. When seams come apart, sew them back together. Repairing your clothing instead of tossing it will save a ton of money. 10. Don’t eat out. You need better nutrition and restaurant and fast food is expensive. If you do eat out, be sure to get a coupon, a Groupon, or look for other deals. 11. Kids love boxes. We used to spend so much money on toys to entertain our kids. When they would open the gifts, the kids were more into playing in the box than playing with the toys. We would let the kids draw or paint on the boxes. We would cut holes for them to crawl into and look out of. It was pure imagination abundance. Oh the money we could have saved! 12. Buy second hand to stay in style for less. Here are my favorite places to do this. Poshmark I love Poshmark, the #1 app to buy and sell fashion, and know you will love it too! Make money and shop over 5,000 brands at up to 70% off. It's fun and easy - I promise! Install free app now! Sign up with my code NTASHACALL to get $10 off your first order. But HURRY, this offer won't last long! Mercari Sign up for Mercari and get $10 off your first purchase. Here's my invitation link : https://merc.li/NGBk35b ThredUp $10 for you! http://www.thredup.com/r/6TYTFN 13. Drink more water. Instead of purchasing the expensive coffee or soda, opt for more water. You’ll save a ton of money. 14. Quit using tobacco. You know it’s bad for you. You spend a ton on it and imagine what you could do with the money you spend. The same goes to vaping. Quit. Your body will love you and your wallet will party. 15. If you are not using it, turn it off, unplug it, put it away. You’ll save electricity, which saves money. You’ll also connect with people and things that matter. 16. Compare prices. This goes for groceries and any other item you are buying. It might take a minute to Google it or look at grocery store flyers, but it could save you dollars. 17. Use rebate apps. We use rebate apps that provide money back plus promo codes for online, and some in-store purchases. Just login to these apps, select the store, and shop. The money will turn into a big fat check and you’ll be happy to have that percentage of YOUR money back in YOUR wallet. Here are the apps we use. Use RAKUTEN (formerly EBATES) and get $10 after you shop. TopCashBack is another great one. iBotta, use code lxybtmw Others are RetailMeNot Checkout51 18. Use receipt scanning apps for rewards. I used these to get some of our Christmas purchases paid for last year. Super simple. Just a little bit of time to scan. Plus, you’ll have viable receipts scanned, in case you lose one and need it for a return. Check out Fetch Rewards. It's a free app that turns grocery receipts into rewards. Just scan any grocery receipt, and earn points towards awesome rewards. You'll earn at least 1% on all listed brands and products, and gain access to exclusive offers that earn you even more points. No more entering codes, completing tasks or jumping through any hoops! Just scan your grocery receipt, and get rewarded. Use my referral code, K8XTX, during signup and you'll get 2,000 Fetch Points ($2.00 in points!) just for starting. Download Fetch Rewards free here: https://bit.ly/2zwOdBK The other app I use is ReceiptHog. 19. Avoid expensive gym memberships. Workout at home or get the cheapest option with a membership. YouTube has great workout videos and you can find some lightly used exercise equipment on the Facebook Marketplace, or the classifieds. Don’t spend the money, but still get the exercise. You’ll feel better about this option once you get used to it and once you see the additionaly $60-$100 back in your account each month. 20. Instead of going out, invite your friends to your place. Invite each to bring some food to share, and a game that they love. Make it a fun party time and enjoy each other’s company where you are not spending hundreds to do so. 21. Purchase used or digital books. New books are insanely expensive. The used or digital versions have the same content. Enjoy reading, but use those smarts to save yourself some money as well. 22. Cancel magazine subscriptions. You can get all of the same information online. 23. Gas is expensive. Use GasBuddy to price out gas around your area. You could save pennies that could add up to dollars. Another option is to use a rewards card, like I mentioned in number 4. 24. Periodically compare your home and auto insurance with other companies to see if you are paying the most affordable rate for the same coverage. Also review your coverage to see if you are properly or over covered. That can affect what you are paying as well. 25. Declutter. Decluttering (as emphasized in 7 Days To Master Feng Shui) will not only save your sanity, but you’ll be able to find the things you don’t need, don’t use and have the opportunity to sell those items for more cash as spoken about in number 1. 26. Get a more fuel efficient vehicle. 27. Take public transportation as much as is possible in your area. This will cut down (or completely delete) the need for expensive fuel and maintenance on a vehicle. 28. Create a group of neighbors or friends who are willing to swap babysitting with you. Now, you have to like their kids and they yours, but this could work wonders. You could all have different date nights and swap kids, giving the kids a fun pizza and game night. 29. Take lunch to work from home instead of eating out. You’ll get better nutrients, save a ton of money, and keep some of the dinner leftovers from going to waste. 30. Enjoy leftover night. You can either create new dishes with the leftovers or you can let the family pic and choose which leftover each person would like to eat. 31. Something breaks? Fix it. Use all of those free videos you see on YouTube and get whatever parts you need, then go fix it. We have saved hundreds, if not thousands of dollars by doing this. 32. Downsize your home. Sometimes we feel like we need the big home with all of the fancy upgrades. Get a home that suits your actual needs, in a decent neighborhood, with some of the nice things you want instead. There will be so many benefits, not just saving money. 33. Move closer to work. Do you have a long commute? Get a home closer to work. Again, you may be able to deal with a smaller home to make this work. There will be less frustration and far less gas and maintenance cost on your vehicle(s). 34. Find free things to do. Let me give you some examples. We now have pickleball courts in our town and they are free. You can go on a bike ride. You can go play frisbey. You can have a picnic in the park. Go sledding. Go hiking. So many things to do! 35. Purchase only used cars. 36. Use your local library. They have both physical and online items for you to check out. Movies, Books, CDs, Newspapers, Magazines. All of these things are at your library and they are all free. 37. Buy items like toilet paper, paper plates, napkins, laundry detergent and other non-perishables in bulk. This cuts down on the price per item by quite a lot and will have you prepared. 38. Don’t speed. You don’t need to pay hundreds for a speeding ticket. 39. Wait for a movie to come out on Redbox and then use a free code to watch it. 40. Enjoy a staycation instead of spending money on hotel, gas, expensive food, etc. You’ll find new things to do in your area. Things that you never knew were there and that are so much fun. 41. Use online bill pay. You’ll save money on checks, stamps and time. 42. Set up an automatic repayment plan with your student loans. You’ll usually get a small rate reduction that will save you some bucks each month. 43. Air seal your home for more efficiency, saving money and energy. https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/weatherize/air-sealing-your-home 44. Take full advantage of your employer matches to your retirement plan. 45. Take advantage of sweat apps, apps that pay you to walk and other health actions. Achievement SweatCoin Lympo 46. Take surveys for money. SwagBucks MyPoints SurveyJunkie 47. 24 Hour Rule. Think over any nonessential purchase for at least 24 hours. 48. Remove your credit card information from websites. This way there won’t be that one click feature, making it so easy to thoughtlessly purchase. 49. Record your expenses. 50. Budget. Nearly everyone is feeling the budget pinch and nearly every shops at Target. So, here are some tips to help you price hack at Target.  1. Don't forget to shop through Rakuten (formerly Ebates) if you are shopping online. You'll get promo codes and (as of today) 1% cash back.
2. There is an unofficial clearance schedule that you can find on the link at the end of this post. 3. Watch for further markdowns every two weeks, as long as there is still inventory to mark down. 4. The percentage markdowns on red clearance tags is located in the upper right. 15% = first markdown 5. Prices ending in 6 or 8 will be marked down again if there is still inventory. 6. Prices ending in 4 are at their final markdown price. 7. Holiday merchandise gets marked down really fast. Often the markdown starts at 50% off. 8. Gift card bonus offers are indicated with $0.49, $0.79 or $0.99 XOXO, Natasha Call Source: KrazyCouponLady Saturday my family and I went on a day trip to 9 Mile Canyon in Utah. Here's how it went and what we thought of this trip.  About 2 hours from our home, in an area near Wellington, Utah, is a stretch of canyon called 9 Mile Canyon.  This area is nestled in the desert landscape, full of free ranch cattle (that feel they have free range to lay in the road), and home to lizards and snakes, along with prairie dogs and other animals.  When we started the day, the sky was looking pretty ominous and there was rain, even in the sun. There was no forecast for rain, so we hoped that we would not find rain when we arrived at our destination.  Instead of rain, we found beautiful blue skies, and some very warm sunshine. Our day didn't start out as early as we wanted it to (never does), then we had to be sure and top off our gas and grab a loaf of bread for our sandwiches. One thing to note is that there are no services throughout this canyon area. There are picnic tables and out houses placed periodically through the drive, but that is it. So be sure to take food, water, and have a tank full of gas.  Additionally, there is always a chance of flash flooding (hence, plenty of "dips" in the road for water flow), so watch the skies for the developing thunderstorm and don't play chicken with mother nature.  You can find maps in Wellington, at the last gas station before you turn towards 9 Mile Canyon. And by the way, 9 Mile Canyon is way more than 9 miles, so this could potentially be quite a trip for you.  The maps show locations of "special" sights. Most of these sights are petroglyphs from ancient indian civilizations. However, a note on the mapping. The mileage posts don't align super well with the sights and there are not many markers for these sights. There were only two or three markers for these (sometimes hard to find) sights. That was very disappointing and frustrating.  The drive is really winding and there are a lot of "dips" for the flash flooding, so be prepared with Dramamine.  Unfortunately, erosion and non-ancient rock art (modern twits) have taken away from much of the ancient rock art. Additionally, there is a HUGE hype about the plethora of "sights" in this canyon.  The Great Hunt is the most famous of the petroglyphs. It was well marked and well preserved. It was also very impressive and had a plaque that tells all about it.  Overall, the trip did not live up to the hype. It was good to get out and do something we had not done, seeing things we had not seen. However, the excitement about seeing all of the ancient rock art quickly dwindled as the day went on and we saw very lackluster samples. We did a small hike around a loop at Daddy Canyon and that was interesting. We were going to turn up the narrow area of 9 Mile Canyon and do some more hiking, but the thunderstorms were moving quickly and the warning signs posted prior to entry of the canyon made us feel that it was probably not the safe bet. We all enjoyed each other's company, as we usually do. We were just disappointed. The video below shows the terrain and some of the beauty that was worth seeing. What other sights should we see? Tell me below in the comments.
XOXO, Natasha
What do you use to prop your phone or tablet up so that you can watch something, type something, or follow an online recipe? It can be a frustration. Sliding, falling, not on a sturdy surface with grip. Here's the solution.
This little "donut" is the best solution for the frustrations listed above.
It stays put, there are three angles to prop your phone or tablet up. 
In their words, "godonut is an innovative and attractive stand for your mobile and tablet devices. Its' intelligent and deceptively simple yet clever design allows users to comfortably view a tablet/phone using any of its 3 angles. godonut also provides the user with the stability needed to type on the phone/tablet, making godonut convenient and truly hands free. Available in an array of colours and finishes (including clear, metallics and glow-in-the-dark). godonut is also stackable. godonut is the perfect accessory to take with you, wherever you may go."
I have found that I use my GoDonut when I am using my tablet as a teleprompter for videos, while watching videos, to follow recipes in the kitchen, and more.
GoDonut is the world’s most portable and universal stand for tablets and smartphones. It’s machine washable, flexible, stylish, made in USA with the highest quality materials, and comes in 9 different colors. It’s the only stand that can be used with multiple devices, on multiple surfaces, while enjoying multiple angles . You can find them in the back-to-school section at Walmart This is a genius design and something I now use all of the time. I wish I had known about this a long time ago. It would have made my life a lot easier. https://www.godonut.com/
XOXO,
Natasha Happy Pioneer Day! What is Pioneer Day?  Pioneer Day is a day we celebrate here in Utah. It's kinda like the 4th of July. There are rodeos and fireworks, parades and special shows. Yes, some people even get the day off work!
For more on Pioneer Day, click HERE. While I may not have cancer, I know a lot of people who do (as do most of you). So, it is my pleasure to review a nutritional and calorie dense and delicious nutrition source for cancer patients.  At first, I felt a little uncomfortable reviewing something geared towards such a vulnerable, yet strong and inspiring group of people. After all, I have never had cancer (knocking on wood right now that I never will). However, as I opened the package and discovered more about OncoBitez, I realized what a pleasure it is to review something that is geared towards a group of people with needs that are not always being met. Here's what I found out about OncoBitez.  These are "oncologist designed, oncologist approved nutraceutical solutions for cancer patients. OncoBitez is high-quality nutrition and guaranteed calories in an intentional scientific blend formulated to be EASY TO EAT, while also being VERY ENJOYABLE!" The packaging is beautiful and is made to keep the food fresh, so that it basically tastes and smells like it is freshly baked. One of the first things I noticed after opening the packaging is the wonderful aroma of all of the herbs and spices. It's an aroma that really reminds me of my grandma's house, because she used to bake all of the time. It also reminds me of how my house smells during the holidays. There are three OncoBitez in each package. One for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Each bite is soft and easy to chew and swallow. Each bite is just packed full of nutrition, as well as calories. Note on the calorie part...I didn't eat all of them, even though I really wanted to. I am a curvy gal who is not in need of more calories, ha, ha. As far as taste, nutrition, and texture, as well as packaging, I give this 6 stars...I know. I know. There is no such thing. Except...I just made it a thing. The amount of time and research that had to go into making this product must have been a life calling, care beyond measure, and a desire to help people that is unparalleled. There is comfort in every bite. There is passion in the package design. There is nourishment for the soul in the aroma. It must have truly been an undertaking of a lifetime. I have included all of the details in the video below. Show some love for those you love who may be experiencing the struggles of cancer. This is serious love in every package. ONCOBITEZ Thank you OncoBitez for giving me the pleasure of reviewing your newly launched product.
XOXO, Natasha |
RSS Feed
