by Jasmine Shirley | Jul 18, 2015 | Learn + Grow
I was a young mother and although I was blessed to keep my life at home I needed to provide for my little one. I had heard all of the “horror” stories about parenthood, so to be sure that I was able to provide financially I started saving. Saving early has put me in the position to shop, travel and live comfortably at the age of 24. Here are 5 ways I was able to get here:
- Take advantage of gift cards
- When the holidays rolled around and those relatives that didn’t know what to get me gave me gift cards your girl saved them like my life depended on them. Gas cards, movie cards, restaurant cards, save them and use them whenever you are able to
- The envelope method
- The envelope method is used typically when budgeting and to save you will need a budget honey. Once my money was deposited into my bank account I would leave the amount needed for any automatic transactions such as phone bill, rent, etc.
- Then I would take envelopes and label them according to my expenses: gas, food, shopping, etc.
- The money, if any, that was left over and not needed for my automatic expenses is the money that I would take out and distribute into the envelopes.
- Buy a Safe
- Target has a few safe options you can purchase. I purchased a safe that I kept in my room. The money that I was not using for going out, shopping or eating out I would put away in this safe and pretend to forget about it
- Over time I would continue to add to the safe instead of making envelopes for leisure activities and soon I needed a bigger safe.
- Get a savings account
- I got a savings account once I got the hang of budgeting my own money. One I opened a savings account I had a certain amount of money deposited into my savings account each paycheck.
- I started off with just $5 and began to add more when I got multiple jobs or more income
- More Income
- When school was out or I had extra help with my child I was able to work multiple jobs at a time. With more income there is more money that can be saved.
- Consigning clothes was something I really got into. As the trends changed or the need for more money came I would go to consignment shops, Plato’s Closet, and sell any and everything they would take.
- Saving my change really made a difference in my income. I would throw my change in a water jug or my old save and every 6months to a year I would go to CoinStar and cash it in. You will be surprised what your change can add up to.
Spread Love and Happy Saving!
Jasmine Shirley
by Torrie Oglesby | Jul 18, 2015 | Learn + Grow
This week’s #GIRLBOSS: JESSICA ALBA
What makes her #GIRLBOSS certified: She is the founder of eco-friendly company, The Honest Company, that’s worth just under $1 billion dollars, a movie star and a phenomenal mom!
I wish there were two of me and 48-hour days so I could get everything done. But for me, I have to not try and think that everything has to be 100% perfect all the time and leave room for error. As long as my kids feel loved and a priority, everything really is secondary.
-Jessica Alba
- Work out with your friends
Being a #GIRLBOSS requires constant effort towards your work! However you can get burned out if you don’t take timeout of your day just for you! Working out is a great way to have time for yourself and Jessica prefers to do it with friends! Working out with friends makes it more fun and more enjoyable! Grab some friends and head to the gym for a sweat session!
- Take a Zen Moment
It’s important to take a moment of calm throughout the day of a #GIRLBOSS! Jessica reminds us how important it is to quite our minds and breathe. As a #GIRLBOSS our agenda can get pretty hectic, so take it from Jessica and have a Zen moment for peace and clarity!
- Family time is crucial
Jessica is constantly posting pictures of the time she takes for her family! If you are a #GIRLBOSS mommy, then you already know how important it is to take time to specifically for family! Jessica teaches us that it’s important to have fun family time where work is not in sight!
by Nadya Logan | Jul 18, 2015 | Lifestyle+Culture
In celebration of July being National Blueberry Month, I will be writing one article a week for the fabulous month! This week I am going to help you plan an entire meal filled with blueberries. From the appetizer to the dessert, there won’t be a piece of your meal that will not include the delicious fruit.
Drink—Blueberry Lemonade (4-6 servings)
Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup of fresh lemon juice
- 3/4 cup of sugar
- 1 cup of fresh blueberries
- 1 cup of hot water
- 3 cups of cold water
- Ice
Directions:
- In a blender, blend together the lemon juice, sugar, blueberries, and hot water until the berries are pureed and the sugar is dissolved. Pour into pitcher.
- Add cold water.
- Chill for at least an hour.
- Serve over ice.
Appetizer—Fresh Fruit Salad (10 servings)
Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup of fresh orange juice
- 1 small cantaloupe, cut into chunks
- 2 cups of fresh strawberries, sliced
- 2 cups of green seedless grapes, halved
- 2 bananas, sliced
Directions:
- Combine the fruit in a large bowl.
- Pour the juice over the fruit.
- Toss the mixture to coat the fruit with juice.
- Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours
- Then serve.
Main Course—Grilled Chicken House Salad with Blueberry Balsamic Vinaigrette (2 servings)
Salad Ingredients:
- 4 ounces of croutons
- 2/4 cup of cucumbers, chopped
- 2/4 cup of carrots, chopped
- 1 cup of grilled chicken, diced
- 4 cups of iceberg lettuce, chopped
Vinaigrette Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
- 4 tablespoons of honey
- ½ cup of balsamic vinegar
- 1 cup of olive oil
- 2 cups of fresh blueberries, mashed
- A pinch of salt and pepper
Directions:
- Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl.
- Add vinaigrette on salad as desired.
- Enjoy!
Dessert—Blueberry Muffins (12 servings)
Ingredients:
- ½ teaspoons of kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons of baking powder
- 2 tablespoons of turbinado sugar (optional)
- ½ cup of milk
- ½ cup of unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- ¾ cup of granulated sugar
- 1 ½ cups of blueberries
- 2 cups of all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 2 large eggs
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375° F.
- Line 12 muffins cups with paper liners (or coat the cups with nonstick cooking spray).
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In a medium bowl, mix granulated sugar, butter, milk, and eggs. Then add the mixture of flour, baking powder, and salt into the second bowl. Carefully, fold in the blueberries.
- Divide the batter among the 12 muffin cups as evenly as possible. Then sprinkle the turbinado sugar on top of the batter.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes (or until a toothpick comes out of the center of the muffin clean).
- Let it cool in the pan for 5 minutes, and then serve.
Be sure to comment below to share your blueberry recipes or to let us know how you liked our suggestions!
Nadya
by Torrie Oglesby | Jul 14, 2015 | Lifestyle+Culture
- The Oh She Glows Cookbook by Angela Liddon
Oh She Glows is a colorful vegetarian cookbook. Now, before you stop reading, let’s admit that even if you are not a vegetarian, we all could use a little more veggie servings a day. One reason why I like Angela’s cookbook is because she shows us new and innovative ways to weave vegetables and fruits into our meals. My favorites from her cookbook are the out-the-door chia power doughnuts and roasted beet salad with hazelnuts, thyme &balsamic reduction. You can purchase this cookbook for about $25.00.
- Joyous Health by Joy McCarthy
Joyous Health is amazing because not only is it a cookbook but it’s also a, as the title suggest, health book! Throughout the book, there’s healthy, wholesome recipes, Joyous Health Tips, and she even talks about mental health and having positive thoughts. She teaches us healthy ways to combat stress and to fight trigger eating. My absolute favorite part about the book is when she teaches us the importance of detoxing and gives us drink detox recipes. This one will run you for around $20.00
- The Real Girls Kitchen by Haylie Duff
Now this cookbook is for my real girls out there who love to eat real, delicious, and meaty foods. Haylie is excellent at having the perfect balance between healthy and yummy mixed with new recipes and old recipes that are just too good to chuck! My favorite from her recipes is the Haricot Vert Salad. I took it to a potluck once and everyone loved it! Also, her sweet and spicy butternut squash is remarkable. The real Girls Kitchen will cost you around $19.00.
by Nadya Logan | Jul 14, 2015 | Faith + Expressions
Two days before Christmas last year I got the urge to get presents for the adults in my family. Two days before Christmas with little money in my pocket. In order for my parents not to pay for their own gifts, I took the ten dollars that I had, and began to do research for meaningful, but quality gifts for my five elders and stumbled upon this project on Pinterest.
This project is not just good for Christmas or adults. Personalized mugs can be made by anyone and given to anyone for any occasion or even used as decoration to spice up your home.
You’ll Need:
- Sharpie markers*
- Blank white mugs
- An oven
Instructions:
- Now that you have purchased the white mug, then you must decorate it. If you want to keep the design simple, then use a black sharpie. If you are looking to make something extravagant looking, then you multiple colors. And if you’re looking for inspiration, Pinterest, Tumblr, and Google are all amazing outlets for ideas pertaining to this project.
- Once you are satisfied with the way your design looks on the mug, give it time to dry completely.
- Generally when you put something in the oven, you allow the oven to warm up first. This is not the case with this project. Put the mug in the oven before you heat the oven to 350°F, and keep the mug in there for 30 minutes plus the time it takes the oven to cool completely.
And you’re done! Please note that it is best for you hand-wash the mug, otherwise you may wash off the design.
*For long-lasting results, use oil-based paint sharpie markers.
Keep Creating!
Nadya
![STRONG, Inc. [Simple Transitions Render Opportunity Necessary For Growth]](https://www.knowyourstrong.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/NewLogo.png)
Recent Comments