Life Lately Vol. 2

This post contains affiliate links. I may receive a small commission if you use or make a purchase using those links. Thank you for supporting this blog! Hello, my friends! Rather than share a more structured informative post at the beginning of my progressive comeback into my Internet space, I thought "let's chat." In this edition of Life Lately, I'm sharing the biggest highlights of the last five months. 2018 has been an interesting year, a lot has happened globally, nationally, personally, professionally and every other -ally way you may be able to imagine. I want to hear from you! Let me know what's been going on with you lately down in the comments or shoot me an email at ... read more

How to Reduce Household Waste

I hate throwing things away. Not in a hoarder way, but in an anti-waste way. Few things get me riled up quite like throwing away food - I'll get to that later. It wasn't until moving to Nashville, where recycling seems to be rare, that I was forced to wrestle with this more seriously. Do I succumb to the throw-out nature that is my new community or do I figure out a way to make it work for me? It took some trial and error but I am happy to say that after living in Nashville for nearly a year, I am making it work for me. Today, I'm sharing what I do to minimize our household waste. That includes food, single-use items and larger things. ... read more

My Current Head Space

Oh hello there, space on the Internet. It's been a while. As I lay here on my couch at 8:30 pm, I feel called to share what's on my heart. ... read more

Benefits of Being a Life Long Learner

This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting this blog! From about seventh grade through junior year of high school, I had a very intense love-hate relationship with school. It wasn't until my senior year of high school and into college that I was allowed more freedom in selecting the subjects I wanted to learn. Now as a college graduate who is unsure about the likelihood of pursuing graduate school, I have come to really appreciate learning about subjects I am genuinely interested in and enjoy. Today, I'm sharing with you several benefits I've noticed since committed myself to being a life longer learner after graduation. At the end of the post, I have listed a few ways ... read more

How to Save Money on Coffee

This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting this blog! My love affair with coffee runs deep. There's something special about taking a sip from a mug filled with steaming coffee that resembles a warm hug. That being said, these hugs-in-a-mug can add up quickly if you're not careful. Over the last year or so, I've found a number of ways to cut down on my coffee costs without having to sacrifice the quality of my brew. Today, I'm sharing my secrets for how I save money on coffee. If you know a coffee fiend, share this post with them - they'll thank you for all the money they'll be saving. ... read more

How to Stay Sane While Moving

This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting this blog! I am no stranger to moving - you can read my other posts about moving here. The move from IL to TN was by far our biggest move yet and, in some ways, the most unorthodox move. That being said, I think I managed to remain the most calm during this particular move given all of the practice I've had. Today, I'm sharing the insight I applied this time around in the hopes that you will stay sane during your next move. ... read more

Recipe: Homemade Vegetable Broth

This post contains affiliate links. If you use the links below, I may earn a small commission. Thank you for supporting this blog! Making homemade vegetable broth has been a game changer in terms of elevating my cooking game and saving $20 every month. I first started making homemade vegetable broth when we moved to Nashville about five months ago (wow, has time flown). I was trying to save as much money as possible and one of the simplest ways to do that I read was to make your own broth/stock at home. Since I do cook a lot at home, I go through broth quite quickly and always seem to have an abundance of food scraps. Those two things combined made the jump to homage vegetable broth a ... read more

What I’ve Learned Working Retail

This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a small commission if you use these links. Thank you for supporting this blog! If you asked seven year old Kristine if she thought she would be working retail, she would've giggled and said, "Like at a store?" As a 23 year old, I am so happy to have retail experience under my belt. If you've been around these parts for a while, you know that my post-graduate experience has been nothing short of surprising. Initially, I decided to work retail as a way to earn money while I continued to look for a job. It's been almost four months (wow) and I am purring like a kitten. That's not to say that there haven't been moments where I want to pull out my ... read more

Dog Owner Essentials

This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a small commission if you use the links below. Thank you for supporting this blog! It's no secret that our little Jacey Cooper is the apple of my eye. He's taught me quite a lot about myself, what it means to unconditionally love and to lighten up. Along those lines, I have learned a thing or two about how to keep his world running smoothly and happily. Today, I'm sharing the items that have become staples in making sure Jacey is happy, healthy and entertained. Below each item, I also describe why I swear by particular items, how I use them and why they are dog owner essentials. Before we get into the rest of the post, I want to make it ... read more

How I Saved Over $200 on Holiday Gifts

Happy 2018, y'all! As you read the title of today's post, perhaps you felt a little confused. Wouldn't this post be better suited closer to the end of the year? Maybe. I am so proud of how I was able to get my loved ones a great gift and didn't have to break my bank to do so. This holiday season, I shopped smarter, not harder and saved over $200 collectively on gifts. You'll want to pin this post for the next time you want to buy someone a gift. Some preparation and a lot of shopping was involved. If you have tips on how you save money on gifts, leave them down below in the comments! ... read more