Halloween Haunted House Party - DIY Troll Costumes

My husband and I love a good couples costume for Halloween, but we love saving money even more. This year we decided to throw it back to the 1980's and dress up as Troll dolls, a tribute to our childhood and a great opportunity to DIY. With the upcoming release of the animated Trolls movie, we were even able to pull our dogs into the mix! Not only did this make a great, budget friendly costume, it is a great last-minute fix too!

Halloween Haunted House Party - Recipe Rendezvous

Now that we have our own home, I have grown to love Halloween. I see it as another opportunity to get our friends together for a night of cocktails, snacks and good company. This year we took on the theme of "Haunted House". We went for an abandoned, run down vibe, decking the house out in spider webs, old black and white photos, and black lights. We set our TV to play "The Twilight Zone" for hours, thanks our Amazon Prime subscription. Creepiest of all was our menu.

AchieveMint Update: How To Sync Apps for Points

A week and a half ago I signed up for AchieveMint, a website / app that rewards you for healthy activities. I have received a lot of questions and comments with regards to how the scoring works for AchieveMint, as well as how to connect apps and sync accounts. For more information on AchieveMint in general, check out my original post AchieveMint: Get Paid for your Healthy Lifestyle. For information on scoring and points, check out my post AchieveMint Update: 1 Week Later, Points Breakdown with what I have learned far. The easiest way to answer questions about connecting and syncing apps was to show you.

AchieveMint Update: 1 Week Later, Points Breakdown

I have been using AchieveMint now for 11 days. I have made close to $2, earning about 120 points per day. To sign up, use my personal link to earn an extra 250 points and kickstart your earning.

2016 Fall Wedding Style - Jumpsuit or Jumpdon't?

I spent 2015 concerned with the wedding fashion, ie. bridal gowns, tuxedos and suits, bridesmaids dresses, and apparel for moms, dads and grandparents. Now that I have made my journey from Miss to Mrs, my concern is with wedding guest fashion trends. My background in architecture and design gives me a unique perspective into fashion. I love mixing neutral tones with one big pop of bright color.

AchieveMint: Get Paid for your Healthy Lifestyle

I have written several blog posts (Pact App: Tips & Tricks and Pact App: Tips and Tricks (Update)) about the Pact App, which rewards users for exercising, eating healthy, eating fruits and veggies. The catch with Pact is that you personally decide how many activities you are going to commit to each week and wager a dollar amount that you will pay if you don't meet your goal. This was a great system to keep me motivated, but within the last several weeks, my Samsung Galaxy S7 underwent a system update and I could no longer submit fruit and veggie photos. Mid-week I was left with 12 veggies unsubmitted. Luckily, I was able to contact customer support and they suspended the pact without penalty to me. This has left my Pact lacking in terms of income in the last few weeks - the veggie pact was the real moneymaker.

Kale Mashed Potatoes

Ross and I love shopping at Costco for the overall savings, especially for produce. Per pound, everyday items like bananas, potatoes and greens are a great value. The savings are only worth it if you 1. have the storage space for 15 lbs of potatoes or 5 lbs of spinach, 2. can finish the larger than life packages before they spoil, and 3. can come up with enough inventive ways to use these ingredients without getting sick of them. As a family of two, the bulk sizes at Costco can become an issue. We accept the challenge and it has forced our creativity in the kitchen, hence recipes like my 20 Calorie Spinach Coleslaw and Taco Roasted Tomatoes.

Married Life: 1 Year Later

Ross and I have officially been married for 400 days. Our last year has been a whirlwind but in the best way. Now that we have moved (mostly) and finished wedding planning, we have had more free time on our hands than we know what to do with. As a newlywed, this is great, but I can't imagine that I am the only new wife who felt the withdrawals of wedding planning. My new found energy has been thrown into this blog, continuing to travel the world and country with Ross, and exploring our backyard of New Jersey with Ross and friends.