Monthly Archives: December 2018

Holiday Shopping on a Budget with Sprint and Boost Mobile

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Holiday Shopping on a Budget

By Erin

*This is a sponsored post. All thoughts and opinions remain my own*

Holiday Shopping on a Budget with Sprint and Boost Mobile

It’s getting down to the wire, have you finished (or even started) your holiday shopping yet? I still have a few more gifts to get, but I have started! Do you give yourself a budget and stick with it or do you just spend now and worry about it later? I am pretty good at sticking to a budget, but I always love to learn new things on how to do it better.

Last month I attended an event hosted by Sprint and Boost Mobile where we all learned a couple of new tips and tricks on how to stay on budget while finishing the holiday shopping from Aileen Luib at Baller On A Budget.  I also learned about finding a phone and a plan that does not break the bank, so I think I finally know where to shop for our next phones and plan.

Here are some of the tips we learned to spend smart!

  • ​Make a “To-Gift” list: Think of who you’ll actually be seeing during the holidays and add them to your gift list. That way you know how much money you realistically are going to need.
  • Make a master budget: Give yourself a rough number that won’t prevent you from paying your bills or tempt you to use your credit cards. Can you take out $300 per paycheck over the next few weeks to cover the holiday shopping? Or will your holiday bonuses allow you to spend $1,000 on gifts? Know what you have so you don’t overspend and then stick with it.
  • Set a budget for each person: Make a budget for every person on your list and look for alternatives for those with expensive taste. If Mom likes Chanel, get her a lipstick instead of that expensive perfume. Don’t forget! The key to a good gift is being THOUGHTFUL, NOT expensive! 🙂
  • Avoid giving gift cards or cash: (I personally like getting gift cards and cash, but this is something to think about for sure if it works for your situation!) It’s easier to buy a $50 item on sale for $30, but if you guy a $50 gift card, your recipient will still have to pay for the remaining sales tax for the same item. You can always find discounts on items, but gift cards and cash don’t provide the same flexibility.
  • Are you shopping online or in-store? Online shopping allows you to compare prices between stores quickly and easily without wasting your time and gas! If you shop in-store, consider your local outlet malls as they have daily specials that are comparable to Black Friday sales.
  • Plan the right time to buy: If at all possible, wait to buy regular-priced items if you think they will go on sale. Here are some things to remember:  Black Friday– Great for electronics and appliances, Black Friday Preview Sales, Cyber Monday (Online-only sales, great for flights and hotels), Small Business Saturday (Good for speciality items carried by local businesses), Boxing Day (For international online retailers).
  • Shop through online deal clubs: Online deal clubs partner with small businesses to promote their items at a discounted price so that customers can try them out. Items are between $1-$10 in most deal clubs. Here are a few that are free to join: Vipon, Snagshout, Elite Deal Club, Uber Zon Club.
  • Reduce unnecessary Spending: Bring your lunch to work instead of going out everyday. Sacrifice Spotify or Apple Music for 2 months. Satisfy any shopping impulses by purchasing gifts on your list instead of something for yourself. This is the season of giving to others after all! 😉
  • Cut your expenses: Do you really need cable TV if you only use Netflix? Have you tried negotiating any of your bills? Have you thought about switching to a more affordable cell phone service provider? With Sprint you can lease a new iPhone XR for Mom with $0 today on an 18-month lease. Unlimited plans start at $60 a month. The Unlimited Plus Plan also includes features like TIDAL music streaming and Hulu! Regardless of what plan you choose, you will have access to Sprint’s nationwide network, high-speed data and unlimited international text.

  • If you don’t want to jump into a contract then Boost Mobile is for you! Offering pre-paid plans starting as low as $30 a month. That way you can just pay as you go. All plans provide you with unlimited data, talk and text and 99 percent nationwide coverage. For a limited time, new customers can get four lines of unlimited data, talk and text for only $25 per line per month.
  • Make More Money: Get creative! Here are some ways to scrape up some extra cash! Sell handmade goods on Etsy, offer yard services around your neighborhood, Babysit for friends and family, walk dogs on Rover or Wag, Take surveys on Quick Thoughts, Have a garage sale, or sell unwanted items on eBay.

Do you have any special tips or tricks to stay on budget during the holidays? I’d love to hear them if you do! Happy Holidays!

A Desert Oasis: Miramonte Indian Wells Resort & Spa in Palm Springs

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Miramonte Indian Wells Resort & Spa in Palm Springs

By Erin

*Thank you to A Girl’s Guide To Cars, Miramonte Resort and Visit Greater Palm Springs for sponsoring the A Girl’s Guide to Cars Conference. This is a sponsored post. All thoughts & opinions are my own.* 

Just less than a two-hour drive from LA and Orange County is this beautiful oasis that is nestled at the foothills of the Santa Rosa Mountains in the dessert where the days are warm and the nights are cool in the Coachella Valley region. Featuring 11 acres of citrus trees, olive trees, lush rose, herb and vegetable gardens waiting for you to discover them.  When you walk inside, the reservation check in desk is welcoming and bright with windows all around and lead out to the courtyard. Once checked in, your desert oasis awaits you.  This is the ideal place whether you are looking for a relaxing getaway, a girls weekend, a romantic weekend or a family weekend, there is something for everyone here! Miramonte Indian Wells Resort & Spa in Palm Springs, California  is waiting for you!

Miramonte Resort Spa Indian Wells Palm Springs

Comfortable Rooms

The accommodations are very comfortable and cozy. The perfect place to relax and unwind. Here are the types of rooms you can stay in.

Guest Rooms

These rooms take advantage of stunning desert vistas found around the resort and have between 425-450  square feet and come with the option of either a king bed or two queen sized beds. Rooms on the first floor come with private furnished balconies or patios. Rooms located on the second floor offer private Juliette-styled balconies. The accommodations look out onto the citrus groves, the rose garden and the desert beyond.

Junior suites

Junior Suite offers more space to relax and citrus garden, rose garden or resort views. With 550 square feet of floor space, a separate living area and a private balcony. These come with either a king or two queen beds.

Villa suites

These spacious suites offers a private entrance and a garden adjacent to the Miramonte Pool. 725 square feet of space to relax, they feature one king bedroom, a living area with sofa bed, dining table for four, a spacious bathroom with whirlpool tub, and a private terrace! If you want to live it up, this is the way to go!

Resort Amenities & Resort Services

Here are some of the services and amenities you can enjoy during your stay here:

  • Room service
  • Award-winning Well Spa
  • Two restaurants on site
  • Wellness programs including 24-hour fitness center and yoga

  • WiFi included
  • Pet-friendly accommodations
  • Breathtaking Palm Springs views
  • Three pools, including a quiet pool and hot and cool water retreats

Daily Resort Charge

A daily resort charge is added to the room rate and includes WiFi Access, self and valet parking, two-hour bike rental, shuttle to Indian Wells Golf Course with golf concierge/golf bag storage and putting course access, indoor and outdoor games, and local and toll-free calls.

Delicious Dining

Miramonte Citrus Palm Restaurant

There are a couple of options to enjoy during your stay here. Citrus & Palm serves breakfast and lunch daily. Dinner is served Tuesday through Saturday only. So just be aware that dinner is not served on Sundays or Mondays. Only the freshest locally harvested ingredients are used to prepare the dishes with to create the most healthy and delicious meals possible. We enjoyed an amazing dinner here on our first evening here.

The Tavern is your other dining option. You can order snacks, entrees and drinks here. Some options you can order include roasted or stir-fried vegetables, grilled shrimp and lobster quesadillas (my mom had these and loved them), fried calamari and more. They also have a pretty sweet happy hour  during the week (Monday- Friday from 2pm-6pm) that you will want to check out!

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“Mary Poppins Returns” is a Dazzling Sequel That Aims to Delight Fans of the Original

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“Mary Poppins Returns” a Dazzling Sequel 

By Melanie Gable

*Hi, everyone! I’m so excited that Erin invited me to guest write this review for her blog! I attended a press screening for “Mary Poppins Returns” for the purposes of this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

When Walt Disney Studios first announced that they would be making a sequel to their beloved, Oscar-winning 1964 film “Mary Poppins,” Disney fans’ reactions on social media were decidedly mixed. A movie musical that combined live action film with animation, the original “Mary Poppins” has stood the test of time and captivated multiple generations. Some of the film’s enthusiasts were elated by the prospect of revisiting Cherry Tree Lane (the setting of the first movie) and seeing a new Poppins story, while purists thought the property should be left alone.

But fans needn’t have worried, because “Mary Poppins Returns” simultaneously pays homage to the original film and does its own dazzling thing, exploring new territory in the Poppins-verse, with nostalgic nods to “Mary Poppins” peppered throughout the sequel. Deftly directed by Rob Marshall (“Into the Woods,” “Chicago”), who certainly knows his way around a musical, “Mary Poppins Returns” is a lively, enchanting, and loving tribute to P.L. Travers’ Poppins books and a (practically) perfect companion piece to the first film. If you missed what the cast had to share about the film the other day, make sure to check that out too!

The movie takes place in Depression-era London, two decades after the events in “Mary Poppins.” Jane and Michael Banks, the sibling charges of the magical nanny in the original movie, are all grown up, with grown-up problems. Michael (Ben Whishaw), now a struggling artist and father of three children, is dealing with the recent passing of his wife and the subsequent chaos his house is thrown into as he attempts to keep up with the financial and emotional responsibilities of single fatherhood. Jane (Emily Mortimer), a busy, independent woman campaigning for workers’ rights, still has the warmth and sweetness of her childhood self, checking in on and helping her brother whenever she can. Michael’s loyal housekeeper and cook, Ellen (Julie Walters), is getting on in years and, though well-intentioned, is prone to being scatterbrained and clumsy. The Banks children – Annabel (Pixie Davies), John (Nathanael Saleh), and Georgie (Joel Dawson) – assume additional responsibilities to help with the household as various tasks, such as grocery shopping, fall through the cracks. We are also introduced to Jack (Lin-Manuel Miranda), a charming, optimistic lamplighter and acquaintance of Bert, Dick Van Dyke’s chimney sweep character in “Mary Poppins,” who is soon drawn into the Banks’ family drama.

Fidelity Fiduciary Bank, the place of Michael’s employment, soon comes calling with bad news: due to late payments, Michael must now pay back his entire mortgage on 17 Cherry Tree Lane by the end of the week, or he will lose the property. Though the sum is more than Michael makes in a year and all seems lost, there is one ray of hope – the shares his father, a partner at Fidelity Fiduciary, owned in the bank. As Jane and Michael search the home for the shares certificate, they come across various mementos from their childhood, including the lovingly patched kite featured in the song “Let’s Go Fly a Kite” at the end of “Mary Poppins.” In a moment of frustration and grief, Michael takes a box of his childhood relics to the curb, including the kite, to be picked up for disposal. The kite almost immediately catches a gust of wind, skittering along the street and eventually taking to the sky.

 As the Banks children cut through the local park on their way to the market, Georgie spots the old kite flying wildly in the wind and begins to chase it. As the kite ascends higher and higher into the cloudy sky, Georgie finally catches hold of the string and crosses paths with Jack the lamplighter, who helps him reel it in. Into the fray floats Mary Poppins in her signature style, holding the kite in one hand and her parrot umbrella in the other, chin held high, toes pointed outward, and an air of mystery and magic about her. Jane and Michael are shocked when Mary Poppins arrives unceremoniously at 17 Cherry Tree Lane with Michael’s children in tow. She’s clearly the same nanny they remember, and shows no visible signs of aging since they were children. At Jane’s insistence (because Poppins might be down on her luck and need the work), Michael reluctantly hires Mary Poppins to care for his children. As is her way, Mary Poppins begins infusing fun and whimsy back into the Banks’ children’s lives, while steering the family toward the solutions to their problems behind the scenes.

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