Tired Girl Shops

I like to shop for what I like to shop for and lots of things do not fit in to the "I like to shop for this" category. I know that a product is truly important to me if I actually leave my house to go buy it - especially if the product is NOT sold at Target.  Any boring item is less boring if you get to look at clothes or nail polish or throw pillows or clearance duvet covers at Target.

I know that I can not go more than a day or two without foil (I just can't quit you, foil) or
q-tips. But I will improv like crazy for many other items. Olive oil in brownies? I should I have gone to the store for that one - that was not a good substitution.  But, I ran out of shaving cream years ago and have never replaced it - soap works fine for me.

Tired Girl Ashley sent me a Tired Girl tip and brilliant switcharoo substitution. Here are her words:

What can do an awesome job cleaning your toilet and face? Baking Soda!!!

I was being the ultimate tired and cheap girl and when I ran out of facial cleanser, I was too tired to go shopping (even online).  I had intended to by the recommended Rafa Natural (I still intend to do so) but I am too tired to even look up another thing on the internet! So I had a face full of make up because I had tried our regular Dove and suffered a major breakout reaction with no way to wash it off... I decided I had to look in my cabinets. I was going to use my coconut oil but I couldn't get it open, then I saw the unopened, forgotten about box of baking soda. I went for it, and...it was awesome. I went for it again, this time used my Clarisonic, even more awesome!

Then I had to look it up on the internet to make sure I wasn't killing my face and Clarisonic actually has a blog where they recommend using it on the face as an exfoliator!
So I have used no soap and no cleanser except for baking soda for over a week now and I love it! Clear and smooth skin!! I still do want a simple cleanser for the morning wash since the soda is gritty. Apparently baking soda is non abrasive, good for the environment, fights bacteria, and costs .99! Hoooray!
 Also, when using it with your Clarisonic is truly feels like a spa micro derm treatment and leaves your skin super smooth! I'm in love. For a good time you can rub it in your hair, on your teeth and all over your body, heck even on the shower floor while you are showering to remove the tile soap scum!! :) ( I guess cleaning your shower and your face with the same product is not super classy, but baby soft skin is!)
I will add that I would use a moisturizer after using baking soda wash, it can be a tad drying thus causing more oil production...

Soon I will be trying my coconut oil to moisturize -after Pat opens the jar for me. :)
Here is a simple recipe:
Mix 2 teaspoons of baking soda and 1 teaspoon of warm water in a small bowl. Use a clean finger to stir the ingredients until a soft paste forms.
Splash your face thoroughly with warm water. Dip your fingers into the baking soda paste. Apply the paste to your wet face using a gentle circular motion. Cover your entire face with the paste.
Rinse your face thoroughly with warm water, splashing the water over the skin repeatedly until your face rinses clean. Pat your face dry with a clean towel.

Or you can do the Tired Girl way and dump some in your wet hand and rub on your wet face...
Some people just mix the soda with their favorite cleanser too.
Baking soda cleanser!!!

Please send me your brilliant Tired Girl substitution. tiredgirl.notes@gmail.com


Original post - http://www.thetiredgirl.com/2013/11/beauty-substitution.html
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There are lots of ways that Tired Girls can “be good at the internet.” 

Here is a list of this Tired Girl’s  favorite sites that let my fingers do the walking to help me out, or are simply interesting to me – sometimes just inspiration can be as good as a nap. 

 1) www.amazon.com and most importantly having AmazonPrime.
Amazon.com started with books and now carries everything.  Amazon prime is $75 a year and gives you free two-day shipping (and no tax) on almost all of their items – this pays for itself quickly if you order often, which I do – it also gives you the freedom to order something little that you need and not pay shipping – it stinks to $4.95 shipping on a $2.50 item (I recently needed a part for something and it was this dinky little thing that cost $0.99 – it arrived in 2 days and I literally paid $0.99).

I know of other Tired Girls that use amazon.com with prime for almost everything – shampoo, baby wipes, diapers, etc. – arrives at your door in 2 days.  Heaven for Tired Girls.

Another aspect about amazon that I love and use all the time is the reviews – people are really dedicated to the reviews they write on amazon. I learn about almost everything I buy before I buy on amazon (cameras, books, vitamins, dog food, curling irons), you name it and its been reviewed on amazon.

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I like to say (mostly to myself) that I have my second degree from YouTube University – I have laid in bed with my ipad and learned to do things like: sew a quilt, swaddle a baby, do an up-do on my own hair, make bread in my stand mixer, use the “burst” feature on my camera, build a recycle cart, build a treadmill desk, create loose spiral curls in my hair, cover a lampshade with fabric – and that was only last weekend (not really!). 
I could go on – So. Many. Things. To. Learn. On. Youtube!
My dad ties his bow ties with a youtube video.  Just awesome.

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 3)  www.etsy.com – fun for inspiration – things to make, things to think about, things to buy – its an art fair on my lap.  
gift purchases on etsy
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 4) Your county/city public library website – after I have read about books on amazon, then I search my county library site for the books. I request the books to be delivered to my local library, they leave me a message when they have arrived, I swing in, swipe my card and they hand me a stack of books.  My county system also has LOTS of ebooks to “check out” as well – so I can get a book to my ipad for 2 weeks.  Here is a site to search for your local public library system - http://www.publiclibraries.com/

Now I just need the service where they swing by and pick up the books to return them for me – that’s the hardest part for me.  Bleh.

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5) www.ebay.com  - Luxury, used items for less money delivered to my door? I'll have that.  


two fantastic deals I got on ebay -  Tory Burch and J. Crew!

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6) www.yahoo.com – (MY yahoo page)
I have set up the newspapers, headlines, subjects I want to see headlines for. I also have the weather of four places of my choice (one city happens to be Paris because – you know – just in case I need to go there today), most popular photos of the day, my junk email box and more. 
I love this because, in bed at night or when I have downtime, I click on my page and all the headlines – local, national and international pop up.  My husband will say something like – “Did you hear…?”  And I get to feel brilliant because I say – “Oh yeah, I read about that earlier this week and oh yeah I’m awesome.”  Pop culture, politics, sports, news – I am connected on one page.

My dad has an app called “pulse” on his ipad – it’s a more high tech version of my yahoo page. Being a Tired Girl I feel unadventurous at learning new tech things sometimes – but someday I’ll get in on this.  Here is a description of it –
“Pulse News brings all your favorite blogs, magazines, social networks and newspapers in one place for FREE. Exciting to use, quick to read, ready to share. Tap on an article to see a clean and elegant view of the news story. Save stories for reading later across all platforms or sync them with Instapaper, Read it Later and Evernote. Sharing a story via Facebook, Twitter, Google + and email is as easy as one tap.
Download this award-winning news application, that has been downloaded by over 20 million users.”

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 7) www.facebook – Yes sometimes it’s depressing to see pics of someone that just finished a marathon while I lay in my pj’s and just admire their sweat, but all in all I love facebook.  It’s an easy way to keep up with people I like. A simple “like” and I feel connected. Am I really connected? No, but I understand the difference which proves I don’t have a problem.

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8)  www.thetiredgirl.com - my own blog is a fun hobby for me.  Hooray for hobbies!

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9)  google images -- https://www.google.com/imghp?hl=en&tab=wi  -- just fun - I can look at images of lots of good things. I will often google image search something I am looking at on ebay - just to see if it looks good and how people are using/wearing it. There is definitely porn though and strangely my most innocent searches seem to be the the biggest porn draw.  
AND I'm back -  to being obsessed with Ryan Gosling Hey Girl - 
love the crafting versions - thank you google images.

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Pinterest and twitter currently make me more tired. So I can't add them to this list yet.  

Do you have a site that really helps you out?  I would love to know what it is – so spill it. 

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There is no realistic way that grocery shopping can be FUN for me.  Maybe if the store is packed with beautiful people for me to admire,  Ke$ha songs are blasting, and champagne samples are being walked around it could be interesting.  When I think about grocery shopping, which I typically dread,  I envision myself careening through the aisles " Supermaket Sweep" style.  Just tipping stuff in and tearing around corners. I want it go that quickly.

It doesn't go like that though of course, but when I do shop, "unit pricing" saves the day for me. I assume everyone knows about unit pricing, but just in case, I am sharing.  This is a totally boring tip that makes grocery shopping, for me, much easier. 

Easier = done faster = more time for fun things

So the unit price is the little number in the upper left corner (usually) of the price label on the store shelf. It will often say "unit price" but not always and not all stores have it.  I think maybe Target does not.  Apparently Target's theory is "if you have to ask you can't afford it."  Target isn't generally more expensive - just to be clear - they just don't care to prove it.

The unit price will - ideally - tell you quickly which item is the best deal.  I use unit pricing all the time, but  especially when I am in the paper towel and toilet paper section.

The unit price will - again ideally - break down the item by price per "unit" and tell you, regardless of price of the whole thing, which one is the better deal

If you are bored already then  hold tight or I'll see you later I guess.  Whatever you do, do not look this up on wikipedia, because words like valuation and widgets and multiple variants will be used and then you will almost surely die.

Here is an exhilarating diagram to explain:





  You have to be careful though because sometimes you are not able to compare the same things - like in this image. Which is why I say unit pricing is "ideally" helpful.

I added my own arrows and notes, but this tag image is from another website - 
 http://keepyourpaycheck.blogspot.com/2011/04/unit-pricing-supermarket-secret-to-best.html

Honestly if there is a lot of thinking involved, a multi-step math problem to do in my head or the need for a pocket calculator - I am out.  

It's not that I CAN'T do these things, I just don't want to.  So if I can quickly glance at my unit price and compare what I am getting then, hooray.  If not, then I follow the advice I give to third and fourth graders when taking a test - "Make your best guess and move on."   



I would rather do a lot of things then think about the price of tuna fish or toilet paper and unit pricing helps me almost supermarket sweep my way through the store.   



I hope the idea of unit pricing makes shopping awesome for you.  


Original post -http://www.thetiredgirl.com/2013/05/making-grocery-shopping-slightly-less.html

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“Be good at the internet.” This is a quote from my friend Vanessa and I love it. “Being good” at the internet saves me lots of time and energy. For example, I buy my dog’s dry food, greenies and vitamins from a small online company in Rhode Island. (www.doggiefood.com). I pay much less, and it arrives at my door –pure heaven.

Recently I mailed several fun girly DVD’s using amazon prime to a friend that is going through chemo. The money and energy I would have spent looking for the particular movies, making the package cute and getting them to her would have been considerable. On www.amazon.com I could pick the exact movies (and a couple of paperback books) and they arrived at her door in two-days ( I have amazon prime – totally worth it)! I saved money, energy and my gesture was able to be felt immediately.

Being good at the internet in these examples gives me both more time and more money.

Original post - http://www.thetiredgirl.com/2012/11/be-good-at-internet.html

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Don’t buy clothes that need ironing. Easier said than done I know, but I rarely iron my clothes, mostly because the clothes I own don’t HAVE to be ironed. They may look better with afresh press, but whatever. I RARELY buy clothes that need ironing. Done. I also say things like – “Oh I don’t iron,”it feels great – say it. I do have some tops and especially in the summer some linen that I bust my iron and ironing board out for (but ofcourse I wear them a few times so one iron job lasts a while).
Here is my advice about ironing– don’t do it much. Give away the items you have that need ironing unless you really really love it.


Instead, dry clean occasionally (for special items or seasonal cleaning), pull things out of the drier fast if possible and that’s it. It’s survival of the fittest in my closet – if an item requires too much energy and I don’t LOVE it (well I don’t buy it, but if I accidentally own it) I donate it. My life style is wash and wear.

Original post - http://www.thetiredgirl.com/2012/11/dont-buy-clothes-that-needironing.html

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Wal-Mart. I know what you are thinking. Wal-Mart works for me though, and so I am sharing. I understand that is just DOES NOT work for others. I also know that it is wrong that I shop there – that they squelch independent places, they strong arm their vendors, they don’t pay enough for the production of their products, that they don’t give enough to philanthropies in relation to their profits. All of these ides float through my head while I push a banged up cart that I have to actually push or else it will – on its own – move to the right and crash into aisles or people.

Wal-Mart works for me though because, I can buy in one short trip: organic chicken thighs, staples for my staple gun, weed killer, organic almond butter, brie cheese, asparagus, a new jog bra, egg whites in a carton, an African violet, a bulk bag of skittles (when I was a classroom teacher), razor refills and calcium pills – all in one trip, and except for the weed killer, almost all of that fits in a hand basket AND I’m paying less for every one of those items then I would pay anywhere else. Not necessarily by a lot, but at least by a little. Done. Target can come close, but I don’t have a Super Target and even those don’t have a craft section.

Apparently the craft section is a non-negotiable. I must craft.

I bring my reusable bags to Wal-Mart (they are fine with using those), I park by the Garden Area (easy in), I check out at the Garden area (easy out). I do not get prescriptions there – there will never be enough hours in the day for that – horrible!! I smile at the screaming kids and their tired looking parents, I smile at the older people hogging the aisle, I enjoy the foreign languages I hear, I smile at the cashier and I leave. I go home and enjoy a whole evening with my family instead of making 27 stops on the way home for all of that stuff and being exhausted.

Original post - http://www.thetiredgirl.com/2012/11/wal-mart.html

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Buy in twos. Again this is not anything new, but it works well for me. I buy two of almost everything.

Shampoo, grapefruit juice, baby wipes, egg whites, just everything. The first one disappears quickly and the second one buys me the gift of time. So if I am totally pooped or swamped or whatever I do not have to go to the store that instant. I have worked in a day or five to get to the store to stock up again. When I open the second whatever that is my mental cue to add that item to the grocery list.

Original post - http://www.thetiredgirl.com/2012/11/buy-in-twos.html

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One more word on two. Have two of the things that are important to you. When I taught at a traditional school and would go to work everyday I brought my second cup of coffee (iced) in a travel cup. Eventually I bought a second one of these and it was strangely luxurious. This little thing of this travel cup made my day infinitely better and so to have two (in case I left it at school or didn’t feel like washing it out or whatever!) was fantastic. I was drunk with the power of two!

So I then added a second glass bowl w/ lid for my lunches, a second pair of my very favorite pants, a second favorite sports bra and threw out the one I hated.

Everyone may already have two of things, I'm so cheap it’s a big deal for me to buy two of the exact same thing. Little things that you value can take your day from good to great and having those things always accessible makes me less tired.

Original post - http://www.thetiredgirl.com/2012/11/one-more-word-on-two.html

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Have a repertoire of gifts and beloved go-to items for others.  I have a list in my head of all my most favorite presents for every category –hostess gifts to a baby gift to retirement gifts and so on. These are the things I store in my brain as items that are easily accessible to me at the stores close or via the internet that I am proud to give as presents and gestures to people in my life.  Here is a list of the categories of go-to items I have – I haven’t give specifics:
-       Favorite red wine
-       Favorite white wine
-       Favorite sparkling wine
-       Favorite baby gift of clothes
-       Favorite baby gift of usable item
-       Favorite plant
-       Favorite type of flowers to have delivered
-       Favorite decorative item
-       Favorite home good
Almost all of the occasions in my life can fit into one of these types of gifts – weddings, retirements, housewarming, thank yous, congratulations, etc. I can also pick up these presents while running through Publix, Wal-mart, Target or ordering online.
I seriously hope this doesn’t sound insincere.  I obviously pick out items that fit the person and occasion, but the point is why spend your time and energy trying to come up with the most original gift ever that the person may or may not like, want, or already have – when a bottle of good wine (for example) is pretty much always a nice gesture (for those of us that are booze hounds anyway).  Having this repertoire of readily available, quality items that are proven to be met with joy and appreciation makes me less tired, more happy and gives me more time to spend interacting with the person instead of showing up at their home, party etc, pushing a gift at them and falling asleep in the corner (because I am exhausted from shopping for them – if you couldn’t follow that rambling scene I created).
I have a friend that would love to be given a pink, rhinestone encrusted stapler or tape dispenser – I can easily get that for her, but for many many occasions one of these wonderful items are perfect. 

Original post - 
http://www.thetiredgirl.com/2012/12/have-repertoireof-gifts-and-beloved-go.html

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The best Tired Girl bra -


I won’t go in to all the many reasons why this bra is the BEST.  I will let you infer it all – just to be ladylike in an almost public forum. But I will say that I have spent $60 on a bra before and they have nothing on this one.

Comfort, cuteness, price, comfort, shape, comfort, washability, versatility, comfort.  Done.  



Here are some bra jokes:






http://www.little-doodles.blogspot.com/


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