The Jonathan Adler Smart Phone Dock

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Have you ever seen this lovely little smart phone dock from Jonathan Adler? I believe I first spotted it on the desk of Graphic Designer & Blogger, Danielle Moss from The Everygirl and since then I have just been noticing it everywhere from gift guides to Pinterest boards to Polyvore collages! So, a few weeks ago in August I finally broke down and bought it! I purchased the white version, but it also comes in black, and both colors retail for about $48!

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The dock is essentially a ceramic shell in the shape of a miniature rotary telephone with a seat for your phone and a cut out where you can insert your charging cable so that it is hidden by the dock. I have seen them on plenty of desks, but I preferred to keep mine on my bedside table where I do the most charging of my phone! It is just absolutely darling in my option and really brings a little something extra to whatever space it occupies. Of course the analog geek in me loves the concept of using such a low tech, vintage inspired dock to charge my hi-tech modern iPhone! Oh and in case you were wondering, the dock can accommodate most cell phone cases, so no need to remove your phone’s protection when it charges!

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So what do you think of this smartphone dock? Is it a clever multi purpose desk accessory or do you prefer something a bit more digital? Let us know in the comments!

Free Printable Project Planning Pages

Free-Printable-PPP

A few weeks ago I tweeted out that I was interested in creating some free printables for Strange & Charmed and after the popularity of my free calendar, I decided that it was time to release some more! This time I have created a line of planning pages that you can use for meetings, notes, project planning and even career planning! I have created a few different layouts to suit a variety of preferences and needs. I hope you enjoy what I have created and as always, if you like these free printables, make sure to leave a comment or send a tweet to @MissTrenchcoat so I know you are enjoying them! If these go over well, I may have a few more things in the works as well for those of you who loves printables as much as I do!

Included in this set are, (2) Note taking page styles for project planning and note taking, (1) Dream Job tracking page, (1) Small steps to success goal tracker, and (1) Multiple Goal Tracker.

Click here to get the full set of printables——–>  S&C-ProjectPlanning-Printables

YouTube Series Worth Watching

Youtube-series-worth-watching

Last week I wrote about why you may want to make the switch from cable television service to a lower cost alternative like Netflix or Hulu Plus! Going along with that conversation, I thought I would talk to you today about some more great FREE entertainment options. YouTube right now is blowing up with great “made for YouTube” series and I wanted to share with you some of my favorites that I completely recommend you watch if you are looking for some more free entertainment!

The Lizzie Bennet Diaries (Channel: Lizzie Bennet)

Yep, you read that correctly, Lizzie Bennet, as in Elizabeth Bennet, the heroine of everyone’s favorite Jane Austen novel, Pride & Prejudice! This amazing series that concluded only a few months ago is basically a 21st century retelling of the novel if Lizzie Bennet were a grad student with a YouTube channel! Filled with all your favorite P&P characters, some with modern variations of their names (ex. Mr. Bingley is Mr. Bing Lee), this long running series is as entertaining as it is endearing.

Make Me Over (Channel: Awesomeness TV)

For those of us who love makeover shows, this multi season series follows popular YouTube beauty guru’s who give regular girls a mini makeover! Solving problems like what to wear to prom, or tackling issues of personal style, this fun series is a great “real life” makeover show without all the fancy designer duds and high budgets we are used to seeing from shows like “What Not to Wear”. Definitely give this a shot if you are into real like makeovers and you may even find some style inspiration for yourself!

Nicko’s Kitchen (Channel: robjnixon)

If its cooking shows that tickle your fancy, you won’t want to miss Nicko’s Kitchen, a highly popular YouTube channel and series all about cooking. What I love about this series is that it covers great everyday recipes that are quick, easy and fun, and they have a great mini series on the channel called Fast Food Friday’s where they teach you how to make your fast food faves from Big Mac’s to KFC Chicken! If you’re an epicurean, this is one series you won’t want to miss!

The Guild (Channel: WatchTheGuild)

If you are more of a fantasy fan,  preferring shows like Once Upon a Time or Grimm, the Guild is probably right up your ally. This multi season series follows around a group of online gamers who play a World of Warcraft like MMORPG in the same guild and decide to become friends IRL. Outlandish drama ensues when the awkward gamers try to interact socially, which makes for some hysterical episodes filled with references and lingo fellow gamers are sure to understand and enjoy!

Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis (Channel: FunnyOrDie)

If you are a fan of comedy shows like SNL or late night talk shows like Jimmy Fallon, you will certainly enjoy Between Two Ferns. Watch as actors and other pop culture figures are given the most awkward interviews of their careers by the straight-faced, too blunt for TV host! It completely reminds me of Stephen Colbert and his hysterical and envelope pushing interviews with public figures in which you’re not certain if the interviewee knows that they are partaking in a joke or not! Check it out for yourself and you are sure to have a good laugh!

Do you like to watch YouTube? What are some of your favorite series’? Have you ever seen any of these shows before? Let us know what you think in the comments!

Get Fit for Free with these Apps & Sites

I am a firm believer that you do not need a gym membership to get yourself a good workout. Not only are there plenty of outdoor physical activities you can partake in, like running, biking, walking, etc, but technology makes it super easy and incredibly cheap to workout from the comfort of your own home and really break a sweat. How cheap you may be asking? Try Free! Here are some of my favorite apps and websites for getting a good workout. Give it a try, and you may even find that you can cancel your rarely used gym membership and have a little fun working out in the process!

Yoga-studio

Yoga Studio

I’ll be honest, I have a few Yoga apps that guide you through pre structured and/or self-made yoga routines, however, this App which is currently free as a Starbucks Pick of the Week, takes the cake! Not only are the routines easy to follow with clear images and directions, but I love the DIY routines. Unlike my other apps, Yoga Studio gives the user the ability to choose individual poses and blocks of poses that go together in a series. So, you can add downward facing dog to your routine, or the entire Sun Salutation. This makes creating your own yoga routines a breeze, and when something it easy to use and customizable, it means you are more likely to stick to it!

blogilates

Blogilates

In case you are not aware, Blogilates is one of the web’s most popular health and fitness websites. Created by Cassey Ho, professional fitness instructor, this website is a mecca of free fitness advice and videos. Cassey covers a variety of workouts and topics on her blog, that include easy to follow videos, meal plans, and recipes to help keep you on track with your fitness goals. If you are someone interested in beginning an entry-level fitness plan, Cassey even includes workout calendars with suggested workout programs that basically make it like you have your own personal trainer! It doesn’t get much easier than that, so check out the site if you are serious about getting in shape!

my-fitness-pal

My Fitness Pal

As most of already know, dieting is really hard, but studies have shown that people who keep track of their diet and physical activity each day have a higher rate of success than those who do not. This is why programs like Weight Watchers are so popular, they give users the tools to track their food intake, weight and exercise to give them an overall picture of how they are progressing, and when users stick to this model, it does work! But Weight Watchers can be expensive with sign on and monthly fees, it can cost you hundreds of dollars a year. Enter My Fitness Pal, a free app that basically does the same thing, but without the Weight Watchers Points System! So, if you are looking for a reliable method to track your weight loss progress, give this app a go and you will find that you won’t need an expensive alternative just to drop some lbs!

Do you use any apps to help you stay on track with your health and fitness goals? Do you workout with the guidance of an app or do you prefer to hit the gym with a real trainer? Let us know in the comments!

Budgeting Basics

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No month-long commercial detox would be complete without a quick and dirty lesson in budgeting! If you are not currently using some method of budgeting to help you calculate and understand your monthly expenses, I highly suggest you give this a try. Since I am no financial guru, I can’t get into the nitty-gritty of allotting your monthly expenses, but I can help you get started on a path of personal financial management!

One day soon after I had graduated college, I was watching TV when I came across an episode of The Oprah Show that focused on personal finances. Much of the episode focused on helping couples break out of credit card and student loan debt, neither of which applied to me, however, they showed this great pie chart that they used on the show to give a rough outline of how to allocate your monthly expenses. I immediately grabbed the pie chart from the show’s website and have been using it as a guide for myself ever since

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If you have never made a budget before, or if you’re not happy with your current budget, I suggest taking this chart, opening an excel file and starting to calculate how much you should be spending on each element of your expenses based on your total gross monthly income. Then you can compare what you should be spending with what you are actually spending! Make sure to grab your bank statements for the past few months when you do your comparison, because spending habits change from month to month and you need to take a look and see exactly how you have been spending your money over a good period of time. I suggest checking out your last 6 months of spending! While doing this comparison, you may find that you are spending too much on housing or clothing based on the suggested percentages and can begin to work towards finding a better balance in your budget. Once you can see where you’re overspending, it might make it easier for you to temper your spending in that area.

Obviously, if you spend too much on housing, it may not be as easy for you to put that spending back to the proper balance, but over time you can take actions like getting a roommate to cover housing costs or finding a more affordable apartment once your lease expires. In the meantime, you are going to have to cut corners somewhere, perhaps with eating out or personal entertainment, or by finding additional means of employment. I have already covered a variety of ways you can save money in different aspects of your life this month, so if you need to cut back on your entertainment costs, clothing or other personal purchases, click here to see my suggestions to make the most of your money!

Overall, I hope you came to see that budgeting is an important and necessary exercise in your life. Although you may not find that you have trouble covering the bills, taking the time to evaluate your expenses may show you where you are overspending unnecessarily and could be putting more money into savings for the future! Your personal savings is a place you really don’t want to skimp on each month, so the more you can put away the better. You never know when you will have an unexpected car repair or medical emergency that will require you to dip into your savings! Seriously, YOLO is not the financial plan you want to default to, so get your finances together asap!

Do you use a budget to help you keep track of your monthly expenses? Do you find that it helps you to make smart money decisions or is it something you reference after the fact to clean up your bills! Let us know in the comments!

How to have an At Home Spa Day!

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Spending your days trying to find ways to save money is no easy task and for all our hard work I think we deserve a little private time of rest and relaxation! Of course, we can’t just head over to the local salon or spa, so in the nature of DIY we are going to make our own at home spa! At home spa days are easy enough and can still be super relaxing. First and foremost, you are going to need to carve out a bit of time for yourself. Whether you are going to do you at home spa after work or on a weekend, make sure to make it in your calendar and give yourself a good chunk of time to decompress! Turn off your cell phone, unplug your phone, just relax in this time you have set aside for yourself! Next, assemble your tools! All you need to turn your bathroom into your own personal spa are a few items that you most likely already have around the house.

1. Some soothing spa music on Pandora

2. A Lush Bath Bomb

3. A luscious facial scrub

4. A delightful bubble bath

5. A rejuvenating facial mask

6. A moisturizing body lotion

7. Nail polish remover

8. A sexy nail polish shade

9. A simple nail kit

 Relax and enjoy! 

Do you like to indulge yourself with at home spa day? What sorts of products or “treatments” do you like to use? Do you like listening to relaxing music or prefer watching a movie or tv show while you decompress? Let us know in the comments!

Learn to Cook with these Great Apps

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Let’s get really honest now, ladies! Eating out is a major source of unnecessary expense in our modern lives. As a whole, American’s eat out waaaay too much and its a stress on our wallets as much as our waistbands! I mean, as much as we all like to ignore the facts, it’s not just fast food restaurants that are bad for our health. Chain restaurants and even your local diner rely on heavily proceeded foods that are packed with extra fat, sugar and sodium so that the food stays good for them and still tastes good to you, which means your burger, steak, and salad are packed some extra unnecessary calories! It may be easier to eat out, but you’re paying the price in a big way!

I am very guilty of this one, and I suspect if you’re reading this, you may want to cut back on the meals out as well. But, how do we cut back on eating out without feeling deprived? After all, not all of us can be Martha Stewart and effortlessly cook gourmet meals for ourselves and our families while keeping the dining room and kitchen in tip-top shape! Well, I am here to tell you that you can cook, you really can! Maybe not exactly like Martha, but with some simple and easy recipes and a set of reliable directions, you can achieve culinary success. So, I have a few apps that can help you hone your cooking skills and help you make use of the food in your cupboards instead of taking a trip to the drive thru! How does that sound? You still with me? Okay, great!

 All-Recipes

All Recipes (Free)

You may already be familiar with All Recipes and their awesome website with thousands of tried and true user submitted and home tested recipes! Now, it comes in a very convenient iOS App for both iPhone and iPad so you have a wealth of recipe information at your fingertips! I truly consider this app the only cookbook you ever need because the archives over at All Recipes cover every single recipe known to man I am pretty sure and since these recipes have been tried and tested by users in real homes and kitchens around the world, you know you’re getting the best advice possible, not from gourmet chefs, but from regular folks just like you!

 Epicurious

Epicurious (Free)

Epicurious gained a lot of popularity upon its release for its awesome name, but it also is an amazing app for finding and planning meals. Now, I wouldn’t say the database of meals even comes close to that of All Recipes, however, this app has some great features. One of my favorites is that you can search recipes by their ingredients, so lets say you are looking at your pantry and you have a lot of rice that you want to use up! You can search by the ingredient “rice” and find a plethora of meal ideas. Yo can even search by multiple ingredients to make your search even more specific! This tool alone is a great time and money saver because you can focus on what you have right now in your kitchen and make a meal out of it! It also includes a nice shopping list feature, so if your browsing and you find a recipe you want to try, you can keep track of the ingredients you will need to pick up on your next trip to the grocery store!

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The Photo Cookbook ($3.99)

The Photo Cookbook is a pretty amazing app, which is why its the only paid app I have chosen to include in this series! What set’s it apart from other apps are the high quality photos that go along with their step by step directions. If you are someone who can’t tell a carrot from a parsnip, or doesn’t know what term julienne refers to, this app is a godsend because it lays out all the ingredients in high quality images and takes each recipe slow and simple so that you never have a chance to get lost while preparing a meal! Again, doesn’t have the biggest database of meals, but all the meals are simple and straight forward, which is perfect for a beginner chef!

So, have these apps inspired you to take charge of your kitchen and your wallet with some simple and delicious home cooked meals? Do you already love to cook? Are you a newbie cook and need a little confidence boost in the kitchen? Do you have a favorite cooking app that you use to help you learn and perfect new recipes? Let us know in the comments!

From Cable to Netflix

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Cable television. Most people have it, but do you really need it? I can remember a time when TV was the major form of entertainment in my life. This was before the invention of DVDs and back when you rented VHS tapes from your local Blockbuster! Before computers and the internet could provide you with an endless stream of entertainment. Before cell phones played video. Before cell phones could fit in your pocket! At that time, TV was everything and the shows on TV weren’t half bad either! But times have changed, TV programming is not what it used to be (ahem, reality shows!) and although DVDs remain popular for watching shows and movies, you don’t actually need a DVD to watch a movie these days!

Of course, I am talking about services like Netflix, Hulu and even iTunes and Amazon Prime! Nowadays, you don’t even need cable to watch TV, its kinda crazy and a bargain for those who choose to make the switch from cable to Netflix. Think about how much you actually use your TV and what you use your TV for? Are you watching DVDs that you own or rent? Are you watching shows via DVR or On Demand services instead of watching them live? Do you like to go back and watch previous seasons of your favorite shows? Do you get your news and weather information from the internet or an app? If any of these questions sound like you most of the time, you may not need cable TV.

Let me give you some more food for thought! The average “triple play” bundle from your cable provider costs $100 a month and gives you TV, Internet and Phone service. Most people don’t even have a home phone anymore because they use their cell phones! Internet alone costs about $40 from a standard cable provider. So, let’s say that by switching from cable to Netflix you will save at least $50 a month ($60 from canceling cable – $10 for Netflix per month) and that is at the very least! If you also subscribe to extended cable or premium channels, you could be saving even more! So, how would you like an extra $600 in your pocket a year? What could you be doing with that extra $50 a month?

But wait, you say you really can’t live without TV because you have a few shows you are addicted to and you don’t want to cancel your premium channels because you like to watch new releases? There are plenty of alternate places to find movies and current TV shows. Services like RedBox allow you to rent new releases for just about a $1 a day! You can even subscribe to seasons of your favorite TV shows from iTunes and have unlimited access to episodes after they air live! If you are really looking to save some cash, Hulu has plenty of free TV shows available after they air, and if you use an iOS or android device, most television networks have a dedicated app where you can watch episodes the day after they air as well! If all else fails, your local library is a great resource for borrowing dvd’s of movies and TV shows, although you may not be able to find the new releases, you can definitely find a good flick for a quiet evening at home!

Do you currently subscribe to cable? Do you also use a subscription service like Netflix or Hulu Plus? Do you think you could make the switch from cable to Netflix? Are you really getting your money’s worth out of your cable tv? Is the money saved enough of a motivator, or do you need more convincing? 

An Open Letter to Kate Spade & Beau

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Dear Kate Spade & the Beautiful Beau,

As you may or may not know (okay, you probably don’t know!) this month I am partaking in what I call a “Commercial Detox.” Basically, for the entire month of September I am exercising every ounce of self-control in my body to keep myself from making unnecessary or frivolous purchases. I have made it half way through this month, but now, I find myself cracking… because of you and the Beau bag! You have launched a very compelling marketing campaign for your new flagship bag. Not only is the bag attractive as f*@k, but you released an incredibly alluring video on your website in which a beautiful woman runs around NYC in search of her elusive Beau. On top of that, you went ahead and sent some of my favorite bloggers and internet personalities a complimentary Beau WITH a matching little USB version of the bag that is so darn adorable I CANNOT CONTAIN MYSELF! I literally cannot swing the proverbial dead cat without seeing your amazing new bag in one of my social media feeds! Its torture!

So, I began to cave. I started the “pre-purchase” stages of my mental preparation for buying an expensive bag. I checked the balance on my savings account every hour for two days… thinking. “I can afford this bag,” I told myself. “You can make this one exception to your spending freeze,” I negotiated in my mind. Then, I hit an almost miraculous road bump that had the power to completely derail me from this fashion obsession! I couldn’t decide which color Beau I would purchase! The pink and red was so bright and fun! The black so simple and chic! Even the black and tan caught my eye. “I could totally rock the black and tan,” I reasoned.

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Aha! This was it, without a clear color choice, I wouldn’t be able to go through with the transaction… that was until I took a browsing around the Kate Spade website! You thought of everything, didn’t you, Kate, my dear! That’s why you included those lovely little vignettes in the rotating header for the Beau! Once I laid my eyes on that beautiful bag sitting beside a roman bust, some zebra’s and a paper fan, my heart melted and I knew my choice was made; it would be the all black bag for me!

Today I am probably going to take my SECOND trip to my local Kate Spade to oogle at the bag! My husband will have strict instructions to keep my wallet while I am in the store and not to return it to me until we leave the mall or I break out into uncontrollable sobbing! Please save me from myself and send ME a Beau! I promise to love it and cherish it all the days of my life! I’ll take pretty pictures of it and post them to instagram using your #meandmybeau tag! Think about it and I will leave you my email just in case you want my home address!

With lots of Love & Admiration,

Alexis

Finding Free Books

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Free books! I’m sure you’re thinking, you can get free books at the library! Yep, you can, but in case the library is not your thing, or you dislike late fees, there are a few alternatives for those of us who want to read without having to pay! Now, let me be very clear. I am not about to suggest ways in which brand new novels are going to be automatically delivered to your door for free, nor am I going to suggest some random internet scheme that requires you to sign up and accumulate points that will eventually in three years time result in a $5 Barnes & Nobel gift card! My commercial detox is really about finding ways to use what you already own and when your done with that or you need more, to find free and easy ways to access things via the internet or other popular resources. Of if reading isn’t your thing, how about free audio books? Does that tickle your fancy? Well, if it does, some of the below resources should help you find some literary entertainment without having to spend any money on retail paperbacks!

1. Clean out your bookshelf!

Okay, this is the only cheat suggestion I am going to make, I promise, but I bet that you have a book sitting someplace in your home that you purchased or acquired a while back but never got around to reading. I know my bookcase is filled with half-read novels and brand new books that I forgot about after all the hype died down about them! Well, if you’re looking for a free read, its right there. It may not be the exact novel you were hoping to read this week, but its yours, you already own it and it won’t cost you anything! Before even thinking about proceeding any further down this list, make sure you have a good sense of all the unread items you have reading and waiting for you right now, no additional effort required!

2. Free ebooks via your favorite reading app!

No matter which ereader you own or what app you use to get your books, there are tons of free books available for you right now as an instant download! Kindle, Nook, Kobo, iBooks all have a plethora of public domain titles that you can jump into right this very moment. They may not be the new best seller, but most of the books available are classics none the less that you should have read by now! You know, most modern authors refer back to old titles like The Odyssey or Moby Dick and even those old classics have references within them that come from even older novels. So, really, you’re missing out on a whole world created by classic literature that is referenced every day without you even realizing it. How’s that for reading between the lines?

3. Download free audio books!

No, you don’t need a trial subscription to audible.com to get a free audio book. Right now there are thousands upon thousands of free audio books ready and waiting for you to download them at sites like Archives.org. Did you know there are organizations around the world that are dedicated to bringing the written word to audio form? Sites like Librivox and Project Gutenberg rely on volunteers and even advanced computer programs to provide free downloads of all public domain titles! Archive.org doesn’t just cover audio books, but also free music, ebooks and other texts. It’s like an online library where you don’t need a card or ever have to worry about late fees! Best is, once you download an audio book or ebook, its yours and you can open it and listen it from a variety of devices or computers because they always use open source software!

Have these tips taught you something new about finding free books? Do you read free ebooks often? Which format do you prefer audio books, ebooks or traditional printed books? Let us know in the comments below!