Christina Tiplea

Conquer Overwhelm. Live Intentionally.

Non-Clutter Gift Guide: Valentine’s Day

by Filed Under: Clutter-Free Gift Ideas, Saving Money, Simple Living

Valentine's Day Non-Clutter Gift Guide (for under $10)Can you believe Valentine’s Day is only a little over two weeks away? I love holidays (even of the Hallmark variety), and the chance to give gifts to my loved ones. Perhaps this isn’t the most minimalist approach, but I take great joy in finding gifts that I think they will enjoy and put to good use.

The worst kind of gift to me is one that ends up turning into clutter because it just sits around. I tend to gravitate towards consumable items as gift choices since they can either be used up or eaten within a matter of a few months, so they don’t leave a footprint in the receiver’s home for too long. My one exception is for items that aren’t necessarily consumable, but would prove to be extremely useful or very much enjoyed.

I have decided that if there is a good response to this post, I would really love to start up a whole series of non-clutter gift guides for each holiday as the year progresses. I really had a fun time putting this together 🙂 . Please share your thoughts and opinions with me after reading, as I’d appreciate any feedback!

For Valentine’s Day, I’ve put together a list of gift ideas for your Valentine(s) that goes beyond the typical flowers and box of chocolates (not that those wouldn’t be very much appreciated). You won’t find a single stuffed animal or useless knickknack on here. Who really needs more of those? Best of all, each and every one of these gifts ideas are under $10. [Read more…]

Luxuries I Won’t Give Up to Save Money

by Filed Under: Saving Money

Luxuries I won't give up to save moneyI always strive to do my best with being frugal in all areas of my life, as I see how a lot of little purchases can quickly catch up to me and bust my budget if I’m not careful.

My husband and I have many goals we’d like to reach in terms of paying off debt like our cars and mortgage, as well as saving for our daughter’s college education and our own retirement. However, it’s important to us that we enjoy life now even while we are saving money for these things. We work hard for our money and feel that there’s nothing wrong with enjoying and having fun with it in the present, as long as we are still working toward our ‘big picture’ money goals.

That being said, there are a few luxuries (or at least what I would personally consider a luxury) that I really enjoy splurging on and feel that the satisfaction they give me makes it worth the additional cost since they aren’t exactly necessities. [Read more…]

The Year of No Clothes

by Filed Under: Cleaning & Decluttering, My Life, Saving Money, Simple Living

The Year of No Clothes ChallengeI know what you’re thinking. And no, I will not be living in the buff this year.

I have decided that 2015 is the year that will be completely free of any clothing purchases for myself. I was inspired by this personal challenge near the end of 2014 when it dawned on me that I had a somewhat large wardrobe, but kept wearing the same 10-15 comfortable and functional pieces that I love.

My decision to go without purchasing any clothes this year came as a result of three steps I walked myself through during the process of decluttering my closet. At the end of this process, I found the motivation that is driving me to complete the “Year of No Clothes” Challenge. [Read more…]

Tips for Dealing with Sleep Deprivation

by Filed Under: Health, Productivity

6 Tips for Dealing with Sleep DeprivationHappy Monday, Friends! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend.

Feeling a little sleepy today? If so, I hear ya! Little Miss will be 7-months-old this week and still is not sleeping through the night whatsoever. She is currently cutting her second tooth, so it seems to be at least momentarily getting more difficult instead of easier in regards to me being sleep deprived. Lately she’s been waking up a minimum of 4 times per night, sometimes up to 10. I also try to wake up before her (usually around 5 or 5:30a) to get an hour or two of work done before she wakes up for the day.

Needless to say, I’m exhausted.

There’s a few tricks I have up my sleeve that I use on a daily basis to help me power through my day and still remain productive even though I haven’t had a good night’s sleep in a very, very long time.

Whether you haven’t been getting as much sleep as you really should be due to working, studying, a small child, insomnia, or a fun night out, I hope you’ll find these tips for dealing with sleep deprivation helpful! [Read more…]

Money-Wasting Habits I’ve Given Up

by Filed Under: Saving Money

7 money-wasting habits you should consider eliminating from your life today! Click to see how you can save money by putting these habits to rest. Visit www.embracingsimpleblog.com for the full list.Although I’ve always been interested in saving money, I haven’t always been able to see how some of my everyday habits have deterred from my money-saving goals. There are several money-wasting habits I’ve given up over the past few years that have really helped me to cut down our overall expenses and allowed me to pursue my dream of starting my own business, which allows me to be a work-from-home Mom. Which this would allow me to be as money efficient as possible through using money management which I would be able to adopt through 7Wealth.com.au which is a credible financial advisors.

It’s easy to waste money without even realizing you’re doing it. All of the small items you spend money on that you brush off as not being a big deal can really add up to be quite a bit more than you expected once you do the math.

I’d like to share some of the money-wasting habits I’ve given up over the years, hoping that someone else can learn from the mistakes I’ve made along the way! [Read more…]

Goal: Meal Prep

by Filed Under: Health, My Life, Saving Money

Meal Prep GoalOne of my goals to accomplish over the next few months is to start meal planning and prepping on Sundays.

I am juggling a lot during the week with taking care of my 6-month-old daughter and working from home simultaneously (I use zero forms of babysitters during the week), so anything I can do on the weekends to ease that burden a bit and make our home run smoother is something worth trying!

[Read more…]

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