Fun Day

Even though I went to the post office on Monday, I didn't have any of my bigger packages ready to mail, so it didn't really save me a lot of money on postage. I was productive in getting my tags put together after work on Tuesday. I was really tired after getting home, but I did them anyway. I knew if I didn't, I wouldn't get them done.

Happy mail:

 Figured I'd stop doing this tag. Most of the time people put this kind of stuff in it (which isn't bad), it's just not stuff I'll used.
Christmas ornament:

 Love this ornament, but thought I'd pass it on to someone else.
Wrapped Christmas gift:

 I don't use stamps, so figured I'd pass them on to someone else.
Wish for seam binding:

 I realize they aren't all seam binding, but thought I'd send them anyway, she also wished for tulle, so I included a roll as well.
SMS wrapped:

 So all of the above, except the happy mail was considered a parcel, so that's why I didn't really save any money. I wasn't going to be saving money, just making it so I spent less on Wednesdays and all at once. I also had a small priority mail box (should have done the cardboard envelope, it's cheaper) and a gift for a friend. It was still over $20.
Taking the early shift, totally threw me off, I kept thinking it was Wednesday, because on Tuesdays I get home take my shower and go to bed.
Wednesday:

 I love my yeti, I now have three which makes a collection, right? I also thought the stickers were cute.
I received a tag, Wacky Wednesday: striped:

 Not sure why you'd send these. I don't know what I'm going to do with them, other then pass them on to someone else. I'm also not doing this tag in the future. I haven't liked any of the wacky Wednesday tags I've gotten. I was having a good day, until the mail came and I got this which was not interesting to me, and then I got a bit bummed. Apparently you can't make me happy.
Thursday: I'm hanging out with my aunt. We're supposed to be talking about games for Christmas, but I'm hoping we can do some shopping somewhere outside of Ames.
My advent calendars:

I think I've resigned myself to not being too impressed with the things in the garland calendar. It's good stuff, but just not stuff I'm really interested in.
Turns out she figured we'd be shopping for prizes for the games so we hit quite a few stores I normally don't get to. We started out going to lunch at Red Robin with her son, my cousin. I'd never been there, but I inhaled my sandwich, it was really good.
Saw these cool Pac Man mosaics on the wall:

She asked me what stores I wanted to visit while down there. I said Tuesday Morning, so we hit one store:

 Bo Bunny ephemera ($2), Domestic Bliss journaling cards ($3), Bliss Chipboard stickers ($2), Ritter Sport with marzipan ($3), Milka white and milk chocolate ($2), mini envelopes ($1), Constanze milk chocolate with pistachio ($3).
Love those chipboard stickers and I was in the mood for chocolate, I totally got the good chocolate today, it should last me through the season. I might share some of it, no promises.
Here's a close-up on what's in the Bo Bunny ephemera:

I picked it up because of the colors and the fairy theme. 

Close-up on what's in the Domestic bliss journaling card set:

 This matches some stickers I got in my peachy cheap grab bag and a couple things I picked up at Hobby Lobby in the past. I love this collection. I found a few paper packs, the ones that have 25 of the same paper, but no actually paper pads of the collection. I don't see the point of having so many of the same sheet of paper, unless I had a specific idea for it. I looked for paper, but after awhile, got tired of looking through them, there was a lot of paper there.
Close-up of the tiny envelopes:

 I love how cute these were.
Next up was TJ Maxx, because it was about right next door:

 notepads ($2), book ($6). I can't pass by cute notepads. I have 3 other of these tiny square books, I have paid full price for them at BAM and the bookstore. I love them.
My aunt said I should try the oreo candy canes, so our next stop was Trader Joe's:

 Green tea frozen mochi ($4), spring rolls ($3), chocolate set ($10), and cookie butter ($4).
Last time I was at Trader Joe's I wanted to buy some frozen mochi, but it was July and we had about an hour drive home. I thought the spring rolls looked good. I thought this Holiday travel passport chocolate was cute and probably pretty good. It has chocolate from 8 different countries around the world, I didn't realize until I got home that it's dark chocolate, and very dark chocolate, those numbers are the %. I'm not a fan of dark chocolate, but I still want to try these out. I might just cut a little off for me and give them to someone else, but everyone I know that I think would like it, I'm already done shopping for. We did not find the candy canes.
Next up was Aldi:

 chocolate ($2), cookies and cream chocolate ($2), chocolate truffles ($4), Aloe drink ($1), cheese bites ($2), bread ($4), mini sewing machine ($11).
I picked up the cheese bites for a friend. It was after 4 at this point and I was getting hungry. I saw someone pick up this tiny sewing machine and said she was going to try it for sewing on paper projects and I thought I'd do the same.
Last stop before going to my aunt's house was Dollar Tree, to pick up some cheap stuff for the games:

 shower curtain, stickers, coloring book, tape and a Mountain Dew.
I was saddened at the selection of stickers at this store. I was actually saddened at the selection of paper things, like the teacher section, the pen section the paper pads. This coloring book is one of those paint with water, basically you spread water over it and something on the page is activated. I remember having these as a kid. I really need more duct tape, but they didn't have any, so I picked up some packing tape. I go back to covering things with washi tape that I don't like and then packing tape on top, when I run out of duct tape.
Then we went to her house and created a couple games. The saran wrap balls, where you wrap a bunch of things in saran wrap to create a ball. Everyone gets an amount of time to unwrap the ball and collect the prizes they unwrap.
On the way home, we stopped at another TJ Maxx for something she wanted to pick up for another game:

 bag ($2), Matcha macaroons ($5), marzipan ($4), gummy candy corn ($2)
After buying the cheese bites, I needed to get a gift bag to put them in.
We were going to go to the Tuesday Morning there because I liked it better than the other store, but apparently they close at 7, which is wicked early. So, we wandered across the street to Michaels (it's been almost a year since I went to one)

 sock advent calendar ($18), squishy keychain ($2), washi ($3), stickers ($2 each about)
I need socks, and I figure this was a pretty good price for 12 pairs, the thing is you can get knee highs, crew or the very low ones. I can't pass these by, I love squishies, they had these really big ones for $5, I didn't feel like spending that much, though. I love these stickers. I was a little saddened at the selection, but I didn't need to spend more money I'd spent over $100 already.
Here's my first pair of socks:

 When I got home I had some altered paper clips in the mail:

 And a Christmas card:

I had a ton of fun today, only I realize I like shopping with my friends. I love wandering the aisles with them. My aunt and I kinda went our separate ways and then met up after checking out. I always call my middle of the month paycheck, my free money because I don't have bills at the middle of the month. I realize it's not, but it's fun to call it that.

A moose

Sorry all, I didn't realize it had been last month since I posted. Let's see, the 31st I was at the bookstore from 12-6. I had a fairies tag in my mailbox when I got home:

 It's a tiny charm.
Saturday, I worked 1-6 at the library, thought this was the weirdest looking fox I've seen:

 Sunday, I was at the library 12-5, when I came in, our AMHS (AutoMated Handler System) was down. We got it up barely before we opened. Apparently there was a power outtage that knocked it out and a couple other things throughout the library. Otherwise it was a busy Sunday. Sundays are always busy cause we're only open 4 hours, and it seemed a little more busy than usual because of Labor Day.
Monday, I stayed home and basically did nothing all day. I needed that. I didn't leave the house and spent time doing what I wanted.
Tuesday, I got a few swaps ready to send out.
50 Loose stickers:

 It's a lot more than 50, these are affixed to some other stickers on the other side of that paper.
A bird pocket letter:

 Love how this turned out, they are from a calendar.
A private swap for a pocket letter:

 Used another calendar, these are the preview pieces on the back.
I also did a private destash swap. I'm not a big fan of Halloween crafting, but I seem to have acquired a lot of Halloween crafting supplies, so I did a private swap with someone in a group of a priority mail bubble envelope. I filled mine up with my Halloween stuff and she is to send me one filled with crafting stuff that is not religious, holiday or planner supply related.
I had 7 packages come in the mail.
two teas:

These sound interesting, I'm excited to try the butterscotch blondie.
Butterfly:

I don't like that there was no note in here. I do have a list of who is to send me what, but is it that hard to add a note.
Halloween tag:

I realize I said I don't do Halloween, but I totally signed up for a tag swap before deciding I didn't really need more Halloween stuff.
Destash:

Love the polka dot bag, the unicorn sticker things, the school stickers, the bird coasters and the worm die cuts. Destash is my favorite kind of swap, because One man's junk...
Tag inserts:

These are what we're supposed to add in our envelopes, basically all you do is fill in your name, the person you're sending to, what it is you're sending and the group it's for. I don't have a lot of these, so I use journaling cards a lot. Really not that hard.
3 cute cards:

These are papers. Not cards, not at all what I was expecting.
Wednesday, apparently was the day the mail people changed because I didn't have mail until about 5pm.
I got a junk journal tag, but took a video for my group instead of a picture. I totally chipped a tooth chewing on candy, what's up with that?
Thursday, was the start of my 4 day weekend. I didn't do much. It was kinda like Monday, I was very lazy. I did get up and go to the dentist to check out my tooth, I knew it wasn't bad, I just didn't like the poky edge on my tooth.
4 teas:

I tried the relax one, it was good. I'm excited to try the others.
I had ordered a peachy cheap grab bag in August.

I love grab bags, I can't walk away from them. I think this one was really good. there's a few things I don't really like: the pens, the brads, the Halloween journaling cards, the stamps and the geo tags. I love that I'm happy with all the washi, there's usually one roll I don't like, they are flowers banners and tea related stuff.
Friday, my friend and I went shopping. I was actively trying to avoid the DVD sale the library was putting on, because I have over 150 movies, I don't need more, but I found this set:

It was only $3, so I couldn't pass it by.
We had some portabella fries and ricotta gnocchi for lunch. Our first stop was Salvation Army:

I'm not entirely sure how much these were individually, but I spent under 50 cents on both of them. I don't know if you can tell but the vase looks like it's covered in doilies.
Next up was a Thrift store that supported animal rescue.

Also not sure how much everything was, I ended up spending $11 total, I can't figure out how they got to that total, I've added everything up and can't get to that number. I was hoping to find some fall crafting stuff as I signed up for a fall swap and then realized I have basically nothing fall craft related. I was excited to find the leaves and the resin pieces. I also picked up a few magnets of a British soldier and and a watering can. I like collecting cute magnets. I picked up the tin to hold my tea bags I keep getting in swaps. The figurine at the top is a mouse next to a beer keg, I thought it was cute. I picked up the stamp for my fall swap, the Iowa ornament for my mother and I'm not sure why I picked up the jack o lantern stickers and the pumpkin pieces.

Still the same store. I love the coaster with the mason jar on it, I'm having trouble passing up mason jar themed things. I'm not exactly sure why I picked up the tags. I picked up the leaves for the fall swap. Loved the mulberry flowers and the two bags of ephemera. Also couldn't pass up the mini Candyland game.
I convinced my friend to go to Tuesday Morning and this was the first time I spent more money on crafting stuff instead of food.

I'm really excited I found the 12x12 of the Pebbles Tealightful paper pad, last time I was there I found the 6x6 pad. I also picked up some puffy stickers that matched and another tea themed paper pad. I found some cute holiday cards and some chipboard stickers. I liked the butterflies and the bird stickers and giant heart sticker.

I needed a bath mat for inside my tub and these two chocolate things were on sale. Total spent $40
Next up was another Salvation Army:

I seem to have a collection of these cupcake boxes, so I bought another one. The Santa is from my mom. Loved that I found a Candyland tin and these stickers were just cute. Total spent $3.
Last stop was Goodwill:

a set of cute journals (cause I need more of those), a cute card, a leaf dish, and a decoration.
I just loved the journals and the card. I'm thinking of giving the leaf dish to my mother, my grandma liked pansies. Hope has been the word that keeps me going since my ex broke up with me. Total spent $5
So, I spent way too much money today, but I needed a day out, somewhere exciting. Ames is so boring and I'm really disappointed in choices lately. I probably won't go garage saleing tomorrow after spending so much money today. I feel I will be crafting or reading. I'm excited to make an explosion box with those tea themed things, plus I need to do that fall craft

Lunch with a friend

Today's Advent calendar:

The tree clothespin is from the pocket letter, the tree mix from the envelope countdown and the minion from mine. I really like that packet of wooden trees, it also has some plastic pieces that look like peppermints
Here's what was in the minion blind bag:

 Apparently it was a Halloween one.
I went to lunch and shopping with a friend today, and I spent way too much money. We had tacos for lunch.
First stop was Micheal's:

 mini notebooks ($1.99), pink 12x12 paper ($0.69), two big blue pom poms ($0.89 each), dinosaur sticker book ($1).
When I showed my explosion box to one of my co workers yesterday, she asked if I would sell her one for her niece, who likes pink. So, I had to get some pink 12x12 cardstock. I have maybe three sheets of 12x12 cardstock.

 two packages of mini matchboxes ($2 each), a set of vintage decorated clothespins ($2), flower washi ($1.99), thin pink washi ($1.99), a waffle squishie keychain ($1), vintage calendar ($0.80), wooden under the sea shapes ($0.29), a bunch of pastel trims ($2), and some sequin trim ($0.49). Mostly everything was on sale, the matchboxes, clothespins, paper, keychain and sticker book were regular price.
Across the street is a Tuesday Morning:

 I found this stack of 100 sheets of colored 12x12 cardstock for $7.99, there was a smaller pack (probably of better quality) for $9.99, this will work fine for my purposes. The small pack of 6x6 paper is called tealightful, it was $2.99, it has 36 papers with 24 designs. The misc me! journaling card kit was $5.99, it has 240 cards: 60 8x6, 60 4x6 and 120 3x4 cards. I love the designs.

 Robot stickers ($1.49), lace collage pack ($2.39), puffy pony stickers ($0.79), mini sticky notes ($.99), glue sticks ($0.99), gymnastics stickers ($0.29), jeweled flower stickers ($0.99), and acetate under the sea pieces ($0.29).

two packages mini croissants ($1.03 each), mini cookies ($2.39), European cookie collection ($2.39), raspberry marshmallow cookies ($2.39), and a chocolate cone ($0.71).
My friend suggested Pier 1 imports because they usually have some good stuff on clearance at this time of year. They already had Valentine's stuff out:

 I found this cute hedgehog.

 A cool hedgehog towel, I was tempted to buy it for $5.

 A cute mug, I love mugs, unfortunately, I only use one or two if I'm lazy and don't wish to wash the other one. I kinda wish I could have a shelf full of cups, maybe some day when I have my own place.

 Also, saw this cute card.

 I bought a spider necklace and some owls. The spider necklace was from Halloween and was 90% off. All their ornaments were 50% off, but these rang up less, I'm not complaining.
We still had a little time before I had to be back for work, so we went to Dollar Tree:

 bagel thins, candles, legal pads, toys, shipping labels. After buying all that food at Tuesday morning, I didn't want to buy too much more, but I was intrigued. I got the candles to put under a Christmas tree. The legal pads are for a future swap. I can't help tiny toys. I misplaced my shipping labels the other day, now that I bought more, I'll probably find them.

 stickers and washi. I found those new 'metal' stickers, I picked up the hearts, stars and royal looking ones. I wanted the ones with less color. I found these cool color your own stickers. I found the minion and Tsum Tsum washi, and some puffy princess stickers as well as these cool flower stickers.

 These were in the blind box above.
When I got to work today, I found a few gifts.

 A Supernatural Impala, sucker, keychain, chocolate and a Burt's Bees ornament. I may have already eaten the other food.
Here's her card:

 We're both dragon fans.
As I was taking pictures and sorting stuff out when I got home, I found this beautiful moth pin.

 The person that asked me to make the explosion card gave me this card:

 She told me it looked like a card I would like, she was right.

 One of my supervisors gave me Christmas potpourri.

I also found this pen and notebook set in my mailbox.
Work was a normal Thursday, slow.
I spent way too much money on myself. So much for not spending extra money, and I'm planning to go after Christmas shopping next week. But, considering there's not a ton that I wanted before Christmas that I didn't buy, maybe (hopefully) I'll just get some good deals on stuff for next year. I do, want to buy stuff for my Advent Calendar next year, nowish, because I knew what everything was in it this year, I hadn't really forgotten by the time I opened it.
I didn't get any mail Monday and Tuesday, Wednesday I got a pocket letter, today I got a bill. I'm hoping I can get something interesting tomorrow, but not holding my breath.