link love

Recently when down the rabbit hole, I discovered r/WeWantPlates on reddit and I am living for it. 

Also loving these from KWT Designs - this Seinfeld flash print, and this voracious reader tote.

I stumbled upon this post about 20 rules for making the best salads of your life. I first thought "it's salad, how am I doing that wrong?" but holy - this article has some great tips.

Bolognese is one of my favorites and I really want to try Vegan Richa's lentil version. I say this as if I don't have three different jars of bolognese sauce in my pantry.

While it's not quite gotten hot here, yet, this simple cucumber tartine sounds delicious for when it does!

Photo by Jacalyn Beales on Unsplash

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lucky bandit is a for profit blog. I use affiliate links and paid advertisements. I may earn compensation for a click or purchase through a link. Paid (whether via product or monetary) reviews will be noted in the actual post. Though compensation may influence the type of posts, all opinions and reviews will be legitimate and honest.

*All affiliate links will be marked with an asterick.*

frugal friday

As usual, here are more ways I've made and saved a dollar.

• For April, my birthday month - I redeemed 5¢ off per gallon at Sheetz, got my free Ulta gift of a travel size cleanser from Peach & Lily, the free Sephora's gift of a Glow Face travel size skincare kit, 25% off an order at Arby's (love those curly fries), had a coupon for a free bag of white cheddar popcorn at Lidl, and a free rice crispy at Noodles and Co. 
• Other freebies lately have been a free carwash from a local place, a free bag of Doritos with coupon from Kroger, a free bag of chips from 7/11 using rewards, and a croissant from Starbucks using rewards.

• I logged in to my Noodles & Company account to check my rewards and discovered a free bowl coupon, so I ordered a Penne Rosa and picked it up for free. In the same trip, I redeemed a buy one get one free coupon at Starbucks and paid for the first drink with a forgotten $5 gift card. I got the second drink with no ice so I could have it the next day.
• I returned a set of curlers that did nothing for my hair, I sold some clothing to Uptown Cheapskate and made $16, and I returned two unopened aquarium items that wouldn't work in my tank.

More things I've decluttered since I moved in:

• A mug, tumbler, three jarred candles, some hot pink tissue paper, a wall hanging, a trinket dish, and a hand food chopper - all to my sister and her family when I visited for Easter
• I sold a full embroidery kit on Facebook Marketplace and shipped it in a recycled bubble mailer
• I started on my borrowed book pile so that I could get them out of here and back to their owners
• Four bags of stale inventory, donated

Since I'm making my own meals again (finally! I've missed cooking!) I've had to be careful about food waste; here's how I've avoided it:

• I regrew some romaine from some cut off ends. They didn't get very big before the tips started browning, but I added them to my big container of lettuce. My regrown leeks and bok choy are coming along nicely, too.

Frugal fails:

• I made my lunch and then accidently left my lunchbox out all night so I had to toss what I'd made (luckily only some pre-frozen cooked sushi, potato salad, and some salad dressing)
• Accidentally parked in a tow zone on the street, but the attendant graciously gave me two parking tickets instead of having my car towed (which would've resulted in work time loss AND a higher fine)
• Tucker, though 14, has his spry moments occasionally. He used one of those moments to break into the pantry and chew open a carton of vegetable stock and a small carton of pasta sauce

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lucky bandit is a for profit blog. I use affiliate links and paid advertisements. I may earn compensation for a click or purchase through a link. Paid (whether via product or monetary) reviews will be noted in the actual post. Though compensation may influence the type of posts, all opinions and reviews will be legitimate and honest.

*All affiliate links will be marked with an asterick.*

frugal friday

Regrowing romaine hearts. They're already about two inches tall!

Another week (or months with how my blogging is) of how I've made or saved some cash.

• The electric company sent over a refund check for a span of a few years or something and I got back a whopping $1.02
• I picked up a free 40pk of water with coupon at BJ's and a huge bottle of Gain for $16.49. With coupon, BJ's Gain was 11¢ per load (146 loads) compared to Target, where I normally get my detergent, at 14¢ per load (107 loads) for $15.99. Pennies make dollars! 
• I batched errands and all in one day took off my rather accumulated pile of recycling (the facility is only ten minutes away but it's out of the way), utlizied the last few days of my health insurance until the new kicks in to get three more months of my prescription for free, shipped a sold Poshmark item using a recycled polymailer, redeemed a free order of breadsticks with rewards points from Pizza Hut, and then worked my gig job for a bit and made $125 in five hours. While out, I got gas at BJ's and it was significantly cheaper than other stations.
• My first day at my new job was Wednesday and I love it so far. I finally have my nights and weekends back! 💃
• While I no longer have a balcony, I have some huge windows. I planted some basil seeds and I'm hoping they come up. We'll see. 
• My best friend let me redeem her free year of MLB TV from TMobile 😍⚾
• I redeemed a coupon for a free bag of Tostitos tortilla chips at Kroger. I've gotten a free bag each month since I moved to the area in 2018.

Things I've continued to declutter since I moved!

• A piece of art I didn't want, to a coworker who loved it
• I went through a bunch of my plant items and sold three plants stands for $35 total, four small pots for $10, and gave away a few small terracottta pots
• A few more sold items on Poshmark, shipped in recycled bubble mailers

How I avoided food waste!

• I've been eating through my freezer and I just thawed a large bowl of chili - it's as good as the day I made it!
• Even though I overbought on produce, I finished all but maybe a cup or two of romaine. 

frugal friday

my $3 thrifted umbrella 

As always, here's ways I've saved and made a buck (here and there in the last six months)!

• My Verizon anniversary came around and they sent me a $10 Amazon giftcard (it's only been 19 years, no big deal *eye roll*)
• I had an absolutely wonderful coworker save me a TON of boxes at work, and between her and my pilfering of boxes that otherwise would've gone on to the landfill or recycling, it saved me pretty penny on moving boxes
• At the end of September I signed up and received my second Covid booster shot for free at Walgreens and today I received my free flu shot from my place of employment
• I received a $50 Visa giftcard from Xfinity and applied it to my credit card balance that was due. I also deposited a $4.89 refund check from my insurance company for overpayment of premium!
• I sold several items on Poshmark and a bunch of furniture and flower pots on FB Marketplace
• I worked on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Day and made time and a half along with a few bartending shifts that pay more per hour.
• There was an issue with my cellular data so I called Verizon and we got that straight while upgrading my plan and saving me $14.99 a month as Hulu/Disney+/ESPN+ is now included in my upgraded plan for free
• I redeemed a $10 coupon off a $10 order at Ulta, and redeemed $3 in rewards
• When I moved I changed my renter's policy's coverage and they sent me a $77.80 premium refund check (what! I'll take it)
• Amazon Prime gave me a seven day trial for HBO Max, so I finished the third season of His Dark Materials for free

Things I've decluttered in anticipation for my move/after I moved:

• A bunch of jars and lids I'd been hoarding ("that's a good ass jar!"), recycled
• I've used up a BUNCH of condiments, sauces, and skin care
• Several Poshmark items and recycled polymailers
• A large ceramic pumpkin, a stack of Dollar Tree organizers, sold & given away on FB
• My entryway table, desk, and large plant stand, sold on FB marketplace
• A small space heater, to someone in a free FB group
• A stack of books and cereal bowls, to two friends
• A dozen or so planters, sold on FB

And how I've avoided food waste:

• I had a cooler full of frozen food that I wasn't going to eat (hashbrowns, half bags of vegan chicken nuggets, some spring rolls I didn't like) and my best friend went through it and grabbed what they'd eat
• Even though I get free lunch at work, I don't have a microwave at my new apartment so I take meals in because I'm more inclined to eat leftovers if I can easily heat them vs. using the oven

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lucky bandit is a for profit blog. I use affiliate links and paid advertisements. I may earn compensation for a click or purchase through a link. Paid (whether via product or monetary) reviews will be noted in the actual post. Though compensation may influence the type of posts, all opinions and reviews will be legitimate and honest.

*All affiliate links will be marked with an asterick.*

mini book haul

I recently moved to an apartment downtown and I've been having a lot of fun wandering around my area. I was passing by Fountain Books and noticed they had a box of free books outside. I'm never one to turn down an opportunity to get a new book, so I took a look inside.

Exciting! I first noticed The Prisoner by B.A. Paris, as I'm a fan of Behind Closed Doors. I wasn't familiar with any of the others, but I snagged Raw Deal by Chloe Sorvino. I never really eat meat, but I enjoy non fiction themes like this.

I, once again, am not going to complete my reading challenge, unfortunately. I started reading It by Stephen King and that's kept me pretty occupied (over 1,100 pages!) despite how quickly I can read! Maybe 2023 will be the year I finally, for the first time ever, complete a reading challenge.

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lucky bandit is a for profit blog. I use affiliate links and paid advertisements. I may earn compensation for a click or purchase through a link. Paid (whether via product or monetary) reviews will be noted in the actual post. Though compensation may influence the type of posts, all opinions and reviews will be legitimate and honest.

*All affiliate links will be marked with an asterick.*

empties #25

It's been a while since I've used up a bunch of products, but I finally can get all of these out of my apartment! As usual, I'm going to mark the items that are not cruelty free.

Pacifica Pineapple Cleanse Face Wash // Pacifica products just work for my face. I'll continue buying them! 

Treehut Moisturizing Shave Oil  // This worked well for shaving, however, I have come to the conclusion that I just cannot stand how oils feel on my skin.

Bath & Body Works Aquamarine Shores Foaming Hand Soap // not cruelty free // All of the B&BW items in this post were gifts. It's soap, it did the job. 

Beauty 360 Gentle Eye Makeup Remover // not cruelty free // This was a hand-me-down. It worked, but left a residue and isn't CF.

Trader Joe's Microdermabrasion Scrub // In store, I thought this was a chemical exfoliant (which I prefer). It's not, it s a cream scrub. I ended up just using it on my elbows and knees because it kind of hurt my face. I wouldn't pick it up again.

Suave Powder Deoderant // Suave is now cruelty free! This is my go to deodorant brand.

Bath & Body Works Champagne Toast Hand Sanitizer // not cruelty free // I have so many of these little hand sanitizers to use up! These work fine, but B&BW isn't CF.

Petal Fresh Guava Nectar Body Butter // This was a Ross find. It was your standard, run of the mill body butter. I'd pick it up again if I needed some.

Amnh Peach Booty Tightening & Lifting Polish // This was a fun little pick at Marshall's! I didn't notice any buttcheek tightening or lifting, but it was a decent little exfoliant!

Glamfox Retinol + Collagen Serum // Another Marshall's find. I felt this did make a difference in my skin, making it more even and tight. I'd definitely get it again.

Ulta Rapidly Renew Overnight Renewal Cream // When I got approved for my Ulta card I went a little nuts with ordering skincare and got this as part of that order. This was super thick and I felt it really did a great job deep moisturizing.

Azure Hemp Collagen Nourishing Eye Serum // I never thought this bottle would end. I saw a very slight difference in my undereyes, but other products have definitely worked better.

Estee Lauder Gentle Eye Makeup Remover // not cruelty free // Another hand-me-down. It did the job, but isn't CF.

Bath & Body Works Pretty as a Peach Shower Gel // not cruelty free // I used to keep a couple of these on hand for gifts, but frankly I got tired of storing them so I just started to use them up. This was a fine shower gel, but B&BW isn't CF.

Freeman Anti-Stress Clay Mask // I rarely get around to using masks (and only clay/liquid masks - I can't do sheet masks at all) and I knew I was just not gonna get to this enough to finish off the bottle, so I decluttered it. I didn't really notice much of a difference after using it, other than it was so hard to wash off.

Bath & Body Works Creep It Real Hand Sanitizer // not cruelty free // Another of these. Not CF.

Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Special Conditioner // I have eczema/psoriasis on my scalp that gets easily irritated so I try to try out sample sizes first. I really liked this conditioner and how it made my scalp feel. I'll definitely be ordering a full size.

Pacifica Pore Refine Deep Detox Mask // Like I said above, Pacifica products just really work for my skin. I could tell a difference every time I used this.

Sand & Sky Australian Pink Clay Deep Pore Cleanser // I got this in an ipsy box. It was alright. I think I like their mask more than the cleanser.

Pacifica Clean Shot Hyaluronic & Flowers 5% Solution // Are you seeing a pattern? Haha. I liked this. It was light and made my skin more even.

Goldfaden MD Doctor's Scrub // This was another ipsy box item. I didn't really like this one.

Ulta Poreless Face Primer // When I first got this I liked it. It made my pores less noticeable and really smoothed my complexion. It's since gone bad and just pills up on my face so I decided to chuck it.

Pacifica Rose Jelly Underye Gel // I LOVED this stuff. It made a HUGE difference in my undereyes. I'm trying to use up some other eye gels right now, but I'm definitely going to get this once I'm done with those.

First Aid Beauty Coconut Skin Smoothie Priming Moisturizer // not cruelty free // FAB isn't cruelty free anymore, and this moisturizer was a little greasy. I wouldn't purchase a full size.

Badger Headache Soother // This is a declutter. I never used it, so I can't attest to if it works or not.

Ulta Juicy Jelly Lip Gloss // For a gloss this was really thick and moisturizing. I actually used it as a night lip mask with great results.

e.l.f. Lip Exfoliator // These work a lot better than tubs of scrubs that get everywhere, but inevitably they always break off before I can use the whole thing.

Pacifica Indian Coconut Nectar Hand Cream // This is my favorite hand cream, hands down (no pun intended). I'll keep buying these.

Olay Regenerist Whip Hydrating Moisturizer // not cruelty free // I actually quite enjoyed this moisturizer and would consider buying it if Olay every went cruelty free.

Bath & Body Works Christmas Candy Cane Hand Cream // not cruelty free // This scent is cloying, as I find most holiday scents.

Shiseido Urban Environment Oil-Free UV Protector // not cruelty free // I know this is sunscreen, but I had to wash it off my face. The texture is all wrong.

Dermologica Clear Start Cooling Aqua Jelly // I liked this. It was nice and light and would be great after a day in the sun. I'd buy a full size.

Raw Sugar Natural Lip Scrub  // This was a bit greasy, but I liked it.

Bite Beauty Agave Sugar Lip Scrub Set // A Sephora birthday gift. The balm was a bit too thick, but the scrub was nice. I don't know that I liked it enough to buy full size versions.

Prada Candy Perfume Sample// not cruelty free // Not a fan.

Biossance Squalane Omega Repair Cream // This wasn't bad, but the price for a full size is outrageous.

Simply Shea Sweet Pea Body Cream // A nice little cream. I think the Simply Shea part of Simply Soothing might've been postponed due to the pandemic, but I'd definitely get some of that line if it came out later.

More lip balms I'm decluttering. The Aquaphor (not cruelty free) actually works really wekk for my chronically dry lips, so I will continue buying it despite it not being CF, since I consider painful lips and what helps them to be medical. I wanted to love the rest, but they just didn't work for me so I got them out of here. Thus ends another empties post!

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lucky bandit is a for profit blog. I use affiliate links and paid advertisements. I may earn compensation for a click or purchase through a link. Paid (whether via product or monetary) reviews will be noted in the actual post. Though compensation may influence the type of posts, all opinions and reviews will be legitimate and honest.

*All affiliate links will be marked with an asterick.*

day dates in rva

Having the same day off together has resulted in some pretty awesome date days around town - here are a few!

Cups of black coffee at Blackhand Coffee before walking over to the VMFA and checking out the collections. I hadn't been since the Ansel Adams exhibit in October, so it was nice to wander around.

Strolling around the city a bit before grabbing a local craft beer and just sitting on a nice bench at Scuffletown Park for a while. 

Visiting 821 Cafe for the best tofu sandwich of my life, checking out secondhand book stores, trying wild sodas. (The enchilada was disgusting.)

A long walk on some nature trails and found tons of cute little mushrooms, found a nice bench to sit a while, then caught a little bit of the Babe Ruth World Series and rooted for a team from Hawaii (who ended up taking it home!)

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lucky bandit is a for profit blog. I use affiliate links and paid advertisements. I may earn compensation for a click or purchase through a link. Paid (whether via product or monetary) reviews will be noted in the actual post. Though compensation may influence the type of posts, all opinions and reviews will be legitimate and honest.

*All affiliate links will be marked with an asterick.*

thriftbooks haul

I try to use Thriftbooks over Amazon for both obvious reasons and because Thriftbooks is so much cheaper. I'm not always able to get down to the multiple independent bookstores around me like I'd like, so I try to at least not use Amazon. (This is no shame post - I have both a Prime and Kindle Unlimited subscription.)

 These have been sitting in my Thriftbooks cart for a while but I finally pulled the trigger. I love Amy Poehler so I snagged her Yes, Please. I'm always intrigued by True Crime, so I picked up The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace by Jeff Hobbs. The Road by Cormac McCarthy had been mentioned a bit in a Facebook group I'm in, so I sent off for it.

I think I'm most excited about this find. I never knew there was some type of story behind olive oil. I have a couple other books about bananas and tomatoes, but this was intriguing! 

While I have some free time on my hands I hope to knock out some books. If you're on Goodreads, add me! And if you spend $30 on Thriftbooks, we both get a free book!

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lucky bandit is a for profit blog. I use affiliate links and paid advertisements. I may earn compensation for a click or purchase through a link. Paid (whether via product or monetary) reviews will be noted in the actual post. Though compensation may influence the type of posts, all opinions and reviews will be legitimate and honest.

*All affiliate links will be marked with an asterick.*

link love

Ospreys are one of my favorite animals and I'm loving the local osprey nest camera!

I hang my metal cleats by their laces off my gear bag around a baseball bat, but I just discovered vlirka's shoe holsters and want to order some!

These vegan recipes are definitely next on my list: spicy kale and romesco pasta, lentil Fresco melt, pasta primavera with garlic cashew sauce

Sign up to get more covid tests mailed to you!

Here's a great guide to tofu! Personally, I prefer the fried tofu.

I am absolutely loving this vegetable print packable sun hat from BAGGU.

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lucky bandit is a for profit blog. I use affiliate links and paid advertisements. I may earn compensation for a click or purchase through a link. Paid (whether via product or monetary) reviews will be noted in the actual post. Though compensation may influence the type of posts, all opinions and reviews will be legitimate and honest.

*All affiliate links will be marked with an asterick.*

Photo by Thomas Verbruggen on Unsplash

empties #24

I've used up a lot more products in my attempt to declutter. As usual, things that aren't cruelty free are marked, but I'm only human so please check if you think otherwise!

Tree Hut Shea Sugar Scrub in Pear & Chia Seed // I love these scrubs and pick them up when they're on sale. They last a while and don't tend to leave a residue.

Philosophy Holiday Pajamas Shower Gel // not cruelty free // This was a Christmas gift. It lasted a long time and I enjoyed it, but it's sadly not cruelty free.

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream // not cruelty free // I loved this cream for my eczema, but unfortunately FAB isn't cruelty free anymore. I'm trying Pipette's Eczema Cream now.

Ulta Rosewater Facial Mist // Initially I wasn't super happy with this, but it definitely grew on me. I'd pick this up and keep it in my bag for the summer.

The Body Shop Body Butter in Coconut // I kept this in my desk drawer. I think it works way better as originally intended, as a body butter, instead of a hand cream as it was slightly greasy.

Pixi H2O Skindrink // This was just not great. I finished it because I spent money on it, but I felt like it just sat on my face instead of absorbing. Sometimes I'd find a little drop of it still on my face later in the day. I wouldn't get it again.

Simply Soothing Body Butter // I was sent samples for being a Bug Soother Ambassador of their body butter. I think the pandemic put the kibosh on that line, but if they revive it, it's great! Check out their bug spray, which is the only one I'll use! (Get 15% off with code KATELYNCARTER using this link*.)

Lacoste perfume sample // not cruelty free // I was sent this in an order. Not cruelty free, so I wouldn't buy it.

Hanhoo Watermelon Illuminator // This came in a ipsy bag. I liked it, and I saw a difference in my skin even with out sporadically I used it. I'd pick up a full size!

The Body Shop Tea Tree Blemish Fade Night Lotion // This worked well and I need to pick up another tube of it. It doesn't work overnight, but I definitely saw a difference fairly quickly.

Pacifica Hardcore Happy Rollerball Perfume // This smelled nice, but it left what appeared to be a greasy mark wherever it was rolled?? Not attractive. I was happy to use this one up.

J. R. Watkins Lotion // A hotel sample I used up. It was mediocre lotion. I wouldn't buy it.

Sephora Banana Hand Balm // not cruelty free // I think this was a cheap buy to get my birthday gift. Sephora is behind the times and needs to stop testing on animals.

I decluttered any lip balm that didn't work for me anymore. I had gone through so many on my search to find a balm that would help my chronic dry lips. None of these helped, unfortunately.

Nubian Heritage Lemongrass & Tea Tree Lotion // This was a great, hydrating lotion, but I've had it too long and it's gone off. I'd get it again.

Sun Bum Sunscreen // My favorite, favorite sunscreen. It's formulated well and smells like bananas. I pick this up every year. This bottle was almost full, but it was expired so out it goes. I'll definitely buy this again.

Jason Fresh Cucumber Dry Spray Deoderant // This was not good. I wouldn't buy this again. It was just weird.

Pacifica Mineral SPF Body Butter // I picked this up on clearance and while it was over half full, it was expired, too. I don't mess around with expired sunscreen. I'd buy this again, though!

Julep palette // I've had this so long that I couldn't tell you which palette this is, or when I got it. I depotted it into my magnetic palette. Julep's makeup isn't phenomenal, so I doubt I'd replace it.

Milk Kush Mascara // I loved this mascara. The brush is amazing and it's buildable without being super clumpy. I'd definitely get this again.

Wet N Wild Megawear Mascara // not cruelty free // Wet n Wild is no longer cruelty free (a shame!) and this mascara wasn't that great, anyway. It was thin and just not buildable.

Another collection of trash off to recycling!

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lucky bandit is a for profit blog. I use affiliate links and paid advertisements. I may earn compensation for a click or purchase through a link. Paid (whether via product or monetary) reviews will be noted in the actual post. Though compensation may influence the type of posts, all opinions and reviews will be legitimate and honest.

*All affiliate links will be marked with an asterick.*

vegan food review // tattooed mom // philadelphia, pa

We don't typically celebrate Valentine's Day traditionally, so this year we took a day trip up to Philadelphia and went to the Mütter Museum and checked out a great restaurant called Tattooed Mom.

The first thing we noticed was the quirky decor and the excellent atmosphere. We sat at the bar because the restaurant was busy, and the bartender was super friendly and helpful. After taking in the bright colors and all, we tried to figure out if we had a similar place back home to try!

I had the vegan cheese steak (with tomatoes on the side to add because they're my favorite) and we split an order of waffle fries. It was made with local seitan and it was delicious. I'm not usually a "beef" fan, but this was so good! It was seasoned well, juicy, and just damn tasty. Mike had the Nashville Hot Chicken sandwich, which was up to par on his spicy scale. All in all, we'd definitely return!

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lucky bandit is a for profit blog. I use affiliate links and paid advertisements. I may earn compensation for a click or purchase through a link. Paid (whether via product or monetary) reviews will be noted in the actual post. Though compensation may influence the type of posts, all opinions and reviews will be legitimate and honest.

*All affiliate links will be marked with an asterick.*

how I find free & inexpensive books

I've always been an avid reader. When I was a child my grandfather took me to thrift shops to pick out books. I've continued the practice, but I've been really cutting back on spending lately, so I don't snatch up books like I used to. Here are some ways that I still consume books without breaking the bank.

All of these titles I painstakingly sourced for under $5 a piece (many under $3) over the course of a few months. That's not including the many free ebooks I downloaded to my Kindle app and library apps. Here are some ways I save money on books:

Utilize your local library. Of course this tops the list! I'm a cardholder at my home county's library for physical and digital book check out and I'm a digital cardholder at a neighboring city's library. I lucked out and grabbed a digital copy of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins for free instead of Amazon's $17.99 Kindle price tag. To be honest, I don't check out many physical books because I'm so awful at returning them on time, so the digital option is great for me.

Sign up for book deal emails. I receive daily emails from Bookbub with that day's book deals. I get a lot of books for free that way and occasionally I'll spot something on my TBR list that's been marked down. Riffle is another option, but they don't send emails out as frequently.

Check Facebook Marketplace. Recently I got an almost complete Karin Slaughter collection for free from someone locally who was giving them away. I've picked up mixed boxes of books for free and gotten some good reads out of them!

Keep an Amazon wish list. This one might seem odd, but I keep books I want on a separate wish list. Occasionally I'll scroll through and sort by price. Every now and then I can score one I've been wanting for free or at a big discount. 

Utilize thrift stores and secondhand book stores. I sometimes have to stay away from the book section of thrift stores because I'll bring home a half dozen of super low priced books, and I deliberately stay away from 2nd & Charles for the same reason. We have some great used book stores here locally, too! I treated myself to a book store trip when I interviewed for my current job and told myself "one book for a good interview" and came out with seven. My favorite online bookstore is definitely ThriftBooks*. If you use that link, sign up, and spend $30, we both get a free book!

It's easier than ever now to find books! There's absolutely no reason to drop retail price on a book!

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lucky bandit is a for profit blog. I use affiliate links and paid advertisements. I may earn compensation for a click or purchase through a link. Paid (whether via product or monetary) reviews will be noted in the actual post. Though compensation may influence the type of posts, all opinions and reviews will be legitimate and honest.

*All affiliate links will be marked with an asterick.*

link love

Chicobag has a Pay It Forward program where you can send them your old reusable bags.

Check out this article about the impact of the potato and tomato on European demographics and culture. It's a good read!

Everyone knows I'm obsessed with baseball. I umpire and play in two leagues, and in my local sandlot league I will occasionally come in as relief catcher, so this article about the evolution of catcher's equipment was interesting.

I love the promising idea of Eco Lips Plant Pod! 

I like hearing the origin stories of things and this article about the white sauce you get at Mexican restaurants didn't disappoint.

Since I don't have a sense of smell, my taste is slightly diminished. I just found the Hot Sauce Mall and I'm too excited to order some different types, like this garlic hot sauce.

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frugal bandit blog | my poshmark closet | shop my mercari
lucky bandit is a for profit blog. I use affiliate links and paid advertisements. I may earn compensation for a click or purchase through a link. Paid (whether via product or monetary) reviews will be noted in the actual post. Though compensation may influence the type of posts, all opinions and reviews will be legitimate and honest.

*All affiliate links will be marked with an asterick.*

Photo by Steve Johnson.

easy vegan ratatouille

I started making this when I started eating vegan/vegetarian. This is super easy to make, is great for using up vegetables that have been hanging out in the fridge, and doesn't take long to cook!

I've made this with zucchini, kale, yellow squash, broccoli, bok choy, spinach, and more. You can definitely add any vegetable you fancy. Eggplant, bell peppers, etc. This is just the gist of how I make it! Like usual, I never really follow recipes and cook to taste.

Start with onions, carrots, and celery. I loathe the textures of these but they're vital for flavor, so I puree them, then brown them with olive oil in a sauce pan. Add minced garlic, then the vegetable that needs the most cook time - zucchini is my go to. I like my zucchini still slightly crunchy, but cook to your own preference.Once they're cooked, I add any other veggies that need to be cooked, though not the greens yet. After, I add a can of crushed tomatoes (or pureed diced tomatoes if that's what I have on hand) and get those almost to a simmer, then add in a can of rinsed cannellini beans and whatever greens I've chosen, which is typically kale. I season with every step - usually black pepper, nutritional yeast, basil, oregano, turmeric, onion powder, garlic powder, among others. You could easily give this a Mexican vibe and go with cumin, coriander, and cilantro.

Other options for it can be pureeing the stems of broccoli with the onions to use them up, swapping the cannellini beans for black beans, or if you wanted to add meat (Wegmans have a great meatless beef crumble option). 

I usually serve this over rice, but you could add a little water or vegetable broth and thin it out for a pasta sauce or pizza topping. It's really versatile and super filling.

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lucky bandit is a for profit blog. I use affiliate links and paid advertisements. I may earn compensation for a click or purchase through a link. Paid (whether via product or monetary) reviews will be noted in the actual post. Though compensation may influence the type of posts, all opinions and reviews will be legitimate and honest.

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empties #23

I finally filled up the little bin I use to collect my empties. Beyond basic skin care, I haven't been using a ton of products as I only really wear powder and mascara now on a daily basis. As usual, I try to label the non-cruelty free items, but I'm only human so always check!

Aura Cacia Organic Motivating Yoga Mist // I got this from a friend who no longer used it, and I didn't use it much either so I decluttered it. 

e.l.f. Gentle Peeling Exfoliant* // I love this product. It's affordable and it works really well. I stopped using scrubs once I found chemical exfoliants!

Laneige Water Bank Moisture Cream // not cruelty free // I got this as a free birthday gift from Sephora. I liked it, but I wouldn't purchase it because they're not CF.

Sand & Sky Australian Pink Clay Flash Perfection Exfoliating Treatment* // This came in an Ipsy bag. It was a pretty good scrub that worked. Like I said earlier, I prefer chemical exfoliants, but I'd buy this.

Skinfood Lettuce & Cucumber Watery Cream // not cruelty free // I picked this up at Marshall's thinking it was a different brand, and Skinfood isn't cruelty free. It was a decent moisturizer, though.

The Naked Bee Hand & Body Lotion* in Orange Blossom Honey // This brand is made not far from where my mom lives in Tennessee and they have great products! The lotion is moisturizing but not greasy. I'd definitely get this again.

Simply Shea Hand & Body Lotion in Warm Vanilla Sugar // I got a few samples of Simply Soothing's new lines, and their lotion is really nice. It's thick but absorbs quickly. Get 15% off with my code KATELYNCARTER! (Their bug spray is 1000% worth it.)

Mary Kay Satin Body Silkening Shea Lotion // not cruelty free // This was a Christmas gift. I liked the scent of this lotion and it had a nice texture.

Laneige Water Sleeping Mask // not cruelty free // This was part of the Sephora birthday gift, too. I liked the consistency of it, but wouldn't get it again because it's not CF.

Sun Bum SPF 50 Sunscreen* // Sun Bum is my absolute favorite sunscreen, and it smells like bananas. This can was over half full, but expired, so I tossed it. Always check the dates on your sunscreen!

e.l.f. Concealer Stick // This is old. They don't even make this style packaging anymore. It was a little too light for me so I decluttered it.

Sweet and Shimmer Peppermint Hand Lotion // cruelty free status unknown // I can't seem to find any info on this brand, so I don't know if it's cruelty free or not. I got it as an office gift and kept it on my desk. It was a decent little hand lotion.

Trader Joe's Vanilla Pumpkin Candle // I love picking up Trader Joe's candles. They're cheap and smell nice. I'll continue picking them up.

111Skin Y Theorem Repair Serum // Another Ipsy sample. I liked it, but there's no way I'm spending $350 on a skin care product.

Pacifica Hairvana Leave-On Detangling Conditioner // Pacifica is easily my favorite brand. I liked this conditioner! It didn't weigh my hair down and it did help with tangles.

e.l.f. Prime & Stay Finishing Powder // I like these little powders but their packaging is terrible. I've never had one not snap at the hinge! However, for $3, I'll keep getting them. They have decent coverage and it's usually what I wear on an average day.

Pacifica Aromapower in Hardcore Happy // I liked this, but I'd like to try a different scent from Pacifica.

Ulta Youthful Glow Foundation Serum Drops // I cannot match foundation to save my life. My skin tone range is wildly different from winter to summer because of baseball, so it's a wild ride finding foundation. I didn't really like the way this applied, so I don't think I'd try it again. I'll stick with creams.

Ulta Double Duty Primer & Foundation in Classic Ivory // I got this on clearance, so it may have been nearing its shelf life. It was a thicker consistency and I found it setlled in my pores, so I wouldn't try it again.

Ulta Ultamate Lashes Mascara // I liked the brush and formula for this. It was buildable but not clumpy and I'd definitely pick it up again.

Calvin Klein Euphoria // not cruelty free // I got this for Christmas when I was like...16. Yeah, I don't use a lot of perfume, but finally finished it up. It's not cruelty free, so I replaced it with a brand that is.

ecotools Makeup Brush Cleansing Cloths // I didn't use these often because I thought they might damage the bristles on my brushes and then they dried out on me. I'll stick with my brush shampoo and brush cleaner*.

Ulta Age Defying Matcha Green Tea Mask // I've really gotten into skincare lately and I've started using up the plethora of masks I've been given or picked up. This one was soothing and I liked it. 

Neutrogena Collagen Kiss Lip Mask // not cruelty free // This was from an Ipsy box, I think? I have chronic dry lips, so I thought this might help. It didn't, and it was kind of a pain to use because my lips were a little too big for it and it wouldn't fit right. Plus it's not cruelty free.

Bath & Body Works Lump of Coal Sheet Mask // not cruelty free // I don't really like sheet masks but will use them if they're given to me. This one was alright, but not CF.

Burt's Bees Facial Cleansing Towelettes // It's not often that I get wipes, but these were good. Not too wet and didn't leave a residue. I take my makeup off with them before using a cleanser. I'd get these again!

Charcoal & Black Sugar Mask // cruelty free status unknown // I have no idea what brand this is or where I got it, but I liked it a lot. If I could find it again and verify if it was CF, I'd get it again. It was a little hard to apply evenly because of the sugar, but it exfoliated well.

Masque Bar Charcoal Hydro Eye Masks // My under eye bags are insane, but I could actually see a difference after using these. They slid around a bit, but were cooling and I liked them.

Ulta Pollution Defense Pomegranate Mask // An average mask, I'd get it again if it was on sale.

Que Bella Purifying Tea Tree & Witch Hazel Mud Mask // Y'all. I hated this mask. It was like putting paste on my face and I couldn't get it off. I had to pull out a face scrubbie to get it all off, and I missed a small spot in the shower the next morning and it was on my face all day. I've used other masks from them and they were fine, so maybe I just got a bad one.

e.l.f. Sheer Lip Balm // I just don't use this, so I decluttered it. It was a fine sheer lip balm for a little color.

Shea Moisture Vegan Lip Balm // I've tried three of these and I just can't get the things to work. I want to love this balm, but I can never get it out of the tube!

Paula Deen Lip Balm in Peach Cobbler // cruelty free status unknown // I picked this up on a whim a few years ago when we went to the Paula Deen store in Tennessee. It was more a novelty, so I decluttered it.

Blistex Medicated Lip Balm // not cruelty free // In my search for something, anything to help my chronic dry lips, I picked this up. It didn't work so I tossed it. 

Mary Kay Satin Lips Balm // not cruelty free // This is the ONLY thing that works for my terribly dry lips. Yes, it's not cruelty free, but my lips can get so bad they bleed, so I consider this more of a health issue and will continue to get this. It's soothing and moisturizing and not sticky. 

100% Pure Coffee Bean Caffeine Eye Cream // I got this sample a while ago and I think it really made a difference in my undereyes. I have a few more eye creams to use up, but I'd get the full size of this!

Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue Foundation Sample // I was trying out some samples and found a set of these and loved the way it blended and settled on my face. I actually ordered a full size of this!

Eco Lips Ecolixir Daily Facial Oil Kakadu Plum Seed Oil // I just don't like facial oils. They're just not for me.

Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Dream Face Cream // not cruelty free  // It's hard to judge a product like a recovery cream from one sample, but the texture was nice. Too bad they're not CF.

Vichy Mineral 89 Booster // not cruelty free // This was light and I liked it, but Vichy isn't cruelty free. 

There's another month of my trash. 😂 I've been trying to use up a lot of half empty products and declutter things I just don't use anymore. 

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lucky bandit is a for profit blog. I use affiliate links and paid advertisements. I may earn compensation for a click or purchase through a link. Paid (whether via product or monetary) reviews will be noted in the actual post. Though compensation may influence the type of posts, all opinions and reviews will be legitimate and honest.

*All affiliate links will be marked with an asterick.*

august 2021 - monthly accountability post

I've been doing pretty poorly at blogging over the last year. Frankly, I just haven't been doing much with the pandemic and all, so I haven't had much to say. However, as I venture out and do some things (vaccinated, of course), I want to get back into it. I decided to start a monthly accountability post to keep up a routine! I did away with my other frugal blog, so everything will be housed here on LB again. It was just too much to keep up with! So here goes!

Goals Met // Since this is my first accountability post, I didn't have any goals for August set in stone to start!

Decluttered // cleaning supplies to which I was allergic - to a friend, several orders on Poshmark and Mercari, scrapbook and planner stickers, nail polish, magazines, and a flat sheet I won't use - Freecycle, a barely used corkboard, an unused decal, a plant and cuttings, and a lunchbox - FB marketplace 

Books Read // Malorie by Josh Malerman, Snuff by Chuck Palahniuk, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling (audiobook)

Money Saved or Made // I redeemed my Amazon First Reads book, made $9.15 via Ibotta*, received $2.15 from Google for the Google+ class-action lawsuit, used coupons and Verizon Up gift cards for dog food

Ways I Reduced Waste // continued using reusable cloths for cleaning, purchased recyclable glass packaging when grocery shopping

Listings Posted // 31

Listings Sold // 6

Goals for September // make my own pasta, double my amount of listings posted, finish five books, build more inventory for my business

We'll see how this goes!

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lucky bandit is a for profit blog. I use affiliate links and paid advertisements. I may earn compensation for a click or purchase through a link. Paid (whether via product or monetary) reviews will be noted in the actual post. Though compensation may influence the type of posts, all opinions and reviews will be legitimate and honest.

*All affiliate links will be marked with an asterick.*