Blogger to Wordpress...Again

For now, you can access posts on Natasha Navigates Life over on the Wordpress version. This one will not be updated for awhile. I will leave the links from Pinterest intact during the transition period.

http://natashanavigateslife.wordpress.com.

Thanks!

Couponing Adventures

I got everything in the above picture for just $5.95 from CVS/pharmacy. The original value before sales and coupons was $36.64. So, I didn't do too badly with my planning beforehand.  My transaction was broken down as follows:

Dial Bar Soap & Body Wash - B1G1 Free @ CVS
Manufacturer Coupon - $1 off 2
Total Savings - $4.19
Buy 2 three packs of Dial bars @ $3.19 each ($6.38)
Out of Pocket: $2.19 + tax, or ~$1.09 per pack

Secret Clinical Strength Deoderant - B1G1 50% off @ CVS
Manufacturer Coupon - $2 off 1 Secret Clinical Strength x 2
CVS Coupon - $5 off 2 Clinical Deoderants
Total Savings: $13.50
Buy 2 @ $8.99 each ($17.98)
Out of Pocket: $4.48 + tax, or ~@2.24 per box

Venus Razors - $3.00 off @ CVS
Manufacturer Coupon - $3 off any Venus Razor
CVS Coupon - $3 off any Venus Razor
CVS Coupon - $4 off $10 purchase of shaving needs
Total Savings: $13.00
Buy 1 @ 11.99 each
Out of Pocket: $0.00!!!
**Note: I was unaware the razor was on sale. I was prepared to pay about $1.99 out of pocket (+ tax) for it, but was pleasantly surprised!**

This didn't seem to add up at first, but I went through with my calculator and it does come down to $5.95. So.....I don't know ;)

Thanks for reading!

Natasha.

DIY Wristlet {Vera Bradley Inspired}

I feel like a total cheapskate doing this (I know I am), but I made my own Vera Bradley-style wristlet. It doesn’t have quilting, mostly because I suck at it, but it’s just what I need! It’s a little bigger and I did mess up on some stuff, but I honestly would rather carry this with its cosmetic flaws than go and spend money on the real deal. Besides, you can’t tell unless I point them out and make them obvious! What’s that? I’m not alone? Okay, well I’ll gladly tell you how I made my wristlet!

 I started out by making a template with bright pink poster board. It’s about 8 inches x 4.5-5 inches. Way bigger than what I need, right? But it’ll help to make sure I have all the same size rectangles when I’m cutting. I ended up cutting 4 pieces of my zebra canvas, 5 (I think) pieces of my pink and purple fabric, and then a strip for my gusset that was about 1.5 inches wide, and a strip for my strap, and I have no idea what size it was; I just eyeballed it. 

I started out by constructing my inside zipper pocket and card slots using this tutorial 

Then, I attached my zipper to my outer pieces (with the card slots and zipper pocket pinned in place) using this tutorial. 

At that point is where things go my way ;) I started with my strap, and folded it in half and pressed it. Then, I opened it and pressed both edges to the middle (sort of like making bias tape), then I stitched it all the way around. Finally, I added a tiny snaphook I found in my stash. Isn’t it adorable? 

At this point, this is what you have for the body of the wristlet: 

Before I add my gusset, I wanted to make the wristlet look a little prettier, so I pinned down and topstitched the edges next to the zipper. That tutorial may or may not have said to do that, but I wasn’t paying attention and I’m lazy so I didn’t go back and reread. And I wonder why none of my projects go the way they’re supposed to…

Next, CAREFULLY I pinned down one side of the gusset strip all the way around. This takes some patience (which I don’t have). When you’re stitching, watch your corners, and don’t get pricked by the pins!

Pin the other side all the way around (it’s easier than it sounds when you take your time), and stitch. 

At this point, I turned the whole thing right side out, and ended up getting stabbed because I forgot to remove a pin from the side with the card slots (Note: I forgot to sew down the bottom of the card slots, so I can only use the bottom two, but it worked out for me). 

I also added a small tab of pink/purple fabric to cover the raw edge on one side where the zipper and gusset meet. I pinned my strap underneath and zigzagged back and forth over it a few times.

 And now it is completed! Fill it up and show it off and pat yourself on the back!

Thanks so much for reading, and I hope you try out this project (and not make the mistakes I did!)

-Natasha,

My Healthy Hair Journey

My goal of getting my hair not only the length it was when I was in seventh grade, but even longer has been quite a task. One of my friends actually chopped off a good bit on one side of my head in 8th grade while playing around with a pair of scissors ( we don't talk much anymore). My cousin's hands in my head resulted in a 'relaxer gone wrong', my hair continued to break off and I was at my shortest in my sophomore year of high school I believe. I hated my hair. It was so short and I got made fun of for it on a constant basis.

Here I am, in all my non-glory. I was also battling some issues with the skin around my mouth becomng discolored, but more about my skin in another post. 

I really tried to work with having such short hair, but I was so unhappy. I got bullied enough without this to add to it. I hated that I couldn't even wear a simply ponytail. By the time I got to college however, I had the length below. How, I have no idea with how crappily I was caring for my hair. Either way, it still wasn't quite long enough for me. 

Now, after my second year of college, I had already done some research on going fully natural to really get my hair growing. I lasted as a transitioning natural for maybe two weeks? If that...I didn't last long. I knew I would have a long term relationship with the creamy crack. I had a regimen of sorts up to this point, and have only recently changed it with amazing results after the first couple of days! My old regimen was not the best, and it wasn't every consistent. at times I went 2 or 3 weeks without washing my hair, and it aways felt so weighed down from slathering on various greases! I knew I had to make a change if I wanted to really grow my hair to great lengths...well, at least to Armpit Length. 

I know....Really bad, right? And yet since I was also taking a hair, skin, and nails vitamin, my hair was still growing! I was also experimenting with different relaxer brands throughout. I also dyed my hair probably 5 times. I was ALSO hot combing my edges at times because at times I couldn't afford the relaxer so I pressed my edges to hide that fact. 

I haven't used a relaxer in months. I just started this regimen yesterday and my hair already feels better, and so much softer. It was alot of work and took all day, but it was so worth it. 

My Current Hair Progress: 

While this is not the most current, it's pretty close to where my hair is now. I've switched to the Nature's Bounty Optimal Solutions as of a couple of days ago - they're gummies and super delicious. I was bummed when I got home and found a $2 off coupon for them, but I can still use my raincheck for when they were BOGO Free at another store!

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful week!

Natasha. 

Road Trip Planning!!!

I gotta be honest, it's been over ten years since I have stepped foot onto a beach. Knowing there's one just a few hours' drive away has me very excited! In August, I will be making the 4 and a half hour drive to Galveston, Texas with my boyfriend. I simply can't get over how FUN this trip is going to be!! I mean, just look at that photo - my boyfriend actually took this the last time he was in Galveston with his family, very recently. I feel like I've been planning the heck out of this trip, but I don't want to forget anything. I want to be able to just get there, enjoy the beach, sleep, and come back the next day refreshed with many photos of a great time spent with a wonderful person. 

So, for the first of many beach trip-related posts, I will leave you with my Road Trip Planning Basics:

1. Figure out dates - When do you want to go? Who all is going? Who will be driving? Consider ages if children are going to be involved. Remember, they can get super restless after not too long!
2. Find out where your closest beach is whatever destination you have chosen - how many hours/minutes is it? Will you have to make stops on the way besides for restroom breaks and gas? 
3. What are you going to do while you're there? I've decided that I want to be cheesy and draw a heart in the sand with our names and take a picture of it; I want a sunset picture of us if possible, and I know I want to walk around and see the sights for a bit. I may even collect some sand and shells to put in a mason jar!
4. What is your budget? How much do you need to set aside for gas (or airfare)? How much spending money will you need? Staying overnight? Find a reasonably priced hotel. 
5. Decide what to pack - I WILL be posting my entire list. I spent about a week just Googling trip packing lists of different types, and then deciding what I needed from all of them. I will type mine up nice and neat and categorized just for you! It will PROBABLY be in a pdf so you can print it, with an image version in the post. 
6. Clean out and prepare the vehicle you'll be driving, get packed, etc. Any last minute details. 
7. Go and enjoy yourself! You earned it!

Thanks so much for reading!

Natasha. 

Welcome June...

I figured I would start out by saying why I'm starting yet another blog. Simple: this one is a project I've been working on for months. I knew the type of content I wanted this one to focus on, and I knew what I wanted to share with readers. But with my other blogs, they were already full of specific content and  I didn't want to change direction completely in case I go back to them later. This blog has been put off for so long all because I couldn't come up with a good name for it. Natasha Navigates Life just popped into my head suddenly while I was brainstorming and I knew it would be perfect. I hope you'll join me on my journey through life as I enter my last two years of college and begin my career in teaching! There will be crafts, there will be some food talk, there will be apartment topics when the time comes, and there will be babies (YEARS down the road, hopefully)!

Thanks for stopping by and look for more stuff to come very soon!

Natasha