Provo House Wives

Trying to stay social in provo is hard.  But I have come up with some solutions that will help you be a little more social and maybe give you some ideas for gatherings that you can do during your college careers.

Small gatherings

Game nights, this is a typical way to get some people over and have a fun little game night.  It is the perfect way to meet new friends as well. If you know someone you want to get to know a little bit better then invite them over for a game night it’s not that much pressure and can be very fun and a great way to bond with new friends or old friends.  There are so many new games out there you can find. You can always find new games on Amazon as well if you are running out of game ideas.

Another fun Idea is to make pazookies (large cookies with ice cream on top) or you can do home made pizzas, just get some rhodes rolls dough and shape them as a mini pizza and have your guests bring some toppings they would like.  This is not too expensive, and its delicious and a fun and different idea of something to do with your friends.

Medium gatherings

If you are looking to do a get together that is a little bit bigger here are a few ideas. First you could have some premade sugar cookies and frosting as well as some sprinkles and have a cookie decorating competition. Have there be a grand prize for the best decorated cookie ( like a gift card to a restaurant, students love free food).  Makes it more exciting and of course you can eat the cookies after.  

I would also suggest a chocolate fondue party. You can find a fondue machine online for not too expensive and it will come in handy for many events you throw (bridal showers, baby showers, bachelorette parties, birthday parties or just little game nights.) We threw a Welcome fall with fondue party and had everyone we invited bring something they would want to dip in the fondue.

Big gatherings

First things first, when planning a large gathering you need to pick theme. From here it makes it easier to decide what food items you should have and if you want small activities people can do or if you are wanting to go all out you can figure out what kind of party favor you want to have. 

Here are some examples of parties I have done in the past; 

For Halloween one year my roommates and I threw a party with homemade root beer and we also had vanilla ice cream for root beer floats.

For Valentines we did a party for single people, we had cake pops and chocolate covered rice krispy treats, we also had some friends bring treats helping the costs go down.  We had speed dating going on, a kissing booth ( just for photo ops) and we also raffled off a date. In the date package we included a Megaplex gift card, a Cafe Rio gift card and a bouquet of roses. People would enter the raffle when they walked in.  It was a big success because we also had some dancing so there were options of things people could do instead of just standing around.

I have been one who has traveled a lot in my college career, I would take any time I could possibly get to get out of the Provo scene.  Last year I made it a goal of mine to go somewhere once a month. Weather that be just a one night stay in park city only 30 minutes away, or a trip to California for the weekend. And when I could take longer (during the breaks) to escape.I wanted to share a few of my most fond memories to maybe inspire others to take their weekends and do the same with them. And of course I wanted to do it all on a budget.

Here are some of my fondest memories while traveling on a budget:

My very first weekend trip as a college student was to Crystal Hot Springs. It is only about an hour from where I live.  We were getting sick of spending our weekends doing game nights so me and 15 other girls decided to find an Air bnb that we could all squeeze into and have a weekend getaway.  We bought stuff to make spaghetti which is super cheap, and also bought some cookie dough to make cookies for dessert. We were able to go and enjoy the hot springs and enjoy each other’s company without distractions of school and work. By sharing the air bnb with lots of other girls it helps make the price go down by a lot.  As well as making the large and easy meals that can go a long way.

One of the most important things you can do when you are planning a vacation made cheap and easy is to create an itinerary, it helps you lay out your schedule and helps you create a budget for what you are going to be using your spending on.  For example me and my friends planned a trip to page Arizona to go see Horseshoe Bend. We were going to be taking one of our friends vans down to sleep in. We had a gas stove top that just needed propane to work so we planned out what meals we were going to bring so we don’t have to spend money on restaurants around us and we’ll make it less stressful when we are out there trying to fight the hangry feeling. Then we grocery shopped the day before we left so we had everything prepped for the van life.

One last trip I will share is when I took a trip to Moab, just for the weekend.  My friends and I found a place to set up camp and slept under the stars. If you fill a car with people it will make it cheaper to get into the state parks to go and do all the hikes. Or if you are wanting to watch a beautiful sunset over some red rocks in the state parks if it is after 5 you do not have to pay to go into the parks.

We all love to eat and that isn’t a secret.  Snacks are an essential part of everyone’s lives.  Trying to find the snacks that you love at a price that is for you is hard.  Especially if you are a busy student who is on the go, either at school or at work. This makes it even harder to find snacks that are right for you.

Personally, I work 2 jobs and am in school full time while also trying to fulfill a college student’s social life.  This leaves absolutely no time for meals so snacks are my very number one essential. I am sure I am not the only one who is in a situation like this with a very busy lifestyle. As well as having a desire to eat somewhat healthy while on the go.

So I am going to tell you my go to ideas, and although I am no nutritionist I have some snacks that I think are healthy and easy. First of all , apples and a cheese stick, gives you some sweet with the fruit and salty with the cheese.  Another go too is carrots and turkey, might sound like a weird combination but it is delicious. Beef Jerky and a laughing cow cheese wheel, giving you the perfect savory snack. A bag of popcorn, or chips, but popcorn is going to be the healthier option.  Any type of nuts or seed is going to be a snack that is easy to eat a few and put it away and then eat some more later it’s easy to keep around and snack on it whenever you are wanting too. Those are some great salty options. If you are craving something sweet, you can go for a fruit leather or some dried fruit which will help fulfill that sweet craving that you are having.

Hopefully these Ideas are going to give you some options to grab when you are on the go.  That you can eat during school or during work or even grab when you are just driving and are feeling a bit hungry.

When it comes to cheap and effective beauty products I am your person.

1. Vaseline Lip Therapy Lip Balm Mini Rosy

This little Vaseline is a perfect size to carry around in your purse or backpack, there are not a lot of additive smells, so it is natural and leaves the skin feeling nourished and fresh. This Vaseline also has a rosy tint leaving your lips the perfect color. Plus it is only $1.61, and will last you several months.

2. Kitty Purry Perfume

When dealing with perfumes the price ranges can get extreme, so once I found this one I fell in love not only because of the smell but because the price is only $17.05

3. Beach Babe texturizing dry shampoo 

Dry shampoo is my go too in the morning when I am too crazy busy to shower or just want to sleep in a little bit longer. This dry shampoo is only $9.20 giving you cleaner looking hair and also adding some texture.

4. Facial Toner Witch Hazel

This might be my favorite product out of all of them. For $8.99 you can get this facial toner that not only helps tone your skin but cleans it leaving you feel very refreshed.  My favorite is the rose scented one but they have several options to choose from.

5. Baby Lips  Coral Crave

Baby lips are a little more well known product and I love this specific type for the color, it adds a little pink to spice up our neutral look.  You pay $5.96 and get 2 chapsticks in the package. So definitely worth the price.

6. Coconut Oil Mouthwash

There has been a lot of research done on all natural mouthwashes and the benefits of using them.  I found this one made of coconut oil and it is my favorite. I know it works well and it is all natural and does not taste bad, so a win win win! And also only $14.95

7. Loreal Voluminous lash primer

Not very many people know about lash primers, it is mascara that is white and you put it on before your colored mascara.  It helps your eyelashes reach their full potential and helps bold the color you lay on top making your eyes really pop.Loreal Voluminous lash primer is  only $6.74 and is not clumpy and goes on super great for an amazing look.

8. Laneige Lip Sleeping mask

This is the most expensive product on my list at $19.50 but it is well worth it! You put it on at night and it makes your lips so soft and smooth by the morning! I only use it once a week because that is all you need. So your product should last you awhile!

For today’s blog post we are going to be focusing on cleaning! Yes I know it’s not everyone’s favorite hobby, but I am here to make it easier and cheaper for everyone.    I know it sounds crazy but Coca Cola is an easy and effective way to clean a toilet bowl. I was shocked when I found this out and obviously had to do my research to make sure it was a legitimate way to do so. 

Step 1: Purchase a 2 liter bottle of Coca Cola, you can usually buy one of these at any grocery store or even a gas station close to you.  So this is really easy to get ahold of instead of an expensive toilet bowl cleaner only available to purchase at specific stores.

Step 2: Now you need to find a toilet to use it on, you obviously want to see results so having a toilet that is dirty will help you succeed at this.  You want there to be some stains so you can watch the magic happen.

Step 3:  Dump the Coca Cola in the toilet until it is filled just above the water that is in it or do wherever you see stains.  

Step 4: Now you want to let Coca Cola sit in the toilet for about an hour so it can work on all the tough stains.

Step 5: Once you come back to the toilet you want to scrub all around to remove all of the stains and particles that have been working on coming off.  After you do this, flush the toilet and see the awesome results. Your toilet bowl should be all nice and white!

After doing some research I was curious why Coca Cola can clean a toilet bowl, and I guess the acid in the soda is called  carbonic, citric and phosphoric acids, and these break down the stain without doing any damage to the material of the toilet bowl.  Coca Cola can also help get rid of rust Another thing I found that was interesting is that you can purchase a 2 liter coca cola for under two dollars but when looking for other toilet bowl cleaners it was about five dollars so it is also helping you save money.

It is super nice to be able to use coca cola when you have it on hand just in your fridge for a last minute nice and easy toilet bowl cleaning.

I hope that this How To video is helpful for you and that you give it a try.   If you feel like it did not work the first time if you put the Coca Cola in the toilet overnight to let it sit and degrade all of the stains, and flush it in the morning and hopefully you will be able to see the wonderful results. I have loved learning this trick for making cleaning a little less dreadful!

1- Facebook Marketplace

One of the best things I have found when decorating my apartment/ house is looking on Facebook marketplace.  For those of you who do not know what that is, it is like KSL but on facebook. Many times you can find furniture, decorations, lamps or even kitchen supplies sold on Facebook marketplace for super cheap. Facebook makes things run smoothly by making people respond fast by sending them reminders which makes your life much easier.

2- NPS

Have you ever heard of the store NPS? If not you need to go give it a try.  It is a store that is a mix between a D.I. and a TJ MAXX. It is a store where “they specialize in overstock, refused, and lost merchandise” so unused items from stores around the area sold to you at a cheaper price.  NPS also does different sales every week which will help you save lots of money.

3- DIY

DIY, I know this sounds very scary, but it’s always worth a shot. Buy things at the D.I and re paint them or add some fabric to it and make it unique and to add to your aesthetic of your home. Including making your own wall art/ paintings to spice up your home, all that takes is a canvas ( you can get at a craft store and most times there are coupons available for them) and some paint or even sharpies. Create something of your own.

4- Mason Jars

Using Mason jars in so many different ways can help you save money.  You can use them as drinking cups, paint them and use them as decoration, or even using it as a vase to hold flowers (another hack is going to the sale area at a grocery store and buying some flowers on sale, or buying flowers the day after Valentines day or Easter they will be marked down).

5-Revisioning

Take what you have and move it around sometimes when you move things to a different place they help the feel of the room look new and updated with zero cost.  Or take what you have and apm it by repainting it or adding things to it to give it a different feel.

I hope these tips are helpful for you and can help you save some money in the long run without too much stress of the executions. It has taken me awhile to put these tips into effect but now that I have them they are so amazing and help me save money overall.

When in college you are always looking for fun new things to do on the weekend.  The time you have to focus on having fun instead of rigorous studying for school.  So I am here to give you some ideas on how to have a fun weekend whether it be for free or spending a little bit of money.  There are degrees of amounts of fun that can take place and I am trying to give you options for all of them.

NO $-$

First I have a few ideas of things that can be done while spending no money. We have lots of hikes around us, a few well known ones are the Y hike, and another being bridal veil falls.  Both are scenic and not too hard. If you are not an outdoor person here is a plan for you, gather all the blankets and sheets in the house and make a wonderful fort, if you have hanging lights add those around the edges to give the fort an even more wonderful feeling.  Then order some pizza ( costs a little bit of money) and play card games or watch a movie.

$-$$

Now we will jump into some ideas that require a little spending.  This is one of my favorites though and it has helped me learn how to bake. Some of my favorite things to do are cook desserts and then invite friends over to enjoy them with you.  And if you fail the first time it makes it a challenge to try again and have your friends judge your baking skills. Which also leads to having a cook off give everyone a dessert to make and come together and present them and see who has done the best/ been most creative with their cooking. It makes people enjoy coming to your house too because they know they will be getting a yummy treat. You will also get to enjoy it, so win win.

$$-$$$

If you are willing to get into bigger spending, some of the most fun weekends I have had is when my friends and I decide to get out of town for a few days. We leave after the last person gets off work on Friday and we go wherever we are feeling for the weekend.  It doesn’t have to be far, just a little getaway. By getting an air bnb for the weekend it isn’t too pricey. Look up fun things to do in that new area and just get out of Provo to help you stay sane. This option of how to spice up your weekend is going to be the most expensive option but overall the most exciting.  This is how I have created some of my fondest memories while living the college dream.

Hopefully out of all these different ideas there is something in your price point that sticks out to you.  These are just a few of my many ideas. I will be posting more on another blog post so stick around for more ideas on spicing up your weekend.