5 Ways To Make Some Extra Cash Fast!

I don't think any of us would ever turn down a chance to make some extra cash but sometimes it is hard to find these opportunities. To make it easier on you, I have compiled a list of some of the ways that I have made extra money in the past and hopefully you can in the future!

1. Swagbucks

This one is probably the easiest and simplest way to make a little extra pocket change. Plus there are so many different ways to make money through Swagbucks. Some of my favorites are watching videos which you can get 2 to 3 Swagbucks per playlist, playing games, and doing surveys which you can make 50 to a couple hundred per survey. You'll be surprised how fast they rack up and you can cash them out and redeem gift cards to multiple places or even send them to your PayPal!

2. Donate Plasma

Donating plasma is something that I have recently discovered and it is actually kind of a cool way to make money if you're not afraid of needles although it really shouldn't be called donating since you get paid almost fifty dollars a session at some places! The place that I goes pays up to $70 a week and I go in for two sessions a week which makes $65 a week. Not only are you making a little extra money, you are also helping someone improve their quality of life through plasma donation. But if you are squeamish around blood, this may not be your thing...

3. Declutter Your Unwanted Things

I'm sure you've heard of this to some extent but it is always a good thing to keep in mind because most of us have at least a few items laying around that they don't need anymore. If the item is in good condition then you should definitely consider listing it on an online consignment website. Some of the most popular ones are LetGo, Depop, Mercari, Poshmark, and good ole Facebook. This means you'll have some change in your pocket and plus you'll be recycling which is good for the environment. 

4. Ebates

Ebates is awesome simply because you make money so passively and on something that most of us love doing: ONLINE SHOPPING! This website lets you simply earn money for shopping online through retailers that give you anywhere from 1% to 40% cashback on your purchases! This does take time to rack up money depending on how often you shop online and how much money you spend. This is something that you should always use though!

5. Upwork

This is the website that I used to do freelancing through. It does a great job of hooking up clients with freelancers and it puts the money that you are promised in escrow which means that your clients can't rip you off. This is a great option if you have any special skills like a talent for writing, a knack for web page development, or you speak multiple languages fluently you should consider using them to make some money on Upwork. These are only a couple of the things that clients are looking for!

FTC: Some links are referral links.

My Top 10 Favorite Toddler Products!

OK, so no one really prepared me for the very real challenges of raising a toddler. My naive, first-time-mom brain assumed that when my son got older he would be more independent and therefore need me less. Boy, was I wrong! Not only that but I took for granted the newborn and baby stages when he didn't fight his nap and wasn't quite as needy.

Raising a toddler is not an easy feat in the least but there are some products that help out with this stage. Now that I have found some of my favorite products I thought I would share them with all of you to possibly help you survive this stage in your parenting career.

Hygiene:

1. Tom's of Maine Mild Fruit Natural Toddler Training Toothpaste

One thing I struggle with when it comes to keeping my son clean and healthy is brushing his teeth. Before discovering this product he would only let me brush his teeth for about 3.5 seconds before he got bored and wanted to simply play with his toothbrush. Since we started using this he does a lot better and I can usually get his mouth nice and clean before he gets bored. (He even lets me brush his tongue which is basically unheard of!). A huge bonus to this toothpaste is the fact that is all natural!

2. Honest Company Shampoo & Body Wash - Sweet Orange Vanilla

I have used a lot of different baby washes on Benjamin since he was born and they all work about the same. As long as it doesn't give him a rash and smells nice I usually don't have a favorite either way. That is until I found this shampoo/body wash from The Honest Company. I already knew that I was a fan of The Honest Company because they have very natural products which is what I generally gravitate towards especially since becoming a mother but the scent that this shampoo/body wash has is what really sold me. It smells like a straight-up cream-sicle which is pretty much my favorite scent in the entire universe. I even use this body wash on myself!

3. Honest Company Face & Body Lotion - Sweet Orange Vanilla

Okay, so I've already gushed about the scent of the shampoo/body wash so I'm assuming you can figure out what I love the most about this too. Yep, it's the scent. I just can't get over how good it smells and I don't know if anyone else is like this but I love it when my toddler smells good. It makes me feel like I'm an awesome mom haha! This lotion is thin enough that it absorbs nicely and doesn't feel oily or greasy which I like because, like the shampoo/body wash, I use this one myself. 

Toys:

4. Fisher-Price Growing Baby Pop 'n Push Elephant

This is definitely one of my favorite toys that Benjamin owns, but it's kind of for a weird reason. So, little backstory, my son has always been afraid of the vacuum. He has just never liked the loud noise but, because he's a toddler and eats everything on the floor, I have to vacuum at least once a day. This toy has really helped with that because now whenever I need to vacuum I tell him to go get his vacuum and help me and it works because he is so distracted with what he's doing he doesn't even notice the scary noise! 

Feeding:

5. The First Years Take & Toss Straw Cups

Benjamin is at the age where he isn't a kid quite yet but he's definitely not a baby anymore (mommy over here holding back tears). This means that he has a little trouble with cups still but refuses to use a sippy cup. I should also mention that he has broken about ten dishes in the past month so plastic is the way to go! These are only a couple bucks at Wal-Mart and they work AWESOME! They don't leak and they are super easy to take on the go which I love. I would recommend nothing but water in these unless you have a straw cleaner because it is almost impossible to get these fully clean otherwise. (I also like the bowls and they are also really inexpensive but I didn't think they were special enough to put on this list!)

6. GoGo squeeZ Assorted Flavors Applesauce

Applesauce is one of those solid, kid-friendly snacks that are always a hit, at least in my house! I like the Mott's applesauce as well but those come in a small dish that tends to get spilled all over the floor. The thing that I like the most about the GoGo SqueeZ brand is the pouches. Not only are these less prone to mess but they also keep my little one entertained while he's eating! 

Diapering:

7. Parent's Choice Diapers

As a parent, I have tried pretty much every brand of diapers from Huggies to Pampers to The Honest Company. Most diapers are pretty much the same. I wasn't the biggest fan of Pampers and The Honest Company didn't blow me out of the water (except for the adorable designs). Huggies was my diaper of choice until I found Parent's Choice. I have heard mixed reviews about this diaper but it has become my go-to choice. The thing that keeps me coming back is the price. It is a lot cheaper than most diaper brands and they have packs that are only $3-$5 which is nice when you are low on money but need diapers right away. In my opinion these perform exactly the same way as Huggies! (I also use the wipes but they are not that much cheaper than Pampers or Huggies and they perform pretty much exactly the same way!)

TV Shows:

8. Goldie and Bear

If you're a parent of a toddler you know how little quiet time there is in a day. This means that, unless you're a robot, sometimes you plug your kiddo in to the TV just to get a half an hour of peace and quiet. Goldie and Bear is one of the best ones that I've found and Benjamin seems to agree. It's the story of Goldilocks and the three bears after the breaking in and eating their porridge incident when Bear and Goldie have become best friends. I highly recommend trying it out if you have Netflix!

9. Little Baby Bum

This show keeps Benjamin busy for an hour at the very least. It is an animated TV show that has all of the nursery rhymes. I like this show because it makes me feel like he is learning something while he is watching TV. A bonus to this show is that we can practice the nursery rhymes together later which I feel is good for his development! This show is available on Netflix and YouTube which is awesome!

10. Paw Patrol

Just like a ton of other little girls and boys, my son is obsessed with Paw Patrol. This show is about dogs that save the day which is basically the best of both worlds. This show can keep Ben entertained for a very long time which I love. The only thing that sucks is that this show is not available on Netflix and I can't find it on YouTube so the only place that we watch this is on DVD! 

Those are my top ten toddler products (and TV shows). I hope you guys got some useful information from this list and please let me know in the comments section what your must-have toddler products are or what your toddler's favorite TV show is! Thanks for reading and as always have a beautiful week! 

5 Shows To Binge Watch On Netflix

If you are anything like me, you probably love to spend hours watching shows on Netflix in your free time. Whether you are spending time with your significant other or curling up alone, it can be hard to find a show that you want to watch. Searching can take hours out of your precious quiet time and no one wants to sacrifice all that.

1. Grey's Anatomy

If you love a good mixture of drama, comedy, and crime shows then you will love Grey's Anatomy. This show has surgical drama coming out the wazoo and will make you laugh and cry all in the same episode. It follows Dr. Meredith Grey and her coworkers through the trials and tribulations that come along with daily life as a surgeon in Seattle.

2. Orange Is The New Black

This Netflix original quickly gained popularity and for good reason. OITNB follows Piper as she navigates life in an women's correctional facility. This makes for very good television filled with drama, comedy, and some gripping backstories of her and her fellow inmates. The only problem is you may want to ration out the episodes because you are going to have to wait a year for the next season.

3. Bones

This is great if you love the scientific side of crime scene investigation. Bones is all about a forensic anthropologist, Temperance Brennan, and her partner at the FBI, Seeley Booth. They work together to find murderers through evidence left behind in the victim's bones. This is not for someone with a weak stomach because it is a gorey television program with a lot of rotting corpses.

4. Scrubs

If you are more of the all-comedy type, this is the one for you. Scrubs is about J.D., a young doctor that has multiple satirical daydreams throughout his day at the hospital. This has very little drama but it is still tucked in there once in a while to give the show some substance. With nine episodes on Netflix, it is the perfect binge-show. 

5. Young And Hungry

Another all-comedy show with a few moments of drama is Young And Hungry. This Freeform show follows chef Gabi Diamond while she works for millionare Josh Kaminski, the man she also has a huge crush on. This all makes for an amusing and gripping TV show that is perfect for curling up in your sweatpants and watching on a Saturday afternoon.

I Failed Already...

Hey guys!

So last post I said that I wanted to do blogmas. Well... It's December 4th and still no posts that are even Christmas related. I'm sorry you guys! I know I should get better at keeping my promises but I have been so busy. Basically, I have been working super hard lately and trying to figure out how I am going to make Christmas work on my VERY tight budget so... I give up haha!

I still do want to get some Christmas themed posts up on here but I am not making any promises (we all see how that turns out!) but I am going to try! Until then I want you all to comment down below on what you did this Thanksgiving. I went to my Grandma's and had Thanksgiving with my family and my boyfriend and it was definitely a lot of fun :)

I also wanted to share how cute my nails looked on Thanksgiving!! So festive.

I really loved them! If you wanna see more of my nail looks (I do them myself unless it's a super special occasion and I get coffin nails!) then definitely follow me on Instagram. My username is @ginnydianayt 

Well guys, I just wanted to update you all on everything. Thanks for reading. 

Ciao

Blogmas? - Life Update!

Hey guys!

I know I have been kind of MIA for the past little while but, honestly, I have a good excuse. I have been super busy lately because I went back to school and got my GED (yay!) and then enrolled myself in college classes for February or March! I am super excited to start this chapter of my life and start becoming the person I have always wanted to be.

That being said I am also wanting to get into blogging and doing my YouTube videos again because I have really missed having this creative outlet to talk to you guys! So to kick-start my motivation for blogging I will be doing BLOGMAS!!

What is Blogmas you ask? Basically it is a cute little tradition where you post a blog post every day for the month of December! So look forward to a lot of posts about Christmas and winter because there will be a lot of cool content coming your way. I am also considering doing a Vlogmas on my YouTube channel so also let me know if that is something you would be interested in seeing from me :)

Well guys, I just wanted to give you a mini update and let you all know what's going on in my life and I hope you are all having an amazing November! I will catch you guys next time!

Ciao.

Yummy Berry Blast Oatmeal

If you are looking for a way to switch up this amazing, nutritious breakfast then you have definitely found it. Oatmeal is a staple breakfast food in many homes in the U.S. and not only is it delicious but it is also a great way to start your day! This is one of my favorite ways to make my oatmeal in the morning.

Ingredients:

• Oatmeal
• Milk or Water
• Mixed Berries (Fresh or Frozen)
• Chia Seeds (Optional)
• Honey or Agave Nectar (Optional

Instructions:

1. Prepare the oatmeal according to the instructions on the package.
2. Stir in mixed berries
3. Top with chia seeds and agave nectar (optional)

How easy was that! The whole process took me under ten minutes and ends up tasting absolutely delicious. I hope you enjoy!

5 Reasons Adulting Sucks!

#1 STRESS

If I have learned one thing about being an adult it is that you stress. You stress and you stress even when there is nothing to stress about. Then you stress about stressing. Money, kids, jobs, relationships, payments. Everything is stressful when you are in charge and that sucks!

#2 MONEY

You’d think that this would be one of those adult things that is awesome but, really, being in charge of money sucks! It means that you have to be 100% responsible all the time and you can’t buy that new dress you’ve been eyeing unless you can fit it into the budget. Nothing is free these days either! You have to pay for water, lights, heat, and everything else you can think of.

#3 GROCERY SHOPPING

Did you know that food doesn’t just magically appear in the cupboards? Me neither until I moved out with my son and opened my cupboards for the first time. Also side not: FOOD IS EXPENSIVE. Why do we have to pay so much to not die?! That seems unfair to me but whatever. Anyways grocery shopping sucks. You get the point.

#4 BUDGETING

Okay, so this sort of ties into the money thing but I definitely think that it is so awful that it deserves it’s very own section. BUDGETING SUCKS! You have to decide how much money goes where and when it goes there and no one ever thinks to add a makeup budget because APPARENTLY lights, food, and heat are more “Important.” It basically means that you have to create something that parents you after your parent is done.

#5 EXPECTATIONS

This is probably the absolute worst part about being an adult. You go to sleep one night seventeen with hope in your eyes and wake up eighteen and everyone expects you to have your shit figured out and suddenly you die a little inside… Well that went to a dark place.

On the bright side you can buy alcohol so… It’s not all bad!