2009 Will Be My Year

Thrift Store Update

mkminca — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 20:42:55 +0000

I went to the Goodwill in Point Loma this morning with a mission: to find a pair of jeans. It might sound simple, but I am convinced I have a figure that makes it almost impossible to find a great pair. When I do find some, I hang onto them! There were three racks of jeans, and the very last pair I tried on fit me. Oh happy day! And they are a little bit nicer and a darker wash, which makes them better for work. I also got two tops, a skillet (random but necessary), and a polka-dot umbrella (so cute I couldn’t resist). Not bad for under $30!

Thrift Store Shopping, Part 1

mkminca — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 20:26:23 +0000

My mother first introduced me to thrift stores back when I was a kid, so unfortunately I can’t take all the credit for discovering a new way of shopping. Every Saturday, my family would go to this place in La Cañada called The Bargain Box— as soon as we opened the door, it was every man, woman, and child for themselves as we scoured each and every section.

Because La Cañada is a somewhat-wealthy suburb, many of the donations were name-brand; some even still had tags on them. I would go to the book section, where I would stock up on books that had just come out in stores. (I suspected that the person/people who donated them were in a book club.) My sister would look at the toys and CDs, and my parents would most likely be found in housewares.

As I grew older, I started going by myself or with friends, and we would sometimes score big: a cool vintage dress, designer jeans, or designer purse. I bought a houndstooth Kate Spade bag for $10 once. But moving along to San Diego!

Product Junkie, Part 2: The Challenge

mkminca — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 20:15:43 +0000

I haven’t bought anything new since my last post, so I am proud of myself. My haircut was only $20, another score! I don’t need much to style it, but I have plenty of products to choose from in my cabinet. I have started a Use It Up challenge for myself: basically I’ve scoured my cabinet and secret product stashes, rediscovered some old favorites, and will use a few products up before I can even buy one thing. My boyfriend might (OK, does) laugh at me using shampoo for bodywash and conditioner to shave my legs, but hey, they work! He can’t complain about the results .

Shopping for a Good Cause

mkminca — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 20:15:17 +0000

My friend Jennifer, the president of the SDSU chapter of Compassion for African Villages, sent this link out via Facebook. CAV has a lot more gear that you can buy, and a portion goes to the village of Rundongo, Zimbabwe! I have my eye on the tote bag and bumper stickers, and I could definitely use a tank top.

Product Junkie!

mkminca — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 19:57:29 +0000

One of the major things I am working on is to stop spending so much money on beauty products. I have had some success, but some failure. I do think I have pared down a lot in the last few weeks, and even turned down some free product! Here is what I have bought, and my justifications (ha!):

Teeth-whitening strips (but the results last for 18 months!)
Treatment for dry scalp (it was $4 with my discount)
Travel flat iron (will be for my new bangs, and only $25 with discount)

It’s been really hard saying no to new products, especially when my hair is so dry and screaming for something new. (And when I work in a place filled with beauty goodies!) Maybe after my haircut today, I will feel better.

99 Reasons to Love the 99-cent Store

mkminca — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 01:17:02 +0000

Okay, so I’m not really going to come up with 99 reasons….who has the time? But there is definitely a lot to love about this store and others like it. First, the price (a given). You really can’t get a better deal on anything anywhere. Second, there really is everything there, including things I a) didn’t know existed and b) didn’t know I wanted until they were only 99 cents. Of course, there is the risk of going on a shopping binge, but we will get into that later.

On my last trip to “the 99”, I loaded up on paper goods and then hit the candy section. Yes, all my old favorites were there, ready to be scooped up at 3 for 99 cents. After that, my semi-full purple basket and I found ourselves in the personal-care aisle, where I made my best discoveries yet. Not only did I find a musical toothbrush, but I also found a du-rag with a visor. For the guy who’s too cool to protect his eyes with sunglasses, I suppose. I found myself lamenting “I should have brought my camera! Why didn’t I bring my camera?!” several times that day. The last time that happened was the day I came across “Rap Chips” at Big Lots (what a day!).

I managed to spend around $20, which was half useless crap/candy, and half stuff I needed, so I’d say I did pretty well. I also found out that it’s a good place to shop at around the holidays— decorations have never been so inexpensive! And you’ll get twice as much satisfaction if someone admires them.

So, in short, if you have one of these little gems in your area, GO! Go discover the land of the endless bargain, where toothbrushes can sing and nothing is over a dollar! Tell them I will see them soon.

San Diego Super Run!

mkminca — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 19:17:06 +0000

I’ve stated in a previous entry how I want to become more of an activist and actually do things…that’s why I found myself at Mission Bay Park yesterday at 5:30 a.m. with other volunteers gearing up to help with the San Diego Super Run. This is a 5k/10k run-walk that benefits a few organizations; this year it was Water for Children Africa, Giving Back Athletics Organizations, Morse High School Athletics, and Compassion for African Villages (a nonprofit I became involved with at SDSU). My friends from CAV gathered in the cold and darkness as we waited for our assignments: registration, “course marshall”, cheerleader, etc. I was a cheerleader at the finish line, and screamed my lungs out for all the men, women, children, and dogs that crossed the finish line. I was especially proud when Tsitsi Mutseta, the founder of CAV and a very strong-willed cancer survivor, made it to the very end. Then we all went back to the CAV table and put on our game faces as we tried to fundraise and educate the people about our cause. It will be very exciting to find out how much we raised! The money will buy more T-shirts to sell, and also be added to the fund to build a clean water well in Tsitsi’s home village.

If I could turn back time…

mkminca — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 23:57:53 +0000

A couple of weeks ago, my friend Michelle and I walked to McDonald’s to satisfy our craving for cheap ($2! Beat that, Starbucks!) iced coffees. We were so engrossed in conversation on the way back that we didn’t even notice we’d missed a turn on the way back, so we ended up taking the long way back to my house. We ducked down a little side street and were looking at all the cute, perfectly manicured little houses lining the block when I noticed something completely random: a Nixon/Agnew sign in one of the windows. “Michelle,” I wondered, “did we accidentally go back in time?” I mean, really? Nixon? Unless there is a Nixon 2.0, you might want to take your sign down. (Call it a hunch, but I have my doubts about that guy.)

The hills are alive…

mkminca — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 23:47:08 +0000

Since I’m too cheap to pay for a gym membership or Heidi Klum’s personal trainer, I’ve been trying to take more walks to fulfill my exercise quota. Ah, hills— nature’s ellipticals. My ‘hood, University Heights, has a couple of notable ones. The first is a giant that starts at Qualcomm Way and climbs through Mission Valley until it becomes Texas Street. I refuse to walk up and down this hill because there is little room between a person and a speeding car. However, I see many brave souls who make this climb every day; some even have bikes! The other hill is my favorite, and goes from Florida Street to Park Boulevard. You can see all the cute houses and shops in the neighborhood. (Side note: On a recent walk I found a boutique called Neighbourhood. Walked on by, telling myself that the pretentious “u” equals more money. Not sure if this is true.)

My Resolutions

mkminca — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 22:39:10 +0000

So, I’ve decided: 2009 is going to be my year. I’ve got to make some changes in my life or I just might go crazy. Here they are, in no particular order:

Stop spending so much money on stuff I don’t need. I have to break this down into two categories, because I spend money in two ways: 1) beauty products, and 2) everything else.

Exercise more. I live in a pretty cool (I think) neighborhood in San Diego, and my boyfriend and I enjoy taking long walks in the area.

Cook. Notice I don’t say “more”, because I really don’t cook in the first place. My boyfriend will verify this. If it involves a microwave or a toaster, I’m your girl, but if it involves mixing and chopping and—horrors!—getting meat out of the little plastic package, you best look somewhere else.

Eat healthier and drink less.

Pursue a career in journalism. I’ve always loved to write, ever since I was a little kid, so if I can get paid to write that would be amazing!

Follow the news more. Yes, I just said I am an aspiring journalist, but I don’t keep up with the news as much as I used to. Obviously this needs to change.

Be more organized.

Become more of an activist. I am a strong supporter of gender equality, marriage equality, and human rights.

Well, there you have it, folks. I brought it, set it up on the table, and opened it…now let’s see if I can maintain it!