Here in Los Angeles, public schools have started so I pass lots of parents and kids walking to the local elementary school when I walk Stella in the morning - it really takes me back in time. I feel so bad for the kids that they have to go back when it's still so hot! I have a few tips below for inexpensive ways to keep your house from heating up but they wouldn't really work for classrooms. One of my boys is already back at college and the other heads back this weekend. As Gretchen Rubin says (and I've oft quoted), the days are long but the years are short. And that will never change. (I've marked affiliate/referral links with a *, which means I may make a little bit of money if you make a purchase or sign up using that link - thank you!):
This new post from Rachel Macy Stafford about offering yourself the same compassion you offer to others - and how hard and un-instinctive it is - really hit home for me.
If you have an iOS device and like sports, give the Apple Sports app a try. It's a quick way to find out when your favorite events are happening. For the Dodgers, it tells me when games are, who's pitching and what network the broadcast is on. It even gives me an alert when the game is about to start or something exciting is happening (e.g., Ohtani up with the bases loaded). It's not great for full rosters or stats though - for that I still use the ESPN app.
FREE MONEY alert: I've discovered that you can play games on your phone and make money. It sounds like a scam, but I started with an app I was already using and one I've talked about before here, Fetch. I've been using the Fetch app for years to earn points on receipts and things I buy, and as I've mentioned previously, one thing that's great about Fetch is that you can scan almost any receipt and get points - you don't need a specific offer to earn. That said, we're not talking a lot of money, though it does add up. But you can earn points by playing games and that can add up fast. There are quite a few different kinds of games, so pick what you enjoy (and don't spend a lot, if any, money on in-app purchases since that negates the free part of earning free money). If you're new to Fetch, you can read my original review and sign up for it here - if you use referral code R4NDF, we'll both get bonus points so thank you if you do!
Bonus FREE MONEY alert: I was doing well with Fetch games but after a while, I wasn't into the games they had so I decided to give Mistplay* a try. They have surveys as well as games, and I earn points faster in their games than I do on Fetch. The key is to meet the bonus goals within the short deadline provided, which is sometimes more work than it's worth. When a game becomes too demanding that way, I just delete it and download a new one.
Two low cost ways to cool your house: Our biggest complaint about our townhouse is that it's oriented to get full sun in the summer and not much direct sun in the winter. And since we're in Southern California, the summer sun is quite devastating. One thing we've done is install some removable paper blackout shades.* They come with a sticky edge you can use to hang them, but we just hang them over our vertical blinds using clips. (If you need more clips than they come with, binder clips work well.) They block the sun so that the room doesn't get so hot but they're easy to take down.
The second thing we've done is put up a patio umbrella* outside the sliding glass door to our patio and angled it to block the sun coming in through the windows. I've been shocked at how well it works.
One thing we've done that is more expensive and doesn't work as well is have the windows tinted. It doesn't work nearly as well as we'd hoped, which perhaps is because we couldn't go too dark due to our homeowners' association rules. But in any event, if you're thinking of going that route but are operating under similar constraints, try the other methods first and save your money.
Finally, if you (or your kid) like stuffed crust pizza but don't want to shell out for delivery, I discovered that Screamin' Sicilian makes a frozen one* that's quite good. It seems to be $8.99 but I found it on sale last week at Ralphs for $6.99, and it completely satisfied my son's craving. So I'll always have a box in the freezer when he's home from now on.
No comments:
Post a Comment