16 Handles, A Million Options

With the hot weather you need something to cool yourself down with. Frozen yogurt seems like the best option. Last night over a hot spicy Mexican meal my friends and I were reminiscing about the sundae bars we used to indulge in at sorority parties. After salivating, we headed straight to 16 Handles. Taking a note on the fro yo trend, 16 gives the customer endless options. So there are 16 self serve flavors flavors (duh) and a fully loaded toppings bar. You choose your dessert destiny from having a dab of yogurt with Cap'n Crunch and lychee or a rainbow of flavors with chocolate sprinkles. You pay for what you buy, so every ounce costs 49 cents. In the realm of overpriced under flavored yogurt (I am talking to you tasti delight) this has value. Currently there is the East Village and Garden State Plaza locations in operations, but wait because this place is expanding down the eastern seaboard. The yogurts actually taste like their names and you get however much will fill you up. So head to the East Village and pretend you are at a bat mitzvah when dessert is served.
Image via Steve Snodgrass

I Found the Wedge and A Giveaway for You! Enter Now

If you know me, I have been on the eternal hunt for the perfect sandal this summer. Trying to find them is driving me up a wall. However, I think I found a pair to fit my bill. I am instantly drawn to the Carlos Mohican Sandal. They have my name all over it. To begin with they are so reasonable, so on trend, and so what I need to finish out this hot, hot summer. What is great, is I can get a great piece of luggage from the same site to keep my new shoe find protected while traveling. Buying a protector will keep your clothes clean and your shoes in good shape. To make this find even better I have great little something for my loyal readers. I am so excited to announce that Living the Life on a Budget has its first giveaway. Now all our readers will get the chance to Live that Life I have been telling y'all about for a long time. CSN stores is your one stop shop for all your needs on the Internet. They have everything from luggage, to furniture to anything else you can imagine. It is basically your virtual mall. So with this giveaway you have the chance to win $40 to shop on any of their 200+ sites. I know what I would get, but what are you thinking about buying if you are the lucky one? Contest runs until 7/22, 11:59 EST, so get your entries in.

Ways you can Win big:

1) Must post a comment on this post

2) Become a Facebook Fan

3) Follow Me on Twitter: @LTLoBudget

4) Tweet this Contest To Your Friends

You can do one or all of them, just leave a comment letting me know you did it.

Contest Rules:

Must be a resident of The United States or Canada

Winner will be picked at random via Random.org

I am pleased to announce that a winner has been choosen:

Fashion Tree

Doesn't it seem like it is constantly in our faces to purchase products that have an ulterior motive? I am going to say yes. Are you really buying these products because you support the cause or are they a fashion statement. Ask a girl on the street why she is holding a Feed Bag, and I am sure the answers are overwhelmingly varied. Then there are sometimes when us fashionistas do not want to rub our contributions in your face. People Tree is an unassuming clothing company based in the United Kingdom that is taking note of the latter. A sustainable and Fair Trade fashion company that does not slap you in the face with their mission. Producing on trend, wearable clothing, you know that you are promoting an idea that all should adopt. Each item created promotes the World Fair Trade Organization's Fair trade principles. The sale of a garment helps to bring benefits to people in 15 countries so they can continue growing cotton, weaving, dying and stitching fabric; ultimately alleviating poverty across the world. People Tree works effortlessly to make sure all processes leave a minimal impact on the environment. Fabrics use certified organic cotton which are colored using natural and safe dyes. These are not your mother's eco friendly clothing. I am sure if you went out in the bright stripe skirt your friends are going to ask which priecy boutique you got it at. Haven't gotten on the jumpsuit trend yet? Snatch up the Emma Watson for People Tree Organic Cotton Jersey Playsuit for pennies, or about 30 bucks. You will not be wearing your cause on your sleeve, but thats because it seems like everything is sleevless. With that being said, your quiet crusade will benefit more than just your rank among the fashionistas.

Upkeep Beauty on the Cheap

At the beginning of this little bligity blog I have been meaning to broadcast to the world the merits of getting your wig cut and colored at a styling school. However there have been so many deals and steals that have gotten in between these 200+ posts. So practicing what I preach, the weekend I made a desperate appointment to get freshened up. Let me tell you it has been ages, and I have not been wanting to dole the 50+ bucks out for a new haircut. So in a recent Time Out New York article they told me to make the 1st appointment available at The Carsten Aveda Institute. And I did; my wig could not handle another day looking like it did. So I check in and my stylist in training (SIT) picks me up and is ten times more professional than some of my other experiences. We had our consultation, she started snipping away, I read about the happenings of the Bachellorette, and she consulted with her teacher to make sure everything was going according to plan. Let's just say the teacher took scissors to my hair only once. The SIT knew what she was doing. She blew my new wig out and I was ready for my Saturday night. At the end of the day, I got a faboosh hair cut for $25 including tipo. In addition to a cut you can get a facial, conditioning treatment with their aromatic products, have your make up done, and get highlights. Ladies and gents this is not a NYC specific phenomenon. Just go to any outstanding, cutting edge salon in your neck of the woods and find out if they need models. Yes models, hair models. The SITs will be at the end of their training and the teacher will be watching every snip so there really is not much to worry about. You are getting a service from a professional who is invested in doing their best job. Prices for these services are always reduced. The only problem is with your new fab do is the next time you go to get a cut your SIT prob will just be a stylist, aka prices quadruple. If you are loyal start saving, if your like me fresh start fresh style.
Image via Stevendepolo

The Gift Everyone Actually Wanted

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of FriendGiftr. All opinions are 100% mine.

We all have that awkward situation, its a friend's birthday and you need a gift in the worst way. This person maybe the hardest person to buy for. Like the time when I bought a bestie what I thought was a fabulous purse, but her disdain for the gift was rather hard to hide. Had I known about Friendgiftr, I think I would have avoided this situation and all the embarrassment. Friendgiftr, is the largest collection of both physical and virtual gift cards. Purchase them the traditional way, i.e. through their website. Do it the new way, Facebook, Mypace, Bebo, iGoogle, and Ning. Or if you are patient they will soon be available on your iPhones, Blackberries and Androids. You pick what you want; this will be a hard decision since you can buy your friend a gift card to everywhere from the Gap to Staples. Yes some of us love a good office supply shopping spree (guilty as charged). The platform for this site makes it so simple to indulge your friends and family in the gift they get to choose. The amounts start in as little as $10 and you choose when you want it delivered. So are you the forgetful one? This site is perfect for you. When that Facebook reminder comes up and you feel like a fool, just send the birthday boy a gift card through Friendgiftr. After all that trouble you may have not even knocked it out of the park. The recipient can then trade in their gift card for one they desired even more, at no additional costs. The graces of this site have dissolved one of the many stresses we have in our life, the perfect gift. Now everyone can get what they want, no induced stress.

Bringing Home the Nail Salon.

Summer months call for perfectly manicured nails and toes. They just make your tan look that much better. But you do not have the time or the money between your summer parties and planned vacations. So somethings need to take a back seat. Well next time you are in your neighborhood drug store, add a bottle of Sally Hansen Complete Manicure in your basket. Available in a rainbow of colors (pun intended) for under $8 a bottle you can stock up on all the trendy colors and classic ones for when you grow up. All 5 steps to a manicure are in the bottle. When applying, the brush fans out and one stroke covers the nail. The polish goes on smooth and dries instantly. Your mani will last the test of time. If it happens to chip, you can always fix it up. That never happens when you pay for a mani, which is often twice the price of this bottle. Added bonus, you do not have to get all paranoid that everyone is talking about you as they paint your nails.

Tastes Like America

There is nothing more American than a juicy burger. But what happens if you are outside our borders and feeling a tinge of nationalism in the form of a craving? All that shopping at Selfridge's leave you drained. Then head to Guerilla Burgers for a refuel. This burger joint will become your destination when the ex-pats crave burgers, hot dogs, and fries, not chips. Burgers start at about £5. Your patty can be beef, turkey, or a chicken breast. Add fries, regular, sweet, or smothered to round out your pleasure meal. For the good ole American try add a shake. There are other various options if you are not jonesing for a patty. There are nachos, shrimp (prawns), fish tacos, and various dipping sauces to add variety to your meal. Monday's through Wenesday arrive before 7PM for happy hour. For under £10, enjoy a cheeseburger, fries, and beer or wine. On a health kick, you can lose the bun and no one will judge. As you are throwing back an ale, or savoring your meal your foot will be tapping along to all the hits from the 60s and 70s. Piece of advice ex-pats, maybe make a reservation for next Sunday? You can pretend there are fireworks as you chow down on a juicy burger.
image via Guerilla Burgers

Adding a Pill of Flavor to Your Day

Before the skies decided to open on Tuesday with a summer thunder storm, I was supposed to be in downward dog participating the the record breaking yoga class on Central Park's Great Lawn. This great, huge event was organized by the people of Flavor Pill. Delivered daily, Flavor Pill will fill you in on all the cultural events happening around your city. They facilitate bringing the culturally savvy together. Their editors scour and comb through what your city is offering and tells you which ones you should participate in. This means everything from the obscure, to the underground, and your in the face main stream. Currently broadcasting events in New York, Chicago, LA, San Fran and across the pond in London, you can find the flavor in your city. Obviously they are expanding. There are free events, ones that cost pennies, and ones that should be for special occasions. However, there is no reason why you should not participate. For those like me trying to be more well rounded a little culture in our life is a good thing. Sometimes we meet people who want to talk about things other than which celeb is in rehab and where to find a maxi dress for under 50 bucks.

image via Laura Skwarek

Oh Yes Its Ladies Night

Yup tomorrow is the day. Hump day. Get through it and the rest of the week flies by. What if there was a way to cap off the day to make the rest of the week that much sweeter. If you are a girl, above 21 and in a 500 mile radius of New York City (ok that's pushing it, but if you are near the concrete jungle) head to Piola in the East Village just off Union Square. So every Wednesday night after 8 PM, all ladies drink unlimited wine with the purchase of an entree. This is not one of those places with a menu that fits on a 3x5 note card, Piola has a pizza pie to fit everyone's tastes. If pizza is not what you are craving, but want to throw back a few glasses, do not fret, there are other great Italian entrees to enjoy. The food is great and incredibly reasonable. I dined with 5 people and everyone's bill including tax was 20 bucks. Oh and it probably would have been cheaper had my friends not been so generous. We went for my Birthday. It was the perfect environment for a girls night out. Large dining room, festive decor; flags lined the wall, but that is probably for this little soccer thing happening, The World Cup. Piola has locations all over the country and world with various specials each night of the week. For me Hump Day Happiness as I like to call it is the best deal. But the food and experience was so good, I am sure you will see me having a pie there on an average day.

Image via Laura Skwarek

Hitting The Marc

I don't know how it took this long for me to bring this place to your attention. Oh wait, I remember now. I just found out about it. On a stretch of Bleeker street where there are more designer outposts to keep track of, there is one that should go to the top of your list. Located at Bleeker Street, between 11th Ave and Perry Street, is a nondescript Marc Jacobs store with incredibly reasonable accessories. They have everything from wallets, to bracelets and other great classic Marc accessories at rock bottom prices. This is not an outlet, this is not a sale, this is an every day occurrence. People other than myself have caught on, so sometimes there can be a line to snag one of his pieces. A friend who tipped me off, acquired a fabulous zip wallet for just 80 bucks. Hit up the Marc counter at Bloomies, and the price tag will triple. Next time you need a gift, head to the West Village, your friends will think you spoiled them rotten while you spent next to nothing.