Best Dollar Store Investment Buys

Sometimes you need to buy top-of-the-line household items and sometimes you can settle for good enough for its intended purpose. That's where dollar stores come in!  

For fun I'll share five $1 articles so surprisingly durable -- i.e. I've gotten years of unexpected use out of them -- that each one deserves to fall under the heading of Great $1 Investments: 

1) Microwave anti-splatter cover - There's no need to shop elsewhere where microwave food covers cost more money. The dollar store offers the same quality and it's as durable as any I've encountered. I only need one cover and don't know why more than one is needed, but hey for $1, who can quibble about the expense?

2) Shower comb with huge teeth - I bought a total of 3 combs for 2 teenagers and one for me to hang in my shower. I use it every day to untangle my freshly shampooed and conditioned hair. Also, I like taking it on overnight trips so I can style my hair by combing it through as I blowdryer it -- leaving my hairbrush and straightener at home. It works beautifully!

3) I found these flat stainless steel measuring spoons at an Odd Lot Trading store. 99 cents stores and Walmart also sell them. They are thin and compact, taking up little space in a kitchen drawer. They'll easily bend if abused but will last forever to measure spices, vanilla, and baking powder. They are cheap, but get the job done, so why replace them with a bulky expensive set? Heavier metal doesn't measure more accurately.

4) I needed a shoehorn and was unsure how long plastic would last but was sold on the 24-inch length so I don't have to bend so far down to slide into a pair of shoes! Turns out the plastic is super durable. I've used the shoehorn for years now and especially like the practical loop for hanging ... a feature I didn't even know I needed!

5) I like the flat, multi-sink stopper shown below👇. It's become the only type I buy for a kitchen sink, bathroom sink, and bathroom tub. I have one that stays in the kitchen and another for the bathroom. They fit all-size holes and the rubber is thick and flexible. At $1 each a true bargain!

Sometimes the best things in life aren't exactly free, but from a dollar store, they come very close! $5 well spent for 5 lasting buys!

Have you bought anything for $1 and still using it years later?

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7 Surprising Benefits of Chewing Gum

Hubba Bubba has a soft texture and long-lasting flavor

For much of my adult life, I've been a gum chewer often craving a stick after dinner. Why I really don't know ... out of habit? Another piece of personal trivia: I have yet to need a root canal and I asked my dentist if chewing gum somehow prevented my ever having to have a root canal. He said, nope. There's no proven cause and effect relationship, but cavities do thrive in a dry mouth so chewing gum does help to keep your mouth lubricated, which may be beneficial. Drinking water helps prevent cavities.

It turns out that human beings have been chewing gum since the beginning of time ... starting with tree sap. The phrase "Chewing the fat" derives from an old Eskimo practice of chewing whale blubber like bubble gum, which takes a long time to dissolve. Nowadays chewing gum is made of elastomers (rubber-like substances), resins (plant or synthetic), waxes, oils, flavorings, and sweeteners ... and chewing it may have 7 Surprising Health Benefits:

1. Chewing gum can reduce stress and drowsiness when people are working or studying for exams. There's evidence to suggest the activity can lessen anxiety and depression. Perhaps similar to exercise, movement in general, diverts and channels your immediate worries, plus keeps you alert!

2. It has been shown to boost memory in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) tests by increasing blood flow to your brain.

3. Chewing gum increases salivation to clean food particles off your teeth and fight plaque, and your saliva also carries phosphate and calcium to help strengthen enamel.

4. An ingredient in gum, xylitol, a sugar alcohol with antibacterial properties, seems to prevent ear infections in children. Brands that contain xylitol include Pur, Spry, Xylitol, Stride, Orbit, Pure, Mentors, Icebreakers, and some Trident varieties. Yet be wary of too much of a good thing: Over 50 grams of xylitol may cause diarrhea or gas in some people, and the ingredient is toxic to dogs.

5. A stick of gum after dinner can lower the acid levels in your esophagus and thus help reduce acid reflux and heartburn.

6. In 10 studies using 1,659 participants, chewing gum helped to jump-start digestion and intestinal function after surgery.

7. A small research study with 46 adults found that chewing gum improved eye focus and so helped the participants see more clearly, however, scientists will tell us it's too small of a sample to be conclusive. It is very interesting.

Dentists like the xylitol, often an ingredient in sugarless gum. They also prefer chewing sugarless to sugared gum, but say if you chew gum containing sugar make sure you chew long enough to clean the sugar off your teeth. 

I tend to carry a few packs of gum when I travel in case I'm someplace where I can't brush my teeth after a meal. Who likes to have food particles in between your teeth? Nobody, it's safe to say!

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Easy Homemade Strawberry Cake

Photo: KeyIngredient

I have a craving for a slice of strawberry cake and so decided to make one. A majority of recipes call for a box of strawberry jello, dried flaked strawberries, or 6 eggs, but c'mon ... an overabundance of ingredients to buy ... or just too eggy for my tastes. A homemade cake should be light, moist, and simple. Moreover, starting with a box of white cake mix? Fuhgeddaboudit! IMHO: There are 2 instant foods that make no sense to buy. They are: (1) instant rice and (2) cake mix since in using either one the prep isn't reduced, only the flavor. Hey, I say when you don't feel like making a cake from scratch, buy a cake from a good bakery! But finding a good bakery isn't necessary today, my lovelies, as here's an easy-peasy homemade cake recipe to follow using fresh strawberries, all-purpose flour, and only 2 eggs, items often in your pantry: 

Strawberry Cake

Ingredients:

16 ounces of strawberries: For 3/4 cup strawberry puree, plus 1/4 cup diced and mashed strawberries. You'll need to prep but can do it ahead of time. (See how-to below.)

3/4 cup sugar 

1 stick of butter softened

2 large (or extra large) eggs 
2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional: use strawberry extract if you have it).

A squirt of lemon juice (optional)
2 cups all-purpose flour 
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

A pinch of salt 
½ cup buttermilk

Preparation of the strawberries - Makes (a) 3/4 cup of strawberry puree and (b) 1/4 cup of diced, mashed strawberries: Toss about 12 ounces of strawberries into a blender to get 3/4 cup of strawberry puree. If necessary, add a 1/8 cup of water -- but strawberries are usually juicy enough. Next, simmer the mixture in a saucepan to reduce the liquid, and afterward cool the puree completely. Set aside. Dice and mash the remaining 1/4 cup of strawberries, then sprinkle a tablespoon of sugar on top, and set aside. This 2nd mixture will give your cake some chunks of strawberries in the texture. If you have extra strawberries, feel free to bump the chunks up to 1/2 cup that folds into the batter in step 5 below.

Directions:

1) Use an electric mixer to combine the sugar, butter, and 1/2 cup of the strawberry puree. Save the rest of the puree to make the frosting.

2) Add the eggs and vanilla, a squirt of lemon, and beat.

3) Mix in the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and a pinch of salt.

4) Next add the buttermilk.

5) To the batter, fold in the diced, mashed strawberries with juice.

6) Pour the batter into 2-9 inch buttered and floured cake pans.

7) Bake in a preheated 350-degree F oven for 40 - 50 minutes or until done in the center.

Strawberry Frosting:

Ingredients:

1 stick of butter softened

The remaining strawberry puree

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract (or if you have it, a sprinkle of strawberry extract)

1 box of confectioner's sugar.

Directions:

1) Mix the butter, strawberry puree, and vanilla together, and add 1 cup of confectioner's sugar at a time to the mixing bowl until you get the right consistency of frosting. Use as much of the box as needed. I simply pour it in and stir. When it thickens into frosting without being too stiff or thin, I stop. I also add drops of milk if necessary.

When I was a young child we had a man who grew and sold strawberries by walking our neighborhood and yelling, "Strawberry, strawberry, straw-ber-ry man." This cake reminds me of him, an industrious, hardworking, city farmer.🍓

On Facebook, I learned our neighborhood once had a Ragman (who rode a wagon pulled by a horse) and a Popcorn Man who came around to sell their goods. I remember having a Fuller Brush Man, a Potato Chip Man, an Egg Man, an Avon Lady, and an ice cream truck. If they came to the house at the right time, they ate lunch or drank coffee with us.🏇

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The Ocean Sapphire and Diamond Suite from the House of Mouawad has 241.54 carats of Sri Lanka sapphires and 156.61 carats of colorless diamonds total.

Today's blog is pure eye candy! One of my favorite luxury items to browse is fine jewelry, and I don't limit myself to only what I can afford. The to-die-for Mouawad jewelry suites are for sale, yet few of us could buy them. If you truly love precious gems, you want to see the top of the line. I love big rocks, especially the flawless, translucent, and spectacular color kind! Who doesn't? The benefit of living in Manhattan is I'm within walking distance of master jewelers and famous jewels ... and why deny myself the joy of seeing and sometimes trying on the pieces? After all, when I walk into the Met or Smithsonian for a look, I don't expect to walk out with a painting. It's the appreciation of beauty, as well as, quite an education! So come along and browse with me ...

The Carmen Lucia Ruby is 23.10 carats, and the Chalk Emerald is 37.8 carats.

The extremely rare Burmese ruby has a rich red color known as pigeon's blood, and the top-tier clarity and the bluish-green hue of the Columbian emerald make it one of the world's finest. Both are in the National Gem Collection at the Smithsonian in Washington, DC.

The Marie Antoinette earrings weigh 14.25 & 20.34 carats respectively, and the Bismarck Sapphire, designed by Cartier, is 98.57 carats.

Queen Marie Antoinette sent her jewelry for safekeeping to Belgium and onto her native Vienna one year before being guillotined in 1793 during France's Reign of Terror. Her nephew, the Austrian Emperor, gave the jewels to her only surviving daughter, Marie-Therese de France upon her release from captivity and arrival in Austria. The earrings may have been bought by Napoleon III for his wife Empress Eugenie and eventually ended up at the Smithsonian where they are today.

The magnificent blue sapphire on the right has perfect clarity and transparency and is the quality of sapphire we ordinary people wish we could buy! It is set with 312 brilliant and baguette-cut white (i.e., colorless) diamonds. Thankfully it is also on view at the Smithsonian for all to see.

The Divine Muzo and Pear Emerald Suite is from the House of Mouawad - The necklace emerald is 72.40 carats, the bracelet is 54.38 carats, the ring is 53.11 carats, and the earrings are 41.12 carats.

This glamourous emerald suite is not in a museum. More information about the pieces is here.

In its 300 years of history, the Hope Diamond (below) had 3 sizes and several owners including France's King Louis XIV. Later during the Reign of Terror, it was stolen and cut down to its present size of 45.52 carats. Finally, jeweler Harry Winston bought it in 1949 and in 1958 gave it to the Museum of Natural History in Washington DC, and yes siree, Bob, Louie, Harry, I've seen it!

On public display - The Hope Diamond - It had 3 names ...

Although it takes the artistry of wo/man to enhance the beauty of gemstones by expertly cutting and polishing them, as well as, a good eye for design setting, it all starts with Mother Nature, and isn't she a marvel? We also should think about the miners (and villagers) who search for, dig and extract the rough stones, and who throughout history were exploited and not paid fair market value for their finds. If we can't undo the past, certainly we can do better in the future to pay and treat people fairly. Let's take care of Mother Nature, her bounty, and one another.💎                                                   

Models of the Hope Diamond in its 3 sizes as the Tavenier at 115 carats, the French Blue at 69 carats, and as the Hope Diamond at 45.52 carats

And now, let's have even more fun. I'll select a few of my favorite pieces owned by someone and not just any random someone, but namely, Queen Elizabeth II, who has a huge, priceless jewelry collection, some of it personal and some of it falls under the Crown Jewels -- estimated value to be around $4 billion dollars. However, The Crown Jewels are not insured and therefore have never been appraised. 

The Coronation Necklace (passed down from Queen Victoria) -- and always worn by Queens and Queen Consorts to open Parlament; and the King George VI Victorian Suite -- given to his daughter as a wedding gift. Wow and wow!!

So what will you wear tonight, Debra 😁, um Your Majesty ... diamonds, sapphires, rubies, or emeralds? And oooh, which set of diamonds, sapphires, rubies or emeralds???

The Queen Mary Diamond Fringe Tiara worn with her Diamond Festoon Necklace😍; and Queen Victoria’s Crown Ruby necklace and Ruby Pendent with the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara.

Daughters, granddaughters, Debra 🤥 and the spouses of sons and grandsons get to borrow one of Queen Elizabeth's tiaras to wear on their wedding day, as well as, at special events. I'd be thrilled to simply try on my favorites if you stumble upon my blog, Your Majesty!

Burmese Ruby Tiara and the Baring Ruby necklace and Queen Mary’s Ruby Cluster Earrings; Greville Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara. P. Eugenie's emerald and diamond drop earrings were a wedding gift from the groom.

Below is Queen Victoria's Sapphire Coronet, a piece I hope gets permanently donated to a museum. Designed by Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert (about 1842), the coronet was passed on to great-granddaughter Princess Mary as a gift from her father, King George V. Her descendants sold the coronet but it was bought by a wealthy someone who allowed it to be exhibited in 2002 at the Victoria and Albert Museum. It would be sad if this piece of history forever disappeared into a private collection and became unavailable for public viewing. 

BTW, if I borrowed the gorgeous Mauawad Ocean Sapphire and Diamond Suite at the top I'd feel and look like a Queen, minus the state dinners to wear them to ... unless the Queen decided to invite me to attend one of hers. While Across the Pond perhaps my new royal girlfriend will let me take a look at those lovely Crown Jewels!😁💂

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Lawless Beauty

My friend, Angie Smith, says, " I have loved every single product I've tried and it's clean. The One and Done Mascara is the best I've ever used. The Conseal The Deal Concealer is fabulous, and so are the lipglosses." 

She's talking about Lawless Beauty, a makeup brand created by Annie Lawless Jacobs, whose mission is to produce "highly pigmented, full coverage, and long-lasting" cosmetics with only safe ingredients, therefore face and lip paints, stains, and some treatments that are 100% free of carcinogens and hormone or endocrine-disrupting toxins. Every product in the line is free of all potential toxins, including parabens, talc, lead, PEGS, sulfates, mineral oil, carbon black, and siloxanes, in addition to, animal cruelty and synthetic fragrance.

Moreover, the brand is serious about formulating high-end cosmetics to make customers not only healthy but look and feel beautiful. The foundation, lip color, concealer, and mascara will not wimp out by midday but last all day long.

Lawless Beauty is sold at Sephora, as well as, on its own website, where loyal customers can earn reward points to save on future purchases.

Another fabulous discovery of yet another stellar brand with good clean ingredients! Thank you once again, Angie!

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Let's Look At Blake Lively's Met Gala Dress 2022

Photo: Vogue

After 2 years of Covid, it's back! And ... Blake Lively's Met Gala 2022 gown, designed by Versace Atelier, was the talk of the night. It was my favorite too, so let's take a closer look. As Blake explained to the press, New York architecture especially The Statue of Liberty, was the inspiration for creating her dress, which is why the dress unfolded into two colors, going from copper to green.

Photo: Yahoo

I live within walking distance of the Metropolitan Museum of Art but have never been able to catch a glimpse of the celebrities making their entrances up the stairs because Vogue magazine, the organizer of the gala, puts up huge tents, preventing the public, as well as, the tenants who live above and across the street from the Met along 5th Avenue from seeing it, a course of action I find baffling. Why deprive us of the thrill, Anna Wintour? What is gained? 

Though I know I'll never receive an invitation to attend, it won't stop me from playing the game of picking out a dress. If I could own any dress from this year's gala it would be ... drum roll, please ...

Daisy Edgar-Jones

Also a Versace, it's understated with sparkles. For me, myself and I, I'd always want a dress that doesn't require people to follow me around arranging it ... because I don't have any people.😁 If I got more ambitious with yards of fabric, including a train, maybe friends who wanted to attend the gala would for one night, act as my people???

Of course, celebrities who attend the Met Gala are working ... there to be seen and photographed as opposed to just having fun. Perhaps they manage to do both. I don't know as I never get invited, plus from the outside, my Jane Q. Public's view gets blocked ... sheesh!

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Hermès Bolide - A Cheaper Hermès Bag

Let's get something straight: 1) Luxury buys are expensive material things we want but don't need; 2) Sometimes what we covet makes no sense to others; and 3) Different strokes for different folks: One category of pricey things can make us happy while others have little emotional pull on us. Why? Using myself as an example, why does jewelry give me joy over designer handbags or designer clothes? Oh, I could guess the reason: My father liked jewelry and on weekend errands downtown, we'd look in jewelry store windows and pick our favorites, and I sometimes got jewelry as birthday or graduation gifts, but I also hear that turkeys are attracted to and flock around shiny objects, so perhaps I'm more like a turkey than I care to admit.😀😁😂 

In honor of my father (and my) pastime, I'll show you a gorgeous diamond necklace I can only dream about buying. The stones are fancy-cut diamonds and depending on the quality of the stones likely cost over $1 million (all the diamonds must be carefully selected to match in color, clarity, and size) and it isn't its owner's favorite or most expensive necklace. It is my favorite of her necklaces, oh, yeah! I think the reason I'm posting it on the blog is so I can return here to look at it once in a while. A picture like diamonds is forever.😍 

If Hermes handbags are what attract you, but you don't want to mortgage your house, have I got a budget-friendly tip for you! There are plenty of Bolide Hermes handbags that are in excellent condition on the pre-loved market.

Whether vintage or reissues, all Hermès handbags are handmade unlike Chanel or Louis Vuitton, or a slew of other designer bags, which often are factory-made. The quality of Hermès bags is unmatched. 

As bag mavens know, Hermes Birkins tend to increase their value on the resale market due to demand and how impossible the brand makes it to walk into a retail store to buy one. 

The Hermes Bolide is a lesser-known style to the public. It has the same top quality, yet not the status of a Birkin or Kelly. If you are interested in the caliber of a bag over its status, a Hermes Bolide is an excellent, under-the-radar choice, and for this reason, costs far less.

Sometimes called the Bolide 23, the style is the earliest design of Emile-Maurice Hermes (first sold in 1923). Inspired by his visits to Henry Ford's automobile factories in North America, it was reported to be a gift for his wife who desired a handbag to carry on car rides. Moreover, Hermes saw how zippers were used for the removable rooftops of Ford automobiles, so he adopted this feature for the Bolide, patenting his innovation, which is now common. At the time, Hermes was known only as a leather goods, not a luxury bag merchant, and the Bolide 23 bags with their staller craftsmanship have endured through the years of its reissues.

The Bolide 23 is made of box leather, the original skin in Hermes's leather shop. Box leather is a rich, glossy cow's skin that holds its shape and color with proper care. If mishandled, it will scratch and isn't waterproof. Through the decades 6 sizes were produced: mini, 27 cm, 30 cm, 31 cm, 35 cm, and its original travel bag size 45 cm. The Bolide has 2 handles, a shoulder strap (and a key with clochette on the 4 largest sizes). This classic bag comes in neutrals and an array of colors.

Also, know that costing less than a Birkin or Kelly doesn't mean cheap. Nonetheless, the price is a sum many people with jobs can save up to buy unlike the $12,000 - infinity Birkins. Plus the 2nd hand market lets you avoid the Hermes retail store games of buying other merchandise before being offered a handbag. That alone is cheaper and priceless! Since the Bolide is under the radar, you'll find a reasonable price on the resale market. Customers also like carrying a bag that's understated and not as recognizable as the Kelly or Birkin.

Meanwhile, I love that stunning fancy-cut diamond necklace so much, I'd wear it anywhere and everywhere if I could afford and justify buying it. Definitely, it wouldn't stay in a box!🔹😎

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How Many Grams Of Protein Should You Eat?

Photo: iStock free images

Since childhood, we've been told proteins are the main building blocks of the body. Every body part you can think of from muscles and organs to skin, nails, enzymes, and hormones is made of protein. And, what makes up protein? Smaller molecules called amino acids that link up to form chains. These chains of proteins link into longer chains to fold into complex shapes forming organs, muscles, hair, etc. (Source: Healthline.)

According to Healthlne, the best sources of protein are meats, fish, eggs, dairy products, quinoa, legumes, and nuts.

Aminal sources of protein are complete proteins as they contain all 20 amino acids. Many plant sources like legumes have some, but not all 20 amino acids and need to be combined with whole grains (or a glass of milk) thereby also becoming excellent sources of complete proteins. Bean soup with cornbread, peanut butter on slices of whole grain bread, and hummus on pita bread are tasty combinations forming complete proteins. 

So how many grams of protein do people need to eat each day to stay healthy? Well sources differ on the amounts, but a general consensus seems to be to get at least .36 grams of protein per pound of body weight; therefore a 130 pound woman would need about 46 grams of protein, while a 160 pound man would need about 57 grams of protein per day. Another recommendation is to eat 3 meals a day with each meal consisting of 30% - 35% of your daily protein requirements.

Doctors also note: A high protein diet can help dieters by decreasing their hunger and thus food intake and calories per day. Older people may benefit by eating as much as 50% more than the recommended daily grams for an average man or woman. Pregnant women and people recovering from injuries also seem to need more protein than the average person.

Although it was once speculated that too much protein could damage one's kidneys, this notion was never supported by science, and the benefits of consuming more protein far outweigh any feared harm.

When it comes to selecting foods to eat to meet your daily protein needs, follow your tastes and preferences and mix it up. Variety is the spice of life, and by rotating food you'll likely consume all the nutrients your body needs.

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