Sip and Save Diva Style!

Discovered a sweet little gem of a beer.  Cariboos Pale Ale. Tastes delightful and is brewed with Pure Spring Water in Prince George, BC.  Proud to say it is a Canadian brew!  It is substantially cheaper then my normal choices of Heineken, Sleemans or Corona. Don't get me wrong... I love those brews but it's nice to pay a little less and get the same satisfaction out of something.  The bottle store near my house sells 6 pack Heinekens for about $15.00 and Caiboos go for just under $10.00!  What a steal! Prices may vary from place to place.  "They say you always get what you pay for... not always true.  I don't feel like I'm sacrificing taste when I pay less for this brew"... Hey that rhymes!


Divas 2 Cents: Whoever said it's not classy for a Lady to drink a beer needs to get with the times! Diva it up!  Pour it into a lovely Pint glass and squeeze a lime into it... Poof! you have a Ladies beer!

Dscount Designer Dealio!

Bought these precious lil diddies at Winners.  Thought I'd share them with the fashion world.  Being a Diva on a Budget is sooOOooo much fun.  Scored these Kensiegirl patented leather pumps... YES I said LEATHER... for 30 dollas!  Check out the size of the bow!!  Minnie Mouse would be sooOOoo jealous!

Divas 2 Cents:  Peruse The isles of discount stores such as Winners to find that designer deal treasure!  If you are able to, cross the border then go to Seattle and Bellingham and check out stores such as Khols, Ross, Marshalls and Fred Myers.  Don't forget to check out the Premium Outlets as well.  There is a mountain of treasure to be had at the Outlet stores!

Divas can have green thumbs too!

I have discovered that Orchids are very easy to look after.  They require very little watering and no direct sunlight.  Basically they kind of like to be neglected!  That is easy peazy for any diva on the run.  Orchids can be quite pricy ranging from $24-$40 from what I've seen... and sometimes even more!  I received a tip recently to peruse the clearance section of plant stores.  I found a lovely orchid for $12 at IGA and another one for $10 at Garden Works.  I recently adopted one from my old work because it needed some TLC.  I got my first Orchid 3 months ago and it is still in pristine condition!  They give the illusion of being difficult and oh soooOOo delicate but they are so simple!

Divas 2 Cents:  Every Diva on a Budget enjoys sweet finds and simple treasures.  Get yourself an orchid because it will cheer you up.  It is so fulfilling when a bud opens!  Orchids are so luxurious and exotic... how much more "Diva" can you get?

beentoo... the new Diamond in the Rough!

"Have you been to Beentoo?"

I recently discovered a little gem called Beentoo.  It is International Fusion meets Fast Food.  They specialize in Sandwiches and BBQ.  Their inspiration comes from Korean style BBQ, Vietnamese cuisine and Tawainese flavours.  They also have a dish I am curious to try called the Calamari wrap.  So now you can also add Greek to the menu!  I love the fact that their main side is Yam fries.  You can have a salad instead by would you!?? Especially when you have yam fries cooked to perfection.  The Yam fries seem like they may be beer battered because they have that perfect crunch and crisp.

So far I have had the pleasure of tasting 2 tasty diddies on the menu: 

The Korean style crispy chicken burger: Featured real chicken meat that was stringy... not some weird paste that you might find in a fake chicken burger.  It had that WOW crunch factor topped off with Korean flavour.

The Lemon grass chicken burger:  Featured a nice big piece of Lemon grass chicken... it had chicken for every bite!  Also had mayo, stringed carrots and daikon (the white radish )  It tasted similar to a Vietnamese sub sandwich.

The customer service is top notch as well.  The staff are super friendly.  My first visit in there they offered us complimentary drumsticks cooked in their house BBQ sauce.  It was divine!  The atmosphere is real clean.  Looks like Benkei Noodle house decor meets McDonald's... the new McDonald's of course! LOL.  I can't explain it better then that! I highly recommend you go and try it if you are into trying new things and supporting small businesses!  

They just had a recent deal where they were not charging tax so that was very enticing.  I also noticed that 2 cents from every transaction was being donated to The Children's Hospital. Brownie points in my books!  Next month they are having a deal that starts June 13 and goes for 2 weeks.  If you "Like" Beentoo on Facebook or Follow them on Twitter you can receive a free soft serve ice cream cone.

This lovely little find is located at : 552 Seymour St. Downtown Vancouver

Divas 2 Cents: It's always fun to venture out of your food comfort zone, don't knock it till you tried it.  Beentoo is Luscious food at a great value

"Don't Go To The Cosmetic Counter Without Me 8th Edition"

I just received this book for my birthday from my friend Rozi.  It was written by Paula Begoun who also refers to herself as The Cosmetics Cop.  This book is a wealth of knowledge for beauty products.  I call it the beauty Bible.  It compares products and gives you each products strengths and weaknesses.  This book has an A-Z index of almost any product you can think of... well almost every product.  The book is as up to date as it can be adding and removing products that are new or no longer relevant.   I highly recommend this book to everyone.  You will be surprised at what you will find out.  I didn't realize how many of the big companies are connected to each other.  This will definitely open your eyes about buying certain name brands when you see what companies are actually affiliated.  This book also educates you on how to read ingredients and not get sucked into misleading labels.  I haven't read the entire book yet... as it is the size of a bible...BUT I am so far impressed with its detailed descriptions and reviews.

Divas 2 Cents:  Some parts of the book are biased so you should take some of what you read with a grain of salt.  Afterall, not everyone has the same skin or reaction to a product, so for some of the reviews you should use your own judgement.

***The picture I posted is of a different edition.  I own the 8th Edition which I believe is the most recent one.

Daiso... the store that dreams are made of!

I just went to Daiso in Richmond for the very first time.... I feel like Madonna... Like a virgin... no joke!!!  It is like a dollar store on steroids!  I swear you can get anything in there for $2.00.  There are some items that cost $2.75 or $4.00... but for the most part 2 bucks is what you will pay!  I bought really nice fishnet stockings with a flower design for $2.75!!  They have over 70,000 items to choose from.  Items that are low in cost but good in quality.

They have everything from school supplies to toys... kitchen ware to beauty...FOOD!!... you name it... they have it!  There is so much nifty stuff to choose from.  The reason for my visit was a field trip.  I am taking an esthetics program and was able to find a gold mine of nail decals to use for 3D nail art that I will soon be learning.  When you have to supply some of your own tools, a place like this is goooolden!!  I am a bad sucker for packaging and everything in there is delightfully packaged in cute colorful packaging! Oh Yeah!! For all you eye lash vixens, they have an awesome selection of false lashes to choose from.  I picked up 4 pairs of lashes for $4.00... a buck a pair!  I had to hold myself back alot because of their wide selection.

It is located a hop jump and a skip away from The Aberdeen Skytrain station.  I suggest this store to anyone because there is a wealth of nice items for a good price in there.

Divas 2 cents:  If you are tired of the same old dollar store then give Daiso a try.  It is 10 times better then a dollar store I guarantee it!  They have so much to choose from and the items are not what you would expect to pay for a $2.00 item.  You have to see to believe... check it out!

TLC's Extreme Couponing

I just watched a show called Extreme Couponing on TLC.  I must admit they have excellent ways of sticking it to the big guy.  They search high and low for coupons online and in newspapers.  Somehow they manage to get things for next to nothing and in some cases even free!  I think they do go a little overboard though.  There is a fine line between living in abundance and living in excess.  They seem to cross that line because they have huge stock piles of items that could go bad and then that would be a huge waste of money.  I was pleased to see one of the people actually donating extra items that he had to charity which was very noble.  One lady had some how managed to not pay for deodorant and toothpaste for the past 35 years! That's insane!!!  Another lady dumpster dived for coupons with her child and pregnant friend which I thought to be very excessive. They shop for an insane amount of items that round up in the hundreds and then after discounts and all only pay a few dollars!  I have to hand it to them for tipping the scales in their own favour. After watching this show I did keep a sharper eye out for coupons and deals.  Not that I didn't do this before, but I was slightly inspired by their budgeting tactics.  Today I saw a jar of jam marked down 50 cents and right beside it was a manufacturers coupon for a dollar off... I was all over that like white on rice!!  Always keep your eyes peeled for those manufacturer coupons!



Divas 2 Cents:  Live in abundance and not in excess.  I recommend watching this show to get an idea of the extremes in shopping and possible savings... But to not go to that extreme of creating a huge stock piled room full of things that could go to waste.  Use the tips to buy things you need not just because it's on sale.  It's only a Sale if you need it.

A Fresh Coat Of Paint Is All You Need

Happy New Years Everyone!!  What better way to start the New Year then with a fresh slate... or even better... a fresh coat ;-)  Getting a manicure is lovely if you have the money to treat yourself... but who says you have to go and get it done professionally every time?  And furthermore... who can afford to get their "nails did" on a regular basis??  I wanted to share this little diddy with all of you.  It is called Insta-Dri by Sally Hansen.  I have been using the color polishes for quite sometime now.  Considering I am a training esthetician it is important for me to have clean nails or for my nails to be painted with no chipping.  Insta-Dri comes in a full range of colors.  It features a nice thick brush sort of like OPI but at half the price.  I like it because you can apply the color in less strokes leaving a more smooth finish.  Plus it only takes a minute to dry.  Sometimes I'll be in a rush and realize my nails need a touch up.  I can be "Gone in 60 seconds" without the annoyance of painting my nails and practicing extreme patience or nicking them out of lack of patience :D

Recently my cousins put me on to the Sally Hansen Insta-Dri            "Anti-Chip Top Coat".  You can apply it on top of any of your favorite colors and be ready to make moves in a flash.  The clear coat dries even quicker in a whopping 30 seconds!  It does however feature a smaller brush but that does not hinder the quality of the application.  It leaves your nail polish looking luscious and ensures no chipping for up to 10 days.  With double UV filters it shields your manicure from fading and discoloring.

Price: Ranges from $3.99-$6.99 a bottle.  You can grab it at any of your favorite drug stores such as Walmart or Shoppers.

Divas 2 Cents:  Keep a bottle of your favorite color near by for those last minute touch ups.  Clean hands and nails is a must and will only leave you feeling more confident and looking more professional.  Painting your nails every 2 days can be high maintenance and who really has the time for that?? Now your manis and pedis can last up to 10 days!  Being fabulous is for everyone... even for those of us who are in a rush :D