BACKPACK’S BACK ALL RIGHT

/0 Comments/in , , , , , /by
Five not-too-expensive backpacks that are totally on trend right now.

 

zara suede rucksack

 

SHOPPING AROUND | “The next thing I know you’ll be sleeping with that thing,” my husband joked recently after glancing at the Fjällräven Kånken that I’d casually flung on our bed. I know where this observation is coming from. It’s been eight months now since I purchased the mini version of this iconic Swedish backpack (originally designed in the 1970s for school children), and not a day has gone by that I haven’t used it—because it’s just that practical and unobtrusively cute.

Not a day that is until this past Monday. Read more

Loopy Mango Cowl

Got An Hour? Knit A Loopy Mango Scarf!

/0 Comments/in , , , , /by
Super chunky yarn + giant knitting needles = the coolest handmade neck warmers on the planet

il_570xN.312352187 1

 

EASY & QUICK | Got and hour? Why not make yourself (or someone you love) an arresting hand-knit cowl with gargantuan yarn from Loopy Mango. Clueless when it comes to knitting? No worries. Loopy Mango’s merino wool kits for infinity and super long scarves come complete with monster-loop yarn, giant birch wood knitting needles and instructions so explicit rank beginners will be churning out neck-wraps in no time.

Read more

Boucoup de Baggu

Frugalbits Faves: Baggu & Nutribullet

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , /by
It’s never too early to be thinking about Christmas. Here are two of our favourite, inexpensive products to put under wraps for December.

Boucoup de Baggu

PRODUCTS WE LOVE | Of course we stand behind every one of the hundreds of stories we’ve produced for this website since we launched in April 2010—we wouldn’t have done any one of them if we hadn’t thought that the information would be of value to Frugalbits readers. But some of these posts have had more impact on our own lives than others—the following two, for example. —Team Frugalbits

Read more

Puddle of olive oil

How To Remove Oil Stains From Clothes

/0 Comments/in , , , , , /by
Here is a dead easy way to remove any cooking oil stain from clothing.

Puddle of olive oil

 

THIS STUFF WORKS | Quick, which home cleaning product has grease-cutting properties as a big part of its raison d’être? Anyone who has ever watched daytime television even once knows the answer is dishwashing liquid. What I didn’t know until this past weekend is that the grease-cutting effectiveness of liquid detergent on pots and pans can also be applied to clothing. I learned this the hard way, of course, when I dropped a big glob of salad dressing containing olive oil on my A&F Bermuda shorts. Read more

Swarovski Spiral Ring

The Swarovski Is The Bling Ring To Own

/2 Comments/in , , , /by
With no more illustrious performer than Justin Timberlake furnishing a seal of approval, the Swarovski crystal spiral ring is now a must-have fashion accessory.

Swarovski Spiral Ring

 

CULT PRODUCT ALERT | Anyone yearning for a Cartier trinity ring or a set of Tiffany’s channel-set semiprecious stackers (both pictured below) will be attracted to the Swarovski crystal pavé spiral ring that featured prominently in Justin Timberlake’s recently released music video, Mirrors. And they’ll be even more smitten when they learn the price. Read more

nonwoven garmet bags

Keep Your Best Clothes In Nonwoven Poly Bags

/2 Comments/in , , , , , , , /by
Who knew that nonwoven polypropylene could actually protect your best garments from evil clothes-eating moths?

nonwoven garmet bags

 

THE FIX | I’ve done a lot of things to rid my home of casemaking clothes moths (CLICK HERE for our Frugalbits how to) but, until recently when I read about it on goop, I didn’t know that a particular material used to make clothing storage containers might actually ward off these hungry insects. According to Gwynnie and, as it turns out, a gaggle of other Internet home-keeping pundits, breathable nonwoven polypropylene, the material found in those ubiquitous grocery shopping bags, may do just that. Read more

H&M’s New Fashion Recycling Program

/2 Comments/in , , /by
First is was M&S. Now it’s H&M. Major retailers are helping to make recycling the next big thing in fashion.

Joanna Lumley Goes Shwopping

 

PERK ALERT | Shopping + Swapping = Shwopping. Last spring, major British retailer Marks & Spencer joined forces with Oxfam to offer their clientele a place to drop off old clothing inside M&S stores—and they coined the term “shwopping” to describe the idea of giving away a piece of used clothing whenever you buy a new one.

Approximately 500,000 tonnes of clothing winds up in landfills every year, and M&S is hoping to help reduce this amount by donating the worn clothing they receive to Oxfam so the charity can reuse, recycle or resell it.

This winter, H&M began a similar initiative, only their recycling program offers participants a monetary incentive. Here’s how it works: Read more

The Awesome Baggu

/3 Comments/in , , , , , , , , , /by
Why I’m replacing my cache of nonwoven polypropylene shopping bags with ripstop models from Baggu.
  Baggu Bags

 

BUY RIGHT | It was cleanup month around here so I tackled the buildup of shopping bags that had threatened to devour my closet. I don’t know how it happened, but over the past two years I’d managed to accumulate around 50 reusable polyester and nonwoven polypropylene “billboard shoppers” (so called because they often display a company logo) in every size imaginable. These shoppers are awkward and bulky even when folded and gang-bagged, and they easily turn into an unwieldy space-stealing mess when stashed in the back of a car or cupboard.

To add insult to injury, nonwoven polypropylene bags are no better for the environment than those disposable plastic bags they’ve come to replace. Read more

Five Tips For Returning Store Purchases

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , /by
What you need to know about taking purchases that don’t work out back to the store where you got them.

Woman shopping

 

SHOPPING SMART | It takes me a long time to make up my mind about buying something so I have always tended to take things home, think about them and then return them once I’m sure they’re not right for me. I do this even more since I started shopping at stores such as T.J. Maxx  and Winners where there may be only one of something so it’s best to grab it while you can.

Here’s what I’ve learned about returning merchandise back to the store where you bought it. Read more

Hello Moto

Hello Moto: Where To Find Jackets Now

/0 Comments/in , , /by
If you have been thinking about adding a motorcycle jacket to your wardrobe, now would be a good time to do it.

Hello Moto

SALE ALERT | Everyone’s favourite bad girl jacket—the moto—was a big deal on runways in this past fall, with innumerable high fashion players putting their own spin on the snaps, zippers, ribbed leather panels and belt loops that characterize this iconic piece of outerwear. Naturally ready-to-wear followed suit—and sure as Christmas rolls round in December, the purveyors of these less expensive versions have now put their jackets on sale.

If you’ve been thinking about adding a little biker chick chic to your otherwise girly wardrobe, here are a few great value motorcycle jackets we found for your consideration. Read more