Moki's Favorite Places to Shop both online & IRL!

I LOVE TO SHOP!

From a very young age, I loved to shop, my aunt Barbara (Barbosa to most of us)  would take me to the flea market once a week to check out the local deals and bring home some sweet merchandise without spending a lot of your sweet sweet money

So that's where and how I learned to bargain shop, I am always looking for not only the best deal but the best selection as well. I like to go into stores and see a lot of nice things, not just a few hidden gems here and there. 

So today I am going to share with you my Favorite places to shop as well as why they're my favorite and what kind of items you can find at each store! 

Favorite Places To Shop till I drop! 

Walmart!

 Walmart is like the holy grail of bargains. Walmart and I have a really special relationship when I first moved to Fayetteville I barely had anything I had a couple hundred bucks in my bank account and did not know much of Fayetteville and what stores were close to me, so when I found out Walmart was within walking distance I was super excited because up in NY  I was rarely ever able to get to a Walmart

Reasons I Love: I love Walmart because you can get everything you need you, your house and your fridge all in one place, Walmart is constantly bringing in new inventory and I love being able to go in there and see something new each time. 

Things I don't like: Customer Service is borderline terrible give or takes a few cashiers at my local Walmart, most people I encounter for help on the floor have no idea how to help me and I understand not knowing a certain department but at least direct me to someone who may be able to help me they're infamous for this line right here "Umm...I don't really know I just work here". What does that mean?! Thank God I know that store like the back of my hand now. 

Amazon

 Now I have to admit, I wasn't always a huge fan of Amazon. I didn't really start to love it until I started a free trial of Amazon Prime and Now I am in love. Being able to have things sent to me as quickly as 2-days free! UH YEAH SIGN ME UP! Plus if you decide you don't necessarily want/need these items in 2 days then you can pick standard shipping and get $5.99 credit for Prime Pantry!

Reasons I Love Prime Deals! Free 2-day shipping 

Things I don't like: There is not much that I don't like about Amazon, to be honest.For some items, the selection can be a little bit limited but other than that there's nothing I can think of if there is something you don't like about Amazon leave it down in the comments and if I think of anything I'll edit it here. 

  eBay!

eBay was is my first love when it comes to online shopping. Ever since middle school, I would buy things online and honestly I've never really been disappointed by them.  Their customer service impeccable so if you do have an issue with a seller or buyer you can ask them to step in and help. The reason they are third on the list is that the shipping times can sometimes be really long which for most items I don't mind like cheap phone cases or various other accessories. But for most things I don't  want to have to wait a month or two for things to get here

Reasons I Love: I love the variety and selection on eBay, you can literally find just about anything on there by the click of a search button. Great customer service, they will help you get money back for items you did not receive or broken items quickly and efficiently. 

Things I don't like Long wait times for some items.

Old Time Pottery!

 Now I felt a bit conflicted about adding this one to my list because I may be a little biased being that I work there but after very much thought I knew I had no idea that this store even existed before it came here to Fayetteville but let me tell you their prices along with their plentiful inventory makes it a great place to shop even better than  Walmart honestly but Walmart outranks them for me just because of the ease of just being able to grab everything in one place. 

OTP is a must visit place for home decor and essentials! 

Reasons I Love: The prices are ridiculously cheap! [ add on my associates discount and it's even cheaper] But even without the discount you'll see they are really inexpensive for good quality products

Things I don't like: Its one of those stores where it's like if you see it and love it and you can grab it grab it because it may not be here next time and once it's gone it's gone for the most part. 

But other than that I love this store! 

What To Do at Your interview

So you've followed all the tips on what you should do before your interview and now you're here and you're feeling great and prepared but you still can't help but feel a little bit nervous.

Don't worry this you're not alone I can feel completely confident all the way to the interview but once I get there I'll begin to panic even though in the back of my mind I know I got this so I am here yet again to give you some quick tips to SLAY your next interview

1. Be yourself: This is the most important tip to me. It's important to be professional but that doesn't mean you should hide your character, The employer has seen your resume and has determined you are qualified so now show them some of your personal qualities that will make you perfect for the job. 
2. Why so serious? Job interviews are serious matters but they don't have to be so serious, Be sure to have an appropriate sense of humor with your interviewer this will also give them a sense of who you are and make you stand out from every other resume they've looked at that day.  
3. It's okay to break eye contact. Sometimes during an interview, we make it such a point to make eye contact that we forget to look away for a little while I'm not saying to completely divert your gaze from them but breaking eye contact for brief moments will make you and the interviewer way more comfortable no one

So the most important thing to do in an interview is to keep calm and just be yourself. You win some you lose some and that's just how it goes. Try your best and if it was meant to be it will be 1 

Getting Interview Ready

We've all been there right ? We get that e-mail or phone call letting us know that a position we applied for is interested in seeing us for an interview and we are psyched ! So you're ready and motivated but then when you arrive there you start prepping yourself and that's when those nervous flutters kick in.

We can't help it even if part of us knows we're going to totally slay this interview a part of us gets a tiny bit nervous. Don't you worry your pretty mind about that I'm here to help with these

4 tips to completely SLAY your next interview 

1. Before you go ! The night before your interview visit the employer's site go over that job description again and have a few questions for your employer. It looks great if you have some background of the company and also shows you are genuinely interested in the company. Plus having a few questions prepared will prevent that awkward Silence after he or she asks you if you have any questions. 
2. Plan accordingly ! If you have to travel a bit to your interview make sure to give yourself more time you need for everything   you want to make sure you get there a little bit earlier than you need so make sure you map out the travel route and are confident in which way you have to go. 
3. Love what you're wearing! Sometimes we may be tempted to wear that new dress or pair of shoes to our interview which just make sense new clothes can make you feel confident but they can also make us a little unsure we tend to be more confident when we wear something we absolutely love and that doesn't necessarily mean new. Throw on your favorite sweater or shoes and know that you'll own it ! 
4. Crave opportunity not your lunch! We've already  talked about how important eating breakfast on a regular basis is, the same goes for today. Make sure you get a protein rich breakfast before you leave the house and be sure you'll be able to focus on what your interviewer is saying and not where the nearest diner is. Also pack a granola bar or handful of nuts in a baggie in your purse so you can have snack if you get a little snacky while in the waiting area. 

Most Important Meal of The Day !

Let's be real , Sometimes breakfast is the last thing on our mind We're often so busy trying to get wherever it is we are going in the morning that we often settle for a cup of coffee and whatever we can grab at the gas station.

Would you believe me if I told you Breakfast is worth you waking up a little bit earlier ?

We all know the nutritional reasons we should eat breakfast  but did you know that eating breakfast can actually affect your mental wellness as well so I'm here today to tell you ...

4 Reasons You should eat breakfast every day! 

1.  Most of us can tell the difference between the days when we eat breakfast and the days we don't, other than the lack of hunger on the days we eat breakfast we tend to be more alert more focused and more motivated. Here's why, on the days we skip breakfast our body is running on an empty fuel tank even though we might not notice it our body definitely does and therefore the only thing it can focus on all morning is finding some source of energy to refuel itself causing you to be unfocused and sluggish all day 
2. Eating breakfast can actually help you stick to your diets or meal plans. Are you trying to cut down on your snacking ? Find yourself craving junk food before lunch ? This is because like I said before your body is looking for Sugar, fuel for the energy bank , You'll be less likely to Grab that donut (or two) out of the conference room if you've had a good breakfast. Plus you can pat yourself on the back for avoiding the extra sugar ! 
3. Forming a Habit motivates you ! Having a morning routine has worked wonders on people's mental wellness and helped motivate them to do other things throughout the day. Being able to check off a tiny goal first thing in the morning will send endorphins to your brain making you happier and healthier right off the bat. 
4. Breakfast Time is family time! I understand that during the week it may be hard to get everyone to sit down at the table and share breakfast but on the weekends when everyone is taking it a little slow set up the table and share breakfast. It's a great way to not only make sure everyone has a healthy meal but also an opportunity to talk,laugh, and share how their week has went. 

Breakfast Tips 

• Try eating a protein packed breakfast : if you're on the go try eating a banana or apple with a tablespoon of peanut putter. or if you're not in a hurry prepare some eggs how you like with some tomato slices and whole wheat toast 
• Try eating breakfast three days in a row to make it a habit 
• Eating breakfast is way easier if it's setup already before you get up, prepare make a head breakfast sandwiches with eggs and turkey bacon for protein or overnight oats are a delicious breakfast 
• Don't have time to eat a whole breakfast freeze some fresh fruit in freezer baggies for DIY smoothie packs that are ready to go in the morning add CHIA seeds for some extra fiber to start your morning right ! 

I hope you guys can join me on my journey to a healthier year EATING A HEALTHY breakfast is one of my first steps I hope to achieve Keep reading for some yummy ideas that will inspire us all to eat better !