Cutting down and Cleaning out

July 29, 2019July 19, 20193 Comments

I’ve been avoiding writing this post because writing this post means I will have to stick with it…

Long story short I decided after our move that I will not be buying any more clothes, accessories, or shoes until after July 2020. I kinda avoided telling hubby for a little while too because, again, saying it out loud would make it a concrete thing that I would have to follow through on.

I took the plunge and told him because honestly there’s nothing quite like a move to encourage you to get rid of things and question your decision of buying stuff. We did donate a bunch of clothes before the move and some after, but it really opened my eyes to the amount of things we acquired in just a couple of years.

The things I have now are things I feel like I will wear and use and love, but I really wanted to test that theory out. Do you guys have a ton of things to wear but only rotate through a few things? I know I do, so I wanted to see if I could encourage myself to wear more of things I already own.

At the end of the year the things I haven’t worn are going to be donated. I feel good and strong about this now, but I know it will get tough because I do love clothes and accessories and shoes…

I decided to do this for a few reasons:

Avoid being wasteful-I keep buying new things so I don’t get as much use out of my clothes as I could/should.
Easy to keep organized-I don’t have clothes overflowing out of my dresser/closet. This also allows me to see what items I am missing or what items I may need more of.
Buying clothes/shoes/accessories is more of a want at this point and not a need. I have enough clothes for every occasion and season. I have more than enough jackets for the winter and plenty of dresses and shorts for the summer.
A perk of not buying more stuff is saving some money honeyyy 😉
It will get the creative juices flowing in terms of coming up with outfits and pairing things up that I may not have thought of otherwise.

I have plenty of rational reasons in my head, but I am keeping my fingers crossed that I am able to stick it out and do the darn thing. I will definitely do my best at keeping you guys updated…maybe even like a monthly update?!

Thanks for reading lovely peeps! Let me know if you’ve ever done something like this and how it went? Any tips on how to get through?

Loving

July 25, 2019July 11, 20194 Comments

Hey sweet people!

I have had a few things piling up that I have been loving and wanting to talk to you about so I thought what better time than the present? Yeah?

Let’s jump right in starting with some fashion favorites 🙂

I had bought a dress from Aritzia for a special occasion that was going to be happening in the summer! I loved it, it was beautiful. Then I went to TJ Maxx and found this beauty. It’s this blushy, mauve, nudey pink color with a beautiful floral pattern and fluttery sleeves. It’s a wrap dress that cinches me nice and tight with the tie at my waist (I do wrap it all the way around instead of just tying it on the side). It is a high/low style dress which is great for a shorty like me and the best part? It has pockets!!

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Needless to say this won by a million miles and I ended up wearing it! I learned that it would have been much better for me to be patient because this dress came in under $30 while the Artizia dress was $70!

This next dress was also a steal at around $18! I found it at Target and immediately fell in love. I have a major love/hate relationship with the Target clothing section. It’s very hard to figure out my sizing there. I am usually an XS or smaller when it comes to dresses and anytime I try on XS there it can range anywhere from fitting beautifully to looking like I’m wearing a large trash bag. I am talking about within the same brand so it’s frustrating to say the least.

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I was a little nervous going into the dressing room because I knew it could go any which way, but it ended up fitting like a dream! The buttons on the dress are functional, but they don’t go all the way down. It leaves this little rectangular open space that isn’t too noticeable because once you tie the dress at your waist it all bunches and flows together.

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It feels so light and flowy and perfect for a summer day! I’ve worn this dress multiple times since I got it and have absolutely loved the versatility.

I love a good pair of earrings and while at the mall with my brother in law and his GF I found these beauties at Lucky. I love that they are hoops and have this sweet pearl detailing. I found them to be just so lovely and also very versatile. You can dress them up or down!

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Moving on from fashion to food…

Summer fruit is a current obsession…I’ve literally just been eating watermelon for dessert after every meal. It is sweet and hydrating and I find it much more delicious than just drinking water 🙂 Besides watermelon, berries have been so incredibly yummy as well…honestly any sweet, juicy summer fruit is a favorite!

Avocado toast with tomatoes on sourdough…I may have mentioned this before, but I just can’t seem to get enough. I have literally been having this with my breakfast every morning! I love the acidity and freshness that the tomato adds and with a little black pep-omg I have died and gone to avocado toast heaven!

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That is going to wrap up my favorites for now! Thanks for joining me you guys and please tell me what some of your current favorites are in the comments below. I can’t wait to chat!

Some shopping I did

March 25, 2019March 12, 20196 Comments

I love hauls, but I wasn’t sure this qualified as a haul. I recently made some purchases from Sephora, TJ Maxx, and Forever 21, but it’s a few stores and I really only got a few things.

I was needing a refill on my favorite concealer so I decided to do some online Sephora shopping and we all know how that leads to a lot of money spend on things we didn’t know we needed.

I do love this NARS radiant creamy concealer. It’s always worked for me and it looks great! It works for brightening up my under eye or concealing a spot and that’s all I can ask of my concealers!

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I ended up adding my birthday gift to this order so I wouldn’t have to go in to an actual store. As a skin care lover it was easy to pick out the Drunk Elephant deluxe sample. I’m curious to try it out! It’s also excellent for travel 🙂

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Another deluxe sample I was able to add on was this Alt-retinol from Ole Henriksen. It’s something I had looked at it before and thought it would be interesting to try, but kept putting it off because of the price tag. I’m curious to try it in this size and see if it makes a difference! Fingers crossed my skin loves it!

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I was running low on my Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery and initially I was just going to reorder more of the same, but I decided to do some looking around and found this Herbivore Orchid Youth-Preserving Facial Oil. I figured I would try it out and if my skin loved it I could keep it other wise I would just return it and find something else.

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I love that Sephora includes samples with their packages and I ended up getting this Youth to the People Face Wash and Black Opium Perfume. I’m not sure how I feel about the Black Opium quite yet, but maybe it’ll be another favorite?

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That was it from Sephora, but I did do some in store shopping at TJ Maxx and Forever 21. From TJ Maxx I picked up these fun, yellow overalls. They have pockets and I thought they would be perfect for that spring to summer transition time. They are cottony so they don’t feel as heavy as a denim overalls which I love!

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To go with my overalls I wanted to find a couple of body suits. I had actually eyed these a couple weeks prior at Forever 21, but when I was trying to figure out how to style the overalls they came back to me. I got a navy blue floral and a basic white. These were soft and very fitted!

Let me know if you’ve tried any of the Sephora items I got and if you loved or hated them! Also, body suits? Do you love them or hate them? These are my firsts so I’m curious!

Loving

December 13, 2018December 4, 20187 Comments

I love doing these posts and reading posts like this from other people! I think it’s so interesting to see new finds and sometimes I find something super useful in those posts.

I’m constantly loving all the things, but here are a few that keep coming up over and over…

Quick meals-I don’t know if I’m just more hungry then usual or I’m waiting too long to start making my meals, but fast meals to get food from my fridge to my tummy have been a major go to.

I know summer is gone, but I cannot get enough of these grape/cherry tomatoes. They are so delicious! Side note: also can’t get enough grapes…

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This dress I found at H&M…not my usual style, but I thought it was super cute and it was under $10! Whaaaaat??

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I love a good rose scent, but this vanilla and rose lotion from Bath and Body takes it to another level! It’s seriously so lovely!

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Dinner with friends is always a favorite, but I think it means a lot more now knowing that we are all going different ways come later next year 😞

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I’ve been wanting some heart earrings and these gold plated ones were too cute to resist. I actually mix them up when I wear them instead of pairing them with their twin!

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I think that wraps up my favorites! Talk to me in the comments and let me know what you’ve been loving recently! Till next time 🙂

Things I Do Before Traveling

November 15, 2018November 3, 20187 Comments

We are going to be heading out for a week long trip and that had me thinking about all the things I do to prep. I like to do things to help me get ready for the trip (obvi!) and have me thanking myself when arriving home so let’s jump in!

If we’re planning on flying I make sure that we have all our travel size necessities (toothpaste, lotion, etc). If we use something up by the end of the trip I will add it to my shopping list to pick up so I’m not running around before our next trip.

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We usually do a weekly grocery trip since most things we buy are fresh fruits and veggies and they are perishable. For the week leading up to any trip I try to use up what we have in the fridge and avoid buying or opening anything I can’t use up. I don’t think anyone likes coming home to rotting produce 😖

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As close as I can to our departure date I will do a nice deep clean of the house. Coming home after vacations can be sad and I don’t like to make it worse by coming home to a dirty house!

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This goes along with the cleaning but I wash all our last minute laundry, blankets, sheets and such. I like fresh sheets and we will probably be coming home with a load of laundry anyways so this minimizes the loads we have to do.

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I check the weather and overpack. I’ve come to realize over the years and after a few trips that 72 degrees in California is not the same as 72 in Hawaii. I tend to pack layers since I get cold very easily and I like choices so I do overpack…I know I need to work on this, but it’s so hard. Lucky for me I have a wonderful husband who has no problem packing whatever I decide to bring 😀

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That last one wasn’t helpful so much as it was me being super honest! It helps me in the sense that it gives me peace of mind, but I can’t help but feel jealous of those that can pack 1 pair of pants and 3 tops for a 3 weeks. Meanwhile I’m over here packing my whole house for a week long trip…send help!

Thanks for stopping by friends and I hope you enjoyed the post! Leave me a comment letting me know what kind of packer/traveler you are. Do you clean the house? Are you a professional light packer?

Fashion Favorites

September 20, 2018September 13, 201813 Comments

I don’t know if it’s getting older or just getting more comfortable in my own skin, but the way I look at clothing has really changed.

I feel like I could never find clothes that fit me properly or anything “in style” did absolutely nothing for my body. If it actually looked good it was uncomfortable, I would wear it once, tug and pull on it all night and never wear it again.

Recently, I have been having no issues finding clothes that work well for me. They are comfortable and cute and I am excited to wear them.

I’ve been loving dresses this past summer. It was hot and wearing anything denim, pant-related, or heavy was a no-go. Dresses were great because they were light and easy to pull on, but you still look put together and pretty!

As fall is coming I wanted to find some dresses to transition my way into fall and these next two do exactly that. Both of these fall right in middle of my shin which is a trend I’ve been loving.

This floral black one I got from Old Navy. They had it on sale for 50% off or something and I couldn’t resist. I also ended up getting a solid black version as well. I figure I can pair it with a denim jacket (once I find one) and some mules or white slip-ons and be good to go!

This wrap dress with the light denim material with the sweet floral-ish design had my heart the minute I found it on the sale rack at Target. It was $13 and I was positive it would not fit me. When I figured out the ties and got it on I was in love. I can’t even tell you how much I love this dress!

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What’s funny is that I can usually never find too many things from Old Navy that fit my petite frame and dresses at Target are pretty much the same way. I find that things are super baggy or tight around my hips/butt and hang loose around my waist/chest so I was incredibly happy to have found my dresses!

This last item is a jacket from Zara and I am completely unsure whether I keep it or return it. A part of me LOVES it and can’t wait for cooler temps to wear it with everything and everywhere. Another part is skeptical and mocking the first part.

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I have nothing like this teddy jacket. It fits big, but it’s snuggly and warm and IT HAS POCKETS. ugh.

Old Navy Haul

May 14, 2018May 9, 20184 Comments

We workout and hike and pretty active for the most part, but I never really think twice about what I throw on to go to the gym. It had been a while since I bought some new workout clothes so during a recent sale I hit up Old Navy.

I like Old Navy workout stuff because it’s comfy, but durable. There are some pieces that are not squat proof, but a LOT are so you have options! I only get leggings that I can squat in with no worries so if you’re the same these are all safe options.

Let’s jump into the haul!

I needed a basic pair of black leggings. I don’t know how I had no black athletic leggings, but I didn’t. These aren’t fun or exciting, just a staple I had been missing.

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I do have quite a few gray leggings, but I liked the mesh detail and the texture on the leg. These also felt a bit thicker so I thought they would be great for the colder months 🙂

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This tank ended up being like 5 bucks. It was cute and pink and light!

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This sports bra was just another basic that I wanted/needed…nothing exciting here!

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These leggings were nice because I liked that it had some fun print on it, but since it was in a neutral color it makes it easier to wear.

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I loved this tank because it was soft and grey and I live in soft and grey. I liked the gold lettering because it added a little splash of bling without blinging you out!

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I was so torn about these leggings because I wasn’t sure how often I would wear them. They are beautiful and fun so I ended up leaving with them!

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Oh, I also got the sports bra to match 😀

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Where is your go to place for workout clothes? Let me know!

A few recent purchases…

April 27, 2018April 23, 20186 Comments

In other words a haul…you guys, I have been out and about buying things here and there so I wanted to share with you some of my recent favorite purchases!

Friends, I am a pretty small human to be put in perspective I am 5 feet tall (5’3/4″ to be exact) and because of that I am constantly rolling up pants, jeans, whatever. It’s annoying as anything. I had been looking into buying some petite sized jeans and I invested in this Top Shop pair. I can’t remember the last time I’ve had black jeans, but these are stretchy and comfy and hit me right at the ankle 😍

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I don’t know if you guys know how much I love socks, but these were too cute to resist and at $6 for a pack of 3 there was no point in trying!

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I had been wanting a Hamsa piece for a while now and I had run into this one at Alex and Ani. I convinced myself I didn’t need it and moved on, but I kept looking for something similar and could never find one that felt right. While at the mall we stepped in and looked at it and the hubs convinced me I couldn’t leave without it. I love delicate necklaces and this one is dainty and detailed-just perfection!

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I can guarantee you I would not have bought this top if it didn’t have the tiny black hearts all over it. I am such a girly girl that I would probably buy anything with little hearts all over it😅

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I had seen something similar to these earrings a long time ago on Bauble Bar and I kind of loved them. I ended up not getting them because I am big into touching, feeling, and trying on and I can’t do that online. I found these at Target and after placing them next to my ears a few times and thinking about what I would wear with them they came home with me 😁

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I have always loved dresses more than skirts, but recently it’s been kinda reversed. I found this skirt at Cotton On and loved the color, the little flowers, and the ruffles on the bottom. I also loved that it is a wrap skirt and you can tie it up in a cute little bow!

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