Spring inevitably means one thing, wedding season is here! I’m sure I am not the only one with some wedding related events on the calendar for the next few months, and with the fun of wedding celebrations also comes the stress of having to pick out gifts. Although a traditional couple will usually provide a gift registry, not all of us are the buy off the registry types. Whether it’s because the bride or groom is a significant person in your life or perhaps you would prefer the surprise of picking out an item yourself, I have assembled a few gift ideas that you may not find on your average registry!
2. Paper Source Custom Stamp Gift Set ($39.95): Once the bride and groom get back from the honeymoon they are going to have a lot of thank you’s to send out. Make the process a little easier and much more personalized by giving them a custom stamp gift set that they can have made with their address and name to reflect their new life and home together.
3. Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child ($22): Whether or not the bride and groom are already knowledgable cooks, this timeless guide to cooking is like a cooking school in paper form. Let them learn the basics or unleash their inner chef with this cookbook staple!
4. Glitzy Glam Initial Wine Glasses ($15 each): Although the happy couple may be registered for some fine china wine glasses, this unique and personalize gift will be a welcome treat, and well, you can never have enough wine glasses! Am I right?
5. Jonathan Adler All Occasion Note Card Set ($15): Beautiful stationery is one of those things most people don’t register for, but it makes a classic and very affordable gift. This set is a great staple to have around in case a last-minute note is needed or someone forgets to pickup a birthday card!
To be completely honest, I really love tax season because I know I will be getting my big fat refund check which is like an extra bonus to my income! I do happen to be one of those people who claims the least amount of deductions so that the maximum is taken from my salary because I am a complete weirdo who considers tax refunds to be a sort of instant savings account! I know this isn’t great tax advice and its not meant to be, but if you are like me and expecting a nice little sum of money and want to find a way to indulge, this post is just for you!
1. Spa Day!
Since you work so hard to earn that tax money you are getting back, you mine as well treat yourself to some well deserved relaxation time. You can go all out and book yourself a spa day at a high end Spa like the Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa, or you can be a little more frugal and book yourself a nice morning filled with a mani, pedi and a massage from your local nail salon. My local salon does nails, waxing and some spa treatments like massages and facials at a budget price so you don’t have to spend all your money in one place!
2. Update your wardrobe with some classic high quality staples
If you are someone who would prefer to invest as well as splurge you may want to update your wardrobe with some classic pieces that may be too costly to purchase on your regular salary. A high quality suit for work, a designer hand bag or a nice leather jacket that you know you will get years of use out of is well worth the money and will still feel like a splurge.
3. Update your home with some new furniture
For the longest time I didn’t have a complete bed, all I had was a mattress and box spring on a simple metal frame. No head board, no nice looking bed frame, just raw metal that I used to cut my toes on if I ran into the corner of my bed. Buying a real bed frame with a fancy headboard was one of the most luxurious purchases I have ever made and its one that I never regretted. So, think about what areas in your home could use an upgrade. Are you still using mostly IKEA furniture and perhaps would like a grown up desk? Maybe you have a hand me down couch and want to invest in some nice new furniture for your living room. Think in terms of single pieces that you know you will need no matter where you move to. You don’t want to get a whole new living room with multiple pieces that you may not be able to use if you move to another place with a different layout, but single items like a good couch, a good mattress, or a good desk are pieces you will be able to take with you anywhere you go.
4. Get a new gadget
If your into tech like I am, you may want to put some of your refund money towards a new gadget. Maybe you have an old laptop and could use a new one, or have a really outdated camera but think you could get good use out of a nice DSLR. Whatever your needs may be make sure you do your research. A gadget is a major purchase and you want to make sure you are getting something of good quality that will last you a few years before needing to be replaced again. Try checking out sites like newegg.com or finding a professional to talk to about the device you need. A professional photographer will have some great insight on which new camera to buy (more so than the high schoolers at Best Buy) and an IT professional should be able to tell you what specs you will need on a new computer. So seek out the advice of others before making the purchase and also check into warranty information as well!
5. Take a class or attend a professional conference
Perhaps you would like to use your windfall to advance yourself personally or professionally. Its a tough market out there and if you want to find your dream job you will need to get some important skills under your belt. You may want to sign up for a night class at a local college or an online course that will help boost your resume and gain you some useful new skills. Professional conferences as well are great places to meet new people in the field you are working in or would like to work in. Networking with others is a great way to find out about hot job openings and get insider insight on what would be required of a good candidate. I am all for advancing yourself whenever possible!
So, what do you plan to do with your tax refund check! Let us know in the comments!
My Filofax is my happy place. To me, its like a secret hiding spot that a child might find to store secrets and goodies from their day-to-day lives and retreat to when they want to be in their own little world. Since I have began using my planner(s) I have felt this huge sigh of relief in my life because I have this physical location (not inside a phone or computer) where I can keep my schedule, to do’s and all the other information that I need to keep my life in order. Since I have begun my Filofax obsession I feel like my life has had this sense of order, even if my days are chaotic, because no matter what is going on, my planner is a place where I can go to think, download my thoughts, and gather strength and inspiration. To me, my planner has this aura that I psychologically assign to it, a sort of reverence I apply to it, so it dawned upon me that I should start applying Feng Shui techniques to keep it filled with this positive energy, or chi! So, I did a little research and came up with a few little things I could do consistently to keep the positive energy rolling in to my life via my planner and since I know so many of my readers also feel this way about their planners, I thought I should share these tips with you!
1. Clear out clutter: a main principle of Feng Shui is to keep your spaces clean and neat. Positive energy can’t flow in a hoarded room, nor can it flow into a hoarded or messy planner. I regularly remove unnecessary pages from my Filofax and either discard them if they are not needed or save them in a pretty box that I use for the express purpose of achieving old pages.
2. Keep your planner open whenever possible: If you are working at your desk, keep your Filofax open, even if you are not actively using it or referring to it. This helps to clear the air around your planner and attract chi.
3. Store your planner in a clean and well lit space: Don’t keep your planner shoved in your bag or in a drawer for hours on end, leave it in a place of respect out in the open where it will not get damaged and will be like an ornament in your life.
4. Fill your Filofax with beauty and happiness: Make sure you leave pictures of friends and loved ones in your planner and keep tokens of happy memories tucked inside extra pockets or punched inside your planner. Taking notes of achievements and positive events will also help to make your planner a destination for positive energy.
It’s no secret that I have been totally obsessed with Filofax’s for the last few weeks ever since I ordered my Kikki K Planner! In case you haven’t noticed, I call any and all of these 6 ring binder systems “Filofax’s” even though the term Filofax is a specific brand. It just helps me mentally distinguish between these 6 ring binders and other types of bound and spiral planners and agendas available. On top of my large Kikki K binder that is the equivalent to the A5 Filofax size, I also have a personal sized Kate Spade planner as well that has taken on the bulk of my day to day organization. Since I now work out of two Filo’s, I have been amassing different tips and tricks that I have found helpful as a new user. Here are some of the tips I use on a day to day basis to help keep my system organized!
Use old gift cards to easily store lengths of washi tape in the card slots of your Filofax. Simply wrap the tape around the card a few times and you can have a sample of washi with you at all times.
Use A-Z tabs to organize notes by topic for easy access. I do this in my Kate Spade planner and it helps me when filing and referring back to important notes or lists.
Use colored printer paper as scrap paper that will easily stand out against the white and creme of your regular inserts. It’s more affordable than using up Filofax or any other branded note paper.
Use sticky notes or page flags to enter in tentative plans to your calendar before committing to them in ink. This has been a lifesaver for me because my plans change all the time and I hate having to scratch things out.
Mark frequent reoccurring events with color coding dots. I tend to use them in my month on two page view, but you can use them however you see fit!
Tabs and dividers do not have to be arranged down the right side of your binder. Top and even, bottom tabs are also helpful ways to break up your sections and different information.
If you want to keep your work and personal calendars separate, try using more than one calendar style, one for each so everything has a place.
Create your own divided files for any large pockets in your Filofax using notecards or card stock. This will help to keep stickers, coupons, cash and more safety organized and contained.
Using a full sip Filofax as a wallet/planner combo is a great way to minimize the bulk in your bag! My Kate Spade planner is a full zip and sometimes I will run to the store with just my planner and a few cards stashed inside along with any shopping lists or reminders!
Using a multicolor pen can help you color code without having to carry around multiple pens. The Pilot Hi-Tec C Coleto Pens even have pencil inserts.
Use a magnetic paperclip or binder clip to hold together past calendar pages to keep them contained. This also makes it easy to flip to the first clear page.
Wrangle loose or small items in a clear zip lock pocket (usually sold separately).
If you don’t decorate on the go, leave stickers and excess supplies at home. Don’t feel the need to carry around excess stationary just because its pretty.
If you have handwritten notes that you refer back to often, type them up to save space and punch them into your Filofax (you can print smaller than you write).
Archive notes and calendar pages often if you don’t need them with you. You can use a secondary Filofax to store archived pages or even a box.
I hope you have learned something new from some of these tips. Which tips are your favorite and which other tips do you rely on to keep your Filofax planner system organized? Please feel free to share them in the comments below!
True story– for the past week, I have not been feeling too hot. I’ve been hit with a wave of migraines out of left field and it has me feeling pretty down. So, what’s a girl to do? Well, for me the answer is turn my frown upside down and do whatever I can to make myself feel fabulous! So, I gave it some thought and decided on a few things that I can do to make myself feel like a million bucks. Here is my list, short and sweet!
1. Get dolled up: Sometimes just the act of doing my hair and makeup and putting on a nice outfit makes me feel fabulous because I look fabulous.
2. Wear a fashionable turban: I am completely sure that turban style head wraps are the most fabulous accessory a woman can wear (think Greta Garbo or Elizabeth Taylor). To me it screams old hollywood, full on globetrotting glamour and worldly elegance.
3. Use an obnoxious phone case:Any one of these should do! Look, if you want to feel fabulous, you need to exude fabulousness (is that a word?) and extravagance in every detail!
4. Put on some heels and learn to strut: I take this one from old hollywood starlets as well! Start walking around slow and steady like you own the room. Try it out in front of a mirror and start putting it into practice. Having a distinct walk is completely fabulous!
5. Stand tall, sit up tall, rest with your hands on your hips: Nothing says you mean business like the hands on your hips pose! Actually, this tip is something that’s been scientifically proven to make you feel more confident, and to me, confidence=fabulous! So, stand up tall, sit up tall, like you’re bigger than your actual body, and you will start to notice some fabulous positive vibes soon enough!
So, what do you like to do to make yourself feel fabulous when you need it most? Do you practice these sorts of techniques daily or only when you feel like you need a mood booster? Tell me what you think in the comments!
In the last year, I have had the opportunity to experience both the Blogcademy and Blogshop (online) courses. These two day, in person (or online as the case may be for Blogshop only) workshops are geared towards bloggers and web connected business owners who are looking for the skills and know how to stand out in the ever growing entity which is the internet! As a blogger, I was very interested in taking both of these courses, but at $750* a pop, these workshops aren’t cheap and many of you have been asking me to break down Blogshop vs Blogcademy based on my own personal experience and decide which course is the more useful one to take if you only have the money for one!
So, what are Blogshop and Blogcademy exactly? Let me break each workshop down for you in my own terms! Blogshop is a course for bloggers and business owners to learn important basic and advanced skills in the popular Adobe Photoshop software. Photoshop is a program used by many to create and manipulate images and photographs that are used for web and print, and a firm foundation in Photoshop can help both bloggers and business owners create compelling visual content for their blogs or business sites. You don’t have to own a domain to benefit from the Blogshop course, as owners of Etsy shops and other online or brick and mortar retailers will learn tips and tricks for editing product images and creating advertisements that can help their business compete in the online market place. The course mainly focuses on designing for web, however, the topic of print is brought up and one could take the skills they learn in Blogshop and apply it to print projects as well!
Now, Blogcademy on the other hand is a course for bloggers and business owners to learn the basics of blogging. In the workshop, you learn the best blogging platforms, tips on choosing a blog and domain name, how to navigate and use social media to help support your blog, tips for designing your site and creating content, and how to monetize. You don’t have to have a blog to join Blogcademy, but it is preferred that you already have a blog set up in order to use your own site as a basis for examples and exercises throughout the course. When I attended, there was a mix of all sorts of bloggers ranging from mommy blogs, to religious blogs, to health and fitness, lifestyle and fashion blogs! There were also many business owners present who were using the blogging platform to help advertise and sell their products! During the course and lessons, the Blogcademy Headmistresses (as they are known in the class) go around and give personal one to one feedback to the students to help them apply lessons to their own sites and circumstances.
So, now that you know a little bit about the two workshops, you probably want to know which one I found to be a better value for the money in terms of the skills you learn for the dollars spent? That would be Blogshop! Surprised? Not surprised? Let me break down my decision for you guys. Blogcademy is a course designed to teach bloggers how to set up, maintain and grow a blog. The thing is, this topic is one that saturates the web. There are many, many places you can find this information if you want to start a blog. Now, of course it is easier to learn this information in an organized and fun way in the format of Blogcademy, but its a much more expensive learning experience. That expense isn’t something I think most bloggers can justify if you are just starting out, and the content of the workshop seems geared to people just starting out (or at least, I thought so since I have been blogging for a while and I didn’t learn much new information). The networking aspect of the Blogcademy experience, however, was definitely the most valuable part of the workshop for me since I spent two solid days in a room with nearly 30 other bloggers with various backgrounds, interest and knowledge levels when it comes to blogging. Now, just so you understand, I wasn’t the only person in my class or who has taken Blogcademy that thought it was underwhelming for people who have been blogging for a while. I have met some awesome bloggers through the course that have expressed the same thoughts to me, so I know I am not alone. I do appreciate the fact that Blogcademy brought me together with some wonderful other ladies that I keep in contact with and bounce ideas off of, but, like I said, other than the networking, there wasn’t much there that you couldn’t learn from reading Blog Inc, 4 Hour Work Week or The $100 Startup! My second, minor gripe about Blogcademy is that the Headmistresses are only teaching you their version of blogging. I sort of figured this out on my own months after my Blogcademy experience was over, but a lot of the content of the workshop was based on their own experiences of what worked and what didn’t work, but what worked for them may not work for me. The ladies who teach the course are all amazing and popular bloggers who have been around for a long time, but the style of blogging that was innovative years ago that helped their blogs grow, isn’t necessarily innovative now that more and more people have followed that lead. I don’t want my blog to feel repetitive, I want people to know what I’m about and feel like they find something new from me every time they stop by!
Now, what made Blogshop so great? Look, I only took the online version of the class and I got so much out of Blogshop that I wish I had taken the in person class for the networking aspect! The thing that I think made Blogshop great was that it actually taught you trade skills! I learned things about Photoshop that I never knew before and I had been using the program for years! Now, I think that applying the skills is something of a personal motivation which some people may or may not have, but I feel like my blog images are improving daily because of the skills I have been putting to use. I am saving time on my blog posts, not because of the repetition and shortcuts that the Blogcademy suggests, but because of quick time savers and templates I have been utilizing in Photoshop! What I actually found pretty interesting was that Blogshop did teach you how to blog, but in such a way that you were inspired to want to create beautiful and interesting things! Even in my online course, the instructors gave you tips constantly on applying certain techniques to your blogs and creating new and exciting content.
Look, I am no pro blogger, but taking either or both of these workshops won’t make you one either. When it comes down to it, the success of your blog is determined by your ability to innovate your content and make it unique. Innovate or Evaporate! When you boil it down that is what both classes preached as the method to a successful blog or business. One workshop gave you information and examples on how to do that by using the methods they had used to get to success and the other gave you the skills to create your own. The better method is really up to you!
As usual, leave me a comment on your opinions of either or both of these popular workshops or leave me a question if you have one!
*The Blogshop Online courses are available for about $300, but the in-person courses are around the $750 mark!
I am definitely one of those people who are constantly on an on-again, off-again health kick! I feel like kale got really big as a popular health food item in the last few years so I am always trying to find new ways to use it! Kale, if you have ever tried it, is not the most inciting green in the garden. If cooked improperly, it can get… gross! Then again, if handled properly, it can be pretty tasty and very filling! Whole Foods sells a delicious Kale Salad (I cannot remember what they call it!) in their prepared foods section and it costs something ridiculous per pound, but its super easy and very inexpensive to make it yourself! I call it Lemony Kale Salad (original, eh?) because thats what it tastes like to me!
Here are the ingredients you will need if you want to give this a try!
1 Head of Kale
3 Tsp of Olive Oil
1/4 cup Lemon Juice
1/4 cup Pine Nuts
1/2 cup dried cranberries
S & P to taste
Directions: The first part of making this salad is to remove the kale leaves from the stalks. This is probably the most time consuming part of the whole recipe, but its not that hard to do! I literally take one stalk of kale at a time and pull the leafy greens off. You can cut them off if you want to with a knife, but thats probably more time consuming. When doing this, try to make sure you don’t take any large branch pieces of the stems with you, because those are particularly bitter. Next, I wash the leafy parts using a salad spinner, but you can use whatever means you have available to you!
Then, you need to steam the kale for a few minutes. I fill a pasta pot a third of the way with water and sprinkle in some salt and cover it, cooking the water on medium to high heat until the water boils. Once you see that the water has started to boil, toss in your clean leafy kale greens and cover again. Let this steam for about 3 minutes until the kale turns a bright, vibrant shade of green! Next, strain the kale and put it into a large bowl to mix. Finally, add the rest of the ingredients listed above and mix! Sometimes, to be fancy, I like to mix the liquid ingredients together in a separate bowl before adding it to the kale, but I don’t think it actually changes the end result!
I store this salad in a plastic storage container and eat about half a cup at a time as a side salad or snack! As the salad sits, the acidity in the lemon juice will mix with the cranberries, resulting in a vinaigrette-like dressing. It’s great fresh from the bowl, but will last about a week in the refrigerator as well!
Let me know if you guys try this recipe and how you like it! Its one of my favorite healthy dishes because I can prepare it in advance and eat it all week!
So, in case you haven’t noticed or you don’t read here that often, I finally caved and bought a Filofax! I feel like this decision was an inevitable one as I have been eyeing them for quite a while and actually used to use one before the age of the Palm Pilot (I swear I am not that old, but I did have a Palm Pilot at age 14)! Back then I had a Franklin Covey binder, and before that I had whatever cute ring-bound planners were available from Fashion Bug (if you are my age, I think you know what I am talking about… faux animal fur and psychedelic rainbow prints were my thing). It took me a while to feel like it was time to return to a full-blown paper planner system, though. I had been seriously testing the waters last year with a variety of different paper planners ranging from inexpensive Target planners, to Gallery Leather planners to a more stylish and coveted Kate Spade planner! All of these were nice, but inevitably only helped organize one area of my life; my schedule! I really needed something that would keep my calendar, to-do’s, random notes, my blog’s editorial calendar and so on! Truthfully, all these other planners were fated for extinction because they all had one thing in common, a binding, which meant I couldn’t move things around or add pages or sections as needed.
Now, I get it, I didn’t really have to get a Filofax to get that sort of customization. I could have used any number of apps that I already own to keep track of everything in one place, my phone! The problem with a digital system like a phone, however, is that it seriously lacks a sense of accomplishment. This is totally a personal opinion, but no matter how many lists I would make on my iPhone, or how many events I scheduled, or how many to-do boxes I tapped, I never felt like I did anything. Once you tap those check boxes and close the app, those old items go away, you can’t see them anymore! Yes, your calendar events usually stick around (unless you have to wipe your phone and you failed to back up or sync) and you can still read your old notes, but it’s just not as gratifying! The endless digital paper doesn’t feel like it amounts to much because it’s all inside your phone. It doesn’t matter if you have 1 list or 10 lists, 100 to-dos or 0, it’s all equal inside the phone!
Don’t get me wrong, I do love my iPhone and I think it does some very important things very well and things that my Filofax could never do! For instance, my iPhone is great at reminding me! It dings, vibrates, and does everything in its power to let me know when an event it coming up or to remind me about something I have to do! My Filofax, for all its wonderful goodness, will never be able to get my attention when I have lost track of time! My iPhone is also great for taking notes while I am driving through dictation which I do often! Wow, to think how wonderful the world would be if my Filofax could do that, it would be like having my own personal secretary! My iPhone also is the place I like to take quick notes when I am out and about and either (a) did not bring my Filofax, or (b) cannot pull out my Filofax because of the situation. IPhone’s are nice and discreet like this, but if the note I took is something that belongs in my Filofax, I will eventually transcribe it to its proper place!
Look, the advantages and disadvantages of digital and paper planning systems are really endless and to each their own when it comes to managing your own time. For me, for now, my Filofax and its trusty friend, my iPhone will be living and working together in tandem to help keep me and my life together!
What sort of planning system do you use? Do you use a mix of digital and analog like me, or are you all one or the other? Let me know in the comments and feel free to share any apps or planner tips that you find especially helpful!
My daily makeup routine is one that I always seem to be tweaking on a regular basis. I blame YouTube beauty guru’s for this mostly, as they always seem to have a new awesome product that I need to buy or a great dupe for this, that or the other! Recently, I have been trying really hard to stick to one set of makeup that works on a daily basis for work and life in general. Although I have a bunch of products that I like, right now these are the select few that I have been repeatedly using for the last few weeks!
Maybelline Baby Skin Primer
Bourjois Color Correcting Concealer Stick (for blemishes)
L’Oreal Magic Lumi Concealer (for under eye)
Borjois Healthy Mix Foundation
Hourglass Lighting Palette
NARs Desire Blush
Mabelline Color Tattoo in Barely Branded
Maybelline Lavender Lights Eyeshadow Quad
Covergirl Lash Blast Mascara
Revlon Colorstay Ultimate Suede Lipstick in Silhouette
And my makeup bag is from Ted Baker!
Which products are part of your daily makeup routine? Do you have any favorites that you care to share with us? Leave a comment and let us know your must have makeup!
I know Valentine’s Day gets a lot of slack for being a couples only type of holiday. I never really had a problem with the holiday because I always sort of thought of it as a time to celebrate those you love, romantically and even platonically! But I get it, not everyone has a significant other and not everyone goes out with a group of single friends to mock the holiday. For many, I’m sure its just another day. If this sounds like you, I suggest celebrating the holiday by yourself and for yourself! So, show yourself a little self love and try one of these Valentine’s Day date ideas for 1!
Order our your favorite meal from your favorite restaurant and eat it at home in the comfiest pajamas you own!
Take a seriously luxurious bubble bath, including Lush Bath Bombs, bath salts, bubbles and champagne!
Schedule yourself a message!
Take yourself out to your favorite store and buy yourself a splurge worthy gift, and make sure they wrap it up with all the trimmings!
Order yourself a bouquet of flowers or an edible arrangement and have it delivered to your work or home. Tell no one who it’s from and just enjoy a beautiful treat to yourself!
So, how will you be spending your Valentine’s Day? Let me know in the comments!
