Look Your Best This Back-to-School Season with GlassesShop.com

Disclosure: This review has been sponsored by GlassesShop.com. All opinions are mine alone.

There are so many positive traits I have been able to pass along to my children. A love of reading. A flair for French cooking. An ability to think calmly under pressure. Unfortunately, a keen sense of eyesight is not amongst them. From the moment a second-grade parent-teacher conference culminated with the suggestion that I was squinting to see the blackboard in class, I was destined to be a glasses-clad gal for life.

My earliest experience with smart looking frames was dismal. For decades, glasses for children were classified under two camps: librarian or reporter in training. So under the direction of my grandmother, I was given a stunning pair of red, thick, plastic frames, set off by a dazzling pair of coke bottle lenses. I was the envy of every Sally Jessie Raphael wannabe of the tween set.

Nowadays prescription glasses come in a myriad of hip, trendy, options for those of all ages. The only issue? The price hefty tag. Add to this the fact that going to an optometrist’s office, especially with a family or children in tow, can be well, inconvenient.

I mean, you have to schedule an appointment, take time off of work, drive across town, fill out forms, wait endlessly, only to culminate your experience by having a brief rendezvous with the tonometer, or as I like to call it, my scientifically proven inability to keep my eyes open while small gusts of high-powered winds are blown over my eyeballs. And it is at this point, with your hard earned eye prescription in-hand, are you are finally able to purchase your next pair of overpriced glasses.

Thankfully there are other options for purchasing your next pair of prescription glasses. Providing you have a valid eye prescription, you can opt to simply order glasses online, delivered right to your door and, best of all, for under half the cost of retail from the GlassesShop online.

Launched in 2004, GlassesShop is an online optical store that provides fashionable eyewear at affordable pricing. Not only does this site offer prescription eyeglasses, glasses, and prescription sunglasses for the entire family, but GlassesShop offers their commitment to offering customers 100% prescription accuracy, a free scratch proof multi-hard coating, and unbeatable savings to the public.

As I began to browse their selection, I immediately noticed that GlassesShop site makes it easy for customers to navigate and narrow down their collections within minutes. Whether shopping for plastic or metal, men’s, women’s or kid’s frames, what you need is only a click away.

In full disclosure, I knew I would be keeping my eye out for a full rim, plastic, black frames that would add a little style and pop of color to my current fall capsule wardrobe and would also be summer-clad when paired with clip-on sunglass lenses. I was jazzed to quickly find the Goddard, a frame that is stylish, simple, and will be perfect for the back-to-school season!

1) Ordering glasses on the site is super simple. First, determine your frame dimensions by comparing your frame of choice to your current frames digitally. The main frame of the site allows you to select your new frames, and then select the compare button, which will give you the option to view your new frames and fit on your face through a virtual try-on of your glasses. You can select glasses based on frames as well as lens color too.

2) Next, add your selection to your cart.

3) Once you’ve decided on your frame, you’ll be asked to confirm your glasses usage; whether your lenses will be used for reading, work, driving, etc.

4) Then you’ll need to supply your prescription information.

5) Next, you’ll need to provide your pulmonary distance to finish your lens makeup.

6) You’ll then be asked to chose your desired lens coating. Following this just place your order and just sit back until your new frames arrive!

Not having seen my new frames in person, I had reservations as to the quality of the glasses I would receive. However, my frames arrived within one business week, and I found my frames to be identical to those that I have purchased previously in retail.

I also appreciated the thicker frames, longer lenses, and sturdy arms and hinges of my frames. Not only were my glasses trendy the frame sizing also helped to cover up the thickness of my lenses beautifully. This was a huge bonus in my book.

With the sun shinning high here under southern skies well into the fall, these glasses have definitely become my favorite new fall capsule wardrobe accessory!

What can be better than this? The Goddard, is currently priced at only $29.99, including the single vision lenses, anti-scratch coating, protective case, microfiber cleaning cloth, coupon offer for 30% off my next order, and shipping, is an excellent value considering that even with vision insurance, my last set of glasses cost well over $120.00!

If you are still on the fence about the GlassesShop, consider this: this site offers their customers a chance to get their first pair of glasses completely free. And what savvy saver doesn’t love free?

Also, should you need additional sets of frames, glasses, or prescription sunglasses, GlassShop also currently has a special coupon code GSHOT50, which can save you 50% off on eyeglasses and sunglasses with free lenses (sale frames excluded).

If you’re looking for a complete pair of accurately prepared and crafted lenses and frames at low prices, with the convenience of shopping in your slippers, with stellar customer service that will go the extra mile to ensure you are completely satisfied with each and every order, then you owe it to yourself, and your wallet, to mosey on to the GlassesShop today.

So tell me, everyone, what style of glasses are you most interested in checking out from GlassesShop today for your own back-to-school styles and upcoming fall capsule wardrobes? I’d love to hear about them below!

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Natural Dental Care with Himalaya Botanique

Disclosure: I received this product for free from Moms Meet, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. The opinions posted are my own.

One of the biggest challenges I’ve faced in running a zero-waste household has been to find natural products for my home that are both natural in makeup and eco-friendly in packaging. Especially when it comes to finding natural dental care products. From wasteful plastic toothbrushes to toothpaste with questionable ingredients, it’s hard to sort through it all and find the ideal products! That is why I was excited to try the natural dental products by Himalaya Herbal Healthcare.

For my review, I received a variety of products from Himalaya Herbal Healthcare – namely their entire line of Himalaya Botanique toothpaste as well as a bamboo toothbrush, a sari bag, and personal care bag.

What I liked about Himalaya Botanique Complete Care Toothpaste Line:

For the past few weeks, my family has been testing out the various types of Himalaya Botanique Complete Care Toothpaste. While it’s no secret that I’m on a continual hunt for good oral care products at home. But then again who isn’t? Dental bills can be expensive and it’s in my current season of life that I can appreciate all the cost my grandmother put into considering my oral health, and it’s this same consideration that I give my husband and my little one as well!

There’s also the issue of my own teeth and gum health, which as we know, can become more and more an issue as we age. So the natural route for oral care products is the only way to go for me.

In terms of the Himalaya Botanique toothpaste, I was impressed that they offer so many varieties of their Himalaya Botanique toothpaste. As per my own past experience, when I have found natural oral care product lines that I like they tend to only come in only one or two natural toothpaste varieties. The varieties I received from Himalaya Botaniqueto review include the Complete Care toothpaste in Simply Spearmint, Simply Peppermint, Simply Cinnamon, and Simply Mint as well as the Whitening Complete Care Toothpaste in Simply Mint and Simply Peppermint.

Another bonus for me? The Himalaya Botanique whitening toothpaste whitens your teeth naturally with pineapple and papaya enzymes!

In terms of cleaning power, this line also features pomegranate extract to really deep-clean teeth. Each time I’ve used this line, particularly the whitening variety, my mouth feels so refreshed afterward! I also haven’t suffered from any noticeable gum irritation, my breath feels fresher, and I’ve enjoyed using these products greatly! Even my child, who generally shies away from what she calls spicy toothpaste seemed to enjoy this line as well. Due in part to each product including Xylitol, a natural sweetener that also helps build tooth enamel. Like my little one, I enjoyed the taste of the toothpastes and found each paste to taste like mild, natural versions of their namesakes. Each without heavy, overwhelming tastes or chemically-laden or and heavy alcohol after tastes.

A few other points worth mentioning with this line is that they are:

Help promote healthy gums
100% Vegetarian
Free from Parabens
Helps to Removes Plaque
Helps prevent tooth decay
Helps to naturally reduce gum bleeding and inflammation
Refreshing taste
Long lasting fresh breath

Himalaya Herbal Healthcare also put a lot of thought into their packaging. The toothpaste packaging is made with 100% recycled material, is printed with soy-based inks, and their toothpaste cartons can be composted. Which as we live in a zero-waste household, all of these points are a huge bonus for us!

Overall, I love what Himalaya Herbal Healthcare offers. I love that they offer such a great variety of effective and affordable natural dental products. Perfect for every household and budget, with products priced affordably at only $5.99! So, friends, I encourage you to check out this awesome natural line and to connect with Himalaya Herbal Healthcare below. And if you currently use a natural toothpaste product, I’d love to hear about that as well below!

Connect with Himalaya Herbal Healthcare:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube

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How To Make A DIY Patriotic Pallet Ball Game

Disclosure: This shop/post has been compensated by Collective Bias, INC. and The Coca-Cola Company, all opinions are mine alone. #CokeDGSupportMilitary #CollectiveBias

Saying thank you to our members of the military in our community is a standard practice in our home. After all, it’s the least we can do for those who defend our nation’s liberty and freedoms. This practice of gratitude for our men and women in the Armed Services is very personal to me.

You see, my husband, Daniel, is a former Sergeant in the United State Army and a veteran of foreign war. When it comes to honoring our veterans, it’s a matter very close to my heart and I take pride in honoring my soldier every chance I get. Especially each Summer season.

I believe a lot of people feel the same way during the Summer season too. Which is why I am so excited to share that everyone can go online and send a thank you to service members through the USO! Please join Dollar General, the USO, and Coca-Cola™ by helping them reach the goal of sending 25K messages of support to our nation’s service members and their families this summer.

The message you send will go directly to service members around the world a simple way to say ‘thanks’ to those who serve our country with dedication and honor each day. I love simple ways to say thank you so the Dollar General, USO and Coca-Cola partnership is the perfect simple way to say thanks to those who serve our country with dedication and honor each day. So don’t forget to send a message of support to the military and be sure to click here for more ways to support the USO!

Another way we love to show our soldier how much we appreciated his service is by purchasing products that support our active military. I recently made a trip to Dollar General to pick up the exclusive 5-can limited edition series highlighting: Veterans, Service Members, Military Spouses, Military Moms, and Military Dads.

I love the new packaging highlighting different people connected to the military, I had to collect all 5! I was able to find the exclusive 16-ounce 5-can limited edition series cans at the end of my local Dollar General’s Beverage Section in a limited edition glass Coca-Cola case. My favorite can is the Veteran one because it reminds me of my husband, Daniel.

After my trip to Dollar General to pick up the exclusive 5-can limited edition series featuring the Veteran, Service Member, Military Spouse, Military Mom, and Military Dad cans, I went home to plan a little surprise dinner to go along with our weekly family game night. I decided we would put together a super simple spread of Caesar Salad and Gumbo, both of which feature my husband’s favorite smoked Summer recipe, Cajun Smoked Chicken Breast. I also thought that a family project to go along with our family game night would be a blast, so we elicited Daniel’s help to create a DIY Patriotic Pallet Ball Game. Here’s how we put everything together.

How to make a DIY Patriotic Pallet Ball Game:

Materials Needed:

1 Heat-treated pallet
3 Game balls or bags (per person playing, in different colors)
Jigsaw
Jigsaw blades
Pry bar
Large cup or bowl
Measuring tape
Pencil
24 2-inch galvanized nails
Palm sander
Fine-grit sander sanding pads
Red, blue, and white acrylic paint
3 foam paintbrushes
Microfiber cloth or dust pan and whisk broom
Glue gun
3 Glue sticks
6 Wooden Star Shapes (optional)
Cardboard or newspaper.
Acrylic Spray Sealant (optional)

How to assemble the Patriotic Pallet Ball Game:

1. Disassemble The Pallets: Using a jigsaw, cut the pallets apart until they are fully disassembled. Carefully remove any old nails with a hammer or pry bar as needed.

2. Build The Frame: It’s worth noting that these frames won’t be regulation size but they are packed with vintage charm. To build each frame, use the pallet’s notched side boards. Then measure, mark, and cut these into sections into (2) 39″ pieces and (2) 21″ pieces. Assemble the pieces into a rectangle, placing the 21″ boards inside the two 39″ pieces. Secure with galvanized nails.

3. Clad The Game Frames: Measure and mark the flat pallet boards at 24″ across, then cut with a jigsaw; a miter saw can also be used for this step. Then using galvanized nails, attach boards atop the frame until completely filled in.

4. Add Legs: Using scraps from when you cut your flat pallet boards, measure and mark each board to create legs for your game frame at 10″ long, and then cut one end at a 90-degree angle and the other on a 15-degree angle. This will allow your game to stand above the ground for easier playing distance. Then using galvanized nails, secure the legs to the top corners of each frame, with the angled sides facing down.

5. Cut Out Your Hole: Mark the spot for your game board’s center playing hole’s location by first measuring horizontally to find the center, at the 12″ mark, and then drop down vertically about 6″ from the top of the board to make another mark. This marks where the top of the hole will go. Finally, trace around a 6″ diameter bowl or large cup with a pencil and cut out your circle with a jigsaw.

6. Prep Your Game Board: Using a palm sander and fine-grit sandpaper, sand the rough spots of your game board surface so the game balls will slide a bit when they hit the boards. Dust off boards after sanding with a microfiber cloth or whisk broom and dust pan.

7: Paint Your Game Board: Paint two coats of red, white, and blue acrylic paint to your game board, allowing one hour to lapse between coats. You can add spray sealant to finish your board if it’s to be kept outdoors uncovered or in high-humidity areas. Once our game board was dry we added painted white wooden stars to our board, which were adhered to the gaming surface with a hot glue gun and glue sticks. Once dry, position your game board in a shady, backyard location and it’s time for a game!

Daniel likes to play the DIY Patriotic Pallet Ball Game with juggling balls, but feel free to use bean bags, dried corn filled bags, balls, or whichever item you and your family feel most comfortable playing with. Then while Daniel was busy creating our DIY Patriotic Pallet Ball Game, and then playing a few fun rounds by himself and later with the family, and everyone just loved playing! Meanwhile, I started prepping out smoker so we could both start making dinner.

Here’s how I made our Smoked Cajun Chicken Breasts:

1) Start with a clean slate: We start each smoking session by thoroughly cleaning his electric smoker by pressure washing the inside of the main barrel the night before cooking and allowing it to air dry overnight.

2) Marination is key: The night before smoking session we like to marinate our chicken breasts. We do this by first removing any excess skin or membranes from the underside of each breast. We then create a fresh marinade of fresh garlic, ginger, spices, and one 12 ounces can of Coca-Cola. Then the breasts are added to the marinade, covered with plastic wrap, and refrigerated overnight.

3) Prep for success: An hour we start smoking, we assemble the smoker and set the external thermostat to 200 degrees Fahrenheit; you’re looking for a low and slow cooking process. For added flavor, we use Coca-Cola soaked hickory chips (that have been soaked for up to one hour in Coca-Cola) to the internal smoking boxes. Filling each box completely before placing each box inside the smoker’s furthest bottom compartment. The Coca-Cola gives the chips a deeper, sweeter flavor. Remember, while smoking chicken breasts to be sure to replenish your wood chips hourly while to ensure even heat and consistent smoke. A quick tip: adding an additional 12 ounces can of Coca-Cola and any leftover marinade to the internal smoking infusion bowl will help to keep even moisture to your ribs while smoking.

4) Give it a rub: My husband is a Memphis-style BBQ man. So to keep our soldier happy we add a rub mixture to our chicken breasts before smoking. After removing the chicken breasts from the fridge, and allowing them to come to temperature on the counter for ten minutes, we pull the breasts from their marinade bath, pat them breasts dry with a clean kitchen towel, and rub each slab with a Cajun seasoning blend.

5) Check your chicken breasts hourly: your breasts will need to cook for 2-3 hours. Check your breasts hourly. You’ll know your breasts are done when they reach an internal temperature of 203 degrees Fahrenheit and have a visible smoke ring around the entire perimeter of the each breast.

6) Resting: When your breasts ribs are finished, remove them from your smoker and let them rest an additional ten minutes on a cutting board before cutting into each breast.

To finish our dinner, after letting our smoked chicken breasts rest, I used the Smoked Cajun Chicken Breasts to create our entree of Cajun Chicken Gumbo, here’s how we made it.

How to create the Cajun Chicken Gumbo:

To begin, add equal parts olive oil and flour to a skillet.
Stir together for 5 minutes over medium-high heat to create a buttery brown rue.
I then added my rue to my pressure cooker.
I then combined stewed tomatoes, diced green bell pepper, Cajun seasoning, chicken broth, chopped celery stalk, salt, and pepper to the rue in the electric pressure cooker.
The gumbo then cooks on high for one hour.
After an hour, I add diced smoked chicken breast chunks and andouille sausage to our gumbo.
The gumbo is then cooked for an additional twenty minutes and served immediately.
You can serve your gumbo over steamed rice, cornbread, or serve with a baguette. We prefer our gumbo in summer as is!

We then paired our Gumbo with a Smoked Chicken Caesar Salad. Here’s how we made it.

How to create the Easy Chicken Caesar Salad:

In a small bowl, whisk together all of the Caesar Dressing ingredients (linked below).
Store in a glass and chill for one hour.
To assemble your salad, place your romaine lettuce in a large bowl. Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat.
Serve with salad croutons and additional cheese, if desired.
Quick tip: Caesar dressing can be made ahead of time, jarred, and stored for up to a month in the refrigerator!

Right before sitting down to dinner I arranged the smoked chicken, gumbo, and Caesar salads onto an informal military-themed table scape. It added a little cheer to how we would be able to celebrate our soldier this day. We loved both the Gumbo and Caesar Salad.

These chicken breasts lent a sweet, smoky flavor to both dishes and we the perfect pairing to the exclusive 5-can limited edition Coca-cola military can series from Dollar General. We then spent the next hour playing rounds with our DIY Patriotic Pallet Ball Game and just had a ball!

While my family loves to celebrate our soldier at home with family game nights, DIY game boards, and awesome smoked dinners (which the recipes for both will be listed below) there are tons of other ways to celebrate military families and veterans in your own community as well. Some other ways you can help support military families are:

Write to the military member. Currently, you can join Dollar General, the USO, and Coca-Cola in writing digital thank you cards to service members here!
Is a family traveling to see their service member? Give them a gift card for food on their trip. Offer to pet sit or water their lawns while they are gone. Help them help their loved ones serving.
When a service member is deployed, military spouses often become single parents. Help deployed military members by checking on their spouses and children.
Honor veterans in your area by taking them freezer-ready meals that they can eat at their convenience.
Call you local USO office and see what volunteer opportunities are available in your area.
Know an elderly veteran? Ask them about their days of service. Sometimes listening is the best way to give back to those who served our nation.

This is how I honored my soldier this past week. With the 4th of July just around the corner, I know I will be back to Dollar General to pick up more of the awesome exclusive 5-can limited edition series highlighting: Veteran, Service Member, Military Spouse, Military Mom, and Military Dad cans for our next family game night at home.

Friends, I encourage you all to check out these limited edition cans as well as to help Dollar General, the USO, and Coca-Cola™ reach their goal of sending 25K messages of support and thanks to our nation’s service members and their families this patriotic summer season! Now I have to ask, how will you be spending your 4th of July celebrations this summer and how will you be honoring your soldiers, veterans, and active military at home this patriotic season? I’d love to hear about it below!

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How to save for vacation after you have a baby

Disclosure: This review was made possible by iConnect and Luvs. I was provided compensation to facilitate this post, but all opinions stated are 100% mine. You can read my full Disclosure Policy here. Thank you.

If your family is anything like my own, you know how hard it can be to create, let alone maintain, a family budget. Especially if you are a mom of littles or with a newborn at home. While there are numerous ways to savvy around your home when you have a baby, from buying second-hand furniture and crocheting cloth baby essentials, but when it when comes to saving for long-term pre-baby funds, such as a vacation, it may seem complicated to find ways to budget in for such a big ticket expense!

Having a baby doesn’t mean vacations are off the table. Quite the opposite. Vacations can prove to be the much-needed relaxation moms need to recharge from days of caring for others and can serve as ways to not only bond with your family, but to allow your children new places to explore, cultures to be exposed to, and cuisine to try. So the only thing stopping you and your baby from enjoying a bit of much-needed R&R is just a few clever budget-savvy strategies to get you to your desired port of call quicker than you may think! Here are five ways to help get you started.

1. Dine in: Did you know that according to the National Consumer Council, Americans spend triple the cost of cooking meals at home each time they eat out and that the average American spends $1,100.00 a year dining out versus cooking at home. Which is easy to consider as the average fast food meal for a family of four can total easily over $20.00! However, if you dine in at home and following strategies such as meal planning, cash envelope trips to the grocery stores, and zero-waste bulk shopping for household goods you could literally save thousands of dollars each year. Then put those saved dollars to good use by taking the difference of what you spent dining out from your actual grocery bill and placing those funds into a vacation-specific account at your local bank for one year, imagine the trip you could go on with you and your baby next Summer!

2. Be your own Barista: In my early 20’s it would not have been uncommon for me to spend upwards of $10.00 a day on a morning and afternoon frozen coffee at my local cafe. A cost of nearly $3,600.00 a year. As a wife and mom, this is an expense I couldn’t justify in my current season of life. Being your own barista at home, creating your own coffee drinks can help you not only save hundreds of dollars a year but also help you keep dozens of needless plastic and styrofoam cups from entering landfills each year. With each cup of coffee, you make at home, allocate $1.00 to your ongoing vacation fund and see just how quickly the cost of getting a cup of joe out can save you!

3. Declutter your home: Consider clearing your home of unnecessary clutter. Think unused furniture, duplicate small appliances, and even outgrown baby clothes and gear. Then sell your unused goods on Facebook local sales sites, Craigslist, or eBay and add the proceeds to your growing vacation fund. A decluttered home will help you focus on saving for your vacation, but more importantly, give you more time to spend with your baby in lieu of cleaning and organizing your home!

4. Flexibility is key: Once you have your vacation plan in place, remember to be flexible with your vacation details. Consider getting the most bang for your vacation buck by:

Be flexible with flights. Fly midweek instead of on the weekend; fly with stops instead of direct. Small changes like this can save you hundreds of dollars per trip.
Travel off-season. Book flights and rail tickets just before or after peak season when prices are rock bottom.
Think outside the box. Why are the most popular destinations so expensive? Because everyone goes there. Looking for a beach but Costa Rica’s a little pricey? Try Nicaragua. Love to go to Paris but less than thrilled with the expenses the city of lights hails? Try Provance, Saint-Lo, Normandy, or Marseille instead. Think regional. Travel to your favorite country and then take the train to Paris for the day. You’ll save upwards of half the costs of traveling to higher sought-after destination pricing for vacation.
Skip the chain hotels. I rarely stay at big expensive brand hotels. They offer very little value, and there are many better alternatives available. Why spend $150 a night when $50 will get you the same thing? A few of my favorite lodging alternatives include bed and breakfasts or check out sites that offer competitive hotel booking bids for local cost hotel stays.
Take free tours. Sure, you could pay a sightseeing service for the standard tour. But in major cities around the world, free walking tours show you the city’s highlights and teach you about the culture. You also meet cool, smart, genuinely nice people along the way.
Book last-minute. Airfare costs tend to skyrocket when reserving at the last minute.But not for cruises. Crusie lines looking to fill to capacity rooms will offer deep discounts 2-3 weeks before ships leave port.

5. Buy Luvs: Luvs understands how important family time is, and they want to help you save for vacation by offering you a $2.00 off print-at-home coupon. Luvs is already a super affordable way to save money when you’ve got a baby. Having high-value coupons like this is another way you can save! You can tally up the amount of money you save each month using money-saving coupons and grocery rebate apps and transfer that amount to your ongoing vacation fund as well! Put those extra dollars that you save by buying Luvs in your vacation fund, and it will add up quickly.

Not only can Luvs help you save for your vacation while having a baby, it can also help you have a better piece of mind at home too! Luvs Ultra Leakguard Diapers with NightLock Plus™ are softer and more absorbent than before, with large stretch tabs for easy fastening, ultra-leakage protection, and a money-back guarantee. Luvs, the official diaper of experienced parents, provides features babies and parents need for less cost than premium brands. If you find that you’re not happy with Luvs, they offer a money back guarantee! That’s a win-win in my book!

Remember, your $2.00 print-at-home coupon is good for up to 30 days after printing, so be sure to print and redeem your coupon before it expires! Also worth noting, you can use the coupon anywhere Luvs are sold, and its good on all Luvs products, except for trial and travel sized packs.

So savvy-savers, those are five ways you can save for upcoming vacation with a baby this summer. So friends, do you have a vacation planned this summer or fun budget-friendly tips for new moms to save for upcoming vacations? I’d love to hear about them below!

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My Summer 2017 Plus Size Capsule Wardrobe

If you’re anything like me then the start of each new season signals the need for a wardrobe change. Especially for someone like me, because when it comes to fashion and style, I’m all about practicality. Which is why as part of my zero-waste, minimalist home I maintain seasonal capsule wardrobes. Specifically a plus-size capsule wardrobe.

For those who may be wondering, the concept of a capsule wardrobe was first coined by London stylist Susie Faux in 1972. Faux’s original minimalist capsule wardrobe sought to turn a modest number of four-season wardrobe staples into a budget-friendly, utilitarian, classically-styled wardrobe. The original capsule wardrobes consisted of under 33 wardrobe pieces for the entire year.

Decades later sites such as Un-fancy and Project 333, extrapolating upon Faux’s original capsule wardrobe model created capsules which now contained 33 and 37 pieces per season. Newer models contend that users can change out, replace, maintain, or add new pieces seasonally, allowing the individual style of users to emerge within four capsule wardrobe changes. For this reason, I went with Project 333‘s model for capsule wardrobes.

Still, the most compelling reason for capsule wardrobes? Each piece of the capsule wardrobes stands to make the wearer look their everyday best. Capsule wardrobes completely de-stress you. Image getting dressed each morning without having to second guess yourself one single time. Oh and you save a lot of money- think not having to go shopping for three straight months! With that said, in my experience the modern Capsule Wardrobes have not only helped me re-think my wardrobe, they have completely changed my outlook on getting dressed each morning. No longer do I dread outings, fearing I will have nothing to wear. Now I look forward to getting dressed for my day. I now have a WAHM wardrobe for success. Amazing. Epic. Change.

So, let’s delve a little more into the capsule structure:

What’s in a 37-piece wardrobe: tops, bottoms, dresses, outerwear, and shoes.

What’s not included: workout wear (items that are strictly worn to the gym, walking, running, etc.), pajamas, loungewear (again items only are worn around the house), hosiery, bathing suits, socks, foundation garments, unmentionables, accessories, jewelry, and handbags.

What does a capsule wardrobe represent: We’ve all done it. We buy fun new clothes, but end up wearing old favorites? Me too. Ever go to your closet and feel like you have nothing to wear, even when your closet is filled with clothes? Me too!

Capsule Wardrobe End Game: To me, a capsule wardrobe represents more time and energy in your morning for what really matters, and less time spent deciding what to wear, more money spent helping others, and most importantly, more personal contentment happiness, and positive body-image.

How to start a capsule:

I start with my shoes. I feel like shoes are the foundation pieces each outfit should be built upon. Typically each season I like having about 7-9 pairs of shoes per season. Typically I’ll have three pairs of flats, three pairs of heels, and three pairs of boots, if seasonally appropriate.
I plan my bottoms. I like having nine bottoms in each capsule: three pairs of jeans, three pairs of capris or skirts, and three pairs of slacks. I use the “rules of 3,” because I like having one casual pair, one statement pair, and one in-between pair, per category, per season.
I then add in my tops. I allocate room for 15 tops. Again, I utilize the Rule of 3’s for Fall and Winter each year. I will have three sweaters, three t-shirts, three button-up shirts, three tank tops, and three-hankie vests. This changes in Spring and Summer as I live in the deep south and utilize lighter layers and tees on a more consistent basis through October each year.
Sprinkle in outerwear. I leave room for four jackets, coats, or dresses, which of course seasonally changes- in winter I might have four jackets, and in summer I encapsulate one jacket and three dresses. For summer capsules, I use those spaces for extra accessories such as hats and clutch purses.
I end with accessories. Whatever room I left I add in those many numbers of accessories to my capsule.

Prep and clean your space:

I start by cleaning out my closet. Every last piece comes out. I then dust my shoe sleeves, closet rod, and sweep out my closet doors and floor.
Then it’s time to purge. I go through my clothes, donating or selling back to Thredup all items that were not used nor longer fit correctly.
All remaining clothing is sorted into two other piles, love it and will wear it again next season.
Each item in the keep pile is laundered, folded, and stores according to fabric requirements.
At this point, anything left in your closet should be your LOVE IT clothes. Clothes that fit just right for a church, vacation, work, and social outings.
You should then reaccess what you have and what you need to purchase. Buy only what you need with lasting, classic wardrobe staples.
Finally, hang up your 33 new seasonal items in your closet.
After this point, a shopping hiatus is in place for the next three months.

Two quick tips:

Use all matching hangers to make your wardrobe look more cohesive.
Arrange all items by order of length. With longer items toward the left side of the closet, descending in length to the farthest right side of your closet. This creates clean visible lines for your wardrobe.

When to start a capsule each season: Typically for me, I start planning my capsule two weeks prior to the start of the next season. I write down the pieces that will be in my new capsule and to make sure I have everything on my list. Should I need to acquire a piece, I give myself two weeks to purchase the items, as most of my clothing is purchased online. Give yourself time, and grace, to form each new capsule wardrobe. Especially starting out.

With the official start to Summer just around the corner, I recently switched over my Spring Wardrobe to my Summer Capsule and I wanted to share my current 33 pieces. So, here’s what currently in my Summer 2017 Plus-Size Capsule Wardrobe:

Tops:

8 graphic tees (some not shown; stored in dresser)
2 babydoll tees (coral and mint)
1 white poplin shirt
2 white short sleeve tees (not shown; stored in dresser)
1 pink tank
1 white short sleeve light-weight sweater.

Pants:

1 pair white cotton capris
1 pair white boot cut jeans
1 pair light wash ripped jeans
1 pair light wash ripped denim capris
1 pair khaki capris
1 pair wide leg linen slacks
1 pair dark wash jeans
1 pair dark wash wide leg jeans
1 pair black slacks

Shoes:

White and jute espadrille sandals
Coral wedge sandals
Snake print thong sandals
Tennis shoes
Brown flip flops

Accessories:

Coral 3-in-1 scarf/coverup
Summer Straw Hat
Canvas tote
Vera Bradley wristlet

That’s my wardrobe, and so far I love it. I can honestly say that the once minimalist experience is now a lifestyle—and I’m all the better for having done so. While I’m still in the process of losing 80 pounds, I know that each season’s capsule will vary greatly, as my weight loss journey continues. I love that each capsule gives me the ability to look great while my body size changes over time.

Now, friends, I have to ask, have you tried capsule wardrobes? I’d love to hear about what you will be wearing this season below!

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7 Tips For Living With Less Plastics at Home

Plastics. Is it possible to live without them at home? This is a question I’ve been often asked since becoming a zero-waste minimalist. A question that is ever present on my mind today as it’s my family’s first no-plastics anniversary.

Now it goes without saying that while I choose to live without the intentional purchasing of plastics, I’m not a zealot. I recognize how hard it is to avoid plastic completely in this day and age. Many of us need to use a phone, drive a car, or work at a computer in our everyday lives, and all of these items tend to have lots and lots of plastic components within them. While I personally envision life completely without plastic as the end goal for our family’s lifestyle and household, I understand that it is not necessarily the possible reality for today for most.

It’s not about deprivation but rather about creating and implementing a household standard of being as low-plastic as possible!

Despite any initial challenges presented, there are numerous things that anyone can do to live with fewer plastics that will drastically reduce your plastic footprint on the environment and help you live a happy, healthier life. All it takes is a little awareness and initiative on the daily.

So you may be thinking, how do you start living without plastics? Well, there are several things that are relatively easy to implement right away. Simple changes you can start today in your life, your community, and beyond.

Here are 7 Tips to Live With With fewer Plastics

1. Avoid 3, 6, and 7 plastics: There is no need to be eating or drinking toxic plastic residues. Identify the type of plastic your product is by looking at the recycling symbol molded on the item. Every plastic product hosts a number from 1 to 7, which is surrounded by three chasing arrows that form a triangle, that helps you to identify it’s molecular makeup; these symbols are often located along the bottom of the product itself. The three following plastics are both very damaging to your health and the environment. Here’s why:

Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC #3): An extremely toxic plastic often containing multiple unsafe additives, including lead and phthalates. Still used for some toys, clear food and non-food packaging, including all forms of cling wrap, squeeze bottles, cooking oils, and many peanut butter jars.
Polystyrene (PS #6): Contains styrene, which is toxic to the brain, nervous system, and various organs. This chemical is used in Styrofoam containers, egg cartons, disposable cups and bowls, take-out food containers, and plastic cutlery.
Polycarbonate (Other #7): Contains bisphenol A (BPA), which has been linked to numerous health problems. This chemical is used in some baby bottles, sippy cups, sports water bottles, juice and ketchup containers, large water storage containers, most metal food can liners, and all plastic resins. Including patio furniture!

When I first became a low-plastic household a year ago, these products were the first to be recycled as I couldn’t donate these products in good conscious. I replaced many of these items with glass replacements, including mixing bowls, measuring cups, and all plastic cups with a plethora of mason jars. I haven’t regretted this decision once.

2. Refuse plastic bags: This goes for grocery shopping and refusing all single-use disposable plastics. Remember, plastic bags are often used for minutes only before being discarded. Bags which are rarely recycled. Bags which ultimately end up in landfills where they take hundreds of years to break down. Bags which cause soil and water table toxicity while decomposing. A simple way to remedy this? Use reusable bags. Especially for produce.

This is such a simple way to reduce your household’s carbon footprint as there are tons of reusable bags on the market, including uber cute, affordable ones. Another bonus? Many stores, including Target, will give shoppers a small discount on purchases for using reusable bags. I personally use a myriad of bags, everything from canvas bags to mesh produce bags, which gives me peace in knowing that with each trip to the store I’m not adding to the world’s plastic waste epidemic.

3. Avoid bottled water: This is one of my favorite ways we’ve reduced plastics at home. As a family, we no longer purchase bottled water. Instead, we use our own reusable water bottles or mason jars when we go out and about. This has helped out family avoid chemicals such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET #1) – which contains the toxic metal antimony. It has also allowed us to prevent 1,065 plastic bottles (3 bottles per 3 family members, per day) from landfills and downcycling last year alone. My bottle of choice? Reusable glass bottles.

4. Use non-plastic containers for food: One of the biggest changes we’ve made as a low-plastic family is replacing all plastic ware with mason jars. We love them! We use them for everything. This includes lunches, leftovers, freezing, storage, take-out, traveling. Everything. I can’t stress how much I love mason jars and want you all to not underestimate the utility of the ubiquitous mason jar. They are affordable, come in all sizes, and are truly one of the best reusable food storage options on the market!

5. Carry your own non-plastic cutlery and straw with you: Plastic disposable cutlery and straws are among the worst plastic pollution culprits. Like bags, single-use utensils are usually used and quickly thrown away. Plus, common plastic cutlery, especially at take-out places, is made of polystyrene, known human hormone disruptors.

As a family, we’ve had to get into the habit of carrying your own cutlery with us in lunches and even leaving a set in the car for spontaneous snack sessions. Again, lots of options are available on the market, with everything from stainless steel straws to antimicrobial reusable chopsticks and cutlery set, often priced under $7.00 on Amazon!

6. Buy in bulk: This might surprise you coming from a zero-waste minimalist, that I live in a very, very small town (think Mayberry) without any co-ops, health food stores, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Fresh Markets, or Targets. Literally, we are three hours removed from any such store. So living an intentional and sustainable life has been quite a challenge for us as a family when it comes to buying foods at our local grocery store.

One of our workarounds for this has been buying food in bulk from our local Sam’s Club. Foods which contain plastic wrappings, though much less in comparison of purchasing single-use products locally. We make every effort to buy items in bulk including products such as baking goods, cleaning supplies, personal care products, hardware items – anything that may come in single-use plastic packaging. Our local club even allows us to buy ground coffee in bulk using mason jars!

While this isn’t plastic-free shopping, as we recycle all our product packaging from most bulk shopping trips, we have reduced our plastics by ninety percent while shopping, and at bulk buying centers you can purchase goods sans any sort of bag at all, which is perfectly in line with our low-plastic household ideal. It’s still a win in my book!

Now for those who do live in areas with more bulk shopping options you’re in luck! You can check with your respective stores to see if you can bring your own jars with you to be tarred and refilled in-store to eliminate plastics entirely. Also, some stores may be hesitant to allow you to do so. Just remain persistent.

7. Replace what you can: My biggest tip for living a low-plastic lifestyle? Simply look around your home and see what plastics you can replace easily and affordable. Do you have a slew of plastic shampoo and conditioner bottles sitting by the tub or in the shower? Find a brand you like and try and get it in bulk. You can eliminate plastic deodorant containers by using baking soda for deodorant. What about your toothbrush, comb, and hairbrush? Wooden options exist with bristles made of bamboo. Plastic razors? Replace with safety razors that over time can save you upwards of 95% over retail pricing! Every little bit helps!

So, I say all that to say this- Have fun living with less plastic – don’t let the enormity of the plastic problem get you down!

Sure, plastic waste is a huge problem, and it is a real drag that chemicals are coming out of plastics and being eaten and absorbed by people and wildlife all over the world, but remember, waves of change are in motion all around you, and you are part of a community of people who are committed to using less plastic.

Change can be as simple as educating yourself and those in your home about the about the damage caused to health and the environment by plastics, especially single-use and disposable products. So have fun with your plastic-free journey – be innovative and creative in looking for new ways to express your life without plastic. You can do it. Flawlessly.

Friends, do you have tips for living with fewer plastics? Be sure to leave your tips in the comments below!

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Ways to Honor Your Soldier This Memorial Day ( & Smoked Curried Cajun Ribs Recipe)

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #USOCarePacks #CollectiveBias

While Memorial Day traditionally marks the beginning of summer for most in this country, for our family it means so much more. It’s not just a time for families and friends to come together for a barbecue and enjoy the first long weekend of the season, it’s also a time for my family to honor the man I admire most in this world, my husband Daniel.

You see, my husband Daniel has worn many hats in his life, including a son, student, musician, educator, husband, father to many, but most importantly, veteran and former Sergeant in the United States Army. So it goes without saying that as a family, we always take time each Memorial Day to reflect on how blessed we are to not only be able to get together with our loved ones on that beautiful spring day but that our soldier came home to be able to share in these glorious days of summer.

Did you know that Memorial Day originated from Decoration Day, a day when people honored soldiers who died in the Civil War by placing flowers on the graves of memorial park headstones but was later expanded to all the men and women who have died in military service after World War I? Making Memorial Day one of the longest-celebrated federal holidays in American history.

As a family, we chose to remember the significance of the day, as well as to honor my husband, veterans, active servicemen, women, and the fallen, in a myriad of ways. We do this first, by flying our American flag in front of our home. Did you know, according to flag etiquette, the flag should be raised at half-staff from sunrise until noon and then on full-staff for the rest of the day. Before noon, with the flag at half-staff, we remember those who died in wars; in the afternoon we praise the living veterans and those who continue fighting for liberty and justice for all.

We also honor our soldiers by thanking any and all veterans we know for their service while visiting our local WWI Doughboy Memorial and attending our local Memorial Day parade. We also make a point of keeping our military history alive by asking my husband to recount his days of service and by observing the National Moment of Remembrance, where we pause for one minute at 3:00 p.m. (local time) each Memorial Day, to remember and reflect on the sacrifices made by many to ensure American freedoms.

May is also Military Appreciation Month. So another way we appreciate our soldier’s military service is by giving back to military service projects. One of our favorite military charities is that of the United Service Organizations Inc., the USO, a nonprofit organization that provides programs, services, and live entertainment to United States service members and their families. The USO strengthens America’s military service members by keeping them connected to family, home, and country, throughout their service to the nation.

Currently at Sam’s Club, during the patriotic 6 weeks of summer, Coca-Cola™ & Sam’s Club are working to connect club members with USO charities. Families like my own can help honor our soldiers by purchasing specialty USO-labeled Coca-Cola Classic cans 35 packs, new Mini Can Coca-Cola Classic 30 packs, and Diet Coke 35 packs.

When you purchase these packages you help to send military care packages overseas, and Coca-Cola is hoping to donate 3000-5000 USO packages overseas this season. When I saw these USO Coca-Cola and Diet Coke 35-packs in-club at Sam’s I made sure to pick them both up! I knew these awesome USO 35-count packs would be a perfect way of honoring my soldier this Memorial Day, by giving him his favorite summertime meal, smoked baby back ribs, and Coca-Cola!

My husband is nothing if not a connoisseur of all things smoked and grilled. So today I’d love to continue to honor my soldier’s love of the flame by sharing his famous Smoked Curried Cajun Ribs recipe. These ribs are always a crowd-pleaser!

Here’s how to make Daniel’s Smoked Curried Cajun Ribs:

Start with a clean slate:

My husband always starts each smoking session by thoroughly cleaning his electric smoker by pressure washing the inside of the main barrel the night before cooking and allowing it to air dry overnight.

Marination is key:

The night before cooking he also makes sure to prep his ribs. He does this by first removing any excess membranes from the underside of each slab of ribs. He then marinates his ribs in a simple blend of fresh garlic, ginger, spices, and one 12-ounce can of Coca-Cola. He then adds the ribs to a glass bowl, drenches the ribs in the marinade, covers the bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerates the ribs overnight.

Prep for success:

The next morning, an hour before he intends to start smoking, my husband starts the day by assembling the smoker and setting the external thermostat to 200 degrees Fahrenheit; you’re looking for a low and slow cooking process. For added flavor, Daniel uses Coca-Cola-soaked hickory chips (that have been soaked for up to one hour) in his internal smoking boxes. Filling each box completely before placing each box inside the smoker’s furthest bottom compartment. The Coca-Cola gives the chips a deeper, sweeter flavor.

Remember, while smoking ribs be sure to replenish your wood chips hourly while smoking to ensure even heat and consistent smoke. Then while the smoker is coming to temperature and the chips are soaking, he finishes prepping his ribs inside.

A quick tip: adding an additional 12-ounce can of Coca-Cola to the internal smoking infusion bowl, as well as the remaining rib marinade, will help to keep even moisture in your ribs while smoking.

Give it a rub:

My husband is a Memphis-style rib man, so he likes to add a rub mixture to his ribs before smoking. So after removing the ribs from the fridge, and allowing them to come to temperature on the counter for ten minutes, he pulls the ribs from their marinade bath, patting down each slab to remove excess moisture with a paper towel, and then rubs each slab with Cajun mustard.

He finishes seasoning the ribs by coating each side of his slabs with his DIY curry rub blend; the mustard acts as both a moisture barrier and helps the curry rub stick to the ribs. He then lets the ribs rest on a cutting board for ten minutes. He then adds the ribs to the smoker and smokes them for six hours.

Make the most of your downtime:

While the ribs are a low and slow cooking process, they do require an hourly inspection. So while the ribs are smoking my husband loves to sit on our patio playing with the kiddo and pets, or one of his favorite hobbies, juggling; he’s pretty adept at most forms of juggling including balls, rings, and clubs. It’s a great way to pass a lazy summer afternoon away while grilling out and smoking food for friends and family.

Check your ribs hourly:

Here you can see the overall progress of the ribs smoking at thirty-minute segments for a total of six-hours-you’ll know your ribs are done when they reach an internal temperature of 203 degrees Fahrenheit and have a visible smoke ring around the entire perimeter of each rib slab.

7) Enjoy your smoky success:

When your ribs are finished, remove them from your smoker and let them rest an additional ten minutes on a cutting board before cutting into each slab.

To finish this dish, I added sides of curried carrot and snap pea salad, fresh lemon wedges, lemon pepper couscous, and of course, an ice-cold can of Coca-Cola!

These ribs are amazing, and affordable, and make the perfect pairing with the USO Coca-Cola 35-count packs which can be found in-club from Sam’s Club. Even better, this recipe can be made ahead of time, refrigerated, and reheated in an oven or toaster oven at 350 degrees Ferenheight for 10 minutes, served immediately.

I encourage you all to check out the USO Coca-Cola 35-count packs next time you are in-club or consider donating online to the USO to help join Coca-Cola in donating care packages to military soldiers overseas, and if you’d like to make Daniel’s famous Smoked Curried Cajun Ribs, as a way of honoring your own soldier at home this upcoming Memorial Day weekend, well I’d like to think I can speak for Daniel in saying that would be pretty awesome too!

Now, friends, I have to ask, how will you be honoring servicemen in your own life? I’d love to hear about it below!

Here’s to the brave, and may they always keep marching along,

Daniel’s Memorial Day Ribs Recipe

Serving Size:

Time:

8 hours and 30 minutes

Difficulty:

Easy

Ingredients

6-pound bone-in pork ribs
3 cups Coca-Cola soda
1 cup Flavor God dry ketchup seasoning
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
6 tablespoons chili powder
4 tablespoons ground black pepper
2 tablespoons dry mustard
2 tablespoons dry curry powder
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon Kosher salt
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cajun seasoning
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon marjoram

Directions

Place the ribs into a large baking dish.
Pour 2 cups of Coca-Cola over them. Reserving one-third cup of the soda for a sauce to be made later. Cover the pan securely with plastic wrap and let the ribs marinate in the fridge overnight.
Pour the remaining 1 cup of soda into a blender or food processor and add the ketchup seasoning, brown sugar, chili powder, pepper, dry mustard, cinnamon, and dry curry powder. Blend until smooth.
Put the ribs in a roasting pan that has been coated with cooking spray, brush liberally with part of the sauce, cover the pan with a lid, and refrigerate for one hour.
Add the ribs to the smoker. Smoking for six hours-checking every two hours. The initial temperature of the smoker should be 225 degrees Fahrenheit, cooking the ribs, until tender.
To finish, pull the ribs out of the smoker, selling aside for 10-15 minutes. Serve with vegetables and cous cous.

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Here are 7 Tips to Live With With fewer Plastics

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Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #USOCarePacks #CollectiveBias

Here’s how to make Daniel’s Smoked Curried Cajun Ribs:

Start with a clean slate:

Marination is key:

Prep for success:

Give it a rub:

Make the most of your downtime:

Check your ribs hourly:

7) Enjoy your smoky success:

Daniel’s Memorial Day Ribs Recipe

Ingredients

Directions

Sharing is Caring:

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