Recently I attended a women's retreat that was put on by our church. They have different seminars that you can attend. I guess it's no surprise that I attended the one on organizing! I cannot get enough of the subject of organizing and decluttering and it's always fun to see another perspective.
A lot of the information was about streamlining processes in your life like mail sorting and laundry. I'm always looking to get a tidbit that will make my life efficient and also pass along to others. So I am here to pass along a little gem that she shared with us. You've probably heard of it, but maybe have never tried it.
It's just a simple little trick to determine what clothes you really do wear. As you can see from the title, just turn your hangers around. I did this last week and I'm already getting confirmation of what I thought I needed to let go. I'm using this process to further edit my summer clothes. I feel like I've got a lot of shirts but still I don't like a lot of the ones I have. How typical am I, I know! I'll be contending with these backwards hangers throughout the summer, but definitely at the end of the summer heads shirts will roll!
I'm actually surprised that something so simple can be so effective in eliminating arguments with yourself about what you actually wear. Maybe you are like me and when you change out your seasonal clothes, you can talk yourself into keeping items a little bit longer.
Has anyone tried this? I'll be honest it took me a little while to do this. I was a tiny bit smug and didn't want to admit to needing this process. Au contraire though, because The Closet Therapist needs a dose of reality too! Hopefully by the end of this process, we'll have more empty hangers and less clutter.
*** Blogger deleted this yesterday, so I'm reposting but it came through wonky. Sorry for the duplication!
Don't you love it when you find a blogger that you relate to so well that you want to invite her for lunch? Or find a blog written by someone who inspires you to be a better you, inside and out? I bet this lovely gal doesn't even realize that she is such a great inspiration to us virtual strangers. She has a what I wear daily type fashion blog but also writes about losing weight, working out, body image and self-esteem. I love that she is such a great role model to women with her attitude about these subjects. Well, enough compliments, go see her for yourself! Her blog isThe Daily Sophisticateand you are going to love her.
I love her adorable outfits she posts every day. Even if I might not wear the same things, I think that she shows how playing around with your style can be so fun. She also copies a lot of looks which is a great thing to do when you are feeling stale in your wardrobe.
Speaking of copycat, I actually showed my hairdresser her hair picture when I had my hair cut recently. My hair isn't as long as hers so I found a photo when her hair was shorter. Obviously I'm smitten! Total blog crush here.
Oh, and if you think that's funny, I also ordered one of the shirts that she had on. I'm not ashamed to admit it! Isn't it the sincerest form of flattery? It's this shirt and it's on sale at Nordstrom right now.
Who else has a blog crush they want to share? I believe that certain people resonate with us
because they have something that we might need to work on in our own life. Do you ever feel
drawn to someone and you don't really know why? Let me know how you like this blog and
Mother's Day is a hard day for me. It's doubly hard when you are trying to become a mother and have lost your mother. I want to say Happy Mother's Day to all of you, but also send a little bit of a different message.
I want to remind you that if someone in your life has experienced the pain of miscarriage, don't forget them. You don't have to celebrate with them the same way, but maybe just a hug and encouraging word. You can say that you know this day might be painful for them but you are praying that next year they will know the joy of this holiday. You can say that they are a mother in their heart.
This day is also painful for those suffering with infertility and you may want to quietly acknowledge them too with a word of hope and encouragement.
For those who have lost their mothers, this day holds a pain that is almost unbearable. When you lose your mother, you lose the person who loves you the most unconditionally in this world. There is a tremendous loss in your heart and that is the only way I can describe it. Please hug those around you who have lost their Mother! A warm, loving hug can help heal their heart today.
Today we are taking the day off from all Mother's Day activities at church. I knew this day would be hard so my sweet husband is taking me to Galveston and to a Greek Festival. I want to acknowledge this day with peace and being loving to myself.
I hope that all of you that are blessed to have your Mother will spend the day honoring her, and all of you Mothers are being honored for all your hard work. You deserve all the hugs and love that you get today too!
I've been experimenting with natural makeup and skin care products for a while now and wanted to report my findings on natural mascara. Apparently mascara is one of the harder items to replace from traditional ingredients. There are issues like smudging and not being a good replacement for old favorites in the way it performs.
I had been a repeat buyer of Loreal Voluminous mascara when I decided to stop buying pricey department store brands. I think the result is great from Loreal, but I decided to see if I could find a more natural alternative. Ironically, now I'm back to buying pricey mascaras!
Who knows how much a mascara really affects our health, I mean I don't like to be extreme. However I do believe an accumulation of toxic products can't be good for us, especially when we use a lot of products with chemicals every day that soak into our skin.
I could have written about this mascara a long time ago, but in the interest of research I tried a few more and now know that I have absolutely found my favorite. First I'll tell you about the others that didn't cut it for me. Physician's Formula can be bought at the drugstore which is great and has the right price but there were no other redeeming qualities. The packaging is really bulky, the mascara smudged terribly, and it wasn't volumizing at all. Overall, a big fat no, and I even took it back to the store to return it. I couldn't even bear to finish the tube.
The next one I decided to try, Zuzu Luxe, was handy to buy because I could pick it up at Whole Foods. I'm using it right now and it's an ok mascara if you like a more natural look. I would compare it with Clinique Glossy Mascara. I have to layer it though to get the volume that I want and even though it does layer well, I can't be bothered with all that work.
It seems to come off ok with my cleanser which is one of my big requirements for mascara. I don't like seeing eyelashes coming out every night on my washcloth. In short, Zuzu Luxe doesn't smudge and I would recommend it for the person who wants natural looking lashes.
Finally, drum roll please, my favorite mascara is by 100% pure pictured above, which I have tried it in black tea and blackberry, a plummy color. The first thing you will love about this one is that it smells fruity when you put it on because it's pigmented with fruit! The second is the beautiful silver container. It's the little pleasures in life that make me happy! I really didn't want to like this mascara the best because of the price, but I'm a believer and will be ordering more. I'm excited to try more of their products, but only when I finish up my latest project of course. (I've already finished 9 products!)
If you are looking to try a natural mascara and want to try this one, I have good news for you! This weekend they are having a promotion for free shipping so it's a perfect time to try out this or some of the other fab products. I have also tried their concealer and bubble bath and I am a fan. If you are curious about what makes this mascara so special, you can see how awesome this ingredient list is below.
FRUIT PIGMENTED
MASCARA
100% Natural, 100% Vegetarian
100% natural mascara lengthens, separates, thickens and glosses lashes with fruit pigments and Black tea pigments. Lash conditioning ProVitamin B5, Vitamin E, Oat and Wheat protein conditions for healthier lashes. Gentle, all natural, good for you formula is suitable for everyone, even if you wear contacts or have sensitive eyes. Water and smudge resistant.
Colors: Black Tea - blackest black - 0.32 oz / 7 g Blackberry - shimmery black plum - 0.32 oz / 7 g Blueberry - shimmery blue black - 0.32 oz / 7 g Dark Chocolate - shimmery black brown - 0.32 oz / 7 g
Ingredients: Organic Green Tea, Vitamin E (a-tocopherol), Honey Beeswax, Contains All or some of the following Pigments: Blackberry, Blueberry, Black Tea, Grape Skin, Pomegranate, Acai Berry, Boysenberry, Blackcurrant and Raspberry, Oat Protein, Wheat Protein, Provitamin B5, Seaweed Powder, Coconut Stearic acid, Mica (for shimmer in the Blackberry and Blueberry), Cocoa Butter, Pearl Powder, Rice Powder, Cacao Powder and Powdered Coffee Beans, Lavender Honey, Extracts of Oregano, Thyme, Rosemary, Lavender and Golden Seal
So lovely ladies, I'm curious if you are concerned about all the junk we are putting in our bodies and on our faces too. I've been a part-time granola in this area, but whenever I have the opportunity to buy something new I always try to make a better choice. I don't want to spend lots of money to do it though, and will shop the aisles of Whole Foods first looking for a solution. Have you seen the video below about cosmetics? I'd love to hear your opinions!
