MONEY SAVING TIP :: PLANTER SAUCER

Don't you hate it when you're watering your plants, forget that there are holes on the bottom of the pot, and realize there's now a giant pool of water trickling from underneath?  This not only dirties up the bottom of the planter, or chance ruining your hardwood floors with a pool of water, but it's also bad for the plant.  Having a plant sit in water will cause the roots to rot (aka your plants will die).

While replanting this snake plant, I had a small genius moment.

Instead of buying a new saucer, why not put to good use an existing household item that would've otherwise been collecting dust in your cabinets (i.e. a chipped plate, wide bowl or a large pie tin)?

I placed the snake plant in a plastic pot that came with holes on the bottom.  I added a plate to the bottom of the white planter.  Then, add the plant on top.  To finish off the look, I added some moss filler on top to cover the dirt.  This also helps hide the pot from peaking out of the planter.

This tip is especially helpful when your potted plants are nested in woven baskets where water will leak out of the bottom of the basket.

PLANT LOVE

Plants make me happy.  I have plants in almost every room in the house.  A little excessive?  Probably, but there's a good reason for that.

HOW TO END JUNK MAIL FOREVER

One of the easiest ways to stop clutter from entering your home is to refuse junk mail.  The weekly coupon mailers, sweepstakes scams, AARP membership sign-ups (when you're only 35), and countless credit card applications can really add up to a lot of unnecessary waste.  The average American household receives 848 pieces of junk mail per household, equal to 1.5 trees every year.  That's a lot of junk and not to mention, the number of trips to the dumpster.

While you can wait for the junk mail to pile up on the kitchen counter before deciding to throw it into the recycling bin, just say "no" by eliminating the clutter before it begins.

JANUARY DETOX

Happy 2018!  There's nothing like starting off the new year with a new perspective.  That means creating a cleaner, more organized and peaceful home.

Speaking of new perspectives,

CALLING ALL MINIMALISTS :: WHICH TYPE ARE YOU?

The minimalism movement has grown in the last few years, as Marie Kondo and the likes have sparked an international trend to only keep what you really love.  I'm a firm believer of decluttering and being mindful of the things we bring into the house. 

BIG NEWS

First, I’d like to say thanks to all of you who have been following my blog since I started last year.  It’s been a humbling experience being able to share my thoughts on how to implement a minimalistic lifestyle through fashion, beauty, and home.  I wasn’t expecting much when I started this blog.  

A YEAR-ROUND MINIMALIST WARDROBE

Luckily for me, living in Northern California where the seasons don't change too much makes it easy for me to transition my wardrobe from spring/summer to fall/winter.

THE ZERO CHALLENGE :: COFFEE TO GO

I often get asked about how one can start to reduce their waste and become more minimalist.  So, I'm starting a new series called "The Zero Challenge" where I will occasionally share ways to swap out using disposable products to reusable ones.  Creating zero waste has never been this easy.

5 WAYS TO BE ZERO WASTE AT THE DRY CLEANER

I wrote a few blog posts ago about an at-home dry cleaning method that I use (here) for two reasons:

1.  Save money from expensive dry cleaning fees, and 
2.  Avoid the use of harmful dry cleaning chemicals on my clothes.

However, I do take an occasional trip to my local dry cleaner to launder and press my husband's dress shirts.  He prefers his shirts extra crisp.

Here are 5 easy ways you can make your dry cleaning trip a zero waste success:

10 NON-TOXIC NAIL POLISHES TO OBSESS OVER

Image Credit: @wildheartedesther

A good manicure and pedicure is such a nice little luxury.  But before you splurge on your next trip to the nail salon, you may want to think twice before selecting your nail polish.

A MODERN, ECO-FRIENDLY PERFUME

Image Credit: @wildheartedesther

Beauty columnist for The New York Times Bee Shapiro created Ellis Brooklyn fragrances with the environment in mind, from the packaging and formula to the final product - the definition of luxury for a new generation.

HOW TO SAVE MONEY WITH THIS AT-HOME DRY CLEANING METHOD

2015 - Maximizing my cost-per-wear by dressing down a silk dress with sandals

Dry cleaning clothes can be harmful on people, the planet, and not to mention - your wallet.  The liquid solvent used at 85% of all dry cleaners, called perchloroethylene or "perc," has been identified as a possible human carcinogen.

MY CURRENT MAKEUP ROUTINE

Photo Credit: Esther Lu

A few weeks ago, I had briefly lost my makeup bag at a wedding.  My mom later found it and was able to get it back to me two weeks after.  During those two weeks, I thought I had lost every piece of makeup I owned and scrambled to replace them.  Then, it made me wonder.  Did I really need all of this?  I started evaluating each item that I was about to replace.

HOW TO BUILD A CAPSULE (OR MINIMALIST) WARDROBE

Have you ever stood in front of your closet and felt like you have nothing to wear, even though your closet is filled with clothes?  Me too.

(ALMOST) ZERO WASTE HOME :: CLEANING

In the past, I used a variety of cleaning solutions (i.e. bleach, Windex, Scrubbles, Comet, Draino, Clorox wipes) that I thought kept my house clean.  I remember my eyes would tear up uncontrollably and my hands started itching every time I cleaned.  I thought "maybe I'm just allergic to cleaning...or dust."  

NATURAL BEAUTY PRODUCT :: SUMMER GLOW WITH AN ORGANIC SELF TANNER

As a true California girl, I love a bronzy tan.  I grew up slathering tanning oil and then baking under the blazing sun.  Now that I'm older (and slightly wiser), I steer clear of sunbathing (skin cancer, age spots & premature wrinkles), tanning beds (overexposure to UV rays), and traditional self-tanners (harmful chemicals, orange tone & streaking).

It's not typical that I buy self-tanners.  I go for more of a simple beauty routine.  But with an upcoming wedding to attend (here's the dress I'll be wearing), I want to look amazing.  As my college roommate Jessica puts it, "no one wants to see fluorescent light-looking legs."  I have been searching for a natural self tanner that won't damage my skin.

The look I am going for is more J. Lo bronze, not orange Donald Trump.  Luckily, I found the perfect product by Coola that delivers it all.

MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM

We went on a quick day trip to the Monterey Bay Aquarium last weekend with my husband Kacey's family.  This was a place where both Kacey and I grew up visiting.  It was a nostalgic moment to be able to take my one year old Jace to check out the sea animals.  

ZERO WASTE :: 15 MOTHER'S DAY GIFT IDEAS

Your mom is always there for you:  giving you sage advice, making your favorite soup when you're sick, doing your taxes at the 11th hour before it's due.  It's time to give her a little something back to show your appreciation.

THE FLORAL DRESS

I'm not usually into wearing patterns.  Ok, you caught me.  I wear stripes.  Lots of stripes.  But stripes are different, and that's a whole other story.  Since I'm only 5 foot 2, I feel like floral patterns consumes me and I'm like a walking floral bouquet.

MONEY SAVING TIP :: HOW BUYING TOILETRIES IN BULK SIZES SAVES YOU MONEY

Here is a price comparison to show you how you can save up to 57%, just by purchasing the same product in a larger size.  The reason for the higher cost of the smaller product is due to the cost of more packaging.