General Fashion

How to stay sane during the holidays

 in General Fashion / Shopping  tagged holidays 2018 / tips by

how to stay sane during the holidays

photo credit: Her Creative Studio via Style Collective /

The holiday season is upon us, so now is the time to get organized so we can all stay sane during the busiest time of the year! If you are like me, you have holiday activities already popping up on your calendar. To top things off, you might be hosting a holiday event at your house, plus, you have a ton of shopping to do! Also, if you run your own business, you might be in your fiscal fourth quarter and have year-end financials to reconcile; as well as other loose ends to tie up. It can be hectic this time of year!

The best way to stay sane during the holidays, and to stay on track in order to get everything done during the holidays, is to get organized and have a master plan now. In addition, it’s important to schedule breaks in your schedule and add in some relaxation time!

Without further ado, here are my tips on how to stay sane during the holiday season, and just have fun!

  • Plan your calendar. Make sure you schedule everything that has to do with the holiday season clearly on your calender. You can use a paper planner, or an online planner; which ever makes your schedule crystal clear to you and anyone in your family involved. Also, be sure you are including food shopping. It is good to shop for food 1-2 days ahead of time if you are hosting an event.
  • Order a main course ten days in advance: For Thanksgiving, we usually order our Turkey from the butcher or supermarket about ten days before the day we want to pick it up. This is important to do in order to ensure there is a bird reserved for you ahead of time. We do this for Christmas too with a ham. Whatever your main course is, reserve it ahead of time to make sure it isn’t sold out when you get to the store. It’s nice to have things reserved in your name.
  • Buy groceries two days in advance. For Thanksgiving, buy your groceries on Tuesday. This way, if you forget something, you can still go back on Wednesday to pick it up.
  • Shop when the stores open: Never go to the mall or the store in the middle of the day during the holidays. Always go right when the store opens in order to avoid crowds. This may mean waking up before the rooster on a weekend; but it will make your whole day less stressful, and much easier.
  • Keep your lists in a safe place: I use an excel spreadsheet for holidays gifts and shopping lists. I keep it in my cloud so that I can access it from my laptop or phone. This is handy because you never know when you need to reference your list when you are on the go. Plus, paper lists can get lost.
  • Schedule me time: The holidays are crazy! Be sure to schedule at least one day of relaxation so you can regroup and refresh your body and brain. You will thank yourself!
  • Workout regularly: If your workout routine gets off track, you get off track. Stick to your regular workout schedule and don’t let anything get in the way; unless there is a medical emergency-then please, skip spin.
  • Run errands in the morning: Try to schedule your errands before noon, this way you can get everything done in the morning and then relax and enjoy the rest of your day. We are all more productive in the morning, so it’s the best time to get errands done!
  • Make a budget and stick to it: Plan out how much you are going to spend on every single holiday related expense-then, stick to your budget! This will keep you from overspending and you won’t have to stress out about the holidays during the holidays; you can enjoy them! It makes January easier too, because you don’t have to worry about huge credit card bills arriving in the mail that you can’t afford. When in doubt, stick to your budget!
  • Shop early: Don’t wait until the week before Christmas to buy gifts. Try to get as much shopping done before Thanksgiving as possible. This will allow you time to enjoy the holiday season, and wrap presents in peace.
  • Shop online: If you already know what you need to buy, buy it online. This way you can avoid the crowds and carefully watch your budget. Look for free shipping coupon codes, and special discount codes, starting the week before Thanksgiving. Black Friday isn’t just one day now, stores are starting to offer deals a week or more in advance; so take advantage of them. Be sure to keep checking out my holiday gift guides for online shopping guidance and ideas!
  • Have fun! It’s the holidays. Don’t let your busy schedule and long to-do list get you down. If you are organized and stay on track, everything will fall into place.

That’s it! If you stay organized, on budget, and on track, you are sure to keep your sanity intact this holiday season! Love that!

Do you have any tips for staying sane during the holiday season? Please leave them in the comments below!

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy

Jeans that give you the right curves

 in General Fashion  tagged denim / fall 2018 / outfits / royalty for me / wanna betta butt by

wanna betta butt royalty for me jeans

pictured: Wanna Betta Butt skinny jeans c/o Royalty for Me / handbag / ring / nail polish / boots / sweater (pictured below) / tee (pictured below) / earrings (pictured below) / lipstick (pictured below)

Have you been on the hunt for jeans that give you the right curves? I have! When Royalty for Me contacted me and asked me try out their “Wanna Betta Butt” line of denim, I was thrilled! These jeans help give you curves in the right places. Love!

I am always on the hunt for comfortable jeans that fit well. The fabric on these Royalty for Me jeans is soft and comfortable. They fit really well too. That’s always a plus! They also happen to be available in regular, petite, and plus sizes! Love that!

Royalty for Me “Wanna Betta Butt” skinny jeans in dark blue

jeans that shape your butt wanna betta butt jeans review

These skinny jeans are really comfortable; and they can be rolled up, tucked into boots, or worn straight. I normally wear a size 8 or 10 (28-31) in jeans. These are a size 10 and they feel like the right size. If you are between sizes, definitely order the larger size to be safe. You can find the dark wash skinny jeans online here.

Royalty for Me “Wanna Betta Butt” skinny jeans in black

black skinny wanna betta butt jeans

This is a great pair of classic black, skinny jeans. They can be paired with high heels at night, or with boots during the day. I know I will get a lot of wear out of them! These run a little bigger than the dark wash. Although I am wearing a 10, I feel like an 8 would have fit better. They are on the loose side in a size 10. If you order black, and are between sizes, order a size down.

Royalty for Me “Wanna Betta Butt” bootcut jeans

wanna better butt bootcut jeans

This is my favorite pair of the three; the bootcut Royalty for Me “Wanna Betta Butt” jeans! I love a 1970s vibe, and the fabric is really soft! The bootcut jeans run true to size. I am wearing a 10, which I feel like fits really well. If you are between sizes, order the larger size.

All three of these jeans are really comfortable. The fabric is soft, and the fit is great! Royalty for Me has “Wanna Betta Butt” jeans in regular sizes, petite sizes, and plus sizes! This means there is a size for everyone! Love!

You know the best thing? All of the “Wanna Betta Butt” jeans from Royalty for Me are priced under $50! Love! You can view the whole collection at RoyaltyForMe.com. Use coupon code CATHY 30 to save 30% off your purchase. (not valid on sale items)

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy

*sponsored by Royalty For Me. all thoughts and opinions are my own

The era of real fur in fashion has come to an end

 in General Fashion  tagged faux fur / london fashion week by

how to wear a teddy coat

pictured: wearing my favorite faux fur coat, you can find it online here.

Once upon a time, people hunted for food. When they hunted for food, they used their target for everything they needed to live. This included food, tools, and skin or fur for clothing and shelter. The human race has come a long way since the cave days, or days of living off the land. We use wood to build our home, electricity to heat our homes, and we have a wide variety of fabrics to use for warm clothing. The fact of the matter is, we don’t need to use real fur to stay warm and cozy anymore; those days are long gone.

The anti-fur movement has been happening for decades. When I was in high school, I pledged to never wear real fur; and to also advocate against wearing real fur. I don’t see any point in killing animals solely for their fur. The fur industry can be cruel, and the animals are raised and killed for fashion rather than food. There has been an uproar about the use of real fur in fashion since the mid 1900’s; and now, in 2018, the fashion industry is finally getting it!

In September, several global fashion designers pledged to no longer use real fur in their designs. While a few designers had already been fur free for many seasons, new designers joined the ranks of the fur free crowd. Some of these designers included Michael Kors, Donatella Versace, Gucci, DKNY, Furla, Tom Ford, and Burberry. In fact, London Fashion Week claimed to be fur free in September! Love that!

Designers are not the only ones shunning real fur in their collections. San Francisco recently banned the sale of real fur within the city, and this could start a national, or world-wide trend towards more real fur bans.

Let’s face it, it’s 2018. We have the technology, and the design know-how, to re-create the look of real fur. In fact, faux fur can look and feel almost exactly like real fur; and for a fraction of the price! Plus, faux fur is easy to keep clean and does not need to be in a special storage unit over the warm summer months. Faux fur is just better on all fronts! It’s cruelty-free, it’s more affordable, and it’s easy to clean! Love!

I am a huge fan of faux fur. I love the soft and cozy feel of it. I also love that it is synthetic and no animals were hurt to keep me warm and cozy.

Shop fabulous faux fur around the web:

What are your thoughts on the movement towards faux fur, and banning real fur?

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Cathy

faux fur gucci marmont lady bag spring 2018