Sustainably sourced fall must-have’s

shirtdress winter into spring

This sustainably sourced dress is priced well under $100, you can see my original post here. / Black dress pictured at bottom of post can be found here, original post here.

Humans use a lot of products. These products are often created using resources rather than recycled materials. In addition, many of the manufacturing processes used to create these products are detrimental to the environment. That’s why when I learned of a few brands working hard to create sustainable fashion, I was thrilled!

The shirtdress pictured above is still in my closet, and worn frequently. I photographed it for the blog when I was in New York for fashion week back in February. I love that it is still on store shelves, priced under $100, and sustainably sourced. One of the fallacies many people believe is that sustainable = expensive. This is not true! You can find sustainable products at inexpensive, fast fashion retailers such as H&M or TopShop, mid-market brands such as Eileen Fisher, and from luxury fashion houses based in Paris. You just need to know where to look!

Many retailers are starting to point out when their products are eco-conscious and/or sustainably sourced. This is great news for consumers as we try to navigate what to buy, and where to buy it.

So to make things easier, I found a few fabulous eco-chic items for fall, which I hope you will love! After all, most of them are surprisingly affordable, and they happen to be sustainably sourced. Love!

Shop sustainably sourced clothing for fall 2019:

Do you have trouble finding sustainably clothing and accessories? Where are your favorite places to shop eco-chic?

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy

classic black dress

Homemade Baked Ziti recipe

If you have been reading here for awhile, you know I have three kids, and a very busy schedule. Types of casseroles are an important dinner option for me since they can be made ahead. Casseroles only need to bake in the oven when it’s time to cook dinner, so they are super convenient. This makes prep convenient with my schedule, and it makes feeding my family a home-cooked meal even easier.

My kids love pasta; don’t most kids? Since pasta is a huge hit at my house, and quite possibly yours, a casserole version is key on busy days. My homemade baked ziti recipe is both easy to make, and well loved by pasta-loving children. That’s win-win!

Homemade baked ziti is an easy and delicious casserole you can make on the spot, or ahead of time when your schedule gets the best of you. So without further ado, here is my homemade baked ziti recipe with instructions. I hope you love it as much as my kids do!

Homemade baked ziti ingredients:

  • 1 lb. Ziti pasta (you can substitute penne if your market doesn’t carry ziti)
  • 1 jar Rao’s Marinara (you can make your own, or use another brand, but this is the most authentic on the market, in my opinion-my ancestors are from Italy, so my family is used to authentic Italian food)
  • ½ cup chopped green onions
  • Sliced provolone cheese
  • ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
  • ¾ cup mozzarella
  • 2 pounds bulk Italian sausage, cook before mixing into casserole. (can substitute 1 pound ground beef and 1 pound ground pork if you don’t like sausage)

Homemade baked ziti cooking instructions:

Step 1: Cook pasta

Step 2: Mix pasta together with sauce and meat in a mixing bowl.

Step 3: Pour half of the mozzarella into the bowl and mix together.

Step 4: Pour half of the pasta mixture into the casserole dish.

Step 5: Cover the pasta mixture with the remainder of mozzarella cheese.

Step 6: Pour the last half of the pasta mixture on top.

Step 7: Smooth out the top of the casserole with a wooden spoon.

Step 8: Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top of the casserole.

Step 9: Layer provolone cheese slices on top of Parmesan cheese.

Step 10: Top the casserole with green onions.

Bake 35 minutes at 350. Remove from the oven, serve, and enjoy!

There you have it! A really easy casserole the whole family can enjoy. It makes about twelve servings, so there is a good chance you will have plenty of leftovers to eat on another busy day, or bring to work for lunch. I hope you and your family, friends, etc love this homemade baked ziti recipe too!

Thanks for stopping by, and manjia tutti!

XOXO
Cathy

Fall 2019 nighttime skin care routine | Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair

estee lauder night repair

Nighttime skin care routine from left: all products c/o Estee Lauder: Intense Reset Concentrate / Revitalizing Supreme + Night / Advanced Night Repair /

I wasn’t very nice to my skin over the summer. I was out in the sun a lot, and my skin really took a beating. Plus, when I was traveling, I didn’t stick to my skin care routine; which caused chaos on my skin. It’s time to repair, reset, and revitalize my skin for the fall season.

As you know, I am a huge fan of Estee Lauder. Her skin care is out of this world. For my nighttime skin care routine, I am using Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair in order to repair the damage I have done to my skin. The Estee Lauder Intense Reset Concentrate is perfect for resetting my skin to where it should be. Lastly, this night cream is a-ma-zing! In order to revitalize my skin, I am using Estee Lauder’s Revitalizing Supreme + Night cream. It is fabulous! It really leaves my skin moisturized and feeling good! Love!

My daytime skin care routine is still the same-for now. I will keep you posted on how I update that as the weather starts to change. As for nighttime, I am already doing my fall routine because my skin needs it now! If you are looking to repair, reset, and revitalize your skin, definitely check out Estee Lauder’s Night Repair system. It is pure perfection.

Shop the Estee Lauder Night Repair skin care collection:

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy

*thank you to Estee Lauder for partnering on this post. all thoughts and opinions are my own. products were gifted, this post is not paid.