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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

10 fall must-have’s under $100

 in Shopping  tagged fall 2018 / under 100 by

stripes fall 2018

10 fall must-have’s under $100: stripe blouse / bootcut jeans / bold gold earrings / (original outfit post here) / floral dress pictured below /

As the end of the fall shopping season winds down, and holiday gifts start filling stores, those of us who are still waiting for fall weather to happen, still need to shop! Of course, at this time of year we want to try and save as much money as possible for the upcoming holiday season. It isn’t just gifts we need to save up for, we need to buy extra food to feed guests, we need outfits for holiday parties, and we need to decorate our homes! Um, where is that money tree I ordered? I need to grow some $20 bills on it for the holidays! Ugh, but I digress. . .

In order to make the holiday season a bit easier on our bank accounts, it is nice to know we can find 10 fall must-have’s under $100. These must-have’s can easily be mixed with our current wardrobes; and they can be worn together for a whole new fall look! Love that!

Without further ado, here are 10 fall must-have’s under $100 we can all wear now.

  1. Black Cardigan: This black cardigan sweater is lightweight, yet still heavy enough to block the morning fog and keep us cozy in the fall season. It can also be layered with a tee on warm days, or a turtleneck on cool days. You will find yourself grabbing it almost everyday-I know I do! You can find this black cardigan online here, and my outfit post wearing it here.
  2. Fabulous Rain Boots: These rain boots are to-die-for and they priced sooooo far under $100 you will have money left for fancy holiday food to serve to your guests. Plus, you can wear them with boot-cut jeans. Love!
  3. Sparkle Earrings: Faux baubles are back! This is the beginning of the faux bauble trend, so it is great time to be an early adopter of this trend! With $100, you can buy four or five pairs! These earrings are great because you can rock them for fall, the holidays, New Years Eve, and well into spring. This is a great trend to hop on! Sparkle and shine!
  4. Statement Ring: This statement ring is priced under $30 and will show off your fabulous style this fall season. Since the fall season includes long sleeves, bracelets are hidden; so a statement ring is a must! You can grab one for yourself online here; and maybe snap up a second as a gift for the holiday season. It’s that good!
  5. Long Sleeve Layering Tee: We all need a long sleeve layering tee as temperatures start to drop. This one is made from extremely high quality fabric which can be washed over, and over, and over, without shrinking or pilling. I am addicted to mine! The price is right, so you can grab more than one and still stay under $100. Love that!
  6. Statement Earrings: Large, bold earrings are huge this season. If faux baubles aren’t your thing, this pair of lightweight and fabulous earrings will rock your world this fall. You can find them online here.
  7. Sweater Wrap: Temperatures in the fall season still hit the 80’s, so sometimes we don’t need a full a cardigan or sweater; a cute wrap will do just fine. This one is my go-to on warmer days when I want to look fall-ish, but it’s 80 degrees outside. Love it!
  8. Stripe Blouse: Stripes are a HUGE trend this season, so why not rock this trend in a blouse you can pair with jeans, black pants, or a pencil skirt you already own! You can see it at the top of this post. It’s my go-to when I want to look dressy casual. Love it!
  9. Floral Dress: This floral dress is priced under $100 and comes in two color choices. It’s flattering, comfortable, and affordable! When the weather cools down, you can pair it with a moto jacket-and you’re set!
  10. Bootcut Jeans: Gone are the days of torn denim. It’s so over. Jeans this season are cropped, wide-leg, classic fit, skinny, or bootcut. Rock the 70’s vibe with this sleek pair of bootcut jeans priced well under $100. They are my go-to jeans this season!

Everything mentioned above is not only priced under $100, I own it all! I always recommend products I use and love; so you can rest assured the money you save on these items, is also money well spent!

Shop 10 fall must-have’s under $100 in the widget below:

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Cathy

affordable fall floral dress

Gabriela Hearst Nina bag in stock online

 in Handbags / Shopping  tagged gabriela hearst by

pictured: Gabriela Hearst Nina bag /

The elusive Gabriela Hearst Nina bag is actually available now through October 15, 2018! If you are like me, and have been eyeing the hardest handbag on the planet to lay your hands on, then this is  a miracle!

The Gabriela Hearst Nina bag has been the hardest handbag to find for the past three or so years. It’s harder to find than anything by Hermes; and has more IT status than any other IT bag on the market. This is the bag everyone wants, and cannot get.

I was surfing around my favorite online shops to see which new bags were hitting store shelves. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the Gabriela Hearst Nina bag in stock for a limited time online! The wait list is roughly eighteen months for this bag, and even then, not just anyone can get on the wait list!

There are two sizes available for purchase in the next few days. You can find the regular sized Nina, which I purchased in black, and you can also find the Demi Nina which is $200 less, and slightly smaller. There are several colors available, but they are going fast! My first two choices were already gone by the time I found this goldmine. So, if you are like me, and have been eyeing the Gabriela Hearst Nina bag for the past couple of years, then this is your chance to get your hands on one!

If you are on the fence, I recommend snagging one now, and then you can always return it. They are only in stock until October 15, 2018 and then it’s back to the looooooong wait list.

Shop Gabriela Hearst Nina bag online now through October 15, 2018:

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Cathy