For me at least, it is officially summer. That means it’s time for sun, hopefully some pool time somewhere, and fun and colorful projects. While visiting my family for Memorial Day weekend, we decided to do a craft. Instead of choosing something like a canvas, we decided clothing would be more useful for everyone! What you’ll need:
STEP 1: BLEACH THE SHIRTI spiraled my shirt the way I wanted it to look and kept it that way the entire time. If you want one that looks similar to mine, you can pinch the shirt in the middle and twist until the whole shirt is twisted together. head to your sink, wet your shirt, and pour bleach on both sides. Using a gloved hand, massage the bleach into the shirt. Since it is nice and warm outside, I recommend sitting your shirt outside while the bleach does the job. It doesn’t take long. Check back in 30 minutes to find the shirt has turned white or light orange in certain places. STEP 2: ADD YOUR DYESBring in your shirt and rinse it with water. Remember, leave the rubber bands in place so that you know the tie-dye will hit the bleached areas. After that, add colors to your shirt in whatever places you desire. I noticed that all of the colors did show up, but lighter colors didn’t shine through as well. One tip on my tie-dye box said you could add less water to the dye bottles for a more intense color! I’d recommend doing that with lighter colors! after you’re done with this part, take your shirt back outside to dry. Leave it for 2-24 hours. We left ours outside for maybe 4-5 hours. STEP 3: WASH AND WEAR!After you’ve let your tie-dye shirt “cure,” remove the rubber bands and put your shirt in the wash on cold. Add detergent/fabric softener! I was worried that mine having a bit of a bleach residue would ruin the other shirts, but it didn’t. However, wash with other things at your own risk! after you wash the shirt, dry it and wear it! If you’re a visual learner, check out this video for the process!
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I started to experience something at the end of each work day that was troubling me: I had no energy. For someone who literally sits at a desk for the majority of the day, this bothered me. I wasn’t doing anything physical and I just didn’t understand why I was so drained of my energy. This was bothering me because I didn’t even have the energy to do household chores like wash clothes or do the dishes. So, I tried a couple of things and also researched a few things. So, if you’re someone who seems to be zapped of your energy after a day at work, keep reading for a few things I found that can help you stay energized enough to power through your work at home! GET YOUR BLOOD TESTED Low iron levels can also cause weakness, pale skin, shortness of breath, dizziness, food cravings, tongue swelling, cold hands and feet, irregular heartbeats, brittle nails, and headaches. I found in my research that a lot of women my age struggle with this due to menstruation. The fix, however is pretty easy. In order to improve your iron levels, you can either eat more iron-rich foods (like broccoli, dark chocolate, and lean red meats) or you can take iron supplement pills which are sold over-the-counter. DRINK MORE WATER
To remedy this, I made a rule for myself that I actually shared in yesterday’s blog post. My water rule is that I must consume my recommended amount of water before I have a soda. My FitBit app suggests that I have about 65 fluid ounces of water a day. I also make myself finish about 26 oz of water before I have my morning coffee. This helps me stay hydrated and keeps me from drinking too much soda! HAVE A CUP OF COFFEE Lately, I’ve been saving my unused brewed coffee from the morning in a separate pitcher that I have an iced coffee from when I get home. It keeps me from wasting coffee and from brewing up another batch when I get home. HAVE A SNACK
CHANGE YOUR CLOTHES
Instead of changing into what I’m going to wear for bed, I have started to change into sweat pants or shorts, a t-shirt, and into my sneakers. I’m less tempted to lay down on the bed and I’m more apt to get up and actually do something productive when I’m dressed and in shoes. DITCH THE HEAT As the winter months approach, it is so tempting for me to turn on the heat to stay cozy in my car, but I’ve noticed that heat is one thing that furthers my energy level decline. Instead of putting on the heat, try turning it on until you “defrost” and then turning all air in your car off. You cal also lower the heat setting in your car or even crack your windows for a refreshing cool breeze that will help your eyes stay open on the way home and when you get there! MOVE MORE DURING THE DAY
I work on a campus, so I can walk around throughout the day if I need to. If someone gives you trouble about it, you can always bring up that coworker who spokes for 15 minutes a few times a day on the clock! AVOID SUGARY FOODS IN VENDING MACHINES
CONCLUSIONThere are tons of ways to avoid the after-work crash, but these are a few ideas that have worked for me! Do you have any tips to keep us from crashing after a long, stressful day of work? Leave them in the comments below!
I'm always down to save money when I have the chance. That's why I've started to do some things that help to save without majorly interrupting my life. I wanted to share these with my readers in hopes that they help you! DON'T THROW OUT THAT COFFEE
However, if you just pour unused coffee down the sink, you're just wasting money! Instead, I've started to pour my excess coffee into a pitcher and refrigerate it. When I get home, I have cold coffee waiting. I can simply add in my cream, sugar, and some ice for iced coffee that will help me get through my writing assignments and blog posts! SIGN UP FOR SAVINGS PROGRAMS WITH YOUR BANK
PICK UP YOUR GROCERIES
This service was first introduced to me by my mom. It is great for moms with children who may not be easy to handle in the store, for people with busy lives, and for disabled people. All you do is order online, reserve a pickup time, and arrive. The employees will load your cart up for you. Sometimes, they may not have exactly what you asked for, but they always give you fair substitutions. This service is free and is a great way to stick to your list without making impulse buys! FOLLOW MY WATER RULE
I also don't drink my morning coffee until I've had at least one 26 fl oz glass of water. This helps me to save money because I'm not drinking a ton of coffee or soda. It also helps keep my hydrated and focused throughout the day! DONATE TO A THRIFT STORE
HAVE A FREE DATE NIGHT
CONCLUSIONThere are so many other things you can do to save money and to live your best life, but these are ones that I've tried and will probably continue to do unless I become a millionaire! Do you have any money-saving tips? Let me know below!
If you aren't a blogger and you're curious to know what life is like as "one of us," I hope you find this entertaining. If you are a blogger, I'm sure you can relate to at least one of these things! If you like this, I hope you'll give it a share so we can all have a good laugh! 1. TRYING TO FIND A SQUARE-INCH OF CLEAN SPACE ON A COUNTER TOP OR DESK IN YOUR HOUSE TO TAKE A PHOTO FOR YOUR LATEST BLOG POST2. THAT FEELING WHEN YOU'VE FINISHED WITH BLOGTOBER OR BLOGMAS3. THAT MOMENT WHEN YOU RUSH TO YOUR COMPUTER WHEN YOU GET IN FROM WORK OR A DAY OUT SO YOU CAN WRITE ON THAT BLOG POST TOPIC THAT INSPIRED YOU4. WHEN YOU FINALLY GET TAGGED FOR A BLOGGER PEER AWARD5. WHEN YOU DECIDE TO WRITE ABOUT A NEW SUBJECT THAT YOU'RE TOTALLY UNEDUCATED ON6. WHEN YOU TRY OUT A RECIPE FROM PINTEREST FOR YOUR BLOG BUT IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THE PICTURE7. WHEN YOU NEED TO GO TO THE CRAFT STORE FOR THINGS FOR YOUR BLOG, BUT YOUR SIGNIFICANT OTHER SAYS NO8. WHEN SOMEONE YOU KNOW IRL SAYS: EW, YOU HAVE A BLOG?9. AND WHEN YOU GO ON TWITTER TO RANT ABOUT SAID RUDE PERSON AND YOUR FOLLOWERS NEED TO KNOW EVERY DETAIL10. WHEN SOMEONE LEAVES A WELL-THOUGHT-OUT COMMENT ON YOUR BLOG POST11. LAUGHING AT YOUR OWN BLOG POST TITLES BECAUSE THEY'RE SO PUNNY12. WHEN YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO DO FOR YOUR NEXT BLOG POST, BUT THAT FRIEND OR FAMILY MEMBER WHO READS RELIGIOUSLY SENDS YOU IDEAS13. WHEN YOUR PETS, KIDS, OR SIGNIFICANT OTHER TRYS TO INTERRUPT YOUR BLOGGING TIME14. YOUR WALLET AFTER PAYING FOR SUPPLIES FOR YOUR BLOG POSTS15. CONSTANTLY CHECKING YOUR GOOGLE ADS ACCOUNT TO SEE IF YOU'VE EARNED ANY MORE MONEY FROM AD CLICKS16. GETTING WORRIED THAT YOUR CONTENT ISN'T GOOD ENOUGH WHEN YOU SEE YOU HAVEN'T EARNED ANY MONEY17. GETTING REASSURANCE FROM FELLOW BLOGGERS THAT YOU DON'T SUCK AND YOUR READERSHIP WILL CONTINUE TO GROW IF YOU STAY CONSISTENT18. AND FINALLY...HOW YOU FEEL KNOWING THAT YOU'VE WRITTEN AND SCHEDULED YOUR BLOGS FOR THE WEEK!CONCLUSIONI hope you enjoyed this fun post, and I hope it was relatable enough to my fellow bloggers! Did I miss anything? Tell me what else we struggle with in the comments below!
I've been keeping a keen eye on my Twitter feed, and I saw a blogger, Amanda Burnett, who was asking if anyone was interested in doing an Autumn questions tag on their blog! It has been a while since I've been tagged. Since everything was so micro-planned for Blogtober, I decided to wait until this month to share my answers. I hope you'll enjoy my answers and you will participate if I've tagged you! So, thank you to Amanda for tagging me. Visit her blog here: www.itsamandaburnett.wordpress.com. Keep reading for the rules, the questions, and my answers! AUTUMN QUESTIONS TAG RULES1) List these rules in your post, so that everyone is clear on what to do! 2) Include the creator’s link (www.laurenannbeauty.com) and also whoever nominated you! If you're reading this now and are going to participate in the tag, you would mention me, Gabrielle Allison from www.TheOpinionatedOne.com. 3) Answer the questions and tag at least 3 other people (include their links to help with their DA?) THE QUESTIONS1) What’s your favorite thing about Autumn? 2) Did you take part in Blogtober? 3) Favorite Autumnal Drink? 4) Favorite Autumn Candle? 5) Favorite item of clothing for Autumn? 6) Do you decorate your house/room for Halloween/Autumn? 7) What did you do on Halloween? MY ANSWERSMy Answers: 1) My favorite thing about Autumn is that it is a lot cooler than the summer. I live in North Carolina, which is in the Southern U.S. It gets hot in the summer, but worse, it gets humid. That means that a day that's only about 80 degrees Fahrenheit can feel like it is hotter than 100 degrees! The cool weather is my jam! 2) I did take part in blogtober! I think I have found a healthy balance for my time. I had time to write and plan, which is important. I am happy that it wasn't too overwhelming! 3) My favorite Autumn drink would be Starbucks' Caramel Macchiato with Almond Milk and Cinnamon. I like it iced! If I am making my own drink, I would choose regular coffee with hazelnut creamer and a spoon full of sugar. 4) My current favorite Autumn candle is Hazelnuet Cream. It is a knock-off brand candle that I got at my local Walmart! I also really like cinnamon and apple scents for this time of year! 5) My favorite fall clothing item are sweaters. They are cozy! 6) I decorated my home for Halloween, and I think the hubby and I will probably be putting up Christmas decorations pretty soon. We do this because we are about three hours away from our family, so we always travel to see them on Thanksgiving and Christmas, so we like to have some time to enjoy our decorations! 7) For Halloween, we went out to eat and got some amazing ice cream from Cold Stone Creamery. If you have one near by and haven't tried it yet, I recommend the Birthday Cake Remix! We were going to hand out candy, but we just don't get a lot of trick-or-treaters where we live, so we decided against it this year. WHO I'M TAGGING1. Brianna - Briana Marie Lifestyle
2. Tori - Inspired by Tor 3. Lauren - My Favorite Job Title Is Mom 4. ANYONE READING THIS! Take part in this tag (which I've modified to work after Halloween) and let us know all about your Autumn and your plans this fall! Halloween is one of my favorite holidays, and I would normally celebrate a bit differently than I am this year. So, this year, I have a bit of a different plan. Check out below for my Halloween plans and check out some of my dream Halloween plans after that. Without further ado, keep reading for more about my plans: THIS MORNINGBUT FIRST, COFFEETICK-OR-TREAT BAGS
The bags were left over from my Mother-in-Law's 50th birthday party several months ago. I made the tags with scrapbook paper. I also wrote some cute little punny saying on the inside of them. I hope all of my coworkers really liked them! THROUGHOUT THE DAYTAKE A WALK IN THE FALL AIRLISTEN TO MY FAVORITE TRUE CRIME YOUTUBE CHANNELS
I will also be catching up on scary stories and paranormal investigations from LoeyLane and Hailey Reese. I've linked their channel's URLs to their names, so click and check out some of their videos. Also, please subscribe to support them if you like their content. They are all fabulous and do such a good job with their research! THIS EVENINGI usually like to hand out candy to trick-or-treaters, but last year I only got two and bought a ton of candy that ended up going to waste. So this year, unfortunately, we've decided not to hand out candy. I'm hoping that we one day live in a place that has a ton of trick-or-treaters so we can do something nice for the local children! I'm talking Grav3yardgirl big! MAKE DINNER AND SNACKS
MINI MOVIE MARATHON
CONCLUSIONThose are the extent of our plans this Halloween. I promised I would talk a little bit about my dream Halloween plans. I would really like to one day throw a murder mystery Halloween party. However, if I do this, I want it to be big and really nice. I'm talking catered, in a nice place we rent out, etc.
I just love the idea of a murder mystery dinner party. It is fun and everyone gets fed! What are you doing this Halloween, or what have you done? Let me know in the comments below. Blog-tober has been such an amazing and rewarding experience. But, today's blog is one that normally happens each month on this blog: my monthly favorites, where I tell you what products and other things I loved this month. Check it out: ALMOND MILK | $3I love the almond milk because it is creamy and it's a lot better for me than traditional milk. I have been using the vanilla milk, but I may try unsweetened almond milk next time to see if I like it! HIGHLIGHTER | $5
OUR WORKPLACE CAT
NAIL POLISH REMOVER DISPENSER | $1
MY FAVORITE OCTOBER YOUTUBE CHANNELI've been in love with true crimes videos on YouTube and I've found one YouTuber that I absolutely love: Eleanor Neale. She basically does a ton of in-depth research on both solved and unsolved murders. She is also a makeup YouTuber, but I've actually only seen her true crime videos. I do think I'll eventually check out her makeup videos. If you're a fan of learning about crime stories, I suggest checking Eleanor Neale out on YouTube and subscribing to her channel! MY FAVORITE OCTOBER MOVIE
CONCLUSIONI'm sorry that this monthly favorites blog post hasn't been very long, but I haven't really had a lot of time this month to try new things thanks to the blog schedule and blogtober! I'm sure there will be many more things I can tell you about in November. LEGAL: All photos are my own, taken from Pixabay (a free Creative Commons website that doesn't require attribution), or Google's "free to use or share, even commercially" search results.
Halloween is a great time of year to dress up and have fun. So, no matter if you're heading to a party or you're taking your kids out trick-or-treating on the 31st, these couple costumes are great options: 1 | MORTICIA AND GOMEZ ADDAMS
costume like the Damian family did when they dressed their daughter as Wednesday Addams. You can also add in Pugsley, Lurch, Cousin Its, and Uncle Fester to complete your family! 2 | LINDA AND BOB BELCHER
3 | SUGAR SKULL BRIDE AND GROOM
The groom can don a simple back suit and a top hat for some flare. To match a bit more, make a bouquet of fake flowers and make the groom's boutonnière match! 4 | NETFLIX AND CHILL
blanket. You can then pair your outfit with some comfy pants and keep cozy at home or at your friend's Halloween party. Just remember to keep it PG around the kids! 5 | LILO AND STITCH
Use this link to make your own DIY Stitch ears to complete your look! CONCLUSIONThose were the five couple costumes that you can easily make or purchase pieces to for a great, coordinated look this Halloween. Here are a few other ideas you can look up: - Jake from State Farm and Flo from Progressive - Mike and Sully from Monster's INC. - Any Disney Princess and her Prince - Kevin the Bird and Russel from UP - A Disney Villain Couple like Malificent and Jafar Hope you like these ideas and can adapt them to work for you! Happy Halloween to all the beautiful couples out there! Have a costume idea? share it below! LEGAL: All photos are my own; taken from Pixabay, a creative commons website that requires no attribution; or from Google's "free to use or share, even commercially" filter.
Ahhhh fall. There's nothing like lighting a candle, cuddling up on the couch, and enjoying a hot cup of coffee (or cocoa) after work! One of my favorite things about candles are their associations with the seasons. There are so many amazing candle scents that you need to put into your life this fall. Here they are: SANDALWOOD
APPLE CINNAMON
HAZELNUT CREAM
PUMPKIN SPICE
"LEAF" SCENTS
CONCLUSIONThere are so many great fall scents for candles, I think that these are my favorites. I also really like scents like marshmallow, but I don't know if the smell is strong enough to really permeate your home or apartment enough to give you the sense of all when you smell them. Do you have any suggestions for candles I should try this fall? If so, please leave them below! LEGAL: All photos are my own or taken from Pixabay, a creative commons website that requires no attribution for photo use.
Today’s blog post will be a love letter to fall…in the form of gifs. I hope you enjoy today’s blog post. If you do, please take some time to leave a comment, like my page on Facebook, or follow me on my social media platforms! Without further ado, here is what I love about fall: * All gifs used in this post were found on Giphy.com 1. IT ISN’T 1,000 DEGREES OUTSIDE I live in North Carolina, where the summers are long, hot, and humid. Even when it is 80 degrees outside, it feels like it’s 100 because of the humidity. So, fall is my favorite season because it’s nice and cool, but not too cold! 2. MY FAVORITE HOLIDAYS HAPPEN IN FALL By far, Halloween is my favorite holiday. I love the décor and the trick or treaters and the movies! But, I also love Thanksgiving and the opportunity to gather the whole family around the table. If you’ve been following my posts from the beginning of blogtober, you’ll also know that my birthday is on the very first day of October! All the best things happen in the fall! 3. THE LEAVES ARE STUNNING I love the red, yellow, and orange leaves that grace the limbs of the trees. In North Carolina, there are a ton of trees! So, I love being able to go out and see the vibrant colors. This may seem weird, but I also love naked trees. Seeing the framework of the tree when it isn’t covered in leaves is beautiful! 4. CINNAMON IS A FALL SPICE Listen, I know we all enjoy our cinnamon apples and cinnamon rolls year-round, but I love the festive coffees and desserts that come along with the fall season. My favorite drink right now is the Iced Almond Milk Caramel Macchiato from Starbucks. It has only 180 calories, but I don’t treat myself to it often! 5. PEOPLE ARE LESS SELFISH…UNTIL BLACK FRIDAY At least up until Black Friday, people tend to be more grateful and less selfish as it nears the holidays. I like that! It will last until the day after Thanksgiving, when crazy shoppers will rip through stores like my cat rips through carpet. 6. THE FOOD MAKES MY YEAR I am such a foodie, it isn’t even funny. I love food so much, and fall is food season! I can’t wait for Thanksgiving Dinner. Life hack: If you want more thanksgiving dinner, get married and go to your in-laws for second dinner! 7. SCARY MOVIES ARE MY JAM Seriously, if you know me at all, you’ll know that scary movies are my favorite! Lately, I’ve been watching those horror shorts people make on YouTube. Some of them are super corny, but others are great! 8. SEEING FAMILY PHOTOS ON SOCIAL MEDIA Fall is super pretty, so a lot of people take their family photos around that time. I love seeing the creative photo ideas. It makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. On the other hand, watching brides take photos outside in their dresses gives me a panic attack. I know you want a Tumblr country wedding with the run-down barn and autumn leaves, but have you seen yourself wrangle your wedding dress over mud puddles? I didn’t think so, Emily! 9. WEARING SLIPPERS I don’t know about y’all, but the house I’m staying in right now has hard wood floors, which is great for my destructive cat! But, it can leave my tootsies cold in the fall. I love putting on my slippers or a thick pair of socks. It is something that makes me comfortable that I can’t do year-round without getting too hot. 10. LOWER ENERGY BILLS Speaking of the weather, I love that the expensive electricity bills from the summer are practically cut in half when fall rolls around. That means I have more mula to spend on Christmas gifts and fall activities! 11. CUDDLING UNDER THE COVERS When it starts to get cooler outside, I love to cuddle under the covers, either with my cat or my husband (lol)! I find myself in the summer being too hot and reluctantly pushing them off of me. But in the fall, bring on the cuddles y’all! 12. FOOTBALL GAMES I still go to football games at my university when I can. We actually have our homecoming football game in October. It feels nice and cool outside and I love sitting near the band and cheering on the team. There is something inherently “fall” about football games, and I don’t get tired of it. 13. THE BUGS GO INTO HIDING…FINALLY
14. DECORATING MY HOUSE I look forward to decorating my house (at least the inside) during the fall season. Since we often head back toward our families for Christmas, I normally like to get the Christmas tree up right after Halloween. It gives us the chance to enjoy our decoration for a bit before they are taken down. CONCULSIONSo, there you have it. Those are the 14 things I love most about fall. What do you love about the fall season? Let me know in the comments below!
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