Now I must admit, this post is just as much for me as it is advice for all the beauty horders out there. I do love a good drawer bursting with makeup, but I’ve found that life is so much simpler when everything in it are products I love and reach for often. So here’s how to keep your makeup collection to must-haves.
- Shop your stash whenever you’re in the mood for a new makeup purchase. Chances are there’s a product you haven’t given much love that’ll feel like a new product to you! Plus shopping your stash can always uncover products that have gotten tucked away that may need to be tossed.
- Check expiration dates and take them seriously. Toss any products that are too old to use.
- Be brutally honest with yourself about some product categories. I for one have way too many blushes at any given time. There’s only so many ways you can do pink, so be honest and keep only one or two blushes of a shade.
- Keep an area for favorites and see which products are constantly in it and which ones aren’t. The products that never end up in that area should probably find a new home since you clearly aren’t using them.
- Start a project use-up to get rid of the remaining bits of products lingering around. That way your drawers will be less cluttered and you’ll be able to really see the products you may have been neglecting. I always end up having four to five mascaras open at one time and really have to focus to use them up. Finishing just one or two always makes a huge difference in that bin.
- Don’t allow for overflow into other areas. I keep all my makeup in one drawer and don’t allow myself to merge over to anything else. Having a set amount of room for beauty and makeup means you’ll have to really get picky when the drawer fills up.
- Use the one in one out method for buying new makeup if it just can’t be avoided. If you get a new blush, get rid of something else to make room for it. This really works with the tip to not allow for overflow.
I love makeup like the next girl, but keeping my stash to must-haves makes things so much easier in the mornings and reduces serious makeup stress.
xoxo Kayla
Our wedding is about six months out and we’re knee deep in planning preparations. Our save the dates are out, or venue picked, and dresses obtained. Through this whole process so far there have been the fair share of headaches and people who want to help but just are being pushy. Yet through all this classic wedding planning woes, I’ve learned one very important thing.
It’s just a party.
At the end of the day all we’re really planning is a party. It’s not a life or death event that determines how our marriage will be for the rest of our lives. It’s just a gathering of people we love who want to see us succeed in a nice place with pricey chicken.
And you know what? Keeping that sentiment in my heart throughout this whole process has made it a million times less stressful. Sure I still want things a certain way and I have an idea in my head of what I want it to look like, but at the end of the day the wedding won’t be ruined if the centerpieces don’t look a certain way. All that really matters is that Alex and I celebrate our love for each other.
It’s a freeing thing when you realize a wedding is just one over priced party. Now I can actually enjoy the entire journey rather than being a ball of stress. Because I love the man I already consider my husband without the legal document. And that’ll make our wedding the best ever.
xoxo Kayla
There really isn’t a good time to start a business. I’ve been thinking about that concept for a while now and I really do believe the stars just don’t align one day making it the best possible time and place to start that project or business idea you’ve been talking about for months or years. So why not just start now?
There are a lot of people in our lives who constantly come up to Alex or I and tell us about this “next great idea” they have. At first it was flattering because they were taking an interest in what we are doing, and sought us out for help on their ideas. But then we quickly realized after a few failed attempts at helping these people out, that they never actually wanted to start the business they so eagerly talked to us about. We jumped feet first into an idea and when they came face to face with the prospect of it actually happening, they chickened out. They were interested in the dream more than the actual doing it.
It got us thinking. Do people just like to talk about a better future full of nice things and a comfortable life once their idea takes off rather than just doing it? I mean I for one wouldn’t have taken the leap into Oh Hello if it wasn’t for Alex believing in me. Yet when we believe in their projects they believe even less than we do. Why is that? Why would people rather dream about their perfect life than go out and get it?
I guess I’m writing this as a plea that if you have an idea or a business you’ve always wanted to start then now’s the time to do it. You’ll never be in the perfect place in your life where you have mountains of unscheduled time to dedicate to it. It’s just not going to happen. But rather than being that person who always talks about opening a bakery one day, be the person who actually does it. Or at least come face to face with your dreams and decide if they’re really just dreams, or if you want to turn them into actual goals.
Trust me, there’s a lot of risk and scary parts to putting faith in yourself to take a chance. But at least at the end of the day you’ll know you tried when others just wistfully dream about it and never get off the couch to do something.
xoxo Kayla
Self-Employment is a confusing blend of how I expected it would be, and how I could have never imagined it to be. When I tell people I’m self-employed and work from home, it’s often met with sighs of, “oh how lucky” and “I bet you just sleep all day long.” So I thought I’d share ten things you may not know about self-employment.
- I wake up the same time I did when I was working my “real job.” Sure I may push snooze a couple more times when Wednesdays roll around (my least favorite day), but I’m usually at my desk before or around 9 am every morning, including the weekends.
- Weekends don’t really exist. Sure I take more time off during the weekends since our friends and family have those days off, but more often than not I’m working. Most jobs have a clear start and end time, but with self-employment everything gets a bit muddled.
- Working in pajamas definitely does happen, but I like to get ready every morning as if I’m going to a desk job somewhere that’s not in my living room.
- It’s not as glamorous as one would think. I literally work in our living room. My desk is right next to where we relax and I’m in eye sight of our cat’s litter box. Working from home definitely has its pros, but it’s not as fabulous as I imagined it would be.
- I’m not free whenever people call or ask to hang out. Our friends have the hardest time understanding that just because we set our own schedules, doesn’t mean we can just pop out any time we want. There are deadlines and structure to our days just like any other job. Sure, it is a bit more flexible, but I’m definitely not at the beck and call whenever it’s convenient for other people.
- When gloomy days happen, they’re so much worse. Usually if I’m feeling down and out I would just take the day off of work and stay home, but working from home you just don’t get the same feeling. If I’m having an off day I feel even worse about it because I see Alex working away and I’m laying in bed feeling sorry for myself. I think our tiny apartment amplifies this too.
- Every day I worry about our future. With my university job I never felt that much worry or insecurity, but since we work for ourselves it’s become that much more stressful. It’s a constant blend of self-doubt, fear people will just suddenly stop buying stickers, and concern about keeping things going.
- I get seriously stir crazy. Alex and I will just leave the house to go walk around Target and not buy anything, just to get out of the house. I think this also has a lot to do with our tiny living space, but I’m sure in our future home we’ll feel the itch to just get out and get some fresh air.
- It’s a lot more complicated than you think. When I first decided to quit my job I had no idea the information I was going to learn. We had to find our own health insurance, figure out much more complicated taxes, and tons of other adult things we just never really worried too much over. There’s so much more to learn than just how to work for yourself. I’m still so clueless about a lot of things involved in working at home.
- I wouldn’t have things any other way. I love working for myself and working from home. It’s everything I’ve ever wanted and most of the trouble comes in worrying that it’ll go away. Yet I don’t want to do anything else ever again if I can help it.
Do you have any questions about what it’s like to be self-employed? Leave them in the comments!
xoxo Kayla
Alex and I are in full boxing mode to prep for the move and really working on our budget. Getting a new home can definitely put a new strain on finances so we’ve come up with a few ways to save money in the process. So whether you just want a few extra bucks in your pocket or are making a big housing leap like us, here are ten ways to keep more cash.
- Sell unused things to consignment shops, in garage sales, or to thrift stores. Sure you won’t make mountains of money, but if you were just going to throw them away anyway this could be a great way to get something back before they get passed on.
- Shop your stash rather than buying new things. Do you really need that nail polish or are there other ones like that in your collection? Take a shopping trip to your makeup drawers or in your closet. You never know what you might find.
- Have a swap with friends to exchange clothing and makeup. That way you will feel like you’re getting new things without having to spend any money!
- Implement a No Buy if you want to get really serious. It could be just on one type of expense like eating out, or you could go crazy and start a no buy on frivolous things. It all really depends on what your goals are.
- Create lists and stick to them when shopping. Don’t get sucked into the Target vortex. Create a list and only get the things on it.
- Use coupons whenever possible and price compare. Never go to a craft store without one and try really hard to only stick to one or two items since the coupons often only apply to one product at a time.
- Go places during specials throughout the week. A local Italian restaurant here does 35 cent pasta nights or a lot of restaurants do certain days that kids eat free. If you’re trying to save money but still want to go out to dinner once in a while, create a chart to know which days your favorite restaurants have specials and pick from there.
- Create an honest budget not one you wish you could stick to. If you like eating out like Alex and I, it’s unreasonable to yourself to cut the food budget in half with dreams that you’ll cook every single meal at home. Be honest with yourself and don’t cut everything you love just to pinch pennies. There are plenty of places in a budget to cut down without losing your favorites.
- Save your change rather than letting it get lost in seat cushions. Over time loose change can really add up!
- Buy in bulk during specials on products you use the most. Sure it’ll feel like you’re spending a lot of money at one time, but stocking up means you won’t have to buy more at normal prices if you run out and desperately need it.
You definitely have to take saving money one day at a time. It’s kind of like a financial diet and you can’t constantly starve yourself thinking you’ll have the biggest success. Each day will be a new challenge with new temptations (like at the Target Dollar Spot), but you’ll save money by implementing some of these tricks!
What ways do you use to save money?
xoxo Kayla