Products I Love - The Butler Bag (and Giveaway) - CLOSED

When my dear friend Kevin asked if I'd like to try out the Avon Butler Bag and tell you all about it, I said yes. It just took one look to know that the Butler Bag was made for a disorganized girl like me. My first thought was that it would be perfect for travel but it's a fantastic day bag. Have you ever taken way too long to dig around in the bottom of your bag to find something? The bag has built in partitions that keep each item in it's own space. Since I started using the bag, I haven't struggled to find anything. That's a small miracle. At least once a day I'm digging in the bottom of my bag for a lipstick or my keys.

Inside my own bag.

 Each of the items in my bag is in a segmented compartment. It's amazing how much I can fit into the bag and it stays organized. There are also outer pockets on the front, back and on both sides. Commuting every day means I have to fit lots into my bag. I can fit everything below as well as several more items and that's without using the outer pockets!






Butler Bag for Work

 The Butler Bag would be perfect as a carry on bag. You can fit all of your in flight necessities and your daily needs. At just $39.99, it's a bargain bag that can multitask for you.




Butler Bag for Travel

 

Kevin has partnered with Avon to fund his tutoring work with kids in need. He provides digital, virtual tutorial assistance to Middle School, High School, and College students, as well as the parents of Elementary age students. Kevin has generously offered to give away a Butler Bag!

To enter just complete the task(s) below (some are optional). The contest will end at midnight on December 23. I know you'll love the Butler Bag as much as I do.

Good Luck!!
THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Beauty Product Overload

Lately I've been feeling a bit stifled by the clutter in my life. I'm not exactly sure why it's hitting me now but it doesn't matter. My wonderful Dad was the king of clutter. He saved everything that could be useful. He was a handyman and used many of those old parts and things to do repairs later.  There were lots of other items that weren't useful and just took up space.  When my parents retired and moved out of the house where I grew up, truck loads of items were purged.  Because I have that "saving" gene, I have to force myself to clean out and purge on a regular basis.  I could start in almost any room but our bathroom drawers of  beauty products, makeup and nail polish are filled to overflowing.  It's nuts.  This weekend I'm going to start purging.

These are just a few of the idea I've collected on my Get Organized! Pinterest board. I could start almost anywhere in the house but because the bathroom is an important part to the start of my day, it's my first choice.  I'm also going to purge items I don't use or haven't used in a long time.  Makeup doesn't last forever and I'm sure that I have lots of products that are long past their expiration date. 

photo credit: her social network - Nicole Moulton

Once makeup is opened and used, it collects bacteria that can be harmful.  I know that I can toss lots of products, using this list as a guide. Deciding to purge has also made me think about the products that I use daily and can't live without.  There are items I use occasionally but when it comes to my daily items, I have my favorites. In November, I did a post about my daily beauty items.  I didn't outline all of them but these are my core. It makes me pause and think about what I really need and what I use regularly. 

It also made me consider hosting a beauty product swap.  I can't be the only one that has products I've only used once or twice but can't stand tossing.  I could come up with some rules and guidelines (things like no eye or lip products and that if opened, the item can't be more than six months old).  It's a thought. I'll have to ask my friends if they'd be interested. 

I'm sure it's a bit cliche to get organized at the start of a new year.  Maybe it is, but I think that anytime you make your life and home a better place, it's a good thing.  Are you planning to do similar thing to improve your quality of life?

New Year's Wishes

The term resolution is daunting.  It's always seems like pressure and not in a good way.  To me it is similar to the times that my parents or someone of authority would tell me that I had to do something. It just makes me want to do the opposite.  A few years ago a close friend suggested using the term, New Year's Wishes instead of Resolutions.  It sounded so much more appealing.  A wish is like a gift.  You can make it a goal and if you can't quite reach it, then you don't feel like you've failed.  After all it's a wish. The promise of good things to come.

I thought I'd share some of my New Year's Wishes with you all.  In a way it will help me to stay accountable and it will make them feel more real. These are in no particular order.

• Save and Invest More - This year I've been focusing on getting my financial life in better order, saving more and putting aside money for our upcoming wedding. I've also renewed my interest in using coupons. I'd like to get more organized with my coupon shopping. I'd also like to do some investing with my Honey in some stocks. I think it would be a good project and a way to earn some extra money for the wedding.  

• Eat Healthier and Exercise More - I want to be healthier and in better shape for my life and our wedding (April 2013).  Health is a priority for me due to my family history and my life in general.  Wedding dress shopping is scary to me. Dress sizes are not forgiving and run small. The standard is that you need order your wedding dress six to eight months prior to your wedding.  That deadline gives me a timeline of August to October to get myself in a bit better shape. I'm planning to work harder at choosing the most healthy food and by taking our fuzzy kids for walks regularly (as a start).

• Organize my Exploding Wardrobe - I have some amazing clothes and shoes.  I am terrible about holding onto items because it seems that every time I get rid of something, I decide I want to wear it again.  My wish is to cull through my closet and storage area. I need to box up items that are out of date (for now) or that don't fit.  Get rid of terribly dated pieces that aren't vintage quality and trash anything that's too worn. I can also swap or donate items that just don't work or that I don't want to keep. There are a few swaps coming up. I'll be posting about swaps tomorrow. They are great ways to purge a little.

• Find the Perfect Shade of Red Lipstick (for me) - I love bold lips but the perfect shade of red lipstick seems to be an unattainable beauty item. I can rock fuchsia but when I wear red I always feel like my lips are overpowering my face. Finding the perfect classic red for me would be fantastic. I'd love to find a bargain shade but to be honest if I find a pricey brand that's perfect, I'll take the plunge because I know I'll wear it often.  

• Give Back - Volunteering has always been part of my life. Unfortunately, when things get hectic, I don't do it as much as I'd like.  This year I want to look for new ways to give back and volunteer. I've already signed on to help a local high school with their Cinderella project (free prom gowns for needy girls). I'm sure I can find some great ways to help in my community.  

What are your New Year's Wishes?

Best of Blog World - Picks of the Week (June 15 - 21)

My friends, as you know my paying job has been taking much of my time lately. Work has been very busy. In addition, I haven't been feeling well.  Unfortunately that means I haven't been posting much or writing much in the last week. I thought I'd share some of my favorite posts, from some of my fave bloggers this week. I'm trying to get back in the saddle with some personal style posts and my own writing. Thanks for hanging in there.

• An amazing job at organizing a small closet from ...love Maegan. I plan to use Maegan's ideas in reorganizing my own closet. I have a nook in the side of my closet calling for shoe shelves.

• Instructions on creating my own DIY bleached jeans from I Spy DIY, like the ones I showed in this post. I can't wait to do my own. Hopefully work will cooperate soon.

• Hair tutorials shared by Sarah of Style IT.  Some great tips from Collette Malouf with step by step pictures. I love how she has taken the mystery out of a style that at first glance seems complicated. I'm fighting the urge to chop off my hair. These new style ideas will be a huge help.

• I love the layering, styling and the hat in the post Summer Magic by B. Jones Style.  I have a few summer hats and I enjoy seeing how other people style theirs. The structure of the hat vs. the flowing jacket are calling my name.

• This black and white look from Megan of The Frugalista Diaries is so chic! The mix of prints and stripes with the pop of color in the bag is fab. Did I mention that she just had a baby? The best of Mommy style and she looks INCREDIBLE! The post also inlcudes a funny story about husbands and clothes.