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Lets be honest, salads can be boring. So I’m always trying to think outside of the box to come up with salad recipes that I’ll thoroughly enjoy, but are beyond easy to make. Enter...
When I walked into Rigby & Peller a few weeks ago, I thought I knew what there was to know about the perfect bra fitting. I had my go-to’s (a nude, black and strapless…standard), and I had never invested too much thought into this detail of my wardrobe.
But a visit to the luxe lingerie brand’s boutique in Atlanta taught me a thing or two about lingerie; its collection of bras were as functional and flattering as they were beautiful, and I took a few notes on the perfect bra fitting once and for all. I learned that the perfect bra fitting always means: smooth cups, low and even straps across your back, with the center section lying flat against your sternum. I’m not going to lie; I was guilty of owning a few everyday bras that gaped, with some that had straps that cut into me. NOT good!
Since this is our month to “Refresh, Recharge and Renew,” I wanted to share a those takeaways here for you today. There was no tape measure (you’re as shocked as I was), and the visit reminded me just how powerful a role a perfect bra fitting can play with your confidence. It’s the best gift you can give yourself as you refresh your wardrobe in the new year! Check out the 5 tips on how to find the perfect bra fitting below. Truly, MKR
SHOP THE STORY / CLICK LEFT & RIGHT ARROWS TO EXPLORE
Own At Least 7 Bras (One for Each Day)
Sophie Surprising Stretch-lace & Mesh Underwired Bra
When explained, this tip made a lot of advice to me. When you’re wearing the same bra every day, the straps will lose their elasticity much faster than if you switched them out every day (or every other day). If you find yourself adjusting the straps constantly, it’s time to replace the bra; once the bra loses its elasticity in the straps, it’s not serving you well at all. By having several “go-to” bras in your lingerie lineup, this allows for better care (and better fit) of the pieces for longer.
Focus on the Fit of the Band First
Souple Lace-trimmed Stretch Cotton-blend Jersey Contour Bra
I learned that the band is the most important detail of the bra for providing the necessary support. To ensure that you have the right size band, fasten the bra on the middle hook. If isn’t sitting horizontally and evenly across your back, and is instead riding up, the band size is too loose and you probably need to go down a number size and up a cup size.
A good rule of thumb: you should be able to fit two fingers under the fastening of the band at the back. If more than two fingers fit, the band is too loose (and if fitting two fingers is difficult, the band is too tight).
A bra’s band will stretch about three inches in its lifetime, so you never want to fasten it on the last hook in the beginning.
If the center part of the bra and the wire parts around your breasts are away from your chest, the cup is too small. This means you’ll probably want to try one (or two) cup sizes bigger. You want the wire to sit comfortably against your bust, without squeezing or gaping.
Along the lines of a bra’s elasticity, you should never wear a bra two days in a row. It needs to rest to regain its stretchy strength for the best fit. Hand-washing the bra in cold water with lingerie wash will also help extend its life.
There’s a wide world of different bra styles, so you’d be wise to them all on to find your perfect fit. Here’s a quick run-down of common fits, and what to expect.
1. Balconette bras offer little to no coverage, creating dramatic uplift and cleavage.
2. A bra with demi-cups give you a sexy, cleavage enhancing shape. This style is best for smaller breast sizes, because they offer less coverage than a full cup and more than a balconette.
3. Plunge bras will give you the appearance of more cleavage thanks to the deep silhouette and angled cups. They’re usually not as padded as your standard push-up bra.
4. Like plunge bras, push-up bras add the appearance of cleavage, and usually have underwires and much padding.
5. Underwire bras have a thin, flexible wire that shapes the bottom of your breasts for support. Some underwire bras include padding, while others simply have a layer of lace.
It’s pretty scary to learn that not all products on the market are safe for our bodies; many have harmful chemicals that become carcinogens (substances that can cause cancer) and many include “fragrance”, which could mean they have as many as 200 undisclosed chemicals in their ingredients. It can be daunting to try to decode these labels, so that’s why I’ve turned to DIY nontoxic cleaning thanks to inspiration from my journey with essential oils.
Good news is that switching out your cleaning supplies is probably the easiest and least expensive step in detoxing your home/life plus with the concern of toxins growing our options are more readily available than ever. From “green” laundry detergent, surface spray, and even clean candles your choices are literally endless. As I began detoxifying my home I found myself leaning Thieves essential oil, the Thieves cleaning line and a lot of easy, DIY nontoxic cleaning recipes.
Of course, when you decide to make the switch to nontoxic cleaning products, you’re faced with an initial investment that can seem daunting. Believe me, I know. Throwing out the tried-and-true name brand counter sprays, dishwashing detergents, window sprays and air fresheners feels like a waste of money just to turn around and spend more on all this Thieves business. (And actually, you shouldn’t just throw these toxic products out in the trash because they’ll end up back in the environment; check out your local Department of Public Works to find a safe way to dispose of them.) But once you make the switch, you’ll find that you actually save money in the long run.
For example, the Thieves Household Cleaner bottle is highly concentrated and equates to about 128 all-purpose 30 oz. spray bottles for only 88 cents per bottle (!) and 67 cents per bottle and the majority of DIY recipes include inexpensive and easy to find items such as baking soda, fresh lemon, and white vinegar. By creating these simple DIY concoctions I’m able to create cleaning solutions that are MORE effective and longer lasting than their store-bought counterparts. Which means less trips to Target where I walk in for one thing and out with a whole cart full of items I do not need. Another money saving tip; buy bulk when you can, and common cleaning ingredients for your recipes will include: essential oils (click HERE to learn more about all of that), baking soda, white vinegar, castille soap and of course your reusable amber spray bottles.
Anyway, enough rambling; check out a few of my go-to ways that I’m putting DIY nontoxic cleaning to work. It’s become an important factor of our household, especially with my dog Addison running around (and licking the floor). These solutions are great to keep in mind especially for anyone with dogs or kids. Truly, MKR
Love love love this all purpose cleaner for just about everything. It’s easy to make and cheap to refill.
DIY All Purpose Cleaner 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
5 drops Thieves essential oil
5 drops lemon essential oil or the juice of at least 3 lemons (one drop = 1 lb. of lemons!)
5 drops rosemary essential oil or a few sprigs of fresh rosemary
1 cup distilled water
DIY Window Cleaner (Windex Alternative)
100% Natural and Biodegradable Amala Magic Sponge Cloth
In the back of my mind, I’ve always known that Windex was horrible for us; the smell alone can suffocate you! Next time you’re looking to clean your shower door or wash our windows, use this recipe (just be sure to use enough lemon to cover the vinegar smell).
DIY Window Cleaner
2 cups of water (distilled or filtered)
2 tablespoons white vinegar
10 drops lemon essential oil
For the heavy degreasing jobs, when the all purpose cleaner just won’t cut it, I like to pull out the big guns. And that means simply Thieves Household cleaner and water!
DIY Heavy Degreaser
15 parts water: 1 part Thieves Household Cleaner
Click HERE to sign up and get a major discount on the Thieves cleaning kit.
I don’t know about you, but bleach scares the heeby-jeebies out of me with its toxicity level. So when I found a safer alternative, I jumped at the chance to try it myself. This combination will help keep whites a bit whiter.
DIY Bleach Alternative
3/4 cup 3% Hydrogen Peroxide
15 drops lemon essential oil
This practically isn’t even a recipe; it only requires one ingredient! I use the cleaner directly on stains (with no water) and gently scrub until the stain disappears. I mean, I’ve even used it on red wine stains!
Click HERE to sign up and get a major discount on the Thieves cleaning kit.
I’ve found that using essential oils to fight odors is the trick because comparable store-bought air fresheners and spray simply mask odors, never getting rid of it completely. That’s why I love this simple, yet effective DIY carpet cleaner recipe. By all means, you can swap out the essential oils used; though Thieves, Lavender and Purification are some of my go-to’s.
Not only does Thayers’ Witch Hazel have a cult following for being an all natural skin toner, it’s a staple ingredient in DIY essential oil sprays. Of course, you can sub it with vodka, but I prefer this wonder-product witch hazel (and it’s so cheap on Amazon). Use this DIY workout equipment cleaner on yoga mats, dumbbells, treadmills and more, and store in a small spray bottle.
DIY Workout Equipment Cleaner
10 drops Thieves essential oil
1 teaspoon witch hazel (or vodka)
Top with distilled water
This simply combination is a game-changer, friends. I mix it together, sprinkle in the bottom of my trash cans and I never get a whiff of something terrible! Like I mentioned above, Thieves works as a true odor neutralizer (rather than just masking it, making it worse).
DIY Trash Freshener
10 drops Thieves essential oil
5 drops lemon essential oil
2 cups baking soda
Featured image, Rustic White for Waiting on Martha
Here’s another idea to “refresh” this month; nothing drastic, but one that’ll hopefully inspire a few better habits to stick. I’m sharing ten easy ways to go green around the house, and I think you’ll find that they’re all totally doable and reasonable. A lot of times, we get so stuck in our ways that we don’t even realize small, subtle changes that can do us better in the long-run (and save us money!!).
Below, check out a few of the goals I’m setting for myself in the new year. They include easy things like switching out the chemical-laden cleaning products, swapping paper towels for dish towels, as well as introducing green alternatives to my personal care routine like all natural toothpaste, oil-pulling and smudge sticks. See? Nothing too crazy or life-changing, but all helpful ways to go green around the house. But I’d love to add some more to this list; comment below with your favorite way to go green(er). Cheers! Kat
My household is guilty of going through a few rolls of paper towels per month. In 2017, I’m introducing wash rags and dish cloths to our countertops instead. For even the smallest of spills, instead of using an entire paper towel, we’ll be using these dish cloths that we can then later throw in the wash. Easy-breezy.
Instead of using wasteful plastic water bottles (full of BPA too!), opt for reusable water bottles you can refill throughout the day.
We’re big fans of these copper water bottles because they have countless health benefits (and they look pretty cool). Copper water helps you maintain good digestive health, killing bacteria and washing the gastrointestinal tract. It flushes kidneys, stimulates digestive process and overall reduces fat. Convinced yet?!
Harsh synthetics and toxic chemicals can be found in your tried-and-true personal care items like hand soap, mouthwash, toothpaste, deodorant and more. To give your personal care routine a green overhaul, consider gentle, safer hand soaps (like Thieves), oil pulling packets (your teeth, gums and breath will thank you!) and nontoxic toothpaste (again, Thieves for the win!).
Say no to the disposable dryer sheets that are laden with chemicals and synthetics. Instead, use reusable wool dryer balls to soften fabrics the natural way. The not only shorten drying time and save energy, they are better for sensitive skin and are completely eco-friendly.
I know I’m guilty of stashing plastic and paper grocery bags in a random cabinet in my kitchen…either to pile up or be thrown away later. Instead of doing this, use a cloth or canvas grocery tote! These are reusable and perhaps even easier to deal with than the disposable alternatives. A lot of places will give you a discount when using them, too. Win-win.
Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL) use 10x less energy than normal incandescent bulbs! It’s time to switch yours out for these ones, and rest assured that they’ll last a whole lot longer (read: you won’t have to replace them as often!).
Did you know that dishwashing generally takes 27 gallons of water, compared with the four gallons in the dishwasher to wash the same number of dishes?! So next time you think you’re doing better by hand washing, put that stuff in the dishwasher!
Another scary fact about water waste: about five gallons of water are wasted when you brush your teeth with the water on! Turn the water OFF while you brush.
Air fresheners’ packaging causes waste, and there are better ways to purify and freshen the air. A lot of big-box brand air fresheners contain harmful chemicals that actually only mask the odor, rather than neutralize or clear the air.
A good alternative when you need to freshen up and clear the air? Diffusing essential oils like Thieves, Lemon and Purification, using smudge sticks to purify the air and having plants to naturally detox the space (and get rid of that formaldehyde lingering around!).
This will be an easy adjustment when you start using your dish towels like I mentioned above. Using cloth napkins (chic French stripe ones if we’re getting specific) at mealtime instead of paper towels or paper napkins is a game-changer in terms of waste (not to mention, they look so much better!).
Switch to Chemical-Free Detergents & Cleaning Solutions
Go green around the house with safe, clean products that don’t include harsh chemicals and ingredients. Start with any products from the Thieves line; they truly are wonder products that go so far (the cleaner is highly concentrated and can be used for countless DIY recipes) It’s time to swap out the laundry detergent, all-purpose cleaner, bathroom cleaner and more.
More on this tomorrow!
Featured image, Rustic White for Waiting on Martha
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