I’ve always been a fan of a great at-home bar. I strongly believe it’s a must-learn life skill to mix up classic cocktails, and as an avid host, it’s important to provide an array...
Looking back on Easter as a child, I remember how excited I was to dig through my Easter basket. Full of chocolate bunnies, malt ball Easter eggs, Peeps, golden coins, and my favorite Cadbury...
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...
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...
I’m back in the office after a great holiday weekend, but whew my mind is elsewhere. I’ve always had a strong sense of wanderlust, so it should come to no surprise to you that I follow a ton of accounts on Instagram that dish up a good dose of worldly inspiration daily. Now, some of these travel Instagram accounts are smaller than others, some are what I consider “big dogs”, some do this for a living and some simply have a knack for capturing beauty wherever they end up. But I think you’ll agree that their effect is the same; they leave you with a let’s-pack-our-bags-right-now kind of feeling.
So I invite you to escape your cubicle or desk today for a few minutes by clicking through the slideshow above. While these are nine of my faves, I’m ALWAYS looking for more travel Instagram accounts to follow…so please tell me who you love too! Cheers, Kat
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We’re inundated with fashion inspiration these days, there’s no question about it. As a result of Instagram and Pinterest especially, we can easily get caught up in the overwhelming urge to stock up (and spend a pretty penny) on the hottest trends. Now I know this topic won’t be top of mind for me forever (like, say when I’m saving up for a deposit on my first house in a few years). But at the age of 27, I’m attending a lot of events and weddings, saving for the future, and paying off student loans, so I have to be strategic about where my disposable money goes…and if I’m not careful, it usually all goes to clothes. In a dream world, I’d always recognize forever-pieces from the duds. In REALITY, though, it’s sometimes hard to resist the season’s latest trends because even wardrobe staples need a little flair sometimes.
So what’s helped me not go broke over the irresistible new fashion trends? Knowing where to draw the line, and being able to say no. I’ve become so wise (in my old age) that I’ve learned that some trends work for my friends and not me, and vice versa. For the record, I look SILLY in jumpsuits and rompers with my wide hips, but I have a friend with an hourglass waist who looks dynamite in them.
Another trick? I like to think of trends as the category to have a little fun in, and that means getting creative with their sources (read: finding them on sale or highly discounted)! French style icon and blogger Garance Dore wrote in Love Style Life, “It’s more about building your wardrobe with great essentials and using the trends for fun updates.” I strategize a save-and-splurge technique by checking out discount sites like The Outnet and setting up sale alerts on ShopStyle (a great site to search for specific items) for the trendy items I’m looking for. As an example of my save-and-splurge strategy, I’ve found that these affordable lace-up sandals look just as good as the designer version, and this affordable panama hat is exactly what I need, without costing as much as this one. Lace-up sandals and panama hats are very trendy right now, and I feel better about buying the affordable options especially if I’m not 100% the trend will last through next year. (And to my delight, these sandals and this hat actually have!) A wardrobe staple like a classic black blazer, on the other hand? I’m going to buy one I know I’ll have for at least the next decade.
So I’d love to know: what fashion trends are you loving right now? Have there been trendy pieces that you have turned into staples? Has there been a fashion trend you’ve fallen trap to? What trends have you avoided? Lastly, where do YOU score your trendy pieces? Cheers, Kat
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We’ve all heard about them. Superfoods. Think bee pollen, cacao powder, coconut oil, chia seeds, chlorella, flax seeds, hemp seeds, kale, maca powder, quinoa, spirulina, turmeric…and the list goes on. According to Google, a superfood is “a nutrient-rich food considered to be especially beneficial for health and well-being.”
For a little context: I’d consider myself someone that’s, yes, interested in superfoods, but I don’t always have the discipline to take a handful of pills twice a day. Maybe some of you can relate…I think working superfoods into my routine can feel daunting sometimes! But I do, however, like the idea of keeping myself healthy enough to stay out of the doctor’s office.
I recently sought out a few easy ways to ensure I was getting all the good stuff (I think my current favorite is definitely the Daily Harvest ready-to-blend smoothies). And while I’m still teaching myself about all things superfoods, I’d love to know about any of your go-to’s or favorite recipes! Cheers, Kat
No. 1…Make a Smoothie Smoothies are perhaps the easiest (and tastiest) ways to ingest superfoods. I’m always good about having organic chia seeds, flax seeds, hemp seeds and organic coconut oil in the pantry. These are all strong staples to add to your daily smoothies. But if you’re interested in taking it a step further, consider powder mixes you can add. In the past, I’ve ordered Aloha‘s plant-based proteins that include a handful of important superfoods. Aloha’s 15-pack of Daily Good Greens costs $40, so you can supercharge your smoothies at the cost of $2.67 per smoothie.
No. 2…Grab a Ready-to-Blend Smoothie
But if making a smoothie from scratch every morning sounds a bit too ambitious (I’ll admit, sometimes I’m in that boat!) consider the affordable, ready-to-blend smoothies from Daily Harvest. They’re jam-packed with all of the big players (cacao, turmeric, chlorella, hemp, chia, flax, etc.), their flavor combinations are almost too good to be true (Carrot + Chia = yum), and they only take 3o seconds to make. At $6.99 per smoothie, the cost won’t break the bank if you regularly find yourself in line at the local juice shop! And because Daily Harvest knows we’re officially hooked, it’s offering all of our readers a 25% off discount code on the first 6 smoothies! Just use code MARTHA25 at checkout.
No. 3…Stock Up On Snacks Thrive Market offers a large range of superfoods, and many of them can be found in tasty snacks (like these cheesy crackers and this trail mix). With a $59.95 yearly membership to the site, you’re able to save an average of 35% on leading health food. (Read: it’s like Whole Foods at Costco prices.) I’ve been a member for more than a year now, and I can attest to how much I save on staples like coconut oil, olive oil, nontoxic cleaning products, etc., it’s even more than I would save if I was buying only on Amazon. I’m also always inspired by Thrive Market’s blog (and solid Instagram account), where the team shares creative recipes to live a healthier life. Check out 9 Superfoods to Improve Your Focus and its Superfood Breakfast Cookies recipe.
No. 4…Mix Into Water MKR turned me onto Elle McPherson’s Super Elixir. You may remember reading what she says about it The List; she adds this superfood powder directly into a glass of water. A bit grainy, yes, but the mixture is an impactful and easy to ingest when in a rush to get out the door every morning (you can also add it to smoothies if you have more time). And while Super Elixir’s price tag is steep ($135 for 300mg with fancy caddy and $45 for 150 mg without the fancy caddy), it’s packed with 45 key ingredients that have brought a cult-following to this superfood superhero. Want to try it without fully committing? The Greens Travel Set will only cost you $27 for seven days’ worth.
No. 5…Take Supplements I personally struggle with having discipline with taking daily supplements of turmeric, chlorella, spirulina, etc., but my boyfriend is a huge fan of HealthForce, a company that sells raw, vegan, bio-compatible nutritional superfoods. (I still get a laugh over their packaging.) But if you’re good about taking a handful of pills every day, this is the most straight-forward way to ensure you’re getting all of the good stuff.
Whenever I’m buying supplements or vitamins, I consult LabDoor.com first. This site is extremely helpful with weighing quality and price of different brands (because they all kinda sound the same, right?). The quality ranking and value ranking will show you an overall grade to help you make an educated purchase.
No. 6…Find Inspiration Around the Web Lastly, I’d be lost without my go-to sites for inspiration on how to sneak superfoods into my diet. The Chalkboard Mag and Hello Glow are the first places I look for recipes rich in superfoods (plus a few DIY beauty tutorials with superfoods, while I’m at it). Hello Glow shared a helpful breakdown of foods to eat for healthy skin, which is a must-read in my opinion.
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