Desk Stash-TLC Tuesdays

My research has taught me that most women have a "desk stash" of health and beauty care items tucked into a drawer or filing cabinet at work. I will admit that I actually have 2 makeup bags in addition to an entire filing cabinet that houses snacks. One coworker of mine has a filing cabinet filled with shoes and another has a whole drawer dedicated to different teas.

I try harder to be flawless in the office than I do anywhere else, just because I want to appear to have my life completely in order, even though this has never been the case. I've been known to joke that it takes me about an hour and a half to look mediocre, so you can imagine what a feat this is for me. That being said, I have an arsenal of products at work incase I need a midday touch up or an incident occurs. 

After re-reading the below list, I've determined that if I would probably be able to spend the night in my office with very little inconvenience (this may be an issue, I'm still deciding). 

I thought it would be fun to share my stash with you all, I'd love to know what you can't live without, I really mean it, I'm so nosy!

Personal Care and First Aid

• Bandaids (all sizes)
• Tylenol
• Tampons and panty liners
• Mouth wash
• Tooth brush/Tooth Paste/Floss
• Saline solution and contact case
• Extra contacts
• Lotion
• Deodorant
• Hand Sanitizer
• Travel First Aid Kit
• Bandaid blister block
• Individual alcohol wipes (so handy if you put on too much perfume)
• Hair ties/bobbi pins
• Lint Roller

Makeup

This is where having a ton of samples from subscription boxes comes in really handy! I don't want you to think that I have a full stash of makeup at my desk. 

• Cooling eye gel (more useful than you think)
• Chapstick/lip balm (I recommend at least 3, just to be safe)
• Neutral/clear lipgloss
• Sample sizes of your favorite perfume (or a new one to try)
• Hair spray
• Illuminator
• Black eyeliner
• Clear nail polish (Again, more useful than you think)
• Stick blush (doubles as lip color/eye shadow)
• Tweezers/Safety Pins/Cuticle Clippers
• I know these tools sound excessive, but I promise you that they come in handy. If like me, you are a cuticle biter, these clippers let me take care of whatever is bothering me quickly and keeps my fingers out of my mouth. Also, several coworkers have removed splinters with the tweezers in my kit!

TLC Tuesdays [The List-Turkey Edition]

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This week's TLC Edition focuses on that lovely holiday where it's totally acceptable to eat your body weight in carbohydrates! I've pulled a few helpful links, tips, and tricks to help you better enjoy your day! 

• Dining Etiquette 101 (here)
• 100 Emergency Recipe Substitutions (BHG)
• A 3 Ingredient Fool-Proof Dessert Recipe (Novelty)
• Safe Thanksgiving Foods to Share with Dogs (here)
• A Handmade, All-Natural Hostess Gift (Novelty)
• 15 Comfortable (and Cute) Thanksgiving Outfit Ideas (WhoWhatWear)
• Travel Check List (Corals & Cognacs)
• How to Get Ready for a Party [or dinner] in 5 Minutes (A Cup of Jo)
• The Best Holiday Serveware (Cupcakes & Cashmere)
• Cheesy Leftover Mashed Potato Pancakes for the next day (here)

TLC Tuesdays [Skin Care Menu]

I briefly mentioned in this post that I've been having some difficulty with my skin breaking out. Luckily, I'm starting to look more and more like myself, after a couple months of trying everything under the sun. I've really stepped up my game and have been using my Clarisonic brush religiously as well as using this Tea Tree Water from Lush. I've also just started incorporating an antioxidant serum into my routine and becoming better about taking my biotin pills. I've also begun scrubbing on Monday/Wednesday/Friday in an effort to please Svitlana (I've been using this recipe, but I replaced the lavender oil with tea tree oil).

I've been wondering what the correct order would be for applying the products that I use and I found these helpful skin care "menus" on Byrdie Beauty and thought I'd share them for those of you that may be experiencing issues with the switch of the seasons.

Happy moisturizing, lovers!

TLC Tuesdays [Prolonging the Life of Fresh Flowers]

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I don't know about you guys, but I LOVE having fresh cut flowers in my house. I find fresh flowers to be the ultimate little luxury-they dress up any room and give it a sophisticated feel. I tend to have quite expensive taste when it comes to choosing flowers, I've been known to buy myself $12 roses for no reason (but that's what life is about). I don't feel the slightest bit guilty about splurging on beautiful flowers, but I do get a bit salty when they die within 2 days. 

What's a girl to do? Well, I went to one of my oldest friends, Alan, former Whole Foods flower connoisseur and current nursing student/perfect wavy hair haver, to gather his tips and tricks for prolonging the life of your foliage friends. 

First of all, you should know that Alan finds orchids to be "low maintenance", which really proves to you how adept he is at caring for plants. I personally killed an orchid in a record 72 hours. 

• An Alka Seltzer tablet or piece of grilling charcoal dropped into the water will keep it clearer, longer. (Also, changing said water every day goes a long way)
• Dropping a couple pennies in with a vase of tulips will keep them standing taller and straighter (but not for longer than usual)
• Ice cubes dropped in tulips will keep them closed for longer, but ice cubes dropped in roses will help them open and flourish
• Hammering or peeling the stems of hydrangeas (my favorite) will help them absorb more water, thus prolonging their lives 
• Also, if you are hell bent on raising some orchids, Alan's suggestion is to water them once a week and keep them in your bathroom where they will thrive in high humidity and indirect sunlight
• I've heard that pouring a bit of vodka in your flower water will prolong their lives as well, but it may be a better idea to drink a bit of it yourself-then your flowers will look perfect #VodkaGoggles

The gorgeous Ecuadorean roses that I picked up from Fairway on my day off. Swoon. 

Here's a delightful and blurry picture of Alan and me at his high school prom! xx Thanks for helping a sistah out!

TLC Tuesdays [Office Supply Organization]

Before we get started, I have to apologize for the crappy quality of the below photos. I didn't realize how bad they were until I had run out of light. As previously stated, the show must go on . . .

Now, it's not at all a new idea that office supplies can be used to organize more than paper clips and pencils, but how many of us have actually put those Pinterest finds into action? I went to Staples last week and grabbed this paperclip holder, this wire filing rack, and this receipt holder and used them to get my bedroom in order. For me, the biggest deal was the filing rack, you can see from my before picture that I had a handful of clutches thrown together on a shelf in my closet-not easy to use in the least. My next challenge is to ditch the TD Bank Tote bag in favor of a more grown-up (anything but this) option for storing misc. pieces.

Previously, my bobby pins were in a clear mini bin beneath my hair ties, which means I never felt like pulling them out to use them.

My clutches were stacked messily on top of one another and I could never see what I actually had up there. Being 5 ft 2 doesn't help the situation either.



Before, my rings were thrown in clear bin which kept me from seeing them and I never wanted to dig for the ones I was hoping to wear. Now, they are clearly displayed on this receipt rack where I can be reminded of all the fabulous baubles that I have! 

TLC Tuesdays [The List]

I'm sad to say that this past weekend was CRAZY and I wasn't able to sit down and prep for this blog week. Normally, I cram everything into Sunday afternoon, but that didn't happen due to family pumpkin picking (pictures to come later this week). Soooo, I don't have an original TLC Tuesday post for you guys. But I did pull a few links together that I like to keep filed away.

• The Grown Up's Guide to Modern Manners (R29)
• Ingredient Substitutions (BHG)
• Pairing Wine with Girl Scout Cookies! (here)
• How to Roll Your Sleeves [The J Crew Way] (TCP)
• 20 Power Resume Words (here)

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TLC Tuesdays [Breaking in New Shoes]

I think I can speak for the entire female population when I say that now is the hardest time on my feet as I've been trying to simultaneously break in multiple pairs of shoes and boots at once. We've all seen the tutorials and tips for stretching and loosening leather (I love the hair dryer trick) and I know I've mentioned this blister blocker for avoiding unsightly (and painful) blisters, but have you ever thought about scuffing the bottom of your shoes?

Last week I had dinner with a friend and she mentioned that she hurt her elbow pretty badly from slipping down a flight of stairs in a new pair of boots. This instantly brought me back to a few memories of new heels that I've purchased and never worn outside which caused me to slip on smooth dance floors-not fun or cute in the least.

I have a little trick for avoiding these situations (you knew I did, right?). The answer: sand paper. My suggestion is to grab the most coarse sand paper that you can get your hands on and go to town on the bottom of your shoes. Sanding the bottom of your new shoes will create a more un-even texture, thus making it harder for you to slip and slide.  PLEASE NOTE: I do not recommend using this trick on Louboutins.

Don't have sand paper around? Fret not, a nail file will serve the same purpose but will take a bit more time given its size.

I fully expect to see more of my fashionista friends in Home Depot now (I'm looking at you, Jo)!



Image Via A Lacey Perspective on Instagram

TLC Tuesdays [The Socks that Saved my Style]

Recently, I've been shopping like a mad woman and stocking up on all manners of leather type shoes. Be it boots, slip on sneakers, or loafers. Last year, before I lost my favorite black booties (RIP) after at least 3 years of wear, I discovered these little half-socks. I use the term "discover" very loosely as these have been on the market for quite a few years now. However, I had never invested in a pair, for some reason I never saw a need. Well, I've been put on this good Earth to let every woman know that she needs 2-4 pairs.

Like I said, I started wearing them last year with my shooties (shoe + booties) but this new Fall season has introduced me to a slew of other shoe styles that could benefit from these babies. What I'm saying here certainly isn't revolutionary, but I will tell you that once I opened my heart and sock drawer to these little guys, I found new and exciting ways to wear them! 

Enter:

• slip on sneakers
• athletic sneakers (when worn casually-not for physical activity) [this happens often]
• booties
• converse sneakers
• leather loafers
• Toms sneakers
• select ballet flats

I've been able to find these little black beauties at Target (here), Payless (here), and Walmart (here), so you know they're totally affordable. (So you have no excuse not to buy them). Trust me, these made a huge difference when I put these leather slip on sneakers on for the first time-my feet felt so much more comfortable and dry (and not smelly! #winning).

TLC Tuesdays [The Best Way to Hang Your Sweaters]

Most experts would say that your sweaters should be folded on a shelf or in a drawer rather than hung up. For me, I prefer to have my clothing hung in my closet and sweaters are no exception. The tricky part here is to ensure that your sweaters don't lose their shape or elasticity. To keep them from "growing" or stretching out and loosening the knit, you want to hang them in such a way that relieves stress from the knit.

I have to be honest here, I don't remember where I first saw this trick, so I apologize for lack of credit given. But I can say that since I implemented this hanging system, I've yet to experience a stressed-out sweater.

1. Fold sweater in half and lay flat
2. Position hanger at arm hole seam of the sweater
3. Fold the body portion of the sweater over the hanger with hook to the left
4. Fold the sleeve of the sweater over the hanger with the hook to the right-the hook should now be centered through the fold of your sweater
5. Hang and enjoy!

PS. These are my absolute favorite hangers. I despise the feeling of velvet, but they ensure that all of my clothing hangs gently and stays put. I also love these for pants.

TLC Tuesdays [Brushing Up on Clean Makeup Brushes]

I'm pretty sure there are two types of people in this world, those that use makeup brushes and those that don't wear makeup. I fall into the former category and find myself to be a fairly recent brush enthusiast. I was always a fan of using my fingers, or those applicators that came with my eye shadows and palettes.

About a year ago, at the suggestion of a friend I upgraded my brush stash to an Arbonne kit very similar to this one. I had complete buyers remorse until the second this kit arrived. Once I felt those silky smooth bristles, I was hooked. Now, I will say this, I am not 100% sure if these brushes are made from animal hair, please note that I purchased these quite a while before I went cruelty-free and when the time comes that they need replacing, I'll be looking into cruelty-free/vegan option. For those of you that are a bit more flexible, I can't stress how soft and luxurious these brushes feel!

Now that I paid a decent amount of money for these brushes, I am very conscious of keeping them clean and healthy-not only for their sake but for my own health and skin! I've been doing some research and have heard several different opinions on how one should upkeep their brushes.

On a daily basis, I'll brush any excess makeup off the brush head onto a towel, but every so often I'll notice how caked on and dusty looking my brushes appear. When that time comes, which is about once a month or so (which I know is not really frequently enough), I like to treat them to a lovely spa day in my bathroom.

There are differing opinions on what you should wash your brushes with, and I think it really comes down to personal preference. I've heard that if you have animal hair brushes, you should use shampoo (tearless baby shampoo is probably the best option here). I've also heard from a dermatologist that you should use your face wash as shampoo could be too harsh on your skin. Since I've been having blemish issues recently, I went with the latter option.

The following steps should be followed on a weekly basis to keep your brushes and skin healthy and happy!

I keep two bowls of water, one for washing with diluted face wash and one for rinsing. 

Having two separate bowls makes it so much easier to see if your brushes are fully cleaned or not.

I love to give them a good swirl to ensure that nothing is stuck in the bristles, soap included!

I always lay them flat overnight to dry to help maintain their shape and keep water from pooling in the bristles. It's perfectly safe to blow dry your brushes if you prefer to speed up the process. 

Introducing TLC Tuesdays

You may remember this post from a couple weeks ago where I talked about small daily goals that I've been thinking about. Well, I was sorting my laundry to go into the dryer last night when I thought of a new series that I'd like to introduce on Novelty. At first, I though "Little Extra Care" but really, my heart loves alliteration and everyone knows what TLC stands for (Tender Loving Care-just incase!) so that is what won out.

I've always been the type of person that puts in a half-assed amount of effort. Just enough to get the job done but never enough to be outstanding or to feel that I've really worked toward something. Well, I've started to realize (about 25 years too late) that it's the effort that you put into the small, unnoticed areas of your life that make all of the difference. For me, that means taking the extra time to make my bed every morning, to not wear the same pair of contacts for 6 months [SO guilty here], and to take stock of my life every once in a while to ensure that I'm headed where I want to be.

I thought that others out there may be interested in putting a little extra effort into their lives and that's why I'm starting this series. So guys, next week will begin the first official TLC Tuesdays. I don't hear from my readers often enough, so if you have a topic that you'd like for me to explore in this series, I'M ALL EARS and eyes now that I've changed my lenses!



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