Tag: DIY

Stay-At-Home Valentine’s Ideas For Singles and Significant Other’s!

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Hey y’all!

So, it’s finally February, which can only mean one thing — it’s almost Valentine’s Day.

I’m definitely in the minority on this one, but personally — I’m actually pretty indifferent to Valentine’s Day. I feel like it’s a holiday that causes a lot of heightened emotions for a lot of people — there can be crazy high expectations for those in relationships, and feelings of absolute dread for those who are single. It’s kind of sad, however, to see a holiday that’s supposed to be love turn into something that causes so much stress in others, though. Which is why, since starting my blog, I’ve made it a mission each February to make posts to help alleviate some of the stress surrounding February 14th.

In all honesty, I really couldn’t tell you what I’ve done on Valentine’s Day the past few years — I’ve been single for a while now, and I guess my apathetic attitude towards the holiday makes me kind of lucky, since it doesn’t really cause me any trouble. However, I did used to be a bit of an Edge Lordtm about the whole thing a few years back, so I do know how much it can suck to feel as though everyone is rubbing their happiness in your faces.

Truth be told, however, the one time I actually was in a relationship on Valentine’s Day was actually kind of crappier than any year I’ve spent single. For a holiday that should simply be about celebrating your relationship, it sure as hell comes with a lot of extra baggage. This year, however, all of our expectations for just about anything have gone out the window — so I’m hoping that with stay-at-home restrictions, limited open public spaces, and all the other crazy stuff going on in the world, we can all take it back to the basics and remember why Valentine’s Day should be celebrated in the first place.

So, whether you’re in a relationship and looking for some COVID-safe activities for the 14th, or single and looking for a way to celebrate yourself this Valentine’s Day, here are ##### ideas that work for singles, couples, AND friend’s this Valentine’s that will help you celebrate love and happiness in a safe and stress-free way!

Make an Elaborate Meal

If you’ve been taking up cooking since COVID began or have really been missing going out to fancy restaurants lately, this is the perfect Valentine’s plan for you. Rather than just eating whatever you’ve meal prepped for the week, plan out a multiple-course dinner for yourself, your significant others or your household complete with a little menu, entrées, desserts, and maybe even some fancy drink pairings. If you really want to go all out, make a Spotify playlist for the night, decorate your dining area and dress up to the nines — why not, right? Even if you live alone and you’re celebrating by yourself this year, I’m a big believer that you don’t always need an excuse to dress up or treat yourself. Going all-out to recreate the fine dining night-out experience in your own home is definitely a night you’ll remember — and you’ll be able to cater your own little restaurant experience perfectly to your own tastes, too!

Have a Spa Night

I know I suggest this one a lot, but it’s a great way to treat yourself, and works well as a night in with your SO or friends, as well. If this is the vibe you’re feeling this 14th, go all out and plan an elaborate self-care night, tailored towards your personal plans! Feel free to decorate, prep some snacks, make some tea (or grab some wine), light some candles, and set up a Spotify playlist full of some chill vibes. To really relax fully and enjoy your night, plan out what you’ll be doing in advance so when the time comes, you don’t even have to think about it! Some great ideas are face masks, mani/pedis, warm baths, a little meditation — it’s all up to you!

Plan a Movie Marathon

For a chiller night in with a less planning, the best way to go is often a good old-fashioned movie marathon. Order a pizza, grab a bottle of wine and some snacks, and you’re basically set for the night. One of the best ways to make a movie marathon feel like an occasion is to choose a theme, or franchise, to stick to for the night. As for what that is — it’s up to you and whoever will be joining you this Valentine’s Day! Some good ideas may be classic Golden Age Hollywood movies, Rom-Com’s, cheesy horror movies, animated films such as Disney or Studio Ghibli, or fantasy franchises such as Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and the MCU.

Explore the Outdoors

Depending on where you’re located (and weather-depending), spending the day outside can be a great way to spend Valentine’s Day by yourself or with those who are special to you. If you’re lucky enough to live somewhere with nice enough weather, you can plan a picnic or spend the evening watching the sunset — and for those of you in cooler climates, you can always try out heading out on a walk or hike, or taking some time to drive somewhere isolated and go stargazing. Outdoor activities really vary depending on where in the world your located, so if this sounds like something you’re feeling down for, give your local outdoor attractions a quick google and see if you can find something special!

Make a DIY Cocktail Bar

This is basically the same idea as making an elaborate home meal for those of us looking to have a boozier night on the 14th. Instead of planning out a meal, search up some recipes for some of your fave fancy cocktails and gather up all the ingredients you’ll need. Plan out a little menu with a couple options, and you’re good to go! Some ways you can really help create the atmosphere of being out at a classy bar establishment is setting up a little charcuterie or cheese board, decorating your space, getting all dressed up, and making a playlist for whatever vibe you’re going for.

Bake Some V-Day Treats

If you’re one for baking, skip the chocolates this year (or not — why not both?) and bake your own Valentine’s treats. There’s all kinds of ways to pull off this little Valentine’s Day plan — depending on what you and others in your life enjoy, you can either surprise the important people in your life with some homemade Valentine’s snacks, spend the day baking with your SO, friends or family — or just bake up a bunch of treats for yourself!

Have an At-Home Wine and Paint Night

This is a super fun and cute idea if you’re looking to spend your Valentine’s doing an activity that’s a little more elaborate and hands on, IMO. It’ll take a little bit of prep — you’ll need canvases/paper, paint, paintbrushes (and wine, obviously) to really pull this idea off. If you’re really looking to go all out, make sure you also pick up some snacks, maybe even a little decor, and prepare the perfect Spotify playlist to set the mood. The best part is, this activity actually works perfectly, no matter who you end up spending your night with (even if it’s yourself!). As a bonus, afterwards you also have a sweet little keepsake to help you remember the night forever (even if you may not remember it yourself! I won’t judge.).

No matter how you guys end up spending your Valentine’s this year, regardless of who you end up spending it with, I hope you all end up having an amazing day (even if this Valentine’s is just going to be another Sunday for you). No matter what, just remember that while Valentine’s is a lovely holiday meant to celebrate happiness and love, it isn’t the be all to end all — and just because it doesn’t end up going the way you pictured it being doesn’t always mean it was a total bust. My hope for all of you is that this year, no matter what your circumstances are — Valentine’s ends up being fantastic at best, or just another day at worst. Even if, for whatever reason, you really are dreading Valentine’s this year — at the end of the day, it’s just another day and you will get through it.

Happy Sunday, everyone! For those of you big on sports, I hope you all had fun this Super Bowl Sunday (I personally could not care less as a non-American, non-sports fan who used to work at a sports bar — but that’s just me!). If you did something really fun and COVID-friendly today, drop a comment below and let me know how you spent it! I’m always looking for new, fun, stay-at-home friendly ideas to use in my own life.

Much love,

Meredith

Trends I’m Loving: Spring 2020 Edition!

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Hey y’all!

So, just because we’re all kind of locked in this spring, doesn’t mean that we can’t enjoy a little spring fashion! While spring looks certainly are a little differently, I’m really here for this spring’s cute and cozy fashion. I feel like this year’s spring fashion is a mix of lounge-wear, DIY, and the occasional cute outfit (just for the insta).

There’s a couple of trends that I’ve been seeing out there that I’ve absolutely been loving, and just had to try for myself. I figured, even thought it IS a little late in the season, that I’d take the time to share them all with you today. I almost feel as though there’s a little split between two sides here — pre-stay at home and stay at home fashion. All the styles I fell in love with before lockdown are all still amazing and I adore them — the difference now is, unfortunately, the only time I get to wear them is for Instagram pics. But, hey, that’s not the worst thing!

White Boots

I had been seeing these boots everywhere before March, and even though I knew lockdowns were about to start, I absolutely had to get my hands on them. I am OBSESSED with these — they are so cute and make a great statement piece, while still being relatively easy to pair with a wide array of outfits. I got a super cute pair off of Shein (the exact pair is no longer available, but these are almost 100% identical and these have a stiletto heel if that’s more your style). I had never ordered from Shein before, however, not only were these boots totally affordable — the quality of them is amazing, and they’re surprisingly comfortable for such a tall heel. (Like, seriously, these shoes are higher quality than shoes from the kinds of stores out there selling booties for $100-$300!!!). If you’ve been needing some cute new spring shoes, I’d HIGHLY recommend checking these out. Just look at them!!! I’m in love.

Tie-Dye Loungewear

This is the latest comfy stay-at-home trend that I’m absolutely in love with. Something that’s becoming kind of important to me is finding a balance between looking somewhat put together while also being comfortable in my new day-to-day style. I’m sure many of you can relate when I say that putting some effort into my appearance helps me maintain some sense of normalcy right now. I’ve been struggling to stay afloat and not give in to the symptoms of my depression, which is super hard when all life is right now is staying at home.

Basically, this is all just a SUPER long way of saying that while I may not be doing my hair or makeup every day, I’m incorporating cute and comfy outfits into part of my daily routine so I can feel at least a LITTLE put together. I love these tie-dye sets because they’re cozy, summery and something new. Plus, if you’re having trouble finding some you can always make your own! I’m going to be trying to make my own soon, but in the meantime, you can find this set over at FashionNova.

Pastel Eye Makeup

This is a trend I’ve been seeing everywhere, and am SO excited to finally get to try for myself. One of my fave stay-at-home hobbies has been messing around with/practicing makeup, especially with some fave or new palettes of mine that I didn’t get a lot of use out of at work (meaning I only got to wear each one VERY rarely). Not only does taking this time to practice give you the chance to really hone your skills and glow up hard during Social Distancing, but you can also show off your pretty new looks on Instagram! I bought these palettes like, the DAY before Social Distancing was enacted, and they’ve been my newfound stay-at-home spring favourite. If you want to try them out for yourself, check out these lil Huda Beauty palettes at Sephora!

Pistachio Green

Spring is all about cute pastel colours — it’s a classic at this point. While a lot of colours may feel overdone by now, pastel green is FINALLY having its moment. While mint green is super cute and all, this new pistachio colour I’ve been seeing everywhere is my new fave. It’s something fresh and new and really makes a statement, while still being super cute and not over-the-top. This colour has been popping up all over Aritzia’s spring line, which is where you can find this cute lil number!

Plaid Skorts

This new take on the classic plaid miniskirt is not just cute — it’s practical. The “skort” element of this piece is relatively subtle, but saves you from having to worry about your skirt ride up all day or anything like that. Plaid bottoms are such a cute look, it’s hard to go wrong — but I can already tell I’m going to get VERY good use out of this skort piece from Aritzia once I have more places to wear it.

Oversized Graphic Tees

I am SO into this look! It really isn’t anything new, but it’s new for me — I haven’t owned a graphic tee since, like, high school. These shirts also tie into looking cute at home while still being comfortable — they’re comfy af while still being something I’d honestly wear out of the house. Urban Outfitters has just about the widest selection of graphic tees you could ever dream of, so I stocked up on a bunch of big, baggy, comfy yet stylish shirts from there to rock around the house or on the Insta (since we don’t really have any other options right now, TBH).

Have you guys had any spring trends you’ve been loving? It’s definitely a weird time for shopping and fashion right now — it’s a strange mix between wanting to treat yourself and trying to be practical. No one ever said you can’t have both, though — so if any of these have you inspired, go for it! It’s been a crazy month, anything that helps you feel a little normal is a borderline necessity at this point.

Hope you guys are all doing well out there! Even if you can’t/aren’t feeling sprucing up your spring stay-at-home wardrobe right now, be sure to be mindful of how you’re feeling and are taking care of yourself. Do NOT feel guilty for being anxious, stressed out or just generally in a bad mood lately — these are really difficult times for all of us and just because you don’t have it “the worst” doesn’t mean you aren’t going through a hard time.

I’m considering making a post about what I’m doing currently to stay positive and productive during Social Distancing (while not overwhelming myself with tasks or stress), so let me know if you guys are interested in that, or if you have any personal methods to keep you sane right now. I’d love to hear it — my Social Distancing lifestyle is still very much a work in progress!

Much love,

Meredith

Heatless Hair Curlers: Love It Or Leave It?

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Beachy Waves With Heatless Hair Curlers

Hey everyone!

So to preface, I apologize for the lack of quality in this week’s posts photos — I wasn’t intending this post for this week, and therefore had to prep photos for this super last minute. However, this means that next week you’ll be getting TWO posts on Sunday, so stay tuned for that! And, without further ado, lets get into it!

This weeks post is for everyone out there who LOVES curly hair, but can’t style their hair to save their life, or anyone trying to avoid heat damage to their hair at all costs.

One fact that I’ve found to be almost universally true is that almost everyone who’s outstanding at a certain aspect of beauty now, started with it young and went through all the terrible learning phases while in high school, meaning they came out into the adult world already having that skill down. Every makeup expert you know probably went through a number of TERRIBLE eyeshadow or brow phases back before the age of Instagram. Every fashion guru probably has an album stashed away of mildly embarrassing photoshoots of themselves in tacky 2000’s style outfits. And every girl who’s seemed to master casual, every day waves has probably owned a flat iron and curler since they were in middle school.

I, however, had short hair for most of my grade school days. After cutting off over twelve inches of hair to donate to cancer wigs when I was eleven years old, I was so taken with my newfound short hair after YEARS of being obsessed with having it as long as it would be that I kept it that way until the twelfth grade. Sometimes it looked cute, a lot of times it looked terrible, but most notably it was too short to do anything special with — much to my dismay every time a fancy event rolled around and I wanted to do my hair. It was uncurlable, and took every hack in a hair stylists book if I ever asked for an updo.

As such, I really never learned how to do my hair or thought to incorporate it into my daily routine — a fact that still haunts me to this day. OKAY, maybe that’s a little dramatic but not only do I always underestimate/forget how much time I’ll need if I want to make my hair look nice before leaving the house, but I also, for years, had NO IDEA how to do anything as basic as even curling my hair. Luckily, with years of trial and error and tips from my hair dresser I’ve gotten a lot better, but i’m still far from being excellent.

This is all exactly why I was so curious when I came across a review on Buzzfeed absolutely singing praises for these heatless hair curlers. People were absolutely raving about them and how simple they were. On top of that, anything I can do to reduce heat damage to my bleached-out ends sounds amazing.

Heatless Curlers

Still, I was pretty skeptical. I tried heatless curlers once before (but a very different style) and it was an absolute mess. Still, after reading enough reviews, I decided to just take the leap. Thank god I did — these curlers are AMAZING. Not only are they super easy to use, you can sleep with them in and it’s not even uncomfortable. They give the same look as using a curling wand, and only a little bit more effort. The only downside is that you do have to wait — it’s not as instantaneous as heat curlers. However, if you’re prepared to sleep with them in it’s no problem — plus, if you take the time to put them in before doing your makeup you can still get a great curl out of them.

As well, your hair should be at least a little damp first. You don’t want to have your hair totally wet either, and it’s a little hard to find a good medium, although freshly blow-dried hair should work just fine. I learned the hard way today that if you don’t dampen your hair first the curls don’t last nearly as well — a good learning lesson but a little unfortunate as I was using them to take photos for this post.

The final result of these curlers is stunning though — it looks just the same as if you spent all kinds of effort with a wand (just minus the burns). I tend to use the medium-large ones to get a more natural wave, but if you’re looking for a tighter, ringlet-style curl this pack includes curlers small enough to give you that exact look. These curls hold fantastically too — which I was incredibly surprised by. Maybe it’s just my lack of knowledge when it comes to hair styling, but I always thought heat was essential to a curl’s hold. Turns out that’s not the case at all — these work fantastic without frying your strands.

The Final Result!

If this sounds like the product you’ve been needing, be sure to check them out on Amazon here!

Be sure to stay tuned for a two-special post next week — my Tarte Custom Makeup Kit unboxing, as well as the first part of my surprise 3-piece holiday segment!

Hope you’re all having a lovely week,

Meredith