Laundry is a part of life, so to me there is no reason not to spend a little time to make it a bit more pleasant! Ok, I admit it, I’m the person who take in groceries by the mountainful! I can carry 10 grocery bags on my arms, a gallon (or 2) of milk in one hand, purse over the shoulder, coffee mug in the other hand, mail is tucked under my chin – all to “save” me from taking an extra trip. Ha! Are you with me?
But, laundry, I’ve decided to take a different approach. I started buying smaller laundry baskets so they can’t get so heavy and cumbersome. Square ones, or wicker baskets make things feel more manageable.
Next, I started using wool dryer balls instead of dryer sheets. They really help to fluff things up and the heavier loads (like towels) dry faster. You can even add essential oils to them to scent you laundry. I like lavender for towels and sheets. I chose the dryer balls that have three that are gray and three that are white https://amzn.to/2Jv0BES
This way you can tell the ones that are scented visually (if you smelled them you could tell the difference too!).
Let me introduce you to Glamorous Wash in Diva. The smell is AMAZING! It is so good and it lasts. Two of the people in the family have sensitive skin so I only use the All Free and Clear, but for myself and my daughter, I treat our clothes to the Glamorous Diva Detergent. It is so unbelievably good.
These are a few simple ways to make the mundane task of doing laundry a little more enjoyable for me. What do you do to make your “must-do” tasks better?
~Enjoy
Today I am going to break down the process and products I personally use and that work for me.
Night Time Routine:
- Wash Face: First I wash with an oil cleanser. This seems to be strange, but it works and it feels really nice. Then I use a wipe to clean it again, followed by microcellar water.
These are the exact products I use:
Moisturize: This is my favorite part, but I expect these products to work VERY well, and I’m impatient for results.
- StriVentin Intensive Eye Concentrate
- Elemis Superfood Facial Oil
- Korres Wild Rose Cream
- Lip moisturizer
Morning Routine:
- Wash Face with the Oil Cleanser
- 3 X Week, Clarisonic
- Elemis Superfood Facial Oil
- MDSolar Sciences Mineral Tinted Crème, SPF 30
- Fresh Rose Floral Toner
- Lip Balm with SPF
These are my must have items to keep my skin in good condition. I never ever EVER leave the house without sunscreen. I even put it on my hands when driving to prevent sun spots.
~Enjoy
Over the weekend flowers seeds were planted for the summer. I found an amazing book https://amzn.to/2GotTIiand read it totally. So far I have planted, Zinnias, English Daisys, Iceland Poppies, Cosmos, Chocolate Laceflower, and Amaranth. The Sweet Pea seeds are soaking and tomorrow the focus will turn to vegetables. Succession planting, which is featured in the book, means that in about 3 weeks more flowers will be planted. It is exciting to think about all the flowers that will be here in the summer. Planting is hope for the future.
Settling in with a cup of coffee and planning out the garden was pleasant and hopeful. What brings you joy? The book I have linked about was written by Erin Benzakein about her farm, Floret Farm. Her presentation and recommendations for flowers are very helpful and the whole story of their farm and growth are inspiring. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did.
First Impressions: It is a lightweight Maxi-Tee Shirt dress. The neckline was large enough to be worn off the shoulder or not. It is quite roomy, but does appear to be cut with a little shape in the body but because it is so loose it is a little hard to tell. Overall it is comfortable and reminds me of wearing a nightgown. The material isn’t thick so it will need to be worn with nude undergarments. For wearing it off the shoulder I wore a halter style bra in pink with the intention that it would show some. The dress is being worn with flats, I am 5’3.5” for reference. It is definitely full length and the arms are long.
I washed the dress in cold water and dried it on “permanent press.” These were used in the dryer and I do think they decrease the drying time of the clothes, especially in heavier loads like towels.
Check out my Instagram and you will see that there is no difference between the dress before and after washing. I recommend that you purchase your normal size. If I hadn’t washed the dress for this review I would have preferred an XS.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/242762005/pink-gemstone-earrings-pink-and-brown?ga_search_query=pink&ref=shop_items_search_1
SHEIN a review: NOT SPONSORED – Affiliate Links below
Browsing on the internet and Instagram, I have seen a company called SHEIN. They are a “fast-fashion” company with quite inexpensive items. After seeing a few people try them on, I thought I would give them a try.
Here are some of the tips I used to choose my items:
- Watch for sizing recommendations
- Read carefully about whether there is any stretch in the fabric
- Read any reviews for items
- Watch for shipping times
Five pieces were closed of which four are listed below. One of the items I chose, did not come. It is the dress with the statement sleeves. Also this blouse is on the site, but I couldn’t find the widget for it. http://us.shein.com/Frill-Trim-Pearl-Embellished-Top-p-419873-cat-1779.html
I was refunded the amount in my SHEIN account wallet. That money can be used to purchase something else or I can request that it be withdrawn. I am assuming that the item I not received was no longer available, but I wasn’t specifically told that.
The initial order was placed on March 8, 2018. The items shipped on March 21, 2018, and I received them March 26, 2018. Although the shipping took 7 days, the whole process took 19. That’s a long time. Also, I didn’t know the dress wasn’t coming until the 21st, so almost two weeks after placing the order. If this order was for a specific trip or event, I might have been scrambling. I did order green items for St. Patrick’s Day but that was well past then the items came.
As for sizing, I purchased a size small in all the items. I usually wear an XS, but I was unsure about their sizing AND about whether the clothes would shrink.
OK, now for the clothes. They came in individually wrapped bags which I liked.
I am going to style them for the next few days, wash and dry them, and I will let you know how it goes!