Purse Organization 101

Oversized purses make a big style statement. But they can also make finding what you’re looking for a huge pain. So how can you minimize the clutter and make the most of that fab bag?

Tip 1: Start Off With a Clean Slate

Plop down and dump out the contents of your purse. In the debris of receipts, loose change, and to-do lists that somehow transformed themselves into intricate origami birds, you’ll be reunited with your favorite lip gloss and perhaps some crumpled cash. Then, make a trash pile and toss coins in your wallet. Determine what to keep in your purse and figure out another place to put the non-essentials.

Tip 2: Designate Pocket Space

There’s nothing worse than digging around for your keys or cell when you desperately need them. Start using those 12 different little compartments in a productive way. And please, put the gum somewhere that it can’t get loose! How many times have you peeled melted gum off of your phone? Gross.

Tip 3: Rubber Band It

So, the 14 ponytail holders you found when you dumped out your purse? Put ‘em to work as a tie for loose pens. Keeping your pens fastened up prevents them from going rogue and ruining the lovely lining of your bag.

Tip 4: Store It

From dental floss to lip gloss, hand sanitizer to hand lotion, there are lots of little on-the-go-essentials us gals can’t live without. So, whether you want to invest in fancy cosmetic cases or use a plain old Ziploc bag, just use something to keep beauty and miscellaneous products organized and prevent leaks. This way, if you do switch bags often, it’s simple to transfer items from one to another. Clear or mesh mini-bags make it easier to spot your goods.

In the market for some super cute cases? Check out these Metallic Micro Mesh Cases from The Container Store. They’re only $6.99 each! Or how about this tribal print double zip clutch from Sonia Kashuk?

 If you’re looking to splurge, snatch up this funky, patterned style from Kate Spade.

Tip 5: Color Code It 

You’re much too young to be carrying around a flashlight to read restaurant menus. (But wouldn’t that come in handy when you’re searching around in your dark, cavernous tote?) Instead of resorting to a headlamp to find the cash to pay for your morning coffee, buy a wallet that’s a bright color, rather than basic black. You’ll never have a hard time spotting it if it’s hot pink or bright yellow. You can even color code your little purse pouches!

Tip 6: Clean It
Not to gross you out … but according to Everyday Health, our purses harbor some pretty nasty bacteria, both outside and inside. That’s not surprising when you think about all the places your beloved bag travels: floors, counters, office bathrooms, and public transportation just to name a few. Experts recommend wiping everything down regularly (even your phone) with a cloth or moist disposable towelette. Keep tissues and other items that come in direct contact with your body in their own tightly sealed containers or bags. Anyone else feel like bathing in hand sanitizer right about now?

This article was written for WEtv.com. Check it out here!

Share your purse org tips and leave a comment below!

Chili Chicken Taco Night

There's nothing like uncovering a Crate & Barrel gift card from your wedding three years ago and using it to buy something totally random and awesome ... a slow cooker. Also known as a crock pot, this counter top contraption cooks food at a low temperature for a long time. Sidenote: I absolutely hate touching raw meat. And with the slow cooker, all I have to do is dump it in there, put the lid on and pray my house doesn't burn down while it's cooking.

If you have a crock pot, try this Martha Stewart recipe (listed below). It calls for chicken thighs, but I used chicken breasts. I also went with soft taco shells and added sliced avocado.

marthastewart.com

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 6)
• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup prepared tomato salsa, plus more for serving (optional)
• 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 8 hard corn taco shells
• Cilantro, shredded cheese, lime wedges, and sour cream, for serving (optional)

Directions

1. In slow cooker, combine chicken, garlic, salsa, chiles, chili powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and teaspoon pepper. Cover; cook on high, 4 hours (or on low, 8 hours).
2. Transfer chicken to a serving bowl, and shred, using two forks; moisten with cooking juices. Serve in taco shells, with toppings, if desired.

Oven method: 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In step 1, use a 5-quart Dutch oven or ovenproof pot with a tight-fitting lid; add 2 cups water. Cover; bake until chicken is fork-tender, about 2 hours. Proceed with step 2.

Do you have any slow cooker recipes? Share the below!

You Know You're Pregnant When...

Pregnancy is different for everyone. Some moms-to-be can't eat for the first three months, others can't eat enough french toast (who, me?). Some don't gain an ounce except for their belly, others need to be airlifted out of bed to make it to work. Some give 7th grade boys a run for their money in the zit department, others have gorgeous, glowing skin for nine straight months. But all women surely experience these 10 things:

You Know You're Pregnant When....

1. You literally cry tears of joy at the sight of an Outlook invitation for a co-workers b-day celebration in a cubicle. Because A) Everything makes you cry B) You love dessert more than your husband these days. C) Cupcakes?!?!? Ice cream? doughnuts? Happy birthday. Now get out of my way.

2. Happy hour is just "hour" when you can't partake in the boozing. Whoever invented the word mocktail is a jerk. Sucktail is more like it. And bartender, putting an umbrella in my seltzer does not make this experience more festive.

3. When people say, "WOW you got big!", you'll kindly smile and nod while envisioning punching them in the face. When people tell you about a friend of a friend that gave birth in a car, you'll actually punch them in the face.

4. Supermarket cashiers ask you more personal questions about your pregnancy than your best friends.

5. Your hubby will buy you anything you can tie back to the upcoming needs of the baby. "Yes, honey this Rebecca Minkoff clutch is a burp cloth holder."

6. You bring your lunch to work in a tall kitchen garbage bag, not a lunch bag.

7. Prenatal yoga is truly awesome, except when the teacher makes you do awkward partner stretches. Not cool, lady... I just want to tone what's left of my core, not straddle a stranger.  

8. You'll ask your doctor all sorts of crazy questions, like if getting a pedicure can induce labor because you read an article that claims it may. And she'll say, "If that was true, we'd just hire a bunch of manicurists instead of giving women pitocin." Or, you may ask if you need to change your usual skin care products, in which she responds, "Not unless you're planning on eating them."

9. That XXL t-shirt from 11th grade basketball is your new best friend and you really wish you could just wear it to work. Everyday.

10. "Is this normal?" are the three most commonly used words in your vocabulary. Get used to it, sister.

Beer Belly or Baby Belly?

Before there's "cute" pregnant, there's "fat" pregnant ... that oh-so-lovely stage in which people wonder if you've just eaten a large burrito or if you're potentially preggers. You have a hate-hate relationship with all of your pants. And you're still adjusting to the fact that all the cute summer clothes displayed in store windows don't apply to you. (Especially the shorts, sister.) So to accommodate my new "look", I decided it was time to do a little maternity shopping. 

Last weekend I hit up a few spots in the 'burbs and scored some budget-friendly things to get started. Target had slim pickings. But, I got a pair of white jeans for just $35. I picked up a few simple tees and tanks at Destination Maternity. And the best part, I stumbled upon the cutest flowy summer dress for literally $12 dollars at Marshalls. When you find a dress that's cheaper than your lunch, you just have to buy it. I can't imagine spending almost $200 on a maternity dress, but how cute is this Ella Moss style?

 

This is an adorable $29 alternative from Old Navy:

What are some other great bump-friendly places to shop?

Oh, Baby (On the Way)!

The reason my blog has been so sparse over the last couple months is that my recent nighttime routine consisted of this: booking it home from work, changing immediately into sheep patterned pajamas, and spending the rest of the night on the couch in a nauseous fog. Sounds pretty awesome, right? Luckily, my zapped energy and food aversions are for a good cause ... our baby is due in November!

I'm starting to feel like a human again. But let me tell you, even at this early stage, pregnancy is wacky. I couldn't stand the smell of coffee (my favorite!), wouldn't go near a vegetable, and avoided my friends like the plague. Until I could spill the beans, I knew I couldn't go out and pass on the wine without them catching on to my little secret. So I had to get clever to keep my cover. At a work goodbye party, I told my co-workers I was heading to yoga in an hour, so no sangria for me. The old me would skip out on yoga, not the happy hour.

But now that the word is out ... it's really fun. I'm already learning a lot about how to navigate pregnancy. Like, when you want a bagel and cream cheese, you need to have an enormous one (for the baby, right?). Here's what I know so far...

• My friend told me that American Apparel makes awesome non-maternity high-waisted leggings. I'd like to extend a sincere thank you to all the hipsters who wear that look on purpose.

• Babycenter has a great newsletter that tells you what's going on with you and your baby each week. They compare your baby to a similarly sized food for perspective. Today, I'm the proud mother-to-be of a "medium sized shrimp". Weird, but I'll take it.  

• Snacking regularly helps keep nausea at bay. I basically have a mini-mart in my desk cabinet at work. If anyone needs a granola bar or a panini pressed, I'm your girl.   

• Pregnancy makes you cry over everything, even episodes of Khloe and Lamar. 

• A rubber-band will be your best friend in those early months when your jeans are a little snug, but you don't need maternity clothes.

• The What to Expect When You're Expecting app is a good one. From healthy snack ideas to explanations of all those weird things happening in your body, I'm always learning something new from their weekly overviews and daily tips.

• Sometimes I tell my husband I shouldn't do things because I'm pregnant (like all household chores, food shopping, etc.) and he listens. I don't think he believes me. But he's scared not to accommodate.

• My baby will be the proud owner of all of these Ron Swanson bibs:

 Do you have any good prego tips? Fill me in! Especially if they're about snacking ... my favorite pastime. 

What's For Dinner? Recipe Roundup

Do you ever get into a rut where you find yourself making the same (a.k.a. super boring) weeknight dinners? Me too. Good news gals, here are three easy recipes to get you out of your dreaded dinner routine.  

1.) Quick and Spicy Tomato Soup

As far as I'm concerned, Giada can do no wrong. Yesterday I stumbled upon her recipe for spicy tomato soup, and promptly made it for dinner. It only calls for a handful of ingredients, and involves dumping a bunch of things into a soup pot and winding up with dinner. Now that, I can do. Simply saute onions, garlic and carrots in a pot, add chicken stock, a can of tomato sauce, cannellini beans, noodles, salt, pepper, red chili flakes and simmer. I added too many noodles, so it was more of a stew than soup - but quite tasty nonetheless. Whip up a grilled cheese and dinner is served. 

2.) Fish Tacos

I looooove meals that involve cheese and guacamole. My friend Lauren made these tasty fish tacos last night and highly recommended the recipe. (You know something is seriously good when it's the first news to grace your morning g-chat convo.)


 3.) Black Bean and Butternut Squash Burrito

For the record, I'm not a vegan nor do I ever plan to become one. Cheese is just too crucial to my overall happiness. But this vegan burrito recipe shared by my friend Rebecca actually sounds delicious. And it's pretty too!

Anything new and exciting in your dinner repertoire? Please share a link to the recipe below ... we need it!

Reasons to Love the Weekend

It's a gorgeous Sunday morning, and there's still one more glorious day out of the office ahead of us. Just in case you need a reason to appreciate the weekend, here are seven:

1. Whether you're a person or a dog, it's perfectly acceptable to be incredibly lazy.

Could you be a doll and grab me a water?

2. You may even catch an epic Jim Walsh/Dylan McKay showdown on SOAPnet while doing so. (Someone was not happy about a secret rendezvous in Mexico...)

3. You can leisurely read the paper while sipping a cappuccino.

4. You can channel your inner Ina Garten and shop at the local farmer's market.

5. Flowers are finally in bloom!

6. You can enjoy cocktails in cute glasses and then sleep in the next morning.

7. You actually have time to make the recipes you just look at on Pinterest during the week.

If you need some more inspiration to ward off the Sunday Blues, click here. What are your favorite ways to spend the weekend?