The Lululemon Everywhere Belt Bag is a staple in my wardrobe, and is easily one of the most functional items that I own. I have it in multiple colors, all three sizes, and often stalk the website for new releases when they occur. This bag is my go-to for almost anything, from when I go to the gym, when I go for a walk with my husband, and when I run various errands where I want to have my items close by.
This is not the first time I’ve mentioned the Everywhere Belt Bag on my blog. About a year ago, I wrote a review on the bag, and you can see what fits in it. That said, I wanted to share what I carry in the bag nowadays. For context, this is the Gray Sage Color, and I used this bag all throughout the weekend from errands to my spin class.
Spooky season is here, and the Downtown Milford area is in the Halloween spirit with its third annual Scarecrow Fest, an event that is hosted by the Downtown Milford Business Association. This is the third year that the festival has been held (check out these posts about 2021‘s and 2022‘s), and this year is no exception to the creativity.
According to an article on the Milford-Orange Mirror entitled DMBA to Host Scarecrow Fest, the festival allows “families, Milford-based businesses, organizations and clubs” to “build their own unique scarecrows for display.” The scarecrows are built by using kits that are available by the Downtown Milford Business Association. One of my favorite parts about writing this post each year is hearing the stories behind the scarecrows, and they truly bring a sense of community.
This year’s scarecrows were a mixture of classic spooky icons, creativity, and appearance from this year’s most popular characters, i.e. Bluey and Barbie.
The scarecrows will hanging out in the Downtown Milford area throughout the month of October, so I recommend taking a walk to check them out. However, I do invite you to check out these photos of the scarecrows in the interium:
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Imagine a place where you can get Free People and Anthropologie at H and M prices — from clothing to housewares. That place does exist, at Retail 101 in Naugatuck, CT.
TikTok really exposed this hidden gem, and I was dying to make the trip up. This past weekend, I can finally say that I can cross it off of my bucket list.
The hours and locations of the sale vary, so before you make the trip, it is highly recommended that you take a look at their website. There are many mixed reviews on Retail 101, but I will say that it is definitely worth the trip if you like to hunt for a bargain. Inventory changes weekly; so, like TJ Maxx and Marshalls, you really need to commit to checking it regularly and to spending some time looking through everything.
I did not take any photos of or in Retail 101 during my visit, because it was just so overwhelming. However, I did pick up a few Free People clothing items. I got 6 pieces of clothing for $70. The most I paid for a single piece of clothing was $11.99. Yes. $11.99 for Free People jeans.
That said, they had everything including Anthropologie mugs to Free People Movement active wear to trendy pieces of Urban Outfitters clothing. There was aisles and aisles of coaches, mirrors, dressers, and more.
The deal of Retail 101 is this: many of the items are slightly flawed, or overstock of items from previous seasons. Many of the items were damaged, or had something missing from them. That is why the items are the price that they are. That being said, if you’re good with sewing, or just creative, then you can score major deals.
If you are planning to go to Retail 101, here are a few tips that I have of things I wish I knew before making a visit:
1. Wear layers: There are fitting rooms available for you to try things on. However, they are not the most private or fanciest dressing rooms. So, to make things easier on yourself, wear layers and even things that you can get in and out of easily.
2. Don’t look for anything specific: Retail 101 is a hit and miss kind of place; therefore you can’t look for anything specific. However, if you’re looking for clothes for a specific purpose, i.e. workout or work, then I think that it will be okay.
3. Go back the first day in the morning: Yes, it’s hard to make it there during the week. However, the rumor mill is that the best time to go to Retail 101 is in the morning on the first day (Thursday). That way, you can get the best to choose from.
4. Block off time: Last but certainly not least, block off time to thoroughly go through everything that Retail 101 offers. There is a lot to shift through, so it’s important to make sure that you’re not rushed in anyway, shape, or form.
Sunday has been known to produce the Sunday Scaries for me, even now that I am no longer burnt out at a job that I didn’t love. However, in the effort to help combat that as well as to come up with new post ideas for Blogtober, I am sharing some of my Sunday inspiration that has motivated me in the past week or so. It can be anything from TikTok to in real life. I’m sure as time goes on, these lists will be a little more lengthy, but this is my first week, so give your girl a break…
So, without further a due, here are what’s inspiring me on this Sunday morning.
1. Chey: Chey is a TikToker who posts a lot of content relating to junk journaling and journaling in general. Her posts have been really inspiring to me, because it has inspired me to step up my journaling game. I have been getting into junk journaling a lot lately, and I can only see it becoming a hobby in the coming months.
2. Jewelry TikTok: I have also found myself on the side of jewelry TikTok as well. Two people that I follow are Jenna, who has inspired me to create amazing stacks of Little Words Project bracelets and even lead to me becoming an ambassador for the brand (use my code BAnutmeg to save), and Alexis Nido-Russo, the founder of Local Eclectic Jewelry. Watching jewelry TikTok has inspired me to play around with pieces that I have in my collection, as well as try to be a little more creative in my fashion.
Lately, I’ve been doing some thinking about investment pieces in our closets. An investment piece is defined at most as being a piece of clothing/accessory that is a closet staple that will be worn for years to come. For some, this is a handbag. For others, it is a pair of shoes. With items like these, the cost per wear is practically nothing, because it is being worn all of the time, or on the regular for most seasons. Like, if you live in New England like I do, a nice good quality coat that keeps you warm is an important investment piece to any wardrobe.
That said, there is a fine line of justifying the purchase of an investment piece and something that is overpriced and not worth the money. What makes an investment piece worth the price is the quality. For example, one of my favorite pieces in my closet for work are my Spanx pants. They fit wonderfully, and even though I wear them weekly, they still look amazing.
However, the thing is, what makes an investment piece of clothing unique is that something that I can qualify as an investment piece for me, won’t work for you. This is due to personal style, lifestyle, and so much more.
So, how can you tell that an item in your wardrobe will be an investment piece versus something that you would later regret?
The best advice I can give to anyone is to try to find the pieces that you reach for the most, fits well (if applicable), looks great, is comfortable, and goes with the other items in your closet. These pieces will work wonderfully in different situations, and with different pieces of clothing in general.
Let’s take the Spanx pants as an example. They are comfortable, and since they are black pants, they go with a number of different things, from sweaters to blouses. And, they are in the wash almost weekly to the point where I decided to get a second pair, as well as a few other colors in different materials.
What are pieces in your wardrobe that you consider investment pieces?
TGIF! Even though it has been a short week for me, I am feeling so exhausted. I have carefully made sure that this weekend is a weekend for me to just relax in comfy clothes and watching TV. I am so excited for that, you have no idea.
Before I get to my weekend of self care, I want to take the time to share with you some of my favorites of the week:
1. Coachtopia Ergo Bag: There definitely will be more content about this bag in the near future, but I just want to share how obsessed I am with this bag. I got the largest size that it comes in, and I love how simple and classic it is. It is such a high quality dupe of the Prada Cleo. This bag will definitely be a part of my bag collection for a long time.
2. Our Whole Heart Bracelets: If you’re a returning reader around here, you know that I love a good bracelet. I bought the hamsa and the Italian horn on, and they have been on repeat all of this week.
3. Grogu Weighted Stuffed Animal:I love Grogu, and I have always wanted to get one of the Disney weighted plushies. And, I love it. It has been really helpful with trying to get to sleep faster, as well as with my anxiety.
There is one stop that I make on my way to work without fail. That is the trip to Starbucks. I am a zombie without my daily fix of coffee. Fall is definitely my favorite time of year in terms of flavors, between the basic PSL to the new fall flavors.
This year has been the year that I have been conducting science experiments when it comes to my coffee. Since we don’t gate keep around here, I wanted to share some of my go-tos lately so you can enjoy your little cup of joe.
1. Pumpkin Spiced Latte: I love pumpkin spice, and this is probably one of the more simple of the drinks that I will share with you, but it’s a classic for a reason. It is so good, and is great for the days when you want something good without thinking about it.
2. Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso with Pumpkin Cream Cold Foam and 2 pumps of Toffee Nut Syrup: I don’t like toffee, but don’t be fooled by that. This tastes exactly like the cookie butter at Trader Joe’s. It is a little expensive, so I definitely recommend getting this one on a double star day or on a treat yourself day.
3. Iced Shaken Espresso with Brown Sugar Syrup, 2 pumps of Classic syrup, and pumpkin syrup: This one definitely feels like fall in a cup, and I have no complaints. This one is a little less expensive than the one I just previously mentioned, but it’s still really good.
4. Iced Starbucks Blonde Latte with Pumpkin Syrup: This fall was the season where I discovered the blonde espresso, and this one was so good. This one has a lot of calories, but I definitely savor this when I order this one.
5. Iced Apple Crisp Oatmilk Shaken Espresso: Last but certainly not least, I wanted to share the newest drink on the menu. This one tastes like apple pie, and is so delicious!
I was scrolling on TikTok when I discovered the concept of junk journaling. Junk journaling, which according to the Artsy Craftsy, is a “handmade book of recycled items.” Some of these recycled items, according to the article, include magazines, mailers, and postcards. When I discovered junk journaling, I immediately went down a TikTok FYP rabbit hole. Before I knew it, I began ordering a journal from Amazon and stickers.
Since that discovery, my Junk Journal has become a scrap book of memories. It’s not perfect, but it’s something that I’ve been enjoying to do as a way to capture memories in a cohesive way. That said, here are some tips to getting started with your junk journal:
1. You don’t need much to get started: All you really need a notebook and a way to stick things onto the page. Anything else is extra. What’s nice about junk journaling is that you can use the things that are around you, such as mailers, stickers, notes from friends, things that you did with friends, and so much more. One thing that I use is Instax Polaroids. I have a photo printer, which makes it easier than ever to convert my photos into memories.
2. Ditch the Judgement: Throw your critical lenses out of the window. Do it. Right now. Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, make sure you just be creative. After all, journaling is supposed to be fun, right?
3. Use Pinterest/TikTok for inspo: Okay, so this is contradictory to what I just said, but sometimes you need some inspiration to get started. That’s when you need to consult Pinterest or TikTok. And, that’s okay.
Having just gotten married this past year, I’ve had the opportunity to purchase a lot of bridesmaid gifts. One of the hardest things that I’ve had to do was figure out what to give my girls when I asked them to be my bridesmaids as well as what to give them as a small thank you for my bachelorette party and for being by my side for the big day. Here are some of the things that I gifted my girls, that they still use to this day. Spoiler alert: not many of these say bridesmaid, which makes them equally as useful.
1. JoJo Loves You Earrings and Necklaces: As a thank you gift for my girls, I got them each a pair of earrings and a necklace to match their dress. They all loved it, especially since they got to pick out a dress in a color that they loved. Since my wedding day, I’ve seen them wear the earrings to parties and other events. In general, these make an amazing gift, but I highly recommend brides check out JoJo Loves You.
2. Little Words Project Bracelets: I am a huge fan of these bracelets, because they give off a subtle bridesmaid vibe that we are here for! My two maids of honor got the maid of honor one, while the bridesmaids got bridesmaid! I also gifted them all a custom one with a word that means something about them personally. I am here for subtle bridesmaid things, so this is something that I will highly recommend.
3. Mugs: One can never have too many mugs. I gave each girl a mug, but the twist is to get something that they would enjoy. For example, I got one bridesmaid a cat one, since she loves cats. However, you also can’t go wrong with an initial one!
4. Tote bags: Just like one can not have too many mugs, one cannot have too many tote bags! There are so many different ways to get tote bags, however, I ended up using my Cricut to create ones that had each of their names.
5. Riley Convertible Crossbody: This gift is one that is constantly used by all of my bridesmaids, and something that I love. I love this, because it can be both a crossbody bag, as well as a wristlet. There are so many different colors to choose from, but I ended up going with the black one, because one can’t go wrong with a black one.
6. Heart shape Sunglasses: These sunglasses are so fun, and something that I even wear now! I got these for my girl’s bachelorette gifts, but I honestly just loved these to wear everyday.
With that being said, the biggest tip that I can give someone who is about to work on bridesmaid gifts is you know your girls better than anyone else. I ended up getting different gifts for different girls, because everyone is truly different. So, the biggest tip I can give all brides is to give a gift that you know that they will love. There is no need to get something expensive to get something that will be used long before the vows are being said.
You may have heard of the term Kindle Unlimited, which is Amazon’s book rental service. For the price of $11.99 a month, you have access to borrow 20 books at once.
Basically, think of old school Netflix for books.
I had Kindle Unlimited for the past year, and I’ve really enjoyed it. The books on it can rotate, but there’s always some authors on there that are popular and beloved, including: Ana Hoang, Lucy Score, and even the Summer I Turned Pretty series — just to name a few.
Over the course of my time using it, it’s safe to say that I’ve gotten my money’s worth of books that I’ve downloaded it from.
But, is it worth it?
I honestly think so.
As an avid reader, Kindle Unlimited does save me some money. What I like about it is that if I don’t like a book there is less strings attached. All I do is return it back to the Kindle Unlimited store. That said, it also saves me money when it comes to getting books onto my Kindle, because let’s face, the price of ebooks can add up, especially when you read as much as I do. So many viral books are available on Kindle Unlimited, such as the Things We Never Got Over, the Twisted Love series, and many of Colleen Hoover’s books. If I were to buy these books, it’s usually $5 to $10 for an ebook, and about $16 for a paperback physical copy. $11.99 a month for an unlimited amount of books to read makes things so much easier than ever to read and return.
Furthermore, Kindle Unlimited also has a great selection. There are so many New York Times Best Sellers, including True Believer by Nicholas Sparks, the Summer I turned Pretty, many of Lucy’s Score’s backlog, Ana Hoang, Frieda McFadden, the Harry Potter series, and so much more. There’s a lot of YA, fantasy, and so much more. And, many of the BookTok books that have gone viral are available right at your fingertips. What’s nice about Kindle Unlimited is that the books sometimes rotate, and it seems like they are always adding something new to the list of titles.
One other thing that I love about having Kindle Unlimited is the fact that I can download a book that I already have a physical copy of, and be able to read in the pool, or travel with a book without having to actually purchase the ebook version of it. Because of this, I am able to get through more books than ever, because there is more opportunity to read them.
The only downside to using Kindle Unlimited is simply that you have a hard limit of 20 books being renting out at once, but the solution is simple. Just return as soon as you’re done reading a book (or if you’re a bookstagrammer like me, taking a photo for the review), and take out whatever is on your wishlist.
So, yes. Kindle Unlimited is 100 percent worth it. But, that’s just one reader’s opinion.
thenutmegmillennial.com 