Living life one day at a time through patience, peace, and JOY!
Author:elspeththeblogger
My name is Elspeth. I'm young professional living life one day at a time. I have a passion for fashion, a love for living a clean and healthy life and I can organize anything.
Well, the celebrating has come to an end and we are at the halfway mark of summer. I hope everyone had a wonderful Fourth of July. Mine was shared with family, friends, LOTS of food and fireworks. It’s always nice to take time to spend with family and relax.
My pinterest treats weren’t a complete flop. Granted, they didn’t turn out just like the pictures (but do they ever?!). Overall, everyone loved them from snacks, to desserts and displays. If you follow me on Instagram I showed preparations throughout the day. Down below I also share the before and after of all the goodies. Almost all the snacks were easy to make and devoured. To read more about the treats feel free to follow me on pinterest to see the full recipes. I got in the patriotic spirit with my outfit and nails as well.
My outfit is from Francesca’s. I loved the one shoulder top, it was also lightweight which was perfect for a warm day. The blue and white got me in the holiday spirit
My scalloped shorts were also lightweight and matched my top perfectly. You can’t have blue and white without red!
I did my nails in red and silver to celebrate but I didn’t want to do anything too crazy since I had to be at work the next day! Haha!!! My nail polish is from Chrome Girl Nails. The sparkly red is called Pretty Pout and the silver is called Party Star.
Well, that wraps up my Fourth of July. I hope you all had a wonderful and relaxing day! Check down below for my outfit and dessert details. Happy Thursday!
Outfit details!
Rocking my Red, White, and Blue today!Up close view of my outfit!Sporting my Chrome Girl Nails for the day. The red is Pretty Pout and the silver is Party Star.
Here come the sweets and treats!
Gonna give this one a shot!Here’s how it turned out!Some yummy desserts!The finished product!Red, White, and Blue snacks.How the snacks turned outEasy dessert cake?Surprisingly pretty easy!Fun fruit saladHUGE hitSomething fun to snack onLooks as good as it tastesThe finished product of Pinterest treats!Centerpiece ideaSuccessful centerpiece
I hope you are all enjoying time with your family and loved ones celebrating America’s birthday. Before I hit the pool and picnics, I wanted to share a few of my favorite things to have on the 4th.
Whether you are taking a dip in the pool, heading up to the lake or just tanning in the sun, a bathing suit is a must. I found this Red, White and Blue bikini at Target for under $20! It was a steal. I can’t wait to wear it! No outfit is complete without your nails so be sure to sport some red, white, and blue nail polish!
Got to love sporting some Red, White, and Blue
Decorations are a must for any holiday. I love buying little American flags to decorate the gardens with. They are patriotic, affordable, and are easy to decorate with.
Lastly, nothing screams 4th of July like tasty food. There is nothing better than grilling and having everyone bring a dish to share. I have a few of the desserts saved on Pinterest and I’m gonna give them shot. I’ll let you know how they turn out!
Gonna give this one a shot!
Some yummy desserts!
Now, enough reading my blog and get out and celebrate our nation’s birthday. Be sure to thank a veteran while you are out. I’ll be back on Thursday to share my fourth of July look along with how everything turned out! Happy 4th of July!
Today’s outfit is for those chilly summer days. I don’t know about you, but I am still experiencing a few summer days in the 60’s!!!!! Yikes, it’s almost the Fourth of JULY!! Now, onto the details on my outfit!
I got my maxi skirt from Old Navy. The reason I shop at Old Navy often is because I can get good deals and they have good seasonal clothes. The clothes don’t last forever but it’s nice to have a few staple pieces in my wardrobe when I am in a rush. I am not a huge maxi skirt person. To be honest, I only have two skirts and one dress. I love the way they look but I’m a short person (5’3”) I can’t always pull off a long skirt. What I love about this skirt is the slit that goes up to the knee on the side. It is something unique and it breaks up the stripes.
My top is a regular black t-shirt. I got it from Old Navy but I have also gotten neutral shirts from Forever 21, Francesca’s, and H&M. I love black and white t-shirts. They should be a must-have in your collection. They can be paired with any outfit, sporty, casual, even something to wear when you are running errands.
Once again, I am wearing my favorite jean jacket from… you guessed it, Old Navy. It’s lightweight and easy to throw on in a rush.
As you can tell, I got a thing for good deals at Old Navy.
Well, that’s a look into what I am wearing today! Have a wonderful weekend!!
Enjoying some quiet time in the morning before my crazy and long day gets underway.
Hello! Hello!
Happy Tuesday! I just got back from a restful weekend following a crazy week which reminded me that I need to slow down more. Today is all about the importance of stepping back and slowing down. Life is crazy, it’s full of wonderful, exciting, crazy, stressful moments.
The transition from living at home to living at college is tough but it’s also tough to move back home. Now, I love school and college but I also love being home. One thing that I noticed coming back home was the chaos and busy schedules. I loved being at school and setting my own schedule from classes to meals and hanging out with friends. When I got home, I was thrown into other people’s schedules which was hard. It made me realize that although my life may be busy I need to carve time out to slow down. Whether you come from a family of six or a family of two, there is bound to be times when you are always on the go.
Life can be stressful and crazy so we need to take care of ourselves before we lose control of everything. For me, I take time when I come home from work before going to another activity for myself. Instead of coming in and starting on wash or picking up, I will go outside and read for fifteen or twenty minutes. The wash will always be there and will need to be done. But, it’s important that I take a few minutes for myself.
There are so many ways we can slow down and take time for ourselves. For example, go for a walk after dinner, find things to add to your boards on Pinterest, read between activities, watch your latest show on Netflix while folding wash (yes, multitasking—my favorite word), even just sitting and doing nothing (even staring at wall) works too! We are constantly pressured to take care of your bodies by working out, and our families but entertaining, we sometimes forget to take care of ourselves. The next time you are late to a soccer game or your boss kept piling more and more things on your desk, take a breath, give yourself a break and make sure you are taken care of too.
Our lives maybe filled with schedules and agendas but, it’s important to slow down and enjoy the little things in life.
LOTD
Last week I shared a dressed up and more formal look, Today I am sharing how you can use the same pieces to dress the look down. I wore this over the weekend spending time with my family. It was a perfect casual look to sport.
Starting at the bottom, I got these gladiator sandals last summer from DSW and they have been a crucial part of my wardrobe. They are fun and unique since they are black, they can go with anything, shorts, skirts, even a t-shirt dress.
Shoes from DSW
I got my shorts last summer as well from Marshalls but they are originally from Nine West. They are comfortable and a bit longer so you can wear a longer top with them.
Shorts from Marshalls
This top is the same one I wore last week with my orange skirt. I got the top from Francesca’s.
Front of top from Francesca’sBack of top from Francesca’s. Gotta love a little lace in the back!
The necklace is also the same from last week to add a pop of color! I purchased that from Francesca’s as well.
A pop of color from Francesca’s
Lastly, the hat I got this summer from Marshalls. It was a total splurge purchase, but I am so happy I got it. It is big and protects you from the sun and it’s black which matched perfectly with my outfit.
A fun hat to finish off the outfit!
Well, that’s the rundown of what I am wearing today. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!!
Today I am sharing my fitness routine. When I was at school, I would come back from the gym I always get asked what I did my gym routine was. So, I decided to take one day at the gym and document my routine. Now, I don’t do the same thing every time I go, I like to switch it up and keep it fresh. I am also going to share what I have been doing at home to keep me in shape when I can’t make it to the gym.
I like to start out with cardio for 25-30 minutes to wake me up, burn calories fast and to get me going. I will either bike, hit the elliptical, or jog on the treadmill. Now, I’m not a big runner, to be more accurate… I HATE running. So, when I go on the treadmill I put it at a slow speed and at a high incline. I am still burning calories but I am not dying at the end.
After some cardio, I like to work on the weight machines. I like to change it up depending if I want to focus more on arms or legs each day. I always do the leg press, and the ab crunch machine every day. Depending on how I am feeling I change the reps for every machine but I generally do 3 sets of 20 on an average work out.
I wrap up my gym session with some free weights. I like to get in some squats, lunges, curls, and hammer curls and lastly some calf raises…trust me they work. I then end with some stretches and call it a day.
My gym routine takes around an hour, if I want to go for more of less time I typically change the duration of my cardio.
It always feels good after you hit the gym hard!
Now, when I am at home things are a bit different. I don’t always have the time to go to the gym 5 days a week so, I have been either working out at home or not worrying about it since I have been on the go constantly. I found a lot of easy and great ways to work out on Pinterest surprisingly. I have found so many effortless ways to work out at home that I will share below. You don’t need to have any materials a home which I love. So far, when I have worked out at home I do lunges, squats, lots of stair climbing along with this helpful guide I found online. This gets your whole body moving and you feel refreshed after. I also have a few more ideas I found on Pinterest, so feel free to follow my boards! Now, this may not work for you and I am not a fitness expert by any means…but this is what I found works for me. I also found being home, just by getting out and being more active helps. For example, I try to take the stairs as much as possible or get outside and walk more.
This is what i have been using at home. It works great and you feel great after!
Another great home work out I use!!
Follow me on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/elspethmizner/
I hope this answers your questions about what I do to stay in shape. Do you have any fitness suggestions or helpful hints? Comment below!! I always love learning new things!!
Is it Friday yet?! Haha!! It’s been one of those weeks. Today may be one of my favorite outfits of the summer and we are only half way through June!!!
I wore this ensemble on Sunday to Church and I plan on wearing it in the future to work and a few parties I have coming up. I love to dress things up when I can. Sunday was one of those days.
Starting from the bottom, I got these heels from Marshall’s a few years ago, and I love them!!!! I know heels aren’t for everyone but for me, I can’t get enough of them! They are super comfortable, high, and black!! All my favorite things! I wore them once to a dance and didn’t take them off for four hours! Yep, no pain!
This skirt is from Target believe it or not! It’s from the Victoria Beckham collection that launched in the spring! I love the bright orange, the detail and print, and I love the Victoria Beckham style!! I saw it and had to get it! Plus it has a pocket! Nothing better than having a hidden pocket in a skirt or dress!
Here’s a up close view of the skirt to show the details.
My top is from Francesca’s! I’ve had it for a few years and it’s still on excellent condition. I love how Francesca’s clothes are superior quality. This silky black top is simple in the front but lace in the back. A great top to dress up a pair of capris, shorts, or skirts.
Lastly, my necklace is from Francesca’s as well. I love wearing bold colors and this orange and black combo was perfect for a Sunday with family.
I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! We finally got some warm weather, so I spent a lot of time outside in the sun. I also got back into the gym and I felt great to be back on a treadmill.
Whenever, I come home from school whether it be for a break or for summer, my parents always have little projects they want me to complete. These are little ways to help out around the house when I’m home. I am a neat freak and an organizer, so most of the project deal with cleaning. My family and I do a lot of cooking at home especially during the summer which means there is always leftovers. Our Tupperware cabinet gets a lot of use and gets cluttered easily. Today, I’m going to be tackling the cabinet and showing you how I like to organize all the Tupperware.
So , for starters, don’t get overwhelmed. It only takes a few minutes to clean it out and reorganize. I’m going to break it down in steps on how I clean my cabinets out.
Before
Step 1: Take everything out. Give yourself a clean space to work with. Even take a wet rag and wipe down the cabinet in case there are crumbs, dirt, or dust.
Clean everything out, allowing you to start fresh!
Step 2: Go through and see if there is anything you don’t need or can get rid of. Make sure you use all your containers and if you don’t or if they are old, damaged or don’t serve a purpose, get rid of them. There is no point in keeping things you don’t use.
Step 3: Now, its time to organize. Our cabinet doubles as a cups, plates, and bowls, a cabinet for kids since it is low to the ground. I like to organize my cabinets based on size and use. I group boxes and bins based on how big or small they are and then I put the things I use the most in the front and use the least in the back.
This side is our container side.This side is our Children’s side, for little plates, bowls, and cups.
Step 4: Make sure everything is accessible and in a good spot and you are done! It took me 30 minutes with cleaning and organizing and getting rid of things. One way to avoid this is by putting things back where they belong. Yes, it may take a few extra minutes here and there but I will be worth it in the long run.
After
Now it’s your turn! How do you organize your Tupperware? Do you use labels? Have the lids on or off? I’m always looking for new ways to organize and Pinterest only goes so far!! Comment below any tips and tricks you have for cleaning out your Tupperware!
So a few weeks ago I talked about my favorite jean jacket which I wore a ton in the spring. Well today, I’m going to be talking about my favorite summer pair of pants. Since Memorial Day has come and gone it’s time to break out the white! Yes, I fully believe in wearing white from Memorial Day to Labor Day!
I have had these white capris for a few years and they are my absolute favorite! You can dress them up or down! I try to look for clothes that can be worn in a lot of ways. I also love how you can change an outfit so easily with the help of accessories!
I wore this outfit to work a few days ago and I dressed it up. I matched the white capris with a blue and white pin strip shirt and my go-to Kelly and Katie sandals! I decided to wear a bold necklace to accessorize my outfit! The capris are from American Eagle. American Eagle is a hit or miss for me. I only have a few pieces of clothes from there, but I have friends who love to shop there. It all comes down to what works best for you. The top is from Gap which can be a hit or miss for me! Sometimes I walk out with a few outfits, other times I have no luck! The necklace is from Francesca’s. I love going to Francesca’s to get new accessories, outfits, dresses or just look around! Francesca’s is like Target for me, you always feel better after going there whether you buy anything or not (most of the time, I am guilty of buying something)!
The only picture I actually have from the gym, yep, no selfies that early in the morning!
Fitness has become a big part of my life this past year. Instead of writing one huge blog post about fitness, I’m going to split it up into three posts over the next few weeks. The first one will be about how I first started getting into working out and being fit, the second one will be ways to work out whether you are at your home or a gym, and the third one is staying fit and not giving up.
So, let’s start at the beginning. Why did I get into fitness and working out?
We all have varied reasons for wanting to work out. Some work out to lose weight, others do it to get ready for summer.
I started working out last October, because I was bored, believe it or not! College is a lot of fun between activities, classes, and sleeping, but during my first semester I found myself with a lot of free time that needed filled, (there is only so much work you can do to get ahead in classes and only so much Netflix to watch). I started going to work out three times a week. I went once during the week between classes and then on Saturday and Sunday. I went by myself a lot, but eventually encouraged other friends to tag along (one of my favorite days was when my roommate decided to join me! I was on cloud 9!!!). My one close friend and I went a lot together during the fall, we had a similar schedule and would work out between classes. The gym was a wonderful way for us to hang out and get fit at the same time. She was my first gym buddy!
Every semester brings changes, from friends, to schedules, and classes. During my second semester, I had A LOT of free time. I had some days when my classes didn’t start until 12:30! Now, I am an early riser, I feel most productive in the mornings. I decided to change my fitness regime to working out first thing in the morning, that’s right at 7 AM! I went three mornings a week before classes and then still on the weekends. Working out five days a week was a great stress reliever for me, when my schedule got so crazy, or I couldn’t focus anymore, the gym was a place where I could forget all my troubles and just focus on burning calories!
Please note, Shay and I NEVER look like this at the gym every morning. In reality, we look sleep deprived, sweaty, and stressed!
One of the biggest things I learned during my fitness journey is to have someone to motivate you! I found that during my spring semester. I started going every morning with someone who became one of my closest friends. I met Shayln in one of my classes and I found out we both loved to work out. Every morning no matter, rain, shine, snow, or even skunk (yes, we have encountered a few!) we met up at 7:10 to go work out, then we would come back and finish homework, study, watch Netflix, or even nap until we met up for lunch and then classes. Even though we were half asleep most mornings while working out and sometimes couldn’t even hold a conversation, we felt so much better after getting up and doing something productive. By having a routine, you meet people, when you see the same people every morning, sleep deprived and still running on the treadmill, you will become friends. One of the things I miss the most about school in the summer is waking up every morning and hitting the gym with Shay!
Next up…part 2, what’s my work out routine and how do I keep up at home?!
