Friday, December 2, 2016

Holiday Capsule Wardrobe

I wrote this post for Sugar & Spice back in 2011 and focused on using a few key items from my own existing wardrobe to create a plethora of holiday outfits. What is fascinating to me is that here we are, five years later, and this is still extremely relevant. I'm sure you have similar staple items in your wardrobe that you could mix together so create your own holiday capsule wardrobe for "go-to: outfits so you don't have to worry about what to wear at the last minute. Check it out for some inspiration!

Hi Everyone, I’m Iris from 260 Days, No Repeats! I have challenged myself to wear remixed outfits from my closet… It started out as a one-year thing but, has since evolved and kept on going. During this experience, I have learned that you don’t need all new items of clothes to have a fresh new look. I am constantly finding ways to take the things I wear every day and pair them with completely different items! There are no limits... With the holidays on the horizon, I’m sure everyone’s social calendars are filling up. While you might feel like there is nothing in your closet that is going to work you can take a few key pieces and put together a plethora of fabulous outfits! I chose a great dress, sparkly sweater, sparkly t-shirt, classic pencil skirt, and pinstripe blazer and mixed them into 12 different holiday ready ensembles. What pieces would you pick? How would you put them together?
Red Embellished Sweater – RED via Loehmanns
Green Sequins Embellished T-shirt – Ellen Tracey via TJ Maxx
Black Pencil Skirt – Old Navy
Black Pinstripe Blazer – Calvin Klein via SYMS

1
1+5
1+2

1+2+5
1+3
1+3+5
1+4
1+4+5
2+4
2+4+5
3+4
3+4+5


Mixed Metal Earrings – ModCloth
Belle Fleur Ring – Stella & Dot
Rhinestone Earrings – New York & Company
Gold/Silver Teardrop Earrings – V’ta Jewelry

Black Pumps – Candies via Kohl’s
Black Belt – Adrienne Vitadinni
Can you see yourself utilizing similar pieces from your own wardrobe in similar fashions? What would you do differently? It doesn’t have to be exact; You could throw a pair of pants or jeans in the mix for more casual gatherings and you are covered for every situation!

Monday, November 28, 2016

DIY: Coffee

Do you drink coffee in the morning? Yup, me too. Do you feel incomplete without it? Yeah, I know what you mean but. I digress... To satisfy that your craving Is part of your morning routine to pick up your coffee on the way to work at Starbucks, Dunkin, or perhaps the local coffee cart? I used to but, not anymore. Why? Because, I started looking at how much money my daily "treat yoself" Grande Soy Latte was costing me and, while $20 here and there to refill your Starbucks card doesn't seem like an excessive amount, it added up; I estimated to the tune of over $1000 in 6 months. Isn't that crazy? I know, that's what I thought too. To address the (caffeinated) leak in my spending I thought about alternatives AKA less expensive coffee sources but, the coffee carts/delis near my office aren't cranking out steamed soy milk beverages at all and the watery coffee from other places wasn't satisfying my caffeine craving. With no great alternatives popping up I realized that sometimes when you've gotta get things done (and satisfy your need for caffeine) you have to do it yourself. Which is what I am now doing as part of my morning routine. It's pretty simple, here's what you need.



Get a coffee that you like. Flavored, Mild, Caffeine Free (wierdo) whatever floats your boat... perhaps try out some of the different offering at you local grocery store or head to a local coffee house or market so you can try some of their special blends. Whatever you end up picking make sure it's something you enjoy. If you really want to get fancy in your attempts to be your own barista you could grind your own beans at home for the freshest cup but, that move is a next level coffee maneuver.


Ozeri Deluxe Milk Frother and Whisk in Stainless Steel with Stand and 4-Frothing Attachments
If you are into fancy coffee beverages investing in a frother might be worth it. This was the one I picked even though they do get (much) more elaborate. I have an espresso/coffee maker combo at home and enjoyed whipping up the soy milk before I poured it into my espresso for a yummy latté. While it doesn't substitute the high steam of an industrial grade machine it's good for creating bubbles and frothing up you warm beverage.  


Zojirushi Stainless Steel Mug, 16-Ounce
Lastly you need the perfect vessel to transport your coffee to work in the morning. I cannot thank my cousin enough for her recommendation of the Zojirushi. It keeps your beverage hot or cold for hours and hours and hours (no exaggeration.) It was battle tested when my squad and I filled it with ice water and spent a day on Governors Island for the Jazz Age Lawn party. Even after hours in the sun in 100° plus weather there was still frigid water inside! I also use it on a daily for my morning coffee hot or cold. Don't believe me? Try it yourself... I'm sure you will be satisfied. 

Friday, November 25, 2016

Holiday Shopping

In honor of Black Friday I want to talk to you about holiday shopping and what my (best) practices are.The reason that I put so much thought and effort into holiday (and birthday) shopping is because there are lots of people on my list  to shop for which means it can be costly in terms of money but, also in terms of my time. I also take it to the "next level" (yes there is a spreadsheet) because I want to make sure that I give the people in my life that I care most about gifts that they will actually appreciate and enjoy. By making a plan about shopping in advance and implementing these practices I have been able to tackle holiday shopping without getting very stressed or maxing out my credit cards. To be honest, most of the time, I don't even participate in the craziness that is Black Friday or Cyber Monday because they are so protracted beyond what they used to be that you can find savings starting at the beginning of November (OMG, you've already missed out) and those very limited "door buster" deals are not worth the aggravation and time they would potentially cost me. While everyone might not feel the same way, I have found that with planning I am able to tackle holiday shopping without going crazy.
  • Budget - Take a look at how many people you feel obligated to need/want to buy gifts for. There might be some people who pop up closer to the holiday but, for the most part, you know who your main beneficiaries are and you can ballpark how much money you want to dedicate towards their gifts. I'm not saying that you need to stick with this to the last penny for everyone but, having an idea of what you can spend overall helps from overspending on your favorite person or cheaping out on someone that you wanted to get a swell gift.  
  • Shop all year - This is not for every person on your list (ahem, children) but, sometimes when you are out you might see something that would be perfect for your Mom, BFF, gardener, etc. that you know they will love to matter what time of year you give it to them. This helps in terms of limiting the amount of time you will spend shopping during the holiday season and hopefully ensure that you will avoid shopping at crunch time (Ex: Christmas Eve) completely. 
A photo posted by Iris (@260daysnorepeats) on
  • Save all year - Take a look at your budget and see what the total is, then divide that by 52 which would equal how much money you have to save each week. This is the most rudimentary budget but, it totally works for Hubby and I. We take money each pay period and set it aside for holiday and other gifts and when December November comes we don't have to think twice about where the money is coming from. It goes into a separate gift specific checking account so we don't mix that money with funds for everyday purchases... next level maneuvers. 
  • Re-Gift - Not everyone does this, or thinks it is acceptable to do but, I do, under the right circumstances. I am a difficult person to shop for an often find myself with lovely things that I am never going to use and have no option of returning for credit to purchase something else that I might like better. I also get things for free sometimes (event life, yay) or as part of monthly subscription boxes that are not a good fit for me. In those situations, I would rather give those nice things, that are not my speed, to someone else who would enjoy them. 
A photo posted by Iris (@260daysnorepeats) on
  • Get Crafty - If you are the type of person who is able to use paper maché and popsicle sticks to make cool things you should totally do that for your family and then open an Etsy shop. In all seriousness, sometimes the best  gifts are heartfelt and personal so if can make something as opposed to buying it that might be the way to go in terms of making someone smile and possibly keeping yourself on budget.

Thursday, November 24, 2016

Happy Thanksgiving

From: Iris
To: You


Wednesday, November 23, 2016

Fall Palette

I feel like it's finally Fall. While PSL has been in our faces since September 1 the weather (hello 80° days) has not been in alignment with that autumn reality and all the other fall paraphernalia until more recently. While summer is my favorite thing, I appreciate the changing of the seasons and get excited about the opportunity to be super basic and wear a flannel/plaid/puffy vest combination to do some sort of autumnal activity. How serious am I being? You will never know... but, in all seriousness I do get excited about the changing of the seasons because that means fun things are on the horizon like, holidays, seeing family, layering, and wearing amazing fall colors like mustard. When I put this ensemble together it really struck me as being a great combination of less traditional fall colors (read: not red orange, yellow) but, still in line with cooler weather. Thoughts? On another note, I have to share a secret with you... these were Hubby's pants. Could you tell? I didn't think so. When Hubby was getting rid of them because they were too tight on him I thought, "Why get rid of a perfectly good pair of (fancy) pants? I could incorporate them into my wardrobe instead of picking up a trendy 'boyfriend chino'." That's a win!
  • Top: lace trim shell, Merona; black cardigan, 14th & Union
  • Bottom: Sharp Grey Emerson straight chino, Banana Republic
  • Shoes & Accessories: black pumps, Sam Edelman; silver bead earrings, Tiffany & Co; paisley infinity scarf , gift from Mom


Don't forget to enter the Nordstrom gift card giveaway! 

Saturday, November 19, 2016

Coliflor Arroz Amarillo con Habichuelas (Cauliflower Yellow Rice and Beans)

You might not know this but, I am Puerto Rican, 100%. Many meals growing up were traditional, cooked by my grandmother, my father, and my mother. One of the staples of any Puerto Rican's diet is delicious yellow rice possibly with chicken (arroz con pollo) or with beans (arroz con habichuelas) or both (con pollo y habichuelas.) I will stop with the español lesson but, traditional Puerto Rican cuisine gets me inspired! While I love continuing the culinary tradition of cooking rice as a staple side dish it isn't the healthiest thing to be eating day in and day out and as I am trying to be a healthier me I decided to adapt an alternative that I have seen on numerous Pinterest boards, cauliflower as rice but, with a Hispanic twist. While this is a delicious side dish, that you should make and enjoy immediately, remember that in the end it is cauliflower so, it's not going to have the same texture as rice that being said... it's delicious. Why cauliflower? Because it is a low-carb, low-calorie, gluten-free rice substitute that also happens to be high in protein with fiber,  as well, as vitamins C, K, and B6. That sounds pretty healthy to me and in this recipe, we find the best of both worlds, delicious and healthy!








Ingredients
(serves 3/4)
  • 2 heads of cauliflower (about 3 cups of cauliflower when riced)
  • 3 tbsp. olive oil
  • 3 tbsp. tomato sauce
  • one packet Goya Sazon
  • 3 heaping tbsp. of Goya Recaito
  • 1 can of black beans (drained)
(the secret ratio is one tbsp. of each of the wet ingredients to one cup of cauliflower so adjust accordingly)

Cut the cauliflower into pieces and put the chopped pieces into a food processor. With an S blade us the pulse function until it is fine but, not pureed. Move the riced cauliflower into a bowl and press out some of the liquid periodically. 

In a large pan mix the olive oil, tomato sauce, Goya Sazon, and Goya Recaito. Cook over high heat until bubbling. Spoon in the riced cauliflower and stir until all of the white cauliflower has been coated with the sauce and is a red/orange color. Let it cook for 4/5 minutes on high heat.  

After the rice is thoroughly mixed and has cooked for a few minutes add the black beans and mix them thoroughly as well. Lower the flame, cover the pan, and let your "rice" cook for 15 minutes stirring occasionally.

Serve with chicken, roast pork, or enjoy as your main dish!



Don't forget to enter the Nordstrom gift card giveaway!

Friday, November 18, 2016

Fix It, Don't Forget It

Did you know that  that the textile recycling industry recycles approximately 3.8 billion pounds of post-consumer textile waste (PCTW) each year (read: clothes you throw away, and other fabric stuff) this only accounts for approximately 15% of all PCTW, leaving 85% in our landfills.While that is scary enough to read watch this short video below and continue to be shocked and horrified. 


While you might not think about the impact that shopping "all the time" and buying cheap/disposable clothes has on the planet it obviously does and it is significant, at that. When shopping, I think the more important thing to consider is why buy that item of clothing in the first place. Do you love it? Do you have a need for it? Do you even see yourself wearing it? Or is it just something that is just "ok" considering the cost. Why even bother wasting your time and your wardrobe space with something that doesn't get you excited to wear it or at least put a smile on your face. One of the ways that I try to stretch the life of the clothes that I love longer is not by washing things less (eww) but, by fixing things that have a slight "damage" from wear and tear.
  • Find a cobbler - While clothes is a big part of textile waste another is shoes. Once you have worn through the heels or scuffed up the tips it's easy to cast them aside in favor of a newer (sometimes shinier) option. That being said, once you have found the right cobbler (thanks, Google/Yelp) it's just as easy to drop them off at your friendly neighborhood cobbler for a face lift or repairs.  
  • Make Small Adjustments - I'm not saying that you need to sew a dress from scratch but, can you take up a hem? How about shorten straps? You could even take it to the next level by learning to sew a dart or upcycle your existing wardrobe into something completely different... Sorry, I got ahead of myself but, making small changes to an item of clothes can make a big difference in how it appears and make it continuously useful in your life. 
  • Patch Holes - This is not a new tip from me. I've done (and shared) it before and I'm doing it again. Patching holes is such a tremendously simple fix that really adds length to the life of your clothes without anyone being the wiser that there was damage in the first place (as long as it is not somewhere that is highly visible.) Whether you sew the offending hole up, add a patch, or both it is worth the effort. 

What are some ways that you extend the life of your clothes?

Don't forget to enter the Nordstrom gift card giveaway!

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

"Weekend" Chores


"Remember when you were a child and weekend meant a mini vacation? Or at least a break from the mundane so you could enjoy yourself and take part in fun activities, those Barbies and Legos weren't going to play with themselves but, I digress... Do you find that now, as an adult(ish) person, your weekends are full of running errands and chores?

Image courtesy of Hyberbole and a Half
Me too... which is absolutely lame when you think about it; you spend all week at work doing whatever it is that you are an amazing girlboss at and then you spend the weekend catching up on other things. Organizational experts talk about "Work Life Balance" but, I think the real key is "Life Integration." As the lines between the workplace and home blur due to our heightened state of connectivity, it is important to tweak our behavior accordingly and maximize the times when we are focused on being productive so that we can truly enjoy and be present in our periods of relaxation. There are some of the things that I have tried to implement so I can take my weekends back from the shore monster and enjoy myself. Do you have any good tips to add?
  • De-clutter one room a night. I don't know about your but, new things come into my home or items move from room to room and then next thing I know my office is looking like a mail room or my kitchen is looking like a staging ground. It's very manageable to work in one room at a time picking a few things up and putting them in their proper place whether that is the shredder, a closet, or another room altogether. You could even pass a vacuum over the carpet and wipe down the surfaces... ok, ok I'm getting ahead of myself. But, tackling one room a night makes the process more manageable. 
  • Do laundry during the week(days.) If you have access to a private washing machine/dryer you can run a load of laundry through the washer while you are at work, throw it in the dryer when you get home, and separate/fold it after dinner. Honestly, it's one of my one of my "favorite things" to do and was a huge transition after moving into a house. If you don't have access to a washer/dryer where you could leave your clothes all day it might be worth investigating the option of dropping it off at a local laundromat. If not, you could always visit somewhere after work and tackle that chore during the week   

  • Do dishes while you are at work. In the same vein of the laundry, load your dishwasher after you eat breakfast and run it during the day while you are at work so you can empty it when you get home. I don't know about you but, I feel like I am always doing dishes especially if I cook the evening prior. Growing up without a dishwasher I don't know how I could live without one (Dramatic? Maybe...) and I love utilizing it to it's maximum level of effectiveness. 
  • Run errands after work. Sometimes you need to run to the store and pick up a face cream you ran out, get a massage, or drop something off which can be challenging outside of normal business hours especially if you are in the burbs which means they get pushed to the weekend. What is important to realize is that sometimes it's totally feasible to tackle these errands after work because stores and other business are staying open later and later or working around your schedule. 
A photo posted by Iris (@260daysnorepeats) on
  • Delegate one weekend day for completion of chores if you must. Maybe you need help from someone else and that is the only time they are available or perhaps that store really doesn't stay open late enough for you to head there after work those jerks... For me it's easiest when hubby has to work on Saturdays, which happens often occasionally, and on some level it's great because I can move any unresolved errands to that day and "work" on those things so we have Sunday free and clear to do whatever I we want which is really the point of your weekend! 
 Don't forget to enter the Nordstrom gift card giveaway!

Monday, November 14, 2016

Giveaway: Nordstrom Gift Card




Happy Monday! A few of my blogger friends and I wanted to kick start your week by joining together to bring you a giveaway - a $270 Nordstrom gift card!  Are you the one lucky reader?  Simply enter via the widget below!

Prize: $270 Nordstrom gift card

Hosts:

Giveaway open: Monday, November 14 at 12AM PST through Wednesday, November 23 at 11:59PM PST

Are you a fellow blogger who'd be interested in hosting similar giveaways to help grow your blog?  Then, click here to find out how you can join!





Saturday, November 12, 2016

Working On My Fitness

Image Courtesy of popkey.co
How do you define "Fitness"? The dictionary defines "Fitness" as "the condition of being physically fit and healthy" or "the quality of being suitable to fulfill a particular role or task." That's a little more in depth than how many burpees you can do (my answer: 0). There was a time (a little over a year ago) when I was feeling very fit. How was I measuring that? Well, there are always the old standards... weight/clothing size but, it was more in depth  than that as well; my ability to sprint up stairs without getting winded or slay a challenging spin class were some of the criteria. Even though, my routine, recently, has involved less of the things that make me feel fit, partly because I had to take a break from ALL the spin classes for a hot second for medical reasons (lame but, it's ok I'm fine) and partly because my day to day started looking a little different I would still define "Fitness" for myself the same way. That being said, after weeks months of not going to the gym regularly, a YOLO summer diet, my birthday, having a commute that involves minimal walking, etc. that's not the only thing that had started to look different... just picture the below image in reverse although I would say I'm somewhere in the middle #realtalk.


While I think the only solution for that situation is just to get back to incorporating regular exercise and a non "ice-cream everyday" diet into my normal routine, I now find myself contemplating my own self image on the regular. While this habit is a normal consequence of going through any physical change the way you see yourself if not, necessarily, the same thing as being "Fit." When I first started to lose weight/inches as a result of going to the gym in an attempt to be a healthierhappier me there were positive side effects (less of me) and some less happy side effects (fewer clothing options.) While I really struggled with reconciling the number on the scale and the size on the clothing tag with how I viewed myself it helped to hone in on how I was feeling in terms of "Fitness" which, in one word, was healthier. Now that I am feeling less "Fit" I find myself craving that healthy feeling again so I don't fall back into old and (frankly) common habits of getting caught up in measuring myself by numbers (weight/clothing size) or comparing myself to other people/my former self from a few months ago. Life happens and that is why it's important to keep  "Fitness," as it is laid out by the dictionary as "the condition of being physically fit and healthy" (or your own twist on it) in mind instead of getting bogged down by details that are not directly in line with the aforementioned definition. How do you define/measure fitness?  


Friday, November 11, 2016

Gluten Free Me

I will start out by saying that I do not have Celiac disease and am not actually allergic to gluten. I do however struggle with a chronic auto-immune problem like 20% of the population of the US who has some form of auto-immune disease. I chose to eliminate gluten from my diet as a way to alleviate some of the symptoms I was feeling at the recommendation of a friend who had done the same. Well, more specifically, I said I would give it a try for one weekend as she harassed me strongly suggested I do just that. As my symptoms seemed to vanish over the course of a few days I knew that if I didn't keep it up moving forward I would be knowingly hurting myself... I'm no sadist so, I have and it really hasn't been that bad. Sure, sometimes I want to eat walk into a bakery and buy a cupcake, or a deli nearby and get sausage, egg, and cheese on a bagel, or eat anything at a networking even where hey serve finger food but, while that moment of sweet/chewy/delicious flour filled goodness will taste great it won't be worth it in the end. Here are some of the ways that I started to incorporate gluten free living into my everyday gluten filled life.
  • Focus on foods that are naturally gluten free like fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy (or dairy substitutes), etc. Something that I realized as I started my gluten free lifestyle change was that many of the foods I was eating on a regular basis met the criteria for gluten free. There were some tweaks I had to make, of course, but, for the most part the transition was pretty seamless and in the end it was the more processed foods that I had to weed out. 
A photo posted by Iris (@260daysnorepeats) on
  • Learn about the devil gluten and where it hides. Speaking with people who are gluten free was one way to learn but, it really helped when I sat down and read a little more about it on my own terms. This book was given to my by more than one person for Christmas the year I went gluten free and was helpful in getting a baseline understanding of what gluten is a where it could be hiding. There are also some recipes that you might be able to integrate into your daily life. 


  • Remember that vegan does not equal gluten free which can be one of the most challenging things at the grocery store. You might have think you found the perfect Non-GMO, Dairy/Nut/Soy Free breakfast burrito with heritage tomatoes and free range chicken eggs (YUM) but, none of that means Gluten Free, in fact, the burrito that all that deliciousness is wrapped in still has wheat flour... Read labels carefully to make sure don't just jump at the buzz words.
  • Remember gluten free does not mean low fat. In the beginning when you focus on fresh food and non-processed things you might lose a little weight (which is nice.) Once you start trying out the plethora of gluten free substitute items available you might see that number tick up again.  Those items are, most of the time, not low fat and might actually have more calories than their gluten filled counterparts.  
A photo posted by Iris (@260daysnorepeats) on
  • Plan for stuff like special occasions (or just a random day of the week) when you might want food items that are not normally gluten free and those gluten free alternatives might pose a challenge to obtain. I'm talking about cakes, cupcakes, and anything cake related like muffins, etc. Not many bakeries stock gluten free goodies regularly as they are not shelf stable but, you can order them and pick them up or find them frozen. As I have said before, to not you until now, "If I want a cupcake, I can have a cupcake I just have to plan for it." True story...
A photo posted by Iris (@260daysnorepeats) on