Happy Sunday. It was a shoot week up in Oregon at Anne and Richard’s (ARCIFORM) beach house and we can’t wait to see those beautiful photos. Oh, and we hope you liked that little farmhouse sneak peek this week. We are getting closer and closer to the first reveal:) So to help calm the anticipation, here are this week’s links…
This week’s home tour is a vintage-filled family home that is modern but packed with soul. The designer, Trung Tu, is actually a design-loving IT engineer. This home looks like a beautiful vintage showroom that you can actually be comfortable and relax in. Don’t you want to curl up on that sofa?? We sure do. Go check out the rest of the photos and his story on The Design Files.
We know that last week’s Link Up was filled with links asking those who can to help all sorts of different people in need. Now, in addition, our hearts are breaking to have to talk about yet another natural disaster, this time in Florida. If you’ve been paying attention to the news at all we don’t have to tell you how deadly Hurricane Ian is. So again, for those that can, here is an article with multiple ways to help.
From Emily: I got to shoot Anne and Richard’s house this past week and man it was incredible. And like for any shoot, there was lots of shopping to get styling pieces and candles are always a must. We picked up this Apple Chai scented one from Target that we all loved. It got us in the fall spirit and it was so pretty. The leather wrapping is such a nice detail and makes it look way more expensive than it is. Plus it’s big (14oz)! You can’t beat it for $15.
From Caitlin: Two weeks ago, I proclaimed that clutter could not be solved with bins and baskets alone (and for the record, I stand by that statement!!!). That said, if you are in the market for some organizational tools, please do not spend $20-40 on ONE branded container from an org store – there are some really overpriced products out there and I can enthusiastically recommend a few WAY more affordable alternatives. Here’s the exact stack I use in my house (after lots of trial and error!): these $8 wire baskets (I do towels and sheets in these); these big $9 bins with handles (perfect for craft supplies, small toolboxes, candles, etc.) these $6 bins (great for everything – they’re a perfect size for vanities and shelves); these $10 stackable trays (I use these for iPhone cables, charging bricks, and old phones/tech); these $2 storage trays (it’s a pack of 4 – I use mine for rollerballs of perfume, tweezers, etc.); and these long $2 trays (great for razors, hairbrushes, etc.). I know that sorting through all the options on the market can be kind of a pain (and I literally cannot understand how comparable products can go for like, 5x the price), so hopefully this can help someone out a little bit:)
From Mallory: You know the age-old question “what should we make for dinner tonight??” I got SO fed up with trying to answer it (specifically when it came down to quick easy weeknight meals), so I found an awesome solution. My boyfriend and I love to cook, but I was always forgetting the good recipes we’d already made and wanted to make again. ENTER RecipeBox!! It’s an app where I can add photos of our dinners and put in the ingredients + grocery shopping list (if you want to, sometimes I get lazy and just do photos). But it makes meal planning so much easier because I can just go through the Rolodex of meals we’ve already made in the past. I showed it to Emily while we were at the shoot this week and she said “it’s like a meal scrapbook!” I love my meal scrapbook and it’s free so I highly recommend getting it & trying it out too.
Also From Mallory: I’m a big fan of this $15 corduroy baseball cap!! I bought it in blush but they have some other fun colors too:)
From Jess: Ok last wedding-related link since I have no more weddings to attend this year! Now because my cousin is the coolest and most thoughtful, everything we got as gifts I actually want to use and wear. Number one on the list is this EcoSatin loungewear set from OddBird. When I say these were incredibly comfortable and cool I am not exaggerating. I put it back on as soon as I got home. I also got to meet the gal who owns the company and she couldn’t have been sweeter. She’s completely dedicated to being a sustainable brand that uses 100% natural, mostly raw, unprocessed fibers, or recycled fibers. What’s also really special is that she offers LIFETIME repairs to help keep the garments looking beautiful and out of landfills. I was really inspired by her. I got this top and these shorts (it was literally 106 degrees the day of the wedding) but I got to try on the pants too. It was a tough decision but I have more lounge pants than shorts. TBH I was nervous that the shorts weren’t going to look good on my body type but I was wrong! I loved them. So if you are thinking the same thing, I think you should give them a try:) I got a large but they size up to 5XL! I really can’t say enough wonderful things about them.
Also From Jess: SIKE! I have a hair product rec from the gals who did our hair and makeup. It’s this blow dry mist. When I asked what it did after seeing it on the table next to me all three of the hairdressers raved about it! Apparently, it’s great for all hair types, is a heat protectant, cuts your drying time dramatically, AND is only $15. Ummm you don’t have to tell me twice. Add to cart.
Also Also From Jess: We aren’t shy about our love of Madewell over here but mine just got bigger. I just saw on Instagram that a vintage shop I used to love going to in New York, People of 2morrow Vintage, is now selling on Madewell.com. First off, I didn’t realize they were selling vintage, and second I’m so happy for the owner. Go check it all out!
From Ryann: I’ve been using these teeth whitening strips for a week straight and I have to say I am pleasantly surprised with the results! They are non-toxic and enamel safe so they are really gentle and don’t hurt your teeth. If you have sensitive teeth or don’t have a high pain/discomfort tolerance (me) then I think these are for you. I definitely see results but since these aren’t as harsh as other whitening strips, I think the process for really noticeable whitening just takes a little longer. I will keep using them and report back!
Thank you for reading and see y’all tomorrow. xx
Opening Image Credits: Design by Trung Tu | Photo by Eve Wilson for The Design Files | Styled by Annie Portelli | via The Design Files
Paprika is a great app and has been around for years.
I love Paprika and have used it for years. You can do all the things mentioned but so much more. Like download any recipe online with the main picture. Create a shopping list.
Thank you for these organizational tips, Caitlin! Just what I need.
Last month I got one of the large clear trays from Brightroom to organize all the daily-use items on my bathroom counter. It’s great — modern and nice enough for display.
Had not seen The Design Files before. That “humble” home is just lovely!
Anyone looking for one of those corduroy baseball caps (I wanted two of the colors) better hurry. They seem to be mostly gone except for the yellow-greenish one.
Correction…I tried again and was able to order the baseball cap shipped to me in two colors. There seem to be plenty now for shipping. Either something changed or (more likely) I wasn’t awake when I looked earlier
I hope Daffy and Emily Bowser are doing okay but I’m afraid to know since I have a sinking feeling that no news might not mean good news in this case. I’m still reeling with grief from losing my soul cat in July and have been thinking of them a lot this week. Sending you well-wishes and courage, Emily.
@jacquie I found her on insta (@emilyedithbowser) and she’s been posting updates there in her stories. Things are looking hopeful as of 20 hours ago <3
Oh, Jacquie that is so hard! ❤️
💗
Back when I used to cook seven days a week, I kept a stack of index cards with our favorite meals written on them. Sometimes even put the recipe on the back. And when I was out of ideas, I’d flip through and pull out five for the week (always enough leftovers or out to eat to fill up the week). Easy to do and easy to use.
Hey Caitlyn, I work in the business of organization products. You asked about why some products at The Container Store cost up to 5x as much as Target’s Brightroom products. This is a very complicated question, but it all comes down to who, what, how and where products are made, transported and sold.
National brands often design, market and sell products in the U.S.A., which means there are design, marketing, sales, operational and financial jobs being done in the U.S.A. Sometimes the product is even manufactured in the states too. National brands often pay for higher-quality materials that pass 3rd party testing (such as BPA-free), are made of recycled materials and/or can be recycled, and in general last longer, making them more sustainable. You’ll notice that Target doesn’t tell us what this product is made of.
National brands often work with factories that pass rigorous social and environmental audits to ensure the people and products in those factories are safe for the planet. You’ll notice Target doesn’t tell us where this product is made, only that it’s “imported”. There are also a lot of differences between a company like TCS and Target when it comes to employee wages, sales model, product margins and investor returns, but that’s another thread entirely.
All of these things have costs that ultimately get baked into the cost the consumer pays for the product itself. What Target does so well with their private labels such as Brightroom is leverage the investments and success of National Brands by copying their products, leaning heavy on overseas factories for cheaper materials and labor, shipping in bulk through their more-efficient global supply chains (skipping the middle National Brand company in the process), and offering a lower price, which in effect “commoditizes” that item. They bank on the fact that they can sell you MORE of the cheaper products rather than trying to make a sustainable profit on that one single item.
All the Target products you guys recommend are great, but there is an outside cost to these products (in the form of environmental and economic costs, despite the lower price tag on shelf. I’m not trying to make a judgement on the people who choose an $8 bin over a $16 one (2x is probably more realistic than your 5x estimate), but you asked, and I hope this starts to give you an idea of why products are priced differently in the market. Also, I totally agree, bins alone will not organize a home 😉
Thank you for this Elizabeth!
Awesome explanation! I appreciate it. Thx!
Great info. This article highlights similar issues but on the “fashion” side:
https://www.wired.com/story/fast-cheap-out-of-control-inside-rise-of-shein/
“Fast, Cheap, and Out of Control: Inside Shein’s Sudden Rise. The Chinese company has become a fast-fashion juggernaut by appealing to budget-conscious Gen Zers. But its ultralow prices are hiding unacceptable costs.”
Yes!🌏
Thank you for this helpful explanation/reminder! As we are all (hopefully) becoming more conscientious of what is happening here on Earth (planet and humanity), these non-judgemental and informative comments stay in our minds and we make daily decisions.
So many amazing, cute Target candles in fall scents this year. I think I’ve bought like ten, including the apple chai!
EWG–Environmental Working Group rates products based on their ingredients. They show info about cancer-causing chemicals and a long list of other concerns. The Kristin Ess blowdry mist does not get a good rating. Plus, it’s a mist that you spray at your head. You can look up almost any product on their website to see how it’s rated.
I also looked it up on EWG as soon as I saw the recommandation. Some ingredients, like Cyclotetrasiloxane is considered high risk!
I am a smoker (ugh, I know!) and a coffee/tea drinker and I keep my pearly whites pearly white by oil pulling. Sometimes I break open a charcoal capsule and add that to the oil and sometimes add a drop of clove or lemon essential oil. This an auruvedic practice and it works so much better than whitening strips. It is safe, inexpensive and great for oral health.
I haven’t been able to find studies, much less replicated studies, for most of the claims about oil pulling. One thing that has been studied is that it affects the pH of your mouth. Bacteria thrive at certain pH, the bad ones especially like an acidic environment. Oil pulling does make the mouth more basic, stunting the ability of bad bacteria to grow and expel their waste products that are the biofilm/plaque that cause cavities. Bc you keep the oil in your mouth for several minutes (compared to 30 secs of mouthwash), it gets down in the gaps between your gums and teeth and even helps retard bacterial growth there. Over time, it can also soften plaques that are in place and you may find small pieces of plaque coming off as you brush.
Just make sure to time your oil pulling and toothbrushing appropriately. Toothbrushing should not be done within 20 minutes post-eating, and you should not do anything else in your mouth for 30 minutes after you brush (if you are using a fluoride toothpaste) including mouthwash. Toothpaste leaves behind the highest concentration of fluoride and it should be allowed to stay on the teeth and tissues of your mouth for 30 minutes to do everything it can.
Oil pulling should be done at the very beginning of the day before any food is in your mouth so that it can just go to work on bare tissue/teeth and the bacteria there without bits of food affecting the oil’s ability to move the pH in your mouth. If you do it at night too, do it before you brush since brushing will help remove all the bacteria trapped in the film of oil and you’ll be leaving that fluoride in your mouth for 30 mins after you finish brushing. You can use any of the “good” oils. Lots of folks like coconut, but that’s not even the original ayuvedic practice since India did not have coconuts all over back then! Olive, avocado, and flaxseed oils work just as well and can be a lot easier to find, afford, and store. You absolutely do NOT have to start with the 1-2 tablespoons recommended – mouths come in different sizes, plus you will be producing a good bit of saliva – you need to get used to how full your mouth will be. 1 TEASPOON will feel like a lot in the beginning, so start there and work up until you find the amount you want to stay at. You also do NOT have to start with the 10 mins I usually see recommended – that is a long time for newbies and you WILL get cramps in your cheeks and drool over your chin. 🙂 Just try about 2 minutes at first, and every several days when you feel like you can handle the time you are at then add another 30s-1min. If you never get to 10 minutes (I never did!) that’s okay. I levelled off at about 6 minutes and still had a lot of good results.
Thank you for the recc Izzie and the amazing breakdown Denise! I just wanted to add a shoutout for the Waterpik as an absolute game changer for overall cleanliness and my tooth and gum health. Didn’t change my PH but I love it and it only takes 2 mins.
Oil pulling is great as is the water pick mentioned! I also discovered mouth probiotics! I use a brand called dental probiotic called replenish the good.
Instead of buying storage bins to use inside cabinets and drawers, I just use shoe boxes and delivery boxes. Works very well for me!
I do this too! I use colorful index cards on the ends to write what is in each box.