Thrift Store Summer Wardrobe Capsule

The concept of a wardrobe capsule has crossed my path several times in the past, even though I didn't know the exact name for it. The idea of having a few classic pieces, with some trendy pieces thrown in, to make up a plethora of different outfits seemed right up there with my 'less is more' philosophy. Why it has taken years to actually put this concept in place is just classically me. What helped move this plan into action was coming across Project 333 that breaks the capsule wardrobe down into 33 pieces that are worn for 3 months (a season, essentially). Things like workout clothes, undergarments, lounge wear, and sentimental jewelry don't count towards the 33 items but shoes, fashion jewelry, purses, and other accessories do. Now, that sounded like a challenge and I love a good challenge.

If you follow this blog then you know I am big into thrift shopping- it is where a good 90% of my clothes come from. (Items like shoes, undergarments, pajamas, swimsuits, socks, and the like... I do buy new.) It still amazes me to find pristine articles of clothing for such great prices. Sometimes I get so amazed that I fill up my closet with garments that I don't even end up wearing more than once due to not having anything to go with it or the item not being practical enough to wear everyday. So even though I think I'm getting a great deal and saving a ton of money...I'm actually wasting it. My husband, Dino, never could understand how I could walk out of my closet, stuffed with clothes, and bemoan not having anything to wear. Well, nothing coordinated! By working in the confines of a wardrobe capsule this issue becomes moot. Having a capsule also greatly cuts down on the time it takes to go through all the racks at thrift stores since you will have a certain color palette in mind. Shopping for my capsule was some of the quickest thrift store shopping days ever! Even though I love new clothes (new for me, anyway), going through rack after rack is just tedious. Not anymore!

Pintrest and Google images were huge inspirations for my summer capsule. It would be great to just look at a shirt and do awesome things with it but my brain doesn't work that way. At first, I was pretty sure that there was no damn way I would only be able to pare down my summer wardrobe to 33 pieces. Towards the end of my planning, however, I was scrounging for the last 3 items. To tackle this project the color scheme was determined first. From there it was choosing how many skirts, tank tops, shoes, etc. I wanted in the capsule. After that it was assigning the color scheme to the different pieces and then making a descriptive list of items that needed to be bought (if I didn't already own it). The list kept me focused at the stores and didn't allow for any extraneous items to make their way back to my newly cleaned out closet. It's important to keep all the tags on your new clothes until you have your complete capsule. That way, if you do have to return something because it doesn't match as well as you thought, you will not be stuck with it.

The Pieces:

1. Banana Republic denim oxford (Savers)
2. Gap aqua cardigan (Savers)
3. White 3/4 sleeve blouse (Goodwill)
4. Gap gray t-shirt (Savers)
5. Black t-shirt (bought new from Meijer)
6. White t-shirt (already owned)
7. Banana Republic green tank top (Savers)
8. Yellow tank top (Savers)
9. Black tank top (Savers)
10. Old Navy navy and white striped dress (already owned)
11. Kenji aqua and copper embellished dress (Goodwill- tags still on from TJ Maxx!)
12. Darjoni jean skirt (already owned)
13. Striped long skirt (bought new at Target)
14. Old Navy light blue capris (Savers)
15. Gap jean shorts (already owned)
16. Black shorts (already owned)
17. Skinny jeans (already owned)
18. Light brown belt (already owned)
19. Thin black belt (already owned)
20. Vera Bradley aqua purse (bought at a previous trip to Savers- it was never used!)
21. Camel colored cross-body purse (bought new at Meijer)
22. Sun Hat (bought new at Target for $3)
23. Sunglasses (already owned)
24. Gold key necklace (already owned)
25. Light aqua chunky necklace (already owned)
26. Copper chunky necklace (already owned)
27. Gold bracelet (already owned)
28. Pearl stud earrings (already owned- not pictured)
29. Diamond stud earrings (already owned- not pictured)
30. Toms loafers (already owned)
31. Black flip-flops (already owned)
32. White and gold sandals (already owned)
33. Wedges (already owned)

This $6 Kenji dress from Goodwill still had the $35 tags from TJ Maxx on it. These finds happen frequently at thrift stores! 

Between the three t-shirts, three tank tops, two shorts and jean skirt there are 18 outfit combos alone. Below are some more outfits that can be put together from my capsule.

With just a few accessories this Old Navy dress can go from casual party cool to errand-running chic.

This Kenji dress can easily be worn for a special night out or a day around town.

Just a few pieces but so many different looks.

This could be a great weekend-get-away combo.

Lunch date to play date.

It has never been more fun picking out clothes and my closet has never looked more organized. I'm looking forward to do doing this in the fall and to no more wasted money on clothes that don't get worn. It's a good idea to take photos of your outfits as well to help make your morning dressing routine go quicker. Shopping at thrift stores for your wardrobe capsule is the perfect way to reduce and reuse- not to mention getting some fabulous finds at some seriously fabulous prices.

Here's to a gorgeous, put-together, organized you this summer!

Finding More Ways to Afford Organic Food

Eating food that is sustainable for the planet and our bodies is a top priority in my house. That means a larger portion of our family's budget goes towards groceries. In The Hidden Cost of Cheap Food, I explained how conventional food will actually cost you more- not only monetarily but in your health as well. There's no doubt that organic food will initially cost you more up front.  As daunting as squeezing your already tight budget may seem, there are ways to shift other priorities to make this work. Today I have a follow-up to a previous post, Finding Ways to Afford Organic Food, where I shared a major way my family diverts money to our groceries. Below are six more practices that my family uses to make organics a more affordable option.


1)  Turn the thermostat down.

At night when you are toasty under the covers and during the day when you are not at home, lower your thermostat. You actually sleep better and deeper in a cooler environment.  When you are away from home, it just doesn't make sense to keep an empty house super warm. You don't have to get all crazy, either- just a couple of degrees should show a difference in your heating bill. Dino and I are in a constant thermostat war because I am cold all the time but we can agree on turning it down for these two circumstances.

2) Dim the lights after dinner.

Once dinner and the clean-up is done, we try and keep the house at low lighting. This is great for the electric bill and also allows your body to naturally increase its melatonin levels that help you fall into a healing sleep. Melatonin is also a potent antioxidant.

3) Cancel the landline phone.

Yes, I truly believe there is a radiation risk when using cell phones but they are a necessary (and fun) evil. With two cell phone bills the landline seemed a little unnecessary and frivolous. If the radiation is a concern, like it is for me, then try texting more and use the speaker function when you do have to chat.

4) Cut the cable cord.

Too much of a stretch? We weren't sure how we were going to handle it either but, honestly, I don't even miss it. We can watch our TV shows online and were even able to connect the laptop to our smart TV to watch the Super Bowl- all without the insane cable bill hanging over our heads. Thanks to Goodwill and Savers, we have plenty of movies and Spongebob episodes for the kids when they (but mostly me) need a break... and I don't have to worry about them being barraged with asinine commercials for crap they (and again, mostly me) don't need.

5) Go on mini-vacations.

Putting the focus on making memories and not just on the destination can make a "mini" seem just like a big, splashy family vacay. During the winter months a weekend at an indoor water park can be a much needed relief from the blustery weather outside. In the summer, camping is a great way to get out and see the world without breaking the bank. 

6) Only go to restaurants on special occasions.

Being the only cook in my house, this was a hard one to implement as I enjoyed the much needed break from cooking and clean-up every week. What I didn't enjoy was all the genetically modified ingredients, pesticides, and artificial hormones that my family was ingesting on a weekly basis at $50 to $60 a pop. That is half of my organic grocery budget for the week and this wasn't even safe food! We do have a few restaurants that have local and organic offerings but they weren't what we could afford for our family of five on a regular basis. By limiting restaurant visits to birthdays and our anniversary, that local organic burger isn't so out of reach now.

This is what we have found to work for our family and I know that this will not work for everyone. My hope is that it will at least get you looking at different areas of your life and start weeding out what isn't really necessary for what is: food that is sustainable for the planet and you!


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How to Make Almond Milk and Butter from the Same Batch of Nuts

My family and I have been drinking almond milk for years but it wasn't until recently that I discovered how easy (and inexpensive) it is to make yourself. Then much to my surprise (and joy), an experiment with the left-over almond pulp was successful in being made into almond butter. Two products for the price of one! Using the process below will yield a little over 6 cups of almond milk and 1 cup of almond butter for just $3.56. Beat that, Walmart!

This will require a blender, food processor and dehydrator. The first two are generally common in most kitchens. The dehydrator, on the other hand, not so much. Just like any kitchen appliance there are the low, medium and high-end dehydrators. Finding one used is a great economic option if you are just starting out dehydrating food. The brand I use is a medium-line Nesco that also has fruit-roll trays (bought separately). The trays are necessary to hold the finely ground almonds.

Almond Milk

Supplies:

-2 quart mason jars with lids
-drainer
-blender
-glass pitcher with lid
-funnel
-cheesecloth

Ingredients:

-2 cups raw, unsalted almonds (Costco has a 3lb bag for $16.)
-filtered water
-sea salt to taste

The night before you are going to make the milk, place 1 cup of almonds in each mason jar, fill with 4 cups of  filtered water and place the cap on the jar. Leave on the counter over-night or for at least 8 hours. If you can't make the milk the next morning then stick the jars in the fridge until you can get to them. Use within 24 hours, even in the fridge.

Using the drainer, empty the jars and rinse the nuts. Fill the blender with 3 cups filtered water and 1 cup of the rinsed almonds. (If you have a larger blender then add all the almonds and 6 cups of water.) Blend on high for about 1 minute or until the almonds are finely ground.

               Place the funnel on top of the glass pitcher and the cheese cloth over the funnel.

Pour the contents of the blender into the cheesecloth-lined funnel. Make sure all of the ground nuts get out of the blender. Bring up the sides of the cheesecloth and twist to close. Squeeze the cheesecloth to extract as much milk as possible.

Place the almond meal from the cheesecloth onto the fruit-roll tray or other solid dehydrator tray. Spread as evenly as possible for even-drying. Repeat process with the other jar of almonds and spread on another fruit-roll tray. Set dehydrator per manufacturer's instruction for nuts (mine is 105 degrees) and dehydrate for 6 hours.

Make sure to get to the almond meal after 6 hours. If the almonds dehydrate for too long then it will take longer for it to turn into almond butter. The wet almond meal can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge, but again, don't leave for more than 24 hours.

Add 1/2 teaspoon sea salt to the almond milk (or to taste) in the glass pitcher and stir. Place on the cap and store in the fridge. Use within 1 week.


Almond Butter

Supplies:

-food processor
-spatula
-pint-size jelly jar with lid

Ingredients:

-dry almond meal from almond milk
-sea salt to taste

After 6 hours, carefully empty the fruit-roll trays of now dry almond meal into the bowl of a food processor. Depending on the type of food processor you have, this can take anywhere from 6 to 15 minutes. I have a lower-end model and it takes about 10 to 12 minutes to process the meal into butter. Run the processor for one minute at a time, scraping down the sides when necessary.

Once the almond butter is smooth, add 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt to the bowl and process again. Store in a jelly jar with a lid in the fridge. Use within 2 weeks (if it will last that long!).

Almond milk can be used in any recipe that calls for milk. The only time I didn't have success was when I tried to make pudding, otherwise, almond milk makes the perfect substitute to cow's milk. Using the almond meal for almond butter helps stretch grocery dollars and is actually healthier than store-bought almond butter due to the nuts being soaked before they were processed. I'll go over the importance of soaked nuts and grains in a future post. Until then, use the almond butter in place of peanut butter and enjoy all the extra vitamin E!

A Green Christmas, Part 4: Eco-Friendly Gift Wrap

The amount of trash produced during the holidays really hits home after all the presents have been opened... and opened again out of their manufacturer's packaging. Some of this packaging is unavoidable but the countless black garbage bags of wrapping paper going to curb is a huge waste that can be completely (and easily!) rectified. Almost all of the wrapping paper sold in stores cannot be recycled. The same goes for all the ribbons, bows and name tags that are the precursor of excitement before the actual ripping frenzy begins. Switching to reusable and recyclable wrapping options will do wonders in cutting down your waste output this Christmas. And if you use items that you already have around the house, you can save all the money dumped on holiday-themed wrapping paper and put it towards the gifts instead (or maybe towards a local, pastured ham for the dinner table!).


Gift Tags

Yogi Tea is a national brand that can be found in most grocery stores, as well as lining my pantry shelves as I have been drinking this tea for years. However, it wasn't until I read I'm Dreaming of a Green Christmas, by Anna Getty, that I realised the inside of the boxes have the coolest lotus designs that can be used as name tags. (Yogi Tea has a recipe for everything health-wise but apparently not for observational acuity.) The beautiful design not only adds a unique finishing touch to your wrapped presents but it is also 100% recycable- and that's something we all can observe.


Bows

Making your own bows from colorful sales ads is so incredibly simple (and frugal!).

                                          Start by cutting the ad into long strips 1-inch wide.

Lay the strips down like an asterisk on the wrapped present, taping down the center of the strips as you go. Depending on how full you want the bow, add as many or as few strips as you want. Make sure to leave 2 - 3 extra strips to finish the bow at the end of the process.

Taking both ends of the same strip, loop towards the middle and tape down in the center. Continue to do this with all the remaining strips.

Use the extra strips to fill in the middle by making loops and taping down both ends. Now you have a nice big, fun bow that took 3 minutes to make and cost nothing. Oh, it's recycable, too!


Alternative Wrapping Paper

Kraft paper makes excellent recycable wrapping paper for any occasion. Use stamps or markers to make it more festive. I found a box of Christmas stamps on Bookoo for $5 that will be put to good use.

Using old music sheets from the thrift store is a sure way to add some unexpected whimsy under your tree (bonus if you can find holiday music!). The large book of classic music that I found cost ninty-nine cents and will cover its share of gifts. Old encyclopedias also would make a fun wrap. The ribbon is from that big Costco roll mentioned here, and with using just a simple Christmas stamp, this thrift store find can turn into an elegant present without the cost of traditional wrappings.

The comics have long been used for wrapping paper but sometimes you can find colorful, fun articles like in the photo above as well. Know someone who loves cross-word puzzles? Use that section to wrap their gift! I usually get my news online to cut down on paper waste but with this one newspaper I bought, it provided this craft and a treasure trove of wrapping paper and bow options.


Reusable Wrap

Recycling, though much preferable to trash, still has its own environmental impact. That's why it is a good idea to play around with reusable wrapping options, too. Above is a Chicco reusable shopping bag. Use the handles to tie a bow on top and then fold and pin any excess underneath. Not only is this a great way to wrap those awkwardly-shaped presents but hopefully it will inspire the receiver to use less plastic bags on their future shopping trips!

If you are handy with a needle or thread, a quick Google search will yield a ton of fabric gift bags that you can make yourself. If you have been following this blog for any length of time then you know that I most certainly am not handy with anything resembling a needle but this is where supporting small business can really help out. Etsy is a great place to shop for eco-friendly gift wrap. One of my personal Etzy favorites is a shop called Sue Made It that you can check out here. Neither this blog or myself is receiving any monetary benefit from this promotion- I just think this lady is super talented and I love her stuff!

Sue makes all kinds of handmade treasures, and in the case of her bags, from upcycled materials. The bags that she creates are one-of-a-kind finds that are just as much the gift as what they are housing inside.

From Sue Made It: Poinsetta Gift Bag. At $6 this is a very affordable reusable option.

From Sue Made It: Wide bottom bag for the extra-wide gifts.

From Sue Made It: Perfect for all those pre-teens and teens in your life who only want gift cards. (If you have the option of a gift certificate- go with the paper and cut down on the plastic!)

Sue also provides customization services as well. If you have something in mind and don't see it on her site, she is more than happy to work with you. Below is the jewerly that she created for me after I handed her two small pieces of beach glass and asked for earrings.

I adore these earrings not only because they are beautiful but because they are made with mementos from our family vacation this year. So whether it is eco-friendly bags or a custom treasure, you are in goods hands with Sue!

Holidays are about friends, family and good food- and presents, too (I mean, who are we kidding, right!). However, all that joy and warmth doesn't have to be synonymous with trashing our planet.  So when Christmas morning comes around, hopefully you'll have a blue recycle bin by the tree instead of that big black garbage bag... and the peace and good-will of the day can carry over into a brighter and healthy world tomorrow.

This series has been a blast for me as I love learning and doing new things. It has been eight fun and wonderful months since I started this blog and I want to thank everyone who has been on this journey with me. I will be taking the next few weeks off to spend with my family and to refresh and renew for a new year of healthy, safe and budget-friendly posts.

Wishing everyone a safe and very happy holiday season!!

How to Save Money at Whole Foods

 "A trillion dollars for baked beans? I didn't know they had a Whole Foods in Zimbabwe!" - Lewis Black in the Back in Black segment on The Daily Show

Whole Foods is the last place people with limited funds would choose to shop. I'm sure we have all heard of the moniker "Whole Paycheck" when it comes time to checkout from their stores. No matter how we slice it the total will be more than places like Aldi, Walmart and Food 4 Less (check out why cheap food actually costs you more here) but there are some strategies to make it more affordable.

In addition to a wide variety of organic and non-GMO goods they also have some of the highest standards in the grocery industry. They do not allow hydrogenated fats or artificial colors, flavors, preservatives and sweeteners in any products sold in their stores. That right there pretty much wipes out most of the foods causing our obesity epidemic. And the real winner for me: come 2018 all items sold in Whole Foods' U.S. and Canadian stores must have labeling if it contains genetically modified ingredients. This is a huge step for food transparency that is sadly lacking in our country. I could go on with their green business standards and their local community & global efforts but I will stop shooting you with rainbows and unicorns from dark orifices now and get to the good stuff: How to actually save money at Whole Foods.

1. Buy Whole Foods' 365 brand organic products. It is the house brand so it will be cheaper than             name brand organics.

2.  Pick up a copy of The Whole Deal that comes out every other month. It is full of tips for using and preserving in-season produce as well as coupons and recipes for budget meals.

3.  Utilize coupons to their fullest. The Whole Deal is also on wholefoodsmarket.com and the coupons can be printed out multiple times for each shopping trip. When there is a coupon for Kit's Organic Bars I will buy the 12 pack case and print out twelve coupons. Depending on the coupon you can get a $15 case for under $4 in addition to using tip #11.

4.  Whole Foods' website also has their weekly sales flyer posted.  Planning meals around what is  in-season and on sale really helps stretch meal dollars.

5.  National and even some local organic brands have their coupons on their own websites. You can use manufacturers coupons in conjunction with Whole Foods coupons. 

6.  Take advantage of daily specials: Mondays- $2 off in-house sliced turkey. Tuesdays- half chickens are $4.99. Wednesdays- large take and bake pizzas are $10. Thursdays- $5 panini. Fridays- different sushi specials. (These specials are specific to my local store. Specials may vary by location.)

7.  Purchase from the bulk bins. This allows you to buy just as much or as little as you need. Great for trying something new and not wanting to be stuck with two pounds of something you will never eat again. It also considerably lessens the amount of manufacturing waste. You can get organic rolled oats for as little as $1.69 a pound.

8.  Check unit prices on the price label. This is usually broken down to cost per ounce. Sometimes the bulk bins are not the best deal, especially with the organic nuts- the packaged nuts are actually cheaper in some cases. The larger package items can also fool you like the chocolate chips price label in the photo above. Most of us assume that the larger the packaging the better the deal but this is not always true with the 356 brand. Always check the unit price!

9.  Buy your ingredients at Whole Foods- not the prepared packaged items. One quart of organic pastured-raised heavy cream costs $7 but will yield half a pound of butter, 8 oz of buttermilk, 10 oz of sour cream with 3/4 cup of left over cream to use for coffee or as whipped cream. No butter churning necessary- these items are ridiculously easy to make and are upcoming in a future post.

10.  Use your own shopping bags. Whole Foods reimburses 10 cents for every bag you bring. This in and of itself is not a huge money saver but it is huge for the environment. Bring in three bags every week and that adds up to $15 at the end of the year. This money can also be donated to one of their causes either going back into your community or helping better the lives of impoverished women all around the world.   

11.  Buy in case amounts for a 10% discount.  For Whole Foods, a case equals twelve items. In my family we do this with the shelf stable almond milk, baby food and the Organic Kit Bars (when they have a coupon for the bars) since we go through those items quite often.

12.  This goes without saying but I'm sayin' it anyway: eat less meat! Humanely-raised and pasture fed meat goes for a premium but it is affordable when you are only eating it three times a week or less. Not having meat as your main course but using it as a garnish to the meal also will help bring costs down. As citizens of this planet, we owe it to ourselves and future generations to educate ourselves on the devastating effect that conventional-raised meat is having on this world (A good place to start is with the documentary Food Inc.). Cut down on meat, cut the detrimental harm to our planet and cut grocery bills. Win-win-win. 

13.  Buy frozen organic veggies, especially when they are out of season. This is a great economic way to get your organic produce.

14.  Slice, dice and shred at home. Buying whole heads of romaine and cabbage, and blocks of cheese, is cheaper than having the store or manufacturer do it for you. Intimidated by a head of cabbage?  Watch a two minute YouTube video and you'll be wondering what you were stressing out about.

15.  Don't buy toiletries, super foods in packages, tea or vitamins from Whole Foods. It is much cheaper to buy these items from online retailer like Swanson's Vitamins and Vitacost.

You have to shop smart to shop savvy. Hopefully this will get you in the door if you are new to Whole Foods and thought it impossible to shop there. If you are a seasoned shopper and have some tips of your own, please share below!

Linked with Frugal by Choice, Cheap by Necessity on the Homemade Monday series. This article was their featured post of the week. You can check it here.

Finding Ways to Afford Organic Food

Yesterday, I asked you to change your perception on the amount of money spent on your food. Today, I am going to challenge your perception again, however, not with food dollars but with pretty much anything else you buy.

If there is one connection that is continuous throughout this lifestyle, it's that whatever is healthiest for the planet turns out being the healthiest for humans, too. By reducing and reusing, not only can we keep items out of our increasing toxic landfills but we can also subvert any monies saved towards organic groceries. How can this be done? Thrift shopping.

Places like Good Will, Savers and other small consignment shops have the connotation of being dirty/low-rent and, quite frankly, not the status builder. When I first started shopping at these places, I was horrified that someone I knew might see me. Then I started experiencing, first hand, the type of deals that I could get and then I couldn't shut up about it... to anyone who would listen.

In addition to the original tags still being on clothes, you can find a huge assortment of brand names: Aeropostale, Gap, Baby Gap, White House Black Market, Ann Taylor, Ann Taylor Loft, Children's Place, Brand Jordan, Nike, Hannah Anderson, Adidas, Calvin Klein, Hollister, and a ton more. Obviously not all of the clothes will have the store tags still on them (as in the photo above) but you would be amazed at the great condition of some of the clothes at these stores. By buying a majority of my family's clothes used we save quite a bit of money. The kids and I get to look stylish for a fraction of the cost and if it wasn't for my big mouth no one would know the clothes were second-hand.

The savings don't just stop at clothes. Pampered Chef's stoneware is one of the safest materials to bake and cook in but it is also extremely expensive. The deep baker in the photo above goes for $88 on Pampered Chef online and that doesn't even include the shipping. I bought it for 15 bucks at Savers. Thanks to Savers, I have an entire cabinet of stoneware that is worth around $300 but I only paid $68 for all of it.

Most likely when you buy a new outfit or kitchenware you are washing it before use. It is no different when you buy it second-hand. Just because you buy something in a store new doesn't mean that it was never tried on by other people first, or that an item on the shelf hasn't been handled by half a dozen people before it ends up in your home. Buying items second-hand, however, does keep trash out of the landfills and reduces the waste and environmental damage from the manufacturing of new consumables. Not to mention all the money saved that can go towards your organic foods.

Outside of consignment shops there is also Craigslist and Bookoo that operate as online single-item garage sales. You can find gently used furniture, clothes, toys, bikes, home decor- you name it.

With the exception of the area rug, photos and throw pillows everything in my living room was bought off of Craigslist, Bookoo and Savers. I'll take trashy and turn it into classy any day.

There is room in most peoples' budgets to afford organic food. It just might take thinking a little differently about where your money is spent. Are you up for the challenge?