Category: Lifestyle

PiperWai for the Win

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What would you say if I told you there’s an all-natural, charcoal-based deodorant that keeps you smelling fresh all day? Sounds a little sketch, right?

Well, I tried it and would definitely recommend doing the same! My fellow blogger friend Julia from Sprinkles and Saturdays loves Piperwai too! After seeing PiperWai on SharkTank a few months back, I placed my first order immediately. They were on back order, so I waited patiently and eagerly for over a month. At first I was nervous to do anything that was even slightly active with just PiperWai on but after about a week of using it, I got used to not reaching for my antiperspirant “just in case”.

Now it’s been about 4 months since I started wearing PiperWai and I feel great knowing that I’m not using a product that contains aluminum and parabens, which could ultimately cause cancer. *The FDA hasn’t determined there to be risks associated with these, but I personally think it’s better to be safe than sorry.*

What’s to Love:

  • It smells great…clean & simple with a twinge of mint.
  • It lasts all day.
  • It works naturally by neutralizing odor without plugging up your sweat glands.
  • It comes in a charcoal color, but rubs on clear. How fun is that?!
  • I swear that after a couple weeks of using PiperWai, my body started to adapt to not having toxins from my regular deodorant block that natural thing we all do…sweat. Now, I can go a couple hours without any deodorant, without being completely grossed out by myself.
  • I’m a sucker for cool branding and I’d say they nailed it.

What’s Not to Love:

  • Since it comes in a jar, you have to apply with your fingers. Time to love your armpits more than you did before!
  • When it’s cold, the deodorant tends to ball up under your arms after you apply. I  can easily solve this by rubbing it in again or warming it up between my fingers first.
  • Piperwai doesn’t back up your sweat glands, so can end up getting a little wet (even though they say it keeps you completely dry) BUT you don’t smell and it dries quickly after you’re done breaking  a sweat.

Have you tried PiperWai yet? I’d love to hear what you think!

 

ClaudettesCorner

DIY Shabby Chic Furniture: How to make a dresser look distressed

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My grandma gave me this dresser when I moved into my first apartment in college. After two good years of use, I decided to update it when I moved to San Diego. I was really into the whole “shabby chic” thing at the time so my roommate and I wanted to try out the look and extend it throughout our apartment.

I unfortunately did not take a photo of this dresser beforehand, but it was a dark amber wood and looked very 70s. Tying it in with the shabby chic theme was relatively easy – just a white coat of primer and then a shade of gray on top.

Antiquing/Distressing

To get the antique look, paint a section and then use the brush backwards to pull out some of the white. So, instead of just painting left to right with the bristles pointing to the left, keep the bristles facing left and push the brush right to left. This gives the paint a distressed look.

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For more DIY projects, click here.

 

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June’s Dope Deals

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H&M

H&M has a TON of reasonably priced & cute sandals online. I got lucky and found these gems on sale for $7. Not only are they super summery, they’re surprisingly comfortable. They were practically begging me to buy them.

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Old Navy

It’s not the hippest place, but I love it. And their sales are amazing! I recently bought this whole outfit during their 40% off sale (minus shoes and jewelry) for under $50!

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Shorts – $14.99

Cardigan – $17.99

Tank – $14.99

TJ Maxx

Since we have one only a few minutes from work, I find myself here more often than not. Sometimes I go with something in mind. But again,more often than not I’m finding things I probably don’t need, but are too good of a deal to pass up. Here’s what I’ve scored over the past couple weeks.

Summer Dinner Place Settings

Since Matt and I are super mature (said mut-ooer to be fancy), we can now have a more stylish dinner party with these bright and cheery place settings.

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Place mats – $9.99

Napkins – $14.99

Comfy Basics

All women know it’s tough to find a pair of jeans that fits exactly right, so when you do, it’s an absolute necessity to buy them – even if you already have another eight pairs.

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Black tank – $9.99

Jeans – $24.99

Dress – $14.99

 

Where are your favorite places to shop for deals? Comment below – I’d love to hear!

 

ClaudettesCorner

 

 

 

 

DIY Summer Floral Wreath

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Using the same process as I did for my Fall Wreath, I went for warm pinks and oranges in this summer wreath.

Supplies Needed:

  • Styrofoam floral wreath
  • Faux flowers (look for sales at Michael’s to get up to 75% off)
    • You’ll need a good sized bouquet full
  • Wire cutters

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1. Cut your flower stem about 1/2 inch from the flower to you have enough to go into the Styrofoam.

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2. Arrange your flowers around the outside of the Styrofoam to get a sense for where you want everything. Begin by sticking the short stems into the foam. Place the flowers close together so the wreath looks full.

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3. Make sure the side and outside of the foam is covered. You may need to arrange the flowers slightly by sticking the stems in at a different angle.

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4. I chose to highlight a large orange flower by placing it at the top. You can choose ribbon, a bow or nothing, depending on your preference.

5. Hang it loud and proud for everyone to see!

*Check out my other DIY projects*

Cheers Claudette 2

Spiralizing 101 

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Let me be the first to admit I don’t like zucchini. I love yellow and summer squash, but for some reason I’m just not a fan of the more widely used family member. So when I heard about turning zucchini into pasta noodles I poo-poo’d the idea immediately.

Fast forward a year or so and spiralizing came up again and I learned you can also spiralize other vegetables.

I decided to give it a go.

I didn’t want to fully commit, so I went with the handheld SpiraLife but also bought a cookbook to get my creative juices flowing…plus I literally had no idea what to do with the noodles once I had them.

First recipe I tried? Zucchini noodles with bacon bits and cheese. The result was life changing.

LIFE. CHANGING.

I made 3 more noodle dishes before taking my spiralizing to the next level with this heavy duty hand crank. I have to say, if you want to try making veggie noodles…go big with the hand crank. It makes life so much easier. Plus, it’s quick and fun! I still can’t help but giggle when I pull the core out.

I’m still a beginner, but I’ve quickly learned that there are going to be a million ways to use my new spiralizer. But for now, here are 3 easy, delicious and healthy ways to spice up your veggie noodle dish.

  1. Pesto over cousa squash noodles, topped with mini heirloom tomatoes and parmesan cheese.
  2. Salt & pepper over potato and zucchini noodles. With so much juicy flavor you really don’t need sauce!
  3. Trader Joes Three Cheese red sauce and chicken over zucchini noodles. Originally tried this with parsnips. And boy, I do not like parsnips.

Can’t wait to try out the whole vegetable section at Ralph’s! Next up? Beets.

For more foodie favs, check out my favorite recipes.

 

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