[Minimalist] Outfit No. 1

I forgot to mention in this video, but I was inspired by Christine Nguyen on YouTube, who does these "Uniform" videos. She talks about her whole outfit and mentions an item that is her repeat piece. That's pretty much what I'll be doing in my Outfit series, except I decided not to call it Uniform.

More Outfit video to come ;)

Live Simply,

Char

Traveling Light: 4 Days In San Francisco

Changes In Outfits!

After talking to my cousin & his fiance about proper attire, the weather and seeing what some of my favorite bloggers from SF are wearing these days, I thought I would make a couple changes. I was going to bring sandals, but quickly scratched that off my mental list because I don't think it will be comfortable walking in them for hours. My Nikes are my coziest shoes, so I'm sticking to it!

Here are the changes:

•  The weather over the weekend will be between mid 70's - 80's so wearing a thin, long sleeve might be a little bothersome for me. I replaced it with this lightweight flowy top. When it gets cold in the evening, I will have my leather jacket to keep me warm :) This tee is going to be apart of Outfit #3: here

• As much as I love this maxi cardigan from UO, I think it may be a bit bulky. I decided to replace it with my new Brandy Melville cardigan which I will wear with Outfits #2 & #4: here and here

I've also decided to add in a pair of linen shorts to the mix. I don't know which outfit I will incorporate it with, I think I'm just going to wing it until I get there and actually feel the air.

Tomorrow, I will have a new video up on my channel about my carry-on luggage :)

Live Simply,

Char

Traveling Light: Makeup

So, my makeup routine has changed quite a bit. Most of my products now are cruelty-free/vegan, some aren't. Eventually, it will all be cruelty-free once I've finished up those other products. Two things that I've omitted this summer are blush and eyeshadow.

This probably doesn't feel "light" to some people, but these are the products that I find essential to complete my minimal makeup look :) It's certainly less than what I had a year ago!

And there you have it! 

I bought a set of 3 Pack-It cubes from Eagle Creek and thankfully, the quarter cube fits all my makeup perfectly! I originally was going to bring my folding cosmetic case, but found it was a bit bulky. I use the other two bigger pack it cubes for my clothes and they're SO awesome!

Tomorrow, I will be sharing my outfits for the trip. 

Live Simply,

Char

Traveling Light: Skincare Pots!

So exactly a week from now, I'll be in San Francisco visiting my cousin and his fiance and I'm totally excited! This will be my second time traveling since I've started my journey through Minimalism and I gotta say, packing is fun now! Mainly because I realize what I really need to bring and traveling light is way better, for sure.

I was thinking of filming a series for my channel, but editing videos can take up SO much time, so I think I'll opt for blogging the details/process on here. I do plan on filming a video on the overall carry-on luggage and backpack that I'll be bringing along with me, so hopefully I can get that out on time! Ahh *crosses fingers*

Anyway, first thing I've tackled are my skincare products. In the past, I've tried finding suitable containers that abide by the TSA requirements (3 oz or less) and I think I've found my favorite one thus far: PAINT POTS. Yes! I found this at Michael's Arts & Crafts before my last trip to NYC and I knew it would be perfect! It's perfect because it was a good size for my week long trip and it doesn't take up a lot of space! Huge plus!

For my SF trip, I'll be there for 4 days and 3 nights, and thankfully the paint pots came in a pack of...24 or so? And it was less than $5 :)

So, here's a step by step that I've put together:

NOTE: I cleaned/sanitized the pots beforehand and made sure I used a clean butter knife :)

I hope you guys found this helpful! Next up, I'll be sharing what makeup I'll be bringing along with me. 

Live Simply,

Char

Digital Thoughts

So, don't laugh at me but I just discovered Google Docs a few months ago. I've had my Macbook Pro since 2010, and I still don't have a proper program to type up documents! Ever since I found out about Google Docs, I've realized that when it comes to writing down ideas, I would much rather have it digital because it's faster and more organized. My hand tends to cramp up when I write things down for too long, which then hinders me from actually writing all my thoughts down completely. When I have a lot of ideas flowing, typing it down is a huge plus for me because well, I type way faster than I write, lol.

I do like to write things on paper, but only if it's in my planner, my 'Happy Moments 2015' notebook and is pertinent to both my Instagram accounts (i.e. favorite quotes and titles)

My only problem is that, I have a habit of buying pretty notebooks but never fill them up till the very end. Bad habits, I tell ya. So, I Char, from this day forward, will not purchase another notebook for awhile. I'm only wasting paper, and that's not good. The great thing about having most things digital is that it can free up the clutter in your space, and I'm all for it! :)

Live Simply,

Char