Spring Cleaning

The Great Makeup Clear Out

Published on June 16, 2015 by Demetra MarieLeave a comment

First, this post was supposed to go live yesterday. However, I was having trouble inserting the pictures and it was game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final. All I can say on that is Go Hawks! I love being from Chicago and am so proud of the city and athletic teams that represent our great city. With that being said onto cleaning out my make up drawer.

I have finally taken on the task of cleaning out my makeup collection. Over the course of the last couple of months I have picked up a few more items and with the goal of keeping my collection in one drawer. It sounds like the impossible but I am determined to keep it contained.

My main goal was to get rid of anything that is old and expired or give away anything that hasn’t been/slightly used to friends. I’m going to be telling you about my process. If you want more of a breakdown of when you should or how you know if your makeup products are expired, let me know. I’ll gladly share all the information for you.

A few things I kept in mind when I cleared out my drawer:

1. How old is it?

2. Does it smell funny? (has the scent changed from the original)

3. Do I use it still? I’m a creature of habit and if I love something and I use it all the time then I will use it otherwise it just sits there.

4. Not necessarily a question that I asked myself but something that I keep in mind day to day. Is it still good, but almost empty? I’m trying to do a no buy month and while I haven’t been really successful at it, I have only purchased a few things that I need any ways and want to try new products out at the same time.

After two hours my collection is cleaned out and full of things I know I will use! I feel like a weight has been lifted off of my shoulders and I don’t feel guilty for not using certain makeup items. At this point I still can’t get my pictures to upload into the post. Go to my twitter to see the before and after photos. Have a great week and Go Hawks!!

Cleaning Out the Closet

Published on May 20, 2015 by Demetra MarieLeave a comment

As I tackled cleaning out my closet, I had a little bit of a problem. I realized that about 8 months ago I had gone through my closet, and I was brutal. So I knew going into this I wasn’t going to have another 3 bags of clothes to give away. I ended up with about a garbage bag full of clothes plus the very filled bag of shoes that I will be giving away on Thursday. I will be taking you through my process I went through when going through my clothes.

1. I pulled out only a section at a time so I wouldn’t get overwhelmed.

2. I tried on each individual piece that I own with the exception of a few items that I have just wore in the last 2 weeks.

I then asked myself, a few questions as I looked at myself in the mirror.

1. Does it fit?

2. Do I think I look good in it?

3. Is it in good condition or has it seen better days?

The last few thoughts I have before making my decision and it’s an important one ladies…..

4. Do I like this piece of clothing?

5. Have I worn this item in the last year?

6. Will I wear this in the next year?

I have to be this brutal because I tend to “hoard” my clothes. I’ll hold onto things from college and high school. Now, I do have some things from way back then, but I do actually wear them.

That is all ladies! There will be only a couple more posts in the Spring Cleaning Series. What would you like to see as the next series? What will you like to see me talk about next? I welcome any suggestions. Have a great rest of the week!

Kick Off Your Shoes

Published on May 18, 2015 by Demetra MarieLeave a comment

Hey ladies! I apologize for my absence. Life got a little crazy and things got put on hold. Today we are talking about shoes! What gal doesn’t love shoes?! Growing up I was strictly a gym shoes girl. Towards the end of high school and all through college, I was all about comfort and heels. Complete opposites I know. Now, living in the adult world, where I’m working, trying to stay healthy and active, and appreciate an afternoon nap every once in awhile, I need to re-evaluate the shoes that I have. I’ll take you through my thought process and what I did as I decided what shoes I will keep and the what I’ll kick to the curb (sorry couldn’t help myself).

1. Do I like them?

2. Are they practical for my current day-to-day life?

3. Will I actually wear them in the next year?

4. Do they fit? (actually fit and walk in them and won’t cause too many blisters)

5. Are they in good condition?

Those were the questions that I repeatedly asked myself as I went through my collection. My goal was to get almost all of my shoes onto the white or boot rack. There are a few that won’t fit which will be stored on the floor of my closet, which is completely fine by me. As I’ve said in previous posts, I’ve lost a lot of storage space. I was extremely brutal when it came to my shoes. I actually got rid of 2 pairs that I would like to keep, but know that I probably won’t be wearing them any time soon.

I kept the shoes that I wear all the time or that I know I will be wearing in the coming months. Another good reason why I chose to go through my shoes at this point in the Spring Cleaning Series is that I did purchase a few new pairs of shoes and didn’t have anywhere to put them. I hope that enjoyed taking a look through my shoes. Do you need to go through your shoes? DO IT! Now is the time! After you do share your pictures! What would you like to see me clean out next? Let me know!

Clearing Your Mind

Published on May 11, 2015May 11, 2015 by Demetra MarieLeave a comment

As I was sitting here trying to decide what to sort through next, I became a little overwhelmed. Do I go through all of my clothes (for the third time in a year and a half)? Do I sort through my make up? Shoes? I just couldn’t decide. I then thought of clearing out my mind. I’ve been so busy lately running from one thing to the next, that it took my friend to call me up and say let’s go for a walk on the path near my house. That is where I came up with the idea for today’s post. Clearing out your mind and living in the moment.

We all are busy and some days there is just no way around that. Especially with today’s technology, almost everyone has a smartphone that receives new e-mails, voice-mails, and social media. We are constantly connect to each other and the world. What happens when you turn your phone off and just let your mind wonder for an hour. So on my walk yesterday, going a little against what I just said ‘turn off your phone’, I turned the sound off and turned my gps on (I’m keeping track of miles), and just focused on what I was doing. I was connecting with my friend. That is the time that you can’t take back. Enjoying the moment and being in the moment. I wasn’t worrying about missing calls or e-mails. I wasn’t worried about the fact that I wasted a half hour of my time a few hours prior. My friend told me everything that was new going on with her, how her wedding planning is going, and just random girl talk. I was also aware of the random little things that I saw along this path that we were on. The smashed can, the names on each of the benches that were dedicated to loved ones that have passed, the cute little park, the birds and ducks, the stairs, the ponds, and even the giant white plastic bag/container that looked like the resident stork.

While the story of my walk may be a little lackluster, it was a great reminder to stop and smell the roses. Be in the moment. Carpe Diem. My challenge to you is to unplug for 10-15 at some point in your day. No television, phones, music, just silence. Journal, go for a walk, meditate or read a book. If that isn’t your cup of tea, get together with a friend, grab a meal or a drink, leave your phone in the car. If you must have your phone on you, put it on silent, have some willpower and DON’T check it til you are ready to leave. Another important note as I mention not checking your phone while you are having your unplug time; DON’T check your phone while driving.

Hope you have a wonderful week!

Hair Product Purge

Published on May 6, 2015 by Demetra MarieLeave a comment

Today we’re talking about hair. Now ladies, we all want those long luscious locks. I don’t have any secrets to get your hair long and healthy but I do have rather long hair. However while the long locks look great it is a bit much to keep up with. I like to keep my hair routine pretty simple and while I’ve accumulated some products over the past few years. Frankly I don’t need everything that I have, so time to purge! About 2 years ago I had done my first clear out of hair products ever. So this is pretty much what I kept from then with a couple of additions.

A few things to keep in mind when going through your hair products. This includes your shampoos and conditioners. I just have a couple of “backups” with these items so you will only see those and not what I’m using in the shower (they are the same thing).

Before:

The following are a few things I kept in mind:

Is it old/expired? (yes your hair products can expire)
Do I even like the product?
Does it work? (believe me I’ve held onto items thinking I can get them to work)
Do I find it useful still?

After:

As you can see it seems like I didn’t get rid of much. I mainly got rid of the items that don’t work for me at all or have expired. Like I said in a previous post, this Spring Cleaning Series was spurred by me moving rooms in my house. Another important fact is that my style is slowly changing. I’m finding that an easy, simple hair routine is what works for me, and I don’t need styling products taking up cabinet space.

If you want a review of any of the products that I’m keeping or tossing even let me know!