BEDKNOBS & BAUBLES

The Weekend Guide

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The Weekend Guide 01.08.16

DIY
If you have any special occasions coming up this year, add this DIY to your Pinterest planning board. Flower petals suspended in ice make for a gorgeous wine bucket.

CURB
There’s a good chance we’re all trying to cut back on spending in 2016. Take a look at this guide for 40 simple ways to save.

MAKE
Sweet potato tahini crostini looks like the afternoon snack while you’re cooped up inside. Let it snow!

ADMIRE
Brands are starting to recognize the shopping power of Muslim women. Take a look at the gorgeous collection of hijabs and abayas from Dolce & Gabbana.

ORGANIZE
Who has resolved to tackle her closet this month?
:: raises hand ::
Join me with this guide to making the process more enjoyable and productive.

LEARN
Expand your vocabulary with 35 new words.

EARLIER THIS WEEK
Enter to win a Hole in Wall subscription box filled with products from Seattle!
Sharing my 2016 resolutions.
The spring items I’m coveting this week.
Save 70% on gorgeous layering jewelry at Gorjana.

FIVE UNDER $55

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additional images via 1, 2

Save 70% at Gorjana

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Gorjana, your go-to destination for the perfect layer pieces, is offering 70% off a huge selection of gorgeous gems. Use code HANGOVER70 to save on the selection featured here. I’ve had my eye on this lariat necklace for awhile now, but never took the full-price plunge. ($75 always seemed too excessive for what it was.) For $22.50, though, I was sold.

The sale ends Jan. 10.

From left to right: Ryder Lariat, Bali Lariat, Shera Pendant, Marmont Pendant, Alma Necklace, Cersi Lariat, Ojai Pendant

Giveaway! Hole in Wall Subscription Box

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I came across the German word “fernweh” today. While there isn’t a perfect English translation, it basically means a burning desire to visit locations you’ve never experienced before. And that’s exactly how I felt when I cracked the seal of the latest subscription box to capture my fancy: Hole in Wall.

Hole in Wall is a bi-monthly subscription box that features unique, local items from the box’s featured city. These items can range from snacks and condiments to candles and soaps, but they all have one thing in common. They’re from local small businesses. In essence, you feel like you went to the farmers’ market and had inside knowledge of the best booths to visit.

The December box featured San Diego, a city I instantly yearned to visit, thanks to the selection of food items and the candle that bears the city’s name. The scents of surf, sand, and jasmine were just the thing to make me feel like I traveled across the country without having to leave my apartment.

For your own brush with fernweh, scroll down to see what was tucked inside my box and then enter to win the upcoming February box that will make you want to book a flight to Seattle! Good luck!

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Hole In Wall is transparent about the cost of the items inside. You’ll find product descriptions and prices enclosed. Here’s what was included in the San Diego box:

Total value: $43.75
Price: one box = $35; three boxes = $32.50 each; six boxes = $30 each

Even with $7 shipping per box, you’re getting your money’s worth — along with the smug knowledge that you scored some of the city’s best under-the-radar finds.

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Enter to win the February box featuring Seattle!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway is open to U.S. residents. Good luck!

2016 Resolutions

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Happy 2016! Honestly, I’d be lying if I said I was excited to get back to my weekly routine on the first Monday of the year, but I am happy to have the holiday hoopla behind me! After a month of travel — and a flat tire on Saturday — I’m ready for a few weeks at home. And, it’s a good thing we don’t have plans this month. I’m going to need the extra time to get started on my new year’s resolutions:

CLEAN, ORGANIZE, PURGE

Dave and I have lived together for almost five years and we’ve accumulated quite a few things in our small apartment. Now that we’re becoming more serious about our house hunt, I’d like to spend the next few months going through our place and getting rid of the items we don’t love. I don’t want to move things into a new home if we’ll never use them again. I’m planning to go through my wardrobe in January and donate or sell unused items in February. After that, I will be going through the boxes I moved from my old apartment and never opened since. It’s a daunting project, so I’m heading down memory lane one box per weekend until the project is done, which should be completed by March.

FEWER, BETTER THINGS

This really goes hand-in-hand with the previous resolution. I’m growing tired of clutter. To be fair, it’s partly because we have a small apartment, but it’s also because I haven’t been as thoughtful about new purchases as I could be. In terms of clothing, I’m planning to cut back on the number of purchases during the year. Last year’s Pinterest board for new wardrobe additions shows that I added over 100 items in 2015. As much as I love clothing and accessories, that’s a bit much. (You can view my 2016 additions here.) This should be a fairly easy task to accomplish. I’m sticking to a stricter budget this year with $750 per season earmarked for clothing and accessories. This isn’t to say that I’m solely focusing on wardrobe classics again. I have enough of those. I simply want every sartorial purchase I make in 2016 to be very much “me.” For non-wardrobe items, I want to spend time looking for the “right” item and not throw money at something that will work for the time being.

TRAVEL SOMEPLACE NEW

My broken foot last year led us to reconsider some of our travel dreams. I wasn’t sure exactly when I’d be healed and how far I’d feel comfortable walking, so we revisited a few of our favorite U.S. cities. This year, we’d like to expand our horizons and travel to new destinations. We’re talking about visiting Copenhagen in the spring and taking a fall road trip to New England. I’ve always wanted to go to Maine and eat my weight in lobster rolls.

LOSE WEIGHT

…and speaking of weight, I need to shed a few pounds this year. My ambitious goal is to lose 20 pounds. I was on my way last year until my foot broke and I fell out of my exercise routine. Oh well, it’s a new year and a new chance to get myself in better shape! After college, I lost 70 pounds and have since gained back 35 of them. It’s incredibly hard, but I need to prioritize my health as I get older. Besides, my sluggish metabolism needs a kick in the arse with Jillian Michaels! I’d like to give myself little reward at each five-pound benchmark. Any ideas? (That said, I’m focusing more on total wellness than the scale itself with clean eating and exercise three times a week.)

JUST FOR FUN

Try two new recipes each month.

Keep champagne chilled for even the smallest special occasion.

Search for the perfect bar cart.

Wear bold patterns and embrace color.

Buy a new mattress.

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images via 1, 2, 3, 4