Nordstrom Sale Budget Hacks 2017

Hey babes,

At this point I'm pretty sure that even if you do live under a rock you know that the Nordstrom sale is going on. If for some reason you don't know that its the NS sale or what it is, it’s basically a magical time of year when the brands at Nordstrom drop down their hefty price tags on some pieces from their fall collections for a few weeks. They do this so we can snag them an amazing price before they go right back up to full asking price. This year the sale was opened to the public last week and ends August 6th. Side note- if you're a NS card holder you could shop the sale earlier then everyone else.

Now this sales sounds and is amazing so whats the problem? Even with the price drops not all of us have an endless budget for our fall/winter clothes, so I'm sharing with you a few NS budget hacks to get you through the sale without hurting your bank account. 

-Nordstrom Sale Budget Hacks-

Stay basic - this is the perfect time to stock up on basic items like tees, tanks even leggings that are great quality for a low price tag. 

Go neutral-  what I mean by this is grab neutral colored clothes that you can match with pieces you already have. I like to stick with whites, blushes, hues of gray and navy or maybe some olive green. I have so many items in my closet that will match well with those colors already this way I can just grab a couple of items from the sale and still feel like I'm refreshing my wardrobe. 

Filter it- we all use this feature from time to time the filter button! If you don't want to spend more than $100 on the sale filter your selection to $25 and under this way only items within your budget pop up and you don't get tempted by items out of your budget range. You can also get more specific and in for tops under $25 if that's all your trying to look for so you don't get of track and start buying up beauty items.

Shop it online- I love online shopping because you can tally it up in your cart. You can add in everything, but then remove the items that are blowing your budget. I find this to be a great way for me to stay on track and on budget. 

When all else fails, Go denim- if you're really tight and you just want to grab one thing from the sale go for the denim. They have amazing denim jean brands on sale for crazy good prices. You can snag an awesome pair for 50% off or more. In my opinion it's probably one of the best deals they have going on during the sale. 

Now the sales not only for clothing. Every category has markdowns so shoes, accessories, home goods, beauty etc. By the way, you can apply my hacks to each shopping category-exert for that last one- so get shopping and have fun! Share with me down below what you snagged at the Nordstrom sale. 

Want to see all my NS finds? Head over to my Instagram @FashionStyleFoodie and check out my insta-story!-Everything I snagged was under $100 except for that Sam Edelman Parka that was $109. 

Natural Deodorant that actually works!

Natural Deodorant that actually works!

Hey babes,

I know I posted a couple of weeks ago about a new deodorant I've been using. It's 100% natural and has no harmful chemicals oh and it actually works that's the best part!

Many of you may know that curtain hygiene items are harmful for you. This includes many mainstream deodorants! More often than not deodorants contain products like aluminum which can lead to breast cancer. When I found this out it blew my mind. Why would they put harmful chemicals into an everyday hygiene product? Ever since I found that out I've been searching high and low for a natural deodorant that doesn't leave me feeling too much like a free spirited hippie -you catch my drift-

My first stop was Toms. It's a logical option for a beginner, especially because you can find it at your local target, but it was so wet and after a while the stick had a funky smell not to mention I did too after a day at the office. Yes I said office, no strenuous work required, so imagine after a workout sesh  #terrifying. I wasn't about to be known as the smelly girl around the office, so I went back to the drawing board and found a different option from Lush.

Now I love Lush, but I think, no I know I tried EVERY single deodorant they offer. One left my pits black-FYI-ppl get lighting done to lighten their pits and I'm sitting here making this shit darker WTH is that all about? Another one irritated my underarms and none of them lasted all day. Not to mention none of their deodorants are very travel friendly. I bid farewell to that ship and searched on.

I then came across one that Kourtney Kardashian vouch for an all-natural deodorant called LAVANILA “The Healthy Deodorant”. I checked it out on Sephora.com and it seemed legit. It was in stick form too which was a nice bonus. The reviews looked good and if it's good enough for a Kardashian it's good enough for the public right? WRONG, I used this stuff for a while, but it just didn't last all day like I was hoping for.

At this point I thought I'd never find the right natural deodorant for me and I would be forced to go back to my aluminum filled cancer sticks or be forever known as the smelly girl -I'm a bit extra I know- Neither were an option.

Then while scrolling on Instagram I came across Holly's keeping it real deodorant. Frist I took a look at the ingredients and theirs only 4 -Organic coconut oil, arrowroot powder, baking soda, essential oil (based on scent you choose)- Then I looked at the reviews - which are beyond phenomenal btw- I even did my social media deep dive to see what other people outside of her page thought of the product. People love this stuff, but what really sold me- besides the awesome ingredients- was when an Instagramer I follow did a week long challenge using this stuff throughout her workouts and daily life activities, (sorry I don't remember who it was). I immediately ordered it- I mean what did I have to lose? 

So here is the logistics about this awesome deodorant. First off it comes in 3 scents lavender, Grapefruit, and Sweet Orange. I’ve only tried the lavender and to me it smells great. It comes in a glass container-I know what you’re thinking- but it's small and its pretty travel friendly, not to mention it lasts all day, so I don't need to take it with me. Secondly it's in a paste form. Now don't be scared away, you can apply it with your finger tips or a cloth either way works perfectly fine. Lastly since it's in a paste form, the consistency changes from solid to liquid (similar to coconut oil) depending on the temperature of your place. Mine became pretty liquidy one day so I just popped it in the fridge before I went out the door and it was perfect when I came home.

I have to say this deodorant is literally the best natural deodorant I've tried thus far and as you can tell I've tried a lot. The smell is awesome and the ingredients are amazing because they're 100% all natural! 

Say bye bye to your synthetic filled deodorant and hello to an awesome natural option! 

Disclaimer: I was not gifted this product or asked to say anything about it. Like always I purchased this product 100% on my own and these are my honest and genuine opinions!

Golden Milk Energy Balls

Hey babes,

As you all know I've been going strong on this food lifestyle change I made at the beginning of the new year. With my new clean eating I've been trying tons of new foods and beverages some I like some I don't, BUT golden milk is prob one thing that I really love. Especially because the Gaia herb golden milk mixture makes it so convenient (no this isn't sponsored I just really love this stuff). I love it so much that I knew their had to be other ways I could use I like a truffle of some sorts. Now for those of you that don't know I used to own a cake truffle company so I pretty much want to turn anything I find delicious into a cake truffle that's where I came up with the idea of golden milk energy balls. I did my homework and apparently I wasn't the first to think of this idea Arman from the blog "The Big Mans World" came up with an awesome recipe and I just modified it to use Gaia herb golden milk mixture and to make it raw too. (Gaia Herb Golden Milk can be found here)

 A lot of people asked me on my Instagram post (@fashionstylefoodie , yes that was a shameless plug go follow me!), if these golden milk balls actually do give you "energy". Not in the artificial energy sense. Meaning that they're not going to hype you up like an energy drink, but in the natural sense it does give you energy. They keep you full and focused when you need to be. I find that 1 or 2 will do it, but their so yummy I find myself going for a third.

If you want to know all the amazing benefits of golden milk you can check out that post here.

Add in wet ingredients

Mix dough with your hands

Roll dough into mini cake balls

Add in toppings

Toss in toppings

Cake Ball perfection :-)

Now for the precise recipe aka my take on golden milk energy balls

Ingredients
* 1 3/4 cups gluten-free oat flour
* 1/4 cup coconut flour (can sub for almond or extra oat flour)
* 2 T granulated sweetener of choice (I used organic coconut sugar)
* 1 Tbls of Gaia herb golden milk mixture
* 1/4 cup refined coconut oil
* 1 tsp pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
* 1/4 cup cashew butter (can substituted for any nut butter)
* 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
* 1 Tbls milk - your choice, I used cashew.
* Extra coconut sugar and golden milk mixture, to roll bites in

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sweetener, golden milk mixture and mix well.
2. In another bowl mix your vanilla extract. Pour your wet mixture and coconut oil to the dry mixture and mix well. Depending on consistency, either add dairy free milk of choice or extra flour until a firm texture is formed.
3. Using your hands, form into small bite sized balls. Roll balls in optional granulated sweetener/golden milk mixture and place on a baking tray or plate. Refrigerate for at least 10 minutes to firm up.