I’ll let you in on a secret. I have a love and hate relationship with summer. So many fun things to do, but there’s also the humidity and the sun’s scorching heat. So, I make sure to choose my wardrobe for this season to make sure that I enjoy it. The thing is, this weather calls for fewer layering pieces and more skin, and there are days when it feels too hot and humid that I tend to sweat a lot. If you live in a desert climate like me, summer isn’t only May-September. We have temperatures well into the 90s from May-October and sometimes November.
It’s easy to keep comfortable and stylish throughout summer when you have a few styling tricks up your sleeves. For us, less is more, and can be for you too to beat the summer heat! So I’m sharing practical and helpful styling tips for creating fashionable yet comfortable outfits that never go out of style.
8 Summer Style Tips
Wearing loose-fitting clothes
Your summer bestie is loose-fitting clothing. It helps you stay cool as it allows good air circulation. Try loose shirts, flowy dresses, oversize tops, wide-leg pants, and skirts with light fabric. So get away from clingy sweaty clothes and always go with incredible airflow.
Choosing breathable fabrics
Choose breathable fabrics to fill your summer wardrobe. Soak up the fun under the sun while wearing the best clothes fit for humid weather. Here are some of the best summer fabrics:
Cotton is excellent for the heat with its lightweight and breathable fabric that leaves you staying cool.
Linen, another breathable fabric, is light, and I love that it is loosely woven because it allows heat to escape from your body easily and dries quickly.
Rayon blends well with cotton, and it’s very thin fibers make it lighter, preventing it from sticking to your body.
Opting for lighter colors
Beat the summer heat with light-colored clothing. Choose white and light colored outfits that quickly absorb the heat of the sun. Black and other dark colors absorb more heat than lighter ones. Classic options are white summer tops which go well with neutral colored skirts or pants. A breezy linen top is another summer wear must-have whether you’re dressing up or down.
Choosing a smaller bag
Since summer means adventures, carefully choose the bag you’ll pair up with your summer outfit. Make it fashionable and should be functional too. If you have kids, sometimes a smaller bag may not work, so choose a lighter colored bag, a longer strap, or even a tote in canvas to keep cooler but have space for all the things.
Wearing open-toe sandals/slides
Dress up your summer look with pretty open-toe sandals that let your toes breathe. The warm weather requires you to keep your heels away for the meantime and elevate your summer outfit with easy-to-wear slides.
Using a lightweight scarf/wide-brimmed hat
Buy a wide-brimmed hat and a scarf for the ultimate summer look. Wearing these is essential because it minimizes your sun exposure, thus protecting your skin. According to dermatologists, choose a wide-brimmed hat that covers not just your face but your ears and neck too.
Wearing minimal jewelry/accessories
For the perfect summer accessories styling, less is more. Stay away from bangles, dangling earrings and necklaces because they cling to your skin under the heat of the sun. Try accessorizing with a thin and simple gold necklace and stud earrings. Also, remember that neutral colors match white and light summer outfits.
Wearing natural makeup
Heavy makeup is a big no-no on a hot summer day. Say goodbye in the meantime to heavy and dark eyeliners, eye shadows, lipstick, and heavy foundation. Go for more natural and light makeup. Use tinted moisturizer instead of foundation and add a touch of liquid highlighter; top it off with pale pink tinted lip balms.
I’ve always loved summer more than any other time because I grew up in the midwest and it seemed to get shorter and shorter each year. Now that I live in the desert, I still love summer and all the freedom it brings. I also love the variety of clothing and less need for makeup day to day. I feel like my skin can breathe better in summer and is much more healthy versus any other time of the year. If you have any other recommendations for summer styling, I’d love to know the ones I left out. Please share in the comments which of the tips were your favorite and if you’d like more of these tips!
There’s nothing like soaking up some sun outdoors in summers with your cute and casual outfit! We are finally getting back into the swing of things post pandemic and your shoe game shouldn’t be any different. Summer is perfect for any casual activities. Wearing comfortable clothes and shoes is always a good choice. Think about the flowy dresses, shorts, and tank tops, then pairing them up with warm-weather staple flat footwear.
One of my favorite things about flats is that they look more polished than sneakers and less formal than heels. Although not all flats are created equal, as some are more comfortable than others, I have my list of must-haves flats that are comfortable to wear and can easily make any summer activity more enjoyable.
Wearing a great pair of flats is the easiest way to look cute and stylish on a warm day. And since summer is also a time for traveling, give your feet some much-needed break from blisters while looking chic. So please take advantage of the unlimited flats options during summer and start pairing them up with your favorite casual and fun outfit!
Casual Flats For Summer
If you’re sick of exerting more energy to walk in on heels or want to have fun and stress-free summer days, try on these flat footwear for your casual outfit ideas.
Slingback Flats
Not only popular in summers, but slingback flats are also springing staples. This economic footwear is the top contender to the chic and comfortable look. It’s blister-free with your heels gently supported by its straps, unlike open-backed shoes.
Ballet flats
Your summer wardrobe isn’t complete without the classic ballerinas! I’ve always found them cute and chic with their minimalist style and distinctive thin heel. They are perfect for midi dresses, especially if you look very feminine with their ribbon-like binding. It’s a popular fashion trend that can be good for everyday ear and easily worn with skirts, leggings, jeans, and shorts and one of my faves is the Sam Edelman ballet flats. Another most popular version of ballet flats has cute leather kicks with a padded footbed, a micro wedge and a rubber sole that gives pure comfort.
Loafers
Loafers are great even for summers although it’s also mostly worn during fall. In fact, loafers are known for their comfort and are considered easy work footwear. With them and trousers, it’s easy to look formal and chic, and for summer, choose a conducive material for your loafer and pair it up with a breezy dress. Working outdoors with a sophisticated loafer? Perfect!
Mules
Your summertime outfit will never be complete without the gauzy and white dresses, linen tops and dresses, and the cotton midis and maxis. What better way to look fashionably good anytime? It’s choosing an airier variety of mules. It’s a backless and usually closed-toe shoe popular in men and women. And if you want to sneak in a little heal like these beauties, you can choose a chunkier one to get the job done or pick an equally pretty flat if you so choose.
Woven leather
Oh, I love a good pair of woven leather! Sliding into this is ultra-comfortable with its classic and airy structure. Choose a pair with leather that’s soft, rich, and custom-formed to your foot. It is also perfect for midi dresses, jeans, and shorts.
Espadrilles
Espadrilles are also great contenders for warm-weather wardrobes, especially when traveling. Its summery look, breathable design, and thick rubber soles give a super comfortable feel and fancy look. Tagged as the quintessential summer shoes, it’s best partnered with dresses and shorts; this for sure is a showstopper ensemble.
So many options to elevate your shoe game for summer, and so many which are easy to pack with you when you travel and not take up too much space or weight. Remember, summer doesn’t have to be all flip flops, you can mix it up a bit to ensure you are comfortable and still stylish. If you have a favorite pair, feel free to share below or tag me on social as I want to see them too!
Let’s be real honest here: the concept of how to get kids to clean without a fight not only seems like a pipe dream – it’s near laughable at this point. Your kids cleaning up WITHOUT fighting you and it turning into a screaming battle? HA!
But I’m here to tell you that it IS possible, as long as you approach it the right way.
I’d like to think that we have this pretty down at this point. But fair warning: this is not a quick fix. This is a long-term game that requires commitment.
But a few months from now, you’ll be so happy that you did it. You might even have your preschooler jumping up to clean without you saying anything! (Yes, it’s possible!)
If you’re in the same spot I was – ready to pull your hair out, tired of the screaming battles, and giving up to just do it yourself but pretty annoyed by the fact… keep reading.
I get you and I see you mama – it’s hard. But it doesn’t have to be. There is a better way.
How to Get Kids to Clean without a Fight
Ready for the tips to help you get your kids to clean without a power struggle? Let’s get to it.
Set clear expectations
First things first – you absolutely have to set clear expectations. Kids are smarter than we give them credit for, but we need to provide consistency so they know what to expect. If they don’t… that’s when there’s problems as it creates a very chaotic response.
So how do you start setting those expectations? There are a couple ways.
Communicate the rules
The first thing you need to do is to set and start communicating the rules. You need to decide what this looks like for your family as everyone different.
Cleaning rules in our house look like this:
If you pull out a toy, it needs to be put away before another one is brought out
Help make a mess, you help clean it up too
Toys must be picked up before transitioning to something else
They’re pretty simple, but they work! It takes time to understand and start following the rules, but set the expectation and keep reminding them. Eventually they will pick it up once it becomes a normal thing.
Follow a routine or schedule
Once you’ve outlined and communicated the rules for cleaning up, make sure you have a routine or schedule to follow. This goes back to the consistency I talked about.
We generally clean up toys at these times:
After engaging in a block of open play time
Before we sit down for each meal
Before we go outside
These are the general rules to support the fact that life happens. Sometimes we are in a rush out the door, sometimes I just NEED the kids to get outside, and sometimes it’s something else completely. Create your routine in a way that allows life to happen.
But you also need an environment that makes this EASY. Which brings me to the next point…
Organize the environment
A play area that is randomly thrown together makes cleaning up insanely hard. (It makes playing hard too!) You need to organize your environment that allows clean up to just flow without friction.
There are a few ways to do this that I have found very helpful.
Avoid random tubs of toys
Toy bins and toy boxes are the WORST thing you can have in a play room. This is where toys go to die and a guarantee for huge messes in minimal time.
All it takes is for one kid to remember that one McDonald’s toy from 6 weeks ago that is now buried at the bottom. They get frustrated that they can’t find it so what happens? ALL THE TOYS ARE ON THE FLOOR.
They dump a bin, pour arm fulls of toys on the floor, and everything in between. Then they complain when they have to clean up a giant pile of random toys that is VERY overwhelming.
Let’s just avoid that all together by avoiding the random tub of toys situation.
So what should you do instead? I’ll explain.
Utilize organizational supplies
There’s endless possibilities as to how to organize a playroom – just search Pinterest and you’ll see all that comes up! You’ll need to decide exactly how you want to set it up, but I HIGHLY encourage utilizing lots of organizational supplies to make things easy.
Here’s a few ideas to get you started:
Small bins that are clearly labeled with its contents
Cube shelving units with easy to access toys
Shelving for books to keep them off the floor
Rolling carts for things like art supplies
Give everything a spot
Easily the MOST important tip I can give you. If nothing has a spot, you’ll hear a lot of “I don’t know where it goes” during cleanup and that gets real irritating fast. Plus, kids naturally do better when they are empowered to do things for themselves.
Organizing the space will help a lot – but make sure everything has a spot. Avoid randomly throwing things somewhere because you don’t know what else to do with it.
Get more organizational supplies, if needed.
Provide support
Now that you got the boundaries set and creating an environment that’s easy for cleaning up, it’s time to actually implement! Be patient as it will take a while for kids to transition to doing things this way.
Explain the importance of a clean space
First and foremost – explain the importance of a clean space. “Because mom said so” is not a great reason and that won’t help them develop good cleaning habits.
Instead, explain to them that cleaning several times throughout the day helps avoid big messes. You can also explain that we FEEL BETTER once it’s done. We feel calmer (mental health is a HUGE focus in our home) and we will have more room to play later.
Make it a fun game
Cleaning is BORING – especially to kids. While us adults can push through it, expecting a child to do the same will lead to some problems during clean up. Set the expectation to find ways to ENJOY it.
We like to do things like:
Have a dance party while we clean up together
See who can get it done the fastest (and award the winner)
Play freeze and see who can get more done in each burst
Set a timer and try to beat the clock
Get creative and I’m sure you can figure out all sorts of ways to make cleaning more fun for kids!
Direct them when they are struggling
Sometimes it can be a real struggle to get everything cleaned up. If it’s a big mess, it can be overwhelming to look at. Start by directing them to do a very specific action.
We always start with picking up blocks so I will instruct them to grab the block bag and fill it up. When they’re done, I’ll tell them to put all the dolls in their spot. After we gain momentum, they are much more likely to keep going on their own.
Unfortunately, things won’t go perfect every time – as much as we want them to. Which leads me to one last reminder…
Pick your battles
It is VITAL to remember to pick your battles. Some days are harder than others and it’s important to remember that kids are just tiny humans with bigger emotions and less understanding of the world around them.
Be gentle with yourself and your children.
Avoid power struggles
Power struggles are the WORST trap to get into. You’re yelling because you feel like you need to maintain control and your child is dead set on NOT doing anything purely because they’re testing you.
This cycle can repeat for HOURS if you let it, too.
Instead, try your best to support your child and follow their lead in regards to how they’re feeling and make adjustments as you go to support them in the process. (Knowing your child’s love language can help too!)
Know when to offer your help
To stem off that, pay attention to your child and know when they truly need your help. Acts of defiance can oftentimes be something else entirely. Maybe they’re struggling with some STRONG emotions. Maybe they had a really hard day. And maybe they just need a chance to relax. Or maybe they want to spend time with you instead of doing it alone.
If it would be easier on BOTH of you to step in and help them and showcase teamwork… do it. Once in a while certainly isn’t going to hurt anything.
Final thoughts
Getting your kids to clean can be a real challenge- but it doesn’t have to be. If you’re struggling to get your older kids to help around the house, try teaching them the proper way to clean. Show them how to dust, vacuum, and properly load the dishwasher. You can even turn it into a game by timing them to see who can finish first. For young children, lend a hand and make it into a fun activity. Play some music and dance around as you tidy up together. Cleaning doesn’t have to be a chore, and with a little creativity it can be something that the whole family enjoys.
Start by setting clear expectations by communicating the rules and following a solid routine so your child knows what to expect. It also helps to setup the environment so that cleaning happens easily.
When you start cleaning, offer your support by communicating and directing them when they seem to be having a hard time. Get creative and find ways to turn cleaning into a game!
At the end of the day, you also need to pick your battles and know when it’s time to offer you help.
So next time you’re feeling frustrated, remember these tips and enjoy a clean home without all the fuss.
Do you have any tips on how to get kids to clean without fighting? Comment them below!
Comfortable is my main fashion language, especially when it comes to footwear. Which is the reason I hop in now and then to the espadrille trend. When I need something that screams chic and summer, espadrilles make it on top of my styling list.
Ahhh, strolling on bright summer days becomes exceptionally comfortable with this footwear, a light canvas shoe with a plaited fiber sole. It’s made of esparto rope and has many styles ranging from sandals, wedges, and flat slip-ons. It’s standard Spanish footwear for summer, so it’s widely manufactured there in Spain and Bangladesh, a massive jute producer.
It was initially considered peasant footwear that gained popularity in the 20th century. The word espadrille is French derived from the Catalan term “espardenya and “esparteña” in Spanish. Its popularity rose from its versatility to withstand many seasons.
Spring and summer fashion is not without every style of espadrilles. Think summer dresses, skinny jeans, and daisy dukes paired up with espadrilles shoes. The natural jute fibers pair so well with these summer outfits as they come in plenty of styles and colors. To know more about creating beautiful outfits with the ever-comfortable flat espadrilles, here are some tips to guide you.
How To Wear Flat Espadrilles
Aside from being comfortable to wear, espadrilles are eco-friendly, which is why it’s a major trend worn by fashion bloggers and celebrities alike. For flat espadrilles, here’s how you can style them:
Jeans
Jeans and espadrilles go so well together. Both boyfriend jeans and skinny jeans will take the cake for an off-duty casual or a chic street style combination. Both look better with a black espadrille or a stripe combination of white and black.
Leather
It gives a city-cool look when pairing leather and flat espadrille. Try pairing this duo with denim, and it sure brings an element of class. To tone it down, an oversized tee can do the trick.
Shorts
To highlight your flat espadrilles, wear shorts with them. It’s a total classic style, and pair it up with an oversized top. A white espadrille is a perfect partner for this styling.
Floral Dresses
Nothing says spring and summer better than a floral outfit. Work this pattern with neutral-colored accessories, and oversized sunglasses, and a flat espadrille. Floral summer dresses look great for either flat or a wedge espadrille.
Tropical Prints
Look fresh and vibrant by using tropical prints and bold colors. A red espadrille is the best option to achieve this look. It will really bring out the summer vibe of your outfit.
Short Dresses
For a chic and semi-formal look, wear your flat espadrilles with short dresses. Shirt dresses are so in trend right now. Find your favorite espadrille to go with it and oversized sunglasses too.
Maxi Dresses
For the ultimate spring pairing, rock your maxi dresses with flat espadrilles. Don’t forget a wide brim hat, ratan bag, and belt to complete the look!
Skirts
Spring and summer wardrobes are incomplete without skirts. Flat espadrilles are must-haves when wearing your skirts, be they printed or in solid color.
Sweaters
Another off-duty look goes well with flat espadrilles, and it’s with sweaters and chinos. This is a good season transition outfit from winter to spring. Maybe accessorize it too with gold hoops and bangles to add a sophisticated casual feel to it.
Now that you know how to wear flat espadrilles, you can feel confident in investing in a good pair that will last a long time. You can pair them with everything in your closet, making them a staple for sure, especially if your significant other says you don’t need another pair of shoes! I’d love to see what outfits you come up with, so please share and also tag me on social if you post!
When you have opted for a sustainable lifestyle, there’s no vacation – even on vacation. In other words, you cannot stop being considerate to the environment, and communities around you just because you are traveling. You cannot stuff and depend on plastics because it’s break time. It might be a break from your work, mundane lifestyle, but there shouldn’t be a break from being environmentally conscious.
I mean think about it, it’s not just you who’s traveling, but there are plenty of tourists, so imagine the waste and wreckage everyone will create together when not traveling responsibly.
Ergo, if you are living a sustainable lifestyle already – Kudos to you! You are doing an amazing thing. But don’t you forget sustainable travel. You have to be a responsible tourist – besides being a responsible citizen. This article will help you do just that. So, keep reading.
Responsible tourism – amazing tips for sustainable travel
1. Carefully plan your itinerary
Trust me, if you want your trip to be enjoyable and sustainable at the same time, picking places to visit would make all the difference. Try to visit less crowded places. Doing so will be beneficial for their economy. Not to mention, crowded places cannot provide you peace as isolated places would – that’s the reason why you are taking the trip in the first place, isn’t it? Try to look at places locals tend to visit when you get to your vacation if you are like me and want to play things by ear. If it’s a local recommendation, there’s less of a chance tourists will be flooding the place.
2. Opt for sustainable transport
Transportation is a trivial factor when it comes to the environment. Going for non-eco-friendly travel would not only increase pollution but may also use up more fuel. Having said that, try to avoid road trips via personal vehicles – go for alternatives that go easy on the resources; such as buses, trains, and airplanes. Another opportunity to see and take routes you wouldn’t normally take or think to take when hiring a vehicle.
3. Take your own mugs and bottles
You wouldn’t want to stop on your way to buy plastic packaged drinking bottles, right? So, the solution here is obvious – take your own mugs and bottles. Apart from environmental benefits, don’t forget the monetary benefits it carries. You can also ensure you have something to drink aways, instead of having to wait until you make a stop. It’s super important to always have water with you in Arizona because the summer heat is unforgiving. A reusable water bottle like my favorite Hydroflask is the best option as it keeps cool things cool, and warm things warm, even in the heat!
4. Take your own toiletries
Almost every hotel provides toiletries – from creams to face wash to everything. Although you must be tempted to use them, it is not a good idea from the point of sustainability. Using such items would increase their demand, which would lead to more consumption of resources. Thus, it would be better if you take your own toiletries and use them. If you have sensitive skin or hair, you probably have a special cream or lotion which makes your skin easier to manage than introducing something new to your skin and risk it causing issues. When we travel, we make sure to use our products from home in a travel sized container, and take them with us so we can use what our skin and hair is used to and keep on track.
5. Conserve resources – even when you are in a hotel
Even though you would be paying for these services, using them all the time even when there is not a need would only create more wastage. Remember your goal, and try to conserve resources. Many places on islands require a room key to be placed in a slot to turn on electricity, so it reminds you to conserve. However, that’s not everywhere, so being mindful of conservation is the best idea.
Here are a few tips.
You can choose to ventilate in place of using air-conditioners.
Switch off electrical appliances when you go out.
Reduce your shower times.
Stay in nature as much as you can
Don’t use paper napkins. Use clothe ones or your own handkerchief.
6. Don’t use airplane supplies
Remember the headphones and the plastic cutlery? Airplanes are not at all sustainable when it comes to the resources they provide you. These items are made from cheap quality plastic – it’s better to avoid using them. For God-knows-what happens to the used ones – they might keep it, or throw it away. If it’s the latter, then it only means one thing – Plastic waste. We know how we feel about that, don’t we?
7. Eat, stay and shop locally
Whether it is for shopping, resting, or eating, always make a wiser choice. Do not go for international shops, hotels, and restaurants that are franchised, or are a part of large chains. The profits go out of the country – so for the benefit of the country’s economy and communities, always choose local. When you shop and eat and stay local, you oftentimes get to experience your travel as if you lived there locally. You might save some money, but you will also be getting the best immersive experience like those who live there daily.
8. Limit snacking
Road trips cannot go without dozens of chips, beers, drinks, and snacks – all of them that have plastic packaging. Thus, to avoid all of it, limit your snacking. If it helps, always eat out at the stopovers. Moreover, if you happen to struggle with hunger – make sandwiches and other snacks for your journey – but don’t rely on plastic packaged foods.
9. Ask for Green Certifications
When choosing a hotel, be mindful of what you choose. It’s better to choose hotels that operate in eco-friendly and sustainable habits. Thus, go for hotels that have Green Certifications from authentic bodies.
Apart from that, enquire the following.
The eco-friendly services and sustainability initiatives they provide such as solar power, rainwater harvesting, energy-efficient lighting, and low-flow toilets.
Recycling programs.
If they provide plastic bottles to customers. One must go for glass bottles to be sustainable.
In case, if they don’t have either of the mentioned services, encourage them to start.
10. Lastly, be on your best behavior (environmentally friendly I mean)
Little things matter, such as these.
Walk, use public transportation, or go biking but avoid using cars to save on fuel.
Return brochures, and pamphlets for them to be reused.
If you still use toiletries, take the leftovers with you. Don’t let the hotel throw them away.
Bring bags to collect your trash.
Do not engage in any activity that exploits wildlife – such as camel and elephant riding.
That’s all folks; my work is done here but yours start. Follow these tips for your next eco-friendly travel, and let me know how they work out for you in the comments later.
dresses, oversize tops, wide-leg pants, and skirts with light fabric. So get away from clingy sweaty clothes and always go with incredible airflow.
sun. Black and other dark colors absorb more heat than lighter ones. Classic options are white summer tops which go well with neutral colored skirts or pants. A breezy linen top is another summer wear must-have whether you’re dressing up or down.
breathable design, and thick rubber soles give a super comfortable feel and fancy look. Tagged as the quintessential summer shoes, it’s best partnered with dresses and shorts; this for sure is a showstopper ensemble.
but we need to provide consistency so they know what to expect. If they don’t… that’s when there’s problems as it creates a very chaotic response.
need to organize your environment that allows clean up to just flow without friction.
goes” during cleanup and that gets real irritating fast. Plus, kids naturally do better when they are empowered to do things for themselves.
and celebrities alike. For flat espadrilles, here’s how you can style them:
really bring out the summer vibe of your outfit.
to complete the look!
You can pair them with everything in your closet, making them a staple for sure, especially if your significant other says you don’t need another pair of shoes! I’d love to see what outfits you come up with, so please share and also tag me on social if you post!
your own mugs and bottles. Apart from environmental benefits, don’t forget the monetary benefits it carries. You can also ensure you have something to drink aways, instead of having to wait until you make a stop. It’s super important to always have water with you in Arizona because the summer heat is unforgiving. A reusable water bottle like my favorite 
them, it is not a good idea from the point of sustainability. Using such items would increase their demand, which would lead to more consumption of resources. Thus, it would be better if you take your own toiletries and use them. If you have sensitive skin or hair, you probably have a special cream or lotion which makes your skin easier to manage than introducing something new to your skin and risk it causing issues. When we travel, we make sure to use our products from home in a travel sized container, and take them with us so we can use what our skin and hair is used to and keep on track. 
restaurants that are franchised, or are a part of large chains. The profits go out of the country – so for the benefit of the country’s economy and communities, always choose local. When you shop and eat and stay local, you oftentimes get to experience your travel as if you lived there locally. You might save some money, but you will also be getting the best immersive experience like those who live there daily. 
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