Capsule Wardrobe Guide: My Summer Essentials

With summer coming up, I thought it’d be fun to share my summer essentials. This doesn’t include accessories, but it will include shoes. Before we get into the list however, I want to point out that capsule wardrobes in general can definitely be tailored to your lifestyle and personal style preferences. If you’re more into bold, colorful choices, you can always opt for that in a pair of flats or sandals, or even in your tops or bottoms. 

Since I mentioned shoe styles first, I’d say a good pair of comfortable sandals is a must. I have 5 pairs that range from semi-fancy to casual. My most casual pair of sandals is a brown pair that I bought last year, and while I don’t remember where I got them from (I want to say DSW), they’ve definitely become my most worn shoe in the summer months. 

I feel like shorts are a universal staple as they are comfortable, plus they come in a lot of different colors and styles. If you don’t care for tight, skimpy shorts that are ripped, you could go for a bermuda short that typically hits you right above the knee. I personally like to go for ones that are of the everyday fit; not too short, but not too long either. 

I think the easiest outfit to throw on in the summer is a dress, and thankfully, this one category of clothing comes in lots of different patterns, styles and colors. You can really let your personal style shine when it comes to dresses, so whether you're into floral patterns, stripes, multicolored designs or something more neutral or simple, there’s something out there for everybody.  

Going back to shoes, I think another great staple in this category is a pair of flats that you can just slide on. I myself have a pair of nude, Sam Edelman mules that I got from TJ Maxx and I really love how versatile they are with the rest of my wardrobe. Now if you’re not into flats, that’s totally fine, but I personally like them as I don’t really care for high heels. 

You really can’t go wrong with a basic t-shirt in my opinion. I used to have a ton of graphic tees or ones with big logos on them, but for everyday options that can be dressed up or down, I’d say my go-to’s are my white t-shirt from Divinius, my pink linen shirt from ThredUp and a grey top I bought from TJ Maxx that I wear often (and throughout the other seasons). 

So while I don’t really wear skirts as much as I used to, I’d say an essential bottom for me is a pair of white jeans. I used to wear them to work a lot before they changed some of the dress code rules, so nowadays, I don’t have many chances to wear them. I do think they’d be nice though for a date night look, lunch out with a friend or even to a late night concert. There are a lot of ways you can dress up a pair of white jeans, and if you have some nice blouses with a light floral pattern, those would definitely work well with that kind of bottom.

Essential Spring/Summer Bags + Review

So because I live in the south, summer isn’t really my favorite season when it comes to the weather, but when it comes to fashion and style, I’m all for it! I personally think the best trends come out in the spring and summer, but for this post in particular, I’ll be talking about the different kinds of bags that I find are essential.

One of the biggest trends I noticed from last summer is the straw bag, and I honestly really love that trend! I myself have a round straw tote that I bought from Amazon, and a few weeks ago, I was given a smaller, basket-style cross body as an early birthday present from my mom. I personally think this trend of straw or basket bags is timeless, and because of that, I know I’ll get good use out of both of the bags I have in this style. I’d say that the smaller one is perfect for a day out around town, a casual walk around the beach or even to a cozy dinner out. Of course, the big round one I have makes for the perfect little beach bag as you can throw in a magazine or two, some sunscreen and your other outdoor essentials.

Another bag that I personally love for the spring/summer months is a bucket bag, especially if the style is more slouchy as opposed to one that’s more structured. I have one that was bought at the mall, and it was on really good sale at the time considering its brand name (Lucky Brand). I’ve gotten a lot of wear out of it in previous years, and because of the off white/cream color, I know that it goes with a lot of what I have in my wardrobe.

Now I know that statement bags can be fun to play with in any season, but for the spring months especially, I think it’s nice to have a color that’s either different or unique to your personal style. I have one yellow clutch, and while I know that yellow was a very trendy color last year, I feel like that color looks just as good on a clutch as it would a cross body or top handle bag. I also have a light, earthy green shoulder bag that I find would be perfect for special occasions, whether it's for a family party or dinner out with your partner.

So out of all the bags I have for the spring/summer season, I’m most excited and happy with the small, basket cross body I have. Of course, I don’t really have anywhere to attend right now where I can actually use it, but every time I see it displayed on the rack of my bedroom door, it just reminds me of the summer season in general, which usually makes me smile.

Book Review: Many Lives, Many Masters by Brian L. Weiss

Before I get into this review, I thought I’d share how I heard about this book. With the amount of free time I have these days, I’ve found it refreshing to catch up on old books, to start up new ones or to try out ones I’ve never gotten around to reading. In this case however, this book is something that caught my attention because someone on YouTube mentioned it (she also made a review for it on her blog). I’m not someone who easily buys into supernatural or drastic events of one’s life being changed, but I guess after hearing Erin’s thoughts, I wanted to see for myself how good it was.

Dr. Brian L. Weiss has all the credentials and achieved great success in his field of psychiatric therapy. This book is told in his perspective, and while he considers himself a mild skeptic, his life is changed after meeting one patient who’s able to claim vast spiritual knowledge and recall past-life experiences while being under hypnosis. Throughout the book, there are several tellings of detailed events, most of which are experienced in a period where wars are held, or when poverty, sickness and death is all that was known. Through these different tellings of past lives, the patient (known as Catherine) starts to drastically heal from her crippling symptoms of anxiety. 

What’s interesting to me about this book is that while psychiatry or psychology in general is known for a number of traditional therapy practices, this unique form of therapy is able to reach the patient in a way that seems so ethereal. As someone who’s gone to counseling for a little over a year, this book mainly rubbed me in a way that kept me reeled in, even if my skepticism wasn’t fully eroded. I was just as fascinated as Dr. Brian was, and one thought I kept having throughout the book is that these past-life encounters must be a manifestation of her subconscious mind, as well as remembering certain people in her life that are important to Catherine. 

Whenever Catherine had experienced a death in one of her many lifetimes, she was taken to a place afterwards that was peaceful, and soon after realizing that she’s floating, she’d see a light. Before reaching that light however, she would hear voices from what she calls “The Masters”. These masters held a lot of knowledge, and sometimes in those moments, they would connect to Dr. Brian through Catherine’s voice and body. Some of the messages that he was given really struck something within me, but you’ll have to read for yourself to see which messages left that effect. 

So overall, I’d say this book is definitely unique. Dr. Brian’s storytelling of this event is done in a way that keeps you on your toes, so that made the experience enjoyable. If there’s anything that I have taken away from this book, it’s that life is not permanent, and we should always remember what matters most to us and make time for that.

My Fitness Routine

As easy as it is to talk about being healthy or getting more exercise, it’s more important to actually put effort into that and finding a routine that works for you. I know and understand from personal experience how hard to just get started or to “find motivation”, but you kind of just have to push yourself into doing the thing no matter what.

So if this wasn’t known already, I wasn’t always heavy in the hips or stomach. Obviously I try to practice body positivity as well as keeping myself healthy, but before my body became more filled out in my late teens, I was very skinny. The cause of this was my hyperactive thyroid/metabolism.



Exercise has always been a struggle for me, and when I came home from secondary school last year, I had to put my mental/emotional health first before I could start focusing on my physical health. I took two approaches when I first started out, which is YouTube and Pinterest. I binge watched other people starting up their routines for the New Year, and I also tried to find additional yoga poses or cardio sequences on Pinterest. Looking back, I realize that while I was able to maintain some sort of a routine, I didn’t allow myself to have a rest day after several days of working out. I also remember feeling pressured to keep up because of my goal to lose weight.

So what exactly does my routine look like? I personally like to keep things open and flexible as I’ll sometimes switch up what I do. One day, I may focus on sitting poses while mixing in leg-centered cardio. Another day, I may focus on my chest and shoulders and add in yoga poses that help improve my balance. In another day or two, I might just do some mindfulness practice, sitting on the floor and focus on meditation. This way, I can get that full body workout and feel good about it. I usually try to keep this up two days a week or even three if I’m feeling extra motivated, but of course, I like to keep my days balanced out so that I’m not doing too much at once.



I’ve been doing yoga for a little over a year now, and I honestly can’t see myself going without it for two weeks or even a month. There’s all sorts of routines and poses that can help improve a variety of issues, but of course, don’t risk it if your body won’t allow you to, or if you have some other condition that makes it hard for you to be active. I personally have found that the biggest benefits of yoga is mental clarity, flexibility, balance, improved muscle strength and endurance. I always feel better after I’ve taken the time to implement this kind of self-care, and because of that, I personally believe that almost anybody can do this. You just have to find what works for you and start off small. It’s not worth it if you take on too much at once or constantly worry about keeping your body slim or fit.

Minimalism Basics Series: Finding Support & Accountability

If you’re someone who’s looking to change a certain habit like impulsive spending, excessive time on social media/technology, releasing or paying off financial debt, or just decluttering your physical belongings, I’m here for you. This part of your journey will be a challenge, but I believe it’s worth it to see and feel the end results. It’s no secret that change isn’t easy for most of us, but if you never try, then there won’t be any progress. We all have to start somewhere.

Sometimes it helps to break down your goal into small, manageable chunks with actionable steps. And unless you have a clear vision in mind, you may want to take your time getting to where you want to be. I remember how lost and confused I felt after graduating high school. I wasn’t sure what to do next in life, but I knew I didn’t want to stay home doing nothing. This led me to enroll into community college. At the time, I thought I wanted a career in childcare, so that’s what I went with during my first year. I’m grateful that my parents were able to help me get into community college, and looking back now, I remember still feeling a little lost with what kind of career I wanted even when I was in school. If this is how you feel with whatever your situation is, then that’s okay.

So if you’ve already decluttered your wardrobe and want to start shopping less, my best advice is to understand and stick to your plan. People always say to start small, and while I agree with that, you also need to be strict with yourself at first. This’ll help set up those boundaries and distinctions of which behaviors seem right or wrong to you. For example, if you’re looking to minimize the amount of shopping trips you take, only write down what is essential for you before you go out. If you don’t know what is essential to you and your lifestyle [in the instance of clothing], what you could do is pick out 5 or 6 pieces of clothing that you turn to the most. This’ll help you find out what your core style is, and from there, you can mindfully declutter the rest.

My next tip for shopping less is not only to know your style and what’s essential, but to also be mindful of sales, clearance deals and your current mental/emotional state. It’s easy to shop for things out of impulse, or to get swept up in a “good bargain” just because of that reduced price or because it looks cute. Now this doesn’t mean you can’t shop the sales at all, but if you get easily tempted by those good deals the same way someone might get tempted to buy sweets from a grocery store on an empty stomach, then perhaps it’s better to skip out and wait until you have a better sense of clarity the next day.

Backing up to a point I made earlier, I do believe it’s important to keep some established boundaries in place early on until we have an innate understanding of them. I remember when I first started out on my health journey last year. I was very strict about not having any sugar, but as time went on, I would gradually loosen up on that rule because I understood it well. This meant that after 2 weeks or so of sticking to my “rules”, I could reward myself with a piece of chocolate or some other salty snack. Now of course, I’m not saying this as a means of deprivation; it’s okay to enjoy those sweet or savory treats in moderation. I’m also not a professional dietitian, so please, talk to your doctor before you take my word on any of this.

I remember some of the mistakes I made early on or midway into these changes that I made. Try to remember that it’s okay to make mistakes, and if you fail, it’s not the end of the world. This is something that I’ve experienced a couple times, and if you beat yourself up or become frustrated with yourself in the process, the only thing that will change is your mood and self-esteem. None of us are perfect, and perfection is unattainable. I hope this information and encouragement is helpful to you in some way!