CupCase: A mini suitcase for your bras!

If you follow me on Instagram (@thebargainblonde), then you may have seen me post this picture last week with the caption, "My CupCase arrived today!"

Many of you were curious and asked what a CupCase was, so today I'm dishing because every cute, stylish bargainista needs one for when you globe-trot.  Or "state-trot" (I made that word up).  Mine arrived last week just in time for me to pack before heading off to Charleston, SC for the weekend and I'm sad it took me so long to discover this girly creation because my suitcase has been missing out.

First, let me show you the CupCase up close and personal.

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So freaking cute, right?  Do you spy the diamond studded zipper pull?  DIE!

The aforementioned CupCase is exactly what the title of this post states: a mini suitcase for your bras!   And its purpose is to protect your delicate brassieres them from crimping, crushing and creasing in your suitcase. I mean, what will they think of next?

They come in several fun satin color shades (even leopard, rawrrr!) and you can order different sizes to fit your boobie size specifications: A/B or C/D. Pink is my favorite color, so naturally I went with the hot pink.

Here is my CupCase mid-pack:

You just unzip the CupCase, place your bra in with the straps hanging out, then place your second bra the opposite direction with straps hanging out too.  Once you've finished stacking, you tuck the straps in and zip up.

So I was packing and Reese (my precious 4-year-old nephew) came in my room after his bath to say good night.  He was VERY intrigued with the CupCase and insisted he help me pack.  He decided all off my swimsuit tops needed to go in the CupCase, so I let him pack away.  Be still my heart.

Now you ladies know if I'm loving it, then you know it's got to be a bargain.  They are only $24.95, holl-er!  And if you buy 5 or more, you get 20% off, so they are only $19.95.  I think a CupCase would be perfecto as Bridesmaid gifts or Christmas presents for your besties.  Here are some of the color options if pink isn't your thing.

Shop the collection!

There you have it! Now you all know what a CupCase is.  I love mine and I loved traveling with it.  I have to be super organized when I travel so this just made my life a lot easier. You can even put hair accessories, jewelry (Stella and Dot jewelry *wink wink*), thongs, etc. in your CupCase, so it's multi-functional.

If you're now dying to have your own, just go to the CupCase Web site, pick your color/size and it ships directly to you in a cute CupCase box. Now go get your CupCase on!

Five minute, $5 make-up drawer organization

I may not work-out as much as I should, there may be entirely too much reality TV saved on my DVR(s) (BTW - the new season of Real Housewives New Jersey looks so good) and I may neglect my laundry for weeks a month at a time, but I do consider myself a fairly organized person.  In fact, when I opened my suitcase in front of my friends the last time we were in Vegas, they were appalled at how organized my packing was.  (Refer here for my travel organization tips.)

However, even the most organized girl will sometimes accumulate clutter.  Clutter I cannot deal with, which is why I could no longer function with the sad state of my "every day" make-up drawer any longer.  This particular drawer is full of products I rotate on the daily.

Thanks to all the traveling I've done in the past 6 months, which led to switching products back and forth between make-up bag and drawer several times over, I accumulated the hot mess you see on the left below.  I didn't even realize how much stress this drawer was causing me every day until I spent $5 and 5 minutes to fix it.

I bought the compartments from The Dollar Tree, which helped organize my make-up into 7 different sections: lips, eye shadow compacts, eye shadow pots, foundation/primer, powder, blush/bronzer and eyeliner/mascara.

The red circular tin and the red baskets were each $1 .  The clear and blue tubs were 2 for $1.  

I bought a glass votive for $1 and used wax beads (similar to these) that I already had on hand to organize my brushes:

It literally took me 5 minutes to dump out my drawer and put this together and it's already made a world of difference by cutting down on the time it takes me to get ready.  You wouldn't believe how long it took me to riffle through that hot mess of a drawer trying to find the particular foundation I wanted to wear for the day or the right eye shadow brush.   My only regret is I waited six months to spend the $5 and 5 minutes to do this.  Sigh.  Live and learn, right?

What's in my shopping cart? Buys each under $15.

I spent a little time at Target, Ikea and Sally's this weekend (an exciting life I lead), so of course I had to dish about my bargain buys with you love bugs.  I'm sure we can all agree that shopping can definitely buy happiness, and here's how spending money this weekend made this blonde happy ....

St. Ives Naturally Clear Apricot Facial Scrub Blemish & Blackhead Control

$3.04 @ Target - [via]

I've been so impressed with the St. Ives Soothing Oatmeal & Shea Butter lotion that I had to try their apricot scrub for acne prone skin aka my skin.  As evident by yesterday's post, Lord knows my pores could use all the help they can get.   

I have used this a few times and I really like it (good article on why you should NOT overdo facial scrubs).  The scrub isn't too harsh, but left my skin feeling soft & vibrant since it buffs away your dead skin cells.  This little lady also won Allure's reader choice last year, so I'm not the only one who is singing its praise.  See.

This cosmetic bag was only 97 cents by where all the travel sized stuff is.  Cute, huh?  They had a lot.

I've always wondered about these little eyebrow shaver things and since they were hot pink, I threw them in the ole cart:

Ardell Precision Brow Shaper

I have mixed feelings about these.  I have very light barely there eyebrows, which are hard to see when plucking.  I liked these for cleaning up above the brow, but not for underneath.  They irritated my skin a little too, so I dabbed some Biosilk around my brow to soothe the skin when I was done.  They were OK, but definitely not life changing.  



Below is a picture of my eyebrow after using the brow shaper.  In the pic I'm wearing 2 new e.l.f. items I scooped up during my Target shopping spree: The new e.l.f. Beauty School "Day Look" eyeshadow collection and e.l.f. studio mineral infused mascara. Loving both. 

Ready for my close-up?

And how meant to be is this?  After I posted about that paper towel turned bracelet holder idea on Friday, I found paper towel holders for $1 at Target Dollar Spot.  I bought one but went back for another this weekend:

At Ikea I got this shower shelf for $14.99 to organize the overflow of products that wouldn't fit on my current shower caddy.  Organization makes me happy.

Last but not least, I finally purchased a much needed shower comb.  My hair is a hot tangled mess when I get out of the shower and takes me a good 5 to 10 minutes to brush.  This shower comb from Sally's not only detangles my hair, but distributes conditioner evenly throughout.  Highly recommend this one if you have long thick hair like moi:



$2.99 @ Sally's - Buy

Phew ... that was a lot of material to cover.  I've got to go look at an apartment during my lunch break because I have less than 15 days to decide if i am going to renew my current lease or move.  Decisions, decisions. 

What have you bought for happiness lately?  Do tell.  I need any excuse to go shopping. 

Outside the box affordable storage ideas

How creative is this paper towel turned bracelet holder?  I would have never thought of this, so I'm glad someone else did.  What a fun and easy way to display your bracelets on your bathroom counter or dresser.  I'm totally stealing this idea.

via, but I first saw on Sierra's blog!

Similar paper towel holder from Bed, Bath & Beyond for $9.99:

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I like this option from Wal-Mart too.  Only $5.97:

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This is an Ikea plastic bag dispenser for $1.99 ...

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... that I attached to the cabinet door under the sink next to my toilet (yummy) to use as an extra toilet paper holder.  It's so convienent, you have no idea.

Here's something for your kitchen.  Uhhh, genius!  And the rail holding the lids is only $1.99 from Ikea.  Say no more.  I'm sold.

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 You could totally hang necklaces or earrings from this rail too, I've seen it done before:

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And last but not least, a straw dispenser turned ribbon holder.   I need.

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All you need is an old fashioned straw dispenser.  Here's one from Bed Bath and Beyond for $14.99.  As always, be sure to use a 20% off coupon.  I have a huge stash of their coupons in my car so that I always have some handy at all times.  God forbid I'm without a BBB coupon.

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It's official, I'm doing some organizing this weekend now.  

I'll be starting my adventure off at Ikea. 

Sooo ... ummm ... Mom, can I borrow your check card by chance?

And I may need to do a little shopping at Bed, Bath and Beyond too. 

And possibly Target. 

And most likely Wal-Mart. 

Cool? 

After all, my birthday is only a few weeks away. 

Wink.

What are your outside the box organizing solutions? 

[P.S. For any fairly new readers of my bloggity blog, I posted a lot of my bargain organization a while back.  Be sure to check out my "Tidy" section if you're interested in my make-up, nail polish, Tupperware, travel and closet organization ideas on the chiz-eap.]

I'm leaving on a jet plane ...

Thursday morning I will be on a plane flying to Phoenix waving to ya from high in the sky! 

[via]

Now that I'm close to boarding a plane, I've started to think about packing.  Keyword = think.  I never pack until the night before and I'm usually running errands and finishing up last minute stuff until midnight or later.  It never fails.

I thought I would share some of my favorite travel essentials with y'all.  I'm by no means a travel expert, but I was in a 4 year long distance relationship with Lucifer, so I spent my fair share of time traveling. 

Here is what I can't travel without:

1.  Check list and sticky notes. I'm a list person. I can't function without my to-lists and packing for a trip is no different. I make my list a few days before I need to pack, so if I do need to make any runs to say, CVS, I know ahead of time. If there is anything on my list that I can't pack until the day of (phone charger, tooth brush, sleep mask, etc.), then I write it really big on a sticky and put it on my front door so I absolutely can't forget it.  

This is just the start of my list, there will probably be 2 more pages of items added to this list.

2. Flat iron case.  I used to be ghetto and would just wrap my Chi in a hand towel.  This method works, but I eventually stepped my game up and bought this case.  I love it because you can do your finishing touches on your hair, throw your straightener in the case and not have to worry about it burning anything in your bag. 

My case above is from Stein Mart and was less than $10.

3. Jewelry Roll.  I also got this at Stein Mart for less than $10.  They have really cute, affordable travel accessories, so you should check it out if you have a Stein Mart in your area.

 
4. Personalized Luggage Tags to help you easily identify your bags.  My luggage tags were gifts, but lots of stores carry cute, girly luggage tags.  Get one to pimp your luggage.  

Don't mind the "heavy" tag, I always pack my bag to exactly 50 lbs thanks to my handy luggage scale.  See below!

5. Luggage Scale.  A lifesaver.  This little gadget lets me know if I've maxed out the 50 lb luggage limit.  Prior to owning this, I would be that girl at the check-in counter busting open my bag to take stuff out so I could get my luggage on the flight without having to pay the extra fee. 

You don't want to be that girl, trust me.  You will feel the glares of all the people waiting in line behind you trying to check-in.  If you tend to be a heavy packer, just get the luggage scale and thank me later.

While browsing Stein Mart online, I found a similar version called the Travelon Scale if you are interested.

6. Tan Towels.  Hello my fellow sunless tanners (everyone should be practicing safe sun and if not, you and I need to have a talk!).  You must have these tan towels in your luggage when you travel. 

They are perfect for maintaining your sunless tan when traveling.  The best part about them for me is that I don't have to worry about TSA throwing my precious bottle of self-tanner in the trash.  I give the worst side-eye and pout if I ever have to throw away any beauty products.

I bought mine at my tanning salon, but I know Ulta carries them too.  Click here to check them out.

7. Toiletries Hang Bag.  I got this one from my Aunt as a gift, and I don't know how I ever traveled with out one. 

8. Travel size bottles.  I think we all know what these are and that you can find them in pretty much any drugstore, Wal-mart or Target.  I used to never be able to find mine when I needed to pack, so I bought a container from the 99 Cent Only store to stash them in between trips.  I love that they are all in one place and I don't have to dig through drawers, cabinets or luggage trying to find them.

9. And lastly, get yourself a cute, medium sized carry-on bag.  I got this one at Sam Moon for any of you ladies in the Dallas area. 

There you have it!  Hopefully you learned a few tips, but if not, at least you know how I roll way up in the sky.

Cabinet Organization

I messed these pictures up in my post earlier and wasn't able to fix it until now. All of the bins I used were from The 99 Cent Only store. I am so obsessed with that store that it isn't even funny. I probably catch myself going there once a week. They just have everything you can imagine and more.

Before:

After:

Yellow bin has all the Tupperware lids in it. Total cost, less than $5.

Bedroom Closet Organization: Before/After

I said I would post the before/after pictures of my bedroom closet by February 1, and look what we have here ... the promised pictures before my deadline:

Before:

Before. Eeep! My closet was not usually this messy (swear), but I kind of let it go right before I decided to do an overhaul.

Before.  Top left side of closet.

Before. Out of control T-shirt stack on right side.

IKEA belt organizer - $7.99. I hang this in my closet where it is easily accessible. 

After:

All cleaned up!  The white jewelry holder on the wall was a Christmas gift 2 years ago from Container Store.  Below it is a shower caddy from Ikea that holds my bangles.

Old plastic laundry basket holds t-shirts and hats.  Purses and bags in bins on top. 

After.  Hanging organizer was $7.97 from Wal-Mart (the only thing I bought for this closet organization project).  Holds my hoodies, scarves, hats, swimsuits, cover-ups, flip flops and umbrellas.  The white cubes on the floor are from Target and were $9.99 for 6.  I have had them for over a year.  Right now I have wedges in one bin, but the other 2 are practically empty because I haven't decided what to put in them.   You can stack them several different ways, and as you can see, I had them stacked vertically in the before pics.  I didn't like where they were before because it made my closet feel smaller.

After (left side).   Boots are stored with rolled magazines in them to keep them upright.  Don't waste money on boot holders, just recycle magazines and do it for free.

Over-the-door shoe holder.  Have had this forever, and I highly recommend one.

So, what do y'all think?  I know it's nothing fancy, but it's much better than it was before.  To see more before pictures, check out this past post.

I am donating all of these clothes, accessories, shoes, etc. to Goodwill. I have clothes with tags still on them, and it makes me so mad.  Such a waste of money and reminds me to tell myself, "Just because it's on sale doesn't mean you have to buy it."  It has been much easier to get dressed in the morning after purging my closet and drawers. I highly recommend it!

 

Overwhelmed

Oh my.  My plan was to come home from work, take everything out of my closet and organize it all.  In a perfect world I was going to go to bed with a clear mind and closet feeling accomplished.  Well, if you saw my room right now you would think the crew from Hoarders was about to bust in.

Basically I moved all the clutter from my closet and transferred it to my bedroom.  It's just so much I don't know what to do with it all, and there is no way I can finish this in one evening.  Plus, I really have my eye on this Mainstays 4-tiered shoe rack from Wal-Mart (only $17.84) since all my extra shoes that don't fit on my over-the-door hanger are overflowing out of a laundry basket. 

Exhibit A:

If you are wondering what the pink looking moon shoes are, they are vibrating slippers for your feet and they feel very weird.  I think Goodwill may be the lucky recipients of these.

I snapped a few pics on my phone to send my Mom and she seemed pretty horrified, but the pics don't really do the mess justice.  Take a look for yourself:

Exhibit B:

Exhibit C: 

Some of my clothes going to Goodwill. See ya!

Exhibit D:

Needless to say, this isn't getting finished tonight and I would guess so since I'm laying here in my heated bed (yes, Santa brought me the heated mattress pad and it's as amazing as I imagined), watching Oprah and typing this post.   Hopefully by Monday I'll have the closet of my dreams (or at least one that doesn't incite anxiety).