Connect with us

Lifestyle

A Simple Routine That Works

Published

on


We may receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

My camera roll contains multitudes. I scroll through photos of my kids’ toothy grins, peachy sunsets, and delightful coffee dates and experience joy, wonder, and nostalgia. But lurking there on the other side is guilt, dread, and overwhelm. What am I going to do with all these photos? How do I organize photos so that they’re easily accessible for me and my family members? And what if the cyber-apocalypse hits and I lose all my photos—ya know, on top of every other end-of-the-world problem?

I’ll be honest. I pitched this story because I thought I’d finally figured it out—let me be your hero, baby! But I soon discovered that the more I know, the less I understand. So, I decided to take these questions that keep me up at night to the professionals. And wow—did they deliver. Spoiler alert: I’m on a brand-new photo organization protocol that weaves seamlessly within my routine (thank you, habit stacking). And best of all, it works. I’m more organized AND I’m sleeping better knowing that my kids won’t rely on junky old iPhones to re-live their very well-documented childhood.

Ahead, find out how to organize photos with practical steps, including the single tool that made my photo organization experience truly enjoyable—aka, how it should be.

The Challenge

If you’re like me, you’ve avoided organizing your photos for one of three reasons: the sheer volume is overwhelming, digital clutter is easier to ignore than actual clutter, and lack of time, resources, and knowledge makes the process feel like a mountain you’d rather not climb. (Hand raised if it’s all three.)

And then there’s the emotional weight to consider. It’s not easy to ruthlessly delete when you’re making a million daily decisions. Sometimes scrolling through photos can bring up emotions or memories we’d rather not face. This is certainly a task that requires the right frame of mind. One that is well-rested and can both stroll down memory lane and make objective choices. It’s not easy, but the benefits of a well-organized photo collection can slowly release some of that mental load.

Professional photo organizer Casey von Stein, aka Miss Freddy, understands the overwhelm. “People often feel ashamed by the number of photos in their camera roll. We have forgotten that photos are supposed to bring us JOY! They represent all the blessings in our lives we have decided to document.” And the biggest benefit of a well-organized photo collection? “It restores the FUN of photos—using them in exciting ways like making photo books, creating custom videos, easily ordering photo gifts, and more.”

Miss Freddy professional photo organizer

Casey von Stein, aka Miss Freddy





Casey von Stein, aka Miss Freddy, is a certified Professional Photo Organizer in Golden, Colorado. After 10 years as a professional photographer, she realized that what people really needed was HELP organizing and enjoying their photos. She offers remote organizing services for clients worldwide and self-paced online courses for those who want to tackle their photo mess on their own.

Preparing for Organization

The way to get it done for real this time? Take that mountain and make it a hill—you’ve got to start small.

When I think of organizing my photos, I think of cleaning up my camera roll. But thanks to professionals like Miss Freddy, I’ve come to understand that it’s so much more. We have photos on our smartphones, computers, memory cards, digital cameras, old Facebook albums, and, let’s not forget (though we may try) those physical prints packed away deep in the closest.

People often feel ashamed by the number of photos in their camera roll. We have forgotten that photos are supposed to bring us JOY!

Step One: Assess Your Physical and Digital Photo Collection

First, consider anywhere and everywhere your images currently live. “I’ve noticed everyone’s first instinct when organizing their photos is to delete junk on their camera roll like screenshots and blurry photos,” Stein notes. “But where does that get you? Exhausted after deleting a thousand items and feeling no more organized, right?”

That’s why the first step to organizing photos is creating one “hub” for all your memories to live. “Once everything is gathered into one hub, you can more easily get your arms around it and use tech to simplify the organizing work!”

Step Two: Set Realistic Goals and Timelines

Pull out your calendar and make a date with yourself to organize all your images into one hub. If it’s on the calendar, it’s happening. Highly encourage romanticizing your time with good music, nourishing snacks, and something to sip on. Remember, photos are meant to bring us joy—lean into it!

From there, assign time to organize your photos within the hub. You can either start backward by giving yourself a goal date or work forward, penciling in half-hour working blocks at a time until the task is complete.

Step Three: Grab Your Tools

First, you need a photo storage system to get your hub in working condition. Michelle Nash, photographer and Executive Producer here at Camille Styles, turns to Dropbox or Google Photos. “Google Photos is the best web-based program for photo organization, in my opinion. They were one of the first companies to implement smart search where you could find specific people.” Search “dog in bandana” or “Venice Beach 2021,” for example, to find exactly what you’re looking for.

Miss Freddy suggests that your photos live in three places to ensure ultimate peace of mind and security. Your phone can be one of the places, in addition to your digital storage system, and finally, an external hard drive. Backing up your photo collection on an external hard drive is the most secure way to prevent loss. Michelle recommends this smaller hard drive as a working drive that’s easy to travel with and this 10TB external hard drive for storing your entire collection.

woman organizing photos on the computer with cup of coffee

Sorting and Categorizing

Now that you’re ready to put all your photos into one main hub, it’s time to sort and categorize. If you’re using Google Photos to back up your camera roll, images will automatically be sorted by date. If you’ve got a backlog of photos from other sources, you’re best off creating a system.

Create a System for Sorting Photos

First things first: you need to get everything on your computer. Upload from hard drives, digitize physical copies, sort through USBs—just get ‘em all on there. (Note: if your computer doesn’t have the space, you can always work from an external hard drive.)

Next, it’s time to sort. When you’re organizing photos on your computer, it helps to change the filename so they’re easy to find. “Just like how we used to write ‘Michelle’s Birthday 1998’ on an envelope filled with physical photos, it helps to rename your files digitally.” For example, Michelle generally uses a format like “subjectmatter_location_date.”

Michelle shared her exact process:

  1. Keep a master folder for every year (ex: 2024)
  2. Create subfolders for each month
  3. Create specific subfolders within each month (ex: “Michelle’s 30th Birthday”)
  4. Within these subfolders, get as specific as you want to and organize into “scenes” (ex: “Opening Presents” and “Cake”)

At this point, you can backup the images on your computer to a program like Google Photos and then sync a backup with your phone’s camera roll—your hub is now complete and ready to be organized.

How to Categorize Photos in a Fun and Useful Way

Miss Freddy relies heavily on creating digital albums to categorize and highlight events or people. And while it’s a common misconception that albums take up more space in an already sprawling collection, the truth is that they’re highly underutilized. “People think they’re creating duplicates and making a bigger mess of their collection, but that’s not true at all! Albums do NOT create copies of your photos, they reference the original in your library.”

She uses albums as a way to categorize photos that matter most. “I use ‘Best Of’ albums to earmark my favorite photos of every family member (including the dog!), travel albums to highlight favorite photos from trips, project albums to gather photos for projects like slideshows or photo books, and much more!”

Utilize Technology for Efficient Digital Sorting

I took Michelle’s advice and turned to Google Photos for my personal photo library and one of my favorite features is how the technology sorts everything for me. It highlighted frequent faces so that all I had to do was go in and give them a name. From there, I can simply type my son’s name and a place in the search bar (ex: “Avery at Disneyland 2019”) to use facial recognition and metadata to find exactly what I’m looking for.

how to organize photos - woman on phone

Dealing with Duplicate Photos and Low-Quality Images

Up to now, we’ve only covered the photos we want to keep forever and lock ‘em away in a vault for our great-great-great grandkids to remember us by. But what about all those images you really, truly do not want? The screenshots are easy enough to delete, but what about when you’re faced with two (or two hundred…) photos of the same thing (I’m talking about selfies) with a slight difference from one to the next? Ah, the freedom and the cage of carrying a camera in our back pockets.

I asked Michelle how to just make the decision already and delete the photos. She offered sound advice: “I think the main gut check before you delete an image is just asking yourself: is this an image that myself or someone else would want to revisit sometime in the future? If the answer is no, then delete—and no regrets! If you have even an inkling of a yes, keep the image and store it where it belongs.”

Here’s a handy list if you’re hovering between yay and nay.

Keepers:

  • Favorite moments, people, locations
  • Moments that might feel mundane or unimportant now but you will appreciate or laugh at later
  • Trips, special occasions, friends and family, pets
  • Reminders

Deleters:

  • Duplicates
  • Fuzzy/out-of-focus images
  • Accidental images
  • Screenshots you’ll never revisit
  • Information you no longer need
woman smiling in bed organizing photos on phone

Create a Maintenance Plan (aka The Daily Habit That Will Change Your Life)

By this point, you’re at a place where all the images you ever loved are safe and sound in your hub. And perhaps also by this point, you’re too tired and overwhelmed to go through and clean it all up. Even if you know what you want to delete, it would be nearly impossible to do it all in one sitting. Enter, the daily habit that changed my life and the way I came to know about Miss Freddy in the first place: the Daily Delete.

How to Do the Daily Delete

“No matter how many photos are in your hub (the average size for my clients is about 70k), it feels way too big to tackle cleaning it up. The Daily Delete makes it smaller. One day at a time.” Here’s how it works:

  1. Type in today’s date in your search bar without the year. (Note: You can do this on your camera roll or download the Google Photos app—just remember, if you’re organizing within your camera roll you’ll need to pause auto-sync so that your hub reflects your updates.)
  2. Look through all the photos and videos from this date back through time and delete the ones you don’t need.

I loved the idea of the Daily Delete because of its practicality. It made my HUGE problem into something small. However, I didn’t anticipate the added bonus of genuinely enjoying my photos. I used to habit-stack it while I was breastfeeding, but those days are gone. Now, I set an alarm for 8 p.m. every night and enjoy five-ish daily minutes of looking back on memories from the past while also tackling a task that used to feel insurmountable. The Daily Delete allows you to interact with photos for the exact reason you took them in the first place: to enjoy them.

Set Up Reminders and Routines

The thing about photos is that we keep taking them. This means that photo organization is an ongoing task. And because we love a ritual and a routine around here, it’s fairly seamless to make it a regular event. I have my Daily Delete routine and a monthly check-in to both tweak my Google Photos (maybe add a new name to a face or update some Best Of albums) and back up my hub to my external hard drive.

Yes, organizing your photos is a big project, but it is such valuable work […] you can ultimately start enjoying your photos again.

couple walking in oaxaca travel photos

Preserving and Sharing Memories

Finally, we get to the best part. It’s no use keeping a collection of photos if we can’t use them! I became most motivated to organize my photos so that my kids could actually interact with them in a way that was not me passing my phone over and letting them scroll away. Find your why—then get creative.

Creative Ways to Display and Showcase Photos

There’s no shortage of print options for photos—that’s a whole other article in and of itself. If you’re having trouble narrowing it down, here are a few fun ideas to get started:

  • Create an Annual: Just like your high school days, collect all your favorite images from the year (grab from your “Best Of” photo albums!), and drop them into a single photo book.
  • Print a Family Calendar: Steal this fun idea from Michelle’s family—everyone contributes to a photo stream throughout the year to be used to create an extended family calendar.
  • Add Photos to Your Vision Board: This is the perfect place to utilize photos from trips or just general dreamy moments you want to continue to tap into throughout the year.
  • Turn on the TV Screensaver: Drop in some of your favorite photos to play on a loop when you’re not bingeing away.
  • Create a Shared Photo Stream: A shared photo stream is a great way to share memories and stories in the caption, especially if you’ve got family members far away. Bonus: when your kids grow up you’ll have a digital scrapbook to share.

How to Select Images for a Photo Book

We’re fans of Artifact Uprising for creating photo projects, from photo books to coasters to giant prints. If you’re going to the photo book route, a new kind of overwhelm often comes with where to start. I tapped the pros at Artifact Uprising to get their tips:

  1. Start by setting a clear focus or theme for your book. Artifact Uprising values the idea of storytelling so we recommend starting by identifying the main story or narrative you want to convey and then choosing images that capture the essence of that story.
  2. Limit yourself to a specific number of photos per page or spread to avoid overcrowding the book. And remember, it’s okay to let go of the notion that every photo has to be included.
  3. Select the images that are most meaningful and impactful to tell your story beautifully.
woman looking through photo book

The Takeaways

To recap: first, you’ve got to create one photo collection hub where all your memories live. Back it up on an external hard drive for safekeeping. Then, sort and organize your photos using tools like the Daily Delete and regular appointments with yourself. Finally, use your photos! Print them, share them, and enjoy them.

Miss Freddy wraps it up well: “Yes, organizing your photos is a big project, but it is such valuable work. Once you get your photos into one place, you can more easily create backups you trust so you can finally stop worrying about losing everything, you can use tech to help make it easier like automatically identifying duplicates, and you can ultimately start enjoying your photos again.”

Here’s to the enjoyment part, folks!

Additional Resources

If you’ve read through this whole article and are still like, “I just caaan’t,” Miss Freddy’s Backup Bootcamp™ course has helped thousands of students enjoy their photos again with step-by-step video tutorials.





Source link

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Lifestyle

12 Best French Pharmacy Skincare Products, Tested and Reviewed

Published

on


We may receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

I don’t believe in gatekeeping. As a beauty editor, I make my living by sharing what I love with literally anyone who will listen. So, it makes sense that I’ve become the defacto recommendation-giver in my friend group. On more than one occasion, I’ve had friends call me from the aisles of Trader Joe’s or Target to ask for my beauty hot takes and essentials. And my most recent deep-dive of late? French pharmacy skincare, of course. Seriously—the products may change, but the hype never gets old.

Now that it’s pre-summer, everyone is asking for travel reccos. While I relish giving restaurant and shopping recs in my favorite cities, my friends are often surprised when I tell them to beeline to the local pharmacies. I got my tretinoin in Mexico City (do as I say, not as I do), and I buy a specific CeraVe oil cleanser every time I’m in London. But nothing can beat French pharmacy skincare. Whenever I’m in Paris, I spend more time in French pharmacies than in French bistros. Thanks to endless perusing and tips from my Parisian friends, I’ve come to know French pharmacy skincare like the back of my hand.

Featured image from our interview with Sanne Vloet.

Iskra Lawrence French pharmacy skincare.

Why are we so obsessed with French beauty?

There’s something so seductive about the idea of French girl beauty. From the minimal skincare routines to the daring red lips and sophisticated coiffs, I’m always on a mission to replicate the effortlessness of the quintessential French girl. My Parisian friends tell me that the key of French girl style is curation. They find what they love, and they stick to it rather than endlessly chasing trends. But it takes a while to cultivate those holy grails. And with so many options to choose from, how do you know what’s right for you?

Everyone is always waxing poetic about the best face mists, serums, ointments, and oils they found in Paris. More than the fancy counters at giant boutiques like Le Bon Marché or Galeries Lafayette, French girls flock to their local pharmacies to buy their favorite beauty products.

French pharmacy skincare products.

The Best French Pharmacy Skincare Products to Stock up On

Stepping into a French pharmacy is like Disneyland for the beauty-obsessed. While some of the most ubiquitous brands have made it stateside, it’s rare to see all their offerings at once. From the popular holy grails to the more obscure picks, I’ve tried more French pharmacy skincare products than I can count.

If you’re planning a trip to France or standing in the aisle of a French pharmacy as you read this, I recommend going into multiple pharmacies and walking the aisles to discover new brands and products. To help you navigate it all, I’m breaking down the best French pharmacy skincare essentials to stock up on.

Our Top Picks

  1. Best Overall Product: Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Multi-Purpose Dry Oil – $26 at Anthropologie
  2. Best for Breakouts: Embryolisse 3-In-1 Secret Paste – $24.25 at Beauty Bay
  3. Best for Oily Skin: Embryolisse Exfoliating Milk Powder – $24.25 at Beauty Bay
  4. Best for Dry Skin: Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream – $12 at Avène USA
  5. Best Face Mist: La Roche-Posay Thermal Spring Water Spray – $139 at Vanity Planet
  6. Best Micellar Water: Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micellar Water – $12.99 at Target
  7. Best Over-the-Counter Retinol: A313 Retinol Pommade Vitamin A Night Moisturizer – $29.99 at Eisler’s Chemist
Pritika Swarup applying French pharmacy skincare products.

Why I Love It: If I could use one product for the rest of my life, it would be this. The end-all, be-all of French pharmacy skincare, this Nuxe body oil has earned its mainstream success. This dry oil absorbs fast on the body, seeps deep into the skin—and when applied to the hair—delivers both a shine and a sweet smell.

Insider Tip: In Paris, different sizes, scents, and variations of this Nuxe oil all line the pharmacy walls. I can’t pick a favorite so I get the original formula, plus the Shimmer and the Riche oils.

Key Ingredients: Macadamia Seed Oil, Sweet Almond Oil, Rosemary Leaf Extract

Why I Love It: Everybody everywhere is always talking about the Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré. But don’t sleep on this multi-purpose paste. It’s described as an anti pimples, anti-shine mask, and purifying cleanser. With a kaolin clay base, it’s a detoxifying holy grail that I like to slather on my face when I feel a breakout coming and use it as both a mask and a cleanser.

Insider Tip: The paste is formulated for combination, oily skin, or acne-prone. Proceed with caution if you have highly sensitive skin.

Key Ingredients: Hydrolyzed Cicer Seed Extract, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract

Why I Love It: Embryolisse is the gift that keeps giving when it comes to imaginative products for any skin concern. Think of this gently purifying powder as their answer to Dermalogica’s Daily Microfoliant. Its base of rice, coconut, and milk powder turns into a foamy skin milk to gently exfoliate and deliver baby-soft skin.

Insider Tip: Think of this as the French girl’s version of a skin milk. Because of its silky, milky texture, it’s a great option to layer beneath other products. Yes, even if you have oily skin.

Key Ingredients: Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Fruit Extract, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Starch

Why I Love It: When my skin is dry, I stock up on every cica-based product I can find. From K-Beauty cica balms to the La Roche Posay Cicaplast Balm (another French beauty must-have), it’s one of my favorite ingredients for irritation and dryness. This daily cream restores and protects. Plus, it leverages a unique postbiotic to boost your microbiome.

Insider Tip: This cream also comes in a spray for you to take on the go.

Key Ingredients: Avène Thermal Spring Water, Copper Sulfate and Zinc Sulfate

Why I Love It: The springs of the French town La Roche-Posay are famous for their healing powers. The water is full of natural minerals—like the powerful antioxidant selenium—that make thousands flock to the healing springs every year for transformative results. While some facial sprays are just scented water, this mist is literally bottled up from the fountain of youth.

Insider Tip: Other French face mists I love: Avène Eau Thermal and Embryolisse’s anti-pollution Eau Active.

Key Ingredients: Antioxidant-Rich Spring Water (Selenium, Copper)

Why I Love It: The cornerstone of a French beauty routine is micellar water. What can’t it do? It’s a cleanser, a makeup remover, and a hydrating toner. This pH-balancing micellar water is a classic for a reason.

Insider Tip: Use it as the first step in a double cleanse for deeply-cleaned skin.

Key Ingredients: Propylene Glycol, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract

Why I Love It: The hype is real: retinol will change your life. Particularly this retinyl palmitate ointment, with a formula that rivals most over-the-counter retinoids. If protecting and producing collagen as you age is your goal, this Vitamin A pomade delivers.

Insider Tip: Because retinol speeds up cell turnover, you’re effectively unclogging your pores with every application—great if reducing acne is your goal. And as always, apply SPF after your retinol!

Key Ingredients: Cera Microcristallina, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, BHT

More French Pharmacy Skincare Products to Consider

While I consider the French pharmacy skincare products above the best of the best, if you’re in the mood for a shopping spree, these are more heavy-hitting favorites I love to recommend.

Biafine Emulsion Cream

Of course the French can make ointment sexy. The hottest summer skincare trend is building back your skin barrier. While barrier products abound, everyone talks about Biafine’s magic-like results. Usually only available with a prescription in the U.S., it’s a thick ointment that dermatologists often prescribe their patients for post-procedure healing. Use it on particularly dry skin or any scars for faster wound healing.

Boiron Homéoplasmine

Slugging is all the rage for a reason. It’s flooding your skin with hydrating and moisturizing ingredients to get that coveted glass skin. I slug with this French answer to Vaseline. It’s a thick occlusive that also contains healing ingredients such as calendula to soothe any irritations and wounds. Apply it to your lips before lipstick for the perfect, French girl red pout.

La Roche-Posay Anthelios Light Fluid Face Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 60

From French pharmacies to TikTok, this sunscreen is everyone’s favorite. The serum-like texture sinks into the skin without leaving a white cast or pilling under makeup. SPF 60 never looked so good.

Caudalie Vinosun Protect Invisible High Protection Spray SPF 50

To no surprise, this is a multi-purpose sunscreen that works for your face and body. I like it best as a body sunscreen thanks to its moisturizing grapeseed oil base. Since it’s a spray, it’s convenient to apply and reapply.

PaperMints CoolCaps

Standing at the counter of a French pharmacy as we speak? Grab a few tubes of these mini mints. They pop in your mouth and release a minty burst of liquid for instant freshness. Think of them as a chicer version of a Listerine strip.





Source link

Continue Reading

Lifestyle

What I Eat in a Busy Day, From a Nutritionist and Mama

Published

on


As a mom and Nutrition Consultant, I’m often in search of that sweet spot: the one where speedy meets satiating. Some days I nail it. Other days I don’t. Some evenings, we’re having a peaceful, sit-down family meal. Others, the house is in disarray, our toddler is having a meltdown, and I’m nursing our infant—all between bites of a haphazard #GirlDinner. It’s a dynamic season, ya’ll. If you’re in the same boat (or simply need efficient meal ideas), I come bearing inspo. With convenience in mind, I’m sharing what I eat in a busy day. Consider this a guide to integrating practical nourishment during a time-sensitive era.

Plus, get a pulse on my fridge, freezer, and pantry staples—ingredients that bring together a nutritious meal in minutes.

Edie Horstman

Edie Horstman





Edie is the founder of nutrition coaching business, Wellness with Edie. With her background and expertise, she specializes in women’s health, including fertility, hormone balance, and postpartum wellness.

Is What I Eat in a Day Content helpful or harmful?

Love watching What I Eat in a Day videos? Join the club. Across social media, this topic rakes in views. But without proper context, WIEIAD content can be a slippery slope. What is her activity level like? Is she in a season of weight gain, loss, or maintenance? Does she count macros or have food intolerances? You get the gist. When in doubt, take WIEIAD content with a grain of salt (and keep in mind your own relationship with food). After all, not every influencer is a credential health expert. Nor is that particular day reflective of their overall diet.

This Isn’t a Template for Your Own Diet

We each have a unique genetic blueprint. When combined with individual health needs, hunger levels, and circumstances, our bodies respond differently to various foods. Hello, bio-individuality! As such, there’s no one-size-fits-all perfect diet. Rather, it’s your job to discover what makes you tick. And spoiler alert: this will ebb and flow throughout your entire life. Therefore, lean into WIEIAD content as inspiration—not a strict template for your own eats.

Oatmeal bowls.

How I Prioritize Nutrition on Busy Days

Ultimately, I aim for convenience that doesn’t skimp on nutrition. To keep my energy up, blood sugar stable, and cravings satisfied, I use the following guidelines for each meal:

  • Approximately 30 grams of protein
  • 1/2 plate of high-fiber carbs
  • 1-2 sources of healthy fats
  • Something “fun” to satisfy a texture or flavor craving

What this looks like in practice: a bowl of tender greens, a few slices of chopped deli turkey, chickpeas, leftover roasted potatoes, sliced cucumber, and crumbled goat cheese—all drizzled with a generous pour of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

As far as snacks are concerned, I focus on blood sugar balance, i.e. pairing carbs with fat and/or protein. A few favorites include:

  • dried apricots with walnuts
  • a rice cake with mashed avocado and hemp seeds
  • a cup of cottage cheese with grain-free tortilla chips
Salad ingredients

Healthy Eating Tips for Busy People

A little bit of meal prep goes a long way. After all, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail! Below are top tips for eating well when time is limited.

  1. When your schedule allows, plan 1-2 meals and prep a few ingredients in advance. This could look like air frying chicken or tofu, boiling eggs, massaging kale, making a batch of chia pudding, and popping a few whole sweet potatoes in the oven.
  2. Stock bags of frozen veggies or veggie burgers. They can be quickly thawed as a side or thrown into salads, stir-fries, or grain bowls.
  3. Batch cook a soup or stew. Once or twice a month, make a hearty soup. Freeze portions for when you’re short on time.
  4. Keep healthy snacks at the ready. Raw nuts or nut butter packets, pre-chopped veggies, turkey jerky, string cheese, protein bars, etc.
  5. Make smart substitutions. Swap out less nutritious ingredients for healthier alternatives. For example, use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream.
  6. Utilize your pantry space. From legume-based pasta to canned beans and tinned fish, there are plenty of protein options that are also shelf-stable.
  7. Try not to rely on caffeine! You’ll end up on an adrenaline roller coaster. Instead, reach for a non-jittery boost and pair it with a low-sugar, high-protein snack.
Woman making salad.

10 Ingredients for 10 Nourishing Meals

Don’t underestimate the power of 10 versatile ingredients. With a few pantry staples—and a bit of creativity—you can hack your way to convenient nourishment. Below are ingredients you’ll almost always find in our fridge or freezer, along with household favorites like ghee and nut butter.

  • Chicken (or chicken sausages)
  • Cottage cheese
  • Greek yogurt
  • Eggs
  • Spinach
  • Frozen broccoli
  • Avocado
  • Bread
  • Berries (fresh and frozen)
  • Sweet potatoes

Easy Meals to Make

Breakfast

Berry Greek yogurt smoothie. This protein-rich smoothie is creamy and filled with antioxidants. Blend together frozen berries, frozen avocado, Greek yogurt, spinach, and non-dairy milk. Increase the sweetness with half a frozen banana and make it a protein powerhouse with a scoop of vanilla protein powder.

Cottage cheese and fruit bowl. Cottage cheese topped with berries. Make this more filling with granola and hemp seeds.

Spinach and egg muffins. Whisk together eggs, spinach, thawed broccoli, and cottage cheese. Bake in muffin tins. Serve with avocado toast and berries. Have deli turkey or tomatoes? Toss these in too!

Breakfast hash. Scramble eggs with cubed sweet potatoes, spinach, broccoli, and cottage cheese (this adds creaminess and protein!). Top with avocado.

Savory Greek yogurt bowl. Sauté a handful of spinach and steam a few broccoli florets. Set aside. Fry 1-2 eggs. Spread a thick dollop of Greek yogurt in a cereal bowl. Add spinach, broccoli, and eggs. Drizzle with olive oil. Make this more filling with a scoop of cooked oatmeal. For more probiotics, add a forkful of kimchi.

Lunch or Dinner

Grilled chicken salad. Toss together mixed greens, grilled chicken, avocado slices, and drizzle of olive oil and balsamic. Serve with toasted bread. Add any other canned veggies (like chickpeas or artichokes) if you have them!

Veggie stir-fry. Sauté broccoli, spinach, and thinly sliced sweet potato. Elevate this stir-fry with cooked quinoa, frozen edamame, and a splash of tamari and sesame oil.

High-protein toast. Layer avocado, cottage cheese, and grilled chicken on a slice of bread. Add flavor with a handful of chopped herbs and a drizzle of chili oil or spicy honey.

Sweet potato toast. Thinly slice sweet potatoes, toast them in a toaster oven, then top with mashed avocado and a poached egg.

Loaded baked sweet potato. Stuff a baked sweet potato with cottage cheese, shredded chicken, and top with avocado. For a dose of flavor, drizzle with your favorite buffalo or barbecue sauce.

Woman drinking coffee in kitchen.

What I Eat in a Busy Day

Without compromising on nutrition quality, here’s a day’s worth of streamlined eats. Keep in mind that I don’t adhere to any particular diet (no allergies or intolerances), but I am currently breastfeeding! Therefore, I’m mindful of particular nutrients that babies need and the fact that nursing requires extra fuel.

Ultimately, my approach isn’t prescriptive or restrictive, and I try to include as much variety of vitamins and minerals as possible. Of course, adhering to cravings bears importance as well.

Breakfast

I’m currently loving scrambled eggs. Eggs are a wonderful source of choline, which most of us don’t get enough of! For sake of efficiency, I prep the veggies in a bowl the night before—Swiss chard, mushrooms, and cherry tomatoes. That way, it’s simply a matter of dumping them into a pan with ghee and cracking a couple of eggs. No chopping necessary! I had my eggs with sourdough topped with mashed avocado and cottage cheese (for healthy fats and more protein) alongside blueberries for antioxidants.

Other quick breakfasts I love: grain-free overnight oats, a couple of morning glory muffins crumbled over a bowl of Greek yogurt, and a slice of this goat cheese frittata with a side of berries.

chicken salad_what I eat in a busy day

Lunch

Thanks to meal prep, this lunch came together in less than five minutes. I threw pre-washed spinach into a bowl with leftover roasted purple sweet potato, sautéed summer squash, leeks, and Brussels sprouts, air fried chicken breasts (cooked the day before), and a handful of cherry tomatoes. I didn’t warm anything up—just enjoyed all the components cold. I topped this filling salad with grated parm and balsamic vinegar (for flavor), extra-virgin olive oil (for fat), Ithaca beet hummus (for fiber and fun), and local sauerkraut (for probiotics).

Other high-protein lunches I love: cottage cheese breakfast bowl, quinoa power bowl with rotisserie chicken, or a grazing board with deli turkey, walnuts, fruit, crackers, and hummus.

snack bowl_what I eat in a busy day

Snack

To help beat the afternoon slump, I noshed on a handful of apricots (quick carbs), chocolate covered almonds (was craving chocolate), and pistachios (healthy fats for blood sugar balance). My toddler had the same snack too! It was the perfect fuel to finish work and head out for a long walk.

Other energizing snacks I love: chocolate banana almond butter smoothie, vanilla chia pudding, and raspberry cocoa energy balls.

Dinner

After our evening walk, everyone was hangry. On these types of nights, I reach for ingredients we all love (and that cook quickly): chicken sausage, egg noodles, and frozen broccoli. I preheat our oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and spread the broccoli (frozen) on a sheet pan with sea salt and pepper. I stick that in the oven as it preheats. It thaws and crisps up in less than 15 minutes! Meanwhile, I boiled egg noodles and popped a few sausages in the air fryer. For added flavor and nutrition, I topped my bowl with grated parm, cottage cheese, cherry tomatoes, sauerkraut, and extra-virgin olive oil.

Other nourishing dinners we love: baked salmon with jasmine rice, rigatoni with Brussels sprouts, and lemony sheet pan chicken and veggies.

strawberry muffins_what I eat in a busy day
Green smoothie bowl

Dessert/Snack

I tend to have a small dessert right after dinner—mainly to satisfy my sweet tooth—then a more substantial snack closer to bed. This cadence works well, knowing I’ll be up a couple of times in the middle of night to nurse our baby! I keep a stash of these almond flour chocolate chip and strawberry muffins in our freezer, and I had one while tidying the house. Shortly before bed, I had a simple green smoothie bowl with vanilla protein powder.





Source link

Continue Reading

Lifestyle

Take a Virtual Tour of Camille Styles’ Mediterranean-Style Home

Published

on


Having lived in our Mediterranean-style home in Austin for over a decade, I’ve shared much of our design process through the years. From simple updates to the kitchen, to plastering our walls, to completely overhauling the backyard—it’s been a journey and I’m grateful to all of you who have been along for the ride! It occurred to me recently that I’ve never shared a complete tour of the entire house, with the room-by-room details all in one place. So, along with the launch of my Sourcebook that includes links to everything in our house, I couldn’t be more excited to share the official Camille Styles Home Tour. Scroll on for everything you’ve ever wondered about my home in Austin, but first: watch the video below so I can show you around.

And now, the details on each space in our house…

camille styles home tour - living room

The story of our house

My husband Adam discovered this property back when we were dating, 16 years ago! There was an old 1950s house on the lot that was in pretty bad shape, and the lot itself was so overgrown that you couldn’t see any of the views. The current backyard was completely nonexistent. But we knew that this property had tons of potential, and over a year after putting in the first offer on the property, we finally got it.

We spent the first year of our marriage working with our architect, Ryan Street, and then building a new house from the ground up. At the time, I’d never done a design project close to this scale before—and honestly, had no clue what I was doing. But thankfully, the experience sparked a passion for design and construction in both Adam and me. We learned so much through the process, and I feel lucky that we ended up with a final result that I still love, so many years later.

Now that we’ve been in the house for 13 years, there are definitely a few things that I’d love to update. We approach our home as an ongoing project—every year we tackle one or two thing and the house just keeps evolving right along with us.

camille styles home tour - living room

The “style” of our home

I often get asked what “style” our house is, and truthfully, I can’t point to just one particular design style since we’ve been inspired by so many different sources. However, I often use the words “warm minimalism” to describe our home. I’m always looking for simplicity, but want every space to feel warm and comfortable. 

There’s also an undeniable Mediterranean influence in our design. Adam and I went to Italy on our honeymoon, and we were so inspired by the architecture and the outdoor spaces where we spent time on the Amalfi coast. When we came home and began our design process, we wanted to incorporate materials like terra cotta and plaster, as well as so many of the plants we chose for our landscaping, like olive trees and jasmine.

The walls

One of the main questions I get asked about our home is—what color of paint is on the walls? Three years ago, we decided to plaster the walls of the entire house. I’ve long been obsessed with the old-world character that plaster gives a house, so I was really excited about this update—and I’ve loved it every bit as much as anticipated.

For our walls, we wanted a matte finish that’s little bit more earthy than a lot of the plaster on the market, and I found this product called American Clay that I fell in love with immediately. It’s a natural earth plaster made in New Mexico, and the finish has the soft, organic vibe I was envisioning for our house. It’s also nontoxic and eco-friendly. We plastered the entire downstairs of the house in American Clay’s shade called Forté White, and I love it so much that I actually keep some of the walls bare so that the plaster can have its own moment.

camille styles home tour - living room

The Living Room

Our living room is all about the natural light and the indoor-outdoor flow. My favorite part of this room is the big steel doors that open up completely to the patio and create this beautiful connection to the backyard. We had them designed and built by Rehme Steel Windows & Doors here in Austin. My emotional state is so influenced by sunlight, so it’s an instant mood booster to spend time in here and let all that light in.

Shop my living room:

Read more about the living room, including the updates we made.

The Kitchen and Dining Room

Our kitchen is where the magic happens—all of my recipe development for the site, and all the meals we make together as a family. When we host parties, everyone congregates around the big central island, so I usually set out the drinks and snacks here for grazing.

This kitchen does have a few inherent design challenges—mainly the lack of natural light. I’ve explored every possibly way to add a skylight or window in here, but the way the house is configured makes it impossible. So, I’m strategic with colors and styling to lighten up this space as much as possible.

When we built the house, we added a stainless steel venthood that I really fell out of love with as my style evolved. A few years ago, we did a kitchen update and replaced it with a custom plaster hood surround that made the biggest difference. The hood has a hidden ventilation system that’s mounted to the inside of the surround which we then plastered over in American Clay.

We also replaced our old countertops with this bright white Caesaerstone in the Cloudburst Concrete finish. I love Caesarstone and have used it in multiple projects—it’s beautiful and incredibly durable. This time around, we added a waterfall edge to the countertop and made a continuous sink all out of the same Caesarstone to make it all really seamless.

Shop my kitchen:

Read more about our kitchen remodel here.

The Backyard

Where do I begin with our backyard? This is my favorite space on our entire property. The fact that it’s taken us 12 years of work to get it to this point makes it even more special—it’s been an ever-evolving labor of love.

Up top, we’ve got our outdoor lounge area – this is where we hang out when we have friends over, and lots of times the four of us will actually eat dinner around this coffee table and just sit on cushions.

Camille Styles home best chaise lounges

And then, we’ve got the infinity-edged pool. We designed it to maximize the feeling of being built into a cliff, and I love that when we’re in the pool, it feels like we’re almost suspended in the canopy of the trees. We swim all the time—starting in March all the way through November, we are in the pool constantly. My favorite thing about our pool is the color—the dark tile reminds me of the Mediterranean with its deep blue waters.

backyard landscaping ideas umbrellas in a mediterranean yard

Since our home sits up on a high hillside, our foundation is built on a 30-foot retaining wall. The lower backyard on the other side of it has been our home’s biggest transformation over the last few years. It’s gone from being a dirt-covered hillside covered in brush and trees that we couldn’t even use, to a space that’s been featured all over the internet including in Architectural Digest. It’s taken us YEARS to bring our vision to life – we typically try to tackle one or two big projects a year back here and we’ll probably never be finished with this area.

Tour the full backyard here, including more about our backyard design, plants we’ve used, and all about that fire pit.

camille styles home tour - bedroom

The Primary Bedroom

Our bedroom is my sanctuary – our days are so full, from work to family life, and this is where the hustle stops and we truly relax. I love my corner window spot for morning coffee, and I’ll often sit here in the evening and journal or read before bed.

I get a lot of questions about our custom-designed and built bed. It’s made from unstained white oak for a matte, neutral finish, and then had two sconces hard wired into each side of the bed—the switches are located into the side of the nightstand so they’re invisible.

Lots more details on how we designed this bed in our bedroom tour right here.

Shop my bedroom:

Neutral, minimalist office.

Camille’s Tiny Office

Here’s a peek at the alcove office connected to the kitchen where I usually work. A couple years ago, I reconfigured the space to be more efficient. We demoed the existing desk and cabinetry, and replaced it with a clean “floating” slab of white oak to serve as a simple, streamlined desk setup. I love having this cozy space to hunker down and get stuff done, and it’s so convenient to pop in and out of here while I’m hanging with the kids or cooking dinner.

Take the full tour of my office.

camille styles home tour - media room

This room has been so many different things through the years—when we first moved in, it was our home gym… then it became my home office… and finally now that our kids are a little older, it’s our media room where our family watches movies or plays video games.

I kept the decor in this room really simple and affordable, from the Target rugs to the CB2 couch. When it comes to designing kids’ spaces, I usually stick with the same color palette and vibe of the rest of the house, but I don’t want anything precious or fragile. Let’s be honest—it’s probably going to get destroyed from the video game playing, sleepovers, and snacking that happens in this room!

Shop the media room:

camille styles studio kitchen makeover, open shelves

The Studio

Welcome to my team’s studio! We shoot a lot of recipe content for the site at my house, and as mentioned above, our kitchen doesn’t get much natural light. So, we transformed this back room of the house from a guest bedroom into a light-filled studio where we shoot recipes, as well as products for Casa Zuma.

I shared the entire before-and-after process of transforming our guest room into a studio kitchen here. We did it on a budget, and it’s such a great place for our team to collaborate and be creative.

Clean modern office.

The Family Office

This is our “family office”, although usually Adam works in here and I work in my little alcove off the kitchen (see above.) This room tends to become the dumping ground for Casa Zuma prototypes and samples we need to go through, so our goal for this space is to keep it as minimalist and clean as possible. For me, a clear space equals a clear mind and when there’s too much clutter I cannot think straight.

Take the full tour of the office here.

Shop the office space:

Camille styles meditation room

The Meditation Room

This loft area has also been a playroom, a TV room, and now—it’s what I call my “meditation room.” I turned it into a cocoon for relaxing, doing yoga or pilates, or where anyone in the house can escape when they need to chill and experience a low-stimuli environment.

Take the full tour of the meditation room here.

Shop this space:

Camille styles home tour - Henry’s room

Henry’s Room

I haven’t shared photos of my kids’ rooms since they were baby nurseries! I’m a fan of letting kids express themselves with their bedrooms once they’re old enough to care, so I don’t get too involved with the design—I really want it to be a reflection of them.

Henry’s room is pretty simple—he naturally doesn’t like clutter and keeps his stuff weirdly organized. We recently upgraded his desk to a larger surface where he can spread out his legos and Star Wars paraphernalia. The cute poster above his bed has all the lyrics to Hotel California (his favorite song.) I ordered the digital version from Etsy, then sent it to Framebridge to have it printed and framed.

Shop Henry’s room:

camille styles home tour - phoebe's room - kids room

Phoebe’s Room

Phoebe is not quite as minimalist as her brother (lol)—she’s a big beauty product girl, loves her stuffed animals, and has lots of little collections of all kinds of things. One thing I love about both kids’ rooms is that they have these huge windows with trees outside them, and it almost makes them feel like they’re nestled in  a treehouse. And then, they both have these incredible views of downtown Austin. At bedtime, we love to look out at the glittering skyline views and it’s so magical when you can see the moon up above.

Peek at Phoebe’s toddler room (I miss it!)

Shop Phoebe’s room:

And, that’s the tour! This house has been such an incredible home for us—it’s evolved right along with us through the years and really has a piece of our hearts. It’s our ultimate canvas for creativity and inspiration, and every room tells a story.  Thanks for coming by! Drop your questions in the comments of the video over on Youtube, and don’t forget to sign up for the Sourcebook below to get links to everything!





Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending

Copyright © 2024 World Daily Info. Powered by Columba Ventures Co. Ltd.