And in honor of it being Breast Cancer Awareness month, I decided to start off the week with today's Monday Home post featuring KitchenAid's Cook for the Cure line of cooking utensils and accessories.  I am particularly excited by this line of products because I love to cook, and I believe that many of these products are basic kitchen staples that every cook should have in his/her kitchen.

At $2o or less, these kitchen accessories are not only affordable, but they will definitely help you up your ante in the kitchen, AND 10% of the retail profit from the sale of all of these products will be donated to the Susan G. Komen fund!

So what are you waiting for?  You can start stocking your kitchen guilt free now! 

Or do you have a bridal shower to attend soon?  I believe a basket of these adorable and affordable pink kitchen accessories would make a wonderful shower gift for any bride!

Here are a few of my favorite products from the Cook for the Cure line by KitchenAid...

Will any of these cooking utensils or accessories be making their way to your kitchen soon?

I know I can never have too many ice cream scoops...but maybe that is just me!

How many times have you been standing in the beauty aisle at your local drugstore and you want to buy a new bottle of nail polish, but you just don't know which one to choose?

Sometimes polish can play tricks on the eye when it is in the jar!  Even if you like the way a polish looks on the shelf, it is hard to know what it will look like when it is out of the bottle, and on your pretty little fingernails!

That is why I love this clever and free iPhone app from one of my favorite polish lines, OPI.  The OPI iPhone app allows you to virtually try on OPI's entire collection of polishes, while also customizing the experience by allowing you to choose your specific skin tone.  Here are two of my favorite polishes...
 

Last Friday I shared with you a new routine that has helped me save time and eat healthier during the week.  I have started washing and chopping vegetables and greens at the beginning of the week, so that I have enough veggies on hand to quickly create a healthy and delicious dinner when I come home from work.  If you have washed and cut vegetables and greens on hand, you can throw together a delicious dinner salad in minutes, as long as you have just a few basic food staples in your pantry. 

To help you get started on this healthy and time saving routine, I have gathered four of my favorite Luxe for Less salad recipes that are easy to put together, hearty enough for dinner, and definitely delicious!
 

Turkey Salad with Tomato, Avocado, and Parmesan: Real Simple Food

Click here to check out this recipe!  The dressing is so simple to make, and the turkey, avocado, and Parmesan really dress up this simple salad.
 

BLT Salad with Buttermilk Dressing: Martha Stewart Living

Click here to check out this recipe!  Who doesn't love a BLT?!  And by using buttermilk to thicken the dressing instead of oil you are able to cut down on fat and calories!

Pan-Seared Dumpling Salad: Real Simple Food

Click here to check out this recipe!  My husband and I both love dumplings, but eating a whole plate of dumplings for dinner can be heavy on calories!  This is a great way to enjoy the yummy taste of dumplings, with the added fiber and nutrients of fresh veggies and edamame.
 

Click here to check out this recipe!  I love a good Greek salad, and if you have olives and feta on hand, and you chop a few peppers and onion ahead of time, this salad is super easy to whip together on the fly!

Do you have a favorite salad recipe that is easy to prepare, and hearty enough to satisfy for dinner?  If so I would love to hear about it!

Enjoy your weekend everyone...happy eating and drinking!

When we were planning our wedding two years ago one of my favorite wedding resources was the website Wedding Paper Divas.  Wedding Paper Divas has a great selection of wedding related paper products at very reasonable prices, and ultra fast delivery.  When we ordered "save the dates" from Wedding Paper Divas we were very pleased with the quality of the product, and we received our cards within just a few days of placing our order!

And starting today Wedding Paper Divas is starting a new feature called the Deal of the Day where they will be offering a different deal every Thursday!

Today's deal which ends tomorrow, October 15 at 8:00am, is particularly exciting because it is something that everyone can take advantage of...50% of all thank you cards!

Regardless of whether you are planning a wedding or not, Wedding Paper Divas is a great resource for customizable thank you notes, as they carry a wide selection of thank you notes to match their inventory of wedding paper products.

To take advantage of this special offer just enter the code: DOD1014 at check out!

Here are just a few of my favorite thank you cards from Wedding Paper Divas...

Will you be ordering any thank you cards from Wedding Paper Divas tonight? 

I like so many of the patterns, I can't decide which one to choose!

We have all been there...you are getting ready for work, and you just don't know what to wear.  You feel like you have worn the same black pants, and cardigan or blazer a million times...so how do you jazz up your basic work ensemble?  Accessories!

One of my favorite ways to accessorize a basic black top is a statement necklace.  Having a bold, eye catching metallic necklace on hand is a great wardrobe staple that will always make your outfit more fun and formal.  Here is a recent picture of Kim Kardashian working the statement necklace in the perfect way to dress up her basic black tee...

Just like this black chain and crystal necklace from J. Crew that recently caught my eye...wouldn't it be great paired with a basic black tee or cardigan?  The only problem is that the $195 price tag is a little rich for my blood!

Braided Crystal Chain Necklace, J.Crew, $195

So in my search for a fun black statement necklace to dress up my work wardrobe, I came across the Simply Vera by Vera Wang Collection at Kohls.  Who knew Kohls had such beautiful jewelry?!  Here are two of my favorites...and at around $50 or less, these are both much more affordable options to add to your jewelry collection!

Do you have a statement necklace that is one of your wardrobe staples?

If so, I would love to hear where you found it!

Happy Shopping!

Do you remember the movie The Holiday?  It's a great concept...two woman, one in LA and one in England, both unlucky in love and in need of a vacation, agree to swap homes for their holiday vacation.  And as the plot thickens, both women end up finding love on their house exchange...while also staying free of charge in one another's beautiful homes!  Now as seamless as the house exchange process seems in this movie,  who hasn't watched this film and thought...well this is a great idea, but how does a home exchange actually work in real life?!  Could it really be that easy to travel around the world virtually free of charge?  I must admit that I was skeptical when I first heard of the "home exchange" concept...

But recently I had an interesting conversation with one of my friends, LH, who has enjoyed great success using the house exchange program HomeLink.  In fact my friend was so positive about her experience with HomeLink, that I felt compelled to share her amazing story of traveling around the world with you today!  Here are a few of the highlights from our conversation...

LL4L: When did you first join HomeLink, and what was your first experience with the program?
LH: We joined HomeLink in 1999 and made our first exchange that year to Ireland.  It was absolutely a dream trip - we made lifelong friends with our exchange partners and spent 3 weeks in a beautiful country with our daughter, who was a toddler at the time.  It was so great to stay in a home (with a crib, changing table, toys, VCR), go out to museums, parks, etc. during the day and then come home to make dinner and set our 18 month old up with toys and a Tellytubby video while we drank wine in the garden and planned the next day's adventures!  Once or twice the grandmother of the family who we swapped homes with even babysat our daughter so we could go out to dinner in Dublin.  It really was terrific in every way and launched us as passionate home exchangers.

LL4L: Wow it sounds like you had an amazing first trip with HomeLink.  What are the benefits to exchanging homes through a company, and how does HomeLink assist you with the process?
LH: HomeLink is an organization which provides guidance and a website and a format to post a listing.  They also offer advice and contract forms but they do not screen candidates, arrange exchanges, or police the participants.  That said, they claim that problems are extremely rare and judging from our 6 exchanges we endorse that claim.  Membership costs about $125 a year and allows complete access to the listings.
 

LL4L: This sounds so easy!  But how do you and your house exchange partner get in touch with one another?
LH: Here's how it works...you can browse listings (let's say you want to go to Ft. Lauderdale in March - you can search for those listings specifically) or you can wait to receive offers.  Living in New York City, we get offers all the time.  In the past week we've had people from Australia, Venice, and Florence approach us for an exchange.  If you find a listing you like, you can click "Contact Member" and make your request.  No emails are revealed; the request goes through the website.  There are also shortcut responses like, "Send a no thank you message," that you can just click if the offer isn't for you. 
 

LL4L: I would love to travel somewhere new and exotic, while also staying in the comfort of a home instead of a hotel, but I am nervous about someone else staying in my home without me there!  How do you feel about this?
LH: I feel fine!  After all, I'm in their home at the same time.  For each exchange I have felt like friends with the exchange partner by the time the swap happens.  Imagine that you are inviting a friend to come stay in your home while you are away.  You would probably feel proud and excited and eager to show your friend a good time - that's how we always feel.  I usually start working on a swap about 4-6 months in advance so that's a lot of time to email and get to know each other.
 

LL4L: Wow, it sounds like you usually become friends with your house exchange partners, do you ever meet one another during the process?
LH: Many times we do.  Perhaps they'll arrive the same afternoon we leave, especially if we are going to Europe.  Or we'll meet up at another time.  A year after our Amsterdam exchange our partners were in NY and we met for dinner at the Mermaid Inn.  We almost always meet relatives or close friends of the exchange partners.  We've been picked up at the airport and taken out to dinner and given free babysitting more times than we can count!  And people always leave food or wine, usually local specialties.
 

LL4L: Well it sounds like you feel at home in your new destination right away!  How do you prepare your home for your guests? 
LH: I put away things that might get broken or misplaced.  I also lock our file cabinet with all our documents, etc.  I also put together a binder with instructions for the appliances, neighbors and friends to contact, local sights, take out menus, useful numbers.  It takes a bit of work to put this all together the first time but then it is very easy to maintain and update. 

LL4L: And do you worry about anything happening to your things while you are gone?
LH:No!  What are they going to do...fly 3000 miles to steal my TV?  If you have really expensive jewelry or other valuable that makes you nervous to leave out, store it with a friend.  We've never had a problem.  It's typical that a glass may get broken or something is put away in the wrong place and I can't find it for a few days, but that's it.

LL4L: Well it sounds like there are many perks to this program, but what is your absolute favorite part of traveling this way?
LH: Basically I'm just a huge fan of traveling this way because it eliminates hotel costs (so we can go somewhere for a longer time) and really encourages us to be travelers rather than tourists.  There is something about living in a home that makes me feel like I am getting an authentic and meaningful experience of another place.  Don't get me wrong - I love a 5 star hotel and will never turn down a long weekend at the Four Seasons Miami.  But long term stays at the Ritz are not in the cards for us and we have found this to be such a fun and adventurous alternative.

Thank you LH for taking the time to share your home exchange experience with Living Luxe for Less!  It not only is a great way to see the world for less, but it sounds like there are many other perks to this form of travel.  You truly have opened my eyes to a whole new way of seeing the world, and traveling luxe for less!

What is next on your must see list?  Now that you now about HomeLink, would you consider doing a home exchange to make your next dream vacation a reality?

Now through Wednesday, October 13, J.Crew is offering 20% off all online orders of $150 or more.  To take advantage of this discount, just enter the code SHOPFALL at checkout.

So if you are like me and you have your eye on a few full price items from J.Crew that you know won't be hitting the sale rack until snow starts to fall, now is the time to stock up!

So today's Tuesday Fashion post is FALLing for J.Crew...here is my wish list J.Crew outfit for Fall, and if I could use this discount to it's FULL advantage, here is what you would find in my virtual shopping cart!

Do you plan on making a purchase at J.Crew this week?

Happy Shopping!

About a month ago I did a post on Alex and Lorenzo Home, my go to source for tabletop accessories and hostess gifts in New York City.  Alex and Lorenzo Home has an amazing assortment of reasonably priced home decor items, all thanks to the store owner Kristen McLaughlin, who has an incredible eye for unique and chic home items.

Now Kristen knows my passion for luxe home decor for less, and the last time I stopped by her store she was kind enough to fill me in on one of her favorite resources for home fabrics....Fabric.com!

Fabric.com has an incredible assortment of home and fashion fabric, along with a a variety of resources for knitting and crafts.  Once I spent some time on this website I was shocked to discover so many wonderful fabrics, all reasonably priced, and many for less than $10 per yard!
 

Premier Prints Blend Zebra Java, $9.98 per yard, Fabric.com

Waverly Cross Section Charcoal, $8.98 per yard, Fabric.com

Waverly Ellis Flamingo, $8.98 per yard, Fabric.com

Premier Prints Coral Texture Denton/Cloud, $9.98 per yard, Fabric.com

Premier Prints Chipper Slub Texture Corn Yellow, $6.98 per yard, Fabric.com

Amy Butler August Fields Sunrise Grey, on sale for $5.98 per yard through 10/11, Fabric.com

Premier Prints ZigZag Texture Titan/Birch, $6.98, Fabric.com

Although I love to cook, and I definitely love to eat, I must admit that sometimes during the week I come home from work so tired that I don't have the patience or the energy to whip together a homemade dinner.  But unfortunately what happens when I don't eat a real dinner is that I end up eating more calories in snacks than I would have consumed if I had just made something healthier, and more substantial for dinner in the first place!

So to overcome this hurdle and help myself and my husband find the time to cook more often, eat healthier, and save time in the process, I have started a new routine on Sundays...Rinse and Chop Veggie Sunday!  Here's what I do...

1. I place an order from Fresh Direct and order a variety of fresh vegetables that have a long shelf time.  Last week this included lettuce, carrots, celery, and scallions.

2. I begin rinsing and chopping...

Before I wash the lettuce I chop it, and then put it in our OXO Stainless Steel Salad Spinner.  At $49.99 this is not a cheap kitchen appliance, but it cuts down on time washing your greens, and the stainless steel bowl is multipurpose.  It serves as a serving bowl that is both attractive and functional, and it keeps lettuce crisp for days...literally!

3. Next I get to spinning...

4. Chop up a variety of veggies...and voila!

Now you have enough lettuce and chopped vegetables to serve as the base of your dinner for at least four days of the week!

Rinsing and chopping at the beginning of the week has really improved my weekly eating habits, and it has taught me that if I come home for dinner and I have a fridge full of washed and cut vegetables, I am SO MUCH more likely to toss together a fresh, healthy, and low calorie dinner, than if I came home to a freezer of ice cream, and a pantry of cereal!

AND...washing and preparing vegetables at the beginning of the week not only saves time and calories, it also saves money!  Doing this extra prep at the beginning of the week has definitely cut down on our ordering out during the week.

And just in case you are curious...here are a few things we were inspired to make with our prepared veggies last week...

And to make this healthy and time saving routine a success, I suggest always keeping your pantry stocked with a few staples that will turn your boring greens into a delicious meal in just minutes.  Here are a few of my favorites...

Green Olives
Walnuts
Cashews
Apples
Dried Cherries
Dried Cranberries
Parmesan
Cheddar or Gouda Cheese
Japanese Ginger Dressing
Newman's Own Lighten Up Balsamic Vinaigrette
Newman's Own Lighten Up Sesame Ginger Dressing

Do you think this would help you save calories and time during the week?! 

Next week I will follow up with a few of my favorite recipes for hearty dinner salads that you can make on the fly when you have a stocked fridge of prepared veggies and greens.

Do you have any tips on eating healthier and saving time when it comes to cooking dinner during the week?

Happy eating and drinking!

Every year as the summer ends, and August quickly turns into September, I tell myself that I am not going to splurge on indulging in the latest fashion trends of the season, and I try and convince myself that I should just make do with my fall staples from the year before.

But unfortunately for my wallet, every time fall rolls around, I fall prey to the 20 pound fashion magazines that I have piled up around my apartment, and I quickly have a list of all of the new fall items that I have convinced myself that I cannot live without!
 

So today I am featuring a few footwear trends for fall that I believe are must haves...

1. Animal print!  Animal print shoes are a wardrobe staple because they are so versatile!  They go with black and brown, any bright color like orange, yellow or hot pink, and they also mix well with a variety of patterns. 

This pair of leopard print shoes from French Sole is super cute, but at $130 they are a little pricey for a pair of flats!

LUXE: India Ballet Flat, French Sole, $130

So why not splurge on these beautiful animal print ballet flats?  At $19.50, these shoes are a great deal, and a necessary purchase in my opinion!

LESS: Women's Ballet Flat Leopard, Old Navy, $19.50
 

2. Riding Boots! Bottom line, this isn't a trend, this is a timeless staple that everyone should have in their wardrobe!  I wear my chocolate brown riding boots ALL the time in the fall and winter!  This pair of Tory Burch boots was featured in the September issue of Vogue, and recently caught my eye...but at $495  they are definitely not in my budget!

LUXE: Tumbled Leather Elle Boot, Tory Burch, $495
 

Finding a pair of nice boots is always a challenge, but I think this Unisa riding boots look great, and what a great price...$99!  And as an added bonus, Piperlime always has free shipping and free returns.

LESS: Unisa Raena Boot, Brown, Piperlime, $99
 

3. The Bootie!  This versatile shoe is every where lately...they can be worn with skirts, dresses, pants, jeans, and they instantly add a bit of glam to any outfit.  This bootie by Elizabeth and James is stunning, but at $350 the price tag is a little steep!

LUXE: Elizabeth and James Skylar, Black, Piperlime, $350
 

But check out this pair of stylish booties by Unisa!  At $79 they will be much easier on your bank account, and they will still glam up any outfit you pair them with...and you have two colors to choose from!  I always love black, but I also have a weakness for nude shoes.  Anything that elongates the leg is alright with me!

LESS: Unisa Claire, Grey Smooth and Black, Piperlime, $79