chronic styleproduct review

Loving Lace: eShakti Fall 2013 Collection

Disclaimer: I received this dress from eShakti in order to facilitate this review on their fall collection. As always, all opinions are 100% my own and I always strive to share brands to benefit this community!

Since starting the disability process, I jump at the change to dress up, put on makeup, and feel more like a woman when I get the chance.

I will be the first to admit that I struggle with body confidence issues because of surgery scars and the impact of hormone treatments (both current and past) have had on my body. I have had both “mosquito bites” and “ghetto booty” as nicknames in college and while I have ditched the first one (the only benefit from the hormones!), the second is most definitely here to stay so as a woman with curves, I sometimes struggle to find clothes that fit all parts of me.

This is exactly why I love eShakti. This brand is different from the rest because of their mission:

eShakti believes that all women have the right to wear affordable fashion that is made for them and makes them look their absolute best.

Their collections includes vintage inspired pieces that are both feminine and modest. Each piece can be customized for your exact measurements as well as tailored to your preferences for neckline, sleeve type, and dress length for only $7.50 regardless of how many changes you make.

I have had the pleasure of working with eShakti previously (when I checked out their spring collection earlier this year and their 2012 fall collection) and I can say that both dresses are still key pieces in my wardrobe. Whenever I ask Abby what I should wear, she always says the “kitty cat dress.”

When I had the opportunity to check out the eShakti Fall 2013 Collection, it was a tough decision to make but I decided on this Lace Overlay Sash Tie Dress:

eShakti-Review

The dress was so comfortable to wear and it made me feel so feminine and beautiful! The only thing I think I will be on the lookout for is a thicker belt to go with the dress (maybe something with a little sparkle) and a shorter cardigan to help create more of an hourglass shape!

Once again, I totally recommend checking out eShakti when you are shopping for a dress (or anything else for that matter!). If you are a new customer you will receive a $25 gift coupon and they are currently running a 35% sale off the entire site through December 9th!

Disclaimer: I received this dress from eShakti in order to facilitate this review on their fall collection. As always, all opinions are 100% my own and I always strive to share brands to benefit this community!

chronic illnessfamilyholidaysproduct review

eMeals: Gluten-Free Meal Planning Made Easy

Disclosure: I am a member of the eMeals Blogger Network which includes a one year subscription to eMeals. This post also includes affiliate links. As always, all opinions are 100% my own and always strive to share brands and products that I believe can greatly benefit this community! 

Cooking has never been my forte but when I was diagnosed with Celiac disease in 2010, a lot of my best recipes had to go out the window. My lack of kitchen creativity paired with the overwhelming health challenges of the last six months meant my kitchen has pretty much been out of order save an occasional slow cooker dinner every now and then.

I know that meal planning is not only healthier for my family but is better for our budget which of course is a major concern when dealing with disability. When you plan out your meals for the week and make one trip to the grocery store for meal items, you can plan your shopping around sales and cut down on all the “extras” that somehow appear in your cart every time you make your way to the check out. When I attempted gluten-free meal planning on my own, I felt like I was using the same handful of recipes every week and that was if we even cooked at all. I definitely needed to find something new for the sake of our health (and our wallets).

When I visited Type A Conference in September, I was introduced to eMeals!

eMeals is an awesome service that allows you to create meals plans based on your eating style (such as gluten-free, vegetarian, or even slow cooker!), family size, and even your favorite place to shop for groceries! After signing up, you will receive an email with your seven day meal plan filled with simple yet creative recipes that include a main dish and sides. Not only does the email include all seven recipes but it also includes a shopping list with everything that you need customized for store you selected! To make it even better, the meal plan is coordinated with weekly sales at select stores!

Could it be any easier?!


Gluten-Free-Meal-Planning

 

Now that I am beginning to get my life back and I am excited to dust off my kitchen and put it to good use specially for the holidays right around the corner! I will definitely be sharing about my favorites along the way! The only thing I have noticed so far that I would tweak about the meal plans is the ability to select foods your family does not eat or other food allergies outside of the main meal plan categories. With having Celiac, I choose the gluten-free meal plans but I do not have the option to state that we don’t eat seafood or mushrooms or that I am allergic to nuts. In the grand scheme of things, I consider this a minor problem and within a couple weeks of receiving meal plans, I have many recipes in my arsenal that I am able to swap out for recipes included in the weekly meal plan that may not suit my family’s taste buds!

If you struggle in the kitchen like me (please tell me I’m not the only uncreative cook out there!) or want to start meal planning to keep your family (and budget) healthy, I definitely recommend checking out eMeals! Dinner plans start at $10 per month for 3 months or $58 for the whole year which brings the monthly cost down to $5!!! You can also get a jump on Black Friday/Cyber Monday and save 30% using promo code CYBER which makes eMeals deals even sweeter!


Meal-Planning-Cyber-Sale

If you plan on spending more time in the kitchen this holiday season, where will you be finding your recipes? Family hand-me-downs, your favorite cookbooks, or trying something new (and finally putting your Pinterest boards to use) after finding a recipe online?

 

Disclosure: I am a member of the eMeals Blogger Network which includes a one year subscription to eMeals. This post also includes affiliate links. As always, all opinions are 100% my own and always strive to share brands and products that I believe can greatly benefit this community! 

bloggingproduct review

Blog Design for Dummies Review (by a blog design dummy)

Disclosure: I was not paid a dime to review this book but wanted to write this Blog Design for Dummies Review because it is an AMAZING resource that I think every blogger should check out! This post does contain affiliate links. All opinions are 100% my own. These resources rock.

Blog Design For Dummies Review: By A Blog Design Dummy

Although I started blogging back in 2007, it took me couple years to really begin to understand what blogging really was and the whole bloggging community that existed beyond my own blog’s front door. The best thing I ever did for my blog was discovering The SITS Girls and signing up for a group class of 31 Days to Building A Better Blog. I met so many amazing ladies who have now become friends and supporters both of my blogging journey and my personal journey through life with chronic illness.

One of these amazing ladies was Melissa Culbertson.

Melissa blogs over at Adventuroo as well as over at Blog Clarity, which is a fantastic site that provides blogging, writing, and social media tips for bloggers. When Momcomm began, Melissa hosted weekly blog design critiques (which I was lucky enough to be one of the first critiques – check out this blast from the past blog design!) and these critiques went on to pave the way for Melissa writing Blog Design for Dummies so I totally take credit in helping her become the design rockstar she is today! Totally kidding! Melissa is a rockstar all on her own!

As I mentioned yesterday, as a part of reclaiming my life, I am working towards a new look here at a New Kind of Normal so I jumped at the chance to become more hands-on in the blog redesign this time around so I picked up her book, Blog Design for Dummies!

I am a total design and coding dummy and while I consider myself a pretty logical and analytical person, I have absolutely no background in anything graphic design related (I have degrees in music and pastoral care) so I was a little apprehensive.

My fears were totally unfounded.

I felt like this book was written for me. It was like a blueprint on how to plan your blog design from start to finish. From how to access what your goals and needs are to how to implement them from the overall theme to even the smallest of design elements so that you could feel your voice, your goals, and your dreams in every aspect of your blog design.

On my first reading of the book, I felt like I was back in grad school going highlighter happy.

Blog Design For Dummies - Inside Look

The language of the book was written in a way that anyone can understand. Its technical in each the reader about the important aspects that make up an effective blog design while insuring that the important information doesn’t get lost in over technicality.

I have always used a blog designer in the past and while I will continue to use a designer with this upcoming redesign, I felt like I am twenty times more aware of each integral pieces that makes up a design. I know know how to take a look at my current design and assess what is working and what is not working which helps me plan an effective redesign from the ground up. I have such a clearer understanding of how to find my voice and set my goals so that I can see those things throughout the design from the overall look and feel of the blog to how the navigation works to using those finishing touches that tie everything together.

On my second pass of the book, I went Post-It note happy and bookmarked each of the sections I wanted to focus on the most as I begin to plan my redesign.

Blog Design for Dummies - inside Look

Thanks to Melissa and Blog Design for Dummies, I have my to-do list started for planning this redesign and I think I am more excited than ever for things to come here at A New Kind of Normal!

I wanted to write this Blog Design for Dummies review because I know there are other people out there who want to step up their blog design so that they can achieve their dreams! If you are considering adding a custom design for your blog for the first time, planning a redesign like I am, or are simply looking for ways to assess your current design and make small adjustment that increase the overall functionality of your blog, you need to check out this book!

If you are not planning to change your blog design but are looking to grow your blog and create fresh content ideas, Melissa’s rockstar skills go way beyond blog design and her Content Brew course may be just the ticket! Cyber Monday hits a week early over at MomComm and on Monday, November 25th Content Brew will be on SALE for only $35 using promo code novbrew! Mark your calendars! You don’t want to miss this! (I am starting this for the 2nd time myself so if you want to partner up and work through it together, give me a shout!)

Disclosure: I was not paid a dime to review this book but wanted to write this Blog Design for Dummies Review because it is an AMAZING resource that I think every blogger should check out! This post does contain affiliate links. All opinions are 100% my own. These resources rock.