sip by swell review

First let me start off saying I just completed day one of my yoga challenge!! (insert the "raise the roof" emoji hands)  I found myself wanting to do something in the morning before stretching and going into a full workout.  I checked out Youtube and like always clicked on the first video.  I started a thirty day yoga challenge with Adriene (see more of her videos here).  Loved it!  It was fun, relaxed and easy for beginners and it left me feeling great before I did the bbg workout.

About a year ago S'well water bottles became extremely popular, known for keeping things cold for 24 hours and hot for 12 hours.  The prices did't seem to fit my budget, and they still don't.  I mean $25 for a 9 ounce bottle, $35 for a 17 ounce bottle, and $45 for a 25 ounce bottle.  A few months ago Target released a new edition of called Sip by Swell, which is a new type of Swell.  It was $25 for a 15 ounce bottle and a different shape than the original bottle.  I ended up getting it and right now that is my main water bottle.  There are pros and cons to it so I decided to share them with you if you're searching for the perfect bottle for you.

Pros

+ it's cheaper for more ounces than the original, but it works just the same. it stays cold for 24 hours and 12 hours hot.

+ sip by swell is a better shape.  the original shape is not as sturdy, so it falls down a lot and dents easily.  The sip by swell shape is easier to balance 

+ colors are better.  yes, the original bottle has more options, but some of the sip by swell colors are a little more fun.  there are also some fun prints including bees, crabs, and more...

Cons

+ It is not a complete 16 ounce bottle, so sometimes it's not that much to drink, and I end up constantly refiling it

+ adding ice is difficult because the ice is sometimes too big to fit into the bottle.  a simple hack is to rinse water on the stuck ice cube and it'll melt just enough to slip in the bottle

+ it's not dish wash safe, so you have to hand wash each time you use it, which can be annoying and time consuming.

Conclusion

I think the Sip by Swell is the best option.  It's a better price for the same thing.  Personally, I think that the quality is better than any other water bottle and it's worth cleaning after you use it.

there are more prints

Which if your favorite water bottle right now?  Comment below.

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color combos for fall outfits

Lately I have been feeling more of a breeze in the air, which means only one thing, it's almost fall!  I really like summer outfits, but fall is my favorite season.  I always wanted to write a post on this- keeping the summer look with more of fall clothes.  This outfit I'm wearing is a good example of a nice color combo, orange and navy. Orange is my least favorite color, but in this Lilly skirt it's faded out with the pinks.

For fall my favorite colors include navy, browns/tans, and occasionally an olive green.  I really like to pair orange with navy.  Another look I really like is having different browns/tans and olive green together like the Barbour jackets have.  I really don't like to use a lot of black ever, especially during fall unless it's a small piece of clothing like leggings.  Remember an upcoming post will have further details on transitioning into fall clothes!  Follow below to stay posted.

I still have one or two summer outfits to share!  Stay posted for further details or you can just follow along on my instagram.  For behind the scenes looks follow Lemon Design's twitter.  Also read up on how to transition into fall clothing items in my future posts.

nautical dog toys

I know for one I love to spoil my dog with toys and treats.  I mean how many toys can a dog have? Am I right?  Not to be selfish, but I want the toys to look good and come on, I want them to be cute.  I was searching the internet for some toys, and I happened to find a lot of nautical themed toys.  I really liked the roped toys from Jax and Bones, and in particular the whole brand.  They actually have a holiday themed section for dog toys, so that might be a new post for the holidays.

I know it's a little late in the summer to post this, but the beach is always there!  And it's such a coincidence because I scheduled this post and had no idea today was National Dog Day!   Shop these toys below!!

lobster 

bone 

rope buoy 

buoy 

anchor 

lifesaver 

wheel 

crab

Which toy is your favorite?

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lobster bake + outfit

Good morning!  I love starting out with that little saying that because I think it puts my readers and myself in a good mood.  I want to say making friends and staying close to family is really important. And they are great in the unexpected moments!  Continue reading to shop what I wore!

Anyways, a friend called me up and said she had some lobsters for dinner, and she'd send them over!  Let me begin, this friend is extremely talented with her cooking, style, and interior decorating.  We didn't just get lobsters.  We got a complete meal, salad, homemade dressing, corn, and of course desert, cherry pie.  It was delicious and it's a fun idea for a get together with friends.

The dress.  I am so disappointed because the dress in no longer at Old Navy, after hours of searching I can't find this specific dress.  The style is called a shirt dress that Old Navy carries, almost year round. (the summer dresses are best because of their prints)  I love these dresses because they are stylish, yet perfect for the fun, casual look.  The only thing is I did get my dress hemmed because I thought it was a bit too long.  Keep reading to shop the look.

 Here is their fall tee dress selection.  Of course with this nautical dinner I wore my Jack Rogers!

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j. crew new arrivals

I recently just got the newest J. Crew catalog and I really liked a lot of the new and sometimes funky looks.  I had a lot of favorites and if you checked out my instagram stories, you saw some of them.  I'm showing you some of my favorite looks, even though some of them are young.  Shop them, with the link below the image.  Get your credit card out! :)   P.S. Today is the Lilly sale!!! 

shop

shop

shop

shop

shop

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tips on planting succulents

Yesterday I posted a diy on how to paint terracotta pots and choose flowers and succulents to go in them.  Flowers are pretty basic as far as care and maintenance, it’s normally on the tag they come with.  A little research might help, letting you know what season they bloom, if they need shade or sun, how much water they take, ext.  With succulents they can be a little trickier,but easier if your not always around or in your house, so here are a few tips to take care of them.

+ they don't need a lot of water

Succulents are able to survive in dry climates without water for a certain time, but don’t be fooled. They still need water just a little and it has to be in small increments. A good tip is to use spray bottle and spray a little each day or every other day.  The soil shouldn’t extremely wet, just a little moist.

+ the sunnier the better

As I said before they do well in dry, sunny climate.  They love sun, in fact succulents thrive in warm environments.  They don’t do well in shade, so make sure they are in the sun.

+ actually plating them

When  you plant them you need to use the right water absorbing soil.  Options at The Home Depot will be available right by the succulents for the best soil for them.  Make sure your succulent is far enough in the soil.  To make sure it stays put, spray just a little water.

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diy painting pots

Good afternoon!! I have been in a positive vibe lately, mentally and physically, eating well, exercising, and just having fun.  I love crafts, but I am not the most creative person when it comes to my own projects, but I’m definitely loving this simple look and fun diy to do. Tomorrow I will be posting some of my tips on planting succulents and look out for some

use a protective, white spray paint as the base

 This protective coat will allow the paint to not chip if moisture gets to it.  I highly suggest painting it white even if you aren’t using white in your pattern.  It makes it easier to paint any color over it.

use acrylic craft paints

They are at almost all craft stores: Michael’s, Hobby Lobby, Joann’s, you name it.  They work perfectly and it’s not too expensive per bottle. I used Martha Stewart's collection.

a mistake i made

When I painted the posts I used a paint brush, unfortunately it didn’t turn out well and it looked streaky.  Instead of that look you have two options: spray paint the base and paint your design on it or use a sponge brush-they work great.

one last tip

When painting any pot make sure you also paint your design a little deeper on the inside, because the soil won’t come that high and you don’t want it left blank.

For more design patterns/ideas see my pinterest board, sew doing this

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vacation (beach + outfit)

I promised there would be a blog post today, which I am super excited about because I haven't posted in two weeks!  One of the reasons that I haven't posted is that I was on vacation!  And two, my blog content was deleted, update about that below. (outfit information below too)

  As usual I went to the beach for a few days with some family and friends.  I think out of all vacations possible going to a low key, non-crowded beach close to you is really the best vacation, even if it's not a whole week.  If it's close, travel is less stressful.  I don't think you really have to go out of the country for a fun vacation, especial with the hustle and bustle of flights, and the risk of your safety.  

When to go?

If you are going as a family with little ones and you want to get in the water, go midday, bring a quick and easy lunch with some snacks to eat on the beach. I bring a book, something to enjoy while tanning in the sun. (I was finishing a book on the Kennedy's)!  The lifeguards times are different depending on your location, but the general times are 10-5, so somewhere in there.

Another time to go is right around 5.  A lot of the general crowd will be leaving, and the little kids will also be going home, so not many distractions.  This is my favorite time to go, I think it is sooo relaxing.  Bring a picnic basket and eat dinner on the beach with your blanket.  That was the plan, but unfortunately as you can see it started to rain when we were taking photos.

Quick Update

As I shared with everyone on the blog through twitter and instagram stories (which I love!) all the blog content, which are the pictures were deleted.  I am in the process of fixing the problem, it just takes a little while because I have to re edit and add photos manually. I have already finished a few so I'm not worried!

This Outfit

I wore this dress as a cover up on the beach and it was great.  It's light, and it matched the tone of the ocean and sky. Since we were going to be eating on the beach I opted for a little dressy kind of look  with my dress (what I used as cover up) and I wore my classic Jack Rogers.  This is the J. Crew hat I wore, only $20!!  My birdcage bag-which is my all time favorite is actually one that's been passed down through my family trough a few family members, so it's original.  Here is one just like it on Etsy.  A newer looking version by Cult Gaia is here!  Also, to carry all of my things and others I used a Scout bag like this.

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:(

Recently I accidentally deleted all of the photo content on the blog. :(   I am trying my best to get them back by Friday, so cross your fingers!!  There also will be a new blog post definitely then!

Lemon Designed

doors i love

Every once and a while, I like to share a little something that I really like or I think inspires me.  Today my inspiration is doors, doors that I want, doors that I love the knob, pictures I want in my house.  I have a few photographers that I absolutely love including Gray Malin and others.  My all time favorite photographer would be Amy Stone.  I love her take, her style, her snapchats (@stone_amy), and everything else!  

In Amy's collection, she does a lot of lifestyle photos including coastal photos and , Nantucket (her hydrangea photos are my favorite, and a little food here and there.  I love her collection of her doors, I know it kind of sounds silly, but these are #goals.  

 

this is my favorite ^^

for more photos follow her instagram

and mine...

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@lemondesigned

active old navy clothes

 Last week I went shopping and stopped at Old Navy.  I knew I already had athletic clothes, but I saw some more and you know me, I got them.  I have to say, I am impressed with most of Old Navy's clothes, but their athletic wear is great!  They have a ton of options, not my favorite patterns but I can manage with solid black leggings anytime.  Continue reading for all the information on this outfit.

I got these clothes, and decided to share them with you.  The shirt I still haven"t decided if I like it a little or love it.  Lately I have seen all the workout tanks or shirts with "real life quotes" kind of like, "I'd rather be eating pizza" or "I woke up like this."  I haven't decided if they are too corny or they are awesome.  Anyways, I got the tank, which is realistic.  If I'm working out I don"t care about what my hair looks like. The material definitely sticks to you, which I don't like because I will sweat a lot and it is a bit see through.  The bottom also isn't a straight line, it  curves a bit.

I really like this shirt/workout sweater.  It is completely breathable and I think the color is a little different so it gives you that pop!  I would recommend getting it on sale because it will be nice to use for the fall.  During this shoot I was sweating in the 90 degree + heat.  I can't wait to use it for fall-it's not to hot or cold and the color reminds me of fall.

The most questions I've received are about my capri leggings.  My leggings are from Gap Fit and they are my absolute favorite leggings that I own I wear them at least two to three times a week.  Since I have bought them the color and style has gone out of style.  Careful read closely. 

 Here are almost the same leggings a little more of a purple color from the same company.  They are also available in black, pink, and navy.   Lulu lemon also carries capris in almost the same color, but they are on the higher end of the price range.

shop the rest of the look:  tank // long sleeve shirt

As I said a few days ago I hydrate using my Sip x Swell bottle from Target.  I absolutely love it and it keeps me refreshed throughout the whole workout!  Shop (only $25)

See my 10 minute easy leg workout here!

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