Better Life Bags

This is a really cool website courtesy of my co-worker's wife (thanks, Laura!). I love to find amazing products that are making a difference in the world. These bags are all handmade by first generation middle eastern immigrants to the U.S. The founders used to donate 10% of their proceeds to overseas businesspeople, but have since set up sewing classes and mini Better Life Bags "franchises" for these underprivileged women (located in Detroit) to learn a trade and make a living. Not only are the bags already super amazing, but you can also customize them with different colored and patterned materials. My favorite style is the "Molly", and I love the leather-bottom feature found on most of their products. Very chic. SHOP HERE

 

 

 Here are some of their other products: makeup bags, key chains, backpacks, Ipad cases, and prayer cards for kids, husbands, and moms. 

 

Please give me your man bag...

This is my new friend T.J. and his work bag that he "bought a looooong time ago" that I am obsessed with 1) because it has my husbands name on it and 2) because it's proof that the previous generation is totally amazing and should be imitated in (almost) every way. Babe, I'm finding you one of these for Christmas. 

Simply

sim·ple

ˈsimpəl/

adjective

1. 1.

   easily understood or done; presenting no difficulty; 

   plain, basic, or uncomplicated in form, nature, or design

BEFORE

The empty space in the picture below represents MUCH more than you would think. For a girl with a blog called "The Shopping Genius" I'm actually experiencing a little bit of retail overload. While I believe that there is never an end to the creativity and fun you can have with clothes, I do admit that there's such a thing as too many clothing items for one person to ever have in their closet. Tom and I are currently enrolled in Financial Peace University, a class on how to live within your means and leave a legacy, and I guess it's inspired me in more ways than just money. 

We live in such a culture of "If it's out there, BUY IT", and beyond just the fact that we are spending WAY more than we can afford to as a nation, we are also cluttering up our lives with pointless things to impress people who could care less so we can feel fake good about ourselves. Yuck. I'm really interested to see what our lives would look like if we just simplified everything a little bit. So, as a step in that direction, I decided to get rid of more than half of my clothes. Yes, I wear these items, and yes, they're still in style, but it's also an easy place to start cutting the unnecessary clutter out. 

I've actually found over the last couple of days that having less options (although still adorable options) makes choosing an outfit a lot easier. I can actually see what I have to work with, and it's forced me to choose different combinations than I would normally wear. 

I have a new philosophy on clothing. I don't want to just get the best deals on trendy things. I want to find one-of-a-kind little thrift store gems (like my vintage Coach envelope clutches that I bought for $12 each) or save up my hard-earned money to purchase classic, quality pieces that will last (and come back around) for decades. And, just like with my wardrobe, I want to bring some simplicity and focus into the rest of my life. I don't want to have too many clothes to enjoy them, and I don't want to have too many books to read them all, and I don't want to have so much to do that I can't remember all the special things I've done. So, yeah, here's to leading a simple life. 

Disclaimer: an obsession with and passion for fashion and clothing when kept in perspective is an amazing tool to enrich lives and bring beauty into our world. I know that the Creator created in me a unique desire for clothes and the history, movements, and culture they represent and can use that passion to bring glory to His name. So don't get me wrong, I'll be forever a shopper.  

AFTER