Double, double toil & trouble; Fire burn & caldron bubble.

Halloween is right around the corner & that means basic bitch pumpkin spice lattes, Yankee candles, & Instagram pictures in pumpkin patches. But it also means cinnamon brooms.

If you haven’t fucked with a cinnamon broom you are missing out on life. Let me tell ya, there’s not one person on in the world who shouldn’t have a cinnamon broom in their house.

You can find these at Trader Joe’s but I also found them online which is very exciting. Initially, my friend Erica of Fashionlush reminded me of the brooms via her Instagram story. It took me back to all these nostalgic thoughts of when I was little & my mom used to put them around the house so the whole house smelled like apple cinnamon ( yes they used to make apple cinnamon ones ).

I like to buy at least 3 of these during the holidays & hide them in spaces around the house so no one can see them. I’m tell you, your friends will walk in & say “OMIGOD your house smells so good!” & you can just smile internally to yourself.

WHY YOU NEED A CINNAMON BROOM

♡ Hang them above your doorway to ward off negativity & bad vibes.

♡ Cinnamon is thought to bring good fortune in business & money matters.

♡ Very festive for the holidays.

♡ Smells amazing.

Now, if you have a cinnamon broom & it needs a bit of a refresh, all you have to do is boil some water & hold the broom over the steam to bring it back to life. You can also sprinkle a few drops of cinnamon essential oil on the broom too.

If brooms aren’t your thing you can also do some pinecones all over your house because they smell delicious too. When my cinnamon brooms are hanging I love to put cinnamon essential oils in my chic, white, matte diffuser & it’s just heaven on earth.

To get specific, the brooms are made of pine straws & dressed in cinnamon oil which is why they smell SO. GOOD. You can sit there & sip your inulin cinnamon coffee while you breath in the scent of your broom & diffuser. If you know me, you know that I’m a huge fan of the senses- smell being one of the most important. This really gets me going.

So ya like I said, every basic bitch needs a cinnamon broom. Your husband will think you’ve been baking pies all day, but you can just sit back relax, & breath it all in. Get your own cinnamon broom here & tag me in your Instagram so I can see your super creative, crafty ways of showcasing it.

Speaking of fall, what kind of Halloween content do you guys want to see?

Peace, love & cinnamon.

x, lauryn

+ if you’ve started thinking about your Halloween costume you have to read this post first.

++ scope how to decorate a Halloween bar cart here.

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The post Every Basic Bitch Needs a Cinnamon Broom appeared first on The Skinny Confidential.

This post has been along time coming. I want to talk about my favorite gift I’ve ever received & my favorite gift I’ve ever given.

I think this is fun because hopefully it will inspire you to discover new gift ideas. There’s nothing worse than when you want to give someone a special gift & you can’t think of something that’s creative. Keep in mind that I was on such a strict budget when I was a bartender & going to school full time. It was hard to spend money on gifts because I just didn’t have the funds.

So here are 3 gift ideas that won’t break the bank.

The first one was given to me by my friend & TSC team member George. He’s so creative & he helps us with The Skinny Confidential back end. For my birthday he surprised me with handmade paper dolls of me & Michael. Not only did he surprise me with these, he also made sure they had every little detail.

As you can see, he also took the time to make Michael in his leather jacket & in his specific white tennis shoes. He did Pixy & Boone too. Every detail is just so thoughtful & realistic. You could always hire out for this & commission someone from Craigslist or Etsy.

Another cool idea is to design cards for someone. So if your BFF is having a bridal shower or baby shower, you could have some cards handmade with her on them. The details are important here I think. Have her in her favorite dress or outfit, in her favorite nail polish color, perhaps holding her dog.

The dolls are so special to me & it was just one of the most thoughtful, creative gifts ever. It would also be fun to do this for someone who is younger, instead of getting another toy.

Now lets get to my favorite gift I’ve ever given. This was a gift I gave as a broke bartender to Michael. He was living in this beautiful apartment & he’s one of those people who is so hard to buy for. What do you get someone who has everything? I wanted to think of a creative way to give him an experience & I noticed he didn’t have a bar. He just had all his alcohol bottles displayed on the counter.

I decided to go to Target & get a $100 shelving situation, spray painted it black & then I got all different kinds of bar tools. I found a cheap set online with a jigger, strainer, stirrer, shaker… you name it. I set it up with everything a bartender would have – little flamingo stirrers, cute umbrellas, even some blue cheese stuffed olives.

Michael had all these cocktail books & cool glasses collecting cobwebs in his cupboards so I took those & set them all up along with his alcohol bottles- color coordinated of course. For a finishing touch, I bought a print from Etsy for about $30 of a huge martini glass.

So I think the whole experience was about $250. When he came home I had some cool music playing, a drink made, the whole bar set up, & everything organized with the lights dimmed. Candles were lit, oils were diffusing & he was totally FLOORED. It was really special. Not only special, but functional too. It was all just using what he had, but adding some festive features to it. In the kitchen I set up crackers, cheese & grapes & made a whole night of it.

I wish I had a picture of this but I don’t ( so sad ). But this is a really creative gift idea that you can really have fun with. & I’m not talking like I did some home renovation for him. It was a very small area of his house.

Another gift I got Michael recently is personalized Guess Who? When it’s personalized it’s one of the cutest, most intimate games/gifts you can get someone. I had this personalized with our friends & family & Michael loved it so much. Did it appeal to ego? I’ll let you decide.

So I got pics of his family & friends, then got Boardgame Bonnie to put together the game, box & pieces. His smile was bigger than the Cheshire cat in Alice in Wonderland. We’ve played this personalized game of Guess Who? quite a few times over beers & laughed our asses off. It’s so fun to describe your family & friends & get super specific.

Anyways, those are 3 very special gift ideas that are fun if you’re looking for something to give the person who has everything.

Would love to know your guys’ gift ideas. Share all the deets.

With that, we’re currently in the South of France. We’re going to be out here working, but also having some fun. Will keep you updated through Instagram Stories. If you have any recommendations for Capri, St. Tropez, Monaco or Positano let me know below.

x, lauryn

+ check out the TSC team’s gift guide here.

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The post My Favorite Gift I’ve Ever Received appeared first on The Skinny Confidential.

SO FUN.

My sister-in-law Jordan & her husband Nico are pregnant with their first baby – a little girl named Luna Rose Becerra – so she recently had her baby shower which was thrown by my mother-in-law Lisa. I was in charge of goodie bags, & I wanted to make them as special as possible for Jordan, so I reached out to all my favorite brands to curate a very special goodie bag for all her friends & family.

Obviously I don’t have a ton of experience with the whole baby thing, but I did throw my sister Faye a baby shower so I wanted to share with you guys all the goodie bag deets & maybe it will provide a little inspo.

♡ Kopari

Kopari has always been a ride or die for me. I love their lip balm & I’ve been obsessed with them since they launched. The lip balm is so delicious that Michael likes to kiss it off my lips so it was a no brainer when it came to Jordan’s baby shower. It’s the perfect addition to a goodie bag because it’s super girly. We included a tiny Kopari Coconut Melt too which is safe for mom & baby. Kopari’s products are super clean & they just get it. I love all their stuff, PLUS they’re not tested on animals, non-GMO, free of parabens, sulfates, phthalates, & gluten.

website | instagram

♡ Poo~Pourri

Poo~Pourri is all over my house- it basically works like magic. You spritz the bowl before you go & it creates this barrier on the surface of the water & traps the odor below. This is incredibly efficient if you share your bathroom with you S.O. or a roommate. You should know that there are NO harsh chemicals—just the good stuff. Unlike the other guys, Poo~Pourri is safe to breathe & safe to flush. All the stuff we like: no fake fragrances, no parabens, & thank God- no formaldehyde. It’s just a bunch of essential oils that work. This is all so important when getting a house baby-ready so I thought it was perfect to include a little bottle of the lavender vanilla scent.

website | instagram

♡ The Sis Kiss

This is a line by 2 TSC readers who are sisters. They reached out about a year ago to send me some jewelry & I absolutely fell in love. For the goodie bags they sent us a bunch of gold necklaces that were tiny little moons for Luna. Their jewelry is super delicate & it layers really nicely. It’s affordable & chic & I think it’s the perfect thing to add to a gift or any goodie bag- whether it be a baby shower, bridal shower, or birthday. The sisters, Megan & Marla, started The Sis Kiss because they couldn’t find any jewelry they wanted to wear so they made it themselves! Love seeing the community start businesses & follow their passion!

website | instagram

♡ Taja Collection

This is one of my favorite candle brands because of their customization. They’re out of control with how gnarly they customize. If you’re looking for a brand that really takes it to the next level, then this is the brand for you. I cannot recommend them enough when it comes to candle customization. They worked with me to design a candle that was specifically for Luna. We did one with tiny moons & stars on it & on the lid it said “thank you for helping us celebrate Luna Rose.” This was probably one of my favorite additions because it was so personal. We decided on white matte because it was for a baby shower. This company also does custom diffusers & vases.

website | instagram

♡ Tavi Noir

These socks have been on the blog a lot & this brand was founded by my friend Charlotte Hobgood. Tavi Noir creates these amazing grippy socks that are perfect for yoga, pilates, or barre. It provides this grip that’s just essential for getting the most out of your workout. They don’t slip or fall down & I feel they are a total must-have. My favorite ones by far are the knee-highs– If you want a visual, check out this pic: ( don’t mind the mask. LOL. )Their knee high socks are major & they have all different styles which are all super cute especially if you’re into barre or reformer pilates. These socks are functional, fashionable & very good quality.

website | instagram

♡ Olive & Nectar

If you want a cheese & meat plate that’s on fucking steroids then Olive & Nectar is your go-to. I’ve never seen a Charcuterie board that is quite like this before. First of all it was about 6 feet long. It was so decorated that it’s more like a piece of art. Sofia is so artistic with the way she lays it out- not only did she have all these amazing cheeses, she also did a big pink moon out of beet hummus. There were tons of fruits, nuts & crackers & the whole thing is out of this world.

I’ve used Olive & Nectar before for my friend Faith’s party too. It’s such a hit. People actually stand in line to get to it & it’s such a conversation starter & a place where everyone wants to stand to stuff their face with brie cheese & grapes.

♡ The Floral Exchange

The amazing flowers were done by Marian Inbar of The Floral Exchange. Not only did she do the most beautiful flower set up ( as you can see ), but she also made these clouds out of cotton that were hanging over the flowers with a moon that represented Luna ( Jordan & Nico’s baby’s name & ‘moon’ in Spanish ). She is so creative & did everything herself- a real expert DIYer- definitely outdid herself with the flowers, decorations, & tiny details. We love a detail.

Instagram

If you like this post, make sure you check out Faith’s birthday where we also made super fun goodie bags.

You guys should also know, if you’re a blogger/business especially, that Jordan is the founder of InfleuncerSEO. She’s VERY good at SEO & has done it for me before. If you have any questions or want to check her out, follow her on Instagram: @influencerSEO & stalk her website. Jordan knows her shit when it comes to SEO so if you’re looking for an SEO expert, she’s your girl.

Hope you guys loved this very baby post. I’ll see you tomorrow. Happy Sunday!

love, lauryn

+ For more party posts check out my sister’s baby shower & Jordan’s bachelorette party.

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The post How to Make a Chic Baby Shower Goodie Bag That Everyone Will Love appeared first on The Skinny Confidential.

Baby showers!

Fun, festive !! But if I have anything to do with it, I’m not going to let the gender dictate the shower.

Let’s just go with it, you know?

So when my little sister, Faye, announced she was pregnant I jumped at the chance to throw her a shower with our stepmom, Julie. As you know Julie is AMAZING. She helped create the vision of our home & is really the best cook…ever? Together we planned a shower that was very much my sister, Faye, without making it super gender-ish.

We kept the blue & pink theme contrasting throughout the whole shower. Table cloths & candies were white & blue and then we did pink cotton candy to go in the cocktails. Julie brought cactus cupcakes ( yes, I know, how cute ) & designed insane cactus table clothes for the food table. Food was whipped up by my dad who made perfect spicy chicken verde enchiladas ( Daddy: can we please have the recipe? I’ve only been waiting 5 years? ) & chiles rellenos.

My whole family helped set up & ( surprise, surprise ) we left everything to the last minute so some of my friends had to chip in too…HA. The lateness runs in the family?

Just a couple of shoutouts:

Big thanks to Van De Vort for the spicy top ( LOVE! ), Roseur for supplying literally the most beautiful pink roses on the planet, Suja Juice for the perfect addition to mimosas ( Lemon Love is a fav ), Sugarfina for the candy because really I can’t throw a party without them, Blush Tan ( organic spray tans for everyone !! ), & SkinFix because it makes fun goodie bags. Candles are Wood Creek, vanilla flavored. Ultimately the champagne / rosé gummy bears brought the whole party together. To keep the vibe strong, Bossanova played in the background.

Ok, changing directions – Erica & I designed these super cute baby shower games for Faye through our company, blog-doo. Erica is like the most the talented person when it comes to graphic design…& well, I’m the most skilled micromanager, as you know. We certainly make an interesting team, right?

On that note, here’s a quick peek into the shower:

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Games anyone?

I’m definitely not a game person but, it’s a fun touch. We played games for like 5 seconds until we were distracted by The Nanz’ jokes. What can I say?

ALSO we made Faye a baby shower geo filter. Highly recommend if you’re throwing someone a party. There’s really nothing more fun than doing a Snap, throwing the ‘pretty filter’ on it, & finding a personalized geo filter. Nothing. Big thanks to the Snapchat team for dealing with my lateness & getting the baby shower filter up in like…2 hours. Whoops.

So yes!! A fun-filled non-gender related baby shower for you! We had so much fun. The party continued across the street. It was a real ball.

My sister looked beautiful & I’m SO excited to be an aunt!

& for the record, instead of getting her a diaper bag we got her this chic Cynthia Rowley duffle bag & filled it with a bunch of baby essentials like Honest wipes, lavender hand sanitizer, rose water spray, neon BANDAIDS, organic diapers, & lots of essential oils. I love getting someone a chic bag, individually wrapping each item & then placing them all in the chic bag. It’s like unwrapping a bunch of tiny gifts in one gift.

Ok! That’s it, off to bed. Goodnight guys, lauryn

+ ALSO check out how to throw a bridal shower.

++ To subscribe to TSC YouTube channel, click here.

{ photos | video }

Shop the baby shower:

The post How To Throw A Festive Baby Shower appeared first on The Skinny Confidential.

{ subscribe to TSC YouTube channel }

Hi, hi, hi.

A lot of you guys asked me on Snapchat to recreate the mini homemade potpourri tutorial that I shared in an installment of ‘TSC Snaps‘ a few weeks ago. I figured it’d be easiest to just SHOW you guys via video.

So ta-da.

If you don’t have this little mixture simmering on the stove this season, you’re really missing out.

My entire house smells like cloves, cinnamon, & Christmas 24/7. I kind of love it. No candles, just real deal natural festive scents.

For more mini series like this, come follow along on Snapchat!! Username is laurynevarts. See you there & HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

– lauryn

{ video | thx to Burlap & Crystal for the recipe }

The post HOLIDAY HOMEMADE POTPOURRI appeared first on The Skinny Confidential.

Ohhhhh…you know what’s good? Like, real, real good?

Almonds x coconut flakes.

& then add in a little berry medley, & it’s better than good.

Seriously mind blowing.

So if you’re a health nut, like me, I have a sweet, lil treat for you: toasted coconut x unsalted almond, dried berry trail mix.

I mean…

Here’s my deal with trail mix: I’m not a trail mixie-in-the-car-only-kinda-person. My trail mix has a serious purpose: I put it in 100 calorie Ziplock bags & put it in each of my handbags.

I also put little portion controlled bowls throughout my house. I have them in my kitchen so when I’m cooking I can grab a convenient, healthy snack. I have them in my room by bed so I don’t slam cookies down my throat at midnight. I have them in my living room for friends to snack on because bowls of candy are overrated.

A bowl of nature’s candy is way better:

Some benefits of almonds? Glad you asked.

Sexy, delish unsalted almonds reduce the risk of heart attacks, lower ‘bad’ cholesterol, protect artery walls from damage, build strong bones/teeth, aid in weight loss, nourish the nervous system, & alkalize the body.

This trail mix also obviously includes coconut flakes ( contains protein, fiber, zinc, & iron ), dried goji berries ( helps with stress & they’re anti-aging! ), & dried blueberries ( filled with antioxidants & Vitamin C ). If you want to get cray, add some dark chocolate chips too.

Oh! & I’m a not a measure-y person, so I basically did a handful of almonds & a 1/2 handful of the rest of the ingreds.

Easy, peasy.

And don’t forget to add your mixture to a 100 cal Ziplock bag for the perfect mid-day snack.

What’s your favorite DIY trail mix? xx. L

( * Sponsored by: Blue Diamond )

The post Seriously Bomb Trail Mix That Takes 10 Seconds appeared first on The Skinny Confidential.

Eek! Easter’s tomorrow!

I hope wherever you’re celebrating the sun is shining, the champagne is flowing, & the brunch is delish!

Here’s some of my favorite Easter ideas ( I’ll def be utilizing Peeps tomorrow & serving my sex kitten summer salad ):

1.} Peep cupcakes!! Who the F doesn’t like Peeps? I’m actually not a fan of eating them ( I’m more of a chocolate lover )…but seriously how cute are they?? Use them for decor or cupcake toppings. They’re so peeping cute! x.

2.} Bellinis, bellinis, bellinis! Fresh white peach bellinis are literally perf for Easter brunch. I like to add a little ice & make my own bellini mix.

3.} Pretty decor is mandatory for any hosted brunch. I love taking empty vases & filling them with color pastel candy. So pretty, right?!

4.} Glitter eggs are also another way to sex-up the table. Two years ago I made glitter eggs but used the plastic kind so they’re reusable each year. I’m obsessed!

5.} This sex kitten summer salad is a pretty, lil appetizer for a small group. Plus there’s avocado involved…yum! If you’re looking for something with more veggies, click here for ‘The Best Salad on the Planet.’

6.} A little DIY is always fun for guests. Set out colorful bowls of sprinkles, melted dark chocolate, & low sodium pretzels for guests to make their own chocolate dipped dessert!

Sooo, you guys have anything fun planned for Easter? Spill!

x L

The post Pretty, Glittery Easter Brunch Ideas!! appeared first on The Skinny Confidential.

I love a good DIY.

But only if it’s easy, quick, & cheap ( << sounds kinda slutty ).

But seriously: who has time to like, sit down & whip up a gnarly-ass DIY with five million supplies?

Hmmm, eerr, ehh, I guess Erica from Fashionlush is pretty damn good at DIY’s…

But raise your hand if you’re good at DIY’s.

……

Not I, said fly.

Ok, so here’s a rad story: my cute, cute friend, Natalie ( << she’s seventeen!! ) from Halfway to Harmony helped me find something that I’d been searching high & low for…a vintage peacock chair.

I casually mentioned to her that my life would be over, like over, over, if I didn’t own a peacock chair.

No peacock chair= deep depression.

So.

She goes to Palm Springs & finds not one peacock chair, but TWO!

Ya. TWO.

So now I have this white babe & another sex kitten, vintage peacock chair ( thx God! ) living in my casa.

Anyway, let’s talk about this DIY: Natalie brought the chair to my house & gave it a major facelift. Material used were:

First we primed the chair & then we sprayed the whole thing stark white. This took about an hour & my finger(s) kinda hurt- if we’re being honest- BUT it was so worth it.

After the whole chair sprayed white, Natalie & I painted the little detail in gold with a tiny paint brush.

When the peacock chair was dry, we added Natalie’s handmade ( yes, I know right?! Handmade— this girl’s the bomb.com. ) teal/gold/white tassel. She specially made the tassel for my home’s color scheme. If you’re interested in ordering handmade tassel ( price: $49 ), e-mail her at: halfwaytoharmony@gmail.com & she’ll kill it for you. Also, she sewed & designed the gold pillow…love.

Oh, did I mention she’s seventeen. Diiiiieeeee.

Me at seventeen= drinking a Coors Light in a random, abandoned high school parking lot attempting to break the midnight curfew like a loser.

Anyway, you can do this DIY to any chair in your home. Literally any chair works.

So find a random chair & make it pretty— because it opens the whole house x 10.

Everyday I look at my DIY peacock chair & freaking swoon.

I mean, I don’t sit on it- because let’s be honest, I’m too OCD for that. But hey, I look at it & smile real big.

Find more on Natalie & her sick DIY’s on her blog: Halfway to Harmony.

X L

{ To follow this cute babe on Instagram, click here // find this DIY on her blog here }.

The post A Lil DIY: A Sexed Up Peacock Chair appeared first on The Skinny Confidential.

On this perfectly rainy day, we decided that it’s totally appropriate to mix up DIY, extra spicy Bloody Mary mix + vodka. Hope you’re all enjoying your Saturday. Happy Saint Patty’s Day! xx —

The post Right Now appeared first on The Skinny Confidential.