Samantha K Schmidt

I have always considered myself somewhat of a minimalist. I like simple design and get anxious when there's too much clutter. With that said, I've also been a trend-seeker most of my life. I'm immediately attracted to things I see on blogs or in stores and feel an immediate need to buy more. It's the consumerist mindset that I've grown up, but my minimalist self and my consumerist self have always battled it out. Lately, I've been inspired by other minimalists to start narrowing down my clothes and accessories to only the essential items. This looks different for everyone so here are a few tips on how to decide what to keep in your closet. 1. Get rid of anything you haven't worn in a year. Whether the item is no longer trendy, doesn't fit, or never quite looked right it's time to get rid of it. If you are holding onto items thinking you will fit into them again, keep this in mind. Once you lose the weight you'll want new items anyway instead...

On November 14, 2015 my amazing boyfriend asked me to be his wife and almost immediately gave me the deadline of 5 months to plan and prepare a wedding and merge our two homes. I had known since the beginning of our relationship that he wasn't fond of long engagements and admittedly the sooner I could marry him the happier I would have been; however, I believe he underestimated just how much there is to do in preparation for a wedding. As the wedding day got closer and closer I found my capacity for other processing almost entirely disabled. A normally organized and alert individual, I began to lose track of dates, tasks, and even people's names. The other day I found myself pondering over the name of a coworker for nearly 3 minutes before it finally made its way out of long term memory. I began using the term wedding brain when I realized that like a pregnant woman I was so focused on this monumental change in my life that I seemed to be forgetting little details....

Last week I gave you the basic guide to thrifting. This week we are going to talk about the best thrift store finds. What are the best items to look for when thrifting? Here are few things that you'll want to look for on your next excursion.

I am just full of tips and tricks lately. Just consider me the Samantha in your friend group. You know the older, more "experienced" friend. (I can't resist a good Sex and the City reference.) Today's tips are all about thrifting. I like to consider these the basics. If you've never thrifted before, this is the place to start.

Sometimes life can get way too hectic. Working a full time job, keeping up with things at home, and squeezing in time with friends can be exhausting. Every now and then I like to put everything aside for a day and spend some time just being me. There's so many great ways to treat yourself for a Me Day. Here are just a few ideas.

Hello Luxers! Welcome to my Summer Lovin' series. You saw the first entry yesterday about my first ever cruise experience. This series is going to continue through the summer with tips and tricks as well as my personal summer experiences. 

Today I signed up for the Princess Half Marathon! This will actually be my second half marathon, but last year I ran this baby for the first time and man was that an achievement. A half marathon is a huge commitment, so before you register here are some things to consider: What's your pace? You should be running at least a 15 minute mile in order to finish. I seriously suggest having a 5k under your belt before committing to a half marathon. It will give you some race experience and give you an estimate of your finish time. Do you have the time? Training for a race is a serious time commitment. My training program is 19 weeks long, but if this is your first half you may want to train a bit longer. That means 3 times a week for 6 or more months. Find a running buddy to keep you motivated and plan runs even when you're on vacation. Do you have the money? Maybe you aren't running a Disney race (which is pricey but totally worth it), but the cost of any race can still b...

I have been dealing with a nasty bug the past few days (which is why I haven't been posting), but I'm finally starting to feel better. When it comes to colds I've never been big on all the medicinal methods. Not only do I hate putting all that junk in my body, but cold medicines have always made me feel like a drunk. When it comes to over the counter medicines, you end up only treating the symptoms. There's no healing remedy for the cold except to boost the immune system, so I make this my goal every time I start to get sick. A little advice, instead of pumping all those unnatural chemicals into your body, try a more natural method. Here's a few tips that will get you through a cold both quickly and safely. 1. Stay Healthy : You'll have to commit to this one now if you want to fend off those cold viruses. Eating healthy and exercising regularly helps your immune system fight off those pesky attackers. 2. Stay Hydrated : You're eating all your ve...