Conquering the Laundry Pile + Laundry Service Giveaway!

Laundry...the dreaded chore that can never be completed. I loathe the laundry. In fact, I'd rather give up French Fries for life than have to locate all of the dirty socks and wet towels strewn throughout the house. I'd rather take 10 toddlers to the DMV over sorting all the clothes into piles. I'd rather walk barefoot through glass over washing, drying, folding and putting away all the laundry. It just never ceases to amaze me how much laundry we accumulate throughout the week -- you would think 25 people live with us. And since our schedules are too hectic during the week, we are limited to the weekends to getting it done in between meal planning, grocery shopping, errands, soccer games, birthday parties, church and more. And trust me, I've tried to break it up into multiple loads throughout the week to keep the loads manageable, but it never fails that I am collapsing into bed just as the washer dings and am too exhausted to get up and switch it over, resulting in the same load getting washed again and again and again before it actually makes it to the dryer.

And you know the other task that haunts me? Dry cleaning, which normally sits in my car for at least 2 weeks before I get around to dropping it off...and then forget about it for 3 months.

So until I can pay Caroline an allowance to fold all the fitted sheets, I'll treat myself to throwing in the towel every now and then and outsourcing a few loads of laundry. That's where 2ULaundry comes in to save our weekend by giving us more time to do things we actually love to do.

HOW IT WORKS

STEP 1 // Create an account: Customize your cleaning preference, select your bags and schedule a pickup.

STEP 2 // Receive Your Bags: The following day your free personal garment bags are hand delivered by 6 pm.

STEP 3 // Stuff Your bags & Set Them Outside for Pickup 

Just kidding. They won't clean your kids, although I would pay extra for that. Stuff your bags with all the items you especially hate to wash/dry clean (fitted sheets, dress clothes, winter coats, etc.) and set them outside your scheduled pickup location by 8 am. You'll receive a text when your driver picks them up. The bags are scanned and tracked to ensure quality assurance.

STEP 4 // Laundry Picked Up. At the cleaning facility, the garments are scanned, sorted, itemized and cleaned according to your customized instructions.

STEP 5 // Clean Laundry Delivered! The next business day, your garment bags are scanned into the system, labeled as clean and returned to you by 6pm. You receive a text once they’re dropped off fresh and clean.

PRICING

The pricing is determined by your zip code, but to give you a ball park estimate I am sharing my rates.

Large Blue Bag (Wash, Dry, Fold): Holds up to 35 lbs or 4-5 loads of laundry and is $35 per pickup.

Pink Bag (Wash & Hang Dry): Holds up to 8-10 lbs or 1 load and is $10 per pickup.


Dry cleaning is priced per item. The prices are a little higher than my dry cleaner down the street, but the convenience is totally worth it and gives me hours of my weekend back to spend with my family. This is actually Matt's favorite service since he is the main culprit of our piles of dry cleaning. He is obsessed with the one day turn around so he can wear his favorite shirts more often.

MY HONEST REVIEW

I was super impressed by the one day turnaround, the cleanliness, the perfect folding of our clothes (including the fitted sheets I tossed in there), the customization options (detergents, etc.) the ease of scheduling, reminders and status updates (done through texts) and the friendliness of my driver. Overall, this company has seriously nailed the concept and their process.

Would I recommend this service to others? Definitely. I especially recommend this service as your next baby shower gift for your new mama friend. Or your co-worker, friend, family member, etc. who needs some extra help.

Will I use this service again? Yes, especially for our dry-cleaning and all my pesky wash & hang items I rarely wash (I'm looking at you - work dresses)! Oh, and I love treating myself to this service when we've been out of town for the weekend and return home with suitcases of dirty clothes and no time to clean them. I can dump them all into bags on Sunday night, they're picked up the next morning and returned cleaned and folded the following day.

GIVEAWAY

And now for the best giveaway EVER. My friends at 2ULaundry have graciously offered to give away ONE MONTH OF LAUNDRY (4 large bags of wash, dry, fold) which is about a $140 value, to one lucky reader! Enter using the rafflecopter below. The contest will run through Feb. 26 and the winner will be picked at random and announced back here on Feb. 27! Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Want to try 2ULaundry now? Click here to save $20 off your first laundry or dry cleaning order.

 

This post is sponsored by my friends at 2U Laundry. All opinions are my own.

Custom Home Letterpress with Minted

This post is sponsored by my friends at Minted. All opinions are my own.

Our latest home project has been our dining room! Over the past few months we've very slowly been tackling this room and although we still have a ways to go before it's finished I am loving the progress so far. I know exactly how I want the room to look...with the exception of the walls. Why are walls always the hardest? I am so picky when it comes to hammering nails into walls. I can never find something perfect enough for my space so most of the walls in our home are bare. However, I did know I wanted to incorporate a portrait of our last home somewhere in our new home.

In comes Minted!

While browsing through Christmas cards I stumbled upon Custom House Letterpress Portrait Art and knew I needed to have one made for our dining room. The process was quick and easy. I submitted a picture of our house and after a few emails back and forth with my talented designer we had perfected the portrait and it arrived a few days later. And it is beautiful. Of course, now I want to have a second portrait made of our first home to add to this wall!

Portrait | Stands | Pots | Fiddle Leaf Fig | Curtains

I am loving seeing this room come together one piece at a time!

Five on Friday!

Yay for the first 5 on Friday of the year! I can't believe we have been hosting this link-up for more than 3 years now. I think this is my 158th Five on Friday post! I always look forward to writing these posts and I hope you still love them too! 

one. We recently added two perfect little plant stands to the corner of our dining room and I am obsessed. They were custom made locally by Sweet Southern Sawdust and stained to match our floor. I cannot believe how gorgeous they turned out. If you're local, I highly recommend checking Kristen's shop out (Facebook | Instagram)! She has so much more in her shop too. Also, I'd like to give myself a round of applause for keeping this fiddle leaf fig (gifted by my bestie Laura) alive!

 

Stands | Pots | Fiddle Leaf Fig

two. Matt and I took the kiddos to see their first movie -- Coco! It was the best idea and the worst idea ever. Caroline was in absolute heaven. She was glued to the movie the entire time and LOVED every single minute. Thomas on the other hand was a disaster. He sat through one bag of popcorn and all the previews, but once the movie started and his popcorn ran out he was ALL over the place and had to be escorted out of the theater almost immediately. So yeah, Caroline and I had a blast while Thomas and Matt walked around South Park for two hours.

three. I found a life changing pair of leggings. I've been wanting a nice pair of Spanx leggings for awhile now but could never bring myself to splurge on a pair. And then something magical happened...Spanx came out with an Assets line that is sold at Target!!!! I bought a pair of tights and a pair of leggings. The leggings get an A+++++++ and are hands down the best leggings I've ever owned. They suck you in but are still comfortable and are extremely soft. The tights on the other hand were a fail for me but according to the reviews I'm in the minority.

four. Remember when we thought Caroline would never grow hair? Well girlfriend is now rocking one heck of a pony tail. She looks so much older and it KILLS me.

five A. Matt and I started Whole 30 Light this week. I'm calling it the "Light" version because we are following all the rules...but allowing alcohol on the weekends. I know that is completely against the entire point of the diet, but we are dieting for weight loss and not necessarily the reset cleanse. And although it's only been a week we have seen tremendous results in our energy. I also haven't missed any food because all of our meals have been RIDICULOUS so far. For example, my usual breakfast would be an egg sandwich, but on Whole 30 Light we're eating THIS for breakfast...

This recipe is straight out of the Whole30 cookbook but I added tomatoes and avocado. 

Sweet Potato Breakfast Stacks

Ingredients

2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into ½" rounds (I buy the pre-diced potatoes)
sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste
4 slices of bacon
2 tsp rice wine vinegar
4 large eggs
2 cloves of garlic, minced
4 cups of baby spinach

1/2 cup diced cherry tomatoes

1 avocado

Instructions

1. Add the olive oil to a non stick skillet. Season the sweet potato rounds with salt and pepper and.cook them until they are fork tender - about 3-4 minutes on each side. Set aside and cover with foil while you prepare the toppings.
2. Place the bacon in a non stick skillet and cook until it is crispy.
3. Add the rice wine vinegar to a pot of boiling water. Break the eggs into a small bowl and gently add them to the boiling water. Remove from the heat and cover. 

4. While the eggs are cooking, remove most of the bacon grease from the pan and add the garlic and cook for about a minute. Add the tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes. Add spinach to the pan and allow it to wilt.
5. Place the sweet potatoes on serving plates and top with a slice of bacon, spinach, tomatoes, avocado and one soft boiled egg.

five B. I know a lot of you are also doing Whole30 so I thought I'd share our other meals from this week because I am obsessed with reading these types of posts right now. For breakfast each morning we've been eating a simplified version of the recipe above (sweet potatoes topped with scrambled eggs and bacon) -- made in bulk and prepped for the entire week. Whole30 is a TON of cooking so I try to prep as much as possible at once. For lunch we eat leftovers from the previous night's dinner.

week 1 dinners:
Monday: Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Chili
Tuesday: Baked Pesto Salmon with Kale Chips
Wednesday: Avocado Chicken Salad
Thursday: Ground Turkey Taco Bowls with Spanish Cauliflower Rice
Friday: Trader Joes Chili Lime Burgers with veggies

Five on Friday!

Happy Friday! Yes or no...is this weekend too early to bring home our Christmas tree?   

one. Last week I ran to Ikea to make some returns and while I was there I stumbled upon these adorable little Christmas trees. I grabbed two for our fireplace mantel and scooped up some pots to go with them. We have not busted out our boxes of Christmas decor yet but I am loving these first signs of Christmas in our home!

two. Last Friday, we joined two of our favorite couples for an epic triple date night. We started with dinner and drinks at Dandelion Market and then walked to the arena for the Jim Gaffigan show. The show was unbelievably hilarious and we all laughed our faces off. Afterwards we were all so wound up that we decided to hit the bars for a bit (who ARE we?!) and then finished the night off at an 80's night club (I'm sorry, WHAT?). That club has never seen such amazing mom moves. And the kids could not have been more excited to find a trail of glow sticks throughout the house when they woke up.

three. Earlier this week Matt broke out his custom suit from Ole Mason Jar for a photo shoot he had for an impressive legal award he won. Is this suit not amazing?! It truly turned out so gorgeous. #notsponsored just obsessed.

four. After a recent cold & ear infection for Thomas plus the threat of hand foot mouth going around Caroline's class, I primed Zarbee's Elderberry Immune Support Gummies a few weeks ago and have been giving one to both kids every night. These vitamins are loaded with vitamin C, zinc and elderberry to boost the immune system. Fingers crossed, so far they seem to be working to keep any additional colds and viruses at bay! Of course, now that I said that...

five. [GIVEAWAY] I know I'm super late to the Beauty Counter party but I recently received the Multi-Masker Set to review and am super impressed with my first experience using these products! I use a face mask almost every night before bed and am always on the hunt for new ones to try. Lucky for me, this set came with THREE masks: #1 Brightening Facial Mask (creates an illuminated and more even-toned complexion with vitamin C.), #2 Plumping Facial Mask (gives skin a firm, toned, more youthful appearance with plumping peony root), and #3 Balancing Facial Mask (absorbs excess oil and draws out impurities with activated charcoal). You can use one mask at a time or all three at once! This would be such a fun Christmas gift to give the beauty product lover in your life.

[GIVEAWAY] Lyndsey generously offered to give away a multi-masker set to one lucky reader! Enter using the Rafflecopter! The contest will run through Nov. 21 and the winner will be picked at random and announced back here on Nov. 22! Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About Lyndsey: Mom of 2 - Franklin (almost 4) and Anna (almost 1).  Fun fact: they were both born on 12/13. She's a CPA, spent five years in the Raleigh area working for NC State before moving to Northern Virginia about two weeks ago.  Her husband is the head wrestling coach at George Mason University and his job dictates where they live.

Five on Friday!

Haaaaaaaappppyyyyyyy Friddayyyyyyyyy!

one. A few weeks ago I saw my friend Corey wearing the most amazing pair of shoes and begged her to tell me where she purchased them. She laughed and said she's been asked that question at least ten times and then shared her secret...they are the Royale Pointy Toed Flat from Free People...but the DUPE (she is the best bargain hunter so I shouldn't be surprised)!!!!!!!!! I tried to order the dupe right away but found they were out of stock...for forever. Finally they came back in stock and I purchased them. Since they've arrived I have also received at least 10 compliments on them. I am so obsessed. In fact, I think I would even splurge on the Free People version I love them so much. Anyway, my grainy mirror selfie does not do these shoes justice. They are amazing. And you deserve a pair at whichever price point you want to spend!

  Shoes // Top (on sale!)

two. If you read my Holiday Gift Guide for Men than you already know how obsessed Matt is with his Fulton & Roark products. Anyway, if you didn't see the gift guide than you need to check it out! And if you want to snag some luxury grooming products for the man in your life (which I highly recommend), use code CHARM at checkout to save 15% on your order through 12/31! Whoop!

three. Earlier this week I came home to the best surprise at my door from my bestie Lisa -- the  Pressing Pause devotional. I've only completed a few days so far and LOVE this book. It's designed for busy mamas and is the EXACT length in a devotional (2 pages) I need to not skip it for the day! If you are a busy mama trying to carve out a few minutes each day for Jesus, this is the book for you!

four. So I stocked up on a TON of leggings for fall/winter for Caroline recently. And then she informed me this week that she absolutely would not wear ANY sort of pants without pockets. I didn't have any jeans for her so she helped herself to Tom's 2T high waters and dressed herself in a sweater...backwards.

five. Last night I met my friend Caroline for a mani followed by a bottle of Pinot Noir at Bond Street Wines. Even though I spend at least 3 lunches a week with her we had the absolute best night together -- the kind that's good for the soul.

Hope y'all have a great weekend. We have some awesome triple date night plans for tonight! xo
 

Four on Friday!

Happy Friday! Big weekend ahead for us -- tomorrow I will be wrestling two toddlers through the airport and onto a flight down to Florida! Yay! I am so happy to be flying this time and NOT driving -- hallelujah. However, I'll be flying down with the kiddos, our bags, the stroller, a venti Starbucks and one billion snacks -- solo. Matt has an annual golf weekend lined up with his long time high school best friends in Ohio and then will be meeting us down in Florida...and thankfully flying back all together. Anyway, I need to go pack for 3 so let's get down to it with four things... 

one. Last weekend we devoured The Oktoberfeast Burger, our latest outrageous burger from Burgabox. These ginormous 8 oz burgers were smothered with beer & mustard cheese and topped with German kraut. So good y'all, so so so good. Definitely keep the Burger of the Month in mind as a Christmas gift for the person who has everything!

two. Last Sunday we took our Christmas card photos! The kids were so fun during the shoot this year and of course they looked absolutely adorable. I can't wait to see how our pictures turned out, but in the meantime, I thought I'd share our outfits in case you're looking for a little inspiration for your holiday card pictures!

Thomas: Skinny Dress Pants (on sale) // Shawl-Collar Sweater (on sale) //  Shoes | Caroline: Plaid Dress // Booties (on sale) | Matt: Shirt (on sale) // Pants (on sale) | Christina: Dress // Tassel Horse Necklace // Booties Sold Out

 

three. You remember that awkward wall niche I didn't know how to decorate in our foyer? I made the dreaded Ikea run last week and scooped up this pretty snake plant and pot! It's pretty and it purifies air -- win, win!

four.{GIVEAWAY}! True story, when Laura was redesigning my blog we almooooost went with this exact design on this mug for my header. So when I saw this gorgeous mug in June Arbor Designs Etsy Shop I had to have it!! It's actually called the "Best Friends Coffee Mug" which makes for the absolute cutest gift ever to send to your BFF who may live in another state. So cute, right? Mysie, the sweet owner and designer of June Arbor Designs, not only offered to give me my new favorite mug, be she generously offered to giveaway a mug to one lucky reader! Enter below!!

***GIVEAWAY CLOSED*** To enter the giveaway, follow June Arbor Designs on Instagram and comment below with your email address and which states would be on your mug!! The contest will run through Oct. 27 and the winner will be picked at random and announced back here on Nov. 2! Good luck!

Congratulations to Melissa Townsend for winning a fabulous mug! Check your email, Melissa!