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The Life of Vi

By Violet Elaine Thomas

10 Tips for Living an Eco-Friendly Lifestyle

June 22, 2020 · Lifestyle

Something that has been so important to me lately is reducing my carbon footprint. I never thought that my actions alone would make much of an impact, but then I had a thought… If everyone thinks this, nothing would ever change.

My childhood best friend of 10 years (Wow, I feel old just saying that) has made a conscious effort over the past year to preserve and restore our planet. I have taken in so many useful and practical tips just from being in close proximity to her. I figured there was no one better than her to share some tips on how to live an eco-friendly lifestyle.

Below you will find 10 tips that Kate recommends implementing into your daily routine. These tips were written by her in hopes that they would be easy, practical, and affordable. Enjoy!

1. Eat less meat – Try Meatless Monday!

After trying to go completely vegetarian for a week, I realized the lifestyle was not for me. For now. A lot of you probably feel the same way! Perhaps your mom still cooks meals that you want to take advantage of, or maybe meat is your absolute favorite thing to eat and giving it up sounds like a nightmare. I get it. The thing is, though, you do not have to have a completely meat-free diet to help the planet. I made the decision to stop eating both beef and pork, as I had discovered that these industries had an especially harmful impact on our environment. I also decided to participate in Meatless Monday. For more information on that, check out meatlessmonday.org.

2. Buy secondhand clothes!

A sad truth I’ve learned in the past couple years is that the fashion industry is horrible for our planet, especially with the rise of fast fashion – cheap clothes made with cheap products. Businessinsider.com informs us that “The fashion industry produces 10% of all humanity’s carbon emissions, is the second-largest consumer of the world’s water supply, and pollutes the oceans with microplastics.”

I love shopping and playing with different styles, so I have discovered some alternatives that allow me to do this while still being mindful! Next time you are looking for new clothing consider purchasing from a thrift store. I have found so many deals on unique items doing this. It’s kind of like going on a hunt for hidden treasure; you never know what you’ll find! Other options are to buy from or swap with your friends, or to shop with companies that are taking real steps towards sustainability. Also consider buying items made with sturdier fabrics. They will probably be more expensive, but will last you a few years vs. a season or two.

3. Say no to the straw!

Start using metal straws, or even reusable plastic ones. Single use plastic straws often slip through the cracks and don’t make it into the recycling bin. This leads to them ending up in our oceans. You may have heard it before, as it has been circling the internet for a few years now, but our oceans are projected to have more plastic in them than fish by 2050!

It’s a small change, but to our ocean friends it makes all the difference. The turtles will thank you.

4. Turn off the lights!

This saves energy and lowers your electrical bill! A win-win.

5. Turn off the water!

Use less water by remembering to turn it off while you brush your teeth or wash your hands. It’s such a simple thing I often forget it myself!

6. Recycle! 

Look into your city’s recycling guidelines and see which items you might be able to send off to a new life, instead of to the landfill!

7. Use less toilet paper. 

This one is not something I ever thought about it until I became more interested in an eco-friendly lifestyle. As a single use paper product, it is already bad for the environment, but what really causes the issue is the production of it, specifically its correlation with deforestation. According to National Geographic we flush approximately 27,000 trees down the toilet every single day.

Next time you go to the restroom, take a second to consider how much toilet paper you need, versus how much you’re actually using. You’ll probably be shocked, as I was, at how much extra your absentmindedly tearing off!

8. Reusable cups!

This one is super simple to implement into your life, and it keeps loads of single use plastic bottles out of our landfills! I first started using a reusable water bottle for school and travel purposes. This is pretty easy to do these days because many public places such as universities, airports, and places of work, have added bottle filling stations to their fountains. The hardest part is remembering to bring your bottle each day, hahaha. 

As a coffee lover, and frequent Starbucks customer, I decided it would also be worth my while to invest in a couple of reusable coffee cups. This change is a little more difficult because, unlike a water bottle, you’ll probably want to wash it between every drink. If you drink coffee as much as I do this can feel like a bit of a hassle. That is why I sometimes opt to simply go inside if I have time and ask to have my coffee in a glass or mug! Yes, they have them! 

9. Bring your own shopping bags!

This one is fun because you get to save the planet, and look cute doing it! Hahaha. Much like reusable cups, the most difficult part of making this switch is remembering to bring your bags to the store. Try leaving your bags in the trunk, or if you only need a couple things consider just carrying them to the car! 

10. Don’t strive for perfection, strive for improvement. 

You are going to mess up. You’ll forget your cup or your bags, you’ll tear off too much toilet paper, and you’ll leave lights on when you’re too tired to get up and turn them off. These things are inevitable. Instead of beating yourself up every time you make a mistake, use it as a reminder to do better next time. We are all on our own journeys toward sustainability and the growth process looks different for everyone. What matters to our beautiful planet Earth is that you continue to try, and by doing so, inspire others to do the same.

I hope you have found these tips to be helpful. All of these are attainable and realistically so simple for all of us to implement in our lives.

I’d like to give a special thanks to my sweet friend Kate for taking the time to write these tips out for y’all. If you don’t already, follow her on instagram @thekatesaylor. She posts wholesome earthy content and has a way with her words.

What are ways that you contribute to living an eco-friendly lifestyle? We’d love to hear.

Xoxo, Vi

Aerie Swim Sale

May 11, 2020 · Style

Hi there friends! I’ll be heading to the beach for a week with my in-laws at the end of May and am on the hunt for some cute new swimmies. We will be heading to Gulf Shores and this is our second time heading there as a family. We decided to rent a house with a private pier so that we can be safe and continue to maintain social distancing. We have so much fun when we are all together and I can’t wait to feel the sand between my toes!

Aerie is having a great sale on their swimwear. All of their bikini tops and bottoms are $20!!! One pieces and cover ups are marked down from their original prices, up to 30% off. RUN! DON’T WALK! Sizes are selling out fast.

As you may have noticed, high waisted two pieces are VERY popular this season, along with bright colors, floral prints, and one pieces with cut outs.

Below, I have shared some of my favorites from Aerie. I linked them for you to have easy access to shop. You might notice some swimsuits have a green and white circle at the top. This means the suit is made out of recycled plastic bottles and recycled nylon fabric. Every time you purchase through my links, I receive a small commission. I am so grateful your support!

Xoxo, Vi

Get To Know Me

May 9, 2020 · About

Hi friends! I felt like there was no way I could start this blog without introducing myself and giving you a little insight as to who I am.

My name is Violet Elaine Thomas, I’m 22 years old, and I’m a Gilmore Girls addict. Haha! Honesty is the best policy, am I right?!

I was raised in Wetumpka, Alabama where my grandparents, Sue and Henry, took care of me. They are the best people I know and their love story is something you see in the movies. Without them, I wouldn’t be who I am today and for them, I will forever be grateful.

I have been married for 3 years to my best pal in the whole world, Chase. We have known each other for 11 years and have been dating on and off since middle school. From the time we went on our first date, I knew that I wanted to marry him! He has been a major part of me for half of my life and I truly couldn’t imagine my world without him. In 2017, Chase joined the Army and we were stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas right after we were married. We are still here at Riley, but will be PCSing (permanent change of station) to Fort Benning, Georgia near Columbus. Fun fact: My husband completed basic training and sniper school at Benning. Columbus is also where we were married, courthouse style. We had a formal wedding a few months later and wouldn’t change a thing about it.

Chase is currently deployed for the second time and has been gone since February. I am already so eager to have him home! Our home just isn’t the same without him. Mainly because there are no dirty socks laying around and no beard shavings in the sink! Haha! All my fellow married friends will know exactly what I’m talking about! It’s the little things that annoy you when they are here that you miss the most when they are gone.

We had our first baby, Henry Duke, on January 13, 2020. He is 4 months old and I’m still wondering how those months flew by so quickly? Time is a thief! HD is the happiest baby and is the biggest blessing we have. He is always smiling, laughing, and making us swoon. We knew we wanted to name him after my Grandpa Henry who is the best man I have ever met. I hope our son is as kind hearted, hardworking, and intelligent as Grandpa Henry is. Our boy goes by lots of names, so just to spare the confusion he mainly goes by Duke, HD, or Henry Duke, but never just Henry. Confused yet? Thought so! Welcome to my hot mess express where my son has a million names!

Some of my favorite things include snuggling with my dogs, Dixie and Ellie, binge watching Netflix, spending time with my family, and writing in my journal. I could eat Mexican food and Chick fil A at any time. My guilty pleasures are blue Sour Patch Kids and Diet Dr. Pepper. (I’m drooling as I type this) My favorite time of the day is first thing in the morning when my son wakes up. This is around 6:30 am and it’s when he is his happiest. We make coffee, stay in our pajamas, and watch Mickey Mouse while we stay cozy on the couch together. I hope that he always wants to start our mornings like this.

Above all, the most important thing in my life is my relationship with Christ. I have always been a woman of faith, but decided to dedicate my life to him in October of 2019 through water baptism. My Grandma and I did this together and it was one of the best days I have ever had. There is nothing quite like rejoicing in the Lord with the woman who led you to Christ. Another sweet part of this day was that baby Duke was in my belly when I was baptized. I was 7 months pregnant with him and I knew that in order to be the mama he deserved, I needed to be the best version of myself and get saved. Thank you, Jesus!

I hope this gives you a better insight as to who I am. My ultimate goal is to be someone that has Christ in her heart, radiates positivity, and loves with all she has. If you made it this far, THANK YOU! I’d love it if you would comment below a little bit about yourself so I can get to know you better too! I look forward to it!

Xoxo, Vi

Welcome!

May 9, 2020 · About

Hey y’all! Wow! I can’t believe I am actually writing this. Starting a lifestyle blog has been on my mind for YEARS, but I always found a reason to push it aside. I’ve felt so much doubt and fear that I would just be “another blogger” that nobody would tune in to. I knew that if I truly wanted to get started, I needed something that would set me apart from all of the other bloggers out there, but I just didn’t know what that would be.

After praying about this long and hard, I came to the realization that there is only one thing that can make me stand out amongst other bloggers – Being ME! To heck what other people think! Worrying about what people will think of me, or my blog, is a burden I don’t need to carry. My best friend recently told me, “Whether people read it or not doesn’t matter. What matters is that you enjoy what you’re doing and believe that it has importance.” No words have ever resonated with me quit like those have.

I truly believe that my God spent His time crafting me into the woman He wanted me to be. He made me unique in His own design. Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” It’s time that I embrace all of the traits that God crafted to make me special.

So here goes nothing…

Welcome to my blog. I’m so glad you’re here. As a first time mama, a military wife, and a nursing student, I’m going through some challenging changes. Writing is an outlet for me during tough times, so I figured there is no better time to start than now, especially with all of this free time. (Thank you COVID-19) I hope that this can be a safe space for everyone to enjoy and find comfort. I’m just here to share the love I have for Jesus, my family, and the things that make me happy. Thanks for tagging along this journey with me. I love y’all!

Xoxo, Vi

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๐š–๐š˜๐šŸ๐š’๐š—๐š ๐š๐šŠ๐šข - ๐š™๐šŠ๐š›๐š ๐Ÿท โšก๏ธ

henry duke + chase left for alabama this morning ๐Ÿค so many exciting things are happening for our family! we close on our FIRST home this week, chase is starting fresh at a new post, and iโ€™ll be an BSN, RN soon ๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿผ iโ€™m already counting down the days until I join them in May ๐Ÿ’ญlife is good, but for today Iโ€™ll be missing my boys ๐Ÿฅบ
๐šœ๐š˜๐šŠ๐š”๐š’๐š—๐š ๐šž๐š™ ๐šŽ๐šŸ๐šŽ ๐šœ๐š˜๐šŠ๐š”๐š’๐š—๐š ๐šž๐š™ ๐šŽ๐šŸ๐šŽ๐š›๐šข ๐š•๐šŠ๐šœ๐š ๐š–๐š’๐š—๐šž๐š๐šŽ ๐š’๐š— ๐š”๐šŠ๐š—๐šœ๐šŠ๐šœ ๐šŠ๐šœ ๐šŠ ๐š๐šŠ๐š–๐š’๐š•๐šข ๐ŸŒž๐Ÿ’•

weโ€™ve been to this waterfall/creek 3 times in the past week ๐Ÿ˜‚ but some sunshine was much needed after a long NCLEX review day for me ๐Ÿ˜… nothing beats spending time with my two boys and the friends whoโ€™ve become like family ๐Ÿค
Happy Easter from my fam to yours ๐Ÿค Not gonna l Happy Easter from my fam to yours ๐Ÿค Not gonna lie... coordinating matching family outfits is an obsession of mine ๐Ÿค—
Iโ€™ve been telling myself this all week ๐Ÿ˜… As Iโ€™ve been telling myself this all week ๐Ÿ˜… 

As someone whoโ€™s primary income comes off of network marketing, itโ€™s hard sometimes to remind myself that itโ€™s okay to take a break from social media. But Iโ€™m here to tell you... The breaks are necessary. Time off is necessary. Self care is necessary. Take care of yourself so you can care for others. 

Save this if it resonated with you ๐Ÿค
Currently on the couch crying watching โ€˜This Is Currently on the couch crying watching โ€˜This Is Usโ€™ ๐Ÿ˜ญ I think it might be one of my top 5 series of all time. I wanna know... whatโ€™s your fav show(s) of all time?!? Drop em in the comments ๐Ÿ‘‡๐Ÿผ Something that puts ya in your feels ๐Ÿคฃ 

Shows like this remind me to cherish every moment with my family. These are the days I know Iโ€™ll miss ๐Ÿค
the no makeup makeup game is forever changed. sw the no makeup makeup game is forever changed. 

swipe to see no filter, no foundation, just my SKIN๐Ÿฅณ zoom in!!! I dare ya๐Ÿ˜‰ no makeup texture here ๐Ÿ˜Œ

if youโ€™re all about letting your skin be the star of the show, this will be for you! watch my โ€œdemi colourโ€ highlight bubble to learn a little about this magic makeup ๐Ÿคฏ stick with me to see more broken down tutorials coming later this week โœจ
my everyday, 10 minute makeup routine kicks my old my everyday, 10 minute makeup routine kicks my old makeup routine in the butt ๐Ÿ’ฅ thank yerrrrr @seintofficial for making makeup easy for this simple girl ๐Ÿค 

swipe to see no filter ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ

watch this tutorial in my stories or saved in a highlight bubble called โ€œ10 minute makeupโ€ โšก๏ธ I promise if I can do this, you can too! 

for makeup help, visit the IIID colormatch form linked in my bio โœจ better makeup days are headed your way soon :) 

#seintbeauty #seint #seintofficial #seintartist #makeupmadeeasy #simplemakeuplook #bronzemakeup #highlightandcontouring
Limiting beliefs keep you stuck where you are. Itโ€™s time to believe in yourself for 2 seconds so you can start working towards the goals you have in mind. Tag someone who needs to hear this today ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ

#mindsetiskey #beliefsystem #believetoachieve #workharddreambig #getstartedtoday #believeinyourself #believeinyou
Letโ€™s do something fun! Letโ€™s play 2 truths + Letโ€™s do something fun! Letโ€™s play 2 truths + a lie! Guess which one is my lie ๐Ÿ‘‡๐Ÿผ

1. Ferris wheels freak me out.
2. I make my bed every single morning.
3. I used to be a competitive figure skater. 

Comment your guess below ๐Ÿง photo creds: @nnivk 

#introducingme #gettoknowme #simplymamahood #honestlymothering #blessedmama #seintartist
Today was a good reminder ๐Ÿค When you get in a Today was a good reminder ๐Ÿค 

When you get in a groove of doing your thing, itโ€™s easy to get lost in translation and loose focus on the end goal. My entire reason for starting my own at home business is so much more than just selling makeup... Itโ€™s about these days that I would miss. Iโ€™m still in a season of life where I canโ€™t be home every day because of nursing school, but Iโ€™m going to keep hustling until all of my days look like this one.๐Ÿค Today was a good reminder to continue chasing my dream down and I hope that this can be yours too! ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ 

#blessedmama #honestlymothering #simplymamahood #boymamalife #seintbeauty #seintartist #workfromhomemama #henrydukeisone
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