Do you ever go to the store and buy multiple cleaning brands or soaps just to try them out? I’ve done that so many times over the years just to see which ones I like the best.  However, there is one brand that I always go back to – Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day!

About 5 years ago, I visited a girlfriend in LA and in all of her bathrooms she had Mrs. Meyer’s clean day soap.  After staying with her for a few days, I fell in love with all of the scents.  When I got back to Washington, I went to the store and bought 5 different Meyer’s soap and dispersed a few in my condo and stashed the remainder under my kitchen sink.  Ever since then, I have always (and will always!) buy Mrs. Meyer’s soap.  Not only do I love the scents because my entire house smells like a garden, but I love (A) these products do not contain chlorine bleach, ammonia, petroleum distillates, parabens, phosphates or phthalates, and (B) they do not test on animals.  Sounds like a win/win to me!

Check out the 3 soaps I have left in my house.  The Lavender is my go-to for the bathrooms in my house, the Rosemary is perfect for my kitchen, and the Lilac smells good in any room of the house! (The Lilac is limited edition!) You can find the variety of scents on Mrs. Meyer’s site.

Not until recently have I started using Mrs. Meyer’s multi-surface cleaner. Primarily because I always ‘try’ new cleaning products, but now I am convinced. I have been using the limited edition Peony scent multi-surface cleaner and it literally is my FAVORITE! I wish it was available all year long. It literally makes my kitchen smell like freshly sprayed perfume. I love it!

The Basil scent is one I’ve had for awhile and I enjoy it as well.  It has more of an earthy scent rather than floral, which is perfect for the kitchen.

I’ve mentioned a few reasons as to why I love Mrs. Meyers products, primarily because they don’t test on animals or use so many chemicals.  But there are two additional reasons that make me love this product.

(1) Their Branding. What’s the first thing you see? The two L’s – label and logo! Their logo/labels are catchy and stand out in front of every other soap or cleaning brand I see.  Thelma Meyer is the face and inspiration behind Mrs. Meyer’s brand.  She is an avid gardner, a mother, and has a passion for gardening and keeping things tidy.  These products stand for something and never change their core principles. This is why I love this brand and this is why I do and will continue to use these products.  I mean, how could you not?

(2) Gift Ideas. Since the branding is on point, colorful, and unique to Mrs. Meyer’s, I love giving her products away as a gift. How perfect would a little bag of Meyer’s soap be for a bridal or baby shower gift? They are gentle, don’t include harsh chemicals, and look great next to your bathroom sink. Sounds like a win/win to me. You can find adorable Meyer’s gift sets for purchase as well.

As a devoted customer who has used Mrs. Meyer’s soap for 5+ years and beginning to use the household products, do yourself a favor and pick up a few products to try.  Again, my favorites are the soaps and multi-surface cleaners, but there are laundry detergents, dishwasher soaps, air fresheners, and much more.

What are your favorite cleaning brands?

Wallet: Kate Spade • Sunnies: Karen Walker • Lipgloss: Eos • Handbag: Nordstrom (Under $50!) • Pen: Disney (I was just in Orlando for work and had to pick up a Disney pen!)

The things that I absolutely love about my handbag are all the lipsticks and lipliners that live in it.  I have too many to count on both hands but there are three that I use on a regular basis. Every morning, I put on one of my top three lipsticks that go with the outfit I’ve picked out for that day.  In the evenings, I may branch out and put on some of my other fun colors but for work I stick to these three.

From the left | Lipstick: Rouge Allure Velvet – La Romanesque by Chanel • Lip Liner: Candy Yum-Yum by MAC • Lipstick: Viva Glam 1 by MAC • Lip Liner: Kiss me Quick by MAC • Lipstick: Brave by MAC • Lip Liner: Spice by MAC

Hot Barbie Pink.

This Chanel lipstick is one of my faves. It’s soft, keeps my lips moisturized, and has long lasting wear. I paired it with this Candy Yum-Yum lip liner because it has a pop of neon to it that truly brightens the lipstick. I wear this color with black and white, hot pinks, and really any warm colors to add some color to an outfit.

Deep Red.
This lipstick I’ve had for a long time. It was my very first deep red lipstick that I ever bought. Crazy huh? But it’s my absolute favorite and I will never buy another. (I should never say never but at this point, I don’t plan on buying another!) I use the Kiss Me Quick lip liner from MAC with this color because it matches it perfectly. This lipstick is perfect for a date night with the hubs or a night out with your girlfriends. 

Be Brave.

This last lip color is one of my go-to’s for work. It’s neutral with a touch of pink and lasts all day. It can go with anything and is perfect when you want to add a little color to your lips without looking like you’re about to go out on the town. I wear it constantly and absolutely love it. I’ve learned that when I wear brighter colors to work, my colleagues call me Taylor Swift or ask why I’m wearing so much makeup – when really I just added some lip color.

Photo Cred: My Handsome Hubby

Shoes: Aldo • Skirt: J.Crew • Top: Gap • Earrings: Nordstrom • Sunnies: Karen Walker • Watch: Michele • Bracelet: Tiffany & Co. • Ring: David Yurman • Lipstick: Chanel • Lip Liner: Candy Yum-Yum by MAC

Happy Wednesday everyone! Hope everyone is enjoying their week so far. I am travelling for work this week so have been pretty exhausted. But super excited to share this fun outfit!

On our way back from Oregon for my mother-in-law’s birthday, we stopped at the Portland outlet malls. The last store we walked into was J.Crew. They had a ton of cute clothes on sale! I ran across this bright, neon skirt and absolutely fell in love. In my head, I was thinking, ‘Would this look good on me?’. Even the gal shopping near me, asked me, ‘Gosh, I would never envision myself wearing neon like that?’ And I told her that she has to try it on before she can really know whether it’s something she can pull off.  So I took my own advice and tried this skirt on. This got me thinking. How many times have we walked into a store, saw something that we thought was cute but never thought we could actually wear it?

Well, ladies, this neon, bright skirt was one of those clothing items! And I bought it, wore it and got a ton compliments on it.

My challenge for each of you is to try on that piece of clothing that you think is ‘too much’ or ‘not my style’. You may just be surprised that it looks fabulous on you!

xo Lauren

This week I’m going to be out of town on a business trip. I have an all day event that I’m putting on plus dinners every night. Thankfully, I work with some pretty awesome people so they always make work trips ten times more fun.

But, before I can even think about my trip, I can’t avoid the inevitable – I must pack. Who loves to pack? eh…not me. But I do love picking out my outfits and preparing myself for the week ahead.

For this business trip, I took snapshots of 3 different outfits that I coordinated for my trip. My primary goal when packing for a business trip is to bring 1-2 staple pieces, i.e. shoes, handbags, etc, that I can mix and match throughout the few days I’m there.  My hope is that the next time you are heading out on business, you take a look at my business trip essentials and are able to coordinate outfits that can help you wear the same thing twice, pack less, and stay professional.

Here are the outfits I’ve rounded up:

1. The Airport Style.

Shoes: Tory Burch • Pants: Zella Leggings (On sale for $33.90) • Top: J.Crew • Sweater: Forever 21

When I travel, I have to be comfortable. On the way there and back, I plan to wear this simple, cozy outfit.  To save suitcase space, re-wear your airplane outfit. I always do! If it get’s dirty or you spill something on it, your hotel can launder it for you in a day. Boom!  Now, back to the outfit – I’m wearing a J.Crew tee, a pair of Zella leggings, a big sweater, and my Tory Burch sandals. I’ll also pair my Stella and Dot necklace along with my watch and a few bracelets to dress it up.  This way, if I run into anyone from work on my flight, I still look presentable. I also throw a pair of socks into my handbag. You just never know when you get on a plane that’s freezing!

2. Meeting Attire.

Top: Bar III • Skirt: Nordstrom • Shoes: Nordstrom • Handbag: Kate Spade • Earrings: Nordstrom

For this business trip, I have two days full of meetings.  I’m going to a place where it’s super hot outside but freezing inside, because they blast the AC.  So I had to coordinate an outfit that could handle both types of weather. I paired this long white skirt with a simple but classy black tee plus my blush pink heels. This outfit is comfortable and professional. The short sleeves will help me handle the hot temps and the long skirt will keep my legs warm in the cool, AC. Done and done.

3. Evening Apparel.

After a long day of meetings, I’ll get 30 minutes to freshen up and head back down to dinner.  Sometimes, I wear what I wore during the day but other times it’s nice to change it up. That’s what I’m planning to do on this trip. I found this adorable jumpsuit on our way back from Oregon at the Banana Republic outlet. There was one left and it was my size – totally meant to be! Oh and it was on sale from $100 to $16! Anyway, I thought this jumpsuit would be perfect for my evening event on Tuesday. We’re going to a winery so it’ll be indoors and I just know the AC will be on. I’ll be able to wear the same shoes I wore during the day plus the same handbag, which means one less pair of shoes and one less handbag to pack! I’ll bring a black sweater with me in case I get really chilly and boom – I’m good to go!

Happy Thursday everyone! Hope you all are enjoying your week. This week, I’ve been feeling like summer is just flying by! I just can’t believe we are already half way through July. That’s crazy!!

Today’s post shows what Chuck and I have been doing the last few weeks via Instagram. They’ve definitely been busy. I hope you all have been enjoying this summer with family, friends, heat, and yummy BBQs.

You can find more behind the scenes of Fiercely Charming and glances into my personal life on instagram, @lauren_husum

Enjoy the rest of your week!

xo Lauren

^Celebrating the 4th of July with my man

Chuck’s Outfit | Top: Banana Republic • Shorts: Banana Republic

^Chuck’s 30th Birthday Dinner

My Outfit | Top: Vince Camuto • Lipstick: Viva Glam by MAC • Watch: Michele • Bracelet Stella and Dot

  ^Checking out the Covered Bridges in Oregon

Chuck’s Outfit | Vest: Mountain Hardwear • Sunglasses: Maui Jims

^Beautiful Flower Arrangement for the 4th of July!

Flowers: Whole Foods • Glassybaby’s

^Dutch Brother’s Coffee Stop! Every cup had a sweet saying!

^Sunday night dinner at my parent’s house! Mama T’s shish kabobs…mmm mmm good!

Dinnerware: Macys

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale!

For those of you with a Nordstrom debit or credit card, you have the opportunity to get early access to all the awesome sales Nordstrom has to offer. However, don’t fret if you don’t! On July 17th, everyone has access to the biggest sale of the year.

I’ve picked my top 3 fall favorites in the following categories – jeans, shoes, handbags, and tops.

What are your favorite items from the sale?

xo Lauren

one | two | three

four | five | six

seven | eight | nine

ten | eleven | twelve

Photo Cred: The Hubs

Shoe: Nike Free 5.0 • Pants: Ideology • Top: Lululemon • Jacket: Lululemon • Earrings: Stella and Dot • Watch: Michele

As we close out the week and head into this sunny weekend, I thought I’d share one of my favorite workout outfits. My primary workout is Bar Method. I absolutely love it. I love the community of people and the awesome instructors. It’s a workout that is simply good for your soul.

When I think about what workout clothes work best for me when doing Bar, the first thing I think about are my pants. I aways lean towards fitting, yoga style pants. They are flexible and don’t get in the way of my workout. My favorite workout pants are the Ideology brand at Macy’s. They are reasonably priced, wash well, and always fit me right. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love Lululemon yoga pants, but when you need a few pairs, it’s hard for me to drop a couple hundred dollars on workout pants. But boy do Lululemon pants fit well!

As far as tops go, I normally wear a fitting tank top, but when I saw this one, I fell in love. The colors are great and the back has a flow to it that can help keep you cool.  This is my favorite workout top that I own and I love wearing it to Bar! and it’s always fun when you show up to the 6:00AM class and see your Bar buddy in the same top! Twinsies.

If you haven’t tried Bar Method before, I highly recommend it. It tightens and lifts. And let’s be honest, my rear end could definitely use a bit of that.

Hope everyone has a great weekend! Get your workout on!

xo Lauren

Photo Cred: My Hubby

Shoes: BCBG • Jeans: Banana Republic • Top: Sanctuary • Earrings: Stella and Dot • Bracelet: Kendra Scott • Ring: David Yurman • Necklace: Stella and Dot • Watch: Michele • Lipstick: Chanel • Lip Liner: Candy Yum-Yum by MAC

This summer, I’ve been eyeing some colorful pumps – red, hot pink, yellow – any colorful, bright shoes. I recently picked up a hot pink clutch that I wore in Park City a ton so when I saw these hot pink heels to match, I just had to have.

This week, I paired this navy blue, fringe top with my favorite ripped jeans, and my new hot pink heels.  These heels are soft leather, have a subtle snakeskin look, and are under $80! Head over to DSW to check out more fun, colored heels!

xo Lauren

Photo Cred: Birthday Hubby

Shoes: Tory Burch • Romper: Bar III @ Macy’s • Purse: Kate Spade • Necklace: Stella and Dot • Bracelet: Tiffany & Co • Watch: Michele • Ring: David Yurman • Sunnies: Karen Walker • Earrings: Kate Spade • Lipstick: Brave by MAC

We are missing Park City already! When we were there, we would walk up and down Main street almost every night. We enjoyed popping into stores, checking out the art galleries, and grabbing a bite to eat at the local restaurants. But it was so hot and dry that I had to wear something flowy and comfy in order to stay somewhat cool.

I lived in my Tory Burch sandals the entire trip. I didn’t wear heels at all. Shocker, I know. I also wore this romper. Not once, but twice! It is that comfortable plus I just love the print. Throw in some green heels and you could really spice up this outfit! I bought it about a month and a half ago before my birthday. The brand is Bar III – it is one of my favorite Macy’s brands. Their clothing fits me really well, is always super cute, and always has great deals. I got this romper on sale for $35! Done and done. Check out Bar III @ Macy’s! I promise you’ll find something you’d love.

Happy Monday! Enjoy this heatwave, Seattle!

xo Lauren

About a month ago, I was brainstorming some ideas for my husband’s 30th birthday. I mean, 30 is a big one so I had to go BIG when it came to his gift. I started thinking of gift ideas. I know my hubby loves experiences so I started to rack my brain on all gifts that he could experience.

The first thing that came to my mind was….a Trip. That’s what I’ll do – I’ll book him a trip. How about Vegas?

I started researching flights and hotels to Vegas and it was just too expensive. In order to go BIG in Vegas, you gotta spend BIG plus we’ve already gone there so I thought I’d think of a place he hasn’t gone to before.  I thought about New Orleans. I’m originally from there and Chuck has never been so what a fun idea to take him for his birthday. Well, flights were $600 a piece.  And I just didn’t want to spend $1300 (with taxes/fees) on plane tickets.

The last idea I came up with was Park City, UT. My girlfriend and her husband had been there before for their anniversary and said it was awesome. Plus, they said there were a ton of outdoor activities, which Chuck would love. Done.

So first things first, how much are tickets? I searched expedia.com and booked 2 tickets (with insurance!) for $538! Now, to me, that’s a steal.  I sort of freaked out after I purchased the tickets cause I had no idea where we were going to stay or how much hotels were. Not the brightest idea, but I did get lucky.

As I started searching for hotels, I remembered one of the fashion & lifestyle bloggers I follow – @rachparcell – stayed in Park City and took a picture at the Hyatt Escala Lodge. And it looked absolutely gorgeous! So I looked them up online, their hotel rooms were gorgeous and their entire location was beautiful.  I picked up the phone and called them.  Nick, one of the managers, answered the phone. Three words – He Was Awesome! He spent an hour on the phone with me. I told him it was my husband’s 30th birthday and simply asked, ‘Do you have any deals on a suite?’ He put me on hold, came back, and said he could get me a King suite at the price of a standard room. Ummm…okay. So I booked 4 nights at the Hyatt Escala and BOOM – was getting closer to getting his birthday trip fully booked. Thank you for the hotel reco, Rach Parcell!

Since I booked our trip leaving on a Friday, I thought I’d kick off his birthday celebration with a surprise party the night before. I called Lot 3 in Bellevue and booked the loft for about 20 people.  I then went onto evite.com and created a birthday invite to send to all of Chuck’s friends. I sent it out a few weeks ahead of the party to secure people’s calendars and before I knew it, his surprise party was underway!

As we got closer and closer to his surprise party and trip, I started getting super anxious.  If you know me at all, I suck at keeping secrets. Mainly because I just get too excited and can’t hold it in. But I just knew that this one, I had to keep to myself. I just wanted Chuck to feel so so special and was so nervous I was going to blow it.

When the day arrived for me to surprise him, it was so hard not to burst out with excitement but the best part of giving him his entire gift was surprising him twice! The surprise party and his trip. You may be wondering how I told him about his trip. Well my girlfriend owns a card studio – Real Card Studio. She’s amazing! She did our wedding invites, she created my Fiercely Charming logo, our Christmas cards, you name it, anything to do with card stock, she’s my gal.

When it came to figuring out a way to present this trip to him, I ended up emailing my girl and asking her if she could put together an itinerary for the trip. I thought it would be cool to print it, frame it, wrap it, and give it to him as a gift. And that’s exactly what I did.  Here’s what it looked like:

If you need wedding invites, personal stationary, Christmas cards, etc, reach out to Real Card Studio. You will be amazed at their work!

Now, back to Park City planning – as far as all the outdoor activities, transportation, and restaurant recommendations go, Nick with the Escala gave me all the deets.

Silver Mountain Transportation. Mike was our driver and was awesome! Sweetest man, loves to tell jokes, and is always on time. In fact, he was early picking us up and dropping us off.

Wasatch Adventure Guides. Matt is the owner of Wasatch Adventure guides. He sits in the Hyatt Escala and can book any and all activities you want to do.

Before we got to Park City, I booked a hike with him so I had at least one activity on the agenda for Chuck’s Birthday. But I wanted Chuck to choose whatever activities he wanted to do when we got there as well. Not a problem, Matt can book an activity for you anytime, any day.  We basically booked all of our activities last minute and he could accommodate.

Here’s a peek at all the activities we did:

Horseback Riding. Ask for @bayouDave

Hike. We went on a 3 hour hike with Matt through Guardsman Pass and Dead Tree trail. We even saw a moose! Yes, I know….a moose! The views were stunning. Take a look.

Meet Matt!

Side-by-Side ATV’s. This was half way through our ATV ride. I have never been so dirty in my entire life. There was a layer of dust all over my body. But look at that view!

Mountain Biking. Chuck really wanted to go mountain biking because it’s something he absolutely loves. Don’t get me wrong, he loved all the other activities but he’s a dirt biker so mountain biking is a sport that gets him excited too! On our last day, Chuck asked Matt, our adventure guide, if he could take him on a ride before our flight on Tuesday. Matt was booked but still wanted to accommodate. Chuck was even willing to go by himself if Matt told him where to go. That’s exactly what he did. Matt gave Chuck a bike Tuesday morning at 7:00AM, gave him directions, and off Chuck went. 2 hours later, he came back with a huge smile on his cute face from an awesome ride.

Here was his view:

Restaurant Recommendations. Matt, Mike, and the entire valet staff, recommended a ton of restaurants to us on Main Street in Park City. Quick side note – the nice part about Park City is you can enjoy the hotel and the outdoor activities, but you can also take the bus into town (10-15 mins) and walk up and down Main Street. This is basically the heart of Park City. Oh and did I mention, the bus system is free. Win-Win!

Here are the restaurants we went to throughout the past 4 days. I’ve also included some reviews.

Edge Steakhouse | Located in the Sundial hotel across the street from the Hyatt Escala. Good service and cool ambience. I would recommend this place.

4 Star Review: I recommend this steak restaurant because their steak was really good. No Ruth’s Chris or Daniel’s great, but good. Their service was on point the entire night and the server had really good recommendations on what we should order based on what we like. There were no windows so it felt a little cold inside but did have a cool vibe. Overall, 4 star review from me.

Chimayo | Located on Main Street in Park City. Chimayo is a fancy, southwest style restaurant. The experience was great. We sat on the top floor (always ask for the top floor!), had a great server, and thoroughly loved our meals. Take a look below.

They gave Chuck and I a complimentary dessert which included chocolate fondue. Um…yumm! We loved this place so much we went two nights in a row. The second night, we had a ‘2 for 1 entree’ deal someone told us about. If you go to Park City, look in the Park City Record newspaper for local restaurant deals.

Since we came back, the chef served us their ceviche appetizer complimentary as a thank you for coming back for a second night in a row. Awesome place!

5 Star Review: I highly recommend this place. Dinner was phenomenal. The preparation and detail in their dishes was unlike any other restaurant we’ve tried before. The service was excellent and the ambience was unique, colorful, and edgy.

Riverhorse on Main | This place is absolutely gorgeous inside. They have a piano player, white table cloths, and balcony seating available. I booked this restaurant before we arrived in Park City because I heard it had the best brunch in town – thank you Yelp! We went there on Sunday morning and indulged in the best eggs Benedict and buttermilk pancakes I’ve ever eaten in my life. That’s right, my life. I even told them it was Chuck’s birthday and they brought a candle in his pancakes. One word – perfection!

5 Star Review: I highly recommend this place. Brunch is reasonably priced, the atmosphere is stunning, and the food is 5 stars!

Fletchers | Located on Main Street in Park City. We received a ton of recommendations for this place. They just opened in December so they are fairly new for Main Street. They had a deal going on – every entree you buy, you get the choice of purchasing the lobster tail for $10! Sounds good to me.

On our last night we thought we’d try it. We got these amazing cheddar, chive biscuits with bacon jam for an appetizer. One word – yummy! We loved those!

I ordered the chicken dish for dinner and Chuck ordered a filet with the lobster tail. Chuck asked for his steak to be medium rare. Our entree’s came and his steak was well done. Eek! So we talked to our server and she was right on it to get him the right steak. 25 minutes later, Chuck got another steak but it was still well done. Chuck ate it and enjoyed it with his lobster tail but was bummed it wasn’t cooked right….again!

The manager did a great job of coming by and talking to us and even comp’d our steak. That is great service! Our server was great! She came by and wanted to buy us dessert. We felt bad and told her she didn’t have to do that but she brought us a dessert anyway. Their service was seriously great given the circumstances and I know if we went back again, we’d thoroughly enjoy it.

3 1/2 Star Review: For our particular experience, I would have to give 3 1/2 stars.  The ambience of Fletcher’s was awesome. We really like it! The food was good, minus the steak situation but overall they had tasty food. The service was good and the manager took care of the situation, which is what we all want at restaurants.

If you ever go to Park City, I hope these recommendations help you enjoy your stay!

xo

Lauren & Chuck