Julie, The Effortless Girl, is from a small (teeny tiny) community in the Appalachian Mountains of western North Carolina. The Effortless Girl was born out of a desire to challenge herself to find accessible, unique lifestyle ideas with cost savings in mind. LEARN MORE >
Gift Wrapping 101 for $1.01
Welcome to another installment in our series ‘101 for $1.01’ – Gift Wrapping! I love receiving beautifully wrapped gifts as much as I love the present inside. Spending time wrapping lovely presents adds a little something special to the gift. My only problem is the cost of gift wrapping necessities. Bags, bows, ribbons, and paper can be super pricey. So…
Homemade Chicken Stock 101 for $1.01
This is the first post in a new series for Effortless and Exquisite. The ‘101 for $1.01‘ series will showcase Lifestyle Tips 101 for $1.01 or less! Let’s get started…Chicken Stock is a great base for soups, pasta, rice, and casseroles. Substituting chicken stock for water in recipes adds flavor and that little something extra. However chicken stock, especially organic…
DIY Invitations: How To Craft the Perfect Would You
Anyone planning a party, wedding, bar mitzvah, or shower knows there are too many invitation choices. There are literally thousands of color, pattern, paper, or print styles to choose from. Your budget can range from reasonably inexpensive to mortgage level spending depending on what you select. It gets exhausting, especially since invitations are usually the first item to pick in…
Easter Egg-tastic Bunny Baskets
I love Easter for lots of reasons. It signifies many celebratory events; the resurrection of Christ, the beginning of spring, color returning to the world following the dreary winter, and in America – candy. The idea of children running around all cracked out on sugar is scary. I’m about to gain a stepdaughter and decided to create a fun…
Chocolate Souffle…The Easy Way
The word souffle intimidates me. It reminds me of a smoking oven with a beeping fire detector or an uppity french restaurant with no crumbs on perfect white linens. Sigh, but I really love souffles, especially chocolate…what’s a girl to do? For Valentine’s weekend I decided to tackle the chocolate souffle – the Effortless and Exquisite way! I decided to…
MS Stands For Mississippi, Morgan Stanley and Multiple Sclerosis
I’ve taken a step away from the blog for the last couple of weeks…not by choice. In fact there are some great people waiting to share with the blog; it’s me not them. I wish I had a thrilling adventure to write about that kept me from blogging. This is not the case. I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. There…
Effortless Hershey Bar Hot Chocolate
Tonight it is 4 degrees outside. This is the air temperature and does not account for the wind chill. The evening calls for a fluffy blanket, warm pajamas, and a steaming mug of hot chocolate. I was fortunate to have hot chocolate at the Knave at Le Parker Meridien during my visit to New York recently. It was delightful, simply…
Effortless Ten Minute Candle Holders
While shopping for decorative elements for my table at Christmas dinner, I saw several candle holders that I loved. The theme this year is a rustic table incorporating nature with light. I didn’t want to spend too much money on candle holders and the retail price points I saw were more than I wanted to spend. So, I decided to make…
Effortless Economics: Gifts Under Two Dollars
Need a fast gift idea in a real pinch? Maybe you need a gift idea on a tight budget? Effortless and Exquisite’s gift idea of the day is a effortless and quick present that is creative and fun. Mugs that come with personalized chocolate stirring spoons are delicious and practical. The mugs can be made for any occasion, not only during the Christmas holidays. …
Effortless Gardening with Gwen – Indoor Herbs for Holiday Dishes
Thanksgiving is about being thankful for blessings, spending time with loved ones, and food. Eating is one of my favorite activities. I love tasting new and delicious food and Thanksgiving equals delicious food. An essential part of making yummy dishes is the perfect blend of herbs and spices. Fresh herbs are my favorite way to add that special something to food. Fresh herbs are…


























