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 >
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…
Exquisite Christmas Gifts for under Five Dollars – Mmmm Apples
The holiday season is upon us. Thanksgiving is two weeks away and that makes Christmas just around the corner. It is the most wonderful time of the year, but it also can be very stressful. Gifts become expensive as lists grow between children, friends, and work while cortisol levels rise thinking about what’s left to do. Effortless and Exquisite’s holiday gift series gives ideas to help alleviate some of…
My Exquisite Day on the Bethenny Frankel Show
This is not your average Effortless and Exquisite post because the day I’m going to describe is not your average day. Certain ones we remember our entire lives. This was one of those days. It is still extremely surreal and I feel very blessed. I will give you some of the background details and then the story. The Background: I am…
Ronald McDonald House of New York City: The House that Love Built
Life is sometimes difficult. I want my blog to be a helpful, witty read for everyone who visits. I also want to talk about things in life that are substantive and even hard to write about. Fourteen years ago my brother Robby had brain cancer at age 11. Our family stayed at the Ronald McDonald House in New York City during his operation and his…
Call Me Ishmael
Call me Ishmael. I’m using the opening line from Moby Dick to begin my blog because I wasn’t sure how or where to start and it worked really well for Herman Melville. I had the idea for a blog several years ago but life, work, relationships, etc. take time and I procrastinated. Several years ago I saved a quote…
