sometimes, you just have to spoil yourself (sponsored by the bouqs)

do you ever have those days (or weeks, or months, for that matter) where youre just like "you know what, if i can survive this, im gonna send myself a dozen roses"? or is that just me. 

cause im gonna be completely honest, i say this all. the. time. 

but then i survive whatever it was i was going through and forget to send myself those roses. 

but this week. this week is different. i was prepared to spend a couple weeks in a weird limbo trying to get back on my feet after two weeks of birthday chaos. but i was NOT prepared for birthday chaos to end with james working out of town for six days during midterms and then having school week the next week. 

so yeah. birthday chaos (which included a week of alice being very, very sick). immediately followed by six days by myself, which included both midterms and starting a new class at the homeschool co-op. and now im driving to whittier and back twice a day, on top of school and teaching and all the stuff thats normally on my plate. 

(update: james DID find a carpool on monday for the rest of the week)

but thanks to the bouqs, i was able to preemptively send myself those roses. 

and they are truly some amazing roses:

now the bouqs, they are a totally different animal when it comes to ordering flowers: they just sell flowers. beautiful, incredibly fresh flowers (from either a farm in california or the side of an active volcano in south america), at reasonable, up front prices, with no upselling or hidden fees and the easiest ordering process ever. oh, and no ugly vases to feel bad about throwing away after the flowers die. (also, i totally dig their eco-friendly and fair trade practices). 

seriously. once i had set my sights on the hope full bouq, it took a whopping three minutes before i knew EXACTLY when this was going to arrive:

and when it did, i wasted no time getting them into my favorite vintage vase: 

and holy moly i suddenly feel a heck of a lot better about how tired and cranky and stressed out i am right now, because are those not the most ridiculously bright pink roses youve ever seen? and they were so, so fresh. like, not even opened all the way fresh. like, theyve been on the table reminding me everythings ok for a week and only just yesterday started looking sad. 

so yeah, next time i want to treat myself (or someone else) to something nice, i know where im going first: the bouqs. 

(disclaimer: this post was sponsored by the bouqs and does contain affiliate links. i received a bouq to review, but have expressed my true, honest opinions. i love these flowers, and i hate school week)

cutting back on sponsorships.

like any blogger, i love the idea of getting to make money from blogging. and i love the idea of getting to help other bloggers and shop wonders even more. offering blog sponsorships seemed to be the best, most personalized way to do this. 

but, as you can imagine, its a lot of work. and for me, it can be really difficult to balance my sponsor features and normal posts and to tie them together so that this blog makes sense. some bloggers are really great at this. i am not one of them. im also not particularly great at staying on top of emails and scheduling and communication, and in an effort to try and cater to every possible scenario of somebody wanting to sponsor me, i made way too many different packages/options/prices/etc. and its just not working anymore. 

but thats not to say that im getting rid of sponsorships entirely. because i do want this blog to be an active part of the blogging community. i want to help and support other bloggers but i also want to protect myself from getting so burned out that i dont blog at all for two months again. because that was bad. 

so I'm cutting back the options. instead of like, fifteen, now there are two: 

large ad: $8- includes 250x250 sidebar banner, 4 (or more) social media shootouts, AND your own whole guest post! topics are all yours as long as it at least somewhat relates to the poverty luxe lifestyle and you can even do a solo giveaway as long as you furnish the prize and rafflecopter code. 

you can see more details (and updated stats) on my sponsor page. 

small ad: $3 (available for swap)- 125x250 banner, includes welcome post on twitter (to my almost 1000 followers), plus possible social media shootouts depending on content. 

and if you have an idea for a different way that we can work together, id love to hear it! shoot me an email at wifeofmeyers@gmail.com, ill probably say yes. 

bloggers: do you offer sponsorships? whats your #1 tip to balance sponsor/"real" content? 

meet the sponsors: may edition.

can you believe that may's almost over? i mean really. 

obviously, i havent been around much, because, well, things have been kind of insane (but good insane!), id like to talk more about that right now, BUT now is not the time for that. 

now is the time for you to meet mays sponsor ladies! 

first up we have the ever lovely laura of side street style: 

twitter / facebook / instagram

We are a creative couple who are enjoying life as parents to a cool little dude. We love to travel, explore new places and the outdoors, eat good food, try new things and indulge in our passion for fashion and interiors. John is a bearded man and barber while Laura is an expat South African living in Wales. The blog is their little space on the big ol' internet, so come over and say hi

read more: creating a space to entertain in five simple steps, brussels - a cultural city break, breakfast treats for yogurt week

and next we have the amazing carrie ann of little big (who i still CAN NOT believe is sponsoring little old me, but thats beside the point):

instagram / twitter / etsy

Hi there, my name is Carrie Anne Castillo. I used to be a librarian, but these days I have adventures with my punk pixie of a 5-year-old, Isobel, and my newborn son, Elias. My evenings are spent in nerdy pursuits with my husband. There is nothing I love more than a questionable thrift store filled with cheap treasure, or an estate sale featuring the sign “selling entire contents of home.” I inherited a strong love of the absurd and ridiculous from my father. My husband describes my swearing as “nautical.” I am deeply irreverent.

Little Big is my daily journal about stylish, thrifted living, creative domesticity, and making the most with what you have. Here I share practical applications of thrifted living, favorite recipes, my adventures and projects, vintage thrifted inspiration, and snapshots of our daily life. It's nice to meet you.

top posts: bohemian ramen recipe, thrifted maternity closet - week 31, DIY living room pirate ship

since our theme for may is "out", our discussion question for the month is: "how do you create a memorable family outing?". heres how everybody answered: 

laura: just be open to any kind of adventure - the best memories we have are often the ones that have been unplanned. Don't take life too seriously, have fun and laugh a lot, this is usually a good recipe for any family outing.

carrie anne: What makes a family outing memorable is imagination and curiosity. Fortunately for us, they are free and we have them in abundance. For example, we were lucky enough to be invited to go sailing with my inlaws, and Isobel was really into pirates at the time, so we called the sail boat Grandpa's pirate ship and he created a treasure map for Isobel. A walk around the neighborhood,  or trip to the zoo  becomes a safari when we bring binoculars, a magnifying glass, and a safari hat. Someday the kids will outgrow our games, but I hope we can keep the sense of fun and adventure as they get older. 

me: Always be on the lookout for the opportunity to learn something new, youd be surprised at how interesting and educational a simple trip to the beach can be, and dont be afraid to take your time to really enjoy your outing without pressuring yourself (and everyone else) to see ALL THE THINGS. its better to soak in and enjoy half of the museum than rush through the whole thing, not learning anything and making everyone miserable. 

now that weve answered, i want to know what you think: how do YOU create memorable family outings?

(and dont forget to check out/follow laura and carrie annes blogs! you wont regret it!)

may call for sponsors + i want to help you grow your business!

outfit details:

top: h&m

skirt: knitted dove (bought at a sample sale, similar)

shoes: urban outfitters (old)

necklace: c/o hole in her stocking designs

glasses: zenni optical

nails: jamberry in reminisce (matte) and snapshot

this is what i wore for jamess birthday dinner date. its a skirt ive had for a while, with a pretty basic top, and some very old shoes. basically a fancier version of every outfit i ever wear. it needed something. like this adorable chunky necklace from hole in her stocking designs. i mean, if you havent noticed, black and white is kind of my jam, but the yellow bows TOTALLY keep this necklace from being too basic, if you know what i mean. i love it. you can get your own here!

and this necklace, it totally helped me figure out something really important about what i have to offer here on poverty luxe:

see, lately ive been giving a lot of thought to the direction this little blog is headed in. generally, i feel pretty accomplished as far as things like finding my niche (healthy, crafty, environmentally conscious living on a nonexistent budget), developing my content, finding my "blogging voice" (which is apparently a LOT less annoying than my "talking voice") making connections, building a platform, etc. heck, ive even planted the seeds for diversified passive income streams (which are all words that i didnt even know existed when i started doing this a year ago). 

but, lately my mind has been consumed with finding the answer to this question: now that i have this (albeit, microscopic) platform, what exactly do i want to do with it?

i mean, yeah i still want to use this blog to share my endeavors on trying to make a healthy, comfortable, enjoyable lifestyle on whatever little money we have, and if i can help or encourage or inspire others to do the same for themselves, then thats great. (and if i can maybe make you laugh a little too, then mission accomplished). 

but, what exactly can i do to you know, help spread the word about other cool folks, while still helping to financially justify how much time and effort i put into this little project (that was, ahem, supposed to be secondary to the etsy shop)? sponsorships, right?

now, dont get me wrong, i LOVE using this space to share and show off all of the wonderful blogger ladies that ive met since i started doing sponsorships, but you know who i really want to help? small business and etsy shop owners. 

and the typical banner ad/feature type deal doesnt seem to serve small businesses as well as it serves bloggers. 

so, I've added a few new sponsorship options specifically tailored to small businesses/etsy shop owners. you can read more about the details for each option on my sponsorship page, but theres one option in particular that i want to highlight, because i have jenny from dancin with a dolly to thank for it. 

see, that necklace that i talked about earlier? jenny and i did a review swap (you can read her review of my scarf here), where we each sent each other an item from our shops and reviewed them on our blogs. it was a really, really fun way for two small businesses to support each other, and its something that i would LOVE to continue offering on poverty luxe!

and what about the other options, you ask? well, theres a full brand/shop feature (which includes a weekday solo post, review, giveaway, and social media love), a product review only (thats completely free if we set up a swap), and if you just want to send an item to be included in an outfit post, you can do that too. maybe thats a lot of options, but i also REALLY want to offer affordable options for small businesses to get the word out. 

hope youre having a great week so far!

meet the sponsors: april edition!

hello everyone! hope youve been having a great week so far! today its time for one of my favorite posts of the month, meet the sponsors! as always, i am so, SO happy to introduce you to all the lovely ladies that have been hanging out on my sidebar for april! i hope that youll enjoy getting to know them as much as i have! so without any further ado, lets meet my april ladies:

first up we have kristin, she blogs over at the awesome redhead:

facebook // instagram // twitter

tell us more about you, kristen:

Hi! My name is Kristin of "The Awesome Redhead" - a little space on the internet to talk about my quirky life. I'm a graphic designer by profession and a fashionista by passion. Since I was young, I always knew that fashion would have a special place in my heart. My mom always gave me the push to try things that seemed bold and unique, and that's transitioned into my adult life with my love of sequins! The more sequins the better! 

My boyfriend and I recently moved down to Charleston South Carolina from New Jersey and are LOVING every step we are taking in this new journey together. I'm excited to showcase new (to us) places to go and see and eat at, and am so glad that I have my blog to share that with everyone. It's been fun so far seeing how it is to drop northerners into the most quintessential southern city. Thanks again for reading, and I hope you all stop by The Awesome Redhead!

my theme for april is "learn", what new skill would you most like to learn (if money and/or time were not an issue)?

If I had all the time and money in the world, I would LOVE to take cooking classes or go back to culinary school. I love to try new food and experiment with different cooking methods in my own kitchen, it would just be an amazing experience to have the proper techniques and teachings behind it.

top posts: What makes Mad Men's Christina Hendricks blush?, Oatmeal Cookies with a Cookie Butter Glaze, The redhead has returned!

next up we have jenny, of dancin with a dolly: 

twitter // facebook // pinterest

hi jenny! why dont you take a minute to introduce yourself?

Hi! My name is Jenny and I am a wife, mom to 2 year old Olivia, photographer, jewelry designer, blogger, Etsy shop owner, all around entrepreneur. I love to take in all the little things that make life worth living and live each moment as if it's my last.

and what would you most like to learn?

If I had the time and opportunity I would love to learn to masterfully sew and be able to design clothing to hopefully start my own clothing line. 

read more: Beauty Lovers Giveaway!, Am I A Hoarder?!, The Sad Truth I Learned While Working In Customer Service

now its time to meet cady of enjoy essential:

instagram // facebook // twitter // pinterest

so, cady, what do my readers need to know about you?

First of all, I am the queen of the clearance rack! I love supporting small businesses, but I refuse to spend $35 on a tank top, no matter how much I love it. One day I came up with the idea to start a one-stop shop, a small business collective featuring only products sold by small shops, handmade by wives and mamas. Enjoy Essential was created with your budget in mind! Instead of $35 tees, our are $15. Instead of $60 moccs, ours start at $15 (and we do have the pricier ones too for those of you with expensive taste!).

We have everything from women's tanks to kids tees, leggings and moccasins, to jewelry and home decor. It really is a one stop shop- with low shipping prices! Know that with every purchase, you're supporting a woman's dream, and giving back to their communities. Be sure to follow us on Instagram (@enjoy_essential) and Facebook for specials, sales and exclusive designs!

and what new skill would you love to learn? 

Given more time and money, I would love to take a class in photography. I am obsessed with those gorgeous, white photos with bright pops of color that are so trendy right now! Bloggers have such an awesome talent for staging simple items to look like a million bucks!

top picks: Don't Kill My Vibe Women's Tank, For Charity: Because I'm Worth It Tee Or Tank, Killin It Tee

now its time to meet allie, the brains behind call me sassafras:

twitter // bloglovin

why dont you tell us mores bout yourself, allie?

Hey y'all! I'm Allie and I blog at Call Me Sassafras. I like whale sharks, folk music, science and graphic design. I started my blog because I wanted a place to celebrate andown my own quirks and hopefully inspire other women to radically embrace themselves in the same way. When you visit Call Me Sassafras, expect to find that science isn't scary (even if you're not a "science person"), a happy + productive life is your choice + that pretty things are oh-so-important. And you better believe there will be plenty of sass along the way. 

and what would you like to learn?

I would most like to learn how to do my own website and blog coding. As a blogger, I hate having to hire someone to tweak my blog every time I want to change it (aka approximately twice a day)--especially when I feel like it's something I should be able to do myself!

get reading: It's Hard to Be a Multipassionate Blogger, Missing Links: a big dose of science, Finding Inspiration for Your Blog Posts

and last, but certainly not least, we have laura, of side street style: 

twitter // instagram // bloglovin // pinterest

tell us about your adorable family, laura:

We are a creative couple who also happen to be parents to an awesome little man. We love to travel, eat good food, enjoy the outdoors and indulge in our passion for fashion and interiors while attempting to be great hands-on parents. John is a traditional barber and Laura is a snap happy girl and South Africa Expat living the Wales, UK

and what do you want to learn?

Laura would love to train as a forest school teacher as well as have the time to write a illustrate a children's book.

good reads: TRAVEL INSPIRATION AND SIMPLE PLEASURES, THE CONSCIOUS COLLECTION, BEACH ADVENTURES PART 1

hope you had a great time meeting all my sponsor ladies! want to get in on next months meet the sponsors post? check out my sponsor page for details!

april call for sponsors!

happy april everyone! i actually dont have any silly april fools pranks for you today, mainly because im a cranky old lady that hates april fools day, so today were just going to get straight down to business. 

sponsor business. 

because, you know, as usual, its the first of the month and that means its time for me to completely re-design my sponsor program, right? 

WRONG! actually, as far as my options are concerned, everythings staying just about the same. with the exception that ive moved the large sponsor group feature to the end of the month instead of the middle because well, that just makes more sense. 

so for a quick review, your options are:

in-post ad: $10, includes banner space PLUS a solo sponsor spotlight feature PLUS the option of your own original guest post and social media love. unfortunately, its currently booked through mid-may, however, you could always just reserve your spot in advance. winky face. 

large ad: $3, includes large sidebar ad PLUS a spot in the monthly meet the sponsors post which is super fun and an awesome way to make new blog friends and social media love. as of right now, i have EIGHT spots open for the april feature happening on the 24th. you DEFINITELY want in on this. 

small ad: $1 (or free if you want to swap!), includes smaller sidebar ad PLUS an introductory tweet, IF AND ONLY IF you put your twitter handle in the "about this ad" field, this is basically the cheapest ad you can get anywhere in blogland (since, you know, its free to swap), and i have three spots open RIGHT NOW. 

oh! and as an added bonus, ive been working my butt off to grow this here blog of mine, and my numbers are continuing to grow every month, meaning, your ad and/or feature is getting seen by more people than ever before, and i havent raised my prices. 

and im sure once you see the numbers on my sponsorship page, youll see that sponsoring poverty luxe is a very, very good idea. 

i mean. not that im biased or anything...

meet the sponsors: march edition

hey everyone! its that time again, time for you to meet all the wonderful humans that have been hanging out on my sidebar! im super stoked to introduce this bunch, so lets get started, shall we?

first up we have ashten, of always ashten:

bloglovin / facebook / twitter / instagram

hello ashten! why dont you introduce yourself to my readers?

My name is Ashten, and I have a lot to say. Since most of my friends got tired of listening to me talk, I started a blog called always ashten, where I write about my life, lessons I've learned, celebrities I've met and the dog I love named Warner. My life is a work in progress, and I hope you'll come take the journey with me!

now that spring is finally coming, whats your favorite way to get out and play?

Walking my dog, Warner! We live by a little man-made lake and we try to get out and walk around the lake on weekends

favorite posts:

if you dont like the show, change the channel, the definition of beauty, if i ever met leo

next we have the always wonderful allie of call me sassafras:

twitter / bloglovin / Facebook

tell us a bit more about yourself, allie:

Hey babes! I'm Allie + I blog at Call Me Sassafras. I like folk music and science and sleep. I think Grumpy Cat is my spirit animal. I'm passionate about creating (+ helping YOU create) a positive + productive lifestyle. Naturally, you'll find my thoughts on living a happy + productive life and snippets on my design work, with a little music, science and sarcasm thrown in

and how do you like to spend time outdoors?

I'm a big fan of getting outdoors so getting out to play is right up my Allie (heh...see what I did there?!). When the weather is nice, I like to go hiking or kayaking. Even when it's not so nice out, I love to play soccer! I've got a group of lady friends that are always happy to make an impromptu pickup game! 

good reads: 

honest thoughts on blogging and balance, 10 prompts for gratitude journaling, 4 ways to have a productive day off

and now its time to meet nicole of treasure tromp:

twitter / bloglovin / pinterest / instagram

so nicole, what do we need to know about you?

I'm Nicole, the lady behind the blog Treasure Tromp. When I'm not working on my PhD program, I pretend that I am a world traveler, like to hike and camp, obsess over hedgehogs, and make a mess in the kitchen. Latest adventure? I just returned back to the US after living in South Africa with my fiancé. On my blog you'll find some  thoughts on blogging, organization tips, and a lot of adventures. 

whats your favorite way to have fun outside?

I love to go hiking and camping! While I love a good hike through the forest, I recently fell in love with camping and hiking in the desert. My love for the desert may be because it is the place where I got engaged.

read more: 

speakeasy party, envelope system for budgeting, 7 stages of long travel

up next we have jessica of the reinvention of jessica:

twitter / Facebook / bloglovin / pinterest

tell us more about yourself, jessica:

The Reinvention of Jessica is about my adventures in becoming the person I know I can be.  I'm a new mom, a new homeowner, and a newlywed, so I've gone through a lot of life changes in a relatively short amount of time.  I write about whatever happens to be going on in my life at the moment and what I'm doing to be less of a red hot mess.  I talk a lot about my son, Jack, and all the DIY projects my husband, Dennis, and I have going on around our house.  Come check out my little corner of the internet and see what all my crazy is about.

and whats your favorite way to get out and play?

My favorite way to get out and play is to take my son to the park or to the zoo.  Especially if it's a family outing.  I'm happiest when I get to spend time with my guys whether it's at home or having an adventure around town.

be sure to check out: 

diy magnetic chalkboard, operation wear my closet: be my valentine, we bought a house 

and finally, we have laura of side street style:

twitter / instagram / bloglovin

hey laura! why dont you tell us more about you and your blog?

We are a creative couple who are also parents to a cool little dude. We love to travel, eat good food, enjoying spending time outdoors

as well as indulging in our passion for fashion and ethical products, all whilst attempting to be great modern parents. Laura is a travel addict and freelance photographer while John is a traditional barber and loves the simple delights of home. We love to bake, try new things and try and live life to the full, Our blog is a place were we share all our adventures, inspirations and ideas.

and how do you like to spend time outside?

We are lucky enough to live near some amazing countryside parks and wild spaces and we love putting on our wellies and adventuring outdoors to collect bugs, sticks and things for our nature table, or simply jumping in puddles. A family hike or adventure is always a must on the weekends.

top posts:

hello spring, the record nook, our chic short break to london

and what about me? how do i like to spend time outdoors?

at the beach. obviously. or maybe disneyland (that counts as outside, right?). or the park. or just taking alice for walks around the neighborhood. really anything to not be in our shoebox apartment when its a million degrees out (which it has been lately, apparently summer is VERY early this year)

i just want to say that i am so, SO happy to have such a wonderful group of ladies on my sidebar this month. seriously, all five (!) of you have been fantastic and I've had a great time getting to know you through your blogs!

do you want to get featured next month? check out my sponsorship page for pricing and details!