Holy November.
Life has really gotten the better of me lately. A combination of work and an escalating side-hustle have left me completely depleted as of late. Then, you factor in 2 kids, a dog who pees on the carpet, and menty b struggles – it’s been a busy fall. But also, everything is great. E is doing well (all things considered) in middle school, Clara is tolerating preschool/daycare. David and I have been agreeing on our nightly shows. My hair is totally grown-out but the botox I got in September is still somewhat visible so at least my forehead looks good.
It’s so important to have good things around, when life is busy, when work sucks, when it takes you 6 tries to get Wordle. You get it. I have comprised the below list of a few items that myself and my family have been using and loving.
Birkenstocks Boston Clogs
I ordered these back in August when I had a sneaking suspicion they were going to blow up. Thank you TikTok! I will gladly take any opportunity to look cool while staying comfortable. Birkenstocks are easily the most comfortable shoes. I wish I would have sized up in the clogs, but they still fit. I have been wearing them nonstop and loving every minute of it.
MyBevi Classic Insulated Tumbler in Candy Pink
I happened to find myself sipping from this MyBevi tumbler, while wearing my Ellandemm Troop Beverly Hills sweatshirt and pink glasses so I had to snap a pic to commemorate. This is my new favorite tumbler. Yes, I still love me a Starbucks tumbler with a straw but you guys, I keep breaking them! They are beauties but they cannot withstand my clumsiness and carelessness. This MyBevi tumbler however, is a freaking workhorse. It keeps my water nice and cool (I don’t like super ice cold water) and my coffees piping hot. The lid is amazing, SUPER durable and you can use a straw with it. I love everything about this – especially the color!
Celestial Silk Pillowcase and Small Scrunchies
I have meaning to invest in a silk pillowcase for some time now. These pillow cases are great for two main reasons – they are great for those with dry, damaged, thin, or thinning hair AND who are concerned with the effects of ageing. These 100% mulberry silk pillowcases lead to less breakage and help skincare products fully absorb into the skin. Plus, they are SUPER soft, breathable, hypo-allergenic, and have a hidden zip closure.
Along with a good pillowcase, is a nice silk scrunchie! How much hair have I lost over the years to the regular hair tie? Honestly, I don’t even want to think about it. These mini, thinner scrunchies from Celestial Silk are absolute perfection. The color (dark taupe) is perfect compliment to my dirty blonde hair, are incredibly soft, and do not pull out any hair. I want them in every color now!
VOLO Hero Hair Towel in Salt White
YOU GUYS. Anyone remember the Turbie Twist? I had a pink Turbie Twist for many years, a small, cone-shaped, cotton towel with a small elastic loop on the end? Mine never washed well and before too long, it was stringy and gross and I am pretty sure it never really dried my hair.
Enter: the VOLO Hero Hair Towel!! This is the bougie, Barefoot Dreams version of the crappy Turbie Twist. Truly feels like a blanket for the head. It is ridiculously soft, thick, and absorbent. The VOLO towel promises to cut dry-time by 50%, which for me is everything. I do not have time for wet hair. And due to the aforementioned state of my damaged locks, I try to keep it away from the heat of a blow-dryer. This towel has seriously changed the game for me. I am experiencing less breakage, faster drying times, and best of all – my forehead isn’t being yanked backwards, bearing the weight of a regular towel. I will never use a normal towel to dry my hair ever again!
Are they bracelets or are they hair ties? Don’t know about you, but bangles and bracelets are tough for me. The jingle-jangle and impracticality of them when you are spending your days wiping PB&J off of sliding glass doors is enough to keep my wrists bare 99% of the time. But that is no fun! I usually can bear to keep a hair tie or two around my wrist and when I saw these beautiful gold metal-adorned hair ties, I knew it was kismet. These look super cute, go perfectly with my blonde hair, and best of all – do not snag on my hair! I am never without them and definitely need more for mixing and matching.
PediPocket Blanket in Sultry Smoke
Now that we have discussed a blanket for my hair, we must talk my new favorite blanket for my body – the PediPocket! So. If you know me, you know I suffer from poor circulation. I blame all 72 inches on this. Blood just cannot reach my extremities and honestly, I don’t blame my blood – it’s a long way to go! Having poor circulation also means my hands and feet are nearly always cold. And not just cold, ice-cold. Yes I’ve seen a doctor. This blanket came to me at the perfect time, because just as the September weather went from 80’s down to the 50’s in matter of a week, I whipped out this blanket, nestled my little feetsies (ok my big feetsies) in, and was instantly in love.
You see, this blanket comes equipped with a 20 inch designated POCKET for your feet. If you are one of those people who plays the do-i-cover-my-shoulders-or-feet game, you need this!
Mabel’s Labels Acrylic Letter Tags
I’ve been seeing these big acrylic letter keychains around and duh – needed my own pink and sparkly version! I went for the cursive lettering for Clara and I to adorn our bags with. I clipped hers to her rainbow overnight bag and it is just the perfect addition. These letters are thick, high-quality acrylic and come very nicely packaged. I am in love!
Mantra Mask “I Am” Kit and CBD Coconut Eye Gels
This kit from Mantra Mask comes with over $55 worth of products for only 30 bucks! I have really been loving CBD products lately (more on that in another post) and these sheet masks from Mantra Masks are jam-packed with super high-quality ingredients as well as about 30 MG of CBD.
This 3-pack of CBD coconut eye gels has been a huge help when I have a random sleepless night. These eye gels also pack 30 MG of CBD each, hyaluronic acid and other great ingredients. I am fairly picky when it comes to under-eye gel masks. They can’t slip down my face, be overly gooey, or smell weird. These check off all the boxes and make my under eyes feel hydrated, slightly plumped, and definitely more awake. They also come packaged in this neat little pouch that is perfect for throwing in a purse or bag.
New Legends Skincare The Total Package Kit
Our sweet E is in middle school! And as we all know, this age comes with all the fun stuff ;). It is really important to me to equip her with her own hygiene products so she takes ownership of this new phase of life. Also, skincare should be tailored to the needs of each of our unique needs. I need anti-ageing products, formulated to fight wrinkles and provide deep moisture. Her skincare needs and mine are totally different! Also, getting kids this age to shower, wash their face, and apply deodorant can be a struggle. This skincare kit from New Legends makes it so fun and easy to provide your tween or teen with products that work well, are made with organic ingredients and are targeted to fight the good fight (read: pimples, hormones, etc.). I am so happy we have found this amazing line of products that she loves to use and that work great for her skin!
As you can probably tell from the above photo, my Clara absolutely LOVES having her nails painted. And we own approximately 2000 of those tiny children’s nail polishes. You know the ones. They last about 5 minutes before peeling off. Well, homegirl has caught on. She wants her polish to stay on dammit! I cannot blame her. I was on the lookout for a kid-friendly nail polish and Libbi Kids has it down. Their kids polish is vegan, and free of 16 other potentially toxic ingredients, it contains nourishing oils safe for kids and leaves behind a subtle, sweet scent. We are in love!
LYS No Limits Cream Bronzer and Contour Stick in Motivate
I am fully jumping on the cream products trend as of late, and have been in hot pursuit of a good cream bronzer for awhile now. I needed to find one that wasn’t sold out (haha), and a good shade for my pale, pale skin. Finally Sephora restocked this LYS Beauty cream bronzer stick and while I am not crazy about the triangular packaging, the product itself is awesome. The formula is easy to blend, and the lightest shade they offer is perfect for my coloring.
Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush in Happy
I am sooo late to the game on these amazing liquid blushes from Rare Beauty. I waited awhile for this cool pink shade in Happy to come back in stock at my local Sephora. I have recently realized that cool, bright-pink blush actually suits my skin nicely. As much as I would love to rock a peachy coral – it really just makes me look orange. Not it. I want at least 3 other colors in this liquid blush. It is SO easy to work with, blends like a dream, and only takes a tiny bit of product to achieve a rosy glow.
And that is it for now. Stay tuned for my holiday gift guide coming later this month. It’ll be a doozy!
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