Category: LIFE

All of last month’s favorites!

THIS TIME TOMORROW

The year is young, but I’m convinced that even months from now, This Time Tomorrow will still be holding strong as favorite book I’ve read this year. I won’t argue that reading a book about a woman turning 40 whose father is dying, while being an almost 40 year old woman whose father just had some really serious health stuff happen a few months ago is the reason this book hit me as hard as it did. But even so, and even with time travel being a part of the book, this one just felt so damn relatable. I stayed up late on a week night to finish this one, and absolutely sobbed!

LAPTOP BACKPACK

Speaking of being almost 40, I experienced such bad neck and shoulder pain so bad that I couldn’t sleep, then ended up at an orthopedic urgent care (I didn’t know those were a thing). I couldn’t bear the thought of using my usual tote bags to lug everything in for in person work days, so I bought this backpack to try instead. It’s the perfect size, lightweight, and I love that it has the backpack straps and straps to throw it over my shoulder.

L’OREAL LIP CRAYON

Lots of mostly black outfits, then this lip crayon in little chili for a pop of color was my favorite style this month!

OVERSIZED BOYFRIEND STYLE DENIM SHIRT

I finally got rid of my denim shirts that were 10+ years old and replaced them with this updated oversized fit one from Old Navy instead. Well worth it – this might be the item I’ve worn most these last few months! Paired with leggings it’s perfect for a work from home day, but paired with a black pair of jeans it’s been perfect for in person work days too!

AERIE LEGGINGS (WITH POCKETS!)

These flare leggings have become a favorite, and between the texture of them and the fact that they have back pockets, these feel really easy to treat as real pants. For a recent casual girls dinner, I paired them with the oversized denim shirt, threw on some sneakers and lipstick, and called it an outfit.

CREAMY BEEF GNOCCHI SOUP

One of my favorite things about winter has to be soup. I couldn’t believe I’d made it this season without yet making a long time favorite, Bev’s creamy beef gnocchi soup, so I made sure to stock up on the ingredients and get my fix!

Because my social battery isn’t what it used to be and everyone’s family calendars are booked out for well over a month (or a sports season) at a time. Then, when it is finally time to hang out, inevitably someone’s kid will get sick, there’s a family emergency, something else unexpected comes up, etc etc. Am I right?! Thank goodness for the bestie’s group chat to keep us close.

Alternate title: All the things I clung to in order to make the middle of summer bearable!

THE PERFECT MAUVE LIPSTICK

I love bright lipstick, especially in the summer, but some days I’m just in the mood for something that feels a bit more of the enhanced natural aesthetic and this mauvy night shade is my long time go to when that mood hits.

WET BAGS

I’m on year two of using these washable wet bags and they got the most use this summer! I’ve used them everyday to pack my son’s swimsuit and goggles in for camp and when he’s done swimming, he can just throw them both back in before putting it back in his backpack. Now they are not completely waterproof – a dripping wet swimsuit will absolutely soak through a bit, but they’re still gold. Year round I use them as a mini dirty laundry bag when we go out of town for a night or I’ll pack extra shoes in them because there’s nothing grosser to me than thinking about dirty shoe bottoms mingling with the rest of the things in my suitcase!

EDDIE BAUER CINCH TOTE

The foundation of my summer swim team mom look is this tote! I can fit a small soft sided cooler in the bottom with a couple of ice packs and enough drinks to keep us hydrated, a beach towel, change of clothes, and snacks and we’re all set. This bag that’s also from Eddie Bauer’s stowaway/packable line is another favorite. I use that to keep all my necessities on me (wallet, sunglasses, keys, phone) for all the back and forth that is watching a kids swim meet.

SIMPLE BLACK TANK TOP

This $8 tank top has been the MVP in my summer wardrobe. It has thick enough straps to make either a bralette or regular bra a possibility, it’s not cropped, and it’s just drapey enough to not feel too fitted or loose – the perfect in between! I wear them constantly and them stocked in a couple of different colors.

MOISTURIZING SUNSCREEN WITH SPF 60

As someone who burns really easily, having every day sunscreen options on hand is a must, especially in the summer. While on the search for options that felt and smelled more like slathering on lotion rather than greasy sunscreen, I found this Aveeno one and it’s been a favorite this summer. This Eucerin one has been another good option on days when I can go a little lower with the SPF.

CETAPHIL BODY WASH

In early summer I was getting little breakouts on my chest and collarbone for the first time and it was really bothering me. I picked up this this Cetaphil body wash with this exfoliating body sponge and have been using it every day since and been in the clear.

This week’s round of random thoughts and things to share on the internet…

After having a co-worker mention the show a couple of times, I started Only Murders in the Building (on Hulu) and am officially hooked! When someone dies in the building, three neighbors played by Martin Short, Steve Martin, and Selena Gomez realize they have a shared love of true crime podcasts and decide to record their own while solving what they’ve decided is a murder case. The cast is wonderful (Tina Fey is in it too!) and it has just the right amount of chuckle out loud, mostly sarcastic humor that I absolutely love.

Every once in awhile I catch something on TikTok that makes me feel old enough to feel so out of touch with trends and what’s popular now. But after seeing them referenced a couple of times, are the LLBean totes now a thing?! In my family they’ve always been a staple – maybe I’ll have to break my back out for more than just holding my stack of library books in the corner of our living room?

As someone who has spent the last couple of months feeling more stressed, overwhelmed, and burned out at work than I ever have before and finally feeling like I’m maybe able to start trying to pull out of it, this post hit home! Currently incorporating their 5 steps mentioned to the process, with a couple of things to add – start being realistic with others on what you can handle and when, and be intentional about spending time on energy on just having and being fun with those you love.

I’ve been in the mood to try to find some new hair and skin products that I can count on and after reading this post, I decided to pick up Peach & Lily’s Glass Skin Refining Serum. After only about a week and a half of use my skin I’ve already had my skin drastically improve, especially on some problem spots I’d been having.

I’m currently in a style phase where it feels like everything just needs to be simple and that goes for jewelry too. Most days are stacking rings, a simple chain necklace, and my obsession with hoop earrings continues! My current favorites are these from Old Navy – I just ordered this set to have a good option too.

I heard that my brother and sister-in-law were planning a big trip with their kids so when I saw someone line mention this kids travel journal, I just had to order it for my 3 year old niece! Hoping it’s a fun way thing to help make and note memories made along the way.

Another round of random thoughts and things to share on the internet…

“Americans don’t really like each other very much right now” – Why People Are Acting So Weird.

I’ll come back around to bolder jewelry, but right now these thin hoops and these simple rings are the pieces I keep reaching for most days lately!

I’ve become a little bit sneaker obsessed lately and these are the pair I’m debating whether or not to get next. The white and pink pair are more what I would typically be drawn to but I’m feeling the bolder colors instead on these!

I’ve seen the Trader Joe’s gyoza potsticker stir fry “recipe” around the internet a few times lately and I finally bought everything I need to make this version for lunch one day next week.

This orangey red lip crayon has been my favorite way to add some color to an outfit full of neutrals.

This week I went back to work after a week off and it felt especially tough to refocus this time back. My favorite trick is putting the pomodoro technique to use. This Wit & Delight post introduced me to it and I just take a slightly different approach – I make a big long list of all the tasks that are overwhelming me then I use the 25 minute blocks to do nothing but work through that list.

Our work went from temporarily fully remote back to a hybrid schedule this month and it looks like this month’s theme seems to be focused on all the things I turned to that made it easier to go back out into the word on a regular basis, plus some cozy favorites to look forward to coming home to as well. 🙂

WORK TOTE

Back to some in person work means back to lugging all my stuff back and forth. I’ve tried smaller options with compartments, but I just keep coming back to the big pocket-less tote bag that I can just toss things into and go then I use the middle sized one of these pouches to keep things more easily contained. My favorite style tote has been the shopper tote from H&M – my two are from a few years back and not on the site anymore, but this Target option is just about the same dimensions and the same shape (wider at the top means you can just keep shoving stuff in it!).

CONVERSE MID-TOPS

I bought these in the fall right before our trip to Disney and in a very risky move I chose a day of walking around Magic Kingdom as the first day to wear them. I’m so lucky they’re super comfortable! It took me awhile to figure out what pants they looked best with, but this month I snagged a pair of straight leg black jeans and pairing them with those and a sweater has been an outfit I’ve repeated when I have to show up in person to work, am tired, and just want to be comfortable for the day.

FLORAL WATER BOTTLE

I got sick of carrying my water bottle back and forth to the office along with everything else so I used it as an excuse to buy a pretty new cup to keep at my desk at work. I like this type because I can easily throw in my own reusable straw and switch those out each day.

EXPRESSIE NAIL POLISH

There are three things that if I do nothing else, I still feel like a ready for the day human being. Filling in my brows, putting on mascara, and having painted nails! This one is my current favorite quick dry option.

HIGH WAISTED VINTAGE STYLE SWEATPANTS

These were in no way bought for style – they were absolutely bought because nothing is more comforting to me than to lounge around in oversized sweatpants! I have stooped to the level though of hiking up the elastic cuff to just above the ankle and throwing a denim jacket on with them and calling it an outfit worthy of leaving the house to go grocery shopping. No regrets!

MEN’S FLEECE PULLOVER HOODIE

Grabbing a find from the men’s section – this was an impulse buy but it got me with the color blocking and then the pockets! It has two, the typical front pocket on most hooded sweatshirts but then also has a front pouch pocket that snaps. It’s perfect to throw my phone and keys in if I want to go for walk on the trails, if I’m out and in full on mom mode and want to be hands free but still have a few things on me, and then I wear it around the house all the time too. I’m in love.

Between election week and going back to work yesterday after an entire week off, I’m feeling annoyed, tired, and restless. Because I’m sure this week will continue to try my patience, I decided to start my day today with a little loving-kindness meditation I learned about from Celeste Headlee’s book We Need to Talk. Here’s hoping it’ll help me get in the right mindset to be a compassionate, helpful, and maybe even productive person today?

Step 1: Send compassionate thoughts to yourself.

Step 2: Send them to someone you love.

Step 3: Send them to a stranger.

Step 4: Send them to someone you dislike or with whom you are currently in conflict. (ahem, even if you avoid confrontation like me and maybe they don’t even know you’re conflict…)

Step 5. Finally, send compassionate thoughts to all living beings.

A last minute change by our school district to flip back to virtual, a rush to get the house ready for a last minute slot that opened up on our painter’s schedule, the anniversary of a friend’s life lost way too young – it’s been a kind of rough week! But having to hurry up and finalize paint colors and waving the white flag and taking some hours off work several days was a good distraction.

This week’s tiny victory: I joined a gym this week! And I’ve already gone three times! Although the hardest part will be to keep that momentum going.

This week I’m grateful for: a freshly painted house! (or soon at least) / take out when neither of us felt like cooking / signing off work early on a Friday…

Some things of note that I’ve enjoyed lately…

A topic in our besties group chat – how the pandemic is impacting women. An article we shared around about how mothers are the “shock absorbers” of our society.

I ordered the prettiest little birth flower necklace with my little guy’s birth flower and it arrived last weekend. It’s just the delicate piece I was looking for after breaking an old favorite hand stamped necklace months ago.

I’m glad Grace shared her feelings on not wanting kids and that being ok! It’s totally possible, and fine, for a woman to not want children of her own and still be wonderful with the children in her life. I’ve thankfully been on the receiving end of a friendship like that. As a mom to one who loves motherhood but doesn’t feel the urge to add more kids to our family, this also got me thinking about even once you have a child, the pressure and questions about when you’ll have another.

We did indeed go with this pretty blue for the spare bedroom/my office and now I’ve moved on to planning the decor for the rest of the room. I’m thinking these pretty prints would look perfect above my desk.

I tried Dani’s hydrating cocktail idea with water, Kinky vodka, and fresh lemon juice and she’s right – it’s good! Planning to probably raise my glass with one tonight to kick off the weekend just right. Take care friends!

Even with slightly warmer temperatures around here this week, it finally feels like fall. Change is in the air – cooler mornings, leaves starting to turn, and officially jumping into the first days of hybrid kindergarten for our son. A change in the seasons, both in weather and in life. I think I’m ready.

This week’s tiny victory: We put our son on the bus for the first time and watched it drive away for his first in person day of kindergarten (our district is starting a hybrid schedule after being fully virtual) and I didn’t cry.

Good for a laugh: My favorite part of virtual learning has been getting to discreetly listen into their class conversations and 5 and 6 year olds can be incredibly entertaining without meaning to be. When the teacher recently asked the class what their favorite thing to add to oatmeal was, one kid shouted “pancake sauce!” (syrup) when it was his turn to share!

And with that, some things of note lately…

After probably years of neglect, a weekly at home manicure is back on my to do list. Vain? Maybe, but I can’t help but feel like it’s been the perfect pick me up to get me through the work week. Olive & June’s IG marketing got me, but it’s been worth it! I can go about 7-9 days without chipping. So far this gray is my favorite, but this pretty red is up next and I have high hopes for it.

The first time temperatures dipped I jumped on the chance to try Aubrey’s chicken pot pie recipe. If you’re looking for a short cut like me, just pick up a rotisserie chicken instead and then it’ll really live up to it’s name of semi-homemade chicken pot pie.

Added another coffee mug to my collection this week. If I thought parenting + morning coffee led to endless coffee reheats, then parenting + morning coffee while trying to also work from home took that to the next annoying level. These mugs are my favorite to keep my coffee warm long enough to drink it, and their smaller size is perfect.

Jessica Yellin’s IG page is now my go-to space in that online space to keep up to date on political news. The former CNN Chief White House Correspondent’s quick and frequent updates are enough to keep me feeling knowledgeable about what’s going on without feeling overwhelmed with information.

After months of constantly being at home, I’ve finally been talked into finding someone to get the half of our house repainted that really needs it. Feeling overwhelmed by all the different shades of beige to pick from for our hallways, and trying to find something fun for the spare bedroom I’ve been working out of. Gray has been vetoed by my husband, but I’m thinking of getting as close as I can with either a bluish gray like this? Somebody else pick for me please!

Happy weekend friends, hope it’s a restful one.