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jessintheordinary LIFE

MOST LOVED THINGS: FEBRUARY

All of last month’s favorites!

Image via Amazon

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!

Image via Amazon

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.

Image via Amazon

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!

Image via Old Navy

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!

Image via Aerie

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.

Image via Bev Cooks

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!

jessintheordinary THOUGHTS & THINGS

THOUGHTS & THINGS TO SHARE ON THE INTERNET

Photo by Alison Cosker on Unsplash

Another round of random thoughts and things…

Yes Your Job Is Important. But It’s Not All-Important – a good reminder.

Olivia recently bought a house, an 1860s italiante in the Hudson Valley. I already loved her content on life, travel, style, and books and throwing in old house just adds another thing I love to her account.

Officially my new favorite pants. (seem them here) These run small though, I sized up and they fit snugly, as they should.

A sweet read for my fellow sentimentalists – My Dad’s Jeep.

How to Wake Up Smiling: 5 Daily Habits That Made Me a More Positive Person

A video birthday card! You scan a code then can load a video message before mailing it. We sent this to my Dad for his birthday, and even a few days later he texted to say he was still smiling about his birthday video!

jessintheordinary LIFE

MAKING PLANS WITH FRIENDS AS AN ADULT

from mytherapistsays

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.

jessintheordinary THOUGHTS & THINGS

MOST LOVED THINGS: JANUARY

New year, same ‘ole me. Another round of most loved things, to nobody’s surprise I’m sure, including denim, beauty, and yet another beverage holder!

MAD HIPPIE VITAMIN C SERUM

A friend gifted this to me for Christmas, and I’m hooked! My skin has been tougher to keep clear in my thirties than it ever was as a teenager, and while there’s still plenty of imperfections, they just seem more….muted maybe? I’m a fan.

HERSCHEL HIP PACK

Lately my late thirties body has gifted me back pain and now neck pain has been thrown in the mix too. That means I’ve been giving the over the shoulder purses and tote bags a little bit of rest in favor of this belt bag, worn slung across like a cross body bag. And it’s big enough I don’t have to leave any essentials behind!

HIGH RISE ’90S LOOSE JEANS

I’m in love! These are my favorite for remote work days and the weekend.

SALLY HANSEN MIRACLE GEL NAIL COLOR

I’m eternally on the hunt for a new favorite nail polish and this one is currently it. Paired with the top coat, it dries really quickly and keeps a smooth, shiny finish without smudging – something my previous favorites were starting to do.

CORKCICLE WILDFLOWER TUMBLER

It was a very Corkcicle Christmas and in a little buy one for others, buy one for me type of action, I snagged this tumbler because it’s just so pretty and it hasn’t left my side since!

jessintheordinary STYLE

9 ITEMS IN THE MOST BEAUTIFUL SHADE OF GREEN

Calpak belt bag / Ink + Alloy earrings / H&M sweater / Eyebuydirect sunglasses / zip up hoodie / Gap beanie / New Balance sneakers / Abercrombie button up / Amazon jumpsuit

This season I’ve realized I’m completely in love with the shade of green that’s almost a deep teal, but not quite emerald. Here’s some favorite pieces found around the internet…

Calpak belt bag – After eyeing the Luka belt bag for awhile, I joined the waitlist to be notified when it comes back in stock in this beautiful color they call kale.

Ink + Alloy earrings – Cute earrings that could easily be dressed up and just as easily paired with denim and a tee!

H&M sweater – H&M is already my go to spot for sweaters each winter, and this one sure is cute.

Eyebuydirect sunglasses – Available with non-prescription or prescription lenses.

Zip up hoodie – This paired with cute sneakers, an oversized Aerie tee, and leggings is a take on what’s essentially my weekend uniform at this point!

Gap beanie – The cutest beanie, and the Gap logo gives the 90s/early 2000s Gap feel when it seemed like everyone had something with that on it. I still remember the pastel purple three fourths sleeve thermal I used to have with that logo!

New Balance sneakers – It’s taking every bit of willpower to not add to card immediately with these, and I’ll probably fold soon. But note these are listed in men’s sizing, and New Balance’s website site says there’s about a 1.5 size difference between men’s and women’s sizing.

Abercrombie button up – Loose fitting button up’s are one of my favorite items for elevating an outfit while still staying comfortable. If I could perfect that sleeve roll, I’d style it like that and with hoop earrings like the model is wearing, but throw on a pair of leggings and you have the perfect outfit for a remote work day full of on camera meetings.

Amazon jumpsuit – I already have this jumpsuit in two other colors (black and rust) so it was an easy yes to the hunter green too. This jumpsuit is perfect in the summer, if you don’t really feel like wearing shorts and if the thought of anything tight touching your body in the heat bothers you like it does me. But as soon as spring hits, I’ll be adding some layers to this and wearing it a ton! My usual size is a medium, but this one is so loose fitting that I own one of them in a small too so I’d say you could safe size down if you want to.

jessintheordinary THOUGHTS & THINGS

THOUGHTS & THINGS TO SHARE ON THE INTERNET

Photo by Kara Eads on Unsplash

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

I kicked off a random day off last month treating myself to some time spent in a local coffee shop listening to this webinar: Design Your Career Action Plan with Fran Hauser. As someone hitting the 10 year mark at the same place and feeling a little run down and unsure about what to do next, this was a really good wake up call for me on how to be proactive about my career instead of passive. This workbook to go along with it is my next work in progress!

Adding to the list of ways I spent random vacation days this summer, wandering through a few local shops I’ve wanted to check out. I picked up We Are All the Same in the Dark at Birdie Books and was hooked – a thriller that takes place in small town Texas, the story centers around the disappearance of a young girl that’s been unsolved for ten years, the discovery of a teenager found alongside the highway and refuses to talk, and the second generation (female) town cop whose desperate to solve both cases.

I’ve been really feeling all the updating millennial outfit content I’ve seen lately and Jess’s 15 Ways to Update Your Basic Millennial Outfit was what made me finally go yep, time for some changes! I donated my 10+ year old utility jacket this week and am now obsessively refreshing the tracking on my Nordstrom package with this jacket in it. I’m hoping it’ll fits the updated look I’m going for!

After spending a few months being really overwhelmed at work and wound up mentally as a result, I’m finally embracing things like the concepts in this article: The Case for Caring Less.

I’m fresh off a bigger chop than usual thanks to some post-covid hair loss that left my hair feeling so damaged, but this hair trick got me through that miserable last week before my appointment when I could barely look at it without getting annoyed. I’ll be giving it a try with my shorter hair too!

This Cup of Jo post on tips for hosting overnight guests was a sponsored post so well done – we gave the last tip of leaving a note a try when getting ready for my parents to come visit, even slipping in some recent pictures I had printed to give my mom. She loved it!

jessintheordinary FOOD

5 EASY DINNERS TO THROW TOGETHER WITH SHREDDED CHICKEN

I am admittedly not a great cook. Am I a bad one? Not necessarily, just someone who doesn’t have the interest or energy to put a lot of time and effort into meals most days.

In the division of labor in our household, my husband cooks most nights but if there’s one day during the work week that I take ownership of making sure something gets on the table, it’s Thursday evenings. To keep it simple the base of this meal is almost shredded chicken. Thursdays are a remote work day for me so I have an alarm on repeat every week at 11am to remind me to put chicken in the crockpot so it’s ready to go when I get off work for the day.

That step is easy! It’s usually about 1.25 pounds of chicken that goes in the crockpot with a little salt, a little pepper, and enough chicken broth to cover it. No sauces or other flavorings since that could change depending on what we decide to make with it that night. Set that crockpot on high and by about 4pm (5 hours later) I have chicken ready to be shredded and flipped to warm.

Here’s some of our go-to ideas then to make with it!

BUFFALO CHICKEN EGG ROLLS

This idea is one of my favorites, although I’ve made it so much my husband is a little tired of it! This recipe from Half Baked Harvest was the one that generated the idea, although lots of days I make it even more simple and just add a dry packet of ranch seasoning, hot sauce, and shredded cheddar to the chicken before wrapping it up in the egg roll wrappers.

FRIED RICE

My husband found this recipe that he uses as a guide for fried rice and we just use chicken instead of shrimp. The key here is to make the rice earlier too so we also put some rice in the rice maker as I get the chicken cooking, then when it’s done we throw it in the fridge until we’re ready to put everything together.

CHICKEN TACOS

I’m talking go the route of buying the Taco Bell seasoning packet and grab some tortillas. Make some white rice to go with it and stir in some lime juice, salt, and chopped cilantro for a Chipotle inspired take. Top the meal off with your favorite chips and salsa and maybe a homemade margarita too?

BBQ CHICKEN

So easy! Add your favorite BBQ sauce to the shredded and drained chicken, grab some Hawaiian roles if you want to turn them into little sliders then add whatever sides you like best. Cornbread, coleslaw, baked beans, or corn on the cob are a few of my personal favorites.

SESAME GINGER CHICKEN

You could easily keep any kind of sesame/teriyaki sauce stocked at home to use, but my current favorite is BIBIBOP’s sesame ginger teriyaki sauce. Adding it to the shredded and drained chicken then adding some rice is a great base, then if I’m feeling like trying to copy my favorite order from the restaurant I could add potatoes, bean sprouts, pineapple, and a scrambled egg.

jessintheordinary LIFE

MOST LOVED THINGS: JULY

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

image via Target

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.

image via Amazon

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!

image via Eddie Bauer

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.

image via Target

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.

image via Amazon

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.

image via Target

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.

jessintheordinary LIFE

THOUGHTS & THINGS TO SHARE ON THE INTERNET

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.