I can't believe it's nearly August. July has gone by in a blur, much like me in the picture above. Ha. While I try hard not to wish the days away...because you never know what day might be your last, I personally wouldn't mind if we all blinked and it was 2021. Like everyone else I'm sure, I am so over 2020 but I also know that there's only one way through hard times and that's right through it. So let's see if I can turn any frowns out there upside down by sharing a few of my favorite things that have brought me a little joy in July.
SCENTS
Now that I live with three growing boys {twin teens + a tween} let's just say I'm more aware of how my own home smells. Which is why, more often than not, I have a candle burning in the living room or kitchen. Hands down, my favorite brand of candles is Nest...
My first introduction to Nest candles came when a friend of mine gifted me with one of their Blue Garden candles. The fragrance was divine (think sweet smelling flowers, like those you might imagine freshly blooming in a secret garden somewhere in the deep South like Savannah or New Orleans) and I immediately looked up Nest to see where I could order more of them. I have to say that while I loved their scents what sealed the deal for me truly was the company's support of Autism Speaks. One of our nephews has autism so anybody who supports those with autism gets my support and I don't know if I'll ever buy another brand. Nest is the best. Enough said. My all time favorite Nest scent is Bamboo but I recently picked up the Amafli Lemon and Mint scent and I won't lie...it may move past to take the lead. Here's a tip...sign up for their email list and you'll get a discount of like 15% off your first order. They'll send occasional codes during the year which is when I stock up ;)
Another favorite thing I love to use to keep our home smelling fresh is a Pura Smart Home diffuser. I gifted it to myself last Christmas when I first discovered they carried refills featuring Nest fragrances (woot woot) and I can happily report it's been a game changer in my house of boys. I have one plugged in by the front door and can easily switch it off and on with my phone or you can set it up on a timer etc. Back when the kids were in school I may have set it up to turn on right about the time we got home from carpool in the afternoon. Allegedly. ;) Highly recommend if you're a fragrance lover like myself and/or a mom of growing teens.
WELCOME MAT
Before you're greeted by delicious smells from Nest and Pura inside our home, while you're waiting on my front porch don't be surprised if you find yourself standing on something funny like this...
If you're a child of the 80's you're probably humming that little diddy in your head right now. I know I am. If you ever come over, be forewarned. We have a Ring doorbell so if you break out in your favorite dance move, and I HOPE you DO, then I will send you a copy of your video before we submit it to AFV. Just kidding. Allegedly. There are a ton of these on Etsy with sayings like "This house is a little chaotic." OR "This house runs on amazon prime, UPS, and coffee." Little things like this make me giggle when I see them and who doesn't need more laughter in their life?
ALL ABOUT THE HAIR
I don't know if its because I've been going gray since I was a teenager but the older I get the more my hair bothers me. Or rather the time and money I spend on my hair bothers me. When the shut down first happened, I laughed at all the jokes about how in three short weeks we would find out everyone's true hair color. Yes, it's all fun and games until the brown haired girl goes gray. I'd laugh as I tried to ignore the roots as they started to show. I promise I did. But at the rate my hair grows (super fast), by April, my roots were ridiculous, in a Cruella Deville like way and suddenly I didn't find them amusing anymore. I will even admit to contemplating how many jumbo size sharpies it would take to color all over because all salons were shut down. Thankfully my friend Laura pointed me in the direction of this new to me root color touch up kit.
The looks I got from the guy at CVS as I sauntered at 6 am looking for my color fix. ha! What's so brilliant about this kit is that it has separate chambers for the color and toner so you mix only what you need rather than having to mix the whole thing at one time. I've gotten up to four uses out of one container and with no end to coronavirus in sight right now, I'll take all the at home dye I can get. ha!
As with many other things during quarantine, product availability became a problem and many of my regular go to beauty products became out of stock. I have to be careful because I have crazy sensitive skin. I study ingredient lists with a magnifying glass (another bonus after 40) and have a few ingredients I try to steer clear of. I ended up buying a bunch of travel sizes for shampoos and conditioners to see if I found anything I liked and I'm happy to report that I did indeed...
Kiehl's is a brand I've heard great things about but only tried recently. Let me say that I'm so in love with their Amino Acid Shampoo that I scaled up to the jumbo pump size before I was even finished with the travel size. Instead of the matching duo though I decided to try their Olive Fruit Oil Conditioner...I mean they had me at avocado oil, what can I say? Together they're a winning duo in my book. Oh, one more sample size I tried and loved...this enzyme cleansing gel. My skin feels smooth, clean, and refreshed. This is already in my cart for the biggest size they have.
WHAT TO WEAR
Now if you're new around here you might not know that I am a sucker for leopard and camo print. I wish I could share with you a super cute camo shirt I scored on sale at Banana Republic but sadly its no longer available in prints just solids. It's on super sale right now, just saying. I'm always on the hunt for cute work shirts and rest assured I'll share any I find here. This bag was on my radar to purchase as a work bag...
but right now we are in a major purge mode (and it feels so good!) so new buys are on hold until until we free up space and reevaluate what we have. I just checked to see if it was still in stock and it is...and BONUS its on sale for 40% off. Run, don't walk.
I take that back...I actually did make some major purchases last night but I'll share those with you in August. Here's a little hint though...
Let me get everything in its place and snap a few pictures because yes, you guessed it...the August edit is all about getting organized, especially in the kitchen and pantry! Y'all stay tuned for some honest opinions and product reviews. I'm looking forward to it and hope you are too!
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