Here is my last empty post from the huge clean out I did earlier this month. That was one full bag! These are mostly from Sephora, with a Body Shop and B&B Works product thrown in! A few holy grail products, and a few that leave something to be desired.
Coco Shea Honey Moisturizing Body Wash
I picked this up at Bath & Body Works as a free item with purchase and was in love! The scent is wonderful, and it is more moisturizing than their regular line of body washes. I tend to grab more natural washes at Target, since I don’t like buying six items at a time just to get a good deal…but I did enjoy this and would get it again on sale or as a free item when I am picking up candles or something else there.
This has been a holy grail cleanser for me for quite some time now. (Obviously a repurchase since there are two in my empties bin!) If you suffer from adult acne, you should really give this a try! My skin is sensitive and combination. I have fine lines but also have trouble spots that will break out in about two seconds if I stare at it the wrong way in the mirror. This cleanses your skin and treats it with salicylic acid without drying you out.
I know that there is a cult following for Belif, but I don’t get all the hype. This just wasn’t moisturizing enough for me. It was fine and didn’t cause any skin issues…but it also wasn’t doing anything for me either. At this price, there are so many better options out there!
I really liked this moisturizer when I was pregnant and my skin was going insane. Now? I would rather use something else. This moisturizer is fine, it just isn’t enough most days for me. It says that it deeply hydrates, but the Clinique Moisture Surge Intense does a better job. I think if you are looking for a moisturizer, this is one to consider if you have combination skin. I don’t really have anything bad to say about it, but it isn’t my favorite either. Does that make sense? LOL.
I am a big fan of The Body Shop Vitamin E line, and have been for years. It has a light rose/vitamin e scent and the moisturized feeling lasts on my skin for a long time after application. I have the hand cream and the big tub of body butter on hand at all times. Especially in the winter.
This has been my holy grail moisturizer for awhile now. My skin feels so good and smooth when I use this and my makeup goes on better. As you can see, I have used two containers since my last empties post. Obviously a repurchase for me!
I have been slow going with this one. Not that it isn’t interesting, but just that I haven’t had much time to pick up a book this month. I am about half through and hope to have it finished for the book link up next week! I am listening to Winter Street on audiobook in the car and enjoying it. I care not about seasons and read beachy books in the winter and Christmas books in the summer. It is just who I am.
Listening: Besides audiobooks, Chris was telling me about this awesome podcast he listened to about this guy who runs a security company. He basically gets hired by companies to check the security measures. He talks about how he was hired to rob a few banks. It is crazy to hear him talk about how he just walks in and gains immediate access to their computers and could compromise the whole place so easily. It is only a 30 minute episode and worth the listen if you have the time. It is called Darknet Diaries, this is episode 6 I am talking about.
Watching: The Originals is back on and we have been catching up on all the drama there. When we don’t have anything else to watch, we watch Blue Bloods since we still have several seasons we haven’t seen on Netflix. And, as always, Friends before bed.
Traveling: Just planning our annual summer beach trip to Gulf Shores! I am excited to spend some time away from the office and to see how Zoe does at the beach this summer. Last year she wasn’t mobile, just sitting up. It will be interesting to see the change this summer.
Grilling: Chris is grilling out hamburgers and chicken this week for dinners. I love to have corn on the cobb on the grill, that it my favorite! He made some awesome hot dogs last week. One of my favorite things about summer is all the grilled food.
Pinning: This quinoa fried rice needs to happen for lunch to change things up from my usual.
Lusting: I am in desperate need of some cover ups for the beach! I saw this one at Target that looks really cute. And I also really like this one from Amazon for a great price!!! There are so many cute color options from the Amazon link! Anyone have any favorites?
We have had around 50 packages delivered from Amazon so far this year. I wont share all of those with you, most are repurchases of things like diapers, wipes, dog food, etc. A lot are tech items, cables and such that Chris orders. I don’t even know what half of it is for. But these are our recent purchases that have been awesome!!!!
I have highlights in my hair again, and I can get brassy looking fast. I have been using this shimmer lights shampoo two times a week and it has been keeping my highlights looking so good!!!! I put it in my hair and go about doing my shaving, body wash and face wash, and it sits there and does it’s stuff. This is under $10 and a little goes a long way. They use it at my salon and prefer it over a lot of the high end brands.
I was having the hardest time finding toys for bath time that weren’t molding. All the cute little squirty toys, or ones with holes in them will eventually mold. This octopus has rings that come off some of his arms and everything floats. There are no holes, so no mold happening. Zoe fell in love the second she saw it and basically tried to take it to bed with her the first few days she had it.
This is another bath toy that will not mold. All of the pieces are fun to lift up out of the water and shower down on you. They all mix and match and are so cute in person! Zoe was a big fan of these as well!
I haven’t paid for a pedicure since I lived in Atlanta. It has been over 10 years since I have had one. I was doing fine with them on my own until I got pregnant. Not being able to reach my feet for several months and then having a newborn and neglecting myself for awhile really took a toll on my feet!!! They were so embarrassingly bad!!!!! I didn’t want to go get a pedicure, because all they really do is superficial buffing that only lasts a little while. I would rather invest in something that I can do at home that makes a difference! This was under $10 and is seriously incredible!!! It has over 2,000 five star reviews. Just do it!
I actually picked this up because I saw in on Andrea’s blog one day. It is so inexpensive, what did I have to lose? It is seriously the BEST $7 I ever spent!!!! Chris and I both froth milk for our coffee in the mornings now and have quit using those sugary creamers. I also make matcha lattes using this matcha powder. Some matcha powder, milk, honey and cinnamon and it is perfection!!!! It tastes wonderful over ice too! And you can add it to smoothies and get the antioxidant benefits that way.
Zoe has super sensitive skin. She also has similar coloring to me, and I burn like crazy. This sunscreen is awesome and worked great at the beach last summer. It makes the EWG list for best sunscreens, is easy to apply, and has a pleasant smell. It doesn’t seem to bother her at all or burn her eyes like some sunscreens do. We ordered it again for this summer. I have used it as well and like it better than adult sunscreens.
It is so dark in our garage if the doors are down. Chris ordered a two back of these bulbs and it is amazing how good it looks in there!!! It makes such a difference when you are trying to dig something out of the car. Also, our treadmill is in the garage and now I don’t feel like it is nighttime all the time while I am running.
To combat efforts on getting eczema under control. our doctor recommended adding baby oil to Zoe’s baths. This has been a night and day difference!!!! It is amazing how soft her skin is when she comes out of the tub now. Before her entire back and legs would be broken out, and now she only has a few marks that are inevitable. Can’t say enough good things about this!
Hello there! The rain has finally cleared on out of here, and it was pretty dry this weekend. Well, I take that back. It was hot as SHIT this weekend thanks to the humidity, so it wasn’t exactly dry. I kicked off Friday with a free donut at DD for National Donut Day! That is a holiday I can get behind.
Saturday morning I did a little work around the house, and decided to take Zoe outside after breakfast. It was around 8:45am when we went out there. Here was what the weather station reported.
It was already 86 degrees, feels like 98. Sweet Baby Jesus it was hot out there!!!! I think I lasted about 25 minutes with us blowing bubbles, drawing with side walk chalk, and taking her for a few rides in the wagon. I was soaked in sweat when we came back in, and we both downed entire glasses of water. Woof.
Despite the horrid temperatures, Zoe did not want to come back inside. She loves hanging out there. I had to bribe her with some coloring and painting. These are Zoe Originals, people! Beautiful work!
After nap time, we all headed out to run some errands and grab an early dinner at Village Tavern. Chris was craving some crab dip, and Zoe and I split the burger and fries. After dinner, we went to Nordstrom Rack in search of shoes for Chris. While I waited in line to pay, Chris and Zoe had a blast running around the store. She was so much fun and didn’t fuss one bit while we were out.
Sunday morning we headed out to do some grocery shopping. We also hit up Sam’s and Home Depot while we were out, and ate at Kemp’s for lunch. I think I know why big box retailers are having such a hard time competing with the internet. We were at Home Depot to get a gate for the top of our stairs. Chris knew the exact one we needed and had it already picked out. After walking around the store for a few minutes, I finally spotted an employee and asked him where the gates were. He told me they were clear across the store in Building Materials, and acted bothered that I dare ask him anything. He didn’t bother to walk me over there or anything, he told me I would know when I was there. Well let me tell you, they were NOT over there. Chris looked online and discovered they were in aisle 32 bay 1. So clearly, that man’s job is no longer needed in the store if he cant be bothered. We hiked it back across to the other side of the store and there were the gates where the internet said they would be. They didn’t have the one we needed though, but online said they had them in stock. We went back to the front of the store to customer service because there were no other employees to be found where we were. Showed them what we were looking for, the woman called someone. We stood there for 15 minutes and no one ever came. Chris got online, ordered it and told them never mind and we left. This is why big box stores are in trouble!!! I expect shitty service from Lowe’s, and we quit going there because of it. Now Home Depot too????
After that frustrating experience, we went to Kemp’s Kitchen for lunch. It is new and I had been wanting to try it. Another frustrating experience. Our server was friendly and quick to refill our drinks, but that is where it ended. My chicken tenders came out luke warm, and my fries were cold and disgusting. Chris’s philly steak sandwich was cold and his fries were also cold and disgusting. I have never not eaten my fries before. Never. Zoe seems to like her side of mac n cheese that she ate. Probably because she didn’t have to wait for it to cool down LOL Even she wouldn’t eat the fry I gave her, nor the chicken tenders. It sucks because I love supporting little local places like that, but we would have had a better meal at Sonic for a lot less. The fried green tomatoes we ordered for an app were alright. At least they were hot. Chris got on Yelp, and apparently lots of people complained about the cold food. So it wasn’t just our server not getting it out in time.
When we got home, I got Zoe down for her nap. She ended up getting her foot caught in her crib rails, and there was no napping after that. She had SO much energy the rest of the day….and we had no down time since she didn’t nap. I was exhausted come bath and bedtime! We made homemade pizzas for dinner and caught up on The Originals and called it a night.
I am linking up with Biana for Weekending and Andrea and TBB for TBB Asks. This month is all about summer!!!
1. Walk or Bike Ride?
I haven’t rode a bike in so long!!! I think the idea of it is fun, but my neighborhood suckkkkks. So not set up for bike riding. Maybe when we move, we can get more in to it. Birmingham isn’t exactly a bike-able or walk-able city. I do walk when I can.
2. Favorite Picnic Food?
Crackers and cheese or fruit.
3. Pool or Lake?
Pool. I don’t get in lake water.
4. Favorite Flavor of ice cream?
Mint Chocolate Chip or Cookie Dough
5. Ice Cream Cone or in a Dish?
I do love ice cream cones!!!
6. Flip Flops or Slides?
Both! I love that slides have really come back in the last year or so.
7. Jean Shorts or Jean Capris?
Neither. I wear dresses or jeans. There are no shorts to be seen here!!
8. Favorite summer Fruit?
Strawberries
9. Corn on the Cob or Cut Off the Cob?
Corn on the cob is life!!! Especially fresh off the grill!!!
10. Favorite summertime song?
AWOLNATION Sail
11. Favorite summertime activity?
Going to the beach!
12. Favorite Berry? Strawberry, Blueberry, Raspberry or Blackberry?
I love all berries, but strawberries are my favorite!
13. Bikini’s, tankini’s or one pieces?
I prefer tankini’s. You wont find this girl sporting a bikini. Probably never again. I like tankini’s because they tend to conceal things better than one pieces. One pieces are highly functional when you have a toddler though, as long as there is chest support. I find most swimsuits lack chest support. Sigh.
Even though it was a short week, it wasn’t exactly an easy one….was it? It always seems to work out like that. I am glad that Friday is here and I **think** the rain is finally moving out of our area for tomorrow. I don’t really know what happened, but my allergies went insane this week! I have been downing Wal-itin D (Walgreens brand) and Sambucol Elderberry like it is my job. I don’t think we have any set plans this weekend, what about you?
Favorite Moments: Laura and I hit up Saigon on Wednesday for lunch. We always share the spring rolls and order our own entrees. Well, I have been wanting to try their dumplings, but didn’t want to not get the spring rolls. What is a girl to do??? I suggested we split the spring rolls, dumplings and a bahn mi so we could each get a taste of everything we wanted. Laura played along and it was seriously the best idea ever! Everything tasted so amazing, and we topped it off with some thai teas to go. Delicious food and even better company? That is the way I like to spend my Wednesdays!
When I was picking Zoe up from daycare Wednesday night, her teacher was telling me how big of a help she was at clean up time. Meanwhile, Zoe is walking around picking up every single toy on the ground outside of the “play area” and handing them to the other teacher. Apparently my OCD cleaning habits with her toys is rubbing off on her. I am not sure if I should be proud or worried that I created a monster. That evening when it was time to go to bed, she freaked out because her teapot wasn’t put back in the exact right spot and she had to fix it immediately. She cracks me up.
Favorite Finds: You guys, I have been on the hunt for some perfect summer shoes since about March. I keep looking at pairs and not really finding anything I absolutely love. I bought this tassel pair at Target that I love, and these DV Blush Wedges. Both are fabulous finds!!! But I also needed a new pair of black sandals that are little more casual, but still work appropriate. And I needed something cognac. Macy’s is running a $10 off $25 or a 15-20% off your purchase right now. I scooped up these Marc Fisher sandals for a good deal. And you all, they are a dupe for the $600 Chloe shoes that I loved a few months ago but wrote off because…who pays $600 for one pair of shoes??? Not this girl. I used my Ibotta money I have earned from grocery shopping the last few months, so I didn’t even have to really “pay” anything from them. If you aren’t using Ibotta, you need to be!!! Here is my referral link, go sign up with it and you can make $10 to start out with! https://ibotta.com/r/ptgvoaa
Next up are these Marc Fisher Cognac wedges with the woven bottoms. I am so obsessed with rock studding on shoes, purses, furniture. If gives it a little edge, but is still classy. Like seriously, how gorgeous are these????? I found a pair that are similar in the cork for $20 less. But I just think for me, it is worth it to have the woven look. I haven’t pulled the trigger yet, but I plan to soon.
Favorite Drink Recommendation: Have you seen the Mint Watermelon Tea from Trader Joes???? It is seriously SO amazing!!! Do yourself a favor and add this to your list next time you are there. Steep it and pour it over ice. Summer perfection in a cup.
Favorite Post: If you haven’t read Allison’s post I Love Me yet, go do yourself a favor and hop on over there!
Favorite Funnies:
Linking up with Amanda. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!
