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!
This is my third bottle of this stuff. I really like it and it is the best setting spray I have used. It does exactly what it says it is going to, and it holds up to the horrid heat and humidity we have here in the south. I will say, I saw that Glam Glow has a setting spray that I want to try, has anyone used it yet? I want to know if I should stray from this favorite or not??? I am sure I will repurchase this again at some point.
I know I am in the minority on this, but I hate this mascara. For the price and all the hype it gets, I was soooooo excited to try it!!! So many people compared this to Better Than Sex and I am here to tell you it is not. It flaked on me and smeared throughout the day. I really had to work with it to get it to look good. I would just rather pay for the real thing. Such a disappointment.
I hated this mascara. It is a high end price and it sucks pretty bad! There are so many mascaras out there, please don’t waste your money on this. It was too wet when I first opened it, I had to put on numerous coats to see anything and it dried out pretty quickly. Just no.
I actually really loved this one!!! I received it in a Clinique gift with some other items and didn’t expect much from it. After a use or two I was hooked and it became one of my favorite mascaras to use. My ultimate favorite is Too Faced Better Than Sex, but this is a close second.
I picked this up in Fresh Alabaster. The color was good, I would say this is medium coverage. I think this was a little too dry for my skin. I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it. Perhaps if you have oily skin, this would be a great option for your. It tended to cling to my dry patches. For the price, it is great. Much cheaper than the other high end brands.
This is my holy grail foundation that you will find in my collection at any given time. This has the best coverage and is true full coverage. The color is a perfect match for my skin, which is so hard for some reason for me. I wear the 1N2 ECRU. I definitely feel like using a make up sponge like the beauty blender or real techniques version is the best application. Every now and then I will stray and try something new, but this is my absolute favorite. The only other one that compares for me is the Lancome Teint Idole which is up next.
This is the only foundation I have found that comes even close to the coverage and match of Double Wear for me. I wear the color 230 Buff (W). This is another full coverage foundation that applies best with beauty blender type sponge for me. This is just a couple dollars more than Estee Lauder, but sometimes Lancome wins for me because of gift with purchase. If you are looking for a full coverage foundation and have a hard time matching in other brands, give this or the Double Wear a chance. And let me tell you, these both hold up to Alabama humidity. And that is saying something!!! It is a steam bucket down here most of the year.
So I grabbed this at Walgreens one day when I was picking up a few things. The color of this is absolutely GORGEOUS!!! I love love love it. However, that is where my love for this baby ends. The packaging ruins the product for me. They did a piss poor job on the packaging. It is such a pain to open and close. The little applicator sits on top of cheap peace of plastic that separates it from the highlighter cushion. The lid never screws on properly and therefore left the product to dry out way too quickly for me. I know I only paid $5.99 for it, but when you are using high end products and then you grab this thing…you just get angry lol. If you are looking for a cheap option to dive in to the world of highlighters, like I said, this is absolutely gorgeous on. But it isn’t worth it in my opinion to deal with the crap packaging.
For a BB cream that you can grab at a drugstore for under $10, this stuff is amazing. The coverage is closer to medium and the color light works just fine for me skin tone. This is a 9 in 1 and has some benefits and some SPF too. My absolute favorite to use is the Lancome Skin Feels Good Hydrating Skin Tint Healthy Glow SPF 23. But if you are looking for more affordable option, this would be the way to go.
I will admit, I have spent $20 on the Beauty Blender. It was when it first came out and one of the Sephora girls used it on me and I was blown away by the application. But spending $20 on a makeup sponge that needs to be replaced every three months makes me want to blow something up. No thanks. You can grab a two pack of the Real Technique sponges for $10 or less and get the same. exact. results. I am all about you get what you pay for when it comes to most things. But let me tell you, RT stepped up their game big time when they made this product. As you can see in the picture, I cut open my RT sponge (the orange one) and another knock off beauty blender I bought at Nordrstrom Rack for $2.99, and they both do not completely absorb your make up. Which is what the real Beauty Blender claims they are good for. Save you money and go with RT!
Have you used any of these? Let me know what some of your recent favorite finds are!
