three favorites thursday, summer survival 1.0

sometimes it feels like I’m Columbusing these picks…. I mean, people know this shiz is awesome, that’s why it is available, but *I* didn’t always know this shiz was awesome – so enjoy these brand new discoveries which I will name and personally take credit for.

number1

TomboyX boxers. Gender neutral boxers in outstanding patterns and GREAT fabric. I bought a pair of these on clearance after halloween to wear under skirts at Disney – because if I can’t wear jeans I definitely prefer skirts or dresses and with my… shapely… thighs I need some friction protection. Normally this takes the form of Jockeys Skimmies which are pretty damn magical but I… and here you learn more about me than anyone needs to… I’m sweaty and I’m a bit of a prude who went to all girls school so I can’t wear skimmies without wearing underwear under them so there’s 2 layers under my skirt and twice the chance to get really forking sweaty.

annnnnyways. boxers. these are now my go-to under skirts and I managed to get a day in Disney in May while I was wearing these and they worked pretty great! I was still sweaty but I didn’t feel as gross. (moments ago I ordered a pair of Knix, I’m going to try those in the park next month, I could literally have an entire blog about Disney swampass avoidance techniques)

Yesterday I also ordered a pair of TomboyX drirelease performance boxers because I’m desperate. look for the update on those in the swampass blog sometime in August. lucky you.

also- I’m a big girl AND (I had originally written “but” here, as if big girls can’t have good asses, when of course we do!) I’ve got a pretty good booty and it looks BOMB in these. new favorite pjs. and the sizes they stock! they go up to 4X. amazing and inclusive. I love them. you will also.

use this link to get $20 off your first $70 purchase (which would make it a $50 purchase…)

number2

I normally use Rodan & Fields for my skincare routine but while I was in Florida in January I took my oldest to Sephora to replace her face wash and she got this First Aid Beauty Skin Rescue red clay cleanser and it is amazing. I had to go back to buy myself one and I’m on my second replacement tube of it right now. So so good. Not drying but definitely feels clean when I’m done, smells really good, I love it. And it is available from Amazon, and also from Sephora, who has a great return policy.

fab

and, while we are talking about products I’ve had for a while and only started using recently (like the boxers…) I’ve started using The Ordinary’s Peeling Solution and this stuff is LEGIT. I use it twice a week and can immediately feel and see a difference in the glow and texture of my skin. 10 minutes 2x a week, I’ve only been using it for 3 weeks but I’m liking what I’m seeing so far. Also I love spending those 10 minutes looking like I’ve just had one of those Kardashian vampire facials but with acid, and without the possibility for deadly blood borne diseases. win win. The peel is much cheaper at Sephora unless you have to pay for shipping – also if you can place an 8.00 Sephora order let me know – I have never seen such a feat.

ordinary

go get that glow on.

number3

being hydrated. my youngest is going to college next year. I thought it was hard sending my oldest to vermont, but now my baby is going to texas and I’m going to miss them both so damn much. so I’m crying a lot. and it’s leaving me straight up dehydrated. like, waking up after not drinking feeling hungover, dehydrated.

which is where water comes in. seriously. #3 is water. we have one of those water coolers in the kitchen with the 5 gallon bottles – and the water IN the bottles comes from a spring maybe 1500 yards from our house sitting beneath the oldest bottling plant in the US (Simpson Spring) and it is delicious.

Screen Shot 2019-07-09 at 7.42.13 AM — behold! the Hamilton S’well. a bottle good enough to have a name, if it weren’t already called the Hamilton S’well.

though this is not about water – this is about the GREATEST WATER BOTTLE IN THE WORLD. (in my opinion) I filled it with ice yesterday morning and it is still full of ice this morning. I got it last fall when I was finally able to see Hamilton and have used it every day since then. it was FIFTY DOLLARS which is dumb stupid for a water bottle – or I thought it was – but I love a theater Merch Bar (<–you can buy it at that link if you want the Hamilton version!) and I know I’m not wearing all the t-shirts I’ve bought so I switched it up with the water bottle.

If you don’t want to spend $50 on a water bottle (and honestly, who does?) the non-Hamilton versions of this bottle are very frequently for sale for $25 – $30 on the S’well website. The sale items vary by season, there are some really cool ones right now, I keep wanting to buy another but I HAVE ONE, they’re indestructible, I’m not going to need another one ever.

Screen Shot 2019-07-09 at 7.59.42 AM — part of the sale section from swellbottle.com right now

I travel with this – which is funny EVERY time I’m in the airport security line as I’m chugging 17 ounces of cold water – but that means it is also my Disney Parks water bottle and in the sun the bottle itself gets quite warm but the contents are always cold. maybe I should get a parks bottle that isn’t black… 😁

and if you use ebates (soon to become Rakuten) please tell me you use ebates! if not sign up here (<–click on that) and we both get a bonus! The cash back bonus for s’well is 3% which is not too shabby!

anyhow – there are my three favorites for Spring/Summer 2019 – poor little abandoned blog.

xoxo

three favorites thursday – ‘cyber week’ edition.

Cyber Week. evidently that’s a thing now. Because the onslaught of one time only, limited availability, lowest discount of the season, get it now or you will ruin the holidays forever, isn’t enough on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. It’s Cyber Thursday, do you know where your children are? (and THAT’S how old I am)

I haven’t really done any ‘cyber week’ shopping – I keep thinking I want to, filling up shopping carts, but then abandoning them. But I did find a few things that I think will make excellent presents.

uno

Lin Manuel Miranda. He’s a gift to all of us already, but now his inspirational Gmorning, Gnight messages are illustrated in their own fabulous little book. I have so far purchased three copies of it but reserve the right to give it to EVERYONE this Christmas.

gmorning

your children FOR SURE need this. their teachers might also. siblings. aunts and uncles. the postal worker who delivers all of your packages – you fiend. you need it, your spouse. the world. the world needs this book.

Get one.

LMM’s website (Tee Rico) also has Gnight PAJAMAS. because who doesn’t need a sleep shirt or cozy pants?

rosegold2

my very very favorite eyeshadow palette. I have LOTS of palettes, drawers full, it’s obscene. and usually I wear one color (that isn’t even in this palette) (Urban Decay Lounge) But when I’m not being lazy I bust out the Tartlette In Bloom Palette.

inbloom — neutral but rosy but shimmery but sophisticated

Right now Macy’s has a 15% off code (FRIEND) which makes this just over 33$. BUT if you use Ebates (which you fricking should, and if you don’t please sign up with my link!) today everything at Macy’s will get you 10% cash back.

brush

My favorite eyeshadow brush. the only one I ever ever use and the only one you will ever ever need. (unless you’re wicked fancy in which case I can’t help you) is from Coastal Scents, it is the BR-C-N02 a Medium, Classic, Natural brush and it is a WORKHORSE. I have been using, washing, using, washing, the same brush for at least 5 years.

If you know and love and shop for makeup wearers this will be their favorite stocking stuffer. If you combine it with In Bloom you’ll win Christmas.

threethree

unrelated to Christmas shopping, other than that you need sustenance to keep you going, my other favorite thing this cyber week is Trader Joe’s Spanakopita Pie. I’m on my second one for the week already and I have no regrets. TJ’s was sold out of tzatziki when I went so I had to go to my regular grocery store to get some, because it’s the other best part of this meal.

spanakopita — you’re going to want to get one of these today. maybe get 2.

it’s that perfect amount of salty and flaky and still feels like you’re eating healthy because the thing is full of spinach. Plus it’s pie. It’s the best of all possible worlds.

I am starving right now.

So that’s what I’ve got. Good Luck tomorrow on Cyber Friday and through what I assume will be the Cyber Weekend…?

xoxo

Evening Ablutions

This started as a post about stress buying nail polish. Then this monstrosity of a post happened. So nail polish talk tomorrow. ❤

Last night as I was doing my evening routine I was thinking about my favorite products and how I should share. I’ve recently gotten us Quip brushes and holy crap, nothing shows just how not-long-enough you’ve been brushing your teeth like a brush that goes on a 2 minute timer. That isn’t to say I don’t LOVE this brush though, because I do, it is sleek and their packaging is among my favorite. I have a link if you want to give one a try. You get your first replacement brush head for free and I get my next replacement brush head for free. It’s a win win. And yay clean teeth!

toothbrush

eyemakeupremover

I’m trying to use up products before I buy new ones so I’m not SUPER in love with my eye makeup remover but I have some friends who swear by it- it is doing the job- I just prefer the Neutrogena version. But currently I’m using Target’s Up and Up oil free eye makeup remover. The thing about it is, it works, and I go through less of it than I would with the Neutrogena, so it’s actually an excellent buy. (I say rolling my eyes admitting that… fine, it’s good… I guess.) But I’m still looking forward to going back to Neutrogena and I’m not sorry!

I’ve got 5000 different facial cleansers, or 11, but it feels like a lot. So the method of washing my face varies, sometimes I use Neutrogena’s Hydro-Boost exfoliating cleanser which is a recent addition to my cleanser collection, and I love it, everything from the Hydro Boost line is magical. MAGICAL. Sometimes I use Omorovicza Thermal Cleansing Balm – speaking of a magical product. Remember when Laura Linney was doing the Masterpiece Theater intro? I was OBSESSED with her perfect skin and discovered that Omorovicza was the line that she uses. It is hella expensive and smells like 4711- the cologne from Cologne, Germany. My awesome friend Leslee reps for Rodan & Fields and I have TWO of their lines, and love both but for evening I tend to go with the Redefine Cleansing Mask because I don’t have time for a Mask in the morning. And speaking of Rodan & Fields I LOVE following up a clean face with a little microdermabrasion – my skin feels instantly smoother and less congested after.

When I’ve got a clean face I either serum or moisturize or both. Or neither, because I’m still learning how to adult where my skin is concerned, and that is one of the many reasons I will never have Laura Linney’s skin. Also, would things work better if I were super consistent about them? Yes, of course, but we live in an imperfect world and I can be pretty damn lazy.

My favorite serum right now is Ole Henriksen’s Truth Serum, I use it morning and night and it smells AMAZING (like oranges!) and the texture is awesome, very silky and light. I follow that with a Neutrogena night moisturizer. I alternate between Rapid Tone Repair and Rapid Wrinkle Repair. They both work really well and come at a very reasonable price point. ($17. each)

Finally finally finally, if I’m not passed out I slap some Treat Beauty Marshmallow Moisture Stick on my lips and elbows, and in the wintertime I also use it on my knuckles. It smells delicious and works really well. I go to bed smelling like a unicorn. I also moisturize my hands with The Body Shop Shea whipped lotion that I got for Christmas last year and liked enough to buy one to keep on my desk at work, and I JUST started using O’Keeffe’s Foot Creme, I like it so far, I can put it on and go to bed and not feel like my feet are getting covered in sheet lint. (my sheets aren’t linty but you know…)

Y’all. I got SO TIRED OF HEARING MYSELF TALK about 10 minutes into writing this. But I’d gone too far so had to finish. So there it is. The things I use at night, sometimes. When I’m giving a crap.

So- what do you use? Because clearly I love product and am always up for more!

xoxo.