Is this late? Yes. In my defense, the last two weekends were busy. Last weekend my college friend Ann came to visit and we went to Lizzo. If there is any reason to procrastinate on something- it’s Lizzo. Her concert was amazing- probably the best concert I’ve ever been to. And even better than that, I got to spend 3 days with my friend. We’ve known each other for over 20 years and we always have a good time catching up and doing a little reminiscing about how much fun we used to have. We still have fun- we just have a much different kind of fun than we used to! It’s less about staying out until the bars close and more about going to bed at 10:00 PM. While she was here, I watched the movie Hocus Pocus for the first time ever. We also spent time shopping in Back Bay, had brunch at Dryft, and went to Eataly. The weekend prior to that was my birthday- James took me out to lunch, we went shopping, and I went to Des Moines to see some friends. When ever I’m around my friends, we end up talking about beauty products and stuff we can’t live without. I often find my favorite products through conversations with my friends. So let’s get into it!
- MAC Eyeshadow in Brun: I used to use this all the time and kind of forgot about it. When I was at the MAC Counter a couple of months ago, I picked this up and remembered why I loved it so much. I use this as eyeshadow, eyeliner, and on my brows. I like a product with multiple uses. Side note- why are all of the young beauty influencers telling me to not wear eyeliner and to use some eyeshadow and blend it under my eyes? I look like a Victorian child with the plague. Just stop it.
- Hempz Lotion- Koa & Sweet Almond Scent: Hempz lotion is always a good idea and this scent is sooooo good. My mom sent this to me, but I know I’ll be purchasing it again. If you’re worried about the scent being to strong- it’s not. It’s pretty subtle. You don’t necessarily have to order this online. Many hair salons sell Hempz- check out your local hairstylist before ordering!
- Pharmagel Enzyme Ex-Cell Cleanser: As we age, our skin cells don’t turn over as fast. Think of a baby’s smooth skin. Now think of your rough skin. Exfoliation helps our skin to look newer and fresher by removing the dead skin cells. I use this in the morning because I use perscription cream at night. Using this in the morning helps my makeup look better and stay on longer too.
- Olaplex Shampoo & Conditioner: This is another product I hadn’t used in quite some time and forgot how much I liked it. This shampoo and conditioner set makes my hair feel clean and soft. It also helps my hair feel more manageable. I like this because it rinses easily so I don’t feel like there is a film left behind. Gross! If you have color treated hair, you’ll love this!
- Soup Sundays: This isn’t a product, but it’s a damn good idea. I saw a friend post about this all last fall and winter and decided to adopt the idea as well. Every Sunday night, James and I make a soup. It makes the end of the weekend seem less depressing and gives us some good leftovers throughout the week. Plus, most soup can be made in the slow cooker so it’s easy. So far we’ve made Pasta e Fagioli soup, Chicken Enchilada soup, and Lasagna soup. I probably won’t be posting recipes because I don’t believe in measuring most things. I just think it’s a good idea that everyone should adopt…
- Amazon Runner Rug: My friend said she purchased rugs for her new house from Amazon, so I started looking. I got this rug for our hallway. It’s kind of an awkward space so finding the right rug wasn’t easy. The rug looks really good and it’s nice and soft. I got the shade Red which is a really muted red and blue. I also got the non slip grip so that it would stay in place. My friend Ann visited last weekend and commented on how pretty it looked- she has good taste!
- Bath and Body Works Candles: There’s no better way to make your house feel cozy than to light a candle. Especially if that candle is fall or Christmas scented. Bath and Body Works aren’t the cheapest candles but if you watch, they usually have a good sale! I went during a sale and used a coupon so I got 3 candles for the price of 1. I purchased Leaves, Pumpkin Pecan Waffles, and Washington’s Finest Apple Macchiatio scents. I wish I’d also bought the Fall Festival scent but I can always go back if I need more! At some point, I’ll go in and get some Christmas scents too!
- Timber Tree Cake Stand: I definitely won’t be baking a cake to display on this. I got this to put beside my kitchen sink so that my stuff wouldn’t be all over the countertop. I keep my handsoap, dish soap, and other stuff on it.
- Reduce 40 oz Mug: I’m too cheap to buy a Stanley like the Utah influencer moms. I wanted a water bottle that would fit in my cup holder, had a straw, and a handle. This was a package of two for $48. (A similar Stanley water bottle is at least $80). I like this because it’s 40 ounces so I don’t have to fill it as much. I also like that it has a handle. I keep hearing that I’ll have wrinkles because I use a straw but there’s injectables to take care of that.
- Lock & Love Womens Faux Leather Jacket: I’d been wanting a moto jacket for some time but couldn’t find the perfect fit. Basically, I wanted a brown lightweight leather jacket so I could look like Tami Taylor from Friday Night Lights. I found this on Amazon and James ordered it for my birthday. I have broad shoulders so fitted jackets are difficult to find but this one seems to fit well…as long as I don’t try to hug anyone. Then it turns into a Chris Farley Fat Guy in a Little Coat situation. I wore this last weekend while exploring Boston and I was surprised at how warm it was. I don’t have a good picture of me wearing this so I had to get the image off of the website.







Right now, I am enjoying my first fall in New England. James and I went to Salem yesterday. It was really crowded and I didn’t get good pictures but we had a great time. We ate lunch at Opus before we started walking around. We didn’t get to go to the Salem Witch Museum because the tours were sold out, but we did get to walk through the Salem Witch Trials Memorial. The memorial is really neat- it has a bench for the 20 people killed in the trials. Each bench has the name of the person, date they were executed, and how they were executed. People leave flowers and trinkets for them and it’s pretty somber. It’s wild to think this actually happened. All of the accusers were girls/women between the ages of 9 and 20. So much for our youth being innocent, huh? I’d like to go back when it’s not October so I can actually go to the Museum and the Witch House. Many of the houses are historical and have a plaque on the front stating when they were built and who owned them.
Next weekend, my mom is coming to visit. I’m excited to show her around our new town/city. The weather is supposed to be good so I’m hoping for a ferry ride too! The leaves are turning rapidly and I’m told we will be at peak color within a week or two!
** I am not compensated for this blog. All opinions are my own**