Recent Favorites: December and January

I love writing these “Recent Favorites” posts! It is nice to take a break from the serious health topics for a minute, and just have some girl talk – in blog form! The following list has my favorites from December and January. Everything from a dinosaur book to dry shampoo to nail polish is included in this post. You know how you take screenshots and photos of random things and think “I want to remember this!” Well that is what this post is – a list of all of the things I have deemed screenshot-worthy.

Recent Favorites: Makeup, Hair and Nails

I have a couple neutral nail colors that I have been loving lately: OPI Don’t Bossa Nova Me Around (pictured below in the dry shampoo picture) and OPI Funny Bunny. I have owned the first one for awhile, but I finally ordered Funny Bunny this week. It’s white, but not too white that it looks strange. The picture below shows Funny Bunny.

Kristen Ess dry shampoo for me, and Kristen Ess leave-in conditioner for the boys. All moms need a good dry shampoo and for now I really like this one. I still need to try Living Proof, but for now I’m sticking with this Target find. Plus is smells SO good. The leave-in conditioner is great to spray on the boys’ hair after the shower. Davis’ especially gets pretty tangled, so this is a great solution.

I couldn’t resist the Becca anti-fatigue under-eye primer that Lindsey Regan Thorne has posted about. I have been using it for about a month and I really like it! I would buy it again. I have dark circles and thin, wrinkly skin around my eyes, so this helps me look more awake.

NYX eyeliner has been a nice, easy addition to my makeup bag. I like the jumbo eye pencil in iced mocha, because it’s a two-for-one product. And it is only $4.50! If I use that, I don’t feel the need for any eyeshadow. If I want to wear a little bit more eye makeup, I will line my eyes with a thin brown eyeliner, then put the iced mocha on top. I did that in the picture below, but normally I like to add a little of the iced mocha on the bottom eyelid, too.

I have used this Aztec healing clay mask for years, but not consistently. Lately I have been using it once a week, and it makes my skin feel so clean and refreshed. I mix 1 Tbsp of the clay with 1 Tbsp of raw apple cider vinegar, but not everyone’s skin can handle the vinegar. Try water instead the first time. My skin does tingle and look red after removing the mask, but it fades within 30 minutes to an hour.

Tinkle razors for at-home dermaplaning. These are another skin product I have used for years, but I have recently been using them at least once per week, sometimes twice. It helps exfoliate and also gets rid of any peach fuzz. Full disclosure: my sideburn peach fuzz hair got thicker after babies, and I just couldn’t deal. These get rid of that, and they also make your skin more smooth. Your makeup will look so flawless the day after using one!

Recent Favorites: Books, Music and Podcasts

I have been listening to Lysa Terkeurst’s “It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way” and it has really impacted my thoughts. Though I am not going through anything remotely close to what she experienced, I am still learning as I listen. Her perspective and what she learned through all of these tragedies is powerful.

Our boys love dinosaurs, so we ordered them a book all about them, from a biblical perspective, for Christmas. Davis has really enjoyed it, and even used it for a recent report for school.

My friend sent me this podcast about the enneagram and motherhood the other day that honestly made me cry, but I learned a lot as well. It was impactful, and I highly recommend listening!

One album I have listened to often lately is Tori Kelly’s “Hiding Place.” Her song “Masterpiece” with Lecrae is one of my favorites. That song and the verses from Psalm 139 have been on my mind continually, especially given the abortion bill that passed in New York. We are His creation, and this bill passing is truly heartbreaking.

Recent Favorites: Food and Kitchen Things

People often ask me on instagram about my coffee. I am not a black coffee drinker. I just can’t do it. Well, I can, but I don’t want to. 😉 I use Califia Farms vanilla almond milk creamer and I really love it. It doesn’t separate like some almond milk creamers do.

I posted about the salmon I made for my mom’s birthday in this post, but I wanted to share the link again. It was so delicious, and perfect for entertaining, but easy enough to make on a weeknight.

Being gluten free and dairy free makes it difficult to eat out at restaurants, but we have discovered that Zoe’s is a great place for us to eat as a family. They offer a family meal package that is affordable, and feeds us for dinner and then at least one more meal. We buy the chicken kabobs (peppers and onions on the side), with sides of roasted vegetables, turmeric rice, and salsa verde as the sauce. Sometimes we add a side of falafel, and I just do not eat the tzatziki sauce.

I receive so many questions about our kitchen utensil holders. They were actually a HomeGoods find! But I found them online here.

Recent Favorites: Around the Blog and Instagram World

Colleen Hull’s playroom. The shelving with coordinated baskets the white frames in a variety of sizes…I love it all and am planning to copy it!

Scallion Pancake Top 25 Restaurants in Charlotte 2018. I can’t tell you how many times I have sent this to friends and family when they’ve asked for good spots to go in Charlotte! Such a great list. And if you don’t already follow this husband-wife-pug team, you need to go check them out!

Sarah Tucker’s Disney Questions Answered. Sarah’s trips to Disney with her boys are so stinking cute and she is just such a fun mom! She has two posts answering Disney questions, which have been helpful for us!

Blaire’s What to Wear to Disney Post. First of all, Blaire is one gorgeous mama! Second, she wrote a post all about how to pack for Disney! Hallelujah! I’m using it as I plan out our packing situation for our trip in a few weeks.

Uptown Girl Charlotte GF DF Restaurant Options. Shan is a local food blogger who has been trying to figure out some health issues. She realized last year that she needed to be gluten and dairy free, which, as a food blogger, is not the easiest. However, she compiled a list of her favorite allergy-friendly spots around Charlotte!

This quote from Kate Kate is an amazing mom of two boys who is an expert in fitness and nutrition. If you don’t believe me, go have a look at her abs! She’s also one of the most positive people you could follow on instagram! We all need more of those people in our lives. 🙂

Recent Favorites: Shopping

My new Brooks shoes for working out. I am LOVING them! I didn’t think I would like them as much as I do. They’ve been perfect for Burn boot camps. Of course the only pictures I have wearing them are when I am holding food!

Hydroflask + car cup holder. I am still loving my water bottle and the car holder for it!

Lululemon pants. I bought my FIRST pair of Lulu pants with gift cards I received from Todd and my parents for Christmas. Now I understand the obsession people have with them. I want to buy several new pairs!

This mirror that my parents gave me for Christmas. Cannot wait to redo our powder bath and hang it up! (Here is another pretty one!)

This bodysuit from Amazon. Such a good, inexpensive staple. Goes great under cardigans, denim jackets, blazers, etc. It’s a good date night top.

The Coat. If you’re in Charlotte, I’m sure you heard all of the hype around this coat, thanks to Karina Hutchin’s charity work surrounding it. But, I have been loving it lately. It has been quite cold in Charlotte, especially in the mornings during school drop-off, and this is very nice and cozy to have! Wearing the coat in the picture below.

I hope you enjoyed the girl talk! Thanks for reading!!