It seems every time I have a conversation with anyone- I will eventually hear about another new show I MUST WATCH. It’s overwhelming really. I personally don’t have enough free time in a week to watch all these amazing shows. We may be the only couple who has not seen one episode Game of Thrones.
But, I have new guilty pleasure. Younger. “40-year-old Liza (Sutton Foster) passes herself off as 26 to land a job. Now she has to make sure no one discovers her secret.” I am mid-way through season 1 and I’m totally hooked. With 4 seasons, I’ve got plenty of Hulu binge watching ahead of me!
I’m afraid to ask, but what show(s) are you loving?
Every day makeup in 5 minutes or less. That has been my goal all summer. Simple and clean.
It only takes 5 products:
1. Start with Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer. I have used this for years. I occasionally will try something else and I always find my way back to this trusted staple. It is lightweight with the perfect amount of minimal coverage. I wear the color sand.
2. A new darling in my make up bag is Cloud Paint by Glossier. It is the best cream blush I have ever used. I am now a forever addict. This summer I have been using Dusk. {Watch all the videos to help you pick the best shade.}
3. Play up your natural brows by using Boy Brow also by Glossier. Replace your brow gel with this. The tiny wand allows for great precision and the color is great. I use brown.
4. Lastly curl your lashes, apply primer, and mascara.
That’s it. In the winter I will have to add in concealer for my very dark under eye circles, but hope to keep the rest the same.
Just curious: How many make up products do you use everyday?
Labor Day weekend! The weather is going to be perfect, so we are going to pretend that school did not already start! Hope you have a wonderful long weekend and soak up those last sweet drops of summer!
I picked my girlfriend up for lunch a while back and she was wearing the best pair of Converse ever! She wore the white Comme des Garcones Play classic Chuck -with the delightful red heart and eyeballs! To say I nearly died is selling my reaction way short! Just a little research and I found these amazing images. I can’t even. The rattier the better, in my opinion. My friend wore hers with a pair of chinos, but you could rock them with denim, shorts or a dress!
Not cheap, but I’ve had my Chuck Taylors for YEARS-so I know the price-per-wear will eventually be very low.
I finally made a full closet transition to summer. It was a slow start here in Seattle, but with temperatures in the 90’s this past weekend I feel as if the season has truly arrived.
I have decided that my closet would be infinitely cooler with this gorgeous straw bag. The Large Bamboo Ark Bag by Cult Gaia is a Pinterest darling. I mean, look how it makes every outfit completely amazing. Equally awesome with denim or black trousers? How is that even possible? I don’t jet set around European beaches in the summer, but it would also be perfect if we were heading to dinner by boat. {Yes a luxury, but a total perk to living on a lake in Seattle!} I could throw in a sweater, my wallet and phone, my sunglasses case and a little pouch with a hair tie, lipstick and Aaron’s reading glasses. {Does anyone else have to carry their husband’s reading glasses so he can read a menu?}
Do you love this bag as much as I do??
All images via Pinterest. Simply type Cult Gaia bag into the search bar. Endless pins.
I am inspired by companies and brands who support a cause as part of their mission. It is lovely to know that a purchase has a greater good. In a continuing series, I will highlight these companies and the amazing causes they support. Like always, if you know a brand that I should feature – please leave a comment or message me directly.
Cora is a company that actually has two missions! First, they are revolutionizing feminine care products so that you, your girlfriends and your daughters are safer during that time of the month. Made of organic cotton, free of chemicals and 100% biodegradable.
“The average woman uses 10,000 tampons on a lifetime-but who’s keeping track?
Not the FDA—feminine hygiene product manufacturers are not required to disclose ingredients or conduct testing to determine their products’ long-term effects on women’s bodies.
That means the majority of tampons today contain synthetic materials like Rayon and Polyester, as well as pesticide residues commonly used to grow non-organic cotton, and we have no idea how it it’s impacting our health.”
I like that this company is tackling a problem that many of us don’t even think about. They are shipped directly to your house, starting with a free trial and then shipping every 3 months. Kind of genius.
Secondly, for every 1 month supply you receive-Cora gives a month’s supply of sustainable pads to a girl in a developing country so she can do anything during her period. Through the Kiran Anjali Project, I have learned that providing feminine hygiene products to girls in India allows them to stay in school. Without access to sanitary napkins, many girls simply drop out of school when they start their period. Cora partners with local organizations to distribute napkins to girls in need. (Even better, the pads are produced in India which provides local women a living wage!) I love this so, SO much!
This mission is fantastic. I just signed up for my free trial. I am happy to report back once I receive my first shipment.
Yesterday I spent about 30+ minutes cleansing my Instagram of those I follow. I have been feeling a need to simplify my Instagram for one main reason. My sanity. You see I followed many social influencers who, as a career, share clothing, home goods, beauty products, vacations, and experiences on their IG accounts. Many of the items and trips they share are gifted to them or sponsored. While I don’t fault them for making a living- it wasn’t really a good thing for me to be inundated all of the time. Of course they disclose their sponsored posts, they are legally required to do so. For other posts they tag items and they simply receive kick backs through affiliate links if you make purchase. {Again, I don’t fault them for this practice.} I know, this is a lot of blog biz talk, but I think it is important to understand the business of social media, how companies are using their marketing dollars, and how we are being persuaded in purchasing decisions- possibly without even knowing.
Why am I sharing this information? 1. It is just that. Information. 2. While I try to be more conscious as a consumer, it was a battle not to click through to see the price of an item I found beautiful or interesting. 3. As most of us know, it isn’t the whole picture. IG lives are not REAL lives. They are curated, edited, filtered, and constructed. But does our subconscious know it? In many cases, probably not. 4. Comparing is exhausting. As an almost 43 year old woman, I don’t have time for it anymore. And when you are comparing your reality to a manufactured image- you are never gonna win!
I love Instagram. Visually it is so interesting to me. I have found wonderful small businesses and creative humans sharing their talents. I follow friends who I don’t get to see regularly. I enjoy capturing moments in my day and sharing them with you. I promote my blog posts using IG. I’m note deleting it, just using it more wisely.
What do you think? How do you feel about influencers using social media to make a living?
Suffering through a Seattle winter is payed in spades come summer! Last week {when if felt like summer} a friend and I had the most enjoyable afternoon! I thought I would share it- so you could add it to your summer TO-DO-List and maybe discover Local Gems. Great for couples, girlfriends or your whole family.
We started by renting a kayak from Moss Bay. They also rent paddle boards and sailboats, but we chose a double kayak so we could paddle and chat! The day was perfect and it was so nice to be on the water. You paddle by floating homes, Gasworks Park, and enormous yachts. With Seattle’s skyline as the backdrop it doesn’t get much better!
After our paddle, we treated ourselves to lunch at 100 Pound Clam. {It is literally 3 steps away from Moss Bay!} With the best spot on Lake Union and float planes landing in the back ground, it’s THE place for a summer lunch. I highly recommend the dill fries, the fried corn, and the Fishwich BLT- but honestly it’s all delicious! On a warm NW day, the picnic tables and a crisp Rose will be waiting for you.
My obsession for podcasts are not a secret! I recently found Rookie and have enjoyed listening to the wide variety of creatives and artists in interviews. However, I’m not their target audience. It’s really for all of our amazing teens!
Rookie is the podcast created by the online magazine Rookie. Self described as “an independently run online magazine and book series founded in 2011 by Editor-in-Chief Tavi Gevinson. We publish writing, photography, and other forms of artwork by and for teenagers (and their cohorts of any age!). Our contributors and readers are from all over the world.”
The online magazine seems to have a little something for every type of teen. I love how the categories include comics, beauty, books and friendship. Such an amazing platform and community for teens. As a reader or a contributor- I bet it’s empowering to know a teen voice has power. I find it refreshing that the issues and topics tackled in the podcast are complex. It’s not condescending and it is apparent the producers believe teens to be intelligent and thoughtful human beings. The podcasts are not cleaned up-meaning there is swearing and a lot of honesty!
After listening and a quick scan of the online site, Rookie tends to be geared toward females-but many of the topics would be interesting for our young men too.
Share this with a teen in your life or anyone trying to successful raise a teen {without losing her mind!}.
It’s somehow Monday again. Between a class party, a doctor’s appointment, a track meet and time trials for swim team-Friday was an absolute blur. By the time I had a moment to breathe it was time to go to bed. Do the last weeks of school feel like a gut punch to anyone else? Absolutely crushing. My kids have one more week and then it is Camp Mommy!
