The weekend ahead should be fairly low key for our crew. The weather looks fantastic so I’m hopeful we’ll be able to get out on the boat for the first time this year! We also have a birthday party on the agenda and some random household to-dos but it should be a good one.
I hope to have a recap to share with you guys on Monday but until then, after a one-week hiatus, I’m back in action today with a roundup of recent favorites to share. Keep on scrolling to see what is making me smile this week!
Things I’m Loving Friday
My friend Carrie thoughtfully put together the sweetest little gift bag for me during my visit to meet her baby in Idaho earlier this year. (I’m telling you guys, few people have their life together more than Carrie! She’s been on top of her game since I knew her and I STILL remember our fourth grade teacher praising her for her perfect cursive next to me in elementary school.) In the gift bag, she had sweatshirts with the first initial of our group of four childhood best friends on the sleeve (so cute), an eye mask and Slip skinny silk hair ties which have become a nightly staple for me.
I wear my hair in a high bun to sleep every night because I cannot stand my hair on my face and these skinny silk hair ties feel wonderful! They don’t pull on my hair at all and have been the best at leaving minimal to almost no visible creasing in my hair. This is particularly awesome for when I curl my hair and don’t want to have to re-curl it in the morning. It saves my curls and allows me to just use a little dry shampoo on my scalp and go!
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Skincare Application Cheat Sheet
Is it just me or is it impossible to know the proper order in which to apply various skincare products? Is sunscreen first? Serums first? Moisturizer first? Someone heeeelp! When I saw @ashleyspivey share this on her Instagram Stories earlier this week, I immediately took a screenshot because it seemed like a comprehensive guide for the proper application of products even if I don’t use anywhere close to everything on this list.
Thanks to this handy little guide, I have a new routine for my day and nighttime skincare regimen and it looks like this:
DAY (on days when I actually wear makeup and am not in a huge rush): NOW Clarify + Illuminate Cleanser, Thayers Witch Hazel Toner, Hyper Clear Dark-Spot Brightening Vitamin C Serum, NOW Organic Rose Hip Seed Oil, Supergoop Glow Screen SPF 40 or Dr. Brandt Liquid Sunshield Daily Brightening Sunscreen SPF 50, ILIA Super Serum Skin Tint (for lighter coverage) or Bare Minerals Complexion Correction Tinted Moisturizer (layered for more coverage)
NIGHT: Amara Beauty Vitamin C Cleanser, Thayers Witch Hazel Toner, Hyper Clear Dark-Spot Brightening Vitamin C Serum, NOW Organic Rose Hip Seed Oil
*Note: Sometimes I swap out specific products for others I have on hand but this is a general idea of my routine!
Also, now that I just finished nursing I’m semi-interested in trying retinol so if you have any you love or any tips for integrating this into your routine, I’m all ears!
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Catch-All Reusable Nylon Tote Bag (for Travel)
I semi-recently noticed a trend when I travel. I repeatedly found myself wishing I had an empty bag on hand to fill with various things. Not my suitcase. Not a tote I already had filled to the brim with my computer and travel necessities. Not a purse. Just a simple, empty bag I can fill with whatever I need to cart around on various trips.
As I was packing for my trip to Connecticut for Merri’s baby shower, I saw an old BAGGU nylon bag I’ve had for years in the back of the closet where we store our luggage. I threw it into my suitcase thinking it might come in handy to bring the baby shower favors to and from our hotel and it did but I found myself using it all weekend long! I also packed it my bag for our spring break trip last week and ended up reaching for it again and again. It was so nice not to have to empty out other bags I had filled for various purposes when I found myself simply needing an empty bag to fill with everything from a change of clothes or a towel to kid snacks and sunscreen. This bag is so tiny and easy to pack and will officially be a travel staple for me from here on out! (FYI, I saw similar nylon bags available at Target as part of their Stoney Clover Lane collab!)
It’s officially the time of year again where our boys spend as much time as possible outside looking for various creatures. They get so much joy out of searching for worms, slugs, toads, snakes and tadpoles and it takes me back to my childhood days where so many of my memories as a kid involve looking for tadpoles and catching toads in the pond behind our house. Who knew I was preparing myself for life as a mom of three boys!?
Earlier this week, the boys discovered a small snake under a rock in our yard and when I shared a picture of it on Instagram Stories hoping for help identifying the little guy, I received a few messages encouraging me to download the iNaturalist app. This app is a gem! After uploading a picture of the snake, within seconds it was identified! The app helps identify plants and animals with visually similar suggestions and verification by contributors. It also connects you with a community of over a million scientists and naturalists and by recording and sharing your observations, you help create research data for scientists, too! So, so cool!
After we had the snake identified, I heard from a handful of you that the snake we found — a Dekay’s brownsnake — was safe to gently hold and Ryan and I flew back outside in the midst of bedtime to see if our little friend was still under its rock. It was and we were able to gently hold it (I say “we” but I mean Ryan, Chase and Ryder — I “supervised”) and it totally made the boys’ night!
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Friday Flashbacks
How to Keep a Toddler Entertained on a Long Road Trip (I’m in the process of creating an updated version of this post now that we have three kids at various ages but still swear by most of these tips!)
Edamame Black Bean Salad (I made this for lunch earlier this week and almost forgot how much I love it! So good topped with salmon, chicken or shrimp, too!)
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I also took a screenshot of that skincare post! So helpful. Love my silk scrunchies but I have thicker hair and need big ones to contain the curls. So much nicer than normal scrunchies!
I downloaded the iNaturalist app after you recommended it on Instagram and it is awesome! We have a bunch of snakes in our backyard (😭)so this is helping out my mind at ease! Also, my 6 year old loves it! Thanks for sharing!
So glad you guys are enjoying it together!! I think it’s just the coolest concept!
they’re the best!! they just feel so much more gentle or something — love them!
Thanks for the skincare guide. I always feel lost and overwhelmed trying to figure it all out!
I miss using retinol! Of all the skincare products I’ve purchased this one clearly made a difference for my skin. It became smoother, clearer and possibly took away fine lines but that would be harder for me to notice. I haven’t been able to use it either as I’ve been back to back pregnancy, nursing, pregnancy whew ha. I used Drunk Elephant retinol because it’s a cleaner skincare line and loved it. Since I have been able to use it they have come out with a retinol oil that has rave reviews and looks like it might be a good starter retinol as they can be a bit harsh on the skin when you aren’t used to it.
I love my reusable bags. I have a handful of similar ones from Whole Foods that we always keep in the cars for shopping of any kind. So handy and saves me from unnecessarily using disposable bags!
Have the best weekend Julie! Excited for the weather to warm up where we are as I know my two year old will be very excited for all the creatures as well 🙂
Oooh! I’ve heard of Drunk Elephant but have yet to try any of their products. Glad to hear you’ve had a good experience!
If you’re interested in using retinol, I would highly recommend going to your dermatologist and getting a prescription, or at least a recommendation, from him/her. It takes the guesswork out of picking the right one, and I have found it’s less expensive than buying from a store because insurance might cover a portion.
Have a good weekend!
I second Kristina’s comment! I have prescription for tretinoin (generic version of retin-a) and it is way cheaper then a lot of the retinols on the market. I think I pay around $45 and that lasts me a good 6 months. And the prescription retinol is the most effective form of retinol you can get.
That skincare post is something I didn’t even know I needed until I saw it and thought, “how long have I just been guessing?” All the while feeling like I’m randomly slathering things on my face with nothing but hopes and dreams…
As for road trips, an experienced friend of mine recently shared a brilliant idea (for older kiddos) that I will put to the test when we road trip this summer: get a Costco box (the flat kind) and a Lego set they would enjoy and let them construct it in the box, on their lap, during the drive. She mentioned that corners can cause the hard work to come undone or otherwise be a general nuisance. I thought that I might try taping one of those big square Lego bases down inside to construct on top of, or using some other more frictional bottom inside the box to help the frustration level. That and audiobooks…
We “announced” our upcoming road trip to silverwood to our two boys via Minecraft Lego sets, a personalized water bottle for each, and a “sleeping bag” I crocheted for their favorite stuffed animals 😆
Took a screen shot of the skin care guide!! Thanks for sharing! I also loved catching snakes and frogs growing up!