What I’m Loving (August 2016)

Today is the third installment of an ongoing post series, What I’m Loving (June edition, July edition), where I share what I’ve been loving lately in the following categories: Food and Drink, Makeup and Beauty, Home Décor and Products, Entertainment (TV, Music, Books, Internet), Clothing and Accessories, and Priceless. Let’s get started!

As always, any Amazon links I share are affiliate links. This means that the price of the item won’t change for you, but I receive a small commission of the sale which helps me keep my content free and my site up and running. Thanks!

Food and Drink

• Pineapple- I know I’ve mentioned fruit in my previous two What I’m Loving posts, but summer is the time for fruit. I go back and forth on my favorite, but right now it’s pineapple. I buy a fresh pineapple almost every week, cut it up, and eat it as a snack or side dish until it’s gone. So ripe and delicious!
• Hershey’s Chocolate– I don’t know what it is, but I have been craving Hershey’s milk chocolate bars constantly. I keep mine in the fridge (I don’t care that chocolate is supposed to be eaten at room temperature, thankyouverymuch), and I usually eat a few squares of it for dessert. When I’m feeling extra patient, I toast marshmallows in the oven first and make indoor s’mores with the chocolate. Yum!
• Toast (with butter and jam)- Riley has been making fun of me for the past month because of this. I’m picky about food all the time, but never more so than in the morning. The thought of eating avocado or hard-boiled eggs or any number of other healthy/popular breakfasts makes my stomach turn. I want the plainest, simplest breakfast–so whole wheat toast with butter and strawberry jam has been hitting the spot. Also it makes me feel like I’m British, so there’s that.

Makeup and Beauty

• Seche Vite Base Coat & Top Coat– I mentioned these products in yesterday’s post, but they’re so good that they’re worth mentioning again. The base coat is nourishing and keeps my nails healthy and strong, and the top coat is like glass–it makes any polish look shiny and gorgeous.
• Zoya Dry Drops– I also mentioned this in yesterday’s post, but I’ve been really into doing my nails lately, what can I say? These drops basically make it possible for me to give myself manicures and pedicures at home because they prevent the inevitable smudging/smearing of wet nails. Once I’m finished painting my nails, I drip a few drops of this onto each nail, and it dries the polish instantly. It’s amazing!
• Biofreeze– I have scoliosis (curvature of the spine), and I deal with a lot of muscle tension and pain because of it. I bought Biofreeze per my chiropractor’s recommendation and I absolutely love using it. I rub it on my neck and shoulders when they’re tense, and it really helps to release that tension. I’ve also rubbed it on my hands when they’re achy (from typing so much) and on my abdomen to help with cramps. It’s a natural products but very effective; I highly recommend it!

Home Décor and Products

• Tri-Core Cervical Pillow– This is another scoliosis-related purchase. After waking up with significant neck and shoulder pain for a few months, I set out to find a pillow that would help my posture while I sleep so as to alleviate some of the tension and pain. I found this online, and thought the price was reasonable (some other options were $100+), so I bought it. It’s not comfortable in the traditional sense of the word–like, I don’t lay on it and feel like I’m floating on a cloud–but it has significantly decreased my neck and shoulder pain. The way it’s designed, my neck and head are both supported and aligned when I sleep instead of being pushed forward, like a traditional pillow. If you have neck/back/shoulder pain, you may want to try this.
• Yankee Candles– As I mentioned on my latest podcast episode, 5 Things I Don’t Simplify, I am obsessed with candles. In fact, I’ve been obsessed with candles ever since I was old enough to light matches and use them! My favorite brand is by far Yankee Candle, and some of my favorite scents are Home Sweet Home, Macintosh Apple, Pink Sands, and Fluffy Towels.
• Sky Mat– This is another spinal health purchase! (I think there have been so many this month because I’ve spent a lot of extra time on the computer for my Blogger Mentorship Program, and sitting at the computer for long periods is the worst for back pain!) Anyway, I bought this to use in my kitchen in front of the sink. It’s made a huge difference and almost makes doing dishes enjoyable…almost.

Entertainment (TV, Music, Books, Internet)

• Loving My Actual Life by Alexandra Kuykendall- Though I feel like this book’s intended audience is more appropriately moms rather than a woman who’s married-with-no-kids like me, I’ve really enjoyed it. I’m about halfway through and have already learned a lot about contentment, relishing in the present, and joy. It’s an easy read, but very interesting.
• Blue Yeti Microphone– I wasn’t sure what category this microphone should go in, but it’s what I use to record my podcast, so I figured that it was appropriate to put it under entertainment. When I was researching podcasting and deciding what equipment to purchase, I continuously saw this microphone at the top of the list of must-haves. Its price point was much higher than any of the other microphones I was contemplating (about double), but in the end, I bit the bullet and bought it. I’m glad I spent the extra money because this microphone is awesome. I absolutely love it! (I’m brainstorming/outlining a “How To Start a Podcast” post, where I’ll explain all the equipment I use, but I had to mention this one now.)
• Happy Hour With Jamie Ivey– This is a podcast that’s been around for a couple of years but is new to me. The host, Jamie Ivey, chats with a different woman each week and talks about “the big things, the little things, and everything in between.” Depending on the guest, some episodes are more interesting than others, but it’s an easy-to-listen-to option when I’m cooking or cleaning.

Clothing and Accessories

• Happily Ever Tees– We’re heading back to Disney next year, and I’ve already been building up my Disney stash of clothes and accessories for our trip! I’ve bought a few Happily Ever Tees so far, and I just love them. For me, half of the fun of any trip is the anticipation and preparation, and that’s especially true for Disney, which requires extensive prep work. Happily Ever Tees feeds my addiction!
• Boyfriend jeans from Stitch Fix– I mentioned these jeans in this Stitch Fix recap post, and I’ve been living in them. The material is soft, comfortable, and thin, making them perfect for summer evenings out or running errands during the day. I love them!
• Wearing only the comfiest clothes 24/7- It took me 10 minutes to come up with clothing and accessories for this month because honestly? I’ve been wearing Nike tempo shorts and t-shirts every single day. It’s too hot for anything else! Sometimes I’ll dress up when I’m going on a date, meeting someone, or heading to an appointment, but if it’s even remotely appropriate to wear running shorts and a t-shirt, that’s what I’ll wear. #HotTexasSummer #StillLoveIt

Priceless

• Our church and Bible study- We have absolutely fallen in love with our church over the past few months and are so, so grateful to have finally found the right place to put down roots. Through our church, we’ve made lots of new friends and have started attending a couple of different Bible studies throughout the week! These things are answers to prayers we’ve been fervently praying for over a year, and we are beside ourselves with joy to finally be here.
• Friday afternoon coffee dates- Riley and I have a standing Friday afternoon coffee date, and I love it. We’re able to decompress and discuss our weeks as well as decide how we’ll spend our weekend, what’s on the to-do list, what project we want to tackle, etc. I cherish this one-on-one time and have seen what a difference it’s made in our weekends now that we’re both on the same page going into them.
• Blogger Mentorship Program– As I shared here on Instagram, my Blogger Mentorship Program is flourishing! I now have 10 mentees and another two who are signing up. It’s the most fun, ever. I love getting to build relationships with women from all over–teaching others about something I’m passionate about myself is so fulfilling and rewarding. This is easily my favorite extension of my blog to date.

// That’s what I’ve been loving lately! What about you?

Thank you for reading! You can find me online on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter. If you’d like to be alerted whenever I publish a new post, you can follow me on Bloglovin’ or subscribe via email. Check out my fun tees in my Etsy shop and listen to my weekly podcast about simplifying life, Simplify Everything! Are you a blogger too? Check out my Blogger Mentorship Program.

Related: What I’m Loving (June 2016) & What I’m Loving (July 2016)