Hello my friends! I hope you are doing well. I wanted to share some things that have added joy to my life lately – in case they might do the same for some others.
First off…my new Christmas Tree!
We’ve had the same fake tree that we bought from Kmart (are those even around anymore?) for the last 10 years. We even bought the floor model to save some money and it was still about $200. This year I decided to finally get a new tree because the lights on the old tree quit years ago so we’d have to add lights each year and it was kind of a hassle. First world problems lol. I heard about this tree from another blogger and could not believe the low price. I jumped on it because I knew it might sell out quickly and the reviews were so good. I’m glad I did because it did indeed sell out, but there are still a ton of great, similar options available.
I put it up the day it arrived – November 10th. I never put up Christmas decor until after Thanksgiving, but I felt we could use a little extra/early holiday spirit this year, for obvious reasons. Plus I’m already in full Christmas mode between the early shopping I’ve been doing and the Christmas themed Hallmark movies I’ve been watching. And why store it in the garage, only to pull it out a few weeks later? I’m really happy I did because there’s just something so cozy about a Christmas tree. I find myself just starting at it sometimes and thinking “it’s sooo pretty!” Haha
We’ve used ribbon as a garland for the last decade so it felt like time for a change. Growing up we always used the thick tinsel garlands so I wanted to try something wholly new. Enter these beautiful bead garland (I used 6 for my 6.5′ tree)! I was not sure from the online pictures if they would look cheap, but I was very pleased with the way they look on the tree. They end up being very subtle with the flocking, but as a reviewer said, they add a little sparkle and I highly recommend them! I think of them as jewelry for my tee 😉 Usually I like a colorful tree with ornaments that have some meaning and history for me, but since everything else about the tree was new this year I decided to go in a different direction, using simple gold and red ornaments and a few candy canes.
Replacement wedding band:
My fingers are a little bigger than normal due to some semi-recent weight gain so I have not been able to wear my beautiful engagement ring nor wedding band and I was feeling the loss. So when I saw this stunner for under $13(!) I snapped it up. It will obviously not last forever, but it’s a great way to be able to still have something pretty on my finger until I lose a few pounds or maybe even just have my rings resized. It’s fantastic quality for the price and the reviewers did mention that it does not leave a green ring on your finger. I had hoped to get it in the rose gold, but that one was not available in my size. The yellow gold is awesome though and I was just happy I could get it in such a big size; I wear a 10 now (from 9.5, I’m a sturdy gal no matter how thin I get lol) and since I’ve always worn more of a man’s ring size the options are usually very limited.
Color Me Beautiful:
While on Pinterest one day, doing my usual surfing for outfit inspo, I ran across some pins about seasonal color analysis. Of course I’d heard about being a “summer” or a “spring,” but I never fully understood what it was all about. It can be a little confusing to figure out which season you are, but I found this quiz which helps a lot. It’s certainly true that some colors look better on people than others and determining your season can be super helpful in picking out clothes that flatter your skin tone. I’ve been noticing more and more that certain colors wash people out while others make you glow. Hallmark’s wardrobe stylist/costume designer must know about seasons because the leading ladies always wear the colors that look best on them. I never noticed that until I started looking into seasonal color analysis.
I’ve changed my hair so much in the last few months (from blonde to medium brown to dark brown and finally red) that my season keeps changing, but I figure I’ll eventually settle on one…probably dark brown because it’s easy to maintain, bulks up my strands, and makes my eyes look really blue. Amazon sells these swatches that are super convenient to have around, but also kind of pricey, so I just snapped a screenshot of the 3 I vacillate between, depending on hair color, and I keep them in my phone as a reference when shopping. I can see this being a game changer for some people, especially if you don’t change your hair color a lot and/or you don’t really know which colors look best on you.
Coffee Bean Powder:
I love the NSA (no sugar added) vanilla powder and the NSA chocolate powder sooo much! It can be used for so many things! I add it to my coffee every once in a while for a homemade latte or mocha (my fav is actually mixing the two together – I got that tip from a Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf Barista and she was so right!) and it also is delicious as hot chocolate. I also have some chai tea bags and winter dream tea bags around the house so when I feel the need to mix it up from my normal coffee or hot chocolate I can also make chai or winter dream lattes. So, so good!
Peter Thomas Roth 10% Glycolic Moisturizer:
I always keep an eye out for Perter Thomas Roth products when I’m at T.J.Maxx as they are somewhat pricey from other retailers, but also amazing. I’m already a huge fan of the Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Cream (it makes fine lines disappear on contact and also improves skin over time) and the Firmx Peeling Gel (the best chemical exfoliator I’ve found), but I found a new favorite the other day: Peter Thomas Roth 10% Glycolic Moisturizer. It’s awesome and I snagged it for under $20!
In fact, I was so stoked after a few days of using it that I went back asap and grabbed a second one since I knew it would sell out pretty quickly. You just never know what gems you’ll find on any given day at T.J.Maxx! This kit is a great deal if you want to try out some of his most popular products.
Ring light for indoor photography/videos:
This light was recommended by a fellow blogger. I do pretty much all of my photography/YouTube videos outside because the lighting is just better and I’ve never really been able to get good shots/video inside. It was quite affordable and had great reviews so I figured I’d give it a try. I can even use it for a flattering light source for my virtual meetings and change up the settings to achieve different looks. I have not actually used it yet, but I am really excited about it! Good lighting makes such a difference.
Smart night light and sleep mask:
I like the house to be completely dark when I’m sleeping, but the hubs likes to have some light so he’s not stumbling around during any late night bathroom trips (understandable!) so I always use a sleep mask. I’ve used these and these for a long time, but when it was time to replace them I wanted to try something new. I bought this one because it looked pretty cozy and it had good reviews. Then I stumbled upon this night light on Amazon and the reviews and price were so good I felt like I had to give it a try.
Both ended up being winners! We sure tried, but we could not get the night light to link up with our wifi so while we have not yet used the fanciest features I’m still a big fan! You can use the buttons on the side to not only turn it off and on, but it has 5 colors to choose from. I think we’ll probably figure it all out eventually, but even without the extra features I’m satisfied for the price we paid. The sleep mask is as comfy as I anticipated, but since it is so large it has the extra benefit of covering more of my face – including my ears. So now that the temps are dropping I feel a bit warmer and it offers a little bit of extra noise reduction. I use ear plugs every night to block out any street noise and my other half’s snoring. I’ll take anything I can get in that department!
Well, that’s it for today. But I’m sure I’ll have more for you soon. Take care and be well 💕
XOXO, Kate
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