Nécessaire Body Lotion & Body Wash

I’m basically a broken record with these at this point, but they’re my favorite body lotion and body wash, period.

Chantecaille Just Skin Tinted Moisturizer

I bought this a while ago and liked it immediately, but I’ve really fallen in love with it more over these past few months. It’s a great light tint that is the perfect dewy finish; it’s not matte or oily but just beautiful skin-like texture. It’s especially perfect for mature skin since it’s moisturizing and so natural. There also really isn’t enough pigment to settle into lines/pores/wrinkles so it wears well all day. When we Facetimed Rob’s parents for Christmas, his sweet mom complimented my skin and that’s one of the nicest things to hear! All I was wearing was this. (Though to be fair, it was also 85 degrees and some sweat might have also contributed to my “glow”)

I can’t believe it’s 2020! There’s an Instagram challenge going around to post photos of yourself at the beginning and end of this decade, so here are mine! In the past 10 years, I’ve welcomed some new grey hairs and a little deeper “dimples”; I’ve also dealt with some much harder things like health issues and anxiety. I married my best friend and we moved states, adopted dogs, and started our adult lives together.

There have been so many ups and downs and I can’t say that everything is better than it was 10 years ago. I wish I knew more about my body and health and took a little better care of myself then. I wish I traveled more and took advantage of so many abilities and opportunities I had at the time. But I’m also ready to move forward and start 2020 full of hope and love and gratitude for all that I am and have.

Comparison pics like this are fun (ask me again in my 40s though 😂) but for anyone else who has had tough moments this month, decade, or year, let’s forget the comparisons and just keep going! May we all be grateful, hopeful, successful, healthy, happy and loved/loving now and always. Happy New Year!

My final gift guide this year and it’s officially December! All of these guides are technically for everyone, but this is a list of things that could have been included in both the him and her guides. I would truly feel comfortable giving these to men or women, people super close to me (like my husband or sister), or less familiar recipients (like colleagues or secret Santas, etc.). You might think that the body wash/lotion and lip balm seem kind of personal, but trust me when I say that these are so good that even your kid’s teacher or your work friend would be happy to receive them!

The men we love are sometimes notoriously difficult to buy for. I asked Rob for help with this cover image, and I was so happy that he genuinely seemed excited by most of the things on this list! I know not all guys are into only tools or technology or skincare, so I really added a mix here and am sure you’ll find at least a few things the men (and boys!) in your life will love.

My gift guides “for her” are always basically a wish list for myself, haha. I do already own the last three items on this list, but everything else would make me super excited to find under my tree this year (and honestly, I’d eagerly take multiples of #s 9 & 10). Happy shopping!

I’ve been using aluminum-free deodorant for a few years now. It’s important to me and one of the “clean beauty” swaps that I’m definitely sticking to. The first thing you might need to know is that natural deodorants are just deodorants and not antiperspirants. Antiperspirants work by clogging your sweat glands and therefore preventing your body’s natural processes. Sweat isn’t gross or bad, guys. It’s natural and healthy! Unfortunately, the smells and excessive wetness associated with sweat aren’t always appealing, and there’s also nothing wrong with wanting to minimize those aspects. There can be an adjustment period when switching to natural deodorants, but I’ve honestly found it not to be too bad and the end result is using a healthier product with minimal noticeable difference from conventional brands. I’ve tried countless cleaner deodorants since I switched, and here are my picks (and a couple of duds) from this year:

Fall is such a fun & festive time of year, but it often goes by SO fast. Between back-to-school, Halloween and Thanksgiving (and all of the birthdays and football games in between), these few months usually blow right by. Starting with the transition from long, laid back summer to shorter and busier days and leading into the holidays (aka when many of us feel the most stressed), I think we could all use some tips to slow down and enjoy the season itself a bit more.

Another month, another favorites list! Here’s what I’ve been loving this August:

How did we ever live without 2 day shipping?? I ordered something from Not-Amazon recently and it took 2 weeks to arrive. I had literally forgotten about even ordering it by the point I received it (which was a nice little surprise, but sometimes I really need things ASAP like health, home & toiletry products). Anyway, because of convenience, speed, competitive prices and more, Amazon has become the primary shopping destination in our house. Here are some items on my wish list right now:

I can’t believe July (and the first half of 2019) is already over! Here are some of my favorite things from this month: