Health, Bath, & Beauty Personal Thoughts Reviews

Favorite Things Friday

In an effort to get back to blogging I thought it would be fun to share a few things I’m enjoying lately.  For the longest I rarely bought myself anything.  Any time I shopped, I did so with my children in mind and never focused on me.  Over the last several months I’ve made a conscious effort to shop for me.  As a mom it is obviously important to focus on my children, but if I’ve learned anything over the last 2 years it is that I also have to take care of myself.  It’s funny that I find it difficult to spend money on something I want but have no issue buying my girls a new dress every week.  I shouldn’t feel guilty for buying myself a new shirt or face cleanser!  I have no idea why we do that to ourselves as women.

favorite things friday 42016

You’ll notice that a several of the businesses listed are small businesses ran by moms.  Since giving up Facebook, I’ve fallen in love the the handmade community on Instagram.  It’s so fun to shop small and receive these items with their adorable packaging.  You can feel the love that goes into each item whether it’s a handpainted sign, a sugar cookie, or a hand-poured candle.

LUSH Products

LUSH

I was recently introduced to LUSH after hearing several moms rave about their products.  After reading their story and browsing their site, I placed my first order.  It was difficult not to buy the entire store because I wanted to try one of everything.  After a few days- yes, seriously it took me that long to decide- I narrowed it down to a few bath bombs, cleanser, lip scrub, and a mask.  I could not wait to give them a try and within a few hours of my order arriving, I had tried every product expect the many bath bombs.  I completely understand the obsession with LUSH now.  The last few years have taken a toll on me physically and my skin shows that so I’m making sure to practice self care.  I love the Angels on Bare Skin cleanser and use it daily.  I also used the Intergalactic bath bomb which was amazing.  My skin felt so soft after that bath.  I am certainly a LUSH believer now!

Unlock Hope tees

UnlockHope tees

I don’t remember how I found Unlock Hope, but I am glad I did!  They had an awesome Black Friday sale last year so I took advantage of that and possibly went a little overboard by ordering almost 20 shirts.  Last week I ordered 6 more if that tells you how pleased I was with my first order.  Their tees are so soft and comfortable and always have an encouraging message.  Over the last year I’ve become obsessed with words so wearing them on my shirts just makes sense.  I wear these tees about 5 days a week and they wash so well!  The best part is that while I get a new favorite tee, Unlock Hope partners with Think Humanity to donate enough money to cover every necessary expense to support one girl for one day in Uganda.  Health care, food, housing, utilities, transportation, support staff, school fees, clothing, uniforms, toiletries, school supplies, books and more are completely paid for through purchases from Unlock Hope.

fouronefive designs haruki murakami

fouronefive designs

Last year I fell in love with a quote by Haruki Murakami about the storms of life. I have searched for a sign with this quote for months to no avail. Finally I realized that I would have to instead look for someone willing to design a custom sign for me. That is no easy task either especially because I had a specific style in mind. During an etsy search I came across fouronefive designs.  I reached out and within hours had my first proof in hand.  The ordering process was so easy- the digital proof shows you exactly what your sign will look like and it can be tweaked until it’s exactly what you imagined.  Diana set up custom listing for me and three weeks later, I had my gorgeous, gigantic, custom sign in hand.  It is absolutely stunning.

Valentine Cookies Sullivan Bakehouse

Sullivan Bakehouse cookies

These gorgeous cookies are another Instagram find.  I placed an order as a treat for the kids in celebration of Valentine’s Day.  Sales are usually only held once a week on Friday and spots are limited.  These spots go quickly and she usually sells out within minutes.  After receiving my order, I can definitely understand why.  Not only are these cookies beautiful but they taste delicious!  I placed another order for Easter and those were just as good.  If you want to order I highly suggest turning on notifications for Sullivan Bakehouse on Instagram and have quick fingers on Friday morning!

midnight owl candle co

Midnight Owl Candles

I apparently spend too much time on Instagram because that’s where I also stumbled across Midnight Owl Candle Company.  Not long ago I was lucky enough to snatch one of their mystery boxes which contained a variety of candles and scents.  I’ve loved all of the scents that were in my mystery box.  These soy candles are hand-poured, burn cleanly and evenly and the scents are strong but not overpowering.

That’s a wrap for my first edition of favorite things Friday.  Hopefully I’ll be back with another installment soon!

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