Midweek Rambling + Recent Purchases

People don't take trips, trips take people. - John Steinbeck

Ramblings
Podcasts: I'm hooked on Podcasts again. It all started with S-Town, which I finished in two days. If you haven't listened yet, download it now! This American Life is just so damn good. Now I'm hooked on Casefile, which was recommended by one of Thomas' Army buddies. It's a Podcast channel that publishes true crime stories.
Spring Weather: I cannot get enough of the weather in Michigan right now. The sunshine makes me smile every single day. I am ready for summer.
House Hunting: T and I have been house hunting unofficially for a couple of months now, but we've recently kicked it into high gear. Man is it stressful! Our lease at the apartment ends at the beginning of July, but at this rate we might have to sign an extension.
13 Reasons Why: Just like everyone else that you know, I've spent a good chunk of my evenings binge watching 13 Reasons Why. I've since finished it and it was really eye opening to me. I'd highly suggest watching it unless suicide is a trigger/stressor for you.

Purchases
My one souvenir from NYC was this phone case from a bookstore in the Chelsea Market. A little lame that all I bought for myself was a phone case, but I love it! Now I want that same print in a camera strap. How adorable is that?!
I finally caved and purchased the T3 Only Whirl during the Ulta Platinum sale at 20% off. I've debated getting it for years now and decided to finally bite the bullet. I love my T3 hair dryer and straightener so I have high hopes for it. Now I just need to teach myself how to use it..
I've purchased quite a bit of new clothing pieces that were on the shopping list from the Spring Challenge by Audrey at Putting Me Together. My favorite items being; lace shirt, AG Farrah jeans, olive jeans, and white jeans.

Happy hump day! It's almost Friday :)

Midweek Ramblings + Recent Purchases

Ramblings:

• Kings of Leon: We were supposed to see our favorite band live last Sunday, but unfortunately the concert got cancelled three hours before the show was set to start. The drummer was diagnosed with pneumonia and advised to take three days off... so now we wait until March. It was a total bummer, but what can you do? I have no doubt that it'll be worth the wait.
• Grand Rapids: We're headed back to our favorite city this weekend and I can't wait. It seems like every week a new brewery/bar/restaurant opens and it feels like it's been three months too long since we've been there. We don't really have any set plans, but we'll see where the weekend takes us :)
• Winter TV: Scandal is back!! I repeat Scandal is back! And How to Get Away with Murder, This Is Us, Chicago PD, Chicago Med, Quantico, etc. We've also been enjoying Taboo, because Tom Hardy can do no wrong in our eyes.
• Travel Bug: It's only been three weeks since we got home from Arizona, but I'm already itching to take another trip. I have been bitten by the travel bug hard. Good thing I have a few trips on the docket this year; NYC, Las Vegas, Toronto, and Chicago!
• Happy Birthday Grandma: Today is my beautiful Grandma's birthday! I'm certain that she's having a wonderful birthday in the middle of the Caribbean on a cruise with my Grandpa and their friends, but I miss our daily chats. She's the best!

Purchases:

• Ray-Ban Erika Sunglasses: I picked these up with some Christmas gift cards I got and I love how unique they are. They're also very light weight and comfortable. I've become quite the Ray-Ban fan.
• It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC Cream: I know I'm super late to the game, but I finally decided to try this CC cream and I'm hooked. I love the way it smells, the way it makes my face feel, and the fact that it's the perfect coverage for everyday wear.
• Kuzy Macbook Case & Keyboard Cover: Technically I didn't purchase these (they were Christmas gifts), but I love them none-the-less. The quality is better than my old Speck case and the keyboard cover is a fun touch.

I hope it's been a great week and that an even better weekend awaits!

September Favorites

For years I've enjoyed watching monthly favorite videos on YouTube. It's where I get the majority of my recommendations from. So I thought I'd start compiling a list of items that I'm loving every month.

Food and Drink

- Apple Cider: the one fall craze I jump on board with. Forget PSL; give me a cold glass of apple cider and I'm a happy camper. Random fact: 99% of the time I prefer cold drinks. The 1% is hot chocolate.

- Trader Joe's Balsamic Glaze: run, do not walk, to Trader Joe's and buy this stuff! It is worth way more than the $2.99 price tag and I put it on everything. Pizza, caprese salad, chicken, etc. Psst- you can even buy it on Amazon if you click that link ;)

- No Thai: our local Thai food joint is awesome. We've been there twice already since we moved to Ann Arbor and I have a feeling it'll be one of our favorites. Their chicken curry fried rice is bomb!

Beauty

- Essie Gel Couture: I've mentioned my love for this before, but every time I paint my nails I'm blown away. I'm currently on day 9 and my nails are just now starting to show wear on the tips. I picked up The It Factor (a fall-ish pink color) at Meijer while grocery shopping this past weekend, meaning I now have five colors.

- Moroccan Oil Treatment: A few months ago my hair stylist used this after styling my hair and I've been hooked ever since. Mainly due to the scent, it smells divine! 

- Moroccan Oil Dry Shampoo: Again, I purchased this after hearing that it smells just like the oil treatment (it does!) and I've been impressed so far. I was using Batise for Brunettes and while it worked well I couldn't stand the scent.

- Bite Beauty Lipstick: I'm not really a lipstick kind of girl, but when I got my make-up done at Sephora for our anniversary pictures the make-up artist used Fig and I was impressed with how comfortable and long wearing it was. So I bought it #duh I've since purchased a lighter shade, Sugarcane, and I like them both. 

Home

- Command Strips: Every renters dream. An easy way to decorate walls without the hassle of making holes and then having to patch said holes. Oh and we use them to keep our cabinets closed, because we have a certain dog that likes to open them.

- Oxo Shower Caddy: When we moved into our apartment (and went from having one shower to two..) we got this shower caddy. The thing I love the most about it is that I can fit my jumbo bottles of shampoo and conditioner and that it holds a lot of products in general.

Work

- Post-its: I've have never used as many Post-its in my life as I have this first month as a SLP. They're all over my desk, in my planner, and in my bag. They're great for writing down quick notes or reminders and then tossing once they've served their purpose.

- PaperMate X-Tend pens: My favorite pens e-v-e-r. The only place I can find them is Amazon so I've stock piled them. I keep a handful at my desk, in my work bag, in my purse, and in our home office. Ordering in bulk is the best!

- Erin Condren Teacher Planner: This planner has been a lifesaver this past month. I use it to schedule all of my meetings and to lesson plan. My district uses a different form for attendance and data recording so I don't have to worry about those. I plan to write a full review/how I use it soon.

- TeachersPayTeachers: I discovered this goldmine last year while I was in grad school and I can't even express how much it has helped a new speechie like me. I've found fun activities my students love, no-prep activities that have saved my butt countless of times, and I like supporting SLPs.

Entertainment

- Shameless: T started watching Shameless on Netflix a few weeks ago and then I got sucked in. It features a crazy dysfunctional family that makes you feel grateful for your dysfunctional family :)

- Football: When we're home during the weekend football is on our TV. College or NFL, it doesn't matter. I've been super impressed with my Patriots still kicking butt even without Tom Brady (or their second string QB)!

- Pinterest: Am I the only one that goes in waves with using this site? I can go months without visiting the site once and then other times I stay up way past my bedtime pinning. I think booking three trips for next year is to blame ;)

Clothing/Accessories

- Hunter Tour Boots: My in-laws got me these for my birthday and I love them! I've had the Original Hunter boots for years, but they always felt so heavy and stiff. The Tour version is the complete opposite, light and flexible. I also love that they can be folded and therefore are travel friendly. I recommend Tour over Original any day!

- Tieks: Now that I've had these for a month and worn them excessively I can say they are worth the price tag 100%. I plan on writing a full review soon, but let me just say this- they're so good that I'm already saving up to buy my next pair! Treat yo'self and get a pair ;)

- Kendra Scott: KS jewelry is really the only jewelry I ever wear anymore. The quality is great and they're classic pieces. My most worn pieces are the Dani earrings, Elisa necklace, and Rae necklace.

- Detroit Tigers Hat: Lately, I've become a fan of baseball caps again. They're perfect for weekend errands when I don't want to do anything with my hair. Or when it's rainy. While the white version is a nightmare to keep clean, it matches everything.

So there you have it; a few things that I'm loving this month! I'd love to know what has been on your favorites list this month?

Lululemon Favorites & Care Tips

Unless you live under a rock I'm sure you've heard about Lululemon, the worlds most outrageously priced athletic wear. When I first discovered the brand I thought "who in the world can afford to spend that much money on workout clothes", but then I became a nanny. As a nanny my "uniform" was workout or lounge clothes. After a couple months I started to feel like I was still in college, not a mid-twenties married adult. Around that time my nanny family, so graciously, gifted me a mall gift card for Christmas and I knew exactly where I was going to spend it- Lululemon. I've been hooked ever since.

Some of my favorite Lululemon pieces:

1. Run Times Tank - My most recent purchase and the most supportive tank I've bought from Lululemon (& I'm rather large chested).
2. Wunder Under - Hands down the best leggings. The brushed (fleece lined) ones are God's gift to winter.
3. Speed Short 4-Way Stretch - Extremely flattering and comfortable shorts. I'm kicking myself for not snagging these up so that my tank and shorts would match ;)
4. Dance Studio Jacket - Love this waterproof jacket. Perfect for rainy days.

Like I said Lululemon isn't cheap so you want to take the best care possible of your pieces. Here's what I do and all of my pieces still look brand new-

1. I wash all of my Lululemon clothes separate in cold water and I only use gentle detergent.
2. Since I'm not a fan of the Ivory Snow scent I add a pinch of Downy Unstopables. This isn't a necessary step, but I enjoy it :)
3. I wash all of my tops in these wash bags from Bed Bath and Beyond. The bags prevent anything (zippers, ect) from snagging the fabric. These bags are awesome, because they're extremely large and they zip AND snap so there's no way it'll open up on it's own.
4. The most important thing is to NEVER put your Lululemon clothing in the dryer. Always hang dry.

So there you have my current favorite Lululemon pieces and how I care for mine.  Are you a fan of Lululemon or do their prices cause you to run away screaming? ;)

Favorite Fall Purchases

I'm going to let you in on a little secret- I love to shop. There are times when I wish that I didn't, but it's just who I am. Growing up I spent every Sunday shopping with my Grandma and those are some of my favorite memories of my childhood.

Anywho, over the last two months I've bought a few things for the new season as well as for my next step. Whether that step is grad school or a "big girl" job I needed some new pieces seeing as my nanny attire of yoga pants and hoodies won't work. I should mention that I have absolutely no fashion sense whatsoever and that I wore lounge clothes all throughout my undergrad. Which means my closet resembles that of a teenagers. So one step shopping trip at a time I'm adding pieces that are more age and "real world" appropriate.

* Now that Fall is here I need to trade in my flip flops for boots/closed toe shoes. I picked up these riding boots and booties from Kohls when I had a bunch of Kohls cash and I love both of them! I wore the riding boots the entire time we were in Chicago and they held up pretty well. Another great find at Kohls that I forgot to put in the collage are these Candies dress pants. Seeing as I haven't bought dress pants since high school {no I'm not kidding} these feel like a million bucks!

* A couple weekends ago American Eagle had a huge sale on their jeans + 25% off so I snatch up two pairs {Skinny in Clean Rinse and Jegging in Tinted Indigo} for only $35- you can't beat that! I've always wore AE jeans and they've never failed me, plus their super stretch material is so much more comfortable than regular jeans.

* While browsing the womens/juniors section at Target these Cable Knit Cardigans caught my eye. They're bulkier/warmer than any cardigans I own and they were BOGO so I picked up Navy and Dog Bone. Another thing that caught my eye while browsing was this dress in Navy. It's a thicker material and perfect for fall! I think it looks great with the booties as well.

* When my grandparents were in town we walked around the mall to kill time while Thomas was at an appointment and I couldn't resist the Mint Blue fleece at The North Face. I think they're professional enough to wear to work and they're extremely cozy, not to mention warm! And as a tip it's extremely important to wash these by themselves, in cold water, and air dry otherwise they get pilly/loose their softness.

* During the same trip my Grandma and I stopped at Bath & Body Works to take advantage of their 2 for $22 + 20% off sale. We each got two fall scented candles and I had to have the Black Cherry Merlot hand lotion as well {it seriously smells SO GOOD!}

What have you purchased recently for the new season or what are your favorite Fall items?