August Favorites

And just like that, it’s September.

My unofficial start of FALL EVERYTHING. Are you on board or do you savor summer to the very last official day? I’m usually a mix of both, but autumn is my favorite time of year so I tend to get a little bit excited come the beginning of September.

August was a good month. Probably the best month we’ve had in a long while. We went on a vacation – an isolated, extremely careful one – in North Carolina. My family has vacationed in the Outer Banks for most of my life, and we hadn’t been in years. My mom decided to book a house for our immediate family for a week, and we all jumped (cautiously) at the opportunity to go.

I was super nervous about going on a trip, especially to a virus “hot spot,” but the county we were in had a very low case count and we knew that we would be able to stay isolated the entire time (aside from a couple grocery store runs – which is something we regularly do at home anyway).

In the end, I’m so glad we did it. Our kids LOVED the beach, and it was an escape from the same thing we’ve done for the past 6+ months. Spending time with loved ones took our minds off of everything in the world right now. It was exactly what we all needed.

Now, we head into September and as excited as I am, I am equally nervous. I’m nervous about school starting and what it means for Kieran (and me!). I’m nervous about what a virus resurgence would mean. I’m nervous about the health and well being of loved ones. I’m nervous about having both kids with me most days of the week (Kieran will only physically be in school two days a week) and what that means for my photography business. I’m also feeling the weight of our country’s social issues right now. The election. The unrest. The injustice.

It’s…a lot.

But! It’s no more than what every other working parent is thinking about these days, so I know I’m in good company. The only thing keeping me sane (besides the extra time with my kids) is my mantra that (hopefully) all of this is temporary.

On that note, here are some of the things we’ve been loving this past month!

1. I bought this wagon for the beach a few days before we left and I’m so glad I did! It served us well in so many ways. I anticipated needing it to get the kids down to the water each day, but our house was right on the beach with a very short walk to the sand, so we used it more so for loading up the supplies for the beach each day. It was great because everyone could pile a ton of stuff into it and it still rolled fairly easily on the sand. Glad we have this for future beach trips!
2. I also bought this tent on a total last-minute whim. I was panicked about having Finn in the sun too much without much escape. Even though both my kids tan very easily in the sun, I wanted an escape from the sun since we were going to be on the beach all day, every day for a week. Turns out, every one used the shade from this tent many times. My dad loved it. The kids loved it. It was easy to set up and take down and was REALLY high quality. Very pleasantly surprised for a last-minute impulse buy!
3. Much to my dismay, I am still battling pretty bad hormone-induced melasma. Thanks, kids of mine. It first showed up last summer right after I had Finn, and it has gotten progressively worse despite my very careful sunscreen application and hat wearing. I avoid the sun on my face at all costs. Still, I needed a concealer with a bit more heft to it, so I tried this one out since I’ve had such great success with the same line of foundation. I love it! It’s a bit heavier than my usual Nars one that I’ve been using for years. It goes on easily, blends beautifully, and covers up my dark spots really well. I’ll probably switch back and forth between the Dior and Nars concealers, as I don’t need as much coverage in the winter time, thanks to the melasma fading.
4. My sister introduced me to these hydration packs on a trip to Costco, and they are probably my favorite discovery from this past month. We had these on our vacation as well, and we definitely appreciated the extra hydration on long days at the beach and maaaaybe after a few too many cocktails in the evenings. I wouldn’t say they are a cure-all for a hangover, but they certainly HELP. I love them on days when I’m behind on my water intake. Not only does it make the water taste delish (the lemon-lime is my fave flavor), but I actually FEEL the difference after consuming one. It could totally be a placebo effect, but I love it.
5. I received a sample of the Sunday Riley CEO Glow Vitamin C Turmeric Oil from Sephora last month, and I was surprised at how much I loved it. I love Sunday Riley for nighttime products (the retinol serum and good genes are amazing), and this was my first daytime sample. It goes on nicely, smells good (at least I think so! The online reviews indicate that the smell is a turn off for a lot of folks), and it makes my skin feel SO HYDRATED. I am just about done with my sample and seriously considering getting a full-size bottle.
6. I have been on the hunt for a natural deodorant for a couple years now. I love the Dove aluminum-free one, and I just bought Secret’s version. The coconut one smells like heaven. Weirdly, not coconutty at all! Just fresh and bright. So far, so good. It’s always a risk when you go for a more natural deodorant, and both the Dove and Secret ones are working for me so far. Kieran often tells me how good I smell while hugging me. Haha.
7. Another Costco find for me: these oatmeal bites. Holy cow are they good. They’re very sweet and taste like uncooked cookie dough (which I love), so a little bit goes a long way. I love them for a quick bite in the morning if I’m starving before breakfast or as an after-dinner treat every now and then. They’re awesome straight out of the fridge.
8. I am a gin drinker, as many people who read this blog regularly know. Empress 1908 Gin reached out to me last month and asked me to collaborate with them. I was thrilled! I received gin from them to try, and OH MY GOSH, it is definitely my new favorite. Not only is it gorgeous, but it’s so light and floral! It might actually replace my longtime fave of Hendrick’s. If you’re interested, I developed a hibiscus gin fizz for them on Instagram. See this post for recipe details! I promise: even if I didn’t get paid to say so, I would still love the gin!

And that’s it! Happy September, friends! Wishing everyone luck and happiness as we move into another season of 2020! Xoxo.

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