Happy Friday, y’all! Today is the last day of July, and for the first time in SEVEN YEARS, I am totally not stressing about the month of August. This time last year I was starting maternity leave early due to preterm labor (don’t worry, everything turned out fine in the end!) and the five Augusts before that were always some combination of summer finals, moving apartments, fall semester, and TURN. As a former student housing professional, Turn is the time of year when you work like a mad woman (100+ hours/week) to prep the units for new move-ins. It was always exciting and challenging and total bonding time for you and your co-workers. I miss my co-workers with ACC so much, but I am so happy that all of my Augusts moving forward are about celebrating my babies instead of dealing with vendors and employees who sometimes act like babies.
But moving on to the good stuff! I thought I would share with y’all a couple things that have made my July absolutely delightfully.
1. Water
I started a love affair with water this month. Don’t tell my husband, but I’m drinking some right now. I’ve been really good about getting my 8 glasses since my pregnancy, but I also filled in the rest of my day with coffee, sweet tea, fruit juice, and soda. Coffee and I are still very much in love, but I ditched the other beverages, and now find myself always reaching for water. And by doing so, I have seen so many positive effects. I feel energized in the morning, my skin is brighter and more hydrated, I don’t get headaches and stomaches like I used to. By drinking more water, I find myself eating way less food and choosing healthier options. Water and sleep are like the two things that you NEED to make a priority. Getting more sleep is just sometimes not an option, but you can always drink more water.
2. The Honest Company Stain Remover
I’ve been using this stuff for a couple months, but it really came in handy this July. I wear a lot of white in the summer – jeans, shorts, shirts, shoes, usually one clothing item each day is white. Between taking the stroller in and out of the trunk, feeding the babies, and playing with the dogs, I always end up with a stain on something. And this stain remover is MAGIC. There is nothing it does not remove immediately. I had some old stains on my Keds, and they faded away after 5 minutes soaked with this spray. I threw out my Tide pen, and now carry around a small atomizer of this stain remover for on the go. I just spray, rub, and allow it to air dry. I had salsa on silk blouse, and 15 minutes after using this spray, there wasn’t a trace left. MAGIC.
3. Free Magazine Subscriptions via Sephora
When you’re making a purchase from Sephora online, check the current freebie codes before checking out. The usual sample packet offers are nice, but they normally also offer a free magazine subscription for a year. Right now you can get 2 years of Elle magazine with code ELLE4U at checkout. I’m currently getting Elle and Marie Claire, 2 magazines I would normally never purchase (I’m a Southern Living kinda gal), and I am LOVING them both. Getting magazines in the mail is always exciting, but free magazines are even better.
I love SuperTarget. I always get the giant cart with the double seats, and I grab a venti iced vanilla chai latte before I begin my shopping. Their grocery selection is just as good as Publix (although they can NEVER compete in the deli section #pubsub4life), and I save money using the Cartwheel app and my RED card. But I feel like I can 100% trust any selection I make at Sprouts Farmers Market. Every product they carry is free of suspect ingredients, their stores have a great selection, and their pricing is competitive. Last week their ENTIRE personal care and supplement section was 25%. It was six aisles of deals, deals, and more deals. Best of all, their staff are extremely knowledgeable and eager to help. I’ve chatted up quite a few employees, and they all seem passionate about their job and genuinely interested in helping you find exactly what you need. Plus, their credit card reader accepts Apple Pay so I get to look like a BAMF using my Watch to buy produce.
5. Josie Maran Bear Naked Nail Wipes
The last area of my vanity to be “greened” were my nail accoutrements. Tossing my gel nail polish kit was super painful, but I knew it was for the better. I stocked up with some new Julep nail polishes and this nail polish remover from Josie Maran. I’m a big, big fan of this brand already, and, of course, Josie Maran, knocks it out of the park with this one. First off, you literally just need 1 wipe to remove all the polish (base coat, 2 color coats, and top coat). The wipe wasn’t even like dripping liquid, it was just slightly damp. And the polish remover smells amazing. I wasn’t sitting there sniffing it, but instead of the normal gross acetone smell, it was grapefruit deliciousness. And afterwards, my nails and cuticles were shiny and moisturized thanks to added argan oil. I didn’t even remember to wash my hand afterwards. I just went to bed, and my nails and cuticles still looked amazing in the morning. I implore you to ditch your current nail polish remover and buy these wipes immediately. $9 for 20 wipes means you are basically paying 45 cents everytime you want to have an out-of-this-world spa experience by just removing your nail polish. Trust me, it’s worth the 45 cents.
And that’s it! I’m really looking forward to the month of August and what new favorites it will bring. In just 12 short days, we will be celebrating James’ and Emma’s 1st birthday, so I will probably spend most of the month in denial that my babies are now toddlers (nope, callin’ em my babies forever). But I would also like to spend at least some part of the month exploring other suggested favorites. Did you have something you discovered in July that brightened your day? Leave your favorites in the comments, and let me know what fun things I should try in August!
Lauren, Etc. 