Hello friends!

You know, I’m not sure why I’m always surprised when a four day work week turns out to feel like the longest week of my life, but it always does. Monday was productive at home, and Tuesday was a great day.

But Wednesday.
Oh. My. Goodness.

Thursday was hair day! Praise be! It was also book club day. We read Every Summer After by Carley Fortune, and it was really good. I listened to it and really enjoyed the narrator.

I was basically itching to get out of the school house door on Friday afternoon, and I fully embraced relaxing Friday night.

So far Saturday has been lazy with the exception of laundry. The gloomy weather has been a great excuse to perch up on the couch and surf the internet for any good deals. I was influenced to buy this dress (got it in white but want in navy too if I love it) and this button down (got the blue and white bold stripe). I’ll let you know if they end up working out. They are relatively new arrivals, but we know how things start to sell out fast. I haven’t seen many people talking about the dress yet, so go ahead and scoop yours up now! The shirt wasn’t fully stocked but did have a few options left, so check it out now if you are curious. My motto is: Just return it later if it doesn’t work out or sell it to a friend.

Anyway, let’s wrap up this weekend by sharing a few things that have been useful, bringing me joy, and keeping me entertained lately.

We’ll start with an account on Instagram that is so incredibly interesting but also incredibly time-consuming. The account is @houseinhabit. She has a Substack account with a paid tier, which I don’t currently subscribe to, but I’m contemplating it. Jessica Kraus is the woman behind the account. She’s an independent journalist sharing hot takes and unpopular opinions on some of the biggest cases going on right now: Ghislaine Maxwell, Johnny Depp, Harvey Weinstein, and so many more. She’s unapologetic, authentic, and reliable. I am loving her account on Instagram and her newsletter. Riveting stuff, y’all, I promise!

The next thing I want to share is all about organization. I tried to be organized with my jewelry a while back. I even blogged about it in one of my early blog posts. (Check it out here.) It worked well until my Vivian Drew earring collection grew. Most of those are post-backed, so I found my trays overflowing. Enter an influencer on Instagram (but I can’t remember who). I saw her share this nifty little jewelry box that was not only pretty, but would help me keep things organized and tidy. Plus it would free up some space on the top of my dresser. It’s made a world of difference! You can take apart the dividers and customize it to fit what you need, but some drawers have different sized dividers than others. I’ve loved it!

Okay, I said I’d never use another planner in all my life. I even wrote a blog post about how much I loved the Simplified Daily Planner. (See that blog post here). But…… My mom always gives me a planner for Christmas, and I threw her for a loop when I said that I wanted to change to the Weekly Planner. Let me just tell you- I LOVE IT! Trying the weekly view of the planner was a great gamble.

Maybe the best thing about it is the absence of the spiral binding. I didn’t really care all that much about it when I was using the daily planner, but now that it’s gone, I am realizing how much better the weekly planner is- aesthetically and performative-ly. It also has a ribbon bookmark. I was always using paperclips or binder clips to mark my spot in the daily planner. This version is so much more efficient for me. If you’re a not-so-busy person that doesn’t need to schedule your day out by the hour, consider this weekly version. It has been a perfect fit for me.

I can’t believe I’m writing about this damn cup, but here we go. How many of us have seen an influencer on Instagram carrying this Stanley cup around? (I’m imagining all of you saying, “Omg, me!”.) Well, my mom of all people was the one who was influenced and scooped up one for me while it was on sale. Guys, it’s a cup. It keeps my water just as cold as my Yetis, Ozark Trails, Orcas, and Hydro Flasks.
But what’s so great about it is the handle. The HANDLE! I am willing to buy more cups with handles. I don’t think it has to be a Stanley cup. But the handle is the ticket! Also the 40oz capacity is great. And the straw. Don’t you drink more or drink faster when you drink out of a straw, or is that just me? Okay, so get a cup with a handle and a straw that holds 40oz of water. So….maybe just get a Stanley cup.

I can’t let this week go by without talking about press on nails. Yes! I know! But press on nails are still a thing. Apparently Kim Kardashian talked about them and people went nuts, but I’ve been on this train for about a year now. I took a break for a while because of the beautiful Zoya polishes that I just had to try out, but I’ve started wearing the nails again. I discovered Red Aspen Love from Megan (@counterfam), gave them a try, and fell in love. As with most new things, there’s a learning curve, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll get better and better at the application and you’ll be so impressed with how natural they look. Everyone asks about them when I wear them, and I’m so excited to tell them they are press ons.
They are, at most, $16 a set. I can get 2 manicures out of each set, and the nails last up to two weeks. The amount of money you save by using these is incredible compared to the price you pay at a salon. Another plus about this brand is that the glue is a safer glue and a million times better than what’s used when you go have them done. I’m having a little pop up party, so if you’re curious, I’d love for you to shop through this link.

Lastly, I’m currently listening to Spare by Prince Harry. I have a lot of thoughts and not all of them are that positive. However, I’m only finished with part one. Maybe I’ll change my mind by the end of the book. Stay tuned here and on Instagram, where I normally post my quick reviews of the books I read. If you’re a royal watcher and happen to be reading this one, let me know. I’d love to know your thoughts.

That’s gonna do it for this week. Here’s to a restful Sunday and a great week ahead! See you next week. I’ve got lots of fun things planned, and I can’t wait to share!