It is so good to be home and with my people again. I had a blast at Mom 2.0, saw so many amazing friends, ate way too much good food, and indulged in a lot of wine (*ahem*). My husband also gave me the best Mother’s Day gift ever which was upgrading me to a first class seat. I had so much room for my awful knees, ate a good lunch, and got in some quality reading time. It was the best gift ever and I am incredibly thankful. What are your plans this Mother’s Day weekend?
This week was a busy one on the site! SO MUCH GOOD STUFF! Get my must-reads list for this month (7 books picked just for you!!), find out about the fashion course I am taking and loving, make some funny faces with your kiddos, and see what our community is reading right now.
GIVE ME ALL THE BOOKS.
Here are three other things that are making me happy this week!
World’s Best Drip Coffee
We have hard water so I am constantly fighting that problem on our appliances and the hard water build-up on the glass items in our home. After many bad inexplicable batches of coffee, we realized something was wrong with our coffeemaker. I went online and decided to research our next best option and came across this Hamilton Beach BrewStation. It was half the price of most drip coffee makers, had INCREDIBLE reviews, and didn’t have a dirty looking carafe to deal with. You see that little bar on the back? You lean your mug on it and the coffee comes out like you are dispensing at the 7-11 or something.
It is so easy to program and brew and the smart design couldn’t be better. Your coffee brews inside the machine and offers the option of holding your coffee at the warm temperature for up to four hours. I can program it still for my mornings and just slide my giant cup under there to load up with my morning book.
No fancy mugs necessary, no cleaning a glass carafe, and with the purchase of a reusable coffee filter, this coffee couldn’t be better or more affordable. I had doubts that anything this cheap would be that great…I was wrong.
If you are in the market, this is my latest obsession for coffee!
(dress- Rent the Runway Dress, shoes- comfy dexflex nude pumps, similar match)
My First Rent the Runway Purchase
They had the IRIS awards ceremony at my conference. It was such an honor to be nominated for Best Personal Blog after 12 years of writing. I didn’t want to wear the same old dress or waste precious space in my closet so I decided to give Rent the Runway a spin. Have you heard of it?
Basically, you can rent clothing, fancy dresses, and accessories for a fraction of the price. They send it all in a cloth bag with a return address label tucked inside and you return it within the designated time.
When I posted about it, people told me that they sometimes use it for their family photos. GENIUS! I am thinking this might be a fun investment for headshots as a business owner too. I am also thinking events like high school reunions, charity galas, weddings, and work trips might be worthy of a rental. Did you know that they even offer a monthly wardrobe service? It’s a little out of my price range, but I know many people spend more than that shopping each month.
If you haven’t tried Rent the Runway before, here is $20 towards your first purchase! If you have and love this dress, here is a link! It ran a little small and I am wearing a size zero (5’2, 106 pounds for reference!), but it felt more like a double zero. I would recommend this one for notsobusty girls.
Facial Hair Removal Cream (I don’t have any. I tested it for you. You’re welcome.)
Just in case you thought I was TOO glamourous in the last picture, I tested out a hair removal cream for people with sensitive skin and it is AH-MAZING! Being fair and reactive to everything, there is nothing a welted upper lip to let your hubby know what you have been up to in the bathroom for the last half hour. Especially, when said lip is welted for hours on end. THE SHAME!
Well, I finally found a hair removal cream that doesn’t hurt, didn’t make my skin red, and is more effective than the Sally Hansen stuff. Meet your new best friend- Gigi Hair Removal Cream. This stuff is amazing and works in five minutes. It causes no skin reddening or reaction (on me- test at your own risk!) and costs just $4.50. I bought it on Amazon and it is the best hair removal cream I have ever used. A little goes a long way. Can’t wait to hear what you think of this stuff!
Reading: A Mother’s Reckoning by Sue Klebold. It is heartbreaking, raw, and open about her son and his struggle with mental illness as she recounts his involvement in the Columbine shooting. Within the first chapter it was a book I would recommend to any parent- the awareness she brings is important. We are reading it this month for our MomAdvice Book Club. Feel free to join us!
Eating: Lemon Paprika Chicken & Veggies Sheet Meal on repeat this week. I am double batching it since my daughter’s dance rehearsal & recital is this weekend. I can’t wait to see my tiny dancer perform!
Enjoying: This thoughtful piece on aging and why Botox can be a gateway drug to elective procedures. So much of what she said echoes what is on my own heart as I grow older.
Appreciating: Our teachers this week! It’s never too late to say thank you! Here is a sweet & simple idea we did this year!
Pretending: To be a fashion blogger. See what I’m up to in my capsule by following me here! xoxo
Happy Friday, friends!
*this post may contain affiliate links- I only recommend what I love though. Check out past editions of It’s the 3 Little Things!