Friday, April 3, 2020

TOP 10 SUPER FUN FAVORITES OF THE WEEK | FF #126

It's Friday again, y'all!  Ummm...not that that really means anything anymore really.  Every single day is basically Groundhog Day, right?  

We are still doing fine over here living that Quarantine Life.  Everyone is still healthy (minus a bout of food poisoning with Mason...more on that at the end of this post. #lordhavemercy) so we are thankful for that.


We survived our first week of official homeschooling this week and it was definitely a pain in the butt.  I'm not sure if the district or teachers or the schools or whoever will ask for feedback from parents but I definitely have a few things I'd suggest which I feel like they'd appreciate hearing.  They say that this is a learning curve for us all and know things will be bumpy for a while so I hope they'll ask for suggestions.  I know these teachers are working so hard though to get all this figured out for us!  We are forever grateful for them!


Right now, we are getting all assignments through Canvas (is that a nation-wide resource schools use?) and it can be confusing.  None of the daily assignments are just all in one place.  It's like going on a scavenger hunt all over the site looking for what you are supposed to do that day.  Every teacher puts their assignments under a different tab ("assignments", "modules", "calendar", etc).  I would suggest there be a standard, set place that they all use across the board.  It's hard when every teacher does it a little differently.  Honestly, I can't help but wish they'd just send a daily email that says "DO THIS TODAY" with the assignment.  I know we've missed assignments because we just didn't see them. Sigh. I'm hoping things will smooth themselves out over the next week or two.


Mason (my social butterfly) is really starting to lose it not being able to hang out with his friends.  I have to keep him busy all.the.time in order to keep his mind off of it.  He definitely tears up at times and seeing him so sad and knowing this could go on for so much longer is breaking my heart.  He just wants to show off his new scooter to his buddies and play baseball!  He wants to strike out the other team and hit home runs.  I mean, is that so much to ask? ;)

 Matthew, on the other hand, is my little introvert and other than not being able to have a spring baseball season, he is completely fine hanging out at home.  He will be 12 in May and omGEEEEE is he turning into such a teenager right now.  We just call him "Teenager" now when he's being a lazy bum and sleeping til noon or hiding out in his room for hours on end. 😂  (Don't worry...sleeping til noon has come to an end during weekdays now.  Weekends are fine.)

I hope my (always sporadic) posts bring a little fun and a little normalcy to your day and take your mind off of the craziness happening in our world right now.  Just know that just because I don't share all my innermost thoughts and feelings on the coronavirus doesn't mean I'm not as sad, scared, anxious, etc as you.  But there's only so much we can do right now so we're trying to do what we can and enjoy what we can and basically try not to freak out. ;)

Now moving on to probably one of my favorite "favorites" posts in a while! I've got some really great things we have been loving this week!


Ok, I know this is quite random but I bought this trash can a couple of months ago as an upgrade to the super ugly one we've had here for EVER.  I saw it was back on sale on Amazon right now (in 3 colors!) and wanted to share because most of you are also moms and we get excited about things like this.  You get it, right? 😂  It comes in brown, taupe and white.  The brown is currently the cheapest but has a longer ship date while the other two colors have ship fast.


This one uses 30-33 gallon trash bags and we use it for a recycling bin right outside our back door.  I don't have a ton to say about it (that would be weird to go on and on about a trash can...) but I did want you to see it in case you need a new one too!  

I've got a new outdoor sofa coming in next week for our sunroom and I'm so dang excited to finally be making some progress on this little makeover.  This room has been a work-in-progress for years now because we can't figure out which direction to take it.  For a long time, we had a ping pong table in it which took up pretty much the whole room. That's gone now so it's just a holding area at the moment. haha  No better time for a room makeover than now, right!?



My Etsy shop has not been spared from this whole crisis.  My sales are down around 85% as opposed to last year at this time and it SUCKS. My Etsy shop is my full-time job and now like so many of you, it has come to a screeching halt.

Spring is typically the busiest time of the year for my shop with all the teacher gifts and things for vacations and now that all of that has stopped...so have so many of my sales!  :(  The good news (for my customers!) is that things are shipping a LOT quicker than they normally would.  Like 1-3 business days instead of 1-2 weeks.  So if you need cute, colorful, personalized drinkware, adorable cork/leather earrings, wood signs and whatever else I have in there, go shop NOW!


I've even set up a coupon code for all you sweet readers to use which works on EVERYTHING in the shop!  Use the code SHOPSMALL10 for 10% off your entire order including things that are already on sale.  Of course, I wish I could give a bigger discount but so many of the things in my shop have a small profit margin as is once you figure in all of Etsy's fees and payment processing fees.  So I apologize for that.  


Did you guys happen to catch my first official Book Review post since last AUGUST?!  I'm finally back on track with my monthly reviews.  I forgot how much I love these posts!  If you're looking for a great new book (or audiobook!), take a peek at this post HERE and you'll probably find something to add to your list. ;)


Don't forget you can find ALL my past book reviews in the "Bookworm" tab in my menu/header any time you need new recs!


Ummmm...why was I such a holdout on this stuff?!!


I have seen allllll the influencers rave and rave about how amazing the Olaplex Hair Perfector is for dry and damaged hair and I finally ordered after my hairstylist told me (sweetly) that it wouldn't hurt to start using a hair mask after I had my last batch of highlights. Haha.  I ran out of my heat protectant (currently on sale!) a while back and just never got around to ordering more and apparently, you could tell. Crap.

I did order more (thank you very much) but I also grabbed the Olaplex too and have been using it for a few weeks.  But even just after the first use, I was like hot dang!!!  😂😂😂 My hair was so much softer and smoother after just one use.

The directions on this tell you to wet your hair, towel dry it and then put it on damp hair.  Let it sit for 15 minutes and then wash and condition as normal.  Now honestly, that's annoying to me.  Who wants to get in the shower to wet their hair, get out and wait for 15 minutes and then get back in to wash your hair?  I'm sure there are other ways to do this but here's what I've been doing instead.

Once a week, I'll shower at night before bed like normal but won't wash my hair...I just rinse it.  When I get out, I towel dry my hair and then apply the Olaplex.  I wind it all up into a bun and then go to bed.  In the morning, I take a shower and wash and condition my hair.  It works better for me that way and I feel like there's no harm in leaving it in overnight like a leave-in conditioner.

I highly recommend this for your hair if you are dealing with brittle or dry hair or damage!  It really has lived up to all the hype I've heard for so long!


Who else is living in similar outfits these days?  

LEGGINGS | HOODIE (old) | SLIPPERS | HEART RING

This was actually my OOTD yesterday.  I wanted to show you these leggings because they are awesome!  My cousin actually texted me this week wanting to know if I could identify a brand's logo on her favorite leggings because she'd cut out the tag a long time ago but wanted more...she just didn't know which brand it was.  They turned out to be Fabletics leggings which are awesome but can be expensive if you don't do the membership.  (The membership gets you 2 for $24 but you also have to pay a monthly fee or skip or shop by the 5th every month...?  I found it very confusing and canceled after a couple of months.)  

Anyway, I knew there were some amazing high-waisted compression-style leggings on Amazon so I decided to try this pair because they had amazing reviews!  This has to be my FAVORITE PAIR EVER I've gotten on Amazon.  They are soft, stretchy, high-waisted and suck you in which is exactly how I like it.  I bought these in my regular size (small) and they are perfect.  They have a pocket on each side and come in a bunch of great colors!

I'm definitely bookmarking this listing (I'll put it in my Amazon Store too) to come back to when I need more leggings!

Also, those slippers are worth every penny of their $13.99 price tag!!


Did you happen to notice my ring in that last picture?  I'm kind of obsessed.


It's Uncommon James. Yes, I have a total girl crush on Kristin Cavallari.  #noshame  

I bought it during the "25% off everything" Nordstrom sale a couple of weeks ago and it rarely comes off my finger.  The sale is over unfortunately but this ring is cheaper AND ships free from HERE instead! Try UJCARES for 10% off your order too!

My next order will include this ring!!  I can't resist those pretty colors!




#getinmycart  ❤❤❤❤


I mentioned this little tool in my Deals Group on Facebook a while back but look how cool!  I've never bought so many fresh pineapples in my life!  My kids are crazy about fresh pineapple now!


It is so easy to use and you can even drink the pineapple juice from the core when you're done.  (Mason's favorite part.)


How many of y'all are also elbow deep in puzzles right now?  Puzzles have officially taken over our dining room table and we've worked through several now.  Earlier this week, a package came and it was this Green Bay Packers puzzle from Craig's mom!  This thing is so cool too.  It's got a Where's Waldo aspect to it which is so fun!  This guy is called Joe Journeyman though and he is hiding somewhere in the midst of all of that.


Here's a better picture.  I know it's hard to see but all of those people are tailgating and getting up to all kinds of things that happen on Game Day at Lambeau!  This is such a cute gift idea for someone!  We are finishing up our current puzzle and will start this one next.


You can find them HERE  and HERE  for several different teams.  I hate to say it but I can't find this Green Bay one anywhere right now!  It seems to be one of the teams that is sold out already!  :(  There are lots of other teams available in those two links though and you can also keep your eye on Amazon HERE.


I'm sure you've heard of the Billie razor before.  It's all over social media and I decided to see what all the fuss was about after realizing it was just 9 bucks with free shipping!  I was expecting it to be way more with all the hype around it!

This was my first order and I wanted to show you what all came in the box.  First of all, you can choose the color razor you'd like.  There are so many cute ones to choose from.  I got the "dream pop" color which is purple on one side and pink on the other. You get one razor, one refill, a sample of their body wash, and my favorite part...the little magnetic holder.  You just stick it to your shower wall (it comes with stickies and even extra ones if you need them) and your razor just hangs there.  It's really secure, hasn't fallen and is so much better than leaving it sitting in water where your blades can get dull or rust.


My legs have never been smoother, y'all.  This is so much better than my little disposable razors. I feel like such a grown-up.  haha  

If you're looking for a GOOD razor, you'll find it here!  When you order, you can set it so that you'll get 4 refills once a month, every 2 months or every 3 months.  Each time it's just $9 with free shipping!  Do the math on that and you'll see how cheap that is for a great quality shave!  

Ok, so I think I told y'all last week that I'd take a "real life" picture of these gorgeous glittery flip flops once I got my toenail polish situation situated.  I finally handled it (but please don't look too close because I know I have fat toes--and fingers!) so here you go. 😂

I took a close-up so you can see the real glitter on the straps (that does NOT flake off) and the screen print (not real glitter) on the insoles.


Yes, I'm wearing those leggings again. 🤷‍♀️



These are hands-down the most fun flip flops I've ever owned and you can bet I'll be wearing them on repeat all summer long.

And before I sign off for the day, I wanted to leave you with this.  You know I do a random "favorite" of mine at the end of these posts sometimes and so today I thought I'd share one my very favorite songs of all time. I heard it for the first time in one of my very favorite movies of all time--The Other Woman. (You've got to watch that movie!)  But it's so beautiful, the words are so powerful and it can be applied to so many different struggles you may be going through.

It gets me in my feelings big time, y'all. But I thought it was so appropriate to share right now while the world is in turmoil and I hope it gives you a little faith, a little hope, a little inspiration...whatever you may be needing right now.


Have the best day you possibly can, friends.


Linking up with ErikaNarci and Andrea for Friday Favorites and Della Devoted for High 5 for Friday!


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13 comments

  1. We have that trash can too and love it! It does seem like a random thing to share but really for anyone with an outdoor entertaining area it's a necessity and makes all the difference! I'll have to check out your Etsy shop!
    xo,
    Kellyann
    www.thisblondesshoppingbag.com

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  2. Do you know what the trashcan could also double as?! Dirty towel container! Like at a resort! I never knew i needed one until right this minute when you showed your trashcan! Hahaha!

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  3. Enjoyed all your favorites today. Thanks for taking the time to post.

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  4. Our school uses Schoology and this is week of it. Thankfully, it has been pretty smooth sailing even though it crashes at times in the am this week because more schools are using it. My teen and my 9 year old are able to navigate it on their own. I help my 6 year old and guide his assignments. The school has moved to zoom for class conferences because it was better suited for so many people using it.
    www.chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com

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    1. My oldest has had to use Zoom for a few class conferences as well! It's pretty cool!

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  5. Have you seen Very Cavallari? It's on E. I have that Olaplex #3. It hasn't helped my really bad damaged hair. When I use it, I use the bottom part of the shower (The tub spout. I had to look up what you call it) & wet my hair & put on the Olaplex. Then put on a towel & leave it for 15 minutes. Then rinse it out under the spout again & then shampoo & condition it. My Mom was the Queen of washing her hair in the kitchen sink. lol. So instead of the kitchen sink I use the tub spout.
    http://therantingsofadramaqueensmum.blogspot.com

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    1. YES!! I love that show! I just wish they'd stop wasting scenes with just Brittany in them. She's sweet and all but it seems so out of place in the show now since her and Kristin don't really seem to hang out much. We need more of Jay!!

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  6. We bought that pineapple tool a year ago (I only know this because it showed up on my March Prime Purchases post from last year that I was reviewing the other day) and we now eat like 3 pineapples a week!! They are delicious and that tool makes them so darn easy to prepare.

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  7. Is it just me or do others think this school year should be ended now? Let's start summer break and begin fresh in August. This home schooling gig is not equitable because we know some kids have horrible teachers currently. ��

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  8. Hey, Amanda!! Loved seeing my slim can cooler in that pic up there! I'm a long time reader, and I LOVE the font and color you picked out for my name. I'm glad I left it up to you! Here's to hoping our social distancing ends soon so we can all relax at our clubhouse pools together soon, slim can of choice in hand! :) :)

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