Happy Friday!!!!  Today’s post is completely different than my normal wedding or portrait session posts.  Actually, it has nothing to do with photography AT ALL!.  When I started the blog, I knew I wouldn’t only share my photography work.  I wasn’t sure what else I would share about, though!  I know, personally, that I love blogs with variety.  I love when people share about a lot of different tops.   I like to know what skincare people are loving, what recipes are their tried & true, what is making their busy schedules easier, what books are they reading, etc.  We all love to read reviews before we buy things to know what others think about them.  Am I right?

I am trying something new here!  I want to do a monthly blog post about some of my favorite things.  I just want to share about products I love, new things I find, new books I read – whatever.  The sky is the limit here, folks.  If you have seen me use something or talk about something before and want to know about, shoot me a message and maybe I will add that to a post as well.

I am working on other ideas for blog posts, as well, just so I can keep you on your toes.  Also, because it’s fun! So, here we go! All items are linked so just click on the name of the product to take you to where you can learn more or purchase.

 

1. Bialetti Tea Kettle

 

This tea kettle is my JAM!  Anthony got this for me for Christmas because I drink a cup of tea every single night.  Usually, I just boil water in a saucepan on the stovetop, but now I have this adorable tea kettle on my coffee bar to just make life easier!  And to be super cute!  You fill it with water, flick the switch to turn it on, and you have boiling water in minutes.  It also keeps the water hot for awhile so you don’t have to immediately pour the water into your cup for fear of the water cooling down.  I used to forget that I left water on the stove to boil ALL the time, until the pan was just about empty.   This is definitely some sort of hazard.  So this tea kettle solves that issue as well.

 

 

 

 

2.Yogi Detox Tea

 

I don’t think that this tea works any kind of miracles with cleansing your body, nor does it make you run off to the bathroom (if you get what I’m saying).  With that said, I do love it and I think it helps with digestion.   I know for me, some days my stomach just feels achy at the end of the day, which can totally be attributed to me not always eating the best BUT drinking this tea helps ease some of that for me.  Also, I always want a snack at night and this is a perfect alternative to that!  A glass of hot tea gives me something to do, instead of eat, and it calms me down for the evening to help me sleep better.  So, you aren’t going to lose weight drinking this, it isn’t that kind of detox, but it personally helps me feel so much better.  (I add honey to it!)

 

 

3. Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist

I thought about waiting to talk about this book until I was done with it but..y’all…it is SO GOOD!  I feel like my generation, or maybe just the world in general, thrives on the “hustle”.  Everything is about how much we can do, how much we can accomplish, how much we can take on at one time!!  And we brag about!  Then, that makes others feel like they need to be hustling that hard, too.  That can lead to such a poor life, such a drained life, and pure exhaustion.  I have made it a goal of mine for this year to start living a simpler, more intentional life.  This book dives into that and SO much more!  Shauna is SUCH an amazing writer and you truly feel like she is having a conversation with you while you are reading.  She will punch you right in the gut over and over again!!  This book talks about how many moments of connection we may have missed because we were so busy, so distracted, so frantic.  We can be hurting so much inside and feel so torn and stretched, but we keep pushing because we don’t trust God to heal us.  We need to SLOW DOWN and listen to the Lord.  We need to give the people we love in this world the attention they deserve.  We need to talk to our husbands and children about their life instead of just about doing the dishes or cleaning their rooms!   Basically – it is amazing and I am sad that I am almost done with it.  Go buy it!

 

 

 

4. NYX Tinted Brow Mascara

 

Your girl has some light blonde, barely there eyebrows.  It is the truth.  I may have dark hair but my eyebrows are almost nonexistent.  Honestly though, I’m not 100% sure what my natural hair color would be considered anymore but that’s not the point.  This brow mascara by NYX is amazing!!!!  It lasts ALL DAY, doesn’t smudge, and isn’t gunky.  It goes on so well and has great coverage.  I use it after I have penciled my brows in some as well, but I don’t have to fill them with the pencil nearly as much now that I use this.

 

 

 

 

5. Daily Hydration Face Lotion by Shea Moisture

 

I randomly stumbled on this face lotion at Target one day and I was singing it’s praises after ONE USE!  I have crazy skin.  Parts of my face are dry, parts are oily, and I have random psoriasis spots.  So, to say I struggle with skin care products MIGHT be an understatement.  This moisturizer is AMAZING!  It is 100% virgin coconut oil which I love because I use coconut oil for everything.  That stuff is magical.  This lotion goes on so silky and does not feel oily at all.  Within seconds, it has a matte finish to it.  I was NOT expecting that.  It almost feels like a makeup primer does.  It blurs out my pores some as well, so I am a fan for life.  My skin feels so soft and hydrated all day long.  I use it in the morning and at night.  I love it!

 

 

6. Hanalei Lip Treatment in Rose

I get the IPSY glam bag every month and I swear by it.  I always, always, ALWAYS love at least half of the products in my bag, if not all of them.  THIS lip treatment was in one of those bags and I am hooked on it.  You can purchase it on Amazon in a 3 pack for $15 which is a great price!  The tubes are very small (about 2.5 inches long) but the littlest bit goes a long way.  I put a tiny dot on my finger and rub it on my lips.  I wear this DAILY!  The rose tint is so pretty, too.  It is the perfect natural lip and it doesn’t feel glossy at all.  It feels so moisturizing and helps heal  any chapped or cracked lips you have so quickly.  I actually need to go ahead and place another order soon.  Go on and treat yourself!

 

 

 

There you have it!  Those are some of the things I have been loving right now.  Let me know what you think about this post – love it, hate it, want one every month!  If there is anything you want me to chat more about, drop me a comment and let me know!  I would love to hear from you!

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Caiti