Hello friends! As it is currently snowing outside and I am freezing, even under four layers of clothes and blankets, I figured it's about time to put these fall favorites away and start up a new round for winter. These are the things I've been loving throughout fall:
- Blankets - I recently ordered a new blanket my bed, because the one I had and loved so much was falling apart and I was holding it together with duct tape. I'll link the one I found below, because everyone needs a warm, cozy blanket for winter.
- Sugar Cookie Coffee Creamer - We all know how much I love my coffee, and one of the seasonal creamers that's out right now is sugar cookie flavored, and it's amazing.
- Worst Bakers in America - This is a show on Food Network, and, being a baker, I found it to be the cringiest, but funniest, food show. Those people were so bad, but I couldn't watching it.
- Christmas Music - Honesty hour: I've been listening to Christmas music since August. And I have no shame. My favorite albums at the moment are all the Pentatonix albums, Peter Hollens, Damian McGinty (especially if you like Michael Buble), and Home Free. They're all amazing.
- Target Tumbler Cups - Around September, Target had tumbler cups in their dollar section (technically the cups were $3 each, but still), and I love them for my iced coffee. They're a good size, and didn't cost me an arm and a leg like any other cup would.
- Singing - When I'm not listening to Christmas music, I'm listening to showtunes, and more than likely singing along, loudly. I've been singing and in choirs since I was little, but haven't done it in a while, so it feels great to be back at it again.
- Christmas Shopping - Guess whose Christmas shopping is done! I went hardcore this year, and I love that I don't have to fight crowds or worry about shipments coming in time. I can just enjoy December now.
- Nameberry.com - I recently made an account there, and the forums are just so much fun. I like the advice giving, but I really love it for the tags and games.
- Chestnut Praline Lattes & Hot Chocolate - 'TIS THE SEASON!!! Starbucks' Chestnut Praline flavor is my absolute favorite, and it's back. I love it.
- Christmas Decorations - And of course, I can't do this post without talking about Christmas decorating. My family does it the Friday after Thanksgiving every year, and now my house is festive and I live for it.
My fluffy blanket: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002KFZ4GS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
*Sorry for the lack of pictures this time, I only have a few tangible favorites that aren't very exciting to look at.
I wish you all the best,
Erin
Hello friends! As I've mentioned before, I commute to school, so I'm constantly spending time waiting around in train stations, coffee shops, campus buildings, etc., and it can be really tedious and boring if I'm not careful. Here are the things I love to make my commute better:
- Music- I' surprised my earbuds aren't stuck in my ears forever for the amount I use them. I have music on all the time, so I made sure I have a long playlist(s) with music I love and that keeps me energized. I'll list my absolute favorites as well as the albums they belong to (I'm an album kind of girl- I have to have it all).
- Tori Kelly // Unbreakable Smile // "Nobody Love" "Should've Been Us" "City Dove" "Art of Letting You Go" "Something Beautiful
- Tori Kelly // Foreword-EP // "Rocket" "Dear No One"
- Tori Kelly // Handmade Songs by Tori Kelly-EP // "Celestial" "Confetti (Remastered)"
- Avalon Young // Redline-EP // "Atmosphere"
- Avalon Young // Drowning in You-EP // all four are great
- Matt Kearney // Young Love // "Ships in the Night"
- MacKenzie Bourg // Everyone's Got a Story-Single
- MacKenzie Bourg // Heartbeat-Single
- Bea Miller // Not an Apology // "Fire N Gold" "Young Blood" "Force of Nature" "I Dare You"
- Pentatonix // Pentatonix // "Misbehavin'" "Ref" "Cracked" "New Year's Day"
- Pentatonix // PTX Vol. I // "Show You How to Love" "Love You Long Time"
- Pentatonix // PTX Vol. II // "Natural Disaster" "Love Again" "I Need Your Love"
- Pentatonix // PTX Vol. III // "On My Way Home" "See Through"
- Apps- I do everything from the apps on my phone; one has my train tickets, I have two for coffee shops, and I also live for BuzzFeed articles to kill time because they're so diverse and entertaining.
- Aslo wifi. I live for wifi.
- Coffee shops- I joke all the time that my new favorite hobby is sitting in coffee shops, but sitting in the same one can be dull. I love that big cities have coffee shops around every corner, so I like to pick different ones to just sit, read, or people watch. Changing up the environment can be a huge help in varying the commuter routine.
- I've made a challenge for myself- I see which is the best coffee shop by ordering the same things at every one I go to; I get hot chocolate in the colder months and an iced mocha in the warmer months. It's just something else to do.
- Books- Holy guacamole, have I gone through more books in the past two months that I think I have in the past five years. I definitely have a certain style that I gravitate toward, that being light-hearted YA books that I can completely lose myself in, and I specifically love John Green. After I finished his books, I looked up authors similar to him, and I'm just making my way through them. I'll leave my favorites below.
- John Green & David Levithan Will Grayson, Will Grayson
- Robyn Schneider The Beginning of Everything
- A.J. Betts Zac & Mia
- Layers- Spring weather is ridiculously unpredictable, so I dress for all seasons. I typically wear jeans or leggings that I can roll, a light sweater with a scarf for easy options, and I constantly have an umbrella, tough-screen gloves, and ear muffs on me at all times. You just never know, and nothing makes a commute more miserable than not being ready for the weather.
I wish you all the best,
Erin
Hello friends! The end of the month is once again upon us... Let's jump right in!
- Favorite Store: Bath & Body Works Christmas is my absolute favorite time of year, and Bath & Body has all my favorite scents of the season.
- Favorite Article of Clothing: Sweater Leggings These are new for me, but I adore them. They are the coziest things and are essentially socially acceptable, chic pajamas.
- Favorite Shoes: Boots 'Tis the season for boots all the time, and it's a trend I will happily wear.
- Favorite Skincare/Beauty Products: Carmex Ultra Moisturizing Lipbalm (Vanilla) & Covergirl Lashblast Fusion Mascara I'm obsessed with anything that makes my lips soft, and the Carmex lipbalm is a long time favorite. The mascara is just great at adding volume and length without getting clumpy, which is always a plus.
- Favorite Smelly Item: Elizabeth and James Nirvana Black Perfume I recently ordered a perfume sampler from Sephora, and this is my favorite. It smells incredible.
- Favorite Music: Pentatonix's "That's Christmas to Me" Delux Album / "Beauty and the Beast: The Broadway Musical" Soundtrack Christmas being my favorite season and Pentatonix being my favorite artists, this was a match made in heaven. And I recently saw a production of "Beauty and the Beast" and fell in love with the music.
- Favorite App: Disney World I'm going to Disney in a few weeks, and this app gives wait times for rides, where to find characters, get FastPasses, order tickets, make restaurant reservations, and so much more.
- Favorite Activity: Seeing "Beauty and the Beast" I went with a friend back to our high school to see the show, and it was great.
- Favorite Food & Drink: Keebler Club & Cheddar Sandwich Crackers & Starbucks Chestnut Praline Hot Chocolate I love all cracker snacks and these are tops; I'm sure my love of Starbucks is apparent by now, and I wait all year for the holiday flavors (I put them all in hot chocolate because I don't do hot coffee).
- Bonus Favorite: Thanksgiving & Decorating for Christmas I love the holiday season. My family came over for Thanksgiving (I'd like to add all that food to my favorites, as well), which is always fun, and it's tradition that my immediate family stay home on Black Friday to decorate for Christmas. And then watch "Elf" because it's a classic.
*Again, I apologize for the lack of pictures, but rest assured that I have some fun picture-filled posts coming up.
I wish you all the best,
Erin
Hello friends! It's that time of the month again... Favorites time! Let's get into it!
- Favorite Store: Kohls I love Kohls. That's it. They have everything and there's always some kind of coupon circulating or Kohls Cash going on. Everybody wins.
- Favorite Article of Clothing: Target Military Jacket Because fall is upon us in the Midwest, I have officially broken out all the cold weather clothing. This jacket is perfect for those days where it's cold in the morning but a little warmer in the afternoon. I also love how it adds a little something extra to any outfit.
- Favorite Shoes: Hunter Rain Boots (with inserts) I've loved my Hunters for a long time, but I recently got the inserts (fleece sock-type things that stick out the top of the boots), and they gave my classic favorites new life.
- Favorite Skincare/Beauty Products: Maybelline Dream Liquid Mousse Foundation & Pond's Evening Soothe Wet Cleansing Towelettes (Chamomile & White Tea) This foundation give nice coverage and looks very natural, and the wipes do a good job of taking it off at the end of a long day. They also smell incredible.
- Favorite Smelly Item: Bath & Body Works A Thousand Wishes Lotion Holy cow, this stuff just smells great. It's a little warm, a little sweet, but not too much. It'll be even better around Christmas.
- Favorite Music: Shawn Mendes' "Handwritten" Album (specifically "Stitches," "Never Be Alone," "Kid in Love," and "Aftertaste") / Kelly Clarkson "The Sun Will Rise" / James Bay "Let It Go" I'm a music junkie, and this was a great music month full of good finds. I also bought the new Pentatonix album, but haven't given it the time to fall in love with it yet because I'm so obsessed with the others.
- Favorite App: Township This is one of those games that sucks you in immediately but has no real point. I don't know why I find it so enjoyable, but I can't stop. If you've ever played HayDay, this is that on steroids.
- Favorite Activity: Getting Ready for Halloween That time of year is upon us at last! I love all things festive, and to me, the holiday season starts with Halloween. I love decorating, planning my costume, baking spooky treats, etc. (Stay tuned for a Halloween post) I'm so excited.
- Favorite Food & Drink: Scones & Starbucks Iced Salted Caramel Mocha Two weeks ago, I posted a recipe for scones, and I'm obsessed. I've been making them all month for everyone I know, and they're delicious. I also love Starbucks all the time, but I recently discovered iced coffee (super late on that bandwagon, I know) and I'm obsessed with this, too.
- Bonus Favorite: Dancing with the Stars The past few season haven't been very good in my opinion, but I'm loving this season. They have some good stars on and, once again, I'm obsessed. My favorites are Alek, Hayes, and Alexa, just in case you were wondering.
*I apologize for the lack of pictures on this post; I landed myself in urgent care this week to get stitches, and long story short, haven't done a whole lot since. Stay tuned for a monster (get it?) Halloween post next week!
I wish you all the best,
Erin
Hello friends! This week marks the end of September, and I thought I'd do a favorites post. I chose some categories that encompass things across the board, so let's get into it!
- Favorite Store: Forever 21 Because I went to private schools up until this point in my life and wore uniforms, I never realized how much clothing a person goes through in a week. Needless to say, I was slightly underprepared for the real world where people wear actual clothes, and I turned to Forever 21 to fix that problem. (Haul post coming soon)
- Favorite Article of Clothing: Infinity Scarves & Statement Necklaces Because I'm in the Midwest, weather is crazy unpredictable, so I need to dress for any possible weather changes. Scarves and necklaces are great ways to dress up my wardrobe of basics, and allow for more outfit options and versatility.
- Favorite Shoes: Hunter Rain Boots & Target Sandals It's been raining like crazy here, so my black Hunters have been lifesavers, and for the warmer days, my Target gold sandals are my go-to shoes.
- Favorite Skincare/Beauty Products: Simple Micellar Water & NYX Butter Glosses The Simple Micellar Water is an absolute must for me- I use it to wash my face in the morning, and to take off my makeup at night (it takes off waterproof mascara, which is huge for me), and the NYX Butter Glosses add a nice pop of color to pull together a simple makeup look.
- Favorite Smelly Item: Bath & Body Works Cinnamon Sugar Donut Candle This smells like the warm, cinnamon roasted nuts you can get at amusement parks and pumpkin patches, and I love it.
- Favorite Music: Charlie Puth feat. Meghan Trainor "Marvin Gaye" / Madilyn Bailey "Coffee" / Pentatonix "Cheerleader" I love music, and these three have been on repeat all month long.
- Favorite App: Color Pop This app lets you turn a picture black and white and then choose the element you'd like to still be in color. I may be late to the bandwagon on this trend, but I'm obsessed regardless.
- Favorite Activity: Starting a Blog This may be cheesy, but I find myself constantly wanting to write and plan new posts, and once again, I'm obsessed.
- Favorite Food & Drink: Quesadillas & Apple White Grape Juice Don't ask me why, but these have been my go-to munchies.
- Bonus Favorite: Free Birthday Treats & Things My birthday was this month, and so many stores and companies will give you great deals or free items for your birthday when you sign up for their email lists. Some of the best included a free Jamba Juice, a free bundtlet from Nothing Bundt Cakes, and $10 off from Pink/Victoria's Secret.
I wish you all the best,
Erin
