The Friday Five, Issue 7

Welcome to the Friday 5!

Every Friday I will highlight 5 things I am currently loving.  This can be anything from habits that are currently serving me, clothes, apps, people I am currently loving, podcasts, food, mom hacks and everything in between! 

What I am currently loving:

Water Before Coffee

This is a habit that I really got into for several months but have slacked off as of late.  I am sharing with you because I love it and am hoping it will keep me honest in getting back into it.  If you read this post from last month, you know how much I love making cold brew coffee and that I heat it up every morning.  I use that time to down 16oz of water.  We can all use more water, so I feel like this 16oz out of the gate gives me a jump start on the day.  The benefits of being well hydrated are too many to list, but I mostly do it to stay healthy.  It may be all in my head, but when I am consistently drinking between 90-100 ounces of water a day, everything just feels better.  I can tell now when I am even a little dehydrated by the way my skin feels.  And any time I am starting to feel sick or rundown, if I keep guzzling water it just flushes everything out and I stay feeling good.  Drinking water is the easiest and cheapest thing you can do for your health.  So, drink up.

White Storage Bins

After several rounds with plastic storage bins from the dollar store, I finally decided to buy something better.  After following the girls from The Home Edit and seeing these about a million times on Instagram, I decided these were the ones I needed.  I wasn’t sure exactly how many I needed or wanted to use, so I ordered a case of every size.  I now have them all over the house: toy storage, linen closet, and several drawers.  They are a great multi use bin that are sturdy enough for a bunch of toys and light enough for a batch of folded towels.  While they are obviously more expensive than the flimsy ones you get at the dollar store, they are a good value for the product, in my opinion.  Now, if only I had a Container Store within driving distance, I could run out and grab more every time I needed them.

Revision’s C+ Correcting Complex 30%

I talked about my love for Revision’s Intellishade last month and this product is a close second.  At $160 a bottle, it is an investment, and I think you get what you pay for with this product.  After talking to my esthetician, this was what she recommended most from the Revision line.  I noticed a difference in my skin within 7 days of use.  My skin looked brighter, my skin tone was more even, and my face looked visibly firmer.  It also helped fade some dark spots from acne scaring.  Honestly, I was shocked by the difference and upset with myself for not trying it sooner.  My biggest complaint with my skin recently, outside of adult acne, is that my face just looked dull.  Not anymore, I am in love with this product.  Revision doesn’t ever put their products on sale, but they do run promos to receive gifts with purchase from time to time.  Landyn currently has a code, expiring 3/6/21, for a free DEJ Eye Cream with $100 purchase.  This is another product I have been wanting to try, but not sure of the investment.  This is the perfect opportunity to try it for free, while getting more of one of my favorites.

Ugg Boots

Let me start by saying this.  I am 36 years old and I think Ugg boots are ugly and I spent most of my late 20s and early 30s rolling my eyes at women wearing Ugg boots everywhere.  I swore I would never compromise fashion for comfort, but here we are.  I love my Ugg boots. There, I said it.  I still think they are ugly and don’t typically wear them anywhere other than the house and to pilates on a cold day, but they are really amazing.  Before investing into a real pair, I bought a couple pairs of knock offs from Target. I had to know what all the fuss was about.  The Target ones just don’t hold up and really start to stink over time.  But I loved the feel on my feet and they really kept me warm on cold mornings.  So, I asked for a pair for Christmas about 3 years ago.  And by asked, I mean I emailed Matt a link to the exact pair that I wanted and said, get me these for Christmas please.  Subtlety isn’t really one of my strong suits.  Between the months of November and March, I wear them almost every morning and anytime I am home.  I am happy to report, they do not stink and have worn really well. And other than a stain from spilling roux on them last month, they still look brand new.  So, if you are like me and think they are ugly but your toes are cold, give them a try.  These are really the best.  I am a total convert.

Audible

Am I late to the party on this?  Probably, but I am really digging Audible right now.  Matt has been using Audible for several years now.  He commutes about an hour to/from work and this is all he listens to.  I have been a huge fan of Podcasts; those are my go-tos on long car rides or while doing chores around the house.  But I really wanted to read a few books recently for educational purposes, not just entertainment, and couldn’t find the time to do it.  I like to read before bed, but this is my winddown time and sometimes don’t make it more than 3 or 4 pages before I fall asleep.  It is not the ideal time to read books to learn about something.  Since Matt hasn’t been going into the office regularly, his Audible credits have really been piling up, so I stole a few.  And I am LOVING it.  I listen in the car, while folding laundry, making dinner or organizing something in the house.  It is the perfect solution to trying to read a book to learn or better understand something.  So, if you are looking for a way to read books other than to put yourself to sleep, try an audio book.  It’s really pretty great.

I hope you found something helpful or inspiring in this week’s Friday Five! I’ll have 5 new favorites to share with you next week, have an awesome weekend!