TGIF! In honor of Friday, Bruce requested a field trip so I figured we’d wear matching outfits for the occasion! Let’s be honest, I requested the field trip… but the great thing about NYC is that they have dog friendly coffee shops and he got to come too!
Also, Five Favorites is back! This is a series I started in the fall and kinda dropped off around the holidays. It’s a random round up of some of my latest favorite things / shows / thoughts / words / etc. and is a little more off the cuff than my monthly review. I love writing it and always have trouble narrowing my random thoughts down to five 😉 Anywho, here are my favorites from this week:
Mood Boosting Music
On repeat lately? Ashley Kane‘s Spotify playlist Everyday Tunes. It’s the perfect balance between chill and upbeat, and makes an excellent backdrop for a relaxing but productive workday. On a related note, we finally bought a new TV because, well, our old one broke. And it’s our first smart TV! TBH I head no idea what we were missing! Anyway, now that I’m WFH with said smart TV and I don’t share space with any two legged co-workers, I’ve been listening to music via the Spotify app on our TV (I know, I know, welcome to 2021, Nora). The sound is so much better than my laptop – more like traditional speakers!
House Shoes
I am a firm believer that shoes in the house are gross. I have to admit, we did not reinforce this rule in our old apartment and I completely regret it. The city can be kind of yuck, and our stuff got so dirty. So, now that we’re in a new place with lovely wood floors I’ve decided to prioritize them and our furniture by 1) cleaning more often and 2) wearing house shoes. My house shoes are basically slippers but they are for inside the apartment only. Hallways are even a no no! Anywho, while I love my L.L.Bean Wicked Good pair, my current faves are this under $30 pair from Nordstrom. Don’t be thrown off by the style – they are SO soft, snuggly and easy to wear! I found a few other similar options, too!
Soothing Smells
Otherland is one of my all time favorite clean candle companies (I know I promised you guys a clean candle round up, and I’ll take a poll to see if you’d still want to see it!). I live for candles in the colder months, and a cozy sandalwood scent is high on my list of must have smells. Enter: the Rattan candle. Its cozy and warm and fuzzy and all of the wonderful things that winter candles should smell like. Technically its woodsy and earthy with hints of golden amber and warm musk but whatever 😉 Anyway, I know most of you haven’t seen our interiors inspo or designs yet, but the few of you who have will not be surprised that this is my favorite blend!
Loungey
In my most recently On My Mind I shared that I’ve been living in matching lounge sets lately. I adore the ones from MATE the label – I have these joggers (sized up one size) and this hoodie (sized up two sizes) and really want to try the waffle next! Others I have on rotation are this top and bottom from Banana (I have it in two colors, runs tts but size up in the top if you have a long torso) and this top and bottom from Lou and Grey (bottoms run tts and I sized up in the top). The latter came highly recommended by two of my most trusted sources, Meghan and Dana. They have never steered me wrong! Next on my list to try are Michael Stars and Aerie. Come spring, I may want to get “dressed” more, but these days a cozy sets makes me feel comfortable yet polished, put together and confident to boot.
Clean Haircare
OHHHHMMMMMGGGGG. I am new to… taking care of my hair? I don’t know how else to say it. Historically I pretty much used to use whatever shampoo smelled good (Herbal Essences and Biolage had their moments) or that my stylist recommended (hello, Redken) but wasn’t really consistent about using anything else. Now, I use clean shampoos of various types, but recently I’ve been trying to be better at identifying what my hair needs. I snagged a sample set of Brigeo hair products during the last Sephora sale and was blown away by their effectiveness, smells and overall clean factor. Plus, it’s a female black owned brand! I love the scalp scrub (I use it once a week, usually on Sundays with THIS massager) and Don’t Despair, Repair! shampoo and hair mask. They are pricier, but a little goes a long way! You can find Brigeo at lots of other places too, so keep your eyes peeled for sales!