1. Walking in my neighborhood
What is it about not seeing the sun for weeks that makes you see everything outside in a new light? I went for a walk the other day, and each and every view I’ve seen a million times looked fresh and new. Oh, and the flowers! They were so beautiful that I may have even teared up a little.
2. Sequins
I’ve been trying for a couple years now to be dressed chic in neutral tones, but really, I just wanna wear sequins Every. Damn. Day.
3. The waterfall hike in my town
Because of all the rain lately, the waterfalls in this hike have been amazing!
4. Easy meatless snacks and meals that require no effort
These two have been in rotation all week long.
For a snack, I like Trader Joe’s Eggplant with Tomatoes & Onions with Simple Mills Gluten-Free Almost Crackers. I realize the eggplant looks kinda gross, but it’s actually REALLY good…
For lunch, I’ve been loving rice ramen noodles (I use Lotus Foods) in veggie broth with spinach and edamame. Sometimes I add a little soy sauce or a drizzle of sesame oil for extra flavor.
Side note: Do you have any go-to meatless lunches? Let me know!
5. All the gloss!
I’m definitely going through a lipgloss phase and determined to find a gloss that makes my heart sing.
What’ve you been loving lately?
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Any bagged salad kit with a sliced hard boiled egg for protein is/was my go-to lunch! I’m a little burnt out on it now and it seems like more of a summer thing. To switch it up I add a can of tuna or smoked salmon, not sure if you consider that meat! I’m pretty much vegetarian but I do eat fish and dairy.
Ooooh it looks so pretty in your neighborhood! I remember how the rains would always make everything so green and clean looking when I live in CA!
I go through phases when I eat salad for lunch for months (I like it because I don’t feel sleepy afterwards), but I’m currently burnt out on it, too. I like your trick of putting a hard boiled egg on top.
How was your 40th birthday celebration?
It was a lot of fun! Stayed up waaaaay too late!
If I don’t have leftovers, I go for bread and cheese or toast and an egg every day – or toad in a hole to be fancy! The eggplant looks good, is it kind of like salsa?
I still love my old Black Honey lip gloss. Have a good rest of your week!
The eggplant is kinda like a spread. I love it with crackers, but I bet it would be delicious with fresh, crusty bread and perhaps a little feta cheese on top. YUM!
I haven’t worn Black Honey in ages; it’s an old school favorite!
That waterfall is gorgeous! I want to love sequins but they’re so often itchy. Hettie is with you on neighborhood walks. We’ve skipped a few this week because of other obligations and the fact that we got a puppy and puppies are 40% gremlin, but walks are Hettie’s favorite.
What am I loving? The white bread from a little local market I shop at is really good. The FragFre brand Cleansing Conditioner for fine hair is so good for me for everyday and then I use a stronger shampoo once or twice a week. Oh, and the Dove Cucumber Green Tea antiperspirant spray! My husband commented that he liked the smell a lot.
Gloss you say? Try the fitglow lip color serum – it feel soooo good on the lips and the colors are lovely!
Not really gloss person. I can think of three glosses I’ve liked. One was from the original line up of Tom Ford glosses, I think it was Sahara Pink or something like that. The other two were from Chanel, Spark which was a blue toned, shimmery red and there was a gold shimmery topper.
For lunch I love a slice of toast with avocado mashed with a bit of Kewpie mayo and some yuzu sauce. Then topped with sesame oil, pickled (sushi) ginger and sesame seeds. Sometimes I add kimchi or a fried egg to it. I love soup and ramen for lunch. I’m with you Lotus Foods ramen noodles are great. Last week I made a big pot of carrot soup and finished off the leftovers for lunch while Dear Husband is away. If I have leftover rice in the fridge I’ll dice some shallot or onion, garlic, daikon and or carrots and kimchi and saute them up in a pan and throw in the rice with some gochujang and kimchi juice and top with scallions and sesame oil and seeds. I also like hummus and veggies for lunch. If you’re ever in The City you should stop by Oren’s Hummus and get a container of Jaffa style hummus to go. Seriously good hummus. And they have white, wheat and gluten free pita to go with it. Basically, I eat leftovers of all the big dinners I make on the weekends.
Gloss is having a moment … and in the dry winters out here a must. Have you tried Tower28 Shine On lip jelly? Pistachio is my favourite with just a hint of colour. These are ver comfortable on the lips.
Another nice lip gloss to try are the ones from Kosas called Lip Oils. They seem like lip gloss not oil to me and have many pretty colours from clear all the way to bright red and fuschia. Super hydrating. A very clean brand and my 2 yea old niece LOVES to use my clear one – a beauty lover in the making!!
As for other things I love, I am thankful you brought this up, it gave me a chance to reflect and think positively about small things that make a real difference. Mine my be silly but, a person holding the door when they are in front of me or an elevator when they hop in first, people smiling at one another just because they are passing each other on the street (feels like that isn’t done as frequently as when I was growing up) and lastly the start of a new orchid bud after it’s been gone for a while and is coming back. Oh no, I forgot, the sight and sound of a toddler so excited their smile is larger than their face and their body shakes with all the energy of excitement – I will never get tired of that!!!
Hi Vita,
I saw the Tower Jellies on the Sephora website, but I swear my nearby store must have the display tucked away in an inconspicuous spot because I have yet to find them! When I go back (today, maybe), I’ll see if there’s anything that moves my soul. Same thing with the Kosas.
That’s so cute your niece loves your gloss; maybe get her one of her own? And put it in a cute purse! There are some sweet ones for little girls at Nordstrom Rack.
I’m with you on being thankful for life’s little niceties. I love it when people hold the door open and smile; I’ll usually say something like, “That’s so kind of you to keep the door open for me. Thank you!” It’s a little thing but makes me so happy.
Happy, happy Friday!
You know, I don’t think I’ve ever had carrot soup! Did you puree it? Or was it a broth with carrots and other veggies? I’m weirdly intrigued by this. LOL!
This is the carrot soup recipe I used. Only I used a whole onion because I’m not one to save half an onion for later. And I used a lot more garlic because Dear Husband loves garlic. I also didn’t char my carrots as much as she did. Didn’t bother with foil on the bottom of my sheet pan either, because mine always seems to clean up rather easily.
https://www.pardonyourfrench.com/roasted-carrot-soup/
Didn’t have any creme fraiche so I dotted our soup with chevre which is a bit tangier. And I brushed thick slices of bread with olive oil and some butter before popping them into toaster oven to crisp.
Karen,
You have flowers right now!? So jealous. I will say the landscape in Iowa is different lol, but it is one of the things I am loving right now. Your neighborhood and hikes are beautiful! I feel like connecting with nature seriously keeps my mental health in check. Meatless meals–this one is one that I always fall back on–it’s a salad (I know, I know, but strangely I keep reaching for it)–romaine, shredded carrot, diced red onion, cucumber, celery, green pepper, mandarin oranges, wasabi-soy almonds with Panera Asian Sesame dressing. Also, I love roasting red potatoes, brussel sprouts, & peppers with olive oil, coarse garlic salt, and pepper.
Things I love right now:
Running on the trail with snow draped across the cornfields as far as the eye can see in every direction
I second Vita up there on the tower 28 glosses. They would be my next go to it wasn’t for the Rhode lip balm which is becoming an essential. Seriously, I am keeping it in my scrub top when I am at work (nurse).
Skims bra and underwear. I can’t even feel them when I am wearing them. My favorite, most comfortable of all time.
Elf brow gel–the clear one in the pot. I’ve had the Anastasia one for a while & liked it. I received the Elf one as a gift, and it’s better. Who knew?
My new square iphone case from Flaunt. The edges are square and it gives it a more modern look, and idk, I just like it.
You know these are my favorite posts that you do. Now I’m off to buy eggplant at Trader Joes lol!