Thursday, July 10, 2025

Our Week - The One with Summer, Week 6 (Two UCC Appointments, a Movie, Cleaning Out the House, and 4th of July with Friends)

We had another wonderful week of summer break, but my mind and heart have been with everyone in Texas after all of the flooding last week.  I cannot stop thinking about those families and those sweet campers who were lost and are still missing.  I wanted to share a few places where you can help if you feel called to do so.

 Samaritan's Purse

Convoy of Hope

World Central Kitchen

Monday, June 30

Monday, I was up at 7:45, and I got showered and ready.  I had breakfast and unloaded the dishwasher, and after that, I spent the morning working on blog housekeeping (catching up on blog reading, responding to all blog comments, etc.), and I worked on laundry.  The kids threw their load in late in the morning, and then we left for my Upper Cervical Chiropractic appointment.

We ended up being five minutes late despite the fact that we always leave some cushion, because traffic was backed up on the highway in one spot. 

My appointment went well – the doc did two taps on my right SI joint and one to my left SI joint, and he told me that my atlas and axis were holding strong, so he didn’t do anything there.  At one point, he was putting some pressure on each of the vertebrae all the way up my spine, and one of the ones in the middle popped, and it ended up causing a little bit of pain for the rest of the day, but not as much pain as the atlas and axis adjustments do.

The lines from my neck reading looked pretty decent, and I’ve definitely come a long way from those early scans when I first started visiting this doctor.  I wish I had pictures of the old ones so I could show y’all.

We headed home after that, had a late lunch, and then Jacob finished his ASL summer homework.  The kids also did their laundry after that since we were too busy to do it over the weekend, and then we all spent time together taking inventory on uniforms, socks, undergarments, backpacks, and all other school needs so I could start ordering the things they needed.

Olivia needed uniform skirts, and we lucked out because they just happened to be on super sale.  The school had alerted us days before to let us know there would be a sale, and I missed it, but thankfully, they ended up running it for one extra day and we saved a heap of money!

Once that was done, I spent some time emailing my senators to thank them for being in the NO camp for the “Big Beautiful Bill” that they would be voting on later that day. 

I got one more load of laundry done, I worked on my blog post for Wednesday, I started cleaning out my office a bit, and then I spent some time cleaning out the living room and the bar cart.  I was so behind on my cleanout for 2025 prior to June, but I’ve made some good headway this summer break!  I snapped this picture of my acupressure mat because this mat has literally been laying on my office floor for 2+ years with a towel rolled up under the top, so I could have easy access to it since my neck had so much tension for so long.  I used to lay down on it every single day, sometimes multiple times per day.  But ever since I started seeing this new doctor and he has shifted my atlas and axis back into place, my neck tension has completely disappeared aside from having a little here and there after an adjustment.  I haven’t had to use the mat in weeks, so I finally rolled it up and put it away, and I’m hoping I’ll never have to pull it out again… and if I do, hopefully it will be few and far between!  It’s so nice to have an empty floor in front of my bookshelves now!



I also cleaned out under the coffee table and got rid of a bunch of old stuff that was kept under there since Olivia was tiny.  That bottom coloring pad was massive, so there was no other place to store it, but she’s long outgrown it, so into the recycling bin it went.  It’s definitely bittersweet, though.

After all that, I whipped up some Taco Joes for dinner, and then after dinner, Brian and the kids and I finished our game of Scrabble since it was raining.

We fired up Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets after our game, and I did a quick stair stepper workout since I couldn’t walk.  I was desperate to walk, so I kept an eye on the radar, and the second the rain stopped, I cut my stair stepper workout short and headed outside.  It was getting late by then, so I didn’t have much time before it got dark, but I made the most of it by jogging most of the way. 

On one of the main roads in our neighborhood, I saw something running out of the corner of my eye.  We have a lot of dogs on the loose in our neighborhood lately, so I was worried it might be a big dog, but it turned out to be a deer!  And it wasn’t afraid of me either.  She stopped and watched me and even stood still while I took her picture.  We see deer outside of our neighborhood frequently, but I don’t ever see them in our actual neighborhood.


When I got home, we watched some more of Harry Potter, and after the kids were in bed, Brian and I finished Sirens.  I loved it!! 

B and I weren’t quite ready for bed once that was over, so we decided to start that documentary Train Wreck: Poop Cruise that everyone has been talking about and – LOL and OMG it was awful.

 

Tuesday, July 1

Brian’s company does a “wellness week” each year during the summer, and they provide a “wellness day” to each of their employees during that week that they can have off and spend it however they choose.  Brian took his wellness day Tuesday, so we slept in, I made homemade waffles, and then Brian and the kids went to see the live action version of How to Train Your Dragon in 3D.  Since they went to see it in 3D, I opted out.  3D movies have always made me feel a little dizzy/off, so trying to sit through that with all of my vertigo and vestibular issues I’ve had for the last two years did not sound like a good time to me.  Haha.

Instead, I worked on my blog post for Wednesday (which was time consuming) and I did a load of laundry while they were gone.  Boring!  Haha.

When they got home, we all had a late lunch, and then I painted my toenails because it was long overdue.  I finished my blog post for Wednesday, and then I did some more blog housekeeping that was MUCH needed – I started updating the links on my blog pages (I was behind like 1.5 years – yikes), and I finally started working on my end of the year blog post.

I usually start my end of the year recap at the beginning of the year and I update it as I go, but this year, things just got away from me (as noted in said blog post), so I was nearly six months behind.  Sheesh.

After that was done, I put away all the laundry, I watered all the plants inside and out, and then I made turkey and cheese biscuit sliders for dinner.

Brian spent his afternoon booking our trip to Universal Orlando for fall break – eek! – and we’ve never been, so if you have any must-sees, must-dos, or must-eats, let us know!

After dinner, I headed out for a walk even though it was about to storm.  I ended up making it through my whole walk and the storm missed us altogether anyway.  The kids played outside all evening because it was nice and cool from the storms, so they finally had some good outdoor time.  It’s hard this time of year to get any quality outdoor time if you don’t have a pool because it’s so dang hot.

The kids and I all took showers late in the evening, and I caught up on organizing a few things in my planner/lists while they showered.  Then we got them in bed, and Brian and I finished the Trainwreck: Poop Cruise documentary.  It was so gross.  Bless those people who were stuck on that.  It would have been one of my worst nightmares.

 

Wednesday, July 2

Wednesday morning, I was up at 7:45, I had breakfast, and I unloaded the dishwasher.  The kids were still asleep when I was done with all of that, so I headed to my office for a bit.  I spent some time contacting all of the House reps for Georgia since the “Big Beautiful Bill” had passed in the Senate, and I asked them to please vote NO.  Spoiler alert, it passed as we all knew it would, but I wanted to do everything I could to prevent it.  It is just so sad to me that Congress just voted to take away basic needs for millions of Americans.  And also, the reps in the House will not provide their contact info unless you’re their direct constituent, so I contacted all of them on social media instead.  My local rep voted NO anyway, so I didn’t have to contact him.  But again, I just wanted to do SOMETHING… anything.


After that, I caught up on blog reading and I caught up on all of my blog comments.  I rescheduled my well visit in the fall because of a conflicting event, and I ordered new shoes for Jacob for school church days.

Jacob worked on some more summer homework, and we also placed several items in our cart that he needed for back-to-school, but I didn’t pull the trigger since I knew all of the big companies were going to be having all of their sales this week.

I got showered after that, and then the kids and I had lunch together, and then we headed to my Momma and Daddy’s house to let Jacob water all their plants since he has to get service hours for school and National Honor Society this coming schoolyear. 

While we were there, we saw that a couple of their baby birds had hatched in the nest in one of their plants.  We’d seen the eggs the last time we were there, and the little birdies were finally there on Wednesday!   The nest is buried so far down in a plant and only has the tiniest opening, so it was nearly impossible to get good pictures, but here are a couple.




While we were there, the doorbell camera alerted my dad, so the kids ended up talking to him through the doorbell camera the whole time we were there.  Haha. 

After we were done there, Olivia had another appointment at the orthodontist to clip her wires.  Her teeth are moving so quickly that her wires keep shifting to the back of her mouth and poking her, so this was her second emergency appointment in just a few weeks to get the excess clipped off from the back.  This time, the girl put in a new wire, and she was able to bend it down and cover it with something so as the wires move, they should poke her anymore.  It’s amazing how much her teeth have already moved.  And we were grateful that they were open for emergency appointments… the practice was actually closed for Fourth of July week, but they had a skeleton crew there just for emergencies. 

On the way home, we stopped at CVS to pick up my prescription, we went to Publix to grab some stuff for our Fourth of July get together, and then we headed home.

The kids had some screen time, and I tackled a couple of annoying tasks that had been on my to-do list forever.  I also updated my bucket list spreadsheet (I should really share this on the blog sometime!), and then it was time to make dinner.

We had sheet pan sausage with lots of veggies for dinner, and while that was baking, I put away the nonperishable items that I’d left on the counter after our shopping trip.  I also got the kitchen tidied.

After we all ate dinner together, I got my new basil planted.  The one I’d planted at the beginning of the summer died while we were at the beach, so I’d bought a new one at Publix.  I also checked on Olivia’s sunflowers, and the big one was looking a little droopy.



Brian mowed Wednesday evening, and I walked three miles while the kids played outside.  I felt great Wednesday evening, and my walk was wonderful!  Ever since I started seeing this Upper Cervical Chiropractor, I’ve noticed that my pain in my left SI joint has completely disappeared (he has been treating it, too, as he could tell – without me telling him – that it was out of place because it was swollen the first day he saw me), and I’ve also noticed that my knee pain has started to improve despite the fact that I have not gotten new walking/running shoes.  My neck also has the best range of motion that it’s had in years, and I have only had the really bad neck tension once since I started seeing him.  So even though the dizziness, brain fog, and other issues are still lingering here and there, I can tell that I am making great strides towards having a healthier body.  He told me that the dizziness, tinnitus (it may never resolve), vertigo, and all of that is always the last to resolve because nerves take so long to heal. 

After my walk, I got showered, and then we continued watching Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.  After the kids went to bed, I did my quiet time (I’ve been doing it in the evenings lately but fail to mention it in most posts), Brian and I started an episode of The Chosen, and then we headed to bed.  I’ve been reading every night before bed, and it has just been wonderful.  I just love summer break, y’all, and I am so grateful to be able to take this time off with the kids every year.  It is truly a blessing to have time to slow down for a couple of months.


Thursday, July 3

Thursday morning, I woke at 7:30, I had breakfast, I unloaded the dishwasher, and I watered the plants – my morning routine – before heading to my office to work on a blog post for Friday. 

At 10:15 AM, Brian and I dropped the kids at my father-in-law's house because I had another UCC appointment + another medical massage.  I didn’t want them to have to sit there for 45 minutes in the lobby, so instead, they spent the morning with Grandpa playing board games.

At my UCC appointment, the doctor told me that my atlas and axis were still holding even though it had been six whole days since he adjusted my atlas (and even longer since he’d adjusted my axis), so he was very pleased with that.  My neck temperature also looked pretty good… not too many hot spots, which means that the nerves weren’t super aggravated. 

While I was there, he did two taps on my right SI joint, and he did three taps on my atlas… even though my atlas is away from the nerves at this point, and it is holding, the doctor still has a little bit of movement left to do to get it perfectly back in place. 


After my adjustment, I had my medical massage, and it was amazing yet again.  The masseuse works directly with my doctor, and he gets to see my chart to know what bones have been moved, and therefore, he knows which muscles to target, and it is just amazing. 

After my massage, we drove home, and Brian and I swung by a local chicken finger place to grab some chicken fingers and fries… I was so hungry by then that I ate them in the car.  We grabbed the kids from my FIL’s house after that, and then I showered when we got home so I could get all of the massage oil out of my hair.

The kids had music lessons Thursday afternoon, and Jacob had a makeup lesson, so we had to be there at 3.  I felt good enough to drive since it’s close to our house, although, I had to be careful about turning my head since the doc still doesn’t want me moving around too much after an adjustment. 

Jacob had his two piano lessons and Olivia had her guitar lesson, and we also found out that Mr. Steve’s 3:30 student permanently moved from their 3:30 spot, so we were able to snag it, which means that going forward Jacob and Olivia will be able to have their lessons at the same time every day, which means we only have to spend 30 minutes there per week instead of an hour.  Woo hoo!  That’ll definitely come in handy during the school year when time is so precious.

While we were there, Olivia gave Mr. Steve an octopus made with her Rainbow Loom, and he was amazed.  She has gone from making bracelets to making Pokémon characters and all sorts of animals, and they are amazing.  She had shown a couple to Steve at her last week of lessons, and Steve had asked her if she could make him a blue octopus since it’s his favorite animal, and she did just that.  She has been using YouTube videos for some of them, but some of them, she has created all on her own!

After lessons, we headed back home, I finished my blog post for Friday, and then we had breakfast for dinner, including chocolate chip muffins to surprise Olivia since she’s been wanting them. 

After dinner, I had a mild headache and backache, and I was a bit dizzy, so I decided to skip my workout.  Brian had to finish mowing, and the kids played outside and then showered, so while they did that, I worked on updating my medical and health spreadsheet (yes, I am a nerd and I keep a spreadsheet of all of my medical issues, illnesses, vaccines, doctor visits, etc.).  I was behind on updating it, so it was nice to get started catching up.  I’m telling y’all… I’ve been catching up on aaaallll the things that I’ve gotten behind on this summer!

We finished Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Thursday night, and I started cleaning out my List Master (now just called “Lists”) app while we watched.  Y’all, I want to like Harry Potter soooo bad, but it’s just not my thing.  It puts me to sleep.  Lol.  The only way for me to stay awake is to work on something mindless while I watch, so I have been cleaning out and reorganizing some things in my List Master app while we watch… another task that’s been on my to do list for far too long.  I am really delving into the to-do list this summer and accomplishing a lot of things that I have been wanting to do forever!

After the kids went to bed, Brian made Old Fashioneds for us so we could test out our new ice cubes (so fun!), and we finished the episode of The Chosen that we’d started the previous night.  Then we started We Were Liars… the first episode was a little cheesy to me – I couldn’t get past the very bleachy blonde hair, some of the acting, and some of the filming quality – but it held my attention, and now that we’re halfway through the series, I’m HOOKED.


Friday, July 4

Friday morning, Brian was off for the holiday, so we all slept in, and then I had breakfast and unloaded the dishwasher while everyone else was still sleeping.  I read some blogs, finished catching up on my medical and health spreadsheet (WOO HOOOO!), and then tidied my office.

We didn’t have any plans until the late afternoon / early evening, so we had a lazy day for the first part.  Unfortunately, I also had a HORRIBLE headache all day that medicine wouldn’t touch + dizziness and brain fog (due to my adjustment + a hormone shift, I think), so I just wanted to lay low anyway.

We all had a light lunch, and then I got showered and ready for the day.  I ended up editing all of my pictures for Monday’s blog post, and I finally listened to the new Teddy Swims album that he released a couple of weeks ago.  We’re going to see him in concert next month, so I need to learn all of the new songs he just released so I can sing along!  :o)

Around 3, I headed downstairs to get everything ready for our Fourth of July get together.  We usually have a lot of people over every year, but since most of them were out of town at the beach this year, we kept it low-key, and we just had my friend, Jeannine, and her family over.  She’s been wanting me to watch Hamilton forever (I know, it’s crazy that Brian and I had never seen it… we had tickets to see the play back in 2020 and it got canceled because of Covid – waaaahhhh), so we decided that 4th of July would be a great day to do that.

When they arrived, Brian made a big batch of margs for us, and then we all settled in to watch the first part.  We took a break midway through to grill hot dogs, and Jeannine’s husband had made some hamburger sliders that were DELISH.  We also had a bunch of sides, and Jeannine made the cutest Hamilton signs for a couple of them.  ;o)


After we were all stuffed, Brian made another round of margs and then we settled in to watch the rest of Hamilton.  I have to say, I am not a fan of musicals, but I loved Hamilton.  I had such high hopes for it because of all the rave reviews, and it did not disappoint.  I just told Brian the other day that I think it’s about time to download the soundtrack!!  The song at the end… sheesh.  It made me tear up!

By the time Hamilton was finishing up, we were approaching dusk, so we headed outside to do some fireworks.  We usually go all out with big ones, but this year, we kept it low-key with just a few of the waterfall fireworks, some sparkers, and the ever-popular parachuting men.  The kids were excited because Jeannine and her fam had found a Pokeball firework.  Haha.




We finished up a little after dark, and Jeannine and the boys headed home.  B and I cleaned up the porch and the kitchen, and then he and Olivia went outside to watch our neighbors do their fireworks while Jacob and I lay on my bed and chatted.  I still had a massive headache, and I knew fireworks weren’t going to help + the doc had already told me he didn’t want me to crane my neck for a long period of time to watch them, so I was happy to stay inside in my PJs.

We got the kids in bed around 10:45/11-ish, and then Brian and I watched another episode of We Were Liars before heading to bed really late.  The fireworks had ceased around 11 in our neighborhood, but then some of our neighbors decided it would be fun to start another round at midnight, so it took a little longer to fall asleep with all the noise.

 

Saturday, July 5

Saturday morning, I slept until almost 9, and then I made homemade waffles for breakfast.  We had a low-key morning and afternoon at home, and we got a lot done.  I finished my blog post for Monday, I started my blog post for Tuesday, I cleaned out the rest of our kitchen cabinets, I cleaned out the drawers in the kitchen that hold Olivia’s art supplies, I got the towels washed, and I cleaned out my office.  There wasn’t much to clean out there since I cleaned it out so well a few years ago and now I just maintain it.  Plus, I’d already done some rearranging/cleaning out in there earlier this year, so there wasn’t much to do.  I checked the room off the list for the year, though!

Drawer Before

Drawer After

Trash pile


Meanwhile, the kids did their laundry, they deep cleaned their bathroom, and they helped Brian clean up the trash from the fireworks from the night before.  Brian also worked on a couple of things around the house that he’d been wanting to do.

We all got showered and ready later in the afternoon, and we headed to 5:30 Mass.  All of our family had just gotten back from their trip to the beach, so nobody was there except for Mama Cass.  She said she was tired from traveling all day, but that she wanted to go to Mass Saturday like she always does so she could rest on Sunday.

After Mass, Brian and the kids and I walked her to her car, and then we headed to the local Mexican place we love to meet my parents for dinner.  They were exhausted, too, but they wanted to see everyone, and we were happy to have their company and hear all about their trip.

We got home early enough that I had some remaining daylight to squeeze in a two-mile walk.  While I did that, Brian and the kids watched Universal rides on YouTube since we’re planning our trip there in the fall. 

I got showered, we got the kids in bed, and then Brian and I watched another episode of We Were Liars before going to bed.

 

Sunday, July 6

Sunday morning, I was up at 8:30, we had cinnamon rolls, I watched my sermon, and I organized my planner for the week ahead (which is an easy job this time of year when we don’t have much going on).

I also worked on my end of the year blog post for the rest of the morning since I was (and still am) so behind. 

We all got showered and ready late in the morning, and then we headed to my mother-in-law's and step-father-in-law's house to celebrate my brother-in-law’s birthday.  They made a huge spread of food – even bigger than usual – and we all ate way too much.  My BIL had requested a lemon pound cake for his birthday dessert, and it was just delicious. 

When we got home, I had just enough time to list a bunch of clothes for sale in a local Facebook group, I transferred all of the pictures from my phone to my computer and got those organized, and then I finished my blog post for Tuesday.

We went to my parents’ house for Sunday dinner, and it was so nice to be with everyone since we’d missed it for the last couple of weeks while they were gone.  My Momma made her famous ziti (the best!), and some brownies from a Dolly Parton mix, and they were soooo delicious… definitely going to start trying the Dolly baking mixes going forward.

When we got home, we started Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and I organized some notes for things Jacob needs to do for his Confirmation this year at church while we watched.  We are now three Harry Potter movies in, and I still don’t like them.  Sigh.  I really, really want to love them, y’all, but I just don’t.

After the kids went to bed, Brian and I watched another episode of We Were Liars, and then it was bedtime for us!

Happy Thursday, y’all!

Tuesday, July 8, 2025

What I Ordered from Amazon in May 2025

*This post contains affiliate links.  As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Hey, y’all!  Coming at you with a rare summer Tuesday post because today is the start of Prime Day (week?)!  While we haven’t been ordering much from Amazon lately, I do have a few great items to share, so let’s get started!  Also, I plan to leave this post up through Wednesday, and I'll be back Thursday with my weekly recap!

Here’s what I purchased in the month of June…

 




Hey Dude Shoes

Jacob needed a new pair of church shoes for school in August (I can’t believe there’s less than four weeks left of summer break), and he asked for a pair of Hey Dude shoes.  The Hey Dude shoes are lightweight, well-made, stylish, so comfortable, and you can just slip them on and off, so they are pretty much ideal for all of Jacob’s needs.  Hey Dude has an Amazon store, and this pair is about $10 less in their Amazon store than on their website (plus free shipping and free returns), so it was a no-brainer to get them from there.  This model runs fairly true-to-size, although, maybe slightly on the larger side… Jacob was able to just tighten the strings, and they fit perfectly.  So now he can wear them comfortably, but he still has some growing room.


 

Into the AM Mens Black Tee x 2

My dad wanted some good quality black t-shirts for Father’s Day, so I purchased two of these Into the AM tops for him.  Into the AM is a small, minority-owned business, so when you purchase from their Amazon store, you know that you’re going to get a premium product, and you’re supporting a small business in the process.  Their tees are all made of high-quality fabric, and they are known for giving guys the perfect flattering fit by defining arms and shoulders, while leaving room in the midsection.  They’re ultra-soft and my dad LOVES them.

 


White Flowy Skirt

I have wanted a long flowy white skirt for pretty much my whole life, and I finally pulled the trigger on one last week when I saw Shay from Mix and Match Mama post about this one.  It was on sale when I bought it (the price is now a bit higher), and I love it!  It’s light and flowy and I love the wide, stretchy, elastic band at the top… that makes it easy to adjust so you can wear it however you’d like – high on the torso above the belly button, or low on the hips.  This one is fully lined, too, and it comes in lots of colors!  It’s going to look so cute this summer with some cropped tops!

 


Cocktail Ice Molds

Brian and I have been very into whiskey drinks lately – Old Fashioneds and Manhattans to be exact.  When we order an Old Fashioned from a nice restaurant, they always put one very large cube of ice in the glass, which looks so fancy (I love fancy!), and it’s practical, because the ice cubes melt slower, leaving your drink fresher longer.

For Father’s Day, I wanted to find some ice molds to put in Brian’s gift basket, and I came across these.  While they do come in cubes (as well as other shapes), I thought the round ones were even more fun because they’re so unique! 

The ice molds are easy to use.  You fill the water to the “fill” line, put the cap on, sit them in the freezer, and the next day you have beautiful, very large, round pieces of ice.  Since water expands as it freezes, the water climbs to the top of the inside of the round cavern, and there’s a lip around the top to catch any overflow so it won’t spill in your freezer.

To remove the cubes, you simply run hot water over the outside of the shell, and they pop right out.  These would make an amazing gift for any cocktail lover… and they’re the perfect size to slide into a holiday stocking.  I know it’s only June, but the holiday season will be here before we know it!


 

Dr. Emma Orthodontic Flossers

These flossers make flossing with braces quick and easy and they’re cheaper than the popular Platypus brand.  Amazon is the only place I’ve been able to find them, and we have been going through them like wildfire with three sets of braces in the house.


 

Rainbow Light Women’s Multivitamins

I’ve been taking these for a couple of years now, and it was time for a refill.  If you’re looking for a complete multivitamin complete with Biotin and Choline (two things that I look for) and a big serving of Vitamin D (so important for so many things!), then these are great!


 

Flonase Sensimist

I’ve purchased this approximately 8,400 times as I’ve used it every single day for the last seven years.  I have terrible allergies, so this is one of the daily parts of my allergy regimen.  I haven’t had a stuffy nose for seven full years… even when sick. 


 

And that's it for what I ordered in June!

And because Prime Day is starting, I thought I'd also share some of my favorite items I've ordered from Amazon throughout the years in case you're looking for something good!  

Leggings Organizer

I purchased this leggings organizer, and it. is. amazing!!  I have so many pairs of leggings – some of which are for working out, some are for leisure, and some are for dressing up (Spanx faux leather) – and it was hard to see what was what when I was storing them in a basket.  I absolutely love this one with clear pockets so I can find what I’m looking for easily.

 


Space Saving Hangers

I bought the organizer for my leggings and I realized I had no place to hang it because all of the horizontal closet space on the side that holds my dresses and pants was completely full.  There was tons of vertical space being wasted, so I had to find a solution for those before I could do anything with the leggings organizer.

Enter these space-saving hangers!

Y’all, why I didn’t buy these years ago to give my closet some breathing room is beyond me!  These. Things. Are. Fantastic.  Each hanger holds six pairs of shorts or skirts (you could even use them for pants) and they hang vertically to utilize all of your closet space.  The clips slide back and forth on the hangers so you can space them however you need to, and the best part is… you can attach the hangers to other hangers to make them longer and, therefore, utilize every bit of vertical space to save even more horizontal space!    



Greeting Card Organizer

This greeting card organizer is spacious – larger than I thought – so I can store all of my greeting cards as well as all of my thank you cards that I use to send with my Poshmark shipments.  The bin is durable, heavy plastic, and it comes with 6 dividers that can be spaced to your liking.  

 


Stanley Tumbler Carrier

Olivia bought one of these Stanley Cup carriers with her own money a few months ago and she adores it.  If you’re like me, and you carry your water (literally) everywhere with you, this bag is pretty genius.  It holds your Stanley Cup (there’s a 30 oz. version and a 40 oz. version), and it has a pocket for your cell phone, a pocket for your ID/credit cards/money, and a hook to hang your keys.  It comes with an adjustable, removeable strap, and the strap has a pad that rests on your shoulder for maximum comfort.  This thing is perfect for all of those summer walks, hikes, and bike rides because it holds all of the essentials (including water!) and leaves you completely hands-free!

 


O-Keefe’s Working Hands Moisturizer

This is, by far, the best moisturizer I’ve ever used.  I started using it last year, and my hands look like different hands.  Where they used to look constantly dry and wrinkly, they are now much smoother and softer.  I am using this lotion the same amount that I used all other lotions, but none of the others ever made my hands look this good.  I love this cream so much that I’m considering making it my primary cream for my entire body.  It’s not greasy at all, it doesn’t leave any residue, and it doesn’t have a scent at all.  I. love. it.

 


Pillow for Back and Side Sleepers

Okay, y’all, I was on the hunt for a new pillow for years.  I talked about it way too much on the blog, I stressed about it for years, I asked for advice from y’all several times, and after all of that… I finally found the one.  YES.  This pillow is perfectly shaped for back and side sleepers, and its contouring is perfection for my weird neck issues.  It has two different sides – one is lower for smaller framed people, and one is higher for larger framed people – so you can find the perfect fit.  It also comes with a silk pillowcase that’s removeable for washing.  I’ve tried several of these orthopedic pillows, and I’ve hated every single one because they’re so hard or so oddly shaped, but this one is all rounded on the edges and it’s like laying on a cloud.  It’s pricey, but I was able to save a lot of money on Amazon Prime Day last year, and I’m so glad I grabbed it because I have had fewer neck issues since I started using it.  If you’re a back or side sleeper and you have neck and/or shoulder issues, I highly recommend this pillow.

 


What Do You Meme? Family

Olivia purchased this game with her own money and it is so much fun!  It’s VERY easy to play and it is absolutely hilarious.  Gameplay is very similar to Apples to Apples, so many people can play at once (you need at least three, but it’s more fun the more people you have), and it can be as quick or as long as you’d like depending on how many rounds you’d like to do.  This game has had our family in stitches – it is laugh out loud funny – and it is such a great game to have on hand for summer break!

 


Storage Bean Bag Chair

Oh, y’all, I love this one… this is definitely my favorite purchase that we made for the kids last year.  These giant bean bags arrive at your home empty, and then you fill them with your kids’ stuffed animals, dress-up clothes, extra blankets/sheets, etc. to turn them into bean bag chairs that your kids can use.  Both of our kids have MASSIVE stuffed animal collections (and Olivia also has a massive blanket collection) – and despite the fact that they’re getting older, they both continue to add to their collections.  They both LOVE their stuffed animals, and they use them all the time, so we needed a place to store them.  These bean bags solved a major problem in our household, and for that, I’m thrilled.  We bought the grey and white striped one for Jacob, and the pink and white striped one for Olivia, and they sit perfectly in the playroom and provide a fun spot for them to sit while they play video games!  These are highly rated at 4.8 / 5 stars with 11K+ reviews so you can't go wrong.  

 


Pilot Precise Pens

These are the only pens I have used since college – they are the GOAT.  I use them for everything, including my planner, and I love this rainbow pack because I color code my calendar in my planner – each family member has their own color.  Amazon always has the best price!

 


Belt Bag

I own this bag in three different colors and it is a dead ringer for the Lululemon bag… for half the price!  The quality is fantastic, and the size is perfect, and I couldn't love it more!  In the fall, we attend lots of events where we walk around a lot, and there’s nothing worse than having to tote around a giant, heavy bag all day.  I’ve been wanting a small, comfortable bag that holds all of my essentials, and this one fits the bill!  And it’s so stylish unlike so many other belt bags AKA fanny packs.  This bag comes in 43 colors so you can find the one that’s right for you, and the 14,000+ reviews are excellent… it has 4.7 / 5 stars, most from people who were also seeking the Lululemon bag.

 


Reusable Shopping Bags

We’re big on reducing waste and recycling and caring for the environment when we can, and one thing I started doing last year was using reusable shopping bags.  Each grocery store trip was resulting in us using 10-15 plastic shopping bags, but now I can get all of my groceries into these four reusable bags.  

These bags are awesome!!  They’re large and they hold a ton of stuff, but they’re super sturdy and even when they're filled to the brim with groceries, they never feel like they're going to give out.  They’re made of a material that’s easy to wipe down, but they’re surprisingly thin and don’t take up much room in my car when folded up.  All four filled bags fit perfectly in one shopping cart and they fit perfectly across the back of my Telluride trunk.  I love this neutral color, but they do come in other colors if you prefer.  I've been using mine for over a year now, and they still look brand-new.  I cannot recommend these enough!

 


Hanging Toiletry Bag

I've mentioned this travel toiletry bag numerous times on the blog, and it's by far one of my favorite Amazon purchases.  It has been a GAME CHANGER.  It doesn't take up a ton of room in your suitcase, yet it holds a TON of stuff including full-sized Bath & Body Works body creams (to give you an idea of the sizing).  There are so many pockets that you can organize everything exactly as you need to, and it has a hanger that pulls out so you can hang it in your hotel room when you travel.



Battery Operated Candles

These candles are my favorite thing!!!!  These candlesticks are battery-operated so there is no actual fire used, and that means that you can place them anywhere without having to worry about little kids getting into them or catching something on fire.  The candles are made of real wax, though, so they look authentic, and the battery-operated flames dance just like real flames… I don’t know how on earth they made them look so realistic, but they did.  They are incredible.  The candles also come with a remote control, so you can turn them on and off with the click of a button, and you can also customize some of the settings – you can adjust how bright/dim they are, and you can also opt to have the candles flicker or provide solid steady light.  There is also a 2, 4, 6, and 8 hour timer, so you can set them to turn off automatically.  They look gorgeous with my fall décor, they look amazing at Halloween, and they are stunning at Christmas.  I love them so much I leave them up all year-long now.


 

Candlestick Holders

These black candlestick holders are excellent quality, they’re sleek, and they look fantastic with my battery-operated candlesticks.  They hold any standard taper candle, though, so you’re not limited to using them with those.


Snack Bag

Every time we travel, we bring a bag of snacks for the trip.  In the past, I’ve always used a gallon Ziploc bag because I like to be able to see everything we have in a clear bag.  After years of using Ziploc bags, I finally decided to get this cute clear pouch for future trips so we can have something a little more sturdy, and something that’s also reuseable so we don’t have to keep wasting Ziploc bags.  The pouch is just DARLING and it comes in a bunch of different colors.  It’s also very sturdy and very large, and the whole thing is excellent quality.  It has a nice, smooth zipper, and a removeable wrist strap for easy carrying as well.  We've used it numerous times already and it's just perfect every time!

Mini Car Trashcan

This mini trashcan for your car sits perfectly in a cupholder, and it holds a surprisingly large amount of trash.  Prior to this, I’d just been sticking my trash in one of the cupholders anyway, so this keeps it out of sight.  It’s very well-made and the lid flips back in place quickly to trap the trash in there before it can pop back out.  It’s the best $10 I’ve spent in a while.

 


Fleece Lined Tights

Okay y’all, WHERE OH WHERE HAVE THESE BEEN ALL MY LIFE?!  These are technically leggings, because they have a layer of fleece inside that keeps your legs soooo warm, but because they’re thin-ish and they have a layer of black pantyhose fabric over the skin-colored fleece, they give the illusion that you’re just wearing plain black tights.  I bought these for our trip to New York City and they were absolute perfection even in the coldest weather.  I was able to wear cute skirts in the middle of December, and I was toasty warm walking all around outside.  I cannot believe how warm they are.

 


Accupressure Mat

I bought this acupressure mat back in 2012 when I was having a terrible time with lower back pain after childbirth.  I had put it away for years, only to resurrect it in recent months since I started suffering from debilitating neck tension that we're thinking has been the root of my vertigo.  Y'all, this mat is just incredible.  It hurts like hell when you first start laying on it, but as your body adjusts, it starts to feel like magic instead, and it has been a source for pain relief for me for 11 years now.  I roll a towel under one end and lay my shoulders, neck, and the base of my head on it, and it just melts away the tension when nothing else works.  I've started laying on it daily as a preventative measure, and between this and the turmeric and magnesium I started taking, I have been feeling so much better in my neck and shoulders area.  I've also only had one headache in the last month, which is fantastic since I get them frequently.  You can lay any part of your body on it for pain relief, and you can even stand on it to relieve tired feet.  It increases the blood flow to the area where you lay, and that, in turn, improves circulation as well.  This thing has been a Godsend these last few months with all of the neck tension I've been having, and I can't recommend it enough if you get tension headaches and/or carry all of your stress in your neck and shoulders.



Clear Stadium Bag

Now that stadiums and other large venues are requiring clear bags, I’ve been on the hunt for the perfect one, and I found it!!  It’s this one!  It holds so much, but it’s lightweight.  It has one inside clear pocket for smaller items and one large compartment for larger items.  It has an adjustable strap so you can wear it at your side or as a crossbody, and the plastic is soooo soft.  It’s not hard like most plastic bags are.


 

TSA-Approved Toiletry Bag

I bought this TSA-approved toiletry kit to take on our trip to New York City last December.  There are tons of different ones on Amazon, but I liked this one the best because of the combination of bottles.  This set has 4 bottles, 4 jars, 2 spray bottles, 2 scoopers, 1 funnel, 1 clean brush, 1 page of labels, and the bag.  I can't even tell you how much I love this little kit.  It has a container for everything, the bottles are easy to squeeze so there's no waste, it came with little scoops for the tubs, and it even came with little labels that you can stick right on each of the containers.  None of the containers leaked either!!

 


Glass Nail File

I keep a nail file in my office, my purse, and my bathroom, and as each one of my old ones is biting the dust, I’m replacing them with these glass nailfiles.  If you haven’t used a glass nail file, then you’re seriously missing out!  They file your nails to perfection with little effort, and since they’re made of glass, they’ll never get dull which means they can be used forever.  I ordered my first one two years ago and it has been the best thing ever… worlds better than a standard nail file!


 

Gold Bond Neck and Chest Firming Cream

This item can be purchased at most stores, but Amazon typically has the best price.  I started using this about a year ago, and it has made a huge difference in the skin around my chest and neck.  My neck and chest skin is rough and uneven compared to the rest of my body (probably from years and years of exposure to the sun), and this cream has worked wonders on smoothing it out. 


 

Toilet Bowl Pumice Cleaner

The kids’ toilet had a couple of stains that were impossible to clean.  I tried every single thing I could think of, and nothing would remove them.  I came across this Powerhouse Pumice toilet cleaner, and it has been a miracle-worker.  It removed the stains easily and completely with minimal work.  Any kind of stain that you may have in your toilet – calcium, rust, limescale, mildew, hardwater – it will remove all of them.  And this thing is chemical-free, non-toxic, and odorless.  The cleaner is a pumice stone, and the stone works similar to a sander to gently sand the stains right off.  By far, one of my favorite purchases on Amazon ever!


 

Bug Bite Thing

Jacob and I are magnets for mosquitoes, and both of us get bites constantly during the summer.  Our bites swell up huge and itch for days and it’s just misery.  I saw this Bug Bite Thing on Shark Tank a while back, and I finally decided to buy one a couple of years ago after Jacob got eaten up one evening.  Since we bought it, I have gotten bitten twice, and Y’ALL, THIS THING WORKS!!!!  Color me shocked.  I was very skeptical, but I cannot believe I’m telling y’all that it actually works.

When you get bitten, you take this little contraption and place it over the bite.  You pull up on the handle until you feel the suction, and you can adjust the suction level to your comfort based on how far you pull the handles.  Once the suction is in place, you hold it for 10 seconds and then push the handles back down.  Repeat this one more time on the same bite.  Voila.  No itching.  No swelling.  And the bug bite disappears within hours.

The suction literally pulls the mosquito’s saliva out of your skin, therefore, preventing your body from reacting to it.  And this thing works with all bug bites – ants, bees, wasps, chiggers, etc.  No chemicals.  No creams.  It’s lightweight and portable.  It’s safe to use on children.  It takes, like, 30 seconds to do the whole process.  The relief is immediate.  And it’s reusable. 

Seriously the best $9.95 I’ve ever spent.



Pineapple Slicer

We love pineapple, but we don’t love the price tag that comes with buying precut pineapple… whole pineapples are soooo much cheaper, but they’re so hard to cut!  Brian grabbed this pineapple slicer about a year ago, and it makes cutting pineapples the easiest thing!  All you have to do is cut the top off of the pineapple, and then you just sit the pineapple corer on the top and twist the handle until it gets to the bottom.  Give it a little tug, and the whole inside of the pineapple comes right out, sliced into rings.  Seriously amazing and it takes about 30 seconds.  It’s also dishwasher safe which is important because nobody has time to hand wash!



Turmeric

I adore this turmeric.  I take it daily and I cannot even tell you how amazing the benefits have been.  You can read more about it here… I love this stuff so much that I dedicated an entire blog post to it.  Crazy, right?

 


Echo Devices

If you have ever considered purchasing any of the Amazon Echo devices (they are the ones with Alexa) for your home, Prime Day is the day to do it because they discount all of them deeply.  We have three Echo devices in our home – one in the kitchen, one in our bedroom, and one in my office – and we use them every single day.  Alexa will play music of any genre from Amazon’s music collection (my personal favorite is to ask her to play 90’s pop or 90’s R&B – SO FREAKING GOOD).  You can play music from your iPhone (iTunes library, Pandora, Podcasts, etc.) by asking Alexa to connect to your iPhone (all you have to do is pair it with the Echo first).  You can play any local radio stations as there is a tuner or you can play any radio station anywhere in the country as long as they’re on iHeart Radio.  You can also create groups for all of your Echo devices to play the same music all over the house or just in specific rooms and you can also “drop in” to any room with an Echo and talk to the person in the room.

You can play trivia and other games (our kids love this), set cooking timers, ask what the weather will be in your area, order items from Amazon, add items to your shopping list or wish list, set reminders that occur daily/weekly/annually, ask Alexa to tell you a joke, and ask Alexa pretty much any random question that pops into your brain.  Our kids discovered that you can even ask Alexa to burp or fart (face palm) and she totally does all kinds of different ones.  Lol.  We get a weekly email about all the things that Alexa can do, and I learn new stuff every single week, years after having it.  We love these devices SO much and they are currently 40% off in the sale today and tomorrow!

 


Amazon Smart Plugs

If you do decide to outfit your home with Echo devices, don’t forget the smart plugs!  Y’all, these are just the best things in the world!  We have them in so many rooms of our house.  These are so easy to set up and you can plug any device into them.  I have twinkle lights in our kitchen on the bar cart, in the living room on a fake tree, in our bedroom, and hanging from the ceiling in my office, and all I have to do is walk in any room and say, “Alexa, turn on the bar cart (or whatever else)” and the lights just pop right on.  You can also group smart plugs together in rooms, so instead of telling each one to turn on individually, you can just say, “Alexa, turn on the kitchen.”  And BING, all of the items in the kitchen turn on.  Seriously, the best thing ever.  You can also control all of these from the app on your phone, so even when you’re away from your home, you can turn lamps/lights/etc. on and off as needed.  These are 48% off in the Prime Day sale!


 

Amazon Ring Home Security System

We have also outfitted our entire home with the Amazon Ring home security system.  We have cameras outside so we can see every single angle of our house anytime, right from our phones.  We love the Ring Spotlight Cameras because they sense motion (you can adjust the sensitivity levels for your needs), they have spotlights that turn on automatically when motion is sensed, they have a two-way talk system (so you can talk to someone on the camera through the app on your phone), and they have a siren alarm that can be activated right from your phone or Echo at any time.  We also have a Ring Doorbell for the front door.

Any time motion is sensed, B and I are both alerted on our phones (and my Apple Watch), and we can replay the footage at any time.  We’ve been using the Ring security system for a couple of years now, and we absolutely LOVE it.  It gives me so much peace of mind to know that I can just pop in and see what’s going on around our entire house any time I want to, even if we’re out of town.  If we see anything suspicious, we can talk to someone via the camera or sound the alarm from anywhere in the world.


 

Encyclopedia of Cocktails

I’ve mentioned this book numerous times on the blog because I love it so much.  I bought one of these for our school auction last year and the year before, and I loved it so much that I bought one for myself, too.  This book is gorgeous – it’s big and it’s sleek – the page edges are black and there are little spots on the cover that are foil, so it’s great to use as a decorative item in addition to an actual recipe book.  I also love how organized and uniform all of the recipes are inside.  It’s truly a gorgeous book and it would make a great gift for anyone who loves cocktails... it would make a great holiday gift, and it would also make a great hostess gift!


Flat Wedges

These were on super sale for Prime Day last year (and aren’t that expensive to begin with), and y’all, THESE ARE THE BEST SHOES EVER.  They are SO comfortable, they don’t rub anywhere on my feet, the quality is excellent, and the reviews are fantastic.  They also come in a ton of colors (seriously, so many!), and they are just the best shoes.  They fit true-to-size. 

 


Maxi Dress

I’ve had this maxi dress in pink with dark pink squares for years, and it’s one of my favorites.  I added a couple of the other patterns to my wish list months ago, so when this one went on a lightning deal, I couldn’t grab it fast enough.  This dress is stunning in person, y’all.  The colors are so vibrant, and the dress is so flattering and flowy.  The fabric is 100% polyester, so it’s not super high-quality, but it’s not cheap either.  I actually really love this fabric for summer, though, because it keeps you nice and cool.  And it doesn’t shrink, fade, or pill.  The dress comes in tons of other colors and patterns, too, so there are lots of options. 

 


White Ruffled Tank

You’ve seen this tank a lot because I own it in four colors.  It is so great!  It's super flattering, and the ruffles are so feminine and beautiful.  It is fitted, but it’s not too tight – there’s definitely some breathing room – and it holds up beautifully in the washer and dryer.  This is one of my favorite Amazon clothing finds ever.  You know it’s good since I now own it in four colors!  It comes in 18 colors, and it fits true-to-size.  I wear a small.

 


One Shoulder Sequin Dress with Fur Hem

Y’ALL!!!!  THIS. DRESS.  The second I put it on, it was love at first sight, and it’s the one that I ended up wearing to the ball earlier this year.  This dress is so fun, and the fur hem?  DARLING.  I have wanted to wear a dress with a fur hem ever since I saw Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion back when I was a teenager and this one is giving serious Romy & Michelle vibes.  I love that movie so much.  Anyway, this dress is perfection in every way and the quality is fantastic, especially for the price.  It is on the short side, though, so size up for a slightly longer length! 


White Ruffle Sleeve Top

Ohhhh, y’all, I LOVE this top.  By far, my favorite top I've ever purchased from Amazon.  The ruffle detail looks like something that you’d get from a boutique rather than Amazon, and it is just so cute.  I bought this to wear with my fluttery Amazon skirts that I love so much.  Fits true-to-size.  The small is perfect on me.  Just keep in mind that these are fitted, so if you prefer a little bit of extra room, size up one size.  I also have it in black.


Sheer Sleeve Top

I love this top so much I dedicated an entire blog post to it plus an Instagram Reel!!  Y’all, this top is just perfection!  It’s fitted through the bodice, and it has puffy sheer sleeves adorned with polka dots for a chic, classy look.  The quality is good, the fabric is average thickness (not too thick and not too thin), and the bodice is super soft.  The sleeves are comfortable and not itchy at all to me (although, if you have sensitive skin, I could see where they could possibly be a bit itchy on the seams at the wrists?).  It can be worn with a regular bra (no strapless bra required), and it’s true-to-size.  I’m actually wearing an XS, but I think the small would have worked just fine, too.  It’s soooo versatile and it comes in 13 colors, so there’s something for everyone!  I own it in four colors!  Haha.


Workout Tank

These are my all-time favorite workout tanks and I’ve talked about them numerous times on the blog.  They did go on sale on Prime Day last year, so I grabbed two more… one in black, and another white one since white is my favorite color to wear since it matches everything.  These tops are AWESOME, though.  They wick away sweat, they’re comfortable, they’re cool, and they have built-in shelf bras with light padding, so you don’t have to wear a sports bra with them.  They’re very supportive (keep in mind I’m small-chested, so I can’t speak for larger-chested ladies!), and they’re soooo cute!  They hit at just the right spot on my waist, and the criss-cross back adds a little something special!  I cannot recommend these enough!  They’re all I wear with my running shorts now.

 



Workout Tank

I also love these workout tanks as they are my very favorites to wear with leggings!  They are just perfect.  They have a built-in shelf bra with removeable pads, so you don’t have to wear anything underneath.  They hit my torso just above my belly button which is perfect since my leggings hit right at my belly button.  They do run small, though.  My true size is a small in tops, but I buy mediums for these.


Women’s Athletic Shorts

And speaking of athletic shorts, these are my favorite.  In case you haven’t heard me rave about these shorts yet, they are ah-mazing.  They are the perfect length, they hit at just the right spot on my torso, and they have a little zipper pocket in the back where you can store a key or whatever else you may need that’s small.  The fabric is excellent, and the overall quality is top-notch, too.

 


Workout Skirt

I bought a workout skirt to change things up from my usual shorts and this one is SO nice.  The quality is top-notch, and many of the reviews compare it to one of the Lulu brand skirts.  It has built-in shorts along with a back zipper pocket, and it comes in tons and tons of colors.  It’s comfortable and cool and it’s such a fun addition to my athletic wear since I workout so often. 



Faux Leather Skirt

These faux leather skirts are fantastic and I get compliments every time I wear them.  The material is really nice… it’s very realistic and it’s not too plastic-y or shiny, and it’s soooo soft.  It’s mid-rise, so it hits at just the right spot on my waist, and the length is perfect, too.  It’s not too short, but it’s also not long like a pencil skirt that you’d wear to work.  You could easily wear this out somewhere fun or you could even dress it up for a classy look.  It zips up in the back so it’s easy to put on, and IT HAS POCKETS!  This skirt is such a winner, y’all, and I cannot recommend it enough if you’re wanting to jump on the (faux) leather train.  I would also say that it fits true-to-size.  The small is perfect on me and I’m 5’5”.  It comes in 12 different colors/variations including brown, dark red, and dark green.  




Silver Cowboy Boots

I’ve sung the praises of these boots on the blog several times, and they are from Amazon, y’all!  I was really worried about the quality and the comfort factor when I bought these, but it turns out that they’re very well made and they’re soooo comfortable!  I wore them for 12 hours straight when we went to see Taylor Swift in Atlanta, and I was on my feet the majority of that time, and they didn’t hurt my feet at all.  I highly recommend these if you’re in the market for a pair of good boots but you don’t want to spend a ton of money on real leather ones.  They also come in lots of different colors, so you can find them for pretty much any occasion. 

 



Gold Glitter Sandals

I've bought this exact pair of gold glitter sandals for Olivia twice because she loves them so much.  They are very well made, they are comfortable, they go with everything, and the buckle isn’t real… it’s actually Velcro which we loooove, because they’re so easy to take on and off.  They also hold up beautifully over time.  If you’re looking for great quality shoes that are comfy and won’t break the bank, look no further!  These are excellent!

 


Peplum Top

This top is one of my favorite tops I’ve ever purchased on Amazon.  It is versatile because you can dress it up or down, it’s flattering for all body types, it looks fantastic with jeans or shorts, and it comes in a ton of different colors and patterns.  I love this top so much I own it in four different colors/patterns and I wear them all the time.


 

Fluttery Skirt

Chances are you’ve seen this skirt all over Instagram and influencer land because so many people have them.  The reason everyone has them is because they are SO GOOD.  Again, this is one of my all-time favorite clothing purchases from Amazon, and I love it so much that I own it in three different colors and patterns.


 

Sweater

This sweater is, hands down, my favorite sweater ever purchased from Amazon.  Y’all, this sweater is HIGH quality.  It’s thick, the fabric is soft and luxurious, the cut is gorgeous, and it’s long enough to wear with leggings.  Seriously, so SO good.  I own this one in three colors because it’s just that good!

 





CRZ Yoga Leggings

These leggings are so comfortable… they are even better than the ever-popular Zella Live-In leggings that I also own.  They are called “naked” leggings because they are truly that comfortable.  You barely notice them when you’re wearing them.  And they don’t leave a big itchy seam mark down the inside of your leg like the Zellas do when you take them off.  I don’t even know how many pairs of these I have, but it’s at least 4-5, because they are awesome.


 

Green Top

This top is stunning and I receive so many compliments on it every time I wear it!!  The quality is great, the top fits perfectly (it’s true to size… I’m in a small), and the colors are rich and beautiful.  The sleeves can be worn on the shoulder or off the shoulder, and either way, I do wear a strapless bra with it.  Otherwise, my bra straps show slightly in the front.  It comes in tons of different colors and patterns, and there are loads of long-sleeve options as well.  I also have the purple floral long-sleeve version for fall!



One Shoulder Sequin Dress

I bought this dress for a ball that we attended earlier this year.  When I first pulled it out of the bag, I thought for sure it wasn’t going to be as good as the other black one shoulder sequin dress I had decided on, but it ended up being the absolute best.  In the picture on Amazon, the dress appears to be covered in black sequins (which is what I was looking for), but when it arrived, I noticed that all of the sequins had a turquoise or purple hue.  That was a complete turnoff and I almost didn’t even try the dress on, but I’m so glad I did because I ended up LOVING it. The dress is very well-made… the bodice is actually velvet (which was also unexpected) and it was thick and luxurious and soft.  It also had a full zipper all the way up the side which made it easy to get in and out of.  When I put this dress on, Olivia literally squealed with delight, so I knew it was the winner.  It was slightly shorter than the other option I’d chosen, but it wasn’t too short that I felt uncomfortable, and I actually preferred the shorter length to the more conservative length of the other one I’d originally chosen.  Bottom line, this dress made me feel beautiful and confident, it was comfortable and easy to dance in (didn’t have to worry about wardrobe malfunctions), and I cannot even tell y’all how many compliments I received while I was wearing it.  It was a HUGE winner and I love it so much that I wore it again to the Taylor Swift Eras Tour concert.  It fits true-to-size… I’m in the small.  And it also comes in tons of different colors and cuts.


Under Armour Men’s Pants – Khaki

We bought these pants for Brian and they are awesome.  They’re made from athletic fabric that all of the guys love these days, but they look so sharp and put together!  The fabric wicks away sweat and dries really fast, so they keep guys cool during the summer, and they don’t wrinkle in the washer and dryer.  This design has a flat front and four pockets + belt loops just like any standard pair of dress pants and they truly look great on!

 


Convertible Tights

These are our favorite tights for Olivia for dance.  She can wear them regularly for ballet, tap, and jazz, and then she is able to put her feet through the holes and pull them up on her ankles for her lyrical class.  The tights are thick and stretchy and comfy (believe me, Olivia hates anything too binding), and they hold up so well.  She’s always pretty rough on everything, and these hold up for months without getting holes or runs.

 


Entryway Christmas Trees

I bought two of these entryway trees to flank our front door last year, and they are perfect.  The price of artificial trees has increased crazily these last few years, and these had the best price of any that I could find at Michaels, Target, Walmart, or any of the other standard retailers.  They’re great quality, they’re tall (4-feet), and they’re full, so they were a great deal for the price.  They look beautiful on our front porch, and I highly recommend them if you’re looking for some!

 


 

Tiered Tray

This tiered tray has been in our kitchen for years and I get asked about it constantly.  It was an Amazon purchase, and you don’t just get one in the package… you get two!  I had no idea that there were going to be two, so I was thrilled to have an extra one to put in Olivia’s bedroom to hold all of her hair accessories.  We’ve had both of these for years and years and they are both still going strong in their respective rooms.  Excellent quality and a great price since there are two in the package.  It's currently 69% off, too!!


 

Cookie Dough Scoop

I bought one of these and it has made baking a breeze.  We make a lot of muffins in our house and dividing up muffin batter is always such a pain until I bought this little scoop.  I just dip it in the batter, hold it over the muffin cup, squeeze the handle, and a perfect little plop of batter goes right into the muffin cup.  No more dripping all over the sides of the pan.  I love this thing!! 


 

Microfiber Cleaning Cloths

No cloth cleans like a microfiber cleaning cloth!!  These little powerhouses clean my countertops and mirrors soooo much better than regular cleaning cloths.  Prior to purchasing these, I couldn’t find a single cleaning cloth or paper towel that didn’t leave streaks on my mirrors.  These cleaning cloths leave ZERO streaks, and they make my mirrors and other glass items look perfect and shiny.


 

Hello Doormat

I bought this doormat five years ago, and it’s still going strong on our back porch.  It comes in lots of different colors and it’s so fun.  The price is also really great! 


 

Faux Pink Tulips

These tulips look SO real and the color is gorgeous.  I have them in a couple of different places in my house year-round and they are so good that several people have mistaken them for fresh flowers.  I highly recommend them if you love fresh flowers in the house, but you don’t like to spend money on them.


 

Fog Proof Goggles

The kids love these goggles… they’ve been using them for a couple of years now.  They are adjustable, they’re fog-proof, they’re sturdy, and they unclip in the back so they’re easy to put on and take off.  We love these and highly recommend them!


 

Yeti Rambler Jr.

We bought these for both kids and we love them.  They’re made from stainless steel, so they withstand drops, they don’t sweat, they’re dishwasher safe, and they keep drinks cold for hours upon hours.  Both of our kiddos take these to school every single day and they use them all summer when we’re on the go, and they have held up beautifully for YEARS.


 

Hair Elastics

We bought this pack of 2,000 hair elastics for Olivia, and they are perfect for braids, ponytails, and other hairstyles.  They’re ouchless, too, which is important if you have tender headed kiddos like I do.


 

Barf Bags

Unfortunately, these barf bags are a must if you have kiddos with sensitive stomachs.  I bought this pack of 12 to keep on hand in the car.  The plastic ring makes it easy for the kids to hold wide open so they don’t make a mess (yuck), and then the bag can be twisted up and tucked into a notch to keep it sealed.  I keep one of these up front in the car and in my purse at all times.

 


Bookmarks with Timers

Our kiddos have to read at least 20 minutes per day for school, and these bookmarks with timers have made reading time so easy and so much fun.  The kids are able to keep track of their time while they read, and then I don’t have to.  ;o)


 

Refills

In addition to all of these things, there are items that we order exclusively from Amazon because they always have the best prices.  I get all of my allergy medications from there – XyzalFlonase Sensimist, and Alaway eye drops – and I also buy all of my daily multivitamins from there.  Gum is also cheapest on Amazon, and so are Maui’s Denstastix treats that she loves so much.  We have ordered all of these items countless times from Amazon and we’ve saved so much money as they’re significantly more expensive at Target and Walmart.







 

Gift Cards

And don’t forget that when you purchase Amazon gift cards from Amazon, you get to choose from tons and tons of different cards, boxes, and other containers to hold your gift card at no additional cost. 

We’ve purchased this cupcake tin multiple times along with the mini Amazon box (SO CUTE!).  I also love this one for Christmas, this flowery one for teacher’s gifts, this one for baby gifts, and this mermaid one for a little girl.  Oh, and who doesn’t love a rainbow?!  This one is so dang happy!


 







And that’s it for now, y’all!  I could go on and on, but I’ll stop there.  Be sure to follow along with me on Instagram this week as I will probably share a few of my favorite Prime Day deals… I use this sale to go ahead and get a jump start on my Christmas shopping... it's right around the corner, after all!

Happy Tuesday, y’all! 

And if you want to see everything that I ordered in previous months, just check out the posts below!


*Linking up with Living on Cloud Nine and Doused in Pink for Prime Purchases.