Search Results for: 5 things

5 Things I’ve Been Loving Lately

October 16th, 2018 by Karen 14 Comments

1. Lilly Pulitzer on sale at Pottery Barn

Lilly Pulitzer is an American apparel and textile brand that does BOLD, prints, and even though I can see how royal blue and hot pink decor can come across as tween/teenybopper…I don’t care. 🙂 Where does it say you have to give up teal just because you’re an adult?

But I digress…

Lilly Pulitzer collaborated with Pottery Barn last summer, and now almost everything they created together is on sale.

I snagged this cute quilt. It was originally $250, but on sale now for $50!

2. Bliss Poetic Waxing Hair Removal Kit

I’ve talked about this product before (most recently after a minor nail polish debacle that involved looking into the mirror and seeing my brother with a blue mustache in my reflection).

Man, I gotta say this again: This wax is really, REALLY good. Doesn’t matter if you’ve got a downy layer of peach fuzz on your upper lip, or a mustache to rival a circus ringmaster’s, Bliss wax zips off everything, and it does so without drama.

I usually de-fuzz in the morning right after breakfast. I warm up the mug, which is filled with wax, in the microwave (it takes about 5 minutes because my microwave, like Taylor Swift, was born in 1989), smear on a thin layer, wait a minute or two for it to dry, then zip! Smooth as a Sphinx.

3. My morning citrus concoction

I’ve been drinking this every morning for a couple weeks. It’s comprised of a Super Orange Emergen-C in a huge cup with a splash of Trader Joe’s tangerine juice.

It’s sweet but not too sweet, and I get a good dose of vitamins.

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5 Things I’ve Been Loving Lately

September 28th, 2018 by Karen 24 Comments

1. Sending random cards to friends out of the blue

I’ve always liked getting a note or a card in the mail from a friend “just because,” so I’ve started sending cards to friends randomly just to say hello. If I’m at Target I’ll pick one up, since I’m there anyway. (Side note: They have a HUGE greeting card section, although to be honest I kind of miss Hallmark stores. There was something so soothing about going to one. Anywho!)

It only takes a minute to write a quick hello, and it makes me feel good knowing that the person on the other end will get a surprise.

2. Honey and Lemon in Trader Joe’s Fall Harvest Tea

At least one person in our family has had a cold at any given moment every single day since Connor stepped foot in preschool last August, and I’m totally over it… Everyone tells me it gets better after a few months? Is that true? I hope so… POWERS THAT BE, GIVE ME STRENGTH!

I’ve been guzzling hot tea lately (specifically TJ’s Fall Harvest) with honey and lemon because the combo is pure magic. It soothes my sore throats, calms my cough and tastes really good!

3. The special edition Allure Best of Beauty

I devoured this the other night in one sitting! Cracked it open when I got into bed and read it from cover to cover.

It’s been a long time since I’ve said that about this magazine. I almost cancelled Allure last year because it seemed to have gotten to be less about beauty and more about celebrity worship (there was a spell there when every other month had a Kardashian or a Jenner on the cover, and I was immediately tossing them into the recycling). This particular Best of Beauty issue is filled with product recommendations (which I totally appreciate), but it also has more in-depth stories than usual. I really enjoyed it!

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5 Things I’ve Been Loving Lately

September 21st, 2018 by Karen 38 Comments

sally hansen color therapy fall 2018 — New shades of Sally Hansen Color Therapy polish from the left! — Falling Deep, Bronze Reflection, Dusty Plum, Pink and Harmony, Cashmere Calm ($7.99 each)

1. These gorgeous nude Sally Hansen Color Therapy nail colors

I can’t decide what to wear for the next installment of Desperately Seeking Persistent Polish! Too many choices… I’m leaning toward dark burgundy Falling Deep, since I wore a pastel cream last week. What do you think?

2. MAC Cosmo Lipstick

Busted this out for the first time in months and remembered why I love it so much. This neutral pink with a hint of brown is a lovely everyday lip color, and it looks amazeballs with brown and taupe eyeshadows!

3. Kim’s Convenience

I found the best show on Netflix! In every single episode, there’s at least one moment where I have to hit pause and scream to nobody in particular that “SERIOUSLY, THIS SHOW IS BASICALLY MY LIFE.”

I’m not Korean, and my parents never owned a grocery store (they’re both retired accountants)…and I’ve never lived in Toronto (Bay Area strong!), but the family stuff rings so true growing up Asian with immigrant parents — ESPECIALLY the miscommunication and how the family members express their love for each other. I’ve laughed and cried my way through both of the seasons on Netflix. It’s the most authentic show I’ve ever seen about growing up in an Asian immigrant family, but it’s also just good. Very witty, funny writing IMO.

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5 Things I’ve Been Loving Lately

September 5th, 2018 by Karen 20 Comments

1. A lacrosse ball for back massage

This has been the best and worst thing to ever happen to me.

Because I carry most of my tension in my upper back, and I spend most of my day sitting at my desk, my trapezoids are about as flexible as a large block of cheese. WERE, I mean. Past tense. My upper back’s been all loose-y goose-y ever since I started massaging it with this $3 lacrosse ball I found at Sports Basement.

Every night I give myself a poor-woman’s deep-tissue massage by rolling it under my upper back (there’s a bunch of tutorials on YouTube), and even though I’m on the verge of misery while I’m doing it, when I’m done I no longer feel the crunchiness in the knots underneath my shoulder blades.

I watched this originally because I wanted to see this dude’s dog, LOL! It’s super helpful.

FYI: It is a REALLY intense massage. If you don’t think you’ll be able handle it, start with a tennis ball, and work your way up to a lacrosse ball (which is harder).

2. Trader Joe’s Speculoos Cookie Butter

If you’ve previously fallen under the magic spell of Nutella like I have, you’ll totally get this. I’m always looking for different spreads to spruce up toast in the morning because woman cannot exist on peanut butter alone.

This is *the* spread that will make you say, “What’s Nutella?”

Trader Joe’s dreamed up this creamy, silky butter, which is made from…cookies, and it tastes like whipped honey graham crackers and gingerbread. Basically, heaven in a jar. It’s equally delicious on top of toast or as a dip for pretzels or carrot sticks. Highly recommended for when you’re in the mood for a decadent treat.

3. MAC Iridescent Powder/Loose in Silver Dusk

Say peace-the-eff-out to all the other silvery pink highlighters out there because MAC Silver Dusk. It’s a loose powder that comes in a jar, and you can dust it on your face and eyes (and even your body)… This bad boy truly whips my high pony ’round and ’round.

I’m not always a fan of silvery pink loose highlighting powders because 1) they usually clash with my NC42 skin, and 2) they look borderline fros-tay, but this staple of MAC artist bridal looks is a go-to for a reason. Somehow, some way, it just works for almost everyone.

Leave it to the wizards at Team MAC for making a highlighter that not only looks like a soft beam of angelic light is bathing your face, but is also easy to blend, so there’s no risk of those tell-tale highlighting edges along the bridge of your nose or on your upper cheekbones.

Added bonus? It lasts all day (and all night) long, too.

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5 Things I’ve Been Loving Lately

August 20th, 2018 by Karen 21 Comments

1. The Clinique “My Happy” perfumes

When I graduated from college and got my first “real job,” one of the very first things I treated myself to was a bottle of citrus-y Clinique Happy, a scent I adore to this day.

All I know is that every time I wear it, good things seem to happen (it’s also what I was wearing when I met El Hub!), which is partly why I’m so enamored with these six new Happy versions.

Of course you can wear them separately, or combine two or more of them together to create a layered scent, which is what I’m doing today. I did two sprays of grapefruit-y Happy Splash (the orange bottle) and two sprays of vanilla-y Cocoa & Cashmere, and the combo is bright and cozy.

The bottles are $22 each and feel like you’re getting a good deal, but they’re also still small enough to fit in your purse.

2. Practice runs

coco baby preschool practice run — Student in training

This morning I had Connor go through her new preschool morning routine so we could get in some practice before her first official day on Thursday.

I’ve learned that she seems to feel better and enjoy herself more when she has some familiarity with new places and situations ahead of time (don’t we all?). This morning she put on some school clothes, filled up her backpack, walked down the block to her school, and talked about her plans for the day.

I wish I’d done this myself more often when I was younger and was starting a new job, or anything else really, to take away the jitters.

LOL! It only took me 40-something years to figure out. (Better late than never!)

3. Bandages for different skin tones

Even though I’m more of a Hello Kitty Band-Aid girl, I have to give MAY-JAH props to these Tru-Colour Bandages. I stopped in my tracks at Target today when I saw them. They come in shades for deeper skin tones!

I wish there were more than just two colors…but it’s still so refreshing to see options.

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