All the little things that I’ve been loving lately. 🙂
1. My birthday! I celebrated my birthday in mid-March with mi familia. My parents, my sister, and her boyfriend + pup came up to celebrate with me. We went to Bull City Ciderworks, ate lots of delicious gluten-free food, went shopping, played games, and watched basketball. It was delightful!
Y’all, we are right at the start of peak wedding season! I have always loved weddings–the sweet looks between the couple during the ceremony, the beautiful flowers and decor, the dancing at the reception. I love it all. But since I became gluten intolerant 3.5 years ago, there is one thing about weddings that gives me anxiety: the food at the reception.
I guess I could just eat a meal right before going to the wedding so that I wouldn’t have to worry about eating at all. But honestly, that can be just as stressful as trying to actually eat the food, what with all of the looks, questions, comments, and internal judgments you may receive from other wedding guests when they notice you’re not eating. It is so much less awkward (and much more fun) to be able to blend in and eat with everyone else.
I have learned that there are ways to make wedding meals much less anxiety-provoking. Here are my tips for enjoying wedding food while remaining safely gluten-free! Read More
This week, I did something I never thought I would do: I didn’t use body wash, face wash, or shaving cream for an entire week!
This was part of a week-long experiment called the Norwex Body Cloth Challenge. The rules were pretty straightforward: Anytime I normally would have reached for soap or shaving cream, I used the Norwex body cloth instead.
In this blog post, I’m going to give you all of the dirt about how things went in the challenge. I was not asked by Norwex to write about my experiences, nor am I being compensated for doing so. I did receive the body cloth for free from my Norwex consultant in exchange for participating in the challenge. All thoughts expressed in this post are my honest opinions!
The other week, I received a shower invitation in the mail addressed to “Mrs. Wes Lastname.”
If anyone out there is looking for a way to tick me off, lemme just give you a hint: This is a great way to do it.
Can we chat for a minute about why this archaic practice still exists? Or rather, why it shouldn’t?
We are currently smack dab in the middle of rotavirus season according to the CDC, so it’s prime time for some tips on how to avoid and treat the stomach bug! Many of these remedies are helpful year-round for folks with chronic tummy troubles, too. As someone who has struggled big time with stomach problems in the past, I can personally vouch that these natural remedies and prevention methods have worked for me! Read More
The things that have been bringing me joy lately:
1. Simple Truth Sweet Potato Chips. All of my friends and family are probably sick of hearing me talk about how much I love Kroger. But seriously. They have the best prices and a huge selection of organic/gluten-free/natural products. Their Simple Truth line is free from 101 artificial preservatives and ingredients and is often organic as well. I have been buying Simple Truth products for awhile but just recently tried the sweet potato chips. Oh, y’all. So good. Especially paired with pimiento cheese (is that weird?).
Y’all, I think I could write an entire post about the little joys from this weekend alone. I love this time of year! Twinkly lights, holiday parties, festive desserts, and cheery drinks are my jam. It’s been an easy season for finding joy!
Specifically:
1. Christmas lights. I’ve already mentioned it, but it’s worth saying again. All of these twinkly lights have made me so excited! I’ve put shots of some of my favorite neighborhood lights up on Insta stories, and y’all seem to be loving it, too!  Read More
When you think about it, the bridal gown industry can be pretty wasteful. A lot of time, money, labor, and materials go into these stunning dresses, which are worn for one day and then shoved into a box under someone’s bed for several decades.
Stacia Wilson of Raleigh, NC, has a solution to this problem. She recently started Oak City Bridal, a consignment bridal boutique featuring designer gowns. Y’all know I love the idea of purchasing an already loved wedding gown, so I sat down with Stacia a few weeks ago to learn more about Oak City Bridal and the heart behind her business.
The first time I heard someone mention that they had a social media mission statement, I rolled my eyes. I’m all about intentional living, but sometimes people just overthink things, know what I mean? If you’re constantly planning for, analyzing, and evaluating every single minute of your life, there’s no room for fun and spontaneity and relaxation. BUT, I am now a bit of a convert to the idea of a social media mission.
Everyone here in the hot and humid South knows that once you’ve got a good deodorant, you don’t mess with it. As long as you’re smelling nice and not experiencing any irritation, you’re golden. That is, until you learn about the nasty ingredients lurking in your favorite deodorant!
Deodorant was actually one of the first clean beauty switches I made. Two years ago or so, I noticed natural deodorants for sale on Thrive Market. I assumed that if these deodorants were natural and good for me, that must mean the Secret deodorant I had been using for 10+ years was NOT good for me. Sound familiar? This was my same line of reasoning when I first decided to venture into the land of natural body washes.
So, I ordered some natural deodorant. I was excited to find that it smelled pretty good! At least, for a few minutes. After a few hours, however, things were starting to smell less-than-nice. I was a little startled, because I’ve never been a person to struggle with sweat or body odor issues. But, I figured that maybe this particular brand wasn’t the greatest, and I ordered a different natural deodorant to try. Read More
