March 2023 Favorites

I can not believe that I am sitting here to write my March favorites, and that we are reaching the end of March already. This year is going by so quickly, and April is going to be a busy month between wedding planning, birthdays, and Easter. Before we enter April, I wanted to share some of my favorites of the month:

1. Daisy Jones and the Six: I want to mention both the show and the soundtrack in this one, because I’ve been watching the show as soon as the episodes release, and the songs have been on repeat for me. I am sad that the series has wrapped up, so I’m hoping that I will be reporting more favorites in next month’s list.

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2. Spinelli Killcollin Ring: I am obsessed with this ring. I want to first start out by saying that their customer service was phenomenal. A sales associate reached out to me within hours of placing my order. There are so many different options for this ring, but I got the silver one and it’s amazing. You can wear this ring either stacked, out across multiple fingers. I personally wear mine stacked. I absolutely love this ring, and I recommend checking this brand out if you’re looking for a new substantial piece of jewelry.

3. Kindle Unlimited: I am officially obsessed with Kindle Unlimited. If you’re not familiar with it, basically Kindle Unlimited is a book rental service. So many popular authors and books are on there. It is kind of like a library, except books are available right away for download, and there is a 20 download limit. I’ve used this so much already, and I highly recommend getting this if you like to read, because constantly downloading books can definitely add up.

4. Baggu Medium Bag: I’ve featured this bag in a few different blog posts, such as sharing what I keep in my bag, and showcasing it in a recent Friday Faves, and I am still obsessed with it. The bag is just so comfortable, and fits everything that I need it to fit without it being so bulky. I definitely can see myself using this for traveling and day trips because it fits my Kindle with ease.

5. Lululemon Pleated Shoulder Bag: Another shoulder bag worth mentioning here. I love this bag as well just because it’s so comfortable to wear. The different between this one and the Baggu one is that this one fits a lot more and has more organization. I’ve been taking this to work a lot lately, and it’s definitely one of my favorite bags from the brand.

6. Freida McFadden Books: I think we all can agree I’m in my hardcore reader era. This month, I fell in love with The Housemaid and the Housemaid’s Secret, all by Freida McFadden. My mind was blown when reading these books. They both follow our main character Millie, who due to her past, has to take a job as a housemaid to rich women. I don’t want to give too much away, but let me tell you this — my mind was blown when I was reading these two books.

7. Tree Hut Tropic Glow Firming Whipped Body Butter: Thanks to TikTok, I’ve discovered how amazing Tree Hut’s products are. I’ve used their scrubs for the past year, but I recently decided to try the body butter. It honestly is one of the best ones I’ve tried to date. It smells amazing and leaves my skin oh so soft. If you’re looking for a new body butter, I highly recommend checking this one out, especially because the price is so good.

8. Rebecca Yarros books: Yes, I’m sharing yet more books that I am loving at the moment. I finished The Last Letter and I’m currently reading The Things We Left Unfinished. And, I’m obsessed. Both of these books are romance based, and are similar to Colleen Hoover books. And, I love them. Almost all of her books are also available on Kindle Unlimited, which makes it so easy for me to marathon them.

9. Miranda Frye Cuff: This bracelet is one of my new favorite jewelry pieces. It is an amazing dupe for the Cartier Love bracelet, but the quality is amazing. I wear it with a ton of different pieces, but it is also great to wear on its own as well. I even grabbed it in the gold, but I honestly am so obsessed with this piece.

What’s in My Bag Wednesday: Lululemon Pleated Shoulder Bag

Welcome back to another What’s in My Bag Wednesday, where we share what fits in my handbags. Today we’re talking about another underrated Lululemon bag — the pleated shoulder bag. I ran when I saw this, and purchased this in the black color. I’ve carried it for a little over a week at this point and I love it. It fits everything, has compartments, and is just comfortable to wear.

I’ve been using this as a work bag, and don’t let the size fool you. This bag fits a ton. Read on to see what I carry in my bag:

Run Don’t Walk For This Stoney Clover Dupe

If you’re not new here, you know that I am a huge Stoney Clover fan. Over the past few years, I’ve accumulated a large collection of their regular and special drops. I love their pouches because they have such great quality, they fit a ton, and they also add a bit of fun to being organized.

That said, because are their hefty price tags, I am very careful on what I put in my Stoney Clover bags. However, I decided to give this Stoney Clover dupe on Amazon a try. I wanted to use this to store makeup in, something that I was afraid to do with my regular Stoney Clover Lane pouches due to fears of things spilling and staining. For $20, I can take that risk.

I purchased it in the large size in the hot pink, and dare I say, it’s pretty comparable to the Stoney Clover nylon that I am obsessed with. I was able to fit a lot more than the one that I was using before, which was a clear pouch from the Target launch last year. In addition to fitting my everyday makeup products, I also was able to fit my skin care products and Too Faced palette as well. This makes me so happy, because now everything is all one place so I don’t have to search for anything. Talk about making it easier than ever before. If you know anything about the Stoney Clover pouches, you will know that the large is basically like a Neverfull in pouches. You can fit everything but the kitchen sink in there.

Now, I can not attest to the longevity of the product, but I will say that so far, I am definitely impressed with the quality of this guy and will recommend this to anyone who wants a good quality pouch but don’t want to pay the price of Stoney Clover Lane.

Friday Faves: March 24, 2023

TGIF everyone! I don’t know about you all, but it feels like this week was a long one. I am hoping to spend my weekend unwinding, but who knows? Before we do get to the weekend, let’s take a moment to wrap up this weekend with my favorites of the week:

The Last Letter by Rebecca Yarros: This book is one of the first to bring me to tears, and made me want to devour the rest of Rebecca Yarros’ backlog. The story is about a woman named Ella, who is pen pals with Chaos. Chaos is friends with her brother Ryan, both of which are deployed and in the army. When Ryan dies, his last letter asks Choas to take care of his sister and his niece and nephew, as Ella is a single mom. Chaos sticks to his promise, down to the very end. I have nothing but good things to say about this book. I love the characters, I love the writing, and I highly recommend that you check this out. I will warn you though. You will need a box of tissues.

Lululemon Pleated Shoulder Bag: In my humble opinion, Lululemon kills it when it comes to bags. This one is no different. It’s a tote bag, but so much more comfortable to wear than any other in my current handbag collection. And, I am perfectly okay with that. I have the black one, and it fits all of my essentials with ease. I will also add that there are a lot of pockets, which is always a game changer.

Miranda Frye Cross Pendant: I have become obsessed with Miranda Frye as of late. One of the items that I have recently picked up was this cross pendant. I have mine on a Sophie chain and I’ve paired it with my initial, all of which are in the silver metal. I am so obsessed with this necklace, and I definitely want to add a layering chain to pair with this. I can already tell that this would be on constant repeat throughout the spring season.

MTV’s Help I’m In A Secret Relationship: I’m such a huge fan of trashy reality tv shows, and this one is no exception. This is about people who feel that their partner is keeping them a secret from other people in their life. And, let me tell you. This show gets intense, and the drama is amazing. I definitely recommend watching this if you’re looking for something new to watch.

JoJo Loves You Deep Purple Ultra Mini Stud Earrings: I am a huge fan of JoJo Loves You earrings. I recently picked these earrings up because I’ve been looking for a deep purple pair of studs. These earrings are so gorgeous and they just sparkle. They are also the perfect pair of earrings to wear in the spring.

Coach Notebook: I loved the Coach Outlet strawberry collection, but I didn’t want to make a commitment to a bag. So, I decided to get this notebook and I absolutely love it. I carry it in my bag, and it fits perfectly. It is so handy, and the best part? It’s reusable. The strawberry print is now sold out, but there are several other options to choose from.

Starbucks Drinks: I have gotten back into drinking more coffee, which is bad for someone who is diagnosed with anxiety. My current favorites are the Brown Sugar shaken espresso and the vanilla shaken espresso.

5 Things That Help With My Anxiety

Anxiety has been something that I’ve dealt with since my college days. However, during this past year, I’ve had to really take a pause to give myself the care that I absolutely needed. That being said, I wanted to share some of the things that have been helping me lately.

1. Yoga: According to an article on ScienceDaily entitled Yoga shown to improve anxiety, study shows, a study conducted at New York University showed that 54 percent of participants showed improvements of anxiety over a 12-week period of time by using both yoga and CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy). I was prescribed yoga when I first started to have severe panic attacks that caused me to feel dizzy. I now do it nearly every day in the morning, and it allows me to take a much needed pause. One of my favorite ways to do yoga is through the YouTube channel, Yoga with Adriene, which has a ton of videos to choose from.

2. Cardio: I have had a rocky relationship with working out especially over the last year. However, I find that doing cardio workouts, such as Jazzercise on Demand or running, helps clear my mind and gives me endorphins (who remembers Elle Woods saying that exercise makes people happy and happy people don’t kill their husbands in Legally Blonde?) Do I still dread working out in the morning? Yes. However, it puts me in a better mood than if I were to do HIIT.

3. Fresh air: According to an article on the APA website entitled Nutured by Nature, there are several benefits to spending time outside, including cognitive ones. The article says that research has shown that both the sight and sounds of nature have therapeutic benefits. Now, this one is hard to do, especially when I work in an office from 9 to 5. However, I try to get outside whenever I can, whether it’s waiting for the train outside on the platform, walking my dog, or just sitting outside. I always find that even just a small amount of time outside is better than nothing.

4. Putting my peace first: One of the hardest things that I have had to do was learn the word no when I need to. As a chronic people pleaser, I have the natural inclination to say yes to everything — even when it may not be best for me. However, lately I’ve been listening to my body and trying to give it rest when it needs it. It may not be something that everyone wants to hear, however, I know that it’s something that I need to do for me.

5. Making time for the things that I love: Last but certainly not least, I’ve been making time for things that make me happy. My hobbies, reading, music, and even time to just watch a show. I used to work a position that had cut my free time in half. Now that I am no longer in that role, I have the time to do other things that I love. And, that has helped with my mental health so much.

Friday Faves: March 17, 2023

TGIF and Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! I hope that everyone enjoys the holiday safely. I will be home watching the latest episodes of Daisy Jones and the Six. But, before we get to our weekend plans, I want to take a moment to share some of my favorites:

Spinelli Killcollin Solarium Ring: I was influenced by watching one of Michele1218’s videos, where she unboxed hers (you can check out her unboxing video here). Her ring, which is a rose gold, diamond, and gold, is gorgeous. I ended up getting this in the all silver, and I am obsessed. I love this ring, because it’s something that you can wear in different ways. Personally, I wear all three stacked on my middle finger, but the option is there. I am blown away from the customer service from this brand. They reached out to me a few times before sending the ring off. What is nice about this brand is that you can customize the rings, so you can have it in all silver, two-toned, or even gold. I love that, because I love having the ability to customize the piece.

Baggu Medium Crescent Bag: You can check out what’s in my bag in this post here. I recently switched from my work tote bag to this one, and I am obsessed. I got the green one, and let me tell you I am obsessed with this color. Urban Outfitters finally had the black version of this in stock, and I’m so excited to get another color of this. What I love about this bag is that it is so comfortable and easy to wear. Plus, it fits everything that I need it to, which is always a good thing.

YouTube: I have been binge watching so many YouTubers as of late. Some of my new favorites are Michele1218 and Reese Wonge, and I have been binge watching their videos as a way to unwind.

Miranda Frye Cuff: Another jewelry favorite that is new in my collection is the Miranda Frye Cuff in silver. I have been obsessed with the Cartier Love bracelet for the last few years, but I am not so obsessed with this price. I saw this on Michele Vidal, and I am obsessed with this version. I can see this working so well with the other pieces that I have in my jewelry collection, but I also can see this being great worn on its own.

Park Lane Has the Ultimate Dior Dupe

The Dior Tribales earrings are a gorgeous and classic pair of earrings. They also are $470, which is a hefty price to pay for a pair of earrings that are basically costume pieces. I mean who has that type of money for costume pieces? I certainly do not.

Enter Park Lane, who has a great dupe for only $30. The Dovey earrings look like the Tribales earrings’ twin sister, but without the price tag. I have been eying these earrings, but I can’t bring myself to spend that amount for essentially costume jewelry.

I got these in a few days ago, and I already can tell you that I’m really excited to use these in the spring. Pearls add such a classy touch to any outfit, and these definitely are no exception.

What is really unique about these earrings is that there are two ways to wear them: altogether, and or with the post earrings with a butterfly back. This definitely gives you more bang for your buck, which is something that allows you to use this in multiple ways.

With that being said, I also wanted to point out that these earrings will work with you if you’re like me and you have two piercings that are right next to each other. You would have to wear a smaller earring like I have in my second piercing, but you can still have earrings in both.

I also would like to add one other thing. I have the world’s most sensitive ears when it comes to jewelry and these do not bother me whatsoever. When I first wanted to order pieces from Park Lane, I was a tad bit skeptical because it is really hard for me to wear costume pieces because my ears will either be itchy or uncomfortable. That is not the case here, because they did not hurt or turn my ears green whatsoever.

So far, I’ve worn these to work a few times this past week, however, I can see these making their way into my jewelry box rotation. I also can see myself wearing these for my bridal shower later this year. What I love about these earrings is that they can be worn for both dressy and casual occasions.

That said, this dupe is definitely worth looking into if you want the look for a whole lot less.

(Please note, I got these through Michele Vidal’s page. You can search for her on the Park Lane website.)

What’s In My Bag Wednesday: Baggu Medium Crescent Bag

On this episode of TikTok made me do it, I have the Baggu medium crescent bag. This bag has gone viral and is currently sold out in several different colors on the Baggu website (although they do plan to restock in early April). I recently scored the avocado green one from Urban Outfitters, and love it. I’ve only had it for a few days, but the bag is quickly becoming one of my favorites.

Even though I’ve only had the bag for a few days, I wanted to share what it fits since it’s so popular. My initial first impressions are that this bag is so deceiving. It looks small, but it still holds all of the essentials that make it the perfect everyday bag.

Additionally, this bag fits so comfortably and is so lightweight. What I like about it is that this is a simple bag, but it is so versatile. It can be worn as both a crossbody and a shoulder bag. I have the avocado green one, and I can already tell that this is not only the perfect basic bag, but also the perfect spring bag.

Here’s what fits in the Baggu Medium Crescent.

Stratford’s Cakes by Sonia Offers Sugary Delights That Are Almost Too Pretty to Eat

When walking into Stratford’s Cakes by Sonia, you are immediately greeted with the mouth watering scent of freshly baked goodies — fulfilling its promise of confections baked daily. Located just off Barnum Avenue, this little shop is definitely one to visit to get your sweet tooth fix.

Cakes by Sonia offers a variety of desserts from cookies to cupcakes, as well as perfectly decorated cakes that are almost too gorgeous to consume. Almost. And while they look amazing, they taste just as fresh and delicious that make it worth eating these beautiful treats.

The cupcake variety is insane here. While this is a smaller sized bakery, there are quite a few flavors to choose from. Of course, there are the traditional vanilla and chocolate flavors, but there are also fun and unique flavors such as Dunkeroo, Strawberry Oreo, and even some boozy cupcakes.

Furthermore, Cakes by Sonia also offers other treats as well, such as dessert cups, brownies, cookies and more.

While I briefly mentioned the scent of the bakery, I want to first talk about how gorgeous this place is. The walls are painted pink, and there are little details everywhere that make it a perfect photo opportunity. I mean, this is expected for a place that decorates its cupcakes so beautifully, but still.

Finally, I wanted to talk about the price of the cupcakes. For four cupcakes, it cost a little over $10, which isn’t bad for cupcakes. For the quality of the way the cupcakes both look and taste, I believe that they are worth every penny and will definitely be returning again in the future.

Friday Faves: March 10, 2023

TGIF! I am so excited to share this week’s favorites, as they are a little bit all over the place. I am also excited for the weekend, as I am hoping to just have some time to relax as I currently dive into more wedding planning things. Before we clock out for the day, let’s take a moment to reflect on this week’s favorites:

Teleties Medium Hair clip: This hairclip is a game changer. I still had some claw clips that I purchased from Amazon in 2020 that are still in the rotation. However, I purchased these from Tickled Pink and these are a game changer. I have been using them while working out, and they held my hair so well. Furthermore, this clip is just so comfortable. It’s curved, so you can move around freely and lie down without the pain of your claw clip at the back of your head. This clip also comes in a size small and a size large. And, they are marketed to be unbreakable. If you’re interested in purchasing, be sure to use this link to get 15 percent off your first purchase at Tickled Pink (in which I’ll get some credit to use there).

Daisy Jones and the Six: I am so excited to finish this next episode tonight. I binge watched the first three episode last weekend, and I am so hooked. I loved the Taylor Jenkins Reid book, and I highly recommend checking the book out if you’re hooked on the show like I am. And, the soundtrack is absolutely amazing. If interested, this is on Amazon Prime TV.

Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition: I recently decided that it was time to upgrade my three year old Kindle Oasis because I read a lot (like hours on hours) and I was charging my Kindle every other day. So, I decided to try this one. So far, I am impressed with it. The battery life is amazing. In one week of use, the battery went down about 21 percent. This is with the front light on, and the WIFI sometimes on to download books from Kindle Unlimited. I also am also curious to use the wireless charging as well.

Things We Hide from the Light by Lucy Score: I read the viral Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score last year. I read this book earlier this week. It is about Nash, the good Morgan brother, and Lina. It takes place after the first one, and tells the story of their romance. Guys, I loved this book. This is only my second Lucy Score novel, but I am sure that I am going to catch up on her bibliography in the next few months because I need book three ASAP.

Rare Beauty Lip Gloss in Nearly Rose: I have been using this lip gloss religiously for the last few weeks and it has quickly become my go-to. I am such a huge fan of Rare Beauty (thanks TikTok) even before the drama between Selena Gomez and Hailey Bieber, and I wanted to share this lip gloss because I’ve been reaching for it so much.