And with that, baby month is about to begin. Can you believe it? Because I CANNOT. This Cool Sh*t post has taken approximately way too long to finish because I a.) had a lot to say about so many of these favorites, and b.) I’m so very pregnant at this point that I always felt like I was missing good-enough shots to give you a *solid* idea of what something looks like on someone who is, you know…not hiding a basketball under her shirt. 😉 So let’s just agree in advance that we may require our imaginations to reaaaally get good looks of clothes right about now, but it at least speaks to versatility in fitting different body shapes + types + sizes well. 😉
1.) Lovevery 4-year-old play kits
THIS IS NOT A DRILL – Lovevery launched a whole new year’s worth of play kits! ICYMI, Lovevery kits are one of my personal favorite, top recommended products for parents. We’ve been getting their play kits for Olivia for YEARS; they’re developmentally designed by child psychologists, researchers and experts for stage-based play. Simply put, they are the best. I say that with confidence after having tried multiple other subscription kits for kids – none can compare. The quality is unmatched, the creativity is unparalleled, and they are worth every penny for the amount of playtime + parenting resources you get in each box. You don’t HAVE to subscribe to anything, either – you can absolutely get a one-off play kit to see for yourself or subscribe and cancel anytime for free without hassle. But personally, we lovelovelove having a regular box to look forward to (Liv calls them the “we love you boxes” – ha!). The box contents are always just SO well made – no cardboard crap here, people. (Lookin’ at you, Kiwi boxes – no shade, but COME ON! Our dog ate it!). They’re literally heirloom quality, so we have everything from Liv’s earlier developmental days saved for little man! Each kit also comes with a guide for multiple ways to play with each piece, creative tips for interacting with your kid WITH the box as a parent, and other developmental details + tips to help you help your kiddo in this stage.
They’ve got over 17,000+ solid five-star reviews, so the jury’s in and it’s not just me. 😉 We have “The Persistor” kit from the 4-year-old range most recently, and we got through not even half of the box’s contents in one rainy afternoon. It’s designed to support their frustration tolerance in these months to help them *work through* challenges while building grit and persistence, and in our very first time with the box, I was amazed at how Liv was organically saying EXACT PHRASES that it said in the parents guide they may experience with it. Truly incredible and spot on for each stage!
There are SO many ways to play – I can’t recommend it enough. Great gift idea. ALSO, they have other options beyond the play kits! I’m working on a full Lovevery review to share ALL of my thoughts + product recommendations, so stay tuned…!
2.) Radiant Shape Tape Concealer
I’m callin’ it – this is the concealer of summer. IYKYK, I’ve loveloveloved the OG Shape Tape concealer for years. But, it’s just NOT a good option for spring/summer or lighter makeup days, because it’s full coverage and therefore, definitely a heavier concealer.
Enter, Radiant. Y’all, a gamechanger! It’s a medium coverage, brightening concealer that’s lighter weight and “glowier” for an overall dewier, lighter look. It works fabulously paired with my favorite tinted SPF, so it’s what I’ve been dabbing on my undereyes on my 5-minute-face days (which for me is tinted SPF, radiant shape tape, cream blush + bronzer, mascara/brows, + a swipe of lip balm!). Here’s my own before-and-after this week…totally unedited photos straight from my iPhone, showing the difference it makes – subtle yet significant!
It’s also got a cool new-to-me ingredient inside – seaberry – which is loaded with omega fatty acids, antioxidants, and vitamins for your undereye, as well as our fave hyaluronic acid, to help neutralize dark circles, brighten you up, smooth out texture, and hydrate for the look of a full night of beauty sleep…which I’ve gotta feeling I won’t be getting anytime soon, so mama’s gotta take what she can get. 😉
It lasts all day, doesn’t crease, is waterproof, and tested great: 100% agreed undereyes looked smoother with less dark circles and redness, 97% agreed undereyes looked brighter, and also that it felt weightless, not cakey, and beautifully glowy.
Needless to say, I’m sold. 🙂 Code ERICA15 will get you 15% off anything if you want to give it a try, too – obviously, I recommend. I wear shade light-neutral!
3.) Aerie oversized button down
I had my eye on this cute button down for WEEKS before finally pulling the trigger; I first saw it in store in their massive NYC flagship, and the color stopped me in my tracks – totally gorgeous in person and SO fun for the season. But, I didn’t want to drop $50 on it, so I kept it in my online cart and just prayed to the sweet Lord baby Jesus for a sale. Lo and behold – He came through and I snagged it the second it dropped. It’s such a fun oversize and works styled so many ways, but it’s also insanely bump friendly (obviously) – worked great with my late third trimester bump, so it’s a versatile piece for all!
P.S. I have to take a better picture with it not tied up over the bump, so stay tuned. 🙂 I’ll link that on LTK, too, of course!
4.) ABLE gold initial stud earrings
I’m such a sucker for dainty gold studs, but I lovelovelove that these are little hearts AND customizable. I got them personalized with each kiddo’s initial (one on each earring) – super sentimental and a sweet gift idea. 🙂 They’re 14K gold-filled, so pretty dang good quality, and code ERICA15 should take 15% off your ABLE order!
MAN, I feel like a woman! Can we talk about Shania’s new album?!?! WHAT A VIBE. I’m so here for it. Also, Olivia Grace is Shania’s #1 fan. It makes my millennial mama heart SO happy to see her jam out so hard to these ~classics~ and the new album is no exception. You’ll have your house cleaned in no time because you’ll just zone out and Giddy Up your way through the whole thing. 😉
6.) Oversized Shania Twain tee
Speaking of the queen…I was hunting for another fun oversized graphic tee to add to my collection and wear on repeat in pregnancy. In the words of Regina George, it was just all that fit me right now – and I was embracing the big tee life with my favorite maternity biker shorts and calling it a day. This has been such a fun one AND quite a conversation starter, because as we all know, EVERYONE and her mother loveloveloves Shania. So naturally, wherever I go when I’m wearing it, it’s a true crowd pleaser. Will obviously work postpartum…cute gift idea for the Shania superfan, too!
7.) Abercrombie…
…everything? This feels like a total cop out to type because the whole point of the post is playing favorites. I get it, I truly do. BUT hear me out…Abercrombie is just killing it lately. I’d photograph it all but I’m so severely pregnant that it just looks like I’m holding a basketball beneath my shirt and it’s wholeheartedly distracting. So just use your imagination as you click through and I’ll share snapshots in real time ASAP. 😉 My latest order included the following:
- This white zip up hoodie – IDK what it is, but your girl is on a white zip up KICK lately.
- This mock neck zip up – great because it’s warm but not too warm if you know what I mean?
- These comfy shorts – bestsellers for good reason. It was my second pair – I lovelovelove the longer length for lounging at home with the kids and pets and crew.
- The traveler romper – the famous traveler jumpsuit (which I have + lovelovelove) in romper form. A fantastic, breathable material that wicks moisture up basically immediately?!?
Their sales are GREAT, too, and everything right now looks to be 20% off AND extra 15% off on top of that in cart, so literally carpe diem. Treat yo’self.
8.) Aerie Pool-to-Party Top + Pants
I’ve seen this pool-to-party collection slash set all over my own Instagram feed and was #influenced – MAN, it’s obvious why it’s everywhere. It’s such a comfy, versatile summer staple! You can wear it as a cover up. You can wear it just out and about – mixing and matching separates or pairing them together for a matchy-matchy moment. You can do the oversized top with shorts OR pants, wear it open or buttoned, tie it up, cuff the sleeves…so many options. It’s bump friendly (clearly) but breezy and comfy for all…I’m so impressed and already have the white AND pink in my cart because I can’t decide which color to snag next. Easy to throw on and go, and on sale right now (so carpe diem)!
Another one where I want to get more outfit shots for you once I’m…you know…not so pregnant? LOL.
9.) Hokas
Your girl is ON the Hoka wagon. Man oh man, what a comfortable sneaker. Comfortable AND colorful, so I’m here for it. After first trying the solid white Bondi 8’s, I was instantly sold – and I’m a bit of a sneaker snob after being a runner for years and years. These are “Disney shoe” worthy on my comfort scale, easily. They’ve got fabulous arch support, are great for all-day wear, but also work for actual workouts…they’re just awesome. I think I have 5 pairs at this point – they’re just a no fail sneaker, and the bright color combos are a total pickmeup.
10.) Colleen Rothschild Illuminating tinted eye cream
When I first got this stuff via PR to test out around launch time, I was admittedly skeptical. Then I figured it out…and holy moly, it’s goooood. (And it’s currently sold out, so I guess word got around that it’s a goody – ha!). Think your favorite treatment eye cream meets a brightening concealer. You know I’m all about a good multi-purposed product, and this is that!
It’s specifically formulated for your undereyes to help with darkness, fine lines, dryness AND puffiness; it’s got hyaluronic acid for hydration, caffeine for puff and water retention, and these pearlized pigments for an instant brightening, glowing effect – they’ve got a bit of a peachy tone to them to help neutralize the blue-ish tone that darker undereye circles can get.
Here’s a quick before-and-after immediately out of the shower (so peep the hair towel and no makeup – ha!), where I put it on side only to see the subtle-yet-significant difference.
On your right side viewing (my left undereye), you can see that it’s clearly more illuminated, brighter, and smoother!
What I learned the hard way is that a LITTLE goes a looooong way. I used WAY too much my first attempt and was wondering why it was creasing up…well, it was because I used about a week’s worth of product on one go. HA. You need the *tiniest* dot – literally not even a full pump – and it’ll do the trick…which I lovelovelove because it means you’ll really get solid bang for your buck since a little bit goes such a long way!
AND my CRB discount code – ERICA20 – will take off 20% off. IYKYK, I’ve been a longtime Colleen Rothschild lover and have raved about her skincare for YEARS, and turns out this is no exception!
HAVE YOU TRIED ANY OF MY MONTHLY FAVORITES YET?
And what have been YOUR Monthly Favorites? Would lovelovelove to know!
P.S. ICYMI and wanna get caught up on or last month’s favorites, just click here!
