Never have I ever had such big lapses on the blog before…and for that, I would say I’m sorry, but sometimes life is just life! I’m not sorry for putting my family first ever, and I’m not sorry for the fun projects happening behind the scenes – and there’s only so many hours in a day. So, here I am. Back again. With some favorite finds and hottest hits from May. 🙂
First thing’s first…brand spankin’ new MERCH is dropping NEXT WEEK! EEP! I am so, so freaking stoked to bring these pieces to you. It’s been months (+ months) of work behind-the-scenes to design each thing and make it *perfect*, and I’m so proud of the finished products. JUST YOU WAIT.
Text CUROWD to 55444 if you aren’t on our text list yet for first dibs on the collection…we’ve got limited inventory and suspect sell outs, and especially since everything is completely custom and one-of-a-kind for the CURowd, we want to make sure you get your hands on your favorite(s)!
More to come. But I’d be remiss to mention May’s favorites and leave the merch line out, since I’ve been wearing it all myself already for months. 😉 Now let’s hit the top ten…
We all know I lovelovelove a good protein meat stick around these parts. We also know I’m on a clean snack kick, really focused on cleaning out my pantry and checking ingredient labels, because holy MOLY the amount of straight up junk allowed in our foods is truly absurd. That’s another tangent. 😉 For now, I’m shouting out these meat sticks, because our whole house is obsessed. They’ve got grass-fed beef and pork raised without antibiotics, no artificial crap, clean labels free from gluten, nitrites, nitrates, MSG, artificial colors or flavors…and they’re DELICIOUS. They’re juicier than Chomps, if you’re familiar with those. We FLEW through the original flavor in our family so I ordered a box of jalapeno cheddar to try, and let me tell you, SO GOOD! I was most impressed with the jalapeno flavor because it was actually one of the first times I feel like I noticeably tasted the pepper and not just heat.
Perfect protein-packed snack to throw in your bag for on-the-go, travel, pool or beach snacks…Liv wanted them in her school snack box, too. Ha! I think I’m trying this flavor next…
2.) Maya perfume oil
This was a totally new-to-me brand that I had the chance to try via PR. They sent two little perfume oil rollerballs, and I was most intrigued because they specifically formulate them to smell differently on everyone, since they are made to uniquely interact with your own body chemistry. (Fragrance can/will smell slightly different on everyone ANYWAY because of unique skin chemistries, but it seems specifically part of their formulation and mission to highlight this so that every woman has her own “signature scent” if you will!).
Now, I don’t believe they’re considered “clean” fragrance like my favorite DIME scents, so that’s one “knock” to call out since you know how big I am at this point in my journey on choosing non-toxic fragrances, but these are still better than your typical department store designer fragrance. I have Maya No. 1 and Maya No. 2; No. 1 has notes of coconut water, sandalwood, amber, white musk and vanilla orchid, and No. 2 has notes of ambrette, geranium, moroccan rose, amber, and musk…both just SO unique and the type of scents that stop people to ask what you’re wearing!
This is IT – it’s the summer the OG learns to swim. Granted, she knows the basics and has had swim lessons before etc, but we want her to be super comfortable swimming UNDER water and not just trying to swim on surface. For some reason she’s always been a bit hesitant to do that, even though she’s freaking fearless with 32 other feats, but I’ve got a feeling these fun new goggles will help!
She got three pairs of funky goggles from Bling2O, and tell me these are not the most fun underwater eyewear for any little lady?! They also make adorable sunglasses. But my personal favorite part as a mom is that the straps are a clip on in the back and fully adjustable, so there’s no stretching a rubber band around your kiddo’s head where it’s uncomfortable or ripping hair, etc. Bless!
4.) Lemon lime Poppi
You know I’m a Poppi girl through and through…they give you the great flavor of your favorite sodas without any of the bad junk. In fact, they’ve full of GOOD stuff, like prebiotics and apple cider vinegar while being super low sugar. All in all, 11/10.
Something they’re known for are their classic soda alterntive – their Doc Pop tastes alarmingly similar to Dr. Pepper, again, without the chemical crap. So if you’ve got a craving, these scratch the itch! Lemon lime is their newest flavor I’ve tried, and if you’re a Sprite or 7Up fan, this is your swap. Super refreshing for summer sipping.
These are the jean shorts I’ve been living in lately! I recently went through all of my denim…your girl PURGED. My big pet peeve of jean shorts are when they’re just so dang SHORT or they’re riding up to kingdom come. The inseam on these is fabulous – they still feel fun but they also feel more mom-friendly, you know? 😉 BUT, fear not – they’re also “cool” according to a group of teenage girls who stopped me at a local carnival to ask where they’re from. So. Abercrombie for the win.
Tell me this is not the CHICEST swimsuit you’ve seen this season! It looks (and feels) designer…would you believe it’s from Amazon? WHAT A FIND. I was afraid the bow would be awkward or gaudy looking, or like it just wouldn’t be practical or functional in water, but it totally works. It’s also A+ coverage in the back (and up top), so great if you’re busy running after little people this season!
Just FYI the straps aren’t adjustable, so I’d give it a 9/10 for that reason alone. (Just go off of listing measurements for sizing – I’m in a small!)
7.) Rachel Zoe TJMaxx shatterproof glasses
One of my besties gifted me these glasses for my birthday…they’re by Rachel Zoe and they look like fancy glass, but they’re a shatterproof plastic (bless because #children #pets). I just lovelovelove how PRETTY they look. I mean, any beverage is instantly more delicious in this glass.
Unfortunately can’t link, but I find lots of Rachel Zoe drinkware at Marshall’s or TJMaxx etc!
I’ve had Kiziks on my wishlist for what feels like years at this point. They so sweetly sent me a pair to try to celebrate a new store opening in King of Prussia, PA (YAY!), so I just about squealed…and y’all, they live up to the hype. The biggest thing with Kiziks is that you can put them on totally handsfree. They’re just sneakers you can slip in and go – which is honestly music to my mama ears.
I got this pair – the handsfree/tie-free situation is fantastic, but beyond that, they’re just absurdly comfortable. And even though they’re tie-free they’re still adjustable with the bungee…I will definitely grab another pair!
I had this serum years ago and remember really loveloveloving it. Now, I feel like I have a thousand and one products to try at any given moment since part of my job (granted, a super fun part) is testing products to share first impressions and reviews after giving things a solid go. So really, a product has to be a GEM for me to intentionally re-purchase and keep on stock, especially if I still have other alternatives on hand. This is one that I will likely ALWAYS have in my skincare drawer.
Granted, it’s a splurge – but since you only get one skin in your life, I think it’s worth the investment.
Reviews say “there’s nothing else like it.”
They call it a “mini face list in a bottle,” “my secret,” and “my salvation.” So on that note…
I feel like I’m always on the hunt for better bars…especially granola bars without added crap that the OG actually LIKES (because once you remove the candy and sugar they’re harder to please a five-year-old, right? Ha!). These are SO good. They’ve got 34% less sugar in them than other granola bars, with no fake stuff…because they’re JUNKLESS. No high fructose corn syrup, no artificial colors or flavors, and a pretty darn “clean” ingredient label.
I’ve been throwing them in our pool bag and in my car snack pack for on the go!
Bonus: Olivia approves. 🙂
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!
