Aaaaaand with that, we’re in the last week of October. HOW, FRIENDS. Where does the time go. Really, where? I’m floored it’s already time for Cool Sh*t since it feels like just yesterday we were talkin’ my stash of fall coffee mugs and now it’s basically Christmas. 😉 The numero uno favorite this month would be THE OG, as it is her month. Between her actual second birthday + her Taco TWOsday fiesta, the month was basically all about her in our household and I was here for it. So before jumping into any “other” favorites, just know she’s #1. 😉 Now some other faves, from Verb Energy bars to toddler toys to fabulous makeup to bags that give back to fight against human trafficking…
Matching Mama sweatshirts – It’s no secret I lovelovelove me a good mommy-and-me matching moment, and these sweatshirts are where it’s at. As seen in this post on five fave mama sweatshirts, I 100% recommend for any fellow girl moms in da house who want a cozy cool vibe that can also be matched to your mini me. Lord knows I’ll keep matching Liv until she’s too cool for me, so HERE WE ARE. I size up one (to a Medium) for a more oversized, cozy fit! AND GOOD NEWS, you can still get 15% off with my code ERICA15 at checkout! Bless up! (They come in a handful of colors if pink ain’t your jam 😉 ).
Woodloch Resort – WOW WOW WOW – more to come, folks. More to come. Stay tuned for a full trip recap + resort review this week! But until then, just know that this play is incredible and I 100% recommend for a fun family getaway. We had the best little stay, which you maybe caught onto if you were following along with our adventures via Instastories! The place is like big boujee camp that accommodates everyone in the fam, from tots to pops. The activities! The food! All top notch. And every season is unique there. Will most definitely be visiting again – hopefully soon!
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Verb energy bars – As seen on your Instagram feed – ha! It feels like everyone and her mother is out here sharing Verb Energy now, but I get it – it’s for good reason. I’ve actually tried this before and forgot just how much I lovelovelove ’em until I got a whole big bag of Verb Energy and went through the whole dang thing. 😉 One a day is all you need – each litle bar has the same amount of caffeine as an espresso, but only 90 calories, so it’s like the ultimate midday pickmeup to recharge and power through. And there are SO MANY yummy flavors. BONUS: You can try four Verb Energy flavors for FREEEEEE (just pay $0.95 for shipping!) right here!!!
Colored stacking blocks – My mom found these for Liv on Amazon and I knew the second I saw ’em that they’d be a hit. Sure enough – they are! They’re great because they’re a safe, squeezable, non-toxic, BPA-free material, so they won’t hurt anyone if they’re chewed on – or if they’re flung across the room at you by a toddler. 😉 They’re a fabulous, fun learning tool, which I’m all about. They’re obviously bright, beautiful primary colors; they also have things on each cube’s side to help enhance learning, from numbers to animals to 3D shapes that plug into others to help stacking.
Alphabet/number matching – I saw this recommended SOMEWHERE on the internet and immediately added to my Amazon cart, because clearly they’re so cool – and this has been a healthy OBSESSION for Olivia ever since I showed them to her. They’ve got little indentations on each card where the respective letter or number fits snug, so it’s been great for teaching her the alphabet AND animals and numbers all at the same time since each card has the letter, an animal whose name starts with that letter, and/or a certain number of animals for the numerical counting cards. She can sit with me and make an entire game out of finding + matching certain letters to their cards, and I think we’ve literally learned the entire alphabet this way!!!
Botanic Tree glycolic acid cleanser – I first saw Jenn (@thesisterstudioig) sing this cleanser’s praises, so I figured what the heck and added to cart. And LAWDY – it’s fabulous. I’ve always been a bit of a glycolic acid junkie because it’s one of those ingredients that just works for my skin type – and I firmly believe in learning + knowing what works best for you and stickin’ with it! So it’s got GA inside for a gentle chemical exfoliation while cleansing, but it’s also a bit gritty like a sugar scrub for manual exfoliation and sloughing off of any dry patches, too. AND BONUS: it smells divine. IDK what it is, but it smells like Christmas. Maybe it’s the peppermint? WHO KNOWS.
Either way, absolutely lovelovelove this cleanser, for both a good clean AND a good exfoliation. It’s got over 7,000 5-star reviews and frequently sells out. Absolutely give it a try!
Travel in Chic bag – This is a new-to-me company that I first learned about when one of the co-founders reached out to me to see if the company/mission/bag was something I’d be into – and it absolutely was and is. I lovelovelove companies with quality AND heart, and Travel in Chic is absolutely that! They’re donating 100% (yes, one hundred percent) of proceeds to the A21 campaign to fight human trafficking until November 15th. So if you’ve been wanting to treat yo’self (or treat a girlfriend) to a new bag, consider a beautiful vegan leather backpack from Travel in Chic. They’re actually convertible bags that can be carried like a purse, too, and they’re a great size. They’re also a really great price point for the quality you get, AND since 100% of proceeds are going to a great cause, I think it’s an absolutely worthwhile addition to your Christmas list (just be sure to place your order before the 15th if you want the proceeds donated!).
Tarte tinted hydrator – Can I just say that I am ON the Tarte bandwagon? Like, yippe-kai-yay. Tarte has been KILLING it lately. Granted, I’ve always loveloveloved Tarte products and always have a few in my makeup stash at all times, from one of my favorite eyeshadow palettes to cult-classic Shape Tape. But recently I tried two newer launches and I can’t sing their praises loud enough. First being this one – the Tinted Hydrator. I had high hopes for this since I had previously used + loveloveloved their Amazonian clay tinted moisturizer. This is a beautifully lightweight, hydrating formula that isn’t greasy or heavy at ALL…and it still provides good coverage. I’d say it’s about a medium coverage upon application but buildable if you want more. I wear shade Light.
Tarte Maracuja Juicy Lips – I saw these recommended on Instagram and went for it…and GASPED the second I tried them. They are HEAVENLY, truly! I was intrigued at their description, since they look kinda like a balm in the tube but look glossy on your lips…there was initial confusion at what exactly these “juicy lips” were. So, to help you avoid similar perplexion: they’re a balm that just looks GLOSSY AF on your lips. Truly, juicy lips! The balm feels gorgeously hydrating, and you just pump the end of the wand to get more product out. I have shades grapefruit for an everyday neutral, and clear as a glossy topper, and most recently ordered strawberry to try (as well as a few for stocking stuffers!). 100% getting more shades because this is one you’ll want in your bag at all times, since it plays double duty as a lip moisturizer AND pretty lippy!
And I *highly* recommend taking advantage of this deal while you can. You get three full-size Juicy Lips – a $57 value – for only $35!!!! AND you can pick what shades you want in your “bundle.” I took advantage of this deal myself for some early Christmas shopping – it’s fabulous!
Farmhouse soy blend Falling Leaves candle – Hello my name is Erica and I’m a candle hoarder. HA. Ask Taylor, she’s seen my stash. 😉 But seriously, I was on the hunt for a cleaner alternative to Bath & Body Works candles, because for as much as their candle scents have rocked my world for the best, like, decade…I know in my gut that they’re not exactly *clean* burning, and the health risks and longterm harm that non-clean candles can do are just not worth it (I mean, some are literally toxic. Toxic! Crazy!). SO you can understand that when I stumbled upon this dupe to their famous fall Leaves candle, which is one of my top 3 favorite candle scents of all time, and it was soy (clean burn!) AND bigger than B&B Works for LESS money…I just about shrieked in glee in the aisle. Hit up your local TJMaxx and/or Marshall’s for this brand and watch because packaging/jarring differs!
P.S. DON’T FORGET to snag your free four flavors of Verb Energy (just costs $0.95 to ship ’em!).
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!
