Phew…what a whirlwind. August was a whirlwind! Jonah graduated to his big boy toddler bed! Olivia started field hockey! Shot + announced MY NEW BOOK!!! Not one but TWO bouts of getting marker out of our new sectional (one washable marker, one permanent marker…both out thanks to this stuff!). Crossed off a 2025 bucketlist item by finally getting a sourdough starter (THANKYOU NELZ!) – watch out, she’s a sourdough girlie! Enjoyed little family day trips to Sesame Place! Knoebel’s! It’s been fast and furious, but oh so fun.
Feeling grateful to be stepping into this new season. Let’s go.
1.) Solely organic fruit gummies
I got these in our Thrive market box this month and holy MOLY – instant yes, instant re-purchase. They’re only two ingredients: organic mango + organic guava. They’re such a healthier alternative to gummies, but also…yummier??? Like, I cannot put them down.
But even better, my kids lovelovelove. So it’s such a good option for school snacks or lunches for an on-the-go “treat.”
Granted, more expensive than traditional fruit snacks – but no artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, or ANY other crap. Literally two ingredients: organic fruit. Worth it in my book!
I wanted to upgrade our cutting board situation since our plastic boards had seen better days – this food-grade acrylic board looked so sleek + chic, but also has a counter lip to keep it non-slip.
GREAT size (I have the 17.5″ x 13.5″), although it also comes in different sizes so go according to your counter space/needs!
3.) Oura ring dupe
What a win! While I had a smart ring on my wishlist for a hot sec, I did not want to drop $400-500 on one. At not even $30, I figured this one was worth a shot. It counts steps, monitors and grades your sleep, tracks heart rate, HRV, blood oxygen, and can also track your menstrual cycle.
My *one* wish is that it tracked body temperature, too – I might grab another dupe that apparently tracks temp just to compare (I’ve heard this one does – anyone tried it?). But otherwise, no complaints – it definitely does the job, and I can’t imagine what could possibly make the alternatives so much more expensive.
4.) Free People-inspired Amazon dress
I already had this dress in navy – I couldn’t pass up the lighter blue with white daisies! It’s SO darling. it’s just such a flattering dress, from the smocking to the sleeves, with a great midi length (I’m about 5′ 7″ for height/length reference). And it can be worn on or off shoulder, too! Honestly, I have multiple other colors in my “saved for later” (like how gorgeous is this green?!).
The brown would be a great option or fall family photos, if you’d in the market!
5.) Just Between Friends sales
ICYMI – this August, Mimi and I hit up a “Just Between Friends” sale. Have you heard of them? They’re like these MASSIVE 3-day consignment sales that happen in literal convention centers, hyper-organized with everything from new baby/maternity needs to clothes, toys, books, shoes, the works for babies through teens.
We walked in and were instantly overwhelmed – in a good way. Everything was impressively organized by category and size, which made it surprisingly easy to get through so much merchandise in a relatively short period of time (we were there for probably 3-4 hours total and ended up getting 63 things – we totally scored!).
If you like thrifting, you’ll lovelovelove these sales! They’re like huge communal treasure hunts – and I feel like I found literal treasure. I snagged name brand stuff for each kiddo at a FRACTION of the price. Besides shopping, you can also sign up to be a consigner; I’ve heard it’s a lot of work to do that (since it’s so well-organized, you have to tag your own pieces pretty specifically which really benefits shoppers, but can probably become a bit tedious for the sellers!).
But if they have a sale coming up near you…definitely worth giving it a go!
6.) Thrive market (get 30% off your first order + a free gift!)
I’ve been a Thrive Market customer for almost two years now, and just lovelovelove. They’re basically an online “no junk” grocery store, with a 100% non-GMO catalog of offerings. They’ve banned 1,000+ harmful ingredients, including artifical flavors, high-fructose corn syrup, and synthetic dyes, and most products are certified organic. You can filter onsite SO easily to save time finding exactly what you’re looking for, whether that’s for a specific dietary restriction or just a category of items. They also have a “buy it again” feature so that you can have the same items added to your monthly box if they’re things you want/need regularly (which I do for Olivia’s favorite bars for snacks at school, etc). AND they have a savings guarantee with low-price matching to ensure you’re getting the best prices AND saving money with your membership; I literally just went to stock up on the Solely fruit gummies (above) and happened to price check at Target first since I was due for a drive up order, but they’re cheaper on Thrive Market! (You also get free shipping on boxes over $49!)
I have had a few of you ask for any discount code/bonus opportunities through them…happy to report I finally scored for us! If you use this link, you can get 30% off your first order AND a free gift! Woo! This is AWESOME, so if you’ve been considering trying Thrive market, carpe diem!
We picked this travel-friendly baby monitor up for our family beach trip back in July for Jonah, hoping it would help us easily keep eyes on little man for naps and bedtime (also not knowing how naps and bedtime at the beach would go – if they would happen at all – etc). Turns out, it’s the handy dandiest little monitor! It’s SO simple and foolproof, with great visuals, no weird WiFi connection, literally plug the camera in and your wireless monitor is ready to go.
8.) Kerastase Magic night serum
When they say this stuff is magic, they ain’t kidding! I first tried it via a Sephora sample around my birthday – the little tube went such a long way, I knew it was a bang-for-your-buck kinda product (which we lovelovelove, of course). It’s a nourishing leave-in serum for overnight that says it hydrates, detangles, and enhances shine in the 8-ish hours that you sleep. Good for all hair types + textures, especially formulated to help with dryness, shine, damage, split ends, and breakage.
Has plant-based proteins + niacinamide inside to really nourish your hair with important nutrients, as well as help it lock in moisture to strengthen and hydrate; in their studies, results showed hair was about 84% less frizzy and 98% stronger with it, which is pretty dang cool. Also has a nice light scent to it!
9.) Abercrombie Eagles pullover
GO BIRDS! Game day this week…did you grab your gear yet?!
Abercrombie has seriously stepped UP their NFL game in recent years, and this year’s selection may be the best yet. I got this kelly green pullover for the season – it’s the perfect oversized cozy fit and SO delightfully soft inside.
10.) Trubar strawberry shorty cake protein bars
Fair warning, these taste like dessert…but they’re totally healthy + clean! They’re vegan protein bars that are gluten free, dairy free, soy free, non-GMO, with no sugar alcohols and 12 grams of vegan plant-based protein and 12 grams of fiber.
Literally tastes like eating a fruity, frosted treat – but they’re less than 200 calories and packed with protein. They also don’t have any weird aftertaste like some protein bars have…these are YUMMY and so good on-the-go!
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!
