Congratulations on surviving the first half of 2020. Despite everything, I’ve found several silver linings and had some good times. The pandemic has given me a chance to begin recovering from burnout, pick up new hobbies, and even save some money. I know not everyone has been that lucky and I am grateful for the good things this year has given me.
I wanted to share some of my favorite discoveries so far. I’ve included a few food and drink favorites, my top skincare saviors, my favorite new dresses, and a new jewelry obsession (because I need to spend that money I’ve been saving). I hope you enjoy!
Food & Drink Faves
I love to cook and have been doing a lot more of it since dinners out with friends are less common. Of all the recipes I’ve been trying my favorite has been the Salsa Verde recipe I found on mexicanfoodjournal.com. I made it for a small dinner with friends back in May and got rave reviews on it. This is definitely my new go-to party contribution.
The recipe is absurdly easy. You basically boil the ingredients for 10 minutes, blend, and then reduce in a sauce pan for another 10 minutes. That’s it, seriously!
Aside from the obvious chips and dip combo, I’ve used this salsa to make Enchiladas Verde, and drizzled it over Tater Tot Nachos, breakfast eggs, and steak. You can freeze it if you need to, but I try to use it all up within a week.
If you need a great summer beer to go along with your salsa, I’m going through Golden Road’s Mango Cart Wheat Ale like my life depends on it. I chanced upon this gem while hunting through the insane number of craft beers my grocery store stocks (Seattle takes their beer selection VERY seriously). Aside from being delicious, the company has a female co-founder. I may be wrong about this, but I don’t hear about many women opening breweries, and it gives me just a little extra joy to support a female founded company. Golden Road distributes in all 50 states, so go find it and let me know what you think.
Skincare Saviors
I’m not sure why, but my skin has been feeling extra dry. I admit that I’m not great at drinking water at the best of times, and the lack of access to employer supplied LaCroix has not helped matters. Since I know myself well enough to be honest about the likelihood that I’m going to get better about my water intake, I’ve been doing my best to get moisture into my skin through body lotions and creams.
My all time favorite way to give my face the moisture boost it’s craving is to double mask with Origins charcoal mask and an Aloe sheet mask. Before all the stores closed down I was using Sephora’s Aloe mask, but I’ve started to use LAPCOS Aloe Sheet Mask. You can get a 5-pack for $14 on Amazon, and there are a ton of other masks to pick from. Aside from the price difference, I think it’s just a better product. The serum is thicker and feels higher quality, and I think my skin is more hydrated as a result.
To keep my face feeling well hydrated I’ve been using the Laneige Water Bank Moisture Cream as my day and night moisturizer. It is thicker than I would typically use for the daytime but apparently it’s what my skin is really needing right now. It doesn’t feel heavy or greasy, and I do feel like it helps my face look and feel plumper (in a good way).
I’m also trying to take better care of all my skin and started to use Burt’s Bees body lotion with milk and honey when I get out of the shower. Not only does it not have an overpowering smell that competes with my perfume, it also absorbs really well and doesn’t leave a slick lotion lawyer on hot days when you sweat.
All Dressed Up
If you follow me on Instagram you may know that I’ve been updating my wardrobe over the last several months.. I’ve picked up a few new dresses, but two are standouts. Dress number one is a statement dress from Zuri. It’s a Kenyan based brand dedicated to ethical and fair trade fashion; all things I’m trying to be more conscious of. Aside from being colorful and fun, the dress is a flattering A-line cut, extremely comfortable, and excellent quality. The price point is in line with anthropologie or reformation, maybe cheaper. I’d say that value for money, this might be one of the better purchases I’ve made. The dress I got is out of stock, but they recently added new patterns and I already see a few I’m tempted by.
Dress number two is a chambray shirt dress from Mango. It’s the first piece I’ve ever purchased from the spanish brand and I must say I am VERY impressed. The material is high quality and the price was reasonable (it’s on sale right now). The best thing about this dress is that it’s a little longer than your standard mini dress. I’m long torsoed and finding a short dress that doesn’t look too short on me is challenging. I’ll definitely be looking through the website this weekend to see what else they have.
A Little Bling
I’ve never paid much attention to earrings but earlier this year I started to watch Tamara Kalinic’s youtube videos and she introduced me to a brand called Missoma. I started to look around on their website and ordered the gold claw lacuna ear cuff. I had a cuff from MAM Originals that I liked, but it was a little loose and the one from Missoma hugs my ear tighter and I’m less worried about losing it. The quality of the materials Missoma uses is very good and I think the price point makes their products accessible to most people. I just ordered a silver pyramid ear cuff and a silver bracelet. I’m really happy to find a jewelry brand that creates beautiful pieces that feel timeless and modern all at once, that are high quality, and accessible to me.
Let me know what some of your favorites have been so far!
Thanks for reading!
Rainy Day Rags 