6 Things I LOVED in January

It is finally the end of this seemingly never-ending month. 

But really - didn't January last forever?

If you know anything about Illinois, you would be aware of its bipolar weather. You never know what to expect in this place. We started off the semester with a few snow days and ended the month with a 60 degree weekend. Now there is a chance of snow, and no one knows how to feel.

C'mon Illinois, make up your mind!

I don't know about you, but weather changes affect everything. My skin is just as confused as the Illinois residents, and my emotions/hormones are all over the place. Adapting to the new year has been a struggle, to say the least.

So, I am here to fill you in on the products I've been lovin', the food I've been snackin' on, and the pieces I've been stylin'. 

Floral Embroidered sneakers

These clearance babies have been my GO. TO. Having fallen into the trend of the black/white Adidas Superstars, I realized that white tennis shoes were a staple to any outfit. I wanted ones that looked a little more "dressy," or at least as dressy as a pair of tennis shoes could be. I found them at Target (the holy grail) on clearance for $14, and I couldn't pass them up (even if they were a size too big)! I pair them with anything from athletic clothes to dresses. The detailed floral print on the sides gives them a unique touch. I've received multiple compliments on these embroidered beauties, and I am always sure to tell them where I got them from. Others are often sad to find out that they were, indeed, on clearance and won't be restocked in stores; however, I did find them on the Target website here. 

Arise

As I mentioned in my about me post, I am a huge fan of warm, sunny weather. I believe that I was actually meant to live in a tropical location. Unfortunately, January in Illinois is anything BUT tropical. The drowsy, bitter cold weather has affected me physically and emotionally. Aside from my skin becoming drier, my mood has taken a toll as well. With the combination of the dreary weather and all of these important and stressful life choices, I have felt rather blue so far this new year. I am going to be completely honest with you and tell you that I have been the LEAST motivated in the past month that I have ever been in my entire life. I can't seem to get out of bed (what's new), and I find myself isolating myself from the rest of society (Okay, that is a little dramatic, but if you knew the amount of time I've spent with my friends this month, you'd understand). My mom has always been an essential oil advocate. If you've seen my Back to School Favorites video, you know that I use oil blends for things like stress, headaches, and motivation. This new form of medication is a little on the pricey side, but once you do your research, you will quickly find that prescribed medication isn't always necessary. Plus, essential oils are all natural which can be very proactive for people with medication allergies. Recently, my mom introduced me to doTterra's Yoga Collection. Within the box of three blends, I found my favorite essential oil ever...ARISE. This blend of citrus and stress management oils is meant to motivate and uplift, and it doesn't disappoint. I would HIGHLY recommend this to anyone who just needs a little "pick me up" (also, it smells like blue raspberry lemonade Koolaid...AKA my favorite fruity drink of all time, so that's a plus). I usually put a few drops on my wrists before school everyday, and I am not lying when I say that I find myself in a better, more motivated mood when I use Arise. 

Smoked Gouda Goodness

This may seem a little silly to be talking about cheese and crackers on a beauty blog post, but cheese this good deserves some recognition. I was tired of packing the same old ham sandwiches and canned ravioli in my lunch box everyday. I wanted something different and a way to put my cheese cutting board to good use. I had tried many kinds of fancy cheeses when my dad was in a "fancy cheese phase." But after that phase was over, we only had your typical sharp cheddar and swiss slices in our cheese drawer. I asked my mom to buy some smoked gouda at Aldi a few weeks ago and OH. MY. GOODNESS. It changed my life (once again, this is very dramatic). My go-to snack and lunch this entire month has been sliced smoked gouda with off-brand Triscuit crackers from Aldi (because who really wants to pay for full-priced, name-brand crackers, right?). I see a little slice of heaven everytime I open my lunch box before work to see my gouda in place of a ham sandwich. 

Ponds moisturizer

As previously overstated, my skin is DRY. I have never experienced such thirsty skin in my entire life, especially on my face. After I cleanse, you would think my face was made of sand paper. Without moisturizing, it is tight, dry, and sometimes itchy. A few months ago, I was shopping for travel-sized toiletries for a trip I was going on. I needed a smaller moisturizer, so I picked up the Ponds Crema S Moisturizer in the mini form (1.75 ox. to be exact). I never used it much over the summer, but desperate times (AKA my face suffering from severe thirst in the winter) called for desperate measures. I broke out that bad boy I purchased from the cheap travel section at Walmart, and slapped some of that cream on my face. The next morning, it was baby smooth. I wasn't expecting such good results considering it was so cheap, but I have been using it religiously ever since. Not to mention, when wet, my face only requires a little fingertip amount to cover it. It is honestly the best, and I would recommend it to anyone for a budget-friendly moisturizer. 

Kathryn Riechert Stamped Rings

Before last year, I really wasn't a "ring person." My fingers are super small, and I always felt like I would lose my rings. But, last year I received two very important rings: my Pandora Princess ring from Charlie and my class ring. Ever since I was gifted with those beauties, you will hardly ever see me without something on my finger. My ring collection has continued to grow in the last few months. Familiar with my new-found obsession, my best friend Grayce gifted me with two new stackable rings. They weren't just any rings, though. She had them custom stamped from Kathryn Riechert Jewelry. One of them is stamped with "31:25" referring to Proverbs 31:25, and the other one has two tiny hearts to symbolize our friendship. In the words of Grayce, "One is for me and one is for you, so you will always have our friendship with you" **que audience "aww"s** They are the perfect, dainty accessories to go with any outfit, and I am extremely grateful for this meaningful gift. You should TOTALLY check out Kathryn Riechert on Etsy for any of your custom jewelry needs! 

Olay in-shower lotion

Maybe it was my mom's way of saying "your skin is dry, you need some lotion," but I am obsessed with the Olay In-Shower Body Lotion I found in a shower set I received for Christmas! Due to the lack of time for any "unneccesary" personal care, I don't usually use lotion. I think that it takes too much time out of my already busy day to wait for my skin to dry to apply lotion and feel sticky for a good 30 minutes afterwards. Olay came in clutch with introducing this brilliant invention: in-shower lotion. It is so easy to use and not time consuming at all (I must seem like a complete weirdo for thinking that applying lotion is "time consuming," but oh well). You simply put the lotion on like regular lotion after washing your body, and then you just wash it off after. Simple. Done. You are now left with smooth, hydrated skin, and a whole 30 minutes of not being sticky. You're welcome.