We’re back from a few days at the Jersey Shore! It was such a great time to visit. A lot less crowded than the summer. The weather was still warm enough to play on the beach. Lawson and Sybil had a blast with their cousins – one of which they hadn’t met yet and the others they hadn’t seen for 2.5 years! I forgot how wonderful it feels to have sand between your toes while looking out at the ocean. Pure bliss! (To be clear, bedtimes were not pure bliss, but you can’t win them all.)
I love spending time with others because I always learn something new – snack ideas for the kids, wrapping sandwiches in aluminum foil when camping, etc. Jim’s sister in law was drinking hot water with lemon and fresh ginger in the morning and I’ve adopted her ritual since we’ve been back. It’s a good way to start my day.
I find skincare can be super overwhelming. When Meg Hall mentioned Haldi Skin a couple of times, I decided to give them a try. I filled out a skin profile with the products I’m currently using, skin type and concerns, my ideal number of steps in a skincare routine, and how much I was willing to spend on products. Haldi Skin identified gaps in my routine and recommended products. I bought 3 items – a morning cleanser, serum and moisturizer. All are new to me brands that I wouldn’t have found on my own. I’ve only been using the products for a week so more to come on how I like them, but overall I’m really impressed with Haldi Skin. Oh, and they only recommend clean products. You have to input someone’s name to create a profile – feel free to use mine if you want to try it (Erica Kartak). Full disclosure – if you make a purchase, I would earn $20 credit at Haldi.
The PTA at Lawson’s school was looking for a coordinator for the read-a-thon later this year. It’s my first experience with a PTA, but I love books and reading so volunteered for the job. 📚
Do you ever shop on Poshmark? I almost always check to see if they have an item whenever I’m looking to buy something new. Most of the time, the exact item I want isn’t listed, but occasionally I’ll get lucky. My most recent score is jacket 09 from One/Third for $40! I get an item I want at a big discount, the seller earns a little money, and clothing gets a second home instead of potentially going to a landfill.
This week was back into our school routine after vacation part of the week before. Sybil is off yesterday, today and Monday for fall break so we’ll have lots of one on one time. This weekend Sybil has a soccer game, Lawson has golf practice, we have reservations for the pumpkin patch on Sunday morning, and some yard work to do.
On the Blog
+ Everything I bought in September, including two of my top 3 fall purchases and a few things for the kids
+ How my views on sharing my kids on social media have changed over the years
+ A fall capsule wardrobe filled with items I own and love
+ Our favorite chapter book series for elementary school kids
+ 10 pieces I already own and am excited to re-wear this fall
+ The last 7 books I’ve read complete with ratings and recommendations
+ Our favorite Vuori pieces for women and men (I need to update this post – Jim got 3 new items to add to our favorites list)
+ Some resources and tips for starting Whole30