High Five for Friday: November 8

Well, friends, this week has been much better than last week! Here’s what brought the sparkle:

• My anxiety has largely stabilized! Because some big changes were the trigger, in therapy this week, we’ve been exploring how change can send me spiraling into overwhelm and panic, and how I can potentially change my negative relationship to those feelings.

  This picture is from Monday and marked a big change from last Monday’s crying and not eating (and walking around the block at 8 PM)!

I need to internalize this lesson someday! 😂

• On Friday night, I went to my first Recovery Yoga class in months and months. You can always tell when my anxiety is awful because I start going to more yoga classes than usual, haha! Recovery Yoga is pretty cool—before practicing yoga together, the teacher provides a reading and we’re allowed to share what it provokes in us. Initially, I thought “recovery yoga” was limited to addiction issues, which I thankfully do not have, but this studio at least opens it up to people in recovery for all kinds of things: trauma, anxiety and depression, eating disorders, etc. It’s great! And one of my favorite teachers happened to be subbing on Friday, which was such a treat!

• I woke up pretty early on Sunday (thanks, time change!), so I just stayed all cozy in bed and watched some more Dawson's Creek, wherein Pacey delivered this truth bomb:

• Then we went to a family lunch, featuring these delish donuts! And I drove a new (terrifying) route so I could go to my usual trauma-sensitive yoga class directly after—see what I mean about the emphasis on yoga? I was originally going to skip yoga because of the lunch, but in light of my anxiety last week, I was just like NOPE GIMME ALL THE YOGA!

• Lastly, the music from Mario 64 has been the soundtrack to my work week, haha. What a staple of my childhood! As a kid, I never realized that this song incorporates the Underground Theme! I love when games weave in music from past games! #nerdalert

What put the sparkle in your week?

Hope you have a great weekend! xo

Prime Purchases: Awesome Office Supplies

• Memory Foam Keyboard Wrist Rest

• Wireless Mouse

• Memory Foam Mouse Pad and Wrist Rest

• Foldable Laptop Table

• Paper Mate InkJoy Pens

I picked up most of these items back when I was having wrist pain, and my doctor suggested getting a wrist rest… or two! I took one into work and use the other one at home—along with the foldable table, wireless mouse, and mousepad—and they have been game-changers! My wrist pain went away within days! The laptop table was a great find, as it was only $13 when I got it. The price has doubled since then unfortunately, but if you can get it cheaply, highly recommend. The mouse is great too—it’s been running on the same AA battery since May and I use it pretty often. Not to mention that it’s darn cute and goes great with the mousepad I got!

What are your favorite office supplies from Amazon?

Linking up for Prime Purchases!

October 2019 Budget

Let’s see what I picked up in October!

1. Skyn Iceland Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels (Ulta): $18

2. Florence Get Glossed Lip Gloss in Mellow Mills and Modern Mills (Ulta): $24 ($12 each)

3. Tula Skincare Glow and Get It Eye Balm (Ulta): $28

4. Grace Karin Paperbag Waist Pants (Amazon): $25

Not pictured:

1. Valentina Velvet Headband (Urban Outfitters): $7

2. Love Tree Cardigan (TJ Maxx): $17 (worn here)

3. Tula Skincare Dew Your Thing moisturizer (Ulta): $48

4. Led Zeppelin concert tee (Hot Topic): $23

5. Queen concert tee (Hot Topic): $23 - BOGO = $0

TOTAL: $190

Okay… My spending is still higher than I would like, but we’re getting there. It’s certainly trending down compared to July and August! I felt like my mindset really shifted in the second half of October, and I no longer felt like I needed to buy everything in sight. In fact, I bought all but one of these items in the first half of the month! Progress!

You already know I love the Love Tree cardigan. (Seriously, I’m so bummed I haven’t been able to track it down online so you all can be as cozy as me!)

As usual, I’m obsessing about my skin, so I picked up a few skincare items at my mini-facial. I really like the eye balm—it’s super cooling, and I just love eye cream-type products in a stick. (I actually had just gotten down to the bottom of the Kate Somerville eye cream stick I bought last fall.) The moisturizer feels lovely on the skin but smells like fragrance ads in magazines? Like a scent that’s simultaneously strong and muted? 🤷🏼‍♀️ I must say, it is growing on me though, haha! In addition to the usual skin issues that I obsess over (enlarged pores, redness), I’ve been having hormonal breakouts lately, so if you have any holy grail acne products, please let me know!

Lastly, I got my bffl a tee at Hot Topic for her birthday (we’re actual grownups 😂) and just so happened to pick up a few for myself! I was especially excited to find a Led Zeppelin concert tee from ‘77 because Pops saw them live then, and I didn’t have a Zeppelin shirt for Sparkle Punch Music Month!

What did you buy in October?

High Five for Friday: November 1

This was A WEEK for my anxiety, friends. Like a can’t eat, cry multiple times a day kind of week. So we’re not doing the usual H54F because what brought the sparkle is that, on Halloween, I had half a day where I felt almost normal! Hooray! I hope this trend continues!🤞🤞Also, shoutout to all the lovely people on Instagram who reached out with their suggestions for things that help them with anxiety. You all helped me to feel less alone in a very trying week! 💜💜

Here’s hoping we’re back to our regularly scheduled H54F post next week!

What put the sparkle in your week?

Hope you have a great weekend! xo

Sweater weather

It’s been awhile since I did an outfit post on here, and I miss it! So buckle up for a few of my favorite things: jewelry, comfy clothes, soap operas (😂), and fall! (Sadly, the trees in our yard never seem to get the fall wonderland memo.)

For this outfit, I used a simple recipe: coziest darn sweater (seriously, it’s a blanket with sleeves) + the leggings I want to be buried in + cute necklace. Done and done! Bonus that the sweater is this gorgeous mauve shade, which is in the purple family, right? Another one of my other favorite things! 💜

Sweater: TJ Maxx but I can’t find it online 😞

Tank: Gap thrifted in 2011 😱

Leggings (affiliate link)

Necklace (c/o)

I actually got to do a collab with oNecklace for this post! Meaning I got to pick out a necklace from their many, many cute styles and, me being me, I turned to soaps for inspiration! 😂 I always loved the dainty initial necklace that Kristina wore to the Julexis wedding on General Hospital, so I picked out a similar-looking one for my very own!

(Bonus that it also helped save her sister from being taken hostage! God love ya soaps, never change.)

I went with the Choker Name Necklace, but instead of doing my initials (I’m not really an initial gal), I did my first name in rose gold plating. Didn’t it turn out so cute?! It’s dainty and lovely, and the rose gold is totally me. I’m seriously in love! Thank you, oNecklace!

By the way, this is my FIRST EVER brand collab! 😮 That’s not to say that working with brands is the be-all, end-all, but just to acknowledge that it’s something new for me—which is a big freaking deal because I tend to stick with what’s familiar so as to avoid anxiety. This year, I have felt especially paralyzed by my anxiety, so I’m proud of myself for doing something outside of my comfort zone. And now my necklace has another heart-warming meaning, as it serves as a reminder of rebellion against limiting beliefs and fear.

Stick with the things you’re passionate about because you just never know where they might take you… and what lessons that experience might gift-wrap for you. ❤️

What are your go-to cozy fall pieces? Do you also use TV shows for fashion inspo?

Linking up with Mica and Lisa!