High Five for Friday: July 22

Hi friends! Thanks for stopping by—I’m so glad you’re here! 😁

Let’s see what brought the sparkle this week! (How the heck is July already almost over?!)

• My cousin and I had spent a good portion of our Fourth of July BBQ talking nail polish (as one does), and this past weekend, I tried out her recommendation: Olive and June! (Olive and June is sold at Target, my home away from home, so I’m not entirely sure how I hadn’t tried them before!)

I ordered the pedicure set, mainly because I was very intrigued by the Posey! I was also curious about how they categorize their polishes by level (beginner, intermediate, etc.). I usually find pale colors to be a pain, so I got the pale “beginner” shade The Queen Takes Her Tea with Milk. It did take three coats to reach some level of opacity, but, I must say, it was not a nightmare to work with! (Unlike Essie “Fiji,” my nail polish nemesis!)

Now I’m just having my own Christmas in July!

• In this week’s installment of “Trying to Be as Cute as Mica”… ☺️

This Rebecca Minkoff bag was the perfect size for holding a folder of documents (I’m working on renewing my passport, ugh) annnnd also a thing or two from Target!

• I have seen probably a grand total of 4 minutes of Stranger Things, but I am here for “Running up that Hill.” (Thanks, various Reels incorporating it!) It has definitely been the song of the week around here, and I especially enjoy this version, as it makes work 1000x more intense! 😂

• Baseball has continued to be such a nice blend of daily company + white noise + something to look forward to. Bonus that this past weekend the Phillies played the Marlins, and my fave Phillie of last year is now on the Fish! I also feel like I’m reconnecting with my high school self because she loved to watch hockey. She very much looked forward to games, was very attached to one random player (iykyk), and delighted in reading all the articles and taping (TAPING!) games. ♥️
  

• Lastly, as someone who just split her Advil supply into separate bottles for upstairs and downstairs use, this hits way too hard. (Though “taping games” certainly aged me as well!)

I also have “purse ibuprofen,” so I am definitely ready for the urn.

What put the sparkle in your week? ✨

Happy Friday! xoxo

Linking up with Andrea and Erika over at Friday Favorites!

High Five for Friday: July 15

Hi friends! Thanks for stopping by—I’m so glad you’re here! 😁

Let’s see what brought the sparkle this week!

• Wednesday marked eight years of To Sparkle Punch, which is madness! In July 2014, I was a just a baby limping around Philly in a walking boot, one year removed from the start of this whole mental health journey. 🤯

Though I would only shyly link up with Fran’s Budgeting Bloggers back then, I definitely was (and am) “here to make friends”—and I’ve made so many! Special shout-out to Mica and Bri, who I often talk to via text/IG messages! 💖💖

• Dude, I have been so.tired. this past week—tired enough to want to sit down and watch a movie, which is a rare occurrence! I was in the mood to re-watch this Hallmark gem, and I was delighted to find it on Amazon!

Petition for Kimberley Sustad to star in all Hallmark movies!

• Something else that’s been bringing the sparkle? Those little butterfly lights above!

I found them at Big Lots a few months ago, and they remind me of the butterfly clips of my childhood… which seem to have come back in style? (Although, if you wore butterfly clips to your Confirmation in 1999, does that mean their 2022 resurgence is not for you?? 😬🙃)

• Our hydrangea is THRIVING this year. It is bigger and more colorful than ever!

HOW IS THIS ALL THE SAME PLANT?? (Okay, yes, varied soil pH, but still!)

Our Rose of Sharon is thriving too! (Possibly because I’m not bumping into it with my car on a daily basis?? 😂)

• Lastly, though horrifying, this tweet cracked me up…

and inspired me to bust out this shirt:

Also, “I am ready for the urn” is just an A+ turn of phrase that I will be using from now on. 😂👍

What put the sparkle in your week? ✨

Happy Friday! xoxo

Linking up with Andrea and Erika over at Friday Favorites!

High Five for Friday: July 8

Hi friends! Thanks for stopping by—I’m so glad you’re here! 😁

My work computer went on an extended Fourth of July holiday and just refused to turn on on Tuesday, so that added some spice to the week. 💃🏼🔥 TGIF indeed!

Let’s see what brought the sparkle:

• Actually, running around to see if my computer could be fixed was not a bad change of pace for a short week. Bonus that the guy at the computer shop was nice and made the whole debacle less of a nightmare! My ancient computer could not, in fact, be fixed, but having to go over there several times got me out of the house during the work week—a miracle in and of itself!

• Ice cream on the Fourth! How did you guys celebrate? You know how Pops likes to celebrate all occasions, haha. Pops and I finally made it out to his favorite ice cream place, which is kind of a hike (hence not feasible when we got our act together at 9:00 PM on Father’s Day LOL). He got blueberry lemon + chocolate and I got cookies and cream + chocolate. YUM!

Look how cute this place is!!

• Fourth of July OOTD! As a fair redhead, I don’t wear much red or white, so blue is my Fourth of July color—and blue tie-dye is even better for summer because it hides the fact that you’re sweating to death. 😂 Most importantly, though, I’m also channeling Mica here with my Rebecca Minkoff crossbody AND purple charm! 💖

• What’s better on a long holiday weekend than a fun drink or two? I don’t drink drink, so these San Pellegrino drinks are perfect. Sometimes, I just want a sparkling drink that’s not soda but also tastes like something other than a fruit slowly deflating 10 miles away, you know?

• Lastly, if I contact you in 2022, this is truly my hope for you! 🙏🙏

What put the sparkle in your week? ✨

Happy Friday! xoxo

Linking up with Andrea and Erika over at Friday Favorites!

High Five for Friday: July 1

Hi friends! Thanks for stopping by—I’m so glad you’re here! 😁

Well, I don’t know about you, but I’ve been feeling quite overstimulated and anxious this week!

I feel like this is just Life™️ anymore!

Let’s see what brought the sparkle (and kept me from doomscrolling the week away!):

(FYI: I make a small commission for purchases or clicks made through links in this post.)

• Friday was a beautiful weather day, so it became Take Your Daughter to Walmart Day! 😂 I’ve been wanting to tag along on one of my dad’s Walmart outings for a while (because I hate driving to/parking at all Walmarts, pretty much), and Friday was the day! Getting out in the sunshine on a summer Friday is a beautiful thing. 😍 I got to pick up more of the Hairitage by Mindy line (it’s only sold at Walmart, I believe, but I’ve had her apple cider vinegar wash for a while, and I really like it!) and this fun rainbow phone charm:

🌈🌈🌈

• Painting my nails! Laven-Duh was the only Holo Taco shade I hadn’t used yet, so I went with that + an accent of Frozen Benanas. While I do appreciate how opaque Laven-Duh is for a pastel, the formula is not my fave—it’s kind of thick and gloppy. For me, the thinner formula of Frozen Benanas and Coral Chaser is easier to work with.

• Stardew Valley + the white noise that is sports I’m not actually paying attention to! 😂👍

I hadn’t played Stardew Valley since spring 2021, but as I was clearing a bunch of old screenshots off my Switch last weekend, I was reminded of how darn cute it is! Has anyone else played it? (I guess that’s a question for you, Nicole, ha!) I feel like people’s Stardew spouses and friends are its own personality test.

I’m married to the nerdy doctor, because obviously.

And I’m besties with the purple-haired witchy girl, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY! 😂🔮

• Back to school finds at Target! Not being in school makes me 100% okay with Back to School stuff coming out in June, haha!

Just look at that adorable notebook!! And a purple unicorn donut pen?! I meannnn….!!

• Lastly, knowing that this is a long weekend! 😁🥳

What put the sparkle in your week? ✨

Happy Friday! xoxo

Linking up with Andrea and Erika over at Friday Favorites!

High Five for Friday: June 24

Hi friends! Thanks for stopping by—I’m so glad you’re here! 😁

Let’s see what brought the sparkle this week!

(FYI: I make a small commission for purchases or clicks made through links in this post.)

• Ice cream on Father’s Day! 

Really, the only thing Pops wanted to do on Father’s Day was go out for ice cream… and my initial responses confirmed that I am, in fact, an Old Lady:

“But… I just went out yesterday!”

and

“We can’t get ice cream, it’s not even 70 degrees!”

😂🙈

As you can see, I did eventually come around! 

• An extremely comfy jumpsuit! It arrived Saturday, and I have already worn it twice! I had some money off at Knix, and I made an EXCELLENT choice with this super soft modal number. 😍

• Learning, especially about woo woo things! 🔮 I’ve been picking up bits and pieces about Human Design since last fall, and I find it pretty fascinating (but complex, geez). Sort of Spiritual’s free HD Bootcamp series was up this past week, and it was so fun to learn something new (and take notes! #ForeverNerd)! Finding out that I generate my own energy in the scheme of Human Design, that generating energy is a sign of alignment for me, has been an interesting thing to look for and lean into over the past year.

It’s especially fun to take notes when you have a cute notebook! 

• This IG story of mine resonating with people! (My social media presence is so erratic these days that I am positively delighted when people get something out of the things I post!)

I find myself enjoying a lot of Dr. Leah’s inner child posts!

I’ve had therapists model “reparenting” behavior for me before, but it never really made an impact until last fall—and I wonder if that’s because I was also reading Bethany Webster’s incredible book Discovering the Inner Mother at the time. Since then, the inner therapy room has been a great source of comfort. The ability to go inward when I feel scared and engage with my inner children, to give them the caring and attention they needed and couldn’t ask for back then, has been so helpful for my overall mental health.

I also realized somewhere along the way that I don’t respond well to tough love, and that was a real turning point. Like, if I feel comforted and brave when my therapist is calm and patient and gentle with me and my inner children, then yeah, maybe I really do need to treat myself kindly and gently too. 🤯🤯

• Lastly, speaking of my inner children, 12 year old Jess was DELIGHTED by these two Heardles last week! 😂😂

What put the sparkle in your week? ✨

Happy Friday! xoxo