My Favorite Things I Discovered in June.

Happy planner notebooks. || I went to Michael's to get a notebook for my conference a few weeks ago, and this is the one I landed on. They had SO many adorable ones to choose from, but I got the one pictured above that says create your own sunshine. I've been writing in it every morning and it just makes me happy! 
Chai tea lattes. || I love chai lattes. I hate how much sugar is typically in chai lattes. So when I saw an unsweetened chai latte mix at Target, I snatched it up. UM, DELICIOUS. Half of this, half unsweetened (vanilla, if you're feeling spicy) almond milk. It's become my favorite afternoon treat. Side note: Amazon has it for $9, but it's only $3 at Target!
Rebel ice cream. || Speaking of treats (and also hating how much sugar is in things), this ice cream is DELICIOUS. I hate how "healthier" ice cream tends to have a chemically taste, and this one doesn't. I've only tried the chocolate peanut butter flavor (which was AMAZING), but my mom says the mint chocolate chip one is good too. 
True & Co bras. || I bought one of these bras on a whim at Target, and HOLY MOLY GOODNESS GRACIOUS. The most comfortable thing I've ever put on my body. It's like butter. I've since bought that one in another color and this one too. Now, I'm gonna level with you: These aren't the sexiest things I've ever seen. But they are the perfect everyday bra. 
Red Closet Shop workout clothes. || We all know by now that I am obsessed with The Red Closet Shop. When they announced they were dropping an athleisure line, it was a no-brainer. I'm obsessed with it alllll. Perfect for working out (and also for not working out, let's be honest here). 
What about you? What did you discover this month?

My Favorite Things I Discovered This Month: February 2019.

Vita body blur. || This is expensive, but it's probably going to last me my whole life, because a little goes a looooong way, and it's definitely not an everyday thing. Unless, of course, you go out on the town every day and wanna be glam, in which case, you go, Dolly Parton! Every day for you! It's basically a bronzer/concealer/spray tan all in one that washes off. I bought this on a whim (AKA, I was having a bad day that spiraled into a treat yo'self moment and saw Becca Tilley post about this) and I'm so glad I did! It makes my legs look like 15% as good as a Victoria Secret model's legs, and really, isn't that all anyone can ask for?
Target cleaners. ||  Target has these new cleaners that are branded "Smells like...." and are also ONLY $1.59. "Smells like a citrus grove" is my favorite one, and it makes my house smell SO GOOOOOD. Side note: Is this what being an adult is? Being excited about cheap house cleaning products? Bless. 
Zit patches. || Non-gross description: These are magic and if you ever break out, you need them. More detailed, kinda gross description: You know how when you start to get a zit, but it's not ready to come to the surface? So you either A) Have the patience of a monk and chill out for a few days with a mountain on your face, just dreading what's coming, or B) Are me, and try to pop it anyway, ending up with a bloody mess that looks way worse that the zit (that's still coming, by the way) would've looked had you just waited. These take care of that.   I don't know how they work, but if you're starting to get a pimple, you put the little sticker on before you go to bed (or during the day, doesn't matter) and roughly 8 hours later, all the gunky stuff that was under the surface was brought to the top and is now stuck to the sticker. See? Magic. 
Lemon and mint tea. || Lauryn Evarts from The Skinny Confidential is always posting lemon and mint tea in her instagram stories, so I decided to try it. Oh my gosh, it's so nice! Just some lemon and fresh mint leaves in a cup of hot water. It's supposedly really good for bloat and detoxing, but also it's just delicious and refreshing. I've been making it every morning this month and I love it!
What did you discover this month?

My Favorite Things I Discovered in November.

My favorite coffee maker. || This isn't a new discovery, but the price is. This coffee pot has been used daily (sometimes several times a day) for SEVEN YEARS. It was time to get a new one, and I was so happy to see that 1) They still make it! And 2) It's dropped from the $230 price tag it was seven years ago to under $100. If you're in the market for a new coffee maker, I love this one.
This beanie with a SPACE FOR YOUR BUN. WHAT. || I loooove beanie season. I also have a strong love affair with messy buns. This is the best of both worlds and it's so. stinking. cute. Also, I've worn it with my hair down, and the hole in the top of it isn't noticeable at all. 
This brie recipe. || This was technically an October discovery, but it's worth putting here. My girl Kait told me about this recipe (I trust everything she says, but especially when it comes to food). I made it for Halloween and it was such a hit that my best friends then all made it for their Thanksgivings and loved it! If you want something that's easy but also impressive for a holiday party, this is a winner.
Spanx leggings. || After wanting to try these forever and then removing them from my cart because of the price, I finally caved and had a "treat yo'self" moment and OH MY GOODNESS, they're worth every penny. If you wear leggings at all, you need these. They look fancy (I would totally wear them to work), they feel like butter, and they're fitted and suck everything in/smooth everything over without feeling uncomfortably tight. 10/10 would recommend. 
What new things did you discover this month?!

My Favorite Things I've Discovered in July.

My July discoveries were majorly cheap (or even FREE) and majorly about daily pampering. There two things don't tend to go hand in hand (Am I the only one who sometimes reads a blog post of how to treat yourself and ends up feeling like I need roughly $200 of products?) so I am thrilled. Let's get to it. 
PS: These are affiliate links. I'll make (literally) a few pennies if you click on them. Carry on!
1) This gel eye mask. My favorite thing this month (and honestly, maybe the entire year or like, MY WHOLE LIFE) was $7.99. Please do yourself a favor and buy it. You can make it warm or cold, and it's magical. I keep it in my freezer and use it every day, but especially when I have a headache. Puffy eyes, headache, feel tired, feel just blah? This works some magic. You need it. I loved it so much I immediately bought my mom and best friend one. Everybody in my life will be getting these as gifts. I love them that much. 
2) Lymphatic drainage massage. My new favorite way to treat myself FOR FREE.  I was listening to The Morning Toast (my favorite podcast!) And Lauren from The Skinny Confidential was on as a guest. She talked about this and a few google searches later, I was hooked. I've been doing this every day for a few weeks, and it works. My face is less puffy when I do it, I look more awake, and honestly, my skin just looks better. There are tons of tutorials on youtube, but I like this one, this one, and this one. 
3) Microneedling. Lindsay did a post on this awhile back, and it intrigued me, but also scared me. But having ventured into the world of facial massage and feeling like where has this been all my life?! I wondered if microneedling was something like that. Plus, Lindsay could tell me to rub diet coke on my face before bed every night and I'd probably do it. She's trustworthy like that. I've only been doing this for about a week and a half, but honestly, aside from travel breakouts (ugh, airplanes) my skin has been looking pretty amazing. I'm excited to see what longterm results I see from doing it! 
4) Ice roller. While yes, this technically helps with inflammation and overall puffiness, it also just feels REALLY freaking good. Like, amazing. It lives in my freezer and I use it every single morning. It's supposed to tighten pores and wrinkles, de-puff your face and eyes, increase blood flow, and a bunch of other good stuff. And while I totally believe it does those things, it also wakes me up and makes me feel really refreshed, so it's a winner. 
5) Sheet masks. ONE DOLLAR for a pampering sesh. Seriously? If you've got Amazon Prime, here's a 16 pack for $9. I don't know why I've never used sheet masks before now, but I'm obsessed. 
6) Under-eye masks.  At $3.41 for TWO packs of 15, add this to your cart for the next time you buy anything on Amazon (it's an add-on item). Puffy under-eye? Be gone. Dark circles? Bye, girl. I love me some collagen, so slap these on your eye wrinkles and let that goodness sink in. PRO-TIP: Put them in the fridge before you use them. Heavenly. 

Have you used any of these things? Tell me your favorite thing you've discovered this month! 

My Favorite Things I've Discovered in June.

Foam dry shampoo || I'm loving this for the days I wear my hair wavy. It scrunches in instead of spraying, so it soaks in instead of having to rub it in, so my waves stay intact! It also adds volume, which is a big win. 
Sally Hansen insta-dri nail polish || I've always been an Essie & OPI girl, but as of late (read: as of having a toddler) my nails constantly look like crap because I paint them and immediately mess them up before they've had time to dry. This nail polish dries in 60 seconds (like, touch it and you're fine, all the way dry, kinda dry) and I don't know that I'll ever go back. This is the prettiest (extremely light) lavender and this is my favorite (white nails forever).

Poshmark || I bought my dress for a wedding off Poshmark in January, just because I googled the named of the dress I wanted and it popped up on there for 75% off. When I needed another dress, I thought I'd look on poshmark, and after getting sucked into it for a few hours decided to list a few things on there and see if I had any luck. I've sold several things this week and it's been so fun! 
It's like a virtual thrift store and I'm obsessed. Here's my closet if you wanna take a peek at the things I've got listed, and if you decide to sign up to list some of your own things, you can use the invite code CHELSEABYARS and we'll both get some free money. 
What are your favorite things you've discovered this month?

Amazon Favorites Lately

Does anybody else remember when we used Amazon primarily to buy books? Textbooks, mostly? What did we even do? Where did we even buy our things? 
I'm just going to level with you. I love shopping. I love malls and Marshall's and Ross and Ulta and all of it. However, Jack has entered a very non-shopping-friendly stage if it's just him and I. So being able to get the things I want online is pretty magical. What a time to be alive, you know?
Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay. I honestly think this is the best thing you can buy on Amazon. I've raved about it before, so I won't go into it now, but it's cheap, it works, and it lasts forever. I'll always have a jar of this.
This bikini. At under $15 for a top and a bottom, I'm a fan. It's cute, true to size, and I'll be wearing it all year. Also, side note: For some reason the link now says "thong bikini" in the description?? I assure you, it is not. 
This foam roller. It's five dollars and makes ending a workout way more enjoyable because it ensures I can actually move my body the next day.
Mario Badescu Drying Lotion. Worth every single bit of the hype. Dab a little bit of this on any upcoming breakouts before you go to sleep, wake up to them almost gone. It's magical. 
Natural Calm Magnesium Supplement. A glass of this before bed and I sleep so much better. 
What's your favorite thing you've bought on Amazon lately?

My Favorite Things I Discovered in May.

This flamingo water bottle. It was $3 in the Target dollar spot! I can't find it online to link to it, but it's still at Target. 

Macadamia nut milk. I fully credit this (and also my stubborness) for being able to quit sugary creamer so fast. 

Lucky's. I discovered Lucky's Market this month and hello, heaven. HOW have I lived in Gainesville for two entire years and never ventured into this magical place?! There aren't a ton of things I refer to as life-changing, but Lucky's is one of them. 

Chocolate coconut coffee. Discovered at Lucky's. 1) It's delicious. 2) I told you Lucky's was life-changing. 

This bralette. I actually bought this two months ago and it fell out of the bag and has been under my seat since, only to be discovered a few weeks ago. But it's so cute! It's so comfy, lined enough that you can wear it as an actual bra without giving somebody a show, but cute enough (and covers enough) that it can peek through without looking sleazy. 10/10. (I got the peach beach floral pattern). 

Magnesium. I wrote that I'd been taking melatonin and a lot of you guys told me how bad that was for me. Some of you recommended magnesium instead. I bought some and it's been doing the trick! Plus, no insane dreams or nightmares, which is a big win. I will say it takes longer to work, so I try to drink it about 45 minutes before I go to bed. 

What fun things have you discovered this month?

10 Under $10: Things You (Maybe, Might) Need.

I love seeing people's favorite things. Honestly, a lot of my favorite things, or things I use on a daily basis, came from seeing people recommend them online. So many things I never would have known about if it wasn't for people sharing their favorites!

I am also a sucker for a good deal, so it should not come as a surprise that the majority of my favorite things are under $10. Here are ten of them...treat yo'self. 

Vibe so hard water bottle. This is the actual cutest. To be fair, if the word vibe is anywhere on anything, I probably want it. 

Mrs. Meyer's honeysuckle hand soap. You know you're a real adult when you get excited about soap, right? This smells amazing. It lasts forever and doesn't dry out your hands. 

Not Your Mother's dry finish texture spray. A long time ago, I had a favorite texturizing spray. Then the brand went under, taking my hairspray with them. Last May, I went to a blow dry bar before an event, and she used texturizing spray. I bought it, because it didn't make my hair sticky and also didn't smell like a grandma, but it was $30 (Again, sucker for a good deal, so not too excited here). I tried this one from Target, and it is so good that I still have some of the $30 one left over, but I reach for this one instead. It's a winner.

Rosebud Salve. This has a cult-like following for a reason..it works. It fixes chapped lips and is the prettiest color.

Pajama shorts. I have become such a pajama fan recently (again, is this how you know you're an adult? Soap? Pajamas?). These are cheap, adorable, and I wouldn't be embarrassed to accidentally wear them all day, ya know?

Bobby pin keychain. This is maybe the most brilliant idea I never knew we needed, and every female on my Christmas list will be getting one of these.

Send me dog pics t-shirt. This just makes me laugh.

Rhinestone flower bobby pins. Now that my hair is shorter, I wear it pinned back a lot. These babies make it look like some effort was made.

Nip + Fab no needle serum. I keep raving about this serum because it keeps being amazing. You need it.

Dr. Teal's foaming bath. Maybe the easiest way to treat yourself and take a break is a bubble bath. This epsom salt soak has lavender oils in it that smell heavenly and help you push pause on life. It's amazing.

What are you loving that's under $10?

My Favorite Things I Discovered This Summer.

Butter pecan coffee. I'm not a huge Dunkin' Donuts fan, but when we went on our road trip, there was one right down the road from where we were staying, and my beloved Starbucks was nowhere to be found. Luckily, Sam is a die-hard Dunkin' fan, so she told me the butter pecan coffee was magic. She wasn't wrong, and I've actually gone out of my way to get it several times since. I think it's just a summer flavor, but it's so delicious! 
Sandy's. This is a local one, so sorry, non-Florida people. But this consignment shop is AMAZING. The first time I went this summer I got two pairs of shorts, three dresses (one of which was a Free People dress), and two shirts for $50 dollars. That is amazing. And seriously, once you start finding good deals thrifting, you just can't shop normal prices anymore, because it seems like such a rip-off. 
Acai bowls. I discovered these on our road trip, and now I can't stop making them. I buy the acai packets from Trader Joe's, blend them with a little bit of greek yogurt, and top them with almond butter, coconut, and granola. SO DELICIOUS. 
Dr. Teal's foaming bath. I have been singing the praises of Bath & Body Works Stress Relief bubble bath forever. And while I stand by it, it is a very small bottle (10 oz) that goes very fast for $12. Dr. Teal's foaming bath is an almost perfect dupe, PLUS it's only $6 for a size that's over three times bigger (36 oz). If I didn't know I was using something different, I honestly don't think I would have noticed any differences at all between the two.  
Amazon Prime sunglasses. My heart-eyes sunglasses. My cat eye sunglasses. My gypsy moon and star sunglasses. What I refer to as my movie star sunglasses. I got all four pairs for under $50, which is apparently on the lower-end of what people pay for one pair of sunglasses. I'm all for investing in nice things, but I am rough on my sunglasses. And by I am rough on them, I mean I'm working with a combination of being clumsy and dropping them/leaving them places/tossing them in my purse/Jack ripping them from my face and throwing them on the ground. So having these options that are adorable and knowing that when they eventually break, my heart won't be breaking along with them, is a win/win.    Tell me something you discovered this summer! 

My Favorite Things I Discovered in 2016.

Yogi Teas. I've been singing the praises of the honey lavender stress relief tea, but that's just one of many Yogi teas I discovered last year. They have a tea for everything. Some of my other favorites are vanilla-spice perfect energy and the pomegranate green tea. Bonus: All of the tags on the tea bags have little sayings like fortune cookies. 
Mrs. Meyer's Baking Soda Scrub. I discovered this when we were moving out of our apartment and were trying to make sure we left everything super clean (AKA, we wanted our security deposit back).  To be completely honest, I'd never really deep cleaned anything before without my mom telling me exactly how, so I kind of just went down the cleaning aisle at Target and threw one of everything into my cart. This stuff is some sort of black magic. Our sink, our shower, our oven...this took care of all of them. I'm telling you. Black magic. 

Bubba Tumbler. This was maybe my best purchase of 2016. That's saying a lot, because I bought a bunch of stuff last year (hello, new baby and new house). I am constantly raving about how I find drinking more water to be literally life-changing. It probably annoys everyone I know, but whatever. 
As everyone knows, the best way to make yourself drink more water is to 1) Have a cute cup, and 2) Have a straw. This has both, and the straw is silicone, which I'd never seen before. It's so easy to carry around, fits in cup holders, and keeps your drink cold. It's awesome. 
It's 35 ounces, which means just filling it up twice gets you past your recommended 8 glasses a day mark. I easily fill it up 5 times a day. I will probably buy these as gifts for the rest of the year, if that gives you any idea as to how obsessed I am with mine. 
Essie Gel Couture Polish. I am a nail polish hoarder. Until I moved in May, I still had nail polishes that I had bought while in college. Let me just explain to you how much I love this polish: I threw away all of my other nail polishes. I can get ten days of wear with this one. It's worth it.
Yoga with Adriene. I've never really been a yoga person. I've been to a few classes and done a few at-home videos, but it was never something I just really loved. After I had Jack, I tried yoga as a way to ease my body back into being active (because, ya know, growing an actual human for 40 weeks really does a number on you). I discovered this youtube channel and loved it. 
Over the fall, I started doing one of her videos every day, and (warning, I'm about to sound like a giant, crunchy hippie here) it did wonders for my stress levels. It's also the first workout I've ever done where I could really see myself getting stronger day-to-day.  If you think you're not a yoga person, try these videos. There are hundreds to choose from and something for every skill level.  

LulaRoe Leggings. Before pregnancy, I was not a leggings person. I just wasn't. But then I discovered maternity leggings and proceeded to wear them for 9 months. And then as long as I could get away with them after Jack was born, too. Then I realized I should probably buy normal leggings, since I wasn't pregnant anymore. I started seeing Lularoe pop up on social media and loved all the different patterns (I'm a bright colors & pattern junkie). 
Embarrassing story: I had never purchased any LulaRoe, but when I moved to Gainesville, I didn't know anyone here. I joined a local facebook group and a girl who was also a part of the medical community posted about selling LulaRoe. So naturally I literally bought a pair of leggings so I could pick them up and meet her and we could become friends. Spoiler alert: It didn't work. BUT it did leave me wanting more of these leggings. So when I saw my sweet friend Janelle opened her own LulaRoe shop, I was so excited. She was made for this-she takes such joy in putting together outfits and helping people find something they feel wonderful in. 
I'm not lying when I tell you I wear these leggings at least once a week. They got crazy popular for a reason. It weirds me out that people call them "butter leggings" because that's such a weird image, but honestly, I get why they do. They're so soft. 
I told Janelle I was going to be blogging about this today and she offered to give away a pair of leggings (because she is the sweetest). I'm gonna jump in with her and give away a pair. Enter here:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Okay, your turn. What kind of things did you discover last year?

5 Reasons You Should Absolutely Go See The Fault in Our Stars

Whenever something is surrounded by as much hype as The Fault in Our Stars  has been, there appears a whole tribe of people who instantly become too cool for it.  Who will boycott it due to it's immense popularity.  I'm still trying to figure out how depriving yourself of something you might really enjoy simply because so many other people enjoyed it makes you cool, but that's a talk for another day.

Until then, here are five reasons why you should not join the tribe of boycotters and why you should absolutely go see The Fault in Our Stars. 

1.  To be reminded that you have a pretty dang good life.  Sometimes we can get really down and out over things like flat tires or the size of our paycheck.  It's good to put yourself in a place where you're able to get out of your head and realize that your life with flat tires and small paychecks is actually pretty amazing in the grand scheme of things. 1a. It will also remind you that even if you have problems, life can still be good.  Without spoiling anything, I'll just say that if a cancer-ridden teen can find a way to be happy, so can you.

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2.  It will make you remember how good love can be.  And as you leave the theatre, you will promise yourself that you will settle for nothing less than extraordinary, beautiful, life-changing, eternal love.

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3.  It's a real-life story.  I cannot tell you how many times I've heard some variation of this in the past year or two:  "Why does every movie have vampires or zombies in it?  Why can't there just be normal movies again?"  Well, here you go.  A movie with humans that are 100% human and no extra-terrestrial creatures.  So go see it.

4.  It's really freakin' beautiful.  John Green writes in a way that is almost poetic, and that really flows over into this movie.  It's full of lines so beautiful, you're going to want to have them tattooed on your body.  You probably shouldn't.  But if you do, send me a picture. 

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5.  You're supporting YA literature.  As something chasing the dream of making it as a YA author, I love the idea of supporting other YA authors.  And while you may think that this movie doesn't really need any support because obviously John Green has made it huge as an author, I think it still counts.  Sarah Dessen (also a YA author) tweeted on this subject:  "A rising tide lifts all boats."  If you want more YA movies--hello, who doesn't--go see this one!

But please, for the love of everything that is good in this world...READ THE BOOK FIRST.

Are you planning on reading/seeing The Fault in Our Stars?