10 Favorite Things: Holiday Edition

Rent The Runway (the perfect alternative to your trendy purchases)- You have to read this. It’s not what you think! I have to say this is probably the thing I’m most excited about out of all 10 things! I was talking to my friend about how I had a couple events coming up (a few speaking engagements and a trip to the Bahamas) that I needed/wanted something cool for, but I didn’t want to spend the money on because I knew I wasn’t going to get a lot of wear out of them. That’s when she told me about RTR Unlimited. You can have 4 items from Rent the Runway in your closet at anytime for a monthly flat rate (they’re running a special right now for $119/month). That means I can get a fun going out top for a GNO, a fun dress for a Christmas party and still have two other spots to keep rotating items into my closet. To me, this is the perfect alternative to the trendy purchases I make every season! I’ve been having so much fun wearing something once and then sending it back, and I still have 3 other things in my closet to wear. It’s like a revolving 4 item purchase of high end clothes instead of trendy clothes you tire of after one season. This is conscious consumerism at its finest, and you can count me in! Especially when the dress I’m wearing is at Nordstrom for full price.

Makeup Eraser– My sister (@tellittoyourneighbor) is the one who deserves all the credit for this find. While shopping the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale together this summer, a lady in the makeup department started telling my sister about this towel. I, of course, (being the very nice person I am) avoided the sales lady like the plague. Turns out, this Makeup Eraser is amazing. Apparently, it has silver in it, and when you wipe it on your face, the silver is a like a magnet to your makeup and takes it all off! Well, I don’t really care how it works, but IT WORKS!! Every night, I wash my face with my Colleen Rothschild Cleansing Balm (that’s what struggling with acne in your teens will train you to do), but I could never get all my eye makeup off. But, my cleanser in combination with the Makeup Eraser takes it all off!!! I don’t even have to use eye makeup remover anymore. (Shows me to avoid a nice, sweet sales lady.)

Blue Light Glasses– My phone and computer have ruined my eyes. No, seriously. I’ve had great vision all my life, and all of a sudden, I started to not be able to focus on things close to my face (when reading books, the lines started to cross), I started to see double when I looked at the tv, and the headlights started to hurt my eyes so badly that I felt like I couldn’t drive at night. Well, come to find out (from Dr. Bridget Lee), these are all signs of digital eye strain. The reason the headlights hurt my eyes is because the new ones are made with LED blue lights!!!! Well, when I put these glasses on, all my issues go away!!! I love the clear but they come in a variety of colors, so you could do a fun color or do a color to match your outfit! I also purchased a blue light blocking screen for my i-phone X and my boys i-pad.

Smart wool bootie socks– I love wearing boots and booties, but I have a few problems with them. My feet get really cold in the winter when I wear my regular cotton footies with my booties. Also when I wear footies, the bootie rubs my ankle bone. Well, not anymore! These bootie socks are lightweight wool, and they cover the ankle bone! Plus, they add a little more coverage for warmth!

Drug Store Mascara– I love a good mascara. My favorite high end mascara is Volume Effet Faux Cils Mascara by YSL, but at $29 a pop, I had to find a good drug store alternative. And that I did with L’Oreal’s Lash Paradise. It’s 99% what YSL is but for a third of the price. I buy it in bulk and go through 1-2 tubes a month.

Favorite Black Base Layer (Splendid dress, Black Paige Coated Denim, Black Paige Skinny Jeans, Black Pixie Pant, Commando Leather Leggings) – One of the easiest ways to figure out what to wear to your holiday festivities is to have a jumping off point. And, if you ask me, the easiest jumping of point is a black base layer. Whether it be a black pant, jean or coated denim, throw on a festive top, put a blazer on top for warmth and wear a heel or bootie. But, my personal favorite black base layer right now is this black Splendid dress. I have been able to wear this dress a million different ways- with a sweater over it, with a belt and a sweater, and I dressed it up by putting my new sheer shirt under it! I made my own cocktail dress!

Tabby Belt– Which brings me to my new favorite way to bring new life to all the dresses in my closet. Since I’m trying to get out of my jean rut, I’ve started to try and wear more dresses. But, when it turned cold, I was finding it hard because I needed more warmth. That’s when I put my all-time favorite sweater on top of this dress. It looked really cute, but I knew I needed a waistline. So, I pulled out this belt that I haven’t worn in years. I put it around my waist and tucked my sweater into it, and it looked darling!!! Now, it’s my favorite thing to do!

White Sneakers– I’m seeing white sneakers everywhere, and it seems chunky and clunky are in. For me, I wanted a white pair of sneakers that were void of hardware, brand names and clunk -ha! Which is why when my S-I-L told me about these, I ordered them immediately! I love wearing them with dresses for a casual, edgy vibe, and I’m also pairing them with a my sweater and jeans outfits to give them a fresh feel!

Vince Booties– Since purchasing these booties, I’ve worn nothing else! And if you’re not into the price, my friend, Kathryn, found an excellent steal version on Amazon! I love this style because they can be dressed up or down. The look great with leggings and skinny jeans, as well as dresses.

Non-Itchy Sweaters Trick- If you follow along on the blog or on social media, you know I’m majorly over itchy sweaters. I even find that cashmere can be itchy these days, depending on the quality and grade. So, I have a trick on how to find non-itchy sweaters, and I wanted to share it with you! Websites (specifically Nordstrom) are now allowing you to search for sweaters by material! So, I found a whole bunch of super soft sweaters by choosing to see sweaters with chenille, cotton blend, 100% cotton, fleece, microfiber and synthetic. But, before you purchase the new non-itchy sweater, be sure to click on item details to see if there is even the tiniest bit of wool.