Cyber Monday is finally here and I am so excited about all of the beauty deals going on! Y’all know I love my non-toxic makeup and skincare from Younique. It was the only product line that helped clear my hormonal acne! Today releases a new cleansing balm and I’ll be grabbing with a bottle of rosewater toner. For one day only have a chance to get Bundles 1–7 while supplies last. Available until midnight while supplies last!! Here’s a breakdown of the products and discounts. Happy Shopping!

What would we do without Amazon? I’m beginning to wonder how any of us existed prior to their delivery services that cut shipping times by 90%. Amazon continues to innovate and impress me every single year. As I have tried hard to minimize contact and exposure by staying safe and being healthy, Amazon has become almost a necessity for me these days. From household items like these lightbulbs and neck massager to gifts that keep on giving like Audible - I’m a prime target (no pun intented … lol) and love being able to shop for gifts for my loved ones. Here is a complete guide to things I’ve recently purchased on Amazon, things I’m going to purchase, things I would purchase and pretty much everything I can think of!

Black Friday is HERE!!! I couldn’t be more excited. The sales this year are incredible and I cannot wait to pick up a few more things for my loved ones. I’ve rounded up several of my favorite items for her! If you missed my Gifts for Him post you can check it out here. On a side note a new eyeshadow palette was released this morning that is absolutely incredible! You can grab it with eye primer for 25% off. I also am loving accessories right now like these earrings, a new set of masks and of course mascara. What’s on your list? You can shop a few of my favorites below!

Isn’t there something magical about sitting down at a beautiful table? Each season I set our table with a different theme. You can scroll back to this post for a Autumn Inspired table for this week’s Thanksgiving preparations or this previous post where I show you how to come up with a theme! But tablescapes are a fun and easy way to add a little decor to your home. This year, we’ve been pulling out all of the soft green, white and pinks for our holiday decorations. I decided to carry the same color scheme I use all year round and just add a few touches that are winter themed to our living and dining room. Little bottle brush trees are scattered throughout the place (37 in total) and a few containers filled with ornaments add so much sweetness to the area this year. Since we are spending more time here than usual I decided to make the space feel warm and inviting.

Let’s go ahead and just start with how this post can benefit everyone. I mean EVERYONE right now. Whether you want to admit it or not COVID-19 forever changed us and being stuck inside all the time is rough. Currently, I work from home and homeschool my child with virtual learning. By the end of the week my routines feel monotonous and I have an itch to go explore. For most of this past year I’ve taken day trips to surrounding areas like antique shopping or exploring near by honey and lavender farms. Every time I get a chance to leave I come back feeling renewed. I gain inspiration that carries me through the coming days and weeks. My soul literally feels more joy. Last weekend my daughter and I took a trip to Cedar Park on the north side of Austin. Our activities included being mostly outside and socially distant. At the end of the weekend she said this hike in St. Edwards Park was the best thing we did. Whether you face nature alone or take your loved ones, getting a little lost in nature is often times the refresher we all need to get us through the stressful times.

I’m a fan of all things made for sweater weather. There’s something so cozy about slipping one on the first crisp cool day of the season. Sweaters are one of the perfect gift for all ages in all climates. You can wear one layered under a warm jacket in the Winter or throw on a cardigan over a tank top in the Summer. For cool nights they are nice to drape over the shoulders and there’s just nothing better than reaching for one at the beginning of Fall. I absolutely adore other things made of sweater knits like pants, dresses and even throw pillows around the home for the cozy months. Today I’ve rounded up sweaters for the entire family perfect to gift this season!

Yesterday I shared a little about our girl’s weekend trip to Austin and the incredible sunset we saw from Mt. Bonnell. The week has been full of so many magical memories and on the way here my daughter asked if we could go to a butterfly place. With all of Austin’s wildlife I figured there had to be one. I did a quick search and sure enough a few places popped up including this one. We arose yesterday morning for a quick breakfast stop at The Original Pancake House and since we were about a 15 minute minute drive away from the garden decided to add it to our itinerary for the day. It was definitely worth it! It’s also located by a food truck park and Mueller Lake Park so lots to do in the area!

One of the best views in the city is Mt. Bonnell. You can climb up in about a five minute walk to get a breathtaking view of the entire city. I’ve share about this location before during sunrise and sunset is just as beautiful. Because the view sits on the 360 loop it’s a beautiful sunset drive up there! Highly recommend to do if you are looking to visit Austin. We dressed up for dinner and then made the walk up for a brief glimpse of sunset. It was amazing and she told me she wanted to just sit and enjoy this because we don’t get to see it every day.

It’s been a minute since I posted a Small Town Charm post. Yesterday, I took a day trip to my old college stomping ground in Huntsville, TX. It’s been a few year years since I made that journey and remembered just how pretty it was during the Fall and Spring. It’s about a 45 minute drive from College Station and an hour and a half from Houston. The perfect getaway for antique shopping, coffee and lunch. The sky was a clear blue which made the drive even more enjoyable! I spent a few hours picking up a few gifts in the anitique stores and then grabbed a really delicious Sipsy’s latte at a local coffee shop. Did you know that Huntsville has a ton of history in its downtown and surrounding areas? Yep, in the mid-1800’s it was a spot where General Sam Houston stayed! In fact, the corner I’m standing on below was a location he spent time in! History is so much fun when you start imaging all of the places and situations people have been in before in the exact same spots.

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

At the beginning of 2020 I chose the word explode for my year. When I selected that word I thought it would be my business that would explode. Little did I know God had bigger plans than that. Every single area of my life ended up changing - mentally, physically, emotionally, my home, my work, my parenting. All the energy from the past few years I put forth came together to form this new life I have now. I am obsessively grateful for where I am today, but I’ll never forget where I came from. I believe that are moments of struggle are tests of faith. As we move through those dark valleys with faith and hope we are able to make it to the other side where the blessing lie. My life is a living testimony of that. It didn’t explode until I pushed through the pain. It didn’t reap the blessings without the sacrifice.

Every Fall and Spring my daughter and I make it a point to get out of the house and go for a picnic. We’ve been doing this for years at this point and it just never gets old. We’ve spent holidays like Mother’s Day on a picnic and then sometimes just go on a whim to enjoy the scenery around us. The weather in Texas is always hot. Well, at least 3/4 of the year so when weather cools down enough, we take advantage of everything nature has to offer. About a week ago we decided to pack up at golden hour and have our dinner outdoors. There were ducks swimming just feet away from us and the whole scene felt like we were in a storybook. Making memories like that with her fills my heart so much! When was the last time you had a picnic? Believe it or not they are really easy to throw together!

This season is one to remember in many ways. I am filled with gratitude as I write these word sitting cross legged on my couch. My new couch for that matter. About a month ago I was attending an online yoga class and the instructor talked about how shedding baggage during Fall. You can read more about that concept in this post, but I realized I had some emotional baggage that I just needed to let go. Guess what? As soon as I let those things go that no longer served me in life I was able to make room for more gratitude. With gratitude comes joy. What no longer served me was relinquished so that I could have mental space to enjoy what was right in front of me.

Two years ago I gained weight. Sigh - there I said it (you can scroll to the bottom for a before and after pic). That was a big one for me to let out. I’m very much a perfectionist in a lot of ways. It’s a tough attribute to deal with because no matter how hard I try - it’s impossible for me to attain perfection. I wasn’t just overweight either. I was depressed and anxious at the same time. Can we say double-whammy? I didn’t want to drive anywhere due to panic attacks. I was constantly walking around in a foggy gloom. I wondered if this was all there was to life… I had this corporate job I was frustrated being apart of because I didn’t feel like I made a difference. I didn’t fit in with any of the suburban moms. My friends were married and had multiple kids. I lacked purpose, discernment and everything felt really complicated.