A foundation that has people actually complimenting my skin?!?!? 🎉
Plus, my newest ADHD hack that'll have you screaming "GENIUS!", how to keep your kitchen bug-free, and the sunshine and optimism you need right now (Joy Boost #5)
This past weekend, we went to the mountains for a couple of days to get out of the heat and to meet up with some besties.
I’m sure you’re thinking, “Sounds fun!”
UGH is almost always my response when the idea comes up.
I NEVER want to go to the mountains.
They’re not far - only about an hour and change - but it always feels like such an ordeal. You gotta pack, and be in traffic, and what about cleaning out the gutters, and wiping down the walls, and organizing the garage??!?! WAH! (Such a brat, I know.)
And then the moment I get there, I’m like, “We should come up here every weekend! Let’s never go back to Denver! Tevas for everyone!”
(Yes, my husband is a patient saint.)
It’s just so easy to forget how calming it is to be in nature. How good it feels to slow down and linger. How important it is to remember how small and inconsequential we are.
Also, hanging with old friends? A+++++ / 100 out of 100 / 5 stars all the way.
I came back a whole lot more patient and with an aura of peace that hasn’t completely faded (I think I need to go on a hike or something to get it all back!).
So, this is your gentle nudge to “touch grass” as the kids say, even if it’s a pain in the hiney. To head to the lake for the day or, if you’re really lucky, the ocean, or even to your nearby park for a quick picnic lunch.
Give yourself the space to breathe and the time to disconnect. Your next week self will thank you.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Love, Kara
I AM A GENIUS!
You know all of the papers you need to take care of - bills, flyers from school, coupons you’re waiting to expire so you can throw them out with a clear conscience?
Before I had them on our fridge, or in piles or folders in different parts of the house, but this last week I had the inspiration to put them on a clipboard.
What a game changer!
Everything’s in one place and I’ve been toting it around with me so if I have a few extra minutes, I just cruise through the stack and take care of business.
I mean, a parking ticket got paid on time! I bought tickets to my daughter’s play BEFORE the night of! I might even get our car registration in on time! (Although, let’s not go crazy. There’s nothing better than standing in line at the DMW all morning to pay a bunch of fees because it’s too late to use the online version, am I right? WHAT WOULD I EVEN DO WITH ALL THAT FREE TIME?!?!?)
I’m going to treat myself and get this one because it’s so pretty and this level of organization deserves the best.
Adam Grant had this illuminating post on books:
I realized I am in the season of “good books” (call it summer and the state of the world). And that’s okay!
I’ve read lots of “great books” (here’s a list of everything I’ve read this year) and will continue to do so, but right now this gal just need to be entertained.
Which is all to say, Kevin Kwan’s “Lies and Weddings” is the Ultimate Good Book. It introduces you to the world of the ultra-rich (they way they jet around the world!), I devoured it in a day, and was so engaged the smoke detector went off because I forgot about the frozen pizza in the oven. The perfect summer read!
I don’t know why we have so many bugs in our house.
Last summer, we had a fly infestation that my mom traced to the rubber part that sits over the garbage disposal hole (I literally looked it up and it doesn’t have a name). I’d never cleaned it because I didn’t know it was removable (did you know that?!?!) and so flies were treating it as their all night, pregnancy disco and it was SO GROSS.
Since then I’ve been very diligent about cleaning it out and we STILL have all sorts of bugs.
This bug killer is my saving grace. It basically draws them in with the light and then they stick to the paper. It works with the little gnats, all the way up to my disco flies.
(Since we’re talking bugs, I bought this mosquito repeller last year and it did squat. When we lived in Hawaii, we had this one, which worked great, but is significantly more expensive and has to sit on your counter.)
Ready for a burst of sunshine and happiness? You gotta go follow Endangerhood over on Instagram. His page is full of optimism and love and is probably exactly what you need right now.
(Also, he has a service where he mails you a real, hold-it-in-your-hands letter each month so you better believe I signed up! I’ll show it to you when it gets here!)
Since hitting middle age, it’s been really hard to find a foundation that doesn’t highlight my wrinkles and make me look like Denver’s own Gloria Swanson.
I’ve tried 8 -10 different ones and finally found the Holy Grail. And it’s…the one you probably see in your IG feed on the daily: Merit’s Perfecting Complexion Stick.
IT’S FANTASTIC. It’s super easy to put on, has very light coverage, but also evens you out, and every time I wear it, people say my skin looks amazing. Can’t recommend it enough!
(Also, I was thinking about doing a Live where I walk you through all the make up I tried or is that overkill?!?!? LET ME KNOW!!)
It’s summer, but you can still keep promises to yourself!
What if your promise was that you’ll work on your personal project 30 minutes today? Or that you’ll make time to work out so you’re not a grump? Or that you’ll go to bed earlier so you can get up earlier?
I know there’s lots to stand in your way (omg, it’s summer with the kids!) so I’ve put together 11 Ways to Kick Procrastination’s Hiney and Start Keeping Promises to Yourself.
It’s a (free!) quick guide with lots of ideas to get going and not let the summer slip by.
Have a great weekend!!
