Things I Love Thursday // 3.25.21

Ben Snuggles

Our new addition is growing by the day. Ben, our F1 Standard Bernedoodle, is 9.5 weeks and I swear he's nearly doubled in size already --but he still thinks he's tiny and he loves to be held like a human baby. It's really too much. He's usually very sleepy all day because he doesn't sleep as soundly in his crate at night. He is making huge strides with his crate training --but it's far from easy yet.

Lenten Roses (Hellebore)

With the coming of spring, so comes the bountiful blooms of Lenten Roses in my yard. I had never seen this flowering plant before moving to Charlotte from the west coast. West Coasties, do you have these where you are? Thank you to the person who planted these beauties years ago when this house was yours. While there is likely a great way to cultivate, prune, and fertilize these thriving plants --I haven't done any of that in the over 8 years we've been here and they continue to multiply. Cheers to little vases full of free flowers!

Concealer

With the coming of spring and Lenten Roses (along with everything else that's blooming right now), so comes the season of my red-rimmed eyes and sniffly nose. I heard that allergies are going to be off the charts this year. A friend of mine said that even with the masking mandates loosening --she'll likely wear hers every spring going forward --just to cut down on the pollen exposure to her sinuses. Brilliant. The only way I know how to deal with the increased redness in my already too-red complexion is by blending it out with a creamy concealer (on my upper lids and dark circles). My favorite drugstore brand is Maybelline's Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles Treatment Multi-Use Corrector. (It's a mouthful of a name.) What I love about it: the price, consistency (moisturizing and smooth), sponge applicator, variety of shades available, and that it doesn't settle in the crepe-y creases of my under-eyes. For a splurge, my favorite concealer is Tarte's Shape Tape. (You'll spend 3-4x as much as Maybelline; however, the size is a bit larger.) I heard people rave about this product for years before giving it a try. Now I understand the hype. It's slightly more pigmented than the drugstore brand and I think it has better coverage overall (but they are very close). What I love about it: the variety of shades, the ability to layer this product for more full coverage, the matte finish is nice though not as moisturizing as the Maybelline (however, Tarte is now making this product in a "creamy" version which I have not tried), the smell (funny, I know --but it's really nice). Below, you can see what a huge difference a little concealer makes for my "allergy eyes." 

Foodie Night

My Foodie Night text group continues to delight. We are not cooking as many novel recipes these days but we still share our meals via pictures and recipe links on the regular. You all know what a fan I am of Half Baked Harvest. In Tieghan's recent newsletter, she promoted the idea of keeping a well-stocked pantry. It's great advice (not sure I would categorize it as a "secret" like she does). I couldn't help but share the tip with my Foodie Night ladies as way of thanking THEM for keeping their pantries well-stocked --as they have each come to the "rescue" of my family's dinner on multiple occasions when I text, "$hit. Elbow deep into dinner prep and just realized I'm out of _____." Without fail, one of these lovelies has just what I need and it's no more than half a block away! Cheers to my village. What's your latest recipe discovery? I'm needing inspiration.