SO in the KNOW | What I’m Learning & Loving in my Empty Nest in May

Summer is on the horizon, and the sunshine is breaking through! Here in Dallas, Bob and I spent the best part of last weekend doing our massive annual clean-up of the outdoor spaces! Think power washing, polishing the teak outdoor furniture, washing windows, and more! It’s looking good, and we’re SO ready to throw open the doors and let the sunshine and fresh air in!

This month’s SO in the KNOW is full of summer looks, products, tools, and little helpers to make your summer months beautiful and fun! I can’t wait to share what’s on my radar this month. Let’s get you SO in the KNOW! 👇

As always, click the pink text links or any image (including the collage above) for more information.

What I’m Learning

4 Ways to Reverse Cognitive Decline in Retirement

Post-retirement cognitive decline is so common it’s nearly a fact of life. But it doesn’t need to be. In a recent article, Fortune looked at four ways to reverse it.

1. Keep (or Get) Connected
2. Keep (or Get) Active
3. Keep Stress to a Minimum
4. Keep Working

Read the full article HERE.

Best and Worst Places to Retire

Speaking of retirement, a recent study from Bank Locations ranked the best and worst states for retirement. The study looked at all 50 states through 18 key metrics distributed in three relevant categories: Cost of Retirement Living, Quality of Life, and Access to Healthcare. Each category factored in data from various agencies, including the U.S. Census Bureau, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Council for Community and Bureau of Transportation.

Best States for Retirement

1. Texas (score: 77.11)
2. Michigan (score 73.43)
3. Florida (score 72.96)
4. Georgia (score 68.82)
5. Tennessee (score 66.72)

Worst States for Retirement

1. Delaware (score 19.11)
2. West Virginia (score 24.79)
3. Rhode Island (score 26.06)
4. Vermont (score 26.27)
5. Connecticut (score 27.85)

Handy Free Printable

Our pals at Joy Creative Shop have done it again! Every month they create a FREE printable to help you! This month’s is no exception! Click HERE to download their FREE Gifting Ideas printable.

Joy Creative Shop is one of my favorite places to shop! Best known for hand-lettered flat notes, notepads, and gift enclosures and stickers, you can find all kinds of fun paper goods at Joy Creative Shop! Their manly “From the Desk Of” square to-do list notepad made the ENB Father’s Day Gift Guide this year! Check out the colorful journal notebooks, gift wrap, and more! Take 10% off your entire order at Joy Creative Shop with the code ENB10.

Father’s Day Gift Guide

Speaking of the Father’s Day Gift Guide (with 100+ items for men of all ages & stages), I hope you caught the recent blog post that was all about it! You can access it at any time via tablet, desktop, or laptop by clicking the menu at the top right of the website. On your cell phone, click the big banner on the homepage of the ENB website. Whether you’re shopping for a dad or any age, or you just want some good gift ideas for the men in your life, this is a gift guide you need to check out!

What I’m Loving

1. Easy Breezy Two-Piece Set

This two-piece wide-leg set is so chic and cool for summer! It’s 30% linen and 70% rayon (read that: cool but not nearly as wrinkly as linen). The pull-on pants are high-waisted and look darling with the peplum ruffle sleeveless tank. It runs a little small, so consider going up a size or ordering two sizes and returning the one that doesn’t work! (That’s my trick! 🙌)

2. Heirloom Video Books

This is a great gift idea for weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, or Father’s Day! Share the gift of happy memories! Heirloom video books fit up to 20 minutes of your personalized videos made by friends and family. Each video book features a 5” HD screen with a speaker wrapped in a hardcover book and comes with a fully rechargeable battery. No special tech, wifi, or internet is required! Learn more HERE. 

3. Daily Dose Tinted Glow Booster

This tinted sunscreen from Supergoop is perfect for those casual days when you don’t need foundation! I love it because it feels (and acts) more like a fancy serum than a sunscreen! It’s so luxurious; I actually look forward to using it! Not only does it protect my skin from UV rays, but it also has bakuchiol (a plant-based retinol alternative), peptides, grapeseed extract, and English oak bark extract to help counteract the effect of sun damage. I rub in six drops after my moisturizer, and I’m all set!

4. Posture Bra

This wireless, non-padded front-closure bra has a special X design in the back that improves your posture! It’s ideal for sleeping or to wear around the house if you’re working on improving your posture. Whether you find yourself slumping more because of all that time on your phone or just as a result of aging, this bra can help!

5. Under $20 Summer Clutch (8 color options)

Pop of color, anyone? 💗💛🧡💚💙 Similar straw clutches sell for $88-$52.80 (on sale) at Nordstrom, but THIS straw clutch on Amazon is under $20! Um, as someone who spends a lot of time shopping online as a part of her job😃, can I tell you that it is tough to find something (ANYTHING) for under $20? With eight color choices, you can afford to buy more than one color!

6. FAST Charger

With over 61K four & five-star reviews on Amazon, this high-speed 24W charger is one to check out! With a compact size, foldable plug, and dual USB ports, it’s travel ready. (Or just ready for someone who doesn’t like to wait around for normal-speed charging!)

7. Hot Stuff

For anyone who gets sidetracked before they can finish their coffee🙋‍♀️ (so…everyone 🤣), this 14oz. insulated mug (in 24 color options!) will be a morning saver. It makes a great gift! Click through HERE for all the color options!

8. Cold Stuff

Want to bring some ice cream on your next picnic? S’well has a great new way to do that! This small vacuum-insulated cooler is designed to keep a pink of your favorite frozen treat chilled for several hours – even when it’s hot outside! Cute gift for an ice cream lover 🙋‍♀️ (so…again…everyone 🤣)!

9. Ruffle Shoulder One-Piece + Skirt Set (Under $26)

As I said, it’s tough to find a real deal out there anymore, friends! If you count the coloful straw clutch I shared above, I have two serious bargains on my “LOVES” list today! (Feeling a little proud of myself! 🙌😁) This two-piece swim set features a one-piece swimsuit (with trendy sweet ruffle shoulder straps) and a matching maxi skirt coverup (for under $26! 😲). The set comes in three patterns. I ordered the first two, and they’re both cute, but I’m not a big fan of the pattern on the third! Check them all out for yourself below!

To see all of my favorite Amazon swimsuits in one place, click HERE.

10. MicroStitch Gun

Every month on my SO in the KNOW post, I like to share something truly genius! If you have a top or dress that is just a little too low-cut for your liking, this gadget is what you need! Say goodbye to safety pins that can show and just this tool instead. Think of the possibilities! You can quickly fix hems, curtains, crafts, etc. I like it for tacking my bra straps onto a garment on the shoulders so the straps don’t show.

Here’s how it works: You gently feed the fine needle into the two pieces of fabric that you want to bond together. Then squeeze the “trigger.” When you remove the needle, a small plastic attachment piece will link the two fabric pieces. You can check out more details HERE.

11. Pressure Washer

As I told you in April’s SO in the KNOW post, Bob kinda thinks he’s a farmer 👨‍🌾🤣. It’s completely adorable. This past weekend, he went more than a little crazy with this pressure washer. Like, he pressure-washed everything! I’m telling you, at this point, you could pretty much eat off the stones in front of our house! He bought it for himself 😂 after seeing it in last year’s Father’s Day Gift Guide. Needless to say, it’s back on this year’s gift guide too!

12. Best-Selling Amazon Swimsuit

Sorry to put two swimsuits on this month’s SO in the KNOW, but I know lots of you are looking for swimsuits for summer trips! I wanted to share Amazon’s best-selling swimsuit right now! I put it on the collage in hot pink so you could easily see the (strategic!) ruching, but it comes in 28 other colors as well. Click HERE to see them all.

Do you feel SO in the KNOW? I hope you do! With Memorial Day weekend coming up in a few days, summer is truly upon us, my friends.

My assistant Beth and I are working really hard right now to pull together the very best of the Memorial Day weekend sales. That post will be out on Friday morning! It should be a fun one because I’m also going to be sharing details on the Texas-themed shower I’m throwing for my son and his fiance this weekend and a few details on the Rehearsal Brunch I’m planning for them in July as well!

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