SO in the KNOW June | What I’m Learning & Loving This Month

Summer is full-on, and here in Dallas, we’re in the middle of a big ole’ heatwave with triple-digit temperatures predicted every day this week. 🥵 Even for this heat-loving girl, it’s a little much! I hope the weather is fabulous where you are, and you’re enjoying slowing down (and maybe traveling?) with people who are dear to you! That’s what summer is all about, right?

Travel is a big deal to empty nesters, and if you’re like me, it’s important to stay healthy and strong so you can do all the things you want to do and travel to all the places you want to see! In order to do that, you’ve gotta stay on top of your health! I recently shared weight loss and fitness tips HERE and told you about my walking routine HERE.

Another area you can’t neglect is your brain health! Part of that is keeping up-to-date on what’s going on in our world! Right? Things move so fast; sometimes, it can feel overwhelming🤔. That’s why, every month, I share what I’m learning & loving in my empty nest.

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

What I’m Learning

Food Supply Safety

According to Consumer Reports, an average of 48 million people fall ill from eating food contaminated with bacteria or viruses. Almost 130K of these are hospitalized, and 3K die. That’s alarming! You can sign up for a food recall tracker to get text alerts about products to avoid. Use this link: CR.org/foodrecalltracker.

A Simpler Way to Scan

We’ve all had to scan documents or contracts and submit them online. In fact, Bob and I closed on our Waco loft electronically by signing and scanning! I typically use the Evernote Scannable app, which has a clean and user-friendly interface.

But in a recent iOS update, Apple gave iPhones the ability to scan and save or send documents right in the Notes app. Here’s how to do it:

• Open the Notes app.
• Hit the camera icon.
• Choose “Scan Documents” from the options.
• You can then make notes on the scan or sign it with the “Markup” feature (the icon looks like a felt-tipped pen) before sharing it.

Oh Baby!

I hope you saw our Baby Gift Guide last week! I partnered with my daughter-in-law, Sarah, to pull together some great baby gift ideas. She was kind enough to share the things she’s found the most helpful as a new mom. In our Baby Gift Guide, you’ll find gift ideas that are perfect for showers, pampering new moms, and even grandma gifts. You can check it out HERE.

After I published the gift guide, I got a few emails asking me if there are some baby things I’d bought to keep at my house so Sarah doesn’t have to schlep them over every time she comes. What a great question!

The answer is YES! As a new LouLou, I want to be sure my home is ready to welcome present and future grandbabies. Since Bob and I aren’t planning to move any time soon, we turned one of the upstairs bedrooms into a nursery/grandkids’ room. We didn’t want to spend a fortune, but we did want to make it easier for our kids to bring their kids, both now and in the future. Have you done that too?

We donated or sold the existing furniture, and here’s what we added:

• White Day Bed with Trundle
• White Child-Size Table & Chair set (for tea parties, of course!) ☕
• White Wooden Rocker

In a few weeks, we’re keeping 6-month-old Lily for a few days while her parents head out of town for a little getaway. After talking with my daughter-in-law about her preferred products and brands, I picked up a few things that I wanted to have at our house to make it more grandbaby-friendly 😄:

• 4-in-1 Grow-with-Me Baby Bath Tub – This transforms from an infant bathtub to a toddler bath seat.
• Inglesina Portable High Chair – This award-winning high chair attaches to the table. It’s perfect for babies from 6 months up to 3 years and even comes with its own cover for travel.
• Drying Mat – Sarah is nursing Lily, and she’s been storing milk so we can feed her from bottles while they’re gone. This drying mat is perfect for drying bottles, pacifiers, or teething toys right on the countertop.
• White Noise Machine – This is the same one Bob and I take with us when we travel.
• Cool Mist Humidifier – I use a similar one by my bed at night too!
• Diaper Caddy – This portable caddy keeps diapers, wipes, lotions, and other necessities on hand, and I can easily move it from room to room.
• Disposable Changing Pads – When Lily comes over, we either change her on the bed or on the floor. These disposable changing pads make things so much easier and cleaner!

What I’m Loving

As you may know, our family wedding is coming up in a few weeks!

• See my outfits HERE.
• See my shoes HERE.
• See my handbag HERE.

Maybe that’s the reason I’ve been trying (and really loving) several new beauty products this month! I’ve also been getting wedding-ready in other ways — like ordering a yummy and chic wrap to wear in case the unpredictable Seattle-area weather turns on us! Read on because I’m spilling the tea!

Please note! All of the beauty items I’m sharing today are also available from Amazon. But when ordering beauty items from Amazon recently, I’ve had a few questionable experiences where I wasn’t 100% confident that the product I ordered was actually authentic. So, while I’ll provide you with Amazon links, I recommend ordering at other sites.

1. Cozy & Chic Wrap

We’re anticipating (and hoping for) good weather for our family wedding up in the Seattle area in a few weeks, but who knows? So just in case, I ordered this sweet ribbed ruffle hem triangle wrap in off-white (“coconut“). It also comes in black, which would be perfect for travel. It’s SO soft!

2. Affordable Flip Flops

It’s hard to beat a comfy pair of flip-flops in the summer when you’re trying to get out the door — or head to the pool — in a flash! These Amazon Essentials flip flops are a FIND at under $15! They come in 7 color options (including animal print & snake print), have a 5mm latex foam padding insole, and the barely there (but secure) straps won’t rub a blister between your toes. Free shipping/returns with Amazon Prime! Click HERE to learn more.

3. LONGGGGG Lightening Fast Charging

Every once in a while, you just need a charging cord that’s a little bit longer than normal! (Think hotel rooms, cars, airports, offices, etc.) Check out this pretty 3-pack of 10′ charging cords. They’re under $11, and with these colors, you won’t easily leave them behind! 🙌

4. Step Up Your Flower Delivery Game

Need to send flowers to a loved one out of town? Sure, 1-800-Flowers is fine. But if you want to step up your game (without a step up in price), check out Bouq! Someone sent me flowers from Bouq recently, and I was super-impressed. I love that each bouquet comes with options (original, deluxe, or grand), and the website shows you exactly what the flowers will look like. (Mine were dead ringers!) You also have the option to add a container. Save 20% on your first order when you sign up for email. Browse HERE.

5. Best New Facial Serum

Paula’s Choice Pro-Collagen Multi-Peptide Booster is the newest serum from Paula’s Choice Skincare. (People adore this brand, but I’d never used it until I tried this serum.) After reading about it in a magazine, I went to the website and read about it. When I scrolled down on the page and read about this clinically tested product, plus checked out the before and after photos, I immediately placed an order. I’ve only used it for about a month, but I must say, I’m impressed!

According to clinical tests, this formula can smooth lines in 15 minutes and reduce wrinkles in about four weeks! The key ingredient is peptides, which improve the tone of skin and make it appear tighter. Check it out for yourself HERE (recommended) or on Amazon HERE.

6. Bamboo Skewers

Whenever I have family over, I skew the fruit! Yep! I found out when my kids were little that any food on a skewer is just more fun and more likely to be eaten! 🍇🍉🍌🍓🥝 Now that everyone is an adult, they still prefer fruit on a skewer. 😂 For me, it’s easier than fruit salad, takes less fruit, and makes a prettier presentation. I used these bamboo skewers for the family lunch I hosted after Lily’s Dedication, and I’ll be using them on July 4th as well! You’ll want to keep these on hand.

7. Best Blister Protection

You better believe this rub-on anti-blister protection is coming with me for the wedding weekend! I put these in the girls’ Christmas stockings every year, and I love the compact size that fits easily in a purse. 😊

8. Raffia Statement Earrings

Raffia earrings are everywhere this summer — but not usually done this affordably or cutely! (Is that a word?🤣) These raffia round earrings are under $9, come in darling color combinations, and aren’t obnoxiously large! Click HERE to check them out.

9. Hydrating Drugstore Beauty Cream

This new Hyaluronic + Peptide 24 Hydrating Gel Cream from the Olay Regenerist line feels weightless but delivers mega moisture. I’ve seen a difference in my fine lines, dryness, and dullness. Plus, the lightweight gel formula is ideal for summer! You’ll want to try this one. On Amazon HERE. At Walmart HERE.

10. Sparkly Apple Watch Band

Our wedding celebration is an all-day affair, and I didn’t want to be without my watch for that long! (Gotta track those steps, even on the wedding day! 🤣) So I shopped around for a pretty, blingy, affordable watch band that would work. THIS is the one I settled on. While no one will mistake it for real diamonds, at under $15, it will get the job done and add a little sparkle! 🌟

11. Chemical-Free Bug Fan

Bob and I are huge fans of al fresco dining whenever we can. (We’ve been known to brave 95+ degree temperatures 🔥 on restaurant patios more than once!) But flies can be annoying 🦟! So when I saw this genius bug fan, I knew I had to have one. It has a reflective dot pattern on the holographic (flexible & soft) blades that deflects light and causes the bugs to steer clear. Not only that, but the motor is so sensitive it will stop if it comes in contact with an object, a child’s hand, etc. It weighs next-to-nothing, is under $15, and is powered by two AA batteries.

You’ll be so proud to know that I wanted to order it in pink, but I spared Bob and ordered the sleek silver one instead! 😁

12. Drugstore Body Wash

I’ve used uber-moisturizing but pricey L’Occitane Almond Shower Oil as my body wash for years, but I recently ran out. While I’m waiting for THIS set to go on sale in the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale this year (it happens every year!), I needed something good to tide me over, so I picked up Dove’s new Deep Moisture Body Wash on my recent Walmart run! This best-seller is designed to nurture and moisturize even the driest skin with a combination of lipids and glycerin and plant-based moisturizers that absorb quickly and deeply into the skin. At Walmart HERE and Amazon HERE. I may have switched for good!

13. Darling Sundress

You can’t always count on the quality of the clothing on Amazon, but I do my best to recommend good quality items that you won’t be embarrassed to wear! (For the safest bets on Amazon, shop The Drop and Grace Karin brands.) This pretty Grace Karin maxi dress is a great example!

With a smocked waist, adjustable spaghetti straps, a universally flattering square neckline, and an A-line style, this lightweight, flowy dress is a winner! (Oh, and did I mention that it has pockets? 🙌 #welovepockets) Check out all 12 print options HERE.

I hope you feel SO in the KNOW! Thanks for letting me share my finds with you!

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