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

Don’t blink! It’s spring! I hope you’re enjoying warmer weather and all of the flowers blooming everywhere! 🌸🌷🌺 Here in Dallas, we’re alternating between days in the high 70s and low 80s and days in the 50s and 60s. One thing that means for sure? Bob, the amateur meteorologist, is ob-sessed with all of his (multiple! 😳) weather apps! Puh-leeze tell me your husband is like that too! 🤣

April has been such a great month, and we’re gearing up for a busy month of travel and events in May. Next week, I’m headed to Seattle to work on the Rehearsal Brunch I’m throwing this summer for my son’s wedding (to THE most precious girl). After that, Bob and I are heading to Florida for a few days to visit family and check on our condos that were damaged in Hurricane Ian last fall. At the end of May, I’m throwing a Texas-themed shower here for the sweet engaged couple. Phew! In the meantime, I’ll be continuing to try on mother-of-the-groom dresses 🤪!

Lots of good scoop and cool products came onto my radar this month, and I’m excited to share them with you today! Let’s dive in and get you SO in the KNOW, okay?

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

What I’m Learning

A Phone Update We ALL Need

iPhone and Android have both rolled out new noise-reduction tools (called “Voice Isolation”) to filter out background noise on your calls! We all want to filter out those babbling babies, honking horns, or airport announcements so the person we’re talking to can hear us better! Here’s how to do it:

On iPhone

Make sure you’ve installed the latest iOS update (16.4) on your phone. To check, go to Settings>General>Software Update. If you haven’t installed it yet, you’ll see it there. Install! Once you’re ready to install Voice Isolation, dial any phone number (even your own). Once you do, swipe down from the top right to access the Control Center>tap the button labeled “Mic Mode” at the top right>select Voice Isolation. Once you turn it on, the feature remains active on all of your calls. To turn it off, repeat the steps and select Standard instead.

On Android

From the Home screen, tap Phone (located in the lower-left). Tap the Menu icon  (located in the upper right). Tap Settings. Tap Call. Tap Noise Reduction to enable or disable. (It’s enabled when a check mark is present.)

Bob’s Favorite App

Bob was supposed to be a farmer. 👩‍🌾 No, seriously! Remember back in high school when they had you take that Interest Inventory test? Bob scored the highest on “Farmer.” (By a lot!)🤣 Fast forward to today…that means Bob LOVES working in our yard. Like, give him ALL the dirt! He’s got the yard looking great, and the app that’s been the most helpful to him is called Picture This. It’s a plant identifier app that is used 1M times per day. It’s 98% accurate! Not only does it identify any plant with just a picture you snap, but it also tells you things like the ideal growing conditions and optimum care instructions! It even has the capability to diagnose some plant diseases. 😲 It’s free to download and has annual subscription levels that you can purchase for more plant information. Learn more HERE.

Kiss More, Live Longer

According to recent research, men who kiss their wives in the morning live five years longer than those who don’t! A study conducted by German physicians and psychologists shows that to have a happy, successful, and long, healthy life, you should kiss your partner before you go to work each day. 😘

Terrific Travel Tip

Need to text flight information to someone? If you do it the right way, it will allow them to pull up the correct flight info for you with just one tap! The trick is the format. First, put in the airline (AA, Delta, Southwest, etc.) followed by the word “flight” and then the number. Try it for yourself!

What I’m Loving

1. Darling Denim

Denim dresses are true classics, and this cute babydoll-style tiered dress is just what you need for summer! It fits TTS, and the quality is really good. I bought it, along with THIS denim shirtdress, and was SO tempted to keep them both, but the shirtdress isn’t really the best style if you’re small-busted like me, so in the end, I just stuck with this one. (But wanted to share them both because they’re both great summer options.

2. My Bike

Pink Cruiser Bike (Now 20% off!) | Tencel Denim Shift Dress (30% off) | Platform Leather Sneakers | Pearl Drop Earrings

My pink cruiser bike is so much fun! 🚴‍♀️ Bob and I have really loved taking up bike riding in the empty nest! We’re recreational riders, for sure, and this bike is perfect for that. We love a good bike ride after dinner! If you’ve thought about incorporating recreational biking into your empty nest fun, I highly recommend a cruiser bike! (Whether it’s my pink bike or another affordable option.)

3. Wreath Alternative

I love a good Etsy find! Don’t you? I found these darling hand-painted wreath alternatives on Etsy, and I immediately ordered this Happy Birthday door hanger to liven up the family birthday party I just hosted! The artist has door hangers for all occasions, and you will love her designs! Click HERE to see them all.

4. Raffia Mules

I spotted these slip-on raffia mules on a friend and immediately HAD to have a pair! They’re exclusively at Dillard’s. They feature a woven raffia upper, with a leather lining, and a leather outsole. The heel is 2.75″ high. They’re neutral enough to go with anything in your closet this summer, and I love them as an instant way to transform any summer outfit from day to night!

5. Mosquito Prevention

Bob and I love to be outdoors with friends and family in the warmer months, but with a pool and Bob’s lush landscaping (He’s a farmer 👩‍🌾, remember?!), the mosquito situation is REAL. My friend told me about this DIY solution! You hang these tubes in the trees around your property, and they will kill mosquitoes in areas 1 acre or smaller. It takes 4 tubes to do the job ($39.90 for a set of 4), and they have to be changed out every 90 days or so. Compared to what commercial mosquito companies charge, these Spartan Mosquito tubes are a bargain! To learn more, click HERE.

6. Personal Alarm System

When our daughter decided on NYU for grad school, Bob immediately went online to order her the Birdie Personal Alarm System! It attaches to a backpack, or keyring, or can be held in your hand. When activated, a LOUD siren goes off, and flashing strobe lights create a diversion in order to deter a potential attack. Now if we can just get her to use it! 😂 I love that 5% of Birdie’s profits are donated to organizations that support women’s safety. 💟

7. Personalized Recipe Cards

Looking for a sweet Mother’s Day gift? How about gifting these Personalized Recipe Cards to a mom? If I were giving them to my daughter or daughter-in-law, I would write down cherished family recipes. If I were giving these to my mom or mother-in-law, I would ask them to write older family recipes so we could share them with the next generation. Head to Joy Creative Shop to customize your own recipe cards, and while you’re there, be sure to check out Joy Creative Shop‘s entire Mother’s Day Gift Guide. Don’t forget that you can always take 10% off your entire Joy Creative Shop order with code ENB10. BTW, I think THIS notepad or THIS notepad would make great Mother’s Day gifts for a young mom!

8. Doing Life With Your Adult Kids by Jim Burns

I love that the secondary title of this classic empty nester book is, “Keep Your Mouth Shut and the Welcome Mat Out!” 🤣 I couldn’t have said it better myself! In this book, bestselling author and parenting expert Jim Burns gives practical advice and sweet encouragement to help you navigate the tricky transition to adulthood with your kids. I recommend this book all the time, along with Jim Burns’ other book, Finding Joy in the Empty Nest.

9. Help for Your Heels

Need to get your feet ready for sandal season? You’re not alone! I use this Salicylic Acid and Lactic Acid cream by Cerave to help soften and smooth the rough skin on my heels and feet. (Bonus: it also works on rough and bumpy skin on your legs and upper arms.🙌) It absorbs quickly and does the job overnight!

10. Rose Gold Eye Pencil

Want to make your eyes look larger? Line the outer half of your lower lashes with this Rose Gold Eye Pencil! For a finishing touch, extend it upward from the outer corners for an instant uplift and dot a bit in the inner corners of your eyes to make your eyes look awake and bright. Blend well with an eyeliner blending brush like THIS one. I’ve been using this trick for years, but it just occurred to me that I’ve never shared it with you. Sorry about that! Now you’re SO in the KNOW!

11. Happy Sneakers

Did you know that experts say you’re supposed to replace your athletic shoes every 300 or so miles? I always know it’s time when I start having knee or hip pain😬. Brooks has been making shoes since 1914, and their running shoes are worn by some of the top athletes in the world. I bought this happy pair of sneakers recently, and I love the fun colors! (They look great with jeans or denim shorts too!) I own the pair in the collage, and I’m linking a similar pair for you below as well.

12. Everything’s Coming Up Oranges🍊?!

The orange 🍊 motif is everywhere this year! (I bought the maxi dress in the collage!) From Talbots‘ citrus espadrilles and bateau neck tee (both 30% off), to Loft’s belted shorts and easy breezy dress (both 40% off), oranges are the “in” motif of the season, for sure! Not sure about going all in? Check out these orange earrings!

Do you feel SO in the KNOW? Well, you ARE 😄! Let me know what you thought about the post in the comments. And if there’s something we all need to KNOW about, fill us in on that, too, okay?

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