It’s hard to believe that we’re already getting ready to wind down the month of April and dive right into May in just a few short days! It feels like I was only just getting ready for Easter and some East Coast travel to visit family/friends- and now Festival Season, Memorial Day Weekend and a possible trip to the West Coast is upon us! Where does the time go?!
Before I do my full summary of April and all of its highs and lows (the lows were thankfully far and few between, however-) it’s about that time for me to grab my camera and share some of the buys, finds and discoveries that made this month so memorable and enjoyable. That’s right- it’s time for my ‘Favorite Things’ roundup!
As always, the things I could actually take photos of will take center stage first- but there’s a couple of miscellaneous odds & ends that I enjoyed very much this month, too- and I’m excited to write about them near the end of this post!
Let’s get right into it, shall we?
Earlier this month I picked up a couple of books, one for some kitchen inspiration and the other to read as I was watching the series it inspired on Amazon. The first book, ‘The Unofficial Dollywood Cookbook‘ by Erin K. Browne, features a detailed breakdown of the restaurants and famous dishes in Dollywood- and how to recreate them from the comfort of your ow kitchen. I absolutely love Dolly Parton, and visiting Dollywood is on my “To-Do” list- but making my own meatloaf sliders until I get there has been a blast!
The second book, ‘Daisy Jones & The Six‘ by Taylor Jenkins Reid, was an impulse buy after I’d watched the first couple of episodes of it’s series. I’m a big fan of ‘Almost Famous,’ and really enjoyed the vibe of this one, as well- so checking out the source material seemed like a no-brainer! I brought this with me to Maryland, and it was a page-turner each night before I went to bed. I highly recommend it if you’re into the 1970s music and culture.
It’s been a hot minute since I shared any stuff from Tree Hut in these end-of-the-month installments, but I knew once I got a whiff of this peach-scented sugar body scrub that it was going to make the cut. Perfect for shaving, pre-self-tan application or twice-a-week-skin-maintenance- this scrub hydrates and smooths the skin by sloughing away dead cells and impurities. I use it every few days- and my legs, arms and elbows are practically glowing right now!
And I love the scent of anything peach- so this scrub leaves me smelling absolutely delicious on top of looking radiant. It’s a win/win!
As we transition into shorter sleeves and downright sleeveless styles here in New England as Spring presses on slowly but surely, I began looking into different brands of natural deodorant that not only wouldn’t show up on my clothes, but would also nourish my underarms in the hotter temperatures, too. This invisible solid from Saltair (in their ‘Exotic Pulp’ fragrance- which is spectacular!) exfoliates, softens and keeps me dry for hours without leaving residue or marks on my clothing.
The packaging is also refillable, so when you run out- you can buy a replacement pod instead of an entirely new twist-up. I’m a big fan of this formula- and am looking forward to trying some of the other fragrances, too!
And finally, I cannot go to bed without slathering my lips with a hydrating mask- a habit I picked up in the colder Winter months and am continuing to do nightly and religiously even now. There’s nothing like waking up with soft, hydrated lips after a good night’s sleep!
As much as I love the flavored formulas, I find that I subconsciously lick them off while I’m sleeping- which sort of defeats their purpose. So I turned to this flavorless mask from ciate (as part of their 2022 collaboration with Smiley) to rub on before bed. The balm/mask, loaded with shea butter, jojoba oil and carnauba wax, performs miracles while I’m resting. I haven’t had to deal with any dryness, flakiness or cracks/cuts since I started using this one! I’ll definitely be repurchasing- especially given how cute the packaging is!
And there it is- my favorites for April 2023- the ones I could photograph, anyway!
But a couple of other things made the list!
– MUSIC/MOVIES/TELEVISION –
‘Pretty Baby’ – I adore Book Shields, so when the documentary about her career and her ultimately taking the reins of her life and image was released on Hulu earlier this month, I took an afternoon to watch it in its entirety. It’s not an easy thing to get through, especially when it details her being sexualized as a child and into her teens- and sexual assault is discussed at times- but it’s informative and eye-opening into the way the media can often exploit young girls and women.
The documentary also depicts her triumphs, from her college success to her career reigniting to her overcoming post-partum depression and her experiences with marriage and motherhood. I’m really glad I took the time to watch it without distraction, and I highly recommend it!
‘Evil Dead Rise’ – I am no stranger to horror movies, and the newest installment of the ‘Evil Dead’ franchise was so intense but oh so fun to watch (sometimes through my fingers when I covered my eyes!) If you’re squeamish, then this one is definitely not for you- but if you like insane action/scares- you’ll have just as much fun with this one as I did!
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And there it is- another installment of my ‘Favorite Things’ to add to the archive! I’ll be back later on this week with a tip of my hat to April 2023 before we get into May- so stay tuned!
xo
Coffee & Chiffon 