There’s just something about the fall that inspires me to brew a hot cup of tea, pull up a cozy blanket, and crack open a favorite book. I especially love getting lost in historical fiction, murder mysteries, and anything fantasy. For me, taking even 15-30 minutes to read before bed helps me relax, sleep better, and feel happier!
Lately I’ve also been really enjoying entrepreneurial books, but I find that I can’t read those before bed because I get too excited and motivated to get stuff done! Which is obviously great, just not when I’m supposed to be sleeping haha!
Here is my list of books I plan to read this fall! Some are old friends, and some are exciting new finds. If you read a book off the list (or have already read it!) – let me know! I love discussing books, and would love to hear from you!
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
I really enjoyed watching this movie recently, and had no idea it was based on a book! It’s such an inspiring story, and I can’t wait to visit the story again.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone by J.K. Rowling
To my friends this is no surprise – I try and read the Harry Potter series every fall. Fun fact: I’ve actually read every Harry Potter book more than 35 times. Obsessed? Just a tetch. Much to my horror, Jordan hasn’t read any of the books! Can you believe it?? And I married the man! But he does enjoy the movies, so that’s a good start!
I’m always interested in discovering new fantasy series, and this is the first book of six. I know basically nothing about the series except that it’s young adult fantasy, so I have no doubt I’ll love it! Stay tuned!
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
This series was recommended to me by a friend, and I zoomed through it when I was pregnant with Charlotte! It’s going to become a mini-series in January (or is already available to my lucky UK friends!), so I want to read it again before it airs! If you get annoyed by romance like I do, the first book may be a struggle, but the second and third books are AMAZING and make the first totally worth it.
I love British mysteries – the Brits just know creepy better than we Americans do. I really enjoy PD James’ books because the plots aren’t so far fetched that nobody would have a chance at figuring out who done it, but there are also enough red herrings to keep me on my toes. I’m really looking forward to picking this one up!
Has anyone read this before? The synopsis sounds totally creepy, and I hope it’s not too scary for me! But with Halloween just around the corner, a spooky book might be perfect!
Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis
I recently listened to a podcast that Rachel Hollis was a guest on, and she was so inspiring! I’m all about challenging myself to grow in any way I can, and am excited for anything I can learn from this book! Also Rachel Hollis was hilarious on the podcast, and I’m all about some snarky, intelligent humor!
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Now that we’re halfway through October, the days are starting to have that crisp, fall chill to them. So what does that mean? Time to pull out the scarves! I love dressing up my look with scarves – I feel like it brings the whole ensemble together.
My favorite type of scarf is a blanket scarf, because there are so many ways to tie and wear them! So today I’m going to show you the three ways I most frequently style mine. And by the way, this blanket scarf is so warm and soft, comes in many beautiful colors, and it’s less than $15!
The first, and most common way I wear my blanket scarf is in a classic drape. Fold the square blanket scarf in half to make a large triangle. Drape over your neck with the point of the triangle in front of you, cross the ends behind your neck, and pull to the front. I then either tuck the ends into the fold, or tie them if I want it more secure.
The second way I fold my blanket scarf is into an infinity scarf. Fold the scarf into a triangle. Tie the two ends together, drape over your neck, and tuck the ends in as necessary. I usually drape mine around my neck twice.
The third way I style my scarf is to wear it as a shawl. Arguably the easiest scarf fold ever! Fold the square scarf into a half triangle, and drape over your shoulders like a shawl/blanket. I love this fold for evenings where it’s not quite cold enough for a coat, but I need something to take the edge off. This is also a fun way to dress up a little black dress!
I love the phrase that the best makeup is skincare. It’s so true! How many make up products do we use to cover up skin issues? Dark circles under our eyes, acne, the list goes on! Lately I’ve been really focusing on dialing in my skincare. I’m approaching the last year of my twenties, and I know that taking care of my skin will only become increasingly important.
A few years ago I tried First Aid Beauty, and instantly fell in love! Unlike other skincare brands, I literally love every single one of their products that I’ve used. It’s now to the point that I feel comfortable ordering their products without a sample, because I already know it’s going to be amazing!
So today I thought I’d share with you some of my favorite First Aid Beauty products that I use in my daily skincare routine.
Every night before bed, I wash my face with the Pure Skin Face Cleanser. Our faces pick up so much dirt during the day; it’s so important to wash it all off and go to bed with a fresh start. This cleanser is really creamy and gentle, and cleanses my face without drying it out. Side note: have you ever washed your face, and your skin felt tight afterwards? That tightness isn’t a “squeaky clean” feeling like so many people think – that’s your skin telling you that it’s way too dry! If that happens to you with your current cleanser, try one like this that’s nourishing.
My next step is to use this Ultra Repair Cream to hydrate my skin before closing my eyes for the day. I love that it’s really moisturizing, but not heavy or oily. It leaves my skin feeling dewy, soft, and amazing when I wake up the next morning.
My last step is to apply my Eye Duty Triple Remedy Overnight Balm. I’m obsessed with this cream! It’s so relaxing to apply, and I notice a real difference in my eyes when I wake up the next morning.
A few times a week, I use this Ginger & Turmeric Vitamin C Jelly Mask to give my skin a little extra boost. I really love how light, refreshing and cooling this mask is. It was the first gel mask I’ve ever tried, and it instantly became my favorite. If I’m using this mask, I apply it after washing my face and follow up with my lotion and eye cream.
All in all, my nighttime skincare routine takes me about five minutes, or 15 minutes if I’m adding the mask that night. For me that’s perfect – anything longer and I honestly risk being too lazy and not following through with it.
What is your nighttime skincare routine?
For more beauty inspiration, check out my favorite make up products here.
Hey by the way, I’d love to stay connected! If you want to be the first to get new blog posts and exclusive content, you can subscribe by email here, and follow me on Instagram here!
In partnership with First Aid Beauty.
Who else is ready for colder weather?? We’re just starting to get rainy fall days in Washington, and those crisp fall days are just around the corner – I can feel it! I’m starting to organize my fall wardrobe, and today am sharing with you some of my favorite coats for every budget. From budget choices to more expensive investment options, I hope this helps you find the perfect coat for the season!
You know I love all things pink, so I’m going to start with this coat in the mauve/white color! It’s so classic, and I love that it could so easily be dressed up or down.
This coat would definitely be more of an investment piece for me, so I would probably choose to get it in black, although I’m pretty obsessed with the pink and burgundy too. I also love this coat in grey, which is really similar to the one I’m wearing in the photos above. I’ve owned J.Crew coats for years, so I know they’re really good quality, which is obviously important if you’re looking for an investment piece!
You really can’t go wrong with a classic trench, and especially not one under $100! This coat is perfect for tailgating, fall walks and meeting friends for coffee!
This wrap coat is seriously too cute! I’d like one in every color, please! I also really like that you can adjust the fit by how snug you want to tie it.
This teddy bear coat looks so super cozy, and still has all the classic vibes I love in a coat! Can you imagine how cuddly this would be on a crisp fall day?
Isn’t this coat from H&M so cute?? It would be perfect over jeans or leggings and I love the zippers on the pockets!
We live in Washington, so rain is inevitable! I love this long raincoat because it offers so much more protection from the elements! Choosing a color would be SO hard, but I’m really leaning toward the navy! A nice raincoat for under $100 is pretty hard to beat!
What coats are you excited to wear into fall?
I can’t do fall without a trip to the apple orchard, so last weekend we drove up to Greenbluff for an afternoon of autumn fun! I always have a list of things I want to do each season, but it seems like unless I specially plan them, time flies and before I know it, it’s over! So this year I’m determined to check off every item on my list, starting with apple picking!
There are a ton of apple orchards in the area, which made choosing one kind of tricky! Luckily I stumbled upon Hidden Acres Orchard, which still had plenty of apples and even a few early pumpkins!
The weather is starting to turn, getting a little chillier and also a little more unpredictable. Since I wasn’t sure if we’d be having summer or fall weather (or a mix of both), I ended up choosing to wear this vest which is one of my fall staples. It’s perfect for in between weather, and even cozier worn over my sweater, which I was thankful for when the breeze picked up!
I was so excited to see that the farm had a few early pumpkins this year! Most of the farms we stopped at were starting their harvest celebrations in a few weeks, and didn’t have their pumpkins out yet. We’re planning a trip to a local pumpkin patch in October, and I literally can’t wait!
The minute we drove up to the orchard, Charlotte spotted a little toy car, and wanted nothing more than to drive herself around. It was so cute, and she had such a blast! It was crazy watching her and remembering our trip to the apple orchard last year when she was so small!
For more autumn inspiration, check out my fall fashion posts here and here, and my pumpkin spice latte cupcake recipe here!
Hey by the way, I’d love to stay connected! If you want to be the first to get new blog posts and exclusive content, you can subscribe by email here, and follow me on Instagram here!