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As most of you know last month we got back from a whirlwind three weeks in Scotland and France. It was an amazing trip, but traveling can be pretty exhausting – especially with a toddler!
So that weekend I took some much needed time to myself. I’ve gotten better about prioritizing self-care in the last few months. When Charlotte was first born I had a really hard time with it, because I felt guilty asking for that time. What ended up happening is I started to feel totally burnt out without even realizing it! Now I try to get just a little bit of time to myself a week, whether it’s meeting a friend for dinner, taking a bubble bath or going grocery shopping by myself (oh, the luxury!).
I usually try to make the experience extra special somehow, even just in little ways. This time I chose to get back into my coziest pajamas (it was in the afternoon haha!), make myself a nice cup of tea, crack open my old friend Jane Austen, and enjoy some of my very favorite truffles from Fran’s Chocolates.
It’s no secret that I love chocolate (the darker the better!). We usually buy Fran’s Chocolates for special occasions like Christmas or a birthday, so unwrapping this box of truffles on an ordinary afternoon was really exciting! Of course I didn’t eat the entire box in one sitting, but being able to enjoy a few pieces all on my own was totally indulgent and exactly what I needed.
It’s really amazing how even an hour of dedicated “me time” can make the world of difference.
Thank you to Fran’s Chocolates for sponsoring this post.
Finding my makeup basics has taken me a few years and a lotttt of experimentation. I started wearing makeup in high school, but honestly had no idea what I was doing and figured it out by trial and error. Oh, so much error. There are so many products out there, and it can be so overwhelming! My main take away? If you want a quality look, you need a quality product. Of course we all have varying budgets we can and want to spend on things like makeup. For me personally, quality makeup is an investment!
I definitely don’t wear makeup every day – I often like to take a few days a week to focus solely on my skin. When I do wear makeup though, these are my tried and true, go-to products that I swear by!
Foundation
My major pet peeve with foundation is when you can see it. Like when there’s a clear line between foundation and skin. Ew! While that has a lot to do with blending, the product itself needs to be light and creamy to get my vote. I only recently found this Too Faced foundation with a friend who’s a fellow skincare/makeup junkie, and it has been amazing! I love that it isn’t cakey at all, and looks really natural. It blends into my skin really easily too, and never feels heavy.
You guys, the makeup gods blessed us with this concealer. I’ve been using it for years and years, and you will never not find this in my makeup bag. It’s an absolute must in my book! I actually bought it once on a total whim when I was at Nordstrom to buy shoes, and it was the best impulse purchase I’ve ever made! I use this concealer under my eyes as a brightener, and on my eyelids as a primer. It is magic, people. Baby kept you up all night? This concealer has got your back!
I pretty much have two criteria for eye shadows. They need to go on easily, and stay put. That’s it. But surprisingly I’ve tried a ton of eye shadows that seem to not quite hit the mark. A good friend gave me a cle de peau quad to try a few months ago, and it instantly became my new favorite! My favorite quads right now are pewter veil and golden lace.
Mascara and concealer are my two make up essentials. If nothing else, those are the two things I have on pretty much at all times. I love this Guerlain mascara because it elongates my lashes without making them clumpy (the worst!). I also really love that I can do extra coats if I want a more dramatic look for date night (again, without clumping!). Also, it smells good! I tell this to all my friends and they look at me like I’m insane until they smell it, and then they agree! Obviously that’s not a requirement for mascara, but it’s definitely a plus! Another added bonus is that it comes of really easily when I was my face, and doesn’t even require makeup remover. That’s major points in my book.
So lipstick is definitely a new obsession of mine. I honestly used to be kind of afraid of it because I had only tried poor quality lippies that (surprise) didn’t look good. Once I learned that lesson, I discovered that lipstick can be your best friend, and I’m quickly becoming obsessed. My very favorite lipstick is from Guerlain. It goes on so smoothly, and stays put for hours! I love how it’s a quick and simple way to elevate my look. I also really like that this lipstick case has a little mirror in it, so it’s super easy to reapply.
This month’s winner is Shannon (read_shannon@hotmail.com)! Congratulations, you won your choice of a $50 Ulta or $50 Nordstrom gift card! Email me at kirsten.bell@thiscelebratedlife.com to claim your prize.
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By far one of our favorite days in Scotland was our day out on Loch Ness with Loch Ness by Jacobite cruises. They offer a ton of different cruise options, but we opted for the Rebellion because I wanted to see Urquart Castle!
We had the most amazing time seeing the highlands from the water – what an incredible view and experience that is! I also loved learning all about the surrounding area, as well as the loch itself. Did you know that at its deepest point, Loch Ness is 755 feet deep? That’s insane!
Charlotte loved being on the boat, and feeling the wind blow through her hair! I’m actually not being poetic, she literally loved feeling the wind in her hair haha! Probably because she’s only just now gaining some length to it, and it was a completely new feeling for her!
Our guide introduced us to highland hot chocolate, which is hot chocolate with a shot of scotch in it. He explained that for some reason after 4-5 hot chocolates, visitors start seeing Nessie, the Loch Ness monster. How curious! I stuck to one (it was 10 in the morning, people), and the only Nessie I saw was the adorable little stuffed one Charlotte has!
Our cruise took us up to Urquart Castle from the water. I’ve never had the experience of approaching a castle from the water before, and it was such a cool way to see it! We had the most amazing weather, I seriously couldn’t believe our luck. Look at that sky!
The castle itself was blown up by the English hundreds of years ago in an attempt to keep the Scots from being able to use it to their advantage again. But there’s still enough of it to be able to imagine what an incredible castle it must have been.
I was completely captivated by the views of Loch Ness from the castle ramparts.
Does it count as a family photo if the only part of your baby showing is her leg? She fell asleep while we toured the castle, and I wasn’t about to wake her up for a photo haha!
When Charlotte did decide to wake up, we were departing for our trip back down the loch. She was in such a happy mood, and kept shrieking with delight and clapping her hands. It was the cutest thing! She loved being on the water, and I think it was her favorite day we had in Scotland.
When we disembarked, we were greeted by some Highland Cows eating their lunch. You guys I have no idea why these cows are so much cuter than your average cow, but they just are. Maybe the hair makes them seem more cuddly? But their big horns should counter that…I don’t know, they’re just cute!
After our adventure on Loch Ness, we decided to test our bravery (and fate), and go visit the local standing stones, known as the Clava Cairns. If you’re an Outlander fan, you’ll understand my excitement! And if you’re not an Outlander fan, go watch it and you’ll become one!
Upon arrival, Jordan was careful to ask if I heard any buzzing. That was a negative, so we ventured in for a closer look.
I find it completely mind boggling that these stones and burial cairns date back to the Bronze Age. That’s 4,000 years ago! Excuse me while I try to process that.
Charlotte was happy to play in history, finding leaves and picking flowers.
Thank you Loch Ness by Jacobite for sponsoring this post and inviting us on our Loch Ness adventure!
After a day exploring Edinburgh, we headed off to the coast and seaside town St. Andrews. We had the most amazing weather – all the locals were telling us that it was the best weather they’ve seen in years! Score! (Or golf clap, since it is St. Andrews after all haha!)
I loved walking along the promenade, enjoying the ocean views, sea air and sun! I also had fun picking out my favorite townhouses and explaining to Jordan why we “need” a Scottish vacation home!
And of course, no trip to St. Andrews is complete without a stop at Jannettas Gelateria for gelato! Charlotte and I shared some delicious raspberry and rhubarb gelato, and she couldn’t get enough!
We finished the day by visiting Kellie Castle. You enter the gardens through a little hidden gate, and I swear I felt like I was in a scene from The Secret Garden! They have the most beautiful formal gardens. The roses were in full bloom, and the air was perfumed with their scent. Pure heaven.
After taking a stroll through the garden, we made our way over to the big grassy area they have in front of the castle. It was a perfect place to let Charlotte run around and get some energy out.
She was loving picking buttercups, finding feathers and showing us her treasures! I attempted to make her a little daisy chain crown, which turned out to be slightly more difficult than I imagined haha! Hence “attempted”.
It was such a nice way to end the day!
From St. Andrews we headed up to Inverness where we tempted fate with standing stones, cruised lochs, and may have even found a legendary monster.
Edinburgh is one of my all-time favorite cities. When I studied abroad in Scotland, I’d take the train to spend the day there at least a few times a month! I love how medieval it is, and how all the old buildings and walls inspire your imagination with all the things they must have seen.
One of my must-visit shops in Edinburgh is Jeffrey St.! We stopped in to do a Scotch tasting here, and Jordan and I both agree that it was one of our favorite memories! We sat down with our whisky tutor Hector and learned all about the history, politics and style of Scotch. It was so fascinating, and we both learned a ton! I was especially interested to learn about all of the different rules and regulations distilleries need to follow in order to produce an official (and legal) scotch.
Jeffrey St. is also a great spot to stop if you’re hoping to bring a bottle of Scotch home, since they have an incredible selection to choose from!
After our whisky experience, we made our way up the Royal Mile to Edinburgh Castle. This is probably one of my favorite castles in Scotland. Again, because it’s so intact, and I can let my imagination run wild.
One of my favorite parts of the castle is the dungeon (since I’m an invited guest who can leave anytime!). You can actually still see graffiti on the walls from prisoners, mostly cursing various government officials, not surprisingly haha! I wish I could have taken pictures to show you, but turns out they don’t care too much for ambient light in prisons. Go figure! So you’ll just have to make a trip to see it!
We took our time on the way back down the Royal Mile, popping into various shops, stopping for a cider, and exploring little streets and wynds. There were kilted men playing bagpipes at various points along our walk, which was so fun and definitely “pinch me, we’re in Scotland” moments!
I was sorry we didn’t have time to see more of Edinburgh, but I know we’ll be back soon! Jordan and I are already planning our next trip to Scotland, to focus more specifically on Scotch! But this time we were headed off to the coast to breathe some sea air in the golf haven of St. Andrews.
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