TOP 5 MOST POPULAR BLOG POSTS | 8.15.25

Happy half of August, ya'll. I'm totally in my fall feels now! I've already started looking for all the fall things and I put up my first fall-themed blog post on Wednesday. If it weren't for this hot a** weather, we'd be in good shape, lol. It's been way too hot- I'm ready for sweatshirt season. August has been a bit of a blur, too- I didn't even register we were at the halfway point until I was working on today's post. As always, here is a round-up of this month's top 5 most popular blog posts. We've got a mix of beauty, foodie + books! 

1. SALT + STONE DEODORANT REVIEW + RESTOCK HAUL - If you're into clean beauty + deodorant, you don't want to miss this post! Salt & Stone is one of the best brands I've found in the clean deo space- I share all the deets and my fave scents here. 

Read here: Salt + Stone Deodorant Review + Restock Haul 

2. NOTHING BUNDT CAKES S'MORES + OREO REVIEW - For all of my fellow foodies + cake lovers, this post is a review of the Nothing Bundt Cakes Bundtlets in the limited edition S'mores flavor and their everyday Oreo. Cake is always a good idea and they have been on their game this year with so many good seasonal + pop-up flavors! I love a good LTO so I couldn't pass them up- my only regret of the summer is not snagging one of the Key Limes! I'm glad ya'll love the food reviews as much as I do so stay tuned for some fall flavaaas. PS- I also tried out the Strawberry Cheesecake Swirl a few weeks back-- I'll link that review post here. 

Read here: Nothing Bundt Cakes S'mores + Oreo Review

3. TOP 5 MOST POPULAR BLOG POSTS | 7.14.25 - I just know ya'll can't get enough of me and want to read even more TKD posts!! Hehe- on a real note, last month's blog post round-up DID make it into this month's most popular posts as well. That always trips me out! If you do want to see what was on last month's list, I'll link the post for you here :) 

Read here: Top 5 Most Popular Blog Posts | 7.14.25

4. NEW BOOK RELEASES | 7.21.25 - Ya'll I have so many books on my TBR list and it just keeps getting longer and longer with too many good book releases coming out. It's a never-ending cycle, I can't keep up! All of these look so good too. I've been enthralled in the Idaho 4 case for years now, I'm definitely interested in picking up The Idaho Four: An American Tragedy. I'm also very much shifting my mood into fall, however I still have some time to squeeze in some summer romance vibes. I love the premise of The View From Lake Como- maybe if I read it, it'll push me closer to getting there IRL! 

Read here: New Book Releases / 7.21.25 

5. DUCK DONUTS REVIEW + TASTE TEST - What a sweet surprise to see this post here! Almost four years ago to the day (it was actually August 16th), I posted this Duck Donuts review. I haven't been back to one since but it was a fun experience and my first time having "made to order" donuts. They also make for a great photo op- look how yummy these look!! I remember them being super rich but very good- a fun stop to make if you're ever near one! Be sure to read the post here if you want to know all the flavors I ordered + my favorites. 

Read here: Duck Donuts Review + Taste Test 

TGIF, ya'll. Hope you have the best weekend! 

I love sharing my picks + hauls with you all! Should you click on or make a purchase through the links in this post, I'll earn some money to keep on shopping! Pretty cool, huh? :) 

MCCORMICK FALL FINISHING SUGARS

Fall is in the air!! This week McCormick released a new fall line of finishing sugars. They first released Christmas flavors during the holidays last year which were all the rage. They went viral, sold out immediately and were being resold online for 3-5x the retail price. I was lucky to find them in one of my local grocery stores (read more in this post here) but I searched for weeks before finally finding them. When I saw the new fall collection was released yesterday, I immediately ordered them online here. I've already seen them go in and out of stock but as of now, all are available! If you want them, definitely jump on it and grab them fast. I'm sure as a fall item quantities are limited and that they'll sell out fast. You can order them by flavor here or buy all four flavors in this set here. 

For the new fall collection, there are three new flavors and one repeat from the holiday collection. New for this year is Apple Cider, Pumpkin Spice and Maple Brown Sugar. Salted Caramel came out during the holidays and is being re-released again. I've been the most excited about Apple Cider and Maple Brown Sugar! Pumpkin Spice is always a classic fall flavor (how can you not try it???) and because I like the Salted Caramel flavor from before, I decided to also rebuy it to have in the cute fall packaging. 

I haven't tried them on anything yet but I did a quick little taste test so I could give you some first impressions. Right out of the gate, my two favorites are Maple Brown Sugar and Salted Caramel. Both of these taste yummy and are sweet just like you'd expect. I'm a sweet dessert gal through and through so these are right up my alley. The Maple Brown Sugar isn't a very strong maple taste but I think it's a great universal flavor that would go with/on a lot. The Salted Caramel is just how it sounds- very sweet like caramel with an obvious salt note. A great choice to top coffees, hot drinks + more. 

I'm a little bit torn on the Apple Cider and Pumpkin Spice. These both have a very heavy spice base to them compared to the flavor of the sugar. I'm not entirely surprised for the Pumpkin Spice- some PS items go sweeter, others more on the spicy side. You never know until you try but in this cased, the PS definitely has a strong, spicier nutmeg note which isn't personally my favorite. I've never been a PSL fan and prefer more "sweet" pumpkin desserts so I may not be the best judge on this one. 

I was really thrown by Apple Cider though. While the drink counterpart has spices, it's always still very warm and sweet. This flavor (and the PS) do have some sweetness, however it also pulls more of a savory spice flavor to me. My initial thoughts went to almost a savory, pepper-like taste. Straight out of the container, it's giving a curry vibe versus a fall dessert vibe. At this moment, I'm sadly underwhelmed by these two. They're also both very similar in taste so I think you might either love or hate both. I can definitely pick up more of nutmeg note in the Pumpkin and maybe a tad more sweetness in the Apple, however both are very close to me. I'll be interested to try them out in and on some other items- we'll see if that changes the experience or flavor at all. 

One win all across the board is the texture of the sugars. I love that they use Demerara sugar for those bigger crystals and crunch. It also looks beautiful on top of baked goods, drinks + more! Once I really use them I'll definitely keep you updated and all in all, I'm excited to have them. I love anything fall + foodie so I couldn't pass these up! Definitely try them for yourself while they're in stock- I'll link them again here :) 

What's your favorite fall food/dessert?

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WHAT'S IN MY ABERCROMBIE CART | 8.11.25

Espresso Martini Graphic Sweatshirt // Bra-free Cami // Zip-up Hoodie // Bodysuit // Atlanta Falcons Graphic Sweatshirt // Long-Sleeve Ribbed Bodysuit // Low Rise Cargo Pant // Seed Stitch Cardigan // Sweatpants

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WHAT I WANT | AUGUST

OUAI St. Barts Deodorant // Aritzia Fleece Hoodie // iS CLINICAL SPF Lip Balm // MadHappy Hoodie // Emily Post's Business Etiquette // Birkenstock Clogs // Burberry Goddess EDP // Aritzia Fleece Pants // Jones Road Miracle Balm Palette  

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AUGUST READING LIST

AUGUST READING LIST:

You can read the synopsis + shop each book by clicking on the title below: 

+ Hunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton 

+ Still Beating by Jennifer Hartmann 

+ In the Company of Witches by Auralee Wallace  

+ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling 

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What are you reading this month?

PS-- I'm also on Goodreads if you want to add me here :)

I love sharing my picks + hauls with you all! Should you make a purchase through the links in this post, I'll earn some money to keep on shopping! Pretty cool, huh? :) 

NOTHING BUNDT CAKES STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE SWIRL REVIEW

As a strawberry lover, how could I pass up the Strawberry Cheesecake Swirl Bundtlet at Nothing Bundt Cakes?? It's the current pop-up flavor available through the end of this week! This flavor features a white cake with a cheesecake filling, strawberry glaze and the classic NBC frosting on top. What a delight this is, you guys! From the first bite, the standout for me was immediately the strawberry glaze. It's so so yummy and everything you expect from a strawberry sauce. It's bright, sweet and refreshing which makes this the perfect summer flavor. I also liked that there were hints of the strawberry throughout the cake, however I wouldn't have minded just a bit more. It's light and refreshing, almost like strawberry shortcake before you get into the cheesecake center. 

Initially I wasn't really phased by the cheesecake filling- it was still a little chilled and definitely giving Philadelphia cream cheese vibes in taste and texture. In all fairness- I should disclaim that I only had a quick bite of the filling mostly by itself because it was still firm. It does have that classic cream cheese tang like you would expect and the funny part about this is that when it comes to "real" cheesecake, that's also the way it goes. Plain cheesecake is always more on the tangy, less sweet side until you dress it up with the strawberry sauce or other toppings and unless it's out of this world or exceptionally smooth, I can take it or leave it.

Fast forward to the next day, I finished the rest of the cake with the filling softened up quite a bit. That definitely made the texture more creamy and I was able to really mix it in with the cake. Mixing it all together definitely pulled the flavor profile together for a pretty accurate strawberry cheesecake flavor. Like with the classic dessert, the tanginess compliments the sweetness of the cake, strawberry and frosting. I think they nailed this one and while decadent, it still tastes light and refreshing for summer. Worth a rebuy for sure! 

What do you think- are you trying this flavor?

NEW AT SEPHORA

Chris McMillan The Smooth and Tame Hair Wand // Isle of Paradise Sunny Serum Instant Face Bronzer // Dezi Skin Makeup Melting Cleansing Balm // SEPHORA COLLECTION Tap That Puff Makeup Sponge // Sol de Janeiro Sundays in Rio Hair + Body Mist // Emi Jay Hair Brush // Hanyul Yuja Brightening Sleeping Mask // ILIA Soft Focus Blurring Blush // Beauty of Joseon Rice Milk Hydration Toner 

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I love sharing my picks + hauls with you all! Should you click on or make a purchase through the links in this post, I'll earn some money to keep on shopping! Pretty cool, huh? :)