BATH TIME ESSENTIALS

 Taking a bath has become a nightly ritual for me. The time to myself is something I look forward to every night- it's relaxing and in a lot of ways, cathartic. It gives me the space to recharge from the day and wind-down before bed. I've tried lots of bath products over the years, however I always go back to Dr. Teal's. They make my favorite non-irritating, calming bath salts and bubble baths. Where bath products are concerned, you have to be careful with highly fragrant products/soaps. They can easily irritate intimate areas which is an automatic no-go for me and my number one requisite for a bath time essential. Thankfully I haven't had any issues with these! 

The two products I constantly re-purchase are the Dr. Teal's Epsom Salts and bubble baths. The epsom salt is great for tired, sore muscles and to remove toxins from the body. Both products come in an assortment of scents, however I usually like to go for the plain, unscented epsom salt. I'll then add in one of the bubble baths for suds + scent depending on my mood. I like that they have an array of scents for different purposes. My favorites are the Restore & Replenish, Relax & Relief and Detoxify & Energize. To keep my skin from drying out too much, I limit using the salts to every once in awhile. My body will usually tell me when I need a little extra pain relief or detox! 

I always shave in the bath so a good razor and shaving cream is also essential. I don't get super fancy with these- just what works! Right now I'm using this razor and my go-to shaving cream. Every once in awhile I'll also wash my hair too, however most nights I skip this! I'm currently testing out this shampoo & conditioner from Aveeno. They're designed to detox and sooth the scalp. So far the results have been promising-- my hair feels very clean and looks + feels soft and shiny.

That's pretty much it! Are you a bath person or do you prefer showers? I will take a bath over a shower any day of the week! For my bath lovers-- I am on the hunt for a good pillow to use in the tub. If you have any good recommendations, please send them my way! Hope you are having a great week! 

MAY 2021 INSTAGRAM RECAP

 Happy Memorial Day, friends! Did you have any big plans for this weekend? So far it's been a pretty normal weekend for me- just catching up on some work + relaxing! I normally have Sundays + Tuesdays off so having today off is a nice little three-day weekend. I also booked an appointment for red light therapy this weekend. I went to my first session yesterday so I'm excited to see how that goes! 

I thought I'd go ahead and put up my May Instagram Recap today. I'm not mad that May is over- it was definitely a month of highs and lows for me. For some reason that made it feel like an abnormally long so I'm excited to see it go. If you're new here-- you can find me on IG @TheKristenDiary! 

*EASY YOGURT BOWL RECIPE POST HERE* 

OUTFIT DETAILS

Aerie Tee | Quay Sunglasses | Forever 21 Earrings (similar) | Kendra Scott Necklace

*FULL POST ON THIS LOOK HERE*

*MAY HEALTH + BEAUTY HAUL POST HERE* 

OUTFIT DETAILS

Aerie Tee | Topshop Jeans (similar) | Rainbows | Gucci Sunglasses (similar) |

*FULL POST ON THIS LOOK HERE*

*MAY WEEKLY TO-DO LIST POST HERE*

OUTFIT DETAILS

Billabong Top (similar) | AE Shorts (similar) | Rainbows | Quay Sunglasses | Target Earrings (similar) | LuluDK Necklace (similar)

*FULL POST ON THIS LOOK HERE*

OUTFIT DETAILS

Target Tee | Free People Shorts | Tory Burch Shoes | Prive Revaux Sunglasses  | Target Earrings (similar) | Kendra Scott Necklace | LuluDK Necklace (similar)

*FULL POST ON THIS LOOK HERE*

This month's recap was much shorter than the past few! I haven't been posting quite as much so I need to get back to it... what do you want to see more of? Also if you want to keep up with posts as they go live + see my stories, you can find me on IG @TheKristenDiary! Hope you enjoy the holiday + shorter week ahead!

I love sharing all things beauty + fashion 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? :)

DERMSTORE SUMMER SALE EVENT WISH-LIST

Happy Memorial Day weekend! Every year we are all flooded with an endless number of online sales happening over the holiday. Anyone else serial delete all of the emails?? One of the few that I actually love to browse and shop from is Dermstore's Summer Sale Event. They are one of the coolest online beauty stores with a great assortment of speciality skincare and cosmetic brands. I like that they carry a mix of well-known brands in addition to these speciality lines that aren't as commonly found or available from a lot of other retailers. Most of their brands are mid-to-high end so anytime I always like to take advantage of a sale. 

Right now they are offering 20% off of most brands + offer free shipping on all orders. You can also sign up for their rewards program to earn points + receive 15% off of your first purchase. 

If you've been following some of my recent posts, you might have picked up that I'm currently working to perfect my skin and hair routines! I'm also still looking to buy cleaner, less toxic products when I can! I scoured the site + these are the items currently on my wish-list! 

DERMSTORE SUMMER SALE EVENT WISH-LIST

1. Joanna Vargas Vitamin C Face Wash - In my search for a new cleanser, I came across this Joanna Vargas Vitamin C Face Wash. Nothing like sleek packaging + a "Vitamin C" title to grab your attention! It is formulated to cleanse, brighten the skin and fight free radicals. All of these things and the amazing customer reviews sound great. The price per ounce is a bit pricey which makes the sale the perfect time to try it out! 

2. Colorescience Total Eye 3-in-1 Renewal Therapy SPF 35 - Colorescience makes my favorite daily sunscreen so I'm interested in trying their under eye treatment. It targets signs of aging, dark circles + puffiness, dryness and sun damage with added SPF 35. I bet the metal tip applicator feels amazing too! 

3. beautyblender Joy - It's always time for a new beautyblender! One of the best beauty sponges for applying foundation. I love this bright yellow one, so fun and happy for summer!

4. DevaCurl DevaTowel - Normally I feel like all hair towels are a gimmick? This one seems very interesting and unique-- it's designed to help style curly hair with faster drying time and less frizz. Ya'll know I struggle with dry scalp issues and I recently heard that going to bed with wet hair can worsen the problem. Any guesses on who currently does that??? LOL... I also have naturally wavy/curly hair which is prone to some frizziness + flyaways. I'm not sure that I would use this as a styling tool, however I'm curious about the potential scalp and hair benefits.

5. boscia MakeUp-BreakUp Cool Cleansing Oil - Love love love this boscia MakeUp-BreakUp Cool Cleansing Oil. It is one of the best makeup removers-- it's amazing at breaking everything down and it's clean/less toxic that a lot of others. I need a refill so going to grab while on sale! 

6. ILIA Liquid Powder Chromatic Eye Tint - I had to really rein it in with the ILIA products-- at one time I had the entire product line going in my cart. They sell clean products + have great reviews all across the board. I don't currently need a ton of new makeup items, however this Liquid Powder Chromatic Eye Tint looks fun for summer! I added the color "Glaze" to my cart-- love the wand applicator + that it has some shimmer. 

7. Living Proof Scalp Care Dry Scalp Treatment - I'm up to try any of the scalp products at this point! I haven't used a whole lot from Living Proof but I like that their Scalp Care Dry Scalp Treatment is a leave-in product. I've been testing out a new shampoo + conditioner so I like the idea of using this after washing my hair. 

8. ILIA Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 40 - This looks so great for the summer! It's the ILIA Super Serum Skin Tint- a 3-in-1 concept that reminds me a lot of a tinted moisturizer but in a serum formulation. It combines skincare ingredients and SPF 40 to blur imperfections with a light coverage. Most days I like something light and natural so if it works, this sounds like a great product. Have you tried? It gets amazing reviews too! 

That's a wrap! I hope you all have the best weekend-- do you have any big plans? I have Monday off which I'm so excited for! Also let me know which sales you are planning on shopping! I heard it through the grapevine that Agent Nateur is also having a sale so between that and Dermstore, I might be all tapped out! Lol 😜

I love sharing my picks 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? :)

DAY DATE WITH THE BOYFRIEND

My boyfriend surprised me with a little impromptu day date yesterday! He's been working almost every single day of the last several months so we've only been able to spend a few hours together here and there. I always have Tuesdays off from work so it worked out that he was also able to take the afternoon off! I didn't end up shooting any outfit content for my normal Wednesday style post so here's a little recap of our day instead. 

Alright ya'll, we are pretty low key-- the most adventurous things we usually do is eat. Anyone else?? For lunch we decided to take a little road trip to Drake's, one of our favorite restaurants. It's a little bit of a drive for us but they have several locations across different states here in the South. They have the best burgers, drinks and sushi! We also love the atmosphere- it's super relaxed and has a great vibe. 

We started off by splitting a Surf + Turf roll for an appetizer. I'm not a huge sushi person-- fish is pretty much a no-go for me. I try to make an effort to try them whenever he orders any and I do like some of the shrimp/crab ones or anything with tempura. The Surf + Turf passed the vibe check for me: cream cheese, crab + asparagus with filet and avocado on top. It also had a sriracha sauce that added a little bit of spice + extra flavor. For someone who isn't a big sushi person, I would eat it again! My boyfriend's a lot more adventurous than I am-- I think he liked it too but I got the impression it wasn't his favorite. 😜

For entree, I ordered my usual Triple Double Mini Burgers with fries. I've tried lots of other items but these are my favorite- two double patty sliders with lots of cheese!! I always add garlic parmesan mayo to them too (total game changer) and get a side of ranch for the fries! JJ got the burger of the month but normally he gets the BBQ Burger or a Patty Melt! As if I wasn't already stuffed enough, they also gave us a free cookie dessert which was delish! 

The rest of the afternoon consisted of walking around + doing some shopping to burn off our lunch! I didn't find too much, just a few snacks from Target. Ya'll I've been OBSESSED with these dark chocolate almonds so I picked up the himalayan salt ones to try. After that, we went grocery shopping and watched the next Fast & Furious movie. If you missed it, we've been watching all of them on the weekends. We watched Fast & Furious 6 tonight and then had a late dinner. JJ grilled steak + asparagus and we shared a twice baked potato and gorgonzola + pear salad. I wasn't joking that my days usually just revolve around food! 🤣 JJ also put new wiper blades on my car for me, does that count as exciting? It was for me! Lol! 

Anywhoooo, that's a wrap for our midweek day date! It was nice having a fun, relaxing day with my boo and some yummy food. What's your favorite thing to do on date night/date day? We usually like to watch movies or shows (and eat of course!) so send me your ideas!

HOW TO DEAL WITH BEING UNMOTIVATED + UNINSPIRED

We all go through times in life where we're feeling uninspired or lacking motivation. It's perfectly normal to not always feel normal -- NO ONE has their shit together 100% of the time. Between the day-to-day stresses of life, falling into a rut or feeling blah at times seems inevitable. Whether it's work-related or personal, here are some tips that I use to deal + find to be really helpful.

+ GIVE YOURSELF A BREAK

Being hard on yourself for this only makes things worst. Acknowledging that you're going through a temporary setback + knowing it won't last forever gives you the permission to process and (eventually) move on. When I'm feeling burned out, stressed or overwhelmed with something, I like to take a step back and distance myself from it. This not only helps provide clarity on what is causing you to feel uninspired, it gives you time to re-charge and learn new ways to avoid or handle it in the future. 

+ DO SOMETHING THAT EXCITES YOU 

Whether it's watching a guilty pleasure or ordering from your favorite restaurant, do something just for you. When I'm feeling off, I give myself permission to indulge and treat myself a little. There isn't much that a tv marathon, delicious food and a bubble bath can't help cure! Obviously you don't want to go overboard with this one, however enjoying something you might not normally brings a lot of excitement and can help to pull you out of a rut. 

+ LOOK FOR INSPO

If I'm lacking motivation or ideas, sometimes it's as simple as finding inspiration through others or the internet. I look to the people I follow on social media to uplift and inspire me, watch YouTube videos and browse articles/blog posts online. Seeing someone else's perspective or content is often motivating and feels like a breathe of fresh air.

+ TRY SOMETHING NEW 

It's easy to become a creature of habit and conform to our daily routines. While I love having structure and to-do lists to stay on track and be productive, life can become mundane and often lead us into feeling uninspired and unmotivated. The saying goes "You can't keep doing the same thing over and over again, but expect different results." 

Let's revise that by mixing things up once in awhile! Whether it's on a work project or a date night, think outside the box and give something new a try. This is something I often have a hard time with and need to challenge myself to do more of. I am definitely guilty of wanting to stay in my comfort zone, however when you branch out + it works, it brings new excitement and energy to life! 

+ READ A BOOK 

This one may not be everyone's cup of tea, however I find reading really helps to re-inspire and pull me out of my moods. If I'm feeling unmotivated or stuck when it comes to work or life, I find self-help and personal growth books to be insightful and encouraging. If it's more personal, I'll go for something on the fun + fictional side. Books have always been a great escape from the stresses of everyday life for me. 

What do you do to help deal? Comment below, we can all use more tips! 

I love sharing new content + style 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? :)

2021 FINANCIAL GOAL PROGRESS + UPDATE!

Back in January, I put up a post titled Money Moves I'm Making in 2021. This outlined the top financial goals + priorities I set for myself at the beginning of the year. I decided that I wanted to really hone-in and focus on improving my finances in 2021. I've always been financially responsible and "good with money," however I want to go beyond the basics and just saving money. I've been challenging myself to really be intentional with my spending and to create a purpose + plan for my dollars. Like with anything in life, our finances are an area that I think we can always continue to grow, adapt and improve upon!

It's hard to believe that we're almost halfway through the year now! I thought I'd share a little recap of how things have been going so far with my goals + finances. I'm excited to document this to reflect and look back on my progress, however I also hope this will help inspire you to take action with your own money and financial goals. I am by no means an expert or offering financial advice- just sharing what I'm doing as I figure it all out :) 

To quickly recap, the top goals listed in my Money Moves post were: Max out ROTH IRA Contributions, Increase my Emergency Fund, Follow a Budget, Start Non-Retirement Investments + Open a High-Yield Savings Account. You can read more on those in this post!

2021 FINANCIAL GOAL PROGRESS

To keep things simple, I'm going to separate which goals I've accomplished (financial "hits") of 2021 and the areas that I think I need to expand or improve upon (aka "misses").

"FINANCIAL HITS" // ACCOMPLISHMENTS (SO FAR)

• 2020 ROTH IRA contributions
• Monthly emergency fund savings
• Opened an individual brokerage account
• Opened a high-yield savings account 
• Tracking my spending daily + creating monthly budgets
• Switched to a cash back credit card 

So far, I feel like I've been making great progress towards my yearly goals. I feel the most accomplished for maxing out my 2020 ROTH IRA contributions!! Right now I have low expenses so I'm able to take advantage of this. I'm trying to ride the wave + max it out for as long as I'm able to! Being prepared for the future is important to me so I do my best to prioritize + plan for this. 

Be sure to check out my post on Why You Need to Open a ROTH IRA Now. 

I also took care of a lot of the "administrative" things on my list. For months I've been telling myself I need to start investing outside of retirement, open a high-yield savings account, etc. I finally decided to take the first step by getting all of these set up. I also finally opened a cash back credit card for everyday spending. I've been thinking about doing this for about a year now! It's easy for me to keep pushing these things off as "I need to's" or "I want to's." They were all super easy to do + took me less than five minutes. If you keep putting off something super simple, just do it now! 

"FINANCIAL MISSES" // AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT 

• 2021 ROTH IRA contributions 
• Funding + investing individual brokerage account
• Finding a place/purpose for every dollar 
• Exploring cryptocurrencies 

These are the areas I want to tackle + improve upon. Of course, starting my 2021 ROTH IRA contributions is first on the list! I tend to be pretty sporadic on when I make contributions so I'm going to try to start doing them on a more consistent, monthly basis. 

Coming up with a place for every dollar is something that I also need to challenge myself on. I'm really good at saving, however I don't save everything with a purpose in mind. I have certain things like my ROTH and my emergency fund that I plan for, however anything else that is leftover usually just gets left sitting or lost in the shuffle. I probably need to establish some sinking funds or start investing the rest! 

I keep seeing a ton of information out there on cryptocurrencies. I'm intrigued by them, however they are also very unknown and volatile at times. I don't know too much about them so I can definitely do some research here. 

That's a quick overview of how some of my financial goals are coming along for the year! I hope you all enjoy these types of posts- I love talking about the topic of money & finance. I get a lot of inspiration and insight from others so I'm just hoping to pass some of that along to you :) As always, feel free to share your thoughts + catch up with my on IG (@TheKristenDiary).

Also read: 

Why You Need to Open a ROTH IRA Now

How I Save Money Shopping

Money Moves I'm Making in 2021

BEACHY BUTTON-UP #OOTD

Top: Billabong [old- similar here, here & here] | Shorts: AE [old, similar here + here] | Sunnies: Quay | Sandals: Rainbow | Initial Necklace: LuluDK [old- similar here] | Earrings: Target [old - similar here]

It feels so good to put up another #OOTD! I haven't really "gotten ready" with hair or makeup in what feels like forever. I shared on IG that the past few weeks have been something else-- I've definitely been feelin' the ebbs and flows. Sometimes you just have to ride the ride and get through them, ya know? I'm finally feeling more like myself this week so I gave the leggings a break + went for this relaxed, beachy outfit today.

I love the look of button-ups with denim. Depending on what pieces you use, it can swing business casual or relaxed and beachy like today's look. Too bad I shot these from a parking lot and not somewhere tropical, LOL! Are you planning to go anywhere for vacation for this summer? Right now I have no plans to but would love it! 

Let's jump into outfit deets. My top is several years old now-- I found it in my closet with the tags still on it so I figured I may as well start wearing it now? I use to be so bad about buying things and never wearing them. Luckily I still think it's cute! This one is made of a lightweight, textured cotton and has tails in the front that you knot. The striping with those details makes it the perfect relaxed top for the summer. I think it would also be really cute unbuttoned with a swimsuit underneath! Since it's no longer available, I found a bunch of similar styles with the same vibe that I love. I'll link them here, here, here + here for you. 

My shorts are also super old from AE... really striking out here with the current fashion! Any pair of denim ones would work-- the more distressed, the better. Even though the button-up is very casual, I think the distressing still helps balance it out and adds some extra texture. AE denim shorts are still some of my faves-- love this pair and this pair.

You already know I couldn't make this a beachy look without my trusty Rainbows! Forever my favorite, most-worn pair of sandals. Super comfy, durable and versatile. I have this skinny strap style but they come in wide strap too. 

Hope you have a great rest of your week, only a few more days until the weekend! :)

I love sharing my style 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? :)