TOP 5 MOST POPULAR BLOG POSTS | 9.15.23

Now that fall is *officially* approaching, I need it to slow down. Every year I look forward to this time of the year and the "ber" months, however now it's here and going by WAY too fast. I can't believe we're already halfway through September. I think because the weather hasn't cooled down, in my mind it still feels like summer. I need to slow it down so that I can fully embrace and enjoy the season. That's always hard with the busyness of work and the holidays coming up. Do you have anything exciting planned? I love October so I want to try and squeeze in a few fall + Halloween activities. I've also been adding some fun fall content on the blog lately which brings us to today's post- the top five most popular posts from the last month. Here they are: 

1. OURA RING UNBOXING - Okay, I'm officially running out of fresh ideas on how to "blurb" the Oura Ring Unboxing. If you're new to these posts or the blog, back in 2022 I purchased an Oura Ring + shared an unboxing in this post. The post has since become "viral" by TKD standards and is almost always at the top of these lists. I always like to share a little synopsis about each post, however it feels silly rephrasing the same every single month, haha. I will say that I'm really happy the post has been so well received and hopefully has helped someone improve their health + sleep. I am obsessed with my Oura Ring + highly recommend buying one! 

Read here: Oura Ring Unboxing

2. BEST LABOR DAY SALES THIS WEEKEND - Did you do any shopping for Labor Day? There were some good sales this year. This post has all of my favorite stores to shop at and while Labor Day is over, you can for sure still find some type of sale or promotion going on.

Read here: Best Labor Day Sales this Weekend

3. TRYING BOAR’S HEAD APPLE PIE HUMMUS - I always love snackie posts! This one is also giving fall, no? I was very intrigued by the Boar's Head Apple Pie Hummus so be sure to read this post if you love food content + are curious about my first impression + overall thoughts.

Read here: Trying Boar's Head Apple Pie Hummus 

4. END OF THE WEEK THOUGHTS | 8.18.23 - A little Chatty Cathy post. Every once in awhile I like to go on rants with these random "End of the Week Thoughts" posts. They're usually a reflection of how my week went, my overall mental state or what I've got going on. It's more of an emotional outlet for me, however I also love + appreciate that you all read them too. 

Read here: End of the Week Thoughts | 8.18.23

5. MY AMAZON STOREFRONT - All things Amazon here! I try to keep my storefront updated often with new finds, favorites + items on my wishlist. Right now I have a mix with a little bit of everything: books, fashion, beauty, cat stuff + more. 

Read here: My Amazon Storefront 

What's your favorite "BER" month?

FALL SHOES I LOVE

UGG Ultra Mini // New Balance Sneakers // Black Suede Clogs // Printed Clogs // Printed Sneakers // Army Green Sneakers // UGG Slip-Ons 

-SHOP THE POST-

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? :)

FALL SWEATERS I LOVE

Green Cable Knit // Brown Square Neck // Striped Cropped Pullover // Chocolate Rib V-Neck // Khaki Sweater Tank // Cable Tie Pullover // Coat Cardi // Striped Ribbed Crewneck // Half Zip Pullover

-SHOP THE POST- 

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? :)

MY SEPTEMBER WELLNESS GOALS

Over the past month, I've been slowly getting back into my routine of prioritizing + taking better care of myself. I had a little dip back in July when my cat passed away which put my in a little bit of a funk for a few weeks. I'll be the first to admit that I always seem to struggle with finding the right balance of things, especially when it comes to food + nutrition. Lately I can tell I've been overindulging which starts to make me feel icky. Instead of just generically saying "I need to eat healthy" or "cut back," this month, I'm going to focus more on the specifics to help me get there. The overall goal is to do a little refresh physically, mentally + spiritually. Here are my top goals/intentions for the month:

+READ MY BIBLE - Despite falling off my routine a bit, I am proud to say that I've still been reading from my Bible every day. I have switched up reading in chronological order to now just choosing a random section each day, however this is one thing I've pushed myself to keep up with. 

+START A NEW BOOK - The reading has pretty much stopped everywhere else. I've been wanting to dive into a self-help book for a little inspiration so I think I'll start The Power of Now next by Eckhart Tolle. I also want to go back and re-start How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. I know that if I put too much pressure or expectation on myself to read, it never happens. Instead of being too rigid with this one, I'm going to just shoot for reading a page or two a day. That has worked well for me in the past and more often than not, I end up reading way more than that. 

+WORKOUTS - I'm on month two of my upgraded OTF membership which means I can go to eight classes. As of now, I'm still excited about this change haha. When I get tired or busy during the holidays, the gym motivation may or may not drop. That being said, I'm committed to knocking these out + I also want to add in some workouts at home. I recently learned about calisthenics which I'm intrigued by + think would be really great for my overall health. 

+EAT MORE VEGGIES - Alright, back to not generalizing that I "just need to cut back." I most definitely *DO* need to cut back, however sometimes I think the restrictive nature can be counter-productive. Instead, we're going to try to just add in more veggies. The goal is to swap those in place of something less healthy I'd eat otherwise which will also add extra nutrients + vitamins. 

+EAT LESS SUGAR - One area I should be more restrictive on is sugar. Ya'll- it's bad. I have a major sweet tooth and have always been a dessert girlie through and through. I've never related to people who say they don't like desserts or sweets, haha. Give me all the cookies, candies, chocolate. Yum! That being said- we're definitely a little too friendly with each other. I'm also at the point where I know it isn't good in excess and that it can cause inflammation, etc. It's definitely a double edge sword trying to balance + still indulge a little. I know it would be unrealistic for me to completely cut out sugar but I'm going to start with limiting the obvious sugars. Cutting back on desserts and foods that have a high amount of added sugar. 

+CASTOR OIL - Have you tried using castor oil for anything? I've seen several videos on TikTok of how amazing it can be for health. I'm curious to try it out. I'd like to do one of those stomach wraps with it to see if it would help detox my body. 

Do you have any goals for September?

I love sharing my goals 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? :)

FALL BEAUTY I LOVE

Nail Polish // Eyeshadow Palette // Mascara // Concealer // Fragrance // Pumpkin Candle // Beautyblender // Lippie Balm // Blush 

-SHOP THE POST-

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? :)

SEPTEMBER READING LIST

Happy September, you guys. It's time for another reading list post, this month largely centered on the self-help genre. I recently watched a video on emotional intelligence and how it plays a larger roll in our lives, careers and overall success. I would like to think I'm a pretty conscientious person, however I know there's always room for improvement and for me work on myself. With emotional intelligence, I also tie in being able to have control over ourselves and our own emotions. I know for a fact that I haven't fully mastered this one-- hence why Master Your Emotions is still on my reading list, lol. 

Because I've had the video on my mind ever since, I'm challenging myself to explore how I process my own emotions and interact + deal with others. Everyone knows dealing with life and it's ebbs and flows will put your mental and emotional state to the test at some point. Here are a few of the books I've found that seem like interesting reads

WHAT I WANT TO READ

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

+ Why Do I Do That? by Joseph Burgo, Ph.D. 

+ Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman 

+ Master Your Emotions by Thibaut Meurisse 

+ How to Talk to Anyone by Patrick King 

+ Emotional Intelligence 2.0 by Travis Bradberry 

**CLICK HERE FOR LINKS + MY FULL READING LIST**

What are you reading right now?

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? :)

BEST LABOR DAY SALES THIS WEEKEND

Alright I know I said I was trying to save money BUT it's hard to pass up on a good sale. We all know holiday weekends always = major sale alert. Also if you can save on something you were already planning on buying, why not? Right now I'm focusing on being more methodical with my purchases and making sure I want (and will use) what I'm buying. I also *surprisingly* don't have too many things on my wish list right now but I have been mentally preparing for fall + picking up a few new things for the season. 

Currently that includes some new jeans, maybe a jacket or two + some beauty items. It's always fun to switch up the vibe with each season, especially with makeup. Abercrombie makes some of my favorite denim so I'll try to snag a pair or two with the discount if they have my size. I've also had my eye on this NEST rollerball oil for a few months now which is 25% off this weekend. That's the best discount I've ever seen for NEST anything. If you need some good fall candles, theirs are so good. I've also added in all of my favorite places to shop + their weekend Labor Day sales. Let me know what you're shopping for!

BEST LABOR DAY WEEKEND SALES

+ Abercrombie  (25% off select styles + extra 15% off almost everything)

+ Agent Nateur (20% off with code BACKTOSCHOOL) 

+ American Eagle (25-70% off everything including new arrivals)

+ Anthropologie (extra 40% off sale) 

+ Bloomingdale's (take an extra 30% off clearance for a total savings of 50-65%) 

+ MAC Cosmetics ($20 off $75, $30 off $100 + $50 off $150) 

+ Macy's (extra 20% off select sale & clearance items with code LABOR) 

+ Madewell (30% off pre-fall styles + extra 40% off sale) 

+ Nécessaire (free full-size The Body Retional with orders of $50+) 

+ Neiman Marcus ($100 off orders of $400 or $250 off $1000 with code NMSEPT) 

+ NEST (25% off all orders with code FALL25) 

+ Nordstrom (up to 60% off sale + bonus Nordstrom Notes offer) 

+ Old Navy (up to 60% off storewide) 

+ Sephora (up to 50% off select products + earn 500 bonus points with a $75 purchase using code POINTSEARN)

+ Static Nails (25% off site wide with code LD23) 

+ Ulta (50% off daily beauty steals + 5X points on all purchases) 

+ Urban Outfitters (extra 40% off sale styles)

PS-- don't forget to use Rakuten to earn that cash back! If you haven't signed up, it's totally free and if you sign up with my referral code, you can earn an extra $30 bonus on your first purchase of $30 or more! 

Are you shopping for anything?

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? :)