Hello friends, welcome back to the blog! This week, I want to share some of the things that I’ve been loving lately. I like to do one of these at least once a season, as the things and products I use and love change all the time. Looking back, I realize I haven’t shared these since last December! I also would like to create a video about these for my YouTube channel, and that’s something I’ll be looking at doing consistently in the new year.
One of the things I’ve been thinking about lately is consumerism. That is, I’ve taken a step back and tried to NOT buy things, FOMO non-withstanding. However, it’s an on-going battle and you still need to get things you need and use all the time. That being said, I think the process of Swedish Death Cleaning that I tackled this summer has me asking if I really need things, when I go to look at them online. I give myself a day, a week, a month to think it over (especially for bigger purchases) before I go ahead and checkout cart. The act, or art of minimalism should be stressed more often. The joy it brought me to get rid of “things” this summer was highly understated. I feel like I can keep my house cleaner when there are less “things” hanging around.
All this being said, lets get into the goodies that I have currently been loving and enjoying since the cooler weather has set in!
CLOTHING/SHOES
As of the posting of this blog, I will be due to give birth to my baby in one month. So, it was absolutely necessary to purchase some new maternity clothes. It seemed to be the perfect time to get cozy clothes…fall and winter weather here in the Prairies can get bitterly cold. I was happy to find some comfortable maternity leggings, as well as joggers that are more form fitting than baggy. I have mostly basic colors - black and neutral with a few camouflage pieces thrown in for good measure. I chose two basic regular t-shirts (No V-Knecks please!), one graphic tee and a few long sleeve shirts. I tried to re-purpose as many of my regular clothes as I could - think cardigans for the cooler weather.
Another absolute favourite of mine are my brand new mukluks. I usually stick with black shoes because they go with everything. This time however, I chose a grey on grey (grey leather covered in grey fur). The color is still neutral enough and will not show the salt and dirt stains as much as black. I have an insulated pair that are weatherproof, with rubberized soles on the feet. They are the most comfortable winter boots I have ever worn in my life and they have kept my feet warm and toasty for many winters before they start breaking down. I usually get mine from Soft Moc if you want to pick up a pair for yourself. They are on the pricey side, but considering that they last for many years, I consider them a worthwhile purchase indeed.
Ponchos - can we all just take a minute here? I don’t see many people wearing ponchos. Am I the only one? I purchased my wool ones from Mary Maxim many years ago. (These ones were already pre-made; not ones I had to knit myself). I have a basic black one and a cream/tan one. They don’t have hoods, but they have a nice cuffed collar which keeps my kneck warm. I add a long sleeve shirt and sweater underneath. As long as I have a toque, scarf and gloves, I’m pretty toasty all season long. I figured this would be a good solution while I’m pregnant, instead of getting a maternity winter jacket that I will wear only for two months of the season.
MAKEUP/SKIN CARE
As the drier weather sets in, I find the need to apply mountains of moisturizer. Sometimes I get lazy, and I don’t want to waste money on “expensive” skin care. For a cheap alternative, I use Freemans gel based cream; the one I have smells like peonies and I am in love with it. Generally, gel-based creams aren’t as moisturizing. Someone with oily skin would benefit from this type. For a winter moisturizer, I usually go for the thicker cream-based face masks that you can wipe off or keep on. I have super dry skin, so if I want a more expensive option, I pick up a hyaluronic serum which helps your cream work better. Sometimes I use a face oil too. This year, in my Sephora haul, I’ll be picking up some Origin products as well as the Farmacy Honey Halo Moisturizer.
As far as makeup goes, I haven’t really been feeling it. I’ve rarely been going out on date nights due to work and time constraints. That being said, my favourite fall colors of eye shadows are rich browns, mauves and burgundies. I keep my lips neutral with a light gloss. Two of my favourite features to play up in fall looks are brows and cheeks. I keep my lips neutral and make my brows look thicker, darker and fuller and cheeks get a rosy flush. My one staple, if anything is mascara. My two current favorites are the Maybelline Lash Paradise and Loreals’ Voluminous Carbon Black.
STATIONERY & STICKERS
Is it any great surprise that I’m talking about this right now? I’ve been really into post-it notes lately. Normally I just use my planner pages for notes, but I love the decorative element that a cute post-it gives to a page. When I watch planner videos on YouTube, I love seeing all the cute deco, but even just a Post-It brand note is cute and makes it look like you have plans even if you don’t. (Lol). I have some really cute ones from TheHoneyBShop.com.
A few sticker shops I’ve found lately that I’ve been loving have been https://theprairieplanner.ca (based out of Manitoba, Canada). Another one is the https://www.cricketpaperco.com company. I first heard of this one from Cindy Guentert-Baldo on YouTube and I was sucked in when I looked at her art on her website. It is just gorgeous and I may have ordered a few fall sticker kits.
PLANNER ITEMS
As far as planners are concerned, I’ve been obsessed with my Franklin Classic Sized ring Binders. I tend to stick to muted, fall colors this time of year. For example, I used my Purple Plumeria Vintage Aurora for September, and I will be using my Golden Aspen zippered binder for October. I love switching my binders monthly, as it allows me variety and change, which I crave constantly. The nice thing about a binder planning system is that I can change the inserts too if I want, or, keep them the same.
I also love watching other people plan, and Cindy Guentert-Baldo happens to be one of my favourite planners. Is it her cavalier attitude? The way she so eloquently throws an F-Bomb into the middle of a sentence? Or her ability to decorate her planner pages and make them look absolutely dreamy? I don’t know, but I love all of it. I am obsessed with her “Plan As You Go Series’ where she shows how she uses all her planners in tandem every day for an entire month. I’ve also been missing the decorating style that comes with a weekly vertical Erin Condren. So guess what? I bought one. It was a cheaper option from Amazon rather than ordering from the Erin Condren website. Hence, in the upcoming months, you will (maybe) see me decorate my Erin Condren and use it in tandem with my Franklin Covey planner, because, well, why not? Check out my YouTube channel for videos! https://www.youtube.com/c/sandradahl.
I hope you guys enjoyed reading about my favourite fall items. What are some of yours?
Sandra 💙
0 comments