Today’s Must-Have Monday is an environmentally friendly one! Today we’re talking about reusable straws! Both of us use reusable straws and we LOVE them. They help to reduce staining on your teeth from coffee and soda (and even ? !) and don’t need to be thrown away after every use. Brianna especially loves her reusable straws because they help keep her teeth implants in great condition ☺️
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The brand in the picture is by Kitchen Up; you can get six silicone straws, two stainless steel straws, and two cleaning brushes all for $12 on @amazon! Head to our link to buy a set ?
OK, full disclosure, I saw some other Insta-Influencers reviewing and raving about the Scoop clothing brand from Walmart. I see reviews about Walmart clothes pretty regularly on here, and a lot of times when I try those brands/products for myself I am totally underwhelmed or disappointed (that’s why you don’t usually see us review that stuff!). BUT, I decided to check out some of the products from Scoop and I was totally surprised!
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I got the Scoop Women’s Balloon Sleeve Crewneck Sweater that legit feels like wearing a blanket, and is only $19.99! I also got a staple, black knit turtle-neck for under $16 (upon further inspection, this is actually from a different brand, not Scoop, but steal great!), and the Scoop Women’s Boyfriend Blazer with Scrunch Sleeves for only $24! Check out our link-tree to buy these for yourself!
Today’s Must-Have Monday is for anyone who is suffering from winter dry skin! Brianna has long had issues with dry skin, and washing her hands so frequently because of the pandemic has exacerbated the issue of dry and bleeding knuckles. She has tried many creams, but her personal favorite is the Pond’s Dry Skin Cream- especially the Facial Moisturizer!
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Brianna loves Pond’s for two main reasons:
It is EXTREMELY budget friendly and easily found in drug stores.
Brianna uses the Facial Moisturizer, which is hypoallergenic and lighter than a regular hand cream. It causes no irritation or burning on her sensitive skin PLUS it leaves her skin moisturized but not greasy or loaded with residue cream.
Some people just don’t like receiving material things as gifts – and if you’re trying to find the perfect gift from someone like that in your life we’ve got you covered! Brianna (who travels a lot and lives a fairly minimalist life as a result) has put together the PREFECT Gift Guide full of mostly non-material gifts, or gifts that the receiver won’t be stuck with for an extended length of time. These are perfect for travelers or those living in close-quarters with limited storage space. Or considering gifting one of these ideas to your friend who’s Love Language is Quality Time!
Consider gifting food, such as holiday sweets, or a wine you picked up at a vineyard. Turn your gift into memories by enjoying the delicious treats together! Check out Harry & David for food gift basket ideas!
Look into ways to just spend time together, maybe at a restaurant you’ve both been interested in trying. Or consider picking up tickets to a live show you can enjoy together. Check out Tickemaster or Stub Hub; don’t forget to maintain safe social distancing! Outdoor events will probably be your best bet, even if that means you have to wait until the warmer months.
Consider pampering your friend via a spa or nail salon day. We both recommend checking out your local Massage Envy or Hand and Stone Massage and Facial Spa. Of course, we recommend checking out local spas and nail salons for holiday specials as well!
Regardless of the stigma, gift cards are a great gift! They’re versatile, lightweight and small, and you can guarantee the person you’re gifting them too will be happy with whatever purchase they put the gift card towards. Plus, many gift cards can be bought and shared virtually, like Starbucks and Amazon, which is perfect for those of you will not be traveling to see family/friends this holiday season.
If you really know someone who truly has it all, or is adamant that they don’t want any gifts, ask them if you can instead donate to a charity of their choosing on their behalf! This is a great way to pay it forward and helping ensure EVERYONE has a happy holiday season, including those you may not know! Not sure which charity to donate to? Check out Charity Navigator, ‘the world’s largest and most-utilized independent nonprofit evaluator’ to find the perfect place to donate too.
Hopefully this has expanded your gift-giving horizons! Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
If you’ve been with us a while, you know we love to support a small business. Even though many items may be a bit more expensive at a local shop, we would rather pay the premium to invest in the people and places in local communities. That is why we do our best to highlight some small businesses on our Instagram throughout the year.
As #smallbusinesssaturday is upon us, we decided to compile some great gift ideas from our favorite shops, in hopes that you too can try out these stores and support local men and women creators and entrepreneurs. Plus, all of these ideas are under $50, so you can stay on budget! Take a look at our suggestions below!
For this week’s #lookforless, we wanted to pay homage to one of our favorite style icons – Paige Desorbo. She is a gem and we just love how her style is a mix of high chic and comfy. Basically what we hope our own closet can be described as.
Earlier in the summer, Paige shared this cute look of a blazer over a loungewear set from Skims. Well, we cant afford to splurge on Skims right now, but we LOVED the look for an elevated athleisure look.
Meighan is wearing a Lively mesh bralette under a Navy pin-striped open blazer. On the bottoms, these Target leggings and a pair of black sneakers! Top it all off with the cutest double zipper Kate Spade bag and you are ready for the comfiest brunch of your life!
Who doesn’t love a manicure?! Especially after nail salons were closed for so long up in CT, our nails desperately needed a little TLC.
While we used to be proponents of all different types of nail treatment, we have been staying the course of regular polish for all of 2020. Don’t get us wrong – we have tried all the soak off gel, UV gel, Dip powder and acrylics out there. But our nails became so damaged and brittle from each one, we decided to take the year off.
Right before new years, we bought the Essie Gel Couture 2 step set. It has been life changing, and no, we’re not being dramatic. Together, these polishes will keep your nails colored for 10+days. Its really incredible. And it is so easy to get off – just use acetone like you would on regular nail polish.
But what if you don’t want to do your nails at home (or every time you do, they look like a kindergartner had a field day)? That’s where this hack comes in!
Head to your local salon and get a regular manicure. They should run you around $10-13 bucks, already a $22 difference from most soak off gel services. Make sure your nails are really dry before leaving the salon, or you will smudge them and that’s a no-no. Then, either right when you get in your car or as soon as you get home, swipe the top coat polish from the Essie set over your polish. Don’t worry, if your nails are really dry it wont take anything off!
Meighan’s nails 6+ days after her manicure
This will keep your color in tact on your nail and prevent any chipping, even if you are rough on them or type all day. Trust us, Meighan has been using this trick for over 6 months now and can usually get 7-10 days, sometimes more, of chip-proof nails. Honestly, with this hack (and the $264/year savings), we may never go back to gel!
We love finding dupe outfits of celebrities or supermodels in order to look good, but at a certain price point. That’s why we love highlighting #looksforless, to help show the world that looking like a celebrity doesnt have to cost you your first born child.
For today’s look, Brianna took a classic Hailey Beiber outfit and switched it up. A simple Blue and white button down can do no wrong, and Hailey styles hers over her shoulder for added dramatics. Brianna keeps hers more modest. Pair with a quality denim jort and some sunnies and you are good to go! To get closer to Hailey’s exact look, slick your hair into a low bun and add some hoop earrings.
Be careful – people may do a double take when they pass you on the street in this outfit. Don’t say we didn’t warn you!
We both have had curly hair our entire lives, but did not know how to properly take care of our luscious locks until recently. Brianna always had fine, frizz-less waves and curls that fell nicely but had no volume. Meighan was the total opposite – volume, frizz, and coarse curls galore. Not knowing how to properly care for our hair led to years of heat styling and eventually hair loss/breakage. Enter: The Curly Girl Method.
If you have heard of #curlygirlmethod before, you likely know its where people give up shampoo for a “no poo” style treatment, but may not know much else. That was us too! Meighan began looking into this method seriously around October 2018. She noticed clumps of hair would fall out when she showered, even though she was not washing her hair daily. After looking into a few options, she decided to try to tame her natural curls until her wedding in August of 2019. She made an appointment at a local DevaSalon in Connecticut to pick the stylists brain and learn all about her hair. It was an incredibly informative experience, and the first time anyone has ever dont a dry cut on her head.
After her experience, she began experimenting with curly hair products at home, completely purging herself of all hair care to date. Through trial and error, she was able to get some curl definition with slightly less frizz than before, and in a matter of weeks she was well on her way to finding her first wash routine.
2 months in to Meighan’s curly girl journey
During this time, she talked to Brianna about her experience. While Brianna’s hair is completely different than hers, she knows that there is a curl pattern and she might benefit from a Devacut as well. Brianna ended up going to get her hair cut in early 2019 by a Deva certified stylist, and began experimenting with curly hair products as well.
While we are both still in the transformation process, and occasionally still use heat styling tools so we are not full curly girl, we have seen a dramatic increase in the texture and style of our hair. Our curls are fresh and full of life, which was never the case before.
Brianna’s pre- and post- curly girl method transformationMeighan’s pre- and post-curly girl method transformation
Now, it is not uncommon for curly hair products to be well over $20 a bottle. The price alone could deter someone from trying to achieve healthier, natural hair. Plus, with a curly lifestyle comes some lifestyle changes like replacing towels and pillowcases. But do not worry! Although the process is 100% trial and error based on your hair type, we have compiled a list of all of our favorite curly hair products under $20. Yes, you read that right, it can be done. Take a look at our must have list to get started on your curly girl journey!
