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Things I Love – #23
These are items I purchased and love in our Chicago apartment’s Master Bedroom. As I’ve mentioned before, we put together our Chicago apartment very quickly, so you’ll see I purchased furniture mainly from a few stores I have used before (and where we happen to have designer discounts.) Over time I’ve added in accent pieces that are a little more unique. My current project is to add artwork in the apartment hall and guest bedroom. (Click on the photos or blue words below for more information.)
West Elm Grid Tufted Tapered Leg Bed in Stone Twill – I really like having an upholstered headboard for reading in bed and I like the clean lines of the tapered legs.
West Elm Upholstered Bed Leesa mattress (original) – This is an incredibly comfortable memory foam mattress. We actually look forward to our stays in Chicago just to sleep on this mattress. Note: The original Leesa mattress is currently on sale.
Leesa Mattress West Elm Penelope Grand nightstands – I love the combination of wood and marble; and it’s the perfect size.
Penelope Grand Nightstand Zippered Mattress Protector – This prevents any sweat, dirt, mites, etc. from getting into your mattress which means your mattress is not only cleaner, but should last longer.
Mattress Protector Bamboo Mattress pad – A hypoallergenic, cooling, plush mattress pad.
Mattress Pad Pottery Barn Morgan sheets – These 400-thread-count organic cotton sheets are luxurious and they get softer with every wash.
Morgan Sheets in Twilight Buffy comforter – Another great find that is making its way onto every bed we own. This comforter is made from Eucalyptus and plastic bottles. And, it’s naturally resistant to dust, mites and mold.
Buffy Cloud Comforter West Elm organic cotton duvet – You definitely want a duvet cover for you comforter so you don’t have to clean your comforter as often. The exact duvet we have is no longer available, but I have the style below on our guest bed and I love it.
West Elm Cotton Pintuck Duvet Pottery Barn Velvet Quilt – The navy velvet is a nice contrast with all of the lighter colors and fabrics. Bonus: It also coordinates with the navy accents in the living room and kitchen. When you have a small space, it’s nice to tie it together with repeating colors. (The exact quilt picture below is no longer available, but Pottery Barn has several velvet quilts. I recently purchased this velvet quilt for our house in Saint Paul.)
Pottery Barn quilt Gray Malin art – I’ve shared this photo on my blog before… I own several of Gray Malin’s photos and this one just makes me happy.
Gray Malin Color Balloons I Navy & gold Safavieh lamps – These lamps tie together the navy quilt and the gold hardware on the nightstands. (This exact style is no longer available, but Overstock has many other navy lamps available.)
Safavieh Lamps Leather catch-all – My husband needs a place to empty his pockets at night so I found this cute holder on Amazon.
Leather catch-all If you have any favorite bedroom pieces (furniture, sheets, art work, etc.) please share in the comments.
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Rosemary Hibiscus Gin Spritz
I had leftover Hibiscus Rosemary Concentrate from my New Year’s Eve Hibiscus champagne cocktail, so I created this new Spritz. Remember, there are three basic ingredients for a spritz: liquor / liqueur, bubbles and soda. You can always add additional ingredients to create more complex flavors, as I’ve done below. (Click blue words for more recipes or additional information.)
Add to a cocktail shaker:
2 oz of your favorite herbal gin (I used The Botanist)
1 oz Rosemary Hibiscus Concentrate (recipe below photo) If you’re not a fan of hibiscus or just don’t want to make the concentrate, try the cocktail without the concentrate. I bet it’s delicious!
1 1/2 oz St Germain Elderflower Liqueur (this liqueur compliments gin nicely, add a splash to your gin and tonic or gin and soda)
Fill shaker with ice and shake well. Strain into a large wine or water goblet with fresh ice cubes, then top with:
4 oz Prosecco (I used LaMarca)
2 oz club soda
Stir gently. Garnish with a sprig of fresh rosemary. (Rub the rosemary between your fingers before adding to release the oils.)
Cheers!
Hibiscus Gin Spritz Hibiscus Rosemary Concentrate. If you can find hibiscus flowers that’s great, (available on Amazon) but if not, just pick up a container of natural hibiscus tea at the grocery store. The Republic of Tea is a good brand.
- Boil 1 1/2 cups of water
- Add 1/4 cup of hibiscus flowers or several tea bags and a couple sprigs of fresh rosemary
Let steep for at least 10 minutes until the concentrate is a dark red.
Strain out the flowers and rosemary, discard. Refrigerate the concentrated tea for up to one week. (If you have any leftover concentrate, try it in the Hibiscus margarita or the Hibiscus Champagne Cocktail.)
For a non-alcoholic drink with the hibiscus concentrate try: 1 oz fresh lemon juice, 1 oz Hibiscus concentrate and 5 ounces of club soda over ice.
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Click on the three lines to the left of the word “lifestyle” at the top of this page and enter your email address to receive notifications by email when I post something new on this blog. Also, follow me on Instagram at cocktailsandgratitude for photos of cocktails, flowers, my pets and, eventually, more travel.
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Things I Love – #22
Every January there are a few items I find myself purchasing, usually related to refreshing or organizing my home for the remaining winter months. Click on the photos below or any blue words for more information.
Nest Bamboo Candle Candles – To replace the Christmas scents I’ve been burning since Thanksgiving, two of the scents I purchase every January are Orange Blossom and Bamboo from Nest Home Fragrances.
Brother Label Maker Brother Label Maker – I asked for a label maker for Christmas and I’ve really enjoyed making labels for all of my storage containers. Next Christmas, I’ll know exactly what’s in each storage container.
Nesco Food Dehydrator Food Dehydrator & Jerky Maker – Citrus is in season. So, for all my cocktail making friends, this is the time to dehydrate commonly used citrus like oranges, lemons and limes. Look at your grocery store for unusual citrus like pink lemons and blood oranges.
Glass Jars Glass Storage Jars – I love these borosilicate glass jars with airtight locking bamboo lids. They seal tight so your dehydrated citrus, coffee beans or whatever else you are storing will stay fresh. And, they look great on your counter.
Dog and Cat Collars with bowtie Dog Collars – The dogs needed fresh non-Christmas collars. I love the price point and the removable bows on these collars.
Cool Mist Humidifier Humidifier – I have this countertop humidifier in my kitchen. Our house is really dry in the winter and when I fill this in the morning, it will run the entire day.
Porcelain Ramekins Ramekin cups – We’ve been making a lot of charcuterie boards lately, and while I love using these silicone baking cups for nuts, fig jams, cornichons, etc., I decided to pick up a set of these white porcelain ramekins to switch it up.
What household items do you like to refresh in January?
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Click on the three lines to the left of the word “lifestyle” at the top of this page and enter your email address to receive notifications by email when I post something new on this blog. Also, follow me on Instagram at cocktailsandgratitude for photos of cocktails, flowers, my pets and, eventually, more travel.
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Things I Love – #20
Holiday Gift Ideas
As I’ve gotten older, I like to focus on gifts that involve an experience. Since travel and public experiences (like a spa day) are limited now, below are some ideas for stay-at-home experiences. (Click on blue text {NOT photos} for more details or to purchase.)
Hand / Foot Treatments: Between the constant hand washing and the cold temps, everyone could use extra hand cream. Buy a package of white cotton gloves and a few tubes of thick hand lotion. (The cotton gloves will warm up hands to help the lotion soak in – also there won’t be greasy hand prints on everything.) Fill several small gift bags with a pair of gloves and one tube of lotion, now you have little gifts for all your girlfriends. To elevate: Include a foot mask with a thick pair of socks and a lip balm.
Manicure / Pedicure: I love these cute polish and top coat ornaments from Olive and June. To elevate: Fill a plastic storage container with a polish remover dispenser, cotton rounds, a fingernail file, buffer and orange sticks.
Spa Time: Include a favorite face sheet mask, bath salts and body lotion. To elevate: Include a facial steamer, a cooling roller and under eye masks. I love this face steamer and cooling roller (store the roller in the freezer and roll over your face and eyes to reduce puffiness and brighten your skin.)
Build Your Own Pizza Night: A pizza stone, a pizza cutter and a pizza peel. To elevate: Include Italian beer or wine and a gift certificate to a local Italian market for gourmet supplies.
Charcuterie Board: Order a custom cutting board and combine it with small serving bowls and a set of cheese knives. To elevate: Add a bottle of wine and assorted shelf-stable charcuterie items like: fig jam, Marcona almonds, olives, cornichons and gourmet crackers or include a gift certificate to a local cheese shop.
Cookie making: A new mixing bowl, cookie sheets, spatulas and cookie cutters for an afternoon of baking. To elevate: Include a Kitchenaid mixer an apron, pot holders and / or a family favorite cookie recipe.
Hallmark Christmas Movie Night: A mug or two, hot chocolate, marshmallows, crushed candy canes and a set of Christmas movie bingo cards. To elevate: Buy glass canisters for the hot chocolate fixings and a handheld frother to create a fluffy hot cocoa. This frother almost doubles the size of your drink, so leave lots of room in your mug!
Book Basket: Fill a basket with your favorite books or an assortment of best sellers. To elevate: Include a monogram book embosser and embossing stickers or a Kindle with a Kindle Unlimited membership. Consider sending the same book to multiple friends and setting up a virtual book club date in January.
Bulb Garden: You can purchase a bulb garden or kit online or from your local garden store. To elevate: Make your own kit with a pot that matches the recipient’s style, a gallon baggie of potting soil or stones, a paper bag with paper white bulbs and don’t forget to include potting instructions. Once planted, the bulbs will bloom in about four weeks. Everyone could use flowers during the January gloom.
Movie Night: Put together a basket with classic Christmas DVDs and treats including popcorn, flavored popcorn seasoning, traditional movie theater candy and bottled sodas. To elevate: Include popcorn bowls and a cozy blanket or a subscription to Netflix, Hulu or Amazon Prime video.
Game Night: Choose a favorite board game like Life, Monopoly, Trouble or Scrabble, add a deck of playing cards, Uno or Skippo, then add some sweet and salty snacks. To elevate: Send snack boxes and a game like Yahtzee to multiple households and schedule a Zoom call for a virtual game night.
What are some of your favorite stay-at-home experiences? I’m always looking for more ideas.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn money from qualifying purchases.
Click on the three lines to the left of the word “lifestyle” at the top of this page and enter your email address to receive notifications by email when I post something new on this blog. Also, follow me on Instagram at cocktailsandgratitude for photos of cocktails, flowers, my pets and, eventually, more travel.
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Things I Love – #19
I love Advent Calendars. I’m not talking the cheap, waxy chocolate kind for children. I’m talking calendars with an adorable daily gift for the special grown ups in your life. Unfortunately, some of the calendars below have already sold out for this year, but keep them in mind for next year. (Click on the photos below and any blue words for more information.)
Olive and June Mani Magic Olive & June – This is a new nail polish line that I discovered this summer (and love!) so I was thrilled to see they had an advent calendar. I bought this during the pre-sale and it sold out very quickly. The Olive and June website has many other gift options like a Merry Mani ornament with a polish and topcoat. OPI and Essie also make advent calendars.
Sugarfina Sugarfina – If you know someone who likes candy, but not necessarily chocolate, this calendar has a nice assortment of Sugarfina candies and only a few chocolates. PaperSource also sells Sugarfina so check both to see who has the best price.
L’Occitane Signature Calendar L’Occitane – This is a great way to try L’Occitane products and considering the items included, it’s really a good deal. L’Occitane offers both a Signature calendar and a Premium calendar. (The Premium calendar is already sold out, so I only listed the Signature calendar above.)
Godiva 
Charbonnel et Walker If you like chocolate, try a high end chocolate advent calendar, like Godiva or Charbonnel et Walker. Williams Sonoma sells several advent calendar options for every price range and flavor profile.
24 Jolly Days with 24 Whiskeys Have a whiskey lover in family? There’s an advent calendar for that at Flaviar. There are also advent calendars for everything from gin to hard ciders. If you want to build your own alcohol advent calendar, Amazon sells these empty advent boxes and Teeleandco on Etsy has this cute wine Christmas tree advent calendar.
Bonne Maman 
Adagio Gourmet Tea For the breakfast lover consider the Bonne Maman calendar with 24 mini fruit spreads and honey or the Adagio Gourmet Tea calendar.
Toys for Dogs And last, but not least, Chewy has advent calendars for your dog and cat.
If you haven’t bought advent calendars for this year, order soon! Not only do they sell out early, but with Covid there are shipping delays with many companies.
Comment below with your favorite advent calendars so I can add them to my list for next year. Note: It’s perfectly acceptable to buy yourself an advent calendar.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn money from qualifying purchases.
Click on the three lines to the left of the word “lifestyle” at the top of this page and enter your email address to receive notifications by email when I post something new on this blog. Also, follow me on Instagram at cocktailsandgratitude for photos of cocktails, flowers, my pets and, eventually, more travel.
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Things I Love – #18
Here are some of my recent Amazon purchases.
Borosilicate Glass Storage Jars I love having these airtight storage jars decorating my kitchen counter. I now have three jars holding dried citrus, but soon I’ll be switching them out to hot cocoa, marshmallow bits and crushed candy canes (see below.) I like the borosilicate glass because it’s clear, light and strong. However, KKC has many less expensive storage jar options, if you prefer.
Patio Lights I have patio lights in my backyard all year. I have one set on the arbor by our back gate and another behind the couch on our patio. I love looking out at night and seeing the lights glow in our yard. Note: Instead of buying replacement bulbs, it’s cheaper to buy an extra string and steal bulbs from that string. Also, I have had squirrels chew through a cord before, so keep the extra cord even after you’ve used all the bulbs.
Capri Blue Watercolor – Paris The Capri Blue candle scents are AMAZING! Stock up on these for January after you’ve burned all your pumpkin spice and Christmas candles. They smell like summer and will help get you through the winter gloom. If you don’t love the hot pink above, click here for more fun styles and colors. The Volcano scent is one of my favorites. Note: I also love traveling with this metal tin.
Kuoser Waterproof Dog Vest These plaid jackets are really cute. I do think they run a little small so check the measurements and if your dog is close to the next size, definitely size up.
Facial Steamer My face is already feeling dry and winter is just starting. Incorporating a face steam into your routine once a week will help purify and hydrate your skin. Make sure you buy a gallon of distilled water to have on hand for your steamer – the minerals in tap water will clog up your steamer.
Gift Tags with Twine This is quite the bargain. 100 gift tags and 100 feet of twine for $6.99! I recently made gift bags where I folded over the top of the bag and used a hole punch to make two holes, then I tied the bag shut with twine and added a gift tag. These would also look great if you want to do a more rustic Christmas gift wrap. Consider tying in a sprig of evergreen or seeded Eucalyptus to give it a personal touch.
I recently put together Hallmark movie gift bags for my girlfriends (see bags and tags above) with hot cocoa packets, crushed peppermint candies, dehydrated marshmallow bits (these taste like the marshmallows in Lucky Charms) and Hallmark movie bingo cards from Etsy. Note: the containers of crushed peppermint candies and dehydrated marshmallow bits are huge! Consider Christmas and/or hostess gifts with three canning jars – one filled with homeade hot cocoa (super easy recipes on Pinterest), one with marshmallow bits and one with crushed peppermint. Throw in a tin of homeade cookies (or peppermint bark if you want to use up more of the crushed candy) and this is a gift anyone would love to receive.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn money from qualifying purchases.
Click on the three lines to the left of the word “lifestyle” at the top of this page and enter your email address to receive notifications by email when I post something new on this blog. Also, follow me on Instagram at cocktailsandgratitude for photos of cocktails, flowers, my pets and, eventually, more travel.
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Fall Organization
Something about fall always prompts me to organize at least some of my cupboards, drawers, closets, etc. Maybe it’s because I know I’m going to be spending a lot more time indoors and having things organized makes me happy and helps keep my stress levels lower – something we all need this year!
Imagine how excited I was to discover The Home Edit (THE) on Netflix just as I was planning my trip to The Container Store. Based on the number of people at The Container Store with THE branded items in their carts and the empty shelves throughout the store, I’m not the only one who watched this new series. There are several things about this show that stress me out and don’t make sense to me – like the assistants showing up with a vehicle full of assorted storage containers before they’ve ever visited the property. You know some measurements had to be taken and a discussion of container styles must have happened, all of this seems more important to me than some of the other items they focus on during the episodes. However, I do like the idea of using clear containers to organize my cupboards and when the containers are full, it’s time to edit. Also, organizing by rainbow? Really? I organize my closet by season and style (all tank tops together from lightest to darkest, followed by t-shirts, then long sleeve shirts, then button down shirts, etc.) Does anyone have a rainbow of tank tops or t-shirts? Am I the only one with a closet full of white, gray, navy and black clothes?
My organized vase cupboard 
Still a work in progress – waiting on two back-ordered pantry bins for floral supplies and empty candle holders. Also, am I ever going to make my own candles? It might be time to purge some of those candle holders if I don’t find new candle inserts soon. 
Laundry / craft / gift wrap room junk drawer I did order The Home Edit book from Amazon and I’m only a few chapters in, but I think I’ll enjoy the show more knowing their thought process / plan of attack. If the show is inspiring you to organize; but you aren’t an organizer by nature, I’d suggest picking up the book before jumping in and getting completely overwhelmed. A second book called The Home Edit Life was just released and is also available on Amazon. I bought this book as well, but haven’t even cracked the cover. Once I do, I’ll post an update if I think it’s worth buying both books.
One last thing I just discovered, on Facebook there are neighborhood groups called “Buy Nothing.” Search on Facebook for one near you. Once you’re a member of the group, you can post items you want to purge and also items you’re in search of. Since the groups have very definite neighborhood borders, you know every drop off or pick up is nearby. Very clever.
Has anyone else been on an organizing kick lately? Please share tips or tricks in the comments.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn money from qualifying purchases.
Click on the three lines to the left of the word “lifestyle” at the top of this page and enter your email address to receive notifications by email when I post something new on this blog. Also, follow me on Instagram at cocktailsandgratitude for photos of cocktails, flowers, my pets and, eventually, more travel.
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Things I Love – #16
Here’s another Amazon list, but this one is focused on household items. Since I am still limiting the number of stores I go to, we have weekly Amazon deliveries. Click on the photos below or the blue text for an Amazon link to the products listed.
La Creuset Wine Cooler Sleeve If you want to chill down a bottle of wine quickly or just keep your open bottle of patio wine nice and cold, order this La Creuset wine cooler sleeve. When it’s empty, it folds flat so it doesn’t take up much room in your freezer.
Nest Island Rain & Sea Salt Candle 
Nest Ocean Mist & Sea Salt 3-Wick Candle You know I love Nest candles since they’ve been on my blog several times in Things I Love – #8 , Things I Love – #2 and the Nordstrom Sale. These two candles smell so fresh and they are in beautiful containers that can be repurposed after the candle is gone. I bought these for birthday gifts but I like them so much I might need to order more for myself. The Ocean Mist candle is more expensive, but note it is a larger 3-wick candle.
Lucia Candles These Lucia candles were on my Things I Love – #1 post. I first discovered Lucia candles at a vineyard in Napa. I didn’t want to pack a glass candle holder in my suitcase so I found them online and ordered them before we even left Napa. Amazon offers different scents at different times; so if these scents don’t appeal to you, check back in a few weeks to see if there is a new scent in stock. The scents are very mild, so they’re best used in a smaller room like a bathroom or bedroom.
EltaMD SPF 40 Facial Sunscreen – Clear 
EltaMD SPF 46 Sensitive or Acne Prone Skin – Tinterd EltaMD Face Sunscreen was in Things I Love – #4. The EltaMD sunscreen line is recommended by dermatologists because it doesn’t leave an oily residue behind which might cause breakouts or reactions with sensitive skin. There are multiple variations of this sunscreen, so look around for the correct one to fit your skin needs. I personally prefer the clear sunscreen over the tinted.
Yahtzee 
Leather Felt-lined Yahtzee Cup with 5 dice 
Yahtzee Score Pads Early in the quarantine process, I sent my daughter a Yahtzee game. Then we had a Zoom call where we played Yahtzee as a family. The game I bought her had a plastic cup and was really loud when shaking the dice, so I bought her the leather felt-lined Yahtzee cup. I also discovered I was running low on score sheets, but guess where I found them… on Amazon, of course!
Play Nine – Golf Card Game Are you getting tired of all of your games? We love Play Nine. Even though it’s called a golf game, it really has nothing to do with golf except using golf terminology on the cards like Hole-In-One, Out-of-Bounds, Par, etc. It’s a fun game for 2 – 6 players and you can easily visit and play. My Mom has a regular Play Nine ladies group and they set up two tables with a set of cards for each table.
Homech Tower Fan We don’t have central air in our house, so in the summer we always have a fan in our kitchen. Our old fan stopped working, so I ordered this streamlined Homech tower fan and we love it. It doesn’t take up much space but it really moves the air around the room and it’s quieter than a regular fan.
Olly Sleep Gummies I’ve been using Olly Sleep gummies to help me go to sleep for over a year. What I like about these is I haven’t built up a tolerance to them like you can with plain Melatonin. I chew two gummies as I’m going to bed most nights and I’m able to read for 15 – 30 minutes before I start falling asleep.
Silicone Baking Cups I bought these silicone baking cups in both standard and large. They’re great for making cupcakes, muffins or individual egg bakes and you can use them in the microwave. They also add a fun pop of color to a cheese board when filled with olives, fig jam, nuts, etc. I can only assume they would make a great snack cup for kids filled with goldfish or other small treat.
Since I’m shopping on Amazon weekly, sometimes even daily, I’m going to post regular list of things I’m buying on Amazon. So please share this post with others who might enjoy regular Amazon suggestions and comment below with some of your favorite things to buy on Amazon.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Click on the three lines to the left of the word “lifestyle” at the top of this page and enter your email address to receive notifications by email when I post something new on this blog. Also, follow me on Instagram at cocktailsandgratitude for photos of cocktails, flowers, my pets and, eventually, more travel.
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Things I Love – #15
Below are some of my favorite clothing items on Amazon and a few new items that caught my eye. Click on the photos below or the blue text for a link to each item.
Long Sleeve Tunic Dress Dresses are one of my favorite things to wear because it’s a fast and easy way to look pulled together. This long sleeve tunic dress is lined, has pockets and it comes in a variety of colors. I have the red one.
Short Sleeve Tunic Dress The same dress as above except with a cute ruffle short sleeve. I have the black one.
Maxi Tank Dress Every closet should have a long tank dress. You can dress this up or down and add layers underneath or on top. I love throwing on an oversized cardigan or denim jacket with sneakers for running errands. Switch out your shoes, add some fun jewelry and you’re ready to go out for dinner.
Tank Swing Dress If maxi dresses aren’t your thing, here’s a short tank dress that is just as flexible.
T-shirt dress If you’d prefer to cover your arms, here’s a great t-shirt dress that comes in a variety of colors.
V-Neck Tunic Dress This is a super cute dress to throw on as a cover-up or to wear running errands with a pair of flip flops.
BB Dakota This BB Dakota dress would make a great date night or even wedding guest dress.
Round Rattan Handbag Every time I use this rattan bag I get at least one compliment from a stranger. You can fit a small wallet, a cell phone, hand sanitizer and a baggie with a face mask inside. Perfect for a day of errands.
Assorted scarves I use this assortment of twenty different scarves to tie on my handbags. I love to find a scarf that ties my handbag and outfit together and this assortment covers every color combination.
Champion V-Neck Tee This Champion V-Neck is a great workout shirt and it’s available in a variety of colors. I have the blue one.
Under Armor Capris These Under Armour leggings are super light for summer workouts.
Cotton Nightgown I bought several of these cotton nightgowns in different colors. They are really comfortable and long enough to wear around the house.
I’ll post an Amazon favorites list with household items soon. What are some of your favorite Amazon clothing finds?
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Click on the three lines to the left of the word “lifestyle” at the top of this page and enter your email address to receive notifications by email when I post something new on this blog. Also, follow me on Instagram at cocktailsandgratitude for photos of cocktails, flowers, my pets and, eventually, more travel.
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Things I Love – #12
We’re still spending a lot of time at home, so this Things I Love post has comfortable clothes and household items. (Click on the photos below or any blue words for more information about each product.)
Jenni Kayne Cocoon Gray Cardigan I love this Cashmere Cocoon Cardigan from Jenni Kayne. It feels like a soft, cozy hug. Great for cool summer nights or an office with air conditioning.
Lululemon Align Wide Leg Crop 23″ I listed the Lululemon Align Crop pant in Things I Love – #6 but they now offer a wide leg version. Just as comfortable as the traditional legging, but it can almost pass as a real pair of pants.
J Jill Perfect Reversible Tank This J Jill tank makes a great layering piece under sweaters or sheer tops. It’s reversible – a scoop neck on one side and a v-neck on the other side. I buy several in white every spring and fall.
Keds by Kate Spade calf hair sneaker Every time I wear these comfortable leopard Keds I get compliments from strangers. They are perfect for all of the walking in Chicago and they look as good with a pair of dress pants as they do with a skirt or leggings. They run a little small though, so size up.
Three glass cylinder vase set This trio of vases is a great deal on Amazon. They’re the perfect size for grocery store bouquets or for candles. When using them for flowers, I like to put glass beads or rocks in the bottom to give them additional weight so they are less likely to tip.
Two piece cotton rope basket set I bought this basket set on Amazon and used them as a “gift bag” for a baby shower. I filled the smaller basket with baby shampoo, body wash, diaper cream, etc. and placed it inside the large basket with more baby goodies and lots of bright tissue paper. They’re a great size for organizing on shelves or counters. I bought this large rope basket to store extra pillows and blankets in our Chicago apartment.
Phone Soap phone sanitizer I bought these Phone Soap phone sanitizers for Christmas gifts last year. Little did I know how important they would be with Covid-19. Did you know a cell phone reportedly has 18 times more bacteria than a public restroom? Yuck! The Phone Soap will sanitize your phone (and anything else that can fit inside the sanitizer, like keys or credit cards) in ten minutes.
Parachute Classic Towels It was time to refresh our bath towels and Parachute had a sale on towels and linens over Memorial Day weekend, so I restocked both bathrooms. The classic bath towel is large and plush.
Let me know your thoughts on the items I’ve included or comment below with your favorite stay-at-home items.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying Amazon purchases.
Click on the three lines to the left of the word “lifestyle” at the top of this page and enter your email address to receive notifications by email when I post something new on this blog. Also, follow me on Instagram at cocktailsandgratitude for photos of cocktails, flowers, my pets and, in a week, more travel.