Um, hi. It’s me. Kate. Your long-lost food blogger friend. And guess what. It’s my birthday. The big 4-0. I am forty. It’s fine. I’m fine.
Actually, honestly, I really am. My thirties were a doozie of highs and lows. I’m not naïve enough to believe that will magically get better when I turn 40, kind of like I don’t think 2021 is just going to magically not be a dumpster fire of a year just because the clock changes. But. There’s something peaceful about a milestone that feels like it’s closure.
Because it’s my birthday and I get to do what I want, I’m giving away a box of my favorite things! Many of them are things I’ve talked about in recent posts, but instead of just telling you about them, I’m giving you them, too! In addition to everything here, I’ll throw in some of my favorite odds and ends. Excited? Mildly interested? I’ll take it.
2020 has been a year of redefining how I take care of my body. Getting my sensitive skin under control, embracing my natural wave/curls instead of fighting them, using more natural products, so this list includes a lot of those things.
- Like Stratia moisturizer. This is THE BEST moisturizer, especially daytime moisturizer, I’ve ever used. It’s lightweight, nourishing, soothing, and great for sensitive skin. It’s great during our humid summers and when my skin starts to dry out in the winter. I think very few face products are good for every skin type, but I think this is one that would probably be perfect for anyone regardless of age, race, skin type, skin sensitivities, etc. I. Love. It. I legitimately had a dream (no, nightmare) that I ran out of it and didn’t have a backup. ????
2. Yes, part of taking care of myself involves chocolate- and caramel-drizzled pretzel thins. I picked these up on a whim at the grocery store one day and now I have to get them every time I see them. They’re probably my favorite snack right now. These should go in every Christmas stocking this year, just saying.
3. This hand soap smells like Aveda products at a fraction of the cost and the green glass hand soap bottle is stunning. It’s a little luxurious comfort during this crazy year of hand-washing. If you use this link, you can get a free Mrs. Meyers cleaning kit–just look for the Jeremiah Brent collection.
4. If you had told me a year ago, I’d be giving away my favorite cloth face mask in a giveaway, I would have laughed at you. Alas, here we are. These masks come from my friend Candy’s Etsy shop and I’ve ordered a LOT of masks from her. They are double-sided, so you can have a little variety in your collection. They are soft, comfortable, breathable, and I always get compliments on them.
5. Sara was the one who converted me to Supergoop. It is THE BEST facial sunscreen ever. I have not always been great about wearing sunscreen, but once I learned that not wearing it was triggering my rosacea, I began wearing it religiously. I’m throwing a bottle of this into my birthday box!
6. This 10 in 1 spray for your hair is amazing–it reminds me a lot of It’s a 10 spray, but at a fraction of the cost (I have a bunch of Mane Club products and I love them all!)
7. I have been so in love with Sara’s wax melts! They’re low-commitment (I can melt one cube and then change my mind if I feel like it), easy to store, no smoke, I can melt them at school. I’m throwing in a Mulled Cider and Peppermint Icing!
8. I love this comb, which is also from Candy’s Etsy shop. I have this tortoiseshell one as well as her confetti comb and my whole family fights over them. It’s great for all hair types and would make an amazing stocking stuffer.
To enter, leave me a comment here and tell me a real moment you’ve had in 2020–happy, sad, something genuine that caught you off guard in the feels.
We’ve felt much more unified as a family as a result of being forced to spend more time together. Not that we didn’t like it before, but now we realize how precious family really is and when it comes down to it, they’re the people we’d want to be stuck inside with for 6 months! =)
Happy Birthday!
A “real” moment I had was when my state went back to partial lockdown a week ago, which mean my gym closed, regardless of the extreme precautions they have been taking. Major sadness. Fingers crossed they can reopen soon.
Happy birthday! My husband was not allowed to go to work for 7 months because he is old (!) so during that time we were able to completely landscape our backyard doing all the huge amount of digging, building walls with pavestone and putting in all the plants. It looks so much better and would have taken us years otherwise. I hate that others have suffered so much from COVID but this was the bright spot for us!