Happy December! You know the drill: new month, new list of favorites. I THOUGHT I had a wonderfully diverse list of favorites this month, but
upon further inspection, half of it is food. 😂 OH WELL, I love food
recommendations so I'm hoping you do too!
- Gucci Bloom Nettare di Fiori: What started out as a perfume I hated has become one that I love. This is one that I would describe as "expensive grandma," but the real notes are rose, rangoon creeper, and osmanthus. It's a great fragrance for winter and nighttime if you like florals, and aren't afraid to smell like an old lady while you wait for it to dry down. I reviewed Gucci Bloom and Acqua di Fiori here.
- Gingerbread Belvitas: I often eat a pack of Belvita biscuits for a quick breakfast, and I love their seasonal flavors. Gingerbread is so good, better than pumpkin spice! I also love the cranberry orange flavor around the holidays, although that flavor is available year-round.
- Amaretti Nespresso pods: This is a holiday seasonal flavor, and it's so good if you like almond-flavored things! I was surprised by how much I loved it. I drink it with my favorite Silk sweet cream almond milk creamer.
- Snapdragon Vietnamese pho: My mom and I got enticed by this when it was on sale on an end cap at Costco, and I've since purchased it three times! It comes with nine bowls of noodles and the flavorings and seasonings you need to make a quick bowl of pho in the microwave. I love quick noodle soup packs, and this is my favorite kind I've had! If ever I don't pack my lunch for work, I'll grab one of them to take with me. If I have a little extra time, I like pan-frying some diced tofu to mix in.
- Zing Zang Bloody Mary mix: As a Bloody Mary L-O-V-E-R, I prefer a homemade mix (get my homemade Bloody Mary mix recipe here!). However, I bought this one back in the summer after having it at a restaurant way back in January, and it's the best non-homemade Bloody mix I've tried. I typically amp it up with extra horseradish, pickle juice, and Old Bay because I like the dirtiest Bloody Mary imaginable. Still easier than making homemade mix!
- Burberry scarf: I've been wanting a Burberry scarf for years, and Kenny surprised me with one for our anniversary back in October! I had to include it in my favorites because it's so beautiful - I could wear it every day over a plain black outfit and be perfectly happy! I wrote a whole post about styling Burberry scarves and shopping them pre-loved here.
- Lactic acid serum: I read that this serum is good for mask-ne, and unfortunately that's something we have to be concerned with these days. It's recommended to be used at night, but I've been mixing it with my vitamin C serum in the mornings and so far, the mask-ne has improved!
- H&M straight jeans: These are THE find of the month in my opinion! I couldn't believe how great they were when I tried them on, and they're ONLY $20. I had been searching for the perfect off-white jeans, and have gone through pairs from Levi's, American Eagle, and Banana Republic before landing on these. I got rid of all my others! The shade of off-white is perfect to wear all year round (as opposed to stark white, which doesn't lend itself to fall and winter), and the cropped straight fit is classic. The material is a true denim, but has a little stretch to it to make them more comfortable than traditional "mom" jeans. They come in five colors currently and fit fairly true to size. I can wear both my true size and one size up, for a slightly looser fit.
- The Guest List: I'm relatively new to the world of thriller novels, and I LOVED this book. It's about the wedding of a well-known UK blogger and a survival show actor that takes place on a remote Irish island with a haunting history. At the beginning, you're made aware of a murder that occurs at the wedding reception, and you spend the whole book learning about different members and guests of the wedding and how their lives intertwine as drama unfolds. It's written from the points of view of several different people involved with the wedding (the bride, the planner, a plus-one, etc.) and as the story pans out things just get messier. There are several twists along the way but I so did not predict the ending! The only critique I have is that I feel like the climax and ending of the story occur too quickly in my opinion, but I still highly enjoyed it this book!
- Woodland Cypress & Bergamot candle: When I found this candle it almost seemed too good to be true, and sadly it might have been because I cannot find it in stock anymore! I spotted it at Target, $10 for a 20oz candle, and it's a perfect scent for wintertime! It's a nice pine scent but not inherently "Christmassy," so be sure to snag one if you see it at your local Target. Even if you can't find this scent, they have a bunch of others (I also really like Cerulean Surf and Sea) and they're a great deal. Plus, you can peel off the label to reveal a nice neutral jar that will match any decor!
I hope you're having a great week so far! In case you missed yesterday's post, I broke down how I decorate my tiered tray for the holidays. It's my favorite Christmas decoration and so much fun to put together!
xoxx, Laura
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