Vacation on the Mind
photos by @annaelainephotography We head down to Mexico very soon and I have vacation on my mind now! It's always such a treat to sun ...
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Mexico
Style
We head down to Mexico very soon and I have vacation on my mind now! It's always such a treat to sun away to "Arizona's Beach" just a few hours south of our home. We typically try going two times a year so this will be our first trip of 2022 and we are going again in July. Most people go to 30A, you'll always find us in Rocky Point, MX!
Vacation on the Mind
photos by @annaelainephotography
I'm packing the basics but have to share a few staples I always bring down from favorite swimmers to beach totes to hats. You can't go wrong with any of these items for your next resort vacation.
Shop my favorites -
ruched swimmer, oversized hat, beach tote & bikini bag (code AUBREYLL15 for discount), sandals, anklet (bc it's so cute), denim cutoffs, two piece fave: top & bottoms, water bottle, beach towels
Our Home
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Fresh Paint in the Girls Room
I did it! We've been in our home 16 months and from around this time last year, I had swatches sitting in their dresser drawer because I had the urge to paint it something a tad moody that's like a dusty mint green/blue. Well this past weekend I was doing the walk around the house with a trash bag purging all the things and found those swatches and an hour later I was at Sherwin Williams getting paint. I move quick sometimes after stalling for over a year. Ha!
The original color was Agreeable Gray by SW and what we have our entire house from when we moved in and the builder painted. This is the first room to get some color but a few others have wallpaper or shiplap done. I really don't know why I waited so long when it was only 3 hours of work and I'm just ohh-ing and ahh-ing over it now finished.
The sweet chair, lamp and mirror are from my Gam Gam and I'll cherish them being part of this room for the girls. I'm linking up as much as I can with sources for you all and if there's something missing, it's not available or thrifted. I hope that helps!
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beds, bedding, curtains, canopy, dresser, knobs (old, similar here), shelving (old, similar here), basket, small table & chairs, dolls, white noise machine, diffuser, oils, oil holder, polka dot comforter, nightstand (thrifted), canvas
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little girl style
Style
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Spring Clothing Haul for Little Girls
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Happy Monday! I shared last week on Instagram I was browsing Walmart the other night and was pleasantly surprised by all the cute items they have for little girls right now so I placed an order to stocked Emery and Hollyn for spring and summer which all arrived within 2 days at my doorstep!
Let me just say, it actually makes me a little crazy when I see people do hauls for their kids of all ages because I feel like little ones can definitely wear hand-me-downs from older siblings and spending money on clothing that they grow so fast with and wear and tear feels rough on the wallet sometimes. My method is storing Emery's old things she doesn't fit in anymore in a bin and every season Hollyn gets to "go shopping" through it, try on things and pick what she likes and it's a highlight for her! She loves it and feels so special getting "new" clothes. So when I do a haul like this, it's for the growing girl who is outgrowing all her items and truly needs staples for the upcoming season. With this haul, I got 18 things total and 3 of those were for Hollyn as the rest was for Emery as she's growing like a weed.
Couple things to note, I did find Walmart runs big. Hollyn is still wearing 3T in clothing from them and Emery is doing a 6/6x except in shorts where I did a 7/8. She typically takes a 7/8 but even in this darling striped dress, Emery took a 5T. I didn't find much in store so I ordered all online and only returned a couple things in store to then order in smaller sizes online.
I hope this round-up helps making shopping for your little one simple this spring! xo
coffee talk
This morning my nail polish perfectly matched my coffee mug in my most favorite color ever so it's going to be a good day! Also because we have friends coming over to BBQ tonight and I'm picking up the girls from my parents house a bit later. They've had 3 days of grandparent time and I'm sure living their best (sugared up) life. Here are a few favorites of mine lately:
Friday Favorites
ONE // I went through Target this morning and linked up some mugs I love but this one is just my favorite! If only I lived in the south.
TWO // We all know I love oils and have used them for about 5 years consistently but every once in a while I just crave perfume. I ditched it years back because it's a hormone disrupter but recently found DIME (all natural, good ingredients) and ordered their Malibu Night perfume. I did their sample pack with all their perfumes to test out and I fell in love with Malibu Night with the sandalwood, pear and peony undertones.
THREE // I worked with my graphic designer this passed week to get some updates done to our oil team website. She's such a gem. I sometimes miss doing design work and creating branding for businesses but happy to support others doing the same. See her work here.
FOUR // I grabbed a new Loopy for spring and it's just *so* cute. It's the softest pearlized rainbow and I swapped the clear loop it came with for lilac. Lilac/periwinkle is having a moment for me this year and I couldn't pass it up. Use code "aubreykinch" for 10% off shopping Loopy.
FIVE // All things PinkBlush. I work with them as an ambassador and let me tell you, all the items I've gotten recently in the mail are just dreamy. Perfect for spring/summer with temps increasing but also stylish and comfy so you feel put together without much effort and thought behind it. Their items are forgiving so if you're new to PinkBlush and between sizes, size down.
Beauty
My Current Beauty Routine
image via @yzellebeauty
This is long overdue and something I get questions on often because I think I have a balance of doing things to help maintain and ease up my everyday load but also with moderation. Maybe that's all in my head but I'm going to lay it all out there for you with what I do regularly, every 6 months and annually.
EYELASHES
I get these done periodically throughout the year and it depends on if I'm dying to rub my eyes on if I do lash extensions or Flutter Habit. About a year ago I had a hybrid set of lashes which was my favorite look and have been doing them back and forth for about 4 years. I definitely love the look and the ease of this and fills every 3 weeks. My girl is a gem and such a dear friend of mine so it's a treat going to see her and get some time in while maintaining something from my regular routine. She's in the Glendale/Peoria area in Arizona. It shaves off about 5 minutes of my makeup timeline in the mornings and helps me feel much more put together days I don't have makeup on.
FlutterHabit is great if you want lashes you can do at home and wear for a few days. You can do it subscription based or purchase as you please and when I use those, I love the Shorties or Sweetheart style. They take a bit of getting used to applying but they have really great videos showing you how with tips and tricks! You can save 10% on FlutterHabit using this link.
BOTOX/DYSPORT
Carly has been a gift to my life not only because she makes me feel like I look like I've slept but also in the friend department. I've been seeing her for nearly 6 years now every 6 months or so and from the time I started going to her, she always makes my desires a priority. Looking back, there was a time I felt like I was doing too much (filler and dysport) and trying to look a certain way and while it was only a season, I reflect seeing it wasn't me and not how I want to look now.
I'm all for finding the balance and doing what makes you happy with your routine and if that's getting botox and filler or surgeries, good for you. If it's not but still wanting something to look a little less aggressive or wrinkled in the face, go girl! Hear my heart when I say I've been on both extremes and while I'm in a season of not doing botox/dysport, I know in the future I'll be adding it into my regular routine again here and there because I just feel so much more awake looking and Carly does an incredible job making you look natural. She is at MD Beauty Spa in Scottsdale if you're ready to book - tell her I sent you!
SPRAY TANNING
Jordan at The Bronzing Room is the queen at bronzing babes and you will love having her in your contact list to give you the most natural and gorgeous sunkissed look! She has so many options for tanning needs and is just the sweetest gal. You feel comfortable and seen with her and it's always quick, efficient and professional appointments. I see Jordan and get a spray tan really only for special events, like a vacation or a wedding but I have many local friends who go to her every couple weeks and maintain a gorgeous glow year around.
She's located in Vistancia in North Peoria and books quick! Contact her for your bronzing needs well before your event to make sure she can get you on the books.
FACIALS
I started doing facials every 4 weeks back in October with Lisa and wow. I don't know why I never made this a priority before but having gone for 6+ months now and seeing how much it's impacted my overall skin texture, coloring, breakouts and glow, it's worth every penny. I alternate between doing a hydrating/soothing facial with a hydrojelly mask and microdermabrasion every other visit. I've never been more comfortable leaving my skin untouched on a regular basis and feel much more confident without makeup. Total mood booster when you feel confident in your skin.
EYEBROWS/MICROBLADING
Amanda has been my gal for microblading for 6 years! She also started with me back after I had Hollyn in 2016 and is just amazing at what she does. You can see my first post with her, here with before and afters. Since then, I see her annually to touch up and shade my brows and every time I'm just blown away. Eyebrows make such a big difference in your face and frame it out so well when done right. She's known as the top microblading gal in Arizona and deserves all the praise! Book here.
TEETH WHITENING
Just a couple weeks ago I went to Bright White Smiles AZ to see Nicolle for natural teeth whitening. It was such a pleasant experience for both myself and my husband. Since then, a few friends have booked and used her as well and have nothing but great things to say, too. She comes from the dental field and is so knowledgeable with treatment, how to avoid sensitivity, protocols for after whitening and the best part is she uses natural whitening tools so you're not filling your mouth with chemicals and such. You can mention my name for 20% off your services with her and I can assure you, we will be going back at the 12 month mark to freshen up again.
Okay! I think that covers the big things I do on a regular basis and how I like to freshen myself up here and there. All in moderation, all doing what you feel right about. It feels like such imposter syndrome sometimes when we see and hear so much about routines and what we should be doing from people on social media but please remember, this never needs to be your reality. I look back 4-5 years ago and cringe a bit because there was this mold I tried fitting in. So much growth has happened in my head and heart since then and I'm grateful for staying strong in how I feel on it all now. You are beautiful, you are loved, you are chosen and the daughter of the Most High God. Hugs!
wellness
young living
A Sweet Neighborhood Gift
We recently moved into a new neighborhood and were the first house to close so as neighbors are closing and moving in, I'm making little gift baskets to drop off for them. I'm doing a simple bottle of Thieves cleaner (already made), a dish towel, potted plant (the ones I ordered hadn't arrived yet so I found faux at target!) and homemade chocolate chip cookies in a cute bin or basket from Target.
So far, neighbors are loving them so here's the breakdown on what to buy to gift!
- Thieves label download: http://bit.ly/2N6ft4l
- Waterproof label paper to print: https://bit.ly/2OEM41m
- Dish towels: https://bit.ly/37opZdW
- Succulents: https://bit.ly/2Zp2EnY
- Amber bottles: https://bit.ly/3dmFRBr
Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe:
- 1/2 cup cold, salted butter (1 stick)
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 egg + 1 egg yolk
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp corn starch
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Directions:
Beat together butter and sugars until combined. Add egg, egg yolk and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients in separate bowl and stir into butter mixture until fully incorporated. Add chocolate chips and stir together, roll all dough into 8 equal sized balls (a little bigger than a golf ball). Stack 2 cookie sheets so you don't burn the bottoms, bake at 400 for 9-11 minutes. Let cool for 30 mins then enjoy!
I hope you love this idea and can welcome some new neighbors to your neighborhood doing the same thing.
The Family Gift Guide
Here we go, friend. I'm not a big gift guide person but when I'm shopping for Christmas, I'm always thinking about things we can get for our whole family versus individuals unless there are specific needs: socks, undies... you know the basics. So I've rounded up some things I think are great big gifts for everyone so you can enjoy some quality time together!
ONE: Board games, card games, anything fun to play together. We love 5 Second Rule game the most but also Headbanz is a keep with the range in ages for our kids.
TWO: A foosball table would be so fun to add extra entertainment and create family competitions. Andrew, Drake and Eme are so competitive so they'd love that.
THREE: Record player and favorite vinyls. We just got our record player this last week and went to Goodwill today to sift through what we could find. I need to get a greatest hits album of Johnny Cash and Creedence Clearwater but it will be fun over the years to build this collection.
FOUR: Puzzles. Can't go wrong with any puzzles. Shop small with Pink Antlers, here.
FIVE: An air hockey table or tennis table would be great to keep the games going like a foosball table. Friendly challenges and great for when you want to host and entertain. I know if we had one, all the adults and cousins would be crowded around.
SIX: We got our Beast trampoline last year and freaking love it. If your family doesn't have one yet, this is a great idea for everyone to enjoy. Not only for jumping but family movie nights or cuddling up with blankets and hot cocoa just chatting.
Christmas Cards with Minted
It's the most wonderful time of the year! You know my second favorite holiday followed by Easter is Christmas so when it comes to getting our cards ordering and happy mail along to people we love, I jump on it before the madness of shipping and the postage hits. We used Minted for our cards again this year, making that 7 years in a row and as usual, they're just beautiful! They always have such a range of options and having just gotten our family pictures back, I picked simple and clean with a reminder of why were celebrate: Jesus.
If you're shopping your Christmas cards, use my code for an extra $10 off your order of $100+. It can be combined with the online site promotion making this is the best deal of the season! The code is AUBREYCARDS and valid November 8 - 15th, 2021. I always choose minted for the beautiful gold foil options they have, return address printing and customized addressing for me when I upload my spreadsheet. It gives me an easy button for shopping and checking them off my list.
A fun little hack to make your cards extra festive is incorporating your own scent with them using essential oils! Grab a gallon size ziplock bag and put all your Christmas cards inside. Then grab 2-3 cotton balls and add 3-5 drops on each of your favorite oil that reminds you of the holidays! I love Christmas Spirit for this but others that would be great are: pine, northern lights black spruce, orange, bergamot, balsam fir, peace & calming, vanilla, believe, idado blue spruce or clove.
You get to choose and customize the scent and then when you enclose them in their envelopes, it'll smell like Christmas cheer for the recipient. Allow them to sit in the ziplock 1-2 days before removing and sealing and sending them on their way!
Here are the designs I had at the top of my list when I browsed a few weeks ago before ordering:
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