Welcome to My Favorite Things!
This is officially my first post in my monthly favorite things series. Every month I plan to share any items, activities, events, places, or food & drink that I’m currently loving. Can’t wait to share these things with you!
Please note: Any Amazon links I share are affiliate links. This means that I will receive a small commission of the sale which helps me keep my site up and running. Thanks!
So those that know me well, know that I love musicals.
One of my favorite musicals is The Sound of Music which is the inspiration for this blog series name.
In 2015, I spent Christmas in Salzburg, Austria and went on a guided tour where we saw many of the locations from the film.
It was a ton of fun! Don’t you think that it looks like Maria is about to sneeze on the picture of our tour bus above? 🙂
“When the dog bites, when the bee stings, when I’m feeling sad…
I simply remember my favorite things, and then I don’t feel so bad!”
These are the gardens that Maria and the children ran through while singing in the movie!
Anyway, without further ado, here are some things I’m loving in April!
Spring Weather
I’m not a fan of cold weather, which works out great for me since I live in Texas. We generally have mild winters, but this last winter did seem a bit colder than usual. I’m thankful for warmer temperatures on the way. My roommate and I decided to get some cheap porch furniture for our patio. We’re hoping to enjoy the cooler mornings and evenings while we can. Summers here can get blazing hot, usually starting in May…
My cousin Rebecca came to visit me for Easter weekend and we decided to go up to the 360 bridge lookout point to watch the sunset one evening. This is a great spot for views in Austin!
A Walking Tour
The last weekend of April, some friends and I decided to play tourist in our own town and check out a local walking tour in Austin. I had heard about a fairly new walking tour called Tipster Tours. They currently have four choices of tours and we chose the East Side Street Art one. The tour was free with the option to tip the guide what you’d like at the end.We also met people from all over the US and world who were visiting Austin. It was such a fun way to spend a Saturday afternoon!
Check them out at www.tipstertours.com This isn’t a sponsored post, I just really enjoyed the tour!
Tea
I’m a big fan of tea! There was good sale on some tea at my local Natural Grocers store and I decided to try a few different ones.
These were all really good in my opinion!
Yogi Tea – Vanilla Perfect Energy
Burt’s Bees Lip Crayons
I like to keep makeup minimal. Most days I’ll just wear moisturizer and foundation, and put on some mascara and lip color for church or special occasions. It’s taken me awhile to find a lipstick brand and color that I really like, and I’m totally sold on these! The Redwood Forest color is my favorite and is a great dark maroonish color that goes well with my brown complexion. My second favorite is the Sedona Sands color which is a light pink/nude color. If you really want a pop of reddish color, try the Pacific Coast or Napa Vineyard ones. I had to try a few to find my favorites. I found the Hawaiian Smolder to be too pink for me and the Bordeaux Vines to be too dark for me. The crayon name actually describes these very well, they are more of a creamy matte texture. If you’re looking for something simple and more “natural” to put on your lips, check them out here!
The Seaweed Body Bath Co. – Body Cream
This past winter I was on the hunt for a good lotion for my chapped hands. I found this brand at a local store and have already bought it multiple times. It’s unscented, natural, a consistency that’s not too thin or too heavy, and isn’t greasy. Check it out here if you’re in the market for lotion. I plan to continue using through the summer on my hands and also on my legs after shaving.
101 Questions You Need to Ask in Your Twenties (And let’s be honest your 30s too) by Paul Angone
Having just turned 30 this past year, I’ve been reflecting a lot on my 20s.
It’s a blessing to look back and see all of the ups and downs, growth and struggles of especially the last 10 years of my life.
I enjoy finding books that specifically address young adult life. I found this particular book to be relevant for anyone going through and dealing with these formative years of life.
Paul breaks this book down into four main categories: Adulting to Win, Careerish, Relationshipping, and Signature Sauce
These are just a few of the questions that really challenged and encouraged me.
#15 What is fear keeping me from doing? Is it worth it?
#16. What would my life look like if I were okay just being me?
#32 Am I being brave enough to be awkward?
#42 Am I dreaming big and being faithful in the small?
#51 Do I create or do I complain more?
I would recommend just reading through all 101 questions to start with like the author suggests, then going back and delving further into the content provided with each question and thinking through your own questions to each answer.
I was actually a part of the launch team for this book! It was really neat to connect with the author and help promote a book that looked fascinating and super helpful for millennials. I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. If you’d like to purchase for yourself, a family member or friend, you can find it here! I also recommend checking out his site at www.allgroanup.com!
That’s it for what I’ve been loving lately in April! What about you?
I’d love to hear your thoughts or questions. Feel free to comment below!
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