Do you ever look at the things you’ve purchased in the last month and laugh? At our house these things range from car parts to tutus and everything in between. We truly end up purchasing the most random things because our family is literally all over the place. 

If you’re like me that Amazon smile box can show up at your front door and, for a moment (or maybe longer) you aren’t sure what is inside. It’s kind of like being a kid on Christmas morning – opening it up and being, well, sort of, surprised at what you treated yourself to. 

As we swing into Fall, there are a few things that are tried and true and a few things that are brand new to me that I’ve been using, loving, and telling all of my friends about! So here’s a random recap of things you’d find if you stopped by our house for Sunday brunch, mimosas and girl time!

10 Really Random Things I’m Loving This Fall

1 THIS BOOK

One of my favorite bloggers recommended it and it has changed the way that I see parenting my kids. How to Raise an Adult, by Julie Lythcott-Haims. I opted the audible version & found myself nodding along, laughing out loud and clapping throughout Julie’s incredible assessment of the overparenting culture, education system and how to raise adults (instead of overgrown children). I LOVED this book so much I’ve texted no less than 12 of my closest Mom & Dad friends (and even my own Mother) to recommend that they check it out. It’s data and anecdote rich, entertaining and enlightening. A must read for any parents of kids aged 0-37!

2 AUDIBLE

As a busy mom where do you find the time to read? Often, I don’t! I get someone to read to me! I have been loving audiobooks on Audible, streaming through my Airpods or through my car’s speakers. A Pro Tip if you’re feeling crunched for time? Listen to the books on 1.2 or 1.5x speed. I reserve this speed read/narration feature for the nonfiction books I’m tuning in to and I listen to great fiction on regular speed!

New to Audible? Try it for FREE here & get your first audiobook free! 

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3 THIS COLOR CONSULT

I’ve wanted to do a color consult for.e.v.e.r. I tried to find a local color consultant but between masking, limitations and no availability in my area, I sought out Lindsey online. She is a genius with colors! I did a virtual color consult and it has changed the way I live, it’s changed the way I shop for clothing, do my makeup and which accessories I choose to buy. The color consult has paid for itself 4x over since I got my results (I’m a light summer, thank-you-very-much). I’ve cleaned out my closet, earned money selling my clothes on consignment, and it’s stopped me from buying things that just aren’t my color! 

4 THIS FOCUS APP

I started growing trees to help me focus. I splurged on a $1.99 app and it’s earned me hours and hours of focused time off my phone (hello, scrolling IG Reels for hours on end instead of writing this email to you) and head down in the work or head up spending time looking into my kids or my husband’s eyes. By the way – how funny is it to have a $200 phone but to feel like a $2 app purchase is a splurge?! What in the world?

OK – Forest – The Focus App – You set the timer, choose your activity and the tree or bush that you want to grow and then get to work. It kills your tree if you leave the app. Oh my goodness, it sounds so silly but it makes me focus. I’ve started using it during my morning routine, during the hours when I’m trying to create instead of consume, during family dinner/bath/bedtime and it has changed the way I show up, focus, and stop idle scrolling and the distraction and habit of picking up my phone during that time. My only regret is that I didn’t discover Forest sooner when I was actively cutting back on my screentime. In case you missed it, I did an entire Podcast Episode on how I decreased my screen time by over 40%!

5 CURATED THRIFT STORE FINDS

What did I say? Someone who will go and wade through thrift stores as a personal shopper who is looking for things that are in my color pallet, price range, size and my style? Hallelujah! Enter, my pal Sarah of This Graceful Beauty. I’ve been purchasing items from Sarah’s thrifted finds this year and she’s now offering Curated Style Boxes. You choose your sizes, style, tell her your favorite colors and she thrifts for you! I’m anxiously awaiting my Fall Style Box and I cannot wait to see what she’s nabbed for me! 

6 THIS CURLY HAIR GUIDE

OK – if you have straight hair, skip to number 7. However, if you have curly or wavy hair you’re going to want to check out this Ultimate Curly Hair Product Guide by my favorite curl coach Barbara of Curl Vitality! If you have struggled with your curls, bought 32 products, felt overwhelmed and gone back to your former products, this guide is for you. She walks you through exactly what tools and products you need, how and when to use them and recommends specific products for your hair type and whether you need moisture or protein. As a longtime curly girl who just recently figure out how to love her curls, this guide is a lifesaver!

7 THIS BRUSH FOR THE KIDS

Hair brushing with Rae was a disaster at our house until my sister recommended this Tangle Teezer Brush. I do not know what voo doo magic they put in this thing, but it gets knots and tangles out of kids hair without crying. For under $10, that investment to decrease the tears and complaining and making the necessary evil of brushing my toddlers hair more tolerable, it’s a great buy in my book! 

8 THESE RINGS

With all the hand washing and the gobs and gobs of hand sanitizer we’ve been using this year my wedding and engagement rings really took a beating. I’ve stopped wearing them to work and instead have opted for these stackable Enso Rings. They are fashionable, durable and I don’t feel badly about washing my hands for the gazillionth time!

9 THIS CAR SPEAKER

If you, like me, have a car that’s more than 10 minutes alone – one of those vintage ones without fancy Apple Play and Bluetooth to the car – but you still want to be able to play your Amazon Music through the car speakers, an Amazon ECHO Auto is for you. We scored ours on sale during Black Friday a couple of years ago. It’s still going strong and the kids and I enjoy everything from Moana, Veggie Tales and Mommy’s Music through my *cough* seasoned Mamamobile speakers!

10 THESE NEW SKINCARE PRODUCTS

A dynamic duo of a daytime moisturizer and a nighttime serum from Gia Wellness have added a great one two punch to my daily and nightly routine. They smell like heaven, they are light and airy and adding joy to my skincare regimen!