7 things making my life feel slightly more together.
You know what? I’m going to stop myself right there. I’m always put together. I’m not messy or sloppy or lazy or struggling to be, feel, and live presentably. There’s no clutter all over my house. My car is perfectly clean. My laundry is done daily. My dishes are washed and put away every day. I’m together. And I’m fine admitting that.
Want to know why I’m together all the time, and why my car is clean and my house is clean and my life is together? Easy…those are the only things I can control. I’m a mom of four. I am a mom of twins. I’m a wife and a dog mom and a sports mom and a busy mom, and I cannot control a fucking thing in my life except how I present myself and my home to the world. It’s not hard for me to clean as I go. And it’s not hard to keep a neat house and car because I taught my kids from toddlerhood on that when we make a mess, we clean up after ourselves. I also taught them vehicles are not trash cans, and I spend 60 seconds vacuuming crumbs out of my car after kids snack in it.
It’s…just not hard.
I can’t control my kid’s getting sick or sports being cancelled due to weather or homework or schedule changes. But I can control my hair. My makeup. My outfit. My vehicle. My home. So when I say these 7 things are making my life feel slightly more put together, it’s a bald-face lie. I am always put together. But…these seven things do make my life easier. And I just plain like them.
Additionally, August sucks. It’s hot. It’s humid. It’s miserable, and there are few things that bring me joy in August aside from the start of football season. I need to find my joy where I can in a month that’s so warm.
On that note, here are the 7 things I cannot live without on a daily basis in the middle of August when life is hot and sweaty and spent mostly in the school car lines. Don’t worry – they’re all linked right here.
A giant water bottle
I’m not particular about brands, either. I love my Yeti cups. I love my Stanleys. They just need to be large enough to hold all the ice and water because I spend a lot of time in the car, and my skin requires I stay hydrated.
A cute hat (or 4)
Listen, I can’t put SPF on my scalp. It makes my hair greasy, and I’m not living that life. But I’m a sunroof open kind of person, so I need to protect my scalp in the car. That means wearing a cute hat while I’m driving, and these are some of my favorites.
SPF
My skin is the only skin I’ll have, so I take care of it. My preferred facial SPF is my moisturizer (and let’s face it, I wear full-coverage foundation everyday…the skin on my face has never seen the sun). And while my personal SPF might not be your personal SPF favorite, I’m just going to encourage you to find an SPF that works for you.
Good candles that burn well, smell lovely, and give all the fall vibes
I love candles. I light them every day around our home, and I enjoy them tremendously, and I’ve linked some of my absolute favorite scents. They burn long and well, and they don’t smoke or leave any gross residue anywhere.
Good, high-quality blankets for around the house
I like a throw on the end of my bed. A basket of throw blankets near the couch because the AC is low, the humidity is high, and I’m not going to sweat. I want to be cold and need to cover up, and a good throw is a must in this life.
Hair products that don’t fear humidity
I’ve tried them all. The ridiculously expensive products my Nordstrom Sales Associate swore would change my life. The products my long-time hair dresser uses (hers are actually my second favorite). The trending products everyone on the ‘gram swears by. And guess what? It’s the cheap $15 products from Target that work best on my hair – and I won’t buy anything else anymore.
Really cute coffee mugs
There’s nothing I enjoy less than waking up early and knowing my day is already jam-packed with absolute chaos. So, I try to make sure my morning routine is as flawless as possible. A great robe, candles lit, soft lamp light to make our home feel cozy, and a really great coffee mug that makes a simple morning routine feel a bit more luxurious.
I purchased my favorite coffee mugs from Tiffany & Co. many years ago during one of my husband’s and my getaways to New York City. Sadly, they do not carry the same set I bought, but they do have similar sets as well as a few adorable new coffee mugs I think I might like to have. These are the most similar to what I have – mine are the classic Tiffany blue with the white bow around the center – but these are the same material, the same concept, and I just can’t explain it, but they make my coffee taste even better.
Final Thoughts
I’m a firm believer in making life feel special and extra any chance I can, and I’m also a firm believer that I don’t need August to be magical. I just need it to end before I die of heat stroke. But these things always make me feel just a little bit more excited about an otherwise blah month.
Tiffany Raiford 