Sharing a few random favorite recent purchases and finds today that I’ve been meaning to tell you about!
Every once in awhile I start to realize that I have quite a mental list running of things that I’ve been meaning to tell you about. Sometimes I’ll be out on a walk and thinking about something and I make a little brain note that says “Actually, you know, that’s a really great ______. I should share that.” And then I usually forget to actually write it down, but I sat down and did kind of a stream-of-consciousness thing and made a list of all my recent favorites. So here it is! 🙂
These Athleta sweatpants | Sometimes when you’re a mom you have outings and events that require comfortable athletic-type clothing, but maybe you’d like to look a little more polished and less sloppy, and maybe you also don’t want to wear tights. Like for a school field trip, or watching a baseball tournament, or something like that. These sweatpants are the solution! This style actually comes in a size XXS petite and every time I put them on I think to myself “Yup. These are my good mood pants.” They just feel comfy without making you feel like a slob.
Align Tights | If you do need to wear tights, these are the ones. I don’t think I’ll ever buy another type of tights. So flattering and so soft. I hate wearing my old ones now.
Utility Cargo Shorts | These were the “voluminous shorts” and they totally won me over. So comfy, so mom-appropriate, yet so cute. These would fit so comfortably on any body type. Fun fact: Kennedy totally asked me where I got these shorts because she wanted a pair too if they came in black. So they’re mom-appropriate and teenager approved, which is pretty amazing. Here’s a screen shot from a quick reel I made that shows them pretty well. I’m wearing the xxs.
Living Room Ruggable | I can’t post a quick shot of anything in the living room without someone asking me about the rug they see in the background! This is the one! I’m so glad everyone loves it as much as I do. Would it be excessive to buy the same rug in different sizes for other rooms? 🙂
Block Print Pillow Cover | Oh my goodness. How is it possible to love a pillow cover this much? I stumbled upon this Canadian Etsy shop recently and had to buy this pillow for the living room. It works so beautifully with the rug and the sofas and it definitely helps that the price of this cover was so good compared to other similar ones I’ve seen. Just a jackpot in pillow form.
Camping Tarp | OK, this one might seem totally random, but we’ve been fiddling with inferior tarps on our campsites for years and we finally decided to get a high quality one. Why do they even sell regular tarps? This one actually wasn’t that much more expensive than the utilitarian tarps you get at the hardware store, but it’s so much softer and easier to deal with. It folds up really neatly, it’s lighter and easier to maneuver, and it’s prettier to look at too. 🙂
Nike Revolution 6 Runners | As I mentioned recently, I started trying to run more at the gym and I ended up injuring myself pretty badly by forgetting that my shoes were a couple of years old and the cushioning and support was really worn down. I wasn’t 100% sure if the problem was shoe-related or if my joints were just old and not happy to run on a treadmill anymore, so I didn’t really want to invest $250 into a new pair of runners right away, only to have that not be the issue. These had great reviews and were super reasonably priced, and I’ve historically had good luck with nikes, so I decided to give them a try. What a huge difference! I can run again and still walk the next day! The reviews do say that these runners fit quite small and suggest that you should size up half a size. If you have narrow feet like I do, I would actually say that they’re true to size and you should get your regular size. They do look a bit like nurse shoes, but I don’t even care because they work! Also, they did have great reviews from nurses. Ha!
Pottery Barn Side Tables | These have turned out to be everything I was hoping they’d be and more! They’re just so charming and there’s something about the proportions on them that’s so striking and just right. I have this little cocktail table right next to where I sit to hold my tea and my phone and it takes up almost no space at all. I also got this slightly larger marble-topped table for the space between the two sofas. It’s big enough for Chris’ snacks and drinks when we’re watching T.V. at night, plus a decor item or two. 🙂
Zevia Soda | OK, I have not been a soda drinker in many, many years but I have craved the occasional can every few months just for nostalgia’s sake. I could just never bring myself to have one though because of all the sugar. Just couldn’t do it! I’ve seen Zevia soda around for years, but stayed away from it because I was nervous about non-sugar sweeteners. Well, at one point last month, I realized that stevia was actually used to naturally sweeten things I was already having on a regular basis, like kombucha, so I figured I’d give this Zevia thing I try just to see what all the hype was about. Oh goodness. It’s so good! You cannot convince me that it doesn’t taste like regular soda. Well, all the flavours I’ve tried except for the lemon-lime, which was terrible. 🙂 Cola is my favorite, I think. Such a fun treat that allows me to actually go ahead and have that occasional can of soda without cringing.
New Living Room Artwork | Have you ordered a print from Juniper Print Shop before? They are just the best if you’re looking for a just-right piece of affordable artwork, especially if you need a larger size. It’s just a great shop because they have so many options organized nicely into different categories like “Vintage” or “Neutral” and they have a good mix of quirky options as well as a lot of on-trend pieces that are guaranteed to look good with your current decor. I also really, really love that they have just enough options for each category for you to be able to find what you need, without have too many options. Honestly, I find so many online print shops to be exhausting and I hate clicking through thousands of options to find what I need. Juniper print shop is decidedly curated and I appreciate it. I ordered a print called “Tranquility” to go in the big gold frame over the desk. The other ones I was looking at were “Meditation” and “Shadow“, both of which I still absolutely love and am kind of hoping I can find places for else where around the house.
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Courtenay Hartford is the author of creeklinehouse.com, a blog based on her adventures renovating a 120-year-old farmhouse in rural Ontario, Canada. On her blog, Courtenay shares interior design tips based on her own farmhouse and her work as founder and stylist of the interior photography firm Art & Spaces. She also writes about her farmhouse garden, plant-based recipes, family travel, and homekeeping best practices. Courtenay is the author of the book The Cleaning Ninja and has been featured in numerous magazines including Country Sampler Farmhouse Style, Better Homes and Gardens, Parents Magazine, Real Simple, and Our Homes.