Alyson’s Current Favorites // July 2018

Welcome to my current favorites for July! I’ve renamed “Alyson’s Obsessions” to “Alyson’s Current Favorites” — not as catchy but I hear it’s better for SEO (search engine optimization) so, work with me a little. 😉 Same fun and random finds that I’m obsessing over each month.

Have to start off this month with the prettiest flowers. Adam surprised me with them a few Fridays ago and they made my heart sing. Cheesy but true! I broke two toes (yup, one of the same toes I broke back in March, and the same left foot as my sprained ankle) so I was having a frustrated week. It’s amazing the power of flowers!

Let’s dive in to my current favorites this month.

July Current Favorites:

The Hating Game (here)

This book! If you want a really good, quick, lusty read… this book is for you. I’m obsessed. I have been trying to get more into reading so I started with Marriage Vacation (really cute, and a spin-off of the show, Younger), but this book was by far my favorite. I have no other way to describe it than addictive, and now that it’s done, I’m seriously having Lucy and Joshua withdrawals. Trust me on this one! Next up: I am bringing Kissing Quotient with me to Vermont this week, and you can find the ultimate summer reading list here.  (in this photo: tee and shorts)

 

Comfiest joggers for $16.99! (here)

I heard about these from joggers from Jen over at The Sister Studio and couldn’t resist a Target loungewear purchase for only $16.99. So glad I did — totally see why they have such amazing reviews! I love a cozy pair of pants that can go from pjs to loungewear to weekend errands and such. They’re incredibly soft and comfy, and I love the pockets and how light-weight they are for summer into fall.

If you’re looking for a higher quality jogger, I highly suggest these from Anthropologie. They’re awesome, and I love, love the flattering back pocket and side stitching details. There’s definitely a  difference between the two, though I wouldn’t sleep in the Anthro ones… they’re more for a casual out-and-about vibe. (Who knew there were so many jogger varieties?!).

 

Exfoliating Detox Scrub (here)

I’m candidly not even sure how I stumbled across this except it was in my Amazon cart a few weeks ago and my skin has been super dry, so I was excited to try it. Holy cow, this seaweed exfoliating scrub is awesome! My skin felt incredibly smoother after using it, and I particularly noticed in my upper arms where I have keratosis pilaris, which causes that annoying little red, rough skin patches. My skin felt instantly smoother there. I’ve now been using this scrub for about two weeks, about three times a week in the shower, and I’m loving the immediate results.

 

Nordstrom sale purchases

I don’t want to overwhelm you with #nsale so let’s just pretend I’m sharing a few recent favorite purchases that I’ve made for fall. Scroll through the images above for what we purchased or have from previous seasons. A few favorites include these shoes under $50, this super flattering top under $25, my favorite seamless bra, and the most insanely soft hooded cardigan from Barefoot Dreams. You can read my seven random best #nsale purchases here, and see my try-on session with video, here.

 

Fatty Cakes NY “Big Poppa” (here)

Legit guys, this cake is so worthy of the title, “big poppa.” My girlfriend and I found this somehow — maybe on Instagram or maybe elsewhere?! — so when she invited our fam over for dinner, I immediately offered to bring dessert and ordered Fatty Cake’s Big Poppa. Randomly enough, they’re based in South Florida but they ship nationwide and I think it’s my new gift for everything. We of course paid extra to add the caramel center and it was so worth it. Funny story: when Sarah and I initially saw the box (we got the cake to feed up to 10 people), it felt heavy but looked small. We were disappointed. Long story short, nine of us didn’t even make it half-way through this guy! And, it’s likely one of the best desserts we’ve ever had. You might know I also have an insane love affair with Zola Bakes (the insane rainbow cookies!)… both are so worthy of a dessert splurge in different yet equally incredible ways.

 

Best strapless bra (here)

I’ve had the same nude strapless bra for an embarrassingly long time. I have to pull it up sometimes, the fit could be better, etc etc… you guys know what I mean. Well, this bra stays put thanks to latex-free silicone around the band and yet is still so comfortable. Buying bras isn’t the most exciting… until you find one that fits well, and makes your outfits look better. 🙂 At under $22, it’s a definite bargain! For sizing, if you’re between sizes in your band, size up for best fit.