February Finds II
Last year, I launched this blog with travel guides from some of my favorite destinations. As I was sitting at my computer on that cold February weekend, I thought about some of the recent items I’d fallen in love with and decided to not only launch travel content, but to expand into lifestyle and wellness. Now a full year later, I’m sharing my February Finds, again! So much has changed since then, but discovering new products, destinations, recipes, and more to share with you all is something that I love doing!
Eden
Every time I go home to Iowa, my mom and I spend an afternoon shopping. We used to hit up the mall, but now, we opt for a more local experience by wandering the East Village in Downtown Des Moines. One of our favorite shops was always Eden, filled with beautiful skincare, candles, and baby products. They’ve recently come under new ownership and it’s BETTER THAN EVER! I went over Christmas and purchased multiple products that have now become staples in my medicine cabinet (especially the Kypris Antioxident Dew!), and I just received an online order with an organic heating pad, a beautiful candle set, and Osea body lotion. Self care is very important during pregnancy after all. :)
Anna Maria Island
My husband and I, along with my parents, just spent the last month in Anna Maria Island, Florida. This tiny little Island is the perfect place to put on your flip flops, hit the beach, and totally relax. With great restaurants, sunshine, beautiful beaches, and great rental accommodations, it’s a no brainer for a quick weekend away or a much longer stay.
Clothes for Baby J
Now that we’ve hit the 24 week mark, I finally allowed myself to start buying things for our little babe, which has been SO FUN! I found this cute little romper to the left in a boutique on Anna Maria Island. I’ve also bought some cute outfits from H&M, Gap, Old Navy, Lou Lou & Company, Kissy Kissy, and Janes (local favorite in Des Moines!)
Recipe Book
I spent quite a bit of time this month creating a recipe book. I’ve saved my favorite recipes on my phone, but trying to look at them while my hands were wet or dirty, and having to re-enter my password over and over was becoming quite inconvenient. So, I ordered a binder with tabs, and started printing out all of my favorite go-to recipes. I then organized them by category: Breads, Breakfast, Smoothies, Dinner, and Dessert. I will continue to add categories and recipes as I see them online, but I made my Homemade Challah this afternoon, and I’m all-in on this binder. It made the baking process so much easier!
Here are a few of my go-to’s that made it into the binder:
Vegan Ice Cream Snicker Bars, My Mom’s Banana Bread & Flourless Chocolate Chip Cookies
Branch Basics
I’ve been consciously swapping out all of my old makeup, skincare, cleaning supplies with non-toxic options. When it came to cleaning, Branch Basics is hands down the number one recommended product, and I now know why. I received the Starter Kit as a Christmas Present, and couldn’t wait to use it. This includes the Concentrate (which you can make all of your cleaning products out of!) Plus the Oxygen Boost. It makes me feel so much safer now that I’m using a non-toxics product, which is also so much more sustainable!
You can read more of my posts like this here: January Happenings, 5 Recipes I tried in August, and Safe & Sustainable Finds.