This & That | Amazon Prime Day 2018

Hi friends and welcome back!  I hope y’all had a great, relaxing weekend! Ours went to0 fast, how is it Monday already?! I’m super excited about what’s in store this week though because on Friday, when the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale opens to everyone, Ali-Shaun will be joining us and sharing her picks from the Sale! And, Amazon Prime Day 2018 is here!!

On the home front, if I’m lucky, we’ll be photographing our master bedroom to bring you the final reveal with all the details and maybe getting James wallpaper hung!

Today, I have tons of things to chat with you about so get cozy!  I love these This & That posts and think of them as Coffee Talks we’d have if we had the chance to sit down at Starbuck’s together and catch up!

WEEKEND ROUND UP

This weekend was the first workout I got all week.  I’m really missing our #HWHFitnessChallenge, so I definitely want to do another one in the Fall.  How are y’all doing since it ended?  You guys ready for another one too??

fitness challenge workout wear

Zella Wrap Top • Similar Shorts • Sneakers 

We also got some pool time in this weekend, and I swear, it feels like James and Jordan aged 10 years over the week! Can somebody please slow down time?

summertime with kids

summertime with kids

Hat • Sunnies • Swim Top • Bottoms 

Also, starting last week, James has been hard at work creating a DIY Stormtrooper costume.  He got the idea to build it out of scratch with cardboard, then taped the mask onto a football helmet.  Finally, he and his Dad wrapped white duct tape around the cardboard to finish it off.  You can see his tutorial saved to my Instagram Story Highlights. 

DIY Stormtrooper Costume

MY FAVORITE YOUTUBE CHANNELS

I’ve gotten hooked on the world of YouTube channels and wanted to share a couple of my faves in case you were looking for a few new ones.  I sometimes watch before bed or just listen to them while I’m cleaning the kitchen, doing laundry or getting ready in the morning.

CLEANING/ORGANIZATION

How Jen Does It – Jen is my favorite for simple cleaning motivation.  She is straight forward without complicated strategies and systems, just get-it-done style.  She’s the one that inspired me to start my nightly cleaning routine.

Vasseur Beauty– She has an adorable 1 year old son and vlogs about everything from cleaning/organization/productivity to life with a toddler to how to make your money stretch further.  She’s a gorgeous beauty and still comes across as ‘every mama’ just trying to juggle life and work and family.

PRODUCTIVITY/BLOGGING/VLOGGING

Amy Landino “Amy TV” – Amy is a newlywed (no kids) and vlogger with amazing content on productivity and vloggling/blogging. She has a dry sense of humor and great content for those of you girl bosses.

FAMILY LIFE

Jinti Fell – minimal living, veganism, simplicity, family life.  I got hooked on their channel last winter when they were living their van life with their baby girl (now Jordan’s age).  Seriously, they sold all their belongings, converted their van into their home!   Of course, this may be an example of extreme living, but I’m fascinated by it and their hearts are so pure and open.  I have fallen in love with this family.  By the way, when I started watching last year, they had less than 100,000 subscribers, and less than a year later, they have nearly 400,000!  Even James likes watching this family with me.

Fun, Cheap, or Free – Jordan(!) is a Morman wife and frugal living expert with 5 kids and one on the way! I like watching their videos for parenting, budgeting, and easy living.  They are real life and still so fun with great family values. The Tuesday Q & A videos with Jordan her and her husband are awesome!  They’re energetic and funny and have lots of practical, useful info.

FITNESS

Sam Ozkural – Sam is an adorable fitness and productivity blogger with some serious hair goals. She is bright and energetic and motivated to help all of us live passionately and with good health.

Georgie Stevenson – A relatively new vlogger, newlywed and just finished law school.  Georgie lives in Australia and has lots of simple recipes and vlogs chronicling her fitness journey.

What channels do you like?  I’d love to hear your suggestions!

How to Keep Hydrangeas Alive for Weeks

One of the most common questions on my DMs goes something like this, “I remember you did a post about how to keep your hydrangeas alive, but I can’t find it- can you share it again?”  Sure! Before I learned this little trick, my hydrangeas would only last a few days.  In fact, they would die so quickly, that I stopped buying them.

But, with these easy steps, my hydrangeas last for at least 3 weeks!

1) Fill a clean vase with lukewarm water and let it come to room temperature.
2)  Fill a saucepan with water and put it on the stove to boil.
3)  After the water comes to a boil, turn off the heat, and let it cool for several minutes.
4) Cut your hydrangea stems at a 45-degree angle.
5)  Make a slit in the bottom inch of the stem, cutting up through its center.
6)  Place the stem in the hot water for 30 seconds.
7)  Immediately place the stem in the vase of the room temperature water.
_______
8) I also added the plant food packet to the water (the kind you get at the grocery store for free).  I’ve requested additional packets and they gave them to me.
9)  Every other day, I change the water, and recut the stems just a tad, and added a flower food packet. I say every other day, but I think I’ve gone 2-3 days in there before changing the water and recutting the stems.

AMAZON PRIME DAY 2018 • BEST DEALS

And right on the heels of the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is the Amazon Prime Day Sale.  Let me give you the details first and then I’ll share my top picks!

What is Amazon Prime Day? 

Think of Prime Day is Amazon’s ‘Black Friday’ in July.

When does Amazon Prime Day begin and end? 

The sale lasts 36 hours and starts today (Monday, July 16) at 2:00 p.m. C.T. and ends tomorrow (Tuesday, July 17) at 10:59 C.T.

Who can shop?

You must have an Amazon Prime membership to shop.  I’m curious if you do.  I can’t live without mine, we’ve had it for several years and it’s so convenient because it comes with free 2-day shipping, access to Prime Video and Music.  The membership is $119 a year or $12.99 a month, with a free 30-day trial.  You can sign up for the free trial and cancel after Prime day just to shop the sale.

What’s on Sale?

1000’s of items are included in the sale.  The best way to find the deals is to check the box that says “Prime” when searching for products.  I’ll update my Facebook page with the best deals when the sale goes live and until it ends, so please like my Facebook page to stay in the loop.

Right now, the 3 Hot Deals are:

Echo Show $229, $129

Echo Dot $49, $39

Kindle Paperwhite for $80 (the lowest price ever on that model)

and these savings:

Three months of Kindle Unlimited for $1. Normally $10 a month, Kindle Unlimited lets you read all the books you want, though from a relatively modest library of about 1 million titles. Take note, too, that this is for new subscribers only, and after the first three months, you’ll automatically get billed at the standard rate unless you cancel.

3 months of Audible for $4.95 per month. The standard subscription rate for Amazon’s audiobook service: $14.95 per month. Right now, Prime subscribers can get the first three months for $4.95 each, a total savings of $30. Interestingly, there’s nothing to indicate this is for new subscribers only, so if you’ve tried Audible in the past, you may be able to get this deal.

Four months of Amazon Music for $1. Another extended trial for newcomers only, Amazon Music rivals Spotify and similar services by offering unlimited access to some 40 million songs. After your first four months, you’ll get billed at the standard $7.99 monthly rate unless you cancel.

*As a friendly reminder and full disclosure, I earn a small commission when you purchase items from my links.  I  appreciate your trust and loyalty so much.  If you use an Amazon or Nordstrom app to shop, it cancels out the credit.  I don’t mind if you do, especially if that’s a much more convenient shopping experience for you, I just want to let you know in case you were hoping I’d receive credit for your purchase.  Y’all are sweet to even consider that! 

MORE NORDSTROM ANNIVERSARY SALE PICKS

On Friday, our girlfriend Ali-Shaun will be joining me in a huge Dressing Room try-on session!  The mimosas were flowin’ and it was a great day with our favorite girl!

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale 2018 - Thread and Supply Wubby Fleece

Teddy Bear Pullover • Teddy Bear Jacket (both wearing size Small) • $41 Skinny Jeans (wearing 24 & 28) • Waterproof Booties 

This outfit below you could wear on a chilly nigh here!

Cute fall outfit Nordstrom anniversary sale

Top • Jeans • Jacket • Booties • Earrings • Necklace

Both of these sweaters are going fast, so I wanted to share today.

PRO TIP: If they are out in your size in something you want, definitely check back because people will be returning things and they may come back available online. 

wrap front sweaterwrap front sweater

Twist Front Sweater

And I definitely wanted you to be able to scoop up the bras and undies before they sell out, these are a great deal now!

hanky panky thong and Natori bra

Pretty Thongs $22, $16 • Prettiest T-Shirt Bra $70, $46

And the seamless, most comfortable bra, that still offers good support is also on sale ($60, $39).  I wear mine all the time!

ASKING A FAVOR

Okay, I’ve given you lots of recommendations on the things in the sale that I know about and can stand behind, but I wanted to ask YOUR OPINION on some of the beauty and tools included in the sale.  Many of them I’ve never tried, so I don’t have first hand knowledge about.  But, I don’t want to miss recommending something that YOU swear by.

Can you let me know in the comments what Beauty and Beaty Tools in the sale you swear by or want me to try and review for you?

I just ordered the Kiss lip plumper that has lots of great reviews for giving your lips a little pout.  As soon as I get it and try it, I’ll let you know!

And remember, throughout the sale, you can visit the HWH Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Page for updates, new posts, and restock alerts.

Have a great week, friends!

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Meet Megan

Hi! I’m Megan, mom to a thoughtful teenager and spunky young girl. We call Houston home and recently moved into our dream home. I traded my lawyer hat to become a full-time blogger in 2010. I love sharing my passion for affordable fashion, home decor, organization, & fitness to help inspire you to take care of you!

25 Comments

  1. I’ve never heard of the lip plumper. I’m really curious to hear if it works or if anyone has tried that with success? Thanks!!

  2. A few things I’ve tried and recommend that are in the sale beauty wise:
    The Clinique Pepstart. I haven’t tried the eye cream, but the face exfoliant is great and it’s inexpensive with or without the sale!

    Laura mercier face polish – the perfect amount of grit and smells so good!

    I just bought the t3 flat iron and so far I love it! (The one that is $120). My husband even said he liked the way it looks more than my old one 😉

    Questions or reviews I’d love to hear:
    Anything Charlotte Tilbury – particularly lipsticks and if they are worth the extra cost.

    Silk pillowcases? I saw at least one or two in the sale and have been toying with the idea for awhile.

    When I pulled up beauty, the house reeds/oil diffusers popped up and I’d love to know if you’d tried the diffusers or what you use as a home fragrance (assuming you have something?)

    Thank you for all your hard work on this!!

    1. Ooh Amanda, I’m loving these suggestions! I use Charlotte Tilbury mascara and it’s amazing, but I didn’t see it in the sale! I could order another diffuser because the one I have lights up and I’d prefer another one for the bedroom at night. I use lavender right now in our diffuser and it’s a nice, relaxing scent. Even James likes it.

    2. Hi There! I use Charlotte Tilbury lip pencil & lipstick in Pillow Talk and I am absolutely addicted. It’s super creamy and the perfect pinky nude tone. I am also addicted to her Magic Foundation which works wonders for my 48 year old skin, sadly my color is always sold out.

      There is a free gift for CT, with your $150 purchase during the sale!

      Hope that helps! ?

        1. that is also my lip pencil and I can’t believe the difference it makes on my lips! They look so much fuller but because the color is so natural it almost looks like I’m not wearing anything.

          1. Absolutely! It’s the most universal and forgiving lip pencil I ever used!

    3. Megan – I love your posts and bought a lot of your suggestions from sale and am loving all of them! As for a silk pillowcase – definite yes on buying one! I don’t get bed head and I do feel like the creases and wrinkles I was waking up with on my face are no longer!! I bought my pillowcase on Amazon so can’t speak to what is at Nordstrom.

  3. I have heard great things about the Sara Happ lip products! There is a lip set that’s part of the sale, so I ordered it but I haven’t received it yet! Fingers crossed I love it as much as everyone has been telling me I will!

  4. I started neu-lash serum based on your suggestion. It really works! My eyelashes are longer and thicker. It seems expensive, but I am still on my first tube. Highly recommend.

      1. Does anyone know if this has the potential side effect of changing your eye color (from blue to brown) ? I’d love to try it but don’t want to take that risk.

    1. I tried on and loved the pink BP mules- super cute, feminine and will go with so much! But I didn’t bring them home bc too much other stuff too!

  5. Anastasia Brow Pencil – + clear gel with sale
    Beauty Blender – deal is basically BOGO 50% off, with a nifty carrying case and sponge cleanser
    Supergoop translucent powder SPF 45 – deal comes with triple the amount of powder for $10 more
    This stuff is a game changer – I use it on my hair part and ears, too!

    1. I use the beauty blender- that’s a great price and we love Supergoop here too! Jordan loves when I put the mousse sunscreen on her! She always asks for more!

  6. Your coverage on the sale has been so amazing! Thanks for putting so much time and energy into helping us! I would love to know your opinion on the simplehuman Sensor Mirror!

    Thanks!!

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