My Monthly Edit

THINKING
There are plenty of advantages to both my husband & I being self-employed…but every year, when tax season rolls around, we’re reminded of the drawbacks.  After learning how much we owe this year, I am seriously contemplating doing another shopping freeze for spring/summer.  It’s always tough because I know how many of you are buying new clothes during this season, so I feel badly not being able to showcase current pieces in my outfit posts.  But, at the same time, I don’t want to be unwise with our finances or be dishonest about my lifestyle.  So, I’d love to get suggestions on how to best handle this period of time – would you like to see fitting room try-ons from my favorite stores, how to rework basics you already own, multiple ways to style the same piece, etc?  Please share your thoughts in the comments below or email me directly!

LOVING
My teenage daughter has been battling some health issues over the past few months and we finally got in to see a specialist who put together a diet plan & supplement schedule to help her.  At the top of the list were these sleep gummies with melatonin (in addition to this multivitamin and these stress gummies for anxiety).  Since then, we have become huge fans of this brand & quickly converted over our medicine cabinet.  My husband now takes the men’s vitamins; I bought the multi-vitamin with probiotics for my son and I just started on the Omega 3 gummies.  Unlike most chewables, these don’t have any artificial colors, artificial sweeteners or high fructose corn syrup + the flavors are great.  Target also regularly has them on sale or B1G1 deals on them occasionally, so we try to stock up when we can.

WEARING
Our lives have radically changed since adopting a puppy and so has my daily wardrobe.  I was joking on Instagram Stories the other day that I should do an outfit post called “dogwalker chic” because all I’ve been wearing lately are sweatshirts, jeans & slip-on sneakers (no laces for him to chew on!).  Thankfully, the athleisure trend is still going strong, so there are lots of cute options in stores right now – some of my favorites include this striped pullover, this graphic sweatshirt, this raglan tunic, this half-zip sweatshirt & this lace-up hoodie.

CRAVING
Even though it’s still snowing & cold here in NY, I’m hopeful that the weather will shift to warmer temperatures soon so I can pull out my spring clothes & shoes.  Before I begin my shopping freeze, I’m hunting for some new sandals for the season – I just ordered these classic wedges, which also come in black (will share my review soon).  And I’m loving these embroidered flats, these lace-up block heels, these knotted slide sandals (& these espadrilles are such a great buy!).

TRYING
The older I get, the more I’m finding that my eyesight isn’t what it used to be.  After a visit to the ophthalmologist, he determined that I don’t yet need prescription lenses (phew!), but he recommended some blue light blocking frames.  I didn’t even know this was an option, but considering that I spend most of my day staring at a computer screen, I think it’s a worthwhile purchase.  I’m planning on ordering these glasses that are supposed to reduce eye strain & minimize the harmful effects of constant exposure to blue-violet light from digital devices (read more here).  I’m currently trying to decide between the style pictured here, these tortoise glasses or this round pair.  

USING
A few weeks ago, I tweaked a muscle in my neck/upper back that left me with severe & nearly debilitating nerve pain.  After sharing about it on Instagram, a kind reader recommended an acupressure mat, which I had never tried before.  These work because they stimulate the body’s acupressure points, which relieves muscle tension, reduces chronic neck/back pain & eases stress.  I was a little skeptical at first, but this has been a game-changer for me – you only need to utilize it for 20 minutes a day to see results (but it requires regular use to get the full benefits).  It takes a couple tries to adjust to the feeling of the spikes, but it’s not bad at all!  I typically lay on mine mid-day, though I’ve heard from others that it’s great to do right before bed to help you relax & fall asleep faster.