Sunday Coffee Date: 13 Insights

I haven’t been feeling my best lately, and with no new posts prepared, I thought it would be nice to share a casual, coffee-date-style blog entry today.

Speaking of coffee, I’m actually indulging in something different. As soon as the weather turns crisp, I love treating myself to Trader Joe’s Salted Caramel Chai. It’s absolutely delightful and is the perfect drink for a cozy evening. You have to try it!

I dislike being idle, but I must admit that yesterday turned out pleasantly. I spent the day revisiting my old cookbooks, enjoying the Food Network, and sipping tea. In the evening, we lit the fireplace, watched a movie, and ordered takeout. I had the most delicious grilled eggplant and roasted pepper panini—truly a standout from any pizza place! We relaxed for the rest of the night. This morning, I woke up feeling much better, so we tackled some yard work (seriously, there are leaves everywhere!) and did a bit of shopping.

I planned to check out Home Goods since they always have such a stunning array of pillows, throws, dishes, and blankets. I may have mentioned before how overwhelming my local store can be due to its vast selection. I intended to look for some Christmas decorations, but the beautiful items left me a bit dizzy, and I ended up only picking out a few candles, a new bed for Blu, and a larger acrylic lipstick stand. I already owned some smaller versions, but I was running out of space for my lipsticks. This one holds up to 24 lipsticks and was only $6.99 (originally about $12.00).

My next stop was TJ Maxx, simply because it’s right next door to Home Goods. I headed straight to the cosmetics section and was thrilled to see a lot of Estee Lauder products. Unfortunately, I didn’t find the eye cream I was looking for. However, I did come across another eye product that I’ve been eager to try: the GLAMGLOW Brightmud Eye Treatment. I was genuinely excited to spot it, especially since I had heard mixed reviews and was hesitant to spend $70 on something that *might* work. To my surprise, I found it in the clearance section for just $29! It was sealed with tape and packed in a locked box, which made me wonder if someone had been curious about it. I decided to purchase it anyway and checked with the cashier about whether anything might be missing since it contains 12 individually packed treatments. She assured me it was complete, and if it were missing, it wouldn’t have been placed back on the shelf.

Sure enough, upon getting home, I discovered that two treatments were indeed missing (seriously, who does that?). I briefly considered returning it, but I figured the clearance price must have had a reason behind it (it was originally priced at $69.00 and marked down from $39.00). Even so, it was still a better deal than purchasing it at Sephora for $69.00. I can’t wait to see how it performs.

I almost bought a similar Argan body oil just a few days ago for $40, so you can imagine my delight when I found this at TJ Maxx for only $14.99. I tested it on my hand, and it feels incredibly smooth and silky with a beautiful shimmer. I love using products like this during the colder months; they really help bring back that glow of summer to my skin.

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, I raided my closet looking for holiday outfits. I think I should start checking my closet before shopping because I dug up several dresses (still with tags!) that had been waiting for me to fit into them again! It turns out that many of them fit nicely, so it feels like I have a whole new wardrobe.

I’m also considering trying a new hairstyle for the holidays. I often find myself running late (who else wraps last-minute gifts just before heading to family gatherings?), so I typically just throw my hair into a bun or let it fall in soft curls. I’ve been browsing Pinterest for inspiration on up-dos and half-dos, and I’ve found some lovely options:

This is really cute and simple, and can we talk about how gorgeous her hair color is?

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I tried something similar once and loved how it looked, even though it did get a bit messy as the day went on.

I adore how this looks, but I’m not sure if I have the patience to attempt it!

Here’s Mr. Blu enjoying his brand-new bed. Honestly, it’s so cozy that I’d like to curl up in it myself.

I hope you all had a fantastic weekend! With this week being short for us in the U.S., let’s try not to grumble too much about Monday approaching!