1. Zebra Sarasa 0.7 Gel Pens

I stole a couple of these ?️ off El Hub’s desk. now I’m ? obsessed. The ink is darker than dark, and they absolutely will not skip, ever — to paraphrase Kyle Reese in The Terminator.

The ink also dries quickly, so you don’t get ink on your palm or your fingers while you’re writing (I hate that). Here’s a box of 12 for $13 on Amazon.

REKLAME

2. MAC face & Body

Every once in a while I whip out this classic, which you can build from sheer to medium coverage, and fall in love with it again. I keep coming back to it over and over, year after year. It looks like skin, doesn’t feel heavy, and it doesn’t budge once it’s on.

I hadn’t used it for a year (no good reason, really) but grabbed it on a whim last Saturday before brunch at Wishbone. I wore it with MAC Mineralize Skinfinish natural Powder, and I liked it so much that I’ve been wearing it each day this week.

3. Breaks

This is a “Duh, Karen!” kind of thing, but it’s so damn bothersome how I forget the most painfully apparent life lessons and always have to re-learn things I ought to already know. (!)

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Katte og makeup sweatshirt ??

$ 42.

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You know this because I’ve said it about a million times, but I’m bad about building breaks into my workday.

There, I said it. En gang til. I’m the type of person who, if I’m doing something and I get on a roll, will do it for hours until I burn myself out.

This is a bad thing.

But when I take breaks throughout my day (please, Karen, remember this time!), even when I don’t feel like I need them, I’m much happier overall.

When I have a long stretch of time, like when the baby’s napping or when my parents are viewing her, and I work for 50 minutes, or some other good chunk of time that’s less than an hour, then take a 10-minute break, I’m less frazzled and much more productive.

And I’m not allowed to do anything productive during these breaks. That’s crucial. I can opt for a walk in my front yard, or dance around for a song or two, or drink some water, or have a cup of tea, but I don’t allow myself to “think.”

Yay for breaks!

4. Trader Joe’s Spud Crunchies Potato Snacks

There’s a reason you’re staring at this crumpled, jaggedly broken bag of Trader Joe’s Spud Crunchies Potato Snacks, and it’s because the bags don’t last long whatsoever in my house before they take damage!

In the weeks because I discovered these, this was the first time I was able to take a reasonably ok picture of a bag in the house, LOL! because I always eat them so rapidly that I forget to take a picture before I toss the bag.

Brace yourself… These are potato chips in the shape of a French fry.

Yes, they are tasty, to put it mildly, but WARNING! They aren’t exactly diet food. One small 4-oz. bag includes four servings that are 150 calories each…

Why, cruel world!?

Because I’m inclined to sit in front of the telly with them and go to town, I take a small handful out and put them on a paper towel or in a small cup. then I close the bag and put it waaaay in the back of the cupboard.

5. The whole Truth, starring Keanu Reeves

What a enjoyable surprise! I found this Keanu courtroom drama while randomly surfing around on Amazon Prime video the other day. I started it thinking it would be boring enough that I could leave it playing in the background while I colored a page in my coloring book (ya know, one of those ones to help you de-stress), but I actually got sucked in.

Keanu is good in it (for Keanu)! and yes, I don’t care if he never wins an Academy Award. He’ll always be my high school ? crush.

In an alternate universe, Keanu from the speed years and I are living happily ever after on a farm on Kauai where we raise goats and chickens and grow papaya with our brood of five kids and 12 cats.

OK, that’s me. What have you been loving lately?

REKLAME

Din venlige kvarter Charm Addict,

Karen.

S.s. TGIF!!!

1. cat Lover’s Pad

The cover says it all. “100 Sheets of Cats Cats Cats!” ? ? ? first of all, it’s a lined notebook, and each page has a different illustration of lovable kitties in all their marvelous shapes, sizes and colors.

It’s become my go-to notebook for short lists, which is saying something because you know I love lists!

REKLAME

2. Schitt’s Creek

Friends raved about this Netflix show. Heck, everyone seemed to rave about this show and its ensemble cast, but something about it didn’t fire me up for a long time. I viewed the first episode about a year ago and thought, “Eh…” and dismissed it. I thought the main characters were, well…kinda self-entitled and not very likeable, but I gave it another try a couple weeks ago, and wow! — I’m so glad I did because I’m fully onboard now.

There’s a lot much more to it than I thought. At a surface level, it’s a comedy about an obscenely rich family that all of a sudden loses their fortune and are forced to relocate to a small rural town named Schitt’s Creek.

It’s one of those shows that just gets better and better as the characters develop over time, and you get the sense that the family members learn to appreciate each other and what they have so much more. I’ve laughed and cried much more times than I can count. Plus, the styling and makeup (more on this in a second) are incredible.

REKLAME

Cats & makeup Sweatshirt ??

$ 42.

Shoppe nu

3. lucky Bromhead

She’s an Emmy-nominated makeup artist, and she did (and still does) the makeup for essential cast members on Schitt’s Creek. She’s the one responsible for Moira’s killer red lips and smoky eyes, and Alexis’s casual-but-chic boho vibes. love her work!

4. The Farmhouse collection from Crate & Barrel

I got some dishes, bowls and mugs from the Farmhouse collection at Crate & Barrel to replace all of the random, mismatched dishes in my kitchen, and I love, love, love them. Each piece has some heft to it and feels sturdy, and the soft cream color and lines give the pieces a warm and casual vibe.

The Farmhouse collection is one of Crate & Barrel’s open stock lines, implying that you can just roll up to the store and purchase a single plate or mug at any time.

This is great for our family because El Hub is pretty much the destroyer of all dishes, mugs and bowls. HE BREAKS EVERYTHING. I seriously cannot fathom how because I’ve only broken one or two dishes in my entire life!

SUK.

All I know is that now, whenever he undoubtedly breaks one of my new dishes, I will always be able to replace it. ?

Organized cabinets give me life.
5. This 30-minute spin class…

By the time I was finished with this home spinning workout, I was dripping in sweat, but dang if I didn’t feel great. The instructor is fantastic! She does a bang-up job of keeping you motivated, and I also get the sense that she’s working just as hard, too. There are a few ads throughout the class…which typically annoys me, but they happened at times when I was gasping for air and actually didn’t mind having the extra time to recover.

REKLAME

Din venlige kvarter Charm Addict,

Karen.

P.S. TGIF!

See the bun peeking out from the top?
1. Embracing the straw visor

OK, I know, I know. A week ago I was solidly against the oversized packable straw visor, mostly because it reminded me of my glamorous grandma and all of her homies back in the day, but then I watched this favorites video by Dr. Dray (she’s a dermatologist, and she is all about sun protection). She mentions how much she loves her packable straw visor because she can put her hair up in a bun on the top of her head while she wears it! YOU DON’T even know how MIND BLOWING THIS WAS TO ME.

Since my hair is past my shoulders, it’s always a struggle to figure out where to put my bun or ponytail when I’ve got a hat on. I end up wearing buns/ponytails low on the back of my head, but I don’t really love that because then my hair sits against the back of my neck, and I get really hot. Anyway, I ended up going back to Nordstrom rack and grabbing the visor for $15, and I love IT. I wore it today to go hiking, and my hair was off my neck, and it felt really good.

REKLAME

Yes, I have to tilt my head back to see sometimes, ha!
2. finding Rosie in the weirdest places

She’s been getting creative lately with her napping spots. Here’s her new favorite hiding place: Connor’s old play mat, where she keeps some of her stuffed animals (Connor, not Rosie).

I see you, Rosie Pose!
3. The radio station Q-102.1

I try not to get too attached to any radio station here in the SF Bay area because the ones I love just seem to always disappear mysteriously! Seriously, one day you get in your car, turn up your favorite ’90s hip-hop throwback station expecting to hear Lil’ Kim, but then you hear the screech of guitars from a speed metal band instead.

Anyway, I was flipping through the channels in my car the other day, and this station is one of a handful I can actually tolerate. In the span of 10 minutes, I heard Wham’s Careless Whisper, Mariah’s emotions and 2Pac’s California Love. GLORIOUS!

REKLAME

Katte og makeup sweatshirt ??

$ 42.

Shoppe nu

4. TJ’s traditional French Brie with sliced Opal apples

THIS COMBO, OMG! After you try it, you’ll love me and hate me at the same time. eating apples with brie is really nothing new, but the TJ’s traditional French Brie will take your breath away. It’s what I like to call “a funkier brie,” so it’s got that pungent, smelly toes aspect to it (which I love), and it’s just so, so soft and creamy. When you eat it with sliced yellow Opal apples, goodness gracious, it’s a heavenly experience.

YUM
5. keeping a small army of sunscreens on hand

I’m earnestly trying very hard to be diligently wearing sunscreen (that’s a lot of adverbs!). I’ve read that it helps to keep a variety of formulas and types on hand, and that’s what I’ve been doing lately.

I think it’s working for me! Previously, I would only keep one or two bottles around the house, but now that I have a bunch of them on hand, it’s been easier to remember to wear sunscreen, especially when I have different options available (spray, lotion, even stick sunscreen) to suit how lazy I’m feeling at any particular moment. Also, now I know I’ll always have some on hand! I used to always wait until I finished a bottle before getting a new one, but now I just always have sunscreen around. It’s kinda cool!

REKLAME

Din venlige naboskabs skønhedsadmed,

Karen.

S.s. Glad Hump Day. ?