Things that make me happy

Every morning I try to write in my five minute journal and I always feel so much better starting the day when I do it! Something I love about it is it asks you to write down three things you are grateful for which always puts me in such a positive mood / headspace. Since I have been using the journal for a while I have noticed practicing gratitude every day really helps to keep me calmer, happier, more positive and less reactive. Thinking about things we are grateful for is probably more important than ever this last year, so I thought I would also start making a list of things that make me happy. Whenever I need a pick me up, something to do or want to switch up my routine, I look at this list for some inspo.

  1. Good coffee
  2. Fresh air
  3. Lighting a candle
  4. Checking things off a list
  5. Really cold sauv blanc
  6. Views of the water
  7. Baking cookies
  8. Freshly painted nails
  9. Doing a facemask
  10. Clean sheets
  11. Pizza on a friday night
  12. Laughing with my family
  13. Snail mail
  14. Pilates & meditating after
  15. Getting a new plant
  16. Turning on my record player
  17. Reading my cookbooks and trying a new recipe
  18. Planning a trip
  19. Watching Friends
  20. Flowers
  21. Frans dark chocolate salted caramels

What makes you happy these days?!

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SEEN: my new favorite shampoo and conditioner

I have always had sensitive skin and scalp but have never been able to find a good unscented shampoo. I am super sensitive to pretty much everything – fragrances, dyes, weird ingredients etc. I have tried so many shampoos over the years, and have not once found one that doesn’t bother my skin and actually works. I also recently was having some redness on my forehead that was new to me, when I went to my dermatologist I found out that I have seborrheic dermatitis. She mentioned I should switch to not only a natural shampoo, but one that is unscented as well because even natural scents can irritate the condition.

I have been using SEEN shampoo and conditioner for about a month now and it is by far the best I have ever tried! Honestly I am so excited, I feel like my lifelong search for shampoo is over. It’s clean, won’t make your skin breakout, fragrance free, developed by a Harvard-trained dermatologist and comes in the prettiest bottles. They also have a scented version as well if your skin is not the highest maintenance ever.

SEEN products are clean and are made with NO: clogging oils, silicones, phthalates, sulfates, parabens, dyes, formaldehyde, cocamidopropyl betaine, gluten, soy, or hidden irritants.

Another thing I love about this company is their commitment to giving back through helping children feel “SEEN”. SEEN donates to support clinics in developing countries which treat children with disfiguring birthmarks and scars (Dr. Rubin, the founders medical specialty!)

You can shop all their products by clicking here! You can also use code: MARGEAUX10 to save 10% on your order.

I would love to hear what you think after trying it!

Here is a list of their key ingredients and the benefits of each.

Key Ingredients:
• Hemisqualane: Plant-sugar derived, nature’s answer to silicone; reduces frizz;
• provides color and heat protection
• Bisabolol: Naturally-derived ingredient with skin-soothing properties
• Shea butter cetyl esters (Conditioner, Curly Creme): Conditions and softens
• Squalane (Curly Creme, Blow-Out Creme): Plant-sugar derived; adds glass-like shine,
• heat protection; strengthens hair
• Ceratonia siliqua (carob tree) (Curly Creme, Blow-Out Creme): Strengthens hair
• Moringa oleifera (horseradish tree) (Curly Creme, Blow-Out Creme): UV/pollution protection for hair

This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. I only share products I love!

Valentines Day Gift Guide

My favorite part of Valentines Day is definitely getting a card and flowers and just spending time with my valentine. But, a little gift (jewelry, candle, lingerie) doesn’t hurt so here are some cute things I found that would make a perfect gift for your valentine, or yourself!

P.S. Nordstrom’s curbside pick up is so safe and easy, so you still have time to do that!

Pearl Necklace

Heart Necklace

Gold Initial Ring

Gold Heart Ring

Gold Initial Bracelet

Lace Bralette

Lace Underwear

Diptyque Baies Candle

Black Card Case

Men’s Gold Bracelet

Cowboy Kush Candle

Men’s Gucci Socks

You can also check out my Valentines Day gift guide on pinterest here – I have lots of similar options at different prices!

It is supposed to snow in Seattle this week and on Valentines Day so we are having wine and cooking dinner at home! I am excited to have a cozy night at home with the fire on and hopefully some snow!

What are your plans for Valentine’s Day this year!? Do you have any fun traditions?

XOXO

2021 Trends

2020 was all about tie dye, whipped coffee and bike shorts. But what will 2021 bring us? Here are some trends I am seeing and loving for the new year! All images via pinterest.

Kitchen Lamps – the cutest way to add more light to your kitchen!

Marble Shelves In Kitchens / Kitchen Shelfies – i love this look.

Shoulder Pad Blazers – into this, very Diana.

Pastel’s – not super ground breaking but I love the monochrome look.

Hoodies Under Blazers – i.n.t.o. t.h.i.s.

These Bags from 2000 – good thing I kept mine. The best advice I can give you is literally E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G. comes back in style.

Slipper Shoes – i am very into this, i can’t believe i used to wear shoes all day?

Skincare / Skinimilisim – remember when we used to wear makeup? i have added gua shua into my routine and it feels so good, it releases so much tension i didn’t realize i had in my face and it also reduces wrinkles! i use it with this orchid oil and then use the bakuchoil at night – bakuchoil is a great natural retinol alternative!

my favorite purchases of 2020

images via pinterest

What. A. Year. Although this year has been scary, sad, challenging, unpredictable and anything but normal I am grateful for all the lessons and perspective it brought me. Like reinforcing what truly matters to me: my health, my family, my friends, my house and fighting for what you believe in. What I want to spend my time doing: pilates, getting fresh air, cooking and drinking my coffee at home every morning. That you only get one life, so you have to live in the moment and take that trip when you have the chance. And that loungewear eliminates the need to pick out an outfit every day. After the many lessons this year brought I have been reminded about what is important and what I want to spend money on. I put a lot of thought into each of these purchases before I made them and I know that is why they made it on this list. Enjoy!

Melissa Wood Health Membership – I found Melissa on instagram and instantly loved her voice and her vibe. She is so calm and comforting. I always was more of a class girl and had a hard time working out on my own or at home, but once everything closed I knew I needed to find something to keep me moving that I would actually want to do every day. I started with the free trial and ended up doing a video every single day. It was not even a question if I would purchase the membership. I felt so much better in such a short amount of time not only physically but most importantly mentally. I always catch my self smiling and laughing during her classes and am in such a happy, positive and refreshed mood when I am done. I love that there are classes in all different lengths so if you only have 15 minutes you can still do something! I also like combining a few shorter pilates videos back to back or adding on a dance warm up or meditation. Her mediations are A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. I cannot recommend her enough.

Bala Bangles – See above, Melissa wears these in a lot of her videos (but you can totally do without them). After a few weeks I wanted the option to add a little bit of weight so I looked for these and they were sold out everywhere! I got on a waitlist and as soon as they came I totally understood why they were sold out. First of all, they are cute. Second, they are so comfortable to wear and have the softest feel to them. Third, they come with a zip up case and are super easy to travel with.

Record Player – I pretty much stopped watching TV this year because I just can’t handle the news. I started putting music on all the time but I didn’t have a good speaker set up and liked the idea of shutting my computer at night and not having to rely on Spotify. I had been wanting a record player for a while but was just keeping it in my cart. I got this at the beginning of quarantine and it was such a good purchase. Also, my parents moved this Summer and had a huge cabinet full of records they didn’t want so I went through all of their old records to start my collection. I love putting it on at night when I am cooking, it’s so fun to listen to old songs and really feels like you are disconnected because you don’t have to look at a screen or a phone. I got a new record for Christmas and I can’t wait to listen to it!

Espresso Machine – I am a coffee snob. I used to stop and get a coffee every morning at S&L cafe. It was the highlight of my day, Dan the owner is so sweet and they make the best americanos! Now that I am at home everyday it didn’t make sense to drive to the coffee shop but I really missed my daily espresso. This espresso machine is small enough that it fits on my counter and it’s made in Italy, so you know it’s good. If you are looking for something a little less expensive, I also have this stovetop espresso maker and love it!

PJ Salvage Lounge Set // Top // Bottoms – This is the best lounge set ever. I literally wear this every day. It is a waffle material, with stretch, so flattering and so comfortable. This is my most worn thing this year by far. You know when you find the perfect jeans or yoga pants or etc? This is that, the perfect lounge set. Trust me. I have three colors and wish I would have gotten multiple sets because if they ever discontinue them I will cry. I have a medium top and small bottoms (I like my lounge tops looser though but I would say they are true to size).

Alo Lounge Leggings – Building off finding the perfect pair of yoga pants above, these are them. I also have these in two colors and have a laundry schedule to make sure one pair is always clean because I exclusively wear these now. The fabric is so soft I don’t even know how they do it. And the waistband is the most comfortable and flattering. It is a bit thicker but not too tight at all, it forms to your body so you don’t feel squished or constrained at all.

Free People Bralette – I always lean towards wearing bralettes instead of real bras but these are a new level of comfort. Plus you can wear them for pilates (see above) or you can wear it under your sweatshirt so you feel somewhat put together. In the summer I also wore them solo as a crop top! They pretty much form to your body but don’t stretch out. I got the xs/s and recommend getting a few colors to rotate throughout the week.

Herbivore Hand Sanitizer – I am obsessed with everything Herbivore does and their hand sanitizer has been my favorite. It is a gel, but has a little pump so it’s super easy to put on. It doesn’t dry out your hands. It comes in a glass bottle. It’s cute. You get it.

Bottlehouse Wine ClubBottlehouse is the cutest little wine bar/restaurant in Seattle, imagine like the little house from The Holiday, but a wine bar. It has always been one of my favorite places for happy hour. When they had to close for a bit I was so worried they wouldn’t make it. I wanted to support them however I could and had been wanting to join their wine club anyway. The theme for this year was organic and biodynamic, so basically ideal for me because that means no hangovers. I get a white, rose and a red four times a year. Their packaging is the cutest ever and I love going there to pick it up!

Cool Biden Hat – I found this account on instagram and love what they are doing. They sell corduroy Biden/Harris hats and all proceeds go to the ACLU or The New Georgia Project.

This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. I only share products I love!