The Small Things Blog

Happy Friday! This was one of those weeks that crawled but I’m also very surprised that it’s Friday already. I can’t explain what is happening but here we are.

We are seeing some of the smoke from the wildfires out west and it’s created a sort of haze to the sky. It’s so sad to know that so much destruction is happening from these fires.

I made Half Baked Harvest Honey Mustard Pretzel Chicken Salad yesterday and loved it. While it didn’t look nearly as pretty as Teighans, the flavor was 10/10.

Camille Styles is sharing the best non-toxic nail polishes.

Brighton has been tempted by this bodysuit!

These linen pants are perfect for summer and under $25! 

Kate from Naptime Kitchen is hosting a fundraiser to raise money for the low country food bank, you can click here to learn more! 

And here are a few things I mentioned on Instagram Stories recently that you may have missed: 

Ilia Lip Balm in color Hold Me – very nice neutral!

Ilia Blush Stick – the color payoff is subtle but it adds a nice glow!

Ilia Skin tint – sheer, dewy finish with SPF 40

Lancome Matte Full Coverage Foundation – read more about it here! 

Crossbody bag – currently sold out 🙁

Virtue Create 6-in-1 Styler – a simple hair product that does so many great things.

Amazon tie shoulder smocked dress – I wore this again on a dinner date last night!

Aera Vanilla capsule – my house smells like cookies and it’s NOT helping my sweet tooth!

Birthday Cake Granola – trust me.

Amika “The Sheild” Anti-Humidity Spray – game changer for humid climates.

American Crew Matte Clay to style the boys’ hair

Tank from lululemon

Starbucks Nitro Coldbrew with sweet cream

The Loading Dock – Amanda and my favorite place to meet in a coworking space.

Wilson’s Eatery

Mr. Pompadour Barber Lounge – highly recommend if you live in the area!

Green henley maxi dress by Lou & Grey

This week’s discount codes (#partnerships): 

Home Chef: Use code KATE90 and get $90 off – that’s 10 FREE meals.

Better Life Bags: Use code KATE15 for 15% off the whole shop and free shipping!

Miranda Frye: “Smallthings10” will get you 10% off and free shipping!

Spanx: Use code “Katexspanx” for 10% off plus free shipping!

Beddy’s: Code “SmallThings” saves you 20%!

Questions from the Monday Morning Q&A box:

One. What are your go-to snacks? fruit, carrots + dip, hard-boiled eggs, Kind breakfast bars

Two. How do I know the difference between breakage and new growth? You can usually tell by looking closely at the end of the hair. If it’s split, white, or looks damaged then you know it is likely broken from damage. If it’s smooth and straight, that tells me that it’s more likely new growth.

Three. Favorite detangler? I love It’s a 10 and Pureology Color Fanatic Leave-in Spray.

Four. What are your favorite sneakers? I really like my Nike Phantom React for every day, but for running I prefer the Nike React Miler.

Five. Tips for cleaning your hairbrush? Read this post!

Six. Where is your jewelry box from? Mark and Graham, linked here!

Seven. Do you like your Summersalt swimsuit? I really do! It’s a bit more on the low-cut end of what I typically wear, but I really like the fit and pattern!

Eight. What are your favorite underwear? Chantelle High Rise Briefs!

I’m not sure how the timing is working out for you, but we are nearly at the halfway point of our summer before my kids start school again in the fall. This news shocks me because I feel like summer *just* began. We had a long trip to Wisconsin in July which broke up the summer a bit, and now we have about 6 weeks left!

I’m feeling a mix of joy to have slow days playing with my kids and also feeling like I still have a lot of time to prep for the upcoming school year. There are also a few things I want to do to clean up/clean out before the start of the school year as well, so I’m starting to get those things on my radar. A few of those things are cleaning out kid’s clothes, donating toys that haven’t been touched in months, and doing a major pantry purge as well.

I wrote a post a while back that still rings true about how I buy clothes for my kids to easily mix & match. It gives the boys the ability to dress themselves and easily mix & match their tops and bottoms.

In other news, I updated my GoodReads account recently and shared a few of the recent books I’ve read on it! You can find my profile here.

I watched this video from Andreea (I love her!) and thought I’d share it here in case you need tips for makeup during hot/humid days. Also, this blush placement video is helpful!

Give me all the smocked bodice dresses!

And here are a few things I mentioned on Instagram Stories recently that you may have missed: 

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid – swept away by this book! I loved the story, highly recommend it!

Long Sleeve Rash Guard – I’ve had it for years and it still looks as good as the day I bought it.

Ole Henriksen Banana Bright Vitamin C Serum – more hydrating, in my opinion, than Truth Serum from the same brand, but both are great!

Tumi Uma Voyager Travel Backpack – I’ve had this for years and love it.

Malibu Blondes Wellness Hair Treatment – Talk to your stylist about using this if you need to deeply clean your hair from mineral deposits.

Virtue Purifying Shampoo

Virtue Recovery Conditioner

Amazon Travel Backpack – A similar option with very high reviews to my Tumi backpack.

Thin Apple Watch Band – a favorite. I just bought the color “milk tea”

Fabric Stretchy Apple Watch Strap

Billie Razor – unbeatable.

Miranda Frye London Necklace – I always get questions about this, and I’m not surprised because it’s beautiful! My code “smallthings10” will get you 10% off and free shipping

Influencer Business Podcast with Ashley Brooke – Such a great listen.

Costco Ice Cream Party Box – really cute! Plan to use at an upcoming pool party!

Nordstrom Finds! 

Nike Athletic Shorts

Zella White Shelf Bra Tank

Blue/Grey Sweatshirt

Lightweight Blue Men’s Hoodie

Natori Rose Dream Bra

Chantelle High Rise Breif

Madewell Camera Bag

Slip Pillowcase Set

Supergoop Sunblock set of 3

Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray set

Nike Sneakers

This week’s discount codes (#partnerships): 

Loopy Cases: 10% off using code “SmallThings10”

Better Life Bags: Use code KATE15 for 15% off the whole shop and free shipping!

Miranda Frye: “Smallthings10” will get you 10% off and free shipping!

Spanx: Use code “Katexspanx” for 10% off plus free shipping!

Beddy’s: Code “SmallThings” saves you 20%!

Questions from Monday’s Q+A on Instagram Stories:

What heart rate monitor do you use with your Peloton? I use the Scosche Rhythm+ and really love it! The heart rate monitor that comes with the peloton is trash.

Link to your kindle? I have this one and really love it. It’s easy to read outdoors too!

What can I do for dry ends on my hair? Sounds like it may be time for a trim, otherwise, I’d recommend an oil! Oils are great for really dry ends because they restore softness to the hair.

What workflow site do you use? Basecamp!

Does one shade of eyeshadow look good for simple makeup days? Yes, I love doing that, especially with a cream eyeshadow stick!

Swimmers hair care? Watch this!

Best everyday underwear? I really love the high-rise brief from Chantelle!