Birthday and Amazon Prime - July

*This post contains affiliate links. When you click a link, it is no cost to you and I make a small commission (pennies) from it. Thank you for supporting Sparkles and Lattes. 

They say it's your birthday. We are gonna have a good time....

Yep, I have that song stuck in my head. And yes, it is my birthday. And yes I am working. How rude is that? And I had to get up at 5:30 am today. Again, how rude.

But anyways, today I turn 38. 

I have written facts about myself in the past, but that gets harder to add more and new ones each year.

So today I am doing my usual Amazon post. And maybe Wednesday I will have a recap of any festivities that I did?!

linking up with Tanya

So what did we buy in July?

SanDisk Memory Card

I mentioned this in a Friday Favorites post, but I bought these memory cards for the girls Kindle Kid Fire's since we had problems with storage and capacity. They have definitely helped and were so easy to add to the fires.

NeilMed Sinus Rinse

It was time for my Sinus Rinse refill and I got the 100 pack this time.

Speedo Swim Googles

I also talked about these in a Friday Favorites. The girls love them so far and they are so much easier to tighten than their old ones. The girls say they are comfy as well. And they are only $15ish each.

Silicone Loofa Body Scrubber

I talked about these scrubbers in a Friday favorites post a week and a half ago. I love these. This three pack is a great deal and we use them at home and for travel. And you can put them in your dishwasher when they need to be cleaned and they are as good as new. Way more sanitary than the traditional loofas we all used to use.

Essential Pet Probiotics

This is another repurchase. It was time to refill Walter's probiotics so I did the order again feature.

Mulberry Silk Pillowcase

I have been wanting a silk pillowcase for awhile. It is great for your skin and your hair (especially with extensions), but I didn't want to pay $100 for the one I saw on Nordstrom (the hyped up one). So I searched Amazon and this one had amazing reviews. So far I like it and my hair isn't as crazy when I wake up in the morning. As I use it more, I will give a more detailed review.

Bob's Red Mill Buttermilk Pancakes

This is my favorite pancake mix and I haven't been able to find it in stores where I live. So I ordered a four pack on Amazon. I did make homemade ones last weekend since I didn't have any of this left and they were really good. So I think I will be alternating between homemade and this one.

2 Pack Youth Jump Rope

This was a gift for my nephew. He loves working out with his dad and he is in a kids fitness competition at the SF Giants stadium and we thought he would love these.

Alba Conditioner

Rory bought two shampoos for himself instead of a shampoo and conditioner, so I bought him the conditioner.

Shark Steam Mop Replacement Pads

I have had my Shark Steam Mop for about a year now and it was time to replace the pads. These pads work on more than the Shark Steam Mop as well. They got great reviews and fit the steam mop perfectly.

LED Bike Wheel Lights

This was another gift for my nephew for his birthday. We saw some kids who had these when we were in Graeagle for the 4th of July and all the kids thought these were cool. So we got a set for my nephew.

Princess In Black Book #4

We already have books one through three. The girls love these book so much that it was time to get another. I am sure I will be getting books 5, 6 and 7 soon as well.

And that is it for our July purchases. What did you buy this month on Amazon Prime?

Friday Favorites and Happenings

*This post contains affiliate links. When you click a link, it is no cost to you and I make a small commission (pennies) from it. Thank you for supporting Sparkles and Lattes.

Happy Friday all! Can you believe August is only two days away? I can't. And by that I mean, my birthday is just a few days a way as well. And I have to work on my birthday, so that sucks. Ugh. Who makes you work on your birthday? My work does. 

Anyways, we have a busy weekend ahead of us and the next few weekends are busy as well. So I will be in and out, but definitely posting and blog reading in between.

Onto, Friday favorites and Happenings.

ONE. As I said, my birthday is Monday. My MIL and husband have been asking me what I want for my birthday for a few weeks now. I really couldn't think of much. I know, weird right? I said maybe a Lululemon gift card. But then I thought about it and said what about a Tory Burch handbag and I can share the cost with them (since TB bags are pricey).

They said, no need to share the cost and send them some of my favorites. So I did. But then we went school clothes shopping for the girls and went into the actual TB store to see my picks. Well it turns out I wanted a different bag than I had picked out.

Rory asked if it was in stock and it was but only the display. But they said they could ship it to me in two days. So guess who got a new TB bag? Me. Courtesy of my husband and in-laws. And I am in love.

Tory Burch Fleming Shoulder Bag

TWO. I also found a pair of sunglasses while I was there that I added to my list for my parents and sister. What can I say, I love Tory Burch everything.

I currently have TB sunglasses that I bought from the outlet a year or two ago and Rory had me try on these and I fell in love with them. I didn't buy them, but I have my eye on them.

Tory Burch Logo-Temple Sunglasses

THREE. I did buy myself their perfume in the rollerball version. 

I have a problem with a lot of perfumes. I am almost allergic to some perfumes. I sneeze and can't be around people who spray awful scents. It has been like this forever. A bunch of the Victoria Secret body sprays that people used to use made me gag and sneeze. I could wear some like Love Spell and a few others, but most of them killed me. And when girls sprayed them on after gym class, I about died. 

I tried on 2 scents after smelling all four that were available. I wore them around the store and they didn't bother me. But I decided to get a rollerball version just in case. I got the original Tory Burch scent and I LOVE it. So far, so good.

Tory Burch Signature Perfume

FOUR. We also did some school clothes shopping for the girls. I bought a bunch from Target as they were having sales on a lot of school supplies and clothes. Leggings were $5 and jeans were $10. So I grabbed a bunch of those plus some dresses for $9. Not sure if the sale is still going on, but it is worth a look.

Anyways, I got the girls the dresses and shirts below from Abercrombie and Fitch. I went in looking for school clothes for them and anything for me since I don't have a local store and refuse to pay the shipping from there. Ha. Anyways, I got myself a dress and the comfiest shirt (I have two others).

Here is my haul for the girls and I. Rory even got a few items.

Abercrombie Tiered Midaxi Dress

Abercrombie Drapey V-Neck SoftAF Shirt

Abercrombie Kids Side Tie Shirt

Abercrombie Kids Smocked Dress

FIVE. Weekly funnies.

Have a great weekend. I am linking up with A Little Bit of Everything.

Free Country's Build for Cozy

*This post contains affiliate links. When you click a link, it is no cost to you and I make a small commission (pennies) from it. Thank you for supporting Sparkles and Lattes.

If you go to my Instagram account (later today) you will see my Instagram post for this collaboration. This collaboration wasn't even supposed to be a blog post, but I received two jackets and two joggers. So that means one of you will get the second set. It is size medium which basically fits anyone from a size 4 to 10.

The joggers are breathable and made from a French terry fabric. The ones up for grabs are in the Khaki version below.

Free Country Free2B Joggers

The jacket is made from the same ribbed micro puff fabric as the siding on the joggers. They have a thumb hole and are stretchy. The one up for grabs is in the Hibiscus color below.

Free Country Free2B Jacket

And if you don't win and you want one of these or anything else from Free Country, you can use my code: INF20 for an extra 20% off your purchase excluding clearance.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Summer Sandals

*This post contains affiliate links. When you click a link, it is no cost to you and I make a small commission (pennies) from it. Thank you for supporting Sparkles and Lattes.

I always look for sandals and this year I found a few that I wear every evening and all weekend. I go between my Steve Madden's, Birkenstocks and Tory Burch's. I thought I would share some of my favorites and some of my wish list items.

If I want comfort, I reach for my Birkenstock's. If I want fun and cute, I reach for either my TB's or Steve Madden's. I have two pairs of the Steve Madden's and I want another TB in the Miller Clouds. 

Enjoy!

Steve Madden Travel Sandal | Sam Edelman Gala Sandal | Tory Burch Mini Miller Jelly

Steve Madden Selina Sandal | Madewell Wave Sandal | Tory Burch Miller Cloud

Steve Madden Beliza Sandal | Birkenstock Florida Soft Sandal

I don't have the TB Mini Miller Jelly, but I do have the non-jelly version which I love. I really want the Cloud version as well. 

I don't have the Madewell sandal, but I have another version of it with one strap across. These ones are just fun! 

I like the idea of the SM Beliza sandal to wear to work and out with girlfriends. The heel is only 2 inches, so it is doable and still cute. 

The SM Selina sandal is a lot like the travel sandal which I have, but it is a slide version. My friend has these and loves them!!! 

I almost bought the SE Gala sandal last year, but they were out of my size. I still think they are cute.

Friday Favorites and Happenings

*This post contains affiliate links. When you click a link, it is no cost to you and I make a small commission (pennies) from it. Thank you for supporting Sparkles and Lattes.

Happy Friday all! We have another busy weekend ahead. And can you believe that August is just around the corner? This Summer is flying by. My girls start 1st grade in a few weeks! Crazy, I know.

Onto Friday Favorites and Happenings.

ONE. When the girls were in Graeagle, they got a lot of use out of their googles. So much that they started to hurt their ears and wouldn't stay suctioned to their face enough. So when they got home, they asked if they could get new ones. I searched around on Amazon and got them these. They are big time winners and are so much easier to adjust on their heads than the old ones that they had (from their swim lessons).

Speedo Swim Googles

They come in so many colors too and are only $15 ish each.

TWO. Another item that I will share via my Amazon Prime post in two-ish weeks is these silicone body scrubbers. I bought these about a year or two back and then the girls took theirs to Graeagle and it never came back with them.

This time I bought a three pack, so Rory could have one and the girls could each have one.

These things are amazing and so much better than the traditional loofas that hold and house bacteria. You can wash these in your dish washer and they are back to being new.

Silicone Loofa Body Scrubber

THREE. I usually don't share my Influenster stuff on my blog, but every so often I find something that I really like. And this happens to be one of those times. I received the Dior Forever Liquid Lipstick in Forever Nude and I love it!

It is the perfect nude color and goes on so smoothly. It isn't cheap ($38), but it is so worth it. I will definitely be re-purchasing this when mine runs out which take sometime. I wear it almost everyday at work and I still have most of it left.

Dior Forever Liquid Lipstick

FOUR. Some of my Nordstrom items have arrived and so far I have kept them all. I have one dress coming that was bought on a whim and that still hasn't arrived. But I wanted to share my Laura Mercier Setting Powder set that I got. I love this setting powder. I have tried ones from Tarte, Bare Minerals and Benefit, and this one is the best. 

I ran out of my LM one awhile ago and started using the Tarte one that came in a buy 6 or 7 items for $60ish. It is fine and does the job, but not as well as the Laura Mercier. 

The set is $49 and it comes with a full size, a travel size and the puff.  The normal full size is $39 at Sephora and Ulta. The travel size is $23 and the puff is $16. So you are getting all three for $10 more than the normal size. So you save $29. Such a steal!

If you get anything from the sale, get this set.

Laura Mercier Setting Powder

FIVE. Weekly funnies.

Have a great weekend. I am linking up with A Little Bit of Everything.

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Dupes

*This post contains affiliate links. When you click a link, it is no cost to you and I make a small commission (pennies) from it. Thank you for supporting Sparkles and Lattes.

Nadine recently did a post on some dupes for the infamous Nordstrom sale. Since I started looking around for some dupes myself, I thought I would share some of the items I went searching around for and what I found. Some of these are dupes or finds at different retailers.

As I have mentioned before, this sale pisses me off. All of the influencers buy up every size and color of the items you want and then they end up returning most of it only to screw others from getting the discount. I managed to get a few items, but most of what I really wanted was gone. So here are some dupes and other retailers that I found.

I tried my best to find items that are the same price or below, but a few of them are more (and better quality in some cases).

Left: Nordstrom  Right: Etsy

I wanted the Nordstrom necklace, but the letters I wanted were sold out. But Etsy has very similar ones.

Left: Nordstrom Thread & Supply  Center: Nordstrom BlankNYC  Right: ASOS

I wanted the shirt jacket in the middle, but it sold out in the first day and has never been restocked. So I tried to get the Thread & Supply one, but that one sold out too. I did find another one by BB Dakota, but it is $96, so I am not sure if I want to get that one. Are shirt jackets even worth it?

Left: Nordstrom Honeydew  Right: Nordstrom Rack Honeydew

I love Honeydew pjs. I have a nightgown from them and I wear it all the time. I wanted the above version, but it sold out before it became available to just the cardholders (like me). But Nordstrom Rack has the almost exact version for cheaper. Order up from your normal size.

Left: Nordstrom BB Dakota  Right: J Crew Sweater Coat

I wanted the BB Dakota cardigan coat so bad. I wanted it in the brown (latte) color, but it sold out quickly. It came back and I ordered it only to get an email saying it was no longer available. I have also been eyeing this sweater coat at J Crew and it is on sale as well.

Left: Nordstrom Vince Popover Dress  |  Modesens Vince Popover Dress  Right: Madewell Shift Dress

I really love this dress. I always want to invest in pieces that are higher quality, like Vince Camuto products, and I wanted this dress for work and going out. But it sold out, came back, but not in my size. I did find a similar dress at Nordstrom Rack by Madewell, but it is shorter.

Top Left: Nordstrom Vince Camuto  Top Right: Vince Camuto Berlaine

Bottom: Steve Madden Heeled Sandal

I wanted the Nordstrom Vince Camuto woven sandals, but they kept selling out in my color. But now that the reviews are rolling in, I am glad I didn't get them. The Vince Camuto's on the right get amazing reviews. And if you are like me and need a wider heel, then the Steve Madden's are right up your alley.

Are there any items that you really wanted and didn't get? Have you searched for dupes or the same product just at a different place?

Wedding Guest Dresses

*This post contains affiliate links. When you click a link, it is no cost to you and I make a small commission (pennies) from it. Thank you for supporting Sparkles and Lattes.

Do you have an upcoming wedding that you are attending? We do. My cousin, through marriage, is getting married Labor Day weekend and I have been shopping around trying to find the perfect dress. Since I have been searching for a great dress, I thought some of you might be as well, and that I would share my favorite finds.

All of these dresses are under $150 except one (the green popover one).

Top: Tan Off-Shoulder Dress | Blush Lace Dress | Blush Satin Dress | Hot Pink Dress | Pink Off-Shoulder Dress

Bottom: Navy Lace Dress | Navy Satin One Shoulder Dress | Blue Floral Dress | Green Pleated Dress | Green Popover Dress | Sage Lace Dress

Help me decide. Which is your favorite?