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! I can't believe we are headed into August. That means my birthday is Tuesday, my dad's is next Saturday and school is starting in just two short weeks. How has this Summer flown by this fast?

Today I have some randomness coming at you.

ONE. I haven't done a What's Up Wednesday post in awhile, so I haven't shared some shows that I am really into right now. Or shows that I have binged. But here are some favorites right now.

The Lincoln Lawyer (watch on Hulu)

The Bear

TWO. This is your yearly PSA to get your skin checked at the dermatologist. I make my appointments a year in advance, so it is a no brainer. 

In June, I noticed a small spot on my shoulder blades. Since then it has grown and it is very dark/almost black. So when I went into my dermatologist this week, I asked them to take a look at it. She said from previous photos of my back (we monitor my back heavily), that it was in fact new. It is very dark, about 4 mm wide and has a side that is "uneven". She said with how fast it grew that she needed to take a biopsy of it. And so they did.

And now I am waiting for results if I need to go back in and get more taken out or if fingers crossed, it is benign.

THREE. Last weekend we were out shopping, as I had put a Lululemon Everywhere Belt Bag on hold at my local store. But we went shopping at the mall and stopped in a new mountain store. The girls each got the cutest Roxy shirts, Rory bought many things and I kept going back and forth to these O'Neill pants. Ultimately the girls and Rory talked me into getting them since we could utilize the buy one item, get one half off. I wore them that evening

But they are on sale on Amazon in a few sizes and you can utilize the coupon code for 40OFF-GZYXAZ 40% off on O'Neill's website. They also have several other colors. These pants are so comfy and lightweight.

O'Neill Johnny Pants (Amazon link)

FOUR. I have been taking the same vitamin brand for over a year and a half now. I started off using the regular women's 18+ daily multi-vitamin and then changed to the pre-natal vitamins once I was pregnant. I continued those well after my miscarriage as I liked the taste, the benefits of them and didn't know what route we were going to take "post miscarriage".

But about three months ago, I went back to the Women's 18+ daily vitamin. While I love the pre-natal one taste better (lemon), the mint one in the daily is still good.

What I like about these vitamins is: I don't have to worry about re-ordering as I get low on them. I have a monthly subscription for them that I can change or snooze on at any time. I also love the fact that I don't have to take them with food or at a certain time as they do not upset my stomach or make me feel weird and off like so many others have. Plus they are not full of garbage and bad oils.

If you want to try them, here is my link. This gives you $15 off your first purchase.

Ritual Daily Vitamins

FIVE. Weekly funnies.

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

Birthday Wish List

*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. 

So my birthday is in a week from tomorrow. It totally crept up on me. Ok, the girls do mention it a bit as they really want some special treat that day or around it. I totally get it. But this year I am turning 39 and have one more year until the big 40. Plus next year is also our 10 year wedding anniversary about two weeks later. So big things next year.

This year Rory is taking me to Hells Kitchen. It has been open in South Lake Tahoe for over a year or two now and I have always wanted to go. My sister went for her birthday (last year I think) and she said good things about it. I have heard mixed reviews, but I really wanted to go. So I asked Rory and we booked it about 2 months ago. 

I am taking the day off of work and not sure what I will do. Get a pedicure maybe? My toes are bad. I have a little bit of gel left on some and others have nothing.

Anyways, Rory and family is always asking what I want for my birthday, so I thought I would share here (family reads here). Most of these are higher priced items as I usually buy what I want. This way, they can go in on gifts together. See practical. Ha.

The Point Rothy's - I have a classic rounded toe pair that I wear all the time and now I want this fun color. These shoes are perfect for travel and everyday wear. Plus they are super easy to clean. You put the whole shoe (I take the soles out and wash in a lingerie bag) in the washing machine and air dry.

Emerald Cut Blue Topaz Ring - I really want a simple birthstone ring for my girls. I love emerald cut and how dainty this ring is.

Kendra Scott Haven Heart Hoops - I love KS jewelry and these earrings are a fun take on the traditional hoop earring.

Vuori Performance Jogger - I love Vuori products and have been wanting a pair of joggers for awhile. These ones come in long which is what I need. Rory has some joggers from them and the material is so soft looking.

JBL Noise Cancelling Earbuds - I think my earbuds that I use at the gym and for travel are on its last legs. They often turn off or short out.

Lululemon Align Legging - These are my favorite leggings by far. So many bloggers recommend dupes, but nothing compares to the Aligns. Believe me, I have bought a few and they don't live up to Lululemon. I am always in for another pair of these.

Kerastase Blond Absolu Shampoo, Conditioner, and Mask - I love this combo for my hair and I am almost out of them. I haven't had the mask in awhile, but it is amazing. It helps rebuild your damaged hair and makes it silky smooth.

Dyson Airwrap (also here and here) - This always sells out so fast, so I put multiple links. I really want this as my hair is prone to breaking and this set uses little heat. It is a blow dryer, curling "iron" and blow out set. Definitely been eyeing this since it came out.

It is so hard to find items for my birthday, but I do have fun looking around at things. What is on your birthday/shopping wish list? 

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! Today is my last day working from home, full time. Next week, I go back into the office three days a week. After I had two full weeks off for recovery, I got to work from home for the last 4 weeks. Not going to lie, I am a bit scared of how I will be able to sit in an office chair for 9 hours a day. But fortunately one of my coworkers is going to come get me for walks throughout the day. Even just in the hallways to get me up and moving. 

Anyways, onto Friday favorites and happenings.

ONE. So I got Rory to try on his shirt and pants from Travis Mathew. We already knew that he liked the brand, but he wanted a new pair of slacks/golf pants (seriously you can wear them anywhere). I asked him if he liked them and he said yes. He asked me to get another pair of the pants, but when we went to purchase another pair, the only colors left were dark gray, a steel blue and black. He has a lot of those colors, so he asked me to keep an eye of for any restocks in other colors.

He also said this polo is soft, breathable and perfect for the office or golf course. So his items were a total win!

Travis Mathew Floral Polo  (size large)

Travis Mathew 5 Pocket Pants  (size 35)

TWO. So what did I end up keeping?

Wayf Twist Back Sweater | Halogen Faux Leather Midi Skirt 

Just the faux leather skirt and sweater. Rory said I should keep the cami, but it is almost my birthday and I get free shipping and a coupon for my birthday from J Crew, so I am going to buy one of these below.

J Crew Scalloped Tank

THREE. Last weekend we went to a friends house in the mountains by Graeagle for a birthday party at the pool. We stayed up there overnight and it was the perfect day. It would have been better if I could have gone in the pool, past my knees, but hopefully that happens soon. This is also the first time I curled my hair since surgery. Small steps.

Part of dinner by the pool.

The next day the boys went golfing and us girls went into Graeagle for some shopping. But when we got there, there was a big craft fair/festival in the park. We scored some good parking and walked around. Boy was it hot though. We did get ice cream at our favorite spot! After shopping, we headed back and met the boys at the lodge for some food and then went back to the pool so the kids could swim. I just soaked up the sunshine and took many videos!

We almost bought the girls these crowns, but they wanted to get matching necklaces instead.

FOUR. This week Rory came to DJ Trivia with me and my sister and brother-in-law watched the girls for us. But before we went over to their house, we went to dinner. Now that the girls are reading everything, they often read the menu. When they saw mud pie, they asked what it was and so very sweetly asked if we could get it. How could we say no? But when we got it, it was massive. Like this piece could feed 6 adults. Ha. We couldn't finish it. The picture doesn't do it justice.

FIVE. Friday Funnies.

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

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Review

*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 finally got my Nordstrom Anniversary Sale items in and tried them on. Can I just say, there is nothing like trying on clothes post-partum or post-hysterectomy to dampen your confidence? I am dying to work out more than just walk, but my healing is slow go. Also, it is taking me awhile to get used to my body changes since surgery. I know I will be back at it and feeling better about myself, but right now, I just feel blah in my clothes. Nothing fits properly and I have no idea how I will go back into the office next week when my slacks don't fit.

Anyways, I got off on a tangent. Since I love seeing if people really keep what they purchase or how things really fit, I figured I would share my items that I purchased. And you all can help me chose if I keep or return. 

I ordered my husband a Travis Mathew Polo and Golf Slacks and he has yet to try them on. Ugh. But when the Polo came in, I saw it and said I sure hope it fits because I love the way it looks.

So here is my order:

Wayf Twist Back Sweater

Halogen Faux Leather Midi Skirt

Michael Kors Cleo Slingbacks

1.State Camisole

BB Dakota Midi Skirt

And here is how it looked on me...

Wayf Twist Back Sweater | Halogen Faux Leather Midi Skirt | Michael Kors Cleo Slingbacks

Wow I angled my mirror at a very unflattering angle. Ha.

Ok, first impressions? The skirt is heavier which is great for Fall and Winter. It isn't so great when you try it on when it is 100 degrees outside. Ha. But I thought it felt like a good quality skirt. It has a lot of stretch to it, so it is forgiving. I read the sizing chart and sized up to a 6. It fit really well even with my swollen stomach area.

The sweater was a last minute add because I saw it on a blogger/influencer friend and really liked it. I didn't like when they turned it around to have the twist in the front, but I thought it was cute to go with this skirt, a pair of black jeans or my Spanx leggings. I bought it in a size small and it is still a bit oversized on me. It is very soft and comfy, but not work appropriate.

The shoes look beautiful. The clasp is high quality and they reminded me of a pair of booties that I had in the past with a similar swoop across the top of the foot. They have a 4 inch heel which I feel like is too much for me. I wore them the house and my feet just are not used to wearing heels. I bought these in hopes I could wear them to the wedding we have in August, but 4 inches is a lot to dance in for hours. But they are very cute and actually comfy.

So do I keep any of the three?

Please excuse my lack of a good pedicure. I have gel on some toes and not on others. Definitely not a foot model right now.

1.State Camisole | Halogen Faux Leather Midi Skirt | Michael Kors Cleo Slingbacks

Here is the same skirt and shoes but paired with the camisole. Now in my wish list, I wanted the green color, but they sold out of it before I had access. So I grabbed the black on. I got it in a size small. When I took it out of the package, it seemed flowy and of a decent material. I tried it on and I think I could have gotten an xs. It is a little wide under my arms, but not overly sized. I had to pull it out a lot from this skirt, so it wouldn't show the bunched up part. But overall, I liked the look of this outfit together. I usually get my camis from J Crew (on sale), so I am not sure if this one beats J Crew or not.

Do I keep any of these?

1.State Camisole | BB Dakota Midi Skirt | Michael Kors Cleo Slingbacks

I was so excited to get this skirt. I love BB Dakota items and loved that it was a ribbed skirt. I was surprised when I took it out of the package and noticed all the ruching. There is ruching by the front slit and the back slit. But I thought, why not try it on and see. I got it in a medium because I was in between sizes. I think I should have gotten a small after trying it on. I tucked the cami into it in the front and I think I should have done that in the back. But again, you can only tuck it so far otherwise it would show that on the skirt.

The skirt is a great weight and made my butt look great. So what do you guys think? Do I keep or return?

Here is the ribbing and ruching up close.

I tried to get the ruching in the front and back.

 Wayf Twist Back Sweater| BB Dakota Midi Skirt | Michael Kors Cleo Slingbacks

So here is the BB Dakota skirt with the twist back sweater and the heels. I think this sweater looks better with this skirt than the cami does. Just wanted to show you the options and how it can look with different outfits.

Michael Kors Cleo Slingbacks

And lastly, here is a closer view of the shoes. I wanted to show off the heel a bit because it I rectangle heel which was fun and interesting to me. I ordered the shoes in an 8 1/2.

So what do you all think? Should I keep anything?

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! The weeks are starting to blur together. I have been slammed at work with planning travel, finishing reports, starting new investigations and training someone all at the same time. Then I mom the rest of the day and I haven't even been doing my normal routine, like cooking and cleaning. Still not cleared by my doctor.

I feel like this week, I bought Prime Day Deal things and Nordstrom Anniversary Sale things. I wasn't that impressed by either sale. Don't get me wrong, I bought things, but many items I wanted were not on sale...like a new vacuum. Adult things right?!

Anyways, onto Friday favorites and Happenings.

ONE. I got my iWatch in and I feel like an old person. Why? Because I am having a hard time figuring out how to use my watch. It isn't as intuitive as it seems and I am an Apple person. Or maybe I am off my game since I had surgery. Who knows. But I have never googled how to....so many times. I had no idea how to set an alarm for each day, but different times each day. Right now, I get up at the same time, but in a few weeks when I go back to work, I need to be up at 5:30 am 3 days a week. So if you have tips and tricks for me, send them my way.

I even had to google how to start an activity or does the watch just start my activity for me? But I do love the feature of lifting my wrist and asking anything!

Apple iwatch Series 7 GPS  (not the price I got it for, but still 20% off)

TWO. Last weekend it was a hot one. We didn't do much as I am still recovering, but we were dying to get out of the house on Sunday. So I saved my energy and we went out to the Reno Chalk Festival at the Atlantis. Basically is a competition of chalk art. It went on for three days, and we went after they had already announced the winners, but that meant that it wasn't as busy. But it was still hot. Thankfully, all the chalk art was under tents. But here are some of our favorites.

THREE. I ordered this lotion from Amazon Prime, but it wasn't on the Prime Day Deal or even on sale. I went searching on Amazon and Google to find a moisturizer for the girls face. Every Summer they go swimming a lot and wear a lot of sunscreen. Well their faces get so wind burned and chapped from sun screen, the pool water and the heat. We are very good about cleaning their face after, but I felt like they needed a moisturizer that could help protect their skin.

So I googled. I wanted something that was pretty clean, moisturizing, and safe for kids. This one has amazing reviews. I used it on my stomach and incisions as I am still having flaky skin post surgery. It feels amazing on the skin, keeps my skin hydrated and did not irritate me at all. 

I just got it yesterday, so we will see how the girls like it, but so far I am enjoying it.

Manuka Honey Cream Moisturizer

FOUR. I got the cutest Barbie birthday gift for a friends daughter this week. Target was having sales just like Amazon and Nordstrom. Toys were 25% off. Now my girls are not huge into Barbies, but they do love watching Barbie shows. When we picked this up from our Target here in Reno, they both asked for it for Christmas or their birthday. So I guess they are getting more into Barbie?

But seriously how cute is this? It comes with PlayDoh to make casts. You put PlayDoh in the cast molds and then put it around an arm or leg, remove the outer cast and then you have a cast that you can decorate. It also has an area to push out PlayDoh "gauze". I watched the video and was sold on it. The only thing the girls said it needed was a patient.

But I would recommend this as a gift for a birthday, Christmas, etc. I know I am always shopping early, so I wanted to share just in case you are shopping early too.

Barbie Fast Cast Clinic  (I linked Amazon since it was the same price as the Target deal that I got.)

FIVE. Weekly funnies.

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