Hi friends! The month of January is finally over and we are heading into February with a bang! I do have some fun news to share with you all today that i just finalized last week. I mentioned that Mark and I are going to travel more this year and beyond and I just booked our first excursion. It’s a doozy and I’m SO excited!
We are heading on a 16 day cruise with Norwegian Cruise Lines (not sponsored) to Hawaii and Alaska! I know! It’s so exciting and I’m beside myself with happiness that we are jumping in with both feet back into travel. We will be going in late April and It’s going to be so exciting to look forward to. Of course, I’ll be sharing the whole trip with you all when we return, but I couldn’t wait to share the news! I don’t think I ever mentioned this to you all, but Mark’s oldest daughter, Lyndsey and her family (with 4 kids) moved to Hawaii (Hilo) a year and a half ago, so we will be seeing them when we stop in Hawaii, which will be fun. She’s really excited we are coming on a cruise too.
Today I’ve got some fun things to share from Talbot’s and J Crew, so enjoy these winter basics that would be a great addition to any wardrobe.
You can find all these items below in the shopping widget, so just click through for all of them (affiliate links). I ordered those leopard sport shoes from Rockport and just got them in. They are so comfy and I’ll definitely be taking them on our cruise. They are on sale too with a few sizes left, so check them out if interested.
I also have a few things to share with you that are home related. When I find things that work well for me, I want to share them with you in case they help you too.
If you haven’t tried one of these automatic soap dispensers for your kitchen, they are really neat. This Secura brand works well and it delivers foamy soap at the swipe of your hand under the nozzle. We have an auto touch faucet which has spoiled us forever and this is just an extra bonus to have soap readily available with just a hand motion. It charges with an included USB charger for hours of use. You fill it up with a mixture of dish soap and water.
I bought 4 new houseplants in January from Kroger and needed one more planter to put one in so I bought this cotton rope planter which comes flat in a package and you have to shape it to get the creases out. I like the texture of it. Mine is still a little lopsided but I can probably force them out eventually. I added a clear water tray underneath my planter to catch the water. Some of the leaves are turning yellow so I hope it settles down and thrives in my house. It’s a type of philodendron.
If you’re looking for tassels, I found these pretty tassels on Amazon too and this one looks really cute on the office armoire. This is the light blue/beige one. They are hefty at almost 4″ long and come in several colors of gold/red/green. I have several antiques with keys around the house and these make a nice accent. The price is right too!
I’ve been using dryer balls instead of fabric softener sheets for several years now and needed to replace some of mine, so got these wool dryer balls from New Zealand wool. Good price too! I toss in 3 or 4 in the dryer to help soften clothes without adding sheets or fabric softener and they do the trick. Do you use these too?
That’s it for today, thanks for stopping by this week!
I love my dryer balls and I just ordered these you ordered since I’ve had mine a good long while. The price is very good since I paid almost that much at TJ Maxx for 3 balls. It’s funny since I must take them out and use a dryer sheet when my grands use my washer and dryer! lol I can’t convince them that the wool dryer balls work!!
I’m excited for you and Mark going on the cruise and getting to see family in Hawaii! I guess I’ll have to enjoy vicariously through your trip to Alaska. Can’t wait to see all the pictures so please share a lot of them!
Thanks Anita, I sure will be sharing lots of pics after we return!
I love love the dryer balls as well. I also add drops of my favorite scents such as lavender, citrus, etc. I used to own a Fine Linens store and learned this helpful hint from a sales representative.
I’ve heard that before too and will try it. I have several bottles of oils, but my hubby doesn’t like the smell. Maybe he will like it better in the laundry.
Had to comment purely because I’m from NZ. It’s a heat wave here right now! Love your blog especially Friday Favourites. Also we don’t use dryer sheets here and we usually dry outside on a washing line. Great to see our wool being put to good use 🙂
Hi, Elizabeth thanks for chiming in from NZ!
I have 6 dryer balls and can’t see they do anything but I faithfully use them. The static electricity is outrageous but I keep using them because maybe it would be worse?
My favorite fleece shirt that if I had to Marie Kondo my wardrobe would be the only thing I keep is completely linted to death from the dryer balls. If I remember, I hang it to dry.
I lived in the Seattle area for 12 years and it’s so weird. There is a phenomenon that SO MANY people from Hawaii live in Washington because it’s as close as they can get to Alaska without their spouse leaving them or moving to Canada.
Hi, Nancy, I haven’t had a problem with my dryer balls creating a lot of lint. I think they work pretty well for static electricity. And yes that is a weird phenomenon ou there.
What an exciting trip! You are going to love Alaska and surprisingly the early season is suppose to be some of the best weather. I was surprised to hear this living in Seattle and spring isn’t always our the best weather here but it was beautiful up there.
Thanks Sheri, we are really excited about this trip.