Happy weekend friends! Sharing a few random things today because I’m in a random sort of mood. I’m watching Fred Claus while I type this. A Christmas movie in July. And it’s seriously making me crave chocolate milk. Which has nothing to do with Christmas. Or July. Or Fred Claus. I just had some yesterday at my mom’s house and it was really good.
:)
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Random #1 – It’s so good to be home. We just got back from Utah today. Had a great trip with the family! It was my third week of travel and to be honest, that was a bit long for me. I can’t even tell you how good it felt to be back in my own house puttering around today. We’ve had so much fun but I’m excited to get in a nice little summer routine with the kids and just be HOME. (I hear Dorthy’s shoes clickin’..)
Random #2 – Had a fun 4th of July in SLC at my sister’s house. Spending the holiday with her and her family has become such a fun tradition! We were missing my sister-in-law this year. She is due with baby #3 in a few weeks so we are all counting down!
Thank you Car for supplying us with appropriate head gear. The hats for the guys took the cake. Merica!
Pool bound!
{sunglasses/swimsuit/cover-up you can’t see in this pic ;)}
Kids love the annual Piñata.
And the guys started their own tradition of watching Rocky 4. Because what’s more patriotic than Rocky 4? “If Is can change.. and yous can change.. everybody can change!”
{Favorite daily hair products: Enjoy Straightener/Moroccan Oil/It’s a Ten}
Random #3 – I need some new hair tools. Help! I feel like the straight iron I use (Nano Titanium pictured above) is pulling my hair apart! My hair keeps snagging on it and it just isn’t working well lately. I need a new straight iron and don’t know what to buy. Do you any of you use one you love? Something strong (and safe!) for really thick hair? My blow dryer is also years old and on its last dying breath. I started researching the best hair dryers and this one kept popping up..
Have you all heard of this Supersonic Hair Dryer!? Looks so strange doesn’t it!? I’m so curious how it works! It’s crazy expensive for a hair dryer but wow.. amazing reviews. Seems to be worth the hype. Wondering if any of you have tried it before?
This Drybar blow dryer also has great reviews but I’m still on the hunt! I don’t want to spend a ton, but I do keep my hair dryers for years and they have to work hard with my thick hair. Would love to hear what you all use if you have one you love!
And on another totally random side note I’m getting so excited for the beloved Nordstrom Anniversary sale! Have you all seen the catalog!? CUTE stuff this year. I’m going in on Wednesday this week to scope it all out for you! Pre-sale starts Thursday the 13th and then it opens to everyone July 21st so make sure to check back for a full post of my favorites! The good stuff always sells out SO fast. I’m going to have to watch Rocky 4 with the boys the day before to get pumped. And drink LOTS of chocolate milk. This sale is serious business and I need to be on my A game. ;)
Random #4 – My hydrangeas are blooming! They are small but mighty. Move over Palm Trees.. a few East Coast plants never hurt anyone. ;)
Random #5 – So much fun hearing from all of you who are signing up and excited about Grove! If you missed my last post I shared my favorite cleaning supplies and how you can snag this fun set (that includes the white tray) for free!
To celebrate this summer of entertaining I’ve partnered with Grove to give away a beautiful bunch of farmgirl flowers to one lucky follower AND a friend! They are GORGEOUS. Head to my Instagram page and check the post with these flowers in it for details on how to enter!
The fun giveaway and free products when you sign up for Grove only last a few more days so don’t put it off! And let me know if you have any questions at all about joining! I’ve been using Grove for years and am happy to explain anything about how it works to you. Their customer service is also amazing and if you shoot them an e-mail they can help too. :)
Random #6 – (You didn’t really think I’d end at #5 did you?) Because we are talking all things cleaning lately I’m sharing a favorite past post if you missed it! Or need the reminders again. I know I do!
10 SECRETS THAT WILL HELP YOU KEEP YOUR HOUSE CLEAN AND ORGANIZED ONCE AND FOR ALL
I hope it helps! K – coming back soon with a fun organizing post! Fred Claus just ended and there is no chocolate milk in sight (major bummer) so I better sign off.
Talk soon friends! :)
My blow dryer of choice is the Dyson. It is wonderful I have thick hair and it decreases drying time. I shared it with my hair stylist and she has bought several for her salon.
It looks amazing Jennifer! So happy to hear you like it! I might have to bite the bullet and go big! :)
I would love to hear responses for hair straightener and blow dryer as well! I am having the same problem and I have thick hair as well. I am using the enjoy straigtner and love it as well! It doesn’t say what amount to apply to your damp hair though? It just says generous? What do you think? Any recommendations for shampoo and conditioner? Looking forward to reading other comments! :-)
Oh isn’t Enjoy the best Sarah!? Love that straightener. I always use a little more than the size of a quarter for my hair. I’ve tried the Enjoy shampoo and conditioner and just think it’s ok. Right now I’ve been trying something new from Nordstrom and I’m not crazy about it either! I’ll have to ask about shampoo/conditioner on the blog at some point and get some new options for us to try! :)
Welcome home, Erin! We literally just got home last night from our weeklong vacation to….wait for it….Sioux Falls, South Dakota! Hope you didn’t get too over excited there. Went to visit my husband’s family. It was fun. It’s a long drive made even longer when your hubby says to the girls pick some place you want to stop at and check out on the way. :) Always love your posts. They are so fun! My jaw dropped a bit at the price of the blow dryers you were looking at. My blow dryer is over 20 years old and still drying. I have lots of thick wavy hair, but short. I am absolutely no help on the dryer or flat iron front. I hope you find ones that will work without messing up your hair. Loved seeing your hydrangeas blooming. We have one huge bush that we call the snowball bush. Only blooms once a year in May. Tons of white snowball looking clusters. I want some like you have. They are sooooo pretty! Small and mighty indeed. Hope your sister has a safe delivery! And thanks for sharing your fun family photos. It’s good to be home! Hugs!! :)
Welcome back Jeanne! So happy you are home and safe after a fun trip! Your comment about South Dakota made me laugh! But I always say to Kenny that it doesn’t matter where we go.. it’s just so fun to get away and make memories. When I was little my parents would take us to Mesquite, Nevada (because it was so close to home and cheap!). We’d stay in a hotel and swim all day and eat out for dinner and watch movies together all night. We have the best memories of those trips! Regardless of where it all took place. ;) And I know! Those blow dryers are crazy expensive right!? I feel like that Dyson must be pretty amazing and last forever. But hard to spend that much on a hair dryer for sure. Your snowball bush sounds stunning! I love clipping bushes like that and bringing the flowers inside. Nothing like it! Enjoy your day back at home! Feels good. :) xo
Hi Erin!! I’ve had the Dyson blow dryer since Christmas and I love it!! Totally pricey but well worth it. I have long, thick, curly hair and not only does it cut the drying time down (a lot!!) but leaves my hair softer and shinier. And it’s so lightweight!! My daughter uses it on her straight, long, fine hair and she loves it too. It takes a few times to get used to it, but watching the videos on their website helped. I got mine at Neiman Marcus, and now when you buy it, it comes with a pretty pink carrying case!! I’ve used a lot of blow dryers in my day, but this one truly is fabulous. :-D
Karen you are making me want to get it! Sounds amazing! I feel like it must be for that price.. ha! If you think about how much you use it though it makes sense to invest in something that will last and be good for your hair. I’ll have to make sure to get the fun case if I go for it! Thank you so much for letting me know you love it! :) xo
Erin, I am such a fan of your blog. I must mention you should check out the T3 line of hair tools. They are at Nordstrom, I even think a couple items might be apart of the anniversary sale:) I absolutely love mine. Thanks for all the inspiring ideas and great taste you share!
Thank you so much Caitlin! Such a sweet thing to say. You made me so happy! :) I saw that some of the T3 hair tools were on sale and looked at them but the reviews were just ok. It’s always hard to tell when some people love something and others don’t! So happy to hear you love them! xo
Just wanted to say that my hair dryer died and I ordered the cheapest one on Amazon for like $15 while I planned to research what hair dryer I should buy. Well – 2 years later and this thing is amazing! I have crazy thick, coarse hair that takes forever to dry. This cheap one is better than any that I spent real money on. Just saying, $300 is crazy for a hair dryer – think of how much home decor you could buy with that lol ;)
Isn’t that funny Liz! That’s how I feel about my cheap little Conair curling iron! I bought it for a trip to Europe because it had an adapter and never went back to my expensive curling iron! It works so great – still love it. :) And I hear ya.. I always think about what I could buy for the house instead! Or a pair of designer jeans. ;) xo
I will be interested in what flat iron you end up getting. I have very thick hair, too. When I’m blow drying it, I have to stop and take a breather.
I am so looking forward to that Nordstrom sale!!! I just can’t wait!!
Oh my word Kathy.. me too! Drying thick hair can be a real chore! That’s why I only wash mine every 3 days or so.. ha. :) And I’m seriously so excited for that sale! It looks GOOD this year! :)
I have really thick hair too, and this hair dryer is my favorite. The diffuser makes drying go SO much faster. It’s super cheap, and I do have to replace them every couple of years, but I’m happy with it. https://www.walgreens.com/store/c/revlon-tourmaline-ionic-ceramic-speed-hair-dryer-1875-watt/ID=prod3090958-product
Thank you for sending the link Jenny! Checking it out for sure! xo
Greetings from NC, love your blog! I really love the Solias flat irons and blow dryers!
Hi Jade! Thank you! YEA. Off to check them out! :) xo
YAY! And it is Solia not Solias :)
Ahhh! Got it! ;) xo
Hey Erin, I realize I am a few days late for a flat iron response but the absolute best is “one pass”. It is named one pass because it only takes one pass through your hair to straighten it the first time.. I just had surgery so do not know the manufactures name off hand, can’t get up to look. You will not be disappointed. The on line price will be flexible according to the source, I do love a good bargain. Happy summer. Dianne Becher
I haven’t heard of that one Dianne but am going to check it out! Thank you so much for telling me about it! So sorry to hear about your surgery. I hope you are ok and have a quick recovery! xo
I love my Sedu flat iron. We live in Alabama and the humidity is high and the hair grows big. This little flat iron does the trick. I have had a T3 blow dryer but wasn’t impressed. I currently have a Babybliss and its actually great. Much better than the T3. I have also been intrigue with the Dyson though.
High humidity and big hair.. ha ha.. love it Ashley! Checking out Sedu! xo
100% get the Drybar blow dryer! It cut my dry time way down and the various settings (heat and speed) let me customize for drying vs styling so it is way better for my hair, feels so much silkier. I got the gift set that came with a curling iron, products, clips, and brush because it was a great deal around the holidays last year. For a straighter, I am a GHD devotee. I have been using mine going on 8 years and it is still amazing! I just use the 1″ but for your thicker hair I bet the 2″ would be amazing. Wait for the Sephora VIB sale (if you’re a VIB) to get discounts on both!
So happy to hear that about the Drybar blow dryer Emily! I know several people who love that one too and it’s half the price of the Dyson. I’m off to check out the GHD too! Thank you so much! xo
I have insanely thick shoulder-length hair that requires straightening with a round brush then additional work after that. I really like this hair dryer – https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B001T0HHDS/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I’ve had it for 3 years I think and it’s still going strong. Wish it had a retractable cord but other than that it’s a good one!
Thank you so much Melissa! My hair is insanely thick too so I’m definitely checking this one out. So sweet of you to share the link with me! xo
Hey Erin! You’re just the cutest and I love reading your blog! I have the same flat iron as you do. Mine doesn’t snag my hair, but it hasn’t been straightening my hair as well as it used to. I wish I had thick hair! Mine has thinned out quite a bit thanks to aging and menopause. My stylist loves the Amika brand flat irons and just purchased some to sell at her shop. I, too, have heard great things about the Dyson hair dryer, but that’s a hefty price tag. Good luck!!
Thank you so much Shari! You are always such a sweetheart! I’ll have to check out the Amika brand! xo
My favorite flat iron is the Sedu Revolution Nano Tourmaline Ionic Styling Iron. I’ve had it for at least 5 years and it works great ! I have thick, coarse, curly hair and it makes it completely straight and silky. I’ve never had any problems with it snagging my hair. I bought mine at Ulta, but I checked online and it looks like this Sedu model is no longer available anywhere. I did see a Sedu Icon 1″ styler which has good reviews, so that might be one to try. Looks like Newman Marcus and an online store Look Fantastic both carry it. Another flat iron I’ve used in the past is the Ghd Gold Professional 1″ flat iron. It also worked great and has good reviews. My daughter, who also has very thick, curly hair, has used the Ghd Classic 1″ and really liked it. These can be found at Ulta, Sephora and on Amazon. Hope this helps ! Love your blog !!
Mary that is a HUGE help! Thank you! I’ve used the Ghd Gold before too and loved it so I might just get that again but I’m going to check out the first one you mentioned for sure too. Sounds like your hair is a lot like mine! So sweet of you to take the time to help me. Thank you so much! And it makes my day you enjoy my blog. :) xo
for a flat iron, I’d suggest something that has a wider paddle, it seems to work better on my super thick, coarse hair. at least 1.5 inches, if not 2.
Thank you Wilma! xo
I’m curious about the dyson too.
I have the Moroccan oil straighteners. They work good… my hair is corse and frizzy and they get straight for sure. I’ve also heard great things about the T3 line.
Let me know what you get! !
I have this straightener and love it! I’ve had it for several years now, and it’s still going strong!
https://www.amazon.com/Croc-Classic-Nano-Titanium-Titanium-degrees/dp/B002I4Z6TG/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1499874657&sr=8-1&keywords=croc+hair+straightener