Happy May y’all! Hard to believe it’s already a new month again. This means it’s time to recap my favorite things from the previous month. With the exception of a couple cold snaps where North Carolina forgot what season it was, April brought consistently warm weather. April also marked my first COVID vaccine, making the end of the pandemic feel like a tangible reality to come in the not too distant future. In addition, a handful of fun things brought me joy, which I’m going to share now. Keep reading for my April 2021 Favorites!
(This post contains affiliate links and my Beautycounter consultant links. If you make a purchase through these links, I will earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support of Palmettos & Pineapples and my Beautycounter business.)
The Game of Life Disney Theme Park Edition
The Game of Life was one of my favorite board games to play growing up. So when I saw a Disney Theme Park Edition of The Game of Life on shopDisney, it immediately went on my wish list. I first saw the game online in March, and it went out of stock before I could buy it at first. Luckily, shopDisney restocked it about a week later, and I ordered it immediately.
The Disney Theme Parks version game board path is set up with the same twist & turn pattern as the traditional Game of Life. However, the spaces reflect things you might do during a Disney vacation. For instance, “Eat a Mickey Bar” or “Have Breakfast at Chef Mickey’s.” The currency is called “Disney Wishes” instead of dollars. You either collect or pay Wishes depending on the space’s instructions. Whoever has the most Wishes at the end of the game wins.
Here are some other adaptations to game play in the Disney Theme Park Edition of The Game of Life: Instead of a career with a salary, you select a Disney Parks Guide. Each Disney Parks Guide has a “Wishes” value, which you collect whenever you land on or pass a “Wishes Granted” space (the equivalent of a Pay Day in traditional Life). In lieu of buying a house like in traditional Game of Life, you buy lodging. The lodging card options are based on actual resorts at Walt Disney World and Disneyland.
I’m so glad I got Disney Theme Parks Game of Life, and it’s a great way to experience Disney magic at home. (See more ideas here!) Some of the instructions are a bit confusing, which shopDisney reviews also note. However, this did not preclude my enjoyment of the game. It’s a must-have collector’s item for Disney fans! Grab it online while you can!
Disney Parks Plate Set by Jerrod Maruyama
While browsing on shopDisney, I discovered this set of Disney Parks plates with special designs by artist Jerrod Maruyama. This set features four plates with artwork based on the following Magic Kingdom attractions: Cinderella’s Castle, Enchanted Tiki Room, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, and Mad Tea Party. Each plate also features a different colored border that coordinates with the respective design.
The plates are ceramic and very high quality. Although they are microwave and dishwasher safe, I prefer to hand wash mine. They’re the perfect size for dessert, like leftover birthday cake from the celebration I had with my family at the very beginning of April. (Since my birthday was actually in March and the belated celebration with my family was so early in the month, I included it in my March 2021 Favorites recap.) Shop the Jerrod Maruyama Disney Parks Plate set here.
Disney Parks UNO
I also couldn’t resist adding this adorable Disney Parks UNO game to my cart on shopDisney. The cards have fun pictures of Disney Parks attractions on them. I love the tin that the game cards come in as well. This game is also super easy to throw in your bag for something fun to do during getaway with family or friends. My April 2021 shopDisney shopping spree conveniently coincided with some birthday money from my parents for my March birthday. You can get it online here.
Gossip Girl Complete Series DVD
“Gossip Girl here, your one and only source into the scandalous lives of Manhattan’s elite.” If you follow me on Instagram, then you know that I watched Gossip Girl for the first time ever in 2020, and quickly became hooked! Unfortunately, Gossip Girl left Netflix at the end of 2020, and I didn’t want to subscribe to HBO Max (where it’s now streaming) indefinitely. So, I put an Amazon gift card I got for my birthday towards purchasing the Gossip Girl Complete Series DVD. Now I can relive the antics of the Upper East Side crowd anytime I want! The Gossip Girl Complete Series DVD set is available from Amazon and Walmart. (PS. For some Blair Waldorf outfit inspiration, check out this post.)
Sarah Flint Perfect Emma Pump
I became a Sarah Flint Brand Ambassador in December 2020, and received a free pair of shoes as my welcome gift. At the very end of March 2021, I hit enough sales to earn another free pair of Sarah Flint shoes! So at the beginning of April, I picked out the Sarah Flint Perfect Emma Pump in Taupe Suede as my free pair. I’ve been more of a flats girl for as long as I can remember, but since Sarah Flint designs her shoes with features for added comfort, I decided to give some heels a try!
Thanks to the extra 6mm of padding in the footbed and anatomical arch support, the Perfect Emma is a heel I actually enjoy wearing, as opposed to one I’m ready to take off immediately. The two-inch block heel is easy to walk in, and it’s also very versatile. You can easily wear it with a dress or jeans. Also, I love how the tortoiseshell heels adds a unique touch and a contrast to the rest of the shoe. I chose the Taupe Suede color because I figured it would work for most of the year. It will pair well with a lot of my fall and winter wardrobe, but it also complements some of my warm weather clothes, like this purple seersucker skirt. The Sarah Flint Perfect Emma also comes in Navy Suede, Black Suede, and Sand Calf Leather.
I’ve been enjoying wearing my new Sarah Flint pumps before it gets too hot to wear closed-toe shoes in the South. Good news- you can save $50 on your first pair of Sarah Flint shoes with code SARAHFLINT-BALIZS. There’s helpful sizing charts online, and their customer service is amazing. I’m also happy to answer questions about fit for the Perfect Emma.
Sarah Flint Natalie Flats Gold
Another perk of being a Sarah Flint Brand Ambassador is being able to purchase discontinued styles and colors at a deep discount. The Sarah Flint Natalie Flat in gold was available for 60% off from this special archive list. My size was the only one left, and I literally snagged the last pair. It was totally meant to be! Since I received the Natalie Flat in Saddle Vacchetta as my Brand Ambassador welcome gift, I already knew that I liked the style and fit. Although the gold Natalie Flat was a limited edition, there’s multiple color options currently available in the exact same style. And you can save $50 on your first purchase with code SARAHFLINT-BALIZS.
For more info about the Sarah Flint brand plus a review of the Natalie Flat, check out this post. Also, if you’re a blogger interested in learning more about the Sarah Flint Brand Ambassador program, please email me!
Birthday Cake Hershey’s Kisses
So these Birthday Cake Hershey’s Kisses were technically a March 2021 discovery, but I forgot to include them in my March Favorites post. They’re so good that they deserve a mention in a monthly round-up post, so here they are! The birthday cake kisses are white chocolate with some birthday cake flavoring and sprinkles inside of them. I got these at Target.
Lauren James Pajama Set from Sam’s Club
Those of y’all who have been reading my blog for awhile know that I used to buy a ton of Lauren James stuff. Over the past couple years, the Lauren James aesthetic has changed from classic preppy clothing to more trendy boutique clothing. This shift occurred after Lauren James’ founder sold the company and is no longer involved in any capacity. Thus, I don’t really shop from Lauren James anymore. However, Sam’s Club periodically gets some Lauren James items sold exclusively there. In April I bought this two-piece pajama set with a pretty light blue hydrangea pattern for just $13. It’s so soft and comfy, and reminds me of the traditional preppy Lauren James.
Unfortunately it’s sold out online, but was such a great find I still wanted to share. I was actually planning to order this set in a different print, but then I procrastinated and it sold out. Maybe Sam’s Club will get some more preppy Lauren James PJs in the future!
Drunk Elephant Jelly Cleanser in Mini Size
Drunk Elephant just started making their Beste No. 9 Jelly Cleanser in a mini size. I picked it up during the Sephora sale, and it’s so cute. Although I usually use Beautycounter cleansers, I also really like the Drunk Elephant Jelly cleanser. And it’s so convenient that it comes in smaller sizes for travel. I initially tried the Drunk Elephant cleanser as part of The Littles set.
T3 Featherweight Hair Dryer
My Revlon hair dryer I had had for nearly four years broke last month. I asked my Instagram followers what hair dryer they recommended, and gave $50 as a ballpark for my budget. However, I had multiple people recommend the T3 Featherweight hair dryer, saying that it’s over $50 and easy to get on sale. My cousin said she got hers at Costco for less than half of the $250 retail price. I don’t have a Costco membership, but I checked Sam’s Club. Sure enough, they had the T3 Featherweight 2 Hair Dryer for around $90. Even though it’s more expensive than what I was originally intending to spend, I decided to go for it since it came highly recommended. And the reason I threw around $50 as my budget is because I knew that the $400 for a Dyson hair dryer would be out of question!
I’ve been using my T3 Featherweight 2 hair dryer for a few weeks now, and am pleased with it. I don’t do any specific styling with blow drying, so I can’t speak to it’s abilities from that standpoint. But I feel like it’s efficient and my hair looks smooth after using it. I let my hair air dry for around 10 minutes while I do skincare and makeup.
Then after about 8-10 minutes of using the T3 Featherweight on medium heat at high speed, my hair is relatively dry. Because my hair is so long, I don’t have the patience to get it 100% dry with a blow dryer. I wouldn’t pay full price for the Featherweight, mainly because I don’t do any real styling with it. But getting a discount on the T3 at Sam’s Club or Costco, or waiting for it to go on sale is a great way to get a quality hair dryer for less. I also like the velcro strap that makes it easy to wrap the cord up for storage.
Best Month of Beautycounter Sales!
Finally, April 2021 was my BEST MONTH EVER of Beautycounter sales since becoming a Beautycounter consultant two years ago. I hit my personal sales bonus once again, re-promoted to Senior Consultant, and had my highest dollar amount in sales. Traditionally, November and December are my biggest months of Beautycounter sales due to the holiday season. So I’m blown away that my Beautycounter sales for April 2021 surpassed any of the holiday months in 2019 or 2020. This makes me really excited for what is in store for Holiday 2021!
Hitting a personal best with Beautycounter in April 2021 was the perfect way to celebrate my two-year anniversary month as a consultant. I’m so thankful to my amazing customers for making this possible, and am honored to be able to help more and more people switch to safer personal care products. This past month with Beautycounter also reminded me that perseverance pays off. Whenever I see the fruits of my hard work emerge, it makes sticking around through all the slow months worth it. It’s also a bonus when one of your Beautycounter leaders treats your team to Starbucks after a great month.
PS. If you’re brand new to Beautycounter, you can save 20% on your first order with code CLEANFORALL20. Email me with any questions!
Hope you enjoyed hearing all about my April 2021 Favorites. As always, thanks for reading! I’m looking forward to what May has in store!
What’s something you’ve been loving lately?
As a reminder, I’d love to connect on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. For additional bonus content you can subscribe to my insiders’ newsletter here. As a thank you, you will get a cheat sheet to saving money on some of my favorite brands.
And if you know someone else who would enjoy my blog, I’d be honored and humbled if you shared it with them!
-xoxo Liz
