As 2022 has ended and 2023 begins, I’m catching up on very overdue monthly favorites posts from the second half of 2022. Next up is my August 2022 favorites!
(This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I will earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you. Thank you so much for your support of Palmettos & Pineapples.)
Hello Kitty Cafe Truck in Durham
Back in March I took a road trip to Richmond, VA to see the Hello Kitty Cafe Truck. In August I had another opportunity to see it, this time in my own city! Although my road trip to Richmond to see the truck will always be a favorite memory, it was nice to only have a 10-15 minute drive this time. I didn’t have to get up at the crack of dawn in order to get there an hour before the truck opened. I added a couple more pieces of Hello Kitty Cafe Truck merchandise to my collection, and my best friend got to come with me.
Girls’ Weekend
My best friend came and stayed with me the weekend the Hello Kitty Cafe Truck came to Durham, so we made a girls’ weekend out of it. In addition to going to the Hello Kitty Cafe Truck, we ordered pizza, got Chick-fil-a frosted coffee, had some pool days, and got frozen yogurt. Our trip to Menchie’s to get frozen yogurt was actually my first time going to a self-serve fro yo place since before the pandemic.
Stoney Clover Lane x American Girl Pouches
Back in October 2021, Stoney Clover Lane did a collaboration with American Girl in honor of American Girl’s 35th anniversary. The Stoney Clover Lane x American Girl collaboration featured the small pouch, flat pouch, and mini tote styles in the prints of the six original American Girl historical dolls’ “Meet” outfits. I didn’t get into Stoney Clover Lane until Spring 2022, and by then most of the Stoney Clover Lane x American Girl collaboration items were sold out online. And I wasn’t about to pay crazy resale prices to add these pieces to my collection.
So I was excited when American Girl released some extra inventory of the Stoney Clover Lane collaboration on their website for 40% off. I got the small pouch in the Samantha print, since she was the historical doll I had as a kid. In addition, I got the small pouch in Felicity’s print. I love Felicity because she is from Colonial Williamsburg and has gorgeous hair. If I had gotten a second historical American Girl doll as a kid, it definitely would have been Felicity. I actually did get the 35th anniversary release of Felicity in 2021 as a collector’s item. And as a bonus, I grabbed a Camp Gowanagin (a nod to Molly’s summer story) to add to my Stoney Clover Lane patch collection.
Although they are not currently on sale, you can check out the limited inventory of Stoney Clover Lane x American Girl collaboration items here.
Target Favorite Day Chocolate Covered Mini Grahams
When a new snack food at Target catches my eye, it’s hard to resist. These chocolate covered mini grahams by Favorite Day, one of Target’s house brands, were no exception. They are delicious, and I have to keep a bag on hand in my pantry now!
Hello Kitty Bento Snack Container
Sanrio launched the cutest collection of merchandise featuring Hello Kitty and her teddy bear, and I had to grab this adorable Bento snack container. There are two compartments inside.
Hello Kitty Utensils
I also got this supercute portable utensil set with Hello Kitty and her teddy bear. There’s a mini fork and spoon that nestle into a tray with a cover that slides on.
The Summer I Turned Pretty
I technically started watching The Summer I Turned Pretty series on Amazon in July, but I’m including it in my August Favorites, since I read the book in August, plus watched a few more episodes. This is a cute coming of age series about Belly Conklin, a teenage girl whose life revolves around summers spent at her mom’s best friend’s beach house. The book is a quick and easy read, and the series is an easy watch. Jenny Han, the author of The Summer I Turned Pretty, is a UNC graduate, which is a cool connection. In addition, she’s the creator and executive producer of the TV series.
Trader Joe’s SPF Lip Balm
Ever since I switched to clean beauty products three and a half years ago, I had struggled to find a lip balm with SPF that didn’t have terrible ingredients. It’s easy to forget that your lips can get sunburnt just like any other part of your body. In addition, being in the sun makes them dry and chapped. One evening while browsing Trader Joe’s, I discovered a three-pack of SPF 15 lip balm. This Trader Joe’s SPF Lip Balm is oxybenzone free, and has natural ingredients like olive oil and beeswax. Although it’s not 100% clean, it’s a much better option than other SPF lip balms on the market. There’s no mineral oil, parabens, or artificial fragrance.
First Time at Olive Garden in Years
This seems like a random thing to include in my monthly favorites, but Olive Garden is one of my absolute favorite chain restaurants. Probably because I have such fond memories of eating at Olive Garden to carb-load with my swim team when we had out-of-town meets. Anyways, prior to August 2022, I probably hadn’t eaten at an Olive Garden in close to eight years. There isn’t one in Durham, and for the longest time there weren’t any in areas of Raleigh that I frequent. However, I discovered that the Brier Creek area of Raleigh now has an Olive Garden. I’m not quite sure when it opened, but I’m glad to know it exists!
Brier Creek is a great halfway point for me to meet up with friends who live further into the heart of Raleigh. So back in August when I was making dinner plans with a Raleigh friend, I suggested that we meet at the Brier Creek Olive Garden. To be honest, my favorite part about Olive Garden is the unlimited salad and breadsticks you get with your meal. And it was just as good as I remembered!
Two Roosters Ice Cream
Another highlight of my August 2022 was finally going to Two Roosters, a local ice cream shop I had been wanting to try for awhile. In addition to standard menu flavors, Two Roosters has six temporary “guest” flavors every month. One of their guest flavors for August was Chocolate Oreo Cookie Dough. It has a chocolate base with Oreo bits and cookie dough mixed in. I met up at Two Roosters with my best friend and another one of our good friends to celebrate my bestie’s birthday. I ordered the Chocolate Oreo Cookie Dough, and it was delicious! Two Roosters has several locations in the Raleigh/Durham area, and I definitely recommend checking them out!
The Two Roosters location we visited was in North Raleigh, in the same shopping center as Sola Coffee. Even though Sola was closed at the time, I had to snag a pic with their iconic “I Believe in Raleigh” mural. (Read more about Sola in this post.)
Thanks for reading my very belated August 2022 Favorites post! I hope to have the rest of my 2022 monthly favorites posts up within the next week!
Ps. To keep in touch, you can follow me on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter. In addition, I’m on Pinterest and would love for you to follow me there. I’d also love to add some extra happiness to your inbox with my e-newsletter, and you can sign up here. You will also get my FREE mini ebook on “How to Build Your Wardrobe on a Budget”!
