Hey y’all! It’s crazy how much things change in a month, isn’t it? Just one month ago I was all excited about it being March, and anticipating all the fun things one of my favorite months brings. Little did I know that life as we know it would turn upside down just a couple weeks into March with the coronavirus pandemic arriving full-force in the US. Although my beloved NCAA Tournament was cancelled due to the COVID-19 outbreak, “March Madness” was still definitely present. Just not quite the way I expected it! I know when each new month arrives, I tend to be in awe about how quickly the previous month passed by.
However, the beginning of March seems like a lifetime ago because so much has changed since then. I’m still going to continue my tradition of monthly favorites here on the blog even during this pandemic. They simply might look a little bit different than in the past. While I might still do some occasional online shopping, there definitely won’t be any events or outings with friends featured. But this will help me focus on gratitude and some of the simple joys in life during this time. So without further ado, here are my March 2020 Favorites!
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Taco Salad Tuesday
I had no idea at the time that our Tuesday night BSF meeting the second week in March would be the final time we would gather together in person as a group this spring. On this night we actually had our monthly fellowship dinner before class, and it was Taco Salad Tuesday. While it’s a bummer that our in-person BSF meetings ended so prematurely, at least we went out by enjoying a taco salad meal together. This was also the last social gathering I went to before things started getting cancelled and social distancing ramped up.
Cosmetic Safety Enhancement Act Passes Subcommittee
Back in December, Beautycounter Founder/CEO, Gregg Renfrew, testified in a Congressional hearing to advocate for more consumer health protective laws in the personal care industry. Shortly before all the coronavirus craziness came in full-force, the House Energy and Commerce, Health Subcommittee voted to pass the Cosmetic Safety Enhancement Act to the full Energy and Commerce Committee. If this bill passes the full committee, it will reach the House floor. Then we will be on step closer to long over-due updates to federal regulation of cosmetics safety. It’s been over 80 years since the last time Congress passed a major federal law overseeing the personal care industry. Furthermore, it is really rewarding to see how my work as a Beautycounter consultant and clean beauty advocate is contributing to big things! Text BETTERBEAUTY to 52886 to encourage your congressional representatives to support the Cosmetic Safety Enhancement Act!
Lilly Pulitzer Ruffle PJ Tank in Swizzle In
Right around the time things started closing or getting cancelled due to coronavirus, concern arose over the fate of small businesses. It was really sweet to see so many people rallying around local businesses and encouraging others to support them. Palm Avenue, a locally owned Lilly Pulitzer signature store in Raleigh, was offering free shipping. This made it easy to safely shop from home by placing a phone order. I ordered this Lilly Pulitzer Ruffle PJ Tank in the Swizzle In print, which had been on my wish list. Bonus-it was on sale. I’m excited to now how the PJ Tank that matches my Swizzle In Lilly PJ Shorts. This is th perfect PJ set for warm Southern nights!
Note: Although many locally owned Lilly stores are now closed, you can still call then or DM them on Instagram. If they have what you’re looking for, they can ship it to you as they’re able.
Lilly Pulitzer Pajama Pants in “Lilly’s House”
I ordered more Lilly pajamas on sale from a locally owned Lilly Pulitzer store, Palm Avenue Greensboro. When the Lilly’s House print first came out back in November, I didn’t go crazy over it like some Lilly lovers. However, it grew on me. And since staying at home basically has me living in pajama pants over the past couple weeks, I decided I wanted to add the Lilly’s House cotton pajama pants to my collection. Although Lilly Pulitzer had a 30% off promo at the time, I checked with a small business before ordering directly from Lilly. Palm Avenue Greensboro had the Lilly’s House pajama pants in stock, and their sale price was actually lower than the Lilly website. I’m loving my new Lilly Pulitzer pajama pants, and they definitely are a great edition to my “stay at home” wardrobe.
Rahua Styling Products
During March, I incorporated three new Rahua styling products into my haircare routine. I mentioned these in my previous post on clean beauty products to treat yourself at home. But they are definitely worth mentioning again here. My hair has had fewer tangles and overall felt smoother and healthier since I started using the Rahua Detangler + UV Barrier and the Light Leave-In Treatment. If your hair is fine and oily like mine, I recommend the Light Leave-In Treatment, which is actually Rahua’s newest product. Otherwise, they have a regular Leave-In Treatment. Fortunately, I was able to get a trim shortly before hair salons closed. But if you’ve had your hair appointment delayed, the Rahua Leave-In Treatment and Detangler are great for giving your ends some TLC. Both of these products also help protect your hair from heat and reduce frizz.
I’m also a fan of the Rahua Voluminous Spray. It’s great for adding a boost if your hair is fine and flat like mine!
ILIA Lip Exfoliator
The ILIA Balmy Nights Lip Exfoliator is another new clean beauty product I tried this past month and recommend to y’all! I also featured this in my Clean Beauty Home Spa Essentials blog post, but had to mention again here. The stick format makes it easy to apply, and it’s definitely one of my new must-haves for lip care.
Supporting Local Restaurants
Another way I’ve supported local business during the coronavirus pandemic is through ordering delivery from local restaurants. Dine-in is closed, but most places are offering take-out, delivery, or curbside pick-up. Over the past few weeks I’ve ordered delivery from Neo-China (local Chinese restaurant in Durham) and Kanki (local Japanese steakhouse in Raleigh/Durham).
One big reason I chose to order from a local Chinese restaurant is that I heard that many Chinese restaurants were struggling with decreased business due to xenophobia after coronavirus broke out in China. Also, Chinese food is delicious and I don’t have it nearly often enough! My chicken lo mean and steamed veggies + rice really hit the spot!
My delivery meal from Kanki Japanese Steakhouse was also delicious. I enjoyed the Hibachi chicken meal, and definitely want to go watch the chefs cook my meal in front of me once restaurants reopen. Also, I had forgotten how delicious the Kanki ginger sauce is. Yum!
“One Shining Moment” Consolation Prize
The “One Shining Moment” video montage that they play at the conclusion of the NCAA Basketball National Championship is one of my favorite parts of the whole NCAA Tournament. Since the 2020 NCAA Tournament was cancelled, there will be no official “One Shining Moment” 2020 edition. But thanks to a student at NC State who put together this video, NCAA basketball fans aren’t completely lacking. Rather than highlights from the three weeks of the tournament that a traditional “One Shining Moment” video features, this consolation prize video features memorable moments from the 2019-2020 basketball season. Highlights include Clemson getting their first win in Chapel Hill, and Duke losing to Stephen F. Austin.
My Birthday
My birthday is always highlight of March. But since it falls during the second half of the month, things looked a bit different this year. To be completely honest, I was dreading my birthday a bit, due to wrestling with the pain of another year gone by and nowhere near achieving certain dreams and desires of my heart I’ve had for years, and knowing that I wouldn’t be able to go out and celebrate with friends to distract myself from such feelings.
However, God graciously surprised me with a great birthday. It was filled with simple joys to celebrate even in the midst of a global pandemic and certain personal heartache. I wore Lilly Pulitzer pajama pants all day, and my coworkers from my day job surprised me by having Dunkin’ Munchkins delivered to my place. Then that night I had a Zoom meeting with my BSF small group. In addition, I received cards, texts, emails, and Facebook posts throughout the day. I’m definitely looking forward to going out and celebrating with friends once all this passes!
Kendra Scott Birthday Discount
I had been planning to go to my local Kendra Scott store to redeem my 50% off birthday piece when my bestie came for our girls weekend. COVID-19 put a wrench in that plan, but luckily I was still able to redeem my birthday discount online. And I was really excited that Kendra Scott restocked this heart pendant necklace with a pink drusy stone! This necklace is different from any other Kendra Scott pieces I own, and will go with a lot of outfits. You can bet I will be wearing it around my apartment with my t-shirts and pajama pants during quarantine though!
With respect to other birthday discounts, I’m glad my Starbucks birthday drink is good until June 1, and that I will be able to use my Tory Burch birthday discount at the outlet when it re-opens.
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I hope that you enjoyed reading about my March 2020 Favorites. In addition, I hope that you experienced some simple joys and blessings even in in the midst of the past month’s craziness. What are some things that are bringing you joy amidst the chaos of our world right now?
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-xoxo Liz
