Curated for you by Carleigh, this guide is for all you first time homeowners or those of you shopping for somebody who just bought a home!
New Homeowner Gift Guide
My Favorite Recent Amazon Purchases
Hey gal pals! Today Carleigh is sharing her favorite Amazon purchases as of late, and I am not gonna lie… I have added quite a few to my own cart now. Shop with us and see what Careligh has found (that can save you a ton of money $$$)!
xoxo, Han
Beauty/Fashion
Tinkle Eyebrow Razors– If you’re not shaving your face, you should be! It gets all the peach fuzz and dead skin off and helps your makeup go on smoother. I use these for my whole face in addition to cleaning up my eyebrows.
Face Wash– I have sensitive skin and really enjoy this exfoliating face wash! I use it in rotation with my Tula face wash and I like the balance between the two.
Beauty Blender Dupes– You’ve probably seen these everywhere, and for good reason. I’ll never buy a real Beauty Blender again.
Vitamin C Serum– I’ve used this Vitamin C serum in the past and really liked it, plus it’s way cheaper than most others out there!
Gold Hoop Earrings– These are my everyday, go-to gold hoops! They’ve held up really well and haven’t tarnished at all.
Hair Clips– These hair clips are STRONG! I have long, thick hair and these are the first clips I’ve found that can keep my hair up. Plus, they’re super cute!
Leggings– You’ve probably seen these everywhere too, and also for good reason. SO worth the hype. They sell out fast because they’re so good so you may have to keep your eye on them to snag a pair, but it’s worth the wait. They’re high-waisted, so soft and comfy, and perfect for lounging or exercising. Fit TTS, I ordered my normal size and they’re snug but in a good way, I wouldn’t want them to fit any looser.
Home Items
Popcorn Maker– I found out about this from Dede Raad (@dressupbuttercup) and it’s changed my life. I love the taste of real popcorn kernels way more than the kind in the bag, and this pops them SO much easier than anything else I’ve ever used.
Amber Spray Bottles– The perfect glass spray bottles for my Thieves cleaner!
Wireless Phone Charger– I especially like this charger because of the stand, so I can still use my phone and even watch something on it while it’s charging!
Smart Plugs– You can control these outlets from your phone, and they sync up with Alexa! I like being able to turn a light on in my house when I’m not home and being able to turn a light on without stumbling through a dark room to get to it ha!
Folex Cleaner– Again you’ve probably seen this everywhere too, and it’s worth the hype. I’m ashamed to admit that I had a 5 year old stain in my car, but I’ll tell you because this stuff got it out. Seriously. I was shocked! It’s so so good and I don’t even worry when I spill something now because I know this stuff will get it out.
Getting Ready for FALL
Happy September, from The Cake Team! In our book, there is no shame in the fall game starting today *even though we started a couple weeks ago.* Enjoy a post rounding up some of Carleigh’s fall favorites! If you’re new around here, Carleigh is my amazing Media Manager/Assistant/Sanity. (But really.) Give her a follow on IG (here) and give some love! You can also read all of her posts on the blog with the filter “From Carleigh” to the right. xoxo, Han
Every week that goes by, it gets a little harder to believe we are still in quarantine. I truly didn’t think we’d still be here going into September, and it’s an almost daily battle to choose joy as we head into the sixth month of navigating this pandemic. That being said, we have to keep fighting and finding ways to enjoy life! I find joy in all things fall. I mean, seriously… does it get better than a crisp morning, a pumpkin candle burning, a hot cup of something in hand, and a sweatshirt (especially if it’s from The Cake Shop). I think not! So I am choosing joy and getting ready for fall in my house, my wardrobe, and my soul 🙂 I’m sharing and linking all of my favorite things to get cozy and ready for that cool fall weather, even if it is still 95 degrees outside right now… Texas probs, y’all.
xoxo, Carleigh
Fall Home Decor
The new fall line from Hearth & Hand with Magnolia is at Target, and it’s amazing as always! I love adding some warmer pieces to my home to help transition into fall, like throw pillows, wreaths, candles, etc.
Pumpkin Bread
I’m getting ready to bust out my favorite pumpkin bread recipe! A slice of pumpkin bread and a cup of hot cider (or coffee for all you normal people who love it hehe) with a candle burning, a cozy sweatshirt, and a good book = the perfect fall morning. You can check out my pumpkin bread recipe that I shared last fall on the blog here!
Cozy Fall Wardrobe
Even before the temperatures drop, I bust out all my sweaters, sweatshirts, joggers, etc. so I can feel cozy! Especially with being home so much more right now, I’m living in my comfies pretty much 24/7. Here’s a roundup of some of my favorite new cozy pieces for fall!
Fall at Bath and Body Works
Fall is here and I am R E A D Y. I stocked up on new soaps, candles, and all the things with the new fall scents and it brings me joy every time I smell them. Some of my favorite new scents are:
- Cozy Cashmere
- Honeycrisp Apple
- Vanilla Sage
- Linen & Lavender
- Welcome Home
- And anything pumpkin scented!
Things That Have Kept Us Busy During Quarantine
Hey y’all – Carleigh here! If you don’t know, I am Hannah’s personal assistant and lead Media Manager for our client work with The Cake Media!
Wow wow wow this is such a crazy time. This is definitely one our children/grandchildren will ask us about one day. There is no doubt a heaviness hovering over us all right now stemmed in uncertainty, but there are also good things to come out of this time. I know God will use this for His good, and I know that He is still good. I pray that you are able to believe that today. If you haven’t read our most recent posts of encouragement and truth to turn to in this time, you can check them out here and here. God’s character doesn’t change regardless of all that is around us, and we find peace in that here at The Cake HQ!
I wanted to share my own list of activities and practices I have been doing to keep myself busy and positive during this time along with a few more of Hannah’s (in addition to this list she shared!), because I think we can never have too many ideas of things to do! These are things I’ve done in the recent weeks that have brought me joy, given me something to focus on, and kept me motivated to maintain some normalcy through all of this. I’m praying for all of you during this and I hope some of these ideas bring you some joy!
- Bake bread (or something else!). Yep, I joined the masses of people deciding to bake right now and baked bread on my own for the first time last week. And it was awesome!!! There’s nothing like freshly baked, homemade bread for a little comfort food right now. My mom uses this recipe for french bread and shared it with me… it turned out so good! It took up an entire afternoon and gave us some delicious bread to go along with our meals for a while. It was yummy AND helpful for quarantine food! Hannah is determined to try homemade cinnamon rolls- pregnancy cravings. 😉 This recipe is a seemingly simple GF cinnamon roll attempt.
- Read. If you don’t like to read maybe this won’t work for you, but I LOVE to read! Well, I used to, before the endless years of being forced to read for school. I’ve been trying to get back into it for fun as an adult and I figured there’s no better time than now! It’s been really enjoyable to sit in quiet and read for a bit instead of watching tv all day. I have to be intentional about less TV and it’s been really helpful for my mind.
Hannah and Paul have started listening to the Audible of Capital Gaines! - Home projects. We’ve still been in our house for less than a year, so I still have a million things I want to do! I decided that instead of shopping for new nightstands for our bedroom I’d redo the ones we already have. I painted them white and have ordered some new knobs for the drawers and I feel like I have a whole new space! It took up a couple of days and made me feel real accomplished. I’ve also been going through all of our clothes and random drawers and organizing, which always feels amazing and makes the day productive!
Hannah is starting the nursery for Baby R AND ALAS… The pink front door saga CONTINUES. The HOA just shared to implement social distancing… neighbors don’t have to get six signatures to approve colors for their exterior projects… If you’ve been around… you know what we are talking about. It was a big hoopla two summers ago. 😉 Somehow in the last week, the neighbors now have a beautiful shade of teal for our Cape Cod style homes and we are DETERMINED to make a pink door happen when in quarantine! - Stay in the Word. Consistently reading my bible has always been a struggle for me, but now especially in this time I’m clinging to it for hope and truth. I definitely believe that it has helped this enneagram 6 stay calm and hopeful, and I truly do see God working in us during all this craziness. You can read the Embraced devotional (linked below!) that Hannah and I love, or you can read the First 5 App daily reading plans. Currently it’s going through 1 Chronicles, and Hannah is loving it.
- Self care. I’ve been doing a lot of self-care with all this extra time. Using all my face masks and painting my nails have been my go-to! We linked some of our favorite self-care items below!
- Zoom/FaceTime. People are all about Zoom right now! It’s so great. Every week my friends and I have a scheduled Zoom call where we just “hang out” online for an hour or two to catch up, encourage one another, and just see each other’s faces! Marco Polo is also a fun app to connect with others on video too! (<<<Hannah uses Marco Polo with everybody from her besties to her mom to her grandma… for real, everybody!)
- Movie Nights. My husband and I have been loving doing little movie nights together in the evening or on the weekends. We usually watch a little TV together anyways in the evening, but something about picking a movie and making a snack to go with it feels so much more intentional. We recently decided to go through all the Marvel movies in chronological order (even though we’ve already seen most of them), and we’re really excited to go through them over the next several weeks!
- Workout. This one has definitely been hard, especially with the excuse of my gym being closed. But I recently tried out an app that I am LOVING to use at home! And this is coming from a girl who literally hates to workout at home. I’ve been using The Sculpt Society by Megan Roup and it’s actually been really fun. You get a free two week trial to test it out and I think I’m going to sign up for subscription now that my trial is done!
Hannah uses Obe App usually, but also just downloaded the Peloton free trial for 90 DAYS Y’ALL… NINETY! She has been doing their equipment free workouts with her husband, and really loves it.
Our hope in this time of quarantine is that you figure out ways to make the most of all this. How can we pray and be vigilant of the reality we face while also choosing joy? That’s our challenge to you! We pray you are truly making the most of your time at home and finding ways to be intentional with those you love. Below you can find some of our favorite at-home items- from the coziest sets to the self-care items we are using!
xoxo, Carleigh
Hannah’s Favorite At Home Self-Care Products
(Beauty to every day make-up to home organization to comfy sets!)
**Do not use the Good Genes while pregnant… but it’s THE BEST product for even skin tone!**
Finding the Perfect Face Primer
Hi loves, Carleigh here! If you’re new around here, I work with Hannah and make all things The Cake happen behind the scenes and am lead Media Manager for our Social Media Management Company. First, I want to give the disclaimer that I am by no means a beauty expert. But, I am self taught on things as I have been on a journey to find the best face primers for my skin type, and I wanted to share for those of you that may be searching as well. Here at The Cake HQ, we are all about sharing life hacks and finds to make your life easier (and sweeter!). AND, we always hope to save you $$$ when it comes to the trial and error of trying new products. I hope my finds can help you out!
For reference, I (Carleigh) have combination skin and my biggest skin issues are large pores, acne, and scarring. It’s important to keep these factors in mind when searching for primers, foundations, etc. that will work best for you. These are the products I have tried so far- I hope some of this information helps you find the perfect face primer for you!
Bare Minerals- Prime Time BB Tinted Primer Broad Spectrum SPF 30
- This has been my favorite primer for years. I love that it’s tinted, has SPF 30 in it, and lasts a good amount of time so you aren’t having to rebuy it too often.
- I give this primer 4.5 stars. I really only stopped using it because I wanted to try something new! It evened out my skin tone well, worked well with my foundation, and had SPF 30 to protect my skin.
Tatcha- The Silk Canvas Protective Primer
- It’s very smooth and silky like it says, but it didn’t last as long as I hoped it would. I definitely had to use more than the recommended amount to cover my face. I didn’t think it did a great job at minimizing my large pores.
- I give this primer 2.5 stars. It’s a fine product that may work better if you don’t have the same issue of large pores, but it does claim to help with that and I didn’t think it did. I just expected it to do more and don’t think it’s worth the price tag.
Too Faced- Hangover Replenishing Face Primer
- Let me start by saying that this primer does exactly what it claims. It’s hydrating, replenishing, and keeps your makeup in place! I think it works for all skin types (oily skin, dry skin, combination skin) and lasts a decent amount of time.
- I personally didn’t love this primer just because I need more help in covering up/blurring imperfections in my skin and less help in keeping it hydrated. This primer simply does different things than what I need. If you need a primer that is more hydrating then I would recommend trying this one!
- I give this primer 4 stars because it does exactly what it says and is great for those who need more hydration in their skin. If that was my issue I think I would have loved this primer!
Benefit- The POREfessional Face Primer
- I LOVE this primer. It’s tinted, lasts a long time, and does everything it’s supposed to. It definitely helped reduce the look of my large pores, blurred imperfections, and evened my skin tone. It turns almost powdery when you rub it in- the feel of it is so soft and smooth.
- I give this primer 5 stars. This primer did everything I hoped the over-rated Tatcha primer would do. It made my skin look more even, covered imperfections, and lasted a long time. (And it’s way cheaper!!)
Tula- Face Filter Blurring & Moisturizing Primer
***This one is Hannah’s favorite, too! She gives it 5 stars and tested it out for Tula before it launched.
- I just started using this primer and I LOVE it!! After hearing everyone rave about it after it came out I knew I needed to try it, and it lives up to the hype. It changes color as you rub it in to give you a little bit of color while still matching your skin tone. I definitely feel like it evens out my skin tone and it’s really moisturizing!
- I give this primer 5 stars. It does everything it says it does and gives your skin a really pretty, natural look! It works great as a primer under your foundation, but also looks good on its own! (Hannah wore it by itself more often than not!)