Monday Mix #2
On seeing more clearly (literally and figuratively), snap judgments, and the gray areas in between. All of my open tabs, too!
Whatās On My Mind
Getting Glasses
Iāve known I likely need glasses since the end of 2019. Right before Thanksgiving, I had to go renew my Driverās License (that had expired on my 30th birthday a few months prior) in order to rent a car to drive home for the holiday. When I got to the vision test portion, the man behind the desk asked me to read line four and ādead assā I said, āI think somethingās wrong with the machine, that line is blurry.ā He laughed and thought I was joking at first, but told me to go get my eyes checked. Still got my license though! š¤Ŗ
Covid happened just a few months later and even though I could tell that my vision was likely getting worse over the next few years, I never ended up going to an eye doctor until I had a massive stye the week of my wedding (September 2024). Thankfully, my new eye doctor concluded that my prescription was not severe enough to require a designation on my Driverās License, so I opted to push it off until after the wedding and vowed to get a vision exam in the new year.
Staying true to my word, I got my eyes checked in January (of 2025) and even though I didnāt need them to drive, I had come around to the idea of getting a pair of glasses to see better. I tried on a bunch of glasses in his office after my appointment, but I didnāt like any of them on me, which was very discouraging, especially for the price. Most of the frames were designer and $500/pair. The decision of committing to one pair felt too hard so I vowed to come back in with a friend or my husband to help me out.
I really meant to take care of this sooner, but as time would have it, it wasnāt until the end of December that I asked Dave to set aside some time to go glasses shopping with me. One of my eyes sees better at a distance, and the other see better up close, so I had definitely found myself squinting and winking over the course of the year. Time to finally do something about it!
God bless Warby Parker. I did my hair and makeup so I felt good and we went to the store on Armitage where I essentially tried on every pair of glasses in the store. We ended up purchasing three frames for the price of one pair at my eye doctorās office. Having options was important to me, as was being able to match most of my clothing.
As we were checking out, I realized that I didnāt actually have my prescription from my eye doctor anywhere in my email. Whoops. Thankfully WP has a function where you can buy your glasses and upload your prescription later. Last Monday when I called my eye doctor to get my prescription, I learned that these āexpireā after a year so I might as well go get my vision checked to be sure Iām getting the right lenses that I need.
SO ā I now have that appointment this coming Wednesday and then Iāll be able to upload my updated prescription into my Warby Parker account, and then should get my glasses in the mail ~two weeks after that.
Iām nervous about switching up my appearance, embarrassed that it took me so long to get my ducks in a row, but also excited to see the difference in my vision with glasses. š¤
Snap Judgements
I was reading Merrittās post about dating and felt like I could have written it. I, too, had been there where you feel like youāre such a better judger of chemistry in person than relying on a tiny little awkward online profile. Side note: At some point I need to share more about how/why I swiped right on Dave on Bumble ā itās funny and also kind of wild to think about now that weāre married.
ANYWAY ā the same notion came up this week when I was adding one of my open tabs to the bottom of this post. It wasnāt until I saw Lindsay share that this is her favorite scent theyāve ever made that I decided to order it to see for myself. In person, I absolutely adore the scent. Would I have ever blindly ordered it without such a large stamp of approval? Definitely not. Typically, I tend to not really like amber-based scents, and on the product page, amber is the first scent note listed.
In an effort to narrow down all of the endless possibilities online, I think, we create little guidelines that rule our choices. Amber? Swipe left. (If you read this post last week, youād know that Iām a āRose? Swipe right.ā kinda gal.)
I know I definitely try to generalize what I like and donāt like, especially when online shopping. Most yellow hues donāt suit me as a color. Elastic waistbands (when it shows on the front) donāt look good on my body type.
Some, of course, are pretty cut and dry ā I wonāt buy a sweater with alpaca. Over the years, Iāve realized that I am extremely sensitive to alpaca, so I will never order a sweater online that has alpaca listed, as Iāll have to end up returning it. However, I actually just purchased a cardigan in-store that did have alpaca, but it was only 3%. If Iām having an extra sensitive day, I likely wonāt be able to wear it, but since I was able to do a feel test in person (and it was on sale), I ended up making the purchase.
All this to say, itās a nice little reminder as we start a new year that itās pretty rare if something is totally black and white. Much to my anxiety disorderās displeasure, life is mostly maid up of grey areas and two things can be true at once. Youāre able to not like amber as a scent on its own, but love a specific candle with it included. You can think you donāt want to date someone who works in sales as youāre swiping, but end up marrying them. š¤Ŗ
Read, Watch, Listen
Juliaās thoughts on taking a 10-day break from Instagram makes me want to find a good time to delete the app to create some much-needed space in my mind.
I almost did itā¦ For some context, I write these Monday Mix posts throughout the week. Iāll make little notes of things I want to include, and usually add them in as the week progresses instead of one big session on a Sunday. Julia responded to my comment ātoday feels like a good time!ā and I looked down at the Nike sweatpants I was wearing and I was like, you know what ā it does. Just f*cking do it. I planned to delete the app from my phone on Friday and then re-download it after MLK day, which would have been ~10 days. But then I needed to get into my account to share analytics with a brand, was planning to film something, and the rest of the weekend got away from me. Boo!
A couple of new things on TVā¦ The Karen Read Story on Lifetime and The People We Meet on Vacation on Netflix (adapted from the book)ā¦ I havenāt watched either of them yet, but let me know if you have!!
I saw the book Workhorse by Caroline Palmer recommended on IG as something similar to the Devil Wears Prada, which totally intrigued me. Reviews donāt look that great though.
In the Kitchen
I just shared the recipe for the DELICIOUS cinnamon rolls I made over the holidays. Truly the best cinnamon rolls I think Iāve ever had, and I still canāt believe that I made them. Beginner friendly!!
This peanut butter and jelly pound cake is next on my baking list!
Martha Stewartās caviar-topped baked potato looks AMAZING!
Skip this one if youāre doing Dry January, but OH EM GEE ā this recipe for the dirtiest martini looks so good, even as I type this at 9am. š¤¤šø Originally, I saw the recipe on Instagram if you want a visual, but linked the website version above.
My husband made these Italian Beef Sandwiches for the Bears game on Saturday night and they were SO, SO GOOD! He followed the advice in the comments to add significantly more seasoning, and generously rubbed the meat with fennel seed, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, and smoked paprika.
Iām such a creature of habit in the kitchen, but I told my husband I would try to find a few new recipes to add to my repertoire. I only cook dinner once or twice a week, but I make these salmon bowls and a variation of these stuffed meatballs almost every. single. time. The repetition doesnāt bother me at all, but I get why he wants to switch it up. One recipe I found over the weekend that looks easy enough to try this week: Bang Bang Shrimp Lettuce Wraps. Iād be FOREVER GRATEFUL if you shared any easy, weeknight dinner recipes you love!
Open Tabs
All of my athletic sneakers are looking very worn, dirty, and tired. Trying to find a new pair to buy with a Nordstrom gift card from Christmas and I think Iām going to try this pair of Asics. I love the white/brown color, but unfortunately itās not available in my size. Iām hoping maybe the grey/silver wonāt show dirt as much?! TBD.
Over the holidays there were multiple times that I wished I had one of these wine pumps. My husband and I usually opt to sit at the bar when we go out to dinner just the two of us and I always see bartenders using these little $30 wine pumps to remove air before stopping and storing the bottle. Would have come in handy with a bottle of champagne this weekend!
I bought this neck cream at least a year ago, but finally opened the box over the holiday break. Iām not exaggerating when I say I think I noticed a difference after two nightsā¦ I feel like the ātech neckā lines across my neck look softer already.
Iāve been wanting the new Oura ring (4th generation) since it came out back in the fall of 2024. For no real reason at all since mine works perfectly fine, but the newer model is apparently a bit slimmer and has better sensing capabilities. Better battery life, too. Iāve had my 3rd generation ring for almost three years now and I definitely notice it needing to be charged much more frequently than when I got it. (Which makes sense, all phones and laptops and things we constantly use have that issue.) HOWEVER now that Oura just came out with PORTABLE CHARGING CASES for their rings, I want the newer model even more. (They no longer produce the 3rd generation ring that I have, so of course they didnāt make this new product for the older models.) As I learned over the holidays, itās such a sad feeling when youāre out of town and your Oura ring dies on you!
Iām shook that this candle is not sold out yet. Itās technically a āholidayā candle, but itās not Christmassy at all ā zero notes of pine or fir or anything like that. (Even though Iād like to think those are all great winter scents, not just for the holidays.)
Iām definitely not in the market for a new designer bag, but if I wasā¦ This brown croc top-handle bag is so, so dreamy. š
Have you heard of Electric Picks jewelry?! Theyāve majorly been on my radar lately. Itās affordable jewelry (mostly <$100) that has a lifetime guarantee. It looks so much more expensive than it is. Iāve been hearing so many great things and building a little wish list: this layered two-tone ring, this mini tennis bracelet, and this tennis necklace.
Simon Miller has been inching its way up the list of my favorite brands over the last two years. Lots of personality, but in a totally wearable way. And decently affordable, too, considering how expensive so many brands have gotten. I rented this dress over the summer and itās MAJORLY marked down. If my size was in stock, I would definitely buy it. Same with this mini dress. This dress is similar, but with sleeves. On sale in green stripes, but full price in the black/white. This dress is so fun for any upcoming vacations you may have planned! So many cute bags, too.
If youāre planning anything for Galentineās Day or want something cute for kids, these $5 heart plates are so cute.
Similarly, this very subtle heart-shaped pointelle pajama set is so darlingā¦ Shop the top here, the pants here, and the matching shorts here.
Gah, I just love browsing all things pink, red, and love-inspired this time of year ā brings me so much joy during the depths of winter. Saving all of my favorite finds here! š
And if youāre wondering, yes ā I ordered this interactive toy set for Marley and am on the waitlist for this ruffled bandana to come back in stock in her size. (š«£)
Highs & Lows
Last Weekās Rose(s) š¹
The Bears game on Saturday night was definitely the highlight of the weekend! Well, the outcome anyway. Most of the game itself was pretty disappointing and stressful, but that was definitely the most satisfying win I can ever remember! This 18-minute highlight video is such a great recap of the rollercoaster ride. Dave and I went out to one of our favorite local bars to celebrate after (yes, at 10:45pm). I feel like Iām still tired from going to bed at 1:30am, but it was worth it.
Last Weekās Thorn šŖ”
No real thorns to report, but January has a way of feeling a little monotonous. TBH, I actually kind of like the hibernation that comes with this time of the year, but it can sometimes feel a little bit boring after the hustle and bustle of the holidays.
The only other thing I can think of is how I wanted to re-start The Creative Way to start the year, but have put it off. This week, hopefully!
What Iām Looking Forward To āØ
Itās not totally confirmed yet, but I think we might be doing a little getaway to Wisconsin at the end of the month, which would be super fun! Iāll keep you posted.
Have a wonderful week, friends!!