LUXE LIFE // SMALL BUDGET -

What I Read: July 2022

July 31, 2022 luxelifesmallbudget Comments 0 Comment

I feel like summer has flown by.

One minute I was talking about beach reads and eagerly anticipating my vacation and now I’m already checking Bath and Body Works collection of fall candles (my favorite, Pumpkin Bonfire, is already in stock!) and considering Halloween costume ideas. Time is strange.

July proved to be a slower month of reading for me and didn’t feature any non-fiction, but it did include several newer releases.

The list includes:
-The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager
-They’ll Never Catch Us by Jessica Goodman
-The Power by Naomi Alderman
-One of Us Is Dead by Jeneva Rose
-Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

Let’s get into the reviews!

Feeling Guilty About A Splurge?

July 14, 2022 luxelifesmallbudget Comments 0 Comment

Whether it was Prime Day shopping or just a random shopping spree at Ulta Beauty (#truestory), it’s easy to feel guilty about spending money. Your brain starts asking all sorts of questions: Do I really need this? Should I get this now or wait? What if it goes on a bigger sale later? Or maybe that’s just how my brain operates.

While I can’t tell you how to spend your money or what works for your budget, there was a quote I saw recently that I’ve been unable to get out of my head when it comes to splurges. Maybe, it will help guide some of your decisions too.

What I Read: June 2022

July 2, 2022 luxelifesmallbudget Comments 1 comment

Summer is here and my reads are starting to reflect that! This month’s list of reads includes Elin Hilderbrand’s latest novel and a fun YA thriller set at a summer camp:
-The Hotel Nantucket by Elin Hilderbrand
-Running Rewired by Jay Dicharry
-White Ivy by Susie Yang
-A Gracious Neighbor by Chris Cander
-The Counselors by Jessica Goodman
-They Wish They Were Us by Jessica Goodman

Now, for the reviews!

BEAUTY REVIEW: Trader Joe’s Strawberry Lemon Sugar Scrub

June 20, 2022 luxelifesmallbudget Comments 0 Comment

With tomorrow marking the official start to summer, I’m loving all of the summer products hitting the shelves: Watermelon shaped pots for plants at the hardware store, super adorable cat kitchen towels at Kohl’s (you just have to see it…), and, of course, fun beauty products at Trader Joe’s!

I recently scooped up the Trader Joe’s Strawberry Lemon Sugar Scrub and the packaging brightens up my shower.

2022 Summer Reading Inspiration

June 10, 2022 luxelifesmallbudget Comments 1 comment

I love to read year-round, but there is something almost magical about getting lost in a good book during the summer.

Growing up, I was the kid to read every book on the required reading list for school, rather than picking just one, and would often read the books on my sister’s list as well.

After finishing school, I found myself missing that structure. With so many books in the world, it’s hard to know what to read next. But that’s when I discovered summer reading guides! It seems like almost every blogger, celebrity, etc., has a guide these days and I absolutely love it.

So, if you’re someone that’s looking to start reading more or just trying to identify the perfect book to pack for your vacation, I wanted to share a few of my favorite summer reading round-ups!

What I Read: May 2022

June 1, 2022 luxelifesmallbudget Comments 0 Comment

I’m beginning to feel like I say this every month, but May had a good mix of books! Romance, running, & self-improvement.

I managed to squeeze in 7 books (though to be fair one was a novella and two of the others I started in previous months, but finally finished):

– Mother Dear by Nova Lee Maier
– Under One Roof by Ali Hazelwood
– The Soil Will Save Us by Kristin Ohlson
– Mastery by Robert Greene
– The Willpower Instinct by Kelly
McGonigal
– The Other Man by Farhad H. Dadyburjor
– 80/20 Running by Matt Fitzgerald

Let’s get into the reviews!

My Experience Using the Law of 100

May 23, 2022 luxelifesmallbudget Comments 0 Comment

I’ve talked about it before, but I’m definitely someone that’s motivated by keeping a streak alive. So when I first heard about the Law of 100 (also known as the Seinfeld Strategy) on the Mindset Mentor Podcast, I jumped at the challenge.

The big idea is to commit to doing something for 100 days straight. If you miss a day, you have to restart the count back at 1. In February, I committed to writing at least 401 words a day and today, I marked day 100 off my calendar!

Spring 2022: 5 Podcasts I’m Listening To

May 9, 2022 luxelifesmallbudget Comments 0 Comment

Running has a way of making me hate my favorite songs.

I’ve talked about it before, but I’m the kind of person that listens to audiobooks or podcasts while running rather than listening to music. So, I’m always on the lookout for new podcasts. I shared what I was listening to back in the summer of 2020 (yikes, what a time…) but decided it was time for an update.

In this blog post, I’m sharing five of my current favorite podcasts!

What I read: April 2022

May 1, 2022 luxelifesmallbudget Comments 0 Comment

April was another 7 book month for me!

I read a nice mix of fiction and non-fiction covering everything from romance to octopuses to Japanese culture.

The list includes:
– Crooked House by Agatha Christie
– The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery
– Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert
– In A New York Minute by Kate Spencer
– The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
– Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka
– The Book of Ichigo Ichie by Héctor Garcia & Francesc Miralles

Let’s get into the reviews!

Breaking A Running Rut: 3 Things I’m Trying

April 23, 2022 luxelifesmallbudget Comments 0 Comment

I think I’m a bad runner.

The more I read about running, the more I realize I have no idea what I’m doing.

I started out with a New Year’s resolution to run a 15K and have kept returning to the same race year after year for 7 straight years now. While I am gradually getting faster each race (I’m not counting the year I had just gotten over the flu.. or the year it was hot), I want to get even faster. I have a specific goal I’m aiming for for next year, but it’s ambitious- like shaving 10 to 15 minutes off my total time ambitious. While not impossible per se, it will involve me doing something different.