The Liz List - August 16, 2019
Image via Culture Trip.
Happy Friday, everyone! Last night my aunt and grandmother arrived from Houston. They’re staying at our house with my mom to watch Kate while David and I travel to Las Vegas for a little weekend getaway. As I mentioned on Instagram this week, this will be the first time both of us are leaving her, so it’s definitely a MOMENT for us as parents. I have been away from her for one night before, but David was with her at home. So until now, one of us has always been with her overnight. We’ll miss her, but I know she’s in good hands. And honestly, a couple days in Vegas sounds pretty nice right now! 😜 #momsgonewild
We’re traveling with all of our employees + their significant others, which should be a nice bonding experience! We decided to stay at the Aria this time around. I’ve never stayed there before, but the last time we were in Vegas we walked through the lobby and it looked v nice so that’s where we decided to book! Plus it’s right by The Shops at Crystals which I always hit up when in Vegas. David and I aren’t big gamblers, so during the day we usually have a spa day or go shopping. It’s August, so there aren’t many shows going at the moment, and we didn’t buy tickets to anything in advance. We did, however, make reservations at Mesa Grill (Bobby Flay’s restaurant), Mon Ami Gabi (we eat brunch here every time we’re in town), and an off-the-strip Italian place called Piero’s (my husband’s choice… this is more his vibe). We’re also going to do afternoon tea at the Waldorf on Saturday afternoon. 🍵🥂🍰 It has an amazing view of the entire strip. Basically we’ll just be doing a lot of eating and drinking.
This past week has been pretty low key. A mix of hanging out with Kate, working, and getting errands and chores done. Ever since my ankle injury, I’ve been taking it easy and have hit the pause button on my personal training sessions. However, my pilates instructor convinced me to keep coming to her for sessions, and I’m SO glad I took her up on it. We take it super easy and focus on core, upper body, and flexibility. Mentally, I don’t do well when I’m not active, so those sessions have been life savers for me.
Here’s what I’ve been into this week…
PRODUCT OF THE WEEK: I decided I’m going to feature one product every week that I use in my personal life and LOVE. First up is this super fancy LARQ self-cleaning water bottle (I bought the pink color). As part of my ongoing commitment to use less plastic, I had been looking for a water bottle to replace my bottled water habit when I came across this one. It caught my eye because it has a built in LED light that kills 99.9% of germs. That sold me since one of my hesitations about getting a water bottle was the inconvenience of cleaning it every day. Like okay I just started cleaning all these damn baby bottles and now I gotta add this to the list?! 😂 Just speaking my truth! I’m a girl who values convenience. 💁♀️ And really, I just knew I wouldn’t wash it every day which would lead to…. GERMS. Nothing worse than a musty water bottle. The built-in cleaning feature addressed that concern, so I bought it. I DO wish it were a bit bigger so I didn’t have to fill it up as often, but so far I’m loving it + it’s like, really pretty.
BLOGGING: I mentioned this on my InstaStories, but this week I listened to Kate Kennedy’s (@BeThereInFive is her Insta handle - she does a lot of pop culture commentary) DEEP dive podcast about Mormon bloggers. A few of you messaged me that you listened to it at my suggestion and that you found it to be FASCINATING. Fair warning… it’s long and this is only Part 1. Perfect for a long commute or if you’re just doing chores around the house though. Kate goes on some tangents about influencers in general as well, and I have to say I always enjoy her commentary even when I don’t necessarily agree! She’s just funny and has good intentions and I honestly don’t know how she formulates such profound thoughts as quickly as she does. I think she’s releasing Part 2 soon, so when she does I’ll share that link too.
MOTHERHOOD: When Kate was a newborn, we made it a point to take her out and about with us from the onset. For me - to prove I could do it, and for her - to get her used to being around other people and in new environments. I learned VERY quickly that there are rarely changing tables in men’s restrooms. For a modern couple who share baby duties, this was frustrating. You can ask my husband… don’t get me started on this topic because I will get on my soap box for a WHILE. Ha! That’s why I was so happy to see New York now requiring changing tables in men’s restrooms. While I have mixed feelings about this being forced onto businesses, I’m hoping it sends a signal to new establishments that they should go ahead and add changing tables now… or risk being forced later! Dads change diapers, too!
HOME TOUR: Meryl Streep recently listed her New York City apartment and, predictably, it’s almost as fabulous as she is. And she’s clearly got an eye for art!
HOME DECOR: Pottery Barn recently unveiled its new line commemorating the 25th anniversary of FRIENDS. I had been hearing about this collection for several months now, so I had it pretty hyped up in my mind. Maybe that’s why I was a little underwhelmed? I dn. I think I expected more actual furniture. Don’t get me wrong, there’s some cute stuff (like this cute “Joy doesn’t share food” tea towel set), but overall I’m pretty underwhelmed.
SKINCARE: One of the yucky pregnancy side effects I dealt with (and am STILL dealing with) is melasma. I didn’t get any stretch marks (yay!), but I did get sun damage on my forehead cheeks. And for the record, I wear sunscreen every single day without fail. Recently, I went to the dermatologist for my Botox appointment (💁🏻), and we had a conversation about what I could do to reverse the damage. My derm put me on Lytera (unfortunately it’s not cheap!) which is a pigment correction serum PLUS a retinoid (here’s a link to the exact product she recommended for my sensitive skin). I haven’t started the retinoid yet. In the past, I’ve had terrible side effects from retinol (it made me break out), but honestly my skin has changed a lot since my pregnancy so I’m hoping this time is different. If you aren’t on a retinol product yet, you definitely should be! If you’re interested in the benefits and how to introduce it to your skincare routine, here’s a very informative article from celebrity esthetician Renee Rouleau (she recommends everyone over 26 years old use a retinol product). I’ll be following ALL of her advice. Fingers crossed it works for me this time!
CELEBRITY: Kylie Jenner’s Italian vacation has been giving me all the FOMO. So much so, that I tracked down pictures of the inside of the $250 million superyacht she’s renting. You’re welcome. Weekly rental rates? 1.1 million euro. Not including fees, taxes, or tip. Any of y’all wanna pool resources and go in on it with me?
That’s it for this week. Hope you guys have an awesome weekend!
XOXO