April Favorites
Have you ever found something you just can’t stop using? Every now and then I find things that I love so much I continue to use them once I’m beyond the honeymoon stage. I found a few new products and some old favorites in April that I cannot stop using! Here’s my list of April favorites!
Reusable zip bags
I have always felt bad with the amount of disposable food bags I was using, but I hadn’t seen any reusable bags that looked that functional or easy to clean. Then I found this Blue Avocado (Re)Zip bag while at The Container Store, looking for something completely unrelated, or course. This is really a great option to replace all those disposable bags. I’ve been using it for three weeks now, and I absolutely love it. I will 100% be buying more of these in the future!
Homemade trail mix
Yes, you can buy trail mix, but in reality it’s no more difficult to just make your own. I don’t really like the mixes that have a lot of chocolate, because I personally don’t enjoy chocolate that much, and in my opinion, there is always too much chocolate. When I make my own, I can add anything I want and in any proportions that I want. Buying nuts in bulk at the store also help cut down on cost when making trail mix. Lately I’ve been adding coconut, cranberries, cashews, and honey roasted peanuts.
Trader Joe’s Jalapeño hot sauce
I don’t know what it was about April, but I was just in love in spicy things. I would add this hot sauce to EVERYTHING! It’s spicy, but not too spicy, and it has a nice flavor. I’ve just been in love with this hot sauce.
Garnier Micellar water
This is ah-mazing. If you haven’t tried micellar water, what are you waiting for? I use this every morning after I wake up because actually washing my face before I go to the gym is too much work. I use this, and then when I get home from the gym and shower I wash my face for real. The micellar water washed away all of your makeup and any dirt though. It’s wonderful stuff. I have sensitive skin and it doesn’t irritate my skin or dry it out.
Mascara
Everyone has their favorite mascara, and I totally understand that. There are some that people swear by and they just don’t work for me. Certain mascaras just transfer below my eyes no matter what I do. I’ve never really figured out why. So when I find one that I really like, I stick with it. I used to wear the Clinique bottom lash mascara everyday for years, and then I found this MAC mascara, Extended Play Gigablack Lash Mascara, that I use on my bottom lashes. I like that this wand is a bit bigger, because it makes it easier to use. For my top lashes I’ve been loving the Lancome Monsieur Big Mascara. It’s a bit on the pricey side, think $25, which is why I also included the L’Oreal Voluminous Lash Paradise. I really love this mascara as well and it’s actually the only mascara I took with me to Europe. At $9.99 it’s a much more affordable option.
REI Umbrella
This is one of the best purchases I have ever made. Before my trip to Europe last year I did some research to try to find an umbrella that was lightweight but super functional. I was only taking a backpack so I needed to pack efficiently. I read some reviews and decided on this REI Umbrella. It packs down to be super small, but it also has two layers, so the wind goes through the umbrella instead of flipping it inside out at the first sign of wind. I now taken this umbrella with me to Paris, Budapest, Prague, Holland, Germany, and ALL over the United States. It’s not just a May favorite, but a favorite in general. However, it’s making the list this month because I would not have survived Amsterdam without it (or my rain coat or rain boots). The rain was so heavy and it was so windy that it was miserable, even with everything that I had, so I’m adding it to the list this month.
The really unfortunate thing is I don’t see it on their website anymore, which is such a shame. If you do need a travel umbrella though, I definitely recommend finding one that has the two gap for air to move through so you are less likely to break your umbrella when there are windy conditions.
Are there any items that have become your favorites in the month of April?