theinbetweenismine

just a girl living the expat life

Current Favorites

filed under: love, monthly favorites

Who’s up for some current favorites? I know I am! I always enjoy it when other people post about their favorites things (share the love!) and I thought it was time to post a list of mine again. 

1. I’ve tried many different “natural” deodorants, but this Native Natural Deodorant* is hands-down my most favorite so far. It has a smooth texture, doesn’t leave white residue, and just smells heavenly. Oh, and most importantly: it works!  

2. I needed a pretty planter for my monstera and picked up this Weave Basket* (from Target) a few weeks ago and I just love it. It’s the perfect size, sturdy, but lightweight, and looks cute in our living room. 

3. Jon and I have jumped on the Schitt’s Creek* bandwagon late (as so often), but we both love the show and are currently watching Season 5. I know what you’re going to say: better late than never. 

4. Do you tend to go through phases when it comes to breakfast (like I do), or do you pretty much eat the same all year round? I am currently back in a Muesli phase (it’s from Trader Joe’s*) and love it with plain Greek yogurt and fruit (preferably apple or peach). Now that the warmer weather is here, I’ve switched from steel-cut oats over to muesli again. Let’s see for how long.

5. I mentioned the Pro Hair Ties* in another post a few weeks ago. I fell victim to Instagram advertising and had to try them. You can adjust the circumference (depending on hair thickness) and they have an “easy release clasp” so you are not ripping out hair when you pull them out. Since I go between hair down and ponytail a lot, these have become real life hair savers! LOL

6. I picked up this Pink Pomelo Grapefruit Hand Soap (from Trader Joe’s*) on a random shopping trip and I just love the smell. It also lathers well. What’s not to love?

7. I am probably going to live in this romper* this summer. So cute and comfortable. And did you see that it has pockets? 

8. If you know me at all, you are aware that I have somewhat of a mug addiction. I just can’t pass up a pretty mug! This XO Stoneware Mug* from Target was a gift from a dear friend and it’s quickly become one of my favorite coffee mugs. It’s just the right size and feel in my hand (which is hard to “explain”, but it is important). Do you have a favorite mug? (Show me!)

What are you loving these days? Share some favorites with me!

* #notanad, This is not a sponsored post. I have not been compensated by the brand or anyone else for linking the websites.

A wish list

filed under: holidays, lists!, love

I admit, I am kinda late putting my wish list out there, haha, but in all honesty, I am not expecting any of this under the Christmas tree. I am just having a little fun. I love the holiday gift guides that are popping up all over the Internet this time of year, and I have to admit that I love shopping for small gifts for my family and friends around this time of year. 

Yes, I know, Christmas is not all about the gifts (and I’d prefer time with people over gifts any day), but I also love gift-giving and they don’t have to be expensive. For me, it is more about the gesture and thoughtfulness behind the gift than the actual monetary value.

I am always trying to fill my holiday season with all the holiday cheer I can get my hands on and sharing a little wishlist of pretty (and functional!) things that would be lovely to have is one way to do this. To be honest, I don’t really need anything, but it’s fun to browse and look at the things I’ve bookmarked throughout the year.

It’s a list of (mostly) inexpensive things that I think would make great holiday gifts and you who knows, maybe you find some last minute gift inspiration here. Some may be in my future budget, some are just things that caught my eye, but  which I probably won’t get (right now or ever), but a little day dreaming hasn’t hurt anyone, am I right?

1. Mountains-long-sleeve shirt // 2. planner // 3. door mat //4. gym bag // 5. hair dryer //
6. running pants // 7. travel pillow // 8. stacking rings // 9. socks // 10. hand-held vaccuum //
11. mug // 12. satin pillows // 13. travel dispenser //14. shower curtain  //

1. I found this Mountains-long-sleeve shirt and it’s so me!

2. I am still on the search for a new planner for 2020. I am not sure if I want to continue bullet journaling at this point and I am intrigued by this Good Busy Planner.

3. Isn’t that door mat the cutest?

4. You won’t believe me if I tell you that the gym bag I am currently using is 26 years old. I bought it at my first trip to the US (Boston) in 1993. You think it’s time for a new one? This gym bag looks nice and roomy.

5. I have heard so many good reviews about the Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer & Volumizer from some of you guys and now I feel like I need it, too. 

6.I realized that I could use some extra long running pants for the winter months and I love the look of these. They also have a pocket (which is imperative!)

7. I don’t think I travel enough to really need a fancy travel pillow, but then again this travel pillow looks so soft and comfy.

8. I already have 5 of those stacking rings, but I’d love to add some more. 

9. If in doubt, Balega running socks are always a good idea.

10. We have a kinda old and cumbersome vacuum, that I don’t really use this much… but for the areas that I use it, a hand-held vaccuum would be so much easier.

11. In case you haven’t met me, Hi, I am San and I have a mug addiction…aaand, I already bought this Red Jolly Heart Mug for myself. I really can’t be left alone at World Market.

12. I’ve heard that satin pillows are really good for your skin and hair, can someone confirm this? I’d love to try it out.

13. Do you want me to confess how many times I have bought cheap travel bottles that then leaked into my bag?  This travel dispenser seems like a really good solution.

14. Isn’t this the most beautiful shower curtain?

What’s on your wish list?

A wish list

filed under: holidays, lists!, love

I love all the gift guides and wish lists that are popping up around the blogosphere around this time. I love browsing for ideas and seeing what’s on other people’s wish list.

I’ve never officially done a Holiday Gift Guide on this blog before, but I have shared Christmas wish lists in the past and I thought I’d do that again this year.

J and I haven’t really exchanged gifts in the past, or it’s something that we both wanted (like new iPhones) or an experience that we decided to “give each other for Christmas”. In all honesty, we would have done it either way, but for some reason declaring it Christmas gifts always has a bit more magic to it, doesn’t it?

Christmas is by no means all about the gifts (although it might often seem that way), and I feel that the most important thing about the holidays is spending time with family and friends (if that’s possible), but I personally also love the gift-giving. I wish I was someone who would completely forego the Christmas shopping madness, but I also have to admit that I love shopping for small gifts for my family and friends around this time of year and I equally enjoy putting a little wish list together for myself.

Although for me, it is more about the gesture and thoughtfulness behind the gift than the actual monetary value.

My biggest wish – as always – would be to go home for the holidays, but since this won’t be happening (for the fifth year in a row – womp, womp!), I am going to fill my holiday season with all the holiday cheer I can get my hands on. Sharing a little wish list of pretty (and functional!) things that would be lovely to have is one way to do this. Some of them are totally reasonable and maybe in my future budget, some are just things that caught my eye, but  which I probably won’t get (right now or ever). Some might be a gift inspiration for you. Who knows?

1. Ogio Purse // 2. Food Storage Containers // 3. Seafoam Letterboard //
4. Running hoodie // 5.  Herschel coin purse // 6. Resistence bands //
7. Lotta from Stockholm Pandora Black Chelsea Boots // 8. Giftcards //
9. Kitchenaid Glas Bowl // 10. Hydro Flask //

 

1. I randomly came across this Ogio Purse online and it had really good reviews and I’ve been looking for a casual, yet nice looking cross-body bag. 

2. I’ve been looking to replace some of my plastic containers with glass container and these food storage containers have great reviews and are air-tight and leak-proof. 

3. Can you believe I am one of the few (?) people who don’t have a letterboard yet? Well, this seafoam letterboard caught my eye, because it’s such a pretty color.

4. Baby, it’s cold outside and I think I could use another warm running hoodie.

5. I have a small coin purse that holds some cards and cash, which I use for travel, but it’s slowly but surely falling apart and this Herschel coin purse looks like a great replacement.

6. I’ve been thinking about investing in some resistence bands to use for some strength training at home.

7. These Lotta from Stockholm Pandora Black Chelsea Boots caught my eye on Instagram and since I had to sadly return the boots that I got last year in Germany (the sole came off prematurely), I’ve been looking for a replacement.

8. Giftcards are always a good idea if you don’t know what to get someone for Christmas. I used to think that gift cards are a cop-out, but they actually beat any random gift that was bought just in order to have something in hand.

9. There is a new Kitchenaid model that comes with a hobnail bowl and I am so in love. Unfortunately, the hobnail bowl doesn’t seem to be available by iteself (and I already own the Kitchenaid mixer), so I am opting for a glass bowl for my wish list instead.

10. I’ve been thinking about replacing some of my Nalgene bottles with a stainless steel bottles and the Hydro Flask looks like it would be a great choice.

What’s on your wish list? Did you publish your own? (Leave me a link to it in the comments!)

My Red Sox ♥ won the World Series

filed under: love, sports, yes!

I don’t think it’s a mystery to anyone who has been reading my blog for a while that I am a huge Red Sox fan and on Sunday night, my team won the World Series!

It was such a fun season (with the best record in franchise history), but the post-season beat all my expectations. The Red Sox allowed only one game against the Yankees (in one of the ALDS series), one game against the Astros (in the ALCS series), and one game against the LA Dodgers in the World Series. This team has been so much fun to watch.

David Price was outstanding Sunday night, Steve Pearce was on fire, but so were all of the other players really throughout this season! JBJ (Jackie Bradley Jr.) had some really amazing hits. Andrew Benintendi is the king of the left field, and Mookie Betts can’t do anything wrong if he tried.  I love how Craig Kimbrel (the closer) owns his pre-pitch pose (check out his Twitter pic!), which numerous people (grown adults, mind you!)  in the stands have mocked him for, but he had an absolutely stellar performance this season and he is the youngest pitcher in MLB history to record 300 saves. So hey, whatever works for you, right? 

In all honesty, I should list all the players by name here, because I am so freakin’ proud of all of them. Every single player in this team did their part to turn this season into what it was. There was a different guy at every game coming through for everybody else. This is what team sport is all about and the Red Sox are a real team. They never gave up. They always stayed calm and focused until the very end and this is how they were able to make magic happen again this year.

Congratulations, Red Sox!

Some belated thoughts on Valentine’s Day

filed under: about me, love

Did you notice that I completely skipped over Valentine’s Day? I didn’t post a romantic picture or professed online how much I love my husband or how we celebrated our relationship on Wednesday! I didn’t get any flowers, we didn’t go out for a romantic dinner, but we did get take-out and ate it together on the couch in our PJs. So there is that.

I know, most people either love or hate Valentine’s Day and I kind of fall in the later camp. Well, ‘hate’ is maybe a bit of a harsh word. I don’t hate a day where you’re supposed to express love for your significant other and other special people in your life and I would probably get on board if it was something that was important to J. BUT, as far as I remember, he and I have never celebrated Valentine’s Day. I mean, I possibly might have given him a card once or twice ( just because I found a cute one when I was out shopping), but honestly, I could have given that to him on any other damn day (or not at all). In Germany, Valentine’s Day wasn’t a “thing” growing up. Of course now, as many other American holidays, it’s made its way over to Europe (if only to have just one more ‘holiday’ that companies can monetize) and apparently some people have jumped on the bandwagon. I, however, still don’t expect anything on Valentine’s Day.

I mean, J sometimes doesn’t even get me anything for my actual birthday (I heard the collective *gasp* going through the blogosphere just now, haha!), but he will surprise me with a thoughtful gift at other random times. And I am totally okay with that. After all, he’s usually the person I get to spend my birthday with, so the time together is much more important to me than any gift.

Admittedly, I am a little bit more particular about birthdays and make it a point to not forget people’s birthdays and to send cards (and gifts), but J is wired differently and prefers to show gestures of love and appreciation when he feels it’s the right moment. That’s why he has also never “adhered” to the Valentine’s Day’s rules.

My indifference to Valentine’s Day goes so far that I don’t even make Valentine’s Day cards for my Etsy shop (and I realize, that is severe negligence!). Maybe next year. If I think of it early enough. (Remind me! Ha!)

In all seriousness though, I feel like Valentine’s Day should be every day. I don’t need a “designated day” per year to tell people that they’re important to me. I share that freely and often, and randomly on February, 16.  I love and appreciate you all. Just so you know.

And hey, if Valentine’s Day is your thing, more power to you. Who am I to judge. I totally support you celebrating it to your heart’s desire. J and I are just not Valentine’s Day people.

We love each other nonetheless.

Do you celebrate Valentine’s Day? Would you be upset if your SO didn’t get you a gift for your birthday?