What I Did

We started the month off with a visit to a pumpkin patch on a farm, about 30 minutes away from us. It was our first time and we had a blast—stayed there over three hours. We went on a tractor ride, picked pumpkins from a real field (though over 50% were definitely moved to the area), and did a corn maze. It was a fantastic day and we’re definitely going back next year!

First Airstream Trip in our very own Airstream: As I mentioned last month, we purchased our own dream Airstream (a 23’ Flying Cloud) after years of renting (via GoSilver). Well we couldn’t wait to take the baby out on the road, so we did a quick 4-day trip to Eureka. We’ve never been there before, though we’ve passed it a couple of times on the 101 on the way to Oregon. So this time we thought we would spend a couple days there, and wow I love Eureka. It’s actually a fairly big small town, with a large-ish downtown (with a ton of really cute boutiques), a small but fun zoo (with the amazing Redwood Skywalk and red pandas!), and plenty of adult things to do if you like to drink beer (Lost Coast Brewery is located there) and smoke weed (hello Humboldt County—they have a dispensary there with a smoking lounge, taco truck, and a day spa). Plus throw in a couple of gorgeous old Victorian houses and Dick Taylor’s chocolate tasting room and this is my kind of town. I did a short Reel here with our trip highlights, and I can’t wait to go back!

Updated these blog posts: My Quince Bags review (I know I just posted it this month, but I wanted to add a little aside about their continental leather wallet) and my Quince Jewelry Review (with the petite pear diamond studs).

What I Bought

Physician’s Formula Eyeliner: Wow I never thought I’d be purchasing something from Physician’s Formula again (nothing against them, they’re great and I used to be a real addict of PF makeup in my teens). I just never think to look at their offerings, but when Therese recommended this eyeliner I couldn’t resist trying it out. Therese consistently makes great recommendations so I had high hopes for this eyeliner and it didn’t let me down. I’m not sure if it actually boosts my eyelashes as advertised (I’ve only been using it for a couple weeks), but at least it’s easy to use and stays on without smudging. I was looking for a replacement for the Stila eyeliner I’ve been using for the last decade (so good but also a tad pricey) and I think I’ve found my new favorite. Also as a side note, I do feel bad that I’m using disposable plastic for eyeliner but to be fair I’ve tried the ones that come in pots and for the most part they all smudge and they don’t give as clean of a line 🤷🏻‍♀️.

Ree Projects Medium Wyn bag: I actually got this at the end of September but I forgot to add it to the recap (oops!). Well I had been eyeing this bag ever since it came out (I first saw it on Sheri McMullen, owner of the stylish McMullen boutique). But with the $700+ price tag I couldn’t quite get myself to go for it. Well once I saw that the newest Wyn bags in this medium size were all in suede, I decided to purchase the napa leather one. Luckily I found one via FarFetch for 45% off, which made the decision easier. And I’m so glad I did because I looooove this sling bag. It’s soft, pillowy, and fits a lot! No regrets on pulling the trigger on this one.

Huppy Dental Floss: I bought this plastic-free biodegradable floss in a glass container from work when I ran out of my usual Glide floss. And I have to say, I love the cute little glass container and the fact that the refills are also plastic-free (they come in a little box). As for the floss itself, it’s a little thicker and coarser than the Glide (and even a bit thicker than the Johnson and Johnson one). And it works well for me (I think it’s able to snag more food out of my teeth than the Glide one). But I think if you tend to shred conventional floss or get it snagged, then this one might not work well for you. Overall I’m happy to replace my old floss with this plastic free one.

Organic cotton and natural rubber hair ties: I purchased a bunch of hair ties on sale maybe like 10 years ago, and I’ve been slowly going through them all. Well after losing a bunch and also wearing out the rest, I decided it was time to buy more. This time I wanted to be a little more conscious of my plastic usage so I went with hair bands made of natural rubber and organic cotton so that they’re 100% biodegradable at the end of its life. I ended up buying two different ones from Amazon because I wasn’t sure which one I would like more. Overall they’re about the same, both are much stiffer and less stretchier than conventional plastic rubber bands. But they both do the job. My preference for these Terra Ties boils down to the shape (it’s a rounded band), which I like more than these Sole ties that have a flat band shape. Here’s to not having to purchase any more hair ties for another decade!

Japanese Enamel Cooking Utensils: On our Airstream trip, I found the cutest home goods store in Eurkea called Rosebud (it kind of reminded me of Rosebud Apothecary from Schitt’s Creek lol—it was just as chic). The items were definitely on the pricey side, but not like the usual Bay Area prices considering a lot of their items are imported and/or handmade. Anyway, I limited myself and purchased only two of their Japanese enamel cooking utensils: the serving spoon and spatula (even though I wanted all of them). Each one is hand-dipped in the enamel so there are subtle differences in each one. And even though they’re just enamel, they feel super high end. Anyway I’m eyeing a couple more utensils, which I might just buy online at some point (since who knows when I’ll be in Eureka again—though I love the town so hopefully not too long from now).

Dick Taylor’s Chocolate: Their chocolate is currently my favorite, and it probably has to do with their tasting room at their chocolate factory. My daughter and I were kids in a candy store (literally for her). I love their single origin bars the most since you can taste the distinct flavor of chocolate produced in different places (my favorite was chocolate from Belize and Brazil). All beans are ethically/transparently and directly purchased from local co-ops. I also love that their single origin bars have only cocoa and sugar (thus they’re dairy-free and vegan). Even though their chocolate isn’t cheap they’re 100% worth it (also if you’re paying your farmers fairly, it makes sense that the final product is more than the conventional stuff).