Well, Mother's Day has come and passed. And with the world being flipped on top of its head this last year, maybe a gift was the last thing to cross your mind. I'm a big fan of experiences over material gifts, but I really love to get very thoughtful gifts individualized for each person. I would never go in on buying a gift that didn't feel like the perfect gift for the person I was getting it for. So maybe it feels like it's too late to buy a gift for your mother-figure, but it's never too late. We can and should celebrate those we love year-round, regardless of the day. 

Below find some general recommendations for the mother-figures and lovely ladies in your life. 

Personalized photos or wall art

I am always a fan of photos. They're such a wonderfully tangible result of memories. I've gifted photos printed from Mpix in thrifted frames, custom framed canvases, photobooks, calendars, and digital frames. I've been looking into Mixtiles and they're so cute. They're great for renters, because the frames are already peel-and-stick so there's no damage to the wall, and you can pull the photos straight from social media. Digital frames, like this one from Aura, are great for folks who don't have a ton of wall space or other physical space for photos that are framed or need lots of space to fill. Photo gifts are always a smash hit in my family. We're a very lovey-feely family, and so having memories with each other all along our walls are so important. 

Custom accessories

I love a monogram - I think they're so cute. But I was never into them before I got married. Since then, give me anything with my initials on it, and I will take it. I've gotten some favorites from Madewell - customization usually costs $10 but it's free if you sign up as an "Insider" for free. One of my favorite watch shops, Jord, also carries other beautiful accessories like sunglasses, wallets, and bags. Their bags are made from Suberhide™ vegan cork leather which is stain and water resistant, and come with a dust bag and gift box, so you know they're fancy. Keep reading to find out how to get 40% off with free monogramming, and for the chance to win your own personalized Jord bag. 

Non-custom items that are the perfect fit

If monograms and personalized gifts aren't your thing, you can still find perfect gifts for those you love that are perfect for them. A travel keychain is perfect for those who love to travel. They can purchase new tokens after each trip to keep adding to the gift for years to come. A DNA testing kit can help them find out more about themselves and where they're from. It's an easy gift on your end, but can be absolutely life-changing. Or a birthdate candle can be a great gift - it's a scent customized to a particular day, but it's not something you have to figure out... just pick one and be on your way. 

There are so many ways to find gifts that your loved ones will treasure. You've just got to know a little bit about them and where to look. Looking for something, but not quite sure what it is? Let me know below and I'll be happy to help you find the perfect gift.

Still not sure what to get them? Check out these gift guides based on interests:

For the friend who needs some self-care

For the fashionista

For the adventurer

For the sustainability warrior

For the bookworm

For the friend with a new home

For the gamer

For the plant parent

For the parental figures

Want to win a monogrammed luxury vegan cork bag from Jord?

Click here to enter the giveaway - all you need to do is enter your first name and email, and select the bag you like the most. It's that easy! And everyone who submits an entry to win a Jord handbag will receive 40% off their bag purchase and free monogramming - plus standard shipping's always free. 

What are your favorite types of gifts to purchase?

There are items mentioned in this post that I was gifted, however any and all opinions are 100% my own.

PopSugar 2020 Reading Challenge Prompt: None used

Other PS 2020 reading prompts this would satisfy: A book that's published in 2020

TW: Heavy drug usage, chronic illness, violence, racism, abduction



I wasn't quite sure what to expect from Road Seven. I mean, the synopsis sounded interesting enough, but I wasn't sure if I was getting into a fantasy book or some kind of crime novel, and honestly the book is quite the mix of both. This genre-bending novel is marketed as magical realism, fantasy, and literary fiction. This was my first time reading Rosson, and I was impressed.


Summary: Road Seven follows disgraced cryptozoologist Mark Sandoval—resolutely arrogant, covered head to foot in precise geometric scarring, and still marginally famous after Hollywood made an Oscar-winner based off his memoir years before—who has been strongly advised by his lawyer to leave the country following a drunken and potentially fatal hit and run. When a woman sends Sandoval grainy footage of what appears to be a unicorn, he quickly hires an assistant and the two head off to the woman's farm in Hvíldarland, a tiny, remote island off the coast of Iceland. When they arrive on the island and discover that both a military base and the surrounding álagablettur, the nearby woods, are teeming with strangeness and secrets, they begin to realize that a supposed unicorn sighting is the least of their worries. Road Seven will mark the third of Rosson’s novels to be published by Meerkat Press. 





This book is a pretty wild ride. It's part The Anomaly, part A Million Little Pieces, part How Not to Die Alone - all books I thoroughly enjoyed. The characters, while not necessarily likable or incredibly easy to connect with, are interesting enough, and their stories are enough to pull you in.

The novel is broken down into sections, with smaller chapters within each section. And the sections are divided up between Brian (the main character) and Mark (the cryptozoologist). The majority of sections are given to Brian, who is definitely the protagonist in the story, and Mark is, well, Mark - he's arrogant and eccentric, to say the least. I particularly loved Karla and her children - they were the funkiest little family, and I found them to be just perfect.

I found that the perspectives of story-telling were odd throughout the book. I found myself wishing that the story was being told in first person from Brian's POV, and one of the sections in the book is. But the other sections are third person for Brian or Mark. I'm not sure of the intention behind this (as I definitely believe is was done purposely), but I'm not much of an analyst when it comes to literature. I just enjoy reading for pleasure, so you won't find any analysis here.

I also found that while, the majority of the time, Rosson's writing was eloquent and fairly poetic, there was a lot of repetitive language in terms of verb usage that felt kind of lazy and repetitive. It irked me. I also found myself Googling a lot of words that were used in the book that I'm not sure if they're slang or what - but those words just didn't make sense to me (and some Google hadn't even heard of). So that was confusing, but ignorable in terms of the greater writing and story-telling. I did definitely enjoy the book.

Lastly, I found that the big climatic part of the ending fell flat for me. I mean there was a lot of things happening that actually shocked me. But there was really this huge buildup to something that wasn't even fully presented to the reader and that felt so pretentious. Again, maybe this was some of that literary fiction coming out (which I usually find to fall flat for me), and maybe it was to be left to the reader's imagination, but it disappointed me.





Overall, I actually really liked this book. It was equal parts enthralling, mysterious, and fantastical, with just a little bit of non-romantic love sprinkled in. The book was smart (maybe a bit too smart for me at times), full of dry humor, and intriguing. I think I would enjoy reading more from Rosson in the future.

And PS - the book and movies are not real life. I was on a mission to find this Long Way Home movie starring Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman.  Though there is a documentary called The Long Way Home that Morgan Freeman happens to narrate, so don't let that one fool you.



Goodreads rating: ★★★★☆







a Rafflecopter giveaway







*Thanks so much to Meerkat Press for allowing me to be a part of this blog tour. All opinions are my own. 

Dental care seems to always get thrown to the wayside, right? But it's so critical, and over the past couple of years I've been doing more to up the ante. I had a pretty traumatic bike wreck at nine which chipped several teeth and broke one in half. Between nine and 17, I had some temporary work done - a temporary filling, a pulpotomy (basically half a root canal), etc. But it wasn't until a couple of years ago, once I had my own, good insurance did I start really working on my teeth.



I went in for the full root canal on the pulpotomied tooth a couple of years ago, and ended up getting it extracted because it had a few too many issues (from a bike I had almost 20 years ago!). I had all four of my wisdom teeth removed last year (one of which was in my sinus cavity, yikes!). And recently had an implant installed where the extracted pulpotomy tooth had been. I'll have to go back for the crown in several months. And though those big dental procedures were a huge step for me, it's also important to remember day-to-day tooth care, like flossing and brushing.








So I was incredibly excited when SmileBrilliant reached out to partner on this post to talk about their new cariPRO Ultrasonic electronic toothbrush. About a year and a half ago, I partnered with SmileBrilliant to talk about their fantastic whitening kits and my experience with them. So, I basically jumped at the chance to work with them again.









I've been using the toothbrush for about a month, and it's honest to goodness the most effective at-home toothbrush I've ever used. There are five modes: clean, white, massage, gum care, and sensitive. I gave all five a try and clean is my favorite, for sure - it leaves my teeth feeling like I just left the dentist's office. Color me impressed, however, for the past couple of weeks, I've been working on the sensitive setting after getting the implant put in, and that's been working nicely. It's been super gentle on my teeth while still giving me a good clean. My teeth feel so clean! The cariPRO electronic toothbrush whitens teeth, removes plaque and increases gum health, and if you don't love it after 60 days (why wouldn't you?), you can return it for free. Check out more FAQs about SmileBrilliant and the cariPRO electronic toothbrush here.









This is my first experience with an electric toothbrush, as far as I can remember. I've been using pretty standard toothbrushes since I've been an adult. I think I tried one of the type you can just buy at the store with the little round brush head, maybe as a teenager, but I don't feel any kind of remembrance of how well it worked - nothing to write home about, I'd say. But I've really enjoyed this experience with the SmileBrilliant cariPRO Ultrasonic electronic toothbrush so far. My favorite thing is that every 30 seconds, the toothbrush will pause momentarily to have me move between the four quadrants in my mouth - after two minutes, it automatically shuts off. I've always hated brushing my teeth, seriously, but this makes it much easier. I swear, I know this sounds like I'm just talking this toothbrush up, but it's really cool. (Even hubby thinks it's awesome and he hasn't even used it, because obviously we don't share a toothbrush.) Your starter pack includes the toothbrush handle, the charging base, and two premium brush heads.








My nighttime routine has become infinitely easier (granted, it could always be easier - I really need a better skincare routine). I'm a shower-at-night kind of girl, but I only wash my hair twice a week, using a customized Formulate haircare set, so I don't have to worry about styling or drying my hair before bed (I am so low maintenance, I swear). Lately, I've been using coconut oil to remove any eye makeup (I swear my lashes are healthier and longer), then using skincare wipes to cleanse my face, then brushing my teeth. I may use a face mask at that point, and dab some petroleum jelly on my lips before hopping into bed. But the two-minute power mode is fantastic and makes sure I get a full clean in just the right amount of time.











Sold yet?




Use code apaperarrowtb20 for 20% your SmileBrilliant cariPRO Ultrasonic electronic toothbrush, or click here to enter my giveaway for a free starter kit!



electric toothbrush reviews


I'm incredibly excited to feel more confident in my smile and my oral hygiene. I don't want to end up with periodontal disease or too many issues with my teeth, because then a whole slew of problems would follow. SmileBrilliant makes me feel good and safe when it comes to my dental health, and I absolutely encourage you to try it, too!













*This post is in partnership with SmileBrilliant. I did not receive monetary compensation for this post, however, I did receive a complimentary cariPRO Ultrasonic electronic toothbrush kit. 

Who knows if I'll ever stop changing my hair every few months, but I have been feeling ultra-glam lately because I can't stop getting compliments on my hair. Seriously, ladies have been showering me with compliments every day I've left my house for the past two weeks.

I went in for a chop recently (the raggedy, faded blue/green is GONE!), then did an at-home hair color using the new Garnier Olia in dark rose quartz. Now the effect is incredibly subtle because my natural color is pretty dark brown (see below for before and afters). But since then I've been getting compliments for both the cut and the color. So I am really feeling this look. Seriously, the reactions are out of this world. I would have loved a more in-your-face rose gold type coloring, but I couldn't totally expect that with how dark my natural color is.




*Thanks to BzzAgent for providing this hair color in exchange for an honest review. 





I think my next chop, I may stick with my natural color. It's honestly not so bad, though I do really appreciate the leftover blonde balayage, too. I enjoy my hair being long, but something about the choppy bob has been pretty exhilarating, so I'm super happy with it for now. But will I ever just be thrilled with my hair (especially with how fine and flat it is - thank god for dry shampoo).

PS. The shadow in the after picture makes my hair look pretty funky and splotchy, but it does look so much more seamless IRL.






I've also been continuously using my Formulate shampoo + conditioner set for a few months now and it's really made a difference in my hair. I am seeing a lot more oil buildup quicker with the short cut, so I've got to get through that somehow. But don't forget to enter the giveaway here! 

*Thanks to Formulate for providing me with a free customized kit to try and for partnering on this giveaway!

Does anyone else feel like if they're hair looks good, they look/feel good? I am constantly trying to make my hair work for me, whether it's adding bangs, dying it a fun color, or figuring out how to add just the right amount of curls. I've always struggled with my hair, for many reasons, including:


-greasy roots

-fine hair

-split ends

-humidity/frizz (I live in Georgia, what can I expect?)



And though I use shampoos and conditioners that claim to help with those problems, usually they'll only combat one or two, and also should be combined with styling products. Let me tell you - one of the only styling products I ever use is dry shampoo. It's very rare I'll use other products (occasionally flat iron spray, and do I even own hairspray?).


Luckily, Formulate engineers customized shampoo and conditioners for each of their customers and it's honestly such an easy process. First I filled out a quick survey about my haircare needs, talked about my location (it checks the weather/humidity!), and just a couple of weeks later, I had a new shampoo and conditioner set at my door. And you can win your own customized set (totally free, including free shipping) by entering my giveaway below!

Formulate's products are preservative free, sulfate free, paraben free, and cruelty free. And they guarantee satisfaction. I worked with Caroline throughout my entire process and she was so kind and helpful! She also let me know that it takes (on average) three formulas before finding perfection. There's a free app to install (I know, another app - but it's easy-to-use!), and you can input your thoughts and feedback, plus receive coins towards purchases  by posting on social media and sharing with friends! Using the app and sharing feedback is the best way to find the best formula for you.











I really love that I get to customize so much about my shampoo & conditioner set, down to the scent and how strong the scent it. I'm really loving the strong Verdant scent - it matches me perfectly and smells so relaxing.







I'd say my biggest complaints are that the conditioner is not as thick as I'm used to, so it took some getting used to when applying it to my hair because it would run out of my hand - not to mention neither the shampoo or conditioner get very sudsy, which I've heard is actually a good thing. It was just weird getting used to that. I also feel like I'm having to wash a little bit more often, because my hair is getting dirtier faster. I may have to retrain it to be able to get back to two washes a week without it looking pretty gross after two days.


I honestly felt like I saw results after my very first wash, but from what I understand, that's not typical. Check out my results over the last couple of weeks and see if you visually notice I difference. I sure do. *Each of these pictures was taken after an air dry with no additional product or styling (other than brushing).










Be sure to follow along with my full journey in my Instagram story highlights!