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Where did July go? This month was crazy busy. We had holidays and birthdays and dinner parties. We hauled hay and I had the saddle fitter come widen my saddle to better fit Deets who is all grown up now. I don’t think my list of July favorites is as extensive as last month’s… I might have been saving up some of those for awhile!
Maya Delores Breeches
Maya Delores breeches. I love the compression style. They’re the perfect amount of compression so you don’t feel like you’re wearing leggings, but not so much that you can’t breathe (Who likes the ones that cut off your oxygen? Seriously). I love the Gretha, which they describe as a mauve beige color. I would call it more of a purple-grey, but they don’t ask me when they’re naming the colors. Shocking….
I find them to be a good amount of sticky on the seat without feeling like you’re super glued to your saddle. I’m wearing them 2-3 times between washes. They wash well and I haven’t had any issues with stains setting.
Breeches are expensive. I think the more expensive ones are better quality and last longer. You can buy less expensive options, but these check all the boxes for me. There’s definitely another pair in my future. If you read my Capsule Wardrobe post, you know I’m debating between black and olive for my next pair.
Windchase Stables
While we’re talking about horses, one of my favorite things this month has been Windchase Stables. It’s a new boarding facility and arena in Laramie. The facility isn’t new, but it has new owners and they’re doing so much to improve it. When it went on the market a few years ago, the then owners closed the barn and I had to find another place to ride. I haven’t had a good indoor arena and horse community for the last few years, and I missed it. I love having my horses at home, but the downside is that it’s easy to isolate yourself. I’ve been enjoying being able to haul Deets up to the arena, which is only about 5 minutes from my house. There’s a great arena to ride in and people I enjoy to talk horsey things with. I’ve found my excitement and commitment have been restored being at Windchase.
Sunscreen
Do you wear sunscreen daily? You should. I got on the sunscreen train about 10 years ago, and I wish I had been better for my whole life. There’s nothing more important in our anti-aging quest than sunscreen. But sunscreen is hard. It’s greasy or white or thick or any number of other complaints. I don’t ride outside and I try to be really conscious of my sun exposure but that’s always competing against the struggles of using sunscreen. But, about a year ago I found Pavise. My esthetician at Aquaeous discovered this brand and got me hooked on it. It’s a bit pricey, but it doubles as a moisturizer and primer as well as an awesome sunscreen (plus they have refills). The best part in my mind is that you don’t have to worry about the ¼ tsp rule because it has some magical technology that works with less product (just go read about it because I’ll never be able to explain what’s happening). A close second on the best spectrum is that it has absolutely no white cast and it’s an all mineral sunscreen with 15% zinc.
Concealer
Another beauty product I’ve rediscovered this month is the Sisley under eye concealer. I’ve had it for awhile and have used it off and on. As my under eyes age and get more crepey, the quest for a concealer becomes harder. This concealer is wonderfully smoothing and thin with decent coverage (I still have to use a corrector for my dark circles). In the past, I thought there wasn’t an option light enough for me, but Shade 1 actually works well right now when I have a tiny bit of color. I’m also finding that I do better with less contrast between my under eyes and my face. We’ll see if it still works when I get pale and ghostly in the winter because it has a fairly strong pink/peach undertone.
Sourdough
Lastly, Sourdough Explained on Instagram is great. She has a couple of good pdfs that are very detailed and give a lot of good information. They’re $10 each and well worth the money. I’m still struggling with my sourdough and am actually thinking of doing a one-on-one just to figure out what I’m doing wrong. The bread I’m making is good, but I just feel like it’s not where it should be.
I don’t know about you, but summer is flying by. I’ve been watching the Olympic equestrian events – mostly on replay because of the time difference. And I’ve been riding in the mornings because it’s been so hot that I feel bad riding after work. Between those two things, I don’t feel like I’m getting anything else done. How was your July? What are you loving? Anything fun planned for August?
Stephanie
photo courtesy of Aaron Burden via Upsplash
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