June was a hot mess of assorted kitty shenanigans and related madness. Managing the situation has become a full-time job. We have three teenagers in the house who all want to be an Only FurChild, and they dislike each other in various permutations that I will not bother to compute.

Apropos of that, it’s been over three weeks since I’ve made significant progress on my main writing project, meaning, I’ve hardly touched it. The Keeping of the Feline Peace has precluded sitting down to focus. I’m still writing here in TALC, obviously, and I’m continuing with the haiku – I’ve written three more sets of four, and I’m working on a fourth – though I’ve decided not to publish them here anymore.

All of that aside, life has been dandy. If you want to know which little things caught my fancy in June, keep reading!

 

1). Wayward Pines (T.V. series) – Season 1

 

 

Note that I specified Season 1. We started Season 2, but… we just couldn’t. Wayward Pines is a mystery quietly seeded in horror, initially holding our attention enough that we kept at it. We got hooked as the story took shape into something we weren’t expecting. The finale concluded the whole thing for us so well that when we started Season 2, it felt like a different story altogether, and we just weren’t interested anymore. The intrigue that made Season 1 delectable was gone. And that’s okay.

 

2). The Fear of 13 (film/documentary)

 

 

I happened upon this film on Netflix one day, and I had no idea what it was about when I hit play… I didn’t even know that it was a documentary, and my favorite kind, at that (biographical). The Fear of 13 drew me into its story by way of Mr. Yarris’ gift of storytelling, and it left me without words. I still have no words. This film is a beautiful work of art, and a powerful one.

 

Moving on to food:

3). Goldminer California sourdough bread.

 

 

I’ve said before that pretty much the only thing I miss about the Bay Area is the sourdough. I always cycle back around to this kind of bread. There’s no such thing as Boudin’s here in Arizona, so I get Goldminer’s, instead. It’s almost as good.

I’m also still enjoying Eureka! Seeds the Day bread. I like toasted sourdough with non-dairy buttery spread, and Seeds the Day with peanut butter and jelly, or just peanut butter. I ate those two things every day throughout June, and I’m still eating them. Bread, it is life.

 

4). Smart Balance Original dairy-free/imitation butter.

 

 

I used to eat Smart Balance. Then I started eating Earth Balance because it was a shiny new discovery, and I forgot about SB. A few weeks ago, we went to get groceries from a different place than usual, and they didn’t have EB. They had SB. We grabbed it. Thus, I was reminded of the deliciousness of SB. Why didn’t I go back to it sooner? Habits! I’d still use EB sticks for baking, though. EB is marvelous in place of butter in baked goods.

 

5). Trader Joe’s Thai vegetable gyoza.

 

 

Here’s another thing I used to eat a lot, then stopped and forgot that it existed. Trader Joe’s does a few things I love, including their Thai vegetable gyoza (in the frozen section). We enjoy this high-sodium, processed bad/goodness with coconut aminos and Sriracha sauce, and we usually have brown rice and broccoli on the side… but we’ve been known to eat it plain, too. These gyoza are great hot or cold.

Since I’m a perfect wife, I’ll often slave over a microwave for four whole minutes so I can pack a container of cold gyoza for Callaghan’s lunch the next day. He loves it.

 

Moving out of food into the material:

6). New glasses.

 

 

It’s unlikely that I’d have tried such large glasses frames if they hadn’t fallen into my lap by accident. (The lab put my lenses into the wrong frames that you see here.) These are super lightweight and comfortable to where I sometimes forget that I’m wearing them. The best part, of course, is that the prescription is correct.

Moving on further to beauty products. It’s been a while, but a few weeks ago I wandered onto e.l.f.’s website and found some items I hadn’t seen before. Good move!

 

7). e.l.f. Daily Hydration Moisturizer.

 

 

Oh, how I’ve been loving this moisturizer! I haven’t used moisturizer during the day in over a year. This one is fantastic, and my sunscreen goes on smoother when I put it over top. I can’t say enough about e.l.f. with its high-quality, cruelty-free, CHEAP and extensive line of products.

This moisturizer rivals Clinique’s classic one (in the yellow bottle) that I’d used years ago… and it only costs $8.00. EIGHT.

 

8). e.l.f. Beautifully Bare Foundation Serum (Fair/Light).

 

 

Again, only $8.00 for a product that could easily pass for high-end. This foundation serum by e.l.f. goes on as a liquid, glides into your skin feeling like face primer, and finishes like a fine powder. I apply it sparingly with my fingers, which is tricky at first because it’s so liquidy… but I got the hang of it quickly. I start with a light coat and then build it up a little where I feel I want more coverage. Somehow, this serum evens out your skin tone while looking like you’re wearing nothing. (See my New Glasses pic above.)

 

9). e.l.f. Everyday Smoky Eyeshadow Palette.

 

 

Here’s a palette containing 10 high-quality, good-size eyeshadows for $10.00. (Yes. TEN.) I’m generally not a person who goes for makeup palettes, because when I do, I want to be able/willing to use it all… I won’t spend money on a palette only to use two shades. This one is cheap, and I’ll use every shade. The eyeshadows are silky and buildable, and you can apply them dry or with a damp brush to intensify the color.

 

10). e.l.f. 3-in-1 Mascara (Very Black).

 

 

This is my new favorite mascara. My former favorite mascara was also from e.l.f., and I had doubts as I chose a different one this time. I’m so glad that I went for it! This lengthening, thickening, wetter formula mascara costs $3.00. THREE.

I used a high-end mascara one time a long time ago, and I can’t even remember why I bought it. It was from Dior. I regretted the pricey purchase when it turned out that I liked my go-to Revlon mascara better. Over the years, I’ve tried Revlon, L’Oreal, and Maybelline mascaras… and then I went cruelty-free. Now I prefer e.l.f. mascaras over all of them.

Did I mention that I can’t say enough about e.l.f.?

La Fin… this concludes my list of favorite things from June!