obsessed: summer staples!!

…a few of my fav affordable summer essentials for going from the pool to the rest of life! wait… is there actually more to life than the pool in the summer? 😉 well, just in case there is…

1. v-neck pocket dress – seriously this is like wearing a giant flowy t-shirt! *and* it’s made here in the USA!!! ab. so. lute. summer STAPLE!! i live in these things. shamelessly! there are a million color options, and they are heaven on your body. especially after a day in the sun! oooh, that feeling when you’re freshly showered and lounging… someone’s uncorking the wine… and you convince your child to rub lotion on your legs for you! that’s right. i know exactly what i’m doing.

2. havaianas flip flops – i love having something that i can wear poolside, get wet, trudge through sand, and then throw on a dress and look like i don’t just have ratty old flip flops on…especially when we are traveling! i discovered havaianas in malibu at the end of high school [i seriously remember the moment, and i still have that same pair!], and i’ve been sold ever since! these are the ones that i’m wearing most these day… pretty and practical! a win-win, i tell you!! [also, i just realized this is my third time putting them on an obsessed list. so. guess i mean it!]

3. essie gold nail polish – okay, while i am passionate day and night and in my sleep about cleansing our lives and bodies of as many chemicals as i can… i haven’t tried that many natural polishes, yet… and i definitely haven’t found the perfect healthy nail polish option for me. especially for summer wear. i generally don’t keep my fingers painted [back in college i had acrylics! now, i think back on all the chemicals i was breathing and absorbing just going to those appointments all the time!] but since i absolutely just cannot stand to have bare toes… i’ve stuck with the most simple option! no base coat. no top coat. just a couple of coats of essie. although, i have found that most of my polishes fade and wear off SO quickly when i’m in and out of the pool… but this gold!!! buy me 10 bottles! it goes with all my sandals and outfits [gosh, i love gold], applies SO easily, and stays colorful so much better than my usual pinks. 🙂 so! until i find the answer to a little toe color that doesn’t need reapplication every day… this is hands down my favorite!! golden toes! gild all the everythings forever, amen!!

4. unwind EO blend – copaiba, cedarwood, lime and vanilla…this just smells like summer! it’s a great blend to help you unwind naturally, and it is not photo-sensitive! it will not harm you to go into the sun if you apply it. done and done! i love this stuff when i need to chill out… and if i’m not diffusing, i like to do a little on my wrists or chest or neck!

5. ray-ban aviators – obviously, these are nothing new, but that’s exactly what i love about them!! they make every outfit immediately cooler… so, having these as a classic backup to the comings and goings of trendy sunnies is always a good plan! plus, gender neutch… everyone looks great in them. my dad wore them while we were growing up and always had a pair in his truck… so, when my sister and i finally became aviator wearers [i think she snagged his old pair and i was like wow, those look amazing on you! and now we’re both a couple pairs in!], it felt like such an unexpected rite of passage! am i putting too much meaning on a pair of sunglasses?! um no. because sunglasses are AWESOME.

6. moroccan market tote – to be honest, i’ve been adding this to my shopping cart and then not getting it [because… another tote?!] and then finally i just DID it, because, duh, it’s an essential! a giant market tote. i’ve found myself needing this and not having it for at least the last year!