Featuring two small Louisville-area businesses for your Small Business Saturday support!
Away Weekender– While I don’t consider B and I to be globe trotters at all, we do tend to travel quite a bit. From regional baseball tournaments for him, driving a triangle around the midwest a few times a year to visit family and the Chicago skyline, and our two-week West Coast visit each fall, we find ourselves on a plane at least twice annually, and when we’re road tripping, we tend to cram as much into the car as possible. This year, we finally bit the bullet and chose to replace our old, beat up Coach luggage from over a decade ago with something lighter weight. Enter luggage from Away. We knew that hard-sided suitcases were a must, but I bought their Weekender duffel on a whim, and broke it in while packing for California this year. I am completely blown away by how much fits into this little bag- it opens like a suitcase (folding open like a book, rather than unzipping across the top), allowing for maximum space usage and visibility.
Kindle– Woof. Ok. I never thought I’d say this, but this thing was a life saver. A girlfriend reached out as I was packing for our two weeks in California to poke a little fun at the 9 (!!) books I was trying to cram into my suitcase. She understood my want to turn an actual page, but suggested that maybe, just maybe a Kindle would be best for travel. And, she was right (thanks, Breanna!). I bought a sage green version with a matching cover. This little dude is lightweight, easy to read (even in the scorching desert sun), has great battery life, and took my number of “real” books on vacation down to 1. Which meant a lot more open space in that Away duffel for ridiculous things… like a ballgown.
Xirena Andrea dress– I kept seeing this dress pop up in my instagram feeds, so prior to our summer travels, gave in and bought the Aqua Grey color. The gauzy material is lightweight, so it has a beautiful movement, but the long sleeves kept me warm when worn on a plane or to the office. I’ve paired this with city sneakers or leather mules when traveling, and have worn it to the office with a little dressier jewelry and heels, and received compliments both ways. It’s not a cheap clothing item, but I’ve counted 10 or so wears already since buying in July, so decided to dive in and buy the navy version (a color that Xirena calls “North Star”) as well.
Mike’s Carwash Subscription– As a Realtor, I’m constantly having clients in and out of my car on a sometimes daily basis, and cannot stand for them to open the door and get in when there’s a layer of pollen on the outside and random strands of my hair or empty water bottles on the inside. My partner, Keith, kept telling me about his carwash subscription, and one day this summer, after a particularly heavy pollen drop, I drove into Mike’s on the way home from the gym. They have different levels of memberships, starting at $39 per month, but seem to run promotions pretty often. I ended up with their highest wash level for $29 per month during a promotion- a deal I thought was so great, I drove home, grabbed Bryan’s car, and took it in for the same membership deal. Now, I’m a steady Tuesday and Saturday washer, and Hugo (my car) stays sparkling clean. Mike’s are local to the Louisville and Cincinnati areas.
Tempurpedic Mattress– This one was a biggie, both in terms of price as well as in terms of all of the discussion surrounding it… Bryan had complained for years that our mattress needed replacing, but being both contrary and an incredibly sound and hard sleeper, I didn’t quite understand what the fuss was about. Finally, after he continued to wake up in pain, we went to see a client of mine who sells bedding. After laying on a few things in the store, we finally settled on a Tempurpedic mattress. It’s the Tempur-Breeze, which helps cool my menopausal body every night. At the encouragement of a friend, we also decided to try an adjustable base- something I never thought I’d have in my house. But- Bryan seems to be waking up easier, and the base can be set to something called “Zero G,” which I’ve found is perfect for reading at night.
Goldtouch cake pans– I grew up with a grandma who cut out wax paper in perfect circles to fit into the bottom of her cake pans. Her pans were older, not non-stick, and came with a little release lever that twirled around to loosen the sides of the cake. They worked just fine, and I kept them for years, but finally knew they needed replacing and tried the Goldtouch pans. I’ve never been more surprised! As much as I bake, cakes just slide right out without fuss, and while I’m still in the habit of lining the bottoms, there never seems to be a crumb left on the sides. I’m anxious to see how these hold up over the holiday season, but so far, everything from Italian cream cake to sticky cinnamon rolls have slid out without any effort.
Sonicare Toothbrush– we were a Quip toothbrush household for quite a while, but I found that they just weren’t getting me as clean as I wanted. At my dental hygienist’s suggestion, we nabbed a Sonicare this spring when Target had them marked down. I’ve have two dental cleanings since and have been told that I’m cleaner than I’ve ever been, which is something I love hearing- “No cavities!”
Fresh Flower Subscription– Now, I know that this is an in-Louisville only offering, but I kept telling Bailey down at Bloomed Roots that eventually, I was going to sign myself up for her flower subscription. You have the option of bi-weekly or once a month at a discount for her crew to deliver fresh, gorgeous flowers to your door! I was able to press pause in September when we were traveling, and for November, she moved my delivery from early month to the week of Thanksgiving so that I could have a stunning arrangement on my dining table. Her “posey” size (which is what I get, but do NOT use my Thanksgiving arrangement as a size marker) is just perfect for my living room coffee table, and at less than $60 before delivery, it’s seriously money well spent.
** this post is not sponsored in any way. all thoughts and opinions are my own **
