Several months back, I purchased a couple of adorable lamps for the kitchen since it doesn’t have undercabinet lighting. Actually, it has a couple of fluorescent lights in each corner, but even after changing out the flashing/blinking tubes, they still do not work. One of my goals for this year is to add undercabinet lighting to this kitchen, but as a make-do for now, I added a couple of cute lamps. I’ve always liked having a lamp in the kitchen anyway. I like the ambiance it creates for what’s mostly a utilitarian space in our homes, but in this case, it’s super helpful in the evening when I come downstairs for water or something from the fridge, and I don’t want to turn on the bright, overhead lighting.
I liked the lamp I ordered so much, once it arrived, I immediately ordered another one for the Butler’s Pantry. (If you could use a small lamp on a bookshelf, console, or in your kitchen, this one is still available here: Small Table Lamp with Gingham Pleated Sheet. So there’s more to this lamp tale, but while we’re here, if you’re looking for a way to beat the summer heat, get yourself a “frozen concoction maker.” Love this thing for making frozen drinks and slushies all summer long! I miss Jimmy Buffett, but at least we still have his music to enjoy. Did you know there’s a whole dedicated SiriusXM channel for his music? I enjoy listening to it when I’m out running errands. (Frozen concoction maker available here: Frozen Concoction Maker for Summer Gatherings.)
If you’ve been reading BNOTP for a while, you know that lamps are one of my favorite things in the world! If it weren’t for lamps, we’d be stuck having to use unflattering (for us and our interiors), glaring overhead lighting in every room of our home. A few months back, I absconded with the fairly large, blue and white light on the console in my office to use in the newly created movie room in the basement.
It looked right at home in this room, so I decided to leave it there for the foreseeable future.
Temporarily, I moved one of the lamps from the kitchen counter to the office console, but I missed having two lamps in the kitchen. After a bit of searching, I think I have found a great replacement lamp for this spot. It’s not too small, not too big, and I love the added texture it brings to this area of the office.
The height and width are perfect for the console.
If you have a spot in your home that could use some extra lighting and you would like to add a bit of texture/interest to that space, you’ll find this lamp available here: Rattan Lamp.
In early spring, I ordered these all-cotton sheets for my bed after a friend recommended them to me. They go beautifully with my bedding and are so comfy that I ordered another set last month. If you’re in need of quality, reasonably priced sheets, you’ll find these on sale in a bunch of different designs/patterns here: Sheets.
Another favorite from last month is this adorable Lego Creator Set that I bought for each of my grandsons while I was back home in Georgia. I always love to bring something back for them when I return to the Dollhouse. They loved it and got to work on creating the cat immediately. They love cats, so I knew that would be a favorite for them. I should have taken a photo of their finished cats to share, they were so cute and amazingly solid/heavy! If you have children or grandchildren who are into Legos, this set is reasonably priced and would make a great gift. You’ll find it available here: LEGO Cat Creator Set.
This dress had to make my favorites list for June. I ended up purchasing it in two colors. I ordered it in several colors because I liked it so much, but in the end, it was the green and bright pink that looked best on me. You’ll find this affordable dress available here: Dress in 12 Colors.
I always wash all my tops, shirts, and dresses by hand because I want them to last and look great for a long time. One thing I find annoying about hot weather during the summertime is how, on the hottest days, you can find yourself sweating after just a few minutes outside. It always bugs me when I have to wash a dress that I’ve only worn once or for a short errand because I got caught outside in the heat while wearing it and got a little sweaty, or should I say, dewy. Ha! Does that sound better? Women don’t sweat, they perspire! 😉
Anyway, what bugs me about this whole thing is that the dress can still be perfectly clean everywhere else, but I still feel like it needs to be washed if I get just a little sweaty in the underarm area. Out of curiosity, I did an online search to see if there was something that could be placed inside a dress to protect the underarm section, and there is! Have you ever used these disposable underarm pads? I had no idea they even existed until I did a search.
I ordered a bunch (they are inexpensive) and I’m quite pleased with how they work. They are thin and easy to add to the underarm section of a dress or shirt. It only takes a minute to place them, and once they are stuck in place, they do not move around. They take up virtually no space, are soft and comfortable, and easy to remove when it’s time to replace them. I can’t even tell they are there when I have them inside a dress or a shirt. If I get a little hot while out running errands, I can remove or replace them once I’m back home. I love how they are saving me from having to wash and iron dresses that aren’t really dirty. These would be great to keep at work, especially if you work in an environment where you go outside from time to time. They would also be a great way to freshen up during the day. The ad describes these as being for women, not sure why, because I think men would enjoy using them, as well. You’ll find them available here: Protective Underarm Sweat Pads.
Another great purchase last month was this jewelry cleaner. It does a fantastic job in just seconds, making gold jewelry sparkle like crazy! I was already familiar with this brand since I have one of their gold jewelry cloths, so I knew they made great products. You’ll find this jewelry cleaner availble here: Connoisseurs Gold and Diamond Jewelry Cleaner.
I noticed today that Talbots has brought back my favorite scalloped shorts! These are a little higher-waisted than the ones I purchased several years back, which I think I would like. Mine still look great, but I’m super tempted to order these while they are on sale. You’ll find them on sale, with another 40% off (in cart) here: Scalloped Hem Shorts.
Hope you found this list of June favorites helpful! Stay comfy and cool this weekend!
WAY!!! franki
🙂
The lamps are perfect in your kitchen. I sure could have used those when I was a teen. Since menopause, I’m just crinkly old leaf.
Wendy
I know what you mean, Wendy!
XXX
I don’t care for overhead lights at all. I learned from another blogger, Beth at Chinoiserie Chic, about using pink incandescent light bulbs, which I purchased and used in certain areas of my house, and I loved them. I do still use LED’s, as I have a large house in CA and the cost of power here is out of sight, so I do anything I can to conserve power and keep my energy bill down. Sadly, the pink incandescents are not available anymore, nor are any incandescent bulbs available, as far as I know, so we are stuck with LED’s, which emit a horrible glare, in my humble opinion. I think the EPA may have loosened it’s restrictions, and incandescents may once again be available, but who knows when. The only solution I can think of in the mean time, is to shade lamps adequately to reduce the blinding glare that LED’s cast.
Try the EcoSmart Soft White bulbs, I find those to be pretty easy on the eyes. An electrician recommended those to me. They are available in Home Depot.
Thank you, Susan.
A friend’s grandmother, that we all called Mama Daisy, told us that horses sweat, men perspire and women glow. Sounds better, doesn’t it?
Ha! I like that! 🙂
Love a lamp in the kitchen – so cozy. Yes – Parrothead here and still miss Jimmy Buffett. His music is fun and moving, too. So sad that we can no longer hear him live in concert. Love the dress…will look for it!
Ann, I miss him, too. Always makes me sad when someone I enjoyed in my college days passes on. I’m sure he is missed by many.
I bought those same sheets in blue floral after you shared them in a previous post. I love them! I’ll be purchasing another set.
“Everything old is new again!” I recall my mother had dress shields. Back then they had to be pinned in place, I think you could also pin them to your slip if the armhole was high enough, to avoid damaging the dress or blouse fabric.
I’m so glad these don’t have to be pinned. It would have to be a really fancy, expensive dress to make it worth all that pinning. These shields are so easy to apply and remove—a huge improvement over the old system. Thanks for that perspective, Barb. I didn’t even know dress shield existed back then.