Here is what I loved in June! 

1. Candles. The delicious smells, the romantic lighting, the crackle of a wood-wick, what’s not to love? I find that lighting a candle just makes everything better. If I am reading or writing, I love having a candle burning nearby. It sets a peaceful tone and calm atmosphere. A great place to purchase candles in the U.S. is at Ross, TJ Maxx, or Marshalls.
2. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. I have to say, this show it utterly ridiculous but I so enjoy watching it. Co-created by Tina Fey, it is hilarious and the unexpected one-liners will bust you up with laughter. Two seasons are currently available on Netflix, and as they are only 13 episodes in each season, it isn’t too much of an investment. The 30-minutes episodes are a great way to decompress after work or treat yo’ self to a little laughter before bed. I recommend going into the first episode with an open mindset because it is definitely out there!
3. S’well Water Bottles.I am a hydration freak and love to do what I can to help out the environment by opting for reusable bottles instead of plastic whenever possible. Enter the S’Well bottle. I was given this bad boy in a swag bag at an event for the Berggruen Institute and have been loving it. With LA temperatures reaching a height of 108˚F in June, this baby was a life savior. I filled it with cold water before leaving to run errands and left it in my car. When I returned, my car registered 122˚F and the water in bottle was still perfectly cool and crisp. And, although I haven’t personally tested it, the insulating power extends to hot beverages as well. There are tons of fun patterns and designs on their website and you can custom order your own for branding events like the one I attended. Fair warning, they come with a steep price tag. Starting at $35 for a small sizes of the simpler designs, you are shelling out to sip in style. For a more affordable option, try the offshoot Sip by S’well sold only at Target.
4. Delsey Suitcase. As you can probably tell by the picture, this suitcase has been around the world and back…a few times. I purchased this carry-on sized luggage so many years ago they don’t even sell it any more. But there are plenty of current options on their website. This was a great investment piece because it has proven to be very durable and secure over my many travels. What made things even better is that I purchased it from Marshalls or TJ Maxx at a discounted price! I recently put this suitcase to the ultimate test by packing it up with enough stuff for two-weeks in Europe. Yep, you heard me right, I took a carry-on to Europe for half a month. You can see how it preformed here.
5. The Diva Cup. How did I go 10 years in life thinking tampons and pads were the only options? Enter the menstrual cup (MC). After learning about this product in Ingrid Nilsen’s YouTube video, I decided to test this method for myself. The Diva Cup is a period game-changer. Made of medical-grade silicone, the MC sits inside and collects your flow. Unlike tampons where you have to be concerned with Toxic Shock Syndrome, a MC is safe for up to 12-hours. Since a MC is reusable (it comes with a pouch to store it in), you will no longer have to spend your hard-earned cash on something that you literally throw away. It is great for travel because you use the same product for the entirety of your cycle, which allows you to cut down on space in your suitcase that would otherwise be devoted to tampons or pads. A MC is also extremely environmentally friendly. One tampon involves a wrapper, a cardboard or plastic applicator, and the tampon itself. Not to mention the box it came in and the printed safety instructions. When you are going through 3 to 7 of these bad boys a day for a week straight 12 times a year for an average of 42 years, that is a lot of waste generation. A MC is also odor-less, extremely comfortable, and completely invisible (swimmers, take note). Be sure that you are comfortable getting up close and personal with your body for insertion and removal. As the Brits would say, this product is bloody fantastic! (Too soon for period puns?)

#sorrynotsorry for getting personal at the end there, but honestly, periods are completely natural and I would be doing my sex a disservice if I filtered my blog content to talk about more socially “acceptable” favorites. Periods are part of everyday life for women and men so I though I would share a product that has made my monthly cycle much more pleasant. I mean, who doesn’t want the women in their life to be happier during that time of the month? I hope you enjoyed my monthly roundup.

-TM

What were your favorites for June? Let us know below.