J’adore #86

I've had a lot of fun the past few months curating for my month Frenchie Finds (see Jan and Feb) and while exploring I've seen and tried lots of non-French products that I am adoring, so I thought it was a good time to do a new edition of my “regular” J'adore. I am not a big shopper, I have to be in the right mood, but it seems like since the holidays there have been plenty of things on my radar. This list is comprised of items that I have purchased, discovered, or have been gifted (which I will indicate) that I really like at the moment. 

Beauty + Fashion

Forever Eye Mask from Dieux Skin

So I am no longer a spring chicken, but I still look pretty young for my age. There seems to be nothing I can do about certain parts looking “old” other than keeping them moisturized. A routine I only developed after living in Phoenix for 2 years, as it was a matter of survival! At least that instilled a good habit I did not have before. When I saw the Forever Eye Mask from Dieux Skin I bought one right away because I am trying to reduce waste in my beauty routine and be more eco-friendly and this reusable sheet mask for my eyes is perfect. The idea is to put on whatever moisturizer you would normally use and then put the eye mask under your eye to “hold in” the cream (or serum, etc.) in place as it is absorbed into the skin. Leave it 10 minutes, rinse, and put it away until the next time. It is vegan, cruelty-free, and comes in sustainable packaging.

Jusu Body Care + Home Cleaning Products

[Gifted] Sometimes good things come out of bad situations. That's the case for Jusu Wellness Inc. which was developed by Bruce Mullen as a result of his wife getting cancer. Ultimately she did end up passing away, but while she was still fighting, the Mullen family began clearing their lives of chemical products. Jusu believes that we are making ourselves sick by ingesting and exposing our bodies to chemicals. I believe it too.  Jusu was born and its mission is to create pure, organic, plant-based products for the body and the home.  

I received a sampling of products to try and I am in love. On the home care side, I've tried the glass and surface cleaner (I have a glass desk and have been using it every week to clean it), all-purpose cleaner which I've used on my kitchen counters, and dishwashing soap that has lemongrass and basil essential oils which I appreciate when I am washing pots and pans every evening. On the body care side, I absolutely cannot get enough of the eucalyptus mint body lotion and hand soap. I love the scent because it is a good scent but it also evokes so many memories! Whenever I smell eucalyptus I am immediately transported to Highway 1 and the drive from San Francisco to Monterrey. You know when you see the strip of eucalyptus trees and breathe in the first breathes of that earthy scent that you are getting close to Monterey, and Monterey County holds a special place in my heart. 

Feminist Goods Co

Not saying North Carolina feels like home yet, but I am always up for supporting a local gal and I love the hats from Charlotte-based Lauren Harbury of Feminist Goods Co now available on Madewell. Her products celebrate women and positivity and she donates 10 percent of her annual proceeds to charitable organizations. I cannot decide between the Resilient and Show Up baseball caps but I do know I want the “Wake the heck up” coffee mug!

Working from Home

Book: Working from Home with a Cat

I have worked remotely for nearly 4 years now, but many of my colleagues were forced to do so this past year. Over the past 12 months, I have seen my fair share of cats, dogs, and children interrupting conference calls and it never gets old! I had to giggle when I saw this book, Working from Home with a Cat from Heidi Moreno. Although my own cat Jessica has been gone a while now, I can still imagine that she would have done some of the same things to me while working from that are described in this lovely book! 

Good Luck Coffee Mug

I have lots of video call meeting with my colleagues and teammates. I tried to make it fun. I have a letter board on the wall behind me that you can see on the video. I change the messages to keep things interesting. I wear t-shirts with fun sayings etc. I love this “good luck finding coworkers better than us” travel mug from Society 6, I wish I had seen it before the holidays as I think I would have bought them for my teammates! I want to get this and drink coffee on my conference call and see if anyone notices! 

Plan B Basic Pouch

I truly am a sucker for organizational products, especially if they have a cool design. Based on my personal experience while traveling, I feel like Japan and South Korea have the coolest products. I never missed visiting the Muji store in Tokyo on my business trips and was absolutely thrilled when they opened a store in San Francisco just around the corner from my office. After leaving the Bay Area to RV and then being in the Phoenix area where I didn't have access to that store, I cut way down on buying organizational products. But then I accidentally discovered Mochi Things and I am in trouble again! I've already picked up this Plan B Basic Pouch in retro blue and have my eye on building out a felt mini-board as they have my “blog” colors and I think that would be an awesome background on videos! I will most definitely have to limit my visits to Mochi Things!

For the Kids

I don't usually share a lot of kids' stuff. I don't have kids or friends with kids and my nieces are adults. But I've seen some interesting things that piqued my interest and I thought I would share them!

Red Hat Co.Lab Farm Kit

Open source projects and technology are community-driven and open to everyone. It is a different approach to technology and I feel like it is the future (I may be biased, disclosure: I work for Red Hat.). Getting kids involved in our future particularly around food and farming is something I am interested in and I think the Red Hat Co.Lab Farm Kit is a great way to combine open-source technology and farming. There is a robot kit too, but I am partial to anything that has to do with food and food production! 

Spring Children's Books from Prestel Jr

[Gifted] Those nieces I mentioned above. If you asked them, they'd tell you I was the aunt that always sent the travel or culture gifts. Now they'd tell you I am a terrible aunt that never remembers their birthdays, holidays, etc. but when I did send gifts I tried to send them books (and sometimes toys) that inspired travel. I love the idea of taking kids around the world introducing them to cultures and places that they may or may not visit in the future. My sister and I were total bookworms and I loved “exploring” the world through this lens. Given the state of the world at the moment, it is one of the only ways children can travel, so please encourage them by checking out these beautifully illustrated children's books from Prestel Jr.

Mona Lisa in New York

In Mona Lisa in New York by Yevgenia Nayberg (out March 9, 2021!) you'll find Mona Lisa (who apparently was tired of Paris and wanted to explore!) as a tourist who experiences New York City for the first time. She meets an interesting resident, Tag, from Brooklyn who takes her around the Big Apple helping her to find art, love, and inspiration in unexpected places. 

Great Rivers of the World

Rivers are fascinating living beings that have tons of history! In Great Rivers of the World by Volker Mehnert and illustrated by Martin Haake (out March 23, 2021!), kids have the opportunity to learn about rivers through geography, history, and culture. I was a little sad to see no mention of the Seine or other river in France (except a small mention with the Rhine) but still learned a lot from this book!

Antarctica: A Continent of Wonder

Antarctica is on the Misadventures bucket list and I am fascinated by everything there is to learn about it. In Antarctica: A Continent of Wonder by Mario Cuesta Hernando and illustrated by Raquel Martín (out March 20, 2021!), we join scientists on a journey to Antarctica. I have watched many documentaries on this area of the world (Mr. Misadventures and I have often fantasized about volunteering to work in a research station there) and I still learned a few things in this book!

Get Spacey

This is a continuation of kids' stuff, but also non-kid space-themed items. I have been eyeing some of these for my office!

Planet Mobile

A colleague of mine just had a baby and she had the most adorable farm theme for her nursery. That me thinking about what I would have done for a nursery. No kids or grandkids in my future, but we all have to entertain ourselves somehow! For a girl, it would have been French, bien sûr, but for a little boy, I think I would have gone with space/astronauts. I love this felt (I seem to have a thing for felt at the moment) wool planet mobile from West Elm. I like the colors, the natural fabric, and the fact that it is fair trade.

The Clever Clove

Of course, girls can be astronauts too! That's why I love the pins from The Clever Clove which show Henrietta the Hedgehog doing all sorts of non-traditionally female roles like science and space. I think my nieces would have liked these. I suspect your daughters and nieces would too. NOTE: The astronaut is sold out at the moment!

Where to Buy: On The Clever Clove website or her Etsy store. 

Animal Astronaut Night Light

We have a certain someone in the house that doesn't see terribly well at night. To remedy that, we have highlights strategically placed everywhere. And while they are certainly functional, they are a bit boring. Was thinking that a certain someone who has said problem might get a kick out of these animal astronaut night lights from Apollo, in particular the bear! What do you think? 

Mini Astronaut Swing

For some reason, I want one of these mini astronaut swings from Blue Rove for either my coffee table or desk. I think they are really cute, in particular the swing.  There is something whimsical about young astronauts doing childlike things such as swinging!

Camping + Outdoors

TP Kits

[Gifted] I am a marketer by trade so I really appreciate it when a brand does an excellent job at marketing a “difficult” product. Case in point. TP Kits. Anybody who has camped, hiked, heck, road-tripped through certain states will have a TP horror story (and if you want a good laugh, check out some of the TP Stories on the TP Kits site!) But in all seriousness, this is a reality, and I love the simple, well-designed, 100% biodegradable kits with toilet paper and sanitizing wipes. They are essential for all your (mis)adventures. Keep some in your backpack, day pack, glove compartment, laptop bag (you never know…) anywhere that nature calls.

We are very often in spots without facilities (like Alligator River or Pungo) and these kits have certainly come in handy! Save the leaves! [Buy direct online, on Amazon, or at REI.]

Puffy Blankets

We have plenty of camping gear in the Misadventures household and we do have cold weather sleeping bags and extra insulation that fits inside our Tepui tent, but an extra blanket when temps are freezing never hurt anyone, especially when they are as cool looking as the Puffy Blankets from Rumpl. The beautiful navy with red trim is my first choice, but I also really love the ones from Yellowstone, Joshua Tree, and Grand Canyon, all places that I've been a great amount of time and can attest that these designs capture the soul of these places.  

Emergency Fire Starter

Okay, so maybe we don't have everything. We've got matches, but what if they get wet and we need a fire? I certainly don't think I could do it, despite having gone through Girl Scouts. I am thinking this magnesium alloy emergency easy-grip fire starter from The Friendly Swede would be the perfect solution.  

Well, that's it! The latest collection of curated items that I am adoring! 

How about you? What have you been adoring lately? Do share!

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