Wendy’s Picks

“Wendy’s Weekly Picks,” is a feature in which I highlight stuff I like or recommend in the worlds of fashion, gift ideas, home decor, makeup, websites, entertainment, and recipes. Of course, many of the things I link to will be affiliate products, which means I’ll receive a commission on any click-throughs or purchases you make through the affiliate links. As always, I appreciate your support! Here are my favorite finds this week:

Nordstrom’s half yearly sale starts today! That means up to 40% savings on lots of fantastic items, like this beautiful swimsuit that looks like a watercolor painting, and oh my God this baby girl bathing suit (!), I love this gorgeous dress for a special occasion (like maybe a wedding), these super cool sunglasses, these adorable astronaut PJs that I probably need to get Jackson, and Drew’s new favorite underwear. (And this dress isn’t on sale, but I love it, and it’s not a bad price).

I tried out a new salon a few months ago and was introduced to this shampoo and conditioner. It was pricey, so I opted to buy it online (where it’s still expensive, but not nearly as much as it is at the salon). I loved the way my hair looked, but, when I ran out, I tried out a different shampoo and conditioned because they were on sale at the store. Big mistake — big! My hair looked pretty bad for a month until I bit the bullet and bought the fancy stuff again. Now, back to shiny and bouncy — yay!

Drew and I were on a double date the other night with a couple we’re friends with and I immediately noticed and admired the wife’s new ring. She’s a dancer and it had been a gift from a choreographer she worked with for 20 years when she retired. She laughed and said it took her husband a month before he noticed she had been wearing a new diamond ring every day while it took her girly 3-year-old daughter five minutes before she commented on it. Anyway, I think the ring, or others like it, make such a beautiful retirement gift or milestone anniversary or birthday gift; I especially like the idea of a woman buying a piece of jewelry like this for herself “at a certain age” when she might better afford something of this value but it’s still a rare enough purchase to feel very special. (And then there’s this!).

Are you on Instagram (I am!)? Do you know about this service that turns your Instagram prints into the coolest gifts — magnets, phone books, calendars, photo strips, photos, mini squares, etc.? Father’s Day is coming up and we all know how hard dads are to shop for…

Ooh, I’m loving this nail color for Spring (love the name, too)!

Last week, I was at our little neighborhood gourmet grocery store, picking up some cheese and prosciutto and a baguette to have for dinner, and on a whim I got this coconut caramel sauce, too. Drew and I ate dinner late in the evening after the kids were asleep–we almost always eat dinner as a family, so on the rare occasions that Drew and I have dinner alone it feels like a date even if we’re at home–and afterward, I heated up some of the caramel sauce and poured it over two bowls of vanilla frozen yogurt, and, holy mother of God, that was some delicious dessert!!! I implore you to buy some of the caramel sauce yourself and have this exact same dessert as soon as you can — you can thank me later.

From a reader: “Your link to the Santal 33 perfume reminded me of something I bought a few months ago. I decided I wanted to try to find a perfume or two that I could start wearing regularly — to make me feel a little fancy. 🙂 So I bought this perfume sampler from Sephora. It’s $65, and you get thirteen samples of different perfumes, which would not be that much for the price, but it also comes with a coupon for a full free bottle, which would cost way more than $65. So it’s actually a pretty good deal! I’ve tried a bunch of them, and, while I don’t like all of them, I have found a bunch that I do like. I’ve been very pleased so far.”