Now and Later

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Today I am kicking off a new series to talk about some things I’m loving right now, and what’s coming up that I’m excited about, hence the name Now & Later. It also happens to be the name of a favorite childhood candy, which now terrifies me and leaves me wondering how I kept all my teeth intact eating it. Now and Later will be every other month, so here’s what I’m digging at the moment and what’s on the horizon.

Now

One. Brandless

A newer discovery thanks to Julia that left me wondering how I had never heard of it before. Brandless was created to fill a gap in the market of creating good quality products without the unnecessary markups. All their food products are non-GMO and have no synthetic preservatives, colors or flavors. Their beauty and personal care products are never tested on animals and they’ve banned 400+ harmful ingredients (parabens, polypropylene, phthalates, and sulfates SLS, SLES). I could go on but overall I was very impressed with my order and will definitely purchase again. Some standouts for me were the duck jerky (for the dogs), organic cotton oven mitt, organic BBQ sauce, organic whole wheat spaghetti, salt and vinegar chips, dish soap.

Two. Slip Silk Pillowcase

I’ve been a long time fan of the slip silk sleep masks (they drastically improve my sleep especially when traveling) but I never considered a silk pillowcase. I don’t know what compelled me to try it, but I decided to order one in the caramel and a regular pillowcase will never be the same. I didn’t have any expectations going into it, so when I first put my head down on the buttery smooth silk it was a very pleasant surprise. It stays cool at night, and when I woke up I had no bedhead and no creases or face lines from my pillow. If you really want to treat yourself they sell the mask and the pillow as a set.

Three. Farmacy Honeymoon Glow

I shared my favorite clean beauty picks from Follain yesterday, but this has quickly become one of my holy grail skincare products. I have used SO MANY different skincare acids (P50, Sunday Riley, etc.) and nothing even comes close to this. I use at least 2x a week at night (alone after toner) and wake up with refreshed, glowing, smooth skin. It has helped me fight/prevent breakouts, increase hydration, improve overall texture and reduce pore size. It’s also great at unclogging pores and just keeping my skin clear. The blend of lactic, glycolic, and fruit acids help promote cell turnover (fight fine lines and hyperpigmentation) plus it has hyaluronic acid to plump and increase hydration in skin.

Four. Wanda Sykes, Not Normal

There’s not much to say about this Netflix special other than, if you need a laugh, watch it. Wanda Sykes has always been one of my favorite comedians, her appearances on Curb Your Enthusiasm being at the top of things I can re-watch and die laughing every time. Her stand-up special does not disappoint and she proves to be one of those comedians that, even when joking about things that might not resonate with everyone, like menopause, she manages to make the whole room laugh. Craig and I were belly laughing the entire time.

Five. Mezcal

I have this thing with Mezcal. I don’t even remember how or why we initially decided to try it, but almost immediately Craig and I both wondered how we had been missing out for so long. It’s Tequila’s slightly smokier cousin, but what’s interesting about Mezcal is it’s one of the purest liquors you can drink. Tequila, by law is only required to contain at least 51% agave (which means the rest can be filled other types of sugar which Tequila brands are not required to disclose). Mezcal on the other hand has to be 100% agave by law. Not all Mezcal is created equal, we’ve tried many, and so far the Espadin from Montelobos is our favorite. It pairs really well with citrus (sharing our favorite cocktail recipe soon), and fair warning, it’s strong! Slip slowly.

Later

Six. New Website Launch

I’m too superstitious to announce the date just yet but at the end of this month we’ll be launching the new JessAnnKirby.com (highly likely the third week in June). I’ve been working on this for months now and it’s really exciting to be approaching the finish line.  My main goal was to make it a better user experience, look and feel more content rich, and to have a variety of content types depending on how much time you have and what you’re looking for. More recipes, wellness articles, home content, and a new and improved Newport Guide!

Seven. Bad on Paper Podcast Live Show in Boston

My good friend Grace is taking her hit podcast Bad on Paper on the road and doing live shows all summer. I am so honored to be included as a guest on their panel about female friendships alongside another favorite person of mine, Tara Foley, founder of Follain. It should be a really fun night. If you’re in the area I hope you’ll come! You can buy tickets here.

Eight. House Hunting

So if you listen to the podcast you’ll know we abandoned our search for a fixer upper in Vermont and decided to look again in St Petersburg, Florida (which was actually our original plan). We really fell in love with the area when we went for a wedding two years ago and still feel like it’s a great fit for us to buy a second fixer upper. We’re planning on going down there in July or August (I know it will be VERY HOT) to look at some places and get a feel for where we might want to buy. Of course there are so many factors that will go into this decision but we are excited about this and will definitely keep you in the loop as we begin the hunt!