Hey guys! We’re trying this new lifestyle type of posts where we share all that we’ve been loving in the past month, let that be photography gear, books, articles, travel accessories, local crafts, clothes, skincare or makeup. Let us know what you think and what else you’d like to see besides travel guides to Mexico! For now, these are the items that made it into our September Favorites:
Under eye rescue
This is my (Maggie’s) secret combo for under eye dryness –a precious side effect of traveling. I’ve been using the Estée Lauder one for years now and it’s the perfect super rich night cream. But I had struggled to find a daytime formula that was also very hydrating, without being thick, and that it would absorb quickly. This one from Kiehl’s is exactly that! Honestly, my concealer has never looked this good.
Comfortable traveling
We were very skeptical about the real comfort that a neck pillow provides during flights or long road trips VS the hassle of carrying it, until we tried this microbead one. Not only is it super lightweight and fits everywhere, it also turns into a pillow –which is the best and most useful part, especially when staying at hostels! Totally recommend trying it.
Spicing up the wardrobe
We found Saskia via Instagram and her story caught our attention. She and her husband founded a boutique jewelry design company after traveling around the world and being inspired with everything they saw during that time. This necklace, which she kindly gifted us, for example, has turquoise beads from Nepal, Ghanaian inspired brass beads and coral.
Besides the beautiful design, we fell even more in love with the necklace after hearing why Saskia had named it ‘Stolen’: “We were about to leave for a pop up event when we discovered that our jewelry case had been stolen. We had nothing to display. So, I headed to my studio and started designing, and the Stolen necklace was the result! It was very hard to overcome the disappointment as there was a lot of jewelry taken and so many hours of handmade work. But, rising above the pain and anger, I was able to channel the creative. Hard times often result in the most beautiful work.”
Doesn’t that make it even more special? You can check her boutique here!
Our photography gear
The Canon 6D is a great mid-range camera if you’d like to step up your photography game and start making profesional gigs, but are not ready to spend 4,000 dls on a Canon 5D (which specs are amazing).
We bought the 6D almost two years ago and have been loving it ever since; works incredible for low light and fast motion photography. It usually comes with a 24-105mm lense, which is more than enough for almost every situation, but we’d also recommend getting this one.
The power of meaning
To be honest, we’re not usually into self-help books, but this title caught our attention: ‘The Power of Meaning: finding fulfillment in a world obsessed with happiness’. It’s a very insightful research into what searching for happiness really means, from the mouth of the greek philosophers, to Darwin, Sartre, Camus, Tolstoy, a concentration camp survivor and more contemporary researchers and psychologists. A book that has to be read with a highlighter on hand.
Here are some of the phrases that are still roaming in our heads:
-“Chasing happiness actually makes people unhappy.”
-“There is more to life than feeling happy.”
-“The search for meaning is not a solitary philosophical quest, as it’s often depicted, and is not something that we create within ourselves and for ourselves. Rather, meaning largely lies in others.”
-“Each of us has different strengths, talents insights, and experiences that shape who we are. And so each of us will have a different purpose.”
-“The act of love begins with the very definition of meaning: it begins by stepping outside of the self to connect with and contribute to something bigger.”
We’d love to know what are you currently loving! Any book recommendations?
Thanks for reading!
The place that has inspired me the most is Antigua, Guatemala. I had the opportunity to volunteer at a school, and had the opportunity to connect with the students and community. It was so inspiring to see how happy students were even though they didn’t have much and how the simplest things like a new pencil brought joy to their lives @twotexicans
Copenhague is my inspiration place is one of the most happy cities in the world. Everyone is so nice and friendly and my favorite thing is they use a heart as their national symbol. The city is full of vivid colors, every park was full of tulipans and the all the guys were really handsome 😍 Copenhague is definetly my happy place. @pao2922
I think traveling around Mexico has inspired me to do most of the things I do right now. I would say one can see in Chiapas a big part of Mexican culture, amazing natural landscapes and a clash of social realities. @arspezz
The place that has inspired me most is Costa Rica, it is a country with magnificent places, virgin beaches, rich in flora and fauna and with a very tasty and traditional cuisine. Visiting a virgin beach and enjoying such a peaceful place surrounded by animals is a wake-up call to remind us that we are the visitors in their environments and that we should cherish and care nature. The places that leave you a significant learning, in addition to the memories, are those that are worth coming back. @giovannabernal
The place that inspires me most is my home state of Maine. So many memories of family, most of whom have passed but live on in those memories. All the childhood dreams and wild imagination of what could be, peeking in on my journey with meaningful destination.
@Whatsausernamefur
The place that inspires me the most is Thailand. My good friend and I traveled there to volunteer for 3 weeks. We brought nothing with us but the clothes on our backs. We purchased all our needs once we arrived with $50 US dollars. We spent time with rural villages in the Chang Mia jungle living with the locals. We spoke with the elders each morning to ask what was needed the most in each village we stayed at. We learned how to express gratitude for the world’s beauty and wonder.
Alyssa Vargas
Jnxy_
Woops- IG NAME is – @ _jnxy
Woops- IG NAME is – @ _jnxy
@anahilafo
My magical place is defeney Oaxaca, in one year i traveled down there 3 times.
Im from Baja so all the culture around etnic background is amazing!
One of the most cool and relax places to go a get to know the real Mexico.
The best of all is that everything is really cheap
I think the place that has inspired me the most is Japan, the sights, the culture, the diversity, but mostely the people, who are incredibly nice people, organized, educated and all around great human beigns. Being from, literally, the other side of the world being able to experiment such a different culture was amazing.
Ig: @bananaana44
I had the privilege to travel to many countries, however my favorite place to travel to is Yellowstone in the US. I was born and raised on the east coast and am not around many national parks. There is something truly humbling about being in a beautiful and stunning natural environment that makes you think about your place in the world and your impact on your surroundings.
IG: @happymoogle
@_alaznee
I have just return home after being in Mexico for 6 months and I can’t forget any of the places I visited and the people i met. I love Chiapas and it’s nature and fresh air, the boiling water and Tlayudas of Oaxaca, the mystical cenotes of Yucatan and it’s colorful architecture, the paradisiac waters of Riviera Maya and his marvelous marine life, Tabasco and their hot jungles, the great meat and Music of Sinaloa and i’m totally in love with the pulque and the madness of Mexico City.
I would like to name all the places i have been, but the truth is that it’s imposible. Mexico is enourmous and every place unique because of the mexicans. I have find a second home abroad, and i am fascinated every day by the mexican culture and their people.
¡ Que viva México !
Mexico City! I grew up in Cuernavaca and then lived in the (then) DF in my late 20’s / early 30’s.
CDMX is constantly evolving and yet retains its history. There is always something to discover – old and new.
Above all, I miss the vibrancy and the warmth of the people.
My heart and soul belongs to India,colors, culture nothing like enjoying street food at every nook and corner ,people smiling even with all the problem of developing country.
http://www.instagram.com/fizafashion
@amazonagetya78 I travelled to Mexico recently for my 40th birthday. We drove west from Mexico City to the coastal town of Sayulita. I fell in love with the rainforest, fresh fruits, fish taco’s, friendly locals, the beautiful beaches & our stunning accomod action at Villa Amor. I was inspired by meeting a beautiful lady Greta at Gratitud Art Gallery who was making feathered leather earrings, I’ve started making them now on my return to Australia.
OAXACA! It’s the most inspiring place on earth, from the city to its beaches, its pure magic. The people, the museums, all the handcrafting and the food but most important, MEZCAL! @dada13
Our local favorite go-to quick getaways are vineyard tours in the Hudson Valley or the North Fork of Long Island. We don’t travel a lot, but Barcelona was awesome. La Sagrada Familia is a fascinating architectural project, and the history of even the little side streets and cafes blew me way.
My Instagram name is @mjbwynne
Barcelona is a very special place for me, since it was my first trip overseas. I was very motivated to know that I was on the other side of the world. Meeting new people, getting to know new cultures and new lifestyles made my inspiration grow moment by moment. The amazing food, the nature, the colors could give me a very different and magnificent perspective of the great treasures that abound in the world.
Instagram: @ledd_
Disneylandia in Florida is the place that I liked the most because when I visited disney I could remember many things from my childhood, besides it made me a magical place where you can forget about the whole world and you can be a child again, besides the shows are super pretty
Instagram: @scarlettsisniega
Venezia is the place that inspires me most. The unique architecture and the incredible landscapes transport you to another era. It is a city with a lot of cultural wealth to which I hope to return.
Instagram: @patyydom
Mexico! Because it’s very colorful and has an amazing culture @berthamendoza22