lifestyle – Angela Joy

Life Seasons, The Monthly Tea, What's New

The Monthly Tea — July 2020

I have seen people on Twitter talking about how August equals fall, cooler weather, and pumpkin decor. Well, in the south that is definitely not true! It just keeps getting hotter here and I can’t even imagine shopping for a sweater right now 🙅🏼‍♀️

The turn of the month does mean something over here at Choose Joy though! It’s time for another edition of the “The Monthly Tea.” So grab a glass of tea (or cup if hot is more your style) and let’s get started!

**Dress: This chambray shirt dress is on SALE! Woohoo!** **Lips: Liquid Matte Lipstick in “Berry Sorbet”(Only $6!!)**

Products I Am Loving & Loathing

In case you couldn’t tell, I am a fair-skinned gal and while I love spending my entire day on the beach, my skin does not. I am also not interested in aging my skin any faster or having that worn-in vintage leather look with premature wrinkles. Instead, I self-tan! Self-tanner has come a long way from that orange glow streaky look. Bondi Sands gives you the perfect golden brown color and the application is effortless. Take my word for it and order a bottle today. You will be amazed.
I don’t self tan my face, so I have to make sure my make-up matches up with the rest of my body 🤪 I use this bronzer for a warm glow. When I’m going for a lazy but pulled-together look, I also use it as eyeshadow and give it a quick swipe it in the crease to pull the look together.
I think I’ve mentioned this before, but podcasts are one of the best things on earth 🙌 . I either listen to sermons or true crime, there really is no in-between lol! After receiving a recommendation for Wine & Crime, I was initially thinking, I am not sure I am going to like this. I could tell by the description it was much different than my normal Criminology or Dateline episodes. But I was dead wrong! These gals are hilarious and they cover crimes weekly based on topics while also recommending some really great wines. 10/10 would recommend.
While I do love listening to a good pod, I also enjoy sitting down with an old fashioned hardback book! Right now I am reading The Wife Between Us and my lord! I made it all the way through part one thinking I knew what was going on and then I flipped the page and I was mind-blown! 🤯

What’s In My Cart Right Now

Oversized Studded Sunglasses. Hello Louis dupe 😎
Velvet Hangers. I have to swap all the hangers in my closet over to velvet, I just haven’t committed the time to it. P.S. these often go on sale, add them to your Honey droplist so you will get an alert when they do!
Gold Silverware Set. I have these already, but another set would be nice to cut back on how often I wash dishes! Great quality and make you feel fancy when eating! 💅🏼

Going Green Necessities

This month I decided to try a new non-toxic all-purpose cleaner from Better Life. So far it works great and smells amazing. If you normally have a sensitivity or dislike the smell of “natural” cleaners, this one is very light and won’t overwhelm you. It’s also on sale right now!
Having a night routine is very critical to how well I sleep! I was using Bath&Body Works sleep spray, but we all know their ingredients aren’t the best! I made the swap to this relaxing spray and I look forward to spritzing it on my pillow at night because it calms my mind and helps me fall asleep faster.

In true “tea” fashion, I want to take a moment to talk about our ~feelings~. Life is pretty hard right now for everyone. Really difficult for others. Everything is uncertain and a lot of us are faced with doubt, weariness, and fear. So I want to leave you with two Bible verses that I have been praying over and believing in. John 12:26 and Mark 10:50. Read over these words and cast aside these unhealthy mindsets. May you be consumed with His love and unexpected blessings. There will be favor everywhere you go and if you have been waiting on a break-through, even for a prolonged period of time, don’t give up. Before you even see the manifestation of your prayers and answers, begin to walk toward the life you’ve been believing for!

I am believing in blessings for you as well! Can’t wait to chat again soon, but in the meantime, choose joy.

Style, What's New, Work Wear

Comfy Work From Home Wear + Tips for Productivity

Featuredby Angela Thomas2 Comments

Comfy, knit romper that is perfect for working from home linked **here**! Other casual options **here**!

Thinking back on my day-to-day life now versus just a few months ago, I sometimes can’t believe how things have changed! I am thankful that my job was able to adjust to remote work fairly easily, I know that is not the case for everyone for various reasons. Prior to COVID-19, I was working from home at least once a week so I already had an idea of what works best for me. Today, I am going to share a few tips to maximize your productivity when working from home!

Continue to Have a Morning Routine

I know how easy it is to feel like you have all the freedom and you can just jump out of bed at 7:45 and somehow magically start your work day in your pajamas. I promise it will not work and you will be dragging. Waking up and going through a more “normal” get ready for work routine will help you get in a mental space that is prepared to work! You can change into your favorite athleisure look or a flowy summer sundress, put on a full face of makeup or go natural, drink coffee, do yoga —whatever works best for you! Just make sure you create a routine and stick to it before you sit down in front of your computer.

Designate a Space

When you first start working remotely, you will want to lounge in your bed or on your couch with Netflix on in the background. Rookie mistake my friends. You will be distracted and it is terrible for your back and neck. On top of that, it brings work (and the stress of it) into a space that is normally meant for relaxing. So then your body learns those emotions and it will make it hard to unwind after work hours. You don’t have to purchase a fancy desk and a massaging chair, just designate a space in your house meant for work. Even if you have to pop up a card table and put a kitchen chair with it!

Put Your Phone Away

This one can be difficult for me because I do run my organization’s social media accounts. When I am planning content or interacting with users, it sits right next to my computer. To ensure I don’t pick it up too often, I will go put it across the room or set aside time for a “phone break.” To see if you’re improving on your personal phone usage, check your screen time metrics on your iPhone!

Plan Your Day/Week

Depending on your organization’s structure, you may have less check-in or staff meetings. Because of this, it is easy to forget tasks and projects when your team isn’t reminding you and you aren’t discussing it in person. Whether you use a physical planner, your Google calendar, or just a trusty ole to-do list, make sure you are collecting your thoughts and goals for the day/week somewhere you can see it! I always love checking things off my to-do list!

Build in Breaks

Just like you probably don’t sit at your desk 24/7 at work, get up and move around! Take the dog for a short walk, tidy up the snacks sitting at your work station, or do a quick standing stretch. Never taking breaks will wear you out quickly. You need (and deserve!) a quick refresh. I still try to take 30 minutes-hour for a lunch break and read a current paperback book. Another way to cut down on that screen time!

When all of the above doesn’t work or you just need a break, put on your favorite empowering song and move around or move your work station outdoors! Also, take advantage of your new flexibility and enjoy it. Without my commute time I am able to move a little slower in my morning and enjoy coffee on my porch. Maybe you will have time to do a load of laundry that has been sitting around or tidy up your room. Find joy in these small and seemingly insignificant things. It will help you mentally during these otherwise troubling times!

I hope you find these tips helpful! Please leave any advice you have for work from home life in the comments!

Work from home casual wear || ByAngelaJoy

fashion, Travel, What's New

Best Swimsuits EVER!

Featuredby Angela ThomasLeave a Comment

Every single time I go to the beach I look at houses for sale because I never want to leave! Any one else do this too?! 😂 It is the best form of self-care for me. I am working on a travel guide for 30A and that should be up in the next few weeks. But, until then, I wanted to talk about the best swimsuits ever! P.S. they’re on sale!

If you haven’t tried anything from Aerie, you are seriously missing out. I haven’t tried anything from them I haven’t loved. Once I discovered how amazing their swimwear is, I knew I had to share it with you all!

The Aerie brand is built on celebrating and advocating for body positivity and the empowerment of all women. Their clothing is meant to inspire customers to love their real selves, inside and out. Personally, I think their swimsuits do just that! They make me feel the most comfortable and confident I have ever been in a swimsuit.

Pictured above is what I like to call my “Carole Baskin” swimsuit 🐆 ! It is seriously the cutest thing and it is so on trend right now. I don’t normally purchase printed swimwear, but I am so glad I got this one. This style is the Wide Strap Scoop Bikini Top paired with the High Cut Cheeky Bikini Bottom. The top gives the perfect amount of support and has no padding in it, which I love! It also doesn’t dig into my skin and didn’t move around and leave me with weird tan (ahem, sunburn) lines. Let’s talk about the high-waisted bottoms for a second. Y’all, these are not the normal high-waisted diaper/grandma look. They are high cut on the leg (without showing anything you don’t want to) and the backside is just cheeky enough to keep things fun! 🍑 🍑 🍑 They also suck you in a little but definitely don’t feel constraining so you can eat as manyyy beach snacks as you like!

For this next suit, I opted for something I typically never do — strapless. I normally loathe anything strapless because more often than not you see people constantly tugging and pulling up anything without straps. It is just never a good look. But this top, the Ribbed Longline Bandeau, stays right where you put that thing on! I absolutely adore it and the bright color of this suit.

Aerie make it easy to mix and match different styles of tops and bottoms as well as prints. I recommend their suits to all of my friends and I know you won’t be disappointed if you pick some up for yourself. They also offer a great rewards program, so get to shopping today and start earning some points!

Let me know if you find one you love by leaving a comment below! Can’t wait to share more about my mini-vacay with you!

Beauty, fashion, What's New

june makeup must-haves + effortless summer dress

Featuredby Angela ThomasLeave a Comment

I hope everyone is having a great week so far! It has been rainy here in Alabama, but thankfully that has cooled things down a bit! At the beginning of quarantine, I was seriously judging everyone who was wearing makeup and anything other than stretchy pants while they were confined to their own home. But now I have become one of those people! In order for me to be productive, I have to get up and get ready as if I am physically going into work or I won’t feel like doing anything all day. Quickly, I found that doing my full-face routine was just too much, so I adapted my routine to a simplified and more summer-friendly look.

The past month I have been trying out some new makeup products and I am excited to share these with you because I think they are a must to add to your makeup bag! I always love drugstore products —they have come such a long way since I was a diving into the world of cosmetics as a kid. Unfortunately for my bank account, I go through phases where I am also really into higher-end products. This was one of those times, but I am so glad that I splurged because these products are worth it! All of these products are linked so you can purchase directly.

Make Up Forever Blurring Powder Foundation – This stuff is a game changer! Easy and quick application with great coverage for everyday that is buildable. This can also be used as a powder to set your makeup! If I do a light foundation or just some concealer, I swirl a powder brush in this product and then set it. The shade finder on Sephora makes it easy to find the right shade for your skin and undertones — I use the shade Ivory.

Fenty Beauty Freestyle Bronzer – This is my first Fenty Beauty product and will definitely not be my last! The quality of this product gets 5+ stars easily. There is a great shade range in this product. I purchased the color “Amber,” which is a contour shade. It is the perfect cool contour for fair skin and I wish I had found it sooner. I use this e.l.f. brush to apply some product under my cheekbones, around my forehead, sides of nose, and jawline. Even if you aren’t doing a full glam face, just blending some of this product in will give you an effortless pulled together look!

Benefit Cosmetics Gold Rush Blush – I LOVE this blush. It is a perfect blend of a warm and glowy peach shade that makes you look perfectly flushed and summer ready! Highly recommend because you can skip highlighter with this product since it has a bit of shimmer in it.

Tarte Sea Breezy Cream Bronzer – Waterproof and buildable, a bronzer that applies effortlessly. It really gives you a just got back from the beach glow! I stipple a little of this over my blush and around the forehead to warm up my face.

Keep reading to get the outfit details!

Breezy Summer Dress

This effortlessly chic and flowy dress is a must buy! You can wear this around the house working from home, for a fun summer dinner date, or while running errands. It is so versatile and I need it in more colors!

Earrings: Kathryn Stallworth Designs | Hat: Amazon

Headed to the beach later this week and I can’t wait to relax and let my brain reset. Talk to y’all again soon!

Decor, Home, What's New

you grow girl

Featuredby Angela Thomas2 Comments

Shortly after moving into my childhood home (my parent’s old house) that I have started calling the “boho blue bungalow,” I decided I wanted to embrace more of the “plant lady” aesthetic. I had a few house plants already that were doing well and when quarantine started I needed a new hobby, so I thought I would add to my collection!

Now that I have a screened-in porch, I wanted to transform it into a lush oasis area where I could sit and relax. Although I am not quite done yet, I LOVE what I have thus far! Almost all of these plants are air-purifying plants, which NASA studied and revealed they are effective at removing chemicals from the air like formaldehyde, benzene, trichloroethylene, xylene, toluene, and ammonia.

The first step was finding these amazing rattan chairs. I had been eyeing some for so long on the internet, but since they typically go for around $1k per chair, I had decided to settle for something else. But then one day after I had given up on stalking the Facebook marketplace, these babies appeared. The owner wanted $300 for the set and I almost fainted!! I messaged her right away and picked them up a few days later. They are so classic and surprisingly so comfy! After that, the vision for the rest of the area fell into place. Like I said, I am still working on completing the remainder of the porch and will definitely update y’all when I do!

I love to wake up and bring my coffee out here while I watch my sweet pup, Finn play (he decided he wanted to make his blog debut this week) before I get started on my work day. I also look forward to coming out in the evenings when the string lights add a little ambience and watch the lightning bugs buzzing around my backyard while I read a few chapters of my current book.

I love houseplants for so many reasons. They’re an inexpensive, pretty way to add vibrancy and life to any space. They are cheerful and brighten up any living area and they can make a room feel more “finished” than it had before. Plants can also be useful for cooking and medicine (peep my aloe plant)! Even if you have a not-so-green thumb, there are plenty of no-fuss houseplants that can work for you! The Boston fern pictured above is so low-maintenance and she loves the shade, so if you are new to the plant scene, I highly recommend giving those a try. I have also been trying my hand at in-ground plants outside and a small container herb garden that I will show you all in the coming weeks.

I never understood how rewarding planting and gardening could be. It is absolutely amazing the sense of peace and joy my little outdoor space gives me. It has also taught me a lot about patience and given me the opportunity to devote my time to something meaningful instead of scrolling on social media in all of my free time.

If you are interested in adding some greenery to your space, I highly recommend devoting some time to researching on the internet. You will learn so much and find plants you didn’t even know existed! I had no plant knowledge until I started this project a few months ago and thankfully Google could provide me with free info! There are also some really innovative companies that deliver plants to your door and they will curate collections based on your wants/needs! You can see some of those here. Just a quick note that not all plants are safe for your furry friends! Please make sure you don’t put any plants within their reach that could be toxic to them.

I hope you enjoyed this post, I can’t wait to share more of my home projects with you!