favorite things friday

i know i'm a little late to the party on this, but i'm really in love with the sock bun.

i'm admittedly inept when it comes to updo situations, so discovering with the sock bun was a game changer.  i have long, thick, heavy, layered hair and the "sock" provides volume and security that i could never achieve with a simple top knot.  i put "sock" in quotation marks because i never actually used a sock for this one.  i used this "hairstyling ring" from h&m to blend in with my darker hair and then used this video tutorial to teach myself the technique.  it only took about 2 tries (with 2-3 bobby pins to secure loose ends) to really get it, and it stayed up all day and all night.  i'm obsessed!  

favorite things friday

i'm really no good if i don't get 8 hours of sleep.  on 6 hours you might as well send me home; on 7 hours i'm acceptable, but i'm going to be thinking about sleeping or trying to find ways to nap allllll day.  even though i do love me some sleep, i also have a mind that goes 100 miles an hour most of the time, including in the evening when i'd like to be dozing off.  

melatinon has been one of my favorite things for awhile now.  i was commenting to my former boss one day about how i've been having trouble sleeping, and she recommended i take melatonin at night.  it took me awhile to find the proper dosage; everything from 1mg to 10mg is available, but i found that 5mg would knock me out cold and leave me groggy in the morning.  2.5mg is the sweet spot for me.  it's natural and non-habit forming, so it's good to use every night or just occasionally.  i personally use it 4-5 times/week, and it always works like a charm.  now i have a friend who has really serious sleep problems for whom melatonin is like a sugar pill; it does absolutely nothing for him. like most things, melatonin isn't necessarily good for everyone.  however, if you're finding that you're having trouble winding down and falling asleep, melatonin is worth a shot.  i'd start with a small dosage and build up, if necessary, to see what works best for you.

and by the way, i have only ever used source naturals (as pictured in the photo above) so i can't really comment much on different brands.  i get mine from whole foods, and they usual come as orange or peppermint sublinguals.  i personally prefer the orange.

happy weekend!