10 Things to Try in August

Wow, summer has really flown by, hasn’t it? August is officially here, and you know what that means…back to school! (At least in Florida.) August always feels like the end of summer and the beginning in fall. As always at the beginning of a new month, you know I love to make my 10 things to try list. For August, I’m really thinking about how to transition from summer to fall. (Or, how to make summer last longer. Which shouldn’t be hard since this is Miami and it’s ALWAYS summer.) Check out my list of 10 Things to Try in August:

1. National Watermelon Day is TODAY! I’m making one of those watermelon cakes I always see on Pinterest. For real. Check out snapchat (stephaniepernas) to see the finished product!

2. Preserve your summer glow with in-shower tanning. The most annoying part about sunless tanning is that gross dirty feeling you feel after applying while you’re waiting for it to dry. Ick. I’m DYING to try this new St. Tropez in-shower gradual tan! Sunless tanning without the gross, smelly, sticky feeling? Count me in.

3. Catch up on Revenge. The ABC drama may be over, but I’m a whole season behind. It hits Netflix on August 28th, so you know I’m finally going to buckle down and finish the series. In the meantime, I’m taking a little Netflix break and reading some more.

4. Join Ditto‘s Endless Eyewear program and get access an endless supply of designer sunnies. I just got my first pair of sunnies and I’m SO PSYCHED. They’re this gorge Karen Walker style and I’m loving them! If you don’t know about Ditto, it’s basically Netflix for designer sunglasses. AMAZING AMAZING designers like Prada, Karen Walker and Ray-Ban. You can swap out your sunnies as much as you want, as often as you want, for $19 a bunch. SOLD. Use code: ASPARKLEFACTOR to get a month FREE!

5. Glamsquad is now all over Miami! My fave beauty app, Glamsquad, is officially open all over Miami! Before, you had to be in the Downtown or Beach area to benefit from the on-demand mobile beauty services, but now? Glamsquad will come to Palmetto Bay, Pinecrest, South Miami, Westchester and Kendall! (YAS.) So how does it work? Download the Glamsquad app in the app store, book hair and make up services THROUGH THE APP, and your very own Glamsquad will head over to your house, office, or wherever, to style you in the comfort of your own home. Love it. I’ve had nothing but amazing experiences with the girls from Glamsquad and they do an AMAZING job. Use my referral link to get $20 off your first in-home hair or makeup appointment!

6. Read ‘Paper Towns‘.  I’m actually, finally reading The Fault in Our Stars (tardy to the party, I know!) and am loving it. I’m about halfway done and then I’m on to Paper Towns. As I said earlier, I’m taking a little Netflix break to catch up on the millions of books in my Goodreads list! (Oh, let’s be friends, btw! Send me a request. Would love to see what YOU’RE reading!)

7. …and then see the movie. While I’m not necessarily a Cara Delevingne fan, I’m definitely a John Green fan. Can’t wait to check out the flick now playing in theaters. After reading the book, of course. I ALWAYS read a book before seeing the movie, I’m just weird like that.

8. In honor of Back to School, score some cool office supplies. Ugh I love school supplies. There’s just something about them, isn’t there?? Since I’m long done with school, I’ll take advantage and scoop up some pretty office supplies to cheer me up. Kate Spade, please.

9. …and maybe a chic backpack. The chic backpack trend that picked up last year is NOT going away. I’m intrigued by the idea of going for a backpack. To keep it looking adult, go for a luxe material and some beautiful hardware. I’m particularly obsessed with Rebecca Minkoff backpacks lately… they’re SO chic yet still functional and span a variety of pricepoints. Something for everyone!

10. Go for a longline vest for a fun layering piece. Since it’s Miami, layering can be a tricky business. I’m in the market for a great long sleeveless blazer… which can totally transition into fall, no problem.

So that’s my list! What do you think? Will you try any? Tell me what you’re trying in the comments!!

xx