Today’s post will be a double life update, with announcing a baby girl due next spring and the fact that my belongings + car were stolen from a hotel a few weeks ago! My bag and keys were taken within a few hours of leaving our hotel room (locked!) and my car thankfully has since been recovered. I think we’ll keep it for a while longer with a goal to sell it by next fall (2024). I’d like more seats since we’ll be a family of five with the baby, but I think we could get by for a handful of months after her birth.
Anyway, this post will be about what items I repurchased from my stolen belongings, what did I decide to try from new brands, and what did I ditch completely!
Invisalign retainers: repurchased
I can’t believe the thief/intruder took my retainers, ugh! I went my first night without them thanks to this experience, but I was able to wear my last set of trays until my new retainers could be picked up. Funny enough, the dentist actually gave me the wrong trays on accident. I came back to their office because I couldn’t get them on! After she tried herself, we realized I had someone else’s brand new retainers! This one stolen item ended up costing me $500 to replace!
PUL device: repurchased
This device makes it super easy to remove your retainers without long, strong nails. I always keep mine in my case, and I use it every morning! I did repurchase in blue instead of pink this time. This is a personal must have with the Invisalign system.
Retainer/aligner case: ditched
I did have a super cute pink/purple Invisalign case, but I found that it was getting so hard to keep clean. The material is almost like a soft plastic, and there are ridges on the inside of the case that just accumulate filth. While waiting for my new retainers, I just used the simple black case that my last ones came in. I think this is so much easier to keep clean, so I won’t be purchasing a new case.
AirPods: upgraded then returned after being gifted previous model
I LOVED my Gen2 AirPods and had them for 5+ years! I was so sad that mine got stolen but decided this would be a good time to upgrade. I tried the Gen3 model, but I found that they wouldn’t stay in my ears for long and when they did, they started to hurt. My dear friend had a pair of Gen2 AirPods laying around that she never used, so she was so kind to gift them to me with a cute case! I ended up returning my Gen3 AirPods and sticking with what I know!
Backpack: upgraded and then some!
My go to travel bag was a black backpack (like school bag) I’d had since college. When I find something that works, I take good care of it and make it last! However, it’s long gone now. Before our trip, I’d been wanting to try out the weekender bag from Beis. Well, this was the perfect opportunity to be forced into an upgrade! It’s currently in the mail, and I hope I like it. I also decided to get a toiletry bag from the same brand.
Perfume: repurchased and then some!
Brandon gifted me this perfume for Christmas, and I loved the scent! It was a no brainer that I’d eventually repurchase it to replace mine that was stolen. Well boy was the timing right! This past week they launched the first travel spray of this perfume, so I went ahead and bought it. I also bought the full size bottle since I know I’ll get through it, and it got me free shipping. (Full disclaimer: buying the full size bottle to get free shipping was not a financially savvy move, but it did tempt me enough to do it LOL.)
Blush: tried new
I did have a MAC blush which I liked but wasn’t in love with. I found a super inexpensive blush at Target that I ended up being pretty happy with!
Mascara: repurchased
This mascara has been my go to lately! I’m not a big fan of trying new mascara or splurging on it, so I stuck with my tried and true!
Deodorant: repurchased
My Native deodorant in Blueberry Sour Belts was so good, it made it into my 2023 summer favorites! Unfortunately the scent was gone, so I branched out to a different Native deodorant. I ended up with grapefruit and bergamot, and I do like it! It’s a lighter, more refreshing scent that won’t distract from my perfume!
Face products: repurchased
I have not been having an easy time with my skin during this pregnancy! It’s really not the baby’s fault, I think it’s just my skin when I’m off the pill. However, I tried to make a mini face scrub and curology gel moisturizer work while I debated on repurchasing my expensive skincare. After a couple weeks of temperamental skin, I decided to go back to what I know. The scrub was drying out my skin yet not improving it, and overall I felt it was too harsh. I’ve just had one night back with my Beauty Counter products and while it’s still too early to tell, I’m hopeful it’ll help get rid of some irritation.
Jeans: tried new!
A tragedy. I learned that my favorite AE denim wash (that I literally wore/repurchased for years!!) was discontinued after I tried replacing my usual size last year. Well, a recent declutter of my clothes helped me find a size up pair of the same wash/style that I could wear for some of pregnancy and hopefully post partum! Nope, I took them to Kansas City, and they were stolen!
I decided this was a good time to just try a maternity jean early instead of repurchasing denim that I may not be able to wear for long. I really like the two pairs I got, and you can’t beat the price! My one disappointment is they are a little baggy in the legs since I’m short. It’s not too bad, and better to be too loose than too tight!
Tweezers: tried new but regretting
I got a cheap pair of tweezers at Target to immediately replace my Tweezerman tweezers, but I’m not a big fan. I feel like I reach for an eyebrow hair to pluck and unfortunately snag my skin. I was hoping to get by with a cheap pair, but I think I will eventually repurchase the Tweezerman brand.
Makeup brushes: tried new!
I replaced a few of my Jeffree Star brushes that were stolen with Sonia Kashuk ones. The price was awesome for the quality, and I could definitely see myself purchasing more of these brushes in the future.
Makeup bag: still needed!
I had my (now stolen) Jeffree Star makeup bag for many years, so I feel safe splurging a little for something that has great functionality. This particular makeup bag stores brushes too, so I could keep all of my makeup together and ready for travel without accidentally forgetting my brushes! It also comes with a mirror that can stand on its own. I love that it’s a bigger mirror which is great for making sure that the back of your hair is looking fine. I plan on buying this bag in the next month or two, as soon as I test out my other bags from this brand and set aside some spending money!
Simple eyeshadow palette: still needed
I really liked this eyeshadow palette for quick daily use, but I think I may explore other options down the road. I might put something on my Christmas list since I’m not in too much of a rush either!
While this whole theft incident makes me not trust hotels (although I’ll continue to go to them), it was a blessing in disguise for forcing me to re-evaluate what I use on a daily basis. There were a handful of things that were stolen that I didn’t bother replacing. It forced me to upgrade some items that I’d been putting off for a while – mainly my choice of travel bag!
It also was a good lesson in the value of making sure you are prioritizing an emergency fund. This incident caused some unplanned expenses, but because we really prioritize our financial wellbeing, it was just a huge inconvenience instead of a life changing event or stress with a baby on the way. It also is a HUGE reminder to take care of your vehicle(s)! We babied my car. Kept it free of junk and made sure that it was kept clean. It was very easy to see what damage was there due to the theft and pinpoint what was missing from the car. Our car being paid off made everything less confusing because we owned it outright. It was easy to prove ownership at the tow lot and decide where to take it for repairs. If we had decided to sell it to get rid of the memory of this event, we could do that without approval from a bank or concern about being upside down on a loan. Brandon and I have good jobs which makes it easier to save, but little choices in your day to day can make a goal like owning your vehicles obtainable. I know when we trade in my car in the next year or so, we’ll likely be downgrading in order to own the new (to us) vehicle outright!
Thanks for reading! I hope to have house updates (meeting with the builder next month!) and maybe some baby related posts coming up soon!
Davien
fluted wood & marble 
Leave a comment