note: this post was written many months ago before we bought our home. I thought it was already live, so I decided to post as-is instead of editing the tense because it sheds light into our house hunting period.

We looked at our first two houses this past weekend and I have never been more excited. House hunting has BEGUN! Although I really liked both houses, my dad (our realtor) made a good point to notice how dark both lots were. Although they weren’t solid pine (a non-starter for me), they were still very dark and the grass seemed to be struggling underneath.

Ideally, we’ll have a yard that is mostly green and barren that will allow us to plant a tree or two of our own. I wanted to compile a grouping of trees that are native to North Carolina to go through my options and decide my favorite tree to someday plant in our back— or front— yard.

I’d say the three most planted trees around currently are: Oak, Magnolia and Pine.

Raleigh is the city of oaks and that is for good reason! I love a great oak tree. They age well and are beautiful year-round. Oak trees remind me of Virginia. I truly don’t think anything can top Virginia in the fall and I want to replicate it as much as possible. Two trees we didn’t have much of in Virginia? Magnolia and Longleaf Pine trees. I don’t mind magnolia trees all too much. Their leaves are hearty and beautiful but magnolias are far from your classic “tree climbing” tree. Longleaf pines are EV-ERY-WHERE. I strongly dislike the massive presence of pine in North Carolina. I want a lush green lawn and with pine trees come pine straw. It ain’t fun to kick a soccer ball and run around with your dog/kids in pine straw!

Two pretty options for fall foliage are maple and poplar trees. Both are fairly familiar and again, very pretty in the fall.

Last are two more familiar trees: the bradford pear and crepe myrtle. Both of these were widely planted in Virginia. My go-to tree climbing tree in my front yard growing up was a bradford pear. I don’t even mind the smell they give off in the spring! The one thing I don’t prefer about them is that they are fairly weak trees. One strong lighting bolt nearby will knock it out, ruining years and years of growth. Crepe myrtles are a pretty tree for the front yard but they aren’t the classic tree I’m planning for the back.

If I were to choose, I’d likely plant a oak in the back with a pink crepe myrtle in the front. Whew! I can’t wait.

What are some of your favorite tree species where you’re from? What do you love so much about them? Let me know!

Have you heard the hype around Billie? I did. Heard it loud and clear!

I decided to try out this razor in an attempt to “fight the man” (and subsequently, the “pink tax“), to save some coin and overall just switch things up. I’ve been using the Schick Hydro Silk since college and genuinely haven’t had any difficulties with it other than the fact that refills are a bit expensive– usually between $12 and $15 for four. With that being said, the razors on my Schick last a LONG time and I haven’t felt the pinch when buying refills as much since graduating from college and maintaining bi-weekly paychecks. tl;dr I can afford them easier than I could before.

I mention all of this information on my Schick so early on because I really didn’t enjoy my experience with the Billie razor. I don’t think the lowered cost of their product will help sway my thoughts enough to keep me on board as a customer.

To start, I whole-heartedly appreciate the concept behind Billie. The concept of the “pink tax” and simply, the generally higher costs women incur just by being women is real. I believe it is both societal and institutional and it is important to have businesses that are working towards progress. As time goes on, however, I believe a product must be able to speak for itself. My main issue with the Billie razor is that I get a slight razor burn after using it. Additionally, I can get away with using my old razor without using shaving cream but even with shaving cream, Billie still gives me issues.

I’m so glad so many other people enjoy this product and that Billie exists, although I’m disappointed it didn’t work out for me. Here’s to breaking the “pink tax” in other avenues of our lives such as hair care and cuts, clothing and DRY CLEANING as well as so much more.

If you’re interested in trying Billie out for yourself (which I recommend because I seem to be in the minority with my experience), they offer a $9 welcome kit that includes the razor plus a backup cartridge, a handle in the color of your choosing plus the magnetic holder for your shower. Plus, they will include some samples of their shaving cream and lotion. If you enjoy Billie and want to keep using their products, they’ll deliver four cartridges at a time interval of your choosing.

Have you tried the Billie razor? I’d love to know if it has worked for you! Let me know in the comments below.