I'm not a fan of the saying when it rains, it pours, but sometimes when it really does pour when it rains. It is so easy to find the negatives in life, isn't it? But as my yoga instructor, Valerie, pointed out to me earlier this week, that saying doesn't have to be restricted to only the bad things. It was such a good reminder to focus on the good.

In keeping with that spirit, here are five things that brought me joy in the month of August.

Kind Peanut Butter Banana Dark Chocolate Protein Bars - Kind bars are by far my favorite granola bars. I love their all natural approach to "snacks." These protein bars are my new faves. They're great with a cup of coffee in the morning or for a mid-afternoon pick-me-up. They're not too sweet but also don't taste like cardboard. So so good.

Monat Rejuvenique Oil - The secret to next day(s) curl success has always been oil, and this oil is the GOAT. It smells good, isn't heavy, and can be used for like 100 things other than hair.

PMJ's Reimagined Brass Band version of Aerosmith's Don't Want to Miss a Thing - We all know how obsessed I am with Post Modern Jukebox. I love how they take popular songs and recreate them in styles from generations past. This Aerosmith cover is amazing.

Milani Black Cherry Lipstick - Did you see this in my stories earlier this week? I've been wearing this lipstick non-stop lately. It looks super dark in the tube, but -on me at least- it's the prettiest color. It reminds me of that scene in the movie The Little Giants where the tomboy girl is experimenting with makeup and doesn't want her dad to know so she tells him she's been eating a cherry Tootsie pop.

The Price of Scandal - This was my favorite read from the month of August, and if you caught my reading roundup you'll know that I had a good month. This is the story of a female billionaire who's future career is threatened after a terrible date arranged by her PR team. Her company's board of directors hires a fixer, and they predictably have major chemistry. This book was smart and funny and had a wonderful cast of quirky characters.