Disclosure: I received products at discount. Post contains affiliate links; if you make a purchase, I may earn commission. Opinions shared are mine.

Oh my goodness, this week was almost the death of me. It was time to head back to school (teachers have inservice the last week of July here!) and my daughter was in band camp for 2 weeks. Thankfully, my in-laws stayed with us and helped with childcare. I don’t know what we would have done without them! Yesterday I finally had time to sit down and breathe for a moment. Here’s what I did with my day.

Hair Color

First priority for my weekend was to tackle my grays! I color my hair at home using the Madison Reed color kit. Here’s why I love it:

• Takes 45 minutes to do at home, versus hours at the salon
• No appointment needed!
• Auto-ship sends my box regularly
• Covers all of my grays
• My hair feels so soft after I color it
• The formula smells good — no noxious odors
• Shine!!
• Lasts a solid 6 weeks (for me…your mileage may vary)
• As the color fades, my hair looks like I added highlights
• Costs at least 75% less than coloring at the salon
• Additional products work well with the color kit — I especially love the gloss
• Option to charge through Amazon Pay is so convenient

I always get 2 codes for free color kits in my box and share them at work. This time, I decided to post them here. Free to the first people who claim the codes! You just pay shipping.

Code 1: REFC2GZFYDZ47Z5

Code 2: REFC38G5JL6LGSF

Both codes are good on first order of Radiant Cream Color, and they expire 12/31/19. If you use the code, please post a comment below so I can update the post.

Earbuds

My son’s teachers requested donations of earbuds. These weren’t on the school supply list, so we needed a set for him, too. I tried to get them at Office Depot, but the advertised $1.99 pairs were sold out and they wouldn’t substitute another set. I decided to try Dollar Tree and lucked out — they had lots of options! They may not last too long at just $1 a pair, but at least the kids will have something for the first few weeks of school. I love that DollarTree offers free shipping to my local store!

Owl Succulent Pots

I received a cute set of owl succulent pots and wanted to get my succulent cuttings rooted before heading back to school. They look adorable in these pots! These no-fuss plants will be adored by my students, and my own kids wanted a pot in their rooms as well.

Things were so busy that I missed the two giveaways I was supposed to post last week. Look for some opportunities to win in the coming week!