The People & Places I Swear By: A Few of My Rhode Island Favorites ❤️
- 7 days ago
- 5 min read
If you've ever sat in my chair, you already know that hair appointments tend to turn into recommendation swaps. 😂
We're talking skincare, restaurants, massage therapists, products we can't live without, places we've been... you name it. Honestly, I get some of my best recommendations from all of you, and there are definitely a handful of my own that I find myself sharing over and over again.
So I thought—why not put some of them all in one place?
This isn't a “Best of Rhode Island” list, and none of these are random recommendations. These are people, places and products I actually spend my own money on, return to again and again, and happily recommend to the people I care about.
So, in no particular order, here are a few of the people and places I swear by. ❤️
🧼 Herbs & Mylk
Sensitive skin runs in our family, and unfortunately I seem to have passed mine right along to my daughter. 😂
I stumbled across Herbs & Mylk while searching for something gentler after trying a few other local brands, and I was honestly blown away by the difference in my skin. It felt soft instead of dry and itchy, and over time I even noticed my eczema calming down.
So naturally, I tried it with my daughter—and we had a very similar experience. Now the whole family uses their soap regularly, and it's become one of those recommendations that comes out of my mouth behind the chair multiple times a week.
If you've ever heard me rave about “that soap I use,” this is the one. It's earned a permanent spot in our house—and definitely a spot on this list.
✨ Jules Aesthetics
I've struggled with my skin for as long as I can remember. I grew up in the Proactiv-and-Accutane era, dealing with oily, shiny skin, breakouts and blackheads that eventually left behind plenty of scarring and little reminders of my teenage years.
As I got older, things were mostly manageable... until the couple of years leading up to the big 4-0. Apparently my hormones had other plans. 😂 Suddenly I was dealing with painful cystic breakouts worse than anything I remembered having as a teenager, along with redness and oil that I just couldn't seem to get under control.
After a few expensive trips to the dermatologist without the lasting results I was hoping for, I found Julie at Jules Aesthetics during a desperate Google search for an acne expert. I booked an appointment, crossed my fingers and hoped she could help 40-year-old skin just as much as teenage skin.
She could.
Working with Julie has completely changed how confident I feel caring for my skin. She doesn't just perform a service and send me on my way—she explains what she's doing, helps me understand what my skin needs, and sends me detailed notes after every visit so I know exactly how and when to use anything we've added or changed.
The result has been some of the best skin I've had since my teenage years. My redness has calmed, my breakouts and oil feel under control, and I finally feel like I understand how to care for my own skin.
Plus, I genuinely look forward to seeing her. Give me a good extraction session and an opportunity to chat and pick Julie's brain, and I'm a happy girl. 😂
She's become one of those people I recommend constantly because I know how frustrating it is to feel like you've tried everything—and how much of a difference it makes when you finally find someone you trust.
💆♀️ Jackie at Sundance Massage & Wellness
I genuinely don't know how I would survive doing hair without Jackie. 😂
I've been seeing her since shortly after becoming a mom, and over the years she's helped me take care of a body that spends a LOT of time standing, reaching, blow-drying and generally abusing its shoulders.
People always ask me what kind of massage I book with her—deep tissue? Lymphatic? Fascia work? And the answer is... I have absolutely no idea. 😂
I call it the Jackie Special.
I show up, tell her what hurts, and let her do whatever she thinks my body needs. She's incredibly knowledgeable in so many different areas of massage and bodywork, and somehow she always knows exactly where the problem is and what to do about it.
Seeing her monthly has honestly become part of how I take care of myself so that I can continue doing the job I love. She's a miracle worker, an amazing human, and someone I recommend without hesitation.
Just don't ask me which massage to book. I still don't know. 😂
📸 Megan Therese Photography
Megan and I actually grew up in the same neighborhood, but that's not why I choose her.
She's just one of those genuinely good humans. She's incredibly kind, always giving back and showing up for other people—and she also happens to be ridiculously talented at what she does.
Now, I feel awkward and sweaty just thinking about being in front of a camera. 😂 Somehow Megan gets me laughing, helps me loosen up and manages to capture photos that actually feel like me.
She's photographed both my family and my business, and I'm obsessed with her talent, her skill and her ability to capture real moments instead of something that feels overly posed or forced.
She's one of those people I'm always happy to recommend—not just because I love her work, but because I love supporting the human behind it, too.
🌮 Condesa Restaurante Mexicano
If you know me, my love for Mexican food will come as absolutely no surprise. 😂 But Condesa has become a favorite for so much more than the food.
The quality is consistently amazing, the atmosphere is fun, and the service is genuinely some of the best.
It's somehow become our date-night spot, a family dinner spot AND a place to grab food and watch soccer. The manager always makes us feel at home, and the waitstaff has that friendly, familiar feel that makes you actually look forward to going back.
There are plenty of places we enjoy trying, but Condesa is one we return to over and over again—and that probably says everything you need to know.
❤️ The Recommendations That Actually Mean Something
I think that's really what this list comes down to.
There are plenty of businesses I like, but these are the ones I find myself talking about without anyone asking me to. 😂 They're the people and places that have earned my trust, become part of my family's routines, or simply make our lives a little better.
And as a small business owner myself, I know how much a genuine recommendation can mean.
So if you end up trying one of my favorites because you read about them here, tell them Sara sent you. And the next time you're sitting in my chair, make sure you tell me one of YOUR favorites too.
I'm always looking for another good recommendation. ❤️
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