Lately:
We have finally had some sunnier and milder days and it's giving me LIFE right now. I'm hoping the worst of winter is behind us and we can move on! The daily grind seems so ho-hum in the winter and I'm so glad to be almost on the tail end of it. Earlier this week I even opened the windows for some fresh air in the house for the first time since fall - it felt amazing! Lately I've been taking small joys in seeing new episodes of my favorite podcasts popping up, keeping fresh flowers around the house and scheming about some projects around the house. With milder days I'm scheduling in some outdoor walks (finally!) and watching lots of the smaller tennis tournaments on tv. During these waning winter days it's all about finding small little sparks of joy to keep the cold and grey away mentally.
Watching, reading, listening:
- The current season of The Bachelor is SO GOOD friends. I've been a long time Bachelor fan but in the past few years the seasons seem a little too dramatic and boring at the same time (is that possible?). I saw that the current Bachelor, Joey, was a tennis player and it piqued my interest. I've been binging past episodes and finally caught up with the show live this past Monday. I'm totally hooked and honestly, the girls this go round are total catches! It's going to be tough for him to decide.
- My husband and I binged Love on the Spectrum (Netflix) together. We had both heard such good things about it and it definitely lived up to the hype. It was incredibly sweet and we both got so invested in all the individuals featured on the show. It gave me such a better understanding of Autism, especially in adults, and gave me such a soft spot for their struggles and for their amazing family members that support them. It's not rare to interact with adults on the spectrum in our everyday lives and this really helped me bridge an understanding for their lives. We loved it.
- My husband and I also started Couples Therapy (Showtime) and wow. Just wow. This is a documentary that follows several couples through couples therapy. I'm almost a little speechless about this series because it's just so intimate with these couples being completely open with their struggles right out in the open of streaming television. We are only about half way through the first season, but this is going to be an easy binge for sure! And like most people that probably watch the show, I am asking: Can Orna be my therapist? She is an excellent therapist and also shows some behind the scenes of her own struggles in taking on the problems of her clients.
- I finished reading Homecoming by Kate Morton. It was a good story but man was that book long. If you are a die-hard Kate Morton fan I would say you should read it... but otherwise you might want to pass. It's just wayyyy too long for a very quick wrap up at the end. I did enjoy the twist, but it felt super rushed.
- I am currently reading Diva by Daisy Goodwin. I have really enjoyed ALL of her books and this one is no exception. It's a very fun historical fiction that moves quickly and is so fascinating. It's based on the soprano opera singer Maria Callas. I googled her name to get images of the Diva and she looks just like I imagined and it's a really interesting story. I highly recommend!
- Podcasts I've enjoyed recent: The Science of Optimism on The Blonde Files podcast, What is Your Shadow Trying to Tell You? on the Goop podcast, "Ask Us Anything" Beauty Edition on the Lipstick on the Rim podcast
Currently loving:
- The prettiest dress for spring and summer. If you have events to attend like graduations, casual weddings or just a fun spring break dinner look - I highly recommend this dress. It runs very large, I went down 2 sizes to size XS.
- These white jeans (shown above) are perfection. The gentle flare, the patch pockets and the perfectly cropped length. I went with my bigger size, 26, they run a bit small.
- We just got this noise machine and WOW... sleep is super important for me. I'm miserable after a terrible night sleep, I mean, who isn't? But I've noticed as I've gotten older that it's getting harder and harder to recover. I sleep super soundly with this new noise machine and I can't recommend it enough. It's even compact enough to travel with!
- It seems like pearl accessories are popping up everywhere for spring. Not that they ever went out of style but they are definitely having a moment. These oversized pearl earrings are SO fun!
Let's do some Q & A!
Q. What are your top 3 must haves for spring?
A. I would say wide leg jeans for sure. This pair is so comfy and easy to wear! A pop of red is super on trend right now and such a fun bright color to wear on a sunny day. This pair of red flats would be such a fun statement piece dressed up or dressed down. And for the third item I would have to say these fun sneakers... I reach for mine all the time. They are so comfy and super on trend right now - so they are the perfect of the moment piece.
Q. What are you wearing for date night/girls nights these days?
A. Well for winter it was just dress warm and hope for the best. ;) But I have to say, I have zero "going out" pieces. This time of year it's usually black jeans (these are the best black jeans and I wore them for date night last weekend) and then once it's warmer out I'll do white jeans or a dress. I have to say, this is not my strong suit, I usually just go with an everyday-type look and will sometimes wear an extra piece of jewelry to dress up the look a bit.
Q. What is your usual morning routine?
A. I am NOT a morning person I should say first! I wake up early, but actually getting out of bed is my worst nemesis. I usually wake up about 6:45 and drag my butt out of bed to make sure my daughter is up and getting ready for school. Then I do a few things in the bathroom - brush teeth, put in my contacts, notice my dark circles are getting worse (why are they getting so bad as I get older?). Then it's dog duty next, he needs a quick potty and breakfast. Then I move on to vitamins, coffee and work. I am not a morning person but working is like the thing I always dive into first when I wake up because I like to have the feeling that I'm productive first thing. I will check in on emails and dms, write the newsletter on M/W/F, research the content I need to create that day like checking for any sales, etc and then post new content to socials. Then usually by 8 or 8:15 I am taking the dog for a walk. I don't love this part of the morning, especially when I need 100 layers just to get out the door but it always makes me feel refreshed and energized for the day. If I have a workout planned for that day (most days I do) then I quickly change and get out the door with a protein bar. Then after the workout, it's time to shower and do whatever work I have planned for the day contentwise. It's not anything very special at all! I wish I did something more inspired like journal or meditate or contemplatively sip tea, but indeed, I do not.
