Things I Love Right Now

1. This awesome podcast episode from Jen Hatmaker & Hillary McBride. So powerful - even if you don’t have a daughter. Her thoughts on overcoming body image shame are amazing.

2. Primally Pure Deodorant. You have been involved (perhaps too involved?) in my natural deodorant search for a while. In October I switched to PP and it is significantly better than any I had tried before. I liked the Blue Tansy scent. I love the Lemongrass scent, though it’s quite lemony. I didn’t love the charcoal scent because it smelled like coconut, which isn’t my jam. All three have worked so well!

3. Where the Crawdads Sing. I’m genuinely sad this book is over. It was amazing. The writing is lovely, the storyline is compelling and the main character is so lovable. I wish I could read it for the first time again. I cannot wait for the movie!

4. Goldfaden. There is no season like winter to remind me how badly I need a good moisturizer. I’ve been using Goldfaden for a year now and am still completely enamored by the brand. It’s the most powerful plant-based line I’ve ever used. Everything I’ve tried has been awesome, though I especially love the Wake Up Call.

5. This read from the NYT about growing a connected family.

A Few Things I'm Loving

Rise Together Podcast // I love a lot of Rachel Hollis’ work and hearing her speak with her husband about marriage has been awesome. They have great, tangible advice. Chris and I love to listen to the same episode and discuss.

Em’s post about self-care // Self-care, oh self-care! I feel like you sometimes get a reputation for being indulgent or for the high-maintenance folk. But you ain’t! Self-care for me is making a cup of pour-over coffee in the morning, doing my quiet time or going for a walk on a nice day. I love Em’s take on the topic.

Crazy Rich Asians // Truth: this took me longer than expected to get into. I didn’t realize it would be so satirical. Now that I’m halfway through, though, I’m hooked. I don’t think it’s going to be a life-changing book, but it’s a fun read.

JCrew Love First shirt // Love this shirt. Love this message. Love you guys.

Bye :)

Things I'm Loving Today

1. Peanut Butter Fingers at-home workouts // Most days, I workout outside during Mac's morning nap. It gets a little old coming up with difficult enough sequences over and over again. Enter PB Fingers! Her at-home workouts are great. Once my maternity leave it over, I'll likely try to exercise before he gets up at 7. But in the meantime, I'm enjoying my 8:30 workouts. :)

2. Girl, Wash Your Face // This is a light, motivating read. It is empowering, but not too serious. Aaaand it's free on Hoopla or Libby if you have either library app. The author, Rachel Hollis, narrates the audio version, which I love. 

3. My DIFF sunglasses // LOVE these babies. They're thick and have UV protection. They are a little heavy, but I think that's typically a sign of quality sunnies. Every August DIFF does a big end-of-summer sale so everything is marked down right now. You can use this referral link for 20% off, too! I love having decent sunglasses to protect my eyes, but hate to spend much more than $30 on them since they tend to grow legs and walk away. 

4. Bringing Up Bébé // I'm only a few chapters into this, but am loving it so far. It's great to hear different parenting perspectives, as she compares French ways to many of our American philosophies. Obviously, I have a lot to learn at only 11 weeks in :) 

5. This blueberry crisp // It is absolutely delicious! I subbed corn starch for tapioca (because tapioca starch is like Xanthan gum: instantly intimidating). It worked really well! 

6. Everything MIni Boden // I just got Mac a swimsuit for our beach trip in October. It was $16 with the current 60% sale. Wahoo!

Happy Monday!

A Few Things I'm Loving

Aside from the obvious, which is this summer-like heat we're having in Virginia (fourth day in a row of 90+ weather, YES!). A few other things I'm loving:

The Next Right Thing: This is a podcast from Emily P. Freeman. Honestly, I just love that they are super short and her voice is so soothing. I like to listen at the end of the work day as I walk around the block or start prepping dinner. It's detoxifying! 

My Nalgene: Is this so random or what? I left my Hydroflask in Indiana and my aunt is bringing it in a few weeks. In the meantime, I've been back on the Nalgene train, which I haven't been in years. It feels so happily high school and I'm loving it. 

Iced coffee with a dash of maple syrup and milk: The perfect afternoon indulgence! We love making iced coffee for the week in our Toddy and just made our first batch of the summer. Around 1:30, an iced coffee with just a bit of sweetness is the perfect after-lunch treat. 

Denim maternity shorts from A Pea in the Pod: The exact pair is sold out, but they have a handful of similar ones. I thought I'd want to wear dresses in this heat, but it's so nice to be able to throw on shorts and a loose tank. I highly recommend for any other summer pregnant friends! 

Lilac Girls: Actually, I am not sure if I love this yet, but want to hear what others think. It's SO sad. it really shows dark parts of humanity. Has anyone else read it? I don't think I can stop reading it now, but every night it's half addicting and half painful to read.