CURRENTLY

Traveling

To and from San Francisco! I’ll share more soon, but it was a great trip to both spend time with family we don’t often see and for my husband to get to do the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon.

Grilling

Nothing too special or new, but my dad gifted us his very nice grill when he upgraded this spring and I’m just happy my husband has been using it even on week nights. I’m not sure there’s anything better tasting than chicken on the grill and I’m definitely sure there’s nothing better than the limited clean up grilling calls for (says the one who never cooks dinner so she’s always in charge of cleaning up from it).

Exploring

The neighborhood we stayed in during our trip to San Francisco. We stayed with one of my cousins who lives in the Noe Valley neighborhood and while we’ve spent time there several times before, this is the first time we’ve spent the whole week there and I happily spent time wandering through it. Mornings were my favorite, early enough for it to not be busy yet and getting to stop at our favorite bagel shop for my husband, our favorite bakery (I may have let Jacob have a mini cupcake several days for second breakfast, haha!) and whichever coffee shop sounded best that day. Add all that to some great shops and the good pizza place I walked to and had my favorite beer while waiting for our order and I think I could get used to living in a walkable area like that! If you ever find yourself there and in Noe Valley, here were my favorites from this trip – Food/drink: Noe Valley Bakery / Bernie’s or Martha & Bros. for coffee / Paxti’s Pizza. Shopping: Ambiance / Cotton Basics / Mary’s Exchange.

Planting

We should be planting something in the front of our house. Early in May my husband took out a bush that had seen better days and then we got motivated and cleared out a row of bushes neither of us had ever liked. Today we finished the job and pulled out everything else and we are now down to no landscaping in the front of our house. I’m excited to start fresh, but feeling a little overwhelmed with options!

Playing

While we were at my cousin’s house Jacob heard talk and saw evidence of a balloon fight. After several requests we are probably getting water balloons like these this weekend to run around the yard and throw at each other. It sounds like a great way to cool off in this heat!

Linking up with Anne and Sarah…

ONE JUMPSUIT, 3 IDEAS

jumpsuit (almost sold out so here’s another gem I would go for) / denim jacket (similar – same brand just 15 years newer, ha!) / shoes (similar)

My best friend from college is getting married in June and I was on the lookout for an inexpensive outfit that works for an outdoor wedding in South Carolina (not at the beach) and that met the following criteria: a style that would get lots of wear after the wedding in my very casual lifestyle and be comfortable enough to chase a 3 year old around. Because you know, no interest in flashing any parts to anyone when I’m inevitably picking him up and walking around with him on my hip.

I headed on an unrelated lunch break trip to Target recently which is something I’m never sure brings the best or worst out in me. A shortened amount of time means having to move quickly and follow a list, but inevitably I still find time to browse one section for fun and less time means I’m usually quicker to impulse buy.

I saw this jumpsuit and it’s a trend I’ve been eyeing so I headed straight to the dressing room with it. It’s so comfortable that I was instantly trying to justify to myself buying it, so wedding outfit is what I went with. I can make it work, right? This styling go round was perfect for work, with cute sandals like these and a head scarf for the weekend, and then for a wedding look I’m thinking strappy block heels like this (or a little dressier like these) paired with a bolder lip color and statement jewelry. Something like this cuff or this necklace maybe? We’ll see! Still plenty of time to change my mind.

THINGS I’VE LOVED THIS WEEK

The return of farmer’s market season! My favorite local one started their outdoor market back up a few weeks ago, but today was the first day we could make it. Jacob and I spent the whole morning there – see my IG post for my favorites and my IG stories will tell you about the drama he gave me. Hint: it involves a huge tantrum, pee, and a a change of pants. We turned it around though!

I saw that Justina Blakeney recommended the book Myth of the Nice Girl : Achieving a Career You Love Without Becoming a Person You Hate in her stories last week and it spoke to my personality type enough that I picked it up from the library and dug in this week. It’s been a good read so far and I’ve enjoyed the confirmation that you can be nice and strong, and the real life examples she gives to demonstrate how to do that in the workplace.

And thanks to social media for a second time, I noticed Brene Brown shared a library’s worth of book recommendations on her site. I found some already established favorites, some that had already made it to my reading wish list, and can’t wait to use that as a resource to find more gems.

After receiving a discount code for American Eagle, I browsed their website and have been lusting over this shirt. I’m such a bargain shopper though that anything more than $30 for an item makes me cringe anymore so I hesitated and then found this less expensive option instead and I think I’m in love. I’ve decided that a lightweight button up is where it’s at this summer. Easy to dress up during the work week, easy to dress down on the weekends (I’m thinking about how perfect it’ll be with distressed denim shorts!).

These cookies, again. They’re just so good! Like sneak them for breakfast type of good. I made them on Mother’s Day because I felt like it was reserve enough to treat myself and I’ve been enjoying them ever since. This time I switched it up and did half of the batch with just chocolate chips with the other half as the recipe calls for – chocolate chips, toffee pieces, and sea salt. They were still good, but I will never deviate from the recipe again – they know what they’re talking about!

This humidity shield because we blinked and it got hot and humid out. After spending the whole morning outside today in some humid weather I’d say it passes the test, I just determined that I like it best if I spray it on my hair first, brush it, then curl it. The only downside is that is does have kind of a strong scent to it at first. I don’t mind it but my husband can’t stand it and can tell that I’ve used it even from another room or 10 minutes prior. Sensitive much?

 

THINGS I’VE LOVED THIS WEEK

My sentimental side. I think I’ve almost always been a feel all the feels type but I think this has been amped up even more in the past few years. Probably aligning with becoming a mother! This morning I caught my son playing with the beaded pull chain on my grandparents old lamp, just like I did as a kid. To me it was a charm to dangle by my ear and pretend it was an earring, to him it was the whistle on a train and I very willingly obliged when he said I needed to get on the chair with him to go for a choo choo ride.

Ok so mayyyybe I made moves on this because it was teal and I’m drawn to anything in that color, but I had been looking for a smaller water bottle when we travel to California at the end of this month. Something that could easily get thrown in my backpack purse without taking up too much space. Of course it’s perfect for every day use which I’ve been doing and I’ve found it’s the perfect size to put an extra cup of coffee in to take to work.

This teriyaki salmon rice bowl recipe. For the past 5 or 6 weeks I’ve been making salmon and taking it to work for lunches two to three times a week – yes I am that person who heats fish up in the shared kitchen but my skin has been so clear since upping my salmon intake that I’m not giving this habit up for anything, ha! (I talked more about the lunch changes I made here) But I was ready to try a new recipe to switch it up a bit and this recipe really hit the spot. A few adjustments I made: I bought teriyaki sauce instead of making it, sauteed spinach and broccoli were my veggies, no Nori, and I used white rice not sushi rice because we already had it at home, and I bought sesame seeds that were already roasted. Raise your hand if you’re always looking for shortcuts too!

Lauren Graham’s new book: In Conclusion, Don’t Worry About It. It didn’t click for me that it was such a quick read, but a co-worker who shares the love of all things Lauren Graham brought it in for me to read before she took it back to the library and it took me half an hour to read at most. It’s an expansion of the commencement speech she gave back her high school last year and for $9 on Amazon it feels like the perfect extra little something to pass along to someone who’s graduating this year.

Justin Timberlake’s newest album or more specifically just two songs: Man of the Woods and Sauce. I had pre-ordered it and then just never got into it but decided to give it another try and am glad I did! We’ll see if next week I get further than two songs in.

CURRENTLY

Going

On walks with Jacob after dinner on the very few nice nights we had in April and they all started with me bribing him to take pictures with me in front of the garage – ha! (Talked about who’s on the receiving end of that look over here…)

Celebrating 

I just can’t help but dive into the weather talk because at long last it feels like spring is here to stay!! So much outside time in the past few days to celebrate, with a three hour trip to the park for a birthday party and to play still resulting in tears from my three year old when we had to leave (I know bud, I promise getting outside will get to be a regular thing again) and then waking to happy hour on a patio with a friend. Bring on that sunshine!

Creating

Packing list after packing list for our trip to San Francisco at the end of this month. Creating and constantly re-doing a list is my favorite way to deal with looking forward to a trip! My biggest challenge though is finding the balance between not over packing and still having options but I’m determined – it’s a one week trip and I will fit everything Jacob and I need in one medium sized suitcase. I will! Anne’s post is going to stick around as my reminder of it being possible.

Wearing

Trying to include some small fun detail in every outfit? The knot, the tie, black and blue, sweater over a dress

Sharing

My weekly love lists. As much as I struggle with consistently publishing something in this space, my What I’ve Loved This Week posts have been the most fun to do so at minimum I’ve been putting those together and reminding myself that this is fun so if I’m too tired or not inspired enough for more some weeks that it’s ok.

Linking up with Anne and Carrie!

THAT LONG TIME FAVORITE

jacket: similar / shirt / pants / shoes

The sure sign that I’m finally believing in spring? The re-appearance of my trusted denim jacket, a recurring favorite since 2003. Back then I was a sophomore in college and you were most likely to find me pairing it with jeans, an old sports tee from elementary school or a thrifted tee (yup, still have those all stashed away at home too), and my Nike Air Max’s.

All these years and all the closet clean outs I’ve never once thought about getting rid of this jacket but I did recently find myself wanting to add to the collection after spotting this beauty. I’m a sucker for anything floral and blush this season, but I am not a sucker for that price tag. I went on an online hunt for something similar and was considering this jacket, but then I wandered through Target last week and found something better. While I’m not in love with the trend this year of the over-sized denim jacket, my size medium self decided to try this one on in an extra small since it was the only one I could find on the clearance racks and for 50% off – I wasn’t leaving without trying.

And it worked! So now I’m the proud owner of two denim jackets and if I catch that first one at a good price this season, it just might make 3. With my track record, I’m sure they’ll get plenty of use.

 

THINGS I’VE LOVED THIS WEEK

I got to be a spectator while my husband did the Glass City Marathon in Toledo, Ohio last weekend and today I did the Cap City quarter marathon here in Columbus and I just love the energy of race day! I consider myself an overly emotional person anyway but no matter my role, spectator or runner, I find myself fighting the urge to cry at the start of almost any distance race. There’s just something about knowing the work people put in to get ready for it, how tough it is out there on the course, and seeing everyone’s loved ones out there ready to cheer them on that just gets to me. I can’t help it.

Having that friend that’s about the same size as you and willing to do a clothing swap every time your closet clean outs inevitably align. Thanks for the new dress Liz! (And plenty of great basics too, by the way). Perfect for one of two weddings we have this summer and this was my first take on styling it for work too.

Old Navy and their damn extra 40% off promotion. After loving the fit of this style I ordered this white pair of jeans especially because they were only $17.50. Even though the weather will eventually be too warm for them anyway, I’ve been on the hunt for cute zip up hooded sweatshirts for Jacob, especially with a trip coming up to San Francisco where layering is key and how freaking cute is this shark hoodie?! Although when I showed him the picture his reaction was “but I want a crocodile one..”. Ugh.

This week’s favorite podcast episode was Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert with Lauren Graham. I was so late to the game with Gilmore Girls, with me just watching for the first time last winter and then tearing my way through all the seasons. I kept the love of Lauren Graham going and moved on to Parenthood next where I’ll be for quite awhile at the pace I’m working on (one year later I’m on season 3 I think?) but this episode made me want to dive right back into all of her work. Just an interesting listen!

The Peach Truck tour is back! They’ve been saying late April they’d announce the dates of the tour and within about 30 minutes of receiving the email with the dates this week, I had already emailed my dad to make plans to meet them and go make a day of it. I can’t wait for fresh peaches again! If you’re in Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania, or Michigan you should check out the dates to see if they’re in an area near you!

And lastly, an article that really got me thinking about how I can do and be better. I listened to Glennon Doyle speak last year at an event and she’s got a powerful message!

THINGS I’VE LOVED THIS WEEK

I mean, I’m not sure I’ve ever met a cookie I didn’t like but man are these brown butter and toffee chocolate chip cookies gooood. A Bon Appétit recipe wins again. Taking them with us this weekend as part of a hey, thanks for watching my kid overnight package but some might have to get left behind to save for later!

Beyonce – she’s such a queen. I’m so out of the loop I didn’t even realize she was going to be performing at Coachella, but I happily caught parts from the full live-stream I found on Monday night. That video is down now, like every other one. I get it, but I’m sad I didn’t get to see more so I’ve been listening to her this week to make up for it!

This long wear lip color. I love lipstick but don’t like to wear it unless my skin is completely clear – maybe because I feel like avoiding drawing attention to my face if it’s blemished? After a stretch of time with skin that was giving me problems I had given up on it, but it’s better! I’m back! And the Blossom Berry color I thought was perfect for fall feels just as perfect for that slowly creeping into spring season too.

These hoop earrings. I love Micki’s shop and had been looking for just the right hoop after deciding it was earring style I could get behind again so when I found this wrapped pair they felt perfect. The detail is so fun that I had a hard time picking which color I wanted. I narrowed it down to blush or white and the blush being sold out made that choice for me. She just posted these earrings for the first time recently though, so I bet she’ll bring them back if you have your eye on a sold out color.

This week’s favorite listen was Jen Hatmaker’s podcast episode with Latasha Morrison. I’m really having a long (maybe permanent by this point?) moment with strong, courageous women and hearing about the work she’s doing around conversations about race through her Be the Bridge organization had me feeling like there’s work we can all do to contribute to change.

Second week in a row I’m including a Cup of Jo post – how am I just now realizing how much I love her blog? But after last week’s fav bringing tears to my eyes, this week’s favorite made me laugh. Scroll through the comments if you want to keep the laughter going! If you’re a parent, what’s your answer? I think mine would have to be “Alexa, set time for 5 more minutes”…

THINGS I’VE LOVED THIS WEEK

THIS WEATHER!! I’m being dramatic but we’ve had some warmer temperatures and some sunshine the past few days and it’s been wonderful. A slow Saturday morning, with coffee outside in our jammies to celebrate.

This new mug, that Jacob told me looked like a volcano – I love the stuff that comes out of his 3 year old little mouth. I always love treating myself to a new mug and it caught my eye at Target this week. It’s part of the new Opalhouse collection at Target which is cute, but after checking it out I pretty much just want all of the dinnerware. Here are my favorites! 1 / 2 / 3

I rediscovered this shop and remembered that I absolutely adore every single item! I love anything that’ll give me a good laugh.

This post that I read one margarita in and had to fight back tears as I started reading through the comments. Small kindnesses man, I’m convinced we could change the world with them.

And speaking of margaritas, the weather this week confirmed that they’re still my favorite drink to reach for when the weather gets nice. My tried and true favorite is with peach juice and Trader Joe’s jalapeño limeade, but I’m looking forward to trying plenty more recipes this this summer.

After years of pledging my allegiance to this black jegging  getting me through any moment I need to look even remotely professional (hey, I work in a can wear jeans anytime type of office), maybe this pair of dress pants has me changing my mind? I grabbed them to wear to a conference this week and they were so stinking comfortable. See how I styled them for the first try here!

PRETENDING IT’S SPRING

 

tee (similar since the exact is almost sold out) / sweater (I would not be above wearing this men’s one) / jeans / shoes (similar) / tote (mine was a $7 gem of a Target find, but this similar one looks way easier to organize)

My job gives us Good Friday off each year, tagging it as Employee Appreciation Day and I’ve deemed it the perfect day to hang out by myself (my husband doesn’t get that day off + daycare is open) and take the time to flip my closet over from a fall/winter focus to a spring/summer focus.

Wishful thinking as we’ve woken up to a light snow on the ground twice since that day, but thankfully I remember that I live in Ohio and kept plenty of transitional pieces (read: cozy sweaters) in my closet. The trick was to put away all the really heavy sweaters in the richer colors and keep out anything in a lighter tone. Add in some blush pink accessories and you’ve got yourself a spring inspired outfit still warm enough to enjoy when it doesn’t quite feel like spring out there!