My Favorite Things I Discovered in August.

Beeswax hair texture spray. || If you missed it, I chopped my hair last week and went way blonder. I love it. And this texture spray is the bestbestbest. First of all, it's under four dollars (what???) which is a rare price for something that is sulfate free and cruelty free. Second of all, IT WORKS. 
Stranger Things. || August brought an epic binge watch of this show and I'm not sure what to do without it. It was SO good and so cute and I loved it!
This makeup case. || My favorite part of this is that the compartment separators can be moved around to create however many sections you need, or can even be completely taken out. It's super customizable for the size of your makeup and skincare.
Reusable K-Cups. || I saw a few friends post about these on instagram and had an "Oh, duh!" moment. I love the convenience of being able to make one cup of coffee at a time, but I hate having to buy individual cups. These are amazing! I also love that I can make whatever flavor of coffee I want, since it may not come in K cups (looking at you, blueberry muffin coffee). 
Opalhouse Candles. || I bought a few of these at Target last week knowing they'd be my last non-fall candle purchase of the year. These smell SO good. They're gorgeous and seem to be long lasting, from what I can tell so far! 
What's the best thing you discovered in August?! 

Six Things I Do Every Single Day That Make My Life Better.

I want to start this off by painting a picture of my current life for you. I am in the trenches of toddlerhood, y'all. I also work (like, an actual job that requires me to do actual things) from home. My house is never all clean at once. I am rarely dressed with my hair and makeup done. My to-do list overflows to the next day 110% of the time. No matter what my intentions are in the morning, I end most days as a passenger on the hot mess express. It's just what this season of life looks like.
I say that so you don't think I have this routine where I wake up in my Pinterest perfect home (lol, no) that's nice and clean (also no) and do these things stress-free while looking like an instagram model (lolzzz never). 
It's more like, I do these things every day, often in my pajamas, in a messy house, in between doing dishes and emails and FaceTime meetings and fixing snacks and phone calls. 
But I do them. 
Every day.
1. Drink alllll the water. || So much freakin' water. Have a headache? Drink water. Skin breaking out? Chug some water. Have a project due that you haven't started yet? Girrrrrl you better hydrate. I feel 100% better when I drink enough water. 
2. Practice Gratitude. || A list of five things I'm grateful for, from that day, every single day. When I start my day from this perspective, I'm more open to the good that day has to offer. Gratitude changes your perspective. 
3. Move Intentionally. || I really wanna say workout, but I definitely don't workout every day. But even on the days I don't workout, I make sure to spend at least a few minutes moving my body on purpose. Whether it's an actual workout or just going for a walk, I make sure I don't spend the entire day in one place (which, when you work from home, can be really easy to do). 
4. Skincare. || I have finally realized that if I am not nice to my skin, it will not be nice to me. I don't fall asleep with makeup on anymore. My skincare routine is a few minutes of self-care that benefits me in the moment and in the long run. These are the products I use, if you're curious.
5. Reflect. || I'm gonna put a whole post together just on this topic, but this is often my favorite part of my day. I ask myself two questions: 1) How was yesterday? 2) How will today be better? I reflect on the highs and lows of the day before, then I dive into how I hope I will be better today. 
6. Inspire. || This world can be a dark place, guys. If you're a caring person, it can really weigh you down. It's so important to make sure you're feeding yourself inspiration and staying centered on the good. Ways I do this: Devotions in the Bible app (you can find short little notes about any topic you can think of), reviewing my notes from things that have inspired me (Like Rise Conference), looking at content from people I admire (Mel Robbins, Rachel Hollis, John Maxwell, etc.), and reading books that encourage to me.
These things are so simple and all make the biggest difference. My days are better when I do them. My life is better when I do them. 

I've learned that if I wait until I have my life together to do things that are good for me, I'll never do them. If I wait until my house and hair are clean on the same day to practice gratitude, there would never be another thankful list written again. 
No matter what season of life you're in, find a few things that make your days better. Maybe it's meditating, or taking a walk. Maybe it's reading before bed, or making yourself drink a green smoothie. Find things that you know make your life better, then actually do them. 
Whether your hair is clean or not. 

Live Blog: Stranger Things and Back to School Mantras.

I actually got a full night of good sleep, which is apparently something my body doesn't know how to process anymore, so I woke up hours before my alarm thinking "are we suuuuure we're not supposed to be doing something right now?" So here we are, with a cup of coffee and an opportunity to fire out a blog live, which we know is my favorite because it's just an excuse to talk about all the random things that don't quite deserve their own post. 
Up first: Stranger Things. I've never seen an episode, or really even been interested in it, but now I 100000% get the obsession. A weekend of binge-watching the first (and part of the second) season and I'm hooked. It's so good!
I've started saying a mantra with Jack every morning before school. We say, "I am strong, I am brave, I am kind, I am going to have a great day!" Sometimes he repeats it back to me and I could absolutely melt into a puddle. But also sometimes I get the first three words out and he says, "No thank you, please." You win some, you lose some. 
I've mentioned before that August is my favorite because it's still summering so hard, but fall is riiiiight there. I love summer, I love fall, and I love looking forward to things. So this is my jam. Some things I'm currently looking forward to about fall: Pumpkin everything (duh), cute sweaters (even though I'll have to wear them with shorts, because Florida), and fall scented candles. What about you?
Speaking of fall, I've started a fall section on my amazon store. I'm a summer girl through and through, but fall fashion has my heart. 
And speaking of it still being summer, it has been waaaay too hot to use the gym stuff in the garage, so I've been doing (indoor) at home workouts. My favorites are anything by Blogilates and Yoga With Adrienne. If you love any at home workouts, drop them in the comments so I can give them a try while I wait for Florida to cool down just a tiny bit.  
My coffee needs a refill so this seems like a good place to land for the day. I hope you have the best Monday ever. Like I'm about to tell Jack: You are strong, you are brave, you are kind, you are going to have a great day!"

Amazon Storefront + Giveaway!

If you've followed me for more that two minutes, you probably know a good portion of my life comes from Amazon. Dresses? Amazon. Bikinis? Amazon. Reusable straws? Amazon. ALL THE EXTRA EARRINGS EVER?! Amazon, baby. 
I'm SO FREAKIN' EXCITED because Amazon finally approved my storefront! This means I can keep all the things I'm always posting about in one place. Dresses I love, sweaters I want for fall, pool floats...all in one place.  You can see my store here and if you follow, you'll get updates when I add new things! 
I'm so excited to be able to keep all those recommendations in one spot now, instead of scattered throughout blog posts here and there. 
To celebrate, I'm giving away an Amazon gift card (because, duh). All you have to do is follow me on instagram and comment on this post. 
I'll be updating these categories constantly, so tell me: What do you want to see?!
Happy Wednesday, beauties! 

Light & Dark.

I've been both struggling with and finding beauty in the fact that so much good and so much bad can coexist. Days full of light and days full of darkness. The heavy weight of sadness and the ease of experiencing joy. 

I was visiting family the morning the news of the mass shootings broke. I was heartbroken and angry and sick to my stomach. That same day, I went out on the boat with my family and had a beautiful day with my sweet baby boy. 

How? How can that be the same world? 

I woke up last week to see one of my precious friends lost her little brother. The very same day, another friend welcome a baby girl to her family. The best day of someone's life, the worst day of someone's life. On the same day. The same 24 hours. How can that be?

Life and death, coexisting in the same day day. 

Happiness and devastation. 

Light and darkness. 

The last year has been the hardest I’ve personally faced yet. A lot of loss, a lot of grief. A lot of hurt and a lot of heartbreak. The last year has also been the most beautiful one - hello, Jack exists, remember?! I've watched him learn and grow and light up my whole life with joy. I went to a conference I've been dreaming of going to. I've chased after my dreams and invested in and believed in myself like never before. I've had nights with friends where we laugh so hard we cry, I've read books that changed my life. I've had beautiful moments. Seen stunning sunsets. Loved and felt love in return in beautiful ways. 

How is that? How is the same year that I thought was unsurvivable, the year where I had to watch those closest to me walk through pain I couldn't imagine...how is that the same year that was so good? The same year that had the best weekends, the best beach days, the best vacations? How? 

How did 31 people wake up to the senseless loss of their family last weekend on the same weekend I watched my son laugh while he rode in an inner tube for the first time? 

The short answer is this: I don't know. 

The long answer is this: I don't freakin' know. 

The hard answer is: I don't know, I don't understand, but life somehow keeps going on. 

Life keeps going on, even though people senselessly were gunned down this week. 

Life keeps going on, even when we think our hearts are too broken to function. 

I FaceTimed my best friend yesterday and we were in our feels about the hard things. We were both crying and said, “how is the same year we had TacoLu lunches where we laughed and dreamed and ate tacos and left feeling so happy the same year all this happened? 

I don’t know why I got so caught up on the tacos. It was very dramatic. But it was just insane to me. How was the year that we spent so many carefree days laughing over tacos the SAME year she lost someone precious to her? How were those dang taco days the same year I didn’t know how my family would survive? 

We cried about it. 

And when we got off the phone, we made plans to go to TacoLu's soon. And I had to laugh at the irony of it. We laugh. We eat tacos. We have beautiful days. We lose people we love. We walk through hardships. We fight the darkness as hard as we can. 

And we eat we laugh. We eat tacos. We have beautiful days. 

I’m not trying to minimize any of the devastation. I know that the beauty we have in no way minimizes your pain. I know this because life is freaking beautiful and it hasn't minimized my pain. But I think it does bring some comfort to know that alongside the pain, beauty is there, and will continue to be there.

Comfort that the morning will always come. There will be a reason to laugh, no matter how small. There will always be a new day that brings new memories with people we love. There will always be sunshine. And laughter. And dreams. 

And tacos. 

My Clean Beauty Skincare + Makeup Routine (on Sale!)

Since we're friends, I'm going to let you in on the reason I switched to clean beauty and skincare products. It had nothing to do with toxins, or wanting to be better to my body. It was for one reason and one reason only...one day, my skin decided that every single time I wore makeup, it was going to reward me with a breakout. Didn't matter if I washed my face. Didn't matter if I bought expensive makeup. If I wore it for more than a few minutes, I was guaranteed to wake up with a breakout that wasn't there the day before. ANNOYING. 
Last year during Beautycounter's friends and family sale, I reached out to basically a stranger on instagram and told her everything I was currently using and told her I loved how my makeup made me look but I was sick of my skin acting like I was a freshman in high school. She gave me recommendations based on the products I used and the rest is freakin' history. Since I've been using them for a year (I'm busy, OKAY) I thought it was finally time to answer the "what kind of makeup do you use" questions. These are affiliate links, because obviously. 
M A K E - U P :
Touchup skin concealer pen. Under my eyes (because, #Jack) and on any blemishes. I used NARS concealer before and I like this one just as much. 
Dew skin. If you know me at all, you know I just want to look like I'm glowing all the time. The fact this had "dewy glow" in the description had me SOLD. If I could only wear one makeup product forever, this would be it. This is more of a BB cream, but I use it as foundation because I love how light and glow it is.
If I want more coverage, I mix it half and half with tint skin. I was using Becca Aqua Luminous foundation before I switched, and this is comparable to that.
This bronzer. I have been using this bronzer for an actual YEAR and it's not even halfway gone. It's the best bronzer I've ever used. A little goes the longest way and it never looks orange. I also use it on the outside corners of my eyes instead of eyeshadow, (because a makeup artist told me that's what Victoria's Secret models do to make their eyes pop, but that's neither here nor there). 
This highlighter. Again with the dewy skin. I'm obsessed with this. Swipe it on my cheek bones, under my eyebrow, and my temples. If I'm feeling fancy, I'll take a small eyeshadow brush and put it in the inner corners of my eye. GLOW BABY, GLOW. 
This blush. Look, I have no idea what possessed me to buy a cream blush last year. I'd never used a cream one before. In my head, it would give me a more dewy finish. Turns out, I was right and I'm obsessed. 
This lip sheer. My favorite nude lip when I want something but don't want to go full on glossy. It's so pretty, goes with everything, and smells like vanilla. 

S K I N C A R E 
Daily: 
This Cleanser. Use if: You want an acne fighting cleanser that doesn't strip your skin of all moisture. 
This toner. Use if: You want to shrink your pores. 
This acne treatment. Use if: You have breakouts
This moisturizer or this serum. The moisturizer adapts to your skin level, so it's good for everyone. Use the serum if: Your skin is thirsty, you want to get rid of some lines, you want to firm stuff up. 
This eye cream. Use if: You have eyes. But for real. De-puffing, de-wrinkling magic. 
Every few days: 
This resurfacing peel. Hands down, the best skincare product I've ever used. It's the most expensive face product I own, but it's worth every penny. And it lasts f o r e v e r. You put it on before bed and wake up looking like you got a facial. PURE. MAGIC. It gets rid of fine lines and dark spots, minimizes pores, does your taxes AND the grocery shopping. 
Once or twice a week: 
This face mask. I am a face mask junkie. I'm telling you, this is the best one I've ever used. If you have blackheads that try to ruin your life (me), this is the move. 
As needed: 
This spot treatment. If there's something popping up on my face, this gets rid of it super fast.  This week, the whole website is 15% off. That's the sale that made me try this stuff last year, and I've continued to use all of it. So it seemed like the perfect time to share! If your skin is breaking out even though you take good care of it, you might be like me and need to give clean beauty a try. Happy Tuesday! xo

An August Coffee Date.

...I'd tell you that I just had to spellcheck the word "August" because I stared at it for too long and it didn't look right. So, there's that. Fill up my coffee cup, please. 
...I'd tell you that I just spend two days on the lake with my favorite people. We drove way too far for way too short of a time, and it was glorious. Sometimes irrational decisions are the best ones. Time in the sunshine with people I love is my love language. Being on a boat in the sun is also my love language.  
...I'd tell you that I've been struggling with and also finding beauty in the idea of heavy and light, happy and sad. How they can coexist. How good things happen in the midst of heartbreak. How I can wake up to news of two mass shootings and feel my heart breaking over that and then go on and have the most fun day with my family. How this year has had heaps of devastation but also some of the most beautiful days I've ever had. It's hard to reconcile the two, you know? 
...I'd tell you that I've got a website overhaul in the works and I am so excited about it.  I set some big blog goals in June and have been chasing after them hard. BIG things in store, and I cannot wait to share it all!

...I'd tell you that I'm returning my library books today, which means it's time to request new books! I'd ask you what the best book you've read lately is so I can put in on my list. 
Your turn - what's going on with you?!

Welcoming August.

August is this beautiful pause in the year. Not quite all summer, not quite all fall. It's still roughly ten million degrees outside, but the stores are filled with back to school supplies. I love this month. It's full of my favorite summer things with the slowly creeping in anticipation that all my favorite fall things are right around the corner. It's a good month. 
Question: What if this could be the month that could change everything?
Second question: Why can't this be the month that changes everything? 
August. 
What a beautiful month to do something amazing. 
Some of us, the amazing thing we need to do involves doing. It involves getting up early and putting in the time and working harder than usual and checking things off a to-do list. It is important and sacred and requires hard work. 
Some of us, the amazing thing we need to do involves less doing. It involves slowing down, learning to take deep breaths, saying no more, pushing some things off of our plate. It is important and sacred and requires hard work. 
Take a few moments today and be honest with yourself: What do you need from August? And what does August need from you? 
You're the only one who can answer that question. You know what you need to do more of and you know what you need to do less of. You know where you're not pushing yourself enough and where you're completely overwhelmed. So take stock of that and decide - you're going to have a good freaking month. August? It's gonna be your month. 
Let's welcome this month with open arms. Let's leave whatever hard things happened in July in July and welcome the fresh start of new beginnings. 
Let's be so open to the magic that August has to offer.  
Happy August, beauties.

What July Taught Me.

1. Just because something is over doesn't mean you've dealt with it in the way you need to. || Anybody else guilty of trying to move RIGHT past something hard the second it's over? This month taught me, nice try - but no. When you go through hard things, or stressful things, or overwhelming things...just because those "things" finish doesn't mean your feelings do. And that's okay! It's okay to process as long as you need to. 
2. Don't even SIT at tables where you will be the topic of conversation when you get up. || I've always loved that quote, but this month really taught it to me from a new perspective. Not only should you not trust those people, you shouldn't even sit down at the dang table. You're worth so much more than that, and your time is worth so much more than that. 
3. Your morning sets the tone for your day. || I mean, I kind of wish this one wasn't true. It would be nice to lounge around every morning and still have a productive day. Alas, not the case for me. If I have a rushed and stressful morning, I will have a rushed and stressful day. If I have an intentional morning, my day follows suit. 
4. It's beyond okay to change. || Slowly or overnight or rarely or often. Drastically or subtly. You are allowed to change. In big ways and small ways. And - here's the kicker - you don't have to explain it to anyone other than yourself. 
5. Find the good in whatever season you're in instead of wishing it away. || If I could have fast forwarded through most of the last eight months, I would have. There was some terrible stuff in there. But now that I'm here, in hindsight I can see how much good stuff I would have missed. I would have missed laughing while Jack jumped on the bed and sang "5 little monkeys." I would have missed laughing with my best friends. I would have missed good books and good dinners and beach days. 
There's always good, even in the midst of the worst seasons. And the truth is that you can't fast forward through the hard stuff. So look for the good. If you look hard enough, you'll find it. 
What did July teach you? Don't forget to use the instagram template and tag me so I can share your lessons, too! 

My Favorite Things I Discovered in July.

These shoes and this belt. || Unless you're brand new around here, you know that I have a fierce love of all the colorful things. Especially when it's summertime. Sometimes you just really need to have a neon moment, you feel? These were both on sale at Target and they're so fun. I will be wearing both of them every chance I get. 

Vanilla bean creme brûlée k cups. || When my beloved coffee maker bit the dust earlier this year, I was pretty devastated to find out it had been discontinued. We ended up getting one that had both a coffee pot and a k cup side, so I (obviously) have used this opportunity to try alllll the k cup flavors. 
These are delicious. And they're Target brand, so they're cheaper than normal k cups. Big, big fan. 

Countertime skincare line. || HOLY GLOW, BATMAN. I know a lot of people switch to clean beauty to avoid toxins - and bravo to you! But I'm going to be honest and let the shallow side of me show and tell you I switched to clean beauty products because I just really, reallllllly wanted my face to stop breaking out. Turns out, it did the trick! 
This is Beautycounter's newest line and it is MAGIC. It's anti-aging and in seven days has already smoothed my forehead lines (that I don't wanna talk about) out. It's plant-derived retinatural (haha - get it?) that works like retinol without being super bad for you. I've only been using it for a week, but I've used a lot of skincare lines (love trying new ones, it's a problem), and this is my favorite one so far. Also, they come in glass containers instead of plastic, which just feels super fancy, and YOU NEED THAT SOMETIMES, OKAY?!

What's something good you discovered in July?!

Books I Read in July (And Whether Or Not You Should Read Them).

Something in The Water by Catherine Steadman 
Plot: If you could make one simple choice that would change your life forever, would you?   Erin is a documentary filmmaker on the brink of a professional breakthrough, Mark a handsome investment banker with big plans. Passionately in love, they embark on a dream honeymoon to the tropical island of Bora Bora, where they enjoy the sun, the sand, and each other. Then, while scuba diving in the crystal blue sea, they find something in the water. . . .
 
Could the life of your dreams be the stuff of nightmares?  
Suddenly the newlyweds must make a dangerous choice: to speak out or to protect their secret. After all, if no one else knows, who would be hurt? Their decision will trigger a devastating chain of events. . . .  
Have you ever wondered how long it takes to dig a grave?  
Wonder no longer. Catherine Steadman’s enthralling voice shines throughout this spellbinding debut novel. With piercing insight and fascinating twists, Something in the Water challenges the reader to confront the hopes we desperately cling to, the ideals we’re tempted to abandon, and the perfect lies we tell ourselves.
Favorite quote: “Scary, in a way. How quickly what is good can become not good enough through comparison.” 
My thoughts: I bought this book a few months ago on Audible and could not get into it. I didn't make it past the second chapter and just chalked it up to being overhyped. But after seeing lots of friends rave about it in the last few weeks, I decided to give it another go with the physical book. Annnndddd I read it in a single day. It was so good! Not only did this book have twists I didn't see coming, the whole plot took (several) turns I didn't see coming at all! 
Should you read it? Yes! 
The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren 
Plot: Olive is always unlucky: in her career, in love, in…well, everything. Her identical twin sister Ami, on the other hand, is probably the luckiest person in the world. Her meet-cute with her fiancé is something out of a romantic comedy (gag) and she’s managed to finance her entire wedding by winning a series of Internet contests (double gag). Worst of all, she’s forcing Olive to spend the day with her sworn enemy, Ethan, who just happens to be the best man.
Olive braces herself to get through 24 hours of wedding hell before she can return to her comfortable, unlucky life. But when the entire wedding party gets food poisoning from eating bad shellfish, the only people who aren’t affected are Olive and Ethan. And now there’s an all-expenses-paid honeymoon in Hawaii up for grabs.

Putting their mutual hatred aside for the sake of a free vacation, Olive and Ethan head for paradise, determined to avoid each other at all costs. But when Olive runs into her future boss, the little white lie she tells him is suddenly at risk to become a whole lot bigger. She and Ethan now have to pretend to be loving newlyweds, and her luck seems worse than ever. But the weird thing is that she doesn’t mind playing pretend. In fact, she feels kind of... lucky. 

Favorite quote: "I see all these choices unrolling in front of me - career, travel, friends, geography - and despite things being insane and hard and messy, I don't think I've ever liked myself more than I do now. It's the strangest feeling to be proud simply because I'm taking care of me and mine. Is this what it's like to grow up?” 
My thoughts: This book was adorable! My favorite romcom I've read in awhile. I read it sick in bed over the holiday weekend (booooo), but it would be the perfect beach or pool read!
Should you read it? Yes! 
The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager
Plot: Two Truths and a Lie. The girls played it all the time in their cabin at Camp Nightingale. Vivian, Natalie, Allison, and first-time camper Emma Davis, the youngest of the group. But the games ended the night Emma sleepily watched the others sneak out of the cabin into the darkness. The last she--or anyone--saw of them was Vivian closing the cabin door behind her, hushing Emma with a finger pressed to her lips.
Now a rising star in the New York art scene, Emma turns her past into paintings--massive canvases filled with dark leaves and gnarled branches that cover ghostly shapes in white dresses. When the paintings catch the attention of Francesca Harris-White, the wealthy owner of Camp Nightingale, she implores Emma to return to the newly reopened camp as a painting instructor. Seeing an opportunity to find out what really happened to her friends all those years ago, Emma agrees.

Familiar faces, unchanged cabins, and the same dark lake haunt Nightingale, even though the camp is opening its doors for the first time since the disappearances. Emma is even assigned to the same cabin she slept in as a teenager, but soon discovers a security camera--the only one on the property--pointed directly at its door. Then cryptic clues that Vivian left behind about the camp's twisted origins begin surfacing. As she digs deeper, Emma finds herself sorting through lies from the past while facing mysterious threats in the present. And the closer she gets to the truth about Camp Nightingale and what really happened to those girls, the more she realizes that closure could come at a deadly price.
My thoughts: This book was shaping up to be a decent whodunit, then halfway through took a turn that totally shocked me. Like, I got chills when I read the page and had no choice but to stay up way too late to finish it. I love those kinds of books! 
Should you read it? Yes! 

The Rest of The Story by Sarah Dessen 
Plot: Emma Saylor doesn’t remember a lot about her mother, who died when she was ten. But she does remember the stories her mom told her about the big lake that went on forever, with cold, clear water and mossy trees at the edges.
Now it’s just Emma and her dad, and life is good, if a little predictable…until Emma is unexpectedly sent to spend the summer with her mother’s family—her grandmother and cousins she hasn’t seen since she was a little girl.

When Emma arrives at North Lake, she realizes there are actually two very different communities there. Her mother grew up in working class North Lake, while her dad spent summers in the wealthier Lake North resort. The more time Emma spends there, the more it starts to feel like she is divided into two people as well. To her father, she is Emma. But to her new family, she is Saylor, the name her mother always called her.

Then there’s Roo, the boy who was her very best friend when she was little. Roo holds the key to her family’s history, and slowly, he helps her put the pieces together about her past. It’s hard not to get caught up in the magic of North Lake—and Saylor finds herself falling under Roo’s spell as well.

For Saylor, it’s like a whole new world is opening up to her. But when it’s time to go back home, which side of her will win out?

Favorite quote: “Life is big and huge and scary. But you have to go and take your part of it. There’s a reason the saying is ‘Seize the day,’ not ‘Wait for it to come along at some point.” 
My thoughts: THE SWEETEST NOSTALGIA. Sarah Dessen is my favorite YA author, and reading this felt like visiting an old friend. There were so many Easter eggs hidden throughout the story that referenced her other books, and it felt like a nod to old fans. So sweet. 
The story itself was beautiful. Sarah has a way of writing about really hard things - in this case, addiction, death, and family abandonment - by weaving it into a story that sucks you in. This book was no exception. I loved every page and was so sad when it ended. I'm already excited for the next one! 
Should you read it? If you like YA, yes! 
What did you read this month, and do I need to read it?!

Real Life Coming in Hot.

shirt here // bralette here 

I posted a little about this earlier, and while I love me some instagram, my heart lies in this little space of the internet where I can write and write and write and no character limit can stop me! 
Some real life for you: I had an allergic reaction to something last week (I'm allergic to some random things and try to be so careful, but sometimes I get too comfortable and forget to check). My skin is peeling like a freaking reptile and my face is on FIRE. 
Jack was up sick all Sunday night and had to stay home from school. He's smart, so today he's putting together that he hasn't been to school in more days than normal, so he's demanding to get in the car and go to school right this minute. Spoiler alert: There's no school on Tuesdays. 
I forgot what day it was, so I missed paying a tiny little bill, and in return got charged a late fee that was more expensive than the actual bill. COOL. 
So like, a little bit crappy, you know? 
But also: 
I got to hang out and eat pizza and drink coffee with my family this weekend and it was so much fun. I have discovered a new favorite queso and enjoyed way too much of it while eating some delicious tacos last night. I have SUCH a fun weekend planned that kicks off in just a few days. 
So like, a little bit good, you know? 
It's not all good, but it's not all bad, either. 
One of my favorite quotes is: "It's not always rainbows and butterflies, but a lot of it actually is."
I'm actually a fan of talking a little bit about the non-great days, because honestly, isn't it a little refreshing to be reminded that you're not the only one on the internet who has bad days and who doesn't have their life together? 
But I'm a huge fan of talking a lot about the good stuff, because happiness breeds more happiness. 
And really - when you discover a new queso, you just gotta shout it from the rooftops, ya feel? 

Some Weekend Inspiration: Dance While You Can.

"To not dance when you had the health and could hear the music could be the biggest regret of your life."
I read that quote this week and it got me RIGHT in the feels. I think we should remember that this weekend. 
Don't get so bogged down with life that you forget to enjoy it. 
Some seasons feel like to-do list after to-do list after to-do list. I get it. If you watched my instagram stories yesterday, you know that I spent a good amount of the morning trying to dry off a ceiling my toddler soaked because he wanted it to rain in the house. So I get it. There wasn't a whole lot of room for dancing yesterday. 
But maybe there should have been. 
I get so caught up in the thought of day-to-day life having to be one or the other: It can be fun or it can be productive. It can be relaxing or it can be serious. It can be a dance party or it can be hard work. 
But honestly, I think it's about it being both. 
Chase the dream. Do the work. Eat the salad. Drink the water. Be disciplined. But enjoy life, too. 
Do the laundry (because someone has to), but also sit in the sunshine. Go to work (because, mortgage), but dance it out to your favorite song when you get home. Exercise (because, health), but eat some pizza if you want it. 
Life, after all, is meant to be lived. 
So dance if you want. Wear what you want. Laugh way too loud when you're happy. And don't, for one second, care what anyone else might be saying about it. 
Because you can hear the music, and there's life to be lived. 

Who Would You be if You Cared a Little Less About What Other People Think?

Just wanna start out by saying this is one of my BIGGEST struggles in life, so I'm 10,000% preaching to the choir here. But this is something I've been thinking a lot about recently. 
Who would you be if you cared a little less about what other people think? 
I think we are all created to be these incredible people. I think we are built with the ability to accomplish amazing things. I also think there are certain things we do that can take away from that. 
It's kind of like this: My body was made to be functional. It can do all the things it was made to do. But if I actively choose to stop drinking water, things are going to go downhill fast. It's no longer going to do the things it was capable of. Not because it wasn't good enough, but because of something I did (or in this case, didn't do) to it. 
That's how worrying about what other people think is for me. It dehydrates me, to be cheesy and specific. It paralyzes me. I'm no longer able to do all the things I know I'm capable of doing. It dims whatever light I'm shining. It takes the amazing person I could be and cuts her in about half, because half of an amazing person seems safer, quieter, less likely to be gossiped about. 
...Isn't that a shame? 
And even though I know it's a shame, it's still a struggle for me. I can write this post and believe every word and I'm still going to wake up tomorrow and at least once worry about what someone else thinks of me. I'm working on it, but it's hard for me. 
So instead of trying to figure out ways to stop worrying about what other people think, I'm asking myself: Who would I be if I cared just a little bit less about it? 
Worrying about what other people think of me is probably never going to fully go away. But. What if I cared about the answer a tiny bit less? Who would that version of me be? 
Would she be braver? Would she post more? Write more? Would she be happier? Are there things she would stop doing because she doesn't love them? Would she be more of the person she was created to be? Would she accomplish more? I think so. 
That's the person I want to be. So I'm going to let that motivate me. I think you should do the same. 
Ask yourself, honestly: Who would you be if you cared a little less about what other people think?

Happy Little Moments as of Late: July.

dress sold out, but similar one here.

I'm all about starting the week on a positive note. I'm a big believer that whatever kind of day you decide you're going to have, you will have. It's possible to have a good day in spite of bad things going on, and it's possible to have a terrible day in spite of good things going on. 
With that being said, it's Monday, a new week, and I think we should all decide to have a good day today. Start your day off by focusing on the happy little moments going on in your life right now. Here are mine: 
After dinner swims. || Does anything scream "summer" quite like a swim while the sun is going down? It stays light so late now that post-dinner swims can happen. I love taking Jack over there and letting him splash around while it's still light out but the heat has started to calm down. 
Face masks and peppermint tea. || I've got new a routine going and I'm OBSESSED. I know I keep raving about this face mask but I can't help it, it's legitimately the best one I've ever used. When I need a mini break, I put it on and make a cup of this tea. It's soothing, supposedly good for your stomach (I'm a sucker for anything that tells me it helps gut health haha). And there's something SO nice and relaxing about having peppermint tingling on my skin AND drinking something peppermint.  10/10 recommend. 
Pictures with Kristen. || On Wednesday, my best friend Kristen met up with me and took approximately seven thousand blog pictures for me. I love them, I love that I have a backlog of content to use, but more than that, I love that I told my friend what I was struggling with blog-wise and she hopped in her car to come help me. SUPPORT EACH OTHER, ALWAYS.
A fantastic library haul. || I've got some goooood books from my most recent library pick up. I can't wait to dive into them! 
Homemade iced chais. || Can't stop making these. They're delicious, have no sugar, and the entire jug costs less than one single iced chai at Starbucks. 
I truly believe that focusing on and making a big deal of happy little moments only leads to more of the same. Try it! What's something happy in your life right now?

Five Things to Do When You Feel Like You're Not Enough.

Take stock of the things you are consuming. || If you want to be a professional speaker, and the mega successful professional speakers you follow online are making you feel not good enough instead of inspired, it may be time to unfollow for a little bit. If you're trying to make it as a blogger, and the giant bloggers you follow are making you look at everything that's wrong with you instead of propelling you forward, maybe a little less of looking at their pictures and a little more finding things to consume that are encouraging to you.
There are seasons when all the bikini models on instagram couldn't make me feel bad about myself, and there are seasons when seeing a stranger on instagram with a cute haircut can send me into tears over a bad hair day. Know your seasons. Pay attention to them. 
Reevaluate who you're spending the most time with. || Let me tell you something - your circle should make you feel like more than enough. They should hype you up way too much. You should leave any time spent with them feeling like you can take on the whole world.
If I believe the things my mom says, it's only a matter of time before I write a book that lands on the NYT bestseller list. If I believe my best friend, I'm the hottest person that ever walked the face of this earth every time I wear something cute. That's how it should be! So many things in this world are going to make you feel like you're not enough - the people you choose to do life with should not be one of them. 
Say it out loud! ||  Sometimes we have to say a doubt out loud in order to kill it. When you're feeling like you're not enough, speak the actual words out loud. Say it out loud to your friend: I feel like I'm not good enough for this. Talk it out. Make yourself talk out how you're feeling inadequate, and make yourself listen while they tell you how adequate you are. Say it out loud alone in your car: I feel like I'm not good enough for this. And then have a good laugh that you're worried over something so insignificant.
Ask yourself - Is this real? || This is something I've learned this year and is maybe the most powerful tool I've ever known about. Ask yourself: Is this real? 
Are you really not good enough? For example, lets say you're feeling not good enough at your job. Ask yourself and answer honestly: Are you not good enough for your job? 
Are you getting all your work done? Able to complete assignments without a problem? No complaints from your boss? Cool, you're good enough! Move on from that worry. Every time you come back to it, remind yourself of the reasons it's not real, and move on again.  
Are you not getting your work done on time? Really struggling with simple assignments? Your boss complaining about it? Okay, you might not be good enough for your job - YET. Get a plan to fix that! Take a class, meet with people who are good at what you're trying to become good at, and work. 
Every time the worry that you're not good enough pops up, acknowledge it, then remind yourself that you've got a plan to fix that and you're working on it. 
Do one thing that builds your confidence. || It feels good to do things we're good at. Are you good at writing? Write something. Baking? Bake your neighbors some cookies. Running? Lace on up. Do something you have confidence in to remind yourself how good enough you are. 
What do you when you feel like you're not enough?