My Favorite Things I Discovered This Month: February 2019.

Vita body blur. || This is expensive, but it's probably going to last me my whole life, because a little goes a looooong way, and it's definitely not an everyday thing. Unless, of course, you go out on the town every day and wanna be glam, in which case, you go, Dolly Parton! Every day for you! It's basically a bronzer/concealer/spray tan all in one that washes off. I bought this on a whim (AKA, I was having a bad day that spiraled into a treat yo'self moment and saw Becca Tilley post about this) and I'm so glad I did! It makes my legs look like 15% as good as a Victoria Secret model's legs, and really, isn't that all anyone can ask for?
Target cleaners. ||  Target has these new cleaners that are branded "Smells like...." and are also ONLY $1.59. "Smells like a citrus grove" is my favorite one, and it makes my house smell SO GOOOOOD. Side note: Is this what being an adult is? Being excited about cheap house cleaning products? Bless. 
Zit patches. || Non-gross description: These are magic and if you ever break out, you need them. More detailed, kinda gross description: You know how when you start to get a zit, but it's not ready to come to the surface? So you either A) Have the patience of a monk and chill out for a few days with a mountain on your face, just dreading what's coming, or B) Are me, and try to pop it anyway, ending up with a bloody mess that looks way worse that the zit (that's still coming, by the way) would've looked had you just waited. These take care of that.   I don't know how they work, but if you're starting to get a pimple, you put the little sticker on before you go to bed (or during the day, doesn't matter) and roughly 8 hours later, all the gunky stuff that was under the surface was brought to the top and is now stuck to the sticker. See? Magic. 
Lemon and mint tea. || Lauryn Evarts from The Skinny Confidential is always posting lemon and mint tea in her instagram stories, so I decided to try it. Oh my gosh, it's so nice! Just some lemon and fresh mint leaves in a cup of hot water. It's supposedly really good for bloat and detoxing, but also it's just delicious and refreshing. I've been making it every morning this month and I love it!
What did you discover this month?

Some People Do Not Deserve a Seat at Your Table.

I've been thinking about this a lot lately. One of my favorite quotes is, "When you have more than you need, build a bigger table, not a higher fencer." I love that and I think it's so true. HOWEVER. In the same way I believe that, I also believe that not everyone gets a spot at your table. 
Your life is yours. Sure, you work for other people and live with other people and probably take care of other people. But at the end of the day, your life is yours, and who you share it with is entirely up to you. You're in charge of who gets to sit down at your table and eat. And while I believe in love and kindness and open arms, I also believe in protecting the preciousness that is your life. 
Growing up, when it came to bad friends, my mom was constantly quoting the Proverb to me, "Do not cast your pearls before swine." Meaning, if you put expensive and beautiful jewels down in front of pigs, they're not going to appreciate them, and they're probably going to get them filthy. Same goes for your life - there are some people who aren't going to appreciate it.While I kind of understood the thought behind that then, it's something I truly understand in my adult life. Just like pigs don't deserve pearls, there are some people who just don't deserve a front row seat to your life. 
The friend that makes you feel bad about yourself? She doesn't deserve a seat at your table. 
The girl you follow online who constantly makes you feel like you are not enough? Your table is not for her. 
The toxic person in your life who hurts you? He can go now.
The coworker who you have to see at work, but is always talking down to you and making you feel less than? They are uninvited from your table. 
The guy who ghosted you? NO SEAT FOR HIM. 
Guys, you don't have to do it. You don't have to share your life with everyone. You don't have to live a draining life just to please others.   
And let's be honest, that's what it does. It drains you. Having too many people at your table drains you. Trying to entertain and please and pacify people who have no business being up close and personal in your life drains you. Your life is worth so much more than that. You are worth so much more than that! 
Yes, we should be loving. Yes, we should be kind. Yes, we should be inclusive and open to others. HOWEVER. When someone shows you who they are...when they show you what their intentions are, when they show you how they plan on treating you...believe them. 
Your table? It's amazing. Those chairs at your table? VIP SEATING, BABY. Fill them wisely. 

Happy Valentine's Day to The Current Loves of My Life.

On this day of love, I thought it would be nice to hand out some Valentine's Day accolades to the true, always there, need them forever, loves of my life. 
Happy Valentine's Day, TJ Maxx. Thank you for letting me get to experience things way too expensive for my budget. I don't know how this stuff ends up in your store, but I'm not asking any questions. You just keep it coming. 
Roses are red, coffee, I love you. I couldn't survive without you, and I'm not being sweet, I'm being literal. You get me through the day like no one else can. YOU MY BOO. 
Be my Valentine, Chick-Fil-A. Your well done fries will always be the love of my life. 
Happy V day, Amazon Prime. Thank you for understanding that I am both a procrastinator and a person of little patience. You don't care that I waited until the last minute to get an outfit for the weekend. You don't care that I need it in two days. You've got my back. 
Happy Valentine's Day, Target. Thank you for being a space where I can run to the store "real quick" to get milk, but actually leave with seven new bikinis and some throw pillows. 
What current loves of your life are getting valentines this year?

Good Morning, You.

Just wanted to say good morning, you. 
You, who had a hellish week last week: Good morning. It's a new week, and my fingers are crossed with you that this week will be so much better. You're a champion for walking through last week. Look at all you survived! You may not see it yet, but it made you stronger. I'm so proud of you. 
You, who is overwhelmed by everything going on in your life right now: Good morning. Take a deep breath. You've got this. Wanna know how I know you've got this? Because you've made it this far! All those things on your plate, all the people and circumstances fighting for your attention, all the items on your to-do list that make your feel like you are absolutely going to drown today...they won't be the end of you. You'll be okay. Slow down a little today, wherever you can. Take a walk, turn your phone on do not disturb, drink a cup of coffee. Five minutes can make all the difference. Take care of yourself today. I promise, the things you don't get done aren't going to be the end of the world. 
You, who feels stuck. Who thought your life would look so different than it does. Who feels disappointed in yourself. Good morning. You are alive, you are here, and that is amazing. Stop comparing yourself and your journey to other people and their journey. You may not have reached your goals yet, but if you're working on them, then that's what matters. Progress, not perfection. Keep going. 
You, who is carrying the heaviest burdens. Who doesn't get to leave the hell in last week, because you're walking through it as we speak. Good morning. I'm so sorry. My heart hurts for you. I want to remind you that joy and sorrow can coexist. That you're allowed to feel happiness, and that it doesn't take away from the hurt of what you are going through. I also want to tell you that I fully believe you're going to make it through this, that you're going to get to the other side, but that in no way takes away from how much it sucks right now. 
Good morning. You've got this. 

February Coffee Date.

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First things first, we'd be drinking this coffee. I will forever be indebted to Kait for telling me about this. Also, I tried it this week with a little bit of cinnamon sprinkled in, and holy delicious, batman. 
Anyway, while we were drinking this magical coffee, we'd chat about all the things, obviously. 
I'd tell you that we finally got a few sunny days here this week, and if you for one second think I didn't haul my entire life to the backyard to soak up every single bit of sun, you do not know me. 
I'd ask you if you did anything fun for the Super Bowl, and by that, I would clearly be asking if you ate anything delicious. I'd ask which commercial was your favorite, and tell you that I always love the Monday after the Super Bowl because of the "best of" commercial videos. 
I'd tell you I'm going to the Walker Hayes concert tonight! I'm SO excited. I adore him as a songwriter, and can't wait to see him live!
I would also tell you that, for whatever reason, I had a very specific idea of what I wanted to wear to the concert. I wanted to wear cutoffs (gotta show off this new tan while it lasts), a faded, vintage-looking barbie graphic tee (I have no idea why this was what was in my head), and white cowboy boots. I could picture it all and it looked like the perfect concert outfit. So naturally, I couldn't find it anywhere. I ended up getting these white booties (which are adorable and I know I'll wear them a ton), and a few graphic tees on Amazon. I love prime because 1) My options were delivered in 48 hours, and 2) I can send back the ones I didn't love. I ordered this one (funny + true), this one (yellow happiness, my fave), and this one (which makes me look way cooler than I am). I'm wearing the yellow one with cutoffs and the white booties tonight. It's not the Barbie one I envisioned, but she'll do. 
I would ask if you were following me on Facebook. After some brainstorming this week, I'm going to start doing a lot more over there (like some live coffee dates, maybe?). If you blog and have a facebook page, leave it in the comments so I can give you a follow...babes supporting babes, am I right? 
Happy Friday! Thanks for hanging out with me. Have the best weekend ever ever! 

Looking Forward.

Last year, I was talking to my dad in the middle of a BAD month. It felt like the world was falling apart and nothing was going right and I couldn't catch a break. He had a lot of good advice, but the simplest thing he said is something I've held onto and used ever since. 
Find something to look forward to. Think about that and how good it will be, and all of the sudden, your day won't seem as hard. 
He's right! Now, every week, whether it's a bad week or I'm having the best week ever, I think about all the things I'm looking forward to. And seriously, it's an instant mood booster. Not to mention a really fast way to see all you have to be thankful for. 
So, a few things I am currently looking forward to. . .
Going to see Walker Hayes tomorrow night. He's one of my favorites! First concert of the year, and I'm so excited. 
S U M M E R. I love fall. I love Christmas. But summer has my whole heart. Pool days and watermelon and the ocean and cutoffs and bikinis...be still my heart. 
More days at Universal. The older Jack gets, the more fun it is to take him to Universal.  
Beach days. Hopefully lots of them.
Getting Jack new clothes. I noticed this week that Jack is growing out of most of his clothes, and I'm so excited to get him new stuff. Toddler clothes are the cutest thing in the whole world. I bought him a bunch of new stuff last summer and it made me entirely too happy. 
The library books waiting on me to read them. My passenger seat is currently full of about ten library books that I'm so excited to dig into.
The sushi I'm going to eat on Saturday. I've been craving sushi all week, and Saturday is my day. Is there anything better than satisfying a food craving? 
More walks. Jack & I went on a walk with our neighbors the other night and it was SO nice. It'll start staying light later and that means more evening walks and sunset walks. 
Tell me something you're looking forward to right now, big or small. 

If I Could Tell You Anything Today.

If I could tell you anything today...

...I'd tell you that your story matters. I read a book this summer that changed my entire outlook on (and I believe the whole trajectory of, honestly) my life in one chapter, because the author shared a part of her story. That may sound dramatic, but it's not. I think about that so often, about how someone was raw and honest and put a vulnerable part of their story out into the world where anyone could read and judge it. And how I, a stranger, have a better life because of it. Our stories matter in ways we can't possibly know. 

...I would also tell you that it's entirely up to you how you share your story. You, by no means, have to go around broadcasting anything about your life. You can share your story one on one. You can share it by the way you live, but the way you treat others. You can share your story in so many ways other than relaying it with detail-filled words. 

...I'd tell you to make time for the things that fill your cup. I've been thinking about this so much lately, and paying extra attention to what fills my cup. I've been so exhausted the last few months, and while a lot of that is just life (hi, I have a three year old who never gets tired), a lot of it was coming from the overwhelming amount of things in my life that were sucking me dry. They weren't exactly bad things, but they weren't filling my cup. 

So I started saying no to things. A lot of things. If someone wanted to meet for dinner, but I knew it'd be a draining night on top of an already draining week, I said no. If someone tried engaging in a debate over something stupid on social media, I said no. If I felt like things that weren't on my most basic responsibilities list were going to suck the life out of me, I. Said. No. 

I also started saying yes to things. A lot of things. I drove to Jacksonville and spent the day running around with my sweetest friend, Kristen (who took this picture with all that gorgeous light). While on the surface that might look like something that would make me more tired, it was full of so much joy that it filled my cup. I'm going to a concert Friday night, because dancing around to live music fills my cup. Saturday, I spent the entire afternoon reading. Dishes piled up and the house looked awful, but I felt so refreshed. Sunday, I spent the whole day cleaning, because starting the week with a clean house makes me feel peaceful, and peace fills my cup. 

So I'd tell you, whatever fills your cup, pay attention to that. Pay attention to what drains you. Adjust accordingly, as much as you can. 

...I'd tell you that I'm cheering you on today. That whatever your week has, big or small, you've totally got this. Happy Monday!

Spending February: A To-Do List For Adventuring Through Your Month.

HAPPY FEBRUARY! After approximately 284,402 days in January, we have a fresh new month! 
My goal this year is to spend my time. I hope you join me in that this month! We get 28 days that we get to decide how to spend. Of course, I've got some suggestions: 

• Practice gratitude. This month, make a list (in your head or on your phone or in a notebook) of 5 little things from that day you were thankful for. 

• Have a movie night. It's freezing, get cozy. 

• Get yourself a robe. See above. IT IS COZY SEASON.

• Meditate. Just try it! 

• Try a new coffee or tea. I think hot drinks are the easiest way to treat yo'self this time of year. I just ordered this coconut coffee on the recommendation of Kait, and it's the most delicious afternoon treat. 

• Make time to watch at least one sunset a week.

• Plan lunch with a friend. Takes effort, yes. But it's worth it. 

• Mail out Valentine's Day cards. 

• Make chocolate covered somethings. Strawberries? Chips? Up to you. Get crazy. Blame Cupid. 

• Make a list of books you want to read/keep hearing about. Then get on the waitlist for them at the library! 

• Make breakfast for dinner. I made these twice last week. So delicious! 

• Have a "no Netflix" night. Read a book instead. See if you sleep better. 

• Celebrate Galentine's Day. Make our girl Leslie Knope PROUD.

• Celebrate Valentine's Day. 

• Go thrifting. Thanks to the whole Marie Kondo movement, the thrift stores are on fire. 

• Start planning a summer trip. If this polar vortex has you feeling down, start planning a visit to somewhere tropical! 

• Start adding bathing suits to your Amazon wish list. On my list: This one, this one, and this one. 

• Send a thank you card/email/text.

• Make a list of all the tacos in your town. Seriously, all of them. Make 2019 the year of sampling tacos and finding the very best one. 

• Make something with your hands. Cook a meal or make a craft or build a bookshelf. It's satisfying to make something tangible with your own two hands.

• Make homemade muffins. 

• Get some house shoes or fuzzy socks. Again, COZY SEASON.

How will you be spending your February?