Love You, 2018: Part Two.

Guys, I highly suggest going through your pictures at the end of the month. I'm having a really crappy day over here (I'm sick...boooo), and it's easy to let a bad day(s) make you forget all the good days. But going through all these pictures this morning, I can't believe how good February was. 

...Me and Sam found a new favorite (and CHEAP) restaurant. 

...Moved Jack to a toddler bed, which he quickly figured out he could sneak out of and come join me instead. He's lucky he's so cute. 

...Took lots of blurry selfies with my little bff. 

...Took him to his first basketball game, which he loved. 

...Had a much needed day with my girls.

...Found the brightest wall in all of Gainesville. 

...Spent the day in St. Augustine.

...On the prettiest day of the year so far.

...Took Jack to Universal, where, out of all the fun things there, he fell in love with a set of steps and just wanted to play on those the whole day. 

...Spent a few days at the beach.

...Spent the day on the boat (my happy place, hands down). 

...Went to Mardi Gras and saw my girl Kelsea Ballerini.

...Worked a lot on my goal of becoming a runner and saw lots of pretty sunrises and sunsets because of it. 

What did the second part of 2018 look like for you?

What February Taught Me.

That fresh air changes everything. After what felt like the longest winter Florida has ever had, she's back to being her sunshiny self. And I love it. As soon as it crawled above 60, I opened my doors and hauled my work outside. Any computer work, I've been setting up shop on my patio and working out there. It has made alllll the difference in my attitude mental sanity. Fresh air + sunshine can cure just about any bad day. 
That happiness and worrying about what other people think of your decisions cannot coexist. 

  I saw this quote on pinterest last week and loved it so much. It really made me think, and honestly, I cannot think of a single time that worrying about what other people thought of me / my decisions made things even a little bit better for me. 
That when pure joy comes along, you need to stop and revel in it and soak every bit of it up. When horrible things happen, I allow them to devastate me (and honestly, they should. Some of the things happening recently are truly devastating and heartbreaking and I'm a big believer that we need to let ourselves feel that instead of turning a blind eye to everything happening). But when good things happen, I don't let them overtake me in the same way. Why not? Why not revel in the good and let it permeate my whole day in the same way that bad things tend to do? I'm working on this. 
Happy Monday, friends. Tell me something February taught you!

just write: just quite yet.

there are places you haven't seen yet that are going to become a part of you &  there are people you haven't met yet who are going to become pieces of your soul  &  there are battles you haven't conquered yet that are going to turn you into an incredible warrior  &  there are nights you haven't danced through yet that are going to make you feel alive & there is food you haven't tasted & dreams you haven't dreamt  & joy you haven't felt  & lips you haven't kissed  & parts of yourself you haven't met just quite yet. so I know that it is incredibly dark right now, but I need you to hold on just a little longer. because there are sunrises coming  that are going to light up your whole world.

My Favorite Things I've Discovered in February.

Coconut Almond protein shakes. I wrote about my love for Vega protein + greens last month because I love being able to get spinach and kale and broccoli in a smoothie without sucking chewed up kale through a straw or (most importantly) being able to taste it. I went through the chocolate flavor pretty quick, and when I went to buy it again I saw this one. It tastes just like a pina colada. Seriously, so delicious. No added sugar, lots of protein, lots of greens, and PINA COLADA SMOOTHIE. Winwinwin.
Pacific Breeze & Coconut Clorox Wipes. Am I 80 years old that I got excited about Clorox wipes this month? Maybe. But here's the things...I hate the way disinfectant cleaners smell. But I'm gonna use them anyway, because, Jack. But these smell like a vacation. An actual vacation. Side note: No idea why they're so expensive on Amazon, I got them at Target for the same price as normal Clorox wipes.  
Up and Vanished Podcast. You know I love a good mystery podcast. I found this one by Googling "podcasts similar to Dirty John." While it wasn't as good as that one (just different-in my opinion, at least) it was fascinating. A case that had been cold for over a decade finally got some traction because of this podcast, and to see that play out was crazy. 

This bathing suit. Target comes through again with this one-piece. It's so cute, so comfortable, and just reminds me of summer. I feel like it would be flattering on any body-type, and I love that. 
What have you discovered this month that I need to know about?

You Need to Believe in Yourself.

Have you ever been faced with a daunting, insurmountable situation that made you feel like no matter what you did, you just weren't going to make it out? Or a dream that you really, really wanted, but seemed nearly impossible from all angles? 
If you have, and have had a friend come alongside you and say, "oh my goodness, you were made for this! You're amazing, you've got this, I believe in you, I love you" then you know just how powerful it is to have someone believe in you. 
It's so important to surround yourself with those kinds of people. It is essential that the people you allow into your inner circle are the kind of people who will cheer you on, who will go to war for you,  who will believe in you, who will remind you of your own greatness. Those are the best types of friends. 
But for the love of goodness, please be your own friend. Please believe in your own self. 
There's a special kind of magic that comes from believing in yourself. It comes with a sort of power, because no one other than you can give it to you, so no one other than you can take it away. 
You are amazing. It's true that you've got this. You were made for that dream that's burning in your heart. You are worthy of success and love. All of those things are already true. But when you start to believe them for yourself? Ooh, girl. Gamechanger. Stand-back-world-because-here-I-am-kinda-gamechanger.
You are magic. Time to start believing it.

V-Day Coffee Date.

Happy Valentine's Day! This seems like a day where a coffee date feels extra appropriate, so grab a drink and let's have a little virtual chat. 
If we were having coffee, I'd tell you...
I tried the valentine's drink at Starbucks and it made me throw up. Cherry-chocolate is my jam, but this tasted like Robitussin. Extra, extra sweet Robitussin. Nope. 
Florida is BACK. The sun is back, the warmth is back, my general happiness at calling this state home is back. We went to St. Augustine this weekend and the weather was absolutely perfect. It's seriously amazing how much happier I am when it's sunny out. 
Jack went to his first basketball game last week. I love college basketball games. They're just so much fun! I had no idea how Jack would do, but tickets were cheap so I thought if we had to jet out of there, no big deal. He had the best time. He lasted the entire game, halftime and all. It was so much fun, we're actually going to another game tonight! 
I'm really thankful for social media lately. In what has been a crazy season for me, things like Instagram and Snapchat have made it so easy to keep in touch with my friends. I may not have time to FaceTime you, but I can send you 18 snaps asking how your life is and telling you about my day, and whenever you get a minute, you can snap me back. I may not have it together enough to have mailed Valentine's cards, but I can send you funny memes today on Insta. I love it. 
What's going on with you? Anything fun on the books for Valentine's Day? 

Things I Wish For You This Week.

Happy Monday, beautiful people. I hope you had a weekend that was full of rest or adventure or laziness or productiveness, or whatever it was you needed. And if not, hey, it's all good. Today is Monday and it's a fresh week and fresh weeks are full of new possibilities, so we're dealing with a lot of good potential here. 
This week, I wish for you . . .
Peace. Deep, pure, inner peace. Peace that doesn't make sense given everything going on around you, but exists just the same. 
The ability to notice the good. It's all around you, and I hope you make the choice to open your eyes to it more and more. 
Patience. At work, with your friends, with your family, with yourself. 
Good books. May there be a day or an hour or just a few moments where you lose yourself in a good story this week. 
Sunshine. Because I think we're all just a little bit done with winter. It was 80 degrees and sunny yesterday, and it was pure magic. 
I hope your week is full of the very best things. Whatever has found its way onto your plate this week, you can do it!
You're amazing. Have the best week ever.