Happy Long Weekend!

It's hard to believe this is the last weekend in August. I hope you all have fun Labor Day plans!

First I wanted to thank those of you who joined me in the College Football link-up this week. I loved seeing all of your recipes and photos, it made me so excited for football season! Here's hoping all of our teams get a win this weekend! (Unless you cheer for Idaho... if that is the case, Go Gators!)

My weekend started yesterday so the bump and I will be exploring Lake Geneva and Chi-Town this weekend.

I most certainly will not be visiting the Sky Deck but I'm excited to spend the weekend relaxing and seeing the city! I won't have much time downtown but I'm hoping I can check out some of the great restaurants recommendations many of you have shared. And for some reason I'm oddly excited to see "The Bean" and a beach with a skyline, so those are at the top of the list.

Hope you all have a great long weekend and enjoy the last bit of summer. It's officially Fall next week... right?!

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16 Weeks

Wearing blue today for our baby boy and the first week of college football, Go Gators!

I think I need to start taking these pictures in the morning because the bump grows approximately 3 inches by the end of the day...
 
How far along: 16 weeks

Size of Baby: Avocado

Gender: Our baby BOY, Rowan! 

Best moment this week: Confirming Baby M's gender! I guess our intuition was right, we've most definitely got a little man in there! We've started calling him by his name and all of a sudden things seem super real!

Despite my efforts to wake the babe by drinking OJ and eating sweets, Rowan was sleepy during the ultrasound. He had his long legs stretched out and crossed them at one point, while one of his arms was stretched out in the opposite direction.

Weight gain: Only +4 lbs. so far, by the end of the day I feel huge (for 16 weeks, that is)

Maternity clothes: Still in non-maternity clothes but I did pick up Gap maternity leggings which I'm positive will be on repeat all fall and winter.

Stretch marks: None yet. I'm doing better remembering to apply my Mama Bees belly butter! 

Belly button in or out: In

Wedding Rings on or off: On

Sleep: Pretty good now that I'm down to only one pee break per night. It's the little things...

Miss anything: Coffee! I know its safe in moderation but I just didn't want to take a chance. And bloody marys at blogger brunches.

Movement: Not yet, hopefully I'll start feeling some flutters in the next 2 weeks!

Cravings: Pumpkin-flavored things (no surprise there). Still have an aversion to chicken. Mamas- do your aversions stick around after the first trimester/pregnancy?!

Symptoms: Stuffy nose, headaches and round ligament pain when I get up too quickly or sneeze

Nursery: This will remain a guest room for the next few months, but hopefully I can decide on a color so we can paint it soon. Not sure if it's nesting kicking in already but I have the urge to clean out our guestroom closet to make room for baby clothes!

Looking forward to: Visiting my sister-in-law in Chicago this weekend and hopefully feeling some baby kicks! Oh yeah, and those Labor Day sales!

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College Football Kick-Off Week: Link-Up!

We made it to football season! It seems to take forever to get back to kick off week, especially when your team doesn't do so hot the year before. Gators, I guess we can't win it every year, right?!

Southerners in particular are super serious about their football. I had no idea what the Gator chomp was when I stepped into the Swamp for my first game as a freshman. Tailgating in Gainesville was such an experience, we aren't like other SEC schools that require dresses and heels for a game. Jean shorts are completely acceptable. (I can hear my southern friends cringing!) If you're interested in my favorite tailgate essentials, see them here!

Even if you're not into the whole football thing, everyone loves food. Typically I'm the person that brings the dessert. My peanut butter cup dessert has never failed to be devoured within the first hour. But you don't see pizza at tailgates very often, so I thought I'd share this white pizza dip that is great for game day! You can also make it in a crock pot if you need to take it on the road.

This is super cheesy, so if you are on a diet I suggest you break some rules for a day

White Pizza Dip
Adapted from How Sweet It Is

Ingredients
1 can petite diced tomatoes, drained
1 1/2 blocks of cream cheese, softened
1 bag (8 ounces) of shredded mozzarella cheese
1 bag (8 ounces) of shredded six-cheese Italian or Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
3 cloves of Garlic, minced
1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Dash of Oregano (I used dried Oregano, but fresh is always better)
Dash of Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
 

The thing I love about this recipe is once your ingredients are prepped, it's so easy. Set aside about a half cup of the shredded cheese. Then mix the rest of the ingredients together and transfer to an oven-safe baking dish. Top with remaining cheese and dried oregano.

Bake on 400 degrees for roughly 25-30 minutes, or until top is golden and bubbly. Top with a grated Parmesan cheese, basil leaves for garnish, and serve with crackers.

So good! And I promise no one else has thought about bringing pizza dip to your tailgate!

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Our Weekend + Baby M is a....

This weekend involved a lot of brunch, naps, and some delicious Jeni's ice cream to top it all off.

On Saturday my husband and I headed to Poogan's Porch for probably the most delicious brunch we've had in Charleston. If you are in town, please don't miss this place! We started with pimento fritters, which were so good! Steve got the chicken and waffles, which despite my aversion to chicken, was amazing. I ordered the french toast with strawberries and pecans, which was equally delicious.

We did some shopping and picked up some baby clothes. I was happy that the new H&M here carries some maternity clothes so I can find some cheap pants when I decide I'm sick of busting out of my current ones.

On Sunday, I met up with Ally and Jillian for day 2 in a row of brunch downtown! We went to Leaf and it was delicious! I went the healthy route with eggs but topped it off with "brown butter almond brittle" and "buckeye state" ice cream from Jeni's afterwards. I don't regret it one bit. So good.

Ruby helped us with Baby M's gender reveal! In case you missed it on Instagram or Twitter, we're having a baby BOY! We could not be more excited! More details to come this week :)

And because no weekend is complete without some sort of shenanigans, Ruby barked nonstop at the balloons and wouldn't take a step near them until we tied them to the baby's Jellycat stuffed animal. All of a sudden she grabbed it and took off! Guess her bionic puppy knees were feeling a-okay.

I hope you all had a great weekend! Don't forget to join the football kick off week link-up tomorrow!

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Friday Favorites

Happy Friday, friends! It's been an exciting week over here and I've had a hard time keeping up, so I'm looking forward to a weekend to recharge the batteries! Though I'll be heading out of town next weekend I'm excited for some things I've got planned for the ol' blog, including the College Football kick off week link up, so stay tuned!

Keeping it short and sweet this week, so lets get down to business.  I'm linking up with Amanda, Lauren, and Karli again!

Favorite Moment this Week

If you follow on Twitter, you know that our gender ultrasound last night was a success and we can finally call our little babe by his or her name! I loved hearing all of your gender predictions and can't wait to share, but y'all will have to wait! I may or may not give it away on Instagram this weekend though, just sayin' :)

Favorite Jewels

Oval Druzy Initial Necklace. Oval Druzy Bangle Bracelet.

Am I late to the game with Wrenn Jewelry? I am obsessing over these jewels and have been majorly hinting to my husband that I want one with the baby's initial. I'm not sure if he has picked up on it because I've been hinting for a lot lately (my Christmas list, and the baby's, is already in full swing), but I'll also take that gorgeous bracelet any day!

Favorite Cereal

I picked up this cereal at Trader Joe's last weekend and it's so delicious, I had to share! It tastes like Fall in your mouth. Seriously.

Speaking of Fall (because I have been trying not to but its really hard), tell me this doesn't make you so excited for the next few months?! I just look at it and it takes me out of our 95 degree weather for just a second to a happy place where I can throw on cozy sweaters and leggings with my bump!

Don't forget!

The College Football Kick-Off week link-up is going live on Tuesday, August 26th! You can read more about it here, but basically you can write about anything football or tailgate food-related and link-up here! Can't wait to see your posts!

I hope you all have a fun weekend! 

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Old Wives Tales: Gender Prediction

Tomorrow we get to see our little babe again and find out whether our intuition is right or if we'll be exchanging the Batman shirt my husband picked our for a little dress and lots of bows. (In which case my husband will have to ban me from Etsy)

I know these are old wives tales aren't accurate, but it's fun to play along anyway!
 

I've been craving sweets the past week but before that it was all salt. So I counted both of them.

So the final tally is: Boy: 4, Girl: 6

Personally I think the craziest of them all is the ring test. It's so dependent on your ring, the string, and whether you can hold your hand steady. Whoever came up with that one must have been smokin' something.

So what's your guess? Are you on Team Pink or Team Blue?!

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Next Week: College Football Link-Up!

By now most of you probably know that my love for football (and Fall in general!) runs deep. You can't grow up in Pittsburgh or go to an SEC school without becoming a die hard fan.

Old photo from the most epic win against South Carolina in the Swamp. :)

With the first games of the college football season starting next weekend I reached out to my good blogger friend and new mama Stephanie from Newlyweds:North to see if she was planning another kick-off week link-up like she did last year. In case you missed it, she did a whole week of fun posts and her tailgate Crock Pot Mac & Cheese is now one of my go-to recipes!

Since Stephanie has her hands full with the most adorable little newborn, Gray, she let me take over the link-up this year. If you're not into college football but love a pro-team, that works too! Feel free to check out my Tailgaiting in Style post from last year's link-up!

Oh yes, we got on TV! (And I look ridiculous)

So here are the deets:

The link-up will go live next Tuesday, August 26th!

Write a post about anything football-related: your favorite tailgate recipe or cocktail, tailgate decor, gameday outfit inspiration, your favorite gameday experience, etc. 

Grab the button, link back to Home Sweet Ruby, and share your link.

That's it! Stephanie's link-up was so great last year so I can't wait to see what y'all have in store this year!

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Friday Favorites

Happy Friday, friends! We're almost halfway through August which is totally blowing my mind! This week has been busy and I'm so ready for the weekend! I wish I could say I'll have a refreshing cocktail in my hand but I'll be sipping on my fancy La Croix, be jealous.

Linking up with Lauren, Amanda, and Karli!

Favorite Birthday Boy

If only we could be back in Siena!

Tomorrow is my husband's birthday and I'm so excited to celebrate with him. It's his LAST birthday in his 20s! Eek! (I keep reminding him of that.. ha!) We'll be hitting up his favorite brewery and grilling with friends, which is convenient with a pregnant wife as your DD. Good thing I love him!

Favorite Closet Inspiration

{via}

If any of you follow Rachel from Pink Peonies, you've probably already seen glimpses of her gorgeous white kitchen. But her closet/office is unreal. I can't even wrap my head around the sheer size of it! I'm pretty sure it's as big as our entire first floor. You can see the rest of it here.

Favorite Kate Spade Surprise Sale Find

Kate Spade Stevie Bag (similar)

If you follow me on Instagram, you had a sneak peek at this! I think there were about 10 bags I wanted to buy, but I ended up with a baby bag! It's amazing how our priorities change so quickly, right?! I love that it doesn't look like a diaper bag, is easy to clean, has a lot of compartments inside, and is such great quality!  Did any of you take advantage of the Kate Spade surprise sale?

Closet Sale

See all of these here!

This week I decided to start cleaning out the future nursery closet. Up until now I haven't been able to rid myself of my office/work attire because everything is still in great condition (not to mention its pricey to replace a 9-to-5 wardrobe!) but I'm finally ready.

So... I'm having a closet sale! I started a separate blog called Cait's Closet Sale (really catchy, I know) if you're interested in checking it out. Everything is $15 or under and sizes medium, 8 or 10. There are a ton of dresses (including a maxi from VS), pencil skirts, a few blazers and a cute nautical West Elm rug so if you're interested please check it out!

Favorite Season: Football!

Y'all its still 95 degrees here so I'm not going to pretend Fall is almost to Charleston, we just haven't gotten the memo yet. But Football is almost back and I'm excited to start on some Fall DIY projects! If you're a college football fan, I'm thinking of doing a link-up during kick-off week. If anyone is interested let me know and I'll get you more details soon!

I hope you all have an amazing weekend!

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Lemon Almond Chicken Salad

So I know most of us have probably already checked out of summer now that Fall is just around the corner, but this recipe is so perfect for a summer lunch or picnic, and I couldn't pass it up! Once I got over my chicken aversion (which is actually still lingering but I can manage to eat this), I couldn't wait to try it.

I personally love anything with lemon-flavor in the summer. I usually go the dessert route (surprise surprise!) but this time I switched it up after trying a variation of this recipe while visiting my  family up North. I'm not saying it beats a lemon cupcake, but its still pretty delicious!

Linking up with East Coast Chic and Home of Malones!

Lemon Almond Chicken Salad
Recipe Adapted from Giant Eagle

Ingredients

1 Rotisserie Chicken or 2 cooked chicken breasts, diced and chilled
1 cup Plain Greek Yogurt (or Mayo, if you're not worried about calories!)
2 tablespoons fresh Lemon Juice
1/3 cup Sliced Almonds
1/2 cup Sweet Onion, diced
1/4 cup fresh Parsley
1 teaspoon Lemon Pepper Seasoning

In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients except for the chicken to make a dressing. (Or be like me and just mix them all at once!) Then add your chicken until it's completely coated. Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.

I added some cheese and spinach to this sandwich and it was so delicious! Using the greek yogurt instead of mayo does change the taste a little but its so much lighter and healthy for you.

It's perfect if you are sick of your normal lunch routine at the office. So easy! Has anyone else had this before or have another favorite recipe for lunch? I feel like I'm always running out of ideas of things to make!

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14 Weeks

I know... two prego posts in a row. But we're all caught up after this one! 

Oh hey, I don't have to do hair and makeup for this!

How far along: 14 weeks

Size of Baby: Lemon

Best moment this week: We get to hear the heartbeat today so I already know that will be the highlight! Also Steve keeps calling trimesters "semesters" and it cracks me up everytime.

Gender: The ultrasound tech predicted the baby's gender at our 12 week ultrasound but she made us promise not to go buying things and painting the nursery yet, so we’ll wait to confirm at 16 weeks!

Weight gain: +3lbs., but I doubt that will last since mama got her appetite back 

Maternity clothes: Staying comfy in my lounge clothes for now. If I dress up I do have to use the Belly Band.

Stretch marks: None yet

Belly button in or out: In

Wedding Rings on or off: On

Sleep: Good except for TWO pee breaks every night. Mamas- please tell me my unending urge to pee will dissipate the 2nd trimester?! I know it will come back with a vengeance in the 3rd.

Miss anything: Is it possible to miss Pumpkin Beer in advance?

Movement: Not yet!

Cravings: Cold water (don't even think about forgetting the ice), Orange Juice and Fruit Roll Ups. I may or may not have eaten 4 in one day. Judge away.

Symptoms: Still low energy but I'm finally able to eat like a normal person most days

Looking forward to: Our gender ultrasound in T minus 2 weeks! Also really looking forward to getting a bigger bump... blame it on the hormones but I've been really self conscious about hiding my bump because I'm feeling more chubby than I am pregnant these days.

So cool to see how much the babe is growing! (6w6d, 7w5d, and 12w)

And because I'm still not sure what I'm doing with these bumpdate photos, here is awkward photo #45458. Sadly it may be the best one. ha!

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First Bumpdate: 13 Weeks

I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that I'm starting these bumpdates! I honestly feel like I've just ate a bunch of donuts. Because the 3 ultrasounds haven't been convincing enough that Baby M is in there?!

I'm kind of lumping the first trimester into this bumpdate so tomorrow I'll catch us up with week 14. And I'm still trying to decide how I want to do these photos... turns out I feel super awkward without a big bump in them!

The first trimester is tough. You have to pretend you’re not extremely tired and an emotional wreck, suck in the bloat, and go into stealth mode when ordering mocktails at a blogger date. I'm feeling so thankful for the end of some of these symptoms!

Photo from 12 Weeks

How far along: 13 weeks (plus first trimester recap)

Size of Baby: a Peach

Gender: Steve and I are pretty convinced it’s a boy based on little to no real evidence

Weight gain: +3 lbs. by Week 13

Maternity clothes: Nope. My clothes still fit but I have had to use the hair band trick and Bella Band with my shorts and pants this week

Stretch marks: Stay away! I have some Mama Bees Belly Butter but I’m bad about remembering to use it. My mom said she didn’t get stretch marks so let’s hope they really are a genetic thing!

Sleep: Sleep is okay minus the 1-2 nightly pee breaks. I’ve been using my Bump Nest pillow (will review this later on in the pregnancy but so far is amazing!) and that has kept be from rolling onto my back. Trying to break that habit early!

Best moment this week: So many! Making it to the second trimester, the 3 ultrasounds we've had so far, telling our family and friends, etc. Also I managed to eat some Moe's at 12 weeks and I swear I was happiest person on the earth that day.

Miss anything: My energy! Also, hot dogs. I know they are gross but what kind of 4th of July is it without a hot dog?!

Movement: Not yet!

Belly button in or out: In

Wedding Rings on or off: On

Cravings: I have been known to eat pickles out of the jar, but I was guilty of that pre-pregnancy too

Anything making you queasy or sick: Everything other than carbs. Also Parmesan sprinkle cheese (so random!). I found that if I ate smaller portions more often, keeping me from ever actually feeling hungry, it helped with the nausea.

Symptoms: 24/7 nausea with no throwing up. Super tired. Crampy. Breakouts started around 10 weeks. Oh yeah, so did those mood swings! (Sorry hubs!) And I don’t know if this is pregnancy related but I have been really cold despite Charleston's summer heat!

Looking forward to: Hearing the babe's heartbeat at my 14 week appointment tomorrow!

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Friday Favorites

We made through another week! Feels good, right?! It's been a very exciting week around here since our announcement, I'm thinking a relaxing day at the pool might be necessary this weekend!

Linking up with Amanda, Lauren, and Karli for my favorites from the week!

Favorite Mail these Days

Jelly Cat Bashful Lamb. Stitches and Soles Mocs. Embroidered Closet Dividers. Happiest Baby on the Block.

It's funny how mail days have changed in the past few weeks! I could care less about buying myself anything at this point, I'm just ready to stock Baby M's closet. Come on 16-week gender ultrasound, get here already! Mamas- Any other books I should be reading? I've heard Moms on Call is a good one.

Favorite Treat for the Hubs

I know,  you're all thinking why is this prego lady posting a picture of beer taps? Last night I tagged along with my husband to a local brewhouse for a special South Carolina IPA tap takeover. He has been working long hours and taking care of me and Ruby, so since he is really into IPAs I wanted to treat him. If you're an IPA fan, he said his favorites were Holy City Yeast Wrangler (really weird name, right?!) and Quest Mazu.

I tried to pretend my water tasted as good as his beers, but yeah it's not the same. I'm looking forward to having a bump (that doesn't look like I ate too many donuts) so people don't think I'm weird for showing up at a brewhouse and not drinking a beer. At least I had good company!

The Great Debate: Daybed in Nursery versus New Sleeper Sofa for Living Room

Daybed. Sleeper Sofa.

I know we have some time to figure this dilemma out, but we'll be losing our guest bedroom to the nursery in a few months and we need to come up with a solution for future visitors. My husband and I are going back and forth between getting a new couch with a pullout mattress or putting a daybed in the nursery. Anyone have thoughts? Or any mamas out there who have a daybed in their nursery? I'm worried it will be cramped in there.

Favorite Look for Early Fall

{Via Style Cusp}

I'm loving this look and hoping I can recreate it in a month (or two) once it finally starts to cool a bit here in Charleston. Is it cooling down up North yet? It's HOT here with no end in sight!

That's it for me today, short and sweet! I'm trying to put together a closet sale soon, so if anyone needs any new work attire, keep your eyes peeled next week! I'm planning on posting it in a separate blog so if you're not interested, you don't have to read about it here.

I hope you all have a fab weekend!

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Baby M FAQs

Thank you all for the sweet comments and well wishes about Baby M! Our hearts are full from all of the love for our little babe!

I've had a ton of questions coming in from friends and family so I thought I'd try to cover them all today so y'all can get the scoop! I know I always love following along with fellow bloggers during their pregnancy (I definitely took their advice for getting through the first trimester!) so it feels very surreal to finally be able to share our experience!

What’s my due date?

February 11, 2015… our little Valentine!

"If I can't eat these, I'm not interested."

How did we find out?

For whatever reason, I woke up really early one day and had an urge to take a test. We had been "trying" for a couple months so it was on both of our minds. Plus we were leaving for Florida that day so I decided I'd rather take one while we were home. Two lines appeared (although one was faint) and I ran over to Steve to wake him up and get his opinion. I don't even think his brain was processing what I was telling him. Imagine waking up to a pee stick in your face. Really sweet, right?  (Almost as good as our walk-in-closet engagement... guess that's just how we roll)

After a little squinting, he saw both lines and we couldn't help but test four a few more times that week just to see the lines get darker. I'm still not sure it has really hit us yet!

How did we tell our parents?

We waited until I was about 9 weeks to tell our family, which was after our first ultrasound. I wanted something low key so I made a card for our parents and we put a copy of the sonogram in a frame for them.

Tiny 7 week old Baby M in that ultrasound photo!

We were able to tell my parents in person and Steve's family via Facetime. Seeing their reactions was really special. My parents thought it was their anniversary gift and they kept saying they didn’t want whatever it was. ha! I think its safe to say we caught everyone by surprise!

How have I been feeling?

I'm slowly feeling better but still waiting on the return of my energy. I never threw up, but holy food aversions! I was nauseous all day and basically lived off of grilled cheese and pasta for 8 weeks. You know... single-handedly ensuring our little babe doesn't have a gluten allergy. I would be lying if I didn’t get a bit “hangry” as a result of my inability to eat what I wanted.

The overall exhaustion made it hard to get motivated to do anything so some of you may have noticed the blog slow down a bit. I have to say though, I'm thankful for the symptoms because I would have been so paranoid without them and it was a reminder of our little babe growing!

Will we find out the sex?

Yes! We're counting down the days! We are both convinced it's a boy, so it will be interesting to see if we are right.

I imagine a gender reveal party would be kind of tough considering the closest family to us is 7 hours away but I’m still hoping to think of a special way to share the news… stay tuned!

Am I planning on doing Bumpdates?

Definitely! Although I will probably stick to posting them every other week unless there is some sort of major change from one week to the next. I know not everyone is into the baby business, so I will try to stick to baby posts on Wednesdays. After holding this big news in for the past 3 months, the planner in me can't help but get excited for itty bitty baby clothes and planning the nursery!

I think that covers it! Thank you all again for sharing in our excitement! :)

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Coming February 2015...

Steve, Ruby and I are incredibly excited to finally share the news that Baby M will be making his or her debut in February!

It only took approximately 1735 tries to get us all looking!

Words can't express the happiness, excitement and love that we have for Baby M. We feel so blessed and are looking forward to meeting our little Valentine!

56

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday, friends! It's so hard to believe its August! We had a pretty low key week here so I'm really looking forward to getting out and about this weekend! There is something about torrential rain and thunder storms that make it perfectly acceptable (and necessary) to cuddle on the couch with my loves and throw away the to-do list!

Anyway lets get down to my favorites of the week! I'm linking up again with Amanda, Lauren, Karli and Amy!

Favorite Planner

My $4 Sugar Paper planner from Target is still going strong and I'm happy to say that I did some much needed organizing and planning this week! August is jam packed (hello, Chicago in a few weeks!!) and I've got something fun in the works for next week, so stay tuned!

Favorite Recipe

Crescent Wrapped Baked Brie with Apples and Brown Sugar

Y'all I cannot wait to make this! I think it would be the perfect appetizer for Fall but I don't think I can wait that long to make it! I feel like adding some pecans would be really delicious too.

Favorite Motivation

{via}

I regret to admit it's been a while (read: a couple months) since I've made it to the gym and I'm really in need of some motivation! I'm hoping to get back into the swing of things this weekend. Anyone else in a workout slump? What keeps you going?

Favorite Polish

Butter London in Kerfuffle

I'm back to my usual pink nail polish again! It's so much easier for me to do my own nails with a light color... you don't notice how bad I am at it with the lighter shades! Butter London in "Kerfuffle" is my new favorite (and a bit of a splurge for me) but the pinky peach tone is an instant favorite! Anyone have another good shade of pink I should check out?

My favorite plans for the weekend? Brunch with some local bloggers at Husk, can't wait ladies!! I hope you all have a fab weekend!

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