Helloooo! I turned 30 this month. Yupp — I’m no longer a twenty-something and have officially entered my thirties. For years I have anxiously awaited the big 3 – 0, but oddly enough, I feel quite at peace with it. My twenties were an absolute rollercoaster and I’m confident my thirties will be significantly better for me. Back when I was what I considered a “good” blogger, I would publish a blog post annually on my birthday. I’d share my thoughts from the year and my hopes for the year ahead. I intended to do the same for my thirtieth, but now that I have a healthier relationship with this m ..read more

I wasn’t sure I would ever publish this. I wrote this blog post a few months ago — when I was in a very different mental space. I’m still not where I want to be emotionally, mentally, or physically, but looking back at where I was, it’s clear to see how much I’ve grown. I thought about going through and editing down this post before hitting publish, but honestly, I feel like I’ve shared the most “edited” version of my life for so long, I’m frankly too exhausted to do it again with this. So here it is — my unedited, unfiltered thoughts on my next life phase. I still don’t know what the fu ..read more

Hello! As a frequent wearer of leggings, long-time yogi, and recent yoga teacher, I could only avoid the temptation of Lululemon’s buttery soft Align Leggings for so long. It didn’t help that my yoga studio carries Lululemon, so the $98 leggings were there to taunt me every time I would take or teach a class. I knew if I tried them, I would fall in love and I did not want to become dependent on such a pricey legging! But alas, I am weak and I eventually gave in. As anyone who has tried the Lululemon Align High Waisted Leggings would tell you, these super stretchy, incredibly lightweight, an ..read more

Hellooooo! Well, I have gone many months-long spans without posting before, but this is certainly my record at nearly six months! I’ve had a little extra time on my hands lately and have been itching to get back into writing. After not writing in so long, I wasn’t sure how to hop back in. I recently scored some great sale finds from Madewell, so it seemed like the perfect opportunity to get back into it. Over the past two years, I’ve become much more mindful of my spending and overall consumption. As an adult, I’ve tried to focus on buying high-quality pieces meant to last. But, I haven’t nec ..read more

Wearing the Madewell Mom Jean Shorts and Brightside Tank Top Last month I visited my friend Katie in Chicago. It was my first time visiting the city or doing any type of non-family related travel since the pandemic began. That weekend it rained — a lot. Like a lot, a lot — so much that the streets were flooding! So needless to say, our activities were limited for most of my visit. One of the afternoons we did a bit of shopping, which was my first time walking in stores like J. Crew and Madewell in nearly two years. Crazy! Because it had been so long since I had gone shopping, I was in ..read more

Today we said goodbye to our best pal, Luna.  Nearly 7 years ago, my sister showed me Luna’s listing at QC Paws in Davenport while I was visiting for the weekend. Then named Tinkerbell, Luna had been at the shelter for 9 months, found as a stray and was FIV+, making her tougher to adopt out. We went to “just meet” her and naturally I fell in love. I remember agonizing over the decision of whether to adopt her because I felt so unprepared and didn’t want to make a mistake (hello, lifelong anxiety). I was in my first year out of college and pretty lost as a person. I couldn’t bear the th ..read more

Hey there! It’s been a really long time since I’ve shared a Target round-up! I used to share my favorite Target finds every month, but that was also when I used to go to the store at least twice a week! Between stepping foot in Target only a handful of times in the last year and my overall preference to shop in store, I didn’t feel inspired to keep sharing the round-ups. Now that things are *finally* going back towards normal, I am back to going to Target for fun again! I’m not going my previous two-times-per-week, but now just a few times each month. With my increase in trips, my inspirati ..read more

Hey there! Now that it’s finally warm outside, it’s *officially* cropped jean season. It only seemed fitting that I kick off this warm weather with a review of a great pair of cropped jeans, perfect for spring through fall. Mott & Bow is one of my favorite brands I’ve ever worked with and although they gifted me these jeans, this post is not sponsored. I only ever share products that I’m passionate about and truly love to use or wear in my daily life. I wear the hell out of my Mott & Bow jeans and my latest pair — the Monroe Slim Boyfriend Jean — is no exception. Let’s get started ..read more

Helloooo there! Long time, no blog! I just checked the last time I wrote a blog post and it was December 31st! We’re now two months into 2021 and it’s proven to be just as much of a dumpster fire as 2020. This winter was a long one with seasonal depression coinciding with pandemic fatigue and all that goes along with it — going nowhere, staying home and not celebrating the holidays with family. It’s amazing what some sunshine and warmer temps can do for the soul, because the weather the past few weeks has me feeling like a new woman! *Some* of my motivation has finally returned and the wheel ..read more

Well, here we are — December 31, 2020. Time really is a fickle thing — in some regards, it feels like the longest year ever, but simultaneously, it doesn’t feel like a whole year has passed by again. And what a year it’s been — everything about it was unexpected and truly life-altering. If you didn’t come out of 2020 with a completely new perspective on life and relationships, you have some serious reflecting you need to do in the coming weeks. One of the things I enjoy most from having a blog is my ability to go back and read old posts — see exactly how I was feeling at a certain momen ..read more