THINKING
As I was making goals for 2017, I took a close look at the type of content I’ve been sharing here and felt ashamed when I realized that I wasn’t able to be more consistent with my “body shape series” (see previous posts here & here). To be honest, I was having a hard time finding new & willing participants in my area. But, it’s a concept that I still feel passionate about & want to continue to bring to PPF. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this series & if it’s one that you’d like to see me bring back with more regularity this year – if so, let me know what body types you want to see highlighted & what clothing items you have the hardest time finding for your shape.
WEARING
Being in Portland for the holidays was such a wonderful blessing, but it also reminded me of all the special things we are missing out on by not living near our families. When we arrived back on the East Coast, we almost instantly felt homesick and my kids kept asking why we couldn’t just move to Oregon. My friend at Mapel Boutique was so kind to gift me with this dainty necklace before I left & I haven’t taken it off since. It’s a sweet way to keep the place I love close to my heart each & every day. You can find your own state necklace here, here or here (these make great gifts!).
MAKING
I just booked tickets for a weekend girls trip in early March to Nashville with my blogging bff. For the past couple of years, we’ve been talking about doing this together and then we always seem to get too busy and it never happens…so we made a new year’s resolution to solidify a trip in 2017 & we can’t wait to spend a fun few days together in a new-to-us city. We are making plans & doing research on where to stay, the best places to eat & things to see while we’re there. If you’ve visited before or if you live in the area, we would love to hear your recommendations (especially if you know of any good gluten-free restaurants).
LOVING
The winter always wreaks havoc on my skin & I have to be seriously committed to a moisturizing regime to stay ahead of the curve. My hands & feet tend to be the areas that need the most attention so I was thrilled to discover this luxurious foot scrub that works to exfoliate even stubborn calloused areas & soften skin. I love that the ingredients are certified organic & the mix of aromatic essential oils smells incredible. I’ve noticed a significant improvement after using this weekly + following it up with a heavy dose of this rich body butter to seal the moisture in. Now I’ll have no trouble getting my feet sandal-ready in time for our trip to Mexico!
READING
As many of you know, my son was diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome several years ago and, all things considered, we’ve been able to manage it pretty well without the need for medication. His tics wax and wane without any warning, so we do our best to remain grateful for the times when they are minimal & give him extra love and patience when they are more severe. The most difficult part for me, as a mother, is watching people react to him when he is ticcing – I completely understand that it comes down to awareness and many can’t comprehend that he truly has no control over his body in those moments. My friend Alyson wrote a powerful blog post about this very important issue. It’s a must-read for all women & serves as a great reminder to show more compassion & grace to everyone we encounter.
CRAVING
One of the advantages of being on a shopping freeze is that it’s given me visibility to items that I have duplicates of (striped tees & gray sweaters) and the missing pieces that I’d like to purchase to complete my wardrobe. I have an old black faux fur vest that’s looking a little worse for wear…so as soon as we hit February, I’ll be hunting the sale racks for one that I can layer over sweaters & under coats for the remainder of the season. In addition to this style (shown above), I’m also eyeing this one (more sizes here), this one (love the grey too!) & this one.
Outlet Shopping Challenge
Change of Heart
20 Under $20
Weekly Top Finds