Carrie Bradshaw Lied

What I Buy at Trader Joe’s

I always love hearing/reading what’s in other people grocery carts. I discover so many new things, and it helps me mix it up! I did our weekly run to Trader Joe’s last week, so I photographed my staples along the way. Let’s get into it –

I did a water taste test not too long ago (does that sound crazy?) so I could determine what my favorite sparkling water was. Obviously Topo Chico is king, but it requires an extra stop, and I can be lazy. TJ’s Sparkling Mineral Water is always in my cart. I add fresh lime or a splash of juice and it’s delicious. I literally go through at least two big bottles a week. It really helps curb soda cravings.

When I start shopping, I always hit up the produce and fill up my cart first. I seriously love carrots… but not the baby kind (I feel like they have no flavor, anyone else?), so I will get two bags of those and some celery. Honeycrisp apples are my favorite, along with fresh green grapes (I’ll freeze some too to pop in white wine or sparking water/juice combos). Kale, arugula, cherry tomatoes, lemons, broccoli – all great for quick side salads for dinner.

For snacks – I eat a string cheese probably every day. I also love hummus to go with my veggies and hardboiled eggs. I love popping my own popcorn in this handy device too! I’ll add different seasonings – sometimes salt flakes and olive oil. Other times cajun seasoning… I just try different things! If I’m really going for it I’ll melt a few tablespoons of butter and drizzle that on top, but I try to save that for movie nights.

When it comes to snacking, I try to keep it as easy as possible so that I’m not tempted to reach for unhealthy things.

I like plain Greek yogurt because I’ll use it in dishes in replace of sour cream, but I also like to toss a few small flavored ones in my cart in case I need a snack or I’m extra hungry in the mornings (I’m not a big breakfast eater).

Cauliflower gnocchi is one of my favorites of the many cauliflower options at Trader Joe’s. I’ll mix it with their gorgonzola gnocchi and the sauce is enough to cover both bags. BUT if you’re only cooking the cauliflower gnocchi, I do not follow their directions. I just pan sear it in a few tablespoons of olive oil until it’s lightly browned one each side. When I cook it like their directions say to, it’s always soggy and just… not good. Of course their cauliflower rice and pizza crusts are great too!

Their pomegranate white tea is SO good if you’re a tea drinker!

Now that Bailey is into the double digits and we walk so much to and from the park, we have a “4 o’clock snack time,” and I’ll give her one of these every afternoon. I feel better about it because it’s limited ingredients, and she now sits by the treat jar and waits for it. I’ve created a monster!

Now let’s get into those #treatyoself items…

Christian’s favorite guilty pleasure – their truffle brownies. I have made them numerous times for parties and just sprinkle some powdered sugar on them. Everyone asks me for the recipe… and they’re just from the box! Sometimes I’ll throw in chocolate chips, but they’re excellent on their own.

Lisa Allen shared on her Instagram that combining TJ’s vegetarian chili + queso made an amazing dip, and now I both love and hate her because it’s incredible and I’m addicted. Christian thought it sounded gross at first. Then I made it and now he loves it just as much as I do. It’s so good and great for a party!

If it’s a special weekend or we have guests staying with us, their frozen chocolate croissants are so good you’ll think they came from a bakery down the street. I’ve also bought their chocolate croissants in the bakery section, but Christian and I agree these frozen ones are better. You just have to remember to pull them out of the freezer the night before so they will rise!

And while we’re talking desserts, you can’t beat their peanut butter cups. Love the dark chocolate ones too! But I have to pull a few out and put them back in the cabinet. Because if I bring the container to the den… it’s over.

Tell me what you thought about this post and I can try to do them more often! If you have a favorite Trader Joe’s item, I know everyone reading would love to see in the comments! Thanks so much for reading and sharing – XO –

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Edgy Office Look

Ok… I realize this might not work for everyone’s office. But let’s dissect it here. I loved hearing from you guys that office looks are helpful, so I’ve really wanted to try to continue bringing looks that would work for multiple places. Would I have worn this to my previous corporate job? 100% yes. But it was in Newport Beach and there was no dress code.

SO to those of you who do have a dress code, you could wear this same type of look but with a turtleneck instead of a sheer top. Or you could wear the turtleneck and no vest. If you’re looking for something more casual, you could easily wear a tee and sneakers with the same look. Make it your own! Regardless, I think a leopard midi skirt is so versatile and most importantly, fun. Because our closets should represent who we are!

photos by Meg Stone

You can find other office-friendly looks here, here, here and here.

Thanks so much for reading! XO –

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Friday’s Five

– a water bottle that truly is helping me drink more water –

– a magnolia scented candle that makes me happy –

– trying some new natural beauty products for the first time, especially this glow & go palette –

– finding a new DVD set of one of our favorite shows on eBay and snagging it up as a fun surprise (watch this clip as a taste) –

– flowers from Christian that make the whole house smell amazing –

Happy Friday! We have had a week of exceptionally beautiful weather and I absolutely do not take it for granted. After so many months of gloom, it’s incredible how much more energy I have with better weather. I wake up faster, I smile more, I get more done, I’ve exercised every day… it’s wild how much of an effect weather can have on your day-to-day life.

Christian has been spending the weekends studying for his board exams, so I plan on getting some long walks in with Bailey, working ahead for the week and getting some meal prep done. I managed to sneak on a few lbs while it was raining nonstop by being too unmotivated to grocery shop, meal prep or cook. So now I’m working on shaving that off and thankfully, I have much more motivation! I plan on making this crockpot quinoa enchilada dish that we both love, Chrissy Teigen’s Cacio e Pepe and a pot pie (I usually do 1/2 chicken and 1/2 veggie). Pot pie is probably one of our favorite comfort meals. The more veggies I can pack in there, the better.

I mentioned this on Instagram, but my sister recently got me hooked on the Ear Hustle podcast, and if you like any of the other podcasts I’ve shared (part one, part two and part three), then you’re going to love this. Trust me!

That’s about all for this week! It’s been kind of quiet yet really peaceful with the sunshine. I can’t believe we are already almost to April… crazy! Tell me what you have going on or any good movies you’ve seen lately. With Christian locked up and studying all day I get a little bored. Thank you for reading and sharing! XO –

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Easy Garlic Noodles

Christian and I got takeout when we had first moved to San Francisco, and one of the popular dishes on the menu was garlic noodles so we got it. We were both surprised that while we had all of these super flavorful dishes, it was the simplistic and delicious garlic noodles we cleared by the end of the dinner.

And the best news is that garlic noodles are crazy easy to make at home! I’ve been looking at different recipes, and below is the one I like the most.

Garlic Noodles, serves 4

Ingredients:

16 oz spaghetti pasta

1/2 package of green onions

4 TB butter

8 garlic gloves, minced

1 tsp sesame oil

4 tsp soy sauce or coconut aminos

1.5 TB brown sugar

3 to 4 TB oyster sauce

salt, to taste

Directions:

Boil noodles and follow directions on package. Combine sesame oil, soy sauce, brown sugar and oyster sauce. Set aside. Drain the noodles and use the same pot to melt the butter. Add the garlic and green onions until fragrant. Combine all ingredients and garnish with salt and green onions.

It’s seriously SO easy. I will whip this up on a lazy Sunday night or you can serve with a green salad to get your greens in. You could also add sautéed shrimp or grilled chicken if you wanted to add some protein. But be careful… I can easily eat too many noodles. It’s dangerous!

Do you have a favorite 15-20 minute pasta dish? I’d love to hear any tips. Truth be told, I love anything with spaghetti noodles. Christian’s an angel hair person and we argue over it a little too often. Seriously! Thanks so much for reading – XO –

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My City Apartment Must-Haves

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15

I’ve been so surprised at how many emails and DM’s I get about a pair of ear plugs I casually mentioned on Instagram many months ago. I wanted a blog post about a few of the things we’ve purchased or used this year to make city life a little more manageable!

I lived in New York for a summer in college and always thought a short stint at living in a large city would be a great experience. These are few things we’ve purchased this year that have make a BIG difference –

Sturdy Grocery Bags | Honey, when you’re schlepping 40 lbs of groceries uphill, the fewer the bags the better. I know they make little wheelie carts, but since we are only here for one year I didn’t want to have store it in our hallway when we weren’t using it (small spaces, guys). When I got my first Apolis bag… it was followed by three more. They’re now all I use because they’re so durable and hold so much!

My mom emailed to remind me that these bags can also be personalized – which is fun. They are also lined in plastic, making them waterproof and can carry up to 100 pounds in one bag!

Air Pods | I didn’t fully understand why these were so great until I had my own pair. Forget cords! When I’m walking Bailey or on a conference call while also pouring a cup of coffee, there’s nothing better than being wireless.

Ear Plugs + Sound Machine | I have found (being married to an ear doctor), that the key to fantastic ear plugs is an NRR-33 rating. Most ear plugs are NRR-32… and trust me, there is magic in that slight number increase. I also finally got a Dohm sound machine (my dad has used this soundmachine for literally over 30 years) once we moved into our apartment. We didn’t need one in Orange County, but we have way more street noise now and it’s a GAME CHANGER. Christian never goes a night without turning it on!

Backpack | I am 100% behind MZ Wallace for travel. Their bags are incredibly lightweight, can be shoved into any tiny space or airplane, extremely versatile and durable. I don’t even know what else to say – they’re just the best.

Roomba | I can’t praise this little robot vacuum enough. I was so obsessed with ours that my sister ended up getting one, and now she’s also obsessed with hers. The only con is that it is pretty loud. Other than that, this little vacuum is the only thing that keeps me from complaining about dog hair all day.

Cast Iron Skillets | Christian actually added this one! We have always had easy access to a grill until this year. You’re hard-pressed to find a balcony or outdoor space in San Francisco, so anything that requires grilling goes on a cast iron griddle or skillet. An essential if you like to cook!

Good Umbrellas | We have been through it with rain in San Francisco and bought two new umbrellas that made a big difference. Christian prefers this one and I prefer this clear one because I can protect practically my entire upper body and still see through it (you may remember it from this post!).

Small Crossbody Bag | I bought this little Saint Laurent nano bag specifically for all my daily walking around the city, and it’s been a great addition. Small enough to toss in a bigger tote yet big enough to carry everything I really need.

Lightweight Slippers | I usually wear Ugg slippers, but I quickly realized when moving to an apartment with wood floors that it would be pretty inconsiderate to be clonking around in them when there are sweet girls who live below us. So I bought two pairs of these and they’re so much quieter! They’re also really cozy and cute, so that helps too.

Quarters, and More Quarters | I’ve only had quarter laundry in college and at our first place in Orange County. I lasted for about a month before we bought our own stackable to hook up in the patio closet. Unfortunately we don’t have a hookup in our SF apartment (most people don’t here), so quarter laundry is the only option. It costs $5 in quarters (that’s 20 quarters, people) to wash and dry one load. So we breeze through quarters. Funny enough, grocery stores are often out of quarters because we’re all trying to grab ’em, so my mom now has given us hundreds of dollars in quarters as Christmas and birthday presents, and it’s truly the best gift ever. The closest bank is several blocks away and who wants to carry rolls and rolls of quarters uphill? No one, that’s who.

Yeti Coffee Mug | This was one of my favorite things I left Aspen with, and I use it almost daily. I will drink tea out of it at my desk or walk Bailey with my morning coffee. Sometimes I even drink my hot water with lemon out of it. The best!

Mini Heater | This isn’t groundbreaking, but this is my second time living in an apartment with no central heat or AC and mini heaters and fans are a GIFT!

Collapsable Laundry Basket | I actually don’t have one of these because I didn’t know they existed before I started working on this post. Now I’m like… how did I not know about this? Genius.

Sneakers | I wear sneakers every day. Every single day… and I never thought I’d see that. These are my favorite!

Other things I’ve read about that sound brilliant:

Hair Tool Holster | Might need to snatch up one of these.

Makeshift Pantry | If I was going to live in this apartment long-term, I would for sure make one of these.

Folding Ottoman Bed | So brilliant if you have frequent guests!

I hope this helps some of you in the same position I was in – moving to a compact city without knowing exactly what you need! If you have anything to add to this list, I’d love to hear and I know the girls reading this would find it really helpful.

Thanks so much for reading and sharing! XO –

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How Often Should We Be Washing Our Denim?

Friday is World Water Day, and in celebration of that I’m sharing a look from Levi’s that has been made without using water. I can’t even imagine how difficult that must be, but these super fun wide leg culotte jeans and tee are completely Water<less™!

You can check out the full collection here, as well as how exactly they’re made without water here. This collection reduces water consumption by 28% and up to 96% for some of the pieces in the line. It has also helped Levi’s save millions of liters of water.

And get this, by simply washing our jeans less, we can be a part of this mission too. You can reduce the impact of your own denim by up to 50% by washing them in cold water and air drying. And you could save 500 liters of water a year by washing every other week instead of every week!

In fact, some say not to wash your denim at all, but even Who What Wear recommends washing every 4-5 wears in cold water to help preserve the dye (and I’ll admit I wash mine much less than that… #dontjudgeme). A lot of Levi’s, including this pair of wide leg jeans, are made of 100% cotton. They’re actually meant to form to your body and become more comfortable the more you wear them. So unless you spill something on them or you’re rolling around in the dirt at Coachella… you can get away without washing them.

Now for denim with stretch, you might need to wash them more frequently because they stretch out. They say you can even put your denim in an airtight ziploc in the freezer and it will kill any bacteria. Mind blown.

photos by Meg Stone

denim (on sale and TTS), also have and love these (sized up one size) and these (sized up one size) | tee (feels more like 100% cotton), also love this one | denim jacket

Ok – if you’re a Levi’s lover, you know the sizing can be a little tricky. Typically if the denim has a little stretch, I order my usual size. If they’re 100% cotton I size up one size. These jeans in this post ARE 100% cotton but they don’t follow that rule. I sized up, they’re too big and what you can’t see here is that I actually have them clipped in the back. Just my tip! More on sizing here.

Thanks so much for reading and sharing, and I’d love to hear how often you guys wash your jeans… this is a no judgement zone! XO –

brought to you by Levi’s

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Spring Slides

It may not feel like spring yet in San Francisco, but it’s spring in my mind and I am going to dress the part!

I knew when I saw these European-inspired slides from Born that they would be so great for spring and summer. They look great with pants and dresses, and are both lightweight and feel great (in typical Born fashion). You might remember the booties I styled of theirs here, I still wear and love them so much! They are soooooo comfortable.

I paired theses slides with a crisp linen pant suit that makes me want to book a trip to the beach ASAP. It’s all sunshine and palm trees in my mind right now, anyone else in major need of a spring break?

photos by Meg Stone

It also is noteworthy that 15% of sales from these shoes (up to $10,000) go to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital for the month of March. You can find out more here.

What’s your go to spring shoe? Are you a flats, heels or wedges girl? Gimme the deets! I’m linking some of my favorite Born picks below. And while I’m usually a heels girl, I’d love to hear if you guys would like more flats looks on this blog. It really helps me to know what kind of outfit inspiration you’re looking for so I can aim to provide that!

Thanks so much for reading and sharing –

brought to you by Born

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Friday’s Five

– finally seeing Hamilton –

– new booties (on sale) after realizing how much I loved and wore my green pair –

– pretty pearly hair clips –

– the magic cream I’ve heard so much about (check out some uses here!) –

– a new box of my favorite salt flakes –

Happy Friday! This has to be one of my favorite weeks of 2019 so far because the weather has been beautiful and I finally feel energized, motivated and definitely happier. It’s wild how much weather can affect your daily life. I think I didn’t even fully realized how spoiled I was in Southern California until we left. But I digress, I will celebrate the glorious sunshine each day I have it!

We saw Hamilton at the beautiful Orpheum Theater on Tuesday, and we have actually had the tickets before we even knew where would be living in San Francisco. If you enjoy musicals or Broadway theater, you know that tickets to this show are incredibly hard to obtain. Hamilton came to Orange County last year. After a saga of being on an online waitlist for 12+ hours, by the time it was my turn the tickets were sold out. I was so burnt that I kind of lost my desire to see the show and moved on. When we found out we were moving to San Francisco, my mom and friend Jennifer Rose surprised us with tickets!

To my medical wives, you’ll understand this next part. Our tickets were for Tuesday at 7PM, which is one of Christian’s weekly surgery days. Sometimes surgery days wrap up at 6PM and other days 10:30PM… making any kind of “plan” difficult. For this reason, we don’t really make any plans or reservations during the week because his schedule is always a loose cannon. Christian wasn’t sure if he would make it, and it was really important to me that he either come to the full show or not come at all because hopping into a musical halfway in is kind of… pointless. The storyline is incredibly important to enjoying the show. I couldn’t decide if I should invite someone else or remain hopeful that it would work out and… IT WORKED OUT! He was wrapped up in time and we were able to go to the show, not even being paged, and enjoy it. A major win!

Being married to a surgeon… nothing is guarunteed. Sleep, your weekends together, meals, any reservations, plans – it’s a game of chance. Even our honeymoon was a game of chance and we weren’t sure if we would be able to go or have to cancel until the week before. So when you make plans and it actually works out? It feels like a serious victory. I won’t even tell you about all the frustrating losses when it has come to plans in the past seven years. For now, we’ll focus on this week’s win, and I feel really happy about it. And thankful that after only 3.5 more months, he’ll have significantly more control over his schedule and life. Honestly it sounds so fairytale-like that I can’t really imagine it. The luxury!!

This weekend we’re heading to the East Bay for a lunch to celebrate some friends about to welcome their first baby, and I plan to run a few errands over there while it’s easy with parking lots and less crowds. We’ve kicked up the house hunt in our prospective next location, and I’m really starting to imagine the next phase of our life with any kind of green space, an attic!!!, my own w/d, easy parking, my own trash cans. It’s wild how much more I’m going to appreciate a bathroom drawer or jack & jill sinks (!!!) now that we’ve been on this adventure. So many experiences thanks to California… yet quite a bit of sacrifice. I am so extremely grateful that we spent our 20’s exploring and adventuring, because now it’s time for some stability and we are ready for it. But more on this later!

What are your spring break plans this weekend? I hope you’re seeing the sun wherever you live and soaking it UP, sister! My laptop is currently being repaired at the Apple Store so I will be forced not to work with weekend, and I’m a-ok with that. Thanks so much for reading and have a beautiful weekend – XO –

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Wednesday Wish List: Spring Break Packing List

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12

I don’t even want to admit how many years it’s been since I had a traditional “spring break,” but in the season of SPRING being around the corner, I wanted to share a roundup of what would be in my bag if I was heading somewhere warm –

1. Statement Earrings | I own far too many statement earrings to count and love them all. LOVE these that come in two colors!

2. Slip Dresses | I have so many slip dresses in my closet and I think they are SO versatile! Loving this chic black one and hello tiger stripes, come to mama.

3. High Waisted Jeans | I can’t have enough! Recently bought these and really love these.

4. Midi Skirt | The ultimate flattering skirt for curvy girls. Love this one!

5. Classic Hoops | These go with everything, are lightweight and so easy!

6. Strappy Heels | My favorite heel for spring and summer: nude and strappy. Also own three pairs of these (in different colors) and they’ve been a great investment.

7. Chic Luggage | I just got this little vanity bag (shared here), and I can’t even handle how cute it is. Love red luggage!

8. Straw Bag | This adorable bag is under $20, comes in two colors and works for the beach or a sundress.

9. Round Sunglasses | I had no idea how much I would love my round Ray Bans. I wear them ALL the time. I love this pair!

10. White Tee | Works with jeans, shorts, skirts, over a swimsuit – you name it. Can’t have enough classic white tees!

11. High Waisted Shorts | If you can’t tell, I pick high waisted over everything else. I have so many pairs of these it’s almost embarassing.

12. Straw Hat | I just bought this one and love how beautifully it looks with camel slides. Chic!

Would love to hear if you have spring break plans and if so, where you’re headed. Please make me jealous! Thanks so much for reading – XO –

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Lilac Sweater

I think lilac can be a color easily overlooked when styling an outfit. Lavender and lilac pieces are a little bit harder to find, but can look really pretty on both fair and honey skin tones. It looks super cute with high waisted jeans, but I wanted to style it in a less predicable way.

These leggings have taken me so far this year. They are high waisted and smooth everything out really well. I layered the sweater with a long collared shirt that also be replicated for the office with skinny black pants (I know in so many corporate offices leggings are a no-go).

I’m linking a few more cropped sweaters I love below. I love them for their versatility – a great layering piece and can work with essentially anything high waisted. And you guys know for me, everything is high waisted. It’s my favorite!

photos by Meg Stone

And if you’re a big Bloomingdale’s fan like I am, you can score some major perks by being a party of their Loyallist Rewards program. It’s completely free to join and you can earn points (double points for shoes, cosmetics and fragrance), free shipping on any purchase and free returns for online orders. If you’re a frequent Bloomingdale’s shopper, you only have things to gain by joining!

I need to stack up my points to use toward these blue light blocking glasses. So cute, and I broke my old pair!

Thanks so much for reading – XO –

brought to you by Bloomingdale’s

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Whiskey Rebellion | The Cocktail to Introduce Rye to non-Whiskey Drinkers

Over the weekend I shared on Instagram a cocktail Christian has been making lately that allows even someone like me, who is not a whiskey drinker, to enjoy whiskey. Trust me – usually even smelling it gives me chills, but this cocktail is soooo good!

I was so surprised at the amount of recipe requests that I got from you guys that I wanted to do a full blog post with the details. Let’s get into this deliciousness –

Whiskey Rebellion (serves one)

Ingredients:

1 oz. Pimm’s

1 oz. Rye

1 oz. Simple Syrup (you can make your own)

Juice of one small lemon

Lemon Peel (we use this vegetable peeler)

Optional: large ice cube (love this set)

Directions:

Combine Pimm’s, Rye and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker with a few ice cubes. Shake it up, pour over an ice cube. Add your lemon juice and lemon peel and enjoy!

shirt | denim | necklace | index finger ring

Are you a cocktail gal or a whiskey drinker? I’d love to hear your favorite beverage and/or liquor preference. You can find more food & drink recipes here! Thanks so much for reading and sharing – XO –

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Friday’s Five

– a pretty new plant to our living space thanks to Ansel & Ivy –

– some liquid highlighter from Mary Kay that I’ve been wearing nonstop –

– remember that pb banana pudding I talked about last week!? SO GOOD –

– espadrille sneakers from my favorite tennis shoe brand (these run a little small, I’d recommend sizing up) –

– the most beautiful little vanity suitcase from Steamline Luggage that I can’t wait to use –

Happy Friday!! This week was busier than the past few. It felt good to have deadlines and things I had to get done because in this gray rain, it’s hard to feel motivated unless you don’t have a choice. So it was nice to have things to get me moving, and then we were blessed with two full days of no rain which was AMAZING. A gift!

I went to my girlfriend Macey’s house for a small get together and everyone brought a beauty item under $25 that they loved. I was introduced to so many amazing products I’ve literally never heard of but now feel that I need in my life ASAP. Like Charmzone New Control Cream, Kai Body Lotion and Egyptian Magic – have you heard of these? I loved hearing everyone explain why they loved their item so much, it made me want everything! In case you’re wondering what I brought, I opted for this lipstick and this travel sized dry shampoo.

We use meal delivery services in San Francisco because unloading groceries is just more treacherous (carrying them uphill, parking around the corner, loading in an elevator – do-able but just more effort), but lately I haven’t been vibing with the pescatarian options so I’ve been skipping and am really excited about our menu this week. I plan on making this pasta that I heard about on instagram along with this zucchini ravioli. I made some quinoa burrito bowls last week and they were so delicious that I want to make them again and film it for IGTV or YouTube. Do you guys have a preference?

We have another chill weekend and it’s not supposed to rain on Sunday so I’m hoping we’ll be able to get out and explore. We’ve spent enough weekends inside watching movies that I don’t think I can do it again! What are your plans this weekend and do you have any recipes you’ve tried recently that were hits? I’d love to hear.

Thanks so much for reading and sharing – XO –

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