I think the meaning of Memorial Day often gets a little lost in the hoopla around the start of summer and all the accompanying sales—so I want to take a moment to acknowledge our fallen heroes and the ultimate sacrifice they gave for our freedom. I am so grateful for their bravery!

This MDW looks different than in years past—last year I was at The Tides Inn where the photo above was snapped, before that, I was in Key West, and before that, South Beach. This year, I’m hanging out in Dupont Circle, but I’m grateful for good weather and the opportunity to take some long walks while listening to country tunes. I haven’t been to the grocery store in about two weeks, so I’m planning on heading there today and stocking up on my pantry staples—and will probably throw in a special summertime treats.

I think the workweek ahead will be busy than the last two, so I’ve been grateful for the extra long weekend to decompress, continue my Southern Charm binge, sleep in, read my book, and enjoy some delicious rosé wine. (I drink it all year round, but it’s now officially rosé season!)

Whatever y’all are up to, I hope you have a good one! I’m especially jealous of all you quarantining in homes with pools this weekend! x

01. TAKEOUT FROM ANNIE’S PARAMOUNT STEAKHOUSE

As y’all know, I’ve been doing takeout once or twice a week from local DC restaurants as a way to support them during these trying times and also treat myself. I’ve lived several blocks away from Annie’s for years, but had never eaten there before. One thing they’ve done since moving to a takeout and delivery model is post their menu on the windows lining the street—it’s such good marketing, because I noticed a few weeks ago they had a fried chicken salad that looked absolutely amazing. (You know the delicious kinds only restaurants can offer with fried chicken tenders, lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, cheese, and ranch. YUM!)

Last Wednesday, I didn’t really want to cook anything at my apartment, so I decided it’d be the perfect day to treat myself to a salad from Annie’s. It was so, so good, and I’ll definitely be ordering one again. I think I might even go crazy and add avocado next time! They also have a really tasty looking grilled chicken sandwich on ciabatta that has my name all over it. They are a steakhouse—so if you’re in the mood for a great steak or burger, I bet those are amazing, too!

02. THE PERFECT “HOUSE DRESS” FOR SUMMER

Earlier this week, you may have seen Southern Living wrote an article about how the house dress is back, which is totally the vibe I’m embracing for summer. Most days during March, April, and May, I wore my go-to Zella leggings, but now that it is getting warmer, I’m definitely going to be reaching for flowy, easy-to-wear maxi dresses for summer.

If you’ve been following me here for a while, you know that The Mint Julep Boutique is one of my go-to places to shop for cute, affordable, trendy clothes. Their shipping is really fast, and the quality of their pieces is usually quite good for the price. One thing I will flag is that you can only get a refund in the form of a gift card, so I’m usually pretty selective about what I buy and choose things I know will work on my body type. You can see some of my past pieces from them here, here, here, here, here, here, here,  here, and here.

Last week I bought a tank maxi dress in both black and light sage for summer. I love that they are still conservative enough to wear on a Zoom call—who would have either thought that would be shopping criteria—while also comfortable enough to work from home all day in. And, when it safe for us to do other things, they’ll be great for that, too!

3. HIIT WORKOUT

While I have been walking a ton during the quarantine, my apartment doesn’t lend itself well to working out indoors. But, this weekend, I pushed some furniture aside and did the workout that Liz Adams posted with her trainer on Instagram, and it was so hard! I definitely worked up a sweat really quickly, and it felt really good to mix up how I’m moving my body. It also made me miss my Saturday morning sweat sessions at Soul Cycle, so until gyms can open back up here in DC, I’m going to keep HIIT workouts in my weekend repertoire of activities.

04. SWEET MAGNOLIAS ON NETFLIX

I, like most people, have been watching a ton of TV during the quarantine—and was so excited to see Netflix’s new show Sweet Magnolias come out last week. I’ve been finishing my Southern Charm binge, so I’ve only watched one episode of Sweet Magnolias but I really, really enjoyed it. It’s based on a book series (I haven’t read them!) and tells the story of three BFFs who lift each other up as they juggle relationships, family, and careers in the quaint, Southern town of Serenity, South Carolina. If you’re looking for a cute show to watch this week, I’d highly recommend this one!

05. THE DAY OFF WORK!

I’m really excited to have the day off work. This four day weekend is the longest time I’ve had off since quarantine started. This Wednesday, I was supposed to be leaving for France with my girl friends for a week and a half, so while the France trip will have to wait, it is nice to have a bit of a longer break to really decompress and take a step back from work. I don’t have any big plans for the day; I’m going to sleep in, read a book, make a grocery store run, and go on a long, long walk around my beautiful neighborhood.

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I hope you guys have a great week—I’d love to know what is keeping you distracted these days!