Happy Wednesday! This time next week, I’ll be heading to Miami to work South Beach Wine & Food Festival with my day job. I’ve been to Miami once before—over Memorial Day 2017—and had a great time lounging by the beautiful pool you see above. (Funny enough, the hotel I am staying at for this upcoming trip is actually right next door!) You can read a recap of my trip here! I’m excited to be back in town, enjoy a few days of warm weather, and work a really rewarding event. While I am in town, I am 100% hitting up Soul Cycle and am also grabbing dinner with my cousin and her husband who live down there. I am really excited to see them and catch up—I visited them back in 2016 in Fort Lauderdale and have caught up with them on my trips to Miami and Palm Beach, and we always have a great time.

I really am hoping the sunshine does me well—my seasonal affective disorder is in full swing this year, and I just haven’t been as happy lately. It really hit me hard in 2018, too. Since I had just started my new job last year, I think I was distracted with trying to get onboarded at work because I don’t remember being in as much of a ~mood~ in 2019. Having fun things to look forward to always helps me, and I am glad there are several fun trips, dinners, and hangouts with friends on my calendar!

I had a smorgasbord of random things I wanted to share today, so I thought it would be fun to do a life lately post:

DIP MANICURES /

If you’ve followed me here for a while, you know that my old boss got me into doing my own gel manicures as a way to save money. I have a UV light and a ton of polish from CND and OPI I’ve bought over the years. Last fall, I was really craving a manicure from a salon and decided to treat myself and get one. Turns out, I am really good at treating myself, because one manicure turned into two, and then the next thing I knew, it was a bi-monthly thing. I went to my salon right before Christmas to get a fresh manicure—I went with OPI’s “Affair in Red Square” which is the perfect holiday color, so file that one away for December—and within a week, the gel was already chipping and my nails were breaking. I was so annoyed, but knew it was because the gel had made my nails really weak.

My sister had raved about the dip manicures at Aura Day Spa in Arlington in Virginia Square, so a couple of days into 2020, I went down there and got my first dip manicure—and y’all, I am HOOKED. I have seen the light! My dip manicure lasted for four weeks, didn’t chip or peel off, and my nails grew so much. I just got my second dip manicure done a week and a half ago and the results were just as good. Although my dip manicures are more expensive than the gel ones I was doing, they definitely have a better return on investment because they last twice as long. For example: if I did dip manicures once a month throughout 2020, I’d spend $720/year ($50 for service + $10 tip x 12 months). At the rate I was doing gel manicures, I would need to go every two weeks to have them be the same quality as my dip manicures, which would total $912 ($32 for service + $6 tip x 2 services/month x 12 months).

Getting manicures done monthly at a salon is definitely a luxury and will be something I cut back on when I am trying to save money at certain points throughout the year, but I love the results and would highly, highly recommend dip manicures!

RECENT TV ADDICITIONS /

Since I haven’t been traveling as much and winter is generally slower for me in terms of social plans after work and on the weekends, I have been killing the TV game lately. Though I had seen a few episodes of Very Cavallari when it first came out, I recently binged the whole series and am now caught up to real time. Kristin was always my favorite on Laguna Beach because she got shit done and was unapologetically her—and while she’s matured a lot, those things still hold true. But, of course, the true breakout star of the show is Jay Cutler, he is just so funny. It’s definitely not a serious show—I think of it more as brain candy.

Another show I have been loving is one my mom introduced to me called Home Town on HGTV! It follows this really cute couple, Erin and Ben, as they renovate homes for people in their hometown of Laurel, Mississippi. A former lumber town, they’re trying to revive the downtown area and make it somewhere people really would want to move. If you like Fixer Upper, you’ll like this one—and you can find it on Hulu.

And then I’ve got two Netflix recommendations—first is the episode of Broken about the counterfeit makeup industry. It was fascinating and scary to see how so many people try to knock off popular cosmetics products, like the Kylie Lip Kit, so definitely make sure you’re buying your makeup and skincare from reputable sources. Second, is Goop Labs, which is Gwyneth Paltrow’s show. I listen to the Goop podcast from time to time, and really like her chief content officer, Elise, who also features prominently in the show. I actually think the show does a good job of humanizing Gwyn and showing her sense of humor. Some of the episodes are a little too woo-woo for me, but I really enjoyed the episode with Laura Lynne Jackson since I read her book last summer.

THE RAINBOOTS I’M LOVING /

It’s been really rainy in DC this week, and if you follow me on Instagram, this won’t be a surprise to you, but for years and years, I relied on my Hunter Boots as my go-to shoe in the rain. They are a great investment, stylish, and classic—but they are bulky and if you want to change into a different shoe after commuting or when working out, they’re a pain to lug around.

Since I don’t have a car, I spend a lot of time in the elements on my daily walks to and from the metro on my commute. I had all but stopped wearing my Hunter Boots on rainy days for the aforementioned reasons and found myself ruining flats or soaking through sneakers just to get to work. So, back this fall, I finally bought these Chelsea Rainboots from Madewell. They are great! They keep my feet dry, are small enough I can easily throw them in another bag if needed, and take no time at all to break in. They are really well made, and I can already tell they are going to last years and years.

WEEZIE TOWELS /

It’s actually been on my list to snap a few photos of my Weezie Towels because I have been loving them! I have a set of the Navy Piped Edge Bath Towels, a coordinated set of the Navy Piped Edge Hand Towels, and the Stain Me Makeup Towels.

Though they are a little bit pricier than the towels you might find at Bed, Bath & Beyond, but they are well worth the investment. Not only do they have beautiful embroidery options, they are the softest towels I’ve ever felt—and they don’t lose their softness with each wash. And because they use 100% long-staple cotton, they are very absorbent and I’ve found that they dry really fast. They also have a really discreet hook sewn into the backside of the piping, which makes their towels really easy to hang on a hook.

I’ll make a note to snap some pics of my towels soon, but I seriously wish I could let you feel them—they are the best towels ever!

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That’s what’s going on in my life lately—here’s to warmer days ahead!