TGIT, am I right? This week has been a whirlwind—truthfully, I don’t think that I ever really recovered from my trip to New York or losing an hour of sleep this weekend, so I’ve been feeling a little under the weather and decided to give myself a pass on getting blog posts up on time. I’m in town this weekend though, so it should be business as usual around here next week.

It’s been about a month and a half since we last checked in on life lately, so I thought this would be a fun post to end the week with. Maybe it’s just me, but it felt like January was the slowest month ever, and ever since February 1, time seems to be flying. But let me just say, I really hope spring weather finds us again soon because I am really tired of all my winter clothes and having to get bundled up to go everywhere. I’m ready for cute sandals and spring clothes!

UPCOMING TRIPS (!) /

Travel is one of my biggest passions in life, and always has been—so thank you for letting me share my journeys here with you! When I was a teenager, I used to cut out pictures from travel magazines and pin the places I wanted to go on the bulletin board over my head. I’m so grateful that ten years later, I have the time and money to travel often and love making it a priority in my life.

I’ve recently recapped my trips to Wisp Ski Resort, The Greenbrier, and New York City. I don’t usually travel this often this early in the year, but it’s been fun to have some wintertime escapes on the calendar. And since my social life at home isn’t as busy during hibernation season, I don’t have as much FOMO as I do when I head out of town in the summer.

Saturday after next, I’m heading to New Orleans, Louisiana for the second time. I’m going with my best friend from middle school, her sister, and my sister, Jennifer. We’ve snagged reservations at Commander’s Palace, but other than that, haven’t added too much to our itinerary, which I am actually thrilled about. We’re there for five days, so there’s more than enough time to explore leisurely, enjoy some jazz music with a to-go cup, take a historical tour, and eat a lot of amazing cajun food. My trip there in August 2016 stands out in my mind as one of the best trips I’ve ever taken, so I’m excited to get back—in slightly cooler temperatures!

Later this spring, I’m heading to Clemson to visit my sister, Lindsey, and Charlottesville, to visit my friend Molly for a great weekend of Virginia wine tasting. I also am so excited for the trip I’m taking to Key West over Memorial Day Weekend! I’ve never been to the Keys, but based on everything I’ve heard, I feel like I will be right at home on island time. I really enjoy maximizing corporate holidays at work, and after a stellar trip to Miami last Memorial Day Weekend, I knew I wanted to take advantage of the Monday off work. If you have any favorite places to eat or drink, must-see sunset spots, or recommended excursions, please let me know!

BLOGS I’M LOVING LATELY /

One of the reasons I started a blog almost four (!) years ago, was because I was devouring blogs when I was bored at work, waiting in line at the grocery store, procrastinating going to bed, etc. I thought it would be fun to start one myself and add to the conversation. I’ve shared some of my favorite blogs to read over the years, but wanted to give an update on the gals I’ve been loving lately in case you need some new inspiration.

I’ve been lucky enough to make real girlfriends in DC through blogging, and even though most of us talk almost every day, I still love reading their blogs. Monica shares great travel recaps and classic style pieces. Ashlee has the best travel posts and insight on how to use credit card miles and reward points to take trips for free. Jenn has the best outfits for a creative work environment, and I basically want to raid her closet. Kristyn has great style, and does a great job sharing her DC adventures. Laura is always perfectly polished—and was a great Valentine’s Day Date!—and I love her recent post on getting through tough times.

Outside of DC (and people I know in real life!), Liz is one of my favorite bloggers to follow along with. I love her weekly Coffee with Liz posts on Fridays because she gives great advice / shopping picks, and I look forward to her weekly Cooking with Liz segments on Instagram Live because she is so authentic.

I recently discovered Kate of Lonestar Southern, and love all of her colorful fashion choices. I wouldn’t wear everything she does, but she has such a great sense of personal style and shares the cutest shoes, earrings, and affordable pieces. I also really enjoy her weekly Coffee Chat Series on YouTube.

I also frequently read Shelby’s blog Glitter & Gingham, Jess’ blog Bows & Sequins, Grace’s blog The Stripe, Mackenzie’s blog Design Darling, Carly’s blog The Prepster, Krista’s blog Covering the Bases, and Kelly’s blog Kelly in the City. I also enjoy following along with all of those accounts on Instagram, especially for the behind-the-scenes looks provided via Instagram Stories.

NYT CORNER OFFICE COLUMN /

I recently rediscovered The New York Times Corner Office column where they publish short interviews with today’s entrepreneurs, innovators, and business leaders. It’s one of my favorite things to binge read on a slow afternoon at work because it usually inspires me to go deeper on a certain project or pick something back up I’ve been procrastinating. Some of the CEOs they interview I’m really familiar with, like Barbara Corcoran from Shark Tank, but other times, I’m not familiar with the interviewee. Either way, there’s still so much insight on attitudes toward work, how to be successful, and what it means to lead.

If you’re in the process of looking for a new job, or do a lot of interviewing at work like I do, these columns are also a gold mine of great interview questions, which could be helpful regardless of which side of the table you’re on. I keep a running list of a good interview questions from this column in a Google Doc and it’s come in handy several times—it’s always good to have some back pocket questions!

OTF + SPIN CLASS — ONE YEAR LATER /

It’s hard to believe, but I took my first spin class at my current studio a year ago on March 22, and signed up for my first Orangetheory class a month later. Prior to getting in a regular routine of attending exercises classes, I hadn’t really worked out regularly since before grad school. When I was working out, I wasn’t pushing myself and certainly wasn’t maximizing my workouts. Now, exercise has become such a habit that I do it willingly and automatically—it doesn’t require any extra brain power to get myself there—and when I am in class, I work really hard to push myself.

Over the last year, my anxiety and stress have become so much more manageable, I’ve toned up, and I’ve become more confident—all benefits I attribute to exercise. I’ve also had the opportunity to meet a new community of great people that I wouldn’t have met otherwise—especially at my spin studio. (Since Orangetheory classes are larger, it’s harder to get to know people, but lately, I’ve been making friends with other 6:30pm regulars, too!) It’s great for both my mind and body to have a third place!

MY LATEST MAKEUP OBSESSION /

For Christmas, my Mom and sister gave me this Estée Lauder Lash Primer Plus Full Treatment Formula. While I’d heard a lot of hype about lash primer before, I’d never tried it myself. And, y’all, let me tell you, I am HOOKED!

This primer really does help my mascara go on smoother, stay put throughout the day, and make my eye lashes look longer and fuller. So the primer doesn’t dry out, I typically put the primer on on eye, layer on mascara, and then do the other eye. My favorite drugstore mascara is the L’Oreal Voluminous Butterfly Mascara and my favorite splurge mascara is the Dior Diorshow PumpnVolume Instant Volume Squeezeable Mascara.

That’s what’s been going on in my life lately—I’d love to hear what’s going on with yours! x