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February Favorites

It’s the second day of March and the view outside my window is a snowy, winter wonderland. Even though we only received 3-4 inches during the night, that is the most snow we’ve had since our early season snow in November.  Our Saturday routine is changing a bit now that Bo and Katie are enjoying father daughter swim lessons from 9:30-10 AM every Saturday for the next eight weeks. Since I found myself in a clean, quiet house with no errands on my list, I’m taking advantage of the few moments of quiet to check in with you all and share my February favorites. Brooklyn snow

If you want to learn more about my favorite things on a regular basis, follow me on Instagram and check out the Favorite Things and Beauty Favorites section on my Instagram highlights.

Becoming – Even though it took me almost the entire month to read this book, I really enjoyed it. I started reading it not knowing much about Michelle Obama and finished feeling like I’d just finished catching up with a good friend. I loved the insights to her emotions during the campaigns and then her perspective of the time in the White House. But, the part of the book that I appreciated most was the first half, which focused on her childhood and early adult life before she became the first lady. Regardless of your political affiliation or believes, I think this memoir is wonderful for everyone.

Paige Transcend Hoxton Skinny Jeans  – Since losing the remainder of my baby weight, I found that my favorite Jcrew jeans were now far too loose. While it’s a good problem to have, I quickly found that these jeans were no longer available in my size and therefore I felt like I had to start from scratch. The last thing I want to do with my spare time is go jean shopping, so instead I asked my followers and friends on Instagram to recommend their favorite jeans for tall ladies. The unanimous favorite was Paige brand and the most recommended style was the Hoxton High Waist in Moana wash. These jeans are the perfect dark wash for business casual or weekends. I can dress them up with heels and a blazer for date night or wear them with a sweater on the weekends. I’ve had them for three weeks and am so obsessed with the flattering fit and material that I just ordered a second pair in a lighter wash.

Dudley Stephens Cobble Hill Turtleneck in Terry Fleece – When the team at Dudley Stephens announced that they were restocking their favorite items and releasing a few new styles, I knew exactly what I wanted – a bright, vibrant top for spring. I actually regret ordering the Park Slope turtleneck in red as I rarely wear that color.  I tend to avoid  wearing primary colors and instead more frequently wear pops of bright color when I’m not wearing white, black or gray. As soon as I saw their new terry fleece style in the bright island coral, I knew it would quickly become my new favorite top. The top looks and feels like a chic sweatshirt. I wore it with makeup, fun earrings and makeup for a work conference call and had not one but two people ask me about the top. The lighter, terry fleece material means I can wear it throughout the year, on cool nights up in Vermont during the summer or out and about during the spring and early summer months. The fit is true to size, so I am wearing a large to accommodate my broad shoulders and longer arms. If I wanted something super fitted I could most likely fit in a medium but that isn’t the style that I want in this top. Yes, the top is worth the price tag as the quality is amazing and it will quickly become your favorite top in your closet – promise. If you’re new to Dudley Stephens, my favorite styles are the Cobble Hill turtleneck and the Park Slope if you want a bit more coverage. I have the park slope in red and gray and the cobble hill in white and pink.

Beautycounter Sheer Lipstick in Lily – This wearable pink shade of hydrating lipstick has been my favorite color for the past few months. It goes on easily and lasts all day. Even though I have three other lipstick colors in my makeup bag, I find myself grabbing for this one multiple times during the day.

Brooks Levitate 2 – My hot pink pair of Brooks Levitate 2 have quickly become my favorite running shoes. The flexible, mesh upper allows me to tighten them while the broad toe box gives my toes room to breathe during runs. The bright, fun colors make me smile while I’m running without compromising on support. The midsole is also extremely responsive, making me feel like I can spring through each step during both a short speed workout and a longer run.

Brooks Dash Hoodie – This lightweight, cozy hoodie has been a perfect layer during my outdoor runs. The material is buttery soft yet still wicks away the sweat. During the cooler weather, I’ve been wearing this over a sports bra as the second layer before putting my heavy running jacket over it and gloves. The pocket at the wrist is perfect for a key and credit card while the hood was a nice option to pull on the other day when it started sleeting towards the end of my run. I’ve had the black version for over a year but recently the Brooks team sent me the bright purple as a fun new color to wear through the winter and spring.

What are you loving these days? 

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ashleyd /

My Top Five Travel Essentials

After a few years of limited travel due to maternity leave and roles that didn’t require much work travel, I’m once again a frequent flier. Not a month goes by that I don’t board a Delta flight for either personal or professional reasons. Most months, I’m heading down to Savannah with Bo and Katie or I’m flying to California or Arkansas for customer meetings.  While I’ve traveled a lot over the years, both domestically and internationally, it wasn’t until my trip to China last month, that I truly appreciated and thought about my carry-on bags. Maybe it is because I knew I’d be on a plane for 17-hours or feared losing my bag if I dared to check it. Who knows the reason, but since then, packing for the next three business trips has seemed so easy. In today’s post, I’m going to share the five things that I never leave home without if I’m traveling. Then, in another post I’ll share a peak into my suitcase including what I typically pack for a 3-day business trip.

 

  • Away The Bigger Carry-On – I treated myself to this bag as an early birthday gift before heading to China. I’ve used it for four trips so far and each trip, I fall in love with it a little bit more. I appreciate that they stand behind the product with a lifetime guarantee and even provide new owners a 90-day trial period to try the bag out for themselves! The TSA-approved combination lock keeps my things safe during travel and the easy to use battery keeps me charged when I’m traveling. But, what I love most about the Away suitcase is what’s inside. When you unzip the suitcase you will find that there is a compression system that helps minimize the space your bulky sweaters take up and on the other size there is a mesh, zip-cover that holds your harder items, like shoes and toiletries, in place. This lightweight bag and the spinning wheels make dashing through airports and navigating overhead compartments much easier!
  • Tumi Voyager Carson Nylon Backpack – This backpack has been such a game changer that I find it hard to believe that I have only been using it for four months. I know that seems like an extreme statement but this backpack has made traveling for business and my weekly commutes so much easier! It is lightweight, has pockets everywhere, easy-to-access zip pockets that are perfect for stowing those items I use frequently during flight, and has a strap that allows me to easily add it to my rolling suitcase. I find this bag to be large enough to hold everything while the black and gold detailing make it stylish enough to carry into a restaurant in Manhattan. During my flight to San Francisco tonight I was reminded of another favorite feature – it is slender enough to fit under airplane seats even when it’s packed with a laptop and water bottle! This makes accessing all of my items SO easy during a long flight!  Over the past few months, as I’ve recommended it to friends and colleagues, I’ve found it on sale at Tumi, Nordstrom and Amazon so check sales to find the best price!
  • Dudley Stephens Cobble Hill Fleece – This comfortable fleece tunic allows me to travel in comfort while still looking chic. Call me old-fashioned but I prefer to look put together when I’m traveling rather than look like I just rolled out-of-bed. The Dudley Stephens Cobble Hill turtleneck is long enough to wear with leggings, is thick enough to keep me warm on freezing flights, and has two convenient pockets to hold my ID and phone while going through security. In fact, I had two people ask me about my top today while I was at JFK! I have this top in grey and red but am considering buying a third color when they are restocked in February. Since people always ask me, here are few further thoughts. I believe it’s worth the price as their tops fit perfectly, is flattering, high quality and I promise you’ll wear it enough to justify the price in no time! I find the size to be true to size unless you have a large chest or broad shoulders, in that size I would recommend going up a size. If you are petite, I think the Cobble Hill will be too long and you may want to consider the Park Slope which is a shorter version.  I wash my fleece, inside out, and let it air dry before putting it in the dryer for 5-10 minutes at low heat!
  • Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones – When I’m not working from my home office I’m either traveling or working from our WeWork in Manhattan which is a co-working space. This means that I’m constantly dealing with someone who is snoring next to me in row 22 on the plane or trying to concentrate while a number of side conversations take place. If you’re someone who can easily multi-task or block out background noise, then these may not be a necessity. But, if you like working in peace and quiet then these will be your new best friend. They have three levels of noise cancellation and their microphone allows you to also use these for phone calls and conference calls. Another plus is that the Bluetooth pairing is far easier than other headphones I’ve used previously. Once you download the app it’s a breeze to use them with your phone, iPad, etc. This pair lasted the entire 17 hour flight to China which allowed me to easily sleep for a while and enjoy a few movies on my iPad!
  • HydroFlask water bottle – Last year when I traveled to Seattle with the Brooks Ambassador team, I realized that 10 of my fellow ambassadors were all using the same water bottle throughout the day. I asked one of them about it and minutes afterwards, ordered my own Hydroflask from Amazon. Since then I’ve carried this 40 ounce water bottle everywhere! The bottle has never leaked and the stainless steel double wall keeps my water ice cold for hours! Once again, I realize the price is a bit more than other comparable water bottles but the quality is fantastic and that’s important when you’re thinking about traveling across the country with it and placing it near papers and computers that could be ruined if a water bottle leaks.
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Favorite Things Gift Guide

Over $100 gift guide

I’m thrilled to share my first gift guide of the season with you all today. You all requested a TON of guides this year and while I won’t be able to grant all of your wishes, since this is not my full-time job, I’m excited to share at least a few with you. Ever since starting my blog, I’ve enjoyed sharing gift guides with readers as I always receive great interaction on social media and comments during the holiday season. Whether it’s sharing that you purchased an item on the list for yourself or someone else or hearing about your favorite items, these are something I look forward to each year. But, you know what I don’t look forward to doing? Comparing my gift guide to other gorgeous, clickable guides that are created by professionals. So, if you are looking for beautiful gift guides, then you’re on the wrong blog. But, if you want a few fun and helpful gift guides to make shopping easier this season, then I hope you’ll join me this holiday season as I have fun curating a few guides for you. Based on the requests, these are the gift guides that I will DEFINITELY create over the coming weeks:

  • Favorite Things
  • Babies and Children Under 18 months
  • Runners
  • Under $25
  • Guys

This gift guide could be titled a number of things, such as the best purchases of 2018, over $100 gift guide or my version of the Oprah’s Favorite Things. These are the items that I use on a daily basis and love. In fact, I wish I could afford to buy everything on this list and send them to my closest friends. Each one has brought me so much joy this year, each for very different reasons.  But, since I’m not Oprah, I’ll instead get to the good part, where I share my list of favorite things and a link to buy.

I had a great time putting together this list and can’t wait to hear about your FAVORITE things.

  • Lake Pajamas – Once upon a time, I wore 20-year old boxers and old t-shirts to sleep every night. But, then I discovered Lake Pajamas. These are the first set of pajamas that made me look forward to changing into pajamas after a long day of work. Furthermore, it turns out that the company was started by two girls from Savannah with whom we want to high school. The Pima cotton material make these the most comfortable pajamas I’ve ever owned. I have two pairs and am asking for a third, long-sleeve version, for my birthday or Christmas.  Whenever I talk about these pajamas on Instagram stories, people ask how they run and whether they are worth the price tag. Considering that I wear them for at least eight hours per night, multiple times a week, I think that they are definitely worth the investment. In regards to the $100 investment, I’ve rotated my two pairs since buying them six months ago and they still look and feel brand new!  Based on the quality, I have no doubt that I’ll have these for years. Also, in regards to sizing information, their website recommends sizing up if you’re in between sizes. Therefore, I ordered a L and am happy with the fit as I would always prefer my pajamas to be a little loose versus tight.
  • Dudley Stephens Fleece Turtleneck – Last year, I remember seeing Julia, Sarah and few of my other favorite bloggers and influencers share their love for Dudley Stephens on blog and Instagram posts. The brand, which was started by two sisters in 2015, features multiple chic items that all share one thing – they are made of cozy fleece material. Two months ago I finally invested in one of their fleece turtlenecks and have already bought two more. It has quickly become my go-to for working from home and hanging in the neighborhood as it is cozy, chic and comfortable. I love that the longer style, Cobble Hill, features pockets and is long enough to cover my hips and backside which makes it perfect to pair with leggings. The shorter version, Park Slope, is perfect with jeans. Since raving about the cozy fleece tops to friends and readers, I’ve had multiple people text and message me saying THANK YOU as they are now loving the fleece tops.  If you’re curious about sizing, I believe they run a little small, so I recommend sizing up. For reference, I wear a large as I prefer my tops a little loose.
  • Dyson Cordless Vacuum – Bo and I first discovered this vacuum at my parents house. After baking cooking last Christmas, there was flour all over my parent’s kitchen floor. I remember gasping when I realized that this vacuum was able to clean the flour up in just seconds. Historically we’ve had a larger vacuum which is more suitable for carpets and rugs but this Dyson was able to replace those and works incredibly well on multiple surfaces throughout our home – kitchen floor, hardwood, rugs, sofa – you name it! We both wish we’d invested in this vacuum years ago as it makes cleaning easy and enjoyable. The cordless design means that we can use it throughout the house without having to constantly unplug and unwrap the cord. Last but not least, we appreciate the wall mount feature since we have such limited closet space.
  • AirPods – When these first came out, I laughed at Bo and others who wore them. The small white buds coming out of people’s ears looked slightly ridiculous. But, then, one day, I was on a video conference call, straining my neck to hold my iPhone and type at the same time. One of the directors on our team immediately recommended that I invest in a pair of AirPods. She swore that after just one conference call I’d email her, saying thank you. She was right. I’ve used these non-stop for the past six months and love them. The sound quality and sensitive speaker means that I can wear these for lengthy conference calls without missing a thing. When I’m not using them for work, I often use them during runs and commutes. Even though I’m one of the sweatiest people you’ll ever meet, these stayed in place for hot runs this summer. The small case makes them easy to carry in my running shorts or in my purse when commuting. The only downside is that I tend to misplace them once a week. So far, I haven’t lost a pair, but I do wish there was a way to find the individual AirPods using the app on my phone.
  • SONOS Play – We love music, especially since welcoming Katie into our home. Whether it’s morning play time when we all wake up for fighting through an evening meltdown, we tend to have music playing non-stop. Our Sonos Play system, which we have in three rooms throughout our home, enables us to enjoy high quality sound with just the touch of a button. The speaker is small enough to hide behind a photo but strong enough to produce impressive sound quality.  We often use it to play relaxing classical music throughout our home, but sometimes, especially on the weekend, Bo may have one song playing in the kitchen while Katie and I are dancing to her favorite Disney song ,Under the Sea, in the living room. You can link the speakers to Alexa or you can use the app to search and play music on any of the music apps like Spotify or Apple Music.

What was your favorite thing that you discovered in 2018? Or, what would you include on your own version of this gift guide? Any gift guide requests in addition to the ones I listed above?

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