Compared to last week and last weekend, this week was a breeze! Sure, work was a bit stressful, but the Husband and I had two nights ‘off’ in which we went Target shopping and watched March Madness and caught up on life stuff. I also made it to barre class twice this week and love it more and more each time, except I’m truly awful at it. Oh well, I can only improve, right?! I had two fun social nights with my lady friends, which made the week extra-special. I love my girl time.

The past few days, it’s been rainy and awful in Chicago (same old story that I’ve been telling for the past few months, except now it’s rain instead of snow) and I think it’s actually helped to relax me.

I know it’s helped Oz relax! (Not that he needed much assistance.)

Four thoughts from this week

• I spent a few minutes one morning deleting a large number of my Facebook friends that I don’t feel like I really ‘know’ anymore. Basically, I decided if the person is not someone I’d go up to if I saw them walking down the street, they got deleted. Well, then I realized how ironic it is that I’m ‘friends’ with hundreds of people I don’t actually ‘know’ on Twitter/Instagram/Bloglovin’, etc and that I have my life on public display on the internet, but I don’t want people who at-one-point-actually-knew-me to see my Facebook pictures. I can’t explain it, people, it’s just how I am!

• I made the small change of doing squats while brushing my teeth. Sometimes I do 25, sometimes I do 50 in the 2 minutes it takes my electric toothbrush to tell me I’m done. It’s a minor thing, but it makes me feel much better to know I get some exercise in every day.

• Brackets are bustin’ everywhere! I’m still loving this March Madness. (I still have all of my Final Four teams in the tournament! Crossing my fingers.)

• In our last apartment, no one could see into our bedroom from the outside. In this apartment, our bedroom windows face the apartment next door. I’m still not adjusted to this and the lovely people who live on the floor below us (who we share a backyard with) and the family next door have seen me looking far more disheveled / disrobed than I would like them to see me.

Four pregnancy notes (next week)

• Remember how I said the pregnancy bump is out? Well, no one else (except close friends and the Husband, obviously) can see it, evidently, which is getting annoying to me because strangers (and some friends) keep saying “Really?! You’re 6 months already?! You don’t look (that) pregnant!” I’m sure this is a compliment or something, but at this point I’m almost into my third trimester (7th month) and I’m feeling very, very pregnant, so I just don’t want anyone commenting on how I look unless it’s along the lines of “Wow, you look beautiful!” and then I will happily take the compliment.

• Oh pregnancy hormones… I’m not sure if I just had a rough week, but I was emotional last week for the first time all pregnancy, and it was ugly.

• I’m avoiding the maternity section at all costs. However, this pregnancy has been a great excuse for me to buy cute dresses (especially maxi dresses) that I plan on living in once I outgrow my pants. Yes, I may be wearing the same outfits over and over and over again, but only for a month or two! At least that’s the plan at this point. This is, of course, subject to change when I actually grow out of my ‘normal’ clothes.

• The Husband and I watched ‘The Business of Being Born‘ and I cannot recommend it enough. Sure, the conversation is largely one-sided, but it’s jam-packed with information that I think every pregnant or thinking-of-becoming pregnant mom would want to know.

Four links (that are too good not to share)

• On rejecting #Fitspo. (via Tossing the Script)
• On productivity. (via Scott Hanselman)
• On managing your smartphone/technology (via Relevant Magazine)
• Importance of community – especially for new mothers. (via Riskology)

Four posts (of mine) you may have missed

• How many coats is too many?! (Trick question, one can never own too many coats.) (Mon)
• Because no one would intentionally say that to a pregnant lady… right?! (Tues)
• You think you see me happily grocery shopping? Nope, you have the wrong girl. (Wed)
• Overcoming pregnancy hormones with thankfulness (or something like that). (Thurs)
• Feeling bitter about blessings. It makes no sense! (Fri)

Featured blog(ger)

I’m just going to put it out there right now, I was super-extra excited to write this spotlight post! I absolutely love Ashten’s blog (Always Ashten) and if you aren’t already reading every single brilliant post she writes, then I’m excited to tell you that you’ve been missing out and now have the opportunity to catch up.

Seriously. Go and stalk away. I’ll wait.

Basically, Ashten is that blogger who manages to be hilarious and genuine within the same breath. It’s the type of blog I love reading because I know that each and every post (if not word) comes from a place of vulnerability and/or authenticity, and that’s what true sharing is all about, right?! The lady has more deep thoughts in yoga class than I have in an entire month. 

And her ‘about me’ posts (well, her whole blog is an ‘about me’ post because this lady doesn’t write about things that are unimportant to her!) are hilarious. Like this one on TV shows she doesn’t like. I  mean, luckily Breaking Bad is on her list of favorites, because she almost lost me with her non-love of Orange is the New Black.

Ashten even manages to throw in a tip or two about blogging now and then, and a person can never have too many of those, right?! (I know I can use all the help I can get, because Ashten has this whole thing figured out better than I do!)

OK, at this rate I’m going to end up linking to every single post she’s ever written.

You get the idea.

Join me in following along in Ashten (& Warner’s!) adventures. 

And of course, feel free to stalk follow her (and her blog!)on Bloglovin’, Twitter, Pinterest,  Facebook, and Instagram.

** Do you want to be a featured blogger/shop owner? I have some swap (and $2) spots available immediately!

And don’t forget…

• To ‘like’ the new Facebook page
• To shop Stella & Dot and get 10% off

I hope you’re having a terrific start to your weekend!

Cheers,

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