Today:

Before we get to a few personal updates and my Favorite Friday Finds, I cannot not mention the biggest thing happening today.

Today is... an interesting day in our nation and world's history. Without jumping in, I will say that more than ever, I firmly believe that we all rise together.

I believe in individual accountability for a greater good. It is ALL of our responsibilities to love harder, empathize more fiercely, speak up louder, and fight like hell for what is just.

Today, in a day that many are inclined to feel trepidation, disappointment, fear, I encourage you to actively love on one another because we are stronger and more capable together ❤️️

Personal Updates:

To say that things have been busy is an understatement. And no, I'm not busy-bragging or touting my seemingly constant exhaustion as some sort of badge of honor. I seriously am at the point where an assistant would be of great help, but for now, I'm eyeing this to help get some admin stuff for me...

It hasn't been easy. But it hasn't been negative either, necessarily. I am just in the midst of a lot of changes happening in nearly every facet of my life, and there are a lot of growing pains happening. Right now, the waves feel a little rough and choppy but I have faith in the smoother waters ahead. I'll be sharing more with you guys soon, but just wanted to give a little insight as to why this space has been a bit quieter than usual!

I haven't been prioritizing my non-negotiables and self-care like I need to be, and I'm taking things step by step to make sure I get back into my usual swing of things. Making sure bring my green tea with me to work in the mornings, stay hydrated, using my actual alarm clock and not my phone-- I'm tackling the sleep and hydration first, as you can see! But those are truly the little things with some of the most ripple-effect-inducing results for me, personally. 

Now for Favorite Friday Finds!

I have a lot of these this week! So I'm going to try a more streamlined format, so you guys don't miss any of them, because you definitely won't want to. So many interesting reads, bits of inspiration, new things learned, and of course, the good feels!

Inspired:

Love Me Now- I've been obsessed with this song. Yes, it's a Top 40 song that's playing everywhere, but I just saw the music video and I'm even more obsessed. Beautifully and poignantly shot, and a perfect showcasing of the purest love. Amorous love, familial love, and basic human love, in all shapes and forms, and the lyrics of "turning darkness into light." It features real-life couples from Orlando's Pulse Nightclub, North Dakota's Standing Rock Reservation, the Domiz Refugee Camp in Northern Iraq and Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic. More of this in the world, please, and gives all the good feels!

Every Successful Relationship is Successful for the Exact Same Reasons- I loved reading all these peoples' perspectives from those who have been married 10+ years. It all really boils down to the simple things. Simple, yes, but needs to be executed to work.

Marriage is a Team Sport- Julia captures a lot of awesome perspective here about the partnership that is a marriage. With more and more of my friends getting married, this has definitely been a frequent topic of conversation!

USDA's New Organics Program- Yes and yes, please. A lot of issues with our food industry is that companies won't invest in certain things they know are beneficial to our health because of potential profit loss and selfish gain. I love this new incentive to help adopt organic practices, expand consumer education, and promote organic foods.

New Bill Makes Fitness= Tax Write-Off-  Preventative medicine is the best medicine, so I can't express how happy I am to see this potential bill (even with some kinks) in the works. It would reduce the cost of healthcare drastically in this country and improve lives everywhere.

Dream Bathroom Interiors- So I've been obsessed with home decor lately as a few changes are happening over here, and Sarah's finished bathroom renovation has me all giddy. That hex tile!!

Ashley's San Francisco Home Tour- Discovered Ashley a few months ago, and not only does she have beautiful taste and a knack for design, she has a really effin' cute pup!

Learned:

You Can Change Your Personality- You all know I'm a big proponent of change and growth. I'm also a huge fan of facing your fears and struggles head-on, and that seeking therapy to help with the bigger issues is one of the best things you can do for yourself. For neuroticism alone, 3 months of therapy has been proved to achieve half the effect it would take you to achieve alone in 30-40 YEARS. Ain't nobody got time for that.

Google Search Hacks- I'm all about efficiency. #2 and 3 are so useful, I had no idea!

Words for Emotions You Didn't Know You Had- I always love this kind of stuff. Pronoia?! Didn't even know that was a thing!

The Unspoken Rules Kids Create for Instagram- I always wonder how tech and social media will impact future generations, and this is an interesting glimpse.

Laughed and Smiled at:

This Guy's Ex-Wife Only Left Him with a Dog, So He Did This- This is too adorable and creative.

These Otters frolicking in the snow!!