Ahh, Friday! It’s been a minute. Okay, 21 days, but who’s counting? (I’m totally counting). Do you ever feel like there’s so much to catch up on that you’d rather just sweep everything under the rug and pick up where you’re at in the here and now? I do this on Instagram all the time. I’ll open the app and realize it’s been a few days since I’ve really scrolled through the feed, get overwhelmed, and then move to my (highly curated) Instagram stories instead. That’s sort of how I feel with the blog. Like, where do I even begin? Baby steps, I suppose.Last weekend I took a spin class and then broke out my Stuart Weitzman boots and woke up with the worst shin splints of my life on Sunday morning. I’m not sure if it was poor form on the bike or wearing shoes I hadn’t worn in months (maybe a combo of both), but it led me to taking it really easy this week, aside from a few yoga classes (and lots of rolling out with the lacrosse balls). I’m running my next half marathon on Saturday morning and I’m desperate for my legs to feel 100% by then!

Wednesday night I had dinner and drinks at Casati’s with the girls and I honestly can’t say enough good things. The pumpkin ravioli was out of this world (the perfect blend of savory and sweet!), as was the gnocchi, and you already know I’m a sucker for their pizza made with pinsa flour. Highly recommended! They invited me back to try out their brunch menu so I’ll be sure to report back!Then last night I had dinner at Baita, the newest restaurant to transform the second floor of Eataly and the Italian Alps theme couldn’t be cuter. It’s the perfect escape right in the heart of the city. And guys, everything was SO DELICIOUS. My absolute favorite dish was the agnolotti del plin. I learned that plin means “a pinch,” and these little pasta pouches were filled with roasted squash, pinched off, and then topped off with a brown butter sauce. To die for. I had seconds…and thirds. I think it goes without saying, there was no shortage of carb loading for tomorrow’s 13.1 ;).

On a lighter note, the new Real Good Stuff opened in River North last week and I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek and I’m thrilled to have another grab-and-go spot filled with good-for-me real foods close to my office! I taste tested the braised chicken and mac & cheese, both of which get two thumbs up from this girl and had a smoothie filled with all the berries, kale, and banana and it was just all so good. Not to mention, I love supporting local businesses as much as I can!

Alright, here’s a look at what caught my eye over the last week or so – enjoy!

Song of the week: Freefall – Rainbow Kitten Surprise. Turn it up and listen as you browse this week’s links 🙂

AROUND THE WEB/WORLD:

• Sharing this again as I’ve been getting a lot of questions about how I can afford to bounce around to so many different fitness studios and the answer is sort of a mixed bag. Right now I work with Shred415 (if you’re interested in trying it out free for two weeks, leave a comment below and I’ll get you set up!), Title Boxing (first class for newbies is always free! You will need to buy a set of wraps for $10, but those will be yours forever), and Studio Three (use code 26NCVIP to take your first class for free!) on what we call in kind collaborations. Basically, I receive free classes/memberships in exchange for promotion here on the blog and across my social channels. The rest I purchase with a monthly ClassPass package, which I love as it allows me to pop into Flywheel, solidcore, Yoga Squad, and the rest of my favorites! You can use this ClassPass discount code to get $40 off your first set of credits (full disclosure: it’s my referral link so I get a little something too 🙂 )
• Have you listened to Ben Platt’s cover of Youngblood? SO GOOD. And then there’s this. All the tears.
• I invested in a set of Boll & Branch sheets over the summer and they are life-changing. There’s not a night that I don’t crawl into bed and thank myself for making the splurge. Boll & Branch just launched their first ever organic cotton mattress and I’m intrigued! I’ve been doing a ton of research on mattresses as I recently discovered that what I’ve been sleeping on/with could be the root of some of my allergy problems.
• My best friend Whitney showed me her new journal, Start Where You Are, when I was back in KC a few weekends ago and then the following Monday night the door guy knocked to deliver a package and much to my surprise, she had sent me a copy of my own through Prime. I shared it on Instagram stories and Snapchat and got a lot of questions about it, so I wanted to share here, too! I started it and can’t say enough good things. Just what I needed, especially during a time of year when I tend to do a lot of reflecting.
• I don’t travel anywhere without my Truffle pouches and right now, they’re 20% off using code FRIENDS20. I have a few sizes, but use the small clarity clutch the most!
• I ordered this ridiculously soft sleep shirt from Eberjey and this oversized sweater (I got an XS – it runs big!) from Free People on Shopbop and have since decided I’m going to be living in both of them!
• Sweater season usually means a lot of hand washing items and quite frankly, that’s my least favorite chore, ever. I also ordered this fabric spray from The Laundress and will let you know what I think of it, but I’ve only heard amazing things! Remember when I shared it here?
• I’ve been looking up DIY Halloween costumes all week as I’m going to a birthday party where costumes are encouraged, but I haven’t found anything that was as much fun as my Wednesday Addams Halloween costume a few years ago. Are you dressing up? I’ll take all the ideas I can get!
• Serena & Lily is offering 20% off with code COASTALHOME (it ends Nov. 2!) and I’ve since added 2,735 things to my cart since creating my apartment plans (side note: I’m longgg overdue for an update on this front!). I’ve included some of my favorites for you to scroll through, but how gorgeous is the bungalow bed? And I just got these linen napkins in the mail as a gift from them and they feel so fancy!

• My sleep schedule is, for lack of a better term, a clusterfuck. I read these tips to sleep better and have been trying to be better about implementing rules in the bedroom to get more shuteye (I know it’s such an important part of my overall health!).
• Every time I wear this jacket on Instagram stories, I get a question or two and I was so happy to see Athleta brought it back this season because it’s the best! It makes for a great layering piece under my heavy winter coat and gets plenty of wear on it’s own when I don’t need to be all bundled.
• Remember how I broke out the OTK boots? You can score a pair of Stuart Weitzman boots on sale 25% off at with code FALLEVENT!

SHOP THE POST:

I’m heading to an undone yoga flow at the new Space Between Yoga studio in River North tonight and am so excited to be taking class with Stephanie. It’s been months since I’ve been on my mat with her and something about her style always puts me in the best mood. After that, I plan to curl up with a good book before I get up and out tomorrow!

What are you up to this weekend? I hope it’s the best! I’ll be sharing in real-time over on Instagram stories and Twitter, so be sure to follow along there!