I mumbled, “holy shit” under my breath last week when I realized we were turning the page to November. November! And here I thought the summer months flew by.It’s been…a week. I’ve been feeling a little rundown and haven’t been sleeping well, even after cutting out my cold brew habit (it’s been two full weeks and I was *this close* to picking one up on my way into work this morning, but told myself if I still wanted one tomorrow it can be a Saturday treat. I’m trying to figure out what my relationship with caffeine will look like moving forward and knew I needed to pump the breaks for the time being). I’ve also been fighting an on-again, off-again cold but nothing unmanageable!

This week was busy busy! I voted on Tuesday, learned to make a few cocktails with the bai team at Apogee on Wednesday night, pushed myself to get through a few workouts at Shred, spent some time on my yoga mat with Sarah at Studio Three, and got myself to a Flywheel class to get in some much needed cardio. (Side note: Last Saturday I had the opportunity to attend the grand opening of The Metropolitan at Willis Tower and it was incredible – the entire evening was so well done! I saved my stories from the night under the Out and About highlight on Instagram if you missed them.)

I also took the time to map out a ton of holiday blog posts and I’m really excited to start putting gift guides together! I feel like I really dropped the ball last year after my little head incident. I made a quick survey to get an idea of what you’d like to see around here this holiday season and I’d love if you took a few minutes to fill it out! Your feedback is always so incredibly helpful. If you’ve already sent your ideas my way, thank you!

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

Song of the week: If I Say – Mumford and Sons. Gives me goosebumps every single time! Turn it up and listen as you browse this week’s links 🙂

AROUND THE WEB/WORLD:

• If you’re a part of the Sephora rewards program (and you should be, because it’s free to earn points on your purchases!), the Sephora VIB sale is happening through the 12th and with 20% off your order, it’s the perfect time to stock up on just about everything! Scroll through to shop my go-to beauty products and don’t miss their gift set section, especially if you’re looking to get a head start on your holiday shopping:
  
  
• Everything at Kate Spade is 30% off right now and there are so many great pieces I want to wear to holiday parties! 
  
• I did an Instagram poll to see if anyone had a pair of the APL sneakers (lots more styles here) and so many of you said you haven’t found anything that compares which has me excited to test them out for the first time in class on Monday! I will say, just about everyone I talked to said they aren’t meant for long distance runs (think HIIT classes and strength training) so keep that in mind if you decide to order! I’m now on the search for a new pair of running shoes as the pair I’ve been wearing have seen ten too many miles and my body can feel it.
• I was born with ridiculously expensive taste (more like cursed, really) and I fell in love with this pair of heels and am now on the hunt for a something similar that won’t break the bank. If you see anything, let a girl know, will ya?! And upon further review, it appears everything Alexandre Birman does is beautifully made.
• A refreshing read to remind us all that you can’t always control what people think of you.
• Two of my favorite trainers, Victoria and Tim, are launching Ethos Training in early 2019 and I can hardly contain my excitement. Not only are they are the absolute best at what they do, they’re good people whose positive energy is palpable the moment you walk into a class led by them. I’ve missed them both terribly and will be counting down the days until their big opening!
• While our story lines aren’t exactly the same, this essay titled, “Learning To Live With Myself” really hit home for me as someone who has always lived with a sister, roommate, friend, or significant other up until two years. I always joke now that there’s no one to blame but myself when my apartment looks like a tornado blew through it.
• You all know by now how much I love my Cuyana set and I was so excited to see they launched a new line of leather cases!
• I can think of a million and one ways I want to style this bodysuit for the holiday season.
• A cozy sweater for $50, don’t mind if I do! *adds to cart*
• Also, remember the Madewell sweater that sold out before I could share it over the summer? I found one from BBDakota that’s nearly identical!
• …and yet another chunky knit sweater (40% off through the weekend!)
• I’m obsessed with just about everything in the new Adidas Statement Collection. This crop top is super affordable and I love the look of this strappy sports bra!

SHOP THE POST:

I’m really looking forward to taking it easy at home tonight (reading, eating, listening to music….you know, all my favorite things). Might make a big breakfast for dinner or order pizza in! Tomorrow I have a productive afternoon planned to work on some blog projects before heading to a Friendsgiving pie swap with the girls! I know my strengths and decided it would be best to leave this one up to the professionals so I’m picking up a mini pie at Magnolia Bakery on my way home today. Sunday I’m heading back to Toon’s to watch the Chiefs game with some friends. We spent the last two games there (and I crossed it off my fall bucket list! Along with getting my apple cider donut fix..as evidenced above) and it was so much fun being around so many Kansas City fans! Felt like a little slice of home.

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