Friday 4....

:::1:::

Do you get a flu shot? I've had a few back in college when I was working in an infant nursery, but I've gone years without one since. My good friend is pregnant and asked me to go with her for moral support, and I figured I may as well get one while I was there too. We went last night, it's pretty painless, and I did some research and it seems we all should be getting them. Not even so much for ourselves, but for our neighbors, grandparents, and strangers around us that may not be able to handle it like we could. A sore arm for a day is a small price to pay.

:::2:::

We picked our Christmas card. Since I was 14 I've been thinking about the day that I send out my own families Christmas cards, so it was a big deal. I ended up using a picture of the wedding, and a very simple design, but I'm anxiously checking the mailbox everyday to see them in person. 

I didn't use any of these, but - how cute??

:::3:::

Speaking of Christmas cards, how do display yours? Last year I straight up taped them on the wall....but I'm wondering if there is a cuter way to do it...I'm kind of loving this look.

:::4:::

After work today I'm going to visit The Grove which is always decked out in the best Christmas decorations of anywhere in LA. Joel and I are going to make some pizza and hang at home. On Saturday, after a Soul Survivor class - some of my girlfriends and I are going to The Tasting Kitchen for a GNO in Venice. Should be a fun one! 

#OneDayHH

Did you see this hashtag all over Instagram last night? Laura at Hollywood Housewife started the trend, and at my last count there were almost 5,000 pictures posted in the thread.

The gist of the hashtag was to take pictures throughout your day that don't require posing, props, or anything outside of the ordinary. Instagram, for me at least, is the place where I post decently interesting things; the glass of champagne I'm drinking, a new restaurant I'm eating at, or a cute baby I'm holding. 

I don't post pictures of our condo's laundry room, the vitamins I take in the morning, or the dog toys scattered all over my house.

But, today, with the hashtag #onedayHH, women just shared the mundane - and did it all throughout the day. I managed to get a good amount of shots posted, and I figured I would share here too, because what it taught me was that even on the most boring of days there are blessings everywhere.

7:00am

My current breakfast routine: Irish oatmeal with a banana and a cup of coffee

 

8:18am

I took an amazing Soul Cycle class today at 8:30. Angela may be sliding in as my new teacher at the Brentwood location. Her words inspire me all week long.

 

11:10am

Over Thanksgiving is my only chance to give friends & family gifts in person, so I wrapped them up and shipped them out to Chicago. I'm hoping they make it there before I do.

 

 12:00pm

By 12 I was starving and needed to get as much protein in my body as I could. An English muffin with two eggs and a side of avocado kept me full most of the afternoon.

 

1:45pm

 I'm trying to break in these shoes, because while they sure do look cute, they're pretty uncomfortable....

 

4:01pm

I work from home and today I didn't have any outside meetings - which means I'm behind the computer most of the day. 4pm is the worst hour of the day for me because I'm just anxious to get done and be done for the night. 

 

4:40pm

 Hannah, my sister was randomly asked to model on the Steve Harvey show today. They needed a blonde model under 5'3, and she fits the bill coming in at a mean 5'1". How cute does she look? The segment was all about how to style winter jackets and should premiere in a week or two. I'll keep you posted!

7:15pm
We were supposed to play tennis but we weren't able to get a court, so we took a walk in our neighborhood to pick up California Chicken Cafe and some ice cream...
 

8:00pm
The ultimate oxymoron 
 

Weeknight Wines

 

From the push of Sunkissed and Southern, I've been taking pictures of my favorite weekday wines and saving them in an album on my phone for this blog post.

I figured that I would just be saving them on my phone for this post, but it's actually been super helpful to go though my album while I'm at the store to remember the wines I've liked in the weeks past.

During the week, I don't like to open super nice bottles. We only have a glass or two (sometimes three!) and so a lot of times the bottle ends up in the fridge for a few days. For that reason, I would never open a +$25 bottle and then stick it in fridge to ruin it!

 

But, at the same token - I'm pretty particular about my wine. Yellowtail, or pretty much any other wine that you can buy at CVS is not going to cut it for me. 

So, these have been my favorite under $20 bottles over the last few months. Most of them I picked up at Bristol Farms, and some came courtesy of our wine club at Corks'n'Crowns. 

Which, I'm not sure if you are in need of a wine club, but theirs is amazing. It's very affordable and you get 2 bottles of California wine a month, and every month they feature a different winery. 

Chateau Saint-Antoine - Bordeaux ($9.99)

I typically drink a very safe Cabernet sauviogn, but this is a stellar blend and tastes much more expenisive than it is.

 Valley of the Moon - Cabernet Sauvignon ($15.99)

 

Opolo Vineyards - Merlot ($22.00)

I typically hate merlot, and I was drop dead obsessed with this bottle. If you ever see it, stock up!

Josh - Cabernet Sauvignon ($10.99)

This is a really popular wine that you can find in most stores - highly recommend!

Ballentine Vineyards - Zindandel ($20.99)

Line 39 - Cabernet Sauvignon ($12.99)

What's your go-to weeknight wine?  What should I add to my list?

Holiday Wear

It's no surprise that I'm excited for Thanksgiving, but the one thing standing in my way is the task of what to wear. We have a bunch of family parties throughout the week and I feel like I'm at a loss for Holiday wear.

I need to stock on some winter wear before I leave for the Midwest since it's still 80 freaking degrees here in SoCal.

My favorite looks are classic, layered and comfortable so I hope I can channel these goodies on my next mall trip this week.

I also have been majorly crushing on bows. Is it too waspy to work in a bow here and there?

 

I guess at the end of the day, as long as the champs keeps flowing all will be well.

Weekend Recap

Dang, what a difference a week makes! I'm happy to report that I'm back to feeling 100% and I'm so thankful that I do. After spending 5 days in nothing but sweats it felt miraculous to put on jeans and boots, and head into the office.

After work on Friday I made the fatal mistake to shop the pre-friends and family sale at Bloomingdales. I honestly couldn't say no to 40% off of these bad boys.

 I picked up steaks and salad on my way home and we watched The Internship that night. I hadn't heard much about that movie but I loved it.  It was quick-witted, smart, and cute - without being raunchy. It's the perfect date night pick.

And I treated myself to wine and ice cream since I had been without the entire week before.

On Saturday - I took Soul Survivor in the morning which is my newest obsession. A standard Soul Cycle class is 45 minutes, but on the weekend they hold a 60 minute class to really kick your ass. I burn like 800 calories and I'm sore for 3 days afterward. The extra 15 minutes makes all the difference. And at $30 bucks a pop for a class, I feel much better about spending that kind of money for a longer and even more intense class.

 Saturday night we went to a new restaurant called The Hart and The Hunter. It's in West Hollywood, and little hipster-y, but it's Southern Comfort food at it's finest so we were in Heaven.

 They don't accept reservations so we had a few glasses of champagne in a separate room before we went crazy on biscuits, friend green tomatoes and pecan pie.

We hiked on Sunday, ran some errands, watched football, napped, and made chili. It's back to the grind today, but I'm totally okay with that because it means were a few days closer to heading home for Thanksgiving!

Few things check me back to reality like getting sick. 

Being sick, really sucks - and being sick scares me. I've seen people get really sick, and never get better, and it's an anxiety of mine that haunts my deepest core.

One way I cope with anxiety, is I focus on the positive - and by focusing on the positive, I believe you get more of the good stuff, so, it's a habit I try and practice as often as I can.

Today, I'm thankful for:

• My Health -  Ohhh, I am so thankful for my good health. And I'm thankful that my body got sick and then was able to heal itself without the use of medicine or doctors.  

• My husband, family, and friends (and their good health too!) - I got sick at a party on Saturday and before I could mutter the full sentence that I didn't feel good I had friends rubbing my back, grabbing me a cold towel, holding my hair back and driving me home. 

• Gatorade - Dang, I had two blue Gatorade's on Monday and it was like a miracle in a body. I never believed in the power of Gatorade, but holy hell it made me feel good instantly!  

• Lifetime network - They really killed it this week with movies. Morning Glory, The Ugly Truth, and The Switch back to back.  

• Roscoe - He couldn't be happier to snuggle right on top of me of the entire day. His snoring and cute little face had me distracted for at least 2 blissful hours 

• Work - I am so thankful that my job allows me to work from home. In fact, I'm definitely a lot less sick now that I don't commute with hundreds of other sick people or be stuck in a office with germs being spread around constantly, and I really don't miss it!  

• Christmas music - It's a little early, but since it's still 80 degrees here I'll take anything I can to get me into the Holiday spirit! 

• Carbs - I normally despise them, but they've been the only thing that I could stomach for the past four days and I gave in to them and appreciated them for being so kind to my stomach.

• The Time Change - GASP! - but I actually don't mind hibernating during the winter. I like that I can light candles a little earlier, start dinner a little earlier, and get out of my jeans a little earlier.  Plus, it gets me more into the holiday mind set, and like I said, I'll take anything I can get!

What are you thankful for this morning?

Need a Laugh?

I've been sick since Saturday, and today I finally woke up feeling back to normal. Maybe laughter really is the best medicine....

Friday 5

:::1::: 

 

Thank God Halloween is over - that bag of candy was the death of me this week! Even though the candy is out of our house, we have a Halloween party this weekend that is all about the food and drinks. Bikini season is officially over....right?

:::2:::

Joel and I had did have a lot of fun decorating some Halloween treats for his office on Halloween Eve. Of course, no Pintrest activity goes without a few problems....I microwaved the white chocolate just 15 seconds too long and it all crumbled up. It wasn't "dippable" for our ghosts, but after a short tantrum, Joel ran to the store and got a fresh new bag so that the party wouldn't be ruined. He's a good one. 

:::3:::

With the new dining room table and rug it seem as thought I've got a bit of a decorating bug - much to Joel's dismay of course. Luckily, I'm a pretty savvy shopper but I'm now on the hunt for some new couch pillows. My pillows are 3 years old and are starting to show their wear. Here are my favorite Pintrest arrangements:

I really like the mix of colors and patterns - but all in the same scheme.

:::3:::

Who else is BEYOND ready for RHOBH? Some fresh flesh is just what this season needed.

 

:::5:::

It's November 1st which means that I in 25 days, Roscoe and I (Joel in 27) will be back in CHICAGO! The countdown begins now!!