We all have our guilty pleasures, right? Well, mine is Jeffree Star. I’m somewhat obsessed with him (along with millions of others). He’s a YouTube personality, best known for his work in the beauty, modeling, and song worlds. He’s become such a public figure and mogul that he has his own make-up and merch line!

What makes me an odd, and maybe surprising, fan of Jeffree’s is the fact that I am not that into make-up. I don’t wear much. I don’t watch tutorials. I don’t pay attention to the latest trends. But, I like Jeffree. He makes me happy! The way he presents himself, his life, and his reviews are thoughtful and entertaining. You don’t have to be a make-up lover to love him. My favorite parts about him are that he is completely over-the-top in everything he does and has such a good heart.

You can tell very quickly that because of his hard work, we has gotten pretty darn RICH! Lambos, Gucci, Birkin…he has the best of the best. I am normally disgusted by this type of behavior and “reckless spending,” but for some reason the way Jeffree presents it is different. He’s not rubbing his wealth in anyone’s face. He works hard and plays hard and is SO generous to those around him. He pays it forward tenfold. You can tell giving back to his fans and those he trusts is truly what brings him the most joy.

In getting to know Jeffree, I’ve also gotten to know about another YouTube personality named Shane Dawson. Side Note: I am probably SO behind in discovering these guys because they’ve been around forever, but oh well, I’m a 34 year-old woman! Jeffree and Shane have such a beautiful friendship with each other. I’ve watched their relationship and bond grow stronger through their videos and it is heartwarming. They bring a lot to each other’s’ lives.

The reason I mention Shane is because he filmed a YouTube series following Jeffree and himself as he becomes curious about the beauty industry. Both want to expose some beauty world secrets (Shane is really into conspiracy theories) as they work to develop a special line of make-up and merch for Shane (which is ultimately Jeffree’s way to support Shane. Another Side Note: I’ve been keeping up with the success of Shane’s merch, which just launched in October, and he SOLD OUT on the first day.
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Below is a link to the kick-off video in their series about the beauty industry. If you need something to make you laugh, I recommend looking these two up on YouTube and diving into their work. I dare you to not let them win your heart!

I’ve been on a Zoey Deutch kick lately (she is just the cutest) and ran across a 2017 movie she was in called The Year of Spectacular Men. I was charmed.

After looking into the movie and cast a little further after watching it, I learned that Zoey’s mom is Lea Thompson, who acted as her mom in the movie as well as directed it. The lead was Madelyn Deutch, Lea’s daughter and Zoey’s sister! A family affair. I thought they looked alike!

Anyway, the movie is about Madelyn (Izzy) who is kind of a train wreck. She’s just trying to find her way, figuring things out through a series of mostly failures. Especially with men. Your heart really starts to go out to her because she has such a good heart and intentions. Her mother and sister play a big part in helping her navigate her troubles, providing a really strong base of love and support. Their side stories also add some humor to the movie.

It’s a very relatable movie. All of us have felt “lost” at one point or another in our lives, and although it’s difficult in the moment, we start to find our stride. It takes a little longer for some more than others to find that stride, but they get there. I know most of the best personal growth I’ve experienced came from long stretches of really ugly, confusing, wild times in my life. Everyone finds their peace in their own way. The ending was really thoughtful and one of my favorite parts.

I watched this movie and the movie suggested below on Netflix! Hope you enjoy.

If you end up really liking Zoey, another movie that I watched and loved is Flower.

I thought I’d branch out a little bit from what I normally share on this page and talk about something else I enjoy – sweet treats!

I feel compelled to share about my most recent dessert of choice because it’s SO GOOD. And it’s made in Iowa, an extra perk.

Over the Fourth of July weekend we had a yummy lunch with my mother-in-law. For dessert she had two options -  cheesecake and ice cream sandwiches. I normally would go for the cheesecake (because, cheesecake), but I chose the ice cream sandwich to try something new. Now I can never eat a regular, rock solid ice cream sandwich ever again.
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Let me introduce you to Thelma’s Handmade Ice Cream Sandwiches based out of Des Moines. According to their website, “Each of our signature treats is handmade for peak deliciousness.” And that’s the truth!

My husband is opening my eyes (and ears) to podcasts more and more as time goes on. I don't default to podcasts. I'm more of a book and TV series kind of girl. But I'm starting to come around!

On our recent trip to see the Rolling Stones in Chicago (I'll post about it soon - Bucket List item checked off for sure!) we bounced around looking for the right podcast, as usual. We landed on The Two Princes. Going from the thumbnail artwork, I was skeptical. As you can see, it is cartoonish, so I thought we were getting ourselves into a children's story. Not the case at all!

This charming podcast is full of adventure and surprise, so I won't give too much away. I was hooked from the start. Two princes from rival kingdoms meet by chance in the enchanted woods. One prince chooses to stay "undercover" once he finds out who the other man is, the second prince.  During their time together in the woods, the two develop a bond, new emotions surface, and a special friendship forms. That's all I'll say!

You'll probably recognize some of the voices. One of our favorite young actors, Noah Galvin, voices one of the princes. So that made us like it even more.

The storyline is strong and full of fantasy. I'm normally not into that, but really did enjoy this podcast. We finished the entire thing before reaching Chicago, so if you have time to binge a podcast, this would definitely be a good choice. 

I hope you enjoy it! My heart was smiling by the end. I hope yours is, too.

I always enjoy trying out different types of annual plants in my planters that surround our house. I am big on perennials, but annuals give me a chance to change up the exterior of our home each year with new pops of color.
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I inadvertently chose red, white, and blue for my large pots. I must have been feeling patriotic that day! I tried to keep the color combinations classic this year – red, white, blue, yellow. I’m normally all over the board, choosing whatever I like, but I tried to be a little more coordinated this year.
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I wanted to share more information about one of the plants I bought to add a pop of red. I got the basic impatiens and petunias, of course, but in addition, I tried out a plant that is new to garden centers this year – Berried Treasure® Red (Strawberry Fragaria ananassa). It is a plant that produces rich red flowers along with edible strawberries!

In our community, we have a large Burmese population. They have huge gardens overflowing with produce. I noticed some have produce growing right outside their front doors – like cucumbers and other vine vegetables. This concept stuck with me, and I am always thinking how I might do that at our house. I feel like planting Berried Treasure was a baby step in the right direction.

I planted them in mid-May (I planted super late this year because of unpredictable weather in Iowa) and they have established themselves well. They are already quite full and producing up to 4 ripe, delicious berries (in total from all 4 plants I have) daily so far. I have them on the east and south sides of our house. East side is part sun, south side is full sun. They’re doing well in both settings. They seem pretty heat tolerant, they haven’t required a ton of water.

They are graded “Valedictorian” for being both ornamental and having tasty fruit. It is a continuous, long bloomer and doesn’t need to be deadheaded. It also attracts bees! They last from spring into fall, which is always appealing.

​I highly recommend this plant if you are looking for a high performing plant with rich color and/or if you are a strawberry lover. I eat the berries while I’m deadheading my petunias…so they don’t last long. Happy summer!

Jodi Picoult is officially one of my new favorite authors. I think I'm a little behind in discovering how great she is because she has a huge collection of popular titles, many being New York Times Best Sellers.

A Spark of Light was a joy to read. It is centered around a very controversial topic - abortion. An active shooter holds staff and patients of an abortion clinic hostage in an act of anger, hate, and revenge for his young daughter who recently had an abortion. Throughout the story, you learn about all sides of abortion - those who have them, those who protest against them, the procedures themselves, laws surrounding them. Even though it is a fiction book, it has several non-fiction elements that I enjoyed.

I also liked the structure. The book starts with the drama and suspense surrounding the shooter in the clinic, works its way back hour by hour following each of the characters, and ends back with the shooter in the clinic along with the final outcome for all of the characters. It's really a lovely progression.

At the end of the book, you find out that Jodi did her background research. She followed actual abortion patients and providers and protestors. She witnessed procedures. She learned about the laws. She read the data. Knowing this made me like the book even more because it confirmed for me that although the book is fiction, there were truths throughout. Most of which were heartbreaking and unjust. But truths nonetheless.

No matter what side of the fence you are on, this book humanizes abortion in a really important way. I hope you'll take time to read it in order to understand different perspectives of this touchy topic.

​Let me know if you read it and what you think!

Happy New Year! I hope you had a 2018 full of lessons and milestones that helped you grow. 

If you're into starting your new year on a positive note, I wanted to share a couple of FREE 30 day programs I'm committing to. The best part (aside from them being free)? They can both be done from the comfort of your home. It felt too good to be true when I discovered that two of my favorite women, Adriene Mishler and Mel Robbins, were releasing programs both starting on January 1, 2019. For me, there's no better way to enter into an improved physical and mental space as I navigate my way through the next year.                    

Here's a quick rundown of these programs and links to the information you need if you'd like to join in:

Dedicate - A 30 Day Yoga Journey
Adriene Mishler, Yoga with Adriene

There's nothing like ​30 days of yoga with Adriene. I've done several of her 30 day programs and although it's tough at times to hop on the mat every single day, the pride and release of emotion you feel on day 30 makes it all worth it. The best thing about this program is that although it is designed to be done every day for 30 days, you can really do it at your own pace. Don't beat yourself up if you get out of sync. Adriene wouldn't want you to feel that way! She wants you to find what feels good.

I like to keep myself accountable by using the calendar she provides. If you sign-up on the Dedicate webpage I linked above, you'll also get daily encouragement emails from Adriene. She's truly one of the best humans. I know you'll fall in love with her. She is the perfect teacher for an at home yoga practice.

All you need for this program is access to YouTube, a yoga mat (or towel, or rug - sometimes I don't use anything!), and some blankets or a pillow. 

Mindset Reset
Mel Robbins, Author of 5 Second Rule

I stumbled upon Mel Robbins on Instagram in 2018 and it was one of the best things that could have happened for me. She is a wonderful, inspirational woman who gives honest, common sense, and science-based advice on how to be a better human. Someone that believes in themselves and their ability to do anything they set their mind to. Someone that controls their mind, not allowing themselves to become a victim of it. And so much more. I absolutely love her.

Joel got me her book 5 Second Rule for my birthday and my mother-in-law got me the journal that helps you apply the teachings from the book to everyday life. I will be reading the book and using the journal throughout Mindset Reset. I've been waiting anxiously to get started!

You don't need the book and journal to take part in Mindset Reset. All you need is, again, access to YouTube, the Mindset Reset guidebook, and a journal. You'll want to sign-up for the program on the website I linked above so you get notified when a new video is up! Make sure to follow her on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter as well. She shares uplifting messages everyday.

If you decide to do either of these programs, let me know! I'd love to keep in touch throughout the 30 days. We could also keep each other accountable! I'm all for that.

Namaste and I wish you the best in 2019!

Abbi Jacobson may have regretted writing this book, but I’m sure glad she went through with it.
 
If you don’t know who Abbi is, here are a few bullet points on her:

• Comedy, writing, and illustrating are her strengths. She’s an actor, but if you ask her, she’d say she’s a writer.
• She’s best known for her work on Broad City (available on Hulu) where she not only acts, but writes, directs, and produces as well. Because I’m proud of them and inspired by their teamwork, I must share that the show is the original brainchild of Abbi and Ilana Glazer. When they weren’t finding success performing other peoples’ content, they created their own.
• You may also know her voice from the Netflix Original Series, Disenchantment. A really great animated show that is worth a watch. It’s hilarious. Has a medieval Simpsons vibe.

 
Before having the privilege of attending Abbi’s book signing at The Vic Theater in Chicago, I knew very little about her as a person outside of her characters. I had read she felt that much of what you see of her on Broad City is an exaggerated version of herself in her 20’s, but that’s about it. She addressed this very thing during the program before the signing, saying she is at a point right now where although she still feels like that person today, so much has changed, so her professional choices as of late have been ones to help show she has evolved from Broad City Abbi now that she is in her 30’s.
 
As we sat in the theater and Abbi was interviewed by fellow author, Samantha Irby, I was captivated. I immediately connected with her. It felt like I was watching myself speak. So much of what she said deeply resonated with me. It was an experience I have never had before. Her celebrity status wore off quickly. She was just a woman on a stage sharing who she was, what she thought, how she felt. An hour flew by and before we knew it we were in line to meet her in person!

​Joel and I got to have our picture taken with her after she signed our books. I had prepared and practiced statements ahead of time. I would tell her she was such a role model to me. That she and Ilana are two of my favorite women of all time. If I panicked, I knew I was going to say I loved her and didn’t want to do that because I didn’t want to freak her out! But both of us just lost it when we saw her. We got out a quick greeting, a “so nice to meet you, take care,” and it was over! She’s a doll. Just what we expected her to be.​

Quick (Additional) Celebrity Sighting Break – We were semi-distracted throughout the program because we sighted not one, but TWO of our favorite celebrities sitting just a few seats away from us. Hannibal Buress (a.k.a. Lincoln from Broad City) and Jeff Tweedy (from Wilco, who we just saw this past September)! Joel and Jeff exchanged waves. It was surreal and made an already amazing evening even better.

Now let’s get to the book. With three weeks of vacation on her calendar, Abbi takes a solo road trip across the country to work through a recent break-up and feelings tied to the imminent final season of Broad City.

If you are a 30-something female, I think this book will resonate with you on some level. It’s a quick read because it is a collection of essays, illustrations, memories, and general ponderings. I felt like I was reading her journal. It’s funny, it’s heartfelt, it has true reflective depth that sneaks around each corner of her humor - catching you a little off guard. Overall, I related to her story strongly because I realized she and I are very alike. I nodded in understanding and snickered in empathy of what her human experience is like. Because it felt so much like mine.

It has been wonderful to get to know her better. I didn’t realize how much self-reflection would happen on my end because of what she shared. And I don’t think she meant for this to be a personal development/inspirational book, but it was for me. She’s a bad ass babe who humbly owns the direction of her life. Even though it makes her uneasy sometimes, she’s steering her own ship. She’s creating her own opportunities. She’s not waiting on anyone to do it for her.​

5 out of 5 stars. Two thumbs up. More in love with her than I was before. Highly recommend if you like humor, have been heartbroken, sometimes just need to “get the hell out of here,” or have had to put a passion project out to pasture. If you are already a fan of Abbi, you'll enjoy it even more. There are points throughout when I could hear her voice reciting the words I was reading.

Chicago Travel Details
I also wanted to share a few quick details about our stay in Chicago. We have visited Chicago quite a bit throughout our marriage. It was getting to the point where this special place was starting to feel stale. That all flipped on this last trip. All it took was a change of hotel location!​

We normally stay in the heart of downtown. This time, we stayed at the Majestic Hotel in the Lakeview area, which isn’t far from the city. It is a boutique hotel that includes parking for $25 dollars. It was a super cozy place that is renovated while maintaining its historic charm. Here are some photos:

It has been awhile since I've watched a documentary. I'm a Buzzfeed junkie (I had to delete the app from my phone because I was on it too much...) so I thought I'd check their new docuseries out. It did not disappoint!

The series features a number of different Buzzfeed reporters as they "probe topics ranging from quirky internet crazes to safe injection spaces for opioid users." They have episodes on ASMR, survivalists, the intersex community, tech addiction, plastic surgery, video game pranksters, and other unique topics.

Every episode was really well done. The reporters are thoughtful and empathetic, curious and thorough - looking at as many sides of each topic in 15-20 minutes as they can. I appreciated their professionalism and genuine interest in each subject they covered.

My favorite part of this series is how thought provoking it is. I couldn't help but think through my own stance on each topic after the episode ended. I was glad to have both sides of the story to analyze so I could form an opinion of my own regarding social issues I wasn't aware of before this series. 

If you're looking for a documentary series to watch that covers current events, does it in less than 20 minutes, and makes you think - this one's a winner!