What to Read to Stay in the Know

Happy Wednesday friends! Being inundated with daily emails is one of the main reasons I signed up for Unroll Me a couple years ago, but there are a handful of "in the know" reads that are musts for me daily. I work in marketing for a financial services firm, so staying up to date on current events is pretty integral to my role. That being said, I don't have the time to read through the Wall Street Journal and other news sites and really need my information to be bite sized and have enough of it that I can carry on a conversation if asked about it. 

• The Skimm || I'm sure that you've heard of the Skimm, but in case you haven't this daily email is like sitting with your girlfriend over a cup of coffee and hearing the the world news in a way that makes sense and actually sticks with you. 
• Morning Brew || I'll be the first to admit that even though I work in finance, reading about the markets is not the most exciting thing to me - enter in the Morning Brew. These writers keep things light and fun and the best part is I finally understand what's happening without my eyes glazing over! Described as a daily business briefing for millennial, it's the best one I read for staying up to date for everything from startups to politics. 
• The Hustle || The newest daily email that I've started reading, it's much heavier on the text than the other two, but packed with loads of important information. Admittedly I don't read this every single day, but if my commute is a bit longer than I definitely skim on my way to work for any headlines that I find appealing. 
• The Every Girl / The Every Mom || These two sites are what I need for a daily dose of inspiration. While there isn't necessarily a new blog post that sparks my interest every day, for the most part I really enjoying reading the career profiles on both sites and feel instantly motivated. Whether I'm searching for my next show to binge watch or my next read - these two sites are daily fixtures for me. 

What do you like to read to stay in the know?

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Current Skincare Favorites

Happy Monday friends! Between masks, serums, moisturizers and cleansers - I feel like I have really changed up my skincare routine. Here are the products I've been using and loving lately! 

• Olay Clay Masks || I first mentioned that I tried one of these clay masks back in January - well after almost two months of using all three - I absolutely love them! The application is incredibly easy, but you'll want to make sure that you clean the top off with alcohol after every use so that bacteria doesn't form on the top of the mask. I'd say my favorite of the three is the fresh reset (pink) that leaves my skin looking extra dewey and glowy! After just 10 minutes, I wipe the mask off and it's like I've had a facial at home! Can't recommend them enough! 
• Olay Total Effect Cleanser || Maybe I got sucked into this entire new Olay collection, but I really like how light this cleanser is! Really does a great job of removing makeup and all of the days pollutants off the face. There are super tiny microbeads that get worked into the skin while you're lathering up your face and you can feel it scrubbing away the daily build up. 
• Summer Friday's Jet Lag Mask || I think it's been a while since I've added a holy grail product into my routine but this jet lag mask needed to be on the list! I've gone through 2 tubes and while it's expensive I absolutely see a difference with my skin when I use it versus when I don't! I put it on before my makeup in the morning and after the shower at night. Technically it's a mask so it can be washed off, but it's so light on your skin that I don't even bother. Free of all harmful ingredients, I can't recommend this mask enough!
• Laneige Lip Mask || So many people have mentioned this sleep mask and I first spotted it at Sephora but didn't really think I needed it. While it's certainly not a need, in the winter my lips get super dry so after the girls at Two Peas in a Prada mentioned it was on Amazon for a bit cheaper, I ordered it. Does it work - yes! It smells amazing and this little jar will last a long time. I love how my lips feel after I apply it so I usually dab some on in the mornings as well. It does come with a little applicator so you don't have to worry about sticking your fingers in the jar. 
• The derma roller and vitamin c serum go hand in hand. Admittedly I should be doing this at least twice a week, but I sometimes forget and only use the serum at night. If you've been interested in trying derma rolling I highly suggest this one - not only is it under $13, but it does everything the more expensive ones do! The serum is great to apply right after - warning you that there will be some tingling!
• St. Tropez Water Mousse || I am probably one of the worst people at applying self tanner and often find that I leave myself streaky and orange. When my favorite Youtuber first mentioned this product I was skeptical, but then she put it on and immediately put on her white clothes and nothing came off - I bought it right then and there. I used it for the first time when we went to Florida in January and I absolutely loved the faux glow it gave me. I put it on at 9:00 PM and immediately went to bed - no streaking, no lines - it was perfect! While it's not a true skincare product, it does help your skin glow and for that reason I added it to my list!

Have you tried any of these products? What have you been using and loving recently?

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Weekending Around Boston

Happy Wednesday friends! I had every intention of getting this post up yesterday, but then I came down with another cold and was out for the count yesterday. Hoping this is the last one of the season - I honestly get one cold a year and I've already had two! Anyway, here are some snaps from our busy weekend!

Gary and I had a date night to a new restaurant in Boston, The Westland. We had a really early reservation and it was almost packed to the brim with people by 6:00 PM! It's next to the Boston Symphony, so it's a great spot to get a bite to eat before or after a show! Known for their cocktail menu I started with "All the Tricks" which was very similar to a Moscow Mule. We split the crab cakes, meatballs and steak frites - the portions were perfect for two people! The food was delicious and we both agreed that we wanted to go back to try more!

We had a pretty big day out on Saturday - lunch and the aquarium! Big moves over here! First time in a high chair, seeing fish & penguins - pretty epic day for miss Sophia!

We had a pretty low key Sunday and ventured to brunch with our friends! Sophia did awesome and towards the end was loving on my friend Heather. 

Monday we celebrated my mom's 65th birthday at my sister's house! We had such a lovely day celebrating the amazing woman that my mom is and getting to dress Sophia up may be one of my favorite things!

Looking forward to an even shorter work week than expected and another full weekend ahead!

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Currently Crushing on One Piece Bathing Suits

It may be snowing outside, but that's all the more reason to dream about a warm weather escape! I have two trips in March, which will definitely involve some pool time! Long gone are the days of me wanting two wear a two piece bathing suit and trying to get a tan by the pool! Now, I start a trip more tan than I leave (thanks to sunless tanner) and I am pretty covered up at the pool with a hat, bathing suit and umbrella to protect against sun damage - how times have changed! 

This post may contain affiliate links. Purchasing through them help support this website. 

Here are a few that I have in my cart right now!

• This swimsuit comes in 14 different patterns. I'm personally drawn to the white or pink palm print! 
• I love wrap dresses and have never seen a swimsuit style similar to this one. I think the vertical stripes would help elongate the body and the wrap style would hide the midsection! 
• The scalloped edges are just perfect on this one piece and it comes in three different colors patterns! 
• Fun palm pattern and full coverage / support! 
• The sheer paneling in the front makes this one piece super sexy! I also really like anything olive colored! 
• You'd have to be careful with one shoulder anything, but since my goal is not a tan, I like the ruffles and coverage of this one! 
• I'm in love with this color blocked one piece from Cupshe and it's under $30! I think the orange is so fun and vibrant near blue water! 
• The only frills on this bathing suit are the cutest pink ruffles! 
• Another bathing suit that comes in 23 different patterns, but I actually really like the solid pattern. The slight ruching in the stomach is what sold me and you can still get a nice tan on your back because it's fully open.

What type of bathing suits are you drawn to right now?

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Weekending Around Town

Happy Monday friends! We had a pretty fun filled weekend despite the cold weather and celebrated Sophia's 6 month birthday!! I'll let the photos do most of the talking!

Beret // Sunglasses  Saturday morning I used a gift card that was burning a hole in my wallet and got a little valentine's day manicure! I never get any type of design & decided a little heart would be a fun little addition!

Even though I mentioned my love for pink & nude lipsticks, thought I would go for a bold shade for brunch! 

Celebrated Jackie's birthday at Loco Taqueria & Oyster Bar . I had the breakfast and fish tacos, both were delicious, but I'd go back for the chips & guac! 

Sunday we went to a little boutique in the South End called Cou Cou - they were having a little Valentine's Day pop up and Sophia was invited to attend! 

You can just tell from the photo that it was a cold day on Sunday - ready for everything to be back in bloom!

 

The best part of the weekend was our sweet Sophia turned 6 months old!! She is quite honestly the light of my life with that sweet smile of hers! The sweetest babe that is seriously starting to show off her personality and those pipes of hers! She loves bath time, eating & anything that makes noise! Serious dislikes include getting her diaper changed and being in one place for too long! I'm really excited to see what new milestones we're in for this next month!
Hope you have a wonderful week ahead!

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5 Pink and Nude Lipsticks to Try

Happy Friday friends! I was going through my lipstick collection the other day and realized that I gravitate towards the same color palette - often times picking up the same lipstick shades without even realizing it! I wanted to share 5 of my most loved pink and nude lipsticks that I can't get enough of! My last full lipstick post was back in 2015, so it's definitely time for an update! 

Definitely a similar color palette!  
This post may contain affiliate links. Purchasing through them help support this website. 
Before I get into the shades themselves, I thought I would share this article that talks about what your lipstick tip shape says about your personality. You'll notice, all of mine are exactly the same which supposedly means I am not a rule breaker and am an empathetic person - both true! 

Maybelline "Baddest Beige" || This is my most recent shade that Emily Gemma talked about in her stories. It's incredibly creamy and moisturizing, doesn't dry your lips out at all & leaves them shiny like you're wearing a gloss. 

L'Oreal nude balm "nourishing nude" || L'Oreal came out with a nude balm line and I am obsessed. I know that people overuse the term, but I have three different shades and they all feel like butter on your lips! This leaves just a hint of color on the lips and is very moisturizing, which in the winter is really nice because while I want to have some color on my lips, I also don't want them to dry out. 

Bobbi Brown "Nude Reality"  || This is a very drying formula and a very matte lipstick. No shine at all, unless you add a gloss to the top, which I normally do. I'll admit, the packaging is what initally drew me into the shades, but the color of the lipstick is why I purchased it. It's a really pretty soft pink that packs just enough power. 

MAC "Angel" || I think this is a universally flattering pink lipstick. I've always been a fan of MAC lipsticks and the consistency with which they are made. SNOB is definitely my all time favorite pink, but it's not as subtle as Angel, but I guess the name of the lipstick shade says it all!

L'Oreal Color Riche "Shining Peach" || This has a similar consistency to the balm I mentioned earlier, but has a bit more color to it. Really nice application and I tend to over use this lipstick because it a goes on so smoothly! 
Those are just a few of my favorite lipsticks I'm currently using, but when I look in my purse I counted 12 in the same color family - it's only a problem if they're not being used. I assure you, they are all being used! 

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Recently Read

It's always a good day when I share my recent reads! These are probably my favorite posts to share, more so because I get to add more books to my reading list from your comments! If there's one book that was a 10/10 it was definitely Confessions of a Domestic Failure - I just couldn't put that book down! 

One Day In December ||  This was one of Reese Witherspoon's picks for her book club and I knew I needed to read it! Romance through and through, there are certainly deeper parts of the book that take place over a 10 year span. I would have loved an epilogue, but there wasn't one! While Laurie is on the bus one day in December, she spots a mystery man on the bench and for a brief minute their eyes meet and she spends the next year searching for him to no avail. Unfortunately when she is introduced to Jack it's as her best friends new boyfriend! I guarantee you'll devour this book like I did in about two days! Worth the read and this book has nothing to do with Christmas time, it's just about a day in December! 

The Half Night Stand ||  Millie is "one of the guys" with her group professor friends. They're all single and needing dates for a work gala. They decide to try a dating app and the night they all decide to find dates, Millie and Reid have a pretty steamy half night together. Millie creates her profile under a pseudo name and happens to match with Reid, only he doesn't know it's Millie being her most vulnerable self with him, something she's completely not capable of doing in real life - ironically the app is called IRL! There were a lot of current references in there and I even pictured some of the cast from Big Bang Theory, just less dorky! It was a fun read! 

Too Late || This is probably my least favorite Colleen Hoover book and didn't feel like it was her writing at all, but even in the outline of the book, it was noted that she was writing under C. Hoover and it was meant to be a departure from her normal genre. That it most definitely was - it was gritty, dark, vulgar and the story felt like a really bad Lifetime movie. Sloan isn't able to leave Asa and is stuck in this terrible life that he's set up for himself. Asa is great on the outside and horrible when left to his own devices. Carter is seemingly stuck in the middle and a bit clueless about everything. Epilogue after epilogue - yes there was more than one, you do get a clearer picture of both Asa and Sloan, but to me the damage was already done and I just wanted the book to be over. If you have Kindle Unlimited, then you can feel guilt free about reading it since it's free. 

Confessions of a domestic failure || I can't remember the last time I laughed out loud while reading a book so much. I pretty much smiled throughout reading this entire book and as a new mom could relate to Ashley on SO many levels! Ashley found herself as a stay at home mom to her little girl Aubrey, when the company that she was working for was laying people off during her maternity leave. She's frazzled, doesn't have any mommy friends, and basically is trying to figure out how these Instagram Mom's do it! Enter Emily, a mommy blogger that not only has it all together, but is giving her the opportunity to participate in the Motherhood Better boot camp so that she can be the mom she's always known she could be! The author really found the humor in the daily messes that we can find ourselves in. I absolutely LOVED this book. For any mom who has ever felt like she's a hot mess - this is for you! 

Forever is the Worst Long Time || I haven't read many books from a man's point of view, but the way the author wrote James was both incredible and heartbreaking! It was a book that was very real and just when I came to terms with one thing happening to James, the author would throw a curve ball in. James is a struggling writer that meets the love of his life Lou, who happens to be marrying his best friend Rob. What continues is a beautiful story for over a decade. I have mixed feelings about the book - while it was incredibly written, it was sad and I'm not so much of a sad book reader!  The main characters are definitely flawed, but not in a way that you don't like them - they have a human element to them. If you have kindle unlimited this is a free read! 
I have a reading list about a mile long and would love to know what you're reading right now!

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A Week in Work Wear

Happy Monday friends! At some point over the last few years my closet staples have transitioned from more "going out" looks to things that could be worn to both the office and out with friends or a date night. I wanted to share 5 looks I wore over the last week. I'll probably do this again in the Spring when the temperature allows me to play with some of my outfits a bit more! The only full length mirror in this post is from the bathroom at work - so apologies for that! To give some background, I work for a financial services firm in marketing / business development and while I have meetings daily, they're internal so I can be a bit more business casual. 

Monday 

This ruffle top is sadly sold out at both J.Crew and Nordstrom, but I think the style is so popular it will be back in some form soon. I'm still as obsessed as ever with my Jessica Simpson animal print heels. I get a lot of questions about how comfortable they are for walking and I don't know what kind of witchcraft they made these shoes with, but they are incredibly comfortable and I wear them for 9+ hours!  Tuesday 

I'm really not afraid to wear patterns or bold colors and this leopard teddy sweater (sold out, but similar here)  is a favorite of mine. I paired it with my scalloped ankle pants (similar pair here) and a skinny belt with patent pointy toe heels.  Wednesday 

This is actually one of my go to work looks. You may remember this look from Christmas and it's one of my favorite work looks as well! The velvet pants really elevate the outfit. The top is an oldie from Ann Taylor (similar here), but again, the animal print heels come in for the win!  Thursday 

I had an event after work so I popped this new white house black market boot skirt with a plain black long sleeved top with my booties. My sister bought this skirt first and after seeing her wear it, I knew I had to have it! If I was going out I would have worn my taller boots, but for work I opt for my black booties.  Friday

I got a bit more casual on Friday's to the office and opted for a chunky sweater that I bought in Ireland last year (similar here) with the sloan skinny fit pants in red! The leopard flats are always a fun pop around the office! 

I'm clearly a fan of the ankle cut pants and I just purchased these slim tie pencil pants from loft over the weekend!! I do have a ton of wrap dresses & skirts, but the week I was doing these photos happened to be one of our coldest weeks, so there was no way I could trek to work in tights! What's your work style like?

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