What I’m loving

Smiling Mind: Mindfulness app

I have mentioned several times in the past few months how mindfulness is something that has really been helping me focus on being in the present moment and helping with keeping my anxiety in control. A friend recently recommended the Smiling Mind app and it is amazing! It walks you through mindfulness and meditation activities in a simple and practical way. It is free, so feel free to give it a try.

Denim leggings

These leggings were my birthday gift to myself and they make me ridiculously happy. I wear them several times a week with boots and they’re so comfortable! I absolutely hate skinny jeans — I value comfort too much, and skinny jeans just aren’t that comfortable. Enter these leggings, happiness in pant form.

Kirkland Moisture Shampoo & Conditioner

If you are a Costco member, the Kirkland Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner is my absolute favorite. This shampoo is marketed as salon-quality, as well as sulfate-free and paraben-free, and is less than $10. I heard about it multiple times by people comparing it with Pureology, which is $38 per bottle almost 4 times smaller. Honestly, it makes my hair feel so much healthier than it did with the shampoo I was using and is more sudsy than the natural shampoos I have tried.

What I’m reading

‘Embrace’ by Leroy Barber

“Embrace” is a book that focuses on trying to break down the walls between people —walls built because of race, class, lifestyle, and values. It isn’t a huge book but it really impacted me and helped me to see walls I need to work on in my own life. I also recommend it highly because I know Leroy Barber personally from an urban program I did after high school. He is the real deal, and I have an immense amount of respect for him and the work he is doing.

‘The Complete Enneagram’ by Beatrice Chestnut

I love all things Enneagram and “The Complete Enneagram” is a seriously hardcore book about it. This is not a starting place, but if you are already interested I very much recommend this book.

‘Talking as Fast as I Can’ by Lauren Graham

It is no secret that I love the Gilmore Girls, so reading “Talking as Fast as I Can” seems like a logical choice. It is pretty much exactly what you would expect: A little behind-the-scenes information on the Gilmore Girls, Parenthood, or Lauren Graham’s life.

‘An Uncommon Courtship’ by Kristi Ann Hunter

I read a lot of fiction and don’t typically mention most of it, but “An Uncommon Courtship” is the most recent book in one of my favorite series. If you are into light, happy, chick lit I definitely recommend it.