The most wonderful (and craziest) time of year is in full effect! These next few weeks are sure to be jam packed with holiday gift guides, brand deadlines (for partnerships here on the blog), and holiday events.
This week was the first week that I really felt the madness of the holidays (in the best way possible). As a little background, December is one of the busiest times of the year for most bloggers. It’s when a lot of brands are looking to partner with bloggers to highlight brand products and offerings for the holidays. It’s also when a lot of brands are hosting events both during the day and in the evening. I went into this month telling myself I was going to keep my head on straight, stick with my workouts and self-care, and not let the season overtake my life. After this week, I think I’ve come to the realization that December is always going to be crazy. I’m embracing the craziness. 🙂
Let’s take a look back at the week, shall we?!
Monday
On Monday I shared another gift guide – one of my most requested gift guides – Gifts for Your Boyfriend or Husband! If you’re still shopping for your significant other, be sure to check out the post! There are lots of items that you can’t go wrong with!
My Monday was pretty calm. I grabbed coffee with a friend that morning, worked at home most of the day, and ended the evening with a 6:30pm SoulCycle class (shout out to Pauline at the 14th Street studio – one of my favorite classes to take!).
Tuesday
My Tuesday started exactly how my Monday ended – with SoulCycle! I snuck in a 7AM class since I knew I’d be busy most of the day. Michael and I visited the DC courthouse to get our marriage license (woo hoo!) and then stopped by Shah & Shah to look at wedding bands. We’re less than two months out from our big day!
After knocking out a few wedding related tasks, I met Jackie for a nice lunch date at Bluestone Lane. I squeezed in a bit of work before heading to Dr. Lina Naga’s office. Dr. Naga is my dermatologist, and I scheduled a consult with her to map out my skincare regime over the next month or so as I want my skin to look its absolute best for the wedding weekend. We made a game plan, which I’m really excited about executing over the next few weeks! I got my second round of botox (technically, I received Xeomin injections, not botox). If you missed my first experience with botox, you can read all about it here!
That evening I had a Facebook Live session for a few of my Contracts for Creatives clients – a nice Q&A session where they could ask any legal contract questions that have popped up this quarter. After wrapping that up, Michael and I headed to a friend’s house for dinner.
Here on the blog, I shared a unique gift idea for family members plus my Ancestry DNA results!
Wednesday
Wednesday’s blog post is a revamp of a popular post from this time last year. Holiday travel can be stressful. I shared 5 Holiday Travel Tips to hopefully help you lessen the stress while traveling over the next few weeks!
After a couple of potential client meetings for my contracts business and wrapping up a few items at my desk, I headed to Kristyn’s for our monthly supper club get together. Monica, Katie, Jenn, Laura, Kristyn, and I make it a point to get together once a month for what we’ve deemed as supper club, even though sometimes we don’t actually get together for supper … in November we had a girls’ day and headed out to a couple of Virginia vineyards!
Thursday
On Thursday I hit the trifecta – I was in Maryland, DC, and Virginia all in one day! I spent most of my day with Victoria at the Gaylord National Harbor to experience their holiday offerings. We explored all of the holiday decorations at the resort, saw the Dreams Unwrapped Cirque du Soleil show, visited the on-site Christmas Village, and experienced the S’mores massage at Relâche Spa.
That evening I headed to the Fashion Center at Pentagon City for a Tinsel and Tidings event where retailers from the mall featured gift ideas and holiday specials. Santa even made an appearance!
Weekend Plans
I’m looking forward to laying low Friday night. A cozy fire, a glass of wine, and a Christmas movie are in order!
If you’re in the DC area, you should stop by Union Market on Saturday! Everlane is stopping by with their cashmere truck! They’ll be there all weekend long. I’ll be there on Saturday to check it out!
Other than that, I’m planning on squeezing in a couple of SoulCycle classes and catching up on work since I was away from my computer a good bit this week.
Favorite Things This Week
Last but not least, a few of my favorite things this week!
Beautycounter Cleansing Balm // I started using Beautycounter’s Cleansing Balm this past week, and it’s a game changer. I use it as a makeup remover. The consistency is the BEST. It’s a lightweight balm that essentially melts the makeup off of your face. It’s easy to wipe off with a warm washcloth. I’ve also read reviews where folks use the balm to combat dry, patchy areas of skin, especially during the wintertime. If you’re looking to simply try out the balm, check out the travel size to give it a whirl!
Away Luggage // You know I love my Away carry-on bag! I have the original carry-on bag, which I use for quick weekend trips, the bigger carry-on bag (my most used bag), and this week I received the big mama – the large checked bag! I generally travel with only a carry-on bag when possible. However, with our wedding being a destination wedding, I needed a larger bag. In stepped Away! If you’re looking for a great gift to give for Christmas, I can’t recommend their bags enough!
Amazon Puffer Coat // I’ve legit worn this coat every single day since I received it! I have it in the green color in a size XS. It’s so warm, and I love the giant hood and all of the pockets!
Have a nice weekend!
