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cabi Sweater c/o (wearing small) | Abercrombie Jeans (TTS, no stretch) | Amazon Slides (so good! only $20! run TTS) | Velvet Pearl Headband (3 for $15) | Kendra Scott Heart Necklace c/o | Kendra Scott Knot Earrings c/o

Happy Friday! I hope you had a great week! After two weeks in a row of being home in Houston, I finally feel like I’m emerging from the holiday travel fog. I almost feel like January was just an extension of the end of 2019 … anyone else?! It’s been really nice to have a solid routine during the week (not rushing trying to wrap up projects before heading out of town) and hang with friends in town over the weekend. I’m seeing more of the same ahead for the rest of the month, and I’m pretty excited about it!

THIS WEEK’S BLOG POSTS

5 Easy Ways to Reduce Single Use Plastic + a Challenge! // I was so excited to share Monday’s post with you! The February challenge is going strong! No ziplock bags! If you need replacements, I have and love Stasher bags. Here are a few budget friendly options too! If you’re participating, share a pic or video on Stories and tag me @cobaltchronicles – I’ll re-share and we can all encourage each other!

3 Daily Newsletters Worth Reading // I religiously read 3 newsletters every single weekday. I shared which ones in this post!

7 No-Fail Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas + A Giveaway! // Need Valentine’s Day gift ideas?! Check out this post! All items I have and love! Also, don’t forget to enter the Vera Bradley giveaway I’m hosting on Instagram! It ends tonight! Winner will be announced on Instagram Stories this weekend.

The 3 Best Small Business Credit Cards // I updated and republished this post on the three best small business credit cards. These are all credit cards I have and use to make my money work for me (not the other way around). These cards not only have great perks, they accrue points you can use to book travel for free! Michael and I hardly ever pay for hotels or flights! If you run your own business or have a side hustle, definitely check out this post!

WORKOUTS

This week’s workouts …

• Monday: SoulCycle
• Tuesday: Weight workout at Anytime Fitness
• Wednesday: SoulCycle
• Thursday: Weight workout at Anytime Fitness
• Friday: Vinyasa Flow at YogWorks to end the week

PODCASTS

Here’s what I listened to this week!

Bad on Paper Podcast: Claire Mazur and Erica Cerulo on work wifing, closing their business, and the decision whether to have kids

Second Life: Nicole Gibbons: Clare Founder and Interior Designer

A Drink with James: Instagrams usage ban, follower growth rates, unrealistic brand expectations

Berning In Hell: Scheana Shay & Kelly Killoren Bensimon

Girls Gotta Eat: Self Love + Finding Love

Things to Note

Beautycounter had a big week in the news! Lester Holt featured a short interview with Beautycounter’s founder Gregg Renfrew about the FDA considering adding new regulations on the personal care industry as new evidences has surfaced over the past year or so about asbestos (a known carcinogen) being found in talc powders (Johnson & Johnson) and cosmetics sold at Claire’s. It’s a quick watch and really eye opening.

One of many reasons why I switched to clean skincare and makeup. I’m happy to be a part of the clean beauty movement! I’m a Beautycounter consultant – feel free to email me with any Beautycounter/clean beauty questions – always happy to chat ([email protected])! And you can always shop Beautycounter with me here: https://www.beautycounter.com/ashleehightower

New Rent the Runway Unlimited discount code for you! Use code RTRASHLEE for $100 off your first month! It ends up being $59 for your first month! I love using RTR Unlimited! You can read all about my experience with the service here! The details: Pick 4 pieces from the Unlimited selection, rotate the 4 pieces whenever you choose, RTR covers the cost of shipping, returns, insurance, and dry cleaning.

Everlane Modern Loafers (almost) 50% OFF // Still in stock! Sadly, Everlane is retiring the first shoe it ever released. But the good news, they’re almost 50% off right now! And still in stock! I’ve had my pair of the Modern Loafers for almost 5 years! I purge my closet A LOT, so that’s saying something! They are the PERFECT loafer for work. The quality is amazing and they’re super chic. They run TTS and take about a week to break in (I kept mine at my office when breaking in and just wore them around during the day). Don’t miss your last chance to grab these beauties before they’re gone!

Discount Codes

I currently have a few discount codes for some of my favorite services and products. I share these on Instagram Stories often (and try to save them in my highlights), but I figured I’d share them here too in case you missed them!

Winc Wine // I’ve been using Winc, a wine delivery service, for the last few months. I love that they essentially pick out wines for you, based on a fun quiz, and ship them straight to your door! I usually end up switching a bottle or two out for something I’ve been specifically wanting to try, which you can totally do too! You can use my link to get $22 off your first order, which equals out to $39 for 4 bottles of wine! Click here to place your order: winc.mivh.net/cobalt

Equilibria CBD // I dipped my toes into the world of CBD in 2019, and I finally found a CBD company that I really trust, and I ‘m excited to be partnering with them. Equilibria is a women owned CBD company based in Chicago. I’ve use the pain relief cream on my hips and calves and other sore muscles after workouts and also used it recently for the first time for period cramps (it really worked!). One of the things I love most about Equilibria is that when you make a purchase, you are put in touch with a dosage specialist who can help you figure out what CBD dosage is best for you and your needs! They have a handful of products like daily drops and gel caps so that you can choose what’s best for you. You can use code cobaltchronicles for 15% off your first order!

Daily Harvest// My go-to, easy to make, at-home smoothies! These are great and so convenient! I love that they help me to mix up my smoothie game. When I’m left to my own devices, I tend to make the same combination smoothie day after day. Use code COBALT for $25 off your first order!

Territory Foods // (Still) BREAKING NEWS! Territory now delivers in Houston! (I’m really working on getting all of my DC favorites to Houston … so far I’ve succeeded with Sweetgreen and now Territory!). The BEST already prepared, meal delivery service! Use my code – COBALT – for $50 off across your first two orders ($25 off each order). I love using Territory when I know I have a busy week ahead or when Michael is traveling. The meals are already prepared, delicious, and healthy too!

WEEKEND PLANS

I have ZERO plans this weekend, and I’m ecstatic! I’m excited to walk to a coffee shop Saturday morning, try out a new restaurant or two, relax, and get a few things done around the house!

FAVORITE THINGS THIS WEEK

A few of my favorite things this week!

Ninja Air Fryer // I used my air fryer twice this week! One night for sweet potato fries (slice fresh sweet potatoes, spray with olive oil spray, salt and pepper) and one night for crispy chicken tenders (dredge tenders through mixture of one egg and almond milk and then bread crumbs). They both turned out so delicious! I’ve had my fryer for a few months now, and I feel like I’m just now getting in a groove of using it more often. I’m still amazed at how it really does make you feel like you’re eating fried food, but instead, the food is cooked solely with hot air!

T3 Curling Wand // On sale today! I received my T3 wand for Christmas and LOVE IT! It’s so lightweight and easy to use. I have a tutorial of how I use it to create my waves saved as a highlight on my Instagram page (“Hair”). It holds my waves/curls so well! I’ve used it a lot this week to touch up day two, three, four … hair. It’s great, and although it’s a little pricey, I highly recommend! Check it out today while it’s on sale!

Have a great weekend!