Happy Friday! I hope you had a nice, short week! I spent most of my week getting organized to really dive into September and set myself up for success in Q4 – my busiest season of the year every year! My friend Kate is an organizational wizard. You can check out her services here, but she got me hooked on Asana this week!
I’m using Asana to keep track of ongoing projects, and I set up a weekly schedule of time blocks. Sometimes this job can feel like a hamster wheel – write a blog post, respond to Instagram DMs, publish a Facebook post, pin images to Pinterest, back to the blog, etc. You get the point. My goal for the month of September is to stick to my time block schedule and batch my work in an effort to hopefully get out of the pattern of frequently feeling like I’m jumping from one task to another. Will keep you posted on how this goes!
THIS WEEK’S BLOG POSTS
How to Style an Oversized Blazer for Fall // Oversized blazers are one of my favorite pieces for fall! I shared tips on how to style an oversized blazer for work and weekend wear in this post. The blazer featured in my post is still 50% off! Marked down to $34.50! I’m wearing an XS, for reference.
How to Switch from Chase Preferred to Chase Reserve // Woah! This blog post got such a reaction from you! I received so many questions via email, blog post comments, and DMs on Instagram! I loved chatting with everyone about how to best use Chase Ultimate Rewards for free travel! A few additional posts that I shared via Instagram Stories that I think are really helpful:
- Chase Ultimate Rewards Transfer Partners
- How to Book a Flight with Chase Ultimate Rewards
- UPDATED: What Credit Cards Are In My Wallet?
WORKOUTS
With the holiday on Monday and leaving town on Friday (today) for Austin, I was feeling overwhelmed with my workload this week. As a result, my workouts took a backseat. And I’m ok with it. I’ll get back on track next week!
- Monday: None.
- Tuesday: 3 mile morning run
- Wednesday: None.
- Thursday: 3 mile evening run (hot, hot, hot in Houston!)
- Friday: 8 mile morning run
- Weekend: Walking around Austin!
PODCASTS
Since I work from home most days, I like to have a podcast on in the background. As a result, I listen to a lot of podcasts throughout the week. Most are business related, but some are just for fun. Here’s what I listened to this week:
- Press Send with Chinae Alexander: Grace Atwood + Becca Freeman | The Joy of Single-ness
- Press Send with Chinae Alexander: Shannon McLay | Money Talk: Part 1
- Press Send with Chinae Alexander: Shannon McLay | Money Talk: Part 2
- Bad on Paper Podcast: Grace’s Sister Rebecca Atwood Talks Decorating with Color… and Embarrassing Family Stories!
Things to Note
sweetgreen Houston + sweetgreen Giveaway! // I’m SO excited that Houston is getting its SECOND sweetgreen location (and it’s way closer to my house!). The Montrose location (1303 Westheimer Road) opens on Tuesday, September 10th. To celebrate, I’m giving away 10 $15 credits to sweetgreen! I’m announcing the winners today, but if you’re quick, you can still get in on the action – check my Instagram Stories to see how to enter to win!
WEEKEND PLANS
Michael and I are heading to Austin this weekend for the LSU/UT football game! We don’t actually have tickets to the game, but that won’t stop us from finding a bar to watch the game. Lots of our friends will also be in town for the game, so it should be a fun weekend! I’m excited to explore more of Austin. I’ve only been there once, and it was for my sister’s bachelorette party.
FAVORITE THINGS THIS WEEK
cabi Madison Cardigan (seen in this post) // Even though it’s still HOT here in Houston, I’ve been dying to pull out my fall clothes. I’ve been wearing this cardigan over sleeveless tops at my desk all week long! It’s the perfect cardigan for fall! Now just waiting for the temps to cool down so I can actually wear it outside … 🙂 It would be PERFECT for anyone who works in a chilly office to start wearing now and a definite staple through fall! For sizing reference, I have a XS.
Mott & Bow Cotton/Cashmere Long Sleeve (wearing here) // Again, pulling out any fall pieces that I can wear now! I love, love, love this long sleeve cotton/cashmere top. It’s pretty lightweight and with the v-neck it’s not too hot. I’ve already gotten so much wear out of it. It’s a staple that you’ll definitely be seeing on repeat through the fall months! For sizing reference, I have a Small.
Isle of Paradise Tanning Drops // My favorite self tanning drops! Isle of Paradise is a clean beauty brand, and I use their tanning drops a couple of times a week – especially leading up to the weekend. I use the medium shade (they’re available in light and dark too). I use a couple of drops in my moisturizer for the perfect sun kissed glow!
Beautycounter Brightening Oil // I credit this product as one of the main reasons why my skin is in the shape it is currently in – glowing, less brown skin spots, and overall more even skin tone. I use this oil almost every single night, after cleansing before moisturizer. The only nights I don’t use it are when I use another favorite product, the Overnight Resurfacing Peel. When I use the Peel, I only apply moisturizer over it.
Have a great weekend!
