Rock the Dots: How to Style Polka Dots

Well, well, well, if isn't another "national holiday" I can go all out for. Nice to see you, National Polka Dot Day. Obviously, I couldn't pass this opportunity up. I have always been a fan of polka dots; it's just such a fun pattern! The first thing I think of when I see a polka dot pattern (especially a red polka dot pattern) is Minnie Mouse. She has the ultimate classic style, and I had to join in the fun to rock the dots today!

I threw together a quick little post featuring some of my favorite past polka dot looks & ideas on how to style them, and I scoured the internet for some cute polka-pieces for you guys.

Build a Better Cheese Board: National Cheese Lovers Day 101

These days there’s a holiday for everything and some of them are truly ridiculous: National Lost Sock Memorial Day (unofficially celebrated every laundry cycle), National Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day (there’s something very satisfying about popping good bubble wrap), or National Lazy Day (literally me every day after I get home from work) - just to name a few. And don’t forget all those foodie holidays we love to celebrate: coffee day, guac day, and oh yea, National Cheese Lovers Day!!

(Stay with me here, guys. This post might get a little cheesy, but I think it’s really grate.)

Disney Passholder: Top 5 FAQs about becoming an AP in 2020

Reflecting back on 2019, I got to check off a lot of things on my bucket list, and one of them was  finally becoming a Disney Annual Passholder. Ok, so I technically bought my AP in fall of 2018, but that gave me a whole year of trips! I also never got around to posting my thoughts & experiences on the subject, so why not open 2020 with an AP review & why its 100% worth it? Well, if you’re a Disney fan of course!

Disney is definitely not everyone’s cup of tea. While I see it as a magical land where time stops & your inner child can run wild, others see it as...well, a hot & overcrowded tourist trap where children are literally running wild (yes, Disney can be meltdown-central, but what else could you expect from a place with probably the highest concentration of toddlers at any given time?)

First Trip of 2020: Knoxville

One of my New Years goals is to travel more - whether it’s a short day trip, a long weekend, or a full blown vacation, I just want to get out and travel more often. I love visiting new & favorited/frequented places (hi FL!), especially if it involves getting to taste-test new restaurants or finding cool coffee shops.

Since Chattanooga is so centrally located to major cities like Nashville & Atlanta, those are usually in the rotation. But one place we don’t go as much is Knoxville (& that’s about to change)! Knoxville offers so much to do, but since we were just going for the day, we stuck to just a handful of things. 

5 New Year's Eve Looks to Inspire You in 2020

New Year's Eve is one of my favorite holidays simply because I love getting dressed up, and NYE is a chance to get really dressed up. It's a respite from my usual momiform of whatever tshirt I pulled from my PJ drawer and a pair of (really) stretchy "jeans." Depending on your plans, you may be getting black-tie ready (are those opera gloves I spy?) or just opting for that classic Gatsby New Year's vibe (feather boa: required). One rule of thumb though that most people follow is to wear anything shiny, sparkly, or covered in sequins. The goal is to basically look like a human disco ball (if I can blind someone with my sparkles, I have succeeded in my outfit endeavor).

I've put together a few New Year's looks for inspiration. Chances are, I'll probably be home well before midnight (like, 7:30pm. Hello toddler mom life!), but that won't stop me from wearing a metallic gold sweater and a shiny clutch (minimum effort while still looking like I tried). 

Top 5 Spots in Chattanooga to Celebrate New Year's Eve (bring it on 2020!)

Christmas may be over, but it’s not time to put away the sequins & sparkles just yet because New Year’s Eve is upon us! So much has happened in the past year, and I can’t believe we’re closing the book on 2019 already. 

So for today’s post, I just wanted to share a fun & sparkly NYE look, and countdown the ways you can celebrate NYE this year – whether you’re local to Chattanooga or off in some faraway dreamland (if you’re reading this from the comfort of a beachfront condo balcony, just know that I hate you. Just kidding. But really, I kind of hate you, as I write this from dreary & cold TN). 

Smiling’s My Favorite: At Home Teeth Whitening - Does it Work?

*Disclaimer: I was gifted a Smile Brilliant teeth whitening kit in exchange for my honest opinion.

Buddy had it right: smiling is fun! But to be completely honest, it hasn’t always been my favorite. I’m a bit self conscious about my smile because one of my front teeth is recessed & my smile is not perfect. I also drink a LOT of coffee and enjoy indulging in a glass (ok, bottle..) of a really bold cab sav. So over the years, it’s like brightness dial for my teeth has been turned way down. Add that to already crooked teeth, and it’s a recipe for close-lipped smiles forever...or so I thought.

Making Spirits Bright: Cocktail Crawls, Christmas Cheer & All Things Chattanoogan

It's December, darlings, and that means we're decking the halls, making spirits bright, and basically living our best holiday lives right now. Chattanooga doesn't skimp on the Christmas cheer, either! I'm here to tell you alllllll about the fun activities and not-to-be-missed stops along the way right here in the Scenic City. From pop-up Christmas bars & boozy hot chocolate to where to find the best tree displays, I'm rounding up some of my favorite things to do this holiday season. 

To kickoff the festivities, my girls and I donned our gayest apparel and made things pretty freaking shiny & bright when we got together for a cocktail crawl (a new annual tradition I decided to start). It's essentially the glam version of a Santa pub crawl...but with sequins & a bit more class. I'm by no means above dressing like Buddy the Elf and venturing out into the 40 degree weather to down beers with 500 other Santas and Buddies, but we wanted something a little more sophisticated to kick off the new tradition.

I Love Me: Self Care Steps for Your Well-being

I'm a big fan of self care - it's really just routine maintenance for your soul. It helps keep up your energy (& recharge it when you're feeling low) and can improve your overall mental health (as well as your physical, depending on what type of self care you practice). Stress can do some weird and intense things to the body (panic attacks? Yup. I know from experience), so every now and then, I have to unplug & unwind.

As a mom, I'm on 24/7. I wear a lot of hats, and at any given time, I have at a minimum, 10 balls in the air (excuse all my cliche metaphors here, but you get the point). I'm a mom, a wife, a friend, work a full time office job, and I run 2 side businesses (an Etsy shop & my blog). Sometimes, it feels like my world is crashing down around me in slow motion when bad things happen all at once. Other times, I get so busy trying to do so many things at once that I just get completely & utterly drained. Like now for instance. It's been a few weeks since my last blog post - and you know what? That's perfectly ok, because I took some much needed me-time, and a bit of a blogging break to recharge.

There are so many ways to practice self care, and everyone's routine will look a little different. So today, I just wanted to share my personal methods, as well as some of my tips & ideas for self care.

Witch, Please: A Look Back at Some of my Favorite Pop Culture Witches

Witchy culture is currently undergoing a bit of a revival and has become pretty prevalent in current pop culture. There have been so many TV shows and movies in the past few years featuring witches, and for that reason (& because I'm obsessed with so many of these shows), I decided October was the perfect time to blog about it.

From the idyllic to the iconic, I'm rounding up some of my favorite pop culture witches & where to find them.