Hello from Kansas! I mentioned last week I was going to be spending the week bouncing around the state visiting family and friends and it’s been go, go, go since I took off Sunday morning!I’m in Kansas City now and am spending the day at the pool with my best friend, Meg, from high school and her little family before heading over to my girl Whitney’s for the rest of the weekend! So excited to have a few days together, especially when plans include grilling, good music, yard games, and drinks around the fire pit. Sunday we’re celebrating my niece Camilla’s third birthday at the zoo and then I’m hopping on a flight back to my favorite city! I’ve been cherishing my time back here, but I almost always experience pangs of homesickness (mostly longing for my routine back home in Chicago) no matter where I’m at or who I’m with. It’s the creature of habit in me, I suppose.

Switching gears a bit, yesterday marked 30 days without coffee! You might remember I tried eliminating it a few months ago and caved after three weeks. I got a ton of questions on Instagram asking why I was cutting it out and whether or not I could share my findings. It all started because I suspected it was the cause of some of the bloating I was dealing with and generally didn’t make my stomach feel the greatest. Pair that with the jitters and foggy brain and I decided it was time to take a step back. The number one reason I cut it out this second time around was simply to prove to myself that I could exercise some self-control. I wasn’t too happy when I broke down with just 7 days left last time around. Right now, I don’t really have any desire to add it back into my morning routine, but that’s not to say I won’t in the future. I really do think it was the main culprit of my stomach issues, but I think I’ll be able to tell right away should I choose to introduce it back into my diet.

On to this week’s links! Here’s a look at what caught my eye over the last few days.

Song of the week: Tie Me Down – Gryffin & Elley Duhe. Turn it up and listen as you browse this week’s links 🙂

AROUND THE WEB/WORLD:

• I’m a huge fan of Mark Manson and his book The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck. When Hallie shared this article on dating and relationships last week I couldn’t read it fast enough. His tough love approach can be…a lot, but I’m all about the Law of Fuck Yes or No.
• Meg and I love exchanging book titles and she said I need to move Girl, Wash Your Face to the top of my must read list! She listened to the audiobook version and said the author did a really great job at reading it the way she intended it to be digested.
• I’m really looking forward to attending Skyline Soiree for the American Cancer Society’s annual fundraiser in a few weeks – it’s a night you won’t want to miss! I went bold and bright last Saturday night at Shedd Aquarium for BLU (my dress is on sale for $30 now! Last seen in this post), but I’m definitely ready to retire those hues until next season and go for something a little richer (or my go-to, #allblackeverything).
• I started listening to the Girls Gotta Eat podcast on my ride from Colby to Topeka and love how wildly raw and relatable they are. If you’re deep in the trenches of dating, give it a listen! (And then report back on what you think 😉 )
• I’ve been thinking about my fall bucket list and took a look back at my 101 in 1001 list to pull some inspiration. My last half marathon nearly scarred me for life. I’m determined to set a new PR at my next 13.1 and I *think* October will be a great month to do it (I said the same about April and then Chicago decided 23 degrees was as good as it was going to get so hopefully I’m not jinxing myself here). I just need to pick and race and map out my training!
• The New Balance x J. Crew workout collection is one of my favorites (I have one of the tanks in three colors!) and I’m dying to get my hands on this sports bra next.
• Yet another chocolate chip cookie recipe I can’t wait to try (as if I need another sweet treat in my life right now 🙃).

SHOP THE POST:

Any big plans for the weekend ahead? Whatever you’re up to, I hope it’s the best! I’ll be sharing in real-time over on Instagram stories, Snapchat, and Twitter, so be sure to follow along there!