Cheers to the weekend!!

This Friday Favorites is a special one because I have some exciting news that happened last weekeend…… I GOT ENGAGED!!!

Casey and I went on a little getaway last weekend to the mountains of Asheville, NC. On Friday night, we went to the Omni Grove Park Inn to watch the sunset before dinner. We call this place “our spot” because it’s where we fell in love with each other over 2 years ago.

Going into this weekend I knew a proposal was coming in the future, but Casey assured me it was going to happen over summer… sneaky!! It happened during the most stunning sunset, of which I was looking at when behind me Casey got down on one knee.

I’ll write a blog post recaping the whole Asheville weekend + the full proposal story soon, but to sum it up it was the most beautiful, romantic, perfect proposal. In the photos below you will see that my face was pure surprise!

When we got back Sunday, Casey’s family threw us a mini engagement celebration + superbowl party which was so fun!! Lots of good food, a fantastic football game, & great company to celebrate with!

This week on the favorites I talk about the usual current favorites, engagement photos, wellness links I’m loving, Blakely’s favorites at 14 months old, and 5 songs/playlists to listen to while at the gym.

Disclaimer: This post contains Amazon affiliate links which means I make a small commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. As always, I only recommend products or brands that I trust.

1) CURRENTLY…

Watching: season 2 of Sweet Magnolias on Netflix. Oh my gosh this show is so cute, a little emotional, & definitely heartfelt.

Listening: The Skinny Confidential podcast. Married duo Lauryn Evarts Bosstick and Michael Bosstick have on incredible guests who share wellness, business, beauty, & lifestyle tips. Not only are they hilarious, but they ask really micro, unique questions that the audience is wondering.

Watching: Gals on the Go podcast live show! This is one of my favorite podcasts because I just love Brooke and Danielle and think they are so real and normal. I’ve been following them for over 4 years now and love their content. This live show was so juicy & hopefully they’ll do more in the future.

Loving: my ugg slippers. I put these on first thing every morning because you guys…. they’re so comfy and warm and somehow my feet are always cold!!

Reading: I just finished Reckless Girls (go check out my full book review on my Instagram!). I flew through it, but gave it a 3/5 stars. I’m now reading Dear Emmie Blue by Lia Louis.. it’s so cute so far.

Eating: stovetop oats in the always pan. To make this, I added olive oil and a sliced banana over medium heat. I flipped the banana slices, and once they were browned, I added 1 cup of water and 1/2 cup of my old fashioned rolled oats. I let it cook, stirring frequently, for about 8 minutes over medium low heat. I topped it with cinnamon & Trader Joe’s cookie butter 🙂

Drinking: lemon water with a pinch of pink Himalayan sea salt in the mornings. I’m taking a (sad) break from coffee since lately it’s been hurting my stomach to drink.

Excited For: my family coming to visit this weekend to celebrate the engagement!! We have a lot of exciting things planned to do so I can’t wait to recap in next weeks favorites blog.

Pampering: myself with my first ever blow out from Dream Dry in ATL. I got one before my Asheville trip& had such a great experience. The blow out looked amazing and lasted almost a week with dry shampoo!

2) PHOTOS FROM THE WEEK

3) WELLNESS LINKS I’M LOVING

How Hot Versus Cold Water May Affect Digestion … Interesting article on how ice water may be hurting our digestion.

How To Workout In Tune With Hormones, Energy Level, + Menstrual Cycle … An idea to work out with your body instead of against it.

5 Aspects to Holistic Health and Why They Are So Important … Informative on holistic health + practical ways to incorporate them into daily living.

19 Journal Prompts to Build a Healthy Mindset … I love these! For anyone who likes a good journal prompt when we don’t know what to write.

Cleaning Your Home Naturally Through Essential Oils … Especially as a mom with a little one, I want to be sure I’m not using toxic chemicals.

4) BLAKELY’S FAVORITES (14 MONTHS)

• BOOKS. She is so into reading right now which makes my heart so happy. Some of her favorites she always grabs for are: First 100 Animals, The Rainbow Fish, First 100 Words, and Brown Bear Brown Bear. Can you see an animal theme here?
• Angel Dear Pajamas & clothing. They have the cutest holiday themed outfits, and they are so soft + incredible quality. They are coming out with their spring collection soon too!!
• Blocks! Building blocks is a great developmental skill for a 1 year old, so I try to sit and play these with her often. We have these blocks, and they also double as teethers!
• Puzzles! This one is great because it uses multiple sense included – sight, touch, and sound. I’m not sure if it’s just Blakely but anything animal themed at this age is a HIT!
• Ride on car! Casey’s parents have this toddler car at their house and Blakely absolutely loves it. Recently she has figured out how to move it herself! She has so much fun scooting around lol – I think it also gives her a sense of independence!

5) 5 GYM SONG HITS

Listen to these songs while you’re working out and you’ll thank me later.

1. Fitness and Juice by Lizzo. Or really anything by Lizzo. She is the go to HYPE girl.
2. Big Booty Mixes – Two Friends. They had these on Spotify but I think they got deleted and are only on Soundcloud. Seriously perfect for a motivating workout.
3. Legend, The Motto, All Me, & Back to Back by Drake. While I’m lifting these are blasting.
4. “Country CrossFit Workout Songs” playlist on Spotify. If you’re into country music while working out, this playlist is for you.
5. “DOGPOUND NYC VIBES” playlist on Spotify. Dogpound is an elite gym in LA and NYC and they’re music is popular, upbeat and high energy for a workout. 10/10 recommend blasting on a speaking.

Stay Well,

Courtney