Hey guys and happy now April!!

March was such a fun month full of wedding planning details and traveling back and forth from South Carolina to see my family, and unfortunately my blog took the back burner.

When I take time off from blogging, it actually helps me to reflect on my why behind blogging. What started off as a creative outlet in motherhood over a year ago, has evolved into a mini community of you guys who follow my story and support my passion. I am so appreciative of every single one of you who take the time to read my posts, interact with me through comments or DMs, and continue to show me nothing but love and support!! I don’t say that enough, but whether I have 1 read or a thousand, I’m so grateful you are here 🙂

Okay okay, enough of the sappy stuff and let’s dive into March’s Recap & Favorite Things.

Just a quick recap because March completely flew by before my eyes! The biggest update from the month was I was thrown a bridal shower with all my girls! I’ll post full details for that in another blog post soon. For now, I’ll just drop a few of my favorite March photos and get on with the favorites!

1) READING…

Books I read this month:

• IT STARTS WITH US by Collen Hoover
  • I loved this one! I was a huge fan of the first book to this sequel It Ends With Us which is why I enjoyed this one so much. It was so great to see the heroin Lily get her happily ever after after such a heartbreaking relationship in the first book. Of course, it wouldnt be a good Hoover book without some twists and turns, but overall fans of It Ends With Us will enjoy this one *almost* as much as the first book.

• THE FIVE LOVE LANGUAGES by Gary Chapman
  • Casey and I’s homework for our premarital counseling session was to read this book, and I’m so glad we did. I was already very familiar with the 5 love languages (mine is words of affirmation if you couldn’t have guessed by my love of writing), but it was so helpful for Casey and I’s relationship to get a better understanding of each other’s love language. Applying your partner’s love language to your everyday is apparently the secret to a healthy, happy long-lasting relationship <3

2) LISTENING TO…

My top 3 favorite podcast episodes I listened to this month:

1. De-Influenced with Dani Austin | new podcast!
   • Dani is one of my favorite influencers because she is authentic, real & her content is always shared with purpose. This month she has recently expanded her platform to the creation of this podcast! So far there are 4 episodes released and in each one Dani dives deep into the behind the scenes look into her unfiltered life as a mom, founder, influencer and entrepreneur.
2. Dr. Will Cole ON: Why Gut Health is Impacting Your Brain Health & How to Stop Inflammation in Your Body | On Purpose with Jay Shetty
   • I included this episode from Dr. Will Cole on Jay Shetty’s podcast, as well as Dr. Will Cole on The Skinny Confidential podcast below because they came out on the same day! I liked them both for different reasons. I liked this episode because it was informative, they get into the nitty-gritty specifics and they discuss micro topics such as: alcohol and gut health, mindset and gut health, food ingredients and gut health, and how getting control of our gut will lead to overall body health and wellness.
3. Dr. Will Cole On Managing Inflammation, Gut Health, Your Nervous System, & The Right Diet For You | The Skinny Confidential Him & Her Podcast
   • I liked this episode discussing gut health with Dr. Will Cole because I felt like I was in the room a part of the conversation. Lauren and Michael (who are the podcast hosts) have such an engaging, fun dynamic together that really resonates with listeners and allows guests to really open up and get real. They talk gut inflammation, they talk healthy habits, they talk incorporating your kids to practice a good relationship with foods, and they talk more specifics like how much mold is in your coffee or the best nontoxic cleaning products. Both are great to listen to because they hit different areas!!

3) WATCHING…

Shows and Movies I Watched This Month + My Thoughts:

TV:

• Daisy Jones + The Six | Loveddddd this series almost as much as the book… and that is hard to do! You can watch this 10 episode series on Amazon Prime & it will be HARD not to binge it all in one night! Plus the soundtrack is AMAZING.
• The Bachelor Finale | Any thoughts on the bach finale!? I loved the final two girls equally, and agree that the bachelor Zach made a lot of mistakes along the way, but I am happy to see that he found love! Sooo excited for Charity’s season of the bachelorette in June!
• The Voice | If you guys haven’t heard it is “Blake’s last season.” Niall and Chance the Rapper are the new judges on the show which makes the season super interesting with Blake and Kelly as the other two judges. I love a good singing show, and this one is my favorite!

MOVIES:

• I don’t think I watched any movies in March!! Definitely favored TV shows this month.

4) CURRENTLY LOVING…

Five things I’m loving right now:

1) GRACE + STELLA UNDER EYE MASK… A morning routine must-have! I put these eye masks in the fridge and use them first thing in the morning. Not only are they cooling and hydrating, but they help de-puff my MAJOR dark circles in the morning. Seriously a life-saver. I really will buy these over and over again!!

2) ORGANIC & VEGAN WOMEN’S MULTIVITAMIN… I have been on the HUNT for a woman’s multivitamin that is well-made and will support my immune system, my bones, and overall wellness. After trying these MaryRuth’s Organic Women’s Multivitamin I don’t see myself using anything else. They taste good, you can trust the ingredients (no sugar), & they have all the goods to enhance living a healthy lifestyle!!

3) FASHIONPASS… Have you guys ever tried RENTING clothes before? This is all so new to me. I tried out FashionPass for the first time this month for my bridal shower and I am a huge fan. I did the lowest subscription and for my first month I got the dress I wore at my bridal shower, a cute going out top, and a bag (that I ended up keeping because I loved so much) for only $29!!! The membership price increases for the following months, but with all the bridal events I have coming up I’m so excited to take advantage of this!! Let me know if you guys have tried Nuuly or Rent The Runway and how you like those in the comments below!

4) RARE BEAUTY SOFT PINCH LIQUID BLUSH… This blush is ALL the rave right now, and for good reason. I’m new to using liquid blush and honestly will not go back to solely using powder after trying this one. It provides such a natural, dewy, glowy look that will blend right into your skin!! Andddd if that didn’t already convince you, Selena Gomez created it so duh, it’s good.

5) MAUI BABE BROWNING LOTION… ladies, if I can put you on one thing for the summer let it be THIS! I use this product anytime I am out in my bathing suit for an instant, natural glowy look (and would only recommend it for outdoor tanning use). It works to bring an effective, deep tan, and a little bit goes a long way. I wish I took a before and after picture because the results are insane. I will warn you that it’s pretty greasy (idk if that’s the right word, but you just have to wash hands after applying it), but it is WORTH IT for the look and tan it brings IMO!

5) EATING…

My favorite March recipe was *drum roll*:

QUICK AND EASY ITALIAN PASTA SALAD

There are 3 things I love about pasta salad. One is that it can be prepped ahead of time and eaten off of for the week. Two is how quick, easy and customizable it is to throw everything together. And three is how amazingly delicious it tastes!

For this specific recipe, here are the SIMPLE 5 INGREDIENT details:

1. pasta noodles
2. tomatoes
3. cucumbers
4. feta cheese
5. Italian dressing (LOVE Primal Kitchen’s for the purest ingredients)

For added protein I like to add cooked chicken, cut up pepperonis, or chickpeas. OR keep it super simple with only these 5 filling, nutritious ingredients.

6) MARCH BLOG POSTS

In case you missed it:

• How To Create A Weekly Meal Plan: Ideas For Beginners + 10 Master Tips
• 4 Month Wedding Update
• February Favorite Things + Monthly Recap