THURSDAY'S THOUGHTS

VIA SWOON PAPER MARKET

THANKFUL FOR: This isn't the first or last time you'll hear me gush about my family on the ol' blog—they're just that great! Anywho, my parents recently purchased tickets to visit Texas this October for Max's impending arrival. I was delighted to hear they would be staying two full weeks. Hallelujah! When we found out we were expecting, they immediately mentioned they would come down to help. I never expected them to take so much time off from work to help our new family. I'm absolutely blown away by the thoughtful gesture. Just knowing they'll be around to help us transition into this new phase brings me oodles of comfort and joy.

EATING: I've never tried a recipe from Jenny Rosenstrach of Dinner: A Love Story that I didn't absolutely LOVE. I was reminded of this last week, when Joanna Goddard featured her Chicken Parm Meatballs—a meal idea I pinned almost 1.5 years ago but never got around to making. Well, I finally gave the recipe a whirl last night and they didn't disappoint. The only downside? I couldn't get my hands on fennel seeds. I searched high and low in Swell Rio, so I had no choice but to omit that detail from the recipe. Oh, well!

WATCHING: Just when I convinced myself I didn't have time to commit to another Bravo series (Ha!), I got sucked into Jersey Belle. In my defense, how could you not love Jaime? She's a riot! She unapologetically speaks her mind, and the result is often hilarious. In fact, watching the Jersey native interact with her southern belle besties makes me wish we could just be BFFs—but maybe without the 'Bama part. Oh, and the fact that two of her kids are named Max and Olivia?! This is most definitely a sign. I'm certain.  

FEELING: I'm not going to sugar coat it—at 34 weeks, I'm beginning to feel really uncomfortable. This whole pregnancy thing is for the birds, I tell you! It could be the heat, or it could be the fact that I'm toting around an extra 35 pounds, I just know that it's difficult to do simple tasks like get up from the couch. That sounds ridiculous, I know! All of this discomfort makes me feel like Michael Scott and the episode in which he clamps his foot in a George Foreman grill. Yep, I feel fussy. Perhaps Flyboy should take a hint from Ryan's playbook and crush a few tablets of Tylenol into my pudding cup. Maybe that will keep me from moaning and groaning?!

THINKING ABOUT: Things operate at a slower pace in Swell Rio. This is nothing new to me, but there are moments in which this detail tests my patience. I can either view this aspect of life at Laughlin AFB as an inconvenience or as a potential learning lesson—I strive for the latter. On two different occasions this week, I was reminded that things don't always correlate with my timeline. For instance, Beesly got a hot spot and the only vet in town is booked for the next week. Super! Additionally, we're still waiting for the local body shop to repair the driver's side mirror on The Rig. Aside from driving three hours to get anything done, we must sit and wait. 

LISTENING TO: I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that I've got T. Swift's latest single, Shake It Off, playing nonstop in m' mind. It's just been hanging out there for the past three weeks. Get. It. Out. Puh-leez. Why are the silliest songs always the most catchy? And when I say catchy, I don't mean that in a good way. Ugh, you totally saw this one coming, didn't you?! I fell for it hook, line, and sinker.

READING: I recently caught up with some of my favorite blogs, and I was particularly excited by this post on Chelsea and the City. It felt like Chelsea had secretly taken up residence in my headspace because I've shared a similar sentiment for quite some time. I've been thinking a lot about blogging and 'gramming lately—how these beloved forms of social media have evolved, what they mean to me, etc. In a world of Pinterest and Instagram, it's rather easy to fake and make a blog. I think the part that separates successful blogs from others is authenticity. Look, I love an aesthetically pleasing graphic and picture perfect image just like the next girl, but a certain realness is evident in hard work and honesty—be true to YOU. As Chelsea stated, people are ready for a little more soul in this corner of the web. What's the point of fitting in, when we were born to stand out?!

LOVING: Call me crazy, but Kérastase Chroma Thermique Leave-In Conditioner is $42 of awesome. My mom turned me on to the product a few months ago, and while it's a bit of a splurge, it's totally worth it. My hair has never felt or looked better—it's shiny and bouncy. Somehow a pea-sized dab of this magic potion even omits the frizz in this awful Texas heat.

Enough about me. How are you feeling today? What are you up to? Thanks for stopping by!!