Friday FIVE

Oh Friday!  I have been waiting on you since Monday and am so happy you finally showed up to the party.  This week's favorites are mostly from my J'Adore Vox Box and a Dove product they asked me to try a few weeks ago.  All five items have one thing in common...they are helping me survive this winter that just won't seem to go AWAY!

1.  John Frieda 3 Day Straight
I have UBER curly hair and if that wasn't enough it is super super thick.  If I dry it with a hair dryer it takes almost an hour and if I let it air dry it takes more than a day to completely dry.  I have been getting the Keratin treatments since they came out and before that I did the japanese relaxer treatments.  So when this bottle of 3 day straight arrived in my J'Adore Vox Box I thought...how good can it be?  Well let me remove my foot from my mouth, because this ROCKS!  Seriously, I sprayed my hair with about 14 sprays and blow dried it.  It took less than 30 minutes to dry and stayed super straight and FRIZZ free for the next 5 days, not 3 but 5 and that includes my daily crossfit workout and being pulled into a ponytail during showers.  What was even better was the fact that it didn't know any band lines...those tell tale signs that you have had your hair up that make you want to dry it all over again...well that might be a tad too far.  I have already purchased my second bottle and am convinced this is every working mom's dream!

2.  Boots Face Mask
This hot cold weather has been brutal on my skin.  I tried my Boots Botanics Clay mask last night, because I have had to cancel my facial 3 times due to meetings, kids schedules and snow days.  I have NEVER used a Boots product before and if they are all like this I am sold.  This mask left my skin brighter, tighter and yet it felt completely hydrated.  So happy Influenster's Vox Box program introduced me to this product as I probably wouldn't have purchased it on my own.

3.  HERSHEY'S!
I am pretty sure that every man who works for our contractor knows we keep a bowl of candy by the front door!  Since construction starts again on Monday, I am extra thankful for these pink, silver and red Hershey's kisses.  I especially like that their Valentine's Day colors match my room!  In our house silver, sparkles and chocolate are ALWAYS in style.

4. Dove Deodorant
I have to keep it real.  Influenster sent me this about a month ago and I was like, it's deodorant, does it really matter the brand?  Then I realized I had been using Secret forever.  So I tried it.  It actually feels like lotion, which of course made me panic that it wouldn't work and if you have been in these old D.C. buildings when the heat is on you know they make our August weather seem cool.  Well guess what friends....it is AMAZING!  Seriously works, feels like lotion and comes in so many scents there is most certainly one you will like!  TRY IT!.

5.  Julep Hand Creme
Have you caught on to my winter theme yet???  My current favorite if the Julep hand creme with power cell complex.  It was in my Maven box and each month I love trying out new things that I would never purchase on my own.  The best part is that Maven members get FREE shipping and 20% off on all of their other purchases!  You can get your first Maven box for FREE.  Just sign up HERE.  Their nail polish wear like shellac and come off super easy, but from their lip balms to their eye primer/concealer, everything is great quality!

It feels good to be back and looking forward to blogging rather than feeling like I failed when the day got away from me.  I plan on spending the weekend with the littles, but Mini K wants to help out in the "shop" so make sure to follow us on Instagram for new product sneak peeks!

Friday FIVE Part 2

I know it's Sunday, but this year I am determined to get back to blogging and get ALL of my new products on the website so better late than never!

Baby C, I really need to stop calling him that, is finally feeling better.  We are going to see a specialist on Thursday to try and figure out what caused it, but for now he is happily watching hockey and singing Jingle Bells....yes in January!

SO this week's list is a combination of 2 of my favorite things:  gifting and wrapping up home projects.

1.  Puppies!
We  got 2 new puppies and they are super talented!  They sit super still, can hold flowers and can also serve up a mean punch.  They are Staffordshire and I ADORE them.  I have been wanting a pair of Staffordshire pitchers for awhile and a dear friend spotted these for me at an antique store and a trip to the UPS store later they are in my dining room!

2.  Take A Seat
I loved the shape of this bench the moment I saw it, but wanted to do something else in terms of fabric. I LOVE how it turned out and now have a pretty and functional place to sit in my master bedroom!

3.  Let there be light!
Mr. G knows I love pineapples (hello, Pineapple Grove Gifts) and found this antique majolica pineapple lamp on his travels for me.  A monogrammed shade is coming but we picked it up from having it rewired and I just love it.  There is something about lamp light in hallways and rooms that make houses feel like home to me.

4.  Take Note
January to me is the month of planning and thanking.  I know that spring is around the corner, even if the corner is big one and spring in our house is a lot of parties and gifting.  Right now we will double your order of flat or folded notes for FREE-no code needed, just enter in the TOTAL quantity you want to receive. I am in LOVE with these baseball notes for boys.  I have them for C with a 3 since he isn't playing baseball yet, but love that you can put your child's number on the back of the card.  A client just ordered them with her son's team name on the front and 14 on the back for the year and they are going to use them to give out awards, etc during the season.

5.  Sunnies
Spring is coming, but Valentine's Day and spring break will be here before you know it.  Mini K loves sunglasses and we found out this year at her eye check-up that while she has perfect vision they suggested she wear sunglasses outside because she reads so much on her kindle and ipad.  I am a BIG fan of Bonlook for glasses.  Bonlook offers prescription and nonprescription glasses at amazing prices.  Since she is my little rockstar, I ordered her the Rockstar sunnies in turquoise as part of her Valentine's Day happies.  You can take $15 off your purchase with code:  imback15 and if that isn't enough shipping is FREE.

These are my favorites for the week and I cannot wait to see what this week has in store!

Friday FIVE Part 1

It has been a long week my friends!  Some highs, so lows and one sick little boy.  It started on Wednesday with a trip to the ER and we have been back at the doctors and the hospital each day since.  This winter has been ROUGH and you will NOT hear me complain come August and our 100 degree days...sunscreen and air conditioning beat sick little ones every day and twice on 3 day weekends!  I just realized that C has been wearing red shirts ALL week, but I promise he has actually changed clothes multiple times a day...don't ask!

So my Friday 5 tonight is Baby C's 5 little fingers wrapped around mine snuggled up on the sofa hoping the meds do the trick.  Did I mention Mini K is making us watch Cloud 9...I mean all the cool kids are watching it.

I did have someone email me after they saw my Instagram feed and ask if orders will still shipping on time and I am going to have a smug working mom moment and say orders are still shipping, for the most part, within 48 hours...sleep well I can catch up on that next week right?  Feel free to send wine, magazines and miracle cures until tomorrow ladies!

XOX

Friday FIVE

I have 5 things I really want to post, but I also have the reality of a 6am flight to Market for our spring buy tomorrow morning and being less than 36 hours post gum graft.

I know if there anything more exciting.  So I am asking 5 of you to have a glass of wine for me tonight and I will post from the show!  Feel free to follow along on Instagram.  You can find me under Grove Gal K!

Friday FIVE

This week has been crazy....both crazy good and crazy bad.  I have shipped out over 90 orders, been to a meeting in Phoenix for my day job, started wrapping the little Christmas presents and still need to tackle the packing for our Thanksgiving trip.

I was able to catch up on my blog reading on the flights and am so happy to know that I am not the only one with a crazy schedule this time of year!

This week's Friday FIVE are a little bit mom, a little bit practical and a little bit beauty!

1.  Phoenician Lip Balm
Who doesn't love hotel room bath products right?  One of the little touches at the Phoenician is they leave you lip balm in your bathroom.  I am not sure who makes it for them, but it is better than my La Mer lip balm.  I think I have developed a slight addiction over the past few days!

2.  Cursive Handwriting
It drives me insane that Mini K is in second grade and there doesn't seem to be a focus on handwriting.  She has been wanting to learn to write "fancy" aka cursive and I was thrilled to find these FREE printable worksheets!  I thought I would share the source in case your little one wanted to practice too!

3.  Calendars
I still have a calendar on my desk.  It is monogrammed, of course, and sits on a gold easel.  It is one of my favorite things we carry at the Grove and I think it makes a great gift for friends, assistants, teachers and neighbors!  It is under $50 and next year you can just order them the refills so it is a ready made gift for years to come!

4.  Chalkboard Gift Wrap
I was so excited to see chalk markers in my Target's dollar section.  I picked on up with some gift tags and gift card holders and cannot wait to add some festive ribbon this gifting season!

5.  Photos
I LOVE photos, but combine photos with 25% off, FREE shipping and 10% cash back from EBATES and it's like a gifting trifecta!  You can save 25% off your purchase and get free shipping on your Snapfish purchase with code CHEERS13 and when you shop through your Ebates account you get 10% cash back!  I promise you all of this cash back adds up!  Custom coffee or tea mugs with your own photos, or your kids artwork will only cost $8.24 and you will get almost a dollar back on each one thanks to Ebates.  If you use Artkive you can put your children's artwork on the mug instead and add your own hashtag to the back of the mug.  How fun is that?  If you haven't joined Ebates, join HERE and start saving!

One last thing that is always a favorite is the Grove!  We kicked off Black Friday today, a week early!  ALL photo cards are 20% off with code:  BLKFR13!  You can see ALL of the designs HERE.

Friday FIVE

Is it me or was today rough?  The littles had so much fun trick or treating last night that morning came much too soon!  We survived a day full of client meetings, spelling tests, a playground tumble (Baby C) and more conference calls than I can count!  This week, these 5 things have gotten me to today.

1.  RED CUPS
I am not talking about Solo cups, I am talking caffiene!  There is something about walking into Starbucks and seeing the red cups for the first time each year that make me smile.  Today was that day!

2.  LUGGAGE
I know TSA and the airlines destroy, but there is something about getting allof my stuff into a small suitcase that makes me feel like an Olympian.  Bric's is my brand of choice.  It is super light and durable.  I was thrilled to see it on sale on One Kings Lane today and several people on our list will never lose their carry on suitcase again.  Texas orange anyone??  My guess is it will sell out but you can check out the sale HERE.

3.  FINISHED PROJECTS
Technically this project is still missing carpet, but I am deciding on it this weekend.  I have a sweater chest that I have had since I was a child that my now 12 year old Scottie chewed as a puppy.  I finally found someone to repair it and paint it to match the guest the room.  It was delivered last week and of course I need PILLOWS and CUSHIONS.  My friend Elizabeth is an amazing seamstress and I love to support her business and she is the only one who can take my sketches and lists and turn them into exactly what I had pictured in my brain.  I love that this little corner of the room is now a cozy place to read a book.

4.  BOOKS
We all know I love a fun coffee table book, but from the time I was a young girl I have LOVED Pat Conroy novels.  The Great Santini is still one of my favorites and I downloaded the sequel as soon as it came out.  It is taking all of my willpower to save it for my cross country flight to a conference later this month.  You can order it HERE.

5.  PRETTY LITTLE EXTRAS
I love to tie a little something to the ribbon on the package.  As soon as I saw Julep's holiday collection I knew my nieces would LOVE the ornament lip gloss.  The best part is that Julep is now on Ebates and you can get 4% cash back.  Want to know something else:  the ENTIRE site is 50% off with code GOCRAZY through Sunday.  Their mascara, lip gloss and cuticle oil are some of the best products I have used and their nail polish stays on my nails better than a gel manicure.

Friday FIVE

I had 3 post planned for this week not including this one, but I am trying to not beat myself up when life gets in the way of blogging or other things.  Some things you just do not get a second chance at and I feel like sometimes as women we get so caught up in our list of should do's that we overlook the must do's.  Does that make sense?

My Friday 5 this week is all about fall finds.  I am choosing to ignore the fact that it is 85 degrees in Washington, D.C. in October and think FALL!

1.  Blazers
I am big fan of blazers, always have been...even when they weren't in style.  I have been eyeing this one from Elizabeth McKay for awhile and plan to add it to my collection during the Friends and Family Sale.  This weekend you can take 25% off your purchase with code: FRIENDS25

2.  The Easy Catch All
I have to go to a lot of receptions and dinners for my day job.  I always need my phone, my license, some case and lipgloss.  If my dresses do not have pockets, I have a gem of a tailor that will sew them in for me so my lipgloss has a place, but when a friend gave me this phone clutch and I LOVE it!  I have the blue but will be giving the orange to a couple of friends this Christmas.  You can get 25% off your purchase this weekend with code: OURFAMILY

3.  Boots
Enough said right?  I think Tory Burch always does a great riding boot and this year is no exception.  I love these!  They are 25% off this weekend during their Friends and Family sale, the code is: FRIENDS  Don't forget that Tory Burch is also on my favorite EBATES so you can save more by getting cash back on your purchase!

4.  Lipgloss
I do not think I want to know how many different tubes I have in my bag on any given day, but let's say I am prepared.  My new favorite is the Fresh Sugar gloss.  It's the same great benefits of the balm but in a shiny clear gloss.  SOLD

5.  Fabric
It's bordering a problem.  I confess I have purchased too much in the last months for projects I have yet to start (read:  digging out our basement in a year, but I am ready for the pillows in the movie room!).  Lately I have been thrilled that Fabric.com has so many great designers, free shipping, no tax and 4% cash back through Ebates.  I will also tell you they have some of the best down feather pillow forms out there and I have tried a LOT of different brands.  This fabric is currently at my upholsterer going on our master bedroom bench.  I cannot wait to see the finished piece!

Have a great weekend!

Saturday 6

I figure if I am a day late, then I should add another item.  Do I get points that most of these favorites will also save you money?

1.  Coffee Table
I have been on a quest for coffee table for our family room.  I wanted something round, wood and yet no sharpness so it wouldn't lead to a trip to the ER when Baby C no doubt figures out how to use it as a diving board!

As soon as I saw this one, I knew it would be perfect...now we wait the 6 weeks for it to arrive.

2.  Make-Up
I tend to get into a habit with make-up:  lipgloss, mascara and BB cream.  I received a Mama Vox Box from Influenster this month and in it was the Ponds BB cream.  One word:  AMAZING.  It is the best $10 product ever so save yourself the money on the expensive ones and try this one!

3.  Laundry
It is NOT my favorite thing, but I am making it cute at least with these new laundry hampers from Land's End.  I ordered 3:  one for lights, one for darks and one for dry cleaning.  The best part:  they are currently 30% off during the Friends and Family sale and you get cash back when you shop through your Ebates account.

4.  Holiday Pants
I was so excited to see the entire fall Castaway Clothing line this week.  I ordered both Mr. G and Baby C a few pairs of matching pants.  

5.  Long Sleeve Workout T's
I love the fall weather.  There is something about needing a longsleeve shirt to workout that makes me happy.  I recently discovered these Sweaty Betty t's and LOVE them.  I of course added a monogram.  You can save 15% and get FREE shipping with code:  USACR.

6.  Mail
I know the post office is raising the price of stamps...AGAIN, but there is something about a card or invite in the mailbox that feels like a present.  I have been having a blast helping so many of your with your holiday card choices this year, but wanted to remind you that our sale is still going on.  ALL photocards are 25% off with your choice of FREE return address printing or FREE matching return address stickers through October 9th with code:  S13H25

I hope y'all have a great weekend!

Friday FIVE

Its' FRIDAY friends!!!!!!!  I am doing my happy dance that another week is over and praying we are inching closer to FALL weather.  As always I didn't really theme my Friday FIVE, but they are 5 things I am loving this week!

1.  Life Savers!
A friend of mine emailed me with bad news last Sunday.  Her computer crashed and went to computer heaven and took with it ALL of her photos ...as in EVERY photo she had of her almost 2 year old and not everything was in the cloud.  I of course had a panic attack:  what was in my cloud, was my back up working, what if what if what if.  I called my IT guy and he said PICTURE KEEPER so that is what I ordered.  Of course the day after I ordered it, I find it for half price, so I am making myself feel better by sharing the deal with you!  Essentially it works on both Macs and PC's and the best part is after the initial back-up it only saves new photos when you plug it in.  There are 3 different sizes:  4,000 photos, 8,000 photos and 16,000 photos.  The BIG one sells for $99.99 and Plum District has it on deal for $50 and if you order today and use code FRIDAY13 you can save an extra 13%.  You can purchase it HERE.

2.  Photo Cards
In the 11 years since PGG has been open I have never ordered my cards early.  I am usually the last one....but there is a first time for everything.  We got a few great photos of the littles when we were out of town and I just used them and GOT IT DONE.  TO celebrate I am passing on a discount to all of you!

ALL photo cards are 25% off AND we are also giving you your choice of FREE return address printing or return address stickers!!!!  Simply enter code:  S13H25 at checkout!  The sale runs through October 9th!  That is almost a month for you to pick your favorites and GET IT DONE.  You can see all designs HERE.

3.  My New Water Bottle

I like COLD water, if I could make a water slurpee to take to Crossfit I would be thrilled.  Mr. G brought home this water bottle from Target last week and I am IN LOVE.  The top unscrews and you can either fill it with ice or do what I do and fill it 1/3 full at night and put it in the freezer and then top it off with cold water and I have FREEZING water during my workout.

4.  Fun Jeggings

I need to log A LOT more Crossfit WOD's before the word jeggings and my name are used in the same sentence, but Mini K is a big fan of jeggings, NOT leggings.  Target has some super cute ones that we picked up to pair with her Crewcuts tunics.

5.  Unexpected Finds

I walked into a boutique in Georgetown today as they were putting a shipment on the floor and spotted this table.  I had them put the bubble wrap right back on and brought it home.  Give me the weekend to add some books and an antique crystal lamp and my reading nook in the living room will be done.  I have been searching for a table like this and am happy that I can cross it off the list and now I am just on the hunt for an antique barley chest.

That's my 5.  I hope you have had a great week and please let me know if you posted a Friday FIVE!

Friday FIVE

It's Friday!  In our house that means family movie night and today is Mini K's choice...cheap mexican food for dinner and now Soul Surfer.  Just quality non-violent family fun...so while I am watching was too much blood on the big screen for my taste, here are my Friday 5!

1.  Deborah Lippman Gel Lab Set
For the record, I rarely do my own nails, but the world's best personal shopper at Neimans convinced me I needed this and she was RIGHT.  You use your favorite polish, mine is Julep, and the topcoat and 16 days later, no chips!  I am sick of the color.

2.  Needlepoint
I picked up a few finished ornaments for Mini K's birthday tree today and couldn't leave the store without picking up a couple of new canvases.  Oh Shift, time to thread the needle.

3.  Candy Corn
Clearly I am on a health kick...NOT.  It's officially fall when I see the candy corn.

4. Matches
I received this match striker last year and LOVE it.  I hope she comes out with another one this upcoming holiday season.  This is something I never would have purchased for myself, but adore and think of the person who gave it to me every time I use it!

5.  Schwings
Ok these aren't technically one of MY favorites for myself, but they have made birthday party shopping a breeze!  Mini K wants to give these to everyone!  We pair them with some lip glosses for the girls and candy for the boys.  The best part, they fit on all shoes and come in just about every color.  Mini K's favorite place to shop is my friend Linda's boutique The Purple Goose and they will soon be carrying them!

Happy Friday...now I have a movie to watch!

Friday FIVE

It took me all summer, but I am so happy I am blogging again!  Mini K is back in school and Baby C goes back to preschool on Tuesday.  I can almost feel the fall air (it may only be in my head) and I am actually looking forward to packing up my open toe shoes and white jeans and pulling out the fall clothes...I just may have to crank the AC!

Mr. G surprised us with a MUCH NEEDED trip away this weekend, but I wanted to post before our road trip begins!  This has been a summer of ups and downs with some family health issues and the past few weeks have just been a lot.  I tend to force myself to  be busy when I am feeling stressed as it helps me focus on the positive and not the things I cannot control.  My Jesus Calling book, some quiet time and creating distractions have made this summer so much better.

1.  Just Because Gifting
I challenge each one of you to do this for someone this week.  There is something about surprising someone with a happy that makes you feel better yourself.  I swear it's better than therapy.  So this week, surprise a teacher at your child's school with lunch, take flowers to a friend in a new vase, deliver cookies to a neighbor or take a shiny new coffee table book to a friend.  Just do it!  Life is full of these little moments that when you look back you will hopefully see more of them than the stressful stuff!

2.  Lists
We make them each season.  I do not like the term BUCKET LIST so we just make lists of everything we want to do as a family each season.  I look at it as teaching the kids to make goals and follow through with them.  Our fall list includes:
1.  Start a Happy Plate (I will post on that next week)
2.  Mini K wants business cards, she has promoted herself to bow tie expert at the Grove!
3.  Apple picking
4.  Make homemade caramel
5.  Have some more cookouts

3.  Books
We have had a bunch of happy mail lately:  birth announcements, weddings, new homes and big birthdays and I always like to include a hardcover book with a note so they can keep it and remember.

For a new home I try to either find something on the style of house if I know it, or their personal decorating taste and make sure to out their full address on the inside so they remember why I have it to them.

For weddings, always a fun cookbook!

4. Pillows
Let's just say after 4 more arrived this week from our fabulous seamstress, Mr. G has CUT me off on ordering any more pillows for awhile!

5.  Vests
We will NOT discuss how many I have, but as soon as I saw this camo one in the J.Crew catalog I knew I had to add it to my collection.

As always my Friday FIVE is all over the map, but as a working momma with 2 kiddos that is my real life!  So this Labor Day weekend, I hope you are laboring on something you truly enjoy and PLEASE let me know if you are posting a Friday FIVE and share your Just Because Gifting too!

Friday FIVE

If you read my post earlier this week, then you know I wrote these posts out when we were at my in-laws.  You also know that I am in NYC so please forgive the LACK of photos!  School starts for us on Monday.  I confess that even before I was married and had minnies of my own I thought of my years on a school schedule and I still do today.  So today's Friday 5 are not really things, but apps.  ALL of them have been a huge help in my life for some reason or another.  I would love to know what your favorite app is because I always feel like everyone has one that makes their life a little easier.

Here are mine:

1.  Gate Guru
I travel with the minnies a lot by myself to see their grandparents or meet up with Mr. G when is on travel and Gate Guru has saved me more times than not!  It's an app of airport maps with what is in each terminal...restaurants, bar, restrooms, stores, etc.  We have used it many times to find out critical information...like exactly where the Garrett's popcorn is located in O'Hare and what time it closes!

2.  Springpad
I like to think of this as a marriage between pinterest, google and a to do list.  You see a recipe on pinterest and pin it, Spring Pad will give you the list of ingredients, a wine that goes with it and the location of your closest grocery store.  I think I can hear all of you downloading it now.

3.  Ink and Postagram
Postagram, the app, is free and I think Ink is less than $2.  Postagram allows you to send postcards from your iphone with your own photos.  The photos on the postcards also pop out to small sized polaroid sized pictures.  Ink allows you to send personalized greeting cards with your own photos from your phone.  I use this ALL THE TIME.  Mini K loves to send her friends postagrams with photos from her playdates that we take with a note of thanks and I love using the Ink app to send a thank you note with a photo after a fun night out with friends.  I still send a handwritten note, but I love the idea of sending a photo.

4.  Chorma
Now if you do NOT have kids, you won't get why this app has changed my life.  I am a big believer in teaching kids that actions have consequences.  This app allows me to assign each chore a monetary value and a schedule of when it must e completed (i.e. once a week, daily, etc).  Mini K can use her itouch in our house to let me know when she has completed chores and I can total it up at the end of the week and pay her her allowance.  The more she does, the more she makes.

5.  Instagram
I know this is not new,  but there is something about being able to open it up and see friends smiling faces, latest finds, adorable children and remember that life goes by so fast and what we all seem to remember is the little moments.  Not a day goes by without me seeing something on Instagram that makes me call a friend or send an email and I don't care how old you are, but hearing from a friend is ALWAYS a good thing.

I hope everyone had a good week and I promise the photos will return next week and the posts will continue because we have new things coming to the Grove this fall!

Friday FIVE

Can you believe it??  I am actually posting twice in 1 week!  I promise I will keep at it.  This week has been a roller coaster, but the weekend has finally arrived and I am hoping it brings some much needed peace and sleep!

My 5 are all over the place which pretty much sums up my week!

1.  Easter Baskets, or should I say Backpacks
Each year Mini K's school "adopts" kids for Easter.  We always try to choose a child that is the same age as Mini K.  This year we actually found a 7 year old girl and Mini K and I had the BEST time shopping, packing and wrapping the backpack.  We filled it with candy, a stuffed lamb, school supplies and fun little toys.  We hope she enjoys it half as much as we enjoyed putting it together!

2.  Candy Grams
I have loved these since I was in high school and I think I have successfully passed that love onto Mini K.  Today her class celebrated her teacher's birthday and we had to make a candy gram!  If you haven't made one, you need to change that this year!

3.  Crossing Things Off My List
I have been waiting 3 weeks to hang our drapery rod in the living room.  For 3 weeks, I have seen the item on my list and been itching to cross it off, but my schedule has been insane and I haven't been able to be home to tell our contractor where to hang the rod and Mr. G has been out of town so he couldn't hang it for me.  Well today, the stars aligned and not only is the rod up, but so are my draperies!  That item on my list now has a kelly green Sharpie line right through it!

4.  Summer.
Or the thought of summer.  Okay, let's be honest, I would settle for spring at this point.  The high tomorrow is supposed to be in the low 30's.  I am praying global warming arrives or people stop claiming that just because Virginia is below the Mason Dixon line it is the south as the weather feels more like Boston.

5.  A Gel Like Manicure
I love that a gel manicure lasts 3 weeks.  I do NOT like that I have to soak it off and my nails feel weak afterwards.  About a year ago I joined the Julep Maven club and have loved every SINGLE box.  I tried Birch Box and wasn't impressed...everything was sample sized, it was all over the map and it just wasn't me.  Maven is great, you can select your profile, change it monthly if you want and you receive FULL SIZED polishes and beauty products...at least 3 in every box.  The boxes cost $19.99 a month, but you can get your first box for FREE when you join HERE and enter in code: FREEBOX One of their newest products is the Polymer Top Coat.  You simply apply your favorite polish and then this topcoat and wait 5 minutes.  It dries your nails completely to a gel manicure shine and strength.  I am HOOKED.

Please leave a comment and let me know if you do the Friday FIVE as I want to pop over and check it out!

Happy Friday!

Friday FIVE

It's 10:51pm so this is still technically Friday, even if I only have 1 hour and 9 minutes to go!  This week has been crazy, this weekend I have 3 clients in town and meetings, meetings, meetings, but the reward is waiting for me next Friday and I love my clients to life is good!

This week's list is random and might seem simple and boring to some, but to me it's the little things during a hectic week that make me smile the most!

1.  Dry Bar
Some people want a chef, but I would love to out source blow drying my hair and NO I am not joking. The weather in D.C. was cold and rainy today so I squeezed in a visit to the Dry Bar and as always they did not disappoint!  Jasmine, once again had me in and out in 35 minutes and my hair is immune ot the weather!

2.  Unexpected Packages and Letters
I have gotten 3 postcards this week from friends on travel and it doesn't matter how old I am, I LOVE mail!  I took advantage in between meetings today and mailed some cards to friends just because.  This year I am dedicated to paying it forward!

3.  A catch up conversation with a dear friend that I feel like we have been having via texts for weeks.  It was so nice to actually talk on the phone and I cannot wait until tomorrow to finish the conversation.  CALL YOUR FRIENDS--no amount of texts take the place of hearing your friend's voice.

4.  A grande Starbucks blonde roast coffee in a venti cup.  Seriously, you have no idea how happy this makes me.

5.  Ebates
Now Mr. G would just say money, but this week was BIG FAT CHECK week and I always feel like a winner when I open the mail to find a nice big check for all of my cash back from the last quarter.  I am convinced Ebates becomes an addiction.  Once you sign upwww.drybar (IT'S FREE!!!) you give them your name, email and mailing address and simply log into your account and click through to your favorite sites.  You would be shocked to know how many sites I shopped via Ebates during our home construction:  Kohler toilets, sinks and faucets-CASH BACK
Tile- CASH BACK
Ceiling Fans- CASH BACK
Mattresses- CASH BACK
The above doesn't include a little fun (C.Wonder, Nordstroms, Neiman Marcus).  I mean Incircle Points and cash back?  Thank you.
You can sign up HERE.

SO that's it for this week!  Stay warm!

Friday FIVE

Hello!  It has been a month tomorrow since my last post.  I needed to take 5, or in this case 30!  LIfe has been a little nutty with trying to unpack our storage units, settle in to the house, and plan out this next year.  In the process of that, I didn't think anything I would say was all that interesting, but I have LOVED crossing things off my to do list!

But today is Friday, Mini K is home from school for a long weekend and for the first time in as long as I can recall we have NO PLANS.  It seems like a luxury and one I am celebrating.

I promise, no more long breaks, and I plan to catch up on everyone's blog this weekend!

Now, the 5 things I am loving this week!

1.  SURPRISE SALES
I thought everyone should have a surprise this weekend-40% off ALL PAPER items at the Grove with code:  CABOODLE.  You can find them all HERE and the sale runs through the 18th.

2.  Coffee Table Books
My guilty pleasure is flipping through the pages of coffee table books.  My amazon wish list is full of them.  I LOVE to give them as gifts and think that more people should.  Currently, I have my eye on this one all about the fabulous Valentino house of couture!

3.  Polymer Top Coat
This top coat was in my February Julep Maven box and it is AMAZING.  You put it on over regular nail polish and in 5 minutes it dries like a gel manicure.  My regular manicure is now going on day 15 without a chip or scratch.  I have subscribed to Birch Box in the past, but think the monthly Julep Maven boxes are so much better.  You can subscribe for $0.01 with code:

4.  No Clutter
Mr. G had our contractor install these all over and I was skeptical but now LOVE them.  Seriously order them.  No more looking for chargers as all you need is your cord.

5.  New Kicks
After foot surgery on my left foot and a broken right foot in the past 12 months, I had to get orthotics for my shoes.  The good news was I had to get new kicks.  The bad news was I had to get new kicks.  I always find shopping for running shoes frustrating and they always seem to feel different after a few runs in them.  I am happy to say that after a few runs, I love these kicks as much as I did when I tried them on and the fact that they are pink and green is icing on the cake!

I promise, I will post again this weekend and cannot wait to read everyone's Friday FIVE!