Wedding Inspiration with Rent the Runway

My sister introduced me to Rent the Runway a couple of years ago and I've been hooked ever since. My first time ordering was to rent some cute dresses for New Years Eve.

Oh man, my bangs look good here!

My sister and I have always had great experiences with Rent the Runway and I love talking about companies I actually like on here so I figured I'd share some of my favorite looks on the blog!

One of the best uses for Rent the Runway is to rent dresses for weddings. It can be so hard to find an appropriate dress that you feel really cute in, especially for the fancier, more formal weddings. Rent the Runway has designer dresses available to rent (Vera Wang, Opening Ceremony, Narcisco Rodriguez and more) for everything from garden bridal showers to pavilion black tie ceremonies, or just pick out that special one-of-a-kind jewelry piece to take your own little black dress over the top. Dresses are tailored to fit all shapes and sizes (available in sizes 0-22), and you can even select an additional backup size to be shipped at no extra cost. Rent the Runway also has more than 25 stylists on hand available as consultants to help women find the perfect look (or you know, I'll do it for you), wear it and send it back with no dry cleaning, no shipping costs, no hassle. Check out Rent the Runway's rehearsal dinner looks, cocktail dress collection or even peruse their full line of wedding season styles featuring the hottest styles and the coolest trends. 

Here are my favorite picks for wearing to a wedding:

Perfect for an outdoor, summer wedding.

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I love dresses like this that can be dressy, but still springy and fun.

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For when you need to wear cocktail attire, but still want to be cheerful and girly.

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Perfect for a black tie wedding.

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Why not rent your wedding dress? For only $70, you could wear this gorgeous gown in your own wedding. I think it's genius and could save you so much on your wedding budget. I love this dress SO much and I think it would look perfect on my sister (hint hint).

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Another great wedding gown option.

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And one more great wedding gown option, Badgley Mischka for only $125? Yes please!

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Why not have your bridesmaids rent their dresses instead of buying? It helps them save money and come on, you know they're never wearing that dress again even if they do shorten it.

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What bridesmaids wouldn't want to walk down the aisle wearing Kate Spade?

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**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. 

Happy Pug

We'll call this series of photos "The Happiest You Will Ever See Tuffy the Pug"

This is what happens when Tuffy gets let loose in the dog park and finds what Mike and I call a stink spot. Basically, a place in the grass that probably has old meat, something dead, or poo on it that we can't see and he loves it so much he gets overcome with joy and rubs his pug body all over it.

I hope you get to feel as happy as Tuffy was in these pictures at least once in your life.

This Sunday Currently

The woman who created the This Sunday Currently link up isn't going to continue with it, but I finally am having a non-whiny week so I had to do it this time!

Currently I am...

Reading: Still reading the fourth HP book and by the time my trip is over, I'll probably be done and onto the next one. 

Writing: This blog post and that's it. I wrote so many e-mails this past week what with accepting a job, doing all the new hire paperwork, dealing with computer issues with that paperwork, letting other employers know I was taking myself out of consideration, and getting travel plans worked out, I am sick of writing and the computer for awhile!

Listening: To Mike cooking Mediterranean lamb sandwiches for lunch and the dogs sleeping around us.

Eating:  Just ate an apple, but cannot wait for Mike's lunch. 

Wishing/Hoping:  WHOA I don't have to say I'm wishing/hoping for a job! What?! Today, I am wishing/hoping for a smooth trip today and for my first week at a new job to go well. Having your first week be in another state training is a little nerve wracking!

Wearing: My go to travel outfit:  a black tank maxi dress, a chambray shirt open over it, a statement necklace, and black sandals.

Loving: That I am no longer unemployed, my new haircut, and that my husband is making me a delicious lunch.

Wanting:  Not the usual! Again, what?! This week, I'm wanting a smooth trip, my job to go well, and for our new commuting schedule to work out okay. Also, this shirt, a custom portrait like this done of me and my boys, and an apartment near a metro so our commute calms down ASAP.

Needing: To calm my nerves...I've got everything else done so far today, weird!

Feeling: Anxious, nervous, jittery. Notice a theme?

Clicking:  MD Unemployment to file my webcert, haven't made money yet so I still have to file, Pinterest, and Google for inspiration pictures of how to style my new haircut.

A few other things...

Packing for a week long trip to a place I've never been to work with a company I've never worked with was not easy. I think I packed everything I own and like. My suitcase is HEAVY.

New job, new 'do! Five inches gone!

We celebrated my new job and said goodbye to one of our favorite restaurants in southern Maryland - CD Cafe. Doesn't look like much, but that crab cake sandwich is g-damn amazing.

You Ain't The One That We Want

Oh, the joys of job searching...

Fun fact:  I posted this on Reddit a while back and someone commented that they thought it was fake. I wish buddy, I wish.

Hallelujah

After 6 months, over 225 jobs applied for, 13 interviews, and countless nights of stress and whining and doubt, I am no longer unemployed!

Hallelujah.

I allowed myself the latter part of yesterday and most of today to celebrate and relax, but now it's time to panic and figure out my commute, what the hell we're going to do with the dogs all day, and just everything that comes along with a new job. I was hoping to have a little more time to get this all ironed out, but due to already scheduled meetings, my first day starts Monday with me travelling to Denver for meetings and training.

So...we've got to figure out what we're going to do with the dogs by the end of today or tomorrow basically. Shit.

But I'm sure it will all work out (right?!!) and yay I'm not an unemployed loser any more!

I wonder if any of my work dresses still fit?

Today So Far

I actually went for a run...

Awkward sweaty photo as evidence of said run!

I have kept up with my diet...

I haven't had any alcohol...

I've actually had some water...

I realize it's only 10:45a.m., but tiny victories right?

This Sunday Currently

Currently I am...

Reading: The 4th HP book....I don't read enough...

Writing: This blog post, our grocery list, some e-mails, and a kind of fun/different cover letter for a job I'm applying for this morning. (Hire me, I'm awesome!)

Listening: To Mike cleaning up the house while listening to a soccer game, the dogs following him around, and our upstairs neighbors stomping up a storm.

Eating:  Coffee and Mike is going to go get donuts later. DONUTS! I have always had an unhealthy love for donuts. When my mom and dad wanted to get me out of bed to do chores on the weekends, the would do so with the promise of donuts. Worked every time!

Wishing/Hoping:  Obviously for a job. I have 3 in mind that I actually could see myself really happy with. One is just a cool company and a unique experience, one is actually helping people and doing good, and one is with a great company starting really low and hopefully moving into my dream job. Fingers crossed FOR ONE OF THESE DAMN JOBS HOLY CRAP I'M SICK OF BEING UNEMPLOYED. Ahem, sorry about that. Moving on...

Wearing: A blue tank top and pajama shorts. Sexy!

Loving: That we had a successful apartment hunting day yesterday and didn't totally kill each other driving around a town we aren't familiar with for like 3 hours. 

Wanting:  The usual - a job and some security/clarity. Also, this skirt, to get to move into our first choice apartments, this whole outfit and the weather to match, and a trip here with my sister and no distractions (sound good, Laura?)

Needing: To get up, take a shower, and get ready to go run errands. Also, to do some styling, I'm so behind!

Feeling: Tired and anxious, but a little excited. Is it weird that doing up our grocery list puts me in a good mood? It's probably actually the fact that I'm getting a donut later, yep, that's it.

Clicking:  Pinterest, gmail, and apartment listings.

$15.00 Off Glasses at Firmoo!

Hey Guys! I was given a code by Firmoo for $15.00 off any of their new arrivals glasses and wanted to share it with you lovely four eyed nerds (takes one to know one).

The first 5 people to use this code:  3c25806572 will be able to get $15.00 off any of the glasses found here.

I've talked about Firmoo a bunch of times on here because I think they're pretty darn great. I actually wore a pair of their glasses to the eye doctor the other day. He complimented them and said, "Whew expensive." I didn't correct him even though those suckers were about $30 with the lenses!

Gizmo likes Firmoo too.

If I was going to use the code, here are the ones I would choose between:

here

here

My favorites!

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The code is good until August 31st. Happy shopping!

(This isn't a sponsored post, I was sent the code because I've worked with them in the past and got to choose whether or not I wanted to share it. Of course I did, I love you nerds!)

How To

How to handle getting rejected from a job you thought you totally had a chance at getting and you rocked the interview for just the day before:

1)  Do not order a pizza even if Pizza Hut keeps sending you e-mails with free bread sticks offers.
2)  Give the dogs baths even if you can't figure out how to hook up the complicated shower thing your husband uses, just use a measuring cup to dump the damn water on them, it'll be fine.
3)  Watch Bye Bye Birdie the Jason Alexander version.
4)  Do your strength training for the day even if your ab workout is super lazy.
5)  Do a bunch of laundry even if your husband later criticizes the wash at which you did the sheets (weirdo).
6)  Eat a piece of cheddar cheese.
7)  Clean the house so it looks all nice and organized when your husband gets home.
8)  Have an awesome husband who buys you metro roses because he knows you're sad.
9)  Be happy that B got great news today.
10) Apply for a shitload of jobs to make up for this disappointment.
11) Drink two strong cocktails and go to bed at 9:15.
12) Just start over and keep going and blerg.

Don't forget to take photos of yourself mid-workout, looking like a total trainwreck.

What/When

Stealing another post idea from The Other Juliette. Because I have nothing exciting in my life to blog about.

Ready, go!

What/When was the last...

...recipe you made?  Bahn mis a couple days ago and I've been eating the leftovers ever since. Oh man, I love bahn mis. We use this recipe, but substitute ground turkey for ground pork. This time, for leftovers, I've been making bahn mi bowls, throwing some brown rice in a bowl, cutting up the meat balls and throwing everything else on top with some feta and cucumbers. So good.

...good decision you made?  Actually getting off my ass and doing cardio on Tuesday was a pretty good decision (and a rare one lately cough cough) and taking the assloads of time to look up reviews on every single apartment on our apartment hunting list turned out to be a good decision since we were able to veto a few.

...cool place you went?  I really had to think about this one. I think it's a tie with that random round building in between the Smithsonian Castle and the Freer Gallery that looks super tiny, but when you go in and go down like four flights of stairs you realize it's this giant building filled with classrooms and conference rooms and you get lost and find yourself in a really great African art gallery. That was pretty cool. It's a tie between that Wit & Wisdom in Baltimore. You know how sometimes you go into a restaurant and just feel like it's cool? Like whoa, I am not cool enough to eat in here? This place was like that, but the staff was so friendly that you didn't care that you weren't cool enough and the food was AMAZING and the rich people next to us were being complete turds to the waitress so I felt better for being poor and nice.

...show you watched?  Mike and I are finally catching up on Parks and Rec since we were about two seasons behind and we just started Copper which I'm not 100% sure about yet.

...awesome thing that happened?  I guess getting one new interview and two second interviews this week? That's pretty awesome and awful all at once. Statistically I HAVE to get one of these right?!!

...thing you bought for yourself?  Two cute tops on super clearance at Target about two weeks ago. That's actually a pretty long time for me to not buy something! I even had a cart full of stuff from the online Forever21 sale and I didn't ever pull the trigger. Hashtag poor and unemployed.

...good photo of you?  I actually think I look pretty good in this instagram from a couple days ago. Although, Tuffy looks better (obviously).

...bad decision you made?  Not keeping up with my diet and exercise. Fat asssssss.

...time you were really excited?  I'm pretty excited right now for our day trip to apartment hunt and eat at a new to us tapas place tomorrow.

...time you had a free weekend?  I'm unemployed, every day is a "free weekend" for me which is both awesome and awful. But, to be fair, last weekend was the last "free weekend" for both Mike and I since we had nothing planned and could just hang out at home and run errands.

Life Lately in Photos

Annnd here are some boring photos!

I text Mike random photos like this of the dogs while he's at work. Doesn't that hurt your neck, Gizmo?

Seen at the Freer Gallery.

I think the dogs miss Mike a little.

I visited the Freer Gallery for the first time and it was so quiet and peaceful and calm in there, I could have laid down on one of the benches and had a lovely nap.

I love the Unspirational instagram account. This is one of my fave posts. (No burn meant towards people who are ACTUALLY allergic to gluten, but most of you are not and you're just obnoxious.)

The face Tuffy gives me when I kiss him while he's asleep. 

I actually did cardio today. The world might end.

Life Lately

Life the last two weeks has been really just trying to get used to our new lives. Mike and I only really see each other for about an hour and a half every day. Which is pretty weird. We're used to doing everything together - grocery shopping, working out, watching tv, cooking, his soccer games, and yeah we hang out too much, but we don't know very many people here and also we hate most people...

Mike also had a pretty solid routine before he got this new job. And he did pretty much everything in our house. He did all the cleaning, most of the cooking, the laundry, the ironing, cleaning the car, bathing and grooming the dogs. And yes, I'm worthless, but pretty.

Now that he's gone from 6:00a.m. to almost 8:00p.m. every night, he can't do most of those things anymore or his weekends would just be one errand after another. So I actually get/have to do things now. Which is actually kind of awesome. I do the laundry (except his delicates, I'm not allowed) (delicates means fancy clothes, not silk underpants btw), I make dinner and have it waiting when he gets home (I've only cooked one thing he hated and yet ate the entire thing anyways, that guy), I make his lunch for the next day, I feed the dogs and take them for their long morning and night time walks alone which is really boring because I'm used to talking to Mike the whole time on the night time walk, I work out alone (okay, I don't allllways work out, I've been very lazy lately), on days I get up early and take Mike to his bus stop, I take the car and do the grocery shopping alone, I straighten up the house, I clean the kitchen, and I even brushed the dogs' teeth and that was no easy feat. (THAT WAS THE WORLD'S LONGEST RUN ON SENTENCE, I'M SORRY, BUT I'M NOT SORRY)

And I actually kind of loving having to do all that stuff. I feel so much more useful! Also, since I'm currently unemployed and home alone alll day, it makes my day go so much more quickly having so much to do.

Side note:  I would have done all these things prior to Mike's schedule, but Mike is an OCD control freak and I'm just a control freak so I lost. Also, you get pretty damn used to living with someone who doesn't mind and is amazing at everything, so yeah, I'm kind of lazy.

This blog post is making me sound horrible.

Anyways, life lately is me, home with the pups, doing chores, applying for jobs, styling for clients, getting really sleepy from being on the computer, binge watching Orange is the New Black, not dieting enough, not working out enough, making crazy long and detailed apartment lists for our upcoming apartment hunt, and watching old Bachelorette episodes on YouTube (will I ever get sick of Jillian's season? No I will not.)

I got to go into the city with Mike last week for an interview and it was pretty great getting to see his daily commute. The commuter bus is actually really nice and quiet and clean and you can't really complain about a commute if you're not doing any of the driving and just nap and read the whole time. I walked all over, got myself some Starbucks, read on the mall and watched the hot Marine runners (sorry not sorry), and then met Mike for lunch at the farmer's market that his work puts on every Friday. We bought some delicious pizzas and sat under a tree in his work's garden. It was pretty dang nice, I'll tell ya'. I'm so glad Mike has that little garden to escape to if he's having a stressful day and needs to get away from his desk.

After lunch, I walked the couple of miles to the location of my interview and waited around in an air conditioned starbucks. My interview went well (who really knows with these things??) and then I walked back to meet Mike at his bus stop so we could commute home. All in all, I walked about 6 miles in my cute little flats so my feet were killing me, but I felt less guilty about skipping cardio the day before and it was a fun little day!

Next up, we're going to go apartment searching and enjoy restaurant week and I have two phone interviews this week so hopefully good things will be coming soon?

This is a long, rambly blog post. I'm sorry.

The end.

This Sunday Currently

Currently I am...

Reading: The 4th HP book, got through a lot of it during my 13 hour DC day on Friday.

Writing: This blog post and that's it. Not much to write these days other than blog posts and I'm okay with that!

Listening: Mike watching soccer in the other room while the dogs nap.

Eating:  Mike just made single serving coffee cake in a mug for each of us and it was amazingly delicious.

Wishing/Hoping:  For one of the 8 trillion jobs I'm in contention for to work out. Please? And for the whole "moving into a new apartment, moving out of this apartment, people visiting" first 2 weeks of October to go smoothly.

Wearing: A white tank top and white Pink VS pajama bottoms. I have had these bottoms since Jersey I realized. That was an expensive purchase back then!

Loving: That we have gotten to be so lazy this weekend, we are dead tired! I'm also still loving how happy Mike is at his new job. It's so nice to see him come home from work tired, but happy.

Wanting:  The usual - a job and some security/clarity and for my anxiety to lessen. Also, this workout dvd to get my FAT ASS back in shape (good for apartment living, no jumping around), this adorable phone case, this amazing dress from Loft (you had me at faux leather details), this horn necklace, and this haircut.

Needing: To get up, take a shower, and I don't know, do something? I have nothing to do today...

Feeling: Tired and anxious...the usual. Maybe one day I won't type that on here? Hopefully?

Clicking:  The archives of a blog I want to discover from the beginning, Forever21 to put items from their super sale into my cart and then not buy them because, unemployment, and Google Images to lust over haircuts I can't pull off.

A couple other things...

I can't help taking pictures whenever I go into the city. It's just so dang pretty there.

We ended up getting on an early bus home and while waiting at the bus stop, we saw a man set up outside the metro selling roses for only $3.00. Mike walked over and got me some and I love that he picked the prettiest pink ones out of the color options. I carried these pretties home, wrapped in newspaper, for the whole 2 hour bus ride and I've been moving them from room to room with me ever since.

A Rant on Interviews aka The Ramblings of a Stress Case

Job interviews are stressful regardless.

I mean, right? Once I get in the room and make eye contact with people, I'm pretty good, but the lead up to a job interview is super stressful.

What are they going to ask? What should I wear? Will they be nice or stern? Have they already chosen someone internal and this is just for show? What if I get lost and am late? What if I totally choke?

Those are normal stresses albeit ones I blow gigantically out of proportion because I am a card carrying over-worrier.

But when you're living in Southern Maryland and applying for jobs in DC, there are a nice, big crapload of extra stresses that come with job interviews.

How am I going to get there? What are we going to do with the dogs? How much is it going to cost me to get there, eat, kennel the dogs, etc.?

And on and on.

So, I'm just going to bitch about my day tomorrow real quick here to exercise my stress demons. Ready?

Tomorrow, I'm going to commute into the city with Mike for my interview. I have to be ready, looking interview good and leave the house by 6:10a.m. at the latest. That's early. Balls. We'll get there about 8:00a.m. My interview is at 2:00p.m. Double balls. It's DC so I can entertain myself easily, but that's a long time to sit around/walk around/entertain myself wearing my cute interview dress. It's only a 2.1 mile walk from Mike's work to my interview location so that will be a good way to kill about an hour, but of course that means bringing an extra pair of shoes in my purse because I'm not doing that in heels. I'm going to need to find a bathroom to freshen up at some point because after two hours on a bus and four hours walking around DC, I'm not going to look great, I'm sure. After my interview, I'll walk back to Mike's work and wait for him so we can take the bus for two hours back home. Our dogs can't be alone that long and our kennel was full and my dad was busy so one of Mike's friends from soccer is going to check on them and walk them at lunch. He's never met them before and I'm terrified they are going to run away or something because, well, I'm a paranoid over-worrier. It's going to be a long ass day. And interviews are stressful anyways. Getting up at 5:00a.m. is my nightmare.

And then if I do get the job, our lease isn't up until October 13th so we'll both have to commute and hire a dog walker and when are we going to do laundry and cook dinner and work out and then we have to move holy shit this is all so stressful.

Okay, I'm done.

Style Files - Stylish at a Work Conference

Today's style files is one of my favorite recent clients, Erin. Erin needed looks for an upcoming work conference. For her though, I couldn't just do some boring, classic work wear because Erin is awesome and loves to take chances with her style.

I tried to make her outfit planning as easy as possible by basing every look on either the perfect pair of black slacks or the perfect black pencil skirt. Once we had our bases down, we could spend our time creatively pairing tops and accessories for multiple cute and still work appropriate looks.

Here is what we came up with!

Find here

Necklace:  Adia Kibur, $80.00  *  Sweater (also available in red):  Trouve, $78.00  *  Pants:  Anne Klein, $64.00  *  Heels:  Vince Camuto, $88.95

Find here

Blazer:  ASOS, $87.06  *  Peplum Top:  ASOS, $18.38 (on sale!)  *  Pants:  Anne Klein, $64.00  *  Heels:  ASOS, $77.39

Find here

Additional options for peplum tops to go with this look.

Top 1:  ASOS, $61.91  *  Top 2:  ASOS, $30.96 (on sale!)  *  Top 3:  City Chic, $58.00

Find here

Earrings:  Kate Spade, $38.00  *  Top:  ASOS, $23.11 (on super sale!)  *  Skirt:  Tildon, $44.00  *  Heels:  Sole Society, $69.95

Find here

Addition top option for this look that I found last minute and couldn't help but include.

Top:  ASOS, $96.74

Find here

Erin wanted to be able to dress down her work looks to wear out at night after the conference was over. I gave her a couple options for jeans and boots, depending on her preference.

Earrings:  Kate Spade, $38.00  *  Top:  ASOS, $23.11  *  Jeans 1:  NYDJ, $110.00  *  Jeans 2:  ASOS, $34.82 (on sale!)  *  Boots:  Steve Madden, $133.90  *  Booties:  Dolce Vita, $99.90

Find here

I also thought the top would be cute with black jeans, so I gave her that option too.

Earrings:  Kate Spade, $38.00  *  Top:  ASOS, $23.11  *  Pants:  ASOS, $58.04  *  Boots:  Sam Edelman, $189.95  *  Booties:  French Connection, $169.95

Find here

This was our favorite look!

Earrings:  Juliet & Company, $21.00  *  Top:  Topshop, $72.00  *  Skirt:  Tildon, $44.00  *  Wedges:  Louise et Cie, $128.94

Find here

Erin had a similar grey skirt that she wanted ideas for wearing to the conference.

Top 1:  ASOS, $38.69  *  Top 2:  ASOS, $48.37  *  Skirt:  Jones New York, $69.00  *  Heels:  Halogen, $99.95

Find here

Erin previously bought these pants from me and she wanted a way to dress them up for work.

Blazer:  ASOS, $67.70  *  Top:  ASOS, $48.37  *  Pants:  Bobeau, $28.80 (on sale!)  *  Necklace:  Adia Kibur, $95.00  *  Heels:  Vince Camuto, $88.95

This Sunday Currently

Currently I am...

Reading: The 4th HP book and just rented The Last Six Million Seconds by John Burdett so I need to read that before it expires.

Writing: This blog post and that's it. Maybe I'll actually step away from the damn computer today after this.

Listening: To old Project Runway episodes on Hulu (when I'm sitting at the computer, I always have something playing in the background), and Mike watching soccer in the other room while the dogs sleep.

Eating:  Coffee and delicious zucchini bread that Mike bought at the farmer's market that takes place every week on the grounds of his new office. How cute is it that there is an on-site farmer's market??

Wishing/Hoping:  For things to fall into place. I need to find a job, figure out where we're going to live, get a new place, and leave this place, all without inconveniencing anyone too much. Pipe dream?

Wearing: Black leggings and a blue racer back tank.

Loving: That Mike's first week at his new job went so well and that I'm finally able to help out a lot in our house now that Mike is busy (being the wife of someone with OCD can make you feel reallllly useless sometimes).

Wanting:  The usual - a job and some security/clarity and for my anxiety to lessen. Also, this super cute cell phone case, this unique white midi skirt, my hair to look like this every day (not gonna happen), and a place to wear this amazing jumpsuit.

Needing: To get up, go to the gym, make Mike scones for breakfast next week, and then take some time to read my book.

Feeling: Tired and anxious...the usual. Maybe one day I won't type that on here? Hopefully?

Clicking:  Filing my webcert for unemployment, Pinterest for new ab moves at the gym today, Hulu for noise in the background, and clicking on the 800 job announcement emails I get every day.

A couple other things...

The worst thing about Mike's new super long schedule is having to work out alone. I've never been good at working out, so going with Mike was a lot of motivation. It is nice that I can go during the day and have the apartment gym to myself though.

When having dinner waiting for my husband, you also need to do up a dessert plate. He's on a s'more kick lately after we went "camping" so this is what he had waiting for him Thursday night.