17 Cool Things You Need to Click On Today

Are you guys ready for the holidays? I've done a lot of my shopping--but definitely not all of it! Finishing it all is my goal for next week. Otherwise, we're getting into the spirit! We decorated the tree last weekend, and this weekend, we're heading into the city and taking the kids to see the Radio City Christmas Spectacular and the Rockefeller Center tree. Whatever you're up to this weekend, I hope it's great. Here's some fun links to check out in the meantime.

• My love for J.Crew's Tippi sweater is well established on this blog. (Reminder: It goes with everything, it can be dressed up or down, and it's super flattering.) And now they have a Tippi with a heart-eyes emoji on it! And it's on sale!

• Surprisingly, Ann Taylor has really good going-out tops. (And I mean tops that are good for, like, going out to dinner with friends. I'm not suggesting you shop at Ann Taylor for clubwear, people!) I love the sleeves on this one (should I get red or black though?), the cut-outs on this one, and the color of (and, well, everything else about) this one. They also always have amazing sales. (Right now, 40 percent off all full-price stuff!)

• This supersoft Barefoot Dreams cardigan is on my Christmas list. It basically feels like walking around in a cozy, cushy robe all day long. (Yes, please!)

• I loved checking out Grace's gorgeous holiday dinner and I'm SO excited about her giveaway: You could win a (gold!) Away suitcase stuffed with West Elm goodies. Enter here.

• Would you buy makeup from 7-11?

• Do you guys follow Elsie Larson of A Beautiful Mess? She's long been one of my favorite follows, but for the past few days, I have been absolutely riveted by her feed. She and her husband are currently in China adopting a baby girl, Nova, and it is the most beautiful story. I actually had tears in my eyes when she shared the first photo of Nova, and I check her feed several times during the day to make sure the Instagram algorithm isn't hiding anything from me! I get that this is slightly stalker-ish, but I bet once you read her story and follow along, you'll be hooked, too. You can follow her on Instagram here and read the backstory of the adoption here. 

• This multi-braided hairstyle is the coolest.

• This blogger photo shoot took places in Lowe's and it is chic AF!

• When holidays cards get brutally honest.

• Who else out there is old enough to remember Freezy Freakies, those color-changing gloves from the '80s? Well, they're back--and in adult sizes, too. I totally want a pair. Is that weird?

•  Loved this tour of Gray Benko's home--especially that gallery wall of oil portraits. So cool!

• The world's largest Starbucks is nuttttts!

• A dying woman asks to see the ocean one last time. Such a moving photo...

And in case you missed it, I...

• Shared 12 awesome beauty gifts to give--or receive.

• Introduced you to this gorgeous red velvet top.

• Highlighted a great deal (free holiday home and cleaning products!) on Grove Collaborative. **Secret inside tip: Even though, it's supposed to be over, you can actually still get the deal--and the free stuff--but only if you go through my link. (Shh!)

• Found tons of cute pajamas.

Have a great weekend!

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15 Cool Things You Need to Click On Today

I'm obsessed with this photo by @thebelleabroad. It looks like a rainbow unicorn secret garden, but it's actually the entrance to a resturant in London! Instagram #goals.

I've been totally MIA lately and I really apologize! Been crazy busy with writing, work events, planning parties, and who knows what else. I'll have a lot of fresh content for you soon, but wanted to pop in now to share a few fun links. And it's quite a mix today! We've got cool clothes (most on sale!), must-have beauty products....annnnd the heart-wrenching story of parents emotionally abusing their kids on YouTube. (Eek.) So, yes, let's just say, today is a bit of a grab bag.

In real life, this weekend, we're laying pretty low. We have a few birthday parties and school-related events, and I've got to catch up on some work. Hoping for some good weather--but the forecast doesn't look super promising. (Spring, where are you??) Well, whatever you're up to this weekend, I hope you make it a great one. In the meantime, here's a few great reads, clicks, and deals. Enjoy!

• One of my favorite things to wear in the spring is a breezy top and jeans. Soo...I just bought a couple of spring-y tops online at Ann Taylor, and was surprised how flattering and cute they're in person. Now they are having a 40% off sale (use code WARMUP), so I'd recommend checking them out, stat! I already own this lace-sleeved top, this blue tank, this blue ruffle shell (one my my faves--I want it in the other color now!), and this white knotted top (FYI, this one runs big. I'd recommend sizing down). And now I have my eye on this muted lavender-gray top, this pleated-shoulder blouse, and this patterned, long-sleeve top.

• Such a good deal: These adorable eyelet dresses are under $100 even before the sale. But now you can get an extra 25% off with code HOPTOIT.

• Current beauty obsession: This SPF primer from Coola. It feels weightless, really helps makeup last longer, and has SPF 30!

• I love Birks in the summer, and this studded version is like their badass, even-cooler sister. Need! 

• This white-lace dress is pricey, yes, but it's nothing short of stunning.

• How sweet and summery is this strawberry cosmetic bag?

• I've been testing this It Cosmetics concealer for the past few months, and it's definitely awesome. It's super thick, so your dark circles stand no chance. I love it!

• Have you ever tried Eggs Goldenrod? I haven't, but they sound incredible. Want to make asap!

• Easter for grownups: chocolate bunny shots.

• Dreamy braids!

• I love this story by friend Alison Brod: How I Used a FitBit to Bond With My Son. (Totally want to steal this idea and use it with my iPad-obsessed daughter!)

• Made me laugh: Ulta Releases Line of Shitty Hair Ties To Give Cheap-Ass Friends

• An 8-year-old boy and his little sister really want McDonalds, so he takes his parents' car and drives there. Best part: says he learns how to drive by watching YouTube.

• Larry David's daughter has a new online series and it's totally "Curb Your Enthusiasm" for the millennial set. And it's funny!

• Have you guys heard of the YouTube family that is basically emotionally abusing their kids (but calling them "pranks") on camera for clicks and likes? This video is hard to watch, but I'm so glad this guy exposed them. It's important to know what's out there--and I'm hoping that YouTube pulls their channel and these people are investigated. I'm actually thinking of doing a longer post to further discuss this. (Are you guys interested?) But oh my gosh: Poor, poor Cody. :(

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18 Cool Things You Need To Click On Today

This little guy's first time walking in the snow; mani courtesy of Olive & June (nail polish shade: Deborah Lippmann's Dark Side of The Moon); why, yes, my four year old is rock climbing (indoors!); a fresh, healthy, yummy lunch at The Little Beet with Felicia (awesome conversation, not pictured)

This week was a tad crazy with the move, the freezing temps, and a few fun activities. For one, I  attended my very first book club! Like many book clubs (so I've heard), the discussion was about 2% book, 98% other stuff, but it was fun! I met a great, new group of women, and if nothing else, the experience forced me to power through a book, rather than take my sweet time. We read Cutting For Stone. Have you read it? I loved it. It was a very slow start and I almost gave up, but I'm so glad I stuck with it. It was great.

Today I'm meeting up with my friend PJ to talk Alt Summit! She's attending next week, and suddenly, in a last-minute turn-of-events, for the first time, so am I! It hasn't totally hit me that I'll be in Salt Lake City in just a few days. Crazy, huh?

Here's some fun links. Have a great weekend!

• This metallic sweater is cool...and under $42! (Plus you can get an extra 20% off through Saturday if you use the code LAYER.)

• This ponytail tho.

• I love everything Tia writes so much, and this is no exception: "I Was Called Racist For Hating Kerry Washington's Gown."

• This cage shelf is kind of awesome. It would be great in a kid's room as clutter control. I'm picturing plush animals artfully stuffed into that cage.

• These dairy-free, gluten-free pesto zucchini rollups look fantastic. So making them!

• I already own one Ann Taylor sweatshirt and love the way it fits. This pretty, lacy one is on sale and next on my list. (Plus get an extra 60% off--!!--by using the code SHOPBIG.)

• Hitha beat me to the punch posting this piece, but it's SO fascinating that I still had to share: "The Genius of Taylor Swift's Girlfriend Collection." (h/t Felicia)

• I am truly the worst because I am so guilty of this. Anyone else? (Also: Hilarious!)

• Things they should have told me about motherhood.

• Are you following Unspirational on Instagram? So wrong that it's so right. Not to mention so funny. (This one cracked me up.)

• Grace relaunched her site! It looks amazing and makes me covet a re-design of this blog something fierce.

• Are you living with a "threenager?" I am.

• Here's why having an unlimited vacation policy didn't work for one company. They've now switched to a minimum vacation policy and I am officially jealous.

• Okay. So, I hesitated to even post this next link, because 1) I don't know if it's really true, and 2) It's incredibly depressing. But a lot of it is definitely true (these beggars--very common in big cities, I see them in the NYC subway all the time--are usually controlled by a crime ring), and I've noticed firsthand that the children in these situations are always, ALWAYS sleeping as the article states. So I fear it may be real. If it is, I hope the attention causes something to be done to stop it: "Why Is The Child In The Hands of The Beggar Always Sleeping?" 

And in case you missed it, this week I...

• Got personal and revealed a few intimate details about my life.

• Said good-bye to the Brides magazine offices.

• Shared the first Brides hair how-to video. (FYI, it is truly for everyone--not just brides.)

• Gave step-by-step instructions for recreating the world's coolest ponytail.

The 7 Best Black Friday Sales

shoes (30% off); sweater (50% off); necklace (15% to 35% off); jacket (50% off)

When it comes to Black Friday, I'm not a big get-in-line-outside-of-Best-Buy-at-3-a.m. kind of shopper. But I am a major sit-at-my-computer-and-scoop-up-great-online-deals type of shopper. Sound like you, too?

Below, I've gathered some of the very best deals out there, focusing on retailers that I already frequent regularly who are offering really great sales. I also stuck to the retailers doing sales on everything on their site. Otherwise, it's just annoying. I hate having to hunt and pick and try to figure out whether an item is included in the sale or not. Inevitably I fall in love with something and then get to the checkout and realize, D'oh! It's full price. Ugh. THE WORST.

I've also combed through the sites, picked my very favorite items that are now on sale, and included links to them, below. The items include things I already own and love--and some fun wish-list pieces that I'll be after at the sales, too. 

So, here you go! A few of my favorite things from a few of my favorite sales. Happy shopping!

BEAUTYBAR: $15 off $75, $35 off $150, and $65 off $250 with code BBCYBER14 (this one is especially cool because beauty products almost never go on sale)

ANN TAYLOR: 50% off everything

BODEN: 30% off sitewide (which I'm actually crying about because I just finally bought these amazing sparkly shoes at full price)

GAP: 50% off sitewide with code BLKFRIDAY

PIPERLIME: 25% off sitewide with code THANKFUL25

BAUBLEBAR: 15% off 2 items with code FRIDAY15; 35% off 4+ items with code: FRIDAY35

MADEWELL: 25% off everything with code GIFTON

My Weekend Uniform

Lip color, Clinique Chubby Stick in Super Strawberry; necklace, Lulu Frost (old; similar here and here); sweatshirt, Ann Taylor (on sale!; plus I also love the similar one here); jeans, Rag & Bone (on sale!); boots, Jimmy Choo (similar--and much less expensive!--here and here)

Photos by Jennifer Casson

It's been ages since I've done an outfit post! And while this one doesn't show a groundbreaking combo, I know, it's very indicative of what you'll find me in on a weekend. It's essentially my Saturday/Sunday uniform: simple top (I'm obsessssssed with this fitted Ann Taylor sweatshirt), statement necklace, dark skinny jeans (I basically live in these Rag & Bones, if I'm being totally honest--they're the best-fitting, all-time most-flattering pair), and black moto boots.

Let's talk about these boots for a minute, actually. I got them last year as a gift and promptly wore them for probably 99 percent of the days between October and March. They are the BEST BOOTS EVER. They're cool-looking, warm (the inside is lined in fur--they're basically super fancy Uggs), comfy as hell, and flattering. (I don't know what it is about them, but they always make my legs look way thinner than they really are. So yes--I am in love with them.)

But here's the thing: They are very expensive. Like insanely expensive. (Again, I did not buy mine myself!) If you can swing it, I say go for it--you'll wear them constantly. Otherwise, I've found a few very similar options (see below) for a much more down-to-earth price. Wear them, love them, live in them--any day of the week.

Do you have a weekend uniform? What does it consist of? I'd love to know!

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The Best Summer Dresses for Work

From left: Tory Burch (on major sale!); Gap; Diane Von Furstenberg

As you may have read, I had a bit of news this week. And this is the kind of news that brings...new clothes! (It was necessary, I swear!) See, for the past few months, I've been freelancing. And working from home (or the coffee shop) can mean wearing anything from a casual chambray dress to cutoffs to--ok, being real here now--pjs. And considering that last summer, I had just had a baby, and basically lived in sweats, I hadn't really gone shopping for new summer work clothes in, like, forever. It was time for an upgrade--a.k.a. New Dress O'Clock.

I love dresses for work, don't you? They take so much less time in the morning since you don't have to think too hard about what to pair them with. Plus, they're so much more flattering (for me, at least) than separates. Specifically, the most flattering dress silhouettes on my body are the ones that are fitted on top, flared on the bottom, and usually sleeveless, so that's what I tend to gravitate towards. I also love me a good cap sleeve, though, too. And, I have a definite soft spot for an embellished neckline. Case in point: This LBD. (Can't believe it's from Ann Taylor! Looks so similar to a Phillip Lim dress I bought a few years back. Going into the cart in 3, 2, 1...)

Here are a few more dresses that I love for work. There's a few I've actually already purchased (this one, this one, this one, and this one), along with a few more I've got my eye on. Which is your favorite?

SHOP MY FAVORITE SUMMER WORK DRESSES