currently... [january 2017]

starting: to plan Baby Q's nursery. Two of my best friends have already started planning a shower, so Mr. Q and I need to register soon, so we need a theme! Mr. Q has helped me narrow it down, but I'll be posting some of the ideas I went through here in the weeks to come. I am definitely of the mindset that a nursery should look like it belongs to the rest of the house, not like a parallel baby universe.

hoping: that pregnancy rhinitis is a phase and won't last for 20 more weeks. I've been sleeping with a cool mist humidifier on, slathering on Vick's VapoRub, and using Simply Saline at least twice a day, but not being able to take effective medicine or even drink Breathe Easy tea is crushing me.

scheduling: pregnancy courses offered through the hospital I'll be giving birth in. They offer a six-week course on either Low Intervention or Prepared Childbirth, Infant CPR, a basic Newborn Care class with info on bathing, sleep, diapering, feeding, and such, a Breastfeeding for Working Moms class. I also plan to take the prenatal tour of the hospital and get our car seat checked before little one is due!

reading: Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon (#4 in the Outlander series) - I tried to read this one once before and had trouble getting into it, but I'm about halfway through this time and enjoying it much more. This one is set on the East Coast of Colonial America in the 1760's, when Jamie and Claire Fraser become homesteaders. Instead of just Claire being the first person point-of-view character, there are also chapters that follow her daughter Brianna Randall in third person as she tries to figure out what became of her parents after Claire went back through time in Voyager. I'm bothered by Claire referring to Native Americans as "savages" because having recently come from 1968, she should know better, but I'm really enjoying Gabaldon's descriptions of the Appalachian mountains before they were settled.

playing: New Justin Timberlake! Have you listened to "Filthy" or watched the video yet? It's been an established fact since 1997 that I'm going to enjoy anything involding Justin, but I had no idea he even had a new album coming out until I saw the trailer for Man of the Woods a few days ago.

Linking up with Anne from In Residence

my march favorites.

Here's what I've been loving this month...

1. American Shakespeare Center - Did you know that the world's only re-creation of Shakespeare's indoor theatre, the Blackfriars' Playhouse, is in Staunton, Virginia? I went with friends to see a production of the parody The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) in college, but hadn't been since. My co-teacher's parents got tickets for our whole English team for Christmas, and we had a wonderful day driving up to see The Merchant of Venice and eat dinner at the Mill Street Grill.

2. The Seven Realms series by Cinda Williams Chima - Several of my male students had recommended this fantasy series to me, so I was surprised when I finally got around to checking out The Demon King from the library, with its super-masculine cover art, and finding out that one of the main characters is a feisty princess! The other MC is a streetlord who's basically a combination of Aladdin and Han Solo. These are definitely time-consuming books to read (each one weighs in at over 500 pages), but I really enjoyed getting lost in the unique fantasy world Chima has built, which includes a matrilineal society that feels medieval, an indigenous culture based on eastern Native American societies, and a magical college.

3. Old Navy Clover Necklace - I picked this dainty necklace up around St. Patrick's Day, but it's also perfect as a 4-H necklace for me :)

4. REN Evercalm Rescue Mask from Sephora - When I got back from my business trip to Indiana last month, my skin was a mess from staying in a hotel and air travel - I had acne on my cheeks, which is really unusual for me. I had a little sample bottle of this mask from Sephora, which is a little thicker than a normal day moisturizer. I used it morning (under makeup) and night (after washing my face) for about a week and it made a huge difference. The full-size version is a pricey product but I feel like it'll be worth it if used sparingly for skin emergencies!

5. Indoor Rock Climbing - The Bible study I've joined tries to have a fun activity in the community each month, and this month we visited a rock climbing gym in Roanoke. I hadn't done any climbing since I worked as a 4-H camp counselor in college and was surprised by how easy it was to pick back up. I didn't realize how much my upper body strength had improved since I've become a yoga junkie! It doesn't hurt the fun factor that the River Rock gym shares a building with Wasena Tap Room!

January Fab Favorites

Rather than make New Year's Resolutions, for the past few years I've adopted the practice of choosing one word for the New Year. For 2016, my word is going to be horizon - I feel like it kept presenting myself to me, so I accepted it! I'm not sure what's on the horizon for me - the future is a blank slate for me to fill with my hopes and dreams for the future. Will I buy a house, write a novel, get a pet, travel the world, or make a new friend this year? I'm making positive changes in my life and habits and hoping that positivity will come back to me. Here are a few favorites making those changes a little easier to adopt.

1. Creative women building each other up - I've kicked off the year with two memoirs by funny women in creative fields (who are not too much older than me), Everyone's Weird on the Internet (Almost) by Felicia Day (read my review from yesterday here) and Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling. Both share a common theme: boss ladies shouldn't be competing with one another, we should be building each other up - Felicia addresses #Gamergate and Mindy tackles topics from "Who Wore it Best?" magazine columns to Instagram friendships. Two of my favorite essays in Mindy's book are "(Minor) Fame Has Changed Me" and "Things to Bring to My Dinner Party." My favorite passage in Mindy's book comes from the essay "Some Thoughts on Weddings" (she kind of hates them due to the sense that the bride is leaving her behind):

With my friends, the sad truth is that our best "best friend" days are behind us. In college, we used to be able to meet each other in the common area of our off-campus housing, excited about our evening ahead, which consisted of someone making an enormous tureen of pasta and drinking wine from a box while we took turns regaling each other with details of our terrible love lives. Playful arguments would become fits of uncontrollable laughter, and like magic, that experience would get crystallized into a private joke, and the private joke would get boiled down to a simple phrase, which would become a souvenir of the entire experience. For years to come, the phrase alone could uncork hours of renewed laughter. And as everyone knows, the best kind of laughter is laughter born of a shared memory.

2. A routine that helps me glow - When I finally got my long-awaited Clarisonic Mia2, it came with a bottle of Fresh Soy Face Cleanser which I've been using religiously. Not only has my cystic acne improved, but I think my face looks glowy and my skin looks plumper in the mornings when I wake up. In addition to the obvious soy proteins, this cleanser is full of healthy ingredients like cucumber extract and borage seed oil.

3. Fashionable accountability - I've wanted a fitness tracker for a while now, and Mr. Q got me the Jawbone Up2 for Christmas. I liked the Up2 a little better than some other trackers because it includes a smart alarm feature than I can set to wake me up during the lightest part of my sleep cycle! So far, I'm using the Up2 to track my sleep, daily step count and workout lengths, and food (the Up app has a barcode reader feature or the option to type in what I've eaten and search through a database). I also have an idle alert set so that the wristband vibrates when I am still for a set length of time - currently, I've got it set for 45 minutes. I like that the app gives suggestions to help me reach my goals - for example, on Saturday night, we went out to eat, and when I opened the app to log my meal there was a suggestion from Smart Coach to take a 17 minute walk in order to maintain my average step count for the week - a short stroll was easily accomplished by doing some window shopping after dinner, but probably wouldn't have happened without the gentle nudge. I've lost two pounds since Christmas and I think the Up2 has definitely helped!

4. A cozy glow for cold winter nights - Mr. Q's aunt got us the Bath and Body Works Winter 3-wick candle for Christmas and it's my new favorite smell! The main notes are pine, mandarin orange, and "winter woods," and it's perfect for creating a cozy atmosphere in the evenings when we get home from work.

5. An inspiring calendar - If I have to look at something for 12 months, it had better be cute! I chose the Illustrated Bible Verses calendar from Workman Publishing, which I found at Barnes & Noble. If you still need a calendar to get your 2016 organized, Style Me Pretty has a roundup, and Lauren's featuring the best planners for boss babes at Style Elixir.

Linking Up:

Friday's Fab Favorites at Style Elixir

My June Favorites

1. LOFT t-shirt - This tee is the softest thing ever, the cement green color is really unique, and the  leafy print reminds me of the tropics. Can I wear it every day this summer?

2. Apt. 9 dress from Kohl's - Along with my new favorite tee, here's my new favorite dress - it's made of t-shirt material and it has pockets, so it was amazing for the last few weeks of school when the air conditioner wasn't quite cutting through the humidity.

3. Cluster stud earrings - I started following Whoa, Wait, Walmart? on Instagram and when I saw these very Kate Spade-ish cluster earrings I was pretty much at my local Wal-Mart the next day.

4. Denzien cropped jeans from Target - I don't know if capri pants have completely gone out of style in favor of those hideous palazzo pants or what, but I was so happy to finally find these! They were perfect for field day at school and I know they'll be great for camp.

5. S'mores Oreos - Graham cracker oreos with chocolate and marshmallow cream! SO GOOD.

April Favorites

Here's what I'm loving this month...

1. 80's Movies - I go through movie phases where all I want to watch is one genre - action, spaceships, whatever. Right now it's 80's movies, specifically the John Hughes canon and Dirty Dancing. Seriously want to have an 80's dance party for my 30th birthday.

2. Yankee Candle Lemon Lavender - It's purple and it smells like spring; what more could you need.

3. The Outlander series - I haven't been this obsessed with a series for a long time, maybe even since Harry Potter. Mr. Q makes fun of my "medieval porn" (I correct him - if anything it's Georgian porn), but I'm completely smitten with Claire and Jamie's love story and their crazy adventures in 1700s Scotland, France, and the high seas. So far I like Voyager better than Dragonfly in Amber.

4. New sneakers - To prepare for this semester's field trip to Washington, D.C. and my membership in a walking club, I went to the fancy running shoe store in town and got my feet measured and such. As soon as the salesman pulled these babies, the Brooks Ravenna 5, out of the box, I was hoping they'd be a perfect fit. SO PURPLE! And also, so comfortable. I made it through the day on the National Mall without a single blister.

5. Paint Nite - My Christmas gift for Breeze this past year was a gift certificate for a night of "drinking creatively," and we finally cashed it in. So. Much. Fun. The instructors make the actual painting part a no-brainer, and the activities we did while waiting for the paint to dry between steps were great "no one knows us here" fun.

Linking Up:

My March Favorites

I will be totally honest with you all and admit that for the first days of March I had a serious case of the grumps - I was over cold weather, over snow, and over teaching nothing but test prep. Slowly but surely, though, the skies are opening up - here are the things keeping me sane this month!

1. Fleetwood Mac - Since my parents were a bit older than most of my friends', I grew up on 60's and 70's music. I abandoned the classics for a while and go through pop, country, rock, and even rap phases every now and then, but in the past few years I've fallen back in love with Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham, Christine McVie, Mick Fleetwood, and John McVie. This past weekend, my cousins (who were basically raised by my parents in the 70's) and I traveled to Charlottesville to see the On With The Show tour. Despite a few traffic-related headaches, it was everything we'd hoped for and more - top hats, tambourines and all.

2. St. Patrick's Day - I know that for most people St. Patrick's Day is a fairly minor holiday, but having studied abroad in Ireland and being married into an Irish-American family, I absolutely love it. My department celebrated today by doing a game show style team activity with rainbow and green-themed challenges and prizes. 

3. Once Upon a Time - We had a lot of snow days this year, and when I had run out of papers to grade, new books to read, and shows recorded on the DVR, I turned to Netflix. I'm not sure why I hadn't watched Once Upon a Time until now - maybe it was because the idea of a Disney show for adults weirded me out, or the commercials made it look silly. Well, I've always loved a good fractured fairy tale and Once is about as fractured as it gets - each episode goes back and forth between the characters' new, cursed lives in our world (the World Without Magic), and their old lives in magical settings like the Enchanted Forest, Wonderland, or Neverland. It's very tongue-in-cheek and funny, but also as dramatic as an episode of Nashville.

4. Antiquing - When my mom and I need some mother-daughter time but aren't sure what to do, a trip to one of the many local antique malls is always a good answer. We can spend hours browsing through nifty old things without spending a dollar - but when I do spot a deal on an antique camera, Pyrex dishes, or a blue Mason jar, I'm all in!

5. Hygge - This winter, a Dutch concept became my saving grace. I read about hygge on Yes & Yes and fell in love with the idea of creating purposeful coziness and warmth every day. My instant hygge-makers are throw blankets (I have a striped one from West Elm that I love) and candles.

What are you loving this March?

My January {Fab} Favorites

Disclaimer:  Amazon links contain an affiliate code.  Thank you for supporting Beyond the Aisle!

1. Marc Jacobs Salty Pretzel Stud Earrings - These were my special Christmas gift from Mr. Q this year.  I'd had them on my Pinterest forever, but apparently they'd gotten really popular and he had to order from a store in London, England to get the rose gold - which, to me, makes them even more special.  I had a pretzel (and beer cheese, let's be honest) obsession in 2014 that I don't see stopping any time soon.  They're a great conversation piece - I wore them on a teacher workday and got a lot of "are your earrings pretzels?!?!"

2. Xhileration French Terry Lounge Pants - My mom got me these pajama pants for Christmas and they are the greatest - they are styled like jogging pants but made of super soft jersey.  I pretty much put these on every single day when I get home from work (sorry, Mr. Q.)

3. Orange Circle Studio 2015 Wall Calendar by Katie Daisy - I've seen several of Katie Daisy's lovely watercolors online (her Etsy shop is full of awesome), so when I saw a whole wall calendar of her work with nice big boxes for writing I knew it would be perfect for the new year.  It includes quotes from Shakespeare, Rumi, and Emerson among others and it's so cheerful!

4. Old Navy Fleece Dress - My love of sweatpants material really knows no bounds and this dress is my own personal heaven.  I wore it with tights, boots, and a cardigan to a baby shower and no one called me out on basically being in sweats.

5. Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater - Finally got around to the newest book in my favorite YA series.  This one's got a lot of material from Blue's point of view, as well as Adam's, which I appreciated because I missed his voice in The Dream Thieves.  I'm hoping that the fourth book will have more chapters from Gansey's perspective.  

6. Bath and Body Works Cinnamon Caramel Swirl 3-Wick Candle - Another Christmas gift from my mom, this candle is the current key to creating cozy in my house.  Be careful, though - with all three wicks lit, it doesn't take long for a whole room to smell like the inside of a cinnamon bun, and it can be a little overwhelmingly spicy.

year in review: most popular posts of 2014

We've come to the last few days of 2014, and it's time to reflect.  Google Analytics, Blogger, and Pinterest are handy tools to use to see what posts were popular this year and where visitors to Beyond the Aisle were coming from.

Here's a peek at my stats from 2014:
Visitors - 16,991 (up over 1,000 from last year!)
Unique Visitors - 15,351 (up over 3,000 from last year!)
Pageviews - 23,260 (up over 2,000 from last year!)

Visitors from these countries visited Beyond the Aisle in 2014:
1. United States
2. Canada
3. United Kingdom
4. Australia
5. Germany
6. France
7. South Africa 
8. Philippines
9. Brazil
10. Mexico

These cities are home to Beyond the Aisle readers:
1. Charlottesville
2. New York
3. Chicago (up from #7 last year!)
4. London
5. Washington
6. Baltimore
7. Hialeah
8. Toronto
9. Los Angeles
10. Houston

Most popular posts:

10. Sunday Social: Beauty Edition - I really miss the Sunday Social link-ups - the questions often got me thinking.  While beauty doesn't seem like a really in-depth topic, I think we all know that women are actually very interested in each other's routines.

9. Patriotic Washi Tape Decor for Independence Day - let's be honest, this was the easiest DIY ever!  I still wanted to share my little burst of creativity with the blog world for one of my favorite holidays, and I'm glad people liked it!  My candleholders and vases made a few appearances on Pinterest as well - easy crafts for the win.

8. My May Favorites - Another now-defunct link-up, but I'm still posting my favorites each month - and I still love everything I've posted in these!  A bit of sad news for 2015, though, is that my favorite jewelry company, Lia Sophia, is going out of business.

7. Light It Up Blue for Autism Awareness - We did a big Light It Up Blue week at school and I enjoyed bringing that over to the blog.

6. eShakti Dress Review - One of my favorite posts of the year because Mr. Q helped me with all of the photos and we had fun.  It also brought one of my real-life friends to the blog through eShakti!

5. Winter Style: Classy in Cranberry - You're going to be seeing a lot of burgundy and maroon shades this year since Marsala was chosen as Pantone's Color of the Year for 2015.

4. Inspiration for a Dreamy Mint and Baby's Breath Spring Wedding - Dream wedding round-ups are still one of my favorite things to do here on the blog.

3. Series: My Favorite 2014 Golden Globes Looks, My Favorite 2014 Golden Globes Hair and Makeup, Oscars Style: My Favorite Hair, Makeup, and Accessories - Clearly, you all are award show junkies just like I am!

2. The Boy Behind the Blog: Mr. Q's Turn to Post! - His answers were short, sweet, and to the point.  AND YOU OBVIOUSLY LOVED IT.

1. Rock and Roll 50th Birthday Party Ideas - My best work friend worked so hard on her husband's birthday party and Mr. Q and I were happy to help out by lending our photography and DIY skills.  I'm still really proud of my chalkboard project and it has become popular on Pinterest as well!

My December Favorites

Here's what I'm loving this month... 

Disclaimer:  Amazon links contain an affiliate code.

1. Big Sexy Hair Root Pump Plus volumizing mousse 2. St Ives Even and Bright Scrub 3. 4-Way Nail Buffer from Amazon 4. December desktop calendar from Oana Befort 5. Christmas Welcome Yankee Candle 6. A Thousand Wishes Signature Collection from Bath and Body Works  7. Glee Cast Holiday station on Pandora

Big Sexy Hair Root Pump Plus volumizing mousse - I purchased this mousse to style my hair in curls for Breeze's wedding last year - I had seen a hairstyling tutorial by Kate from The Small Things and couldn't find Aquage lifting foam, but I used her technique and it worked great! I have been using it for special occasions and all-around good hair days ever since.

St. Ives Even and Bright Scrub - This is what I got when I put "St. Ives Scrub" on the grocery list and Mr. Quinn did the shopping - I meant the traditional apricot scrub and wasn't specific enough.  Well, I'm probably not going back to apricot now that I've discovered this pink lemon and mandarin orange goodness.  I love the smell (it helps me wake up in the morning) and the fact that St. Ives uses all-natural exfoliants rather than pollution-causing plastic microbeads.  This one is gentle enough for everyday use and helps keep my skin clear.

4-Way Nail Buffer - I got one of these babies from a mall kiosk years ago and it's an essential part of my weekly routine.  Each side is covered with a different grain of buffer, perfect for smoothing out ridges, shaping nails, and buffing them to a pretty shine just like the technicians at the salon.

Oana Befort desktop calendar - I'm addicted to desktop calendars and this one is so merry and bright for the holidays!  Oana Befort is such a talented artist; I love her slightly bohemian style.

Christmas Welcome Yankee Candle - My favorite Yankee Candle scent, Sugared Apple, gets an upgrade for Christmas by being swirled together with Red Apple Wreath.  My house will smell festive every evening!

A Thousand Wishes - This Bath and Body Works scent is perfect for the holidays.  The top note is champagne, complemented by some of my favorite scents including peonies, freesia, amber, and almond. 

Glee Cast Holiday station on Pandora - It starts with music from the Glee Christmas Album (I love Lea Michele's version of "Oh Holy Night") and builds from there, so you get some Mariah Carey, Kelly Clarkson, and Michael Bublé thrown in too.  I also like the U2 and She + Him holiday stations, depending on the mood I'm in.

Linking Up:

My November Essentials

What I'm loving this month...  (Disclaimer:  Amazon items contain an affiliate code)

Milky Way Caramel Apple Minis

Mr.Q and I sometimes joke about creating a "seasonal food blog" for all the weird treats that pop up around various holidays.  When I spotted these Caramel Apple miniature Milky Ways (my favorite candy bar), I knew we had to try it.  These things are delicious and not overly sweet or apple-y.

Emergen-C

When I was coming down with a sinus infection earlier this fall, my chiropractor (who is my go-to guy for all things medical) recommended that I get a cool mist humidier and some Emergen-C.  I didn't get sick, regained my energy, and didn't have to miss a single day of work!

Sarah Hearts calendar wallpaper
As a very forgetful person I need all the help I can get even just to remember what day it is, so I keep a calendar wallpaper on my work and home laptops.  I love this month's calendar wallpaper from Sarah Hearts - the navy and orange is autumnal and preppy.

Lia Sophia "Diary" earrings
Drop earrings are really on trend right now, and I love the filigree pattern and matte silver finish of these - they go with everything and are perfect for everyday or with dressier outfits.

Zoya "Odette" nail polish
I originally purchased this muted lilac polish for spring, but I love it for fall - it looks awesome with other jewel tones and with gold jewelry.

Payless "Copper" mocassins
Minnetonka moccasins are adorable but out of my budget right now, so when I saw these while shopping Payless for shoes to wear to a wedding, I had to try them on - and didn't want to take them off. These flats are so comfortable, and they were BOGO when I picked them up so I got my wedding shoes as well :)

Linking Up:

Friday's Fab Favorites at Style Elixir
The Circle at In Its Time

sunday social: favorites.

1. Favorite scent:

I've written on the blog before about how much I love lemon fragrance.  In aromatherapy, lemon is considered a mood-booster, and it definitely works for me.  Right now, I'm loving the Lemon Pomegranate Cream line from Bath & Body Works.  Some of my other favorite scents are the smell of coffee, pink peonies, green apple, and the eucalyptus spearmint candles my yoga teacher sometimes burns during class.


2. Favorite food:

Asian food in general.  I love lo mein noodles, I love sushi, I love miso soup, I love pho.  I was lucky to live with some awesome friends in college who showed me how wonderful and savory Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, and Japanese food can be.


3. Favorite sound:

This question is a thinker!  Since I love music so much, my favorite sounds are musical sounds, and I think the instrument that sings to me the most is the fiddle.  Take any song, add a fiddle to it, and all of a sudden you're in the mountains.


4. Favorite picture currently on your phone:

I can't post them here for privacy reasons, but I love that my students stole my phone on the field trip last year and it has a bunch of their selfies on it. 


5. Best memory of the year so far:

Going along with my answer to #4, it was definitely the field trip to Washington, D.C. with a fantastic group of students including my self-proclaimed "daughter."  We had a great time and the girls reminded me why I love my job so much - they were asking good questions and showing off things they'd learned in my class while they toured the museums, and they reminded me that my real goal is not teaching students to use perfect grammar but teaching teenagers to be better people.

September Favorite Things

Even though the official Favorite Things link-up appears to be on hiatus, I enjoy rounding up the things that make my life a little happier each month.  This month, I decided to mix things up a little bit and give my collection a theme.  These are the favorite things I wouldn't make it through a day of teaching middle school without!

1. Extra Large Land's End Zip Top Tote - Both LL Bean and Land's End make really high quality tote bags, but personally I prefer Land's End because of the better color and size selection and zip top. I love this bag because it's big enough for my laptop, any papers I need to take home to grade, textbooks, binders, and more.  I can carry 60  student journals home comfortably on Fridays in this bag!

2. Insulated tumbler - I don't have a fancy Vera Bradley one; mine is monogrammed, though!  I have cut down on my coffee intake and am trying to drink more water.

3. Luna bars - The perfect planning-period snacks to help me push through until lunch when I really want to take a nap.

4. Blue Sky day planner - Wal-Mart carries these each fall in a few different sizes and patterns.  I love them because they have a monthly calendar tab followed by a spread for each week with lots of space to write notes in.  I really liked the polka dots!

5. Red Stamp desktop/phone calendar -  I have this apple pattern on my cell phone and my work laptop and the apple design cheers me up.

6. Sticky notes - My class kind of runs on sticky notes.  I use the regular size for a lot of different brainstorming activities in class, the miniature ones for lesson planning, and the flags for marking where each class leaves off in what we're reading.

7. Binder clips - I go through a pack of binder clips pretty much every month!  They help me stay organized and I can color code by class period.

8. The best pens in the world - My three personal favorites are Zebra Z-Grip, and Paper Mate's Liquid Flair and Flair.

What are you loving this month?


Linking Up:

 

My June Favorites [Favorite Things Link-Up]

Disclaimer:  Amazon links contain an affiliate code.

1. Ray-Ban "Jackie Ohh" sunglasses - Breeze helped me find these on our birthday week shopping trip.  I'd had the same Ralph Lauren sunglasses since college and they were starting to fall apart.  Finding these at LensCrafters made my day - I love the brown-to-lilac gradient of the frames and they're big sunglasses without being comically large.

2. Lia Sophia "High Tide" earrings - One of my most-worn Lia pieces, these little pavé starfish are perfect for summer and go with everything.

3. FOX reality competition shows - Of course it's a bummer that all the series I love are on summer hiatus, but that also means that MasterChef and So You Think You Can Dance are back!

4. John Frieda Frizz-Ease Smooth Start Shampoo and Conditioner - I've tried pretty much every shampoo and conditioner out there that promise to reduce frizz because humidity makes my hair go crazy in the summer.  The good news is that this drugstore product works just as well as some of the higher-end versions and my hair feels really soft when I use it.  I wish I could find something equally frizz-reducing but sulfate-free - does anyone have any suggestions?

5. Method vanilla creme hand soap - usually I'm not a fan of dessert-y scented products, but between the beautiful packaging, too-good-to-pass-up price (I think it was $2.50 at Target), and unbelievably realistic vanilla bean scent of this hand soap, I was sold.

6. J. Crew Factory Teagan ruffle popover - I've seen this style of top featured in tons of Polyvore sets, and after reading a few reviews on other blogs I took a chance when J. Crew Factory was having a spring clearance sale.  As a lady with a chest, I'm wary of tops with buttons, but a carefully placed safety pin solved the gapping problem and I get compliments every time I wear this top.  I also like to wear it with the collar folded down, like this...

Getting photo-bombed at my birthday brunch.

6. Delta Rae - This family-based band has become one of my favorites since I saw the video for "Bottom of the River" and a live performance of the same song on YouTube.  They remind me of a modern day Fleetwood Mac with a Southern twist (the band formed in Durham, NC).  I can't wait to see them perform live later this month - Mr. Q got us tickets for my birthday!

What are you loving most this month?  Post your favorites and join the link-ups below with me - it's a great way to share the love and meet new bloggers.

Linking Up With:

Friday's Fab Favorites at Style Elixir

My May Favorites [Favorite Things Link-Up]

1.  Lia Sophia Valencia necklace - I'm on a statement necklace kick right now thanks to the obsession with Lia Sophia that's been going around my social circle.  I resisted this beauty at first because I couldn't see how it would fit into my wardrobe, but I finally had to give in to temptation.  The orange, coral, and cream beads are so pretty together and the matte silver chain is really unique.  I've paired the necklace with tan, white, gray, and navy blue so far.

2.  Sam & Libby flats - I love that Target has picked up this classic brand!  I live in flats, and these have a nice comfortable lining.  The bow is so cute and I like the fawn color for spring outfits.

3.  Jergens Natural Glow moisturizer - I swear by this stuff!  I am a very pale person by nature and this moisturizer helps me build a nice, natural looking color on my face while actually protecting me from the sun's harmful rays with SPF!  It's a win-win and I've never had any problems with streaking.

4.  Total Divas - I included this show in my entertainment round-up for April and called it a guilty pleasure.  I felt much less guilty when I found out that my BFF Breeze is also addicted!  The drama-filled world of WWE divas just happens to be very entertaining.

5.  Pandora - How awesome is Internet radio?  I have stations based on my favorite songs, favorite artists, and my moods.  On our eighth grade field trip earlier this month, one of my students who is going through a tough time right now came to sit with me and we swapped phones to listen to each other's Pandora stations - it was a really neat way to bond with a student through our love of music!  I love having the Pandora app on my phone so that I can listen to my favorite music no matter where I am.

6.  Yoga - I've been taking yoga for two semesters now through our local parks and recreation department.  I am the youngest person in my class by a LOT of years but I absolutely love it.  I tried yoga in college but was usually intimidated by the pretty, skinny, put-together girls who came in full makeup and pearl earrings!  My class is more of a t-shirts and sweatpants kind of group, everyone supports each other, and my teacher is wonderful.  She always explains and models the poses with modifications for people suffering from injuries as well as those ready for a challenge.  I push myself every week and I've noticed that my muscles look more toned and my flexibility has improved - my goal for this semester has been to put my heels all the way down on the mat when I'm in Downward Dog, and I'm almost there!

Blue Diamond Almondmilk Coconutmilk - I know it's a little weird to have a milk substitute on my list of favorite things, but hey, I love this stuff and drink it every day in my cereal or in my coffee (shaken up it makes an awesome latte-like foam).  It has 50% more calcium than dairy milk, which I really appreciate because my grandmother and mother both dealt with osteoporosis and I want to keep my bones dense!  I find that my skin is clearer and that I have fewer allergy symptoms when I avoid dairy.

Camelbak Podium Chill - My cyclist husband bought me one of these awesome water bottles with fuchsia accents to match my bike and most of my exercise gear.  It's the perfect fit for the bottle cage on my bike but also great to throw in my yoga bag.  The best part is that the valve locks to completely prevent water from leaking out in transit!

Linking Up With:

Friday's Fab Favorites at Style Elixir

My April Favorites [Favorite Things Link-Up]

1. The Color Run - Last year's Roanoke Color Run was one of the highlights of my whole year, and tomorrow I get to do it all again.  I've brought several more friends on board, Becky is staying with me this weekend, and we're going to have an all girls' team!  I can't wait to get in that cloud of color and PARTY!

2. Nutella dip - My friend Jessica made this for her Lia Sophia party this weekend and I could have eaten the whole bowl with a spoon.  It is literally just Nutella and Cool Whip whipped together!  

3. OPI "Gargantuan Green Grape" Polish - I ended up totally in love with the mint nail polish I used for my St. Patrick's Day manicure, and I want to wear it all. the. time.

4. Girl Scout cookies - What do you get when your coworker's daughter is a Girl Scout?  Way too many boxes of delicious cookies.  My all-time favorites are Samoas, but this year I'm digging the Thanks-A-Lots - they are so cute with the "thank you" prints in different languages from around the world, and so tasty since the bottom layer is milk chocolate!

5. The Lego Movie - I can't get over how much I loved this movie!  I find myself quoting it almost every day and humming "Everything Is Awesome!"  If you haven't seen it yet, GO before it leaves theaters!

Linking Up With:

Friday's Fab Favorites at Style Elixir