The Weekender

It’s Friday! I’m currently writing while watching my daughter dance to worship music. This girl loves to dance! She’s got rhythm and regardless of the genre, she is ready to drop it like it’s hot.

So, now that you’ve got a peek into my current moment, let’s get to the latest installment of The Weekender.
Tesseme’s: We are currently on Day 34 of our Whole 66. There are days that are harder than others, but I’m so happy we made the commitment. Actually, I’m happy I shared it publicly or I might have quit yesterday. When we did our first Whole 30 over a year ago, I survived because of apples and almond butter. This time around I’m surviving because of Tesseme’s Buffalo Sauce. Their Lemon Garlic dressing is killer too. Don’t let their ketchup trick you though, I was highly disappointed. If you are doing a Whole 30 and like spicy, go buy the two pack of their Buffalo Sauce now and thank me later!

Classical Stretch: I am a HUGE Tracy Anderson workout fan. Huge! I did her Metamorphosis program prior to getting pregnant with Rose. Then I did her pregnancy series when a became pregnant. And I’ve tried and tried to go back to the Metamorphosis, but I just can’t seem to make it happen. I don’t have enough strength yet and I don’t have a full hour to commit to working out. Then a couple weekends ago, I stumbled upon Miranda Esmond White’s Classical Stretch workouts on PBS. I know, I know! I’m officially an old lady watching infomercials on PBS. But the research was fascinating and convincing! It reminds me a lot of Yoga which is my other favorite workout, combining stretch and strengthening. And it’s a 20 minute workout! I much prefer working out everyday to get my blood pumping and my energy ignited and Miranda’s workouts do just that. I’ve even got my mom and Vitaliy to join me a few times. The video itself is a bit dated, but the workouts are great.

Date Night: We had a mini date last night after putting Rose to bed. Catching up after a busy week, eating dried fruit and drinking hot tea (we seriously are 80 years old!) and ending the night with the Warriors game. But I’m actually so excited for our double date happening on Saturday night with another couple from our church. It’s been quite awhile since I’ve been on a double date and I can’t wait to get to know and learn from this seasoned couple.

Kendal Marie Photography: We had the pleasure of doing a one-on-one mentorship last year with Kendal from Kendal Marie Photography. It was such a great experience! First off, Kendal is the sweetest person! And I am so thankful to now call her my friend. But I also learned so much from the experience. Including the fact that we really enjoy teaching and mentoring, and more importantly, encouraging. We’re hoping to start implementing more of that into Pictilio and possibly even offering future one-on-one mentoring sessions, in case anyone else is interested. I was so excited when Kendal hired us to photograph her headshots! This girl is beautiful inside and out and her clients are lucky to have her.

Design For Mankind: There is a lot of noise out there, but Erin Loechner is not a part of the noise, she is a voice. And one worth listening to! Her writing is impeccable and filled with purpose and, most importantly, with love. If she writes about mothering, you never feel like less of a mother. You leave feeling inspired and enough. If she writes about marriage, you don’t leave feeling like yours is less than. You leave feeling understood. I cannot wait for her book to come out! I don’t even know what it’s about, but I can’t wait to get my hands on it. I will soak in every word. On top of all those topics, she also manages to openly share pieces of her life while including a product review in the process. And her opinion can be trusted because you know she is a truth teller. I now have her to thank for the best water purifier, my new favorite pajamas, and a favorite salad recipe! Design For Mankind is by far my favorite blog and I hope you enjoy it now too.

Ok, we’ve now moved onto dancing to Adele! And on that note, happy weekend! I hope yours is filled with adventure and rest.

San Francisco portraits and headshots