Good morning! It’s Friday and I feel like I am in a particularly good mood because I finally got a decent night’s sleep. I have been sleeping horribly all week and then last night a magical thing called the Snoogle came into my life and was a serious game changer. I am in love. But I am getting ahead of myself because the Snoogle should really just be included in your usual Things I’m Loving Friday post below, so we’ll get to that in a second!
Anyway, how are you guys doing today!? All is well over here! My friend Ashley is coming in town again tomorrow for her second visit to Charlotte in two months! Hooray! I love it when work trips bring my friends close to me and we’re able to take advantage of the visit and spend some quality time together. Ashley is always a blast and a half, so I know this weekend will be a great one. I hope your weekend is filled with quality time with people you love most and lots of relaxation, too!
Now let’s chat about what we’re loving most this week! As always, feel free to chime in and share what is making you smile in the comments section of this post. Your Friday comments are always so fun to read!
Just a head’s up – I’m feeling rather long-winded today, so this post is rather lengthy! Apparently finally sleeping well makes all the words flow.
Things I’m Loving Friday
- The Snoogle
THE SNOOGLE!!! You guys this pillow is unbelievable… and I can confidently say that after using it for one night. A bunch of you recommended it to me as a “pregnancy must have” and I totally see why. Early on in my pregnancy, after I told my friend Gina that Ryan and I are expecting, she surprised me with a delivery two days later. A giant box showed up at my doorstep with the Snoogle waiting inside. I had read and heard great things about this pregnancy pillow, so I thanked Gina for her thoughtfulness and tucked the pillow into the baby’s nursery to wait for me until I thought I needed it.
Well, this week has been absolutely horrendous for sleep. First, despite being super tired, I could not fall asleep and then when I would finally drift off to sleep, I’d wake up, toss and turn, feel all-around uncomfortable and not be able to fall back asleep for hours. Finally, last night, as Ryan and I crawled into bed, I flopped around trying to get comfortable again and felt so tired, but so frustrated by my inability get a good night’s sleep. Then I remembered it. THE SNOOGLE.
I unpacked the biggest pillow in all the land and wrapped it around me. Oh my gosh. It felt like heaven. It took pressure off my hips and comfortably supported my back and neck. I slept the best I have in weeks and woke up this morning talking Ryan’s ear off about the wonders of the Snoogle. I am confident that this pillow will not leave our bed until I have a baby in my arms. Gina, THANK YOU for bringing this magical pillow into my life. Julie + Snoogle = Forever.
- Golden Tote Delivery
The following feature is sponsored by Golden Tote. Thank you, sincerely, for your support!
I received my first Golden Tote delivery this week! The company reached out to me and offered to send me one of their surprise grab-bags to see what I thought and I happily agreed since I’ve seen a handful of bloggers rave about their adorable clothing in the past and I basically loooove surprise deliveries!
Before my delivery arrived, I set up an account, filled out a style profile and then selected two items I wanted to see in my tote. Golden Tote stylists then chose a handful of additional items they thought I’d love and included them in my tote. Totes cost only $49 for 2 – 3 items or $149 for 5 – 7 items which, in my opinion, is quite affordable since you receive so many new quality items. (Apparently the company founders are clothing designers from Los Angeles, who work with fashion brands to get deep discounts on the items included. The retail value of the $49 tote is $200 and the $149 tote is $600!)
And now for a sneak peek into my tote…
Here are the two items I personally requested:
- Lovestitch Sunday Brunch Dress
Selected because I adore anything lace and I figured the looser fit would work well with my growing baby bump!
- Lime & Chili Barcelona Pant
Selected because I thought they were just so darn cool! I’m not sure if I’m cool enough to pull them off, but I’m planning to pair them with nude pumps and a flowy white top. Plus, they’re crazy-comfy!
Both of the items I personally selected came with style cards which I love!
And here are the four additional surprise items I received:
- Promesa Navy Tunic/Dress
- Paper Crane Pink Short Sleeve Sweater, Lime & Chili Striped Top, Paper Crane Knit Vest
Overall thoughts:
Pros
- You know how much it costs ahead of time, rather than being sent items that might be out of your budget.
- You get to select some of the items in your tote…
- …But there’s still an element of surprise since stylists select most items for you.
- Great resource for those who want new, trendy clothes but either don’t have time to shop or don’t enjoy shopping.
- It’s not a subscription service and you can order as many totes as you want in a month (or none) – just make a note if you order more than one to avoid duplicate items.
Cons
- You can return the whole tote, but not just one item from the tote. However, Golden Tote does have a Clothing Swap Facebook Group (3,000+ members!) dedicated to letting members connecting to swap sizes/clothes directly.
- Shipping is an additional $7.95.
Overall, I loved the items I received in my tote! The only item that didn’t fit particularly well was the blue tunic/dress, but I think it actually will look cute once I have more of a baby bump and am out of this awkward stage of pregnancy. So there’s hope!
Big thanks to Golden Tote for sending such a fun surprise my way! If you are interested in trying out a tote for yourself, you can check out their March inventory while it lasts or mark your calendar for the first Monday of the month when a new tote is released!
Back in 2013 I ordered a Groupon to use toward a t-shirt quilt from Project Repat. Well, I totally forgot about it until Ryan and I were going through old clothes and I stumbled upon a bazillion race t-shirts I never wear. I remembered the old Groupon and finally got around to sending in 30 race tees to have made into a large blanket! The blanket turned out amazing and the fleece side is so soft and cuddly! Plus, their turnaround time was ridiculously fast and I love the way they spaced out the t-shirts so all of the white race tees weren’t bunched together. Great eye, Project Repat!
And another great thing about this quilt aside from the fact that I can now wrap myself up in fun race day memories? Their story.
- Adorable PBF Baby Spoon
My sweet friend Alyssa sent me this adorable spoon from a little boutique by her house for our little guy to use one day and it basically melted my heart. Thank you, Alyssa!! If our baby loves this spoon even half as much as I do, we’ll have a winner. Too cute!
- Lake Champlain Sea Salt & Almonds Chocolate
Yes, I’m posting a picture of a chocolate wrapper on my blog, but I hope that tells you just how much I loved this stuff! I first tried this gourmet chocolate during a girls’ night at my friend Amii’s house and instantly knew I had to find some to buy for myself. It’s sweet with a touch of saltiness and oh so creamy. A chocolate-lover’s dream!
- My “Pregnancy Uniform”
Ryan calls this look my “pregnancy uniform.” During last month’s trip to Minnesota, I received this oversized zip up sweatshirt from General Mills and almost asked to exchange it for one that fit a little better. And then I put it on. Giant sweatshirt = Pregnant woman’s dream. Ryan actually had to make me wash it because I kept throwing it on over my pajamas every single night in our house and didn’t want to go one night without it. It’s just so darn comfortable and, while far from cute, I think it makes a fantastic pregnancy uniform and I’m pretty sure the Honey Nut Cheerios bumble bee agrees.
Question of the Day
- Tell me about something that is making you smile today!
![\"Quantcast\"/](\"//pixel.quantserve.com/pixel/p-1e3-7hOJ_U8Bg.gif\")
Haha that’s funny about that oversized jacket. In the last week or two Ive found out that THREE of my friends are pregnant! Best news ever!! Oh and william only woke up 3 times last night which is fantastic!
hooray!! <3 <3 that's so exciting!
Love the pregnancy uniform! My boyfriend’s sister works at General Mills so I am sure she would be thrilled to see you like the sweatshirt so much! Plus the slippers looks super comfy. 🙂 I have tried that chocolate before and it is amazing. Have a blast with Ashley this weekend!
isn’t it incredible!? i thought it would just taste like a normal square of chocolate but i was so impressed!
So for the golden tote, if you get the 2-3 items its $49 total? Not like Stitch Fix were its $20 and then your buy the items? I am interested because sometimes I find that Stitch fix clothing is a little expensive.
yes!! i REALLY like the fact that you know, up front, how much you’re paying. even though you can select a price range with stitch fix, knowing exactly how much your tote is going to cost is definitely a plus in my mind.
Oh my goodness, that spoon is so dang cute.
I’m loving that I am on a little vacay in Tampa with the fam! Maybe even making a day trip to Sarasota :).
fun!!! i hope you have a blast! we’re heading back to sarasota for a wedding in may and i can’t wait!
i am not pregnant but i also have an oversized sweatshirt uniform. at least you have a good excuse!
haha! i think we alllll do… i also have a pretty horrendous pair of sweatpants with a horrible drop-crotch that i love to break out every so often. #sexy
I have a raggy pair of sweatpants from college that still make me smile. The elastic is so stale they don’t even stay on my hips anymore. I have to roll the waist, plus there’s a hole in the crotch. I only wear them to bed and I refuse to part with these pants. #noshame
Gawww, I’m so glad you love the spoon! I hope it’s as useful as it is cute. 😉
And I’m really excited about this Golden Tote idea (excited for my closet/mad for my wallet)… why have I not heard of it before?!
xoxo
the vest reminded me of something i’d see in your free people photo shoot! and thank you again for the CUTEST SPOON ever! looove it! <3
Today is my birthday and about 14 of us are headed to the rodeo tonight! Can’t wait 🙂
happy birthday, kelsie!!!
Thanks!!
ZOMG SALT AND CHOCOLATE
best combination ever. <3
Happy Friday! Love your pregnancy uniform..looks so comfy and cozy!! I’ve always wanted to do something with old race t-shirts, but they’re getting so nice and high tech that I just wear them to work out now! It’s nice getting a new t shirt and I never buy long sleeved shirts anymore!
I’m so excited for this weekend. I’m handing in my master’s thesis today and my parents are visiting me tomorrow. I live in a different country to go to school so I don’t get to see them as often as I’d like. Looking forward to dinner and laughs with the family and the feeling of relief from the thesis finally (after 2 years!) being done.
Have a wonderful weekend Julie 😀
BIG congratulations to YOU! I am sure that’s a HUGE weight off your shoulders!
I have a uniform like that and I’m not even pregnant! The minute I get home from work off goes the street clothes and on goes the comfy clothes. My poor husband!! lol
That pillow looks amazing! I’m not pregnant but I know i would love it.
does Golden Tote offer maternity? Or did you just order a bigger size? I, too, am currently pregnant, and would love to try something like this, but find Stitch Fix too pricy!
No maternity which is a BUMMER! I just told them I’m 20 weeks pregnant and let them do the rest! The clothing they sent me was all super pregnancy friendly for my current stage — comfy but still nice and loose/soft!
I have heard great things about the Snoogle as well!! One of my roomies from college is pregnant with twins and she swears by it!! I’m not sure it would fit between my husband AND our dog in bed, but maybe! Ha! And I love your pregnancy uniform, too funny. Whatever is comfy is best!
It’s a challenge, but my Snoogle fit our queen bed with my hubs and dachshund. 😉 A larger breed could be tough, though!
The snoogle saved my life!!! Love that damn thing and kind of missed it postpartum when I still hurt and couldn’t get comfy. My hubs had a love-hate relationship with it, though: on one hand, I was tolerable because I slept better, but on the other, it created this “Great Wall of China” in between us. Definitely worth it, though!
That spoon is adorable and I pretty much love all the clothes from your tote.
Love the quilt idea, too, but I need to run a few more races to have enough. 🙂
My preggo outfit is my husband’s sweat pants. I have lived in them since like November. I thought about wearing them in the hospital after birth, but he didn’t like that idea at all! LOL.
I LOVED the snoogle while pregnant, it really helps you sleep way better! My friend loved hers so much she named him Alan haha. The only thing I didn’t like was that I couldn’t get close and snuggle my husband while using it.
That quilt is a great idea. You could do that with baby clothes that you don’t want to part with too
Alan the Pillow is amazing. LOL!
I live two miles away from the Lake Champlain Chocolate factory! You can go in there and sample your way around the front of the store… It’s heavenly and so, so dangerous!
Pretty sure I would be living there right now if I lived near you… 🙂
Aw what a sweet friend to send you such a thoughtful gift! Snoogles sound amazing. Also the Snoogle pictures are hilarious and I want to be that woman
they cracked me up, too!!!
I want the snoogle and I’m not even pregnant! I guess I can wait until that happens, but feel like I wouldn’t want to break up with it after I actually have the baby lol.
I am not sure I’ll be able to part with it! 😉
That pillow is amazing!!! It helped me get some great nights sleep when I was pregnant! I had a lot of back pain, so I loved the support of the pillow.
This week I am loving cheap jewelry pieces, and throwing together a bunch of random pieces that actually look really good!! I am really into the layered jewelry look right now, so that’s what I have been rocking this week.
Have a fun weekend with your friend 🙂
the back support was what surprised me most about the pillow! it was seriously so amazing. LOOOOVE it way more than i ever imagined!
Well now that quilt place is making me smile! We collect shirts from this one shirt company for 20 years and some have been stained but we can’t bear to throw them out. I’ve been wanting to do a blanket with them for a long time but had no idea where to look so THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for posting about that place!!
yay! you will love project repat — and their turnaround time is incredible! i got my quilt back in less than 2 weeks!
So glad you got a great night of sleep!!! I never used the Snoogle in my first pregnancy, but as soon as a bigger bump starts forming, I may consider it this time around. I’ve heard lots of great things about it! That PBF baby spoon is ADORABLE! What a cute idea! And girlfriend, you rock that pregnancy uniform. It truly is all about comfort in pregnancy!
Those pants…AWESOME!
I have ALWAYS been in love with oversized sweatshirts…so cozy!!! 🙂 I purposely buy them HUGE so I have extra room to snuggle. That Golden Tote looks awesome!! I still have yet to try Stitch Fix or any other clothing subscription-type thing but they all look so fun! And that spoon!? Adorable!! Have a great weekend, Julie!
That spoon is so adorable! I love the idea of making a blanket out of my old race shirts!
That spoon is adorable! When I fractured my tailbone I almost ordered a Snoogle because sleeping was so difficult. I’m all healed up now but wish I had bitten the bullet!
OKAY – how sweet is that little spoon?! Darling!
Ah, the pregnancy uniform, or in my case, just “uniform” 🙂
ahh haha the pregnancy uniform! ummm that looks a lot like my work-at-home uniform… whoops 🙂
Love that lace dress and your pregnancy uniform looks sooooo comfy! 🙂 One thing that made me smile today is knowing that I get to see a bunch of friends this weekend! So happy!
This is going to sound lame, but I’m sure you can appreciate it…I’m going out on my lunch break to get fitted for new athletic shoes. I can’t wait!
That sweatshirt looks amazing! I am always stealing my fiance’s hoodies instead of just buying my own in a bigger size. That’s what they are there for, right!? 🙂
Also, the lace dress is ADORABLE.
I am 15 weeks pregnant (as of yesterday!) and my Snoogle pillow came yesterday! I love how big it is! Did you use the long part down your back last night for support?
yes and it was gloooorious!
I would never know you’re pregnant- you look so good! I love big sweatshirts! What’s making me smile is that I’m seeing my mom tomorrow all the way from London- yay!
The Snoogle!!! Best thing ever when you’re pregnant! I received it as a Christmas gift and used it when I was pregnant with my twins and then used it when I was pregnant with my daughter. I’m still using it now-works great as a boppy pillow when I nurse her.
funny story: my 28-year-old personal trainer boyfriend has always complained of lower back pain and difficulty sleeping due to being so uncomfortable.. and so he asked me for a pregnancy pillow!! haha how weird it was for me to go to Babies-R-Us for The Snoogle for my BOYFRIEND! the salesperson thought it was hilarious when I explained who the pillow was for 🙂
haha!!
That Project Repat story just made me smile! I love that their focus is to provide jobs in the US. I’m sure most of my race tees aren’t made in the USA but I know my future blanket will be!
You’re making us Minnesotans proud! 😀 That’s practically my everyday {non-pregnant} winter uniform too – haha! And that SPOON!! So cute!
PS. Love Sadie’s toys in the background… my pup has just as many and is about 1/4 of the size of Sadie. Totally necessary.
Random question….Do you know the name of the paint color on your walls in the pic of your comfy outfit?
I have heard nothing but high praises from my pregnant friends in regards to getting a huge baby pillow. I think it would be an awesome snuggler even if you were not pregnant!
Scroll down until you get to #11.
http://www.runningoffthereeses.com/2015/03/27/15-thing-friday-36/
I am not a huge fan of Tom Hanks so this makes me chuckle so much.
That Alyssa is something else! 😉
Your butt grows a lot….congrats!
I’ve always had a booty!
I found myself waking up a sore neck with my snoogle 🙁 I’m not sure if it’s too high, or if I’m just used to our pillows, but I’ve had to figure out a way to use it without using it under my head. It sometimes results in half the snoogle winding up off the bed in the morning, haha. I love “the swirl” position for watching TV/movies: http://lovemybaby.org/leachco-snoogle-total-body-pillow-review/
Oh I need to check out the golden tote, bc I did 3 stitches and didn’t like 1 thing to keep, boo! (either too close to what I already have or far too pricey)
Question about the Golden tote-If I pick 2-3 items, will the stylish always throw in other items they think I like? I ask because if you cannot keep ‘some’ of them, I may not be interested in misc items thrown in that I will feel I need to keep if I love the items I selected?
That spoon is so adorable : )
Glad you got some sleep! And I’ve heard of Golden Tote but never tried it. I do love deliveries of clothing and surprises. And my favorite sweatshirt of the moment is one that belongs to my husband. Big guy sweatshirts are WAY more comfy! 🙂 Have a fun weekend!
I didn’t have a snoogle for my first pregnancy, but I will definitely be getting one for when I get pregnant again because I slept horribly 🙁
That white dress is adorable!
As for the spoon, too cute for words. One of my closest friends from college had her first baby last week and she is my first friend to become a mom (I’m 23 and she’s 25, so makes sense at my age!) – and I sent The Little Red Lighthouse because it was one of my favorite books when I was little. But now every time I see baby shoes and clothes I want to buy them for the little guy (whose name is actually Guy – so British!) and just a few days ago, I was going through boxes of old stuff at my parents’ and found a little china fork and spoon that were given to me when I was born.
Be sure to check out French Broad Chocolates whenever you’re in Asheville! Their treats and chocolate are really amazing. And Asheville would make the perfect weekend getaway before the baby comes 🙂
Sunshine and birds chirping!