Simple Joys of the Week, September 28th Edition

A lion doing Happy Baby. Doesn't this just make you happy?

Well, here we are. Although I can hardly believe it, I head to Atlanta today to begin the final countdown to our wedding, which is now 8 days away. I'm getting hitched, ya'll!!!! I'm actually really looking forward to the next week of planning, because I get to see my family, hang out at home, do lots of crafting (which I love), and focus on just one thing (kind of) for an entire week--the wedding. But don't worry, I've already made plenty of room in my busy schedule to practice lots of yoga with my Dad, sneak in a little blogging, and get some much-needed sleep. 

So lets get to the main event today, shall we!? I hope your week was FULL of simple, sensory joys, and that you were able to find some time to stop and appreciate them, no matter how busy your schedule. If not, try to make some time to reflect today... My simple pleasures from the past seven days are below!

I heart Lucacris (or as I call him, Chris Bridges).

Hear: "Welcome to Atlanta" by Jermaine Dupri and Ludacris

I think it's *fairly* obvious why this song has been in my head this week, (plus, it may just play a special part in our wedding...), so I thought it only made sense to share it with you. Granted, it's no relaxing yoga song (like most of the music I share here), but it sure does bring me joy because it takes me back to my adolescence in Atlanta AND stirs up my deep love of all things rap (and especially Ludacris, who has a special place in my heart). So, for those who may be up for a blast from the past, you can listen below. And get ready, it's not for the faint of ears ;)

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See: Wedding Party iPhone App

OMG, I love this app! If you're getting married soon and don't have it already, I highly recommend it. I set ours up this week (it's free!), and this is how it works: basically, once you set it up on your end, anyone who is coming to your wedding who has an iPhone can download it for free--then any and all pictures that they take at the wedding are uploaded to a shared photo stream, and everyone at the wedding can access them! The pictures can either be uploaded to the app from your phone, or guests can take pictures in the app (like you would in Instagram, for instance). Then, you can have all of the pics from everyone who was at your wedding all in once place! It's genius! I'm so excited to see how it works and hope that people actually use it :)

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Taste: Raw Almonds

I've been so preoccupied this week that I've hardly had time to eat (don't worry, I've still made time, but I've been very off of my normal eating schedule, which is not like me). Thus, I've been totally relying on almonds as a snack to get me from one weirdly-timed meal to the next, and these little individually-wrapped packets from Trader Joe's are perfect. My problem with almonds that aren't individually-packed is that I always end up eating too many of them, and then my stomach hurts (I find almonds to be rough on the stomach, do you? TMI? Sorry...). But anyways, they've always been one of my favorite snacks but I'm relying on them heavily these days. Nothing like a little protein to keep you going!

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Smell:  Organix Cherry Blossom Ginseng Shampoo & Conditioner

OMG, this product smells good. I mean, really good. For the most part, I'm a drug story beauty product girl. I know. Despite all of the claims by almost every beauty expert that the nice, more expensive brands make a world of a difference, I just can't seem to justify spending tons of money on things like shampoo, conditioner, and lotion (until recently, of course, when I bought my first "adult" skincare regimen--but you know all about that). So anyways, my point is that this shampoo & conditioner is amazing and it can still be found at a drug store price point ;) The smell is divine, they use only organic, natural ingredients, and look at the cute pink bottles!? I'm a total sucker for cute packaging, and they just got me. Try it out if you're looking for a new 'poo!

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Touch: Minnetonka Moccasins

Thank goodness it's gotten cooler outside again, because now I can wear my Minnetonka Moccassins! Have you ever had a pair of these shoes? If not, you must invest in some immediately! They are some of the most comfortable shoes I've ever owned, they are really affordable, and I find them to be perfect for just slipping on to run errands, run to yoga, or lounge around in. They're great. Last winter, I ran into someone else wearing the exact same pair at the studio, and we got into a long talk about how obsessed with them we are--so see? I'm not alone! I think I may need to get another pair this year. If I'm feeling really risky and fashionable, maybe I'll even get a pair of their moccasin-inspired boots? We shall see... 

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Some of my other favorite moments from the week? Having dinner with friends who had been gone for a while on their honeymoon, teaching my last week of yoga classes before heading out, getting a much-needed mani-pedi, and taking a yoga class EVERY SINGLE DAY for the past 7 days. Yes, obviously I need my yoga right now ;)  What brought a smile to your face this past week? 

Oh, and I almost forgot! Join me next week for a little something that I'm calling "Starr Struck Wedding Week." Yes, that's right, since I'll be fully immersed in all things wedding planning next week, I'm celebrating by focusing on wedding-related topics here on the blog, too. Good news for those of you who love weddings, but maybe not so good for those of you who don't? If you've had wedding overload, you may want to tune me out next week--I'll be back to my usual blogging self the week of 10/15 ;)

SS Wedding Week, here we come!

Namaste,
Mary Catherine

P.S. Although I know I discussed a lot of products today, which is not typical for SJOTW, I hope you all know that NONE of my content is ever sponsored. These are just my opinions and I like to share the wealth when I find a product that I like ;) xoxo.