18 Cool Things You Need to Click On Today

Yesterday was my birthday! (Yep, my birthday is on Valentine's Day. I have a lifetime of mixed feelings about that fact, and you can read more about them here.) My day was really good! I got a blowout, did a Pilates session, went to a school talent show with my daughter, ate at a yummy Italian restaurant/pasta shop called Pasta Dal Cuore, and received one of the best gifts I have ever gotten. My husband and kids surprised me with a song about me (!) written by a professional songwriter. And the song is really good! (Kind of Beatles-y.) You can read more about it--and listen to a clip of the song--here.

This weekend, my kids actually have a four-day weekend for Presidents' Day! I actually have a lot of work to do, so I'll be busy with that, and the kids are going skiing one of the days, so I may tag along. Whatever you're up to this weekend, I hope you make it a great one. Here's a few fun links to check out in the meantime...

• I've been making good on my resolution to read more and have been doing a lot of reading so far in 2019. Pretty much everything I've read so far this year has been great, so I have a couple of book recommendations for you! First is The Nightingale. It's been on my reading list forever, so I don't know why it's taken me so long to get to, but I'm so glad I finally did. I think this is one of my favorite books I have ever read. I was absolutely bawling in the end (rare for me with a book). Highly, highly recommend.  

• Next, I read Before We Were Yours, which is a fictional take on a true--and truly unbelievable--story. For decades, there was an adoption agency in Tennessee that would literally kidnap poor children and babies from their parents and then adopt them out to wealthy familes. Most of the families were, of course, never reunited. It's so sad and very hard to imagine that this actually took place, but it did. This story tells the fictional story of four sisters who were kidnapped from their birth parents and adopted out to different familes. Sad, but I loved it. 

• After those two books, I needed something LIGHTER (!), so I read The Rule of One, which is a dystopian YA novel that takes place in the future when the U.S. has adopted a one-child policy. (Okay, that doesn't exactly sound light. LOL!) The main character is actually a twin, but because of the "rule of one," the twins must pretend to be one person. It works out for years--until they are discovered and have to go on the run. It was a quick, easy read, but totally gripping; I didn't want to put it down. The sequel comes out in May, and I've already preordered it!

• J.Crew is having a 40 percent off sale now through the weekend! Use code YESPLEASE. I have my eye on this drapey shirt, this colorblock swinsuit, this leopard trench coat, and this eyelet top.

• I've been wanting this cute "Love Your Mother" (Earth) hoodie, but it's been out of stock forever. Just saw that it's back, so I grabbed one!

• My friend (and fellow beauty editor) Heather and her husband started a cookie company, Halfsies Cookie Compan, and the cookies are so good. But you have to act fast if you want to try them. They post on Instagram when a limited batch goes on sale, and then you have to scramble to nab some. I was lucky enough to grab some from the very first batch they put up for sale, and omg--they are SO good. The peanut butter is my favorite. Yum! 

• I need to make Landyn's salmon with macadamia nut pesto noodles. Looks so yummy and healthy!

• I may just break out this amazing Lion Face Pancake for my kids this weekend. It's super impressive, but actually looks really easy!

• I was the "helping parent" in my son's kindergarten classroom earlier this week, and we made these fruit-cup love bugs as the activity. I think they're so adorable, and the kids loved making them.

• This ponytail is soooo gorgeous.

• If you have $1000 to spare and you want to be the coolest mom ever, buy this. (And then invite my kids over for a playdate!)

• This made me laugh: Ulta releases line of shitty hair ties to give to your cheap friends.

• Revlon just relaunched their website and it looks amazing. Fun fact: I wrote some of the content on there (!), including stuff like this.

• Totally want to make these red velvet thumbprint cookies (they have cream cheese frosting!).

• A woman has Alzheimer's--and her husband has a girlfriend. I was ready to crucify this man before I read this story/watched the video, but afterwards, my feelings about the situation were much more complicated. It's s a very interesting read and definitely makes you think.

• Thank you to Sarah Silverman for calling out her gross ultrasound technician. 

And in case you missed it, I...

• Shared the best books of 2018.

• Listed 30 surprising things about me. (Like I was once on a reality-TV dating show...!)

Have a great weekend!