Hello and happy Wednesday! So this is the time of year where life gets crazy with exams and graduations. I know that I have quite a few readers who are in college/grad school so I wanted to wish all of you good luck! I know how stressful the end of the semester can be but I just want to remind you to take care of yourself despite everything you have going on. Now, more than ever, it’s important to eat healthy, get as much sleep as you can and exercise…even if it’s just for 20 minutes. You need it!

Why did this topic come up, you may ask? Reader Emily is in her first year of law school at the University of Georgia and had her first exam today…ON HER BIRTHDAY! She’s been stressing about finals and her sweet boyfriend e-mailed me asking if I could send her some words of encouragement. Let’s ALL wish Emily a happy birthday and good luck on finals! Emily, thank you for reading! Believe in all the work and preparation you’ve done up to this point. You’ve got this! And how cute is Emily’s goldendoodle, Milly? That face.

I made a salad for dinner last night and paused to think to myself that it was the first salad I’d prepared at home in a long time. Then on Facebook today reader Kristin asked if anyone else finds it hard to be in the mood for salads when it’s 40 degrees outside. I definitely find myself craving less overnight oats/salads/smoothies and more oatmeal/soup/comfort food when the temperatures drop. What about you?

Case in point…check out what I ate for lunch today. I met an old co-worker and friend for lunch at Roasting Company. I was so excited when he suggested it because I love their veggies. I had a veggie plate with squash casserole, white bean stew, collards and a cornbread muffin. Why is squash casserole so delicious…especially paired with bites of collards? This was ridiculously good.

I stopped by Polka Dot Bake Shop after lunch and picked up a Strawberry Shortcake cupcake. I have been really craving a cupcake and I usually LOVE their cupcakes and love anything strawberry flavored. I didn’t like this cupcake. It was a whipped cream icing and vanilla cake with a little bit of strawberry puree in the center. I needed some real frosting in my life today. Oh well…

I washed it down with a kombucha which was sadly more satisfying than the cupcake. You will most likely never see me write those words again. Ever. 😉

And I’ll leave you with a video that a friend shared with me as a pick me up. I’m having a little bit of a hard time rebounding from Thanksgiving/gearing up for the holidays. This is a great reminder to be grateful for the beauty that each day holds. If you don’t want to watch the whole 9-minute video, skip to 3:35 and watch from there.

Have a wonderful afternoon. Love to everyone. xo