YOUR FEET WILL THANK ME.

Okay guys, time to talk Foot Petals.

Actually, wait. This first: The Foot Petals people have no idea who I am. As much as I'd love for them to be big old Beauty & the Beard fans and send me free goods, they don't know I exist. Just so we're clear before I start. 

I used to wear heels A LOT. Work. Nights out at the bars. Special events.

As I've gotten older (and my time gettin' fancy for the bars multiple nights a week has declined diminished) I really only wear them occasionally- for work or weddings, really. 

Maybe I just had tougher feet back then or what- but when I wear heels now they HURRRRRRRT.

I don't know how I wore them 3-5 times a week for hours on end! 

I won't go on whining- all I have to say is I finally broke down and bought some Foot Petals and they are now my magical new best friends (sorry, other best friends). 

Best ways I've used them:

Heavenly Heels: in the back heel of my high heels (duh)- for a FULL night on my feet at an event...not ONE SINGLE BLISTER. Boom.

Heavenly Heels: In the front part of my short booties (the...er...lower shin? front ankle? help me out, med students) that always rub against my skin and hurt. This probably isn't what they're intended for, but dang it works!

Pressure Pointz: Riiiight on the bottom of my pumps where the ball of my foot takes all the pressure. Extra cushion saves so much pain. Fuh real.

There's about 6 or 7 other varieties of these things, but since they're not super cheap, these are the only two I've bought so far (Heavenly Heels are $19, Pressure Pointz are $9). I've seen them sold around, but I buy them from HERE because of the super fast free shipping.

Anyone else used these things and loved them too?

Anyone who is sick of getting blisters or pain from wearing your shoes- GET. THESE!

xo, lp

BIRTHDAY AFTERMATH

Happy Monday everyone!

Hope all of you are staying warm- looks like most of the country has been cold or snowy lately... yuck. If you're in a place that's currently warm and sunny- send some our way, okay?

----

Here's what's good lately:

Oooooh birthday flowers. Honestly, getting flowers at work is my FAVORITE.

Michael and his parents BOTH sent me bouquets this year- and they brightened up my desk all week.

Can't someone just send me fresh flowers all year 'round??

Speaking of brightening up my desk- my coworkers threw me a rainbow themed birthday party! They got wind of my #everythinginrainboworder posts...and outdid themselves with decorations and food. The star of the show? 

This INSANE rainbow fruit pizza. Unreal, right?

THIS. IS . THE STORY. OF. MY LIFE:

All I have to say is MARTHA STEWART GLITTER. 

Later this week I have one ballin' recipe for you. Be prepared to make 'em and eat them alllll.

What's new & good with you lately, friends?

If you'd like to sign up to send me flowers- just email me and we can work it out ;-)

xo, lp

PSST: Let's be Instagram friiiiends, shall we?

You can find me here ---> @lpodlich

so THIS is 27!

I won't even be bashful about it - IT'S MAH BIRTHDAY!

I've always loved my birthday, and I have no problem being THAT girl sharing that fact.In addition to it being my birthday today- it's Michael's birthday tomorrow!

This of course means we'll be celebrating... so this is the last post you'll get from me this week. 

Here's what's been good lately:

A couple weeks ago Michael & I went to a Frozen themed event for the Clean Lakes Alliance- everyone was told to wear silver, white, or blue... and I ended up finding this AWESOME silver dress with some killer beaded sleeves:

Obviously I had to make Valentine's cookies...aaaaaaaaaand put them in rainbow order. Like usual.

Onto more Valentine's cheesiness... I had to bust out my heart sweater too. :)

 In other Valentine's Day news- this marked 6 years of my favorite tradition. Want to hear about it? Read more HERE!

Okay. Saving the best for last, everyone.

So on Valentine's Day, Michael and I had a great dinner at home, and were just relaxing with some drinks and Scrabble (yes we're nerds). We're sitting on the couch when Michael insists he really wants some good beer for the night - and since it was 8:45, we had to rush to the grocery store across the street to grab some. After complaining like crazy about having to go out- I went along with it and went with him. He went to go "grab beer" and I went to the candy aisle, obviously. I turned around and realized he was...watching me instead of getting beer. I yelled at him to go grab it before 9pm  came around ... and then... my sister walked out of an aisle a little ways down. I was completely shocked. There she was...in all of her cute, short, puffy black coat glory. Naturally I squealed and we hugged and hugged and hugged. 

She drove all the way to Wisconsin to spend less than 24 hours with me for an early birthday gift. Oy it was good. We watched Pitch Perfect and went out to get food and gossiped and hugged. Besides giving me the gift of her presence- she also gave me this adorable penguin she made (she sells ceramic spirit animals in her shop!) which is lovingly named Gladys. 

Whew. Talk about emotional. THANK YOU LOU! 

Okay.

Enough blabbering. I'm gonna go enjoy my day at work now & my night in with a bunch of girlfriends!

If anyone feels like sending me belated birthday presents, you just let me know ;-)

xo, lp

PSST! follow along with birthday festivities on instagram!

Find me here ---> @lpodlich

FEBRUARY BIRTHSTONE: AMETHYST

Each month I'm going to start rounding up some favorite items that tie back to the month's birthstone.

Wouldn't it have been lovely if I had gotten my act together and started this in January?

Sure it would've. 

Oops.

Hindsight is always 20/20, ya know?

Instead, I'll start with MY birthstone: Amethyst. 

Here's the deal with me & amethyst: as a kid, I haaaaaaaaaaaated the color purple. I blame it on being a Packers fan in a Vikings state...

As I've gotten older, I've learned to love all of the gorgeous shades that this stone comes in- and am pulling my old amethyst jewelry, dusting it off, and getting it some use finally!

Here are 9 gorgeous items that are in the perfect shades of purple:

THE DARKS

NIXON WATCH // MICHAEL KORS TOTE // OVAL PAVE EARRINGS

THE MEDIUMS

PASSPORT HOLDER //  FERRAGAMO RILVA BAG // FERRAGAMO BOW BRACELET

THE LIGHTS

KATE SPADE SQUARE STUDS // REBECCA MINKOFF MINI MAC // FERRAGAMO WALLET

Any fellow February birthday girls out there?

Anyone else grow up not loving their purple birthstone?

xo, lp 

FROZEN HOT CHOCOLATE 4 WAYS! (Non-Alcoholic OR Alcoholic!)

Oh my friends. Finally a recipe to please everyone.

Today is all about Frozen Hot Chocolate! So who should you make it for?

Make it for your kids! It's a fun winter treat that they can dress up with sprinkles and marshmallows.

Make it for your significant other! It's super easy to make, but it'll show 'em you care.

Make it for your girlfriends! Why not host a party with a Frozen Hot Chocolate Bar? Just add booze if you're over 21, and you've got a dangerously delicious party in the making.

Make it for yourself! Because you deserve it :)

What you need to make it happen(NON Alcoholic):

- Ice

-Milk

- Instant Hot Cocoa Mix

- Chocolate Syrup

- Whipped Cream

- Straws

- Sprinkles, Marshmallows, Chocolate Chips, Candy Canes

- Grenadine & Cherries

Boozy Additions to make them a little more fun:

Cherry Vodka // Creme de Cacao // Peppermint Schnapps 

How to make it happen:

Step 1: Start with your base- Blend 1 packet of cocoa mix, 2 cups ice, 1/2 cup milk, squeeze of chocolate sauce  *mixture should be icy- not watery- start with less milk and add more as needed.

Step 2: Start adding in different flavors or alcohol as desired (recipes below)

Step 3: Top with whipped cream and garnishes

Step 4: Enjoy!

To make the 4 you see above:

Classic: BASE - top Whipped cream, marshmallows, chocolate jimmies

Chocolate Peppermint: BASE + crushed candy cane- top with whipped cream and more crushed candy cane. (optional 1 ounce peppermint schnapps)

Chocolate Lovers: BASE + mug drizzled with chocolate sauce- top with whipped cream, chocolate chips, chocolate jimmies (optional 1 ounce creme de cacao)

Chocolate Covered Cherry: BASE + 1 1/2 tsp grenadine - top with whipped cream, sprinkles, chocolate jimmies & a cherry (optional 1/2 ounce cherry vodka + 1/2 ounce creme de cacao)

Other great options:

Mocha: Just add Kahlua, Espresso Vodka, and Chocolate Shavings

Salted Caramel Chocolate: Drizzle Salted Caramel sauce in the mug first, top with more sauce & Chocolate Shavings

Chocolate Covered Strawberry: Strawberry Vodka + Creme de Cacao- top with chopped strawberries!

Alright- raise your hand if you're going to do a Frozen Hot Chocolate Bar for Galentine's Day now...

(if you don't know what Galentine's Day is...we can't be friends. kidding! (sort of))

xo, lp

PSST: If you end up making this recipe I'd love to see it! Post a picture on Instagram or Twitter and tag me @lpodlich so I can see what awesome version you made!

VALENTINE'S DAY GIFT GUIDE FOR THE GUYS

Since our birthdays are only a couple days after Valentine's Day- we don't exchange presents on the 14th, but I love shopping around to find good joint V-day/B-day gifts for Michel!

Here's some cool gifts that caught my eye recently- get one of these for YOUR guy!

1. FOR THE HEALTHY (or lumbersexual) GUY: S'well water bottle- keeps cold things cold for 24 hours- or hot things hot for 12 hours. I LOVE the manly wood finish- perfect for the lumbersexual in your life :)

2. FOR THE IPHONE LOVING GUY: Does your guy love his iPhone so much he doesn't want to cover it with a case...but wants to keep it protected? These Corners4 iPhone rods clip onto his phone and keep it from getting scratched or scraped.

3. FOR THE SENTIMENTAL GUY: Yup, giving a picture frame with your cute face in it is totally still a viable gift idea- especially when the frame is this awesome!

4. FOR THE MUSIC LOVING GUY: I've heard awesome things about this Nixon wireless bluetooth speaker- this is definitely on the short list for Michael!

5. FOR THE GUY IN THE CITY: I know, an umbrella is SO not a gift most people would think to give- but if your guy walks to class, or work, or parks his car outside - giving a practical gift (that's also stylish) is one that in the long run, he'll love you for.

6. FOR THE GUY THAT TRAVELS: Shoe bags- are they sexy? No. But if your guy is a constant traveler- whether it be for work or play- these things are so dang handy. They keep your shoes packed up separately so you don't have to worry about them getting dirt (or something more disgusting) on the clothes in your suitcase :)

Which of these gifts would be great for the guy in your life?

That Nixon speaker just might be the ticket for Michael!

xo, lp

POLAR BEAR PJS

Man, what a difference a day makes!

Yesterday our balcony didn't have a trace of snow- and it's currently covered in so much we can't open the sliding door to get outside. I get it Mother Nature, you're ready for Wisconsin to REALLY have winter now!

Hope you all stayed warm yesterday- here's what's been good lately:

Sending out some snail mail, per usual- I love surprising friends with random notes!

(psst, get the stationery here!)

I recently cleaned off all of our living rooms shelves and dusted (something I rarely do- yup, sorry, we have a dusty household, y'all) and of course, rainbow ordered some of the coffee table books.

#cantstopwontstop

 Get the books here: Real Simple Celebrations // The Good Housekeeping Cookbook // KSNY Things We Love   // Young House Love // 36 Hours the Midwest // Domino // 36 Hours the Northeast // DesignSponge at Home 

Like I mentioned, before the snow, our balcony was TOTALLY bare...I can't even get out there to take an "after" picture!!

 (Get the BEST TOTE EVER here)

It was a friend's birthday the other day so I grabbed some flowers to bring to her at work- they were so lovely I almost had to steal them for myself!!!

I haven't painted FOREVER but a friend inspired me the other day, so I had to bust out the watercolors to make some homemade Valentines!

Despite what my Instagram looked like yesterday, it actually wasn't a lazy day at all! The morning started out slow enough- watching the snow, hanging out in comfy PJs, and eating some Heath Bars (because, why not?). But the rest of the day was go-go-go! I made soup, fried rice, cookies, drinks- took a ton of pictures, edited, read, cleaned- such a perfect Sunday to be snowed in!

You guys, later on this week I have not 1 recipe for you, but FOUR. Er..sort of...you'll just have to see...

That's what's good with me lately, what's new on your end, friends?

Hope you all made it through the snow safely!

xo, lp

Let's be friends on Instagram, mmmkay?

Find me here --> @lpodlich