March Happenings

Happy Monday! I hope you had a great weekend! We spent the night in the city Saturday night celebrating our anniversary. It was pretty low-key; we hung out, had a nice dinner, and came home on Sunday morning. Can you believe it’s the last week of March? This will be a busy week – our daughter is coming home later this week, and we’re hosting our dinner group on Friday and Easter brunch on Saturday. Anyway, I’m sharing March happenings and linking up with Shay and Sheaffer on Wednesday for What’sUp Wednesday.

What I’ve Been Up To

Too Young to Be Old Podcast Guest

Are you familiar with Diane Gillman? You might know her from HSN, where she is known as the Jean Queen. She has a great podcast called Too Young to Be Old, created to uplift and inspire the 50+ community. Anyway, she invited me to be a guest on her podcast for her Thursday fashion segment. It pushed me completely outside of my comfort zone, but I’m Glad I did it—it was so much fun. You can check out the episode HERE or HERE.

One of my March goals was to repaint our hallway and stairway. When we originally painted them two and a half years ago, we instantly knew we made a poor color choice as soon as the paint went up. We finally repainted them and couldn’t be happier with the results. Here’s the before and after.

Products I Loved

I have arthritis in both of my big toes, and it’s getting harder and harder to find shoes that are both cute and comfortable enough to wear all day. I couldn’t get over how comfy these Vaneli Adebel loafers are, and I received a bunch of compliments on them, too. They come in multiple color options, and you can get 10% off with code JILLG at Marmi Shoes.

Boom Beauty sent me their Boomsilk Moisturizer to try, and I love it. It’s a rich yet lightweight cream that absorbs instantly into your skin, leaving it soft and hydrated. Bonus: you can use it on your face, too!

What I’m Watching

The Golden Boy

This documentary tells the story of how Oscar de La Hoya became a boxing legend, his heartfelt story of winning Olympic gold for his dying mother, how he rocketed to national prominence as a superstar both in and outside the ring, and what was behind that polished facade.

Fun fact: I was a huge boxing enthusiast, and Oscar De La Hoya, nicknamed “The Golden Boy,” was one of my favorites in the 2000s.

The New Look

This is the story of how fashion icon Christian Dior and his contemporaries, including Coco Chanel, Pierre Balmain, and Cristóbal Balenciaga, navigated the horrors of World War II and launched modern fashion.

What I’m Reading

Demon Copperhead

Set in the mountains of southern Appalachia, this is the story of a boy born to a teenage single mother with no assets beyond his dead father’s good looks and copper-colored hair, a caustic wit, and a fierce talent for survival. In a plot that never pauses for breath, relayed in his own unsparing voice, he braves the modern perils of foster care, child labor, derelict schools, athletic success, addiction, disastrous loves, and crushing losses. My Goodreads Rating: 5 stars.

The Burnout

After reading Demon Copperhead, I had to switch to something lighter for my next book. The Burnout’s main character, Sasha, has hit a brick wall. Armed with good intentions to drink kale smoothies, try yoga, and find solitude, she heads to the Devon resort she loved as a child. But it’s off-season, the hotel is falling apart, and now she has to share the beach with someone else: a grumpy, stressed-out guy called Finn. It’s a funny, feel-good read. My Goodreads Rating: 4 stars.

What I’m Wearing

Another March happening was the crazy yo-yo weather we had in Chicago. We’ve had temps up to almost 70 and then back down into the 20s, so my outfits have been all over the place. If you’re not following me on Instagram, I’d love it if you gave me a follow for daily style inspiration. It’s also super easy to shop my outfits – follow me on the FREE LIKEtoKNOW.it app or click here.