Last week I felt like nothing in the world could stop me. I was checking things off my work list and wedding to-do list at record speed, feeling like I was not only getting caught up, but maybe, just maybe, getting ahead of schedule. Then sometime in the middle of the weekend, I developed a bit of a sore throat, and by last night that sore throat had turned into a full-fledged sinus infection. That fast-moving train from last week is now derailed.

The toughest thing about being sick for me is resting. I work from home and it’s too easy to start doing work, catch up on emails, clean the apartment or do some laundry. I feel guilty when I do nothing, and I hate that I feel that way.

I’m trying to reverse those guilty feelings and remind myself that taking care of my body should be my number one priority. So this morning, I slept in late, ate a very healthy and fresh breakfast with green tea and then I’m headed to the doctor this afternoon. I’m crossing my fingers that they give me something strong so I can enjoy my vacation to Florida this weekend.

On the upside, I bought some beautiful peonies this weekend and I’ve been enjoying them all week. I also finished a painting for our living room, had a picnic in the park and shared a perfect afternoon with Oliver.

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Guys! It’s here! I’ve been hard at work for weeks, and I’m happy to say it was worth it. There are quite a few improvements to the blog, so let me give you a quick tour of all the new, shiny things at The Fox & She. Then you’re free to explore!

1. The design. The homepage is slightly different. There’s now a “featured post” at the top, with the rest of the posts below. The sidebar also has an easier way for you to search by category and find exactly what you’re looking for — woo hoo!

2. The navigation bar now has two parts: the top part is dedicated to shopping and the second part is more traditional. “Shop the Boutique” is now broken down into more manageable categories, which makes it easier to browse new goodies. Additionally, “Daily Snaps” is the newest addition to the navigation bar. This is a collection of shoppable Instagram pictures, so if you haven’t already signed up at LikeToKnow.It, do so now and get the outfits you love sent right to your inbox.

3. The Fox Shop has been updated with brand new art! Shop now before they’re all snatched up! There’s also a new product available too…

4. Pre-Fab WordPress Themes! I’m really excited about these because I’ve received numerous requests for them over the past few months. These pre-fab WordPress themes are affordable, stylish, and super easy to install and customize!

I’m so excited about each one of these things and I hope you enjoy them too! As always, thanks to all of you for being so awesome and supportive!

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Now that the weather in Chicago is (finally) beautiful, I’m eager to explore new areas of the city and find new restaurants and bars. My favorite places to discover are ones with great patios or rooftops, and the weekly neighborhood festivals in Chicago are great ways to find hidden gems. The hardest part, however, is keeping all of those things organized.

I pass by places I want to try all the time, and in the past I added them to a list in my phone that I quickly forgot about and never used. Then I started using Sosh. My social calendar life-saver. I was recently introduced to Sosh and since then, have found myself browsing the app on a regular basis. Its purpose is to introduce you to new things happening in your city. You simply create a profile, specify for your favorite neighborhoods and things that interest you, and the options start pouring in!

It’s perfect for browsing what’s new and happening in your area, especially within specific categories that you select. I also love that I can bookmark different places I want to try and then check them off the list after I’ve tried them. Sosh also takes into consideration the time of day, weather, day of the week, and your location within the city, which makes the app way more personal than something like Yelp or Urbanspoon (where you constantly start from scratch).

Since downloading the app, I’ve tried several new restaurants and have discovered so many new places and things I want to try. Some examples include burgers at Chef’s Burger Bistro, wine & cheese tasting at Bar Pastoral, dim sum brunch at Fat Rice, brunch at Little Goat, and a hike at Tekakwitha Woods (to please my outdoorsy side).

If you’re not in Chicago, don’t worry! Sosh is also available in New York, San Francisco, Washington D.C. and Seattle, and will be available in a few more cities soon. So whether you’re looking for a restaurant, rooftop bar, festival, or open-air market, Sosh has the best recommendations. I wouldn’t recommend their product if I didn’t truly believe in it, so start exploring all that your city has to offer with Sosh !

*This post was sponsored by Sosh. As always, all opinions are my own!

The post Sosh Makes Me Social appeared first on The Fox & She.

trying out our new French Press and enjoying the results in my Vietri mugs

one of my favorite booths at Randolph Street Market, Olive Juice!

if only I needed another coffee table! I loved these…

and this one too!

debating whether or not I should get these vintage Singer stools for our new island

stools purchased! can you tell I’m excited!

aren’t they pretty?!

Christine found an adorable dip-dyed pillow from Liv+Work! The pom poms complete it!

rewarding ourselves with a tasty brunch & mimosas at Little Goat after finding some great goodies at the market

Oliver is still loving his new digs

enjoying the most perfect Sunday on the lake with great friends

The end of a long weekend is always a little bittersweet, but I can’t feel terribly sad after looking back on these pictures. Chicago finally had incredible weather and I took full advantage of the sunny skies and the break from work.

On Friday, I finished work early and spent my afternoon painting some new pieces for our place (sneak peek coming soon!). Saturday was spent at the Randolph Street Market, where I found some vintage stools that are perfect for our kitchen island that just arrived. Sunday, I went sailing with friends on Lake Michigan and then grilled out at a friend’s apartment in the afternoon, where Rob met the group after getting home from a family trip to the beach last week. To cap off the long day in the sun and to catch up on the time apart, Rob and I enjoyed a tasty dinner at Union Sushi + Barbeque Bar and after-dinner drinks on the sidewalk at Fado.

I spent Monday catching up on little things around the house, getting organized, and preparing for the week ahead. The weekend was much needed and so great! I hope everyone else had a fabulous long weekend too!

The post Looking Back appeared first on The Fox & She.

I’ll admit, the last few months I’ve felt like a real crazy woman. I’ve had far too many nights where I’m working until midnight than I care to admit and my yoga practice is pretty much down the tubes. I really underestimated how tough it is to have a full-time job and also plan your wedding and totally understand why people hire someone else to take care of all those little details. I’m also trying to plan for being gone for our honeymoon and get things organized before we leave.

But something changed at the beginning of this week! And suddenly I feel like I can see the light at the end of the long, late-night, exhaustion tunnel. It’s still not as close as I want it to be, but feeling like I’m nearing the launch of some new projects feels great. I’m also getting really caught up on wedding details, which is probably the biggest relief!

So while some things have slowed down in my life, a few things are really picking up, and I’m working on finding balance between the two!

On a side note, I realize that Oliver really doesn’t have anything to do with work or our wedding, but he’s cute and when I get run down, I start wishing that I could trade places with him for a day.

P.S. My 27th birthday is this week, and I’m sharing my exclusive birthday wish list in my newsletter today, if you haven’t signed up, do it now!

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