Rob and I had such a great trip to Minnesota this weekend--we got home late last night and are spending this Martin Luther King Day relaxing at home and getting unpacked before another week starts. I wasn't sure how visiting Minneapolis was going to feel--would I miss it more? Would I feel like Charlotte was finally our home? (The answer ended up being a little of both.)

I didn't take too many photos with my camera while I was in Minneapolis, but here are the few that I did! It was so nice catching up with my lovely friends whom I haven't seen in almost six months. We went to almost all of our favorite restaurants, drank great coffee, attended a sweet baby shower, and enjoyed a few really warm days (by Minnesota standards, of course). It was such a nice trip and I can't wait to get back again--hopefully in the summer next time!

How was your weekend? I'm headed back to the airport on Wednesday to catch a flight to Salt Lake City for Alt Summit!

Happy Friday from Minneapolis! We got in last night and had breakfast with friends this morning. Now we're relaxing a bit at my brother-in-law's place before we head out for more food, a walk around a lake, and happy hour later tonight! It's unseasonably warm here this weekend so people are out and about enjoying the day. I'm so happy to be here.

Just wanted to pop in quickly with a few links I've been collecting. Enjoy!

To Read:

• Why Refusing to Change is Killing You
• I found this really beautiful: Why Doctors Die Differently (I'm also a sucker for anything that makes a reference to Dylan Thomas.)
• An important piece: Why We Need Fairy Tales More Than Ever.

To Watch/See:

• My wonderful friend (and wedding photographer) Ashley is hosting a photography workshop in March, and Rob and I will be there acting as models in the styled shoot (the photo above is from my own bridal session with her)! If you are a photographer anywhere near Richmond, Virginia, I'd love to see you there! You can get more information here (and today's the last day to save $100 on your registration)!
• Lost and hound! This dog is the best.
• Aziz Ansari on saying you're a feminist.

Wish List:

• Now that New Year's Eve is over, I'm pretty much ready for spring. I've got my eye on the following:
  • This little jumpsuit.
  • This adorable pie dress.

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I hope you all have a great weekend! We'll be here through Sunday, so as always, feel free to follow along with me on Instagram.

I've been a big fan of Crest's Whitestrips products for years and years, so I was totally thrilled when they reached out to me to work with them on their 2 Weeks to Your Whitest Smile program. And what better way to start a new year than with a sparklier smile?

Crest sent me a box of their 3D White Supreme FlexFit Whitestrips and I've been using them for the past two weeks as directed. You wear a pair of strips once a day for an hour and after fourteen days, you have significantly whiter teeth! I was surprised by a couple things: first, how quickly I saw results; and second, how easy they were to wear--you stretch them a bit before applying, which allows them to custom fit your smile (and provides 30% more coverage). They stay where you put them, they don't slide around or make a mess, and you can talk normally and even drink water while you're whitening.

I've included some before and after photos and, even more exciting, a giveaway! Crest is going to send a box of 3D White Supreme FlexFit Whitestrips to not one, not two, but three lucky Freckled Italian readers; so enter below and good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This post is brought to you in partnership with Crest 3D White.