Happy Friday! I don't know about you, but for me this week really flew by. We got a storage unit in our building and have been moving some of our (necessary) clutter out--firs our dining room table and now a lot of boxes that we could get rid of but aren't, since we plan to move to a new place this summer. I had a couple of meetings and kept myself busy with the blog, organizing our apartment, and cooking--Whole30 is not going to happen if you don't do some planning ahead in the kitchen.

I'm looking forward to one of those weekends that's both busy and laid-back--tomorrow we don't have any plans other than a possible trip to IKEA to look for a new side table for our reading chair, and then on Sunday I'm modeling in a really cool charity event at Unknown Brewing in South End--if you live in Charlotte, you should come by and say hello!

I haven't posted any Friday Favorites in a month, so I have lots of links for you today!

To Read: 

• You're Not "Adulting," You're Acting Your Fucking Age. Yep.
• Have you ever been holding or petting or hugging a really cute animal and wanted to squeeze them until their head explodes (Oberon style, you guys)? This happens to me with Ender regularly, so I found this article to be especially interesting.
• The 6 Types Of Money Personalities You Meet in Your 20s. Pretty much.
• The Surprising Benefit of Going Through Hard Times.

Cultural Studies/Media: 

• The hipster is dead, and you might not like what comes next. It's a yuccie. And oh my God you guys, I am one.
• Things From 2015 I Never Understood and Would Like Some Clarification on Before Year's End. A little late, but all still very true.
• "Game of Thrones" Will Change its Approach to Sexual Violence in Season 6. Look, I get it. But I have some weird opinions about this. I don't want to watch violent sexual assault any more than the next person, but there's something about it that seems important to me. Sexual violence is real, and it's a problem. Part of why I love Game of Thrones is because there is so much reality grounded in the fantasy. As Ben says so nerdily in Parks and Rec: "It's not just for fantasy enthusiasts; they're telling human stories in a fantasy world."
• The Rise of Samantha and Miranda. Rob and I just finished watching Sex and the City all the way through (I've seen it countless times but Rob had never watched it from start to finish), and I have to say I totally agree with this piece. I'm not a huge fan of Miranda but I do appreciate her so much more than Carrie or Charlotte. And Samantha is wonderful, let's just get real.

Wish List: 

• Yet another baggy striped shirt.
• I'm running out of liquid eyeliner and always want to try something new. What do you use? This one has been my go-to the past year or so.
• Cutest little earrings.
• This looks like a great everyday bag.
• If I had a nightgown like this one I'd probably never leave the house.

Sponsored: Have you tried any of these cheese slicers?

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What are you guys up to this weekend? Hope you have a good one!

I love to take really hot showers. Like, really super duper skin-scalding hot showers.

In a perfect world (and when they're on sale), I eat an avocado every day. Just slice it open, sprinkle salt, pepper, and cayenne powder, then dig right in with a spoon.

I have a great love and appreciation for things that are dramatic and dark, but if it happens at night then I need to watch or read something funny right after. Game of Thrones is my favorite show in the world but you bet your ass I'm usually watching an episode of How I Met Your Mother before bed.

Taking care of Ender has greatly reduced my day-to-day anxiety and I think service dogs must really be little angels sent from heaven to people who need them, because Ender's just a normal dog who is pretty crazy a lot of the time and I still feel like he's helped me in more ways than I can count. Also this gives me a lot of hope for motherhood because I always worry that I'm going to be an insane mom who is afraid of everything but I'm starting to think I'll be able to handle it.

I really don't love public speaking, but I would say my ability to do it is at least respectable. Whenever I finish delivering a speech or presentation I always feel really good but then can't remember any detail of it because I'm pretty sure I black out when speaking in front of others.

I always knew I liked noodles but now I know I love noodles. Paleo, you're great but I'm having a big bowl of pho once this Whole30 is over.

Photo by Justin Hackworth and Brooke Dennis.

Hi friends! Just wanted to pop in with a quick post to let you know that I've decided reopen my sidebar to a very small handful of sponsors (blogs, small businesses, etc.) this year. 

If your New Year's resolution is to expand your blog or business, then I'd love to work with you to help make it happen! You can place an ad using the widget below, but if you have questions (or just want to say hi!) please feel free to send me an email here. I also have a media kit I can send you if you're interested in coming up with some more involved sponsored content on Freckled Italian. Just let me know! Looking forward to hearing from you soon!