Happy Tuesday!
Trying to get back into the swing of things over here after my marathon 10-day travel extravaganza! (If you missed it, I was in San Diego, San Francisco and Nashville all over the span of the last 10 days, haha!) SO worth it––it was a blast, but I am exhausted. I need a weekend and it’s only Tuesday!
Yesterday I had my standing 10am call with Kendall to plan out what we’re working on for the week, and then dashed to a photoshoot for Equilibria! Then I came home and caught up on emails and honestly it’s 10:15pm on Monday night as I’m writing this and I have literally no idea where the rest of the day went. ????
If we’re being honest I’m feeling pretty scattered at the moment between travel, house projects (where the majority of my “new years resolution” angst is being directed ????too bad redoing your kitchen and decorating your house is basically a FULL TIME JOB ), work projects and personal stuff––it’s all feeling very….very…February. Ah, yes. That’s what it is.
Do you always feel this way around this time of year, too?
I’m going to make a promise to myself to stay extra organized and goal-oriented so I can hopefully end the week on a LESS “February-ish” feeling note. And I’m telling you this in hopes that it will actually hold me accountable. (Tip: I love the Five Minute Planner for this!!)
Anyyywaayyy. Let’s jump into some Ask Jess questions, because it’s been a minute!
What’s your Enneagram number?
I have been an Enneagram fan for YEARS. I actually wrote this post on it in 2016–WAY before it was trendy. ????It goes into more detail if you’re an Enneagram newbie!
Of the nine personality types, I am a textbook type 7. (I can’t really figure out if I’m a wing 6 or wing 8 though–because I feel like in my younger years I was definitely a wing 6, but now I feel like more of a wing 8? Any input would be welcome!?)
Here’s the description of Type 7 from The Ennegram Institute:
Sevens are extroverted, optimistic, versatile, and spontaneous. Playful, high-spirited, and practical, they can also misapply their many talents, becoming over-extended, scattered, and undisciplined. (I mean, hello, read intro paragraph. HA!) They constantly seek new and exciting experiences, but can become distracted and exhausted by staying on the go. They typically have problems with impatience and impulsiveness. At their Best: they focus their talents on worthwhile goals, becoming appreciative, joyous, and satisfied.
- Basic Fear: Of being deprived and in pain
- Basic Desire: To be satisfied and content—to have their needs fulfilled
- Enneagram Seven with a Six-Wing: “The Entertainer”
- Enneagram Seven with an Eight-Wing: “The Realist”
Key Motivations: Want to maintain their freedom and happiness, to avoid missing out on worthwhile experiences, to keep themselves excited and occupied, to avoid and discharge pain. (**I have never read a more accurate description of me than this sentence. ????**)
What shampoo and conditioner do you use? I’ve been looking for an upgrade!
My #1 fave is Beautycounter’s Daily Shampoo and Daily Conditioner! (See my full review on it here!) I’ve been using it for over two years and even when I try to test others out, I always come back to it.
Most recently I’ve been testing out Prose’s custom shampoo, conditioner and pre-shampoo mask as well because *SO MUCH HYPE* and I do like it, but I still prefer Beautycounter’s more because I think it cleans better and lasts longer in between washes. I’ll definitely do a full review on my Prose experience soon!
(I also think it’s worth noting that it’s winter and I tend to need more frizz control in the summer, so that could be why I just didn’t see the results other people do with Prose! It’s still good–I do think it might make my hair marginally more silky (maybe?) and I really like the brand, but I still find myself reaching for the Beautycounter products more often.)
I think I may re-purchase the Prose hair mask though to use with my Beautycounter! I really like their dry shampoo though and I want to try their hairbrush–it looks so great! And I love the brand overall and what they stand for!
(Sorry that was probably more info than you bargained for. ????)
Do you like the new Blondo ankle booties you posted recently more than the Everlane Day Boots?
AH–tough call! I can’t choose! I love them both SO MUCH! They’re SO different! I think it really just comes down to what look you prefer and what you need. Honestly, I just brought both pairs with me on my San Francisco/Nashville trip(s) and wore them both a ton and walked tons of miles in both of them! (FYI both run true to size!)
Here are the main differences:
Everlane Day Boots: (Styled in so many posts!)
I think they’re more classic looking and can also be more professional looking if you need them for a more traditional office environment. They aren’t waterproof–they’re made of a super-duper soft, buttery leather! They’re like putting on slippers.
They also have a rounder/squarer toe which means they’re a bit more comfortable if you’re planning to walk like 6 miles in them at a time. (Although I walked that many miles in my Blondo’s and they were also comfortable, but they have a pointier toe.) I needed absolutely zero break-in for any pairs of my Day Boots.
These are more suitable for work because they are very polished and would look great with business casual attire.
Blondo Emelia Booties: (Styled here!)
WATERPROOF. This is the biggest distinguishing factor as it pertains to practicality. They are insanely durable and made of a much tougher leather that is hard to scuff/scrape/stain/etc. They also have a pointed toe, which for some might mean they are less comfortable but I think they just require a little break-in. (FYI I don’t have wide feet but I can see if you did have wide feet, the toes on these may be too pointy for you).
I think these are definitely more fashion-forward and a bit edgy, whereas the Day boots are more minimalistic and classic. I rarely wear the Day Boots out at night, but I wore my Blondo’s out at night because the pointed toe gave me the more elevated/fashion-forward look I was going for. These would be harder to make work for a business casual environment.
Basically, you can’t go wrong and could easily argue that your wardrobe would benefit immensely from both! ????
How much water do you drink in a day––how do you stay hydrated with such a busy schedule? Any tips?
I try to drink half my body weight in ounces each day at least! Some days I’m way better than others, but I see a HUGE difference in my skin and lips when I drink a ton of water, because the winter weather makes them so dry–so that’s a vain motivator. ????My biggest tip is to get a big ole water bottle, because it’s way easier to keep track of refilling a big bottle 2-3x per day than it is to have to refill a glass or small bottle 8 times! I love my Hydroflask for this reason! (Neal calls it my “canteen” because I schlep it everywhere with me.)