Laura W. Godfrey

Our final two days in New York have finally made it to the blog!

We got up early Sunday morning and headed straight to starbucks to get something warm in our hands. We planned to visit DUMBO (down under the Manhattan bridge) and it was COLD.

We took a car to Brooklyn and then found our way over to DUMBO. We only had to ask for directions once so that was a total win in our books. The views were amazing!

We walked across the Brooklyn Bridge and almost got pancaked by bikers six or seven times. They. Are. SAVAGE. But we survived and the walk across the bridge was one of my favorite memories from the trip. We weren’t too terribly far from One World Trade so we decided we would head over to see the 9/11 Memorial. It was so somber and hear-wrenching to see the names of all those who lost their lives during the attack. But the memorial was so beautiful. I found myself running my fingers over the names etched on the half wall, praying for the families that lost the ones they loved. Definitely a heavy part of the day but so grateful we got to witness how the city paid tribute to the fallen men and women.

We decided we wanted to grab a light lunch at Chelsea Market so we took a car and it was about a ten minute drive from the memorial site. Last time I was in New York, I lost my mind over these mini cinnamon sugar and glazed donuts. They are SO delicious! We also stumbled across a plant-based sushi booth and they won us over with their samples. Normally I’m not a fan of sushi because I don’t like anything fishy, but this stuff was out of this world good.

We wandered around Chelsea for a while before deciding we needed to get back to get changed and ready for afternoon tea at The Plaza.

The Lobby of the Plaza is so pretty! I mean, that tree! We quickly re-lived every Home Alone 2 moment we could think of without totally embarrassing ourselves before going to check in for our tea. Initially we were seated right by the door to the kitchen. Like, our backs were to the restaurant and all we could see (and smell!) was the kitchen. I hated to be annoying but when you hype this up as much as we had, the experience is everything. So i asked the waitress if we could wait for another table. They were so kind and had us seated within a few minutes at a much better table. The tea was yummy and the food was ok. Not exactly what I would expect from such a highly renowned restaurant. But thankfully none of us were super hungry. We just enjoyed soaking up the experience of being in such an iconic location!

After tea, we shopped around the gift shop, and by “shopped” I mean “looked.” Can you say $95 for a tea cup. No ma’aam. We had to stop out front for a picture before we left. While I was getting my picture taken, I was being heckled by a homeless man. I won’t even repeat what he said but let’s just say, it was enough to make a girl blush and want to hide in a corner. Yikes.

When I was taking Mary Margaret’s a picture, a man walked up and asked if he could take a picture with her because she looked like a Disney Princess. I mean, yes, she totally looks like a Disney Princess but GET OUTTA HERE. MM was for too sweet to say no. We were both ready to leave after the whole picture taking fiasco.

We went back to the hotel to change into comfier clothes and decided instead of eating dinner at our fancy reservation spot that night, we would cancel it and go have pizza instead. Such a good choice! It gave us more time to go see Top of the Rock and to watch the light show a few more times.

After we had pizza, we were all worn out so we headed back to our hotel to go to sleep.

Our final day in the city consisted of an incredible breakfast at The Smith (THE best breakfast spot in New York!) and then we did some souvenir shopping before going to see The Museum of Natural History. We didn’t have a lot of time to take in the Museum so we definitely want to go back next time.

On our way back to the hotel, we stopped off for a quick hot chocolate at Ralph’s, which is a hidden gem of a coffee shop on the second floor of Ralph Lauren’s store on fifth avenue. SO cute!

We grabbed our bags and headed out to get a car to take us to the airport. Our bellman was hilarious, y’all. He had the most incredible stories of all the famous people he’d seen come in and out of The Palace over the years. I could have listened to him for hours!

We had a pretty uneventful flight back to Atlanta and were all pretty ready to see our people. Atlanta welcomed us with rainy, mild weather. Thanks a lot! But no matter the weather, there really is no place like home.

Thanks so much for reading about our trip! If you have any questions about anything we ate, where we stayed, what we wore, let me know! So happy to share!

6 Tips for Setting Grace-filled Goals {+ FREE Bonus}

Sweet friends, you might be cringing at the name of this blog post or maybe your type A personality can’t wait to read more because you live for setting goals- either way, keep reading because there just might be a bonus at the end 😉

I don’t know how this hits you, but regardless, before we dig too deep into goals, I want to say that you are enough- yes, YOU- right where you are and exactly as you are. Please, please don’t ever feel less than by starting to compare your goals- or lack thereof- to someone else’s {been there, done that- still do at times}… be confident in who YOU are and whose YOU are and focus on your life aligning with how you’ve been uniquely created, okay?

So, with all of that being said, why do I encourage goals with my clients you ask? Well that’s because we are given one life mamas and I believe we are to steward it well.

Sometimes stewarding it well means barely getting out of bed to put one foot in front of the other. If that’s the case for you, then please just celebrate that first foot on the floor moment and focus on surviving right now- and, don’t shy away from seeking out help and support- it’s one of the best gifts you can give yourself!

Other times we are in a more “normal”/standard season and we find ourselves going about life pretty consistently… Possibly everything is pretty status quo, no really high highs, nor any really low lows… when we are in this type of season, I believe it is all too easy to just keep doing things the way we’ve been doing them {I see this time and time again in my own life and in my client’s lives}… and some might even say, “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it”.

Yet, I don’t agree with that. In my training and life experience, if we aren’t growing consistently, we can end up in a really not so great place. We wake up one morning and suddenly realize our life is passing us by, we realize that all those things we’ve always wanted to do aren’t getting done. And, we realize that we feel stuck, unfulfilled, unsure of our purpose and our worth. We find ourselves not being the healthiest version for our people and our community- I can tell you firsthand, it’s a really yucky place to be.

Keeping that in mind, as valuable as it can be to really get clarity on your life + family purpose statement, your vision, mission and values, I believe goals are so very helpful in keeping us “on track”. They enable us to live with intention and steward our days well. Goals also provide such great encouragement as we can gauge progress we’ve made and growth we’ve experienced.

Okay, friends, let’s dive into 6 tips on goal-setting, all the while remembering that we are filling these goals with grace because life happens!

TIP 1- Journal and ask yourself what is the END goal in my life and what is the END result I am after. Then, reflect on what was working really well and what wasn’t over the last year. Perhaps make 2 columns one entitled “what worked” and one entitled “what didn’t work”.

TIP 2- Have 2, or more lists- writing all the goals in one big list isn’t super helpful… separate overarching life goals/ideas from more day to day goals and tasks. *I often see 2 extremes with this- either REALLY big goals and no day to day goals OR small goals that are more like daily tasks and don’t include dreams, life vision, etc.

TIP 3- Break down your goals into chunks – essentially developing yearly goals and then quarterly goals that become daily tasks. That being said, I am a HUGE proponent of the 90-day year- essentially focus on the next 90-days and how to live the most intentionally in that period… then address the next 90-days. Often times, with children in the picture, it just feels like there are too many moving parts and there’s no way to make any progress so we might as well just not make goals- this 90-day approach will help, trust me.

TIP 4- Get with your spouse or a friend you really trust and ask them “What’s it like to be on the other side of me?”. Get their take on what they see going on in your life. Ask them where they see you excelling {so you can continue doing those things} and ask them where they see room for growth {so that you can build out intentional goals to start addressing those areas}.

TIP 5- Involve your children in this part of your story- the part where you want to live intentionally by making good choices. Encourage them to understand your goals and let them be involved in some way.

*Maybe one of your goals is to have a daily quiet time but they seem to get up early too- why not encourage them to read their Bible at the same time or color in a young children’s Bible workbook/study? Or read your study aloud, or just share with them that it’s important time for you to be the best woman, best wife and best mom so you need them to respect that and entertain themselves for those quiet time minutes. How much could their involvement encourage their little hearts?

TIP 6- Addition by subtraction- it is so easy especially in this culture of more, more, more to get wrapped up in thinking that if I just add some tasks, some more organization, some more systems, etc. it’ll all miraculously get done… mamas, you and I both know that all the tools in the world don’t fix an over-stuffed, max capacity life! You HAVE to say no to things, you have to remove things to fit new things in. As I often say, “Say no to the good, so you can say yes to the best!”

BONUS tip: Align your goals with your values- in doing so, you’re so much more apt to feel motivated and inspired by them… Feel like they might be different than they were years ago? That’s completely normal, don’t worry! Many people really aren’t sure what their values are without some coaching and reflection. Aren’t sure about yours? Click here to get your own FREE Values Guide for Setting Grace-filled Goals– just enter your email and it will go straight to your inbox!

Bio-

Katie Crocombe, the founder of Flourish + Co, is a professional life coach who partners with women to design an intentional life. Katie is passionate about encouraging women by sharing her grace-filled story in an effort to remind them of their worth and that they are so worth celebrating!

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Friends, are you tired of feeling like you aren’t enough? Are you a mom who thought she’d find her purpose in motherhood and didn’t? Are you a woman who at the end of the day is really just feeling unfulfilled and unsure of what the next best steps are for you in life? Are you one of the 60% of women who doesn’t know her purpose?

Then please know that there is no shame only celebration in recognizing this, and do yourself and those around you a favor and just email Katie at [email protected].

She will partner with you simplify, organize, uncover your unique purpose, help you set grace-filled goals, hold you accountable, challenge you and help you say no to the good so you can say yes to the best.

And, since Katie is a friend of Reese & Rowe and is just officially launching the Flourish + Co website + blog this month, she is offering ALL readers 10% off her professional life coaching packages that are booked in 2017 and an additional $100 off packages booked by 2/28 with the code RRFCLAUNCH!!!

You can also follow along on Instagram- her favorite- for consistent encouragement and tips on living an intentional life!! @flourishandco_

Hi.

Hello.

What’s Up?

Thanks for stopping by. I’m just sitting over here at my kitchen table watching my girls out the bay window while they play “Sad, then make you feel better”, which is basically a game where one sits with arms crossed and a pouty face and then the other runs up with a smile and an original peppy tune to try to make them feel better. THE. CUTEST.

So that’s my scene today! I’m here to share a few of my favorite brands to shop for affordable denim and I also want to share a few pieces I think are worth splurging on and what things you shouldn’t stress the budget over.

Leh go.

I get my basic black jeans from H&M and they’re $9.99. I actually distressed them myself by putting them on one day and taking scissors to the knees. Surprisingly it turned out really well. I actually love the fit of these jeans and haven’t found any (even pricier ones!) that I like better.

I would recommend buying two pair (size up, they run small) and letting one be distressed and the other just basic black denim. At this price point, you can definitely afford it! For sizing reference, I normally wear a 27 in skinny jeans and I wear a 29 in these!

If you aren’t interested in a DIY distressing job, I LOVE these:

For lighter distressed denim, I shopped for a long, long time to try to find something super affordable and I finally ended up breaking down and buying these. Y’all. I’m so glad I did! I love the fit on these jeans and the distressing is just right.

If you aren’t into distressed jeans, I’d recommend these for a skinny option and these for a boot cut fit. Both are a definite investment but they will last you years. I’ve had my boot cut Citizens of Humanity jeans for four years and they’re still going strong.

I wear my white jeans year round so they definitely get a lot of wear out of them. Because of the light color, it’s super important to get a quality pair of white jeans so you can see every little imperfection on your leg right thru your pants. #notcute

I also have a distressed and non-distressed pair of white denim.

If you’re ready to invest, I’d recommend these

If you’re needing a more affordable pair to get you by, I also love these:

And these:

Finally this distressed pair is a great option:

If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years it’s that you get what you pay for when it comes to denim. I wear the heck out of my jeans so investing in the right pair is a must. But that doesn’t mean it always has to break the bank!

I hope some of these suggestions help and I hope you have a SUPER day!

Hi, friend!

If you’re here I’m thinking it’s because you’re interested in getting yo booty into shape. If that’s the case, you’re in the right place!

But can I also just share that what you do on a daily basis is such hard work. The mom life is good stuff but man can it be hard. So the fact that you’re even considering doing anything but collapsing on the couch during nap time while slipping into an oreo-induced coma is worthy of a big ol high five.

One thing I found pretty early into motherhood is that when I make working out a priority, I’m just a happier momma. Taking care of yourself is sometimes the last thing on the list of what has to get done but I promise it’s worth it.

If you’re like me, the idea of spending over an hour a day doing anything (especially working out!) is laughable. Maybe your kiddos are in school so you’ve got some extra during the day time, but over here we are in the trenches of the toddlerhood so any workout has gotta be fast and effective.

I try to incorporate three to four thirty minute high intensity workout sessions weekly, plus two cardio sessions.

A typical HIIT (high intensity interval training) workout looks like this:

7 minutes: (go thru the circuit as many times as you can)

15 burpees

15 toe taps

20 jumping lumges (10 per leg)

1 minute plank with a twist

REST for 1 minute

7 minutes: (go thru the circuit as many times as you can)

15 pushups

20 stair climbers (literally just climb my stairs)

15 commandos

50 mountain climbers

Repeat the first circuit again followed by the second circuit (28 minutes total)

On days when I need to get in my cardio, I like to fast pace stroll 100 pounds of girl child upand down the KILLER hills in my neighborhood OR if Matt gets home early enough (or on weekends) I go for a run. Fun fact: I burn three times as many calories walking for 3 miles with my girls than I do running 6 miles alone. That’ll bless ya!

Speaking of running, I used to be an avid runner and just within the past year switched to interval training with weights. I’m not hating on running because I really do enjoy it! But while running is a great cardio workout, it’s not great on your joints and it’s also not (gasp) a super effective form of working out if your desire is to tone up muscle groups and really burn fat effectively. I’m not claiming to be an expert by any means. I just know what I’ve learned from my research.

The goal with working out (especially if you’re limited on time!) is to work harder and smarter. If you can’t spend two hours in the gym every day, just kick your tail for 30 minutes at home! Some days I workout longer, most days I don’t.

Just get up and move every single day and you’ll be able to tell a difference in your energy level. If you’ve got really specific goals, write them down and start right away. You got this, momma!

Workout Gear Found Here:

For those of you who are new around here, I went on a trip to New York in December with two of my sisters and one of my best friends. We were there for a long weekend during the most magical time of year.

You can find the recap from Day One HERE. Now let’s jump in to Day Two!

We woke up pretty early on Saturday morning to make it to our breakfast reservation at Sarah Beth’s. We visited the central park south location because we planned to spend the morning wandering around Central Park. I’d highly recommend making a reservation before you go. They get really busy. The fat and fluffy french toast is literally to DIE for. Guaranteed to make you feel fat and fluffy as soon as you finish. I’d recommend splitting since the portions are huge. My sister, Anna, ordered the green and white scrambled eggs so we had something savory (and somewhat healthy) to go with our fat and fluffy french toast.

After breakfast, we walked thru The Plaza Hotel (since it’s right next door!) and then made our way into Central Park. Walking thru the park was one of my favorite parts of our trip. There are so many iconic views but it’s also just such a beautiful space. I’d recommend visiting Bethesda Fountain area while you’re in Central Park. It’s stunning! If you visit during warmer months, you could also take a boat ride while you’re there.

We took a car back to The Palace to change clothes and get ready for lunch.

Funny side story: This particular morning, my sister let me borrow a beautiful Italian coin necklace that was given to her by grandfather after my grandmother had passed away. At some point when I was getting our of the car to go into the hotel, the chain broke and the coin fell onto the seat of the car. When we got up to the hotel room and I took off my coat, the chain fell off but the coin was nowhere to be seen. I FREAKED. OUT. We looked everywhere for it and Mary Margaret said she thought she saw a coin on the seat when we got out of the car. After a very lengthy and difficult process of tracking down our Uber driver (he spoke hardly a word of english), we were finally able to get the coin back by midnight that night. Talk about a heart attack!

After we changed clothes, we got a quick burger and fries at Shake Shack and then walked over to The Met. We passed some beautiful brown stones on the way there. It’s amazing what you just stumble upon in this city.

The Met was absolutely beautiful! We decided to purchase The City Pass to save a bit of money on some of the sight seeing we wanted to do. It was well worth it.

Once we were done at the museum, we headed back to get ready for dinner. We made a quick stop at Laduree for some macaroons and holy moly y’all. These are to the most delicious things I’ve ever put in my mouth! Not only is the little store front like stepping back in time to Paris in another century, but these little cookies are heavenly. You must get you some while you’re here.

On our second night we ate at Butter in Midtown. Split an entree to save room for dessert. They have a pastry chef on staff and the man knows how to make a dessert. We split the crispy chicken with the sauteed black kale and for dessert we had the raspberry beignets with vanilla dipping sauce. Y’all. My mouth is watering just thinking about how amazing it was!

After dinner we walked back to our hotel to change into warmer clothes so we could go gawk at the tree and watch the light show in front of Saks a few more times.

We got in bed a little on the earlier side that night since we were all worn out. Plus we knew we had a long day of seeing all the things the next day!

Here are a few links of what I wore on Day Two!

Day Three includes our crazy experience having tea at The Plaza, as well as our time spent in DUMBO and what we did our last night!

Stay tuned!