Here’s a round up of my favorite things from the first week of April! Check back every Friday for a new list of 7 things that have helped me get through the week. [Read something you loved, loved, loved this week? Share it with me in the comment section and i’ll give you a shout out  it in next week’s post!]

1. If you haven’t seen much of me this week, it’s because i’m reading Anagrams – by Lorrie Moore.

She’s one of my favorite authors and last month i got the pleasure of meeting her in person. And by pleasure, i really mean i waited in line for an hour until finally it was my turn to say hello. And i froze. “My name isss -umm-ah” was all i managed to sneak out of my mouth before i gave up and rubbed my sweaty palms alongside the spine of her new book Bark.

Anagrams is a great read if you’re looking to be blown away by intimate descriptions and sharp metaphors.

2. As i struggled to climb out of bed on Wednesday morning and comb my hair and moisturize my face and put on an outfit that (hardly) matches, i watched a segment on the Today Show about feeling beautiful.

Many of us are weighted down by this endless challenge to recognize our own beauty and give it a giant hug hello. I found this story inspiring and wanted to share it with all of you. Ps. no matter what anyone else has ever told you…you are beautiful. Don’t ever forget that.

3.How many times can you play a song on repeat before you should recognize you’re addicted? #16

4. My birthday was last week & i made a list of 26 goals

One of them is to travel more – because ever since moving to NYC, i’ve become a hermit and hardly left this island. One of the main excuses we all use (myself especially) is that we can’t travel because we don’t have enough cash. Here’s an awesome article proving you wrong.

5. It’s National Poetry Month

This week, i wrote a poem called Yellow Balloon after watching a girl with chlorine-stained hair let go of a balloon so easily – as if she was so sure there would be more balloons at her disposal – whenever she wanted them. You can read the poem below.

6. “If i am not stubborn, life moves forward.”

Here’s an interesting article from the NY Times on forgiveness.

7. From the dusty archives:

The Things I Learned From Awkward Silences “Do you ever go to sit down at a table and there’s complete and utter, bottomless silence. No one is speaking and twenty seven seconds later, there’s still no one speaking. You start to think maybe it’s you. It must be you.”

Whenever i’m done with my meal, i’m always looking for what i can eat next.

So, if you’re still hungry – before you leave sign up for The Things I Learned From newsletter (It’s easy – just type your email into the box on the right + or above).

I’ll send you an email every Monday morning filled with tips on how to kick your butt out of bed and start your week on a positive – fun – note.