March has felt like a bit of a roller coaster. Not necessarily one I would have chosen, but here we are.

It has been a more chaotic and heavy month than usual, and I have found myself coming back to the idea of the little things more than ever. When things feel uncertain or out of your control, those small, steady pieces of your day start to matter a lot more.

We are taking life one day at a time over here and focusing on forward movement, even if it is small. That has been the anchor. Not getting stuck, not spiraling, just continuing to take the next step and trusting that it adds up over time. I have seen that play out so many times, both in my own life and with my clients.

If you want more context on what has been going on, I share more in my newsletter and on Instagram. But for now, these are the little things that have helped carry me through this month.

I hope you find something in here that does the same for you.

1. Albion Fit Swimwear

Swimsuits have always been a bit of a love hate thing for me. Same with jeans, honestly. For most of my life, shopping for either has just made me feel bad about my body. That is not new, and it is something I have and am always actively working through personally and with my clients.

Over the past couple of years, I have been more intentional about my body composition. I have spent time building muscle, cycling through small deficits, maintenance, and periods of eating more, and my body has changed. It has been slow, but I feel more confident than I used to, and for the first time in a long time, swimsuit shopping has actually felt a little bit fun.

We swim a lot in the summer, so I needed something new this year. I got served an ad for this suit from Albion and decided to try it. Sometimes Instagram really does get it right. It fit perfectly right away and I felt good in it without overthinking it.

It is even a little cheeky, which is something I never would have chosen before, but I have been working hard on building muscle and I am proud of how I feel in my body right now. That alone made it a win.

I wish I had a better picture from this past weekend, but just trust me that it is cute. From what I have seen so far, they have a lot of styles that work for different body types, which I always appreciate.

2. The First Year Back

One of the things that has brought me a lot of joy this month, in the middle of what has honestly been a pretty chaotic season, is a new workshop I am bringing to Austin called The First Year Back.

It is centered around that transition back to work after having a baby, which is one of the most intense and jarring seasons I think a woman can go through. There is so much happening at once. The emotional load, the identity shift, the logistics of daily life, all while trying to show up at work and function like a normal human. It can feel like a lot, and there really is not much support for it.

Putting this together has been incredibly satisfying. This is something I have wanted to build for a long time, and it pulls from the work I have done as a certified RETAIN Parental Leave Coach as well as what I see with my clients. I have just never packaged it in this way before.

More than anything, I am excited to create a space where women can feel a little less alone in this phase and walk away with tools that make life feel more manageable. That feels meaningful to me.

And selfishly, working on this has been a really good outlet. Life has felt a little heavy lately, and having something creative and aligned to focus on has brought me a lot of energy.

3. Mini Ghirardelli Chocolate Squares

I just wrapped up a 10 week calorie deficit over spring break, and it was really successful. I am pretty confident I lost around six pounds of body fat while maintaining my muscle, which is always the goal. I will confirm with a DEXA scan, but overall I feel really good about how it went.

The biggest thing for me is that I was not miserable. That is how I approach this for myself and how I coach my clients. It has to be something you can actually stick with. For me, that meant eating around 1900 calories a day, hitting my protein and fiber goals, and still having room for things I enjoy.

I know at this point that I am someone who wants something sweet most days, especially after dinner, so I plan for it. Trying to cut it out completely has never worked for me, and honestly I don’t want it to.

These little Ghirardelli squares ended up being perfect. They are small, low-cal, and easy to fit into the day. I would have one milk chocolate followed by one dark chocolate, and that combination was just enough to feel satisfied without going back for more.

They made the whole process feel easier, which is really the point.

4. Windy City Series by Liz Tomforde

I have talked about this a lot lately, but I still feel like I have been in a bit of a reading slump. Ever since Onyx Storm (which was last year!!!), I’ve had a hard time finding books that really pull me in. I will find one I like here and there, but I have not been able to string together those “can’t put it down” reads like I used to.

I have been craving something that makes me want to compulsively read again, and this series finally did that.

I kept seeing the Windy City series recommended, with the caveat that the first book is not the strongest but that it gets better as you go. That ended up being exactly my experience. The first book was fine for me, maybe a three star, but I kept going. The second was better, and now I am halfway through the third and FULLY invested.

It is a sports romance series, which is not something I am usually drawn to, but the characters are what make it. The male leads are thoughtful in a way that feels grounded and believable. They show up, they pay attention, and they support the FMCs in a way that actually builds them up.

There is also a strong found family element that ties everything together, which is why I would not skip the first book even if it feels a little slower. It has been the perfect kind of escapism for me lately, and I am already sad knowing it is going to end…which is probably going to put me in another slump!!

5. Korean Skincare Color Changing Foundation Stick

I watch more TikTok than I would like to admit, and a while back I kept seeing these color changing foundation sticks pop up in my feed. When people apply them they look completely white at first, which makes it seem like it could not possibly work. Then as they start blending it in, it shifts to match their skin tone. It looked strange enough that I ignored it for a while, but one of the influencers I follow and trust with beauty recommendations finally convinced me to try it.

It turns out it really does work exactly like that. You swipe it on and it starts out white, then as you blend it in it adjusts to your skin tone. The texture is what surprised me the most. It feels like a mix between a powder foundation and a traditional liquid one. It is creamy and smooth going on, but it does not feel heavy or greasy. The coverage is solid, it blends easily, and it stays on well throughout the day. By the afternoon it almost looks better than when I first put it on because it settles into a slightly dewy finish without looking oily.

If you have been around here for a while you know I rotate between a few different foundations. I have a mineral powder one, the Jones Road liquid foundation, and now this one. I tend to switch between them depending on how my skin is behaving that day. Hormones definitely play a role, and sometimes my skin just wants a different texture or level of coverage. Having a few options makes it easier to adapt instead of forcing one product to work every day.

This one has been a really fun addition to the mix, and it has quickly become one I reach for often. If you enjoy trying new beauty products, it is worth checking out.

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March was not the easiest month, but these little things helped carry me through it. None of them are life changing on their own, but that is kind of the point. They are small, steady, and easy to come back to when everything else feels a little uncertain. And right now, that feels like enough. I’ll see you back here next month with whatever ends up making the list next.