The groundhog said spring was right around the corner…all that’s around our corner is a bigass pile of SNOW. Sidenote: Does any other state do this? We’ve got Punxsutawney Phil in Pennsylvania who “predicts” whether we’ll have 6 more weeks of winter or an “early spring” – and this year was the first in SO MANY that he actually predicted early spring. I mean, what the heck does a groundhog know anyways?!

Today’s post is a fun lil’ #AskE since it’s been a hot sec since we A’d some Q’s here. Q’s range from reading material to Moroccanoil hair products to shoe shelving, so it runs the gamut. Ha! If you have ANY Q’s you want A’d in the next #AskE, pleasepleaseplease feel free to send ’em my way – anything goes!

(On sale for $34 – comes in 12 colors! I’d recommend sizing down) // (On sale for $27.96!!!!! From my faaaaavorite jeans retailer – so comfy + affordable!) // Dr. Scholl’s (the sneaker of the season – ABSURDLY comfortable) // // (code ERICA15 for 15% off your own – perfect giftable for her, whether it’s her own name, her daughter, her puppy, you name it!)

Is blogging therapeutic? I love the openness and sharing that people like yourself do.

Yes, but totally depends on the person! For me, absolutely. But namely because I lovelovelove writing first + foremost. I started CUR as a blog, so it’s completely carthartic for me most of the time.

Being open is typically so good + SO important to truly build a sense of community and a relationship with your readers (which is something I always strive to do + improve upon!), but it can also be so challenging sometimes since it obviously opens up a more personal can of worms, from which you’re also opening up to more potential criticism. But at the end of the day, I always try to keep a positive perspective and remember that if something truly helps just one other person, that’s enough for me!

What is your favorite Moroccanoil product??

This is like asking to pick a favorite child. Ha! But OK I’LL DO IT. I think I’d have to say that the original will always be my favorite, justbecuase of how much of a little miracle worker it is. I prefer , though, since I’m always reaaaaaally light with any sort of “oil” treatment on my hair – especially given that I try to only wash my hair 2x a week MAX. It’s an argan oil-infused formula meant to detangle, control frizz + flyaways, and strength, and it is formulated without any parabens, sulfates, or mineral oils.

I’m also a big fan of Moroccanoil! They’re more of a splurge (not splurge compared to all shampoo/conditioners ever, but splurge if you’re used to drugstore brands), but are SO luxe in the shower! And I’m all about the little luxuries in life. 😉 The hydrating duo is my favorite so far, I think, especially in the brutal winter weather we’re still getting in Philly (where you at, spring?!). They also make your hair smell FABULOUS. I’ve gotten stopped on the street (legit) and asked if I have Moroccanoil in my hair whenever I’ve done a full routine with all Moroccanoil products – the smell is *known* by anyone who knows the brand, since it’s such a lovely scent!

The Moroccanoil is a fabulous in-shower treatment (I use in lieu of conditioner), and their is a great heat protectant!

What are you reading right now??

I just finished Girl, Stop Apologizing (talked about it in this month’s Cool Sh*t I Lovelovelove – Literally just released TODAY officially!) – now I’ve got Party Girl (Rachel Hollis’ first book ever – a fiction book based on her time as a Hollywood event planner) on my nightstand, as well as Brendon Burchard’s High Performance Habits for some “self-help.” 😉 I also always need a psychological thriller on deck, since I tend to really only grab for those if I’m reading anything fiction; per recommendations, I’ve got The French Girl and The Marriage Lie up next in that genre!

I like the shoe racks behind you! Where did you get them?

I get SO MANY Q’s from y’all on these shoe racks – ha! These were literally just individual shelf units from Lowe’s, stacked on top of one another! I have 12 stacked to make each “rack” of shelving. They just rest on top of each other, though, so definitely do it against a wall or somewhere where pets and/or toddlers can’t run into them – ha!

How do you balance work with the baby? Do you have someone to watch her during the day while you work?

It’s been a CHALLENGE, that’s for sure. They weren’t kidding when they say it takes a village. I’m lucky enough to have some help with Olivia; if it were just she and I all day everyday, I don’t think I could do it, in that I’d have NO work done. It would be a blast in terms of mommy-and-me time, but I do not know HOW any work-at-home parents make it happen without help behind-the-scenes. Babies ain’t no joke, yo! My mom has been coming over once if not twice a week since Liv came home from the NICU to help out, and Katie is over twice a week to help with CUR happenings – but she used to be a nanny, so she’s essentially just a godsend. Ha! Things are a bit more challenging with Olivia right now just because of still having this dang NG tube in her nose; she has to have her little mittens on anytime she’s not directly supervised, otherwise her hands go right for the tube to yank it out. Even with mittens ON, girlfriend has gotten the tube out at least twice (we’re talkin’ FULLY out) in the split second she wasn’t watched like a hawk. So she’s a bit higher maintenance right now than what she’d be otherwise, I think; if it weren’t for the tube, she’s a suuuuuper content, curious babe, so I’m V STOKED to see if/how things change in terms of her manageability when she’s finally tubeless!

Otherwise, if I’m home alone with Olivia, I try to plan my entire day out as loosely/realistically as possible basically expecting multiple interuptions. Meaning, any work that’s on the agenda for that day are flexible things that can be done in between naps or playtime and aren’t absolutely dependent on a specific time frame. (So, no phone calls or meetings scheduled!). I wake up earlier to work before she gets up, and then I plan to work once J gets home so that he’s on baby duty for a few hours. Once she’s bathed + put down around 7:30ish, then I try to be as done with work for the day as humanly possible so that we get some uninterupted QT together that’s unplugged + focused.