Saturday is Flourishing! A Flourish shopping trip, a Flourish discount, AND a blog giveaway!

The past 24 hours have been so wonderful. I had a student visit me yesterday after school to share some absolutely incredible news (I can't share yet, but will totally brag about him when it's public knowledge!), and last night, I got to visit my best friend in Chicago to celebrate her birthday and meet her brand new baby twins! I'm convinced there is nothing in the world better than snuggling sweet new babies, and Teresa and Dave are already amazing parents! I took about a thousand pictures of Harper and Nolan, but I'm only sharing two today! 

Harper, left, and Nolan, right!

Despite a great evening, this week has been tough. I'm finding myself slowing down thanks to some wicked ankle swelling, and I'm back to not sleeping so great, which has left me with some grumpiness. I know it's showing at school, and I know it's showing in my personal life. Which is why I was so blessed to go to barre class at B Present Studio this morning. The owner and instructor, Tammy, is seriously a God-sent. During class this morning (which was incredibly challenging and made me queen of pregnancy modifications today!), she told stories of learning how to be happy in life, listening to your body while still pushing it ("No one ever drowned in sweat!"), and so many more inspirational things. But the biggest message I took away from class this morning is that we all could be doing a better job of spreading kindness and love. There is never enough kindness and love in the world, and even if you're blessed with having it in your life, we could all always use more. I'm really going to embrace this mentality, especially through the holiday season. My husband could probably use some more of my patience, kindness, love, and I know my students could certainly benefit from more kindness and love in the classroom. I'm telling you, Tammy gives you so much more than a workout. She truly blesses your soul! 

And now, my most fun part of the day! Earlier this week, I received an email from my favorite boutique in the whole world, Flourish Boutique, about a Friends and Family evening they were having on Thursday. I was bummed that I couldn't attend due to teaching a Jazzercise class, but after emailing the Social Media coordinator, Megan, back, she was more than willing to let me come in today to visit the store and write up a blog post! Thank you, Megan (and you'll be thanking her too, because there's a discount code for you at the bottom of this post!)! I love supporting local businesses, and I especially love supporting local businesses when their customer service is so excellent! 

I went in today with a specific goal: Dress a pregnant body. Truly, I haven't been shopping much these past few months because the thought of spending a lot of money on clothing I can't wear for very long makes me want to cry! I've gotten a few things from maternity clothing departments and stores, but I hadn't been shopping at my old favorite places, mostly because I wasn't sure I could make anything "normal" work. So, I figured this would be a good challenge! 

Naturally, Flourish did NOT disappoint! First of all, the store is gorgeously decked out for the holidays! The displays are so Christmas-y and wonderful, it makes me want to do more decorating at our house! 

I also really loved all the super cute home decor items Flourish added since the last time I was there. These were two of my favorites today:

Flourish has an ahhhhmazing selection of holiday party dresses right now. I, unfortunately, wasn't looking for any of those today, but this one really jumped out to me, because it's so perfect for bridal season (shout out to my friend Christa who is getting married today on 12.13.14!).

So, on to the clothing! My dressing room selfies are terrible, but I wanted to be able to show off all the clothes I looked at (amazingly, everything fit really, really well, even with the baby bump!)! 

First up: What I didn't buy. 

So me. So already have this striped top.

The one that got away... literally! 

The top cardigan is adorable! I love the openness of the cardi and the cuts up the sides. It's flattering with the baby bump too! But, I have a maternity top with almost the exact same fabric, and figured I wouldn't get enough wear out of it for that reason. 

The bottom top is the one I'm affectionately (and sadly) calling the one that got away. I tried this top on in a size small, and it was just a wee bit tight. I went back to try to find a medium, but I couldn't, so I put the small back and grabbed a large. The large was, well, too large, so I went back to get the small, and poof, it was gone! Some other lucky shopper had already snagged it! I'm not kidding you, I followed her for a bit, but she seemed intent on buying it, so I sadly saw this one slip away! They also had it in a gorgeous burgundy, but alas, not in my size! Flourish, if this comes back in, can you tell me ASAP!? I neeeeed it! 

 And now, all the things I DID buy! 

God love the Piko top! This emerald top is gorgeous, flowy, and can be paired with anything! I couldn't resist it! 

And I just had to add a pair of fleece lined holiday leggings! I figure I can wear them with the green Piko top or simple black or white! I love the holiday look and the lining inside is SO soft, cushy, and warm! I have a very strong feeling I'll be living in these things until baby P gets here! They fit perfectly under the belly and are the softest pants I've ever slipped in to! 

I also fell in love with this amazing Instant Fashionista Scarf! It's a wrap around the shoulders and can be tied in so many ways! The price is right on, and is so great for keeping warm during the holiday season! 

Lastly, and maybe most unexpectedly, was this polka-dotted chambray piece. I himmed and hawed over it in the store, wondering if it was worth trying on, but once on, I immediately loved it! It's baby bump flattering for now, but I can definitely wear it after Baby P arrives too! It's also suuuuper elongating, which I wasn't expecting at all! I put together a little mock outfit when I got home. Paired with ivory leggings and my brown boots, I think I have a pretty chic momma-to-be on-the-go outfit! I can't wait to wear it! 

So, that's my Flourish holiday shopping adventure (note: I did get another item, but it's a gift for a friend, so I can't post about it. But she's going to LOVE it (Andrea, I'm looking at you!))! I can't wait to share the Flourish love this holiday season. 

And that's where you come in! Flourish wants to share the love with YOU right now! Help yourself to a little online shopping, and use the code ANGELA when you check out! You'll get 25% off your entire order, AND, if you spend over $50, they'll throw in free shipping right to your doorstep! Total win-win! 

Give the website a looksie, and then come back and comment with your favorite item! You'll be entered to win a giveaway I'm hosting for a fantastic item from Flourish! The contest ends on Friday, December 19 at noon EST, and I'll draw a winner then! 

Happy shopping, ya'll, and don't forget to spread a little kindness and love! 

Update 12/20/14: Congratulations, Erica! You've won a fabulous pair of earrings from Flourish that will be delivered to you soon! :D