I love Snapchat! I love sharing little bits of life in short videos and quick photos, but it’s also been fun to watch it grow as a business. It’s hard to believe that a few years ago it was known for less savory reasons and now it’s “worth” more than a billion dollars. Their monetization has been the most interesting to follow because I think they’ve figured it out in a way smoother way than any other social app has been able to do. Get everyone on board with fun filters and then slowly introduce awesome sponsored ones where the users are disseminating the ads to their own followers? Brilliance.

FOUR // Farmgirl Flowers

I’ve had so many reasons to send fresh flowers to friends and family lately. One of my friends just had the most adorable little girl and I had to send her a pink bouquet to celebrate. I’m obsessed with Farmgirl Flowers (the Instagram account alone is swoon-worthy); the peony bouquets are STUNNING and a huge hit! Highly recommend!

FIVE // Ó’Máille– The Original House of Style

When we came to Ireland, we knew we had to get an authentic Aran sweater. There are a ton of stores in just about every town selling sweaters, but we were looking for the real deal. After a bunch of researching, we decided to swing by Ó’Máille’s in Galway. It was amazing!! The four of each found a hand-knitted sweater that we will all cherish for years and years to come. My favorite part was that each sweater came with a tag with the name of the woman who knitted it. Each knitter has a little bit of a unique style so it’s like every sweater tells its own story. If you can’t get out to the store, they actually accept orders online!

I’ve never been in a household where we had HBO. The closest I get is when I’m in a hotel and they happen to have a couple of the movie channels. HBO just came out with a digital subscription service… and the first month is free. Not really the best news if you need to be productive, but I have to admit that it’s pretty great. (Garrett and I started watching The Jinx and we. are. hooked.)

THREE // Air Canada Flight Finds Stranded Australian Yacht

In a world where it often feels like there isn’t enough good news to go around… this was a good piece of news. A simple story, but one that could have ended in a really different way.

FOUR // Strong Is the New Pretty Photo Series

“Whoever they were, however they were, was worthy of an image. Whatever they were was good enough.” I can’t get over how amazing and beautiful these photos are.

FIVE // Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Analysis

Dying. Dy. Ing. My mom and I have a slight addiction to Reese’s peanut butter eggs. Only the eggs. I will be okay with a heart. But no pumpkins. No pieces. No cups. Who knew there was a different ratio for each kind?

Now… onto what was on my radar this week:

I was invited to a screening of a video series Martha Stewart did for Halloween with AOL. There are six mini-episodes and you can watch them online. We got to watch all of them… and I have to say, I was impressed. They fit a lot into a short series. It’s set up a bit like Project Runway where the contestants were to create a costume for Martha Stewart and she was the judge! The contestants were all so great and their final products were unreal. (I’m interviewing the winner this month and can’t wait to share more about her and her talents with everyone!)

Let me preface this video with a warning: if you don’t like blood, listen… don’t watch. I don’t mind blood really, but I won’t lie, I gagged during parts of this. I HATE anything having to do with teeth. I’ve had one too many trips to the oral surgeon in my lifetime… Torture in my opinion. However, this video is hilarious. It has to be the 2014 version of David After Dentist. It’s long, but the poor kid is really quite funny.

THREE // Dubs

Okay, I’m the first one to admit (confess?) to being super sensitive to sound. I have been my whole life. I left my first trip to the movies when I was a kid because it was “too loud” and I absolutely lived with noise canceling headphones and ear plugs throughout college. A friend of mine recommended Dubs to me… they sent me a pair and they’re amazing! Better than ear plugs because it doesn’t block out sound so much as filter it. They fit more like ear buds than plugs and don’t look dorky! If you’re interested in the technology, here’s how they work. I’ve been wearing my pair when I’m underground on the subway; those screeching breaks are horrible.

FOUR // You’re the One That I Want

I heard another cover of this song this weekend…. I can’t remember the guy’s name, but the minute I find it, I’ll let you know! In the meantime, I found this on Youtube and I just love it. It’s a song everyone knows, but the feel is a complete 180º. Obsessed.

FIVE // Cryptoquote Puzzle

My mom has decided that doing puzzles will help her brain. While on the phone with her one afternoon, she was sharing that she got stuck on it. We then spent an hour decoding it. (Aka I quit and looked up the answer online and gave her hints.) The next day, we were determined to figure it out… and did it!!! We felt like our brains were smarter! ha! Now, I have a feeling we’re going to be doing these puzzles every afternoon together. (I wish I could record our conversations, hilarious.) I call her when I have 30 minutes, yesterday it was the perfect break for me. And we get to it! Give it a try today. (It’s in the newspaper, but I’ve been looking it up here.)

What’s been on your radar this week?