I love podcasts. They’re my fave for when I’m in the car, or when I’m out on a run (which, let’s be honest, hasn’t happened since before I was pregnant … but I’ll be back to it soonish!). And one of my favorite, never-miss podcasts is NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour. It’s hosted by Linda Holmes, who is so smart and funny and damn good at moderating a panel full of people with OPINIONS. Pop Culture Happy Hour ends every episode with “and now it’s time for our favorite segment of this week and every week, What’s Making Us Happy This Week,” and then they go around the table sharing their recommendation for, well, you get the idea.

And because we can all use a little happiness in our lives these days, I’ve decided to steal the idea and share with you some things that are making me happy.

I turned in the revision on my 5th YA novel!

I sound like a broken record, but someday (I SWEAR) we will announce this beast and I’ll be able to tell you all about it. In the meantime, just know it’s a lil bit different from what I normally write, but still contemp. It’s with a new editor whom I absolutely adore. And it’s an idea I first started playing around with in 2013. Oh, and I’ve been sitting on this secret for A YEAR, which is killing me because I suck at secret keeping.

I went down a Lularoe rabbit hole

I have enough Facebook friends who spend their time crowing over their “butter-soft” leggings that I had to see what this is all about. Because you know me and loungewear are besties, right? I joined a local Lularoe group, checked out a couple sales, but was hesitant to actually buy because HELLO I’M GREAT WITH CHILD I HAVE NO IDEA HOW THOSE THINGS FIT RIGHT NOW! But then I won a contest in the Lula group I’m in, a fringed kimono called a “Monroe.” So off I went to the consultant’s home for one of her pop-up shops to pick it out.

If you’re unfamiliar with Lularoe, it’s basically uber-comfortable clothes in patterns ranging from sedate to funky to elderly art teacher (sorry … it’s true). You can only buy the stuff from “consultants,” making it a lot like Tupperware or Pampered Chef. Only the perk of Lularoe is that it’s possible to only ever shop the online pop-up sales, making it the anti-social Tupperware, and that is totally my speed.

Anyway, off I went to the pop-up shop, held by a woman I do not know (at her home!), and no one I knew was in attendance. Basically I earned 1,000 introvert points and don’t have to leave my house for a month (these are the lengths I’ll go to when you offer me a free $50 clothing item, guys). And because I felt like a jerk walking in, taking my free piece, and peacing out, I shopped. And ended up going home with a skirt and a top, both of which will be perfectly comfy and postpartum/breastfeeding-friendly for the summer.

I didn’t buy leggings, which are basically the Lularoe gospel, because I keep seeing stories pop up online about how lately they’ve been ripping very quickly (apparently you’re also supposed to wash them separately, inside out, and hang to dry, and mama ain’t got time for that kind of laundry maintenance … my whites barely get their own cycle around here). But the quality of the stuff I bought feels good.

The kimono I won (and though I NEVER would have bought that for myself, I kinda love it), the shirt reminded me of Jane Fonda-era workout videos, and the skirt is just damn comfy.

Anyway, it’s possible for Lularoe to become a cult or an addiction (seriously, spend 5 minutes reading blog posts about it and you’ll refuse any beverages you’re offered at subsequent Lula parties), but for someone with a transitioning body for the next, oh, 6 months, I’m down for a little kool-aid drinking in exchange for some comfy, kooky clothes. I’m thinking of partnering up with a consultant to host an online party (this would not make me a consultant, because I absolutely do not have the fortitude for that business). So if you’d be interested in hopping into a Facebook group and browsing silly leggings and cute dresses, lemme know in the comments!

I love Instagram Stories

Hello, my name is Lauren, and I’m addicted to Instagram Stories. Am I particularly “good” at it? Not really. I definitely don’t know my angles, as evidenced by the fact that I often look like I’ve just been thrown from a moving car in my stories. And I’m sure most of what I have to say is 90% ridiculous. But if you love Insta Stories or simply want to watch me be stupid on the internet, I highly recommend following me. I’m also a big Insta-story watcher. Busy Phillips is one of my favorite celebs, and Morgan Matson is great bookish follow (I always feel like a big-time slacker watching her stories … she’s such a hard worker!).

And that’s it for this week! I’m still mostly off Twitter (I pop in now and again, but it’s only on my desktop computer these days), so if you want to keep up, check Instagram! And head on down to the comments to tell me what’s making you happy this week, so we can spread the joy around!