Thank goodness its the weekend, this week really seemed to drag on! This weekend, I’m ready for some relaxation: reading, cooking, (hopefully) FINALLY finishing Making a Murderer, and topping it all off with the Super Bowl! Today, I’ve got a little sports and a lot of cuteness for you!

Women & the NFL
There has been a lot of ugliness regarding the NFL and women this season (I’m looking at you Greg Hardy & Johnny Manziel).  Luckily, there are still plenty of stories about the NFL and its players respecting and honoring women, even if they aren’t the salacious click bait that has become a favorite of ESPN.

1. The Rooney Rule
   At the NFL Women’s Summit this week, Roger Goodell announced that the league was working on formalizing the institution of the Rooney Rule as it applies to women in executive positions within both  individual organizations and the league. The Rooney Rule, as it stands, requires teams to interview at least one minority candidate for a head coaching vacancy. The new rule would require both teams and the NFL itself to interview a woman for any front office or executive position that opens, in hopes to diversify leadership of teams. Who knows, maybe with more women in the league, I won’t have to hear about the Johnny Manziels and Greg Hardys of the world.
2. Demaryius Thomas & His Mother
   Demaryius Thomas is a standout wide receiver for the Denver Broncos, and up until a few weeks ago, his mom, Katina Smith, and never seen him play professional football.  She had been incarcerated, and on July 13th was pardoned by the President, who was becoming fed up with the overcrowding of America’s prisons with many inmates who were jailed on non-violdent drug related crimes.  ESPN published a great piece on Katina’s jubilation at being able to see her son play football for the first time, but also details how difficult the transition is from incarcerated life to freedom. Imagine how different the world would look if you hadn’t been able to go outside of prison grounds since the late 90’s. Internet, iPhones, DVD players, all of these things would be new.  Demaryius treats his mother with patience, kindness, and grace as she adjusts to life outside of prison and is an up-and-coming NFL player to look up to.  To learn more about Demaryius’s story, E:6o had a great video feature about a year ago, that you can find here.
3. Dad-dos
   So those last two were kind of heavy, so I’m here for some serious NFL daddy/daughter cuteness. As part of their “Strong is Beautiful” campaign, Pantene has created ads that features NFL superstars spending quality time with their young daughters, while doing their hair. The videos are so enjoyable, featuring adorable little girls and big burly football players struggling to do something that many parents can do with their eyes closed. A common complaint among the football players – their hands are too big for this!  To watch all of the videos, you can visit Pantene’s YouTube page (DeAngelo Williams’s videos are my favorite) or watch the 30 second ad below.
   

Cutest Instagram Dogs
I’ve been having awesome luck lately with seeing cute dogs on the street. In the morning, I get to see Foxy, a tiny pomeranian who is always down to say good morning. On the way to kickboxing I normally see a golden retriever puppy, going on his afternoon walk. In case you guys aren’t as lucky in the dog department as I have been the past few weeks, I’ve rounded up some of my favorite dogs on Instagram, so you can get your daily dose of cute.

1. Samson the Goldendoodle
   This cutie can frequently be seen in some killer outfits.
   

   View this post on Instagram

   A post shared by Samson The Goldendoodle (f1b) (@samsonthedood)

2. Bess the Wheaten
   Full disclosure: I am a sucker for Wheaten Terriers, my parents have two of them, and I treat them like my children. Case and point, everytime I talk to my parents the call ends with, “Love you guys! Tell the dogs I love them too!”. How can you not love pups with a face like this though?
   

   View this post on Instagram

   A post shared by Bess the Wheaten Terrier (@bessthewheaten)

3. Brinks the Pit Bull
   This little guy always looks like he’s smiling, and whenever I scroll past him on my feed, I can’t help but smile too.
   

   View this post on Instagram

   A post shared by Brinks (@smilingbrinks)

Statement Studs at Baublebar
I’ve always been a fan of the statement earring trend, but as someone who considers throwing her hair up in a top knot as “doing it”, I’ve always thought it a bit too much to wear a dangly, bejeweled earring. Enter, the statement stud. I’ve compiled a list of my favorite from one of the best affordable jewelry websites around, Baublebar.

1. Babushka Studs
2. Crystal Ballerina Studs
3. Ice Stud Duo
   (I’m partial to the mint pair)

I hope you all have a great end to your weekend! Who do you have in the Super Bowl? Are you #teamsheriff or #teamsuperman? I’m partial to Team Sheriff, Go Broncos!

Thanks for reading!
xxEm