Friday Favorites #117

Hello all! 

Happy Friday! I hope you had a fantastic week. I don’t know about you, but I am ready for the weekend! Fall is flying by, I truly can’t believe we are almost to November. November always feels like the calm before the storm of the hustle and bustle of the holidays, which don’t get me wrong, I love, but it can also be very chaotic. Needless to say, I’m enjoying the slower fall days with sunshine and crisper temperatures for as long as I can. 

To no one’s surprise, today’s Friday Favorites features A LOT of seasonal items. How can I resist seasonal flavors and scents?! I plan on trying all the fall things until Thanksgiving and then it’s switch to Christmas! Anyways, let’s get to some of my favorite things from the past week as I link up with Erika and Andrea.

Solo Dates– I was talking to a friend years ago about the concept of solo dates, essentially it’s making the decision to take yourself for an activity or date. I spent a lot of time alone in college and gained a lot of independence that way. But since I began working, I haven’t had too much time for myself to take myself out on a “date”, I would often do things with family, friends or my boyfriend. This year I wanted to make more of a point to have solo dates. I’ve only done it a few times, but I’ve had good experiences. So far, I have visited a new library and actually took the time to sit and read and I’ve also gone on walks after work to different parks. Other examples of solo dates would be taking yourself out to dinner, going shopping or trying a new coffee shop, or even seeing a movie by yourself. You don’t have to spend a lot of money, in fact, most of these dates are free, the point is doing something for yourself. I’ve enjoyed the independence I’ve gained by doing these solo dates and I look forward to doing more of them. 

Cinnamon Roll Flavored Rice Cakes– Are you surprised there’s a seasonal food item in this week’s Friday Favorites?! I’m not haha!! I really have started to enjoy rice cakes especially with peanut butter and banana or even jelly. When I saw my local grocery store had cinnamon roll flavored rice cakes, I had to try them. They have the perfect amount of flavor of fall. There’s just a drizzle of maple so you can still enjoy other toppings with them if you like. Definitely a favorite snack for this week.

New Candle Scent-Sticking with seasonal flavors and scents, my mom picked me up this candle from Michael’s Craft store. They always have great deals when it comes to candles. You can get multiple, large candles for a great price. The names of the scents are so creative and they smell so good too, I also love how the scent lasts after you blow the candle out. My current pick is Candy Corn Maze, and yes it does smell like candy corn.

Darling Girls– In honor of spooky season, I’ve been trying to read more mysteries and thrillers. I’ve had Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth on hold at the library for a while and couldn’t wait to start reading when it was my turn to get it. It tells the story of three foster sisters who learn that a dead body is found under the house they grew up in. Who does the body belong to and how did they die? There were so many twists and turns that I was not expecting, even up until the last chapter. 5 stars from me!

Magnolia Cook Books– I mentioned last week that I had been checking cookbooks out of the library to try different recipes and I have been loving this life hack. I will browse lots of different cookbooks on the shelves, but I have really been loving Magnolia cookbooks by Joanna Gaines. She has so many unique recipes, from sweet to savory and everything in between. What I also really love about her cookbooks is the how fresh, natural and even simple her recipes are. It has definitely inspired me to think outside the box when it comes to cooking and baking. If you are an avid cooker or baker, who are some of your favorite cookbook authors? I would love to get any other suggestions, especially as we get closer to the holidays and I will be ramping up my time in the kitchen.

That’s a look at some of my favorite moments and items from this week, tell me, what has brought you JOY recently? Let me know in the comments below! Happy Friday!