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Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites #117

Hello all! 

Happy Friday! I hope you had a fantastic week. I donā€™t know about you, but I am ready for the weekend! Fall is flying by, I truly canā€™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 donā€™t get me wrong, I love, but it can also be very chaotic. Needless to say, Iā€™m enjoying the slower fall days with sunshine and crisper temperatures for as long as I can. 

Signs of fall at the farmer’s market

To no oneā€™s surprise, todayā€™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 itā€™s switch to Christmas! Anyways, letā€™s get to some of my favorite things from the past week as I link up with ErikaĀ andĀ Andrea.

Solo Dates– I was talking to a friend years ago about the concept of solo dates, essentially itā€™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 havenā€™t had too much time for myself to take myself out on a ā€œdateā€, 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. Iā€™ve only done it a few times, but Iā€™ve had good experiences. So far, I have visited a new library and actually took the time to sit and read and Iā€™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 donā€™t have to spend a lot of money, in fact, most of these dates are free, the point is doing something for yourself. Iā€™ve enjoyed the independence Iā€™ve gained by doing these solo dates and I look forward to doing more of them.Ā 

Snapshot from a recent solo date

Cinnamon Roll Flavored Rice Cakes– Are you surprised thereā€™s a seasonal food item in this weekā€™s Friday Favorites?! Iā€™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. Thereā€™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 Michaelā€™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, Iā€™ve been trying to read more mysteries and thrillers. Iā€™ve had Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth on hold at the library for a while and couldnā€™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.

Thatā€™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!

Categories
Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites #113

Hello all! Happy Friday! I hope you had a wonderful week and it feels like fall wherever you may be. September started out with summer still holding now, but now as we get closer to a new month, fall is really starting to settle in. 

A crisp, fall morning by the water.

I hope you have something fun or relaxing planned for this weekend. Before you jump into the weekend vibes, I wanted to share some things I have been loving this week as I link up withĀ ErikaĀ andĀ AndreaĀ 

New Hand Lotion– As fall has settled in more, I have slowly been transitioning more of my scents to match the season and that includes my hand lotion. I tend to get dry hands, no matter the season, so I always have lotion with me. Gingham Glow has been my new scent for the fall months. I got it from Bath and Body Works and I love the subtle and warm scent it gives off. In the spring and summer, I prefer floral scents, winter I like pine or minty, but in the fall I like subtle scents and this fits the bill. I also love how the lotions come in different sizes, so if you buy a scent and donā€™t love it, you donā€™t have to commit to it long term.

New Mascara- I am always trying different makeup products and brands and decided to try Super Goop mascara. I love SuperGoop for suntan lotion and wanted to test out more of their beauty products. I have been pleased with it so far. This mascara doesnā€™t necessarily give full and voluminous lashes, but it does a great job of separating the lashes (if that makes sense), plus I have found the more you put on, the fuller they get. I also really love that itā€™s clean makeup with not as many chemicals in it. I will be using the mascara, but Iā€™m not sure if I will reorder it.Ā 

Swan Song– I know I mentioned this book in Wednesdayā€™s Currently post, but I loved it so much, I had to re-share. I ended summer by reading Swan Song by Elin Hilderbrand. This was her final beach read set on Nantucket as she decided to retire and I really enjoyed it. There were a lot of references to past characters from other books, and I loved the description of Nantucket and all the restaurants and hot spots. Those are always my favorite parts of her books. The book follows a couple who moves to the island and immediately makes themselves a part of the community, but there is a bit of a mystery to them especially when they hire a girl who has no connection to Nantucket either. I like how there is more substance to Hilderbrandā€™s books, they arenā€™t just light and fluffy. This was not my favorite Hilderbrand book, but it was definitely worth reading and I loved that I have really gotten into more of her books this year. Now, I just need to go and visit Nantucket after reading all about it. Add it to the bucket list!

Greyā€™s Anatomy Trailer and New Season– Greyā€™s Anatomyā€™s new season returned last night on ABC. After a shorter season last year due to the writerā€™s strike, Iā€™m looking forward to more episodes this year. If you didnā€™t watch last night, you can check out the trailer here. This season looks like it will be a good one with more drama, romance and interesting patients. If you watch, what are you looking forward to most this season?

Selling Sunset– Iā€™m not a big reality show person, but I do love Selling Sunset. I have been watching the show on Netflix for years and always look forward to when a new season drops. This season was filled with more girl drama in the office, bigger homes to sell and of course lots of drama and crazy fashion. This show is always a good thing to put on in the background for some mindless tv.Ā 

Thatā€™s a look into what Iā€™ve been loving this week. Tell me, what are some things that have caught your attention? Let me know in the comments below! Have a great last weekend of September!