Category: friday favorites

I hope you all had a great and productive week! After being glued to the tv for a week, I was happy to put the remote down! I’ve been going on a long walk every day to enjoy the last few days of this gorgeous weather. As I say this it is pouring outside but honestly my legs are grateful for this break! A few months ago I thuught it would be great to start working out with all of this extra time that I had. I was committed to an ab workout every day and noticed zero changes with my body. Now that I have been moving and walking, I’ve been noticing my body getting stronger and my body slimming down. These long walks have also been great for my mental health. I’ve been noticing some people decorate for Christmas which I love! In our house, we are keeping the Christmas decorations in the basement for now since we willbe celebrating Thanksgiving just the two of us at home so I want the fall decor up. Dooesn’t stop me from ordering a few things here and there though!

This weekend we plan on going to Target to pick up some Christmas items from the dollar bin. I went last week and bought a ton of large items forgetting that I had to walk a mile home! It was a necessary purchase but comical as I struggled to walk home. Speaking of long walks, we also plan on doing a Trader Joe’s run this weekend to stock up on the Christmas themed snacks. I was joking the other day that I fall for cute marketing all the time and have no self control. Jake had to remind me that it wasn’t a good thing! Since this year is very different, I want to over decorate and really enjoy this holiday season. Jake and I are excited to work from home on the couch while watching Christmas movies on Freeform and bake cookies.

Watched the new movie, Rebecca, on Netflix the other night thinking I could have it on in the background while i cleaned my bedroom but was so captivated by the story. I had no clue what it was about before I pressed play and loved everything about it – the costumes, location and story line. The movie is based on a 1938 novel so I’ve added the book to my want to read list on Goodreads.

Speaking of Netflix, I also started to watch The Queen’s Gambit and once again, I had to stop what I was doing and watch this show. I know nothing about chess and I’m able to understand the plot. Also love a strong female lead in a male dominated game. Fun fact, in middle school I signed up for the chess club because I had a crush on a boy who was in it and I got kicked out…. because I didn’t know how to play! I wonder now what would have happened if someone taught me instead of just saying I couldn’t join because I was a girl.

Last week, we watched a lot of Steve Kornacki’s coverage of the board when the election numbers were coming in. Rumor has it that there is a petition to get his tie that he wore all week into a Smithsonian!

First, we need to talk about the breaking news this week that Ulta stores will be making their way into Targets. From a business decision it’s a great idea for Target and for the consumer, this allows us to be able to shop so many more products. In the last year, I’ve been working with new brands that are affordable and are in Ulta stores. These brands are clean and vegan with a commitment to good skincare and ingredients. If it weren’t through these collaborations, I may have never heard of some brands so I’m excited that with Ulta being in Targets, these amazing products will be more accessible.

One of these brands is Botanics and I’ve been loving the Simply Calm Overnight Mask. I’ll use it a few times a week and I swear my face feels so soft when I wake up in the morning.

I also shared recently on the blog my review of Covergirl’s Clean Fresh line. I’ve been using the mascara a lot since doing my makeup these days since my eyes are all you can see!

For anyone dealing with mascne (raises hand) I suggest using this quick drying foam to prevent breakouts from Dermalogica. It was great in the summer to prevent breakouts from sweat and now I’ve been using this foam in the morning if I have errands to run in the afternoon.

Just ordered a few items by the Sassy by Savannah collection so I will share photos and a review once I get them in!

Currently, I have a few things in transit on their way to my house and I am so excited. For now, I’ll just share the items that I have picked up recently like really affordable masks from Target that are really comfortable for wearing all day.

Last week I went into Nordstrom Rack to find a present for my moms birthday and ended up buying a few things for myself instead. I’ve loved the Rachel Parcell line even before it went to Nordstrom but it was never in my budget. I was excited to see a few pieces from the line at my local Nordstrom Rack that were heavily discounted. For the first time I got to see how well the pieces were made and the quality really does make it worth every penny full price. I picked up a few dresses and a top from the Rachel Parcell line, a Free People scarf that I fell in love last year and a super soft long sleeve top for lounging that was very discounted. I did notice that the prices in store were a bit lower than the online prices but I think that is because there has been less foot traffic in the stores. Also want to mention that the Madewell cardigan I shared earlier this week on the blog was also an incredible Nordstrom rack find!

Added new candlesticks to my fireplace mantle and I love the way they look! Very affordable and look very expensive with the antique gold finish. They are so good that I sent them to my mom for her birthday. I featured them on the blog this week here.

Currently reading The American Heiress and it’s going to take me a while to read but it’s such a beautiful bok to get lost in.

• I (we) made cinnamon rolls from scratch on Sunday and it was definitely a learning experience but worth all of the work because they were delicious! I found the recipe here.
• After being lazy for a while when it came to making dinner, we are back in the kitchen and I’m happy to be using fresh ingredients again. This week, Jake made a lasagna and I made breaded chicken strips with roasted carrots and broccoli with rice as well as our usual go-tos. Making a list of dinners for the week has helped us eat healthier and
• A recent Sunday ritual is an hour long bath with bath salts and bubbles. I’ll prop my laptop so I can watch an episode or movie while in the bath and it’s a great way to make myself to slow down. My skin has also never been softer!
• The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City premiered this week and Jake’s first thought was “There’s another one?!” while I’m blasting the AC and wearing winter pajamas to get ready for another franchise.
• We have a big tree in front of our house that from the second floor bedroom windows all you could see for weeks was the leaves changing to a gorgeous maroon color. With the wind and rain this week, most of the leaves have fallen making our front sidewalk look like a sea of leaves. It was sad to see them go but three giant trash bags later we got the sidewalk swept up. I love keeping the front of our house neat and clean which is a challenge in the city, but very rewarding.

I am really looking forward to this weekend after a productive and busy week. We have plans to spend as much time outside and enjoy this nice fall weather we have been having lately. There is a fall harvest festival in the city and I think it’s the closest thing I’ll get to a pumpkin patch this year so we are going to take advantage of it. I’ve been going on a walk every day around the city to get my steps in and I keep going another block just to enjoy the sunshine! It’s been a great way to get some exercise in, I’ll put on a podcast and walk for an hour. It’s also been amazing for my mental health!

I’m one of those people who binge watched Emily in Paris on Netflix in 24 hours. Sure it wasn’t completely accurate but I loved that it was a fun show to watch full of beautiful scenes of Paris and the outfits left me inspired and were so fun! We are in a Pandemic right now and I prefer fantasy over reality any day.

I’ve been sticking to my routines and doing my nighttime skincare routine every night as soon as I get out of the shower. To make my life easy, I put all of my skincare products into this makeup bag so everything is in one place; serums, creams and face mask ready to go. I’ve been loving this serum at night before bed. The next morning I wake up to soft glowing skin in the morning.

For my daily walk, I like to treat myself and put on some makeup and do my hair. I’m having fun with the new makeup I got in the mail last week and even though I may not see anyone all day it’s still nice to get ready for myself. It takes a few minutes to make an effort and improves my mood for the day.

This week we did a Trader Joe’s run and got some of the fall items that we love and a few new ones to try. Wish we had a car because I would have stocked up on pumpkins and mums for the house but that will probably happen later this week. One thing I love to buy there are the fall flowers that I can dry and dried wheat that can be used throughout the year in vases around the house.

I am loving my daily walks and exploring the city on foot.

Moved some furniture around the house and loving this new setup.

Sitting on the couch right now watching Get Organized with The Home Edit on Netflix. I’ve been a big fan of Clean and Joanna for a few years now and the show is the right combination of motivation to get organizing and humor. This was our last week of staying quarantined so I’m excited to start going on daily walks and running errands again. Happy October! Feels like fall is here and September feels like it flew by taking away those last few warm days. Another month is passing and we are still living in a pandemic. I have always loved the traditions of fall but this year it’s going to be a little different… I’m waking up early and getting dressed every day to keep up my spirits. Our home is decorated for fall and we have plans to get some pumpkins and mums. Will you be decorating for fall or getting pumpkins this year?

Schitt’s Creek – finally making time to watch this show and I regret I didn’t watch it sooner!

Hart of Dixie – Jake and I like a good show to watch together so I rewatched while Jake saw it for the first time. It’s so good no matter how many times I watch!

The Spanish Princess – It’s part of a series on Starz about King Henry VIII that is educational and entertaining.

Veronica Mars – I spent last night crying a bit after binge watching the show because I wanted more episodes!

I’ve been using my Mrs. Meyer’s cleaning sprays to clean up the house every day and I love how they smell!

When we were at Costco I picked up Dawn Powerwash because I wanted to see how well it worked for cleaning. After cooking dinner one night I had to clean the stovetop and using the Dawn Powerwash is a game changer! On Tuesdays I like to tidy up so I sprayed some on the windowsills to clean up the dirt that accumulates and it was a game changer!

Ordered these shoes in brown because I love the ones I have in black from last year.

After missing the chance to get the striped Madewell cardigan that everyone had last year, I acted fast and got a great cardigan that looks just like it for a very affordable price!

I’ve been really into baking recently so I made chocolate chip muffin mix into a loaf so we could have an easy breakfast or treat at night. It’s delicious and so easy to make! A few days later we had some bananas going bad so Jake made banana bread with M&M’s and walnuts.

Fridays are our date night so we recently watched a movie and ordered M2O burger. Now that our two week quarantine is over, we went out to do a small grocery run on Thursday night and it was so nice to get a walk in.

Holy moly where did July go!? Wrapping up July with really hot days and lots of pool time to cool off. This week was definitely busy and I was excited for the routine. We are expecting family to stay at my moms house for a few months to get a change of scenery while we quarantine. So we have been busy getting the house cleaned and decorated for their visit. This weeks Friday Favorites post is being posted late because I just found out it is Friday. I’m on summer time and days don’t count! Luckily, I keep a post it in my planner to write down a favorite thing every day and start a draft of this post on Mondays.

I woke up this morning terrified that I forgot to pay rent this month because I forgot it was August. Don’t worry, rent was paid back in late July but now that seems so long ago. Jake and I were talking today about how the days seem to be getting longer. I woke up early this morning and had breakfast with my family which was a nice way to start the day. I checked my emails and did some browsing because J Crew is having their big summer sale. While I saw a lot of cute things I would love to have, my bank account reminded me that I don’t currently have a job or any plans to leave the house in the next year. I worked outside, finished my book and did a few laps in the pool. I came inside thinking it was past dinnertime and it was only 4pm! These days are long! I’m in bed before 10pm most nights because the days feel so long that I’m ready for bed earlier and earlier!

For now, I spend my days outside as much as I can. I like to work on projects in the backyard like tending the garden or working on some landscaping project. Honestly pulling weeds takes up most of my day! Hurricane Isaias went through North Carolina so I’ve been sweeping up debris all week. Luckily, our home did not have any damage but we did lose electric for the night and most of the morning. Not fun with no AC and the Southern heat. With all of that time outside and quick dips in the pool to cool off, I haven’t had to use any of the fake tanner that I brought with me. I can’t remember the last time I was this tan! Waking up early has helped my mental health which I thought I would never say. I start to get “bored” around 4 or 5 o’clock so I’ve been going to my parents library or laying in a pool float while I read. My goal is to read a book a month and I’ve been keeping up. I recently created a Goodreads account which has been fun to keep track of what I’ve read and what I want to read.

At night I’ve been cleaning the kitchen before bed which is my little alone time where I load the dishwasher and wipe down the counters. Most importantly, I watch an episode of TV while I do it. I’ve been really good at not watching TV when I’m bored or for something to do. For months when we all were first stuck at home, my day revolved around the TV and now I limit myself to the news in the morning and then an episode at night while I clean. Last month I finished The Real Housewives of Dallas and have moved onto The Real Housewives of Potomac. I’m currently on the second season and it’s getting good!

I mentioned earlier that I created a Goodreads account so you can keep up with what I’m reading for suggestions. I finished reading Tidelands by Philippa Gregory today actually. I’ve been reading a lot of chick lit this summer which has been nice but wanted to switch it up with some historical fiction. I’ve been a long time fan of Philippa Gregory and was excited to see this book on sale when I ran errands a few weeks ago.

It was a good mail week so I’m excited to bring a lot of product reviews to the blog in the next few weeks! I’m keeping my routine simple since I am in the pool almost every day so it doesn’t make sense to wear makeup or much product. I’ve been using Ouai Leave In Conditioner a lot to protect my hair with all of the hair washing which my hair isn’t a big fan of. My mom and I are both using my Loreal Scalp Care shampoo and conditioner and are big fans!

If you have been following my blog you will know that one of my goals this year was to use up every single product that I already own. My linen closet back in Philly is filled with products that I’ve purchased and received for free because of the blog. Quarantine has helped me slow down and really create some time for self care. When I packed for a summer at my parents, I brought a giant bag with a ton of products and I’m on my 3rd bottle of lotion so far! The sales at Bath and Body Works are great but I end up with so much stuff I never use. Seems silly to be excited about that but I really want less clutter in my life in every single way. I’ve also been leaving my nighttime moisturizer on my night stand to help remind me to put it on at night.

I haven’t left the house this week so I didn’t do any in store shopping but I do have some Amazon purchases on their way! After telling myself that I didn’t need them for months, I finally ordered the plastic heart sunglasses from Amazon that are like $10. Jake also told me to keep an eye on the door because he has shipped some items to me. Can’t wait to see what is on it’s way! Not beauty related but I am currently obsessed with Oui yogurt. Yes, I bought it because the jar was cute but now I’ve been buying them because it’s delicious and way more filling than my usual morning yogurt.

Starbucks bottled iced coffee.
Going to the garden in the evening to pick tomatoes off the vine.
Cooking dinners.
Snapple iced tea.
Oui yogurt.
My new seashell bath mat.
My mom got me new girly bedding for my room here.
Tan lines.
Noticing my body getting toned and getting fit.
Box hair color.
Facetime movie date night with Jake.
Cookout drive thru for lunch last week.
Gorgeous sunsets this week.
Minion shaped chicken nuggets.
The Calm App.