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Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites #83

Hello all!

Happy Friday! Also, happy first day of March! Is it just me or did February fly by? January was slow and steady, but February happened in the blink of an eye, but it was filled with all good things, from family time, to soaking up the outdoors, and celebrating Valentine’s Day!

Now that we are in a new month, I’m feeling extra excited about the possibilities of spring, warmer weather and more sunshine! 

As always, I am linking up with Erika and Andrea for this week’s edition of Friday Favorites. Here’s some things that I have been loving.

Brown Sweater– I popped into T.J. Maxx last week for some browsing. I wasn’t planning on making any purchases, but I saw a few things that caught my attention and ending up purchasing. A new, long, brown sweater to wear at work was one of them. One of my most common phrases that you can hear me saying at work is “I’m cold or it’s cold.” I am always chilly no matter the weather. It could be 75 degrees outside, and I would still have a sweater on inside. Needless to say, I always have a sweater or light jacket at work, so they tend to get some wear and tear. I have gone through two work sweaters and this brown sweater is my third. I previously had white and tan sweaters. I like that this sweater and the ones I have worn in the past are comfortable, come in neutral colors, and professional looking enough that I can wear it around the office. I was in need of a new sweater and T.J. Maxx had the answer.

Pink Jacket– Speaking of T.J. Maxx, I also found this pink cropped jacket that can be dressed up or down. You can wear it with dress pants (think black, blue, or white), a skirt, or a solid dress in the office. You can also dress it down with leggings or jeans and boots to elevate your look. I love the color and the style and the versatility that it provides. You never know what you will find when you stop in T.J. Maxx.

American Royals– After hearing about this series over the past couple years, I am finally making my way through the American Royals series. The four-book series follows the tale if America had a monarchy. Think a mix of the Royal family in Great Britan meets America. I love all things about the Royal family, so this has been such a treat to read. Book one really sets up all the characters and the plots and leaves the reader with a cliffhanger that will make them want to start reading book two right away. I’m currently making my way through book two and can’t get enough of the relationship drama, family dynamics and “history”.

Buffalo Chicken Dip– I love all things appetizers, dips, and snacks. I would choose those over a big meal any day. One of my favorite dips/snacks is Buffalo Chicken Dip. You can enjoy it with chips, bread, crackers, but my favorite way to enjoy it is with some fresh veggies. We made it a few weeks back with this recipe and it was a hit. I enjoyed it with my family and ate some leftovers for lunch in the coming days with veggies. 

American Nightmare-Have you seen the new Netflix documentary, American Nightmare? It’s all about a couple who gets attacked in their home and the girlfriend gets kidnapped. I finished it in three sessions, there’s only three episodes and they are only 45 minutes long. I could have finished it sooner if I had the time. There’s definitely some twists and unexpected turns that I wasn’t anticipating, but would definitely recommend it if you are a fan of true crime.

That wraps up this week’s Friday Favorites, short and sweet, some entertainment, some recipes and some clothes. 

As we embark on a new month, what are some things you are looking forward to? Let me know in the comments below!

Happy March!

Categories
Fabulous living

2023 Year in Review

Hello all! Happy Christmas week! I hope you had a wonderful day with loved ones and lasting memories.

A look at my tree on Christmas Day.

It’s the end of the 2023, this year flew by. I feel like just yesterday I was setting goals and resolutions for the next 12 months and here we are almost 365 days later with most of them accomplished.

Going into 2023, I anticipated it to be a year of change and new beginnings and while there was change and I tried new hobbies and went to different places, this year was filled with lots of routine and structure which I love and crave.

Over the past twelve months, I have kept in touch with friends from out of town and made it a point to touch base with them either in-person or via facetime. I traveled a lot this year by taking day trips or longer vacations with my family. I continued to grow in my profession by working on different long-form projects and challenging myself each day. The biggest things that stand out to me from this past year would be my newfound love of trying different hobbies. 

What a year for 2023!

Let’s take it back to January for a recap of this year before we get into my favorites of 2023:

The year began with lots of cozy days indoors and lots of cooking, I tried lots of new recipes this year from soups, to pizzas, and baked goods. 

A new recipe, Shrimp Avocado Medicine Soup
Fresh cookies too

Even though it was cold outside, I bunded up and took winter walks to some of my favorite spots, as much as I love the hygge vibes of being inside, there’s nothing quite like getting fresh air and exercise.

Winter walks in the snow

February brought a day trip to Cleveland for a day at the Art Museum and dinner and a show.

A show in the city at night!

The second month of the year brought Valentine’s Day and the first of many uses of my Kitchen Aid.

First time using my kitchen aid
The Kitchen Aid made baking them so much easier!

March was a continuation of testing out new recipes and getting outdoors more as the temperatures began to rise. 

First Zoo trip of the year

Spring finally made an appearance in April with Easter, family time and the start of sunshine.

First of spring walks
Our favorite Easter dessert-our bunny cake!

April also brought the start of my running journey.

Some of my early runs

May took me to Canada and my first visit to Niagara on the Lake, Ontario for a work trip.

Picnic season was back in May and I celebrated my 25th birthday.

Picnic season
Celebrating 25!

I tried to spend as much time outside in the summer. This summer I began to grow my first garden which saw success for its first season. I also began running consistently in preparation for my first 5K.

Runs at the beach!

June was a month of travel with day trips to Columbus and NYC for a day, which you can read about here.

The sights and sounds of NYC

I also got a chance to visit family in New Jersey which was well overdue. 

The beauty of the beach!

July began with the Fourth of July included lots of running, checking on my garden, walks, and reading poolside. 

Our Fourth of July spread
My first set of veggies! Peas!
Reading by the pool days
More running

August began fast and furious with my first 5K, then it was off to a day trip to Toronto.

Finishing my first 5K!
The iconic Toronto sign

My family and I got away for a few days to San Diego which was great to have quality time together and go to new places.

Hello San Diego!

Summer wrapped up with bonfires, ice cream and more success of my garden.

Summer S’mores!
Soaking up summer with every last ice cream!
The fruits of my labor

The fall was a time of savoring the outdoors as much as I could and seeing the seasons change. 

Hello fall walks!

As it got colder and I stayed indoors more, that meant more time in the kitchen by trying new recipes for baked goods and dinners. 

Back in the kitchen

November and December brought me my first Turkey Trot followed by Thanksgiving and getting into the Christmas spirit and celebrating all month long.

Turkey trotting!
Our Thanksgiving Dinner at home
All is calm, all is bright.
A very Christmas spread

This past year brought lots of favorites too.

Here’s some of my all-time favorite things from 2023:

Favorite Book: Spare-I know it was a controversial book, but I found it fascinating to read all about Prince Harry and his life from his perspective. I also have been a fan of the Royal family for years, so his autobiography was very eye-opening. Plus the timing between the death of the Queen in 2022, Charles’ Coronation in May and final season of the Crown makes his story even more prevalent.

Favorite T.V. ShowThe Marvelous Mrs. Maisel ended this year, I really loved following this show from the beginning and thought the ending was so fitting and fulfilling. A close runner-up would be Ted Lasso, another favorite from this year

Favorite MovieBarbie– This should be no surprise but I really enjoyed the Barbie movie this year. Although, I’m not a Barbie super fan, I thought it was very well done and had a great message.

Favorite Fashion Item– Tennis dress from Amazon– I wore this so many times this summer. It was so easy to throw on during a hot day or after work. It was fashionable and affordable and I loved the color, perfect for summer!

Favorite New PodcastThe Lazy Genius– I was introduced to this podcast and find it so helpful when it comes to life hacks and ways to streamline things in your life. Although, my all-time favorite podcast is the Simplified podcast.

Sometimes I listen to the Lazy Genius

Favorite App- Substack– I love using substack to keep up with some of my favorite authors and writers like Emily Ley from Simplified and Elizabeth Holmes for all things Royals.

Favorite New Hobby– My favorite new hobby from this year has been running. I never thought I would be a runner and love it as much as I do, but here we are. You can read about my running journey here.

One of my latest runs

I am also proud of my consistency with growing my first garden this year. 

My tomatoes!

Favorite Trip- Doing New York City in a day was exhausting but so worth it and I made so many memories with my family when we went to San Diego.

Memories from family trips!

This year was so full with new adventures, building relationships, growing in my profession, spending time with loved ones and trying new hobbies. The best way I can describe this year is by feeling fulfilled. 

Here’s a look at the resolutions I set out to accomplish this year. My top goals were to Eat healthier and run a 5K (which I accomplished big time), I wanted to take advantage of local spots and park (which I did a great job especially in the spring and summertime), Plan to do more things on days off (I accomplished this by doing day trips and making the most of my vacation days), and lastly, I wanted to continue to grow more in my profession (I achieved this goal by tackling different work projects and tasks).

I’m proud of myself of how I have grown and evolved this past year and I’m excited to see where 2024 takes me. 

Cheers to closing the chapter of 2023 and starting fresh for 2024.

Here’s to a new year!
Categories
Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites #13

Hello everyone and Happy Friday! It’s been a week! From Halloween on a Monday, to starting a new month on Tuesday and then a mix of weather. I was very happy to see the weekend. I like the beginning of November since there’s time to rest a bit before the hustle and bustle of the holidays and the end of the year. 

I have a fun roundup of favorites for you today as I link up with  Erika and Andrea for Friday Favorites ,it’s a good mix of movies, books, activities and food!

The Weekend Away– I know it’s not a new release but it’s new to me. I recently watched The Weekend Away on Netflix, and it was the perfect mystery and scary movie for me. I’m not big into scary movies, but I do love a good mystery and plot twist. The movie follows a young mom who spends a weekend away with her best friend. After the first night, her best friend ends up dead and everyone including the main character becomes a suspect. There’s lots of intrigue and a few plot twists you won’t see coming even up to the last few minutes of the movie. Definitely a good movie to watch if you want a scare, but nothing too scary.

Book Lovers– If you are in the mood to curl up with a good book on a chilly November day, then consider reading Book Lovers. It follows the story of a book agent from New York City who takes a trip in a Hallmark-esque town in North Carolina. This type-A young women is perfectly content with her life in the city but quickly learns that life’s not so bad in a rural town, that is until she learns her rival is visiting the same town. Will they stay competitors, or will a new chapter be written? You will have to turn each page to find out. This book is written by Emily Henry, and I have loved reading her books over the past few years and this one was no different. A great book that you will finish in a breeze.

Spare-Speaking of new books, Prince Harry’s new book cover and synopsis was released last week. Spare is set to hit shelves on January 10. I already have my copy pre-ordered. I can’t wait to read about Harry’s life from his perspective. From my past posts, you have probably picked up that I enjoy following the Royal Family so I’m very eager to read his thoughts. Plus, this gives me something to look forward to in the new year after the holidays are over.

Old Navy Sales– I stopped into Old Navy last week and they had so many sales going on. From jeans to blouses, coats and graphic tee-shirts. There was something for everyone. Plus, they already have some of their Christmas gear out and I may have picked up a holiday shirt and some Christmas pajamas. There’s so many different prints and patterns, you can go crazy! Plus, this is a great time to stock up on things while they are on sale as they switch their seasonal clothes out. 

Elk Watching– This is a different kind of favorite, but I went Elk watching last week and had such a fun time and it was a really unique experience. I had to get up extra early and travel to southeastern Pennsylvania to see the elk in their natural habitat. I got the chance to see them in the field and then up close by the road. It was definitely a once in a lifetime experience.

That’s a look into some of my favorite things this week. Tell me, what are you looking forward to this weekend?

Categories
Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites #6

Hello All!

Happy Friday! 

I hope you have all had a great week and have something fun and maybe even fall-ish planned for this weekend.

I’m hopping on here to share some of my favorite things from this past week as I link up with I’m linking up with Erika and Andrea

To start things off, it’s launch day for Simplified planners for the 2023 year. I always love placing my order for my new planner for the upcoming year. Depending on when you read this, I’ve either already placed my order or will be placing it soon. Once I get my shipment in, I’ll be sure to share! If you are looking for a new planner or some accessories, be sure to check out Simplified. 

Here’s Five Things I’m Loving this Week:

The Perfect Couple

I finished reading this book last week and loved it! It was my first Elin Hilderbrand novel and wow, I’m hooked. I love beach reads in the summer, but when I saw this one had a bit of mystery to it, I was even more intrigued. The book is about a young couple who, alongside their family and friends, are in Nantucket for the weekend to get married. But, on the morning of their wedding, the Maid of Honors is found dead. As you read, you will also find that there’s a lot of secrets in the midst of family members and wedding attendees. How did she end up dead and who wanted her gone? You will have to read to find out. 

 As I was reading, I also learned that there are plans to make this into a series and I’m so excited to see who they cast for the characters. If you have read this book before, what did you think? Also, let me know what book of Elin’s I should read next!

Elizabeth Holmes

After the passing of Queen Elizabeth II last week, I have been reading and watching a lot about the late queen. If you have been following my blog for a while, then you may remember that I’m an avid Crown watcher and Royal family fan. In fact,  I read two books about the Royal family this summer. I’ve been following a lot of the traditional events that are taking place in the United Kingdom this week, but I’ve also been turning to Royal commentors to learn more too. Author Elizabeth Holmes is my go-to. I follow her on Instagram where she breaks down royal fashion and I get her weekly newsletters too. She even wrote a book on Royal fashion, you can check it out here. If you are looking for more insights or knowledge about the Royal Family, check her out on Instagram

Crumbl

I got dinner with a friend this past week and we got Crumbl cookies for dessert. I’ve heard about these infamous, giant, gourmet cookies and couldn’t wait to try them for myself. Every week, locations puts out six different flavors for customers to choose from. I went with the classic sugar cookie with pink icing and loved it. The cookies are so large and flavorful that it wouldn’t be a bad idea to share them or sample them over a day or two. Although, I don’t have a location near me, I look forward to trying another flavor the next time I stop in for a cookie.

The sweetest treat!

Disney Plus New Releases 

Disney Plus released several trailers for new movies and tv shows that will be out over the next few months. I don’t watch too many shows/movies on Disney Plus but a lot of the trailers that got released were for movies I grew up watching. I’m very excited to see the sequel to Hocus Pocus especially as we get closer to Halloween. After Halloween comes Christmas, which means it’s time for holiday movies like the Santa Clause, I’m intrigued to see how this series following the movies will play out. Last but not least, seeing the sequel to Enchanted come out made me happy. I’ve heard rumors about a sequel but to see it come to life is so fun! I’m curious to see how Disenchanted will play out. 

One of my favorite things about all these trailers is that many members of the original casts will be returning, cue the nostalgia.

Sweet Magnolias

I started a new show on Netflix. I’ve heard a lot of great reviews about Sweet Magnolias and started it over the weekend. It’s the perfect light-hearted show with hints of drama. I love the music, the friendships and the storylines. After watching the first few episodes, it has me craving a simple life in a quaint town. 

That’s just a little recap of some of my favorite things from this week.

Let me know below, what are you loving this week?

Happy Friday and happy weekend!!

Categories
Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites #5

Happy Friday! We made it through the first full week of September! Woo hoo! 

I hope you have something fun planned for this weekend, maybe some football action with the return of the NFL season? As always, I’m linking up with Erika and Andrea for this edition of Friday Favorites!

Here’s five things I’m loving this week!

Trying out the Quick Cherry Tomato Pasta– A few weeks back, I shared that I wanted to try this Cherry Tomato Pasta from Mix and Match Mama. I made it for dinner this past Sunday and loved it. It was super easy to make, there was lots of flavor and it was fast and filling. I will definitely be making this again!

The perfect Sunday dinner

New Makeup samples– I mentioned a few weeks back that I was testing some makeup samples out. I got a few foundation samples from Benefit and Valentino and have slowly been trying them out. I tend to stick to my Bare Minerals powder foundation, and I plan on sticking to that. But, it has been nice trying some other products out especially on days off. I have been enjoying the coverage that the liquid foundation provides and it’s long-lasting too. Both wins in my book!

A few samples I’ve tried
More samples I’ve tried.

Alleyoop Multi-Tasker Brush- Sticking with beauty, I heard about this Multi-tasker Brush by Alleyoop from a few different people and when I saw it went on sale, I decided to try it for myself. I have been looking for a set of small travel makeup brushes to keep at work for makeup touch-ups through the day and rather than buy four separate brushes, I decided to go for a four in one brush. This brush features a blush brush, sponge, eye shadow brush and eye line/brow brush. I’ve been using it all this week and I love it. It blends makeup really well, I like that It can fit in a makeup bag, and it comes with its own too. My favorite feature is that it’s four in one, I’m not digging through my purse looking for different brushes, it has all my main brushes for touch-ups. this would also work as a great travel makeup brush too. Overall, I’ve been very happy with this purchase. 5 Stars from me!

My favorite brush for work!

Switching out Notebooks– With so many students heading back to school and back into the classroom, it has me feeling a bit nostalgic of school days. I recently had to upgrade my notebook for work and it brought me back to my school days and picking out fresh supplies. There’s nothing quite like starting a new month and using a fresh notebook too. I got a much larger notebook and I’m looking forward to more space to jot down notes and keep track of to-do lists through the day. 

New month, new notebook!

Meghan Markle in The Cut-If you have been following me for a while then you know that I’m an avid follower of the Royal Family. These last few years have been interesting to say the least. I really enjoyed reading this interview in The Cut featuring Meaghan Markle. I love how genuine and honest the article portrayed her. I’m looking forward to see more of the work her and Harry do together over the next few months. 

That’s just a look into things I’ve been loving this week. Tell me, what are some things that are jumping out at you!?

Have a wonderful weekend!