Friday Favorites – April 8, 2016

Happy Friday friends!

This week was a whirlwind as I tried to finish as much work as possible before putting up my out of office for four lovely days! Bo and I are currently en route to Savannah where we’ll spend a long weekend enjoying relaxation with family while celebrating my mom’s 65th birthday. We’re hanging with his family today, enjoying time on their boat and grilling dinner before I dedicate the rest of the long weekend to all the quality “mom time” I can soak up in one trip. I hate that we live so far apart but after living abroad for two years, a 2-hour flight seems like a hop and a skip!

As promised, in regular Friday fashion, here is this week’s version of Friday Favorites. So, as you count down the hours until the weekend begins, let’s dive into this week’s edition of Friday Favorites, including recipes, articles, posts and other things that caught my eye this week.

Secrets for Saving Money at Whole Foods  – Love the shopping experience at Whole Foods but find yourself spending far too much of your paycheck there? These 9 tips will help you save money and shop smarter!

Top Morning Habits of Fitness Bloggers – Ask anyone and they will tell you that I am a morning person. Early, pre-dawn workout class? I’m the annoying person who is all smiles and giddy to see you. But, even though I’m already a morning person I love other peoples’ tips, tricks and habits. My favorite tip from the group is Kayla’s – prepare EVERYTHING the night before to make your morning easier!

Blueberry Muffin Overnight Oats – When people tell me they don’t have time for breakfast in the morning I want to shake them and say have you tried overnight oats? So easy and it takes just minutes to prepare the night before. Even better, you can whip up a batch in individual mason jars and have breakfast ready for a few days. This blueberry muffin version is the perfect way to put the first berries of the season to good use!

7 Tips for Transitioning to An All-Natural Beauty Routine – I wish I’d had this article as a resource a few months ago when I started updating my skin care regimen with natural products. I never expected to make this switch, but after reading one too many articles that linked cancer and other illnesses with the chemicals found in many common beauty products, I decided to start learning more and doing my own research. Even though I wanted to clean up my regimen, I also didn’t want to spend a fortune replacing everything nor make it overwhelming. Therefore I started small, following many of the tips in this article. I bought face wash and a moisturizer from Whole Foods that is reasonably priced and works just as well, if not better, than what I used before. As I run out of the rest of my beauty items I’m slowly replacing them with smarter choices.

Strawberry Banana Oatmeal Greek Yogurt Waffles – Now that we FINALLY own a waffle iron, I have a desire to whip up a new recipe each Sunday to enjoy before church. This recipe packs in plenty of flavor as well as 12 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber. Suddenly, waffles don’t seem like a Sunday indulgence but instead a great option to make ahead and freeze for easy breakfasts or even pre-workout bites.

Asparagus Salad with Feta Dressing – This would be the perfect side dish for a backyard barbecue or even a Spring brunch when paired with a frittata.  

Shrimp and Avocado Taco Salad – I’ll admit it, I’m not the best when it comes to recipe planning or making sure we have a stocked fridge when we return home from travel. But, knowing that the next few weeks are busy, I chose a few recipes and ordered the ingredients from Fresh Direct so they’ll be delivered Tuesday when we land. This recipe was the first on the list as really, what is better than taco salad, especially when it includes shrimp? I am going to add some extra lettuce, tomatoes and chopped cabbage to give it enough bulk for dinner but otherwise, the recipe sounds perfect!

Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored and instead is a list of the things of my favorite things this week. As normal, it includes lots of beauty and fashion items which means there are a few affiliate links via ShopStyle. It takes time and money to maintain a blog so I thank you for the support and few cents that come from clicking through the links!