Friday Favorites – November 18th, 2016

Oh friends, do I have a story for you today to kick off this glorious Friday. Last night, I had the pleasure of hosting six friends in our home for a Fall Potluck dinner. The cool, Fall weather inspired me to make chili as the main course while the other ladies contributed the wine, appetizers, salad and s’more ingredients for our fire pit dessert.  Even though I’ve been told hundreds of times to never try something new for a dinner party or when hosting, I fell down the Pinterest trap and tried a new recipe last night. Not only was this a new chili recipe but it was also very unique and nontraditional. I almost collapsed in tears when after an hour of prep and cooking the final product was horrible. Luckily, Bo came to the rescue with the suggestion of laughing about it and ordering pizza for everyone.

So now that we’ve had our Friday laugh and I’ve reminded you guys, in advance of the holidays, to never make a recipe for the first time when you’re hosting, let’s dive into this week’s edition of Friday Favorites, including recipes, articles, posts and other things that caught my eye this week.

• As I mentioned, last night’s dinner was saved by a local pizza restaurant, Table 87. The group couldn’t stop raving about the pizza because it was seriously delicious. If you’re in NYC you should definitely order or visit one of their two Brooklyn locations.
• After a stressful week, sometimes a simple image is all it takes to cheer me up. Luckily, Theodora introduced me to Meddy Teddy, a yoga-practicing, meditating teddy bear. The brand has a great Facebook and Instagram feed that will brighten even the worst of days.

• This Heathrow Airport holiday commercial left me in tears and quickly became one of my favorite commercials – ever.
• I’ve been wearing these cozy slippers non-stop recently.

• I tried Orange Theory when it first opened in New York City a few years ago but due to a less than stellar experience, never returned. Heather’s Orange Theory post this week inspired me to sign up for a class after the Thanksgiving holidays. Have you tried Orange Theory? Thoughts?
• I remember watching Beauty and the Beast in the movie theater with my mom and while it will always be one of my favorites, I can’t wait to see the updated version, starring Emma Watson. Did you see the trailer that they released this week?
• I’ve read Kath’s blog for years and consider her a blogging friend and mentor. Though I remember many of her posts, this post on balance is one of my favorites. Balance is something that I believe I’m only starting to find and this post articulated so may of the thoughts I’ve had over the past six months.

Okay, with that friends I’m out! I have a busy work day ahead of me and then Bo and I are heading up to Vermont to spend a relaxing few days with my aunt. Hopefully the weekend will include a lot of sleep, delicious food, reading by the fire and some snow!

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!