Recent Favorites – April 2018

Greetings from somewhere in the sky between New Jersey and Arkansas.  I am traveling for work until Thursday evening and while I am already missing Katie’s sweet giggles, I’m looking forward to spending time with my colleagues. We are spread across New York, San Francisco and Fayetteville so it will be a treat to be in one city for a few days. I am also looking forward to a few warm, outdoor runs while I’m in town as my hotel is adjacent to a running trail and the temperatures are going to be at least 20 degrees warmer than New York! My parents are flying up to New York this afternoon to help Bo with Katie and spend some quality time with her while I’m traveling. Our weekend was filled with a fun date night, sweaty workouts, trip to New Jersey to catch up with good friends and see their new home and lots of prep for the busy week. I dedicated a few hours to helping Bo get ahead of the week by making Katie’s food, organizing her outfits for the week and making sure that her latest schedule was written out for my parents before heading out the door for Newark Airport early this morning.

Since I haven’t been able to share my weekly Friday Favorites recently, I thought I’d quickly update you guys on a few of my recent favorites and new discoveries.

Every month, Grace’s reading list post helps me discover a few new books to add to my reading list.  She includes books across multiple genres ranging from thrillers to light-hearted novels. I so appreciate the time and effort she puts into these posts as well as the search function on her blog’s reading list section which allows you to search all the books she’s included over the months.

Even though the weather hasn’t been spring like recently, my heavier winter fragrances were ready to be retired in exchange for a lighter scent. I discovered and then purchased a new-to-me Jo Malone scent, London Peony & Blush Suede, last week and have been wearing it ever since! I love that just two spritzes on my wrists last all day without being too strong. The small size I bought will fit perfectly into my luggage next week when I head to Arkansas for work!

It’s been a while since Bo and I enjoyed dinner outside our neighborhood. While we’ve stuck to our once-a-month date night goal, most of these have been within a few blocks of home in case our baby sitter needs us. Friday night we ventured down to Dumbo for a double date with Laura and her husband. The evening gave us the opportunity to try Celestine, a new Middle Eastern restaurant which is quickly becoming known for the incredible views of Manhattan, great atmosphere and delicious food.  The meal was delicious – especially the lamb, Branzino and cauliflower appetizer –  and the only negative feedback I would provide to the restaurant was their very limited wine list.  If you’re looking for a new restaurant to try for a special occasion, date night or just delicious evening I highly recommend Celestine.

While going through some old pictures I discovered a photo from ten years ago. The first thing I noticed was how wonderful my hair looked. Even though it was VERY long it was smooth and sleek without looking flat which is the issue I’ve had recently since cutting my hair. As luck would have it, I remembered that while living in Pennsylvania I went to an Aveda salon and therefore was exclusively using their products. It’s been years since I used the Smooth Infusion line but I bought a small size last week to see how it would work with my hair and was so impressed. I’m able to get a little volume at the roots while the rest of my hair is sleek, shiny and SO smooth. While I know this isn’t a 100% natural brand it gets far better EWG scores than some other products I’ve used historically and is a step in the right direction.

Since I have a more limited wardrobe these days thanks to following the guidelines in A Simplified Life, I’ve rediscovered a few items that historically got lost among the mess. Yesterday I wore this classic outfit that is head to toe J.Crew. I’ve had the belt and blouse for years but, as embarrassing as this is to admit, I can’t remember ever wearing them! As you all know, these loafers have been a Fall and Winter staple and these jeans have been my favorite since having Katie. They are high-waisted and slenderizing with just enough stretch to allow you room to move without stretching out and sagging throughout the day.

Thursday I spent a relaxing 15 minutes perusing the shelves at our neighborhood coffee shop which also has the most wonderful curated shop filled with cookbooks, home goods and perfect gifts. I finally bought Alison Roman’s beautiful cookbook, Dining In, which I’ve been eyeing for months and can’t wait to try the famous chocolate chip shortbread, citrus salmon, anchovy butter chicken and more. The photographs are gorgeous and each recipe reminds me that cooking in doesn’t have to mean sacrificing flavor or spending all day in the kitchen!

I caved and bought the Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter primer last week.  I heard about it from no fewer than six people within the course of last week and then, spent some time reading the reviews where were equally as amazing and convincing. At $44 it isn’t inexpensive but since I’m only using a small amount, paired with my foundation, I imagine it will last a long time. I tried it for the first time on Sunday and was so pleasantly surprised when I glanced at myself in the mirror. My skin looked as if I’d just had a facial – radiant and bright. After the long winter, it is just what my face needed. I went with the Light/Medium and found that it blended perfectly.

What are you loving these days?