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Happy Friday friends! I hope you all have had a great week and are looking forward to the weekend. I know my hometown friends in Savannah, Georgia are enjoying a holiday today to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Did you know that Savannah hosts the second largest St. Patrick’s Day parade in the US and the third largest in the world? As I mentioned, I’m off to Albuquerque, New Mexico this weekend for fun in the sun with Brooks. As part of my ambassadorship, they annually host us for a running-focused weekend with their Beast training team. We have a track workout, trail run and nutrition session on the agenda in addition to getting a sneak peak at the newest Brooks products!

Now, let’s dive into this week’s edition of Friday Favorites, including recipes, articles, posts and other things that caught my eye this week.

• I’ve been digging bright nail polishes thes past few weeks and am especially in love with the color I chose for yesterday’s manicure. OPI’s Flashbulb Fuschia  is a fun magenta, pink color combination that is perfect for Spring!
• Maybe I’m behind the times but has anyone else seen the Boxed Water before? I discovered it this morning at the airport and loved that it was cheaper than the other options while also being Earth friendly!
• I follow a few fashion bloggers on Instagram and Bloglovin’ as I love to gain inspiration from their gorgeous, styled looks. Sometimes one or two items resonate with me but I loved EVERY ITEM in Lindsey’s Spring Workwear Fashion post yesterday! Fun fact – Lindsey was one of my good girlfriends back when I lived in Philadelphia! 
• I realized that while I’ve shared bits and pieces of my maternity wardrobe with you all, I haven’t shared one of my basics – this flattering, maternity v-neck tshirt. Available in a number of colors, this was the first maternity item I bought back in December. I now own the shirt in black, white and aqua and love that it’s less than $20, the long length will grow with my belly and the ruching adds a flattering touch.

courtesy of Eat Live Run

• How delicious does this loaf look?! When Jenna shared this image on Instagram yesterday I knew that I had to bake her lemon blueberry bread immediately upon returning from New Mexico! A slice would make a perfect afternoon treat next week when paired with a warm cup of tea! 
• While we’re on the topic of baking, while I have no interest in Peeps or Cadbury Eggs come Easter season, I always enjoy at least a few Reese’s Eggs. These homemade Reese’s Eggs look delicious and may just have to be a fun Spring project!
• Again this season, these are my favorite go-to casual shoes and I love that they can pair with everything from a t-shirt dress to jeans. I wore them non-stop while we were in San Francisco and I am sporting them today as well.
• Bo and I are in love with mango these days, especially the fresh-cut juicy mango I found at Whole Foods earlier this week. I spent some time on Pinterest looking for mango recipes and pinned this Quinoa Mango Black Bean Salad for next week’s dinner menu. 

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

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!

 

What a week! As always, Las Vegas drained all my energy even though I wasn’t drinking or partying. I still feel like I burnt the candle at both ends as I was up at 4:45 each morning to workout with my friend Amy and then was up until 11 most nights. The highlights of the trip include connecting with my colleagues who I see rarely as we live across the country, dancing to my favorite high school songs during Backstreet Boys opening night show in Las Vegas and last but not least, it was quite fun to show the bump to so many friends. This weekend is going to be busy as tomorrow I’m spending the day showering my friend who is pregnant with her second child and then Sunday Bo and I have some baby errands we need to run and other items to check off our list before we head to San Francisco on Wednesday for our Babymoon! If you have any recommendations for hikes, restaurants, cafes or places to explore in San Francisco, Marin County area, Carmel or Carmel Valley please leave them in the comments!

Now, 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 someone who was plus size when I started my fitness journey, I’m so glad that Nike finally launched an extended sizes department which finally includes sizes beyond XL. There are currently 43 items in the collection ranging from their classic Tempo shorts to the Power Tights I love and fun graphic tanks. I’m happy to see that the collection is priced in line with regular Nike gear and includes fun prints versus just black, gray and other plain colors.
• I’ve been listening to Ed Sheeran’s new album Divide on Spotify this morning since I read that the entire album dropped yesterday.  Am I the only one who finds myself putting the album on repeat? It’s no surprise that my favorite tracks are How Would You Feel and Castle on the Hill.
• I’ve recently tried a few new dry shampoos and am in love with Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo. The lightweight, natural formula adds volume and absorbs excess oil when I either don’t have time or don’t want to wash my hair. While in Las Vegas, it allowed me to go three days before washing my hair which is impressive when you consider I worked out AND was surrounded by smoke whenever I walked through the casino.
• I asked you guys to recommend your favorite snack bars and man did you deliver! I fell in love with RX Bars and GoMacro Bars while I was in Las Vegas, enjoying one each afternoon with an herbal tea. My favorite flavors were the GoMacro Organic Protein Purity and the blueberry,  blueberry and coconut chocolate RxBars. 
• As part of my more natural skin care routine, I found myself using these natural face wipes each night before cleansing with Beauty Counter’s Charcoal Cleansing Bar . The Pacifica Purify Coconut Cleansing Wipes did a great job removing my makeup, including the mascara which has been my biggest gripe with other natural face wipes.  I was surprised to find that the cleansing bar is gentle enough to thoroughly clean my skin while still leaving it feeling smooth and moist due to the gentle formulation.
• Did you enter the NYC Marathon lottery? Even though I decided not to enter the NYC Marathon lottery due to the fact I’ll be just five months post-natal, I’m so excited for my friends who found out they are running! I can’t wait to give high fives again in Brooklyn and join them for a few runs towards the end of their training. I have a feeling their Summer training will be the inspiration I need to get back out there when my body is ready.
• I’ve shared my love of Grace’s book recommendations before as they never dissapoint and over the past year, I think over half of the books I read were due to her recommendation. This month she launched a Reading List section on her blog that includes recaps as well as links to each of the books. As soon as I finish Bringing Up Bebe I’m going to dive into The Last Letter from Your Lover.
• Since I love behind the scenes tours and reading tips and tricks from experts, this article from a former Whole Foods employee was right up my alley. Due to the crowds and prices at the Whole Foods Brooklyn location, I don’t frequent Whole Foods that often but I’ll definitely use a few of these the next time we’re there especially the free fruit slicing!
• This incline walking workout has been a favorite of mine lately when I’m at the YMCA or in a hotel gym. I love that Julie’s walking workouts have me dripping in sweat while still being manageable to do at this point in pregnancy.

 

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

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!