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Friday Favorites – June 29th, 2018

A picture of the Brooks Run Happy Ambassador crew from last year’s trip to New Mexico!

Happy Friday! Greetings from Seattle. I flew out here yesterday, spending seven hours on the flight from New York City to Seattle working. It was a ridiculously productive flight as I made my way through hundreds of work emails, tackled a few things that have been on my work to-do list for ages, wrote a few thank you notes for Katie’s first birthday presents, and published a blog post.  I headed out to Seattle a day early so I could spend some time with my good friend Amy, who just moved here from Cincinnati. After a few snafus, we were able to relax and enjoy the gorgeous weather and catch up while hanging with her husband and two children. We ate sushi, hung out in their hot tub and then went for an early morning walk together this morning. The time together looked a lot different than our impromptu visits but I am so appreciative of the way our relationship continues to evolve, depending on our life stage. I’m getting ready to hop in a Lyft and head over to the Brooks HQ to meet the rest of the Run Happy ambassadors who are in town for a weekend of running, exploration and fun. This is my third year working with Brooks and while every year is an honor and joy, I couldn’t be more excited that this year’s trip includes cheering on the athletes at the Special Olympics USA Games in Seattle.

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.

  • After being awake for almost 20 hours yesterday, I looked pretty rough when I woke up this morning. While I blow dried my hair and got ready for the day, I let these magical Grace & Stella eye patches work magic on the lines and eye puffiness. I discovered them a few months ago via another blogger and have since been buying them once a month. When I’m not traveling, I keep them in our refrigerator as the cold helps them work even faster and more effectively. Unlike other eye patches, I find that my makeup still goes on smoothly and easily after the application!
  • When I cleaned out my closet earlier this year, I kept two shirts that I loved even though they didn’t fit at the time. As of last week, I’m finally able to wear them again and LOVED packing them for Seattle’s cooler temperatures this weekend. I own the slim, flattering v-neck in black and hunter green and find myself wearing it almost year-round. Today I’m wearing the black one with jeans and sandals but back in New York, I wore the green one with jean shorts earlier this week. At $15, you can’t beat them for the softness and fit!
  • A few people sent me DM the other day when I shared a picture of me in my favorite dress and jean jacket. While I’ve raved about the dress, I’ve somehow never shared that my favorite jean jacket is one that I’ve had for four years. Believe it or not, J.Crew still has it online and the style hasn’t changed very much since I bought mine. While I found it on sale, the amount of times that I’ve worn it over the years makes the price seam like a steal. It has a relaxed fit, so I recommend ordering a size smaller than normal.
  • This morning during our walk, Amy raved about a few podcasts she’s enjoying these days, including Oprah’s SuperSoul conversations which feature inspiring conversations with a range of personalities including Maria Shriver, Deepak Chopra, and Brene Brown.
  • Earlier this week, Brooks launched a huge end-of-season sale which includes many of my current favorites. I’ve been wearing these bright, patterned shorts on runs when the weather is especially humid and find them to be comfortable and the wide leg means no chafing. This tank is loose, bright and breathable, perfect for the humid weather and bringing some fun to early morning workouts.

Okay friends, it’s time to head out but I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and follow my adventures with Brooks on Instagram this weekend. I’ll be sharing sneak peeks of their Fall gear, workout tips and gorgeous Pacific Northwest views.

 

 

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!

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Friday Favorites – June 8th, 2017

Happy Friday! After coming back from vacation, this week was a tough one. It took longer than normal to catch up on work emails, laundry and errands but after five days of routine I feel like I’m ending the week on a strong note!  My consistency goals are also helping me feel better.  I had one glass of wine between Sunday and this morning, tracked my food, enjoyed six workouts, and increased my average number of steps. We are kicking off the weekend with a date night in Manhattan before enjoying a relaxed weekend in the neighborhood.

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.

  • You guys were right! After discovering Younger on Hulu a few weeks ago, we just made it to season four of Younger.  This witty series follows the story of Liza, a 40-year-old mom who finds herself working in her dream job while posing as a 26-year-old. Our favorite characters include her roommate Maggie and her hilarious friend Lauren.
  • This time last year I was enjoying ice cream from one of our many neighborhood ice cream shops each night during my final trimester of pregnancy. This year, it isn’t quite as easy to leave the house at 8pm for an ice cream walk so instead, I’m enjoying Yasso Frozen Greek Yogurt bars. While they are no subsitute for real ice cream, they are convenient and delicious. My favorite flavors are chocolate chip cookie dough and cookies and cream. While they aren’t cheap, they do go on sale frequently at Whole Foods and are available at Costco.
  • The cooler weather in New York has allowed me to continue my love of quarter zip tops. Most mornings when I take Katie to our nanny share, I’m wearing either this colorful, fun Lilly Pulitzer Skipper Popover or my Vineyard Vines Shep Shirt.
  • I can’t imagine taking conference calls or going on walks without my Apple AirPods. In just a few short months I’ve fallen in love with the convenience, sound and quality of these odd looking headphones.  Don’t get me wrong, I still think they look funny when I see other people wearing them but I love how easily I can charge them when not using them, pop them in my purse or running shorts and the microphone for conference calls works perfectly.
  • Making smoothies for breakfast this week reminded me how much I love my Aloha protein powder. I’ve tried numerous powders over the years and this one has the best flavor, consistency and least after taste. My favorite flavor is the vanilla bean but the banana is pretty tasty too! If you’re a member of Thrive Market, you can get it for $3-$4 cheaper, depending the week.
  • My mom and I whipped up this quick & healthy shrimp recipe when I was home last week and everyone, including my dad, loved it! We paired it with brown rice and Asian roasted green beans for an easy, healthy and filling dinner.
  • We have three packs of strawberries in the refrigerator, which have been tempting me to bake something delicious. I have my eye on this Smitten Kitchen recipe for Strawberry Summer Cake which, when paired with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, seems to scream summer!
  • I spent some time updating a few older posts, including this post on running shorts. It includes 7 great short and skirts for summer running, even if you have muscular legs. After years of dreading running in shorts due to chafing or feeling uncomfortable, these options come highly recommended from me and other running friends!
  • I just started Educated after more than 40 of my Instagram followers recommended it earlier this week when I asked for a book recommendation. A powerful memoir, this New York Times bestseller shares the story of a girl who doesn’t step foot into a classroom until the age of 17 and then goes on to earn a PhD from Cambridge University.

Your turn – What are you loving this week?

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Friday Favorites – May 18th, 2018

Image may contain: 2 people, people smiling, grass, outdoor and nature

Happy Friday! I hope you all have had a good week. We had lots of rain in New York City this week but I am thrilled that we’ll be down in Savannah this time next week, enjoying warm weather and sunshine! A little quality time with family and some sunshine is exactly what I’m craving! Tonight we are relaxing at home with a movie and then tomorrow we are heading to New Jersey to meet our friends’ new baby boy! I’m excited to get some newborn baby snuggles. It’s already hard to remember Katie being that small.  Sunday I’m catching up with my friend Mary over a morning run and then Bo and I are going to be smart and spend a bit of time packing for our upcoming trip. I’ll be in Arkansas Wednesday and Thursday for work and then will fly directly to Savannah to meet he and Katie. That means that this weekend we need to pack everything for Savannah so he doesn’t have to worry about packing in addition to flying solo with her.

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.

  • The picture above has made me smile so many times this week as have the rest of the images Michelle sent over earlier this week following a mini-shoot we did with her in Prospect Park. It has been so fun to work with her as she now knows our style, best angles and personalities. If you’re based in New York or New Jersey, I highly recommend Michelle for any of your photography needs – she’s amazing!
  • After using it for a few weeks, I can say that I’m loving Charlotte Tilbury’s Hollowood Flawless filter highlighter. A little bit goes a long way as I dab a bit in between my eyes and on my cheeks but the result is a subtle but gorgeous glow! If you like lighter, more dewy coverage, I know some people where this as their foundation instead of using it as a highlighter.
  • I shared these Tory Burch Miller Leather Logo sandals on Instagram the other night and had no less than 40 of y’all comment that they are your favorite summer sandal! I’ve eyed them for years as a few of my good friends swear by them but have had a hard time rationalizing the price. Luckily, a Saks gift card was hanging out in my wallet and this was the perfect way to use it! I’ve worn them twice already and love that they can easily be dressed up or down, depending on the occasion!
  • I can’t believe that this dress is now on sale for $49! The flattering, floral dress is long enough for work but fun enough for the weekend. I’ve worn it with a jean jacket and sandals as well as flats and a sweater and every time I wear it I get compliments. It’s available in petite, regular and tall so it works for just about anyone!
  • I’ve had three nail polish colors on rotation recently – a perfect nude that lasts forever, a fun vibrant pink and this funky purple.
  • I love getting emails and comments from you all after you try a product I recommend and this one is definitely the reader favorite right now.  The Revlon Oval One-Step Hair Dryer still amazes me in its ability to dry and smooth my hair in less than ten minutes. It’s simple to use, even for someone like me who has zero round brush skills.  It has over 500 reviews on Ulta and the average review is 4.5 stars which is proof that it’s a winner.  I will say that I found the cheezy video on Ulta’s site really helpful to watch before using it the first time but now, a few months later, I’ve figured out the method that works best for my hair.
  • If you find yourself shopping at multiple stores in order to get the best price on groceries, you may find this article that compares the price of groceries at four different retailers, interesting.
  • I have so much respect for Michele’s work ethic and each time that I’ve had the pleasure to spend time with her I find myself inspired and dreaming of achieving just a portion of what she has accomplished. Warning, you may be exhausted by the end of the article but you’ll also gain a few tips to apply to your own life!
  • We whipped up this healthy Mediterranean Quinoa Salad as a side dish earlier this week and have been enjoying leftovers all week. The flavors only get better with time and I love that you can choose to add protein to make it a main dish or stick with the feta and vegetables when serving it as a side dish.

 

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!

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