Happy Friday friends! I am in shock that I have the time to blog today, but thanks to Katie sleeping well last night I am feeling rested and energized today. I have no clue whether last night’s sleep pattern will work again tonight, but I’m thankful for the cumulative seven hours of sleep that I enjoyed in between her feedings last night. This weekend is going to a one filled with friends, family and love as we my in-laws arrive this afternoon and my best friend Amy arrives with her son and husband later this evening. Tonight our plan is a casual cookout in the back yard to welcome everyone and hopefully enjoy some time with Katie in between her naps.

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.

Books

• While I was in the early stages of induction, I had time to relax in the hospital bed and read Jojo Moyes’ One Plus One. The story of a single mom and her crazy family as their paths cross with a wealthy, quirky entreprenuer who has troubles of his own, I really enjoyed the story and found myself not wanting to put the book down. The main character’s bad choices were sometimes hard to read, but by the halfway point of the book I was looking forward to seeing how it would all unfold.

Food

• My sweet friend, Julie, sent the most adorable care package for Katie which included a onesie and sweet book for Katie, some pampering items for mom, and her delicious Chocolate Chip Almond Butter bars. We devoured the bars within days as everyone, including my parents, loved them!
• Since my breast milk has still been very slow to come in, I’ve been eating every food that is recommended for lactating mothers, including flax seed, Mother’s Milk tea, a Goat Root supplement and my personal favorite – oats. I’ve been having Quaker Oats at least 2-3 times a day either in the form of morning oatmeal, blueberry lactation bars, or banana muffins.  My mom and I have made two batches of our favorite Maple Sweetened Oatmeal Banana Muffins this week since they are perfect snacks for everyone!
• Last night we headed to Pig Beach for barbeque, frose and fun with my parents and Katie. This popular Gowanus spot has increased in popularity recently due in part to it’s inclusion in Eater’s popular restaurant list as well as their incredible barbecue, fun atmosphere and specialty drinks.

Beauty & Fashion

• The exhaustion that comes along with a newborn baby is very real. A few days this week I basically looked like a walking zombie until I washed my face, put on some cream and makeup. My favorite eye cream right now is Olay Regenerist Eye Lifting Serum which I put on after wearing these hydrating, cooling eye patches.
• I hear that Parisian mom’s secret to looking rested is to wear a bright lipstick. Yesterday I swiped on Lipstick Queen’s Medieval lipstick which is a vibrant, hydrating, sheer red lip tint that is easy to apply while providing a much needed pop of cover. I can understand why this is my mom’s favorite lipstick as it instantly gave me a boost and made me look more put together.
• After receiving the pair of Lilly Pulitzer 5” Katia Shorts that I ordered two weeks ago, I fell so in love with the elastic waist, perfect length and comfortable fit that I ordered two more pairs! I’m loving the Resort White, Multi Purrfect and Indigo Night prints!
• These JCrew White Seaside pants are perfect for Summer and the elastic waist will hopefully make them forgiving for my post-baby body.
• This red and white flounce sleeve top is perfect for the Fourth of July and may just coordinate perfectly with Baby Girl Diamond’s Fourth of July red and white romper.

Your turn – What are you loving this week? Any big plans for the long 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!