Friday Favorites: Morning Walks, Banana Muffin Tops, Jean Shorts, A New Dress, Candles & A Great Read

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Hey all!  Happy Friday!  As always, I am so excited the weekend is here.  And even more so, because as soon as work is done today, I am officially off the clock until the 22nd!  I think the last time I took a whole week from work that wasn't over the holidays was back when my mom and I did a road trip...almost 3 years ago.  I am really looking forward to having a true break.

Onto my favorites...

1.  Morning walks.  We had insanely beautiful weather yesterday (think 60's in the morning), and instead of doing one of my usual workouts, I decided to go for a walk instead.  And it was so nice.  I love getting in a morning walk on the weekends, but I think I am going to have to start doing it more during the week.  

I took this picture as I was on my walk, because I just love the way the sun is coming through and hitting the grass and trees.  It reminds me that even when the world is so dark, there are moments of light to hold onto.

2.  Time in the kitchen.  One of my favorite ways to unwind is to spend time in the kitchen.  The other night I made banana muffin tops after work, and it was really relaxing.  I started flipping through my cookbooks, too, which is another thing that relaxes me.  There is just something about food and cooking that is so comforting!

3.  Jean shorts.  I cleaned out my bottoms earlier this year, and realized I needed new jean shorts.  I found a pair from Target I really liked when I tried them on, but after washing and wearing them a few times, I realized they weren't as great as I had originally thought.  So back on the hunt, I ordered a few pairs from Abercrombie during a sale.  I had seen a bunch of bloggers rave about them, and after getting them, and wearing them this week, I totally get the hype!  Bre Sheppard recommended sizing up, and I would recommend that, as well.  I have both the Mom shorts and the Boyfriend shorts.  They are super similar, the Mom shorts just have a higher rise..  Both are looser on the legs, which is exactly what I was looking for.  I feel like the fit and look are really similar to the Agolde jean shorts I have seen many people wear, but for a fraction of the price.

4.  Free People dress.  As you can probably tell by the favorite above, I have hit the point of wanting to wear 'real' clothes and not just leggings and sweats while at home.  I really like the Free People brand, and when I saw this dress was on sale for $30, I scooped it up!  I got it in the pink, which is a really pretty almost rose pink color.  It's great for this time of year, and I think it will be really nice for the fall, too.  It's definitely an oversized fit, but it lays really nice, so it's not too frumpy.

5.  Laurel Mercantile candles.  Home Town is my very favorite HGTV show, and I pretty much love everything Erin does on the show.  They released a bunch of summer candles, and when I went to grab some, they were all sold out.  I stalked the website, and immediately ordered when I saw they had been restocked.  I ordered quite a few to try, and am slowly making my way through them.  The first candle I lit was Porch Party, and my goodness I think it might be my favorite spring/summer scent.  It's described as sweet tea and mint, which is spot on.  It reminds me of summer days growing up when my mom would make sun tea, and paired with the mint it is such a refreshing scent.  So, so good!

6.  Feels Life Falling by Kristy Woodson Harvey.  I LOVED this book.  I flew through it, and stayed up late one night this week just so I could finish it.  You have two main characters - one who has had a tough life, and the other a young divorcee.  Their paths intertwine, and it just makes for a great book.  The only thing I will say is that I wish the divorcee's story line would have been tied up just a little tighter at the end...I just wanted confirmation of one thing.  But all in all, a truly enjoyable book.

On the blog this week...

Book Review: June 2020 

June Goals & Habits     

Linking up with Andrea & Erika.