Friday Favorites!

                                                              (via manda_g501 on Instagram)

Today I'm back and linking up with fellow bloggers Erika, Narci and Andrea to share my Friday Favorites. It has been both an amazing and busy summer; just like I like it! I have missed blogging on Fridays. Thanks for reading; I have so many fun things to share!

ONE

Shine On with Reese

I should have titled this Reese Witherspoon, Dolly Parton, enough said. Have you heard about Reese Witherspoon's new media company called Hello Sunshine? She has several shows coming out, and Shine on with Reese debuted a few weeks ago. Now, this is only available through DirecTV, but you can watch the first episode with Dolly Parton free HERE. I don't have DirecTV, so I now need to make friends with someone who does. The first episode is so good; both inspiring and heartwarming. I promise you'll love it as much as I did! There is nothing better than women who support other women and Reese Witherspoon is an excellent example of that.

TWO

San Diego

Did you see my post about the trip Dan and I took to San Diego? If not, you can find that HERE. We fell in love with this city!

THREE

Zipcicles

Oh my goodness, we love these! Mason loves the ice popsicles that look like these but I cringe at the ingredients list. With these, I can freeze organic juice and we are both happy. I also never have popsicles on hand in the winter when we need them for fevers. With Zipcicles, I can just make my own. Such a fun purchase.  They are reasonably priced too. I think I paid about $12 for 100, so we should have them for awhile. Ha!

FOUR

Living Proof

I know I have blogged about my love for Living Proof dry shampoo before, but since I go back to work next week, it was time to stock up. This girl doesn't always have time to wash her hair and this stuff helps me keep it clean all the same.  If follow another blogger who gets a code periodically for buy one get one free. Follow my Instagram HERE and I will let you know the next time it rolls around!

FIVE

Loft Sale/Nordstrom Sale

While I was in San Diego, I was able to get a "little" shopping in while Dan was working. I hit up the sales at both Loft and Nordstrom and found a lot of cute things like...

THIS SHIRT

Now that I'm back at at school and have cute new flannels in my closet, I feel myself getting geared up for fall. I swear I get pumpkin fever earlier every year! 

I hope you all have a fabulous weekend!

San Diego, California

This past July, Dan and I had the opportunity to take a trip to San Diego, California, for five days BY OURSELVES! Dan was offered the opportunity to cover Comic Con as a member of the press for his podcast, Coffee with Kenobi. Since this event also fell just before our anniversary, we decided to combine work and fun and make a trip out of it!

We left nice and early on a Monday morning. I love wearing a maxi dress on a plane and the jacket is a must since I am always freezing. Truth be told, I pack socks on my carry on since you will never find me walking barefoot through security. #yuck I also had to put the socks on mid-flight because my feet were freezing. My dress and jacket are past season Gap and my shoes are Toms wedges. 

An important note for later, I decided to only have a carry on for this trip and Dan checked a bag. I do not like checking bags because it is always a hassle. Speaking of hassle, I was hassling Dan about his decision to check his bag while we were packing and ended up putting half of my stuff in his bag because my carry on was too small. #whoopsie This is also the forshadowing portion of the story.

Is there anything better than the view from an airplane? I especially love flying west over the mountains.

The weather in San Diego was AMAZING. It was summer during the day and fall weather at night. Perfection. We stayed at the Omni Hotel in Downtown San Diego across from the convention center where Comic Con was happening later in the week. Getting there early and watching them set up for the event was incredible. The entire downtown literally changes overnight.

The convention center...

Our hotel was right next to the Gaslamp District, which includes lots of shopping and fun restaurants.

After our plane landed, we took a short Uber ride to our hotel, ditched our suitcases and walked to the Gaslamp District to eat. We randomly chose the Rockin' Baja Lobster Bar and Grill and it was so good! We ordered margaritas, a collection of appetizers and checked out the different types of salsa in the salsa bar inside. It was so good! We sat outside and made a loose plan for how to explore San Diego.

Our hotel was right next to Petco Park so we walked around it on our way back to work off our lunch and check out another baseball park. The Padres were not in town or, otherwise, we would have gone to a game. We love checking out new baseball parks. This is the only baseball related thing that we agree on!

After that, we walked to the harbor, went back to our hotel, went to the gym and then both fell asleep by the pool. Dinner on the first night was room service because we were exhausted from traveling.

Our view from the hotel at night...

We were up bright and early the next morning and after finding a Starbucks, we decided to take the ferry to Coronado Island, which was about fifteen minutes from our hotel. 

This was one of our favorite days of the trip. We shopped, ate, checked out adorable beach houses, visited the Hotel Coronado, went to a farmer's market, and walked all around this beautiful island.

Beach house stalking...

I could eat this for lunch every day of my life. Lobster, shrimp and crab rolls.

After walking the beach at the beautiful Hotel Coronado where there are literally gold flecks in the sand, we went to the hotel patio bar and had ourselves a little happy hour. 

California just gets me...

On the way back to the ferry, we shopped some more and I found a place with Kombucha on tap...LOVE! It totally looked like I was drinking a small cup of beer with a straw on the ferry ride back. :)

After cleaning up, we took an Uber to Old Town for dinner at Cafe Coyote.

It was the best Mexican food I have ever had in my life. From the handmade tortillas to the mariachi band that played to us over chips and salsa, it was an epic date night.

After dinner, we walked and checked out the vendor carts and shops and then captured this amazing sunset...

The next morning, we took an Uber over to Little Italy. One of our favorite parts of traveling is heading to random parts of the city and getting lost for a few hours. Also, eating... 

We met the nicest shop owners, ate some amazing Italian food and wine for lunch, walked through yet another farmer's market and had a fabulous start to our day. After lunch Dan needed to head back to the convention center to go to work, so I took an Uber to a nearby mall and shopped by myself for over four hours! I honestly can't remember the last time that happened and it was so fun! I found a lot of good deals and knew that packing everything I bought was going to be very interesting in that carryon I insisted on sticking to. 

I headed back to our hotel, freshened up and set out for the Gaslamp District to get dinner. ComiCon was in full swing at this point and the people watching was amazing. I spotted the E News stage but didn't see Guiliana or Jason...

The Gaslamp District at night...

I actually ended up sitting in the hotel lobby bar area and ordered a glass of wine and appetizers. I used the time to work on homework and blog and met Dan for a late dinner when he wrapped for the day.

The next morning, Dan set out early to do a live show and attend events. We had to switch hotels for our last night (which we planned in advance), so I did my absolute best to shove everything into our two suitcases and headed north thirty minutes to Del Mar. We stayed at an adorable boutique hotel called Hotel Indigo. I had the whole day ahead of me, so I through on my suit and coverup and set out for the beach. I do not mind being alone in a new city and that is one of the main reasons that Dan and I enjoy combining work and play with these trips. We get a few days together and then he can work while I explore and he doesn't need to worry that I'm bored. 

I ate my lunch with a good book and a far off view of the water. The weather and the food options are two of my favorite things about California.

After lunch, I headed to my happy place...

An Amtrak train runs right along this beach. I would love to take our kids on that train ride someday. 

It was a perfect day, so I threw on some sunscreen and a cute sun hat and settled to to finish my book. It was the perfect way to spend my last day. 

San Diego did not disappoint. Both Dan and I agree that it is one of our favorite west coast cities. 

We set out for the airport early the next morning so we could catch Parker's game later that day. When we got to the airport, were told that our checked bag was ten pounds overweight. Did I mention that I had shoved that bag full of my purchases because my carry on wasn't cutting it? Ha ha! Dan was not about paying the extra $100 to fly my good deals back to Illinois, so we opened that bag right on the curb, shoved some things in our carry ons and layered up. He was super happy with me. :) It all worked out in the end...

Such a fun week with my guy!

Books and Beans~July 2018

It's book review time! You know that I read like crazy over the summer, so there are some good ones on the list!

Coffee

My "coffee" order of choice this month was a Starbucks iced green tea. It's the perfect summer drink when you're reading or out running errands. I have worked my way into drinking it unsweetened. Every little bit helps! :)

Books

The Perfect Couple

by: Elin Hilderbrand

4 out of 5 stars

It wouldn't be summer if I didn't have an Elin Hilderbrand book on my reading list! This novel is about a couple getting married on Nantucket, as all good beach reads include. All the guests have come to stay on the island but the wedding is put on hold when the maid of honor is found dead the morning of the wedding. Part light mystery, part summer beach read, Elin Hilderbrand does not disappoint with her latest book.

The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide: How to Declutter, Organize and Simplify Your Life

by: Francine Jay

4 out of 5 stars

I loved this book as inspiration to clear out some clutter that had built up since my last purge in December. I am all about streamlining and simplifying and this book was very motivational in those areas. Even if you will never be a hardcore minimalist *cough...me*, you will find value in these principles for decluttering your space.

Then She Was Gone

by: Lisa Jewell

4 out of 5 stars

I love a good mystery and this one is about as dark and twisted as they come. A teenage girl disappears on her way to the library and years later her mother starts a relationship with a new man. Both seemingly unrelated events intersect to form a good storyline. Although I had figured out the gist of the plot by the midpoint, the way it all came together was worth the read. If you are a fan of mysteries and psychological thrillers, add this to your list. 

This Is Me: Loving the Person You are Today

by: Chrissy Metz

4 out of 5 stars

I love the show This is Us and this book was a great behind the scenes look into Chrissy Metz's real life and her rise to fame. I have so much compassion for her after reading this book and am even more excited for her that the show has found such success. Her life is a powerful example of overcoming tough situations growing up as well as the power that hurtful words can have on children. I definitely recommend this book if you are a fan of the show.

Motivational Interviewing for School Counselors

by: Reagan North

3 out of 5 stars

I threw a work book into the mix this month and liked this. The information was extremely basic, but it's always good to freshen up old skills. I did glean some good questioning practices for when students are resisting change, so I thought it was worth my time.

Everyday Holy: Finding a Big God in the Little Moments

by: Melanie Shankel

4 out of 5 stars

I discovered Melanie Shankle when I started listening to the podcast The Big Boo Cast and I've loved her books as much as their conversations on the cast. Whenever I'm looking for a devotional or a Christian non-fiction book, Melanie's never disappoint. She is very relatable and so funny!

The Little Bookshop on the Seine (The Little Paris Collection)

by: Rebecca Raisin

3 out of 5 stars

I loved that this book was set in Paris and a bookstore. A bookshop owner from the United States switches places with a bookshop owner in Paris. It is all very You've Got Mail and The Holiday, so what's not to love? It is a sweet little story, but I found some of the romance portions a bit predictable and tiresome. There is a whole series of these books set in different shops in Paris, and I would be likely to read another when I want an easy, "fluffy" read.

I hope you found a few page turners to add to your reading list. Remember, you can click the title or the picture of the book to be taken directly to the Amazon link. All photos are from Amazon and I do receive a very small commission if you order through the blog. It helps support my reading habit. :)

Happy reading and happy August, friends!