Hello and Happy December!
Can you believe that we are already in the last month of 2017? I sure can’t. This year flew right by, but then again, don’t they all?
I hope you are all as excited as I am to officially be able to play holiday music. That’s right – it’s December 1st people. You can’t knock me for loving a good holiday album or twelve per day.
I’m currently listening to a Holiday Playlist I started back in 2015 (it’s time to add to it!) and typing while sipping on a cup of coffee before heading out to work a closing shift today. I don’t have too many weekend plans on the horizon besides getting some shipments out and decorating our Christmas tree, and I’m completely okay with that.
Scott usually does a great job at getting me out of the apartment on the weekends, but since he’s been traveling so much and Baby H seems to need all the sleep lately, I resort to rest instead. I better enjoy it while I can, right?
But that’s enough chatter about my non-plans. It’s time for Friday Favorites!
I hope you enjoy a read through what I’ve been loving this week and, as always, please feel free to link up your own favorites at the bottom. Happy Friday!
Friday Favorites #192: Week of 12/1
• rose gold Starbucks cups
I know I’ve mentioned this a time or two in the past, but I always drink so much more water throughout the day if I have a cute and practical tumbler with a straw right next to me.
I’ve been waiting months for a extra tall cup to come out at Starbucks that I just had to have, and I finally saw one that was practically calling my name in a rose gold and metallic hue last week!
I found out that Starbucks released rose gold and glitter collection for the holidays, so I have a feeling that I won’t be the only one obsessed. FYI, Starbucks doesn’t have an online store anymore, so you’ll have to grab one the next time you’re in line for a peppermint mocha or order one online (here’s mine) for more than double the price (<- wow, I paid $17).
And to solidify my theory, ever since I picked this cup up and leave it at work to drink from every day, I find myself refilling it at least five or six times a shift. Go water!
• Christmas (is coming) in Brooklyn
Some of you might have caught a look into what it’s like to bring a Christmas tree home in Brooklyn on my Instastories, but for those of you who missed it, here it is.
It’s becoming a tradition for Scott and I to walk a block to our local tree vendor, pick a tree by looking at just a few, walk a block back to our apartment, and take it upstairs to decorate.
I guess you could say that routine is a little different than what we used to do. In fact, before we moved to New York, we always had artificial trees! We ended up giving ours away before our move because we figured that there wouldn’t be a place to store it and we were right.
While it’s not the most cost-effective way to decorate for the season, there’s something about having a real Christmas tree up in our apartment that makes me really happy. The needles smell so fresh and make me want to put on a warm cup of hot cocoa and watch Christmas movies all day long. Anyone else?
I’m very thankful to have Scott who brought this beauty up four flights of stairs yesterday. Roadie and I cheered him on as he navigated his way through our walk-up, and we had it fluffed and ready to decorate in no time. (I had to go to work shortly after this, so it’s still bare as I’m sharing this, but I’m really looking forward to decorating it this weekend!)
Happy Holidays!
• Hallmark Channel surprise
Speaking of Christmas movies, how many of you are glued to the Hallmark Channel right now?
Funny story … when my mom and aunt were in town visiting over Thanksgiving, all we wanted to do to unwind at night was watch the Hallmark Channel and relax with a good, corny Christmas movie. The weird thing is that no matter how hard we tried to find the Hallmark Channel on our cable, it was nowhere to be found. We search for three days in a row (!!!) and ended up watching a mix of movies on Lifetime and Netflix instead.
Yesterday, the same day we got our tree up, I scanned around to see if we had the Hallmark Channel one more time, and there it was right along with the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries channel! I swear it wasn’t there last week. Could it be a Christmas miracle?
The movies couldn’t be more predictable or cheesy in nature, but you gotta love ‘em! (And yes, I’m totally watching Christmas in Evergreen after work tonight.)
• Aveda Shampure products
I always love an unannounced shipment from my friend that Aveda, and I was excited to see some of their Shampure line arrive at my doorstep last week. I’ve tried the Shampure shampoo and conditioner set in the past, and I absolutely love how hydrated and smooth my hair feels after a wash. (It’s almost like they knew my hair needed some extra love now that haircuts and coloring appointments are few and far in between!)
If’ you’ve tried Aveda products before, you might pick up on a certain “Aveda” smell. The entire line consists of complex blends of essential oils crafted in-house. The signature Shampure scent is created by blending 25 different flower and plant essences including organic lavendar, petitgrain and ylang ylang. The scent is strong, but it smells great and is extremely calming!
The Shampure composition oil is made for bath, body, and scalp – but I haven’t tried it on my scalp yet. I already have an issue with grease (don’t we all?), but I’m actually very curious as to how that goes down. Maybe I’ll throw it in over the weekend or next time I don’t blow dry my hair. (Have any of you used this before?)
I can’t find a link associated with the Shampure pure-fume mist (pictured on the bottom right), but I’m assuming that it can be used as a body or hair spray to simply add aroma. Now that I’m pregnant, I would feel better about using this spray over my standard perfumes I’ve been steering clear of.
Thanks again for the goodies, Aveda!
• Chewy.com
Have you ever heard of Chewy.com for ordering anything pet-related?
I’ve ordered cat and dog food, treats, and necessities from the site twice now and I’m impressed. I took advantage of their Cyber Monday deals and stocked up on the (now) prescription wet food for the kitties, treats, and poop bags for Roadie.
I can’t order too much at a time, since we only have limited space to store pet stuff.
The cat and dog treat jars are from Crate & Barrel back in 2011! (similar)
I placed my order on Tuesday, and the complete order went out with FREE shipping the very same day. (It even needed approval from our veterinarian for the prescription food!) We received everything I ordered the day after I placed it, and Chewy beat every Black Friday or Cyber Monday deal that I purchased over the weekend.
And, let’s also talk about how their prices beat the local pet shop prices in Brooklyn tenfold.
If you have any fur babies at home and want to make your life easier with replacing their food and toys, check out Chewy! I haven’t signed up for their auto-ship yet, but once I realize the perfect amount and frequency to order, I will take advantage of even more savings. You should too!
• favorite LIL posts
» 15 Minute Legs & Abs Workout
This legs and abs circuit also involves a few exercises that will get your heart rate up in no time. Each round takes about five minutes to complete, so you could easily fit three rounds (about fifteen minutes) into an early morning, lunch break, or late night workout at home!
» LIL Baby: Second Trimester Update: Weeks 13-20
Sharing the ins and outs of the second trimester and what pregnancy feels like including food cravings, symptoms, prenatal fitness, stories, maternity wear, and more!
Your Turn
Have a great weekend!
Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. Friday Favorites is a series of posts that features items I genuinely want to share with you, and affiliate links may appear from time to time. As always, any support is much appreciated!
