Favorite Things Friday #40

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FORTY Favorite Things already?! I mean, seriously. WHERE DOES THE TIME EVEN GO?? I missed you last week, but we had a really great family vacation at the beach and it was the perfect sendoff to this glorious season.

The kids are already back in school – WHAT IN THE WORLD. I tell you what, if you blink, you miss Summer, right?! So so fast. I absolutely adore Fall, but I’m never ever ready to let go of Summer. And it’s still close to 100 degrees here so I’m REALLY not feeling the Fall vibes yet. So when Back-to-School hits, I’m always sad. There are plenty of days from June to August when I’m ready to pull my hair out, have a clean house for more than .2 seconds, and have peace and quiet for a bit…and then it arrives and I want to hit the rewind button. So I’ve got this tradition that I started a few years back and thought I’d share as my first FTF.

1. Self Care and Back to School Traditions

I have a back to school tradition that happened by accident years ago, when I found myself making a stop at Trader Joe’s on the first day of school. I love that place, but rarely get there, as it’s not super close to our house. I just never found myself throwing the kids in the car to go there when another grocery store is a minute away. But as they hopped on the bus, I was a little down, and decided some fresh flowers would be a nice pick-me-up. What better place for pretty and budget friendly flowers than TJ’s? I had the time now. And while at TJ’s, you CAN’T NOT throw some Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Turbinado Sugar Almonds in your cart, am I right?

Then, as I drove home I thought, I’m most definitely going to want a glass of wine tonight, so I popped in the local liquor store and realized I just put together a nice little Back to School care package for myself! I went home, put the wine in the fridge for later, the almonds in the pantry (ok, I may have opened them first;), and placed the flowers in a white pitcher on our kitchen island. I lit a candle and baked the kids the traditional First Day of School Giant Cookie, knowing how excited they’d be to see it sitting on the counter. Absence really does make the heart grow fonder, and I was feeling much better about the whole school thing once again.

Now, you might not like chocolate or wine – and fresh flowers or baking might not do it for you either – but the moral of the story is this:

If you find yourself feeling down, know what floats your boat and brings a smile to your face and make it happen. It might look totally different than my list. It might be a long run and a hot bath. Might be a cup of special coffee from the bakery down the street. Treating yourself is important, and makes us happier versions of ourselves, so we can be happier versions for our people.

I know that even if the kids aren’t completely aware right now, they’ll think back to their first days of school with fond memories. Not because of things like flowers waiting on the kitchen island along with a big cookie (ok, maybe a little because of that!), but a happy mom who couldn’t wait to hear all about their day – because she took some time that day to find a way to treat herself, too. The mile long to-do list can always wait until the second day of school. 😉

 

2. Tee Shirt Dresses

I can’t think of a comfier, cuter way to dress than a tee shirt dress these days! It’s like wearing pajamas – for real. I got this one from Old Navy, and I wish I had bought one in every color!

So versatile too – this pic was taken a couple weeks ago with some flip flops, but I wore this same dress out to run errands the other day with some canvas sneakers, and a casual tote. Or as the weather gets cooler (if that day ever happens!!), with some suede booties and a jean jacket – perfect way to transition to Fall. Something that you can dress up or down, wear throughout a couple seasons, is super easy on the budget, AND feels like you’re wearing pajamas – how can you beat that?!

Here is an affiliate link to this one – just click here: Old Navy Tee Shirt Dress

And a couple others I found that are adorable! (also affiliate links):

 

3. Canvas Shoes  

I can’t believe I haven’t included these shoes in my favorite things yet! I’ve had them for several years, and I’m surprised at how comfortable they are. I have bad feet – plantar fasciitis big time – and I can’t go long without my sneakers with orthotic inserts – yet I can wear these all day long and be ok. They’re actually starting to show some wear and tear finally, and I checked Target to see if they still have them so I can get another pair, and luckily they do! These are also the shoes I paired with my tee shirt dress I was just talking about…

This is another versatile item for your closet – adorable with shorts, casual dresses, jeans, leggings, you name it! And the color matches EVERYTHING. I’ve never bought an exact duplicate of anything before, because I think it’s always fun to switch things up and try new things – but I will totally be buying these all over again!

Click here for an affiliate link: Canvas Shoes

Ok friends, that about wraps up FTF! Thanks for spending some time with me today, and hope you have an awesome weekend!! XO

****GAH! Last minute addition!! I was just on Amazon late last night and saw that THE BEST BEACH TOWELS EVER that I grabbed for our vacation last week are back in stock!!! My sisters were all asking about them at the beach, and I went to find the link for them only to find them unavailable. I wasn’t going to include them in here since I didn’t have a link for you, but they’re available now! Grab ’em quickly! They are sooooo soft and the perfect weight – thin but definitely not too thin – and have adorable fringe on the trim. They seriously look like throw blankets you’d have in your house, but they’re towels. I’m obsessed. It all started when my husband asked me to buy some “adult sized towels” for our trip. He’d finally had enough of the Batman/Frozen/Mermaid kid sized towels we have – ha! Fair enough. I went on Amazon and decided to give these a go and they are perfection.

Snag them before it’s too late!

(affiliate link)

Ok, now I’m REALLY done! 😉 Have a great one!

Comments

  1. Debi Saunders says:

    The link for the towels didn’t show up for me☹️ Please share again

  2. Love your cute dress! I also suffered from planter fasciitis for years when my doctor suggested two brands of flip flops (I’m a Florida girl and live in flip flops!). Vionics which ran abit wide (and are pricey – $70) and Crocs Wedge Sandal that are about $40 but I buy them at Rack Room (buy one at full price and the 2nd pair at 1/2 off). I love these Crocs so much that I have 6 pairs/every color) and wear them year round. Just wanted to share my “favorite”!

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