Friday Features & Favorites: Local Places & Family News

This week's round-up features local places, some fashion, and even some favorite snacks. Come to think of it that may be the theme around this blog. What can I say? These are a few of my favorite things - ha! Anyway, in addition to the usual type of favorites, I have a family update to share. This will be at the end of the post. I hope you enjoy my friend!

Friday Features and Favorites: The Series Is Back!

It feels so good to bring back Friday Features & Favorites! In this revived series, expect to see exactly what it states: special features and tried and true favorites. Some items may be sent to me for review, others I purchased, or maybe it was a gift from a friend. If an item is sent for review, I will say so. Either way, if I don't like it, you won't see it here  

Another element you can expect is featured places, events, or experiences. Basically, it's a free-for-all that is noteworthy. And today's noteworthy range from household items, to comfort slippers and bags on the go. I'm so glad you're here!

Friday Favorites : Where Did September Go

I'm currently watching my dog sleep peacefully on the couch, while the cat seizes the opportunity to slink around the living room without being disturbed. The sunrise is a rainbow of colors, glowing through the clouds like a still oil painting. If only it was, then I could drink that beauty all day long. Sadly, there's work to be done and thankfully there's life to live! Yes! If you're drawing in breath there's hope and there's a purpose for you!

After my unexpected hospital stay, due to blood clots in my leg, which traveled to my lungs, I had a valuable wakeup call! This, along with the recovery and visits with friends and family, made September pass as quickly as that morning sunrise. However, while I'm content to reside in October please allow me a quick recap on some favorite moments!

Friday Favorites: Goodbye July!

Friday Favorites. Oh, how I've missed you! July slipped through my fingers as we entertained out of town guests including teen friends, family friends, and extended family. We also squeezed in a short trip to Georgia, so this momma was bone-tired by the end. Did I mention that we had to take our eldest to the emergency room because he fractured a bone in his left foot and two fingers on his right hand? Phew! Let me take a breath here.

We made lots of memories and other than that hospital trip, I wouldn't change anything. By the way, he's recovering well and we're grateful to report that there are no torn ligaments. So now let's get on with those favorites!

Family & The Grad
With our graduate's ceremony being rescheduled twice, we decided to celebrate with my family and not worry about what the county decided to do. Life must go on, right? My brother and his family traveled down, followed by my mom, and stepdad a few days later. We had a houseful but it was an adventure!

His Favorite Family Member...

 Of course, we had to get out to eat a time or two...

Fins at Sharky's 
If the weather Is right, I recommend sitting out on the balcony to enjoy those beach views!

Fish Tacos!

When my mom is in town, we are sure to eat at a few seafood places. After my brother and family left, we squeezed in a visit to the Starfish & Co in Cortez, Florida. And this time my aunt and uncle on Mom's side joined us!

The Starfish & Co. gives all the vintage Florida vibes with dockside dining and laid back appeal.  I highly recommend this restaurant if you're in the Sarasota, Bradenton, or Ana Maria area! However, remember to bring cash and find a spot in the shade!

Shrimp & Grits, Hushpuppies & Coleslaw

The Most Beautiful Sunset!

Sunsets off the west coast of Florida are breathtaking. We had to pull over to watch this one and snap some pictures of course!

Vital Proteins

Vital Proteins sent me four different supplements to choose from, depending on what I need support for the most - hair, skin, hydration or an overall beauty boost. Which one should I choose first??

 Being Silly - but honestly, I've felt upside down lately. 

Photograph by Emma Photography

I WON!
I won a giveaway on Instagram from BT on The Boulevard for some fabulous, luxury and CLEAN hair products, which I was able to pick up this week! Have you heard of Oribe hair products? Oh man, they smell incredible, last a long time, and perform optimally, even on color-treated hair. Thank you, BT on The BLVD !

A Giveaway For YOU

A Giveaway for you, my fabulous readers is coming up next week! I'm hosting a giveaway on Instagram for this lovely Dove Handbag from Caite & Kyla. Stay tuned for more details, as well as more pics in this outfit! :)

Alright, my friends! Did you catch my first makeup review on the blog this week? I am excited to represent Crunchi Clean Beauty so this won't be my first post! Hop over HERE to check it out. 

Linking up with Momfessionals and A Little Bit Of Everything Blog!

Friday Favorites: All About The "Firsts"

These last couple of months contain a lot of "firsts" or "my first since...". We had our first house guests of the summer season. I have my first high school graduate to process through. We went to our first restaurant since everything closed down. You get the idea. Today's post is all about the "firsts" I hope you!

Friday Favorite Feature: Tunic Tops & Aquarium Stops

Summer has arrived in Florida and with it more adventures in shorts!  Today I'm thrilled to share a few favorites: this fun outfit, the re-opening of Mote Marine Aquarium, and some rare pictures with my camera-shy friend from Georgia!

Friday Favorites: Goodbye April

Goodbye April. You were interesting to say the least. I won't share half of what April entailed for me because Friday favorites are meant to be light and fun. And since I have a good dose of sunshine to share that's what I'll focus on - for now. Wink Wink. I'm excited so let's dive right in!

Friday Favorites: The Best Socks, Vitamin C & More

I'm so happy to feature a Friday Favorites! I want to share some things that make me feel happy and I hope they help you think about those things that make you feel happy!  So are you ready for some before COVID-19 Favorites and AFTER COVID-19 favorites? In other words, there's moments I share what happened before we were told to stay home. 

Friday Favorites: Top 12 Looks Of 2019

Considering the fact that we're already mid-January,  my top looks are arriving fashionably late (pun 100% intended) to the blog party. However, I'm still working through my goals for the new year and wish to savor Favorite Fashion Moments,  before I move on to 2020. It was my hope for last year to grow in this space with you, and it is the same for this year. This beautiful community is supportive and I believe we all encourage each other to be embrace our own unique styles and SHINE.

Here's to another year of evolving, overcoming and cheering one another on!

Friday Favorites: Date Night Beauty Edition

As I mentioned in a previous post, the hubs and I are officially dating. In other words, we spending time with each other, apart from the children, on a regular basis. Older teens and gift cards came together to make this possible. Now is it a coincidence that this is also a more difficult time in life? For example, we're still grounding ourselves in a new place, we're farther from family, we have one teen graduating this year and another learning to drive, etc! There's of course more, but this will suffice for now.  I'd say this is a good time to strengthen our relationship and work on being a united front.

So with dating on the brain, today's favorites stem are a mash up of beauty products and date worthy outfits I use to be all pretty. ;)

Friday Favorites: Reunions, Girl's Night & Sister Favorites

Reunions. As I've mentioned in the last couple of posts, my sweet sister and her family arrived last weekend for a long overdue visit. The younger boys and I ran out the door when they arrived. My nieces got to us first (of course). Oh, how much young ones change in almost two years, right?

When I finally reached my sister we instantaneously burst into tears. It was so good to be near her! She is a sister who is also a friend; a friend that listens, encourages, laughs at my lame jokes and simply gets me. For this reason, my Friday Favorites are highlighting our quick weekend, as well as random "favorites" we have in common! Maybe you'll share in some of those as well.

Friday Favorites: New Brands & Products I Love

Hello! Are you ready for some football?? I'm cautiously excited because back in May our eldest badly broke his collar bone during some practice drills. It took over three months to heal. Now that he received clearance from the doctor, he's back in it, working hard to get his weight up. Needless to say, this momma will be a nervous spectator. I guess that's all apart of being a mom. So before I prepare for another night in the stands, let's talk Friday Favorites.

One of my favorite things about the blog world is reviewing products! It feels like an adventure to receive and be acquainted with brands and products I've not tried before. And if I like them? Well, I share them here with you on the blog! And today features a few of the recents starting with a protein shake.

Friday Favorites: My Favorite Ways to Reclaim My "Sanity"

"Friends, sun, sand and sea, that sounds like summer to me." - unknown

And that certainly describes our first full on summer in Florida. The schedule was unpredictable and my hospitality was warmly put to the test. Back in Georgia, I dreamed of ways we could improve our space for efficient entertaining. Those prayers for proper "feng shui" were answered in our now open floor plan. The Florida home was a hive of activity boasting boys who hooted, hollered, ate and slept within its walls. Add in guest from out of town and you get a full on bed and breakfast. 

What sweet memories we made this summer! I felt blessed beyond words, but the introverted side of me rallied against the mayhem. My desire to create was non-existent and personal goals were forgotten.  I didn't know which way was up! Pay bills? Am I supposed to do that? I don't know about you, but this makes me crazy. Though the internal warning signs rang loudly, I felt powerless to control the events, kid responsibilities, etc. 

So my friends, today's Friday favorites is all about my favorite ways to reclaim my sanity so to speak. Even if I was "forced" to do so in a way I didn't expect! Now before I delve right in, allow me to share my favorite outfit of the week. 

At this point a modicum of structure is back in place and consequently, I'm inspired to create in my closet, even in the most casual of ways.  So I hope you can join the casual train on a mini-adventure to downtown Sarasota for lunch and gelato with another look at my favorite overalls, styled with a new top!  (Psssst...these tops are currently on sale!)  

Friday Favorites: Mini-Try On at Lucky & Favorite Locally Owned Spots

Hello friends! This week at the casa I feel as if I'm running a bed and breakfast for teen boys. One evening there were ten boys camped out, including my four! Let's just say I'm grabbing girl moments whenever I can, while working at keeping the pantry stocked! So, I'm just excited to have a Friday Favorites post to bring you!  There's certainly been much to report, but today I'll keep it brief with a mini-fashion try on and some of my favorite eatery pop-ins!

Friday Favorites: Fashion, Summer CauseBox, Influencer Events & More

Another Friday is upon us! I'm currently seated in a friend's home in Georgia, furiously typing my favorite blog post feature of the week - Friday Favorites!! The hodge-podge of life-currently, beauty products, fashion finds, adventures, tips and ideas, etc has me all giddy to share mine and read yours! And this week is no different! Next week, I'll share snippets from this Georgia trip, but for now let's dive in to the summer fun around Sarasota!

Fashion Favorite - The Cami Dress With The Straw Tote

Remember that dress that I purchased from the GAP a month or so ago? Well, I wouldn't remember it either. So here's a pic to jog our memory!

Friday Favorites: Tea House, Sea Salt Spray & A Surprise

This weeks favorites are all about food, fun, friends, fashion and a sneak peek at a supremely personal item I'll be reviewing on the blog soon! Also, I'm partnering with Simply Earth for this month's June box giveaway. See what that's all about below!

Friday Favorites: Red Shoes, Smoothies, Pizza Crust And Wildflower Fields

Hello and welcome to another edition of the Friday Favorites! How fun it is to share quick recaps of places visited, beauty products we love, fabulous food picks and more with each other weekly! And this week is no different. Today I'm featuring red espadrilles, a healthy pizza crust you will want to try and a quick visit to the wildflower fields! I'm so excited to have you here!

Friday Favorites: Wild Fable Jumpsuit, Tooth Powder & the Sip & Mingle

Welcome to another edition of the Friday Favorites! Today I'm sharing my first jumpsuit of the season, what I call a "Friday fascination" because I haven't decided if it is a favorite - yet, and lastly, I'm sharing a quick recap of the fabulous Sip and Mingle event that was hosted right here in Sarasota! I'm so glad you're here my friends!

Friday Favorites: My Top Picks For The Dog

Back in December my husband and I caved to the pleadings of our boys (it only took 10 years) and adopted a dog. Growing up my family had pets, but they were just kind of there. Our dogs training never went beyond using the bathroom outside and basic commands like, "sit" or "give me your paw". Therefore, I honestly had no idea what I was doing when we brought Dolly home. Thankfully, the Humane Society and friends were a big help. We are still navigating our way through pet ownership, so I thought I'd share things that make our life easier with Dolly.

Friday Favorites: Food, Fun & Fashion

Hello! Once again the days melded together and brought us Friday - my favorite!  And this weekend starts long anticipated blog adventures. Today I'll be visiting a local dry bar, tomorrow is the Sip and Mingle Event (right here in Sarasota) and Tuesday I'm attending a private influencer event!! You know I'll be sharing on Instagram stories, followed by a recap on the blog, so stay tuned!

I seem to be getting ahead of myself, for I've current favorites to share - a recap of adventures, fun, and faves featuring another recipe, an adventure and a touch of home. Now before I do, allow me to update you on our eldest. He broke his collar bone last Thursday and was in so much pain for a few days. Thankfully everyday he improves and is able to sleep and even become more independent. He's able to dress himself and started back to school on Monday!