It's Friday! Woo hoo! You know what that means, right? The weekend is here and this weekend has a lot going on. I am in Knoxville visiting my family for my sister’s birthday so we will be celebrating tonight with her friends. Tomorrow I will be back in Houston to celebrate one of my besties getting married. Sunday we’ll be celebrating Mother’s Day. That’s a lot of heart warming good times right there.

Did you know, the last time I shared a Friday Favorites post was June 2018??? Oops…

Now, on to a few of my favorite things recently...

Favorite #1

Tone it Up protein mix.

Y’all. The breakfast struggle is real over here. I am not a huge fan of breakfast foods and my mornings frequently go awry after taking Lorenzo outside and commencing with the feeding frenzy that ensues after that. I get distracted doing this or that in an attempt to get organized and the next thing I know I’m out the door and FORGOT to eat anything. The other hindrance is that I don’t always feel hungry. Who’s in my boat paddling along side me?

Well, ever since I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s (another topic for another day) and have had my whole body fighting against me, I’ve learned that I really need to force myself to eat something in the mornings. I use the term “learned” loosely because I have always known that skipping breakfast can wreak havoc on our hormones (I’m speaking to you, ladies).

So…in my attempt for a quick and easy something/anything I can eat that isn’t too damaging for a general-I-must-adhere-to-the-AIP-diet-forever kind of thing I have decided to allow myself all natural turkey bacon and this Tone it Up protein powder. Yes, it’s made from pea protein and there not Paleo, Whole 30, nor AIP friendly. However, peas are in the first phase of reintroduction during AIP so I’m throwing caution to the wind so that I have something there and ready to make two to three times a week. I have to avoid all dairy and soy along with a long list of other things and I have yet to find a better match for my situation.

I make mine with about 6 ounces of cold spring water and 2-3 ounces of coconut milk.

Tone It Up Organic Protein Powder for Women | Supports Weight Loss and Lean Muscle | 100% Vegan, Plant Based, Gluten Free, Kosher, Non GMO, Sugar Free | 15g of Protein (1.54 lbs, Vanilla) Buy on Amazon

Favorite #2

Probiotics.

Rest assured not all are created equal, but I decided to add probiotics to my daily routine. I tried several pre-made probiotic juices and while they were tasty, they were also very sweet. I’ll save that sugar consumption for wine…am I right? Well, I found this one in the refrigerated coolers on the vitamin aisle at HEB and it’s great! There isn’t much of a flavor to it and I just mix it in with mineral water and a dash of lemon OR I add it in to the protein shakes (above) if I happen to make them.

Favorite #3

This mug my bestie Rachel made for me. I typically drink coffee from a Yeti type of tumbler because I notoriously take hours to finish (if even) my coffee throughout the morning and I dislike room temperature/cold coffee. YUCK! However, on mornings such as this when I sit down for quiet time or to write I much prefer to drink out of coffee mug. There is something soothing about holding the mug, seeing the warm coffee steam, and smelling the aromas. I always gravitate back to this mug because it is so dear to me and it reminds me that the whole reason behind my decision to sit down to even write these given words is to serve a purpose for others. Maybe today, maybe tomorrow, maybe from previous posts.

I know I’ve shared this before, but after having not written for the blog in a while it has meant a lot to me as a reminder. PLUS, given Mother’s Day is this weekend perhaps it will be an inspiration for you to make something special for someone in your life that could use a daily reminder, too.

Favorite #4

Summer dresses. All the yeses.

It’s May. It’s Houston. It’s hot. This dress is the perfect throw on and go, easy-breezy, no hassle kind of outfit. I am loving it! The pattern felt like a commitment when I ordered it because I do prefer solid attire but it feels so tropical and fun. I plan to order more. =)))

My cork sandals were from J. Crew Factory last year and my earrings I found on Etsy but they’re no longer listed by that seller, so I’ve listed similar items below.

Floral Dress // Similar Cork Sandals // Similar Earrings

This photo was taken before Lorenzo’s most recent hair cut. He was a fluff ball!

Favorite #5

Speaking of earrings. These three earrings are in my Amazon cart and I am about to execute as soon as I add a few more items.

LADIES, all of these are $9 to $12 and this ONE LINK has 28 pairs of earrings. TWENTY EIGHT. There are so many cute ones and so inexpensive WITH great reviews. #treatyosummerself

Click this link to check all of them out: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07Q6LB4QT/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=r07b2-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B07Q6LB4QT&linkId=5de69389a95e16ed02380e018a127eba