Friday Favorites - March 13th, 2020
Well, y’all. TGIF.
I’m not sure where to begin with my rambling thoughts, but my rambling thoughts ARE with you all. Truly. I know this is a scary time with the Corona virus (Covid-19) running rampant around the world and thus sending our society into a frenzy. I hope that because it is Friday that all of you feel a little bit lighter today knowing you have the weekend to try to process what has transpired this past week: school closures, music festivals and the rodeo closing, business closures/working from home, panic for supplies, the stock market tanking, travel bans, etc. If I turn on the news it feels surreal, like a bad movie. But, in my day-to-day life so far things feel normal. I’m running around like the usual hectic life I maintain…only now I am definitely taking extra precautions.
Why?
I’m not so worried about myself. I accept the inevitable that at some point in my life, be it sooner or later, I will likely contract this virus. It will never go away… I am taking precautions where I can for the loved ones in our family that are 60 years old or older. We owe it to them to take this seriously. I am responsible for my beloved great aunt’s everything. She’s 94 and I’ve had to go to her apartment twice this week so far. TWICE! That is twice more than I wish I had to and I kept a distance as well as sanitized the heck out of my hands. Believe me when I say that I will limit or eliminate seeing her as the virus spreads just in case.
Please be diligent everyone! I don’t believe in panicking and stopping our lives completely. But, use common sense and consideration before deciding what you’re going to do with your day right now.
That’s my two cents. Which isn’t worth much more than just that. ;)
NOW…on to some brighter things for this Friday’s Favorites! I’m linking up to share some recent faves in no particular order.
Favorite #1
An easy cross-body is everything when traveling. I came across this one with excellent reviews and almost bought it until I remembered I bought a cross-body from Tootsie’s last year and have only used it once when I went to Vancouver! But I left the tab open in my browser because I love this one so much. And it’s only $20!
It comes in 58 colors…just sayin’.
Favorite #2
Great staples for my closet are clutch. I give away clothes almost every month and it’s usually things I think I’ll love and the trend, style, or color just don’t look great on me in the end. I sometimes feel like I need to create a capsule wardrobe and keep it to black, white, camel, and grey shades. Those are the colors I go to daily, over and over again.
Acting against my own self, I went ahead and ordered this sweater from Old Navy. For one thing, I have sweaters in this same color in my “winter” closet upstairs that I didn’t even get to wear this year because we essentially did NOT have a winter in Houston. For another thing, I have an ample supply of winter clothes/sweaters because fall & winter are my favorite seasons and again, did not get to wear them this year. My logic was: it was on sale and if I didn’t like it I could always return it. So I clicked that confirm order button and waited…
Well, I love the sweater.
It’s soft. It’s not huge or boxy. It’s not thick or too warm so I can easily where it on mild days and under a coat during our “winter” of 50 degrees…
I got it in a camel shade which they do not have anymore and I got it for $13 after my rewards and super cash, but I stand by this sweater. I may just order it in red because HELLO CHRISTMAS! The colors and sizes are more limited now, but I say give it a try!
One more thing from Old Navy that I am loving to wear every chance I get are these athletic leggings. Seriously, they are my favorite work out and athleisure leggings EVER. I gave away my Lululemons recently because I admittedly didn’t even want to put them on anymore after my Hashimoto’s and I have gained some weight, and these have been my faves despite the twenty other pairs of work out leggings or shorts that I own. I do wish they had a pocket for my phone or key or ANYTHING, but I find myself grabbing for these every chance I get for athleisure or work out use. The wide and high waist band is everything. I have them in black, navy, and beet root (bright pink - see my pic below on #4).
Favorite #3
Shopping rewards.
I am an online shopper and have been for years. (Yes, I occasionally frequent a brick and mortar store too.)
One thing I love about online shopping is the ample opportunity to find coupons or free shipping codes, but also to earn extra rewards. I have typically always shopped through my United Visa card’s shopping portal for extra United miles. I’ve earned almost 40,000 miles just from shopping. That may not seem like a lot in the grand scheme of things but it adds up and I use those miles for traveling. Plus, they give bonus miles because I shop online so just this month I got a random 1000 mile bonus.
ANYWAY, my sister had been talking to me about Ebates for over a year and I kept putting it off because I like to earn airline miles. Then one day around New Year’s, I signed up for it (now it is called Rakuten). Well, holy smokes is it a great option to use for shopping online! Since 12/31/19 I have earned $125 dollars for shopping online like I normally would. I have opted to use Rakuten instead of United when the cash back percentage is much higher than the miles/$1 return and especially for my Old Navy purchases because I have a Gap/Banana/Old Navy Visa that I normally use instead of my United Visa anyway. HELLO cash back! I check both sites before I head to the cart to check out. Close the tab I was shopping in and click through the Rakuten or United shopping site which will take you back to the store you were shopping.
The kicker is…for stores that I would only earn 1 mile/$1 spent using my United Visa card would give me that regardless if I shopped through the United shopping site. So clicking through Rakuten for a percentage cash back will still give me the same miles/$1 spent using my United Visa, but will also give me cash back on Rakuten. DOUBLE WIN!
It’s a free site to use. They also have a phone app to use. And there are some in-store offers (though the stores I go to haven’t had in-store offers, only online.)
Favorite #4
Dog bike baskets, trailers, and strollers.
Y’all. I’m a dog mom and I love my babies. Therefore, I like to take them with me any chance I get. Well, when life was a little less complicated (one dog, instead of three) I used to take Lorenzo everywhere with me.
I realize that these are frivolous to the millionth degree, but these three items have brought us much joy.
We used the 2 in 1 trailer/stroller yesterday hitched to my bicycle and earlier this week as a stroller that I ran with. I’ve shared this before but goodness, it’s a gem for anyone who like to be active with their pet(s). It is so light and incredibly easy to run with!
The wicker basket is perfect if you have one small dog or if one needs a little extra sensitive treatment away from the others. The basket has a sun visor on it too although in the pic below I took the visor off because it was sunset time.
I am sure y’all remember this stroller and I absolutely love it! I tended to use it for short walks to the mail box, to the vet, or to stores, but now that I have three I haven’t been taking just one pup with me anywhere. Regardless, this one is great if you have one small dog! I got the stroller in Jaguar (black with leopard print on the inside).
Favorite #5
I’m a sucker.
I’m constantly thinking I need more pajamas and have to remind myself that I have plenty! It takes a decade or more to wear them out anyway. Yet, I find myself eyeballing them time and time again.
Well the hubs gave me a gift card to Victoria’s Secret for my birthday and I literally stifled a sneer.
**I am sorry to any die-hard Victoria’s Secret fans for the admission I am about to give**
Flashback to being in my late teens/early twenties and feeling like I had to shop there because VS was the IT place for undergarments, clothes, and bathing suits. I would spend $30-$50 (back then) on a bra that never fit exceptionally comfortable and the elasticity would die a quick death within a year. I learned the hard way, quickly that I disliked their bras and overpriced undies. Skip a decade or two ahead (dang that makes me feel old!) of NOT shopping there and the hubs gives me a gift card…innocently thinking all women shop there.
Sweet man. Silly man. Kind man. I forgave his innocence quickly and decided to look at pajamas and undies.
Well, I will be the first to admit that the pajamas I ordered turned out to be some of the softest ones I’ve ever owned and I’ve since ordered another set AND considered throwing away all of my pajamas to stock up on a few more sets of these and call it a day/lifetime (until I outgrow them or they outgrow me).
I think that’s all I can rack my brain for right now. Any new favorites for you lately? Did you watch this season of The Bachelor and thus…the finale and After the Final Rose? Holy smokes. I wish Mammaw lived here in Houston or I in Tennessee because she was my original Bachelor watching partner. I don’t know that she would enjoy/like/approve of how younger people operate on television now (versus what little I remember from the first two seasons (ever) that we watched together. However, I LOVE this darn show and all of the predictable nonsense/love/drama/shenanigans it provides. Anyway, ummmm…I did not expect the ending to be what it was, I did not expect who he picked to propose to, and I did not expect who his mom, Barb, was crying about all season in the previews. I also did not expect his mom to turn out to be such a down right hateful human being. BLESS HER HEART. May God teach her a mighty fine lesson after watching herself back on this season and receiving all of the criticism she undoubtedly received.
For amazing Bachelor recaps - check out one of my fave bloggers who not only makes me laugh with her recaps but is the reason I decided to start watching it again. #andithankherforthat
I hope you all have a wonderful, relaxed, anxiety free weekend…figuring out what to do with the current and TEMPORARY change for our city/society/country. We will all get back to “normal” soon enough. God is good and God will prevail.
XOXO
