Friday Favorites!

Hi!!! Happy Friday!!

So excited the weekend is here!!

Did you have a good week? I sure hope so! If you didn't....hopefully this weekend can make up for it :)

Here's what I have to share for my FAVORITES from this past week!

ONE

ELLEN. So- I NEVER turn on the TV during the day- a couple days a week, I might turn on PBS so my daughter Celine can watch a show while James naps- but I never watch TV until about 8-9 pm at night :) Well...this past Wednesday- seriously every star aligned- James took a longer than usual nap (He takes one nap/day and it is usually exactly 2 hours long), Celine fell asleep on me while I was sitting on the couch doing some work on the computer AND my husband called telling me he could pick up our other daughters from school. Which meant- I didn't need to wake Celine or James up and I could stay right where I was- on the couch :)  You better believe I took FULL advantage of the extra quiet time I was being given and I turned on the TV and the Ellen Show had just started. I LOVE ELLEN!! She is SO funny, SO nice and I would totally be her friend in real life (creepy much?? HA!) Anyway- I got to watch about 30 minutes of The Ellen Show before James woke up and it was definitely one of my FAVORITE moments this week!

TWO

On Tuesday, I shared about 4 things "I can't live without." Check it out HERE! I mentioned that I wear my sunglasses ALL THE TIME. Whether it is sunny or not- I have to have them on! So many of you commented and said you are the exact SAME WAY! Which made me feel so much better! HA! My FAVORITE pair of sunglasses- I own 2 pairs- one to keep in my van and one to keep in my diaper bag- are these Suncloud "Cookie" Polarized Sunglasses. I have had them for at least 8 years now and LOVE them. I know they aren't as trendy or cool looking as aviator sunglasses- which by the way- I have tried on and I look absolutely ridiculous in them! HA! But they are super comfortable, polarized (which in my opinion makes such a huge difference) and they have a lifetime warranty! Over the course of the 8 years I have had them- I have sent my sunglasses in several times to get a new pair because the "finish" on the sunglasses started to chip off a little bit. Suncloud has never given me a hard time- they just send me a new pair! Isn't that awesome?? I love companies that provide awesome customer service!

THREE

You know what I love more than the Ellen Show?? Scoring a great deal!! I obviously need to get out more :) HA! So yesterday- I popped into Target to get a small pack of diapers for James (LOVE the Up and Up Brand!!) and decided to quickly stroll through the clearance racks over in the Women's Clothing department. I went straight to the 70% off rack (I don't have time for 30% off! HA!) and found the perfect shirt to wear the first couple weeks after I have Baby L#5! I am not sure how warm it is going to be, since I am due at the end of April- but I am ALWAYS cold- so I was so excited when I came across a lightweight, long sleeve v-neck t-shirt in the PRETTIEST shade of light turquoise. It is a maternity shirt- but I figure it will fit just fine considering I will still look pregnant for a few weeks after I deliver and it will be a longer length on me- which will go perfectly with stretchy black leggings :) Anyway- the shirt was on sale for $3.56!! SCORE!  The other deal I came across this week was an extra 20% off and free shipping on already on sale backpacks, luggage and lunch boxes from Pottery Barn Kids. My middle daughter Cora will be starting kindergarten in August and she will need a new lunch box and backpack. Well, since I have a tendency to plan WAY ahead- I went to the PBK website and checked out the backpacks and lunch boxes on sale and there were so many cute choices available! I had her pick out a backpack and lunch box yesterday after I picked her up from school (after telling her repeatedly she didn't get to use them until August :) and got a large size backpack and a "retro" style lunchbox for $40!! That is a total STEAL!! Regular price- the two items together would have been $75 (not including tax or shipping!! I got my youngest daughter's back pack from PBK when she started preschool this past August and my oldest daughter's lunch box is from PBK and I can't rave enough about the quality and durability of their backpacks and lunch boxes! 

These are the designs Cora picked out for her lunchbox and backpack and she is SO excited about them!

FOUR

My friend Michaela is coming to visit us today! She is going to hang out with us until Sunday and my girls are SO excited to play with Auntie Mack :) I am SUPER excited because Aaron mentioned that Michaela and I should sneak away during nap time tomorrow to get a manicure and a little grown up girl time together!!! :)

Michaela and I have been friends since I moved to Chicago in 2004 and became her roommate :) She was living with one of my really good friends- but we did not know each other. We lived with each other for 2 years in Chicago and then when I moved to Austin, she decided to move there too! We lived together there for a year- then she got her own place when Aaron and I got engaged and moved in together. We have stayed in touch and made sure to visit one another 1-2 times a year ever since I moved away from Austin (and she actually moved back to Chicago- are you confused yet??) and I just love that she is the type of friend that I don't need to talk to every day- but we can always pick up RIGHT where we left off! 

FIVE

A couple weeks ago I wrote a post about a new way Aaron and I are spending some intentional, one on one time with our girls- you can read about it HERE! In a nutshell, every month, on the girls' birthday date (Celine was born on the 13th-that is her "date night" every month), we put the other kids to bed a little earlier than normal and we spend 20-30 minutes with the child whose "date night" it is. Our girls pick out what they want to do- just so happened that each of the girls picked the same thing to do this month- play "Go Fish" and "Charades." We had Celine's date earlier in February and Cora and Charlotte just had their dates this past week. Oh my goodness. Can I please tell you how much fun it has been- just spending 20 minutes with our girls- playing "Go Fish???" I am really excited about our new "date night" system with the girls and spending just a little extra time with each of them is definitely a HUGE FAVORITE for me (and Aaron!)

What have been some of your "FAVORITES" this past week?? Tell me! I would love to hear about them! :) 

Hope you have the BEST Friday and a wonderful weekend!!

I am linking up with Andrea and Erika for their Friday Favorites Link Up!

 I am also linking up with April for Five on Friday!

 Joining Karli for her, Oh Hey Friday Link Up! too!

And lastly, linking up with Katie, Tif, Della & Caitlin for High Five for Friday!