Friday Favorites + $250 Nordstrom Gift Card Giveway!!!!

Today I'm linking up with Friday Favorites!

Hosted by: Andrea, Erika & Narci

 I haven't linked up with Friday Favorites in awhile, so that means I have a lot of favorites to share with you!

{ONE}

4th of July is one of my favorite days of the year!

I haven't blogged about our 4th yet :)

Every 4th of July, we head to our friends house for their annual French Toast Breakfast:

This is our 7th year going & we always take a family picture at their house.

Their party is so much fun...face painting & balloon animals!

Lots of friends & delicious French Toast:

They live right near the parade route, so after we eat breakfast, we walk down to the parade.

Luke's favorite "floats" were the tractor:

And the old school fire truck:

The girls were getting hot watching the parade, so they stood in the shade:

My friend Kelly & I walking back from the parade...it was our 7 year friend-a-versary. We met 7 years ago a the 4th of July breakfast & she has become one of my dear friends & our girls are good friends. Love you, Kelly!

After the parade we usually go home and get organized for our annual 4th of July pool party & Sausage Fest. But, because our house is under a bit of construction, we didn't have our party this year! 

It was SO weird not having it!! But, there was no way we could host a pool party with our backyard & kitchen under construction!

Some of our family friends were having a 4th of July party that evening, so we all headed to that BBQ.

My parents & sister were there also & it was fun...with delicious food:

There was also a DJ! Lots of dancing after dinner! My girls & I danced for hours. They were wiped out that night! I was a nice 4th of July!

{TWO}

Soccer is my favorite. 

If you didn't know, I was a college soccer player at University of Colorado. 

I LOVE SOCCER!

And, I love it when World Cup is on.

Watching the US Women's Soccer Team win the World Cup was my favorite. 

My girls loved watching it also!

{THREE}

Warm Summer Nights with amazing sunsets are my favorite.

Especially nights like this one when we played cornhole with our neighbors. Love this time of year!

{FOUR}

Our Rodan +Fields SPF 20 mineral peptide powder is my favorite!

It is so light weigh & perfect for summer, especially because it has SPF 20 in it.

When you go outside in the hot weather, it doesn't feel cakey or melt off your face.

It really is awesome.

One of my favorite things about this powder is that you can add it to any of our daytime moisturizers and it will make a tinted moisturizer!!!!!!

I just learned this trick last week from a girl on my team. My mind is blown. This is a life changing hack! I am even more obsessed with this powder...totally my favorite!

My July Special is $20 cash back, 10% off your order, Free Shipping AND a FREE Mineral Peptides Powder for all new preferred customers!!!

 Our mineral peptides powder comes in 3 shades: light, medium & bronze.

This powder is PERFECT for the summer because it has SPF 20 and it is so lightweight. You don't even feel like you have a powder on & it won't melt off your face like foundation or heavier powders!

We have products for ALL skin types! Wrinkles, Sun Damage, Acne & Sensitive Skin!
Take THIS quick questionairre to find out what is best for your skin!

Email me today to take advantage of this offer & get my July Special!
melissa_larson17@yahoo.com 

 {FIVE}

Iced Coffee is my favorite. Well, let's be honest...all coffee is my favorite!

Iced Coffee is my favorite pick me up during the afternoons, especially because Luke has given up his nap this summer....AHHHH!!!! NO!!!! Iced Coffee to the rescue!

{SIX}

Homegrown tomatoes from my Garden are my favorite!!

Last week my tomatoes just started to turn red! 

My favorite type of tomato that I grow is Early Girl Tomatoes!

{SEVEN}

Lake Tahoe is my favorite.

It is my Happy Place.

I grew up going to Tahoe each summer and we love taking our kids there!

 We were in Tahoe last week (the week after 4th of July) and that might be my favorite time to go...it was deserted! We got to our beach one morning & we were the only ones there! Loved it!

 You can read more about our Tahoe trip on THIS post, but here are some of my favorite images from our trip last week:

 The California Drought we are in the middle of is NOT my favorite...look how low the lake is :( I have never ever seen it like this before.

 Luke is playing next to the dock....that boat should be 8 feet up in water. So sad!

We had a nice, relaxing time in Tahoe. I can't wait to go back in a few weeks!

  

{EIGHT}

All of you Runners who gave me advice on training for my 1/2 marathon are my favorite!!!!

THANK YOU for all your advice & support on THIS post.

I went with the Hal Higdon Novice 2 training program:

I started my training last night.

It was my first time going on a run in 10 years which also means it was the first time running after having 3 kids...that was ROUGH.

 I'm going to be SO sore for the next few days but you gotta start somewhere, right? SF Nike Women's 1/2 marathon is 3 months from tomorrow!

Just do it :)

{NINE} 

Ice Cream Cakes are my favorite!

I love making them, I love eating them!

If you missed my post yesterday, I made a Salted Caramel Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream Cake:

Recipe {HERE}

Oreo Mint Chip Ice Cream Pie:

Recipe {HERE}

 Oreo Mud Pie Ice Cream Cake:
 
Recipe {HERE}

Seasonal Ice Cream Cakes.....
Pumpkin Ice Cream Cake:
Recipe {HERE}

Peppermint Ice Cream Cake:
Recipe {HERE}

See...I told you Ice Cream Cake is my favorite :)

{TEN}
The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is my favorite & it officially starts today!

Here are some of my favorite things that I own from Nordstrom that are on sale!

These darling pajama's:

I LOVE my blardigan! I have one in solid charcoal gray, now it comes in a more patterns:

I have these boots, but I have always wanted these ones & now they are on sale!
 
 The name is Melissa, I mean it's like they were meant for me ;)

And, you know I love my Uggs! They rarely have Uggs on sale, but these ones are:

I have 3 of these jeans in different washes & styles:

This Spring, I got this crossbody purse in cognac (not on sale, but still only $32)
 
I loved it so much I also got a black one (on sale, slightly different)

Claire asked for these Toms for Back to School:

Love these Toms for Luke, especially in the summer:

Kate is all about these Converse:

I own this watch & it is gorgeous & comfortable, this one is on sale though!

So many great deals going on right now!

Know what else is my favorite?
Giveaways!
Especially Nordstrom Gift Card Giveaways!

Use the Rafflecopter to enter to win a $250 Nordstrom Gift Card!!!!
Giveaway ends next Friday (so you will still have lots of time to shop the sale!)
Good Luck & Happy Friday!

a Rafflecopter giveaway