Friday Favorites {Goodbye, Summer Edition}

Happy Friday!

Today I'm linking up with Friday Favorites!

Hosted by: Andrea, Erika & Narci

I am NOT happy it is Friday.

It is my last Friday of Summer Vacation.

Next Friday I will be at Teacher Work Day & meet the Teacher for my kids.

Then Monday it will be the first day of school :(

I can't believe July is already over....I know a lot of teachers who feel like this:

Our district changed our school calendar this year & now we start August 15 instead of August 29 which means this summer is 2 weeks shorter than usual. I didn't think 2 weeks would be that big of a deal, but it really is. I want to cry. Seriously.

I'm not ready for school to start again. I have a pit in my stomach.....This summer has been one of the best yet....I'm not ready for it to be over!

Here are some of my favorite things from the past few weeks of summer!

{ONE}

Tomatoes are my VERY favorite thing I grow in my garden each summer.

My early girl tomatoes are growing like crazy right now.

Here is my tomato harvest from earlier this week:

Here are some of my favorite recipes that I make that use tomatoes!

Bacon Lettuce Tomato (BLT) Salad:
Recipe {HERE}

 Greek Tortellini Pasta Salad:

Recipe {HERE}

Broccoli Salad:

Recipe {HERE}

Cowboy Salad:

 Recipe {HERE}

 Avacado, Bacon, Corn Salad:

Recipe {HERE}

Caprese Orzo Salad:

 Recipe {HERE}

Margherita Pizza:

 Recipe {HERE}

 Summer Squash, Tomato, Feta & Pesto Pizza:

Recipe {HERE}

See....I really, really, really love cooking with tomatoes in the Summer. 

YUM!

{TWO}

 The San Francisco Giants are my favorite!

Last week my sister and I took the girls to a Giants game...it's one of our summer traditions.

AT&T Park where the Giants play is my favorite sports venue.

 

If you haven't been there before, I highly recommend it.

Awesome views & delicious food!

 We had incredible seats & were so close to the players. Look how close we got to my favorite player...Buster Posey!

 And, during the 6th inning, we got a foul ball!!!!! The girls are giving it to Luke for his birthday next week. So fun!

 P.S. This nail polish I am wearing is one of my favorite summer colors! 

{THREE}

Since school starts in 10 days, I thought I would share my favorite backpacks.

Backpacks & lunch boxes from Pottery Barn Kids are my favorite...they really are the best.

They are part of THIS collection.
Both girls have a large size backpack, the classic lunch box & a matching water bottle.
The collection is on sale for 20% off right now!

We got these for the girls last summer & they hold up so well.

They last 2-3 school years at least. I wash them in the washing machine a couple times a school year (and have them air dry) and they look almost as good as new for this school year!

The lunchboxes also wash up really well in the washing machine. 

You can't go wrong with them. Plus, so many cute new designs & patterns this Fall. 

Check them out HERE.

{FOUR}

Stitch Fixis my Favorite!  

My August Fix shipped yesterday! Like last year, I am hoping there is a dress in it that will be perfect to wear on the 1st day of school :)
It's like Christmas morning every month. I have been getting one every month since May 2014 (you don't have to do them every month, but I love getting them, so I chose the monthly option.
You don't have to do it every month, you can customize it to how you want it...every other month, every 2 months, every 3 months, etc.

When you sign up for Stitch Fix  , you link your Pinterest Boards to them so that know what styles you like. If you don't have Pinterest, that's okay because they also have a style questionaire for you to fill out & they have collages of outfits and you rate them on how you like them.
 Each Fix comes with 5 different items & it comes with a prepaid mailing envelope, so you can easily return the items you don't want.
You aren't obligated to keep any of it! I have kept at least 1 item each time, sometimes I keep 2 or 3.
It's fun!

  You can get started with  Stitch Fixtoday!

{FIVE}

Speaking of shopping....Did you shop the Nordstrom Sale?

It ends on Sunday!

Here are some of my favorites from the sale: 

These jeans are almost 50% off! I love Paige jeans...so soft & comfortable.

 Check them out HERE.

I have these pants/jeans in 2 colors and they also fit so well & are comfortable.

And, they are long enough for me!

Check them out HERE

This top is so cute & versatile. You can dress it up or down.

 

Comes in 15 patterns/colors!

Check it out HERE.

Another shirt I love is this one:

I want all 5 colors!

Check them out HERE

I also LOVE these booties.

This is my favorite color:

They come in 5 colors!

Check them out HERE

 

{SIX}

Lake Tahoe is my favorite.

We had one last summer hurrah in Tahoe this week & it was a blast.

We went to some of my favorite spots....

Hiking Emerald Bay:

Sand Harbor Beach:

 This is my new favorite beach...I am obsessed.

 I feel like I am in Hawaii when I come here :)

The Truckee River & River Trail is also one of our favorite places to check out in Tahoe.

And, gotta love Squaw...home of the 1960 Olympics!

Tahoe... you are my happy place, my favorite place.

{SEVEN}

Speaking of the Olympics.....

The Olympics are my FAVORITE, FAVORITE, FAVORITE!

I can't wait for the Opening Ceremony tonight!

My first memory of watching the Olympics was when I was 5 years old and I watched on TV as Mary Lou Retton won the gymnastics Gold in 1984 Summer Olympics. That started my obsession with the Olympics.

20 years ago, in 1996 my parents took my sisters and I on an epic family vacation to the Summer Olympics in Atlanta to see Women's Soccer and Track & Field.

On July 28 went to our first events....both games of the women's soccer semi finals. The USA won their game which meant they were going to the gold medal game. My parents knew how much soccer meant to me (and my sisters) so they changed our trip....instead of going to Charleston for the last part of our vacation, we stayed in Atlanta & they bought tickets for us to go to gold medal game! The US women ended up winning the gold & it was amazing to witness! Such awesome memories!

We got to see the US Women beat China in the gold medal game. 

Such an amazing experience!

You can read more about our trip to the Olympics HERE

What are your favorite events to watch for the Summer games?

I love swimming, gymnastics & soccer!

{EIGHT}

Rodan + Fields sunscreen is my favorite.

Here are my favorites for when we are out in the sun:

- Essentials SPF 30 Body Sunscreen (my kids favorite sunscreen)

- Soothe SPF 30 Mineral Sunscreen (for face and/or body)

- Reverse SPF 50 Sunscreen (I use this on my face)

-Redefine SPF 30 Hand Balm (I use this on my kids faces because it's a stick & super easy to apply)

- SPF 25 lip shield (comes in a 2 pack!)

Giving away FREE products is my favorite....so what I have done is I have ordered an EXTRA of each of these. So, for the first 5 people who become a preferred customer today, you will get your choice of which one of these FREE items you want! They range in price from $12-$30

First come, first serve! 

We have products for all skin types including Acne:

 And Sun Damage/Pregnancy Melasma:

We have another amazing special going on right now:

If you buy our Redefine Regimen & our AMP Roller, you get a box of Acute Care for FREE!
I love that I can offer you guys over $200 in FREE product!

All our products come with a 60 day empty bottle 100% money back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose for trying it out! 

What is your biggest skin concern? I'm here to help!

Take this quick questionaire HERE to find out what products are best for your skin.

New preferred customers get 10% off your order, free shipping, and one of the sunscreens of your choice in the photo above!
Message me or email me for questions or to place a order!
melissa_larson17@yahoo.com

{NINE}

Party Planning is my favorite!

A certain someone is turning 4 next week & his party is this weekend.

I have been working on all the party details...

Luke can't wait for his "diggy" party!

{TEN}

Giveaways are my favorite.....be sure an come back on Monday for a week of giveways in honor of my 8 year blogoversary!!!!

 You won't want to miss out...it's going to be a fun week!

Have a great weekend!