Friday Favorites {Feeling Thankful}

Happy Friday!

Today I'm linking up with Friday Favorites!

Hosted by: Andrea, Erika & Narci

I am SO happy it's Friday.
This has been A WEEK.
It's the week before Thanksgiving break which is crazy for a teacher.
But, it was extra crazy because of the smoke from the fires.
No air conditioning or heaters were allowed to be used in our classroom because of the terrible outside air quality. No PE or outdoor activities allowed.
Needless to say the students and my kids have been a little stir crazy.
They actually canceled school for us today because the air quality index was over 250.
It's so awful, but feeling thankful we are safe from the fires and that we have a roof over our heads.
Here is the view from our backyard...it's so smoky :(

{ONE}

Family Photos are my favorite. Monika took them 2 weeks ago ....she has taken our family photos every Fall since Luke was born. 

Here is a behind the scenes picture of the photo shoot. 

 I can't wait to get the pictures back. She has sent me some sneaks & I love them so far!
  
{TWO}

waAs you can tell our colors where gray, white & den{TWO}

I know Halloween was 2 weeks ago, but I never posted about it. 

Halloween is one of my favorite nights of the year.

This year we had a Candy Corn Queen, Bumblebee the Transformer & a 50's girl!

 
 Kate is such a middle schooler....she went trick or treating with her own friends and no more cute pumpkin trick or treat bag...she insisted on using a pillowcase. Ahhhh. So bittersweet.
Our friends had a Halloween party and then we went trick or treating.

Such a fun night!
 
{THREE}

On October 1st I decided to make a random goal for myself to run everyday in October (for at least 10 minutes) and to run 100 total miles in October. I barley made it, but I did it. 

 

It was actually fun....except for the 10 minute treadmill run in Vegas the last weekend of October, that felt harder than a 10 mile run. LOL!

 

Does anyone else do random challenges for themselves?  

Good thing I did this challenge in October and not November. 

Because of all the fires here in California, we have had unhealthy air quality so outside exercise is not recommended. I haven't gone running since last Thursday because of the air quality.

Keep praying for California. It's so devastating.

{FOUR}
Time Hop is one of my favorite apps.
It's an app that lets you know what you posted from Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, iCloud and Dropbox each day of the year. 
So, when you click on the app, it will tell you what you posted on that day 1 year, 2 years, 3 years, 4 years ago, etc.
This week I hit a 2 year streak of checking my Time Hop each day...730 days in a row.
I don't know if I should be ashamed or proud. LOL!
Do you have this app? It's free!

{FIVE}

One of the traditions I do for our kids teachers & our neighbors for Thanksgiving is make them pumpkin bread with a little printable I made:

You can find the printable & recipe {HERE}

{SIX}

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite days of the year.
I have a firm "No Christmas anything before Thanksgiving rule"
 My co worker posted this an I thought it was perfect!!! LOL!

I am so excited for next Thursday, I love Thanksgiving. I love Christmas also, but I wait until the day after Thanksgiving to decorate for Christmas.

 .Thanksgiving dinner is one of my favorite meals of the year. 

Here is our menu:

Turkey, Sausage Stuffing, Baked Corn, Brussels Sprouts, Cranberry Sauce, Pumpkin Cheesecake....I LOVE it ALL!

{SEVEN}
Our family “rule” is you have to wait until you are 10 to get your ears pierced. 
Claire’s 10th birthday was 2 months ago, but it was right in middle of soccer season which meant she had to wait until soccer was over to get her ears pierced. 

It finally happened last weekend and she couldn’t be more excited. 
Our favorite place to get ears pierced is at a Tatoo & Piercing shop. 
That is where we had Kate's done and it is so much cleaner (and professional) than having it done at the mall. 

{EIGHT}
Hallmark Fall Movies are our favorite...they are holding us over until next Friday.
 Because we can't go outside because of the bad air quality & now that soccer is over we have been spending lots of time inside watching movies. 

 My girls (and also Luke) love Hallmark movies.
Once Thanksgiving is over we will watch all the Hallmark Christmas movies...I already have some on my DVR :)

{NINE}
The Reverse Regimen is a favorite of mine, especially during Fall & Winter...it helps get rid of any sun damage you got during the summer months.

Just like these Before & After photos, Reverse has gotten rid of my sun damage &  pregnancy melasma.

 I am also loving lash boost as well.

 I am also loving the fact that 1 tube of Lash boost has lasted me over 5 months!!!!!

For my April special, all new preferred customers get $20 cash back, 10% off their order, a free mini eye cream & a free mini facial.

 We have products for all skin types....anti aging, sun damage, acne & sensitive skin.

We have special going on this weekend where you get Radiant Defense for HALF PRICE ($30!) when you buy a regimen. 

This is good for new, old or current customers!

Find out what products are best for your skin HERE

 Email me to place an order or if you have questions!
melissa_larson17@yahoo.com

{TEN}
If you love pumpkin as much as I do, be sure and check out my Pumpkin Bar recipe that I posted this week.

They have a Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting and they are to die for!
They are delicious! Check out the recipe HERE.

So, there you have it..some of my favorites lately.
And, please....keep praying for the fires in California.
My cousin is a firefighter for Cal Fire and lives in Chico which is right next to Paradise so this is right in his backyard. His wife's parents lost their home in the fire and my other cousin's wife has a brother who lost their home in the fire.
Several of you have asked how you can help.
Right now they don't need any donations of "things" there is no where to put all the donations of clothing, furniture, etc.
The best way to help is gift cards, especially for food.
I am going to send a package up to Chico for them to hand out to people in need. 
If you would like to send any giftcards or if you would like to contribute via Paypal or venmo, let me know!
Giftcards that would work in that area:
In N Out Burger
Wendy's
McDonalds
Arby's
Safeway
Target
Walmart
Trader Joe's
Amazon

Send me an email if you would like to be a part of this.
melissa_larson17@yahoo.com

Have a great weekend and TGIF!

Friday Favorites {Goodbye Summer, Hello School}

Happy Friday!

Today I'm linking up with Friday Favorites!

 Hosted by: Andrea, Erika & Narci

I am SO happy it is Friday.

We are just finishing our 2nd week of school and I am starting to get my groove back. 

The first few weeks of school always kick my butt.

All summer long we sleep in, stay in pj's until noon, pretty much just wear swim suits, and have lots of family hang out time. There is a reason they call them the lazy dog days of summer and they are glorious.

But then once school starts we are thrust back into routine (which I love) but it takes all of us a few weeks to get back into our groove. I am tired from teaching & being "on" all day. My kids are tired from spending all day at school, learning new routines with their new teachers, etc. 

Soccer for all 3 kids started back up, so they are tired from 2 practices a week, 

I am driving them around town and I am coaching Claire's team, so that is fun, but also tiring. 

Kevin is coaching Luke's team, which again is fun & tiring. 

Plus, add in Back to School Nights for all 3 kids plus my own Back to School Night so

needless to say, we are TIRED!

Everyone loves their teachers and classes, but a new school year is just TIRING! 

{ONE}

The First Day of School is one of my favorite days of the year.
So much anticipation & excitement. It's like Christmas morning to me :)

The past several years, I have been taking first day photos also :)

This is Year 15 of teaching for me!!!!

 One of my favorite things about this school year is that Kate is a student at my school!
Love seeing her at school each day :)

{TWO}

One of my favorite things to give my kids teachers the first week of school is my Back to School Printable which is a list of their FAVORITE things!

 You can download it HERE for free!
It's a great way to know what your kids teachers love and it i makes giving them treats/gifts so much easier!

{THREE}

Running is my favorite form of exercise.
In May I decided that I would run a race every month until I turned 40...in May 2019.
So, for my August race, I ran the Oakland 5k.

 One of the race sponsors was the Oakland A's and proceeds from the race went to the Oakland schools.

The best part was the race was at 4pm, so I didn't have to wake up early. Haha!

We got this cute mason jar at the end of the race & a free beer!

{FOUR}

Anniversary's are my favorite and today Kevin & I celebrate our Sweet 16th!

It has been sweet, it has been sour.
We have laughed. We have cried.
There have been good times and bad times, but thankfully the good has outweighed the bad.
Marriage is a wonderful thing, but marriage is hard and takes a lot of work.
Thanks for putting up with me, Kevin!

{FIVE}

This Avocado Slicer is my new favorite kitchen tool!

 It is AWESOME & a 3 in one tool.

It cuts the avocado open.

Twist the pit out


Then slice up the avocado.

I am OBSESSED!
You can get it HERE.

{SIX}

Birthdays are my favorite!
Luke turned 6 earlier this month.

We celebrated with a Lumberjack themed party!

Throwing parties is one of my very favorite things & so are the incredible cakes my Mother in Law makes.
You can see all the Lumberjack Party details HERE.

{SEVEN}

Rodan + Fields new product Active Hydration Body Replenish is my new favorite's because it has totally healed my cracked heels from wearing flip flops all summer!

I use it on my heels & my entire body...it is like silk!
 
If you have dry or crepy/scaly skin...you need this in your life :)
For my August Special, all new preferred customers will get $20 off your order and a FREE jar of our Active Hydration Body Replenish ($60 value!)

 

We have products for all skin types.

Redefine for Anti Aging, Fine Line & Wrinkles:

 Reverse for Sun Damage, Age Spots, Melasma and Skin Brightness.

 Unblemish for acne (works on teens & adults)

Soothe for Sensitive Skin & Redness:

Click HERE to find out what regimen is best for your skin!

And, don't forget about Lash Boost! It's the best!
 

 If you used to be a customer, we are offering this deal to returning customers as well!

Email me with questions or to place an order!
melissa_larson17@yahoo.com

{EIGHT}

As you know, my  Instant Pot is one of my favorite kitchen appliances. I used it several times this summer to make BBQ ribs. SO easy & so good!

Here are some of my other favorite recipes using my Instant Pot:

Easiest Dinner EVER:


Instant Pot Chicken Taco Soup 


Instant Pot Shredded BBQ Chicken:


 
Instant Pot Rosemary Beef Stew


Mexican Chicken Couscous Casserole:

 I use my  Instant Pot 1-2 times a week, especially in the Fall/Winter.
I have been working on some new IP recipes to share with you...stay tuned!

{NINE}

Cougars on Cruisers is one of my favorite nights of the year. This is auction item for our kids Elementary School.

It is basically a scavenger hunt/competition on bikes.
 I was one of the hosts/organizers this year and it was a blast.

When I posted about this last week on Instagram, some of you asked if I would do a full blog post on this fundraiser and what we did. GREAT idea! I am working on that....stay tuned!


{TEN}
My new favorite shoes for teaching...Rothy's!!!

I blogged about them in the Spring, but had to mention them again because I LOVE them.
I love Tory Burch flats, but the style I like was discontinued last year. I need comfy (and cute!) shoes to teach in. Enter, Rothy's.

 They are made from recycled water bottles!!!!
They come in tons of colors and 3 different styles.
I love the pointed toe version, but they also come in rounded toe or loafer.
They just now started carrying kids sizes.
My favorite ones are the pointed toe/solid black.

Not only are they extremely comfortable, they are stylish. And, a total bonus that they are made with recycled water bottles. It feels like I am wearing slippers.
And, the insoles are machine washable!
I recommend sizing up 1/2 a size.
If you click HERE, you get $20 off your order!
They offer free shipping & free returns.

So, there you have it....some of my favorites!
Have a great weekend!