Friday Favorites

This week has flown by like nobody's business. Work bordered on ridiculous, the evenings have been basically booked, and I am so thrilled that it is finally Friday and I have time to take a breath. And perhaps a nap. Once again, it's time to celebrate the end of a long week with a little bit of recognition for a few things that have kept me smiling since Monday:

I baked a batch of the most delicious banana muffins ever on Wednesday night. My mom has been making this recipe for a long time and it's the perfect balance of sweet-but-not-too-sweet-for-breakfast. They are also really easy to make, but they certainly don't stick around for long (hence the lack of pictures). Especially when you have a cat with an inordinate love for baked goods.... Toby may or may not have helped me eat one. 

I never thought I'd say this, but I have been so excited to have super sore muscles this week. I've been working my butt off (literally?) to make time for workouts recently, and I got myself to the gym a record four times this week. The crazy part is that three of those times were in the morning, at the crack of dawn -- I ran on the treadmill Monday, Wednesday, and today before work. I also managed a few days of ab work, and I'm planning to go on a "long" run on Sunday, since it's supposed to be warm outside this weekend. I've been proud of myself for getting up early to make sure I have time to fit in a run, and I hope I can keep it up for at least a few more weeks before I start to make excuses.

This little ball of fluff makes the list this week for being just downright adorable. The other afternoon I lay down to take a quick nap (a seriously rare occurrence in these parts), and Toby curled up next to me and literally purred in my ear until I fell asleep. I have never met a cat who was so willing to cuddle, but ours is so content just to snuggle up next to me at night. Every morning, he is stretched out in bed when my alarm goes off, and he gives me a "do I have to?" look when I start to get up. I don't know if he's affectionate or just lazy, but I choose to believe that he loves me. Probably just because I feed him.

These lovely items are all from one of my favorite places to browse: White House Black Market. I wish I could shop there regularly, but most of their items are just a little bit out of my price range. The top dress is just so classic and cute, and the sweater would really come in handy in my office, where it is kept at an "efficient" 20 below most days. The pants also look perfect for work -- they are cut so beautifully and seem very slimming. But it's the dress on the bottom that I'm really in love with. It's absolutely adorable and would be ideal for so many kinds of functions. Definitely high on my wish list! Also, did you know that WHBM sells shoes?! Seriously dangerous, because let me tell you: mama needs a new pair of heels. Or three. 

The above is a terrible picture of my lunch today. Unfortunately I forgot to take one until I was almost done with it... but trust me, it was fantastic. I've been really good all week about cooking and eating healthy stuff, so I decided I would treat myself to lunch out as a reward today. First I headed to my favorite little local kebob shop to pick up a side of the best hummus ever and some flatbread. Then, since Starbucks is just so close, I had to stop in to pick up a drink. The employees there were apparently under some sort of directive to drastically improve my day, because they were running a special and I got a little tiny red velvet whoopie pie free with my drink (It was delicious and oh so cute). The guy who made my frappucinno also screwed up and put whipped cream on top even though I always ask for it without, and I just didn't have the heart to let him scrape it all off. I know it's a ton of basically empty calories, but I swear the drink tasted better. All in all, lunch was a lot less healthy than I planned, but definitely worth it. After all, calories don't count on Friday, right? Don't answer that.

On a sadder note: About a year and a half ago, one of my good friends and teammates from high school was killed in a car accident. Everyone who knew him, even a little bit, knew that his favorite band was 311 -- he went to as many of their concerts as possible, always listened to their music, and talked about them all the time. Anytime I see that combination of numbers I am immediately reminded of him, and today, as I wrote the date constantly, was no exception. I am just sure that he is up there celebrating today!


Happy weekend, everyone!

   Love,

    Meg