Friday Favorites

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And just like that, we are half way through May. Time is flying by. The days seem long, but the months and years are flying by. I am officially over 2 weeks out from my nose surgery and I am really liking the results so far. I am starting to breathe better and the tenderness is getting better each day.

We have a lot on our plates the next few weekends, but it is a lot of fun things....mostly.

ONE. Do any of you follow Becca or Garrett from the Bachelorette (a few seasons back)? Well if you do or you watched the show, then you know that Garrett is from Reno, Nevada. And that is where I am from and live. Anyways, Garrett has worn my friend Sommer's shirts many times and I LOVE her stuff. She has recently done a With Love, From Reno crop sweatshirt that sells out super fast. But with a little DM on when they were going to be restocked, I was able to snag one. 

I know that it is coming up on Summer, but this sweatshirt will be perfect for the chilly mornings, camping, our Graeagle trips and then come Fall/Winter. And it is the softest material ever.

She makes shirts/tanks/sweatshirts for other places too with a custom order. Just go to her Etsy site.

With Love From Reno Sweatshirt

TWO. I watched the TV show You and LOVED it. Yes it is creepy and crazy to think of it ever happening, but I liked the show for what it was. I was going to go back and read You since I enjoyed it so much, but my coworker said the book wasn't as good as the show. She said it was too slow, but to look up spoilers because there are differences in the show and book. So I did that and then I read Hidden Bodies. And quickly. Y'all it is soooo good. A little racy, but seriously really good. I kept reading Joe's parts with Penn Bladley's voice and I just couldn't put it down. I sooo hope she writes another sequel to this one. Have any of you read it? What did you think?

Hidden Bodies

THREE. I follow Jenica who blogs over at A Slice of Style and she recently talked about how she teamed up with Cents of Style (clothing company) to create a shirt for hope and infertility. Jenica had infertility issues and ended up using IVF to have her beautiful twins. 

Now I don't talk much about my fertility struggles, but we were seeing a fertility doctor, tried a few options that didn't work and we were about to start Clomid when I got pregnant with the girls. Now my fertility struggles are not as bad as some, but we definitely took a lot longer to get pregnant than I thought we would.

Jenica helped create the Hope Relaxed V-Neck T-shirt and a portion of the proceeds go to Bundled Blessings Fertility. They also just came out with Spring colors and I scooped up the lavender one. It even has a little tag on the bottom for what this t-shirt represents. 

They are $29.95, but with the code Hope, you can get it for $19.95. This isn't sponsored. I just wanted to share this since it means a lot to me and is near and dear to my heart.

Hope Relaxed V-Neck T-shirt

FOUR. A long time ago, I used Cover Girl's mascara primer and one of their mascaras (I still use that mascara), but then I found out about L'oreal's Voluminous Lash Primer and this stuff is a game changer. Nothing compares to this primer that I have found and I will buy this stuff until it is discontinued. I recently ran out of it and had to buy it at Target the same day, so I wouldn't have to go without it. 

You need this stuff. I put it on my lashes (they will be white) and let it set for about 30 seconds and then I put my mascara on after it. My lashes are fuller, longer and come closer to what they were when I had lash extensions. This stuff is amazing. Plus it is only $5.59 at Target.

L'oreal Voluminous Lash Primer

FIVE. I got my Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Complexion Brush and it is EVERYTHING I hoped for and more. I have been using the Beauty Blender for a few years now and wasn't to sure about going back to the makeup brushes, but this brush is solid.

I used to use the brushes, but I felt like they left brush strokes on my skin, so that the foundation was never smooth. I have been using it for a week now and I LOVE it. It goes on smoothly and the concealer side is amazing. I was using a mini beauty blender, but this gets right under the eyes for the full coverage that I need under my eyes. 

I would totally recommend this. It is pricey at $40, but you can sign up for deals on the Charlotte Tilbury website and get 10% off. That is only $4 off, but it is soooo worth it. 

Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Complexion Brush

I am linking up with April, A Little Bit of Everything, Meet @ the Barre and Becky.

Have a great weekend!

3 Things in May

I saw Andrea post three things for May and I wanted to join in.

1. If April showers bring May flowers, what 3 kinds of flowers are you planting this Spring?
Well, we have peonies (my favorite), tulips and wild flowers. I love how my husband just puts a bunch of wild flower seeds in a barrel (half of an old wine barrel) and they grow like crazy.

2. Cinco de Mayo. End of the School Year. A long Memorial Day weekend. How are you celebrating the kick off to summer?
Well I feel like the big kick off to summer is our annual trip to Graeagle to stay at Feather River Resort. We stay in cabins, golf, cook, play and just have a great time. We go every year in the beginning of June and it definitely kicks off Summer.

Some snaps from last year's trip.

3. What 3 qualities make a great mom? Or show us a picture of you and your mom and tell us why she is so special to you.
1. Being patient. I feel like that is a constant struggle for me, but I am working on it and I feel it is something that is soooo important.

2. Talking to your kids and not at them. I read an article a few years back and it showed how Kate (Prince William's wife) knelt down and talked to her kids. They respond better that way instead of talking down/at them. I try to do this as often as possible.

3. Loving your kids unconditionally. Being a mom is tough and I have shed so many tears over it. There isn't any manual that tells us how to be a parent, but we do it through trial and error and no matter what I love my girls unconditionally.

Mother's Day Weekend

* This post contains affiliate links. When you click a link, it is no cost to you and I make a small commission (pennies) from it. Thank you for supporting Sparkles and Lattes.

We had a pretty good weekend with some bumps in the road, but nothing too bad. My weekend started off on Friday after I got off work. Since I wasn't going to the gym, I was off at 11:30. I went to a favorite restaurant and had some pancakes and a cucumber lemonade. Both were amazing and I couldn't even finish the pancakes.

After lunch, I headed home to take a nap and catch up on some shows. After Rory got home, he suggested we walk to the girls school to pick them up. I hadn't done much walking or moving around since surgery, but I said ok. It was tough, but I made it. Gotta push yourself a little bit. 

We picked up the girls and then walked back home to get them ready for swim class. They did amazing this week. They were able to put their heads under water for a lot longer and are definitely starting to get the hang of it. 

After swim class, we headed to a make your own pizza place (like Mod Pizza and Blaze Pizza) and the girls were rowdy. They wouldn't sit still and they kept demanding their food and ranch. It was sort of rough. After dinner, we headed home and Rory bathed the girls while I relaxed on the couch. Soon after, we did their bedtime routine and they went down. I went to bed pretty early too.

Saturday morning we got up and Rory went out to grab some zucchini bread and coffees. We had those and then got ready for the day. The girls had ballet at 10 am and we were only able to watch for a bit since they are getting closer to their dance recital. Then the parents hung out in the lobby and talked.

After ballet, we went to the outdoor mall for some new shoes for the girls. We threw away two old and worn out pairs and they asked for new ones. We also stopped at Bath and Body Works for some candles (buy 2, get 2 free) and Rory and I may have scooped up a pair of shoes for each of us as well. I bought these Sperry Lounge Away Boat Shoes (that's the amazon link since I couldn't find them at the store I went to).

Sperry Lounge Away Boat Shoes

Then we went home and had leftover pizza for lunch. The girls went down for their nap and I took my car to get it washed and dropped off our winter comforter off at the dry cleaners.

Once the girls got up, we got them ready and then headed over to my friends daughters birthday party. The girls are in dance class together and Jess and I have been friends for a very long time. The kids played in a bounce house, in a pool, a pinata, had cake, tacos and so much fun. The adults had a great time as well. Plus we stayed out way later than the girls bedtime, but it was so fun and so worth it.

 The kids

Sunday morning, Rory and the girls let me sleep in. Once I got up, we relaxed and the girls gave me their gifts that they made at school. They were wrapped in tissue paper and then in a bag that the girls decorated.

Then Rory and the girls gave me the Uncommon James earrings that I put on my Mother's Day Gift Guide. You might be able to spot them in some of the photos.

We all got ready and that is when the chaos started. Avery changed out of her clothes three different times. She put on a black dress at first and within 5 minutes wanted to change. She hated the dress. So being Mother's Day, I didn't want to argue and changed her into a watermelon pom pom dress that she picked. Then she hated that one and wanted the black one back on. At this point, I just excused myself to the bathroom to get ready and Avery threw the biggest tantrum EVER. It was awful. 

Then we headed out to Mother's Day brunch. It was sooo good, but Avery spilled coffee all over her sister by accident and there was more chaos for a bit. But then our friends from the night before showed up and all was right again. The kids played and the adults got to hang out.

 Mother's Day brunch with friends.

My girls and Piper (it was her birthday party the day before).

After spending a few hours at brunch, we all parted ways and headed home. We just sat outside and relaxed a bit before I headed out to get my nails done. Then I stopped at Sephora to see if they had my Charlotte Tilbury brush that I ordered from Sephora since they cancelled my order on Sunday morning. They did not have it and I was pretty bummed. Then I went grocery shopping and headed home to cook dinner. Yes I cooked on Mother's Day. It was fine since I hadn't cooked in two weeks given that I had surgery. I think my family all appreciated a home cooked meal by me.

After dinner, Rory gave the girls a bath and then headed up to his moms house to drop off some flowers for her. They were headed back from Mexico and due late that evening. I got to hang out at home in peace and quiet. It was nice.

Rory and the girls got home and they read us books that night and then went to bed. I went to bed around 9:30. Overall Mother's Day was good and I owe that to my husband for taking care of my crazy girls all day.

How was your Mother's Day?

Still Weekending

I had every intention on getting a Mother's Day weekend post up early this morning, but my dog got out early this morning and we couldn't find him. Luckily we did after some searching, but I was pretty panicked this morning. So I will have that post up tomorrow.

Friday Favorites and Happenings

* This post contains affiliate links. When you click a link, it is no cost to you and I make a small commission (pennies) from it. Thank you for supporting Sparkles and Lattes.

I survived my first week back to work. Barely. By Thursday I was feeling drained. Sore. And tired. I am hoping that this weekend I can take it easy. We have a few things planned, but hopefully I can rest in between them.

Let's get onto Friday Favorites and Happenings.

ONE. Did you partake in the Sephora sale? I did. I thought I was a rouge member, but I am only a VIB member. But still 15% is better than 0%, and I needed a few things. This is what I bought.

Bumble and Bumble Thickening Mousse

I have talked about this mousse in all of my favorite hair product posts. I have been out since getting back from Mexico, but with surgery coming up, I knew I could wait it out for this sale. Sure it was only $4.65 off, but again, that is better than $0. I love this mousse and use it everyday that I wash my hair. This stuff stands the test of time.

Drunk Elephant Rise and Glow Brightening Duo

I have heard great things about this duo. One is for hydration and the other is for firming. The one thing I did read, is you should buy the travel size (the one above) as the C-Firma does start to oxidize. That means you want to use this in a timely manner aka not take a year to use the full bottle. Plus this set is only $23 and lasts you about 4 to 6 months.

Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Complexion Brush

I have been wanting this brush for a long time. One side is meant for your foundation and the other is meant for your concealer. I have been using a beauty blender for a long time now, but this was recommended by my favorite blogger Cristin Cooper and she said it makes your foundation and concealer flawless. You won't have streaks, it goes on evenly and makes you look amazing. She has done countless videos with this brush and I have been wanting it. But at $40, I wanted to get it on sale.

Lastly, I bought this Laneige Glowy Balm. I have the lip mask from an Influenster box and I love it. I have the full size and use it at night all the time. This is one to use during the day and it hydrates your lips (I definitely need that) and has a slight pink tint to it. This has also been on my to buy list.

Laneige Glowy Balm

TWO. Last week Lynn posted a picture of herself on IG and FB wearing the prettiest kimono. I asked her where it was from and then I sought one out. Basically everywhere was sold out of it, but I finally found it at PacSun and I even got free shipping and $5 off. This kimono is beautiful and will be worn all Summer long.

Billabong Sea and Moon Kimono

THREE. This week, Andrea posted the prettiest dress that she wore on her vacation. I have seen it around a couple of times and wanted it. Now I want it even more. She looked amazing in it. It would be perfect for date night, vacation and even an evening out with your girlfriends. This is now on my wishlist.

Leith Pleated Midi Dress

FOUR.This weekend is Mother's Day weekend. I just hope to sleep in, hang out with my favorites and have a little time to myself. Here is a look at the past few Mother's Day weekends.

2018

2017

 2016

2016


2015

I am linking up with April, A Little Bit of Everything, Meet @ the Barre and Becky.

Have a great weekend!

Amazon Prime Purchases

* This post contains affiliate links. When you click a link, it is no cost to you and I make a small commission (pennies) from it. Thank you for supporting Sparkles and Lattes.

I totally forgot yesterday was the Amazon Prime Purchases link-up, so I am sharing what we bought in April today.

I bought most of the items for our house, but a few were baby shower gifts.

HDTV Antenna

A few months ago, we cut our cable and now only use HULU, Netflix and Amazon Prime. We did run into a few problems when the NFL playoffs were on and we didn't get NBC. I get NBC shows, but not the local broadcast, so some of the games were not on. We had to stream them through the internet and it was a pain.

We were told that purchasing a HDTV Antenna would fix this. Then we could get our local channels at no cost. Well, we finally bought the antenna this month.

 HDTV Antenna

Shea Moisture Kids Detangler

This is a repurchase. This is the only spray that will detangle my girls hair without damaging it. Plus it smells amazing. We swear by this stuff.

 Shea Moisture Kids Detangler

Affresh Washing Machine Cleaner

Affresh Washing Machine Cleaner

Colace Stool Softener

When you have surgery and you are on pain killers, you can get backed up. Before every surgery, I am always told to buy Colace and start taking it the day before surgery and keep taking it until you are done with your pain meds. 

 Colace Stool Softener

MilkBarn Fruit Burp Cloths

My friend Ashley recently had a baby shower for her sweet baby girl, Landry. Ashley picked out the cutest theme for the nursery which is boho chic with pinks and golds. I bought a few items off of her Amazon registry along with some items in store at Target. 

From Amazon, I purchased the cutest fruit burp cloths. They were adorable in person.

 MilkBarn Fruit Burp Cloths

Knotted Infant Sleeper

Another item that I purchased was this knotted infant sleeper. This sleeper was soooo soft. Ashley was over the moon about it and everyone raved how much they loved the knotted sleepers with their babies.

Knotted Infant Sleeper

Ryan & Rose Pacifier

The last item from her Amazon registry that I picked up with this pacifier.

Ryan & Rose Pacifier

Huhot short sleeve dress

I have talked about this dress in my Friday Favorites post a few weeks back. I got this dress for Easter, but then the weather was cold and windy, so I saved it for another occasion. It fits beautifully and it is only $18.99.

Huhot short sleeve dress

Daily Ritual Black Sleeveless Dress

This was another dress that I mentioned in my Friday Favorites post. I ended up wearing this to Ashley's baby shower with a denim jacket and sandals. It was a huge hit. The dress is sooo comfy. It hugs your body, but it isn't tight at all. Such a great staple for summer and it is only $17.

Daily Ritual Black Sleeveless Dress

Sportbit Jump Rope

I bought this jump rope to take to the gym, but also to take to Mexico with me. It is super light, easy to bring in your luggage and an all around great jump rope. Before surgery, I was jump roping every day and this jump rope made it so easy. I can't wait to start it back up again. This jump rope is only $8.95 and completely worth it.

Sportbit Jump Rope

What did you purchase from Amazon in April?

Puerto Vallarta Days 6 - 9

* This post contains affiliate links. When you click a link, it is no cost to you and I make a small commission (pennies) from it. Thank you for supporting Sparkles and Lattes.

If you missed days 3, 4 and 5 you can go here to catch up.

We left off Tuesday night. Wednesday morning, we worked out on the pool deck and then watched the cruise ships come into port. There were three big cruise ships that docked in the marina. Then we went over to Salud Super Food for smoothies that were packed with fruits, spinach, hemp protein powder and coconut milk. It was really good and we had another one later in the week.

While we enjoyed our smoothies, we walked around and did some shopping for us and the girls. We walked around for about 2 miles. As we were walking, I noticed that my stomach hurt a bit. Turns out I got a mild case of Montezuma's Revenge on our trip. I have never had it before in all my times to Mexico, but I got a mild case of it on this trip. Luckily, we were never too far from a bathroom or our condo.

For lunch, we headed over to Cafe de Olla for their amazing chili rellenos and then took a bus into town to see the marina, the cruise ships and look around that area.

We stopped in a store and I found the most perfect shirt for myself. If you know me at all, then you know my LOVE for guacamole.

I ended up walking over 27,000 steps that day which was amazing.

After spending a couple hours up north, we headed back to our area to hang out with Rory's uncle for a bit and then back to Pancho's Takos for dinner. We had a longer wait this time since we didn't go near opening. This time we way over ordered since we ordered things we hadn't had before. We ended up taking home a few items which we enjoyed the next day for lunch.

 Slicing the pastor

 Pastor stuffed avocados with fresh tortillas

 Pastor tacos

Our food minus one set of stuffed avocados. Way too much. Luckily, we had a fridge and way to heat everything up the next day.

After dinner, we walked the Melancon for a long time (hence the over 27K steps) and then went back to Bar La Playa for drinks. This time, we tried different drinks and chatted with some locals and others who were visiting. We spent many hours just hanging out there. We even closed it down, ha.

 Rory's mezcal drink

 This had fresh strawberries, club soda, vodka and meyer lemon

This had vodka, fresh lavender and blueberries with lemon

Thursday morning we just relaxed, drank coffee and read. Rory got a shave (where they use the razor blades) and I just relaxed in the condo. Once he was back, we headed up to the pool to hang out for a few hours. We noticed how crowded it was that day since Easter was approaching and everyone comes into town these few days.

That evening we went back to Joe Jack's Fish Shack, but this time to eat dinner. Rory got the red snapper fish dish and I got fish and chips with fish and shrimp combo.

 My fish and chips combo

Rory's red snapper

After dinner, we watched the sunset, walked the Melancon (again) and had gelato for dessert before calling the girls.

Friday we worked out, grabbed another smoothie from Salud Super Foods and then had another couples massage. After our massages, we went to a local deli and grabbed some sandwiches and guacamole and ate out on our balcony.

Then we hit up the pool again before trying to see Rory's great uncle, but he was out with friends. So we headed out to dinner ourselves. We went to another new to us Italian restaurant called La Traviata. This place was a bit out of the way, but so worth it. It took us 30 minutes to walk there, but it was in a different neighborhood and the views were completely worth it. So was the food. 

We decided to share dinner, so we could try different things. We started off with wine and then shared a salad. The salad had spinach, arugula, strawberries, cranberries, cheese and a mango vinaigrette. 

Next, we shared a pasta dish which had fusilli with bacon and their house made sauce.

Then we shared a pizza which had pepperoni, chili peppers and onions.

Before we got our pizza, the sun was starting to set and we snapped a bunch of photos.

After dinner, we called the girls and my parents and then walked back to the condo.

Saturday morning we got up and headed out to breakfast before doing anything else. We went to our old favorite Fredy Tucan's. I got the waffle with fresh strawberries, whipped cream and pecans.

After breakfast, we took the long way back to the condo and then we showered and packed everything up. Then we had our goodbyes with Rory's great uncle and then took a cab back to the airport. We couldn't believe how fast the trip had gone and we didn't even do that much. We just relaxed and it was amazing and soooo needed.

We flew back through Dallas and were upgraded to first class which made it a very easy flight. Then we headed back home to Nevada to see the girls. It was a pretty amazing 9 days away!!!