Friday Favorites!

Hey, y’all!!  It's Friday and I'm linking back up with Narci, Erika, and Andrea for Friday Favorites! It's a long one today.. Maybe I should actually blog more than twice a week!! Lots of fun things going on around these parts and some good links to purchases and recipes below :)

1. Afternoon Walks

We have had afternoon walks every single day this week!! It has been so nice to get some fresh air, soak up that California sun, exercise the pup and have some time with AJ without any phones/computers/TVs around :) 

And having this monkey along for the ride is the cherry on top :) 

2. Morning Runs
A couple mornings we actually made it up for a run too!! We are trying our best to get some exercise in. It's hard keeping this baby weight off with a company that has catered breakfast and lunch and unlimited snacks!! (I know, poor pitiful me..)

3. Monogram Clutch

Let me preface these next couple items with the fact I'm not a shopper. Well I am an amazing browser/window shopper, but when it comes to actually spending the money, I freak. I have a very detailed monthly budget in my head, and I get hives just THINKING about going over my "magic number".. With that being said, I keep a list in my head of all the things I want/need and wait until I find the perfect one, on sale, with like free shipping.. ha! (Just claiming my crazy over here!! )

So ANYWAY.. I have been wanting a clutch for awhile and have felt so naked at the last couple formal things we have gone to and I found THIS ONE on Etsy for $16, with the monogram!! So in love and ready to look cute and hold my own cell phone at our next event, ha! 

4. Nordstrom Sale

Like I said.. I wait for sales to buy the things on the special list in my head. .and the Nordstrom sale is not disappointing this year!! Open toe booties have been NUMBER ONE on my list for fall. And y'all I saw these and DIED. Complete perfection of everything I have been wanting and reduced from $150 to $99.. Wam, bam, thank you m'am. 

And this shirt happened because Mix and Match Mama has been raving over it all year long. And who doesn't need solid black shirt you can dress up or dress down?! I ended my Nordstrom Sale expedition with a much needed new white cami (and VERY begrudgingly took those distressed AG jeans out of my shopping cart..) If you are a card holder (as you should be!! HELLO Nordstrom notes!) the early access to the sale is NOW! And if you're not, you can get these goodies next Thursday!

5. THIS SHIRT!

Okay last purchase.. this shirt. SO IN LOVE. It is made by a UGA grad that now lives in Southern California. He makes some amazing (and some really funny!) shirts that you can find HERE. (Side note: 49 more days until college football!!!!)

6. New walker!! 

Auntie Paige surprised us and sent Maddie Jane a walker!! Seriously y'all I have the bestest best friend in the world. Maddie loves sitting in it and she is slowly but surely figuring out that this thing actually makes her mobile! We have to get it down before Paige gets here in THREE WEEKS!! EEK!

7. Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies

I saw this cookie recipe on two seperate blogs this week and had to try it!! I love, love, love dark chocolate.. and AJ is a huge fan of mixing salty and sweet. They weren't life changing, a little too fluffy in my opinion, but everyone at work raved over them. If a fluffy sweet/salty cookie is your thing, HERE is the recipe for you :) 

8. New hobby: spying on Molly 

The other day I randomly turned on the nursery camera app on my phone at work and caught Molly in the nursery! Now I am so obsessed with checking in every now and then to see if she is hanging out in there. Nice to be able to check in on her and funny to see what she is up to with no one at home! Ahh the life of dogs. 

9. Summer Vegetable Gnocchi

We have a thing around the Pryor house where we try to incorporate a meatless dish in every week. And holy cow this was AMAZING. Pretty decadent and hearty with the cream and parmesan, but the corn freshens it up and it was my favorite part!! If you like to do a Meatless Monday - or wanting something new, you can find the recipe HERE. 

10. Because I couldn't end on nine.. 

One more picture of this nugget baby.

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Weekend Wrap Up

Good bye May Gray and June Gloom!!! We spent the entire weekend outside by the beach, in the pool or at the splash pad. And that is exactly where you can find us every single weekend until October!! 

I started Friday off at the beach with my company for A.I.M. (Ares in Motion). We did a beach clean up down at Hermosa Beach with Heal the Bay. We collected a LOT of trash and over 30,000 cigarette butts! 

Around 40 Ares employees took part in this volunteer opportunity - this was my group.. Team HR + Brian.. Creative name, I know..

This was the third event this summer I had the opportunity to volunteer at.. one more to go at the end of the month! So thankful to work for a company that believes in helping out others.

Saturday morning we were at the park early for breakfast al fresco! Maddie had bananas and we had Starbucks coffee and pastries.

Laps and laps around the duck pond, then squealing and swinging! This girl LOVES the swings. 

And her first time sliding.. She wasn't too sure about it.. 

Then what we were really at the park for - the splash pad finally opened!! Another first for sweet girl - and we even face timed Gigi! (thank you water proof case..)

We had Molly and no pups were allowed on the splash pad, so we took turns taking MJ in. Not sure if Maddie or we had more fun! 

I enjoyed Hermosa so much on Friday, I convinced AJ to go down on Saturday for lunch. I love this beach so stinkin much - it is what I expected living in Cali would actually be like.. everyone in flip flops and surfboards.. super laid back and friendly. 

We have decided we are coming back every single Saturday! We ordered a tent off Amazon and plan on soaking up every little bit of my new happy place. 

Maddie AND Molly were both so well behaved being gone for 6+ hours. Proud Mama. 

Love this sweet little Cali baby of mine :) 

Sunday morning we were up early to get some exercise in and Maddie was helping Daddy with work.

After a nap, she was pool ready! How stinkin cute is that cover up?! We packed up our bags and headed to Auntie Jodi's pool for another lunch al fresco :) 

This baby was made for the pool. She alternated between kicking like crazy and lounging back, taking it all in. She stayed in until she was falling asleep in her float! 

We didn't even make it out of the neighborhood before she was out! She skipped lunch and slept for almost 3 hours after such a fun day! 

Bath and bed time for Maddie Jane.. Then AJ and I ended the weekend with a new vegetarian gnocchi dish (you can find HERE) and a bottle of wine..

Man oh man it does the soul some good to be outside. So thankful for the absolutely perfect California weather. We are trying to soak it all in despite wanting to be back in the South with our family and friends SO BADLY. Weekends like this make it pretty stinkin bearable :) 

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Apartment Updates

Decorating your home is a funny thing.. Something I thought I was an expert at until I actually got down to it. You go from posters and bulletin boards in high school at your parents' house, to finally getting a place of your own in college and designing it (mostly with empty wine bottles) with your roommates, then on to figuring out a combined style with your husband and y'alls mix matched furniture and belongings.. 

We have lived in our (THIRD!) apartment together for a year and a half now and man how things have changed. In addition to figuring out our style, we added an extra tiny person.. Which called for moving and shifting and being super creative with storage.We have picked up things here and there and have definitely learned from trial and error what we like and dislike. (And to ALWAYS go a shade lighter on that paint swatch you have your eye on..) 

This place is by no means our forever home (please sweet baby Jesus let it only be our next 10 months home).. So we haven't put a ton of money into it - lots of Ikea and Craigslist finds around here. And we have the limitations of being in an apartment and restrictions around painting, and hanging, and all that hoopla that comes along with being renters. BUT with our tiny budget and restrictions. we have made it a HOME. 

So with our most recent master bedroom face lift this weekend, I wanted to give a quick update on some things we have done over the past 18 months on Missouri Avenue.. 

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

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Weekend Snapshots - July 4th edition

Usually the day before a holiday, my company has half days for all employees. Devri, Kelsey and I took advantage and FINALLY went to the new Shake Shack in LA. It did not disappoint at.all. (I may have even went back with AJ the next day, but no picture.. so it technically didn't even happen, right?!)

LOVE these girls and pretty stinking happy that I get to see them 5 (or 6 or 7) days a week. Next stop on our afternoon off was shopping!

And what do you know.. I come home with a bunch of new striped clothing. I have a problem. I need an intervention. HELP.

This weekend we experienced probably my favorite parenting milestone to date.. Maddie Jane now holds her own bottle. Y'all this is a GAME CHANGER. Holy cow it is so nice to be able to free up some hands around here, soothe her during a car ride tantrum, and let her hangout with it in her crib or stroller!! I passed a woman with a teeny tiny baby screaming her head off in Nordstrom who was looking at our stroller with yearning eyes of freedom.. I wanted to give her the Hunger Games salute of solidarity! Just wait Mama, you're gonna be here soon.. and it is niiiiice.

And we are still working on solid foods. Most end up in her chair, on the floor, or in Molly's tummy.. but A+ for effort, right?

Me and Maddie in our element.. Target and Starbucks.

We had our festive wear on all.weekend.long. Why is holiday themed clothing for kids just 10x cuter!?

Monday morning we decided the get some exercise (and wear Molly out) before the festivities of the day started! Such a calm, cool morning down in Santa Monica! 

Maddie girl had her first swinging experience (yes, in her pajamas..don't judge). And let's just say we might be hitting up the beach running path and the beach park every single weekend. Little girl was in HEAVEN.

Man oh man, the love between my girl and her Daddy. Melts my heart every single time.

Whew! It is HARD getting a picture of my girl these days. She is all over the place!! 

Also hard to get a picture of her without her mouth open too, ha! She is constantly jabbering or drooling! 

We made cupcakes and pesto pasta salad to take to the 4th of July cook out hosted by one of AJ's coworkers. 

That dreary overcast burned right off and it was a gorgeous day!! We had burgers, hung out with friends, and enjoyed the neighborhood band.

I am obsessed with this shirt.. flowy and stripes.. what more could a girl want!?! I randomly found it looking at mom blog Instagram follow suggestions (I go down some crazy rabbit holes on Insta late at night! haha) It doesn't picture well and I kinda look prego (I am definitely not btw), but holy cow it is comfy and I feel so stinkin cute in it.. You can buy it HERE if you're lovin it too. 

This girl was beyond perfect at the cookout. We were nervous with her being out in the sun, no where for her independent self to stretch out, and it being right smack dab in the middle of her nap time.. BUT she made it three whole hours, never fussed or cried and was out like a light before we even made it out of their neighborhood! 

We enjoyed the rest of the afternoon out on the balcony while sweet girl napped, had a low key family dinner at home, and got everyone tucked in before the sun was even fully down!! 

We topped the night off with the last of the cupcakes in bed. We have spent six Fourths together in six different locations! Cheers to many more, in many other places!! 

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