Five on Friday – Favorites

This week seemed to go on forever despite the fact that I had a short work-week.  So strange. 

Today is Good Friday so Jacob is out of school and I’m taking off to spend the day with him.  We have plans to go to Olivia’s school Easter parade and Easter egg hunt, and then we’re going to scoop Olivia up and take her home for the day when that’s done.  I’m thinking we’ll do lunch somewhere, and then hang out at home for the rest of the day.  A family movie night sounds like a great idea, too.  I’m all about relaxing Friday and Saturday since we’ll be preparing for Easter on Sunday, and also because we’ve had a busy couple of weeks.

But before we get the day started, some favorites!

O N E – This Dress

My timing has been impeccable this week when it comes to sales.  Earlier this week I stopped to get Easter candy at a random drug store that I never go to, and it just so happened to be Buy One Get One Free.  Then yesterday at Barnes & Noble, a book I was looking for had just been moved to the Bargain Books area and it was only $6.96 as opposed to the original price tag of $24.99!  #Sweet  Then Wednesday evening after work, I stopped by Old Navy to exchange this dress that I had gotten online (soooo perfect for the beach!!!!) for a different size, and when I walked in the door, I saw a large rack of these swing dresses in loads of different patterns and colors.  And they were on sale for $15.  I just so happened to have $50 in gift cards from my birthday, so I bought four of them! 

I have three of them in long sleeves for the winter and I wore them repeatedly this last year, so I was thrilled to see them sleeveless for summer.  These dresses are just so darn flattering!  And soooo comfy.  The fabric is super soft and stretchy and they don’t shrink in the dryer, which I love.  You can wear them with flat sandals and a simple necklace to dress them down, or you can wear them with heels and a dressy necklace to dress them up.  And they are long enough so that they are work appropriate.  They will also look cute with a denim jacket and booties to transition to fall.  That’s getting your money’s worth!  I am going to live in these this summer, I tell ya!  They are still only $15 so get yours before they’re gone!  They have ten colors on the website!!!!

T W O – Target Sandals

Remember these sandals?  I mentioned them on the blog a couple of months ago, and now that the weather is warm enough I have finally been wearing them.  They are so comfy.  And so dang cute!  And they come in two colors.  AND they look cute with the Old Navy dresses.  Perhaps that will be my summer uniform?

Also loving this necklace that my MIL gave me for my birthday... it goes with EVERYTHING!

T H R E E – Ladies Night

Wednesday evening my girlfriends and I met at our favorite Mexican restaurant for drinks and shenanigans to celebrate my birthday.  They showered me with gifts, we had margs, and we all caught up on each other’s daily lives.  I just adore these ladies that I get to do life with.  Each and every one of them are so special to me and I cherish these friendships so much.  I sure hope that we’re still doing our Wednesday Rita Nights when we’re eighty!

F O U R – Outside Dining

We cleaned off the porch a couple of weeks ago to prepare for spring, and then had terrible weather the week after so we didn’t even get to enjoy it.  This week, however, has been incredible weather-wise, so we were finally able to eat dinner out there Tuesday evening and it was such a treat!  I made some sausage, peppers, and onions tacos, B and I grabbed a couple of beers, we cranked up some music, and we enjoyed the breeze.  Heaven, I tell ya!  I’m hoping that we have at least another month of this before it gets too hot.  There’s typically only a small window for spring here in the south, so we have to soak up every ounce of it while we can!

F I V E – How I Grew My Instagram Following by 2K in 2 Months

Did you catch my post on Tuesday about how I’ve been growing my Instagram following?  I have had tons and tons of emails/messages/comments/texts asking what exactly I have been doing.  Well, you asked and I answered!  The post is quite lengthy, but there is a ton of great detailed info about the strategy that I have been using for the past two months.  I have grown my following by 2K these last two months (well, technically 2.6K since the numbers keep increasing daily) and I am not using the follow/unfollow method that so many despise.  So if you’re looking to grow your following organically, this post is for you!  You can find it here.

Happy weekend and Happy Easter, friends!

*Linking up with A Liz Adventures and Carolina Charm for Five on Friday, A Little Bit of Everything for Friday Favorites,  September Farm and The Farmer's Wife for Oh Hey, Friday, Meet @ the Barre for Friday Favorites, and Cup of Tea for High Five for Friday.

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