Five on Friday - Perfect Flare Jeans, a Taylor Swift Halloween Costume Idea, Vital Proteins Collagen, the New Morning Mercies Devotional for Teens, and More

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Happy Friday, y’all!  This has been a humdinger of a week – we’ve been on the go constantly – and I’m exhausted.  While it would be nice to relax tonight, I’m actually not even caring or thinking about relaxing because Brian and I are heading to Atlanta tonight to see Abe Parker in concert!  I. am. thrilled.  I found his music about six months ago, and it was love at first listen.  All of his music is amazing.  His lyrics are deep and thought-provoking.  And his voice is incredible.  He is actually not the headliner for this concert as he’s opening for Judah & the Lion, but we are going for him!  This may be the first time I’ve ever bought concert tickets just for an opening act.  Haha.

Anyway, let’s get to some favorites from the week!  I have some really great stuff for y’all today!

 

O N E – Perfect Flare Jeans!

Flare jeans are trending once again, and I am here for it!  While I love my Spanx flare jeans – some of the best jeans I have ever put on! – they are really long, and I can only wear them with heels.  I’ve been on the hunt for the perfect pair that I can wear with flats, and I have finally found them!  American Eagle offers sizing in short, regular, and tall, so I ordered these in the short version, and they are ah-mazing.  These are the same fabric/fit as my beloved AE shorts (the only shorts I wear now) and they fit like a glove.  They are high-rise, they have the perfect amount of stretch, they’re soft and comfortable, they’re true-to-size, and they hold their shape.  For sizing reference, I am 5’5”, and the short version hits at just the right spot when I wear them with flats. 

And while we’re talking about American Eagle jeans, can we just stop and take a moment to swoon over the sheer quantity of options that they offer for jeans?!  They literally have hundreds of styles of jeans from skinny to flare to mom to bootcut to baggy, and every single style is offered in the most massive range of sizes I’ve ever seen (000 – 20 with all options in short, regular, and long + some in extra short).  They must have the most massive inventory of jeans of any company ever.  Haha.

And while I’m talking about jeans, I should probably also mention these flares from Walmart.  They’re only $24, they’re super flattering, and the quality is great.  I posted about these about a month ago, and I think they may be the top selling fashion item I’ve ever posted about.  TONS of you purchased them, and so far, I haven’t seen a single pair returned.  They are still fully stocked in sizes 2-20 and they fit true-to-size.  I can’t recommend these enough… it’s mind-blowing that they’re only $24!   

 

T W O – Halloween Outfit

For the last few years, I’ve worn the same exact thing for Halloween – an oversized jack o lantern sweatshirt and my Spanx faux leather leggings – so this year I decided it was time to change it up.  Since Olivia and I are both majorly in our Taylor Swift Era right now (I mean, I have been in my TS Era for more than a decade if I’m being honest), I thought it would be fun to wear something Swiftie-ish for Halloween, so I bought this tee and these shorts. 

The tee has already arrived and I couldn’t love it more!  The shirt is soft, the print on it is great, and the shipping was super-fast, so there’s probably still time to order it and have it arrive before Halloween.  I also just ordered this pair of shorts and this pair of shorts (in the largest size, LOL) to try to wear with it (one option said it wouldn’t deliver until 10/31-11/4 so I ordered the second pair as a backup as it was the only pair that was guaranteed to deliver on time.  Neither has arrived yet, but I’m hoping one of them works, and if not, I’ll just pull out my trusty Spanx faux leather leggings or a pair of black denim shorts if it’s warm. 

 

T H R E E – Vital Proteins Collagen

I started taking this Vital Proteins collagen 10 weeks ago, primarily to add protein to my diet, but also to see if it might be a solution for my hair loss that I’d been experiencing.  Y’all, after just 10 weeks, my hair has stopped shedding nearly as bad (it was shedding at an alarming rate prior to taking it), and I have tons of baby hairs growing in all over!  I had noticed that my hairline had started receding a bit, and since I started taking this collagen, all of the hair has started growing back along my hairline, thank goodness. 

I have been consistent with taking it, and I’ve only missed three or four days over the last ten weeks, because I’m sure consistency is key.  The serving size is 4 TBSP per day, but I only take two. 

I will say that even though it says that it’s unflavored, I completely disagree – there is definitely a flavor, and unfortunately, the flavor is meaty, which is gross.  Therefore, I am unable to put it in my water or tea as it most definitely adds a scent and a taste that I just can’t get past.  Most of the reviews mention that it is truly flavorless, so maybe I’m in the minority and I’m just sensitive to it, I don’t know, but I can most definitely taste it.  I would think coffee would be strong enough to cover up the taste, but I rarely drink coffee, so there’s no way for me to take it daily that way. 

Instead, I have found three ways that I can ingest it without tasting it, so I’m using one of these three methods every day:

 

-       The method I use to ingest it the most is to put it in my smoothies.  I blend together ice, a handful of blueberries, a handful of spinach, a banana, 1 TBSP of local honey, and 2 TBSP of the collagen, and it is absolutely delicious.  I usually eat this as part of my lunch every day.  The collagen is completely undetectable this way.

-       If I don’t have all of the ingredients to make my smoothie, then I’ll scramble 2 TBSP of the collagen into my eggs and cottage cheese.

-       Or occasionally, I will add 2 TBSP of the collagen to one packet of the Kodiak protein oatmeal, and I can’t detect the flavor in there either.

 

If you’re experiencing hair loss or if you just want to add some extra protein to your diet, I highly recommend this product as it has made a drastic difference for my hair.

 

F O U R – Devotional for Teens

I have raved about New Morning Mercies by Paul David Tripp all year long… it is, by far, the best devotional I’ve ever read.  Well, I just discovered recently that Paul David Tripp adapted this devotional for teens, and I couldn’t buy two copies fast enough!  The kids and I read a daily devotional together every morning (we love the ones by Sarah Young), but now that they’re older, I’d like for them to have something with a little more depth. 

I thumbed through it already, and it looks like it is going to be every bit as fantastic as the original.  Right now, the hardcover version is only $8.57 (57% off) which is a fantastic deal considering it’s 416 pages and hard cover.  There is one page for every day in the year, and each page starts with an excerpt from scripture, which I also love.  I cannot wait to gift the kids their copies to use for next year!

 

F I V E – Target Cookies

We’ve been purchasing these Target cookies for years, and they have FOR SURE been a favorite for the last couple of weeks.  I don’t know what it is about these cookies, but they are the most delicious things!  They’re so simple, but they go perfectly with a cup of hot tea or coffee.  They only sell them at Halloween and Christmas (or at least that’s the only time I’ve ever seen them), so I always buy them by the tub.  I bought a tub at my local Target a week or so ago, and I’ve been enjoying one every now and then with my morning tea.  I’m saving two to give to the kids on Halloween because they love them, too!  For some reason, I can’t find them by the tub online, but you can buy the pumpkin and the bat individually online.  The tub also has two other characters – a ghost and a monster – and they are all just darling.  And SO delicious!  I’m already excited about buying the Christmas tub when it makes its debut this year!

 

Friday Funnies

On the Blog This Week

 Our 2024 Chicago Trip – Day 1

Our Week – The One with Teeth Extractions, Jacob's City Golf Tournament, the Fall Carnival, a Masquerade, and Sleepovers

15 Items to Keep on Hand for Severe Weather, Power Outages, and Other Emergencies

Happy Friday, y’all! 

*Linking up with A Little Bit of Everything for Friday Favorites.