Happy Friday from me and my little black cate! I hope you all have had a wonderful week. We had a nice surprise earlier this week, when Bo and I realized that he has Monday off due to Columbus Day holiday. We are looking forward to enjoying the three-day weekend together by taking Katie to her first Oktoberfest festival tomorrow, working in our yard and spending a lot of time in the kitchen together! What are your plans for the weekend?

Now, let’s dive into this week’s edition of Friday Favorites, including recipes, articles, posts and other things that caught my eye this week.

I was so in love with these shoes when they arrived that I immediately ordered a second pair!

This surprising vegetable will make your smoothies healthier, creamier and improve your mood!

I’ve loved this new sports bra, which happens to be on sale for less than $40, especially for early morning runs. It easily holds my cell phone and fits perfectly!

Last night I enjoyed a massage in the comfort of our home thanks to Soothe. I decided, last minute, that I wanted and needed a massage after tweaking my lower back yesterday and just three hours later I was relaxing with my favorite candles and playlist while Beverly worked on the knots in my lower back and shoulder area. Available in more than 80 cities worldwide, Soothe (<—click link for $20 off your first massage) allows you to book in-home massages with qualified masseuses!

This chocolate chip pumpkin bread looks delicious and is a new-to-me variation that is just screaming to be made. Good thing I just added the ingredients to today’s shopping list!

Speaking of pumpkin, this pumpkin pie granola is filled with crunch thanks to two different types of nuts!

I fell in love with this soft, cotton rugby pull-over after wearing my mom’s when we were in Vermont last weekend. She has the sea salt and navy color but I went with the indigo and red colors for a different look. Now, if only the temps in New York would get cooler so I could wear it! It’s just $39.99 if you use the code FALL20!

The lace detail gives this white blouse a fresh look and is perfect when paired with dark jeans.

This pumpkin spice candle fills our entire home with a cozy but not-to-sweet aroma and, due to the high quality wax, seems to last forever!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend and good luck to anyone running the Chicago Marathon this weekend!

Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored and instead is a list of the things of my favorite things this week. As normal, it includes lots of beauty and fashion items which means there are a few affiliate links via ShopStyle. It takes time and money to maintain a blog so I thank you for the support and few cents that come from clicking through the links!

Happy Friday! It’s been a great week over here in Brooklyn. I started the week with yoga at Wanderlust 108 and ended the week with a huge weight off my shoulders. As of yesterday, we finalized our childcare plan for Katie. I’ve been a bundle of nerves the past few weeks stressing about this but thankfully, as luck would have it, we found an existing nanny share just down the block from us who needed a new baby to join. So, as of November, Katie will spend her days a few blocks away playing with an adorable 13 month old and 3 year old. Their nanny is a sweet 32-year-old German woman who has been in the US for 14 years and is fluent in French, German and English. Since I work from home this is a perfect compromise and the short walk to their house makes it easy for Bo or I to take and pick Katie up each day. If anyone has questions about our nanny share search or childcare in general, I’m happy to help but I am in no means an expert. It was an overwhelming process, that’s for sure! Now that the stress is over, I’m ready to relax this weekend! We are having friends over tomorrow evening for a barbecue and playdate but otherwise, I hope to head out early each morning for a run and possibly squeeze in a massage. What are your plans for the weekend?

Now, let’s dive into this week’s edition of Friday Favorites, including recipes, articles, posts and other things that caught my eye this week.

Did you buy one too many apples this week at the market? These 10 apple recipes will help you use them in no time!

• Inspired by so many of the bloggers I follow on Instagram, I’m pushing my boundaries a bit this week and doing more Instagram Live Videos including a tour of our apartment! Be sure to head over and check it today before it goes away in 24-hours!
• As soon as I shared our master bedroom, 6 people asked where we found our floor mirror. This beaded leaning floor mirror is perfect for our large space and at $75 the price can’t be beat!
• Last weekend we were craving chocolate chip cookies but my waistline didn’t need a full batch. This small batch chocolate chip cookie recipe resulted in 12 perfectly, chewy cookies that satisifed the craving!
• Steak salad has always been a favorite but this recipe takes it up a notch! This steak salad recipe from How Sweet It Is includes gorgonzola cheese encrusted steak and fresh figs! 
• I’m on the hunt for a new pair of sunglasses and am currently debating between this pair that I had for five years before losing them in Italy and this trendier style. Thoughts?
• Ever wonder how a zoo manages to evacuate the lions, tigers and bears? This interesting NPR article answers that question and more!
• In our relationship, this scenario is flipped. Since Katie was born, Bo stays up at least an hour later than I do. However, over the past week I’ve found both of us staying up later enjoying time together whether it’s planning a family vacation, talking about our days or watching a movie on the couch.
• Speaking of staying up late, both Bo and I have loved reading Fortune’s Children. If you like Downton Abbey you’ll love reading about the rise and fall of the famous Vanderbilt family. I’m only a quarter of the way through the book but find myself staying up a few minutes later each night just to learn more about how this family made and lost their money so quickly.
• I immediately fell in love with this small sponge upon receiving it in this month’s Birchbox. The Daily Concepts Micro Facial Scrubber left my face feeling 100x cleaner when paired with my daily cleanser. The natural cotton base layer wasn’t too rough on my skin but the texture removed dirt, oil and dead skin immediately!
• Even when you know so many others are going through things that are tougher, more painful or 100 times worse, it’s still okay to have a bad day. As I read this post I felt like I couldn’t share it quick enough as every word Lindsey wrote resonated loud and clear.
• This slow cooker Moroccan Stew looks like the perfect thing for a cool, Fall evening! It’s been ages since I used my slow cooker so maybe it’s time to pull it out and give it a try.

Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored and instead is a list of the things of my favorite things this week. As normal, it includes lots of beauty and fashion items which means there are a few affiliate links via ShopStyle. It takes time and money to maintain a blog so I thank you for the support and few cents that come from clicking through the links!