5 Friday Favorites: May 17, 2019

Happy Friday, Friends. 

It's time for my Friday link up with A Little Bit of Everything, Grace and Love, and Momfessionals. 

On Fridays I share things that made me happy from the week - a photo, a song, a quote, a beauty product, a recipe, a pair of cute shoes, etc. If it's a product, sometimes it's something I actually own and sometimes something I just saw online that gave me a smile. Sometimes it's serious and sometimes it's silly. I suppose I believe that God is in the simple details of life and yes, I can even find Him in a tube of lipstick. 

1. Nike Epic React FlyKnit 2 Running Shoes

This week marked 3 years since our friend, Tom Morrison, passed away suddenly. The day after he died, I wandered around my house in stunned grief and then finally decided I should get out. I showed up at the running store with swollen eyes and shaky hands to buy some new running shoes because mine were worn out. Since Tom and I sometimes talked about running and would often pass each other running in the neighborhood, it seemed an appropriate thing to do as if there is anything appropriate to do in those instances. I decided that going forward, I would mark that day by buying new running shoes on May 15th every year. Since his death, there have been some pretty interesting moments for me and whoever the lucky salesperson happens to be in the running store on May 15th. There was that first day when I openly cried in front of the salesperson because he brought out purple shoes and I hate purple. There was the time when the shoes he brought out were tie dyed and looked like they should come with a Bob Marley record causing me to laugh the whole time I was trying them on. This year I was so excited when the guy brought out these Nike running shoes . They are my favorite yet. They are super comfortable and come in lots of fun color combinations. I didn't cry this year. I just smiled a lot. Tom had a good smile and he smiled a lot, too. It was nice to smile for a bit on such a sad day.

2. Dead To Me

Joe and I watched the entire season of Dead to Me, a brand new series on Netflix, in less than a week because the Skinners are a focused people and when we set our minds to something we are committed to seeing it through. Especially in regard to tv watching.

Please, hold your applause. We'd like to stay humble about it.

Y'all. This show is SO GOOD. Now, there is a lot of language. There's some shifty stuff going on and it's a dark subject. This is not Mary Poppins, okay? But it is really compelling, has some great performances, and caused us to laugh out loud several times.

3. Acure Facial Brightening Scrub

I can't actually vouch for this facial scrub as a favorite yet. My sister told me this week that she loves it and it makes her skin feel amazing. Also, it appears  - strangely - that this is a facial product that does not require you to sell all of your belongings and live in a van down by the river to afford it. It is only $8.00. What? Sign me up.

4. JJill Border Stripes Jute Tote Bag

I saw this adorable tote bag pop up on a Facebook ad right around Mother's Day and it took all my will power not to buy it because it was 30% off at the time and look how cute it is. Unfortunately, it's not on sale today, but it is perfect for summer, so maybe if we cross our fingers and toes it will go on sale again. I need someone to get this tote.

5. Slow Down - Nichole Nordeman

This kid had his last day of high school today.

Spoiler alert. He, sadly, did not wear a cable knit sweater vest to mark this special occasion.

Listen to me. If you have a graduate, you've been warned. This song will very likely make you have to take to your bed. It's terrible. It's been on my phone for well over a year and every time it comes up while I'm running I push that arrow past it so fast your head would spin. Until this week. I finally listened to it on Saturday morning and ran down the street crying my eyes out, only to accidentally find myself passing our tball field full of 5 and 6 year olds which meant I had to dig deep not to start full-on wailing right there on the sidewalk. Today, I made a big mistake and listened to it again.

Take a seat, Mama. Have wine or a diet coke nearby and a whole box of tissues. It's just one of the most beautiful and most awful songs I've ever heard.



Have a good weekend, friends, and try really hard to slow down.

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