5 Friday Favorites: November 29, 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 or Bible verse, 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.

As I start to write this on a Monday there's only one more sleep until all of my people will be home in my house, filling up their hampers, sleeping in their own beds, and asking me what time we're eating.  For that reason,  I'm writing this post early because I know that all five of my favorite things at the end of this week will revolve around food, football, and my boys and that might get annoying.

Since it will be Black Friday when you read this post, I thought I'd take a hint from every other blogger in the universe and give you some gift ideas from Amazon. I really do want to "buy local" and "buy small" and basically "take it to the man", but if I'm honest, Amazon just makes everything so easy, I can't help but shop there most of the time. Amazon Prime is by far the best investment we've made in a long time. It is totally worth the price.

Having said all that, please remember that no one is the boss of you. Not the sales, not the emails screaming at you, not the influencers on Instagram, and certainly not me. 'Kay? Kay.

Here are some of my favorite Amazon purchases this year.

1. Favorite Books from Amazon 

Remember back in the day when we only went to Amazon for books instead of every other thing we needed on the planet? I read some great books, both non-fiction and fiction this year. Here are a few of my favorites that make great gifts.

Tell Me More: Stories about the 12 Hardest Things I'm Learning to Say by Kelly Corrigan is by far my favorite book this year. Everything she writes is perfection. EVERYTHING. This is a great gift book for anyone, but especially for those mamas you know who are in a transition phase with their kiddos. And really it seems like it's all transition, isn't it?

To be honest, I'm not officially finished reading Just Mercy yet, but I can tell you for sure that it is one of the most eye-opening, heart-breaking, important books I have read. The movie based on the book is coming out in December, and I always like to read a book before seeing the movie. 

The Dearly Beloved is the best novel I read this year. Here's what Entertainment Weekly said about it: 

"God and literary fiction don’t always get along; perhaps that’s why Cara Wall’s The Dearly Beloved, a thoughtful debut that follows the lives of two ministers and their wives, feels so galvanizing. Its four characters get equal voice—Charles, son of a rigid academic; Lily, orphaned as a child; James, born into family hardship; Nan, a well-adjusted minister’s daughter—as they go to college, get married, find their callings, and weather tragedies. Wall’s approach is deceptively quiet and stirringly romantic. Here is the power of the novel in its simplest, richest form: bearing intimate witness to human beings grappling with their faith and falling in love. That Wall executes it so beautifully? Well, this is exactly why we read literary fiction...The best book about faith in recent memory.”—ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

Yes, that. 

I know all the cool kids get their recipes online these days, but I still think a cookbook is a great gift. I heard Kelly Minter on a podcast recently discussing her new book, A Place at the Table: Fresh Recipes for Meaningful Gatherings, and it has 100 five star reviews. I think this would make a perfect hostess gift during the holidays. 

2. Favorite Women's Clothing Items from Amazon

If you told me last year that I would be buying clothes off of Amazon, I would have thought you were nuts. Surprisingly, I have found some pretty good quality items at ridiculously good prices at Amazon.

My very favorite is this lace top. I get so many compliments on it every time I wear it and it costs less than $20. It comes in four different colors and now comes in a long sleeve version that would be great for the holidays. 

These joggers are the absolute greatest. They are lightweight and fit perfectly. I have the cropped version, but am hoping to get the longer version for winter. They are unavailable in almost every color in my size, but maybe you'll get lucky. 

In my ongoing quest to find a sweater that doesn't cause me to break out in a very attractive rash, I set my sights this Women's Turtleneck Oversized Sweater Batwing Long Sleeve Pullover Loose Chunky Knit Jumper. 

(Why so many words, Amazon?)

Anyway, it came to me before Thanksgiving and I was hoping so much that it would work, but it just was too itchy for me AGAIN. If your skin isn't a whiny little baby like mine that gets bothered by just about every fabric except for cotton, I recommend this sweater. It fits great - it's roomy without being too boxy. There are lots of solids and stripes to choose from. So cute.

3. Favorite Pajamas from Amazon

I put pajamas in a whole 'nother category from clothing because I am an expert who spends a whole lotta time in them. I have two favorite in the pajamas category. These from Latuzza are my very favorite pre-menopausal summer time pjs. The fabric is so soft and cooling for those times when you wake up in the middle of the night and want to throw all of your bedding and blankets on the floor. They also come in long sleeve and long pants in the same fabric and come in a zillion different colors.

For winter, these are the best of all time. I got them for Christmas last year. They are pretty expensive, but if you want to give a really special gift to someone who enjoys putting on her pjs at 4:00 pm, these are a great idea. 

4. Men's Clothing Ideas from Amazon

I have a husband and two out of three sons who would rather have a tea party with me than go to the mall. And if I'm at the mall, I don't want to spend too much time in the men's department when there is a perfectly lovely Sephora available.

Here's a perfect combination for the men in your life: dad, father-in-law, brother, husband, son, mailman. Whoever. I can tell you this because my man wore this shirt and sweater combination yesterday at Thanksgiving and he looked so handsome. :-)

This Men's Twill Two Pocket Plaid Shirt is only $13.65 today. It is a great shirt to wear alone or with a sweater and comes in 20 different color combinations. If you have UVA or Auburn fan in your life this navy and orange one is perfect. But it worked out pretty well for my Boston University grad as well. 

The Land's End Quarter Zip Sweater in navy pairs perfectly with the navy/orange plaid shirt. It's 100% cotton so isn't too hot or itchy. Today it's only $26.95 and comes in a bunch of solid colors. You see how impressed this dude is with himself? That's how impressed my husband was with himself yesterday. I will say that his confidence went up exponentially once we realized he had spent half the day walking around with the tissue covering the zipper still on it. Pro-tip: go ahead and remove that tissue before you leave the house. 

5. Favorite Cheap Skin Care from Amazon

Ok. Perhaps you want to add a few items to your cart for your own self while you're on the Amazon site because you deserve it, but you don't want to go too crazy. I've found this year that some of the most tried and true products I am using for my skin care now are all drugstore brands. I still have my eye on this Sunday Riley set at Sephora, but I can't seem to stomach using too many expensive products because I just can't tell all that much difference most of the time. You can get most of these things at CVS, Walgreens, or Target, but what's not to love about getting them delivered to your door from Amazon while you sit around in your perfect pajamas from Amazon?

I've mentioned it before and I'll mention it again. It's a mystery to me and I know it sounds super-weird, but the Nivea Crème that is manufactured in Germany that I have only found on Amazon is a game changer. I heard about it from Jamie B. Golden who teaches me all her skincare ways. I'm not ready to tell you that it does something so amazing that I look like I'm 25 years old now. However, I can tell you that it is at least equal to or better than the $80.00 per ounce nighttime moisturizer I used for well over a year AND it costs less than $10.00 for a 13.5 ounce tin. The end.

Thayer's Witch Hazel Facial Toner is my favorite for a bunch of reasons, not the least of which is that it is a huge 12 oz. bottle that costs less than $8.00. It comes in a lot of different scents, but I love the rose petal.

This cleansing oil from Burt's Bees smells great and is the first step in the "double cleanse" that Jamie B. Golden recommends when you're taking off your make-up at night. 

My very own dermatologist who went to medical school and everything told me not to spend a gazillion dollars on facial cleanser. He suggested I use CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser and I can buy it just about anywhere. It only costs around $14.00. Who am I to argue with a dude that went to Cornell? Thank you, Dr. Smarty Pants.

For retinol I think the best bet is a prescription from your own Dr. Smarty Pants, but I like this Rapid Repair Retinol Oil from Neutrogena. Also, besides a medical doctor and Jamie B. Golden do you know who else I won't argue with? 

Jennifer Garner. I'm buying what she's selling. 

Well, that's a wrap! Whether you spend it online or on the couch or in your bed, I hope you have on some cozy pjs today and you have a fabulous Friday and a fun weekend, friends!

Disclosure: The View From Behind Home Plate is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means to earn small fees by linking to amazon.com. Post might contain other affiliate links as well.