Friday Favorites~a weekly series where we share our favorite books, decor, fashion finds, recipes, podcasts, articles and more.
FRIDAY FAVORITES NO. 611
Good morning friends, happy Friday friends. How was your week?
It was a busy one here catching up on projects and with the contractors. Because we are having a lot of electrical work done we are taking the time to update a few things we don’t like, moving outlets and adding fire alarms. It’s hard to believe but we only have 2 in the entire house and one fell off the ceiling during the construction. Thankfully now there is one in every room.
We are making progress, but it is slow. It’s all good though.
Aside from that the weather has been gray, rainy and cold, so it has been nice to stay inside and get cosy after a day of work.
What about you? What did you do this week?
As always I have lots to share so let’s get to Friday Favorites.
FOOD
Thanksgiving is not far off and there will be a lot of cooking on the big day. So today I am sharing easy breakfast recipes to make for your guests.
Croissant Breakfast Casserole With Bacon & Gruyere,yes please! I am not usually a breakfast fan but I would definitely enjoy this.
Savory French toast rollups, with a little cheese, a little bacon and of course eggs and toast.
Creamy sausage and hash brown casserole, is right up my alley, because I LOVE potatoes.
Easy pumpkin scones are a great addition to your Thanksgiving weekend menu.
LINKS TO READ+WATCH+LISTEN
20 Grocery Store Dark Chocolate Bars, Ranked Worst To Best
The VA says it can’t help thousands of vets it left stranded.
The Families Torn Apart When Adult Children Decide to Go ‘No Contact’
How Big Toliet Paper Dupes Us All
She Was an Education Superstar. Then She Got Blamed for America’s Reading Crisis.
How Fences Affect the Worlds Wildlife
The Rise of CleanTok: Is the Pressure to Have Perfect Homes Making Us Ill?
BOOKS
Is it just me or does anyone else love to snuggle up with a cup of cocoa and a pile of Christmas books? Add one or two of these to your weekend or holiday stack and enjoy a little downtime.
The Merry Matchmaker
Inspired by Jane Austen’s Emma, this joyful Christmas romp tells the story of a woman who can’t stop trying to help everyone around her find their happily-ever-after—even when her help leads to disaster.
Frankie Lane knows what’s best for just about everyone but herself. Her divorced sister, Stef, who is too young to give up on love; her shy employee, Elinor; and her daughter, Natalie, who works in Frankie’s shop, Holiday Happiness, and really needs to start her own business selling the delectable chocolates she makes at home; even her best friend, Viola, who is trying to renovate her old Victorian. Frankie knows she could help all of them, if they’d just let her—and if all of her help didn’t end in utter disaster.Â
Then there’s Mitch Howard, the owner of the local hardware store. They’ve been friends ever since Frankie opened her store, nine years earlier. He got her through the nightmare when she lost her husband in a freak accident, and he’s her favorite shoulder to cry on. He’s been divorced for years, and it’s such a waste of man! Mitch is the fittest, finest man Frankie knows. He’s easygoing, wise and kindhearted. Mitch needs someone. And she’s determined to help him find that someone—whether he likes it or not.
The Christmas Inn
A feel-good novel as delightful and comforting as a cup of hot chocolate on a cold winter’s night, The Christmas Inn is bestselling author Pamela Kelley’s most heartwarming and magical book yet.
Riley Sanders didn’t plan on losing her job as a content marketing manager right before Christmas. When she calls her sister Amy to vent, she learns that their mother has broken her leg and could really use some help at the inn. Riley decides to head home to the inn, nestled along the shores of Cape Cod, in time for the Christmas rush. She is happy to help and needs something to distract her as mistletoe is hung and snowflakes begin to fall.
When she gets there, she not only finds delicious cookies and a crackling fire to lift her spirits, but also the sense of family she’s been missing all along. There’s Franny, a woman who has just lost her sister and has four unopened letters from her that she plans to use to open her up to new experiences on the Cape. And there’s Aidan, her high school sweetheart, now a widower, who is staying at the inn with his nine year-old son, Luke. What begins as a quick stay over the holidays to help her mom turns into something that means much more—a second chance at romance, a deeper sense of found family, and all the joy and wonder that comes with Christmastime on Cape Cod.
The December Market
Amanda Taylor isn’t a fan of Christmas, but as the owner of a local soap shop, ignoring the holiday season isn’t an option. To forget the pain of Christmases past, Amanda focuses on making the season bright for her customers at the Shelter Springs Holiday Giving Market. But when her beloved grandmother, Birdie, starts dating the dashing new resident of the Shelter Inn retirement community, Amanda smells trouble. Fortunately, Rafe Arredondo, the grandson of Birdie’s charming suitor, is equally dubious of the match. Unfortunately, he’s just as fiery as his grandfather—and Amanda has zero interest in getting burned.
As a single father, paramedic and assistant fire chief, Rafe has more than enough on his plate. Sure, he and Amanda share a common goal in keeping their grandparents apart. Still, that doesn’t mean he should allow himself to feel as drawn to her as he does. Even if she is great with his young son. Even if she does help the burden of his own painful past feel a little lighter… But when their paths keep crossing at the holiday market, it starts to feel like fate, prompting them both to wonder if taking a chance on love might gift them everything they’ve been wishing for.
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Shopping Break~Outfit of the Day
Brown is apparently the new black and it having a moment in the fashion world. Honestly, I’ve always loved brown, it is a less harsh color than black and goes with almost all skin tones. Not to mention it reminds me of hot chocolate.
Today I paired a pair of very jeans with a white t-shirt, comfy blue sweater and this fabulous plaid jacket. Add your boots, bag, spritz of perfume and a few bracelets and you look classic, casual and beautiful.
UNTIL TOMORROW
What are your weekend plans?
What made you happy this week?
Have You Started Planning Your Thanksgiving Menu?
I hope you enjoyed the recipes, links and books I discovered this week on Friday Favorites. Thank you for spending part of your day with me, your time is valuable and I am grateful that you spend a little of each day with me. Â Have a wonderful weekend.
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Don’t forget that Kim, Juliet and I will be back tomorrow on Weekend Meanderings!
If you have missed a Friday Favorites post you can find them all here.
This post contains affiliate links, if you make a purchase I will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you choose to purchase after clicking a link, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Â
