Friday Favorites

Happy Friday, Friends!  I am linking up with Andrea from Momfessionals, and her friends, for the writing of this blog post.  By the way, if you don't ever do this, now is a fun time to go to her blog and look at all the other link ups.  I have found that people post about their homes at this time of year, and you know that is one of my favorite things to do...look at people's homes.  :)  Call me nosy or a wannabe decorator, I just love looking around and being inspired. 

Speaking of people writing about their homes, click here and read my post from yesterday, called "come on in...". 

It has been a stellar week for me.  The weather has been my favorite, which is cold and slightly dreary, and I've made some great dinners, which is a favorite for all the men in this house.  I call that a win.  I had mentioned that I was in a cooking rut this week, but I totally forgot that we bought a whole ham from Costco on Sunday.  Jonah and Noah LOVE ham at Thanksgiving, and this year, nobody made one.  I'm laughing, because I had NO IDEA they loved ham so much.  So we bought this with them in mind.  I made it for dinner on Tuesday night, along with some potatoes, green beans and leftover potato salad.  Last night I made a giant pot of chicken tortilla soup, and tonight I'm making my boys their favorite homemade mac and cheese that I've made for years, and we'll be adding in some of that leftover ham.

I also have some actual favorite THINGS to write about this week, which is unusual. 

First up is this song, and this entire album, both of which are my current favorites.  I actually wrote out some of the lyrics from this song in yesterday's post.  In all the lovely that this time of year brings, I never want to get carried away with all that stuff.  Jesus is the reason why we even celebrate, and I want to keep Him front and center in my mind and in my heart, where He deserves to be.  Some of the words from this song are a great reminder for me.  Like I said, go visit yesterday's post (click here) and read for yourself.

I posted about this earlier in the week, but it's totally worth mentioning again.  I buy all my candles, hand soaps and body lotions from HomeGoods.  This candle smells AMAZING.  I have burned it for two straight days, and there is still a lot left.  I actually burn my candles all the way down to nothing, believe it or not.  I love them and I love smell good things and for my home to feel (and look and smell) warm and cozy and inviting, so candles are a great, inexpensive way to accomplish that.  This is my current favorite candle. 

I'll share one from last year, too, that I am still enjoying.  It is also from HomeGoods. 

This was part of my Christmas gift from my mom last year, and there is still some left.  I love this jar and will keep it forever.  The same is true with the green one above.  Candles are one of my favorite things to gift to people and to receive as gifts. 

I dropped off some library books earlier in the week one day, and the day was dreary and cold.  Remember how I mentioned that it's my favorite kind of day?  I took this picture to document it.  I love all the trees surrounding the library.  They look like Christmas trees.  

I started this book around three o'clock yesterday afternoon.  I finished it by nine thirty last night.  Everyone who knows me knows how much I love to read, and the book has to grab me from page one, or I can't get into it.  I know, I know, people say give it a few chapters, but rarely does that help, if the beginning is boring.  I have read books by Fern Michaels before, but I totally forgot how much I love her style of writing.  I can almost see what she writes, her words are so clear and descriptive.  More than I love to read regular books, I LOVE to read Christmas books, and this one is currently in the running for one of my favorite books of the ENTIRE YEAR.  You read that right.  I loved it that much.  

I've been keeping track of what I have read all year, and only a few books so far were so good that I put asterisks beside.  This was one that got several.  If you're like me and love to read, check this one out.  

Here are my other books from my library run the other day.  I'll be starting that top one today at some point.  

 I have so loved all the scripture writing this month!  I completed two plans, one from Spiritually Hungry and one from Sweet Blessings, and they were both so good.  These verses are from one of those plans.  I loved the mentioning of singing to the Lord.  I love to sing praises to God, and am in choir at my church, so this stuck out to me.  I have been singing a lot this week, as I've listened to our music over and over to learn it before our Christmas Night of Praise this Sunday night at my church.  If you're local to me, I'd love to invite you!  The music is new and different this year, but all the songs are easy to learn and sing along with us.  It starts at six o'clock, is free, and is at Collierville First Baptist Church.  It's all singing on this night, and I promise you that you will leave with a lightened heart.  Come join us!  

That about wraps it up for this week.  Thank you for reading my blog!  I hope your weekend is wonderful.  Love to all!