Friday Favorites

Happy Friday, friends! I hope it's been a good one for you. This week has been an interesting one for us with some crazy weather and being without power at our house. It could always be a lot worse but it doesn't necessarily make things easy. We were out for three days and it kind of felt like a lifetime.

I will be traveling to Charleston for a girls trip next week so it will be a little quiet around here. I contemplated scheduling posts out but to be honest, I like to check up when a post goes live and read comments as they come through, schedule pins, and all that good stuff. I just don't feel like I could give my attention to things while I'm away. I also want to focus on disconnecting a bit and spending time with friends. A quick break will be a nice treat. I'm hopeful that you who enjoy this little space of mine will visit when I get back. I also have some exciting and fun things to share in the next few weeks to come and I'm sure I will be sharing some of our trip on my insta stories (@beautifully_candid) if you'd like to follow along there.

Here's a look at some of my favorites from the week...

1. Muffins with mom: last week I got to enjoy muffins with mom with my two favorite little boys. I was so thankful that their school staggered the times so that mother's with more than one child could spend time with each of them. I got so spoiled with tons of hugs and kisses, adorable crafts, tasty treats, and my boys really know how to make me feel like a million dollars with their sweet compliments and telling me how much they love me. I really am so blessed and I even teared up at some points. And don't mind these selfies, I am the worst at them and my arms just are not long enough.

2. Mother's day: I woke up to snuggles in my bed and sweet kisses from my little nuggets. It was mine and Eric's week to teach Sunday school so we started our day off with twelve little three year olds who were so well behaved and so sweet. It's usually not always like that, so it was a nice surprise. After church we met my sister, brother, mom, and in-laws out for brunch at a local place called Pig and Prince. It's a pretty cool spot that was an old train station that they renovated into a restaurant. Unfortunately it rained all day so our plans of going to a park afterwards and spending time outside just didn't happen. We did stop by a greenhouse on the way home because they boys wanted to pick me out flowers. I think little nugget missed the memo that we weren't supposed to actually pick the flowers. Uh oh.

3. Master's degree: I don't like to come off as bragging but I can't help being proud of Eric. Seriously, I don't think there is anything my husband can't do. I am so appreciative of his hard work, constant drive, and always thinking outside of the box. Last week he completed his finals and got his final grades which earned him his Master's degree in Clinical Research Organization and Management from Drexel. On Friday during my lunch break, I snuck home to put up some decorations and picked up some of the tastiest pizzas to celebrate. I heard about this local place that does these crazy combinations and is also famous for their dessert pizzas. Well they did not disappoint. His favorite is cannoli so that was the top choice for a dessert pizza and we all loved it! We beat him home that day (he had no idea I was doing this) and all hid under the kitchen table and jumped out and yelled surprise when he came home. It was so cute because little nugget kept saying it was daddy's birthday and then when we kept saying it was for his graduation, he would say, oh his congratulations.

4. Mom boss: I got to attend an event with one of my fellow NJ mom bloggers/influencers at a local department store. It was so nice to meet Karen from Paris and a Latte in person. We have been insta friends for a while now and it's always nice to connect with others and show support. Plus who doesn't love to do a little shopping and get some goodies.

5. Day in the life: in case you missed it, we had our girl chat link up yesterday for May where we shared a day in the life. Of course the day I picked to document our day was when a storm hit and we lost power. It just goes to show that things can happen at anytime and such is life. I am hoping to put together another one of these at some point and hopefully it will be more of a typical day at our house with no shortage of power.

I hope everyone has a great weekend!! I look forward to catching up with everyone when I get back. Here's where you can find me linking for all the link up fun.

Mother's Day Gift Ideas

Thank you to Jane.com for sponsoring this post. All opinions remain my own. 

I can't believe that we are almost a month out until Mother's Day. Time seriously feels like it is flying on by and I wish there was a way I could make it slow down just a little. If there's one thing I've learned over the years, it's to be better prepared when it comes to gift giving. I've caught myself in too many situations where I waited last minute to get things and ended up buying something I didn't  have in mind or what I really wanted to give.

The best thing I have done for myself is to pick up things as I see them and stash them away for the occasion. It has really changed things for me and has taken off so much pressure when it comes time to gift giving. When I came across Jane.com I knew I loved the sound of it. If you aren't familiar with them, they're a website that has new boutique deals that happen daily and items that are a fraction of the price. They have everything from home decor, kids, women, beauty and wellness, and a lot of other fun finds.

Mother's Day has become such a special time for me. Not only is it the chance for me to celebrate the day with my boys, but also to share them with my mom and others. I know this day can also be incredibly sad so for many but it has really put things into perspective for me and knowing how precious life can be.

The older my boys get the more I want them to focus on giving and doing things for others. When I asked them what could they do to make this Mother's Day extra special? A spoke on behalf of both of them and said, I know! We could put on a concert. I chuckled for moment, but realized how serious they were and after thinking about it, I thought it was a great idea. They took out their guitars and decided to practice for me. Their sweet little voices filled the room and they made up some of the silliest songs that we all ended up laughing along to. I'm sure my mom and mother in-law will love to hear this concert on Mother's Day.

When I thought about what I could give the special women in my life, I looked for things that had meaning to them and what I thought they would really enjoy. This necklace that says love & be loved really caught my eye and was something I decided to get both my mom and I so we could match. I also loved this prayer journal with the perfect verse to empower us women. My mother in-law has a beach house that we visit a lot over the summer so when I saw these personalized beach bags and a pineapple necklace, I knew it was perfect for her. I couldn't help but treat myself a little early something as well. These blush moccasins were too good to pass up and you all know how I have been on a blush kick lately.

Not only is it a special day to celebrate our mothers but also all of the influential women in our lives. Here's to making every woman feel special on Mother's Day.