So today is Friday, which means TOMORROW I board a plane and head off to Hawaii with 2 of my close girlfriends and one of their hubby’s. AHHHH! This trip snuck up so fast, granted I know we only booked it 2 weeks ago. All of that being said, I have a suitcase that still needs packing, toes that need painting, and a whole lot of planning that needs to happen in 24 hours, so this Friday Favorites will be a little different! Today I want to ask YOU to share with ME your Friday Favorites! I have had a list going for too long of things that I would love to hear that other’s love, so please, take this week to go through this list and pick an item or two (or all!!) and comment below with what your favorite is! (Or as always, you are welcome to email me at trialsbringjoy (at) gmail (dot) com.) I can’t wait to hear what you have to share!
- Favorite Mascara – I feeling like I can never find something that doesn’t flake too quickly but still adds volume. Whatcha got!?
- Favorite Book (fiction) – What’s a great book that you have read recently? I need some new authors!
- Favorite Book (non-fiction) – What are you reading that is teaching you a lot? I love Christian growth books and am starting to wind down on my to-read list. Build it back up!
- Favorite TV Show to Netflix – I am planning on starting on season 1 of Scandal on the plane tomorrow, as I have heard so many things about how good this show is. That being said, I know there have to be other network tv shows that I have completely missed out on. Share what’s good! (And nothing too racy or profane please!)
- Favorite Grilling Recipe – We just pulled our grill out for the season and I can’t WAIT to cook on it every night! What’s a favorite recipe you have where you just need the grill? A side? A main dish? Send anything over!
- Favorite Essential Oil Combo – I know there are a lot of you out there who use Young Living Oils (or another brand). I adore diffusing mine and am always looking for a great, refreshing mix. I have been mixing orange + peppermint all week and am crushing on that big time. What do you like to mix!?
- Favorite Meme – I am always looking for new funnies to include! Be sure to email me hilarious ones you come across!
- Favorite Game – Josh and I like to play games at night and we are a little Yam-Slammed, Phase 10, and Golf-ed out. What’s another easy and fun card game we could learn?
SOOOO excited to hear what you guys come up with and share!
On a celebratory note …. guess who turned NINE on Monday!? Our sweet little Cali girl! NINE! I know. *faints*. I was feeling nervous as that number continues to creep up and took her in to the vet this week for an annual check-up, just to make sure things are looking good. GREAT NEWS! She’s a rock star and beyond healthy, so this Mama (and Dad!) are feeling super relieved to know she’s “in her prime” and has a long long life ahead of her still.
Okay and I can’t leave you without some funnies!!
Other than a Guest Blog post next week, I won’t be around too much on here which on vacation, however, I can’t wait to check back with you when I return! Until then, this girl is about to get her beach on in the gorgeous island of Kauai.
Me ka aloha pumehana! (Yeah, no I have no clue what this means, Google just told me it’s appropriate for a goodbye statement.)
Trials Bring Joy 
Kauai was my absolute favorite island!! My husband and I went to three Hawaiian islands for our honeymoon. If you can, definitely take the catamaran tour of the Napali Coast. It was one of the most incredible things I’ve ever seen and one of the most amazing on the honeymoon. And I wish I could remember the name of the place, but there is one little hole-in-the-wall fish taco restaurant that is insanely popular there, right off the main road, and they are THE BEST. Go! And keep an eye out for those crazy Kauai chickens! LOL.
And I am a mascara fanatic so my suggestions are Bare Minerals Lash Domination, Fresh (my all-time favorite, keeps your lashes so soft but so big!) and Dior. All around $25 range.
The chickens! Omg! I would never have understood that comment like I do now! Hahah! We had such an amazing time and the Napali coast was incredible! I ate so many fish tacos (YUM!) and miss the culture already!!! Thanks for the mascara suggestion too! I must check that out! Love the soft + big balance!!!! Xoxox!
LOL. The chickens are everywhere right?! When we were on our honeymoon we decided to get a magnet for every island we went to that “spoke” to our experience on that island and our Kauai magnet is great big chicken! :) Glad you had fun!!
Have fun on your trip! The card game I absolutely love to play is Dutch Blitz but you can’t really find it in stores and will likely have to order it online. Soooo much fun! I took it on a women’s retreat a few weeks ago and by the end of the week almost everyone was playing it! http://www.amazon.com/Dutch-Blitz-201/dp/B000BBU0KS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1429886562&sr=8-1&keywords=dutch+blitz+card+game
Dutch Blitz! I TOTALLY forgot about that game! Haven’t played it in 10+ years …. Yes!!!!! Thanks Charity for this reminder! ;)
» Favorite Mascara – LOVE me some Mary Kay mascara. I was never really a big user of their products but their mascara is amazing and it’s less than $10…and I don’t say that lightly at all!
» Favorite Book (fiction) – Flat Out Love by Jessica Park. It’s a really eccentric book but a great read! It’s more on the Teen Fiction side (because I read a ton since I teach seventh grade) and is probably more appropriate for high school…but it’s an amazing book.
» Favorite TV Show to Netflix – One Tree Hill and Gilmore Girls. Got sucked into One Tree Hill and after that it was a done deal.
I hope you have an amazing trip! Sounds like such FUN TIMEEEE! So cool that you can take the time and go do something amazing with your girlfriends in Hawaii! I will be taking a short girls trip to Dallas, Texas in a few weeks! Have a great time!
I always forget about Mary Kay! I’m glad you reminded me!!!! And I love teen fiction books too so I need to check that out. :) GILMORE GIRLS is my favorite everrrrrrr and I cranked through OTH in about a month 2 winters ago haha. We so are alike. Enjoy your girls trip to Dallas!!!! What a blast!!! Xoxox!
Have a great trip!!!!
Mascara-maybelline mega plush volume. Anything maybelline really. The rocket is also one of my go-toos
Book – before I go to sleep is my newest read.
Meme – gosh I love memes.
Ugh! I can’t post pics! Boo
Totally checking out this mascara!!! And I will look into that book, I think I have had it suggested before! Email me the memes! I can’t pass up a good meme! :)
Have a wonderful trip to the Islands! :)
Thank you! My reply is delayed but I can now say it was incredible! :)
So so so awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Have so much fun!
Loreal Telescopic! It’s AMAZING!!!!!
When God Weeps. Everything Bitter Thing is Sweet. Any Nicholas Sparks book (ha)!
Thanks friend! We did! And I just got that EBTIS books and need to start it! Have heard amazing things! That mascara is on my list to try now and I still need to order when God weeps …. You rock, thanks friend!
Oooooh love this post! So, here are some of my answers
Favorite Mascara – Dior Show. My eyelashes are really short and thin, and I’m sticking to this brand for 10 years now!
Favorite Book (fiction) – “sealed with a xmas kiss” by rachael lucas, books by paige toons, carole matthews, trisha ashley, jane green, “sleigh bells in the snow” by sarah morgan etc… Ok, they’re all checklist but if you want more, i’m on goodreads, aka Damelapin ;)
Favorite TV Show to Netflix – Suits!!! So yummy^^ Also arrow & the big bang theory (I don’t know what else you’ve got on the us netflix)
Favorite Game – Do you know Cranium Black? Do you have it? It’s fantastic to play when you have like a diner party.
Reading all these favorites made me giddy!!! Can’t wait to try this mascara, sounds like you’re a huge fan and I love that! I am going to look into all those books / I think Jane Green is the only one I’ve read so far and I love all her stuff! Need to get on my TV show game and will have to check that game out too!!! You rock!
Have a wonderful, relaxing, fun trip! One of my favorite oil combinations is orange/peace and calming. Thieves and orange is a good mix too when you want to get rid of sickies!!! :)
Thieves + orange is on my list for tomorrow! YUM! Thanks lady!!! Xox!
Yayayay! Enjoy!
Ek! Thank you! It was so much fun – can’t believe it’s over!!
my favorite Netflix are White Collar and Flashpoint!! Have a woonderful trip :)
I need to check those both out!!! Thank you!!! :)
Fiction books: “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society”, “The Memory Keepers Daughter, “The Husband’s Secret” and “The Fault in our Stars”. I have also had “The Rosie Project” and “Me Before You” recommended to me by multiple people and am about to start reading them.
Non Fiction books: “Crazy Love” by Francis Chan, “Adopted for Life” by Russell Moore, “7” by Jen Hatmaker, “7 men” by Eric Metaxas and “Run Baby Run” by Nicky Cruz (be warned, this one is a bit violent in places but an amazing testimony).
Tv Shows: I don’t know what you guys get on Netflix, with me being in Australia and all (would you believe we have only just gotten Netflix in Australia in the past few weeks??), but I wrote a post on all my favourite tv shows the other day- perhaps you may like one of them? http://www.thesweetsurrenderblog.com/2015/04/square-eyes.html
Games- how about Loot or Saboteur? You may have to buy them online but we love playing both of them (but I think you need more than 2 players for both) :) Or Boggle Slam is a good two player game :)
The Rosie Project!!! I’m so excited you said that! I had it in my Amazon wish list cart randomly but have never heard a single thing about it so passed on it. Now I know to look for it again! :) Thanks for all these awesome recommendations too!!! I know from some overlaps that we have similar taste. Yay! I will def check out your blog post on those favorite shows / how fun!!! And those games are all new to me but I will be looking into them for sure! So much great stuff shared! Thanks!!!! :)
Hope you have a wonderful time on your trip.
A question for fellow infertiles who dream of escaping to places like Hawaii. Do you have a savings plan or strategies for saving money to allow for fertility treatment and trips on one person’s salary? We also are thinking we may need to go down to one salary. How did you come to this decision and do you do anything special to help it all work out?
Mascara- Good ol’ Loreal Voluminous. Every time I try something else I go back. It is the only drugstore makeup item i own. For real.
Game- Husband and I like mancala because I am anxious at all times and it soothes me, also it’s for 2 players so it doesn’t get boring if you don’t have friends over.
I have really bad taste in books and TV, so I’m not going to inflict that on you.
Yahoo!! Yes!!! I love these new suggestions and will get right on it!! This is great! Thanks girl!