Friday Faves

Happy New Year friends!  I have been a little MIA around here mostly on purpose as I tried to enjoy my holidays with family but also squeeze the most productivity into my time off.  I’m proud to say it was a successful break but sadly still have some home projects to finish.  Today I thought I would share some of my favorites from 2017; some personal and some shared by others but all favorites!

Favorite Tutorial

Even though I’m definitely old enough to be Brighton’s mom, I love following her insta-stories because I think she’s a little quirky but totally owns it and that is just such an attractive quality to me.  She also has really great style and a strong faith plus her mom is a shoe designer!  I loved this tutorial she posted via her blog here but also included video.  I love me some dry shampoo and while it works to deal with the greasiness of three day old  hair, I don’t always get the volume.  This has been a game changer!

Favorite Winter Treat

As soon as I pull out the Christmas decorations, I also create a hot cocoa bar for the kids.  I love hot chocolate too but do not like all the sugar or the calories.  Enter this Fed and Fit cocoa recipe using Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides and some other more natural ingredients and I feel like I’m able to indulge a little but also win with some protein in my chocolaty drink!  You can get all the details by heading to Cassy Joy’s post.  I mix mine with almond milk and have been using my Oster Blender to mix it after heating the milk in the microwave and it comes out perfectly frothy!  Yum!  I’ve been adding a scoop of the flavorless collagen to my coffee every morning too as it is tasteless.

Favorite Purchases

Camo|Utility Pants | Side Slit Tee | Clutch | Booties | OTK Boots | Scarf (similar same weight) | Leggings

All of these items were definite winners for me in 2017 and they are all still available!  I love pieces which easily cross seasons and are versatile enough to dress up or down and all of these have been able to fit into my working girl wardrobe except for the leggings!  And honestly with a great tunic I could probably even pull those off for casual Friday but they work equally as well for hitting the gym.   I’m sure they make my booty look JUST like the model too!  Ha!  The clutch has probably been one of my favorite pieces to add some fun to an outfit and it is so popular it is once again out of stock until March 1st.  BUT, launching today is this camo clutch! How fun!

Favorite Collaboration

Being able to join The Blended Blog as a contributor has been so much fun!  I have so enjoyed getting to know these ladies better and can hardly wait until we meet in person!  So much support in this group!  You should definitely hop over today and link up your loves!

Favorite House Project

We did ALOT around our house in 2017 and all I can say is FINALLY!  I have been slowly trying to paint this house myself for the past 14 years without much success because; one not enough time and two I suck at being a painter!  Everything but our bedroom has now been painted including woodwork and ceilings and it looks so much fresher.  I shared our living room project and while we do love it so much, the built in below is my very favorite!  I dreamed about this forever.

This piece transformed our breakfast area which is the first thing I see when I walk in from work every day. I hope to have a before and after with more details and better pictures up soon

A really close second would be our entry hall which received updated wallpaper along with a repainted piece of furniture.  I can’t wait to share the transformation with you guys as soon as I finish the gallery wall and have all the little bits and pieces tied together.

Favorite Kitchen Tool

I have a post in mind to share my favorite kitchen tools but hands down in 2017 the Instant Pot was my very favorite!  Why?  Umm, chicken cooking in 12 minutes is a pretty big win for me but I also really feel the meat I’ve cooked thus far is just juicier and more flavorful than when I use my slow cooker.  I also love that I can saute my onions or bacon or whatever right in the pot as well as brown my meat so less dishes to clean.  I will work on sharing my favorite recipes if that would be of interest.  I have gotten fairly well versed in using it now and have been able to easily convert some of our favorite recipes from the slow cooker on my own.   New Years day I even made our black eyed peas in 45 minutes!

I have so many great ideas for post in 2018 and can hardly wait to share with you!  Creating an editorial schedule is top on my list as soon as I knock out the final touches on our house this weekend and have the kids bedrooms put back together.  If you have been following my insta-stories you know what I’m talking about….all the crazy!

Oh!  I almost forgot!  If you are a regular reader you have for sure seen my friend Holly around here!  She blogged previously at While I’m Waiting but in the New Year, new you spirit she has launched her brand new blog, Coordinator of Chaos, so head on over and give it a read!

If you missed these 2017 reviews or our Holiday recap you can catch them all below!

2017 Fave Blog Posts

2017 Outfits in Review

Holiday Recap

Happy 1st Friday of 2018!  Make it count!

The links in this post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on the link(s) and purchase an item (at no additional cost to you), I may earn a small commission.  Thank you for helping to support  The Queen in Between blog