Since it’s Friday, you know we must keep things consistent around here and dive into your usual Things I’m Loving Friday post where we all chat about the things that make us smile each week. Below you will find a short list of the things I’m currently loving (plus a holiday giveaway!) and I’d love for you to join in the fun in the comments section!
Have a great weekend, my friends!
Things I’m Loving Friday
- Chase’s Four Month Checkup
On Monday, we headed into Chase’s pediatrician’s office for his four-month checkup. Everything is lookin’ good and I left feeling a million times better about everything from Chase’s small size to his less-than-stellar naps, challenging breastfeeding sessions (he’s so easily distracted!) and the fact that he’s still waking up to feed two times a night.
(He loves pulling my hair whenever I wear it down! Check out that handful!)
It is so incredibly easy to second guess everything about yourself as a parent when you’re a mom and having our doctor tell me Chase is doing great and I am not failing at life was so helpful. Chase also seems to be growing like crazy… Though he is still under 13 pounds, he has more than doubled his birth weight and is in the 78th percentile for his height. (What!?) According to my mother-in-law, Chase’s light weight and long little body are so similar to Ryan as a baby. When he’s awake, Chase doesn’t stop moving and absolutely loves to push off everything and be held standing up at all times. Our pediatrician commented on Chase’s activity level and said he’s clearly a determined little mover. We have a playful little dude on our hands, that’s for sure!
My thoughtful friend Merri brought this advent calendar with her as a special holiday gift for us when she came to visit last month and it’s easily the best advent calendar I’ve ever seen! Each day is filled with a chocolate surprise, but they aren’t your basic small chocolate squares. The treats range from chocolate-covered pretzel bites to chocolate-covered Oreos and sea salt caramels. They’re absolutely delicious. Thanks, Mer!
- Coconut Oil Peppermint Bark
A couple of days ago, I had a serious craving for something sweet and whipped up a batch of peppermint bark in the kitchen using only coconut oil, cocoa powder, peppermint extract and maple syrup and it was AWESOME. I’ll definitely share this one with you guys soon! It was so easy and a perfect festive treat! In the meantime, if you’re hoping to making peppermint bark this weekend check out this tasty throwback recipe: Peppermint Bark.
I don’t know how they do it, but month after month Fabletics somehow debuts new adorable workout apparel that I always seem to love. These black ice capris from their December collection are fantastic! Though I love funky patterns and vibrant colors on my workout capris and leggings, black bottoms will always be my favorite, so I love this take on simple black bottoms. You get a little spice and variety but keep the simple, flattering look of black workout bottoms.
- Candied Pecan Chex Mix
I have been on a Chex mix fix lately! I made another batch of Chex mix this week and it was wonderful! I followed Gimme Some Oven’s recipe for Candied Pecan Chex Mix and could not stop eating it. (I omitted the pretzels simply because we didn’t have any on hand and I also added almonds.) Ryan also gave it rave reviews. So good!
- Of Possible Interest
** Apparently the code I shared on my White Plum Giveaway post earlier this week wasn’t working for the first few hours but it’s back in action! You may use the code PBGIVE25 to receive 25% off everything from White Plum through December 15! And there’s still time to enter my giveaway!
** 14 Healthy Sweet Potato Recipes (Can’t get enough of them lately!)
** Interesting infographic about brands working with bloggers
** The PickFit app is giving away $75 Rent the Runway gift certificates! To be entered to win, post your outfit picture to Facebook or Twitter with the hashtag #PickfitRTR!
- Minted Holiday Cards + Giveaway
Our holiday cards arrived on Tuesday this week! I love the way they turned out and can’t wait to send them to our closest friends and family. Like last year, we ordered them through Minted, though this year Minted offered to collaborate with me and extend an awesome giveaway to you guys, too! If you are hoping to order holiday cards and haven’t done so yet, definitely check out Minted! Their designs are absolutely gorgeous and you can order everything from letterpress holiday cards to foil pressed designs (<—we did this last year!), all uniquely created by independent artists.
From the gorgeous fonts, quality paper and beautiful designs, you cannot go wrong with Minted holiday cards. (And they also have awesome gifts! I ordered this foil collage with photos of Chase for Ryan for Christmas… And made him promise not to read this post today!) Now that I’ve professed my love for Minted, I think we should get to that giveaway I mentioned above…
Three PBF readers will win a $100 credit to Minted to use toward their holiday cards!
To enter this giveaway, please click here to enter on Minted.com and leave a comment on this blog post telling me about one thing you are looking forward to this holiday season. We will randomly select three winners on Monday so you can order your cards ASAP!
Good luck!
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I can’t wait to spend an entire uninterrupted day sitting around the fire with my family!
I’m looking forward to spending time with family 🙂
I’m looking forward to spending time with my family!
Looking forward to my son being home from college 🙂
I’m excited because my mom and dad will see our new home for the first time!
I am looking forward to spending the holidays with my Husband and 16 month old. She was so young last year at Christmas, it is so exciting to see all the wonder through her eyes.
Looking forward to flying back to NY to see my family and all of our holiday traditions!
the parties! I love how festive everything is, and that includes gathering for family, work and friends.
I love holiday baking! I really love giving home made gifts for the holiday’s as I feel they mean so much more and are baked with love! I am making my mom’s famous pumpkin roll as gifts this year! It makes the house smell amazing!
I Can’t wait for my little man Jude (15 months) to play with his cousins over Christmas break!
I’m excited to spend Christmas with my family and baby niece. It’s also my husband and my last Christmas as a family of two! I’m excited to start new traditions we can share with our son next year!
Looking forward to spending some quality family time!
This is our first Xmas with our sweet 1 month old baby so everything seems extra special/exciting this trade!
Looking forward to some extra time off to work on our new house and spending quality time with family!
My husband and I got married 7.5 years ago and had our daughter 7 months ago and this will be our first christmas at home as a family. I’m excited about starting our own family traditions
I can’t wait for my first Christmas engaged ?
I’m looking forward to spending time with my extended family before I move to London with my husband & son on January 7.
I’m looking forward to traveling to Portland, OR to visit my husband’s family! And also trying that Coconut Oil Peppermint Bark 😉
Chase is too cute! I’m looking forward to watching It’s a Wonderful Life at the Music Box theatre in Chicago next week 🙂
I love going to the Christmas Eve service at church and then going home to eat dinner with family!
I can’t wait to go to Waffle House with my family on Christmas day! It is a family tradition!
The one thing I am looking forward to most is … rest. I work 100+ hour weeks this time of year and it IS ALL VOLUNTEERING.
Cannot believe how fast Chase has grown into a baby boy from an infant … and love how Sadie is on the cards — I do the same thing with my Peaches and Luna!
I’m looking forward to all the yummy food and time off work to spend with my boys.
I’m looking forward to spending the holidays with my family and friends!
I am looking forward to my sister and her fiancé coming home from Brazil to visit over the holiday!
relaxing!! and celebrating my baby’s first christmas! 🙂
I just moved to Nashville so I am looking forward to going home to Florida and spending some time with the family 🙂
Celebrating with my little one (2 months old!) and family. And watching home alone!
I’m looking forward to food and family!
Your little guy is so cute! My little boy just turned 10 weeks on Friday and I cannot believe how fast time is flying by!! I’m looking forward to celebrating his 1st Christmas this holiday season as well as my annual cookie baking day with my mom 🙂
I am looking forward to spending lots of time with my husband, family, and friends!
Great giveaway! I’m looking forward to settling on our 1st home and having family visit us for a change!
I am looking forward to family being together on Christmas eve!
I am really looking forward to brining our puppy home to my parent’s home to celebrate Christmas with us. 🙂 It will be quite the experience 🙂
I’m looking forward to a weeklong trip to Savannah with my husband after spending Christmas with our 8 year old. We still have the Christmas magic (Santa), so trying to soak up all those moments while we can.
Seeing family. All of my family, but especially my cousin’s little girls. They are my favorite tiny humans on the planet!
I’m looking forward to seeing all my family!
i am SO looking forward to going home to see my family, visiting my pregnant cousin, and going wedding dress shopping with my sister and mum!
I’m looking forward to seeing my daughter, Charlotte open her gifts on Christmas morning! She was just over a month and a half old last year so she slept for the majority of the day 🙂
Looking forward to spend time with my family!
I can’t wait to have my parents and in-laws see my 5 month old son for the second time in his life!
I am looking forward to time with family and friends!
I am looking forward to going my husband and daughter their gifts. I am also excited to go see the lights in the square this weekend. 🙂
Looking forward to watching my 18 month old enjoy Christmas this year!