Things I’m Loving Friday #118

Good morning! How is your Friday going so far? The thing on everyone’s minds over here is SNOW!! Schools are closed, flights have been canceled and Charlotte is gearing up for what is supposed to be a rather intense winter storm. I hope everyone is staying safe out there!

As for the weekend ahead, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t absolutely psyched to share that we have NO plans on our agenda. With the promise of snow and ice in the forecast, we aren’t planning too much and I think we are way overdue for a slow-paced weekend with no commitments, so that suits me just fine. Weekends with no plans at all are some of the best weekends around here, so I am really looking forward to simply hanging around the house with my little family.

But before I sign off for the day, I must keep our weekly tradition alive and dive into your usual Things I’m Loving Friday post where we all chat about what we’re loving most each week. As always, feel free to chime in and tell me about something you are loving this week in the comments section.

Have a great weekend, my friends!

Things I’m Loving Friday

• Tuesday’s Burn Boot Camp Workout

This workout SMOKED me so naturally I loved it. It was a killer workout that challenged me to the max but I felt amazing when I left the gym. The workout was a pyramid workout that had us completing 50 reps, then 40 reps, 30 reps, 20 reps and 10 reps of the following exercises: Biceps curl to overhead press + Push ups + Bent over rows + 1/2 burpees (no push up). Between each round, shake things out with 50 jumping jacks. I wasn’t able to get through the whole thing (BBC classes are only 45 minutes and that includes a warm up + finisher), but it seriously pushed me in the best kind of way.

• Extra Cozy Slippers (and yes, I’m still wearing Christmas pajamas)

A couple of weeks before Christmas, I was browsing Zulily on my phone next to Ryan on the couch one Saturday morning. “Oh my gosh, they have my slippers!” I said aloud when I saw the beautiful pair of UGG Kestrel slippers I had been eyeing for a couple of months for nearly 50 percent off. (Yes, I totally called them “my slippers” simply because I loved them.) The look on Ryan’s face told me something was up and eventually he told me he already had the very same slippers wrapped up for me but that the deal on Zulily was better than the one he found, so I should probably scoop them up and we could return his pair and save the extra money. I felt bad that I ruined one of his Christmas surprises for me, but I DO love these slippers oh so much. I wear them every single day and they are easily the warmest and coziest slippers I’ve ever owned.

• Play Dates (+ My First Stroller Strides Experience)

One of my big goals for 2016 was to branch out and find a regular playgroup for me and Chase. I decided to get right to it and attended my first Stroller Strides class last Tuesday when one of my friends from Pure Barre invited me. I had a blast and walked away with plans to get together with three of the moms and our babies later that week. They are so much fun and now we’re signed up for story time with our babies at our local library next week.

I really hope to continue to find fun baby-friendly activities in our area and since I know a few of you out there have similar goals, I’ll try to share some of these experiences on the blog to give playgroup ideas to the new mamas out there! (And thank you so much to you guys for recommending both Stroller Strides and library story times to me! Great places to start!)

I feel like talking with other moms who are in the thick of the baby stage of life right now is so helpful to me, so I am trying to prioritize making it out to playgroups right now. It’s nice to be able to talk about all the challenges and joys that come along with motherhood in a non-judgmental environment. One of the moms I met last week has a baby two days older than Chase who is also far from sleeping through the night. I think I could’ve cried and hugged her on the spot for sharing that with me. I’m not aloooone!

• Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Smoothies

It was freezing outside this week so you would think I would forgo my smoothie obsession… But no. This week I was all about chocolate peanut butter cup smoothies: Frozen banana + Creamy peanut butter + Cocoa powder + A handful of ice + Coconut milk. <—Emphasis on the peanut butter. Delish!

• Random Snow Flurries

(Wednesday’s snow pic via @queencitychic)

During our Wednesday small group meet up, I was so excited when Brittany pointed outside and said, “It’s snowing!” The weather didn’t call for snow at all on Wednesday, so it was a wonderful wintery surprise. Random snow flurries still excite me quite a bit since I lived snow-free in Florida for eleven years. I find snow so beautiful and the forecast is calling for a bunch of it today and tomorrow. It looks like there’s a winter storm warning in effect along much of the east coast, so please stay safe out there, my friends!

• Lorna Jane Giveaway Winner

Congratulations to Courtney G., the winner of the Lorna Jane giveaway! Courtney was emailed first thing this morning. Thank you so much to everyone who entered!

• Friday Flashbacks

Easy Lemon Dill Salmon: This healthy recipe for lemon dill salmon is incredibly simple thanks to a deliciously easy marinade that includes ingredients you probably already have on hand at home!

30 Minute Elliptical Workout: Sometimes the elliptical gets a bad rap for being an “easy” cardio workout, but by playing around with the inclines and resistance on the elliptical, you can walk away feeling like you got a great low-impact cardio workout! This 30-minute elliptical workout cranks up the intensity by simultaneously increasing inclines and resistance.

Question of the Day

• What is one thing that is making you smile this week?