Hey friends! How are you doing? I feel like I finally let a huge secret out this week that I’ve been keeping close to my chest and now I’m still just feeling so darn lucky to have all of you following our journey. I’m sure it gets annoying to read over and over again, but I so appreciate you being here!
I hope all of you had a great week and that your weekends plans are a lovely combination of exciting and relaxing. We don’t have too much on the agenda which is perfect since our February weekends all of the sudden seemed to start filling up fast with birthday parties, baby sprinkles and more. The forecast calls for some rain but temperatures should reach the upper 50s so it won’t be too cold which is nice! I’m also looking forward to diving into Lilac Girls since I’ve heard the best things about this book and downloaded it on my Kindle earlier this week. It’s gonna be a happenin’ Friday night in the Fagan household, let me tell ya!
Also, this is a super random question for those of you with little ones out there, but do you think a 2.5 year old would enjoy going to a hibachi restaurant? I bought a Groupon a while back when my fried rice + shrimp sauce cravings were at their peak and now I’m wondering if Chase might LOVE the action of a hibachi restaurant… or if the whole experience might be too long and drawn out for him to really enjoy. My Groupon is about to expire and I think Chase might be into it! We’ll see. Experienced parents, please let me know if I’m in over my head with this idea!
Now with visions of onion volcanoes in our brains, let’s move onto our usual Friday business around here: Things I’m Loving Friday! Like every Friday on this blog, I’m sharing a short list of things that are making me smile this week and would love for you to join in the fun in the comments section. Enjoy your weekend, my friends!
Things I’m Loving Friday
- Mid-Week Date Night
A mid-week date night!? Whaaaat? Ryan and I managed to sneak away last night for a date night and it was so, so nice. He’s my favorite and we had such a great time reconnecting over ALL THE CARBS because that’s my current love language. It’s currently Restaurant Week in Charlotte and we wanted to take advantage! We headed off to 131 Main, one of our favorite local hot spots, and dove into a delicious dinner capped off with a big ol’ brownie sundae for dessert. It was such a nice night out with Ryan and reminded me (yet again) that we need to be better about planning more date nights in the future.
- Cottage Cheese + A Drizzle of Strawberry Ice Cream Topping
Have you ever noticed the sugar content on a lot of fruit-flavored cottage cheese cups is kind of outrageous? I’ve loved cottage cheese all my life (my dad always ate it with apple butter so I randomly grew up eating it!) and I recently started adding a small drizzle of Blackberry Patch’s three-ingredient strawberry ice cream topping to my cottage cheese before digging in. (The topping is made with strawberries, lemon juice and pure cane sugar.) It’s a nice way to be able to get the punch of fruity sweetness I love without feeling like I’m dipping my spoon into a cup of strawberry jelly with little flecks of cottage cheese. Just sharing this one here for my fellow cottage cheese lovers who might be looking for fun topping options!
(Note: This outfit was sent to me c/o Fabletics! I did not receive payment to mention it on my blog and am sharing my genuine thoughts about both items.)
Is it just me or do you guys also now never want to wear any leggings other than high-waisted leggings? They’re the best and in addition to staying in place during my workouts, I love the way they hold everything in and don’t dig into my sides. I recently received a new pair of High-Waisted Printed Powerhold Leggings from Fabletics that I cannot seem to stop wearing because they do a wonderful job of comfortably accommodating for my growing waistline (they’re smoothing but not restrictive) and feel great during my workouts. I love the black pattern speckled with the look of lightly-painted gray flowers in the Versilia Clear Print and have been wearing them constantly since I received them a few weeks ago. (They somehow feel smoothing without making me feel like I have to work up a sweat just to pour myself into them every time I want to wear them.) Also, the slightly cropped 7/8 length is my favorite – not too long that they bunch up at the ankle but not too short so they don’t crop my leg right in the middle of my calf which I tend to think looks unflattering on my body type.
In the above photo, I’ve paired my leggings with Fabletics’ Sammy Jacket, a fleece-lined zip-up, perfect for keeping you warm as you pop in and out of the gym or run around town. The jacket features multiple pockets which I personally appreciate since I feel like I’m constantly shoving everything into my pockets these days… my phone, keys, lip balm (dry lips this time of year are my nemesis) and a snack for Chase (always).
- Afternoon Tea
I’ve been so into sipping on an afternoon cup of tea lately and love the way it seems to calm me and often soothes my stomach if I’m feeling a bit nauseated. We also keep our house obnoxiously cold in the winter (gotta save that money), so the tea is a great way to warm myself up as I work away on the computer during Chase’s nap time. (Speaking of nap time, Chase has taken exactly ONE nap this week. HAAAALP! Thankfully he’s embracing “Quiet Time” and will stay in his crib with some books for a while but I’m beginning to fear solid naps may be losing their predictability around here!)
- Conversation Hearts
After talking about cottage cheese and tea above, let’s swing the opposite direction on the healthy-food spectrum, shall we? It’s not even February yet, but my desire to eat a million of these sweet-but-chalky-yet-somehow-still-delicious little hearts is STRONG. I’m filing them away under candies that don’t normally call to me but somehow become the BEST THING EVER when I’m pregnant, along with jelly beans, Jolly Ranchers and Tootsie Roll Pops.
- Around the Web
Food: Instant Pot Mac and Cheese (this recipe is calling to my carb-loving heart) / 20 Healthy Meal Prep Egg Bake Recipes / Gluten-Free Lasagna Soup / Apple Cinnamon Oat Muffins
Fitness: Treadmill Run-Walk-Jog Workout / Total Body Circuit
Weekend Sales: Nike sale on RueLaLa (Lots of great deals on shoes and apparel) / TOMS sale on Zulily (The Avalon Slip-On Sneaker is my personal fav and I take major advantage of TOMS sales on Zulily for Chase’s shoes in the next size up!)
- Friday Flashbacks
Healthy Breakfast Sweet Potatoes (These breakfast potatoes are packed with vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium and fiber and are a warm and delicious side dish you can feel good about eating.)
No Gym Workout (This workout includes only bodyweight exercises, so save it for a day when you want to sneak in a workout at home or when you’re traveling since it can easily be done in a hotel room, too!)
Question of the Day
What is one thing making you smile this week?
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Your news made me smile this week! I’m also looking forward to going on a little adventure tomorrow with just me and my dog–hopefully the weather stays decent! As for your tea post, I’m also loving tea lately! Teavana has a Jade Citrus Mint (green) tea that is to die for! I highly recommend it! Enjoy the weekend!
131 Main is one of my favs! We are in Asheville so we go to that location but omg have you had the chopped salad? It’s literally one of my favorite things ever. I like it with a side order of fries and if I’m lucky, banana cream pie for dessert!
What tea do you drink? I drink Twinnings Chai tea and I love it! I always drink my tea with milk, and yes I drink tea every day- that’s what makes me smile all the time!
About the hibachi restaurant, I really think it depends. We took my son when he was almost 2 (so younger than Chase), and when the chef poured oil on the stove/grill thing, the poor little guy burst into tears. He was so scared! I think it was a combo of the unexpected huge flame, and the wave of heat. Since Chase is older than my son was when we went, my advice would be to explain what’s going to happen and prepare him for the adventure ahead! I hope you have better luck than we did! And as for sitting still for that long, I think of Chase typically does well in a regular restaurant, then you’ll be okay, especially because there’s so much going on! Good luck!! 🙂
If you go to the restaurant, I want to hear how it goes! Could be fun or it might be too much to sit through! If it’s fun, I may try that with my son!
Congratulations on your pregnancy! I am so happy for you!
I have been drinking at least 2 mugs of peppermint tea in the afternoons during nap time and me grading papers. We also keep our house cooler and its nice to have a nice warm mug in my hands. I love peppermint so much and miss it while I am breastfeeding. Fingers crossed I will be able to again this pregnancy! Happy Weekend!
Julie- Congrats on baby number 2! I know how much grief you endured and how hard you prayed to get here and am so happy for you and your family!
I’m also having my second baby in August and I was wondering- what kind of tea do you drink? I gave up coffee in the first trimester and have been craving tea but scared to drink any because all the websites I read say to stay away from herbals. I love RR leaf tea for the third trimester but I’m not there yet. Would love some baby safe recs!
My LO was terrified of the hibachi place the first couple of times we tried it, but he was more like 2 then. He’s 3 1/2 and loves it now. The second time we went back he ordered “snowman rice.” I didn’t even remember they turned the rice into a snowman, but he did!
Since I have recently lost a sweet baby in the first tri, I appreciate your kindness and selflessness regarding your announcement post. I also had a flawless first pregnancy and I almost feel foolish now as we struggle with infertility and a recent miscarriage in trying for a second. I know it is all in His plans, but it is hard to comprehend at times.
On to the realness—- how cold do you keep your house??!! We keep ours cold too and am always wondering just how crazy are we hahaha !!
Love your thoughts Julie- BA
That’s so funny that you mention the hibachi grill – we literally just took our daughter for the first time last week. She’s only a few weeks older than Chase. She really enjoyed the whole experience and the food. She loves watching me cook and participating in the kitchen so that helps. Based off how much Chase likes helping you in the kitchen, I reckon he’d love it 🙂
I think he’ll love it! We took our son when he was even younger and he was definitely into it. Plus, although it’s a bit of a long dinner, there’s food/action the whole time which keeps them entertained. Go for it! Let us know how it goes.
Now I know what to use up my small sweet potatoes! Plus, I can make enough for a few breakfasts for the week.
Congratulations on your big news! I’ve hoped and prayed you, Ryan & Chase would get the wonderful news of welcoming a new family member soon.
As far as the hibachi restaurant, we have been taking my grandchildren to them since they were a year and a half old and they have always loves them. They laughed and asked for the onion volcano again.
i just finished Lilac Girls last night (after several late nights up reading!) and LOVED it. Such a great TRUE (based on actual characters – which i didnt fully realize until the notes at the end of the book) story about women and the power of human (woman!) resilience. I also thought it was interesting how it included one perspective from the other side – Herta is a real person too.
Yes! Sweet Potatoes are such an awesome breakfast. A great platform to go sweet or savory.
Hope you had a great day and i too like to have afternoon tea to keep myself warm and cozy. Keep it coming.