Things I’m Loving Friday #423

Hey friends! How are you doing? Did you have a good week? Our week was a bit up and down as a 24-hour bug seemed to make its way from Chase to me to Ryder. Thankfully everyone else stayed healthy and we were all feeling 100 percent again yesterday and finally made our way to the beach!

You know what’s NOT relaxing? The beach with our boys these days. Ha!

I am sure we’ll have more not-so-relaxing-but-still-very-fun moments with the boys at the beach with family this weekend and I’m really looking forward to the next few days.

Before signing off for the weekend I wanted to share this week’s roundup of favorites, Things I’m Loving Friday style! Keep on scrolling if you’d like to read about some small things that are making me smile this week.

Things I’m Loving Friday

• Coffee & Cream Ice Cream Bars

I’m not sure if it’s the Florida heat or just my general love for creamy, frozen treats but I’m on a 2x a day kick with ice cream, frozen yogurt and/or ice cream bars right now. The coffee & cream ice cream bars from Whole Foods are my latest favorite find! I haven’t seen them in our area so I was all too excited to give them a try when I spied them at the Jacksonville Beach Whole Foods. I was instantly blown away and will be buying these on repeat all summer long! They’re super creamy (especially for a treat that’s not overly indulgent) and the coffee flavor is strong but not totally overwhelming. Guys, I’m not going to lie — I ate one of these bars at 8 a.m. earlier this week. Love them!

• Life’s Too Short by Abby Jimenez

My rating: A

Thank goodness you guys encouraged me to try another Abby Jimenez book after I liked but was not completely enamored by The Friend Zone, the first book I read by the same author. Since Life’s Too Short seemed to be the book most frequently recommended by all of you, I downloaded it on my Kindle and gave it a shot. I am SO glad I did! It was an “A” book through and through. Life’s Too Short is like a romantic comedy in book form but with a heavy dose of heart and soul. I loved it!

When a screaming baby awakes Adrian Copeland and his sleeping girlfriend, he reluctantly pads down the hall of his apartment building to ask his neighbor to take the baby into a room that doesn’t share a wall with his bedroom. He’s greeted by an exhausted and flustered Vanessa Price and ends up offering to hold the baby she’s fostering for her half-sister and encouraging her to take a shower. Vanessa, a YouTube celebrity unknown to Adrian, is shocked. The hot lawyer next door is also a baby whisperer!? Vanessa finds herself even more surprised by the days and weeks that follow their late-night encounters — days that include a whole lot of time with Adrian, time that is leading to feelings she’s promised herself she’d never feel, as she’s facing something big that makes her future increasingly uncertain.

• The Sea Turtles Hatched!

I promised you guys an update about the sea turtle nest our family’s been following thanks to my mom’s tracking and the babies hatched on Wednesday night!! A man from the sea turtle patrol told my mom it was a “great, textbook hatch” so we are thrilled for the little babies who made it into the ocean. An excavation of the nest is likely taking place eeearly Saturday morning (6:30 a.m.!) and we are planning to attend with the boys so they can see the remaining eggshells and possibly even any remaining babies.

• Reading Bug Adventures Podcast

This podcast was recommended to me when someone on Instagram found out I’d be tackling the 7+ hour drive to Florida with the boys solo. She sent me a DM assuring me our big kids would likely love this creative podcast and I figured it was worth a shot. Chase and Ryder happily listened to three episodes in a row and have only seemed to enjoy it more the further we get into the first podcast season.

• June 2022 Top 10

I did not have the time to share this roundup earlier this month but didn’t want to miss my monthly recap of your favorites from June of this year. Hopefully this will help you check out some blog posts you might have missed or help you easily locate an item I’ve mentioned in the past that got buried in blog/social media mayhem!

Top 10 Blog Posts

• Greek Yogurt Rotisserie Chicken Salad
• Our Summer Staples for Kids
• Meals I Make When We Have Guests In Town
• Easy Orange Juice Marinade for Chicken
• Egg White and Oatmeal Protein Pancakes
• Ryder’s Slug-Themed Fourth Birthday Party
• Everything Bagel Seared Tuna
• Ryder: 4 Year Old Update
• 15 Beach Reads for Summer
• Sweet and Spicy Toddlerhood

Top Ten Favorites

• Aquasphere Kid Goggles (The best kid goggles we’ve ever tried! They stay in place and adjust easily.)
• Amazon Deep V Bralettes (Comfy enough to sleep in but the skinny straps and deep v make them perfect for peeking out under tanks, tees, rompers and dresses. Lately I’ve been wearing these almost every single day!)
• Jane Iredale Lip Stain (A magical lip balm that adjusts to your skin tone to give your lips the perfect shade of pink.)
• Olive Oil Mister (A refillable olive oil mister that actually works! No awkward pumping required!)
• Waterproof Wet Bag (I keep one in my pool/beach bag and it’s amazing for keeping soaking wet swimsuits and towels separate from everything else.)
• Beauty By Earth Self Tanner Lotion (Clean ingredients, no-fuss application and gives my skin the best natural-looking bronze glow. LOVE this stuff so much!)
• XL Fabric Scrunchie (I swear by this scrunchie for making my messy buns look move voluminous. The textured fabric also allows it to be dressed up!)
• Honeycomb Mesh Laundry Bag (A handy little bag you throw in the wash that actually keeps the liners in your bras, bralettes, sports bras and fitness tanks.)
• Rubbermaid Brilliance Glass Food Storage Container (My favorite glass food containers on the planet! I love the one-liter size for storing ice cream in the freezer.)
• High-Rise Barrel Jeans (A great wash and a flattering fit!)

• Friday Flashbacks

Avocado Deviled Eggs (Love this appetizer year-round but especially in the summer months.)

Chopped Broccoli and Brussels Sprouts Salad (If you’re looking for a salad you can prep ahead that won’t wither, this one is a winner!)

Question of the Day 

What is one thing making you smile this week?