I had all three boys home with me and the weather was unreal — low 70s and sunny — so we made the most of the day and spent several hours at Sweetwater Farms, one of our favorite local kid-friendly spots.
Ya know we had to sport our St. Patrick’s Day green!
All the boys are home again today and we’ll be kicking off the weekend with a play date with friends followed by soccer in the early evening. Ryder and Chase just started Soccer Shots again last week and they are so into it!
As for the weekend ahead, I’m not really sure what it will look like but I’ll try to snap some pics and share more with you guys on Monday. Enjoy your Friday and today’s roundup of weekly favorites, Things I’m Loving Friday style!
Things I’m Loving Friday
I’m a sucker for sneakers and since I wear sneakers more than any other kind of shoe, I’m always on the lookout for a new comfy pair to wear with various outfits. I bought my new slip-on Vans during my trip to Idaho and have been wearing them with everything from overalls and jeans to denim shorts (hooray for a glimpse of spring yesterday!) and joggers. Be prepared to see a LOT of my new Vans in the future. More casual sneakers I own and love: Madewell Sidewalk Low Top White Leather Sneakers (I’ve had mine for years and can walk miles in them without my feet aching), New Balance Fresh Foam Sneakers (love the subtle leopard print detailing and super-comfy cushioning), Reebok Club C Sneakers (chunkier and one of my favorites to pair with sportier looks) and my Reebok Classic Nylon Sneakers (the bold yellow called to me and I love wearing these to spice up an otherwise neutral athleisure look).
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Alden’s Organic Strawberry Frozen Yogurt Bar
As someone who loves cold and creamy desserts more than any other sweet treats on the planet, I am always on the lookout for new ice cream and frozen yogurt flavors to try. This strawberry frozen yogurt bar isn’t a new flavor by any means but it was my first time trying the bar by Alden’s Organic. I’ve loved this company’s ice cream for years and figured they had a decent chance of getting frozen yogurt bars right, too, and I’m happy to report that they absolutely nailed it with this bar! It’s creamy and tastes indulgent and is made with only the good stuff — no artificial flavorings, sweeteners, dyes or high fructose corn syrup. It tastes like summer on a stick and will be a sweet treat I know I’ll purchase on repeat, especially with summer on the horizon.
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28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand
My rating: A-
Oh man this book was a whirlwind! 28 Summers was one of the best Elin Hilderband novels I’ve read and was filled with Nantucket charm, high-society drama, political scandal and romance. It’s another great beach read I’d highly recommend if you have any spring break plans this year and find yourself looking for an indulgent book to read by the beach or pool.
The book begins when Link, the 18-year-old son of Mallory Blessing, is told by his dying mother to call a phone number she has stashed away in her desk drawer. Link is blown away when the man who answers his call is Jake McCloud, the husband of presidential hopeful Ursula deGournsey. Link had no idea his mother even knew the possible first gentleman of the United States of American and he most certainly was unaware of the “one time each year” agreement Mallory had to reconnect with Jake on Nantucket… an agreement that began more than 20 years ago.
28 Summers takes us along the journey of Mallory and Jake’s relationship and their commitment to their agreement to meet at Mallory’s Nantucket cottage on Labor Day weekend every year — no matter what. On the outside their arrangement seems complicated but from the inside of Mallory’s cozy cabin, the two find solace in each other even as their relationship begins to feel increasingly risky as the stakes involved in their secret affair seem to increase with every passing year.
This blanket!! Oh my gosh you guys, it’s like a little cocoon of heaven and we love it so much. When I saw Gina and Brittany blog about the Higher Dose Infrared Sauna Blanket, I was immediately intrigued. I’ve read a lot about the health and restorative benefits of infrared saunas but there is no way regular visits to an infrared sauna in our area would be possible for me at this time in my life. Enter this blanket!
The Higher Dose Infrared Sauna Blanket is a an at-home portable version of an infrared sauna. It uses infrared heat to heat your body from the inside out and is extremely low EMF so you can relax and sweat without worrying about radiation. It is made with non-toxic materials and is incredibly easy to use.
The company kindly offered to send a blanket our way and I was thrilled because I knew it would be something Ryan and I would both enjoy. Using the blanket could not be any easier — You just unroll the blanket, plug it in and wait a few minutes to heat up. While it’s heating, I change into lightweight clothing and then cozy up inside the blanket and enjoy a restorative sweat while I listen to a podcast or audiobook.
Ever since I switched to primarily strength based workouts, I’ve found that I don’t sweat as much (especially in the colder months of the year) and I love that this sauna blanket helps my body sweat! A quick infrared sauna session increases blood circulation, can improve immune function and definitely helps me relax. I don’t personally love the word “detox” when it comes to anything health and fitness related but I can absolutely get on board with claims that infrared saunas can help with glowing, healthy skin, muscle soreness, improved moods, relaxation and increased blood flow. Ryan uses the sauna blanket even more than I do and absolutely loves it as well!
If you’d like to try this blanket, Higher Dose is offering PBF readers 15% off with the use of my affiliate link and the code pbfingers! This blanket has been worth its weight in gold for us and I cannot tell you how much I look forward to my infrared sauna sessions at the end of a long day.
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Around the Internet
Food: Baked Chicken Parmesan / Marinated White Bean Salad / Whole Wheat Carrot Cake Muffins
Fitness: 40 Minute Total Body Dumbbell Workout / How To Start or Change Up Your Walking Routine
Weekend Sales: 20% off everything at Madewell for Insiders (I ordered these balloon jeans and these relaxed denim shorts and hope they fit well! Love the slightly longer length of the shorts.) / 40% off everything at Old Navy or 50% off for cardholders (These are the best unisex pull-on jeggings for slim kids! All of our boys have worn them and I got my sister hooked on them for my nieces, too. I also ordered this top and these shorts for Ryder, these terry cut-off shorts and these flat-front shorts for Chase and these shorts for Rhett that I loved for him last year and just wanted in a size up! / 50% off spring favs at Gap (Their modal supersoft joggers have been a fav of mine for years.)
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Friday Flashbacks
Healthy Things to Do In Charlotte, NC (Featuring food, fitness and activity recommendations)
High Protein Oat Bran (A satisfying, comforting breakfast I’ve been making on repeat for nearly two years.)
Question of the Day
What is one thing making you smile this week?
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Hi Julie! I was intrigued by the blanket until I saw the price tag. I understand you got it for free, but $600..yikes!
I hear you — definitely not cheap by any means. Access to a sauna is expensive (a 30 minute sauna session in our area is $30+) so if you’re someone who would like regular access to an infrared sauna but don’t want to buy individual sessions, the blanket is something that might make sense and pay for itself in the equivalent of 20 sauna sessions. But yes, it’s absolutely a splurge item and not a frivolous thing you’d just but if it wasn’t something you were convinced would be part of your regular lifestyle.
One thing making me smile is my Ob appointment today to check Ansley’s heartbeat, my baby shower tomorrow, and a lunch date at a new restaurant with Matt on Sunday! It’s supposed to be a bit chilly and rainy tomorrow, sadly, but I’m trying not to be down. It’s like Mother Nature is showering me, but I was really hoping for sunshine.
I love your Vans! I now want a pair but shouldn’t spend right now. Womp womp. I made Bob’s Red Mill “Mighty Tasty Hot Cereal” this morning and thought of your oat bran. I love all hot cereals! Have a wonderful weekend, Julie.
Thinking of you today, Kori, and hoping your baby shower is absolutely wonderful!! <3
I appreciate that so much, Julie! I had such an incredible shower and day. I feel so loved and cared for. ❤️
I guess would you purchase it for $600 is the question…is it worth it? I am becoming increasingly frustrated with influencers who promote items that they would NEVER pay for themselves. I think the proper thing to do is only use affiliate links for items you purchase, or at the very least disclose affiliate links, as you are required to do ( but never do). I know that greed is a slippery slope, but you have definitely slid far down over the past few years.
Hi Kinny! For what it’s worth, this IS something I would purchase myself. I actually texted Gina to ask if her promo code for the blanket was still working around the holidays because I wanted to get it for Ryan for Christmas. (He actually really wanted to install an infrared sauna in our new house but price and the way our floor plan is allocated prevented it, so I thought this blanket was a great option!) Anyway, Gina passed along her contact at Higher Dose to me and I reached out to them and they offered me a blanket which I was grateful to accept. I was obviously excited and asked about a promo code for readers which they passed along as well.
You should try Yasso’s Greek Yogurt bars! They taste like ice cream but are only 100 calories so they make for a lighter late night snack that won’t weigh you down as you’re trying to go to sleep.
I love Yassos bars!! They’re so good! They used to make a peppermint cookie one around the holidays but I couldn’t find it this year — it was my absolute favorite!!