HOORAY! Vacation time is here! Ryan, Chase, Sadie and I are heading to the mountains this weekend for a seven-day vacation with my family in Asheville, North Carolina. We’ve been counting down the days for a while now and I could not be more ready for lots of exploring and relaxing and plenty of quality time with my favorite people on the planet. Woo!
I have a couple of blog posts ready to go for next week so the blog won’t be completely dark and I will also try my best to pop in with vacation updates as time allows. As I’m sure you can understand, my priority is spending time with my family next week and while I hope to check in here a time or two, I want this vacation to really feel like a vacation away from technology for me as well. If disappear for a bit, I promise to be back to recap everything the following week! I’m sure I’ll also share glimpses into the fun on Instagram, Snapchat (user name: juliepbfingers <— Still my fav and where I’m most active by far!) and Facebook.
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Below is your usual Things I’m Loving Friday blog post with a short list of the things that are making me smile this week. As always, I’d love for you to tell me about something you’re loving right now in the comments section of this post!
Happy Friday!
Things I’m Loving Friday
- Chase Driving Mimi’s Car
If you were a PBF reader during my pregnancy, you may remember my family baby shower that my aunt and grandmother threw for me in Raleigh. That shower was so special and ended up meaning more to our family than we ever could have imagined because it brought all of us together two weeks before my grandmother, Mimi, passed away. One of the incredibly sweet and thoughtful gifts she gave me was a toy red car for Chase that she and my aunt personalized with stickers that said “Fagan’s First” on the license plate. Well, the car is officially one of Chase’s favorite toys at the moment and we’ve loved seeing him ride around on it and dance, dance, dance to the music. (It randomly plays Christmas music! What!?) It’s wonderful to watch Chase have a ball with a present that came to him from his great grandmother and I cannot help but smile when I think of her and the joy she would get out of seeing Chase enjoy her special gift so much.
- Thankful Candle
HomeGoods, why don’t you just go ahead and take all my money? I realized a couple of weeks ago that it had been close to a YEAR since I shopped at HomeGoods. What!? Apparently browsing around one of my favorite stores fell to the wayside with a baby in the picture but with the holidays right around the corner, I had to make my valiant return! Of course I ended up leaving with a few fall décor items, including this Thankful candle. HomeGoods, I missed you!!!
The Fabletics Holly Tank is quickly becoming a workout staple for me because of its versatility. I initially wore the tank without tying it up in the back and loved the soft, flowy look and the fun detailing in the back that allows a cute, strappy sports bra to shine through. When I saw another woman at the gym tie a similar tank up in the back, I tried it with the Fabletics Holly Tank and loved it! (I especially love it with a pair of high-waisted leggings.) It’s available in white, black, gray and green (I have it in white and gray) and it’s so darn cute!
And if you’re in the market for a longer, flowy tank that covers your booty, I also love the Fabletics Teresa Tank in black but haven’t had the chance to snap a picture of it in action just yet. It’s flattering and super cute when paired with bright or patterned workout crops!
- Dinner Made Easy Ebook (Early Bird Pricing Through Sunday!)
Thank you SO much to those of you who have already purchased our Dinner Made Easy ebook! I hope you find the ebook helpful and that it inspires you to dive into meal prep and healthy eating without feeling intimidated or overwhelmed.
Just in case you missed my blog post on Wednesday, I created the Dinner Made Easy ebook with three blogging friends (Gina, Brittany and Lindsay) to provide you with 20 dinner recipes (enough for Monday through Friday for a month!), meal prep tips, shopping lists and more. We wanted to take the guesswork and effort out of meal planning and hope our ebook is a valuable resource for you!
Earlybird pricing is available now through Sunday, so be sure to nab the ebook for $9.99 while you can by clicking the button below. Pricing will increase to $12.99 on Monday. Thank you!!!
Oookay my friends! I have a recipe you must make ASAP! A while ago (ummm, a year ago?) I created a recipe for Cinnamon Almond Butter Chex Granola for the General Mills website and it was so incredibly tasty! It was also perfect for late-night breastfeeding hunger and I actually kept a small jar of this granola in the nightstand by the glider in Chase’s nursery to snack on when hunger hit in the middle of the night. (Breastfeeding hunger is REAL, my friends.)
If you’re looking for a new granola recipe to try, definitely check it out! The base is oatmeal and Rice Chex, one of the seven Chex flavors made without any artificial preservatives, flavors or colors. Woop! I made it again this week but added chopped pecans, cashews and dried cranberries to the mix and it was wonderful!
- I Can’t Stop Eating Sahale Snacks
For the past couple of weeks I’ve been working with Sahale Snacks and while I’ve been a fan of their snacks ever since I picked up my first bag of their fruit and nut trail mix at a random shop at the airport a while ago, our collaboration introduced me to a handful of new-to-me flavors of their delicious snacks. You guys, their nuts are ridiculously tasty. Like “oh wow, I cannot stop eating these nuts and yep I just ate the whole bag myself” kind of tasty.
Now that I’ve tried my fair share of their snacks, I’ve found myself adding their nuts to my grocery cart time and time again because they are the perfect mid-morning snack when I want something quick I can grab while I’m trying to cram in as much work as possible during Chase’s nap.
Their snacks are all gluten-free, non-GMO and contain no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives. Heck yes! My personal favorite flavors are the Pomegranate Vanilla Glazed Cashew Mix (a must-try if you love vanilla anything!), Maple Pecans Glazed Mix (so good for dessert or crunched up and stirred into a cup of yogurt) and the Thai Cashews Glazed Mix (my favorite to snack on while I make dinner to take the edge off my hunger). YUM!
- Friday Flashbacks
Spooky Circuit Workout (There’s nothing inherently spooky about this workout unless burpees freak you out… which I totally understand! But at least you only have to do 10 in a row at a time!)
Festive Fall Recipes (A 2013 roundup collection of some of my fall favorites!)
- Chicco Car Seat Giveaway Winner
Congratulations to Kristy, the winner of the Chicco KeyFit 30 car seat! Kristy was emailed first thing this morning. Thank you so much to all who entered!
Question of the Day
- What is one thing that is making you smile this week?
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I only let myself go into Home Goods if I have something specific I need, otherwise I would buy the whole store. And I was loving that tank when you posted that workout, I usually skip my Fabletics outfit each month, but I’m probably due for some new gear 😉 My parents are visiting this weekend so I’m excited to take them around and enjoy some good food and time together. Have so much fun on your vacation. Asheville has been a place my husband and I have talked about vacationing to so I’ll definitely be watching your adventures!
Oooo hope you have a wonderful time on vacation!!! Asheville is one of my favorite places 🙂
A few things I’m loving this week include a surprise baby shower my coworkers threw me (and I’m on a team of all men, which says a lot!!!), Pumpkin Delight smoothies from Jamba Juice (addicted!!), and short coffee dates with my husband while our girls are at gymnastics!
Enjoy your trip!! 🙂
-Sarah http://www.thefrugalmillionaireblog.com
YES! Jamba Juice’s pumpkin smoothies are so good!
Okay, I got all teary seeing Chase on Mimi’s car. No doubt she is smiling watching over her great grandson and his sweet new ride. Oh and you know I’m loving it randomly plays Christmas music!
So cute about the car! My recollection could be wrong, but didn’t you tell your Mimi about your pregnancy with a Christmas gift? The fact that the car plays random Christmas music makes it even more special. It’s like a little extra gift/message from your Mimi. 🙂
Oh my gosh I didn’t even think of that!!!! Yes! I love it!!!! Thank you for bringing that to my attention ? Xo
I tend to notice little things like that with our almost two year old son, as they relate to my grandparents that have passed away. I like to think they are little signs from above. 🙂
A 3 day weekend is making me smile this week 🙂
Also, I just ordered your new ebook and can’t wait to dig into it this weekend!
Home Goods is my kryponite. Can’t walk out empty handed. Hope you have an amazing time on your trip!!!
I’m so glad it’s finally time for fall recipes! Even though I’m slightly mourning the end of summer and needing to pull out my head lamp for a run, there’s nothing better than ending that run with a pumpkin muffin.
Diana
betterthanalive.com
I’ve actually never shopped at Home Goods- but I apparently need to check it out! I’m excited to celebrate my 30th birthday with friends this weekend 🙂 Hope you enjoy your trip!
That almond butter granola looks amazing!
Thing that made me smile this week… One of our special athletes at The Gym asked to record a video to tell us how much the gym and its community means to him. I bawled. Sweetest thing!
Love that!!
Have SO much fun on your trip!!! We went on our first family vacation in 5 years this summer and oh my word it was the best! Ritch and I forgot how life-giving and refreshing family time away can be! 🙂
I find it a bit frustrating, though, that the Sahale Snacks Pom Vanilla Cashews serving is 1/5 sugar… Between the sugar, brown sugar, tapioca syrup, cane syrup, etc., it just adds in a good deal extra sugar to what could be a low-sugar snack in nuts. A serving of Sahale’s Thai Glazed cashews is also 1/5 sugar while their Balsamic Almonds serving is about 1/4 sugar. It’d be nice if our nutritional labels actually listed the sugar percentage not just the number of grams. It’s almost like it slides through without notice because of natural labeling.
Safe travels!
My stomach is growling looking at that granola! Hope you have a lot of fun in Ashville! The hubs and I are tropical destination people although I think we would both enjoy a mountain type vacation… That is if I can talk him into it! 🙂
I am smiling because I get to tell my grandmother that I am pregnant! My grandmother and I are two peas in a pod and heel on wheels 🙂 I just love her and I know she is going to be so excited. She is 78 so I cherish every moment I can with her.
Enjoy Asheville! I just moved here a few months ago and am in LOVE. I think you will really enjoy it!
I totally miss fabeletics so much! But when I tried to cancel it they put me through such grief I don’t want to sign up again.
Recall a few weeks ago, you recommended a book – Defending Jacobs. I just finished listening to it. The ending was totally unexpected! Thanks for your recommendation! 🙂
Candles make me way happier than they should- especially fall scented candles! Have a great vacation!
I have made your pumpkin dip several times and it’s always a hit! Thanks for reminding me to whip up a batch… love that stuff!
So glad to hear it!!
If you’ve not yet been to Salsa’s, you must! Right next door to Farmburger (also delish), but we get the Pom Pom with pork, side of plantains and it is amazing!!
Have so much fun on your trip! Unplugged family time does wonders 🙂 Can’t wait to see pictures.
Have a wonderful time on your family trip!!! Nothing is better than spending time away with family. If you love the place you end up staying in, will you share it with your readers after you return for potential future trips? Thank you!
Have a great vacation with family.
Your photography course things you’ve taken have really paid off!! Good job! Have so much fun with your family!!!
Hi Julie – I’ve really enjoyed reading along with all your adventures. It’s amazing how fast your little guy is growing. Love the car – it brings back some fond memories of my son at that age. 🙂 I love all the workout’s you post. I hope you have a great vacation – I’m also going on vacation for the week to Cape Anne – my first for the past 3 year’s and I can’t wait!
Have fun in Asheville, it’s one of my favorite places! Looking forward to recaps after you get back! Have a blast! Glad your parents are safe! 🙂
Awesome! I like your sharing! Glad to read this post.
I just downloaded Dinners Made Easy – I love that you included grocery lists. I can’t wait to get to the store today and grab what I need for the week! It must have been so much fun for you and the other bloggers to collaborate on this.
Things I’m loving this week: my husband and I bought our house a few months ago and we are working on finishing up a few renovation projects. Also, I love HomeGoods and I love fall decorations! Christmas is my favorite holiday but I live in Maine and it is so beautiful in the fall with the foliage!
chex mix and home goods? my favorite things too
I did Foodie Pen Pals a million years ago and one time my pen pal sent me Sahale Snacks. I totally agree with you – they were SO good! I had never heard of them before, but they were totally delicious, and are probably the one thing I remember most about when I did that!
I can’t WAIT to make the Chex mix! I’m nursing a 8 day old right now and the nursing hunger is SO REAL. I went back through your breastfeeding and baby tags to see if you had ever posted a roundup of all your breastfeeding snack favs and didn’t find one. If you did one that I just didn’t find, do you mind sharing the link?
If not… I’d love to pick your brain! What are some of your top snacking picks for nursing mamas???
Also, I just wanted to let you know how incredibly helpful and encouraging all your posts from your early days with Chase are for me. I am using SO many things that you blogged about over a year ago and I had tucked away in Evernote to use “someday.” SO many of my friends have asked about why I have a salt lamp in Keldon’s room and get to tell them about your blog. FUN. The number of things I use now because you shared them is UNREAL.
So, thanks! Your blog is one of my top favorites and one I look forward to every time I open my Feedly!