On the bright side of things, Friday is here and the travel-like-crazy portion of December kicks off for me today. I’m heading to Charleston, South Carolina this morning to spend the weekend soaking up quality time with six of my best friends from college.
(Throwback pic from my baby shower because it was the only one I could find of the seven of us!)
We rented a house to stay in together and I am so, so ready to explore a place I’ve heard SO many positive things about ever since we moved to North Carolina. (It’s a very popular weekend getaway destination in our area since it’s a quick three and a half hour drive away.) I’m hoping to snap enough pics to warrant a recap on the blog next week and will do my best to remember to take a few while we’re out and about!
Before I check a few last minute to-dos off my list and hit the road, I wanted to be sure to share a quick roundup of a few things I’m loving this week in my usual Things I’m Loving Friday post! Feel free to chime in below and tell me about something that is making you smile as well. Hope you all have the best weekend and really, really appreciate you stopping by the blog today!
Things I’m Loving Friday
- Toddler Joy and Innocence
There’s nothing like a rough day to make you really, really appreciate the sweet, innocent lens through which children view the world. There were more than a few moments this week where I just felt such overwhelming love and gratitude for Chase and the happiness and positivity he brings into my life. He gets so much joy out of yelling “GROUP HUG!” to me and Ryan before bed and seeing him dissolve into giggles over something so small and simple impacts me deeply and makes me want to fully appreciate every second of these tiny moments with Chase because they really are the BIG moments.
- Extra-Long Cardigans
(Pictured above are two of my favorite cardigans that I’m currently wearing on repeat: Solutions Cardigan – available in a bunch of colors and so warm and cozy / Scotch & Soda Duster Cardigan via StitchFix – currently cannot find this online! And here’s one more I cannot seem to stop wearing right now: Barefoot Dreams Coastal Hooded Cardigan – truly feels like you’re wearing a robe!)
This fall and winter seems to be the fall and winter of long cardigans and I AM LOVING IT. Is there anything cozier than a soft, flowy cardigan over a comfy tee? It’s my uniform of choice these days (aside from gym clothes but that may never change). They work well with everything from leggings to skinny jeans and I’ve even seen them paired with a mini-dress and over-the-knee books which is a look I’m dying to recreate when I want to be a little fancier!
- The Pioneer Woman Come and Get It! Cookbook by Ree Drummond
I adore The Pioneer Woman. Everything about her from her comforting recipes to her down-to-earth personality and her love for her family makes me smile. I have a couple of her cookbooks and love the way she weaves her life into the recipes and pages. Ree’s cookbooks feel like an extension of Ree and her recipes are almost always a slam dunk in our house. I recently added Come and Get It! to my cookbook collection – a cookbook that’s packed with simple recipes – and it’s another winner. The honey soy salmon and dinner nachos we made this week were both fantastic and I’m dying to try her orange vanilla monkey bread next!
- A Tangled Mercy by Joy Jordan-Lake
When this book popped up as a recommended read for my on my Kindle, it didn’t take me long to download it and begin reading. A Tangled Mercy was easily one of the most captivating books I’ve read all year. It started a little bit jumbled for me but the writing seemed to improve as the book went on and the storyline completely hooked me. It was hard to read in parts since it depicts the brutal treatment of slaves in 1822 and horrific race-related hatred so prevalent today but it felt like an important read at the same time. (I also loved reading the author’s notes at the end of the book when she writes about the research and emotion that went into writing this novel so definitely don’t skip out on that once you’ve finished if you decide to read this one!)
The book is a historical fiction novel that follows two stories in parallel. First we meet Kate Drayton, a Harvard graduate student who recently lost her mother and father and cannot shake the lingering questions she has about her mother and father’s lives and the end of their marriage years earlier. Inspired by her mother’s research and obsession with a slave revolt nearly two centuries earlier, Kate finds herself in Charleston, hoping for answers. The story also follows Tom Russell, a talented blacksmith and slave, struggling with whether or not he should become involved in an uprising of slaves in Charleston in 1822 and help provide weaponry or keep himself safe while grappling with the atrocious treatment he sees of the woman he loves by a powerful white man.
- Friday Flashbacks
Coconut Oil Peppermint Bark (You only need five ingredients – most of which are healthy – to make this festive peppermint bark!)
Chocolate Crinkle Cake Mix Cookies (A perfect shortcut cookie recipe to bring to a cookie exchange!)
Question of the Day
What is one thing you are loving this week?
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It has TOTALLY been one of those weeks. Though I try and stay positive, sometimes we all just have those days or weeks that we’re happy to say goodbye to. Also, I got my mom Ree’s latest cookbook (we actually visited the Merc – her store – back in May!) and she is loving the sheet pan section; so many good recipes!
Hope you have a fun weekend away! Thanks for always sharing the real stuff 🙂
Charleston….one of my favorites! Tons of great restaurants and bars. I love Husk for a fancy meal. Jestines has great fried chicken. Grab drinks at the Vendue Inn and the Pavilion hotel, I think it’s called. I also love doing the ghost tours. Shem Creek over the bridge in Mt. Pleasant also has some great restaurants on the water. Hope it’s not too cold for you all….looks to be a chilly weekend here in the Soith. Have fun!
Hope you have a wonderful girls weekend!
Thank you!!
I saw a great box of goodies gifted from LAND O’LAKES on another blog that had that same book in it! Her recipes always look good.
Love that! I actually received the same gift package yesterday but mine had her holiday cookbook in it which I cannot waiiiit to dive into! Her recipes really are so good!
OH have SO much fun in Charleston. I went once with my college girlfriends a few years ago and we had a blast! So many cool places to visit and lots of yummy food.
You will love Charleston if you love eating ? my husband and I went in October’s d it’s one of the best places I’ve ever been. Check out Poogan’s Porchfor brunch or dinner. Three words…pimento. cheese. fritters.
YUM!!
Forgot about Poogan’s Porch…..yes! A must! Plus, they say it’s haunted…..
Charlston is so beautiful, you have a great time! Gal meets Glam has a ton of great restaurant suggestions and to-dos on her blog.
Thanks for the rec!!
Hey, Julie – it definitely has been one of “those” weeks for me, too. Just haven’t been myself all week – which means not the mom I want to be – which hurts more than anything else. That deflated feeling will no longer plague us this week, though! Saturday is going to be a day of recharging the soul and just what’s needed for a better week. Your post helped me remember I wasn’t alone this week – even if it did feel that way a few times. Thank you and hope you have a wonderful weekend in Charleston!
I’m sorry you’ve had a rough week as well, Marisa, and really hope your weekend and the week ahead improves dramatically! Love your positive words!
I hope some time with your friends helps to bring you out of that negative space. Isn’t it amazing what our child can do to lift our spirits even on the hardest of days?
YES to long cardigans! You look great in them too. IVE Been loving coconut chunks to snack on lately!
Those things are SO addicting!
I think that book would be right up my alley. Definitely adding it to my list! One thing I’m loving this week is being home from a crazy work trip (I was up for 34 hours Monday – Tuesday and 3 am every other day of the week.
Have a wonderful weekend!
It’s been one of THOSE weeks for me too…I’ve been battling a cold all week and it’s rendered me completely exhausted. I feel so off and like I’m not the best I could be 🙁 It’s been so hard for me at work!
Hope you have a great weekend with your friends – you deserve it!
I love those extra long cardigans!
ExCtly! I’ve just felt subpar & down all week. I’m sorry you know the feeling and I am sending love and hope for a better week next week!!
I absolutely loved Tangled Mercy – and you are going to LOVE Charleston!! SO much good food, seriously.
I started reading that book a few weeks ago and have been struggling to really get into it. Now that I know you loved it, I think it will help to get me going again!
And yes, definitely one of those weeks. The news this morning had me crying numerous times…commercials too. Argh!
I’m all about the long cardigans right now too! And both of those desserts look so yummy 🙂
Oh sweetie I’m so sorry you had one of “those” weeks! A trip to Charleston with some of your best girlfriends sounds like JUST the thing to lift your mood and restore your soul. (And I have ALWAYS wanted to go to Charleston, so I am excited for your eventual recap! I am a sucker for that show “Southern Charm” on Bravo, which takes place IN Charleston. Shameless reality tv watching, because I love seeing the city and all the historic homes and streets.)
Speaking of the architecture of Charleston and your recent read, I recommend the historical fiction book The Last Runaway by Tracy Chevalier. Also about slavery and also a good read. And re: the architecture of Charleston, whenever I’ve seen those beautiful houses, knowing they were in part created by slaves, I think of reparations, and that somehow there should be a percentage of the sale or a special tax every time one of those houses earns a profit, and that it should go back into the community in ways that would benefit the descendants of slaves, for reparations for that atrocious time in history. The book I recommended includes the abolitionist movement.
Have a GREAT time, and I look forward to the Charleston recap!
I am loving and grateful for my dogs, the smallest is just a little clown, she seems to do the silliest things just to get you to laugh and play. My biggest guy has been a big sucky loverboy lately and that seems extra sweet when a big dog wants some cuddles. I don’t have children, so the dogs are my kids, lol.
Funny, my weight loss group has been doing a theme the past couple weeks of talking about things you are grateful for. I think by finding things that you can be thankful for, you begin to feel less deprived and see life as a positive. I am happy to eat my veggies, I get to eat fresh and delicious foods instead of so much salty sugary processed foods.
BTW, I commented on your paleo oatmeal the other day, it has been my breakfast lifesaver lately, I needed to break away from cereal and into something a bit more protein oriented, but I still wanted morning sweetness. It is quite yummy and filling, thankyou!
I do it with sunflower and sesame seeds right now since I’m seed cycling, but in a week or so I will switch to flax and pumpkin.
I’ve had plentyyyy of those weeks where you just kind of feel like your in a fog. But, that is so sweet Chase kissed your ankle when you fell and twisted your ankle, he seems like such a sweet boy! I hope you have many more of those sweet moments! I hope you have a wonderful weekend with your girlfriends! One thing I am loving this week is the fact that my husband and I are going to nyc on Sunday for a little getaway! Xoxo
Sorry to hear that it’s been a rough week. Hope you have a blast in Charleston!
Complete sidenote: Make sure you try Ben & Jerry’s One Sweet World ice cream if you haven’t already. It’s coffee and salted caramel and fudge and marshmallow and I CAN’T GET ENOUGH. 🙂
I think we all have weeks/ days where we don’t feel ourselves. Hopefully some time with your friends will help!
I’m adding that book to my to-read list. I’ve had really good luck with your recommendations in the past. I really enjoy WWII historical fiction as well and I read From Sand And Ash a couple weeks ago and loved it! I also bought In Farleigh Field and Beneath a Scarlet Sky as well per your recommendation. Bring back PBF Book club??
ME TOO! I have been in such a fog this week at work? Like having to read things twice for them to make sense and making silly mistakes! A guy I work with (who is obnoxiously intelligent) even said he felt like he was a kindergarten drop out this week. I think we are all just ready for the holiday AKA a mental break and time to just RESET for the new year.
this reminds me that I truly need to make more time with friends sans baby!
Is there something in the water? It has TOTALLY been one of those weeks for me too! It hit especially hard yesterday, and I was struggling to stay present and joyful all day long. I hope your weekend lifts your mood! And what I would give to eat a dozen of those crinkle cookies right now! I might need to make them this weekend for a brunch with friends! Or maybe swing by Whole Foods and scope out their cookie bar. OR BOTH.
I hope your ankle is okay!! I broke my ankle this summer and it was NOT fun. Enjoy your weekend!
Have a great weekend with your girlfriends – get ready for some FOOD in Charleston!
I also adore the Pioneer Woman and follow her probably stalkerishly on Instagram. There hasn’t been a recipe of hers I made that wasn’t a hit.
That book sounds intense but worth the read! I’m finishing up Ernest Hemingway’s “A Moveable Feast” all about his memories of living in Paris in the 1920s – so good! It’s my favorite time period to read about, along with WWII.
Hope you have a much better weekend/week coming up. Xoxo
I hope next week is better for you. Have fun on your trip with your girlfriends – it sounds like it’ll be fun.
I’ve had a rough week too! I had strep throat and a 103 fever and taking care of my two boys has left me so exhausted. I’ve had to sleep whenever my almost two year old sleeps so I’ve had no free time and feel so insanely behind and overwhelmed. Praying next week is better!!
Omg I’m currently in the Charlotte airport on the way to Charleston! Hope to bump into you somewhere!
This week has definitely been an off week. I’m thinking the full super moon on Sunday night had something to do with it. I love the sweet moments you describe with Chase. It is great to have a child remind us of the simple things and joy.
So glad that you are visiting my city this weekend. I love living in Charleston! I wish we were having better weather for your visit, but bundle up and you will have a great time. I would definitely recommend visiting The Workshop while in town. It is a great new concept in our area and the variety of food there is delicious. I second or third Poogan’s Porch for brunch – so yummy! King Street & East Bay Street is where it is at for food and drinks. There are so many great restaurants in the area it is hard to go wrong!
Be sure to visit one of the Plantations in the area. They are decorated for the holiday and are so beautiful. I would also recommend a carriage ride (Palmetto Carriage) downtown. It is fun way to see downtown and learn more of the city’s history. The Festival of Lights is happening at James Island County Park and would be fun to drive through and see the hundreds of different light displays (be aware it may be busy so go right when it opens) A ghost tour would be a fun way to end one of the evenings as well.
Also, Raising the Barre is offering a pop up barre class outside at Colonial Lake Saturday morning at 9:00am. Drop in is class is $10 per person. Nicole and Jessica are great instructors & Colonial Lake is beautiful venue. They will have extra yoga mats for anyone who needs it. Check them out on FB. There is also an Orange Theory in West Ashley (outside downtown Charleston).
Feel free to reach out to me if you need any more recommendations or have any questions. Hope you have a wonderful weekend!
haha! Going to a cookie exchange this weekend and I am not a baker. This recipe is perfect!
Please tell me you plan to go to Spero while you’re in Charleston. My husband and I were just there in June, and Spero had to be one of the best meals I’ve had in my life. It looks like a total hole-in-the-wall, but the food was ah-maze-ing! I kind of want to go back just for the bread.
Called Hot Little Biscuit is another great place to eat in Charleston! Walk there if you’re close enough – parking is pretty tough in that area. Have a great time!
I live in Charlotte and love going to Charleston! It’s such a fun place to get away to, especially if you’re looking for a short trip. I hope the bad weather didn’t interfere too much!
That peppermint bark looks amazing!! And I have never gone wrong with the Pioneer Woman’s recipes. Every single one I’ve made has been delicious. I hope you have a fantastic weekend!
Yes! This past week was so weird. Unfortunately it bled over into the weekend so today I’m waking up not refreshed, not recharged, not motovated. Just guilty for wasting a weekend with my family. ?
I missed this last Friday but just wanted to say I hope you have a fantastically blessed week, Julie!
Wow, I can definitely relate to “one of those days.” Yesterday was an especially heavy case of it. Thank you for being real and relateable!