Hey friends! How are you!? Ryan, Chase, Sadie and I arrived back in North Carolina late last night after spending some much-needed time with family over Christmas. We extended our stay a bit to be in town for a procedure my mom had scheduled for yesterday morning (all is well, no worries) and I’m glad we were able to spend so much time together!
The post-holiday blues always tend to kick in for me after Christmas and extending our stay a bit helped fight the sadness I often feel once Christmas is over. Since we were quite busy with my family and traveling back home, I didn’t have many opportunities to sit down by myself and blog last week. I really missed chatting with you guys! Things should be back to normal around here next week!
For now, let’s dive right into my usual Things I’m Loving Friday blog post where I share a short roundup of small things that make me smile every week. (Be sure to scroll to the bottom and check out today’s sneaky $250 giveaway!)
Have the best weekend!
Things I’m Loving Friday
- Pie Heaven
When my mom and I planned my sister’s bridal shower years ago, we ordered quiche from Pie Heave to serve along with other brunch favorites and I’ve been dying to order quiche from the adorable local bakery again ever since. We prioritized a trip to Pie Heaven a couple of days before Christmas and ended up returning to the shop again a couple days later because my entire family inhaled our first round of quiche Lorraine and southwest quiche.
We ended up trying a few of their dessert pies for the first time as well (wild blueberry, peach and apple) and every single one was absolutely unreal. Pie Heaven truly lives up to its name and the pies are beyond fantastic. A must-try if you’re a local or ever find yourself in the Jacksonville area!
Also, I must give a shout out to the two women who own and run Pie Heaven because they were so kind and wonderful to our family. We arrived with Chase and they gave him a holiday bear Beanie Baby and he was beyond thrilled (hence the above picture)!
A new robe was one of the top items I had on my Christmas wish list this year and my sister and brother-in-law surprised me with the coziest robe in the world. I LOVE it. The robe is fluffy and soft and meets three of my biggest requirements: It’s long, has two pockets and feels incredibly warm and cozy when I slip it on. I also love the aesthetics of the fuzzy trim along the neckline and wrists and know this robe will be worn non-stop in the coming winter months. (I guess this means I can finally retire the hot pink Charlotte Russe robe I bought for myself for like $25 when I was in college. It’s borderline gross at this point with stains and singe marks on the sleeves from less-than-careful cooking mishaps.)
- Family Zoo Day
The weather in Jacksonville on the day after Christmas could not have been more beautiful – upper 60s and sunny – and we took advantage of the gorgeous day and headed out for a family trip to the zoo. I’m continually impressed with the large exhibits at the Jacksonville Zoo and love the way it feels spacious and clean. Plus, the zoo has a large train that choo-choos around the exterior of the park which is heaven-sent for a train-obsessed toddler. We rode the train for a solid 45 minutes during our visit and had a great time waving to elephants, giraffes, rhinos, coyotes, monkeys and more.
- Park Playtime + ChunkaBuns Pants for Chase
Chase cannot get enough of playing outside lately (nothing new around here!) and we’ve taken him all over Jacksonville over the past week. His favorite park is, without a doubt, Sunshine Park in Jacksonville Beach. It’s huge and fenced in (hooray!) and Chase had a ball exploring every inch of the park during our visit.
The super-soft pants he wore to play and explore came to us from ChunkaBuns, a company specializing in adorably soft, sustainable and organic eco-friendly pants. The pants could not be softer and they are made to grow with your toddler with a foldable waistband and cuffs on the bottom to give your little one extra length when you need it. These pants are fantastic and I find myself reaching for them right after I wash them because they’re so great.
- $250 VISA Gift Card Giveaway from RetailMeNot
Thank you to RetailMeNot for sponsoring the following giveaway!
And now for today’s sneaky giveaway!! A little over a week ago I shared a giveaway with you guys from RetailMeNot – the BEST site I use every time I want to find the most amazing deals, coupon codes and cash back opportunities when I do my online shopping – and the giveaway was such a huge hit that RetailMeNot reached out for Round Two! We’re teaming up today to giveaway another VISA gift card valued at $250 for you to use toward the amazing post-holiday sales that are popping up all over the place right now.
To enter this giveaway, simply click here to visit RetailMeNot and then leave a comment on today’s post telling me about a specific store/sale you’d be most excited to shop at should you win the gift card. I will randomly select a winner first thing next Friday morning. Good luck!
- Puzzle Time with My Mom
I don’t get many opportunities to kick back and work on a puzzle and the fact that my mom and I were able to complete one together in less than 24 hours this past week felt like such a treat! It’s such a great way to completely relax and unwind while sipping a hot mug of apple cider or hot cocoa. I need to do more puzzles in my everyday life. Now to find the time…
- Friday Flashbacks
Cold Brew Protein Smoothie (Just in case you’re craving a cold mocha smoothie but don’t want to down a total sugar bomb.)
Cardio + Core Burn Boot Camp Workout (This was the first BBC workout I ever did!)
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I’d love to take advantage of the Home Depot sale. We just bought a new house and have so much to buy for it!
Amazon seems best this time of year with a foot of snow and below 0 temps expected today
The Hotels.com discount is perfect for some traveling coming up!
I’ve been eyeing a new bag from Dooney & Bourke bag for weeks. I think that would be my purchase if I were to win.
I would be most excited to shop at Macy’s!
I always wait for the Nordstrom sale after Christmas! It’s the best! Glad you had a nice holiday with family ?
Cash back from Nordstrom Rack (and not just because it rhymes ?)
I cant wait to try out the Lulu coupon. I have been eyeing up some shirts. Never knew about the website thanks for the info! Florida looks amazing we are in a cold snap of -7 highs up here :/
Love that you had so mch family time. I need to check out those pants for my kids. The length is always what gets us ! I found an Old Navy code for 20% off and I loveee their stuff!
Amazon, where I buy all the things!!! 🙂
Glad you had such wonderful family time in Jacksonville 🙂 We used to live there and miss it sometimes ourselves. I would probably have to try Blue Apron because I’ve only heard great things and with the discounted price it makes it seem win-win!
We are going to be buying a house soon, so we will definitely be using the 30% off bed and bath from Home Depot!
Home Depot or Target – we’re renovating our house
I saw a $15 back offer for athlete! I’ve been coveting the criss cross sweatshirt from there!
I’d shop at Target!
I would love to use the 50% off active wear at Macy’s.
I’d definitely use it for a little shopping spree at Kohl’s! 15% off and $25 cash back…can’t beat it 🙂
I would definitely use the gift card for the Old Navy deals!
I love West Elm!
Another 25% off Nike sale!!
The additional 30% off sale items at Tory Burch!
I would use the gift card at Kohl’s or Macy’s so we can continue updating our home!
$100 off Gracco 4ever car seat at toys’r’us. I HATE the care seat we have and we are in desperate need of a new one, and this is a great deal!!!!
Merry Christmas! I would use their home Depot discount, I’m getting ready to tackle some big house projects, and need all the savings I can get!
I would definitely use the gift card to take advantage of the J. Crew deals!
I’d love to spend some money on Nike, I need another good pair of running tights.
15% off Kohl’s!
I would use it for target, a definite favorite!!
Bath & Body Works has $10 off $40! I want to stock up on their candles 🙂
I would most be excited to shop at Tory Burch!!
Love the 30% off bedding and bath at The Home Depot with up to $30 cash back!
I like the cash back at carters!
I would use the Bath and Body Works 20% off sitewide code for year-end deals on all of our favorite BBW stuff!!
So glad to hear you had a Merry Christmas, Julie!
I would love to shop the Bath and Body Works Semi-Annual sale!
Can never have too much Nike!
I would use the Bath and Body Works coupon for some new winter scented candles!! So glad you had a great holiday Julie!
I would use it at Express! 15% off in store and online is a great deal.
Yay! Thanks for the giveaway! We just moved into a new house so I could totally use a little extra to spend at Bed, Bath & Beyond!
Enjoy your weekend!!
70% off Amazon home and garden would be amazing for our family! We just moved into a new house and could totally use some new decor
I would love a Tory Burch bag!
I can’t wait to take my 2 yr old to get first movie!!
I’m definitely going to use that fandango coupon code:)
I would love to use the gift card at Nike who has an additional 25% off sale styles right now, I had no idea thanks RetailMeNot. There’s an awesome pair of Nike Free RN Commuters I’ve been eyeing for awhile.
Loving the cash back offer for Alex and Ani – I have been eyeing a bracelet for one of my girlfriends as a thank you gift for being a great friend.
I LOVE RetailMeNot and would be excited to use the gift card at Target. They have everything a girl could need!
I’d hit up that Nike sale for sure! They have some of the best gear for running!
I shop at so many different stores, Express being one of them. I use RetailMeNot often for all purchases!
Oh my goodness! That Tory Burch sale on Retail Me Not looks amazing!! I would definitely use the gift card for a new pair of shoes :o)
Pottery Barn Kids! I have some things on my list to get that didn’t quite make it on the Christmas list. 🙂
I would have a weakness for JCrew and would be shopping there!
the deal at Kohls up to $25 dollars off! I have a bag to return to there, and was going to peruse their site today and see if I can find something more functional!