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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Cash back at Home Depot?! Score! That’s always needed with my handy, always doing a project, hubby.
I’m torn between old navy and amazon!??
Puzzles! YES! We started one on Christmas day night at my SIL’s and while I was working on it I couldn’t help but think how good it felt to NOT be on my phone or computer! I could literally feel my eyes recharging. Ha!
i’d use it at target
I’d use it at the Gap! I need some new jeans and the sales they have can’t be beat!!
I would absolutely love to use the gift card for Blue Apron deals and also Home Depot!! 🙂
It’s about time to switch from our infant car seat to a convertible so the $100 off a toys r us is looking pretty pretty good
I’m eyeing that 20% off Best Buy! Looking to get a new vacuum. 🙂
Definitely the 20% off at Old Navy – I need some new workout pants and I love the ones from Old Navy!
Home Depot….time to build some shelves!!
Amazon for sure! I need to order textbooks for next semester!
Thanks for the chance to win, I love Retail Me Not! I love the jeans from AE, and right now they have a buy one get one 50% off, which is awesome!
I’d definitely use it at Amazon…or Tory Burch. 🙂
Would love to use it on Kohls and Old Navy Deals to buy some cute stuff for my Little boy
Tory Burch!
I use RetailMeNot all the time. Most excited for sales at JCrew Factory and GAP!
I would be excited to spend it at Macy’s! They have the very best sales!
Pottery Barn! I want to get some flannel Christmas sheets for next year.
amazon — need to get stuff for our wedding!
Macy’s ($20 cash back) or Gap (40% off)!! I somehow forgot to ask for boots for Christmas and now I need to head to Macy’s. Oh and Gap just because I love it so much!
Target for sure!
I would love some new bedding from bed bath and beyond!
I would spend the gift card at Loft, Express, and I’ve been eyeing some new Sorel boots! Thanks for the giveaway!
I’d shop at carters, need some new clothes for my little guy!
Amazon for sure! I always need something from Amazon Prime.
It sounds like you had a wonderful Christmas with family! And I LOVE the robe you got. I just picked up one from Costco, except it’s a men’s extra-large and isn’t cute by any means, but it’s enormous, warm, and has big pockets haha. I also love when I have the time to do a puzzle – the time seems to fly by. Hope you have a great New Year’s!
I would LOVE to win the gift card and use it at Crate and Barrel! My high school sweetheart and I are buying our first home together in 2018 (AHH!!) and I’ve had my heart set on one of their gorgeous dining tables for the last 6 months. I think that life is centered around dining tables and kitchens and would be so thrilled to have a beautiful one that my family can gather around for celebrations :). Gift cards to there were all I asked for for Christmas this year haha!
Happy Friday!
I’m always looking up the coupon codes for Kohls and Bed Bath and Beyond!
I would love to use it for Bath abd Body Works!! Love that store!!
I would use it for old navy or amazon.
Target for sure because it’s my soul mate. Love this app!
On another note those pants are cute on your little but $50 and $75 are way too much for one pair of pants or jeans. Wish they were more reasonable
There are so many I would use….definitely Amazon and Bed Bath and Beyond to name a couple!
Nike or Dicks for some new Activewear.
Amazon! I’ve been thinking about a wake up clock to help my toddler sleep in a bit (past 5) – zzzz
I can’t decide between the Nike deals (can you ever have too many workout clothes?!) and Blue Apron!
I’m currently buying things for my new apartment so coupons for Home Depot would be amazing!
My fiancé’s birthday is coming up at the end of January. A couple of months ago, he left his Apple Watch in his pocket and it went through the wash. I’d love to get him a new one and Best Buy has a 20% off one regular item code on RetailMeNot!
Sounds like you had a blast with your family and Chase is just so darn cute! I’m always looking for stuff for the home so I’m sure I’d have no problem spending money at Bed Bath and Beyond ?
Definitely Target!! Always spend way too much! Glad you had a wonderful Christmas!
Target for sure! Thanks for offering the giveaway! 🙂
Tory Burch!!
I just moved into my first apartment and would LOVE the $250 gift card to spend on decor from Target. There new lines are awesome and affordable and since most of the move-in budget went to the essentials I’m really looking forward to making it feel like home!
Bath & Body Works!! Stock up on candles and wallflowers for the new year! 🙂
The Gap and Carters deals!! Always so easy to spend all the money in those stores..
Chase is so adorable, that was a really nice gift from the bakery! I would use any of the coupons you can buy home goods like Kohls, Amazon, Joss and Main since we are moving to a new house in a month!
I would definitely use it for Nordstrom, Macy’s, or Target! Merry belated Christmas!
Target or Amazon. My go to stores 🙂
I would use it for the 25% off Nike deal to invest in some more running tights!!
Glad you had Merry Christmas Julie!
Target, Gap, and Carters! I need to stock up on some spring wardrobe staples for my little one!
The deals at Kohls are always great and is convenient to shop!
I’m most excited about the $5 off DoorDash. I love ordering food through them!