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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Definitely Amazon!!!
Love RetailMeNot! Nordstrom or Amazon would be my picks.
Target for sure! And maybe Home Depot to get something for my main man!!
Bath and Body Works or Amazon! Happy New Year!
So nice you got to spend the holidays with your family! I would use the giftcard for target. target gets me every single time.
Who doesn’t love an extra 25% off sale items at Nike?!
I feel like everyone I know got a plush robe for Christmas! It’s now on the top of my list for next year -I have robe FOMO!
Definitely the Target deal!
I’m excited to check the Amazon deals for Home and Garden. I got a portable greenhouse for Christmas and I’m ready to start getting prepped for warmer weather!
$30 back from saks, yes please!! Retail me not is always the place to check for good promo codes
I’d definitely use it on amazon, target, or crate and barrel!!! LOVE retailmenot!
Amazon or Target are always winners. I love Nordstrom too!
definitely Target!!
I didn’t realize RetailMeNot worked with so many stores! Target would be great, or maybe BlueApron so I actually make some healthy meals once in a while. 🙂
I’m excited about the TOMS 25% off code!
Macy’s!
I’m probably most excited about Blue Apron- been wanting to give that a try!
Bed, Bath &Beyond for sure!
I’m going to use the extra discount at Payless for some new work pumps.
I’d like to check out the deals at J.Crew.
I would love to shop the Toms sale! Not only is that a great company but I wanted to get a pair for my mom for christmas and wasn’t able to find any for her in time!
I’d love to use the old navy deals!
Amazon or Home Depot for some apartment projects!
The 10 off 40 would be great for stocking up on some new candles from Bath and a Body Works!! Thanks Julie!
I love Retailmenot!! Amazon or Alaska Airlines are on my wish list
The Target savings is just what I need!
I’d be psyched for Nike! I could use some new Metcons after I tore part of the sole off mine doing heavy sled pushes at the gym. 🙂
Bed, bath & beyond. I love that place. I could spend hours there just looking around. Also could go broke there too. Lol 😉
I love Macy’s!
Ulta! I’m out of my usuals and would love to try something new.
Target. There’s so many good ones!
Anything Target!
Amazon or Nordstrom!!!
The Ugg’s Closet coupon! My husband’s feet are always cold and I really wanted to get him a cozy new pair of slippers for Christmas, but presents for each other weren’t in the budget this year :(. So I’d definitely take advantage!
I think I’d go for Kohl’s!! They have so many deals and retailmenot would make them even better!
l saw some discounts for hotels at Expedia and Hotels.com that I’d love to use for an upcoming trip!
I’d love to win a gift card for shopping at Nordstrom!
Definitely Old Navy and right now they have 20% off your order!
I am in the market for a new computer for school, so I am definitely checking out the Best Buy deals!
I would love to try Blue apron but amazon is my go to.
I just got a kitchen aid stand mixer for Christmas and I would totally use a gift card toward BBB for attachments and extras.
I would love to use it at Lord & Taylor!
Nike and Target for sure!
So happy you enjoyed your time with your family Julie and especially happy to hear your mom’s test went well. Would love to be at a zoo rather than this snowy, cold weather in the burbs of Chicago!!!
I would definitely use the Target deal!
I would use it to Michael’s for some new craft projects!
Old navy and khols are calling my name!
I’ve been dying to try the FabFitFun boxes!
Target for sure!! I always find too much there!
Amazon!
I’ve always wanted to try Blue Aprom, so it’d be a good time to do so!