How are you guys doing!? All is well over here in the land of toddler tantrums (because wearing anything other than jammies these days = DISASTER). I’m not sure what it was about returning to our normal weekday routine on Wednesday morning, but something flipped in Chase and I felt like I had my butt kicked by a two-year-old before 9 a.m. The meltdowns have continued but thankfully Wednesday morning seemed to be the worst of it. TGIF, right!?
I am ready for this weekend, that’s for sure. We don’t have a single thing on the agenda and that was very intentional. I’m sure we’ll fill the next few days with something fun but if our days include curling up at home in our pajamas, I’m totally okay with that as well.
Now it’s time to move onto my usual Things I’m Loving Friday blog post and, as always, I’d love for you guys to join in the fun and tell me a little bit about something that is making you smile this week in the comments section. I hope you all have a fantastic weekend!
Things I’m Loving Friday
I first became aware of blue light protection glasses when I saw Kate mention them on her Instagram Stories. My interest was immediately piqued since I spend my fair share of time staring at my computer screen. I did a little research since I didn’t want to drop major dollahs on something I thought might admittedly be a bit of an unnecessary impulse buy and found a $20 pair on Amazon Prime with good reviews. They claim to reduce eye strain and headaches, cut 90 percent of blue light and help with better sleep. (Some reviewer said they like to keep them bedside to use when they scroll through their phone at night to help with better sleep.) I am just keeping my glasses on my desk and slip them on before working every day and so far I really like them. They’re comfortable enough that I forget I’m wearing them after a minute or two and if they can help protect my eyes, I’m all for it. I actually texted one of my best friends who is an optometrist in Denver to ask if they really do work and she said, “They can definitely reduce eye fatigue related to computers and screens! It’s kind of over-hyped right now but they certainly don’t hurt!” Worth a shot to me!
- Holiday Cards
I realized earlier this week that I never shared our holiday cards on the blog this year! Truth be told, I found myself mailing them out the Saturday before Christmas so our friends and family likely received them after Christmas but hopefully they served as some kind of a hybrid Happy Holidays / Happy New Year card from our family. Once again, I opted to order our cards from Minted and used a picture that my second cousin’s wife took for our family when we were on vacation in the Outer Banks earlier this year. (Amy is a professional photographer living in the Raleigh, NC area if you happen to need one!) I also couldn’t resist putting together a mini collage of photos from 2017 on the back of the card and I think the picture of Sadie in the bottom left corner may be one of my all-time favorites. It just makes me want to cuddle her right up!
In Tuesday’s blog post, I mentioned my love for Kristin’s Thai Crunch Salad. It’s truly one of the BEST blogger recipes I’ve ever made and you MUST try it ASAP if you typically enjoy Thai flavors. I actually ended up making the recipe twice this week (it keeps fairly well as leftovers since it uses coleslaw mix rather than lettuce) and I realized there were two things I used to make the salad that might be worth mentioning into today’s post!
If you make a lot of salads, I highly recommend a salad dressing mixer. I love mine and since I often make my own salad dressings, I really appreciate the way it has a handful of go-to dressing recipes on the side of the container. I’ve made all of them and think they’re fantastic! (I actually also have this salad dressing bottle which is a cheaper $7 option!) And I know I’ve mentioned this handy lil’ salad chopper + bowl on the blog before, but it’s worth highlighting again if you love chopped salads. The double pizza cutter-like blade is incredibly sharp and finely dices up veggies in the giant mixing bowl so you get a bazillion more flavors from your various ingredients in every bite of your salad. The best!
- The Great British Baking Show
I think Ryan and I are on a roll with random Netflix food shows because this one just popped up on our radar and is proving to be another wonderful find. (I owe my friend Carrie a thank you for recommending this one!) It’s oddly funny, drool-inducing and somehow calming to watch at the end of a long day. Plus, I get such a kick out of deciphering certain words that mean one thing in America but something rather different in the United Kingdom… like pudding.
- Homemade French Onion Soup
I’ve never made French Onion Soup at home before and after my friend Chelsea highly recommended this recipe to me, it found its way onto my weekly meal plan. I completely spaced on picking up a baguette when I was shopping for ingredients but a piece of Ezekiel toast worked well in a pinch (though it looks rather comical). Ryan and I both gave this recipe rave reviews. It was such a tasty cold weather dinner. Cozy, savory and satisfying!
- $250 VISA Gift Card Giveaway Winner
Congrats to Danielle, the winner of the RetailMeNot $250 VISA gift card giveaway! Danielle said, “I would love to go shopping at Victoria’s Secret during their semi annual sale! They have a great line of workout clothes and sleepwear.” Danielle was emailed first thing this morning. Thank you so much to all who entered!
- Friday Flashbacks
Sheet Pan Paleo Salmon (This recipe for Sheet Pan Paleo Salmon with Rosemary Roasted Potatoes and Green Beans answers the question “What’s for dinner?” with a simple one-pan meal. A combination of flaky salmon, crispy roasted potatoes and fresh green beans make this a satisfyingly flavorful recipe.)
Exercise Ball Ab Workout (A 9-minute workout that will challenge your core through a series of three rounds of six stability ball core exercises.)
Question of the Day
What is one thing you are loving this week?
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YES the GBBO. I’ve taken to narrating/reviewing my own cooking in the voices of Paul and Mary. It delights me (although maybe not so much my husband, who doesn’t (yet) watch the show…).
adorable holiday cards <3 you are about to get completely addicted to the Great British Bake Off. Its serious TV over here in the UK… get on their instagram page and look up #GBBO on twitter lol
Amy | http://www.amygetsfit.com
We’re on season one but loving it so far!!
I’m definitely adding the salad chopper to my wishlist! I love salads but struggling with trying to get a bite of everything onto my fork. Problem solved! One thing I’m loving this week is bandaids and Neosporin! Random I know haha but I slipped on ice last Saturday and have had some nasty bruises all over and a giant cut on my knee. Thank goodness for extra large bandaids or I’d be walking around in shorts since any fabric on top of the cut is irritating.
Have a wonderful weekend Julie 🙂
Chris and I actually got a Newlywed cookbook for 2 for our wedding and I made a french onion soup recipe out of there a couple weeks ago that we just LOVED! To be honest, I had never had that kind of soup before so I had no idea what to expect, but it turned out so good. The ezekiel bread toast on top was a good idea! That’s just about the only bread we buy anymore.
I have been toying with the idea of buying blue light glasses like those for a while now – please let us know if you feel like they were worth it/made a difference in a few weeks once you’ve had some time to use them!
This week I am loving simply being home with just my husband. We had such a busy holiday season with family from out of town staying with us and then traveling for New Year’s, so it feels wonderful to just be getting back into our simple little routine here at home.
Have a great weekend. 🙂
My kids and I love watching the Great British bakeoff. It makes me giggle but the whole time during the biscuit challenges my kids yell at the TV, “They are call cookies!”
Haha! Yes!! I love the little differences like that! The first biscuit challenge I saw they all made crackers! I was expecting big, fluffy biscuits!
What brits call biscuits are always sweet though.. are you sure they made crackers? Generally crackers are just called crackers. Seems like food is the category that has the most words that are different in the US vs UK :0
Very interesting! Yes! It was during season one and they were making what looked like really savory, crispy crackers and they called them biscuits. So interesting to see how things vary!
I’ve been dealing with more headaches than usual and I think working on the computer 24/7 has a lot to do with it. I’ve never heard of those glasses–Ill have to see if they make a difference for me!
Hope you weekend is restful and tantrum free!
Happy Friday to you Julie! I’m very intrigued by those glasses…I will have to check them out.
That French Onion soup looks so fancy – I would be so intimidated to make it!
Hope you have a great weekend 🙂
My hubby and I love the great British baking show!! We would watch it and talk about the people like we knew them. We love Mary berry and Paul Hollywood! The two hosts are hilarious and we loved watching it at the end of the night to unwind.
When I was little I went through a stage when I only wanted to wear PJs too! I remember the battles with my poor mother over getting ready for school in the morning. Gosh, sorry mom! But, rest assured it will pass 🙂
Have a great weekend xo
I have the same blue light-blocking glasses! I’ve been wearing them regularly (at work, not so much at home) for about a year and really like them. I no longer rub my eyes throughout the day and they don’t water or feel irritated at the end of the workday. They look v cute on you!
So glad to hear this! I have high hopes for them but didn’t want to spring for the $100 pairs I’ve seen out there. I’m glad the $20 glasses worked well for you!
I’m definitely looking into those glasses! They look so cute and are super affordable. Do they have a clear lens or is it tinted yellow? I know a lot of blue light blocking glasses are yellowish!
The have a clear lens. 🙂
french onion soup looks and sounds amazing. was it pretty easy? I’ve been craving some
It was really easy! It was just a little more time consuming than our usual meals because the onions take a while to caramelize but it was definitely worth it!
Your Christmas cards are too cute!! And I checked out that salad chopper bowl on your stories yesterday! I need to get it!
Oh I haven’t heard of those glasses! I get so tired from always staring at a screen! And NEED that salad dressing mixer and chopper in my life! Enjoy your weekend!
I love the Great British Baking Show! I got really into it when I had mono in the fall and needed to do nothing by lay around on the couch. This week I’ve been into the most recent season of Fuller House. I finished it last night and now I can’t wait for the next season!
Yes!! I discovered it when I had the flu. Apparently it’s the perfect “I can’t do anything other than lay here and binge watch this show” type of show. 🙂
French onion soup is the best! I’ll have to check out the Great British Baking Show. I’ve been hearing really great things about it.
Ooh, you just convinced me to buy the $7 salad dressing mixer. I love that the recipes are printed right on the bottle.
No plans are the best plans sometimes! This weekend my husband and I have overflow family holiday party madness, so I can’t say it will be all that relaxing but it will be nice to see everyone. Have a great weekend Julie!
I kind of felt lazy for liking the fact that the dressing recipe are right on the side (I mean it’s not THAT hard to look up a recipe these days!) but then I kept using them OVER and over again. Convenience is KEY! 🙂
Thanks for the shoutout! 🙂 Your pictures are some of my favorites!
When I used to sit in front of a huge Imac everyday for work I wore a pair of Gunnar glasses, which are super nice as well for reducing eye strain and eye fatigue when you’re in front of a computer. It’s a great company!
Love the holiday cards!
Happy New Year! I have been addicted to these competitive shows on Netflix lately and the Great British Bake off is one of the latest show! It is quite fun to get to know each of the bakers! But have you seen Zimbo desserts bake off?! Omg! That’s one got me hooked!
Do you mean Zumbo’s Just Desserts by any chance? If so, yes!!! That’s the one we finished right before this one and loved it!
Wow, I just found your blog – Google recommended it because “You’ve shown interest in peanut butter.” We both like The Great British Baking Show, both have a toddler, and both have a husband named Ryan! I think we’re going to be friends, lol.
I love love love the Great British Baking Show! It’s so addicting. A friend got the book for me and everything in it looks so beautiful. I have yet to try anything out because it’s super ambitious, but maybe I’ll do it on one of these super freezing cold days when I just want to sit indoors.
Also, your Christmas cards are so pretty!
I hope you, Ryan, Chase, and Sadie have a great weekend!
Love the GBBO, it’s a really big show over here in the UK and if you go on Buzzfeed, you’ll find some really hilarious articles about it- people are very opinionated about it aha!
I work in a preschool and I think it must’ve been difficult for them to get back into a routine because so many of them were having major tantrums! I hope they ease up for you next week and Chase is back to his usual self, they’re not easy to handle! Have a great weekend 🙂
Oh my gosh it’s absolutely been the week of toddler meltdowns! My 17 month old has been in rare form the past couple of days. Hang in there!
Oh my gosh, I’m with you on the toddler tantrums . The other day Sully lost it because he asked to have his pants changed ( they had been wet with water) so when I took them off he lost it because he wanted to continue to wear them..what the what…I actually had a facebook flashback come up of him having a tantrum when he was maybe a year and a bit and it was as if nothing has changed !!! I’m with you mama ….
Also that salad bowl and chopper is soo in my cart..I need that in my life along with that recipe, going to make it for lunch this week!
Thanks for sharing xo
.. headed to google what pudding means in the U.K. 🙂 I have that same salad dressing jar and I love that it can pour like a regular dressing jar. That salad chopper is in my cart. I do love those Dole chopped salad mixes too. . They are perfect!
OMG, I am OBSESSED with the Great British Baking Show! I started it last week and am already on season 2. It makes me want to up my baking game, so that’s now a resolution of mine! Even my boyfriend into it and we each watched it on our iPhones while running on the treadmill yesterday. SO ADDICTING. And the terminology is so interesting!