Things I’m Loving Friday #316

Hello from Raleigh, North Carolina! I loaded the boys up in my car yesterday afternoon and the three of us made the drive to my aunt and uncle’s house. We’re in town for a baby shower for my mom’s cousin’s son’s wife (got that?) and I’m so excited to be reunited with my mom’s side of the family and celebrate Michael and Amy’s baby girl.

My sister and niece arrive in town early this morning and I am so, so, so excited to scoop Callie up in my arms and give Leslie a big hug! I haven’t seen them since Christmas and it’s been way too long. We’ll be spending the morning out and about with the kids at a local park before driving to Sanford for the baby shower festivities. It will be a very full, very fun weekend!

Before I sign off to fully soak up family time this weekend, I wanted to share this week’s roundup of favorites. Check ’em out below!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and thanks so much for making my blog a part of your Friday!

Things I’m Loving Friday 

• Car Organization

A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned a trip to Target I took with our family in search of organization bins for my car. I was so sick of the backseat of my car looking like some kind of a hybrid of a kids’ play room/library. I truly felt overwhelmed every time I looked at the floorboards of my car and saw them covered in toys and books. I am sure some mom out there has way better car organization tips than I do but all I wanted was a way to keep the boys’ toys corralled in one place and their books in another. I wanted a simple, low maintenance organization system and thought having two separate bins — one for toys and one for books — seemed like the answer for me.

I grabbed two bins from Target in a color that would semi-closely match the interior of my car (a tan leather) and also fit between the boys’ two car seats. (I drive a small SUV.) You guys, as simple as this system is, it WORKS and my car looks a million times more organized. I keep the toy bin between the boys’ car seats so Chase can easily reach it (Ryder’s arms still aren’t quite long enough) and the book bin sits on the floor in front of the middle seat where I can easily reach it to toss a book back to the boys at a red light. It makes it a million times easier to keep the kids entertained since Ryder is all about books in the car right now and I’m not throwing the same book back to him over and over again because it’s the only one within reach on the messy floorboard of my car. And since I know someone will ask, I looked for exact links to the storage bins I purchased but couldn’t find them online. I highly recommend wandering the aisles of Target or Walmart to find something that you love in a size that works best for your car!

• Lavender Essential Oil Roll-On

This was a stocking stuffer I received from my mom for Christmas and as a lavender lover, it’s quickly become a favorite of mine. I dab a little bit of this lavender essential oil  on my wrists and directly under my nose using the rollerball before bed time and find it incredibly soothing and relaxing. It’s such a simple little thing that has become a part of my evening routine that I look forward to every night.

• Stitch Fix Shop Page

As a longtime Stitch Fix lover, I was so, so excited to see a new feature pop up on their site. If you happen to have a Stitch Fix account, check it out because it’s fabulous! You simply click on the “Shop” page at the top of the site and then it shows you items you’ve kept from your past Stitch Fix deliveries paired with other shoppable items. It’s so convenient and I’ve already ordered a delicate asymmetrical gold heart necklace (this one!), a quilted cylinder crossbody bag (this one but in black) and these Tretorn sneakers that have a little wedge in them (I’m still waiting for them to arrive) using this feature. Also, if you’ve never tried Stitch Fix before and would like to give it a go, you may use my affiliate link and we’ll both get $25 to put to use towards a fix!

• The Only Woman in the Room by Marie Benedict

Thank you to blog reader Jennifer who informed me that there is, in fact, a name for the subset of historical fiction I’m loving so much right now. Apparently the genre I adore where an author provides a fictional account of a contemporary or historical person’s life is called biographical fiction and my latest book recommendation falls within this genre yet again.

Having read and loved Carnegie’s Maid by the same author, I had high hopes for The Only Woman in the Room. The book tells the story of Hedy Lamarr, a famous Austrian-born actress who made a name for herself in Hollywood after fleeing from her marriage to an Austrian arms dealer with ties to Hitler. Hedy is not just a gorgeous movie star. She’s immensely intelligent and used her time with her first husband to learn everything she could about the Third Reich’s plans and areas of weakness. Once she makes her plan for escape, the scientist living within her comes to life when she’s not filming movies. She pours her heart into an invention she believes could help the fight against Hitler but getting someone to listen to her and take her seriously may be her biggest challenge yet.

I admittedly knew very little about Hedy Lamarr going into this novel so everything I read about her life was eye-opening to me. I was impressed by her bravery and her mind and found her story compelling. My only complaint about this book is that I felt like it ended rather abruptly. I finished this novel with a bunch of questions and wish the author would’ve spent more time detailing the later years of Hedy’s life, as I was very curious to know how her life unfolded. While I liked this book enough to recommend it, I wanted more from it as I feel like there was likely a lot more to Hedy and her story that could’ve been included.

• Around the Internet

Food: Tom Kha Soup (Thai Coconut Soup) / Chocolate Chip Banana Bread / Orange Ginger Salmon

Fitness: 30 Minute One Dumbbell Heavy Workout / Les Mills Barre Review / No Equipment HIIT Workout

• Friday Flashbacks

Sheet Pan Paleo Salmon with Rosemary Roasted Potatoes and Green Beans (This recipe 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.)

Best Every Morning Glory Muffins (Chase and I made these together this week and I was reminded, yet again, why this recipe from Charlotte’s beloved Sunflour Baking Company is the BEST.)

Question of the Day

What is one thing making you smile today?