Merri is one of my favorite people on the planet — she’s just one of the most bubbly, positive, encouraging, fun and supportive friends ever — and she arrived in town yesterday! Andrew will be joining us on Saturday and I’m sooo looking forward to spending more time with him as well. We’re planning to take Merri and Andrew out on the boat and just enjoy spending time together. Hooray for friend visits!
Now, before Merri and I roundup the boys and head off to boot camp this morning, let’s dive into this week’s Things I’m Loving Friday roundup of favorites. Hope you all have a great weekend, my friends!
Things I’m Loving Friday
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Chase’s 6th Birthday
Chase and Ryder were up by 6:15 a.m. yesterday because they were R-E-A-D-Y to celebrate Chase’s sixth birthday! We started the day with streamers on his door, decorations around the house and presents from Mom, Dad and family and it was so fun to see the birthday boy so into everything. (Super random tip for anyone else with little ones: Reminder to check dollar stores for kid gifts because I always pop in for balloons before the boys’ birthdays an inevitably find another “throw in” gift that ends up being a big hit. This year it was a little fishing pole with four plastic fish for him to catch. A $1 slam dunk!) We spent Chase’s birthday at a local trampoline park and and had the best time running around and jumping all over the place. Of course cake happened at the end of the day and Merri and my father-in-law celebrated with us as we sang and dug into homemade Oreo cake (the birthday boy’s request)!
How have I never heard of this handy little thing before!? I love room-temp butter for toast, bread, muffins, etc. and would constantly forget to take butter out of the fridge to soften before I was ready to use it. Enter this butter keeper! This porcelain butter keeper crock makes it a breeze to load in one stick of butter and keep it fresh on your countertop so you can have softened butter at the ready 24/7. It’s simple to use and the plain white design has a classic look that isn’t a total eyesore on our countertops. I’m a fan!
Earlier this month, during my quick daytrip to Orlando to see my friend Laurel, I accidentally left my beloved Simple Modern tumbler at her house. She kindly offered to send it to me but I didn’t want her to go through the hassle and told her to keep it, knowing I could easily order a replacement on Amazon. This time I opted for a larger size — the 28 ounce — and like it even more than my previous 24-ounce size. It doesn’t feel any bigger than the 24-ounce and still easily fits in the cupholder of my car. I consider leaving my 24-ounce tumbler at Laurel’s house a happy accident because I’m happier with this larger size, especially since something about Mom’s cup instantly intrigues Ryder and Rhett and they’re always wanting sips from my tumbler. More water for Mom + More water to share!
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Nordstrom Anniversary Sale: Open to All
The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is still rockin’ but now it’s open to everyone. Woop! I went through my finds from last week to check on what’s still in stock and am sharing the clothing, apparel and home goods I found that are still available at the time I’m writing this blog post. This sale gets a LOT of hype so please just scroll on by if you are over it!
While I do think there are some good deals, I just comb through the sale in search of the standout items and also use the sale to get a jumpstart on holiday gifting. A couple of things I ordered last week have started to arrive and I ended up adding some new things to my cart so here is my updated rundown.
Women’s Apparel and Accessories
BP Long-Sleeve Babydoll Dress (I added this one to my cart because I love the long sleeve length with a shorter hemline. I think it will be so cute dressed up or dressed down with white sneakers for a playful/casual look.)
BP Plaid Mini Dress (I ordered this on and am crossing my fingers it the silhouette actually looks good on me when it arrives because I think it will be such a fun dress for fall.)
Zella Live in Joggers (Rumor has it these are comparable to lululemon align joggers. Great reviews!)
Cole Haan Over-the-Knee Boot ($100 off but still a splurge — I ordered these boots because one review said they’re great for thicker calves. Crossing my fingers they work well for me!)
Zella Cozy Court Shorts (I ordered these this year — I was sold by the longer inseam — and have high hopes!)
Free People Window Meadow Joggers (Another order I’m hoping will look cute on me when it arrives. I see it paired with my adidas slides + a crop top and hope they don’t look too much like balloon pants! Ha!)
Free People Movement Ombre Sweatshirt (So cozy and love the tie-dye design.)
Honeydew Intimates Jersey Pajamas (Love this brand of loungewear.)
adidas Lounge Crop Hoodie (I bought this as well because I basically live in hoodies in the fall and winter months and this will pair well with various colored joggers and leggings.)
Treasure & Bond Nude Mules (I wear my nude mules with everything in the cooler months.)
Madewell Classic Sweatpants (Can you tell I have a soft spot for loungewear?)
Baby + Kids
Tucker + Tate Mountain Jacket (The green + gray version was just restocked and I nabbed it for Chase!)
Nike Pull-On Sneakers (Pull-on for the win!)
Cable Knit Baby Blanket (Three color options — I love the coral/pink desert. So pretty!)
Tucker + Tate Moto Joggers (One of my orders this year! Cool sweatpants are where it’s at for our active dudes. )
VANS Sneakers (I nabbed VANS for the boys during last year’s sale and they hold up so well thanks to the thick soles.)
North Face Jackets (A great time to snatch up a winter coat for little ones.)
Home
Reversible Knit Blanket (I ordered this one. Love that it can switch from a ribbed knit to a waffle stitch. Lots of color options!)
Stagg Electric Kettle (This is so gorgeous! Great gift for any tea drinkers.)
Barefoot Dreams Blanket (This makes everyone’s list of Nordstrom sale finds and it wasn’t until I ordered one that I understood why. 100 percent lives up to the hype. It’s so soft and cozy an the perfect weight. A great holiday gift!)
Items I Own and Love
adidas Swift Run Sneakers (I’ve had 3 pairs of these sneakers and just adore them. The white leopard print pair I ordered just arrived yesterday! Note: Order 1/2 size down because they run big.)
Moonlight Pajamas (I have the short version and long version and love them. They’re also a great baby shower gift and the perfect new mom pajamas. I wore them in the hospital after giving birth to both Ryder and Rhett.)
Barefoot Dreams Cardigan (I call this my “robe that’s not a robe” because it’s so comfy! I wear it around the house all winter long.)
Free People Longline Bralette (I have this in 3 colors and love the way it looks peeing out under various tops.)
Zella Live-In High Waist Leggings (Smoothing and so flattering.)
Oribe Texturizing Spray (The best for giving hair a little grit to make styling and top knots look more voluminous.)
Barefoot Dreams Blanket (My favorite blanket ever.)
adidas Slides (So comfy and a classic for a reason. I live in mine all summer.)
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Friday Flashbacks
Easy BBQ Meatloaf (We made this recipe again on Monday night. Even Rhett loved it!)
Easy Black Bean Dip (A good one to keep in mind for any end-of-summer cookouts.)
Question of the Day
What is one thing making you smile this week?
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A butter keeper is something I keep considering buying. Do you find it hard to remember to change the water? That’s the only thing holding me back from ordering. Have a great weekend!
So far I really haven’t! We keep it in a pretty visible spot in the kitchen so I feel like I notice it and use it a lot and will just change out the water when I use it.
Haha what is it with kids and mom’s drinks. My 2 and 4 year old will have water bottles in their hands but still want a drink of whatever my water happens to be in!
Also just have to say that these are my favorite posts! I love the Loving Fridays and look forward to them every week!
Thank you Alyssa!! They’re always fun for me to write so I’m so glad you like them!
Don’t understand the hype on those zella leggings at all! Tried them last year and they aren’t anything like the Aligns! But looking forward to your review!
Hi Julie! Longtime reader and I love your blog! I know you didn’t feature it in this post, but thought you may want to put a disclaimer on your post about Glamorous Laundry detergent. I’d normally never spend that much on detergent but was so intrigued after reading your rave reviews. Only used a tiny amount and holy smokes, the scent triggered an EPIC migraine. Thought it was a fluke and that the migraine came first and then caused the hyperosmia but yesterday I put on a pair of shorts I had washed with that detergent and I got another debilitating migraine. Now I can’t seem to get the smell out of my laundry machine/closet/sheets/etc and I’m walking around with minty chapstick under my nose so I don’t get another migraine (trick I learned while working in an ER which is full of offensive smells! 🤪). Please warn your migraine sufferers, or those who may be sensitive to certain strong odors.
P.S. if you want it, it’s yours! I’m happy to ship it to you (totally understand too if you don’t feel comfortable giving out your address to a stranger). Can’t give it to anyone I know because I don’t ever want to smell it again 😉🙃 and I hate to waste that entire bottle.