Things I’m Loving Friday #385

Hey hey and Happy Friday! I hope your week was a good one! We had a decent week over here. School for the big kids is trucking along, Ryder started soccer and Rhett officially has fourteen teeth.

I feel like every second I tickle Rhett upside-down I notice a new tooth in his mouth. Little raptor baby!

Neither of the big kids had school yesterday and even though it was a rainy day, we made the most of it with lots of muddy outside playtime.

That picture doesn’t even begin to do the muddy madness justice. (Look at Ryder’s legs and imagine that all over their jackets, boots, hands and legs.) Let’s just say that before we came back inside, two naked boys were hosed off in our driveway and a load of laundry and a mid-morning bath followed shortly after.

As for the weekend ahead, our plans are wide open. We have a birthday party on the agenda for tomorrow morning and need to catch up on some organization and chores around the house. I’m hoping to have a recap to share with you on Monday but until then see below for my weekly roundup of favorites, Things I’m Loving Friday style!

Things I’m Loving Friday

• Take A Look It’s In a Book Tee

Any other Reading Rainbow fans out there? A couple of weeks ago, I shared an IG Story featuring the theme song from Reading Rainbow and someone sent me a DM with a link to this Take A Look It’s In a Book t-shirt. I bought it the second I clicked the link! I love the look of graphic tees but always struggle with which one to buy because so many of the designs just don’t call to me. You better believe this one did and my book-loving heart had to have it. It’s also been a fun one to wear out and about because inevitably a stranger will comment on it, proving Reading Rainbow had an amazing reach back in the day! And yes, yes I did wear this t-shirt during a trip to the library earlier this week. While that wasn’t planned, let’s just call it a happy coincidence.

• Leg Day Workout

Leg day has never been my favorite so I surprised myself by really feelin’ this one! I’m not sure if it was the music I was jammin’ or the fact that I created a workout that incorporated a decent number of deadlifts, hip thrusters and bridges (my fav leg strength exercises), but it was a good one that left me sore for three days after I completed it in our driveway. Bonus: You can easily do this one at home with only a set or two of heavy dumbbells since it doesn’t require a lot of fancy equipment.

• New Phone Case + Rattan Pop Socket

The decorations on the outside of my previous phone case have been peeling away little by little every day for the past month so when I saw this no-frills phone case in one of @bethereinfive‘s IG Stories, I swiped up! The case is a soft, ultra slim, silicone shock-proof case from Cordking on Amazon and I opted for the pinksand color. (I originally ordered the light brown color because it looked like a super-dark rose color but it was, in fact, light brown when it arrived so I swapped it for the pinksand and am much happier.) I paired the case with a rattan pop socket for a little bohemian flare and I’m loving it!

• Verity by Colleen Hoover

Okay, let’s chat about Verity. I shared a snapshot of this book when I initially began reading it on IG Stories and received a handful of messages cautioning me about the content in the book, especially for mothers who may have experienced miscarriage or child loss. I wasn’t really sure what I was getting into and admittedly got roped into the book right away. Having said that, I 100 percent echo those warnings, as the writing in Verity is graphic and intense, especially around those particular subjects. I found it hard to read and stomach-turning on multiple occasions and would have a very hard time recommending this book for that reason.

That being said, the storyline was interesting and the book is the kind of novel you fly through in a sitting or two. It’s a twisted page-turner that follows Lowen Ashleigh, a writer unsure where her next paycheck is coming from until she’s offered an opportunity she can’t refuse from Jeremy Crawford, husband of the hit novelist Verity Crawford. Jeremy wants Lowen to complete the best-selling series of novels his wife began before she was severely injured.

In order to immerse herself in Verity’s writing and mindset, Lowen is invited to stay at Verity’s home so she can make her way through Verity’s notes in her home office. Soon after Lowen begins her research, she unexpectedly discovers an unpublished, never-before-seen autobiography written by Verity. The book is filled with secrets, lies, deceit and revelations that could turn Jeremy Crawford’s life upside down. Distressed over whether or not to share the discovery with Jeremy, Lowen keeps her find hidden, but as her feelings for Jeremy grow, Lowen wonders whether or not she should reveal what she’s found, a feeling that intensifies as her suspicions over the severity of Verity’s injuries begin to deepen.

• Dohm Noise Machine

Our kids basically ruined our ability to be able to sleep in a completely quiet room and now Ryan and I are both addicted to sleeping with a noise machine. Having multiple babies who sleep with a noise machine spend 6 months in your room with you will do that to ya, I guess! During a past visit to my parents’ place, my mom had the Dohm Noise Machine set up in our room for Rhett that we ended up absolutely loving. It’s a fan-based white noise machine that provides continuous white noise without any digital looping or odd digital interruptions. You simply twist the outside of the noise machine to adjust the volume of the noise/how much of the fan you hear and it’s been a bedtime staple for us for months. One thing I will say is that this machine doesn’t get crazy loud so if you’re looking for a louder option for a child’s room, I wouldn’t opt for this one. For the boys’ rooms, we looove their Hatch Lights and I cannot recommend those enough for a quality noise machine with a bunch of awesome features.

• Around the Internet

Food: Marinated White Bean Salad / Air Fryer Sausage Peppers and Onions / Gluten-Free Pumpkin Spice Pancakes  / Kale Pesto Pasta Salad

Fitness: 10 Gym-Free Cardio Options / 30 Minute Dumbbell HIIT Workout

Sales: 15% off all activewear at H&M (They have some great kid’s athleticwear if you have any little ones playing sports this fall) / 20% off Madewell for Madewell Insiders (Sale includes my favorite white sneakers — I pair these with everything and they’re comfy enough to wear to walk for miles!)

• Friday Flashbacks

10 Preschool Lunches (A peek into two weeks’ worth of preschool lunches + What was actually eaten from each lunch)

Edamame Black Bean Salad (With football season in full swing, keep this simple recipe on your radar as a delicious side dish or dip for any Sunday football gatherings!)

Question of the Day

What is one thing making you smile this week?