Things I’m Loving Friday #459

Hey friends! How are you doing? How was your week? Our week began on a good note as my parents were still in town and stayed with us through Tuesday morning. It was so, so wonderful to have time together and we were so glad my dad was up for a visit. He is recovering well from surgery though still really needs to rest and take it easy. The recovery does not sound at all pleasant but he is handing it as best he can. I think the boys helped give him some much-needed distraction and we filled my parents’ visit with a lot of around-the-house activities.

Chase picked out one heck of an intricate Lego set for Pop to help him with and it ended up taking Ryan, my dad, Chase and Ryder the better part of Saturday afternoon to complete. They were all quite proud of their creations!

Ryan and my parents were all out of our house by Tuesday as my parents returned to Florida and Ryan was off to Atlanta for another work trip. Ryan returns tonight and we will be so happy to have him back!

Our weekend plans include another birthday party but other than that, they’re pretty up in the air. I’ll do my best to document everything to share with you guys on Monday. Enjoy your weekend and this week’s roundup of favorites, my friends!

Things I’m Loving Friday

• Favorite Things Galentine’s Dinner

On Tuesday night, I booked a babysitter for the boys and joined my girlfriends for our second annual Galentine’s Favorite Things dinner! We all got together around Valentine’s Day last year and exchanged small gifts — $10 or less — and had so much fun that we decided to make it a bit of a tradition and do it again this year. We exchanged our small surprises over dinner and had the best time!! Last year I wrapped up electric lighters for everyone but this year I gave my girlfriends my favorite organic rosehip seed oil, organic peppermint lip balm and microfiber wristbands to keep their arms and sinks dry during face washing! (They’re awesome and I highly recommend them!) My friends and I all seemed to realize the same thing when it came to less-than-$10 gifting: Buying sets of things and splitting them up made it easier to keep costs down! As for what I received, the gifts were all so fun and creative! My favorite things haul this year included Beautycounter lip gloss, dark chocolate, microfiber washcloths, magnetic bookmarks, Honest Beauty tinted lip balm, a gift card to a local coffee shop, a gel pen and cute highlighter set, Bible verse encourgament cards and a Bible Promises for Moms book.

• Studio McGee x Target Chairs

(Chairs / Pedestal Table / Lamp / End-of-the-Bed Ottomans / Chunky Knit Blanket / Gray Throw / Rug <– we have the 8×10 size and it was under $200! I was so psyched about this find! ) 

These chairs! I’m in love! I actually signed up to be on a notification alert list to get them because they sold out so fast when the most recent Studio McGee x Target collection first appeared online so I was so pumped when I finally snagged them. (They were recently restocked in a bunch of colors!) We placed them in our bedroom and they are comfortable and supportive and have such a warm, inviting look to them. They look even better in person (almost velvety!?) and I think they have a gorgeously high-end look for less. Target is seriously killing it in the home décor/furniture department lately!

• Latest Color of Our Favorite Amazon Sweatshirt

A new color recently dropped in our favorite Amazon sweatshirt and I couldn’t scoop it up fast enough! It’s a beautiful purple-blue color but the comfy fit and flattering style is all the same! (It comes with a little brown leather tag on the zipper but I easily cut that off mine.) When I tell you I wear this sweatshirt in at least one of the colors I own multiple times a week, I’m not lying; it’s without a doubt my most-worn purchase of fall/winter. It’s apparently a dupe for the lululemon scuba hoodie and I’m so glad so many of you love it, too. The new color feels a little springy so I’m all about it as we transition into warmer weather in North Carolina.

• The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley

My rating: B

Years ago I read The Guest List by Lucy Foley and loved it so I’m not sure why it took me so long to pick up another one of her books! I flew through the audiobook version of The Hunting Party by the same author today and think the audiobook version likely made me enjoy the book even more (something I wouldn’t usually say) because the narrators were so talented and the voices were so good! It was filled with everyone’s-a-suspect intrigue and I looked for small pockets of time throughout the day when I could multitask and listen to this one because it kept me thoroughly entertained from the very beginning. (Also, I clearly liked it enough to look for another book my Lucy Foley to dive into next and just started reading The Paris Apartment.)

The Hunting Party begins as a group of long-time college friends embark on their annual tradition of a a New Year’s Eve getaway. The tightknit group is headed off to a secluded lodge where they are almost completely alone in the wilderness with the exception of two staff members and a pair of unexpected guests. They toast to a good time, laugh and catch up but an undercurrent of secrecy, animosity and betrayal runs through their friendship. When one of the group members goes missing after a night of drunken partying, body is discovered in the snowy wilderness and everyone’s a suspect.

• Friday Flashbacks

Super Seed Oatmeal (My mom’s recipe and one I had for breakfast — and also lunch — a few times this week!)

Question of the Day

 What is one thing you are loving this week?