Things I’m Loving Friday #484

Friday is here and today should be a fun one. Chase’s second grade teacher is a huge animal lover (it was truly the first thing two of the moms I know from Chase’s school told us about her when I told them who his teacher was this year) and their shared passion for animals has been the biggest gift these first few weeks of school. His teacher keeps her classroom stocked with National Geographic KIDS magazines and they have a class pet (a tortoise) and she even said “yes” when Chase asked if he could bring his leopard gecko in to meet the class. Well, today is the day Lucky gets to go on a little field trip and Rhett, Ryder and I will be bringing Lucky and a little lizard toy for each kid into Chase’s class this afternoon. Chase is beyond excited and we worked together to make a mini “Lucky Facts” poster about his favorite reptile to share more about her!

As for the rest of the weekend, we have a mix of random necessities on the agenda (car inspection and oil change appointments) but we’re also hoping to sprinkle in some fall fun in the form of a festival or maybe even a trip to our favorite local corn maze. And of course we have another birthday party on the calendar because I swear they are endless when you have three kids! Haha!

I hope to share more on the blog next week but until then, keep on scrolling for this week’s roundup of Friday favorites!

Things I’m Loving Friday

• Apple Picking at Carrigan Farms

Last Saturday Ryan and I were on the ball and took the boys apple picking at Carrigan Farms before the apples were all gone and the season was over. We’ve learned our lesson over the years and know apple picking in our area is more of a sweaty sport versus a “let’s look cute in cozy fall flannel” affair.

It was a drizzly, overcast day but we made the most of it and loaded up our bags with tons of apples! We’ve made no less than three batches of oatmeal apple crisp from our haul so far so I’d call this year’s apple picking adventure a success!

• Free People Quilted Carryall Bag

I’ve been in the market for an oversized bag that is big enough to hold my laptop but I also wanted something that would double as a great catch-all style bag I could carry on an airplane for travel. I have a girls’ weekend trip coming up in a couple of weeks with my college friends so I was a motivated shopper and when I saw this Free People bag pop up in an Instagram ad, I added it to my cart after reading the positive reviews. It’s lightweight and even cuter in person and I love all of the extra interior and exterior pockets for easy organization. It’s also available in 20 colors and I was torn between the sky blue and the khaki colors but opted for khaki because I figured it would go with more but man oh man that sky blue is calling to me, too!

• Kids’ Athletic Socks

I’ve been on the struggle bus when it comes to finding cute athletic socks for the boys. I had a few pairs I loved for them from Carter’s and Old Navy but holes have started to pop up in the toes and heels so I needed another option. I am also picky about the length and so many crew-style socks seem to reach their knees or upper calves. Thankfully a couple of weeks ago I found a few winners on Amazon I figured are worth sharing for anyone else out there who might be in the market for athletic socks that have a semi-retro look that don’t hit too high on the leg. For Chase and Ryder, I ordered the black and gray versions of these Cotton Day socks and for Rhett I ordered these organic cotton socks in a variety of colors.

• The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab

My rating: B-

Before diving into my review of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, I should begin by saying I listened to the audiobook version of this book. While I love audiobooks, I personally believe some books don’t translate as well in this format and I think this novel could be one of them, as it’s a very long book without a lot of action. Since I was listening rather than reading, this made it easy for my mind to wander and yet when I’d find myself focusing on the story again, I never really felt like I missed anything pivotal which also made me feel like maybe this book just wasn’t a great fit for me. It never really pulled me in and while I loved the premise of the book (it’s immensely creative!) and appreciated some truly beautiful writing in the book by the author, it felt unnecessarily long and a little too drawn out to feel like a page-turner. I felt like I could’ve walked away from finishing this one numerous times and really only held onto it because of the rave reviews. It’s not a book I personally loved but I also know it wasn’t a bad book if that makes any sense. I guess my review for this book boils down to this: The author of this novel is very talented and her writing is beautiful but I did not find the book captivating.

From Amazon:

France, 1714: in a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever—and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets.

Thus begins the extraordinary life of Addie LaRue, and a dazzling adventure that will play out across centuries and continents, across history and art, as a young woman learns how far she will go to leave her mark on the world.

But everything changes when, after nearly 300 years, Addie stumbles across a young man in a hidden bookstore and he remembers her name.

• Friday Flashbacks

Cinnamon Ice Cream (The perfect pairing with apple pie or apple crisp!!)

Air Fryer Pesto Salmon (aka our dinner last night!)

Question of the Day

What is one thing making you smile this week?

Is there anything in particular you are looking forward to this fall?