Good morning and Happy Friday to all of you out there! The anticipation of the weekend is upon us again and I’m pretty sure we can all agree that is something to smile about, right?
Sticking with Friday tradition around here, below you will find some things that I am loving this week. As always, I’d love to hear about something that is making you smile in the comments section of this post. Have a fabulous weekend!
Things I’m Loving Friday
- Bridal Shower Crafting
My sister’s bridal shower is tomorrow!!! My mom and I have been crafting away and having the best time planning for the shower and I’m excited for Leslie to finally be able to see everything!
- Hotel Sleepover with Merri
When I found out I was going to be in NYC for such a short amount of time, I was determined to somehow see one of my best friends who lives in the city while I was there. Merri ended up meeting me at my hotel late on Tuesday night for a sleepover and we curled up in the fluffy hotel bed and had the best time together doing absolutely nothing! The next morning, we took a 6 a.m. Soul Cycle class which is basically the most amazing spinning class in all the land. And then we followed up our sweaty workout with a cronut, which leads me to my next bullet point…
- Cronuts
Croissant + Doughnut = Cronut. And yes, it tasted just as amazing as it looks! Merri and I lucked out and were able to snag raspberry lychee cronuts from Dominique Ansel’s bakery without waiting in the infamous line that usually forms outside well before the bakery opens. The weather was wet dreary so the line was a lot shorter than it normally is and we took advantage of this and I fell in love with my cronut after one bite. I’m not sure whether this would even be feasible, but if I was getting married in NYC, I’d be awfully tempted to assemble a “cronut cake” for my wedding rather than a traditional wedding cake. Unreal!
- No TV
I really need to dedicate an entire post to this topic, but Ryan and I have been loving our decision to forgo both cable and basic television in our house. Now we only watch DVDs or Netflix movies. Or Downton Abbey online (okay, so I watch that one solo). I like this so much better because we’re watching TV with intention and not mindlessly staring at shows we don’t care about at all. It has been a great change in our house!
I’m not sure why, but I constantly keep a list of my top five favorite foods in my head. When I bite into something that I really love, I find myself wondering whether or not it deserves a slot in my top five food favorites. This popcorn is on the verge. Yes, I really do like it that much. It’s the perfect combination of sweet and salty. The milk chocolate is melt-in-your-mouth delicious and the buttery popcorn is just as good as the indulgent popcorn you get at the movies. We don’t have a Peterbrooke in Ocala, so I cannot help but buy it whenever I pass through the Jacksonville airport and enjoyed my little treat as I waited to board my flight to NYC on Tuesday.
Past Things I’m Loving Friday posts:
Questions of the Morning
- What is one thing you’re loving lately?
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Crafting is so fun and therapeutic! Also I could not agree more with the no-tv comment. It’s just so much easier to be fully present and interact with the people you love when the talking box isn’t on.
I just got rid of my cable too! I wouldn’t have done it if Downton Abbey wasn’t available online! My boyfriend isn’t too happy about missing hockey games, and streaming them online isn’t too fun…but we are saving soooo much money!
I love your idea to cut cable! It saves so much money and you’re absolutely right, cuts down on mindless watching. We bought a roku to use once we officially cancel cable!
I’m loving the coffee that I am drinking right now… I usually have tea but this morning I needed a little extra caffeine 🙂
Love the list!!!
Julie – I salute your TV decision, but I could not imagine not watching special events such as the Olympics! Do you find yourself missing events like that?
you must be able to stream the olympics online! in canada, we can watch it on cbc.ca
We are thinking about getting rid of cable as well. I barely watch TV but my boyfriend loves it so….we’ll see! You just save so much money without it.
I’m intrigued by the “no tv”. I know that we watch way too much. I’ll be interested to read your post on it.
I’m loving my knit cap that my SIL got me for Christmas. It has kept my head warm and cozy during this cold winter!
P.S. My husband totally watches Downton with me. He thoroughly enjoys the drama and the funny quips by Maggie Smith.
I’ve been going back and forth with forgoing cable too! I love Netflix, and Hulu suffices for any current- shows that I’d like to watch. My boyfriend is intrigued by the prospect too, but he can’t move past not being able to watch sports live. Did you and Ryan talk about this when deciding?
My fiance and I are also cable-free, though we do have a digital antenna that picks up local stations so that we can see things like the Super Bowl and the Grammy’s. I turn the tv on when I’m home alone for “company,” but otherwise we watch Netflix (and other streaming services.) The only time I miss cable is when I’m home sick and just want to watch Animal Planet or HGTV!
I’ve been telling my hubby that we should get rid of cable because I never use it and he only wants it for the golf channel, which I don’t think it has enough value for the amount he actually watches it! I love me some Netflix though (currently have it on – officially addicted).
That chocolate popcorn looks SO delicious!!! I wonder if I can find any in Canada 🙂
Something I’m loving on this Friday…the Olympics!! 😉
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We also got rid of our cable just over a year ago. We have a roku and use amazon and Netflix we love it!! We watch so much less tv and yes no mindless zoning out!! We have fun family tv marathon nights! All for $8.00/mo. Can’t beat saving some money!!
Oh! One more thing……I’ve never had a Cronut and oh my gosh those look sooooo good!!! What a great combo!
There is nothing better than chocolate & popcorn! Over the holidays, Costco had popcorn with white chocolate. It was incredible!
Chocolate covered popcorn?! YUM! Also, I’m totally jealous of the cronut- I’ve never had one, but they look SO good!!
My hubs and I got rid if cable too! We only have Netflix and it’s made a difference in our lives also! Spend more time together and we have gotten into the Breaking Bad series which we watch a few episodes together every night and discuss them. I feel like we have bonded more! Life changer for sure!
I went without basic tv and cable for YEARS. I thought I was the last person on the planet! People couldn’t believe it. (I also didn’t have a microwave so it seemed like I was truly in the stone ages!) I didn’t mind it one bit. Now I live with a boy who can’t survive without it so I’m stuck. But if it was just me, I’d forego it as well! I felt very free without cable!
This week I’m loving finally reading “The Godfather” book, Bath & Body Works Lavender Vanilla and Honeysuckle candles, a home spa day I treated myself to, spring cleaning, and Birthday Cake Oreos! 🙂
I have been loving the Nike Training Club App this week. I’ve done several workouts and they have all kicked by bootie!! So glad I read about it here.
This week, I’m loving rice cakes with almond butter!! I guess it’s the sweet and salty combo. Yumm!
I don’t have cable right now, but I”m sad about it right now because I can’t watch the Olympics. This year, I might have to break down and get it during the Tour de France and Wimbledon. That’s my favorite!!
A best-friend sleepover in NYC sounds like a dream come true! Lately I am LOVING group fitness classes 🙂 I’ve been teaching yoga for 3 years now and obviously love that, but only recently started going to a pump class and can’t get enough!! 🙂
I always hear about people giving up cable, and wondered if it would work for us. And while most of the stuff I watch is on Netflix or DVDs, the idea of not being able to see live sporting events (Ummm, No OLYMPICS???) kind of scares me. I’m not sure I could survive going to a sports bar every time one of my many favorites teams was on!
We didn’t have cable for a few months when we moved into our new house and I loved it! Now we have very basic cable, but really only watch things On Demand and streaming. I like that you worded it “watching with intention.” That’s exactly what we’ve been doing, but I never quite thought of it that way.
Such a great idea to kick cable! My husband and I have been doing it for a year now and we waste so much less time at night and just like you said, only watch the shows we love! I have noticed how much more we accomplish on weeknights and spend way more time at the table together during dinner! Plus – it saves a lot of money! Have you found the same benefits?
Ive been completely loving oatmeal this week. I used to mix up my breakfasts almost every day but this week it has been all oatmeal all the time.
In my place we don’t use tv either, except for news, or maybe if we are really bored we’ll watch some awards, otherwise we’ll stick to the movies, netflix and hulu! It gaves you time to do the things you have to do without the pressure of omG the show is at 9 and I have to see it!
Things I’m loving: my new saucony sunning shoes!
Have a great weekend!
My fiance and I feel totally the same way as you and Ryan do about cable!
It’s such a great way to save money and you actually spend your free time doing things you want to do and making conscious choices about what you do watch. No more looking up at the clock and wondering where the time went! When we did have cable, we found that we were connecting less. It’s so easy to come home from a long day and zone out in front of the TV.
We now have a smart TV so we can watch our netflix and hulu (and HBO go from my parents cable plan lol) on the actual TV.
Not having sports channels at home can also be a good thing… great way to be social and meet up with friends or head to a local bar to watch.
Would love to read your post about it!
Just curious – do you have a tv in your house or did you get rid of it when you decided to go tv-less?
Does Ryan watch sports? Thats the only reason I can’t cancel ours! My husband would die without Football Sunday haha
My husband and I do not have cable either and we absolutely love it. We can literally spend hours on the couch talking to each other about our day, our dreams, or even absolutely nothing. We watch movies and it is our time to cuddle up and we don’t spend wasted time on mindless TV!
We cancelled cable about a year ago and I never thought I would survive… but surprise! I haven’t even bothered to keep up with most shows that I swore that I loved.. Our favorites like the Big Bang Theory and HIMYM stream online for free and if there is something I really want to watch then I just need to get my butt to the gym where they have cable. Saving money and burning more calories. Win!
HOWEVER, the caveat is that during football season we would sometimes head to the bar to watch some college games that weren’t on basic cable. Doing that even twice a month is probably more $ for lunch and drinks than just the month of cable… so if you have a sports junkie this might not work 🙂
I love not having TV too! It is way nice to actually intentionally watch something-I agree 🙂
That cronut looks amazing! I am loving my new spinning class and am hooked!
Your chocolate covered popcorn reminded me that of these Smart Balance PB Popcorn Nuggets that I won from a giveaway and got in the mail the other day. They’re amazing, and definitely what I’m loving this week!!!
Isn’t Soul Cycle the best?! I love, love their classes and it’s such a treat to go! A total indulgence for your mind and body– if only I could afford to do it more….
I watch tv like you are doing now–no cable, just hulu, netflix, and movies. I actually get frustrated when I’m at someone else’s house and the tv is just mindlessly on now! It drives me crazy and I don’t miss it at ALL.
Yum- cronuts look amazing. I wish I could find one around here to try! I’ve been thinking of cancelling cable, I already have HuluPlus. Last night it made me sign in with my Cable login to be able to see the newer shows – has anyone else had that happen? It was a first for me.
Love the decision to forego cable! My husband and I only did Netflix and Hulu Plus for awhile. Until about a month ago when we found out we actually had cable already hooked up to our TV and included in our rent – all this time! It’s nice since we’ve never had it (since being married anyway) but I almost liked it better when we didn’t! We definitely won’t get it in our next place for exactly the reason you mentioned! We have a baby due in May and I’d like to NOT get her into the habit of tv watching.
Those cronuts look incredible! Do they sell them anywhere else? I’ve seen them on the news but haven’t heard of them in the south! YUM!
They do sell them other places (I actually had one in New Jersey) but this one was 10x better than the other one I had. So good!!
I am so jealous of your cronut! I’m planning a trip to NYC in a couple months and cronuts are definitely high on my list!
gum, i’ve recently become a gum addict.
Peterbrooke popcorn is sooo good! We actually attended a party in the Winter Park location and were able to make our own treats, like choc covered apples and oreos, etc….and it was BYOB =) it was so much fun and we made so many yummy treats! =)
We cut our cable as well for budget issues and really I don’t miss it all! We get a lot more done and like you said don’t watch the meaningless shows anymore!
I actually haven’t owned a TV since I left for college, so going on 7.5 years. Hulu and Netflix are perfect for watching the shows I really want to watch and it keeps me from mindlessly sitting in front of a TV all the time.
That cronut looks unreal! Also, that’s so interesting about keeping a mental list of your fave foods — would love to read a post about what makes it into your top five!!
OMG that cronut looked amazing!!!! I have never heard of that before haha. This may be a stupid question because I know it’s a donut and croissant but how do you make a cronut? I have a sweet tooth and need a nice new thing to try. Great Post!
I’ve been wanting to try cronuts for months!
that looks so good. I really need to go find one!
I love chocolate and popcorn!! soooo delish!
Mmmmmmm that cronut looks delicious! I’m heading to NYC in March, so I’m definitely hoping to try one! Happy Friday 🙂
So what are the top 5 foods??
I only know about cronuts thanks to “Two Broke Girls”! Brilliant! Can’t believe you’ve had em! You missed your calling as a party planner!