Thank goodness my mom already had a visit planned for last weekend because Ryan had to leave for Las Vegas for a work event all week and I don’t know what I would’ve done without her for a few days there. Mae to the rescue! Despite me feeling rather awful for a few days, I was much better by the time my mom left and we were able to have some fun with the boys while she was here. We’re missing Mae already but will be seeing my mom and sister in two weeks for a big baby shower for my cousin’s wife in Raleigh at the end of the month so the countdown is on!
Another countdown we have going on right now is the countdown until Ryan arrives home this morning! He took a red-eye in from Las Vegas last night and should be walking through the door in a couple of hours. Assuming he can sleep for a bit this morning and then rally, we have a full day of Valentine fun planned for the boys and I cannot wait! It feels like a treat to have Ryan off on a Friday and we’re planning to take full advantage!
And now I want to quickly dive into my usual Things I’m Loving Friday post before I’m off to set up some Valentine’s Day treats for the boys since they’re sure to be up soon and the chaos will commence. I hope you all have a wonderful Valentine’s Day and a fantastic weekend!
Things I’m Loving Friday
This is a random find I included in one of my holiday gift guides but I wanted to highlight it here as well because it’s something we use and appreciate in our home every single day. I ordered two wall mounts for our Google Home Minis and love the way they keep our smart home speakers off the counter and out of the way. You simply pop the speaker into the wall mount and then wrap the cord around the cord grooves, giving the whole thing a very streamlined look. This wall mount is one of those small, inexpensive Amazon finds we adore! You can find wall mounts for both the Amazon Echo and Google Home Mini, so definitely check them out if you’re sick of your smart home speakers taking up coveted counter top space.
On Wednesday night, we got to work in the kitchen baking a batch of chocolate chip cookies for Valentine’s Day for Chase’s teachers… but not just any chocolate chip cookies. We followed this recipe for a copycat recipe for NYC’s Levain Bakery’s chocolate chip cookies and made GIANT cookies! I’ve had a couple of Levain Bakery chocolate chip cookies in my life but it’s been years since my last one so I cannot speak to whether or not this recipe is a perfect duplicate but I can speak to its fabulousness. The cookies reminded me of baked cookie dough and, yes, I’m aware of how odd this sounds but they have a thick, somewhat doughy texture in the middle that’s unlike any chocolate chip cookie I’ve made before. The only change we made to the recipe was to swap pecans for walnuts but other than that, we followed it to a tee!
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Open Book by Jessica Simpson
I’ve been a Jessica Simpson fan for years and when I saw she was coming out with a memoir, I pre-ordered her book immediately and couldn’t wait to read it. Her memoir was a fantastic read, especially for a fan familiar with the rollercoaster she’s been on in the public eye throughout the years. She shares deeply personal stories and gives insight into her past relationships, childhood and faith. It’s obvious she poured her heart into her memoir and the book gave me a glimpse into the real person behind all of the glitz and glamour. If you have any other memoirs you’ve recently read and loved, please let me know because after flying through Open Book, I’m in the mood to read another one!
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Harmless Harvest Organic Coconut Water
This water was highly recommended to me by my sister when I was so sick last Friday. While I couldn’t even sip water without vomiting, by Saturday I was able to consume liquids again and Harmless Harvest coconut water saved me. I’ve tried coconut water many times in the past and always thought it was pretty good but this coconut water is on another level! It’s SO much better than any other coconut water I’ve tried and tastes like I’m sipping slightly sweet coconut water straight out of a coconut. I’m usually a Gatorade girl when I get sick (lemon-lime for life!) but love that this water is a much more natural way to hydrate my body when I desperately need fluids. I’ve since purchased and consumed four bottles and love it!
I know I’m incredibly late to the Door Dash game but can I just sing its praises for a second? I was completely worn out at the end of the day yesterday and all I wanted was Pad Thai but the last thing I wanted to do was load the boys up into my car just so I could swing by a local Thai restaurant for food I knew they wouldn’t even want to eat. Bless you, Door Dash for making my noodle dreams come true. Do you know what a luxury it felt like to have a hot dinner that wasn’t pizza delivered to me 20 minutes after I put the boys to bed? Oh happy day! Also, how sweet was the little bag of Valentine’s Day chocolates the man who delivered my food brought with my meal?
Oh and I should note that I’ve done zero research into what the best food delivery service out there is and went with Door Dash because I repeatedly see them pulling into our neighbor’s driveway, so if you have any more insight on the best food delivery services out there and pros/cons, I’m all ears! Annnd if you’ve been living in the dark like me and would like to try Door Dash for the first time, you can use this affiliate link for $15 off — $5 off your first 3 orders!
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Friday Flashbacks
Chocolate Chip Almond Butter Bars (Just in case you’re craving a little sweetness on Valentine’s Day!)
Blueberry Banana Protein Pancakes (I made these for breakfast yesterday and they’re always a hit!)
Question of the Day
What is one thing you’re loving on this Valentine’s Day?
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