Peanut Butter Fingers

It finally feels like fall in North Carolina! Temperatures hovered in the mid-60s yesterday which felt amazing! We’ve had little peeks into cooler temperatures here and there but a glimpse at the 10-day forecast gives me hope that maybe, this time, the crisp fall weather is here to stay!

I have a feeling this weekend will thrust us into full-on fall mode over here because we’re hitting the road for Banner Elk, a small mountain town located in the western mountains of North Carolina. I cannot wait to see the changing leaves and explore one of our favorite areas of North Carolina with my family.

Before I go into vacation mode, I wanted to pop in this morning and share a short roundup of a few things that made me smile this week. Please feel free to chime in and share a few of the things you are loving in the comments section of this post!

Have a great weekend!

Things I’m Loving Friday

(Code)Word Hats (The Hat That Gives Back)

I’m sure my local Charlotte friends will recognize our 704 area code on the hat my friends at (Code)Word sent my way, but the hat I’m wearing is about way more than sporting some Queen City pride. (Code)Word was created with a goal of giving back to the community and 30% of profits from the sales of their hats go back to the children’s hospitals that serve each area code. (You may search for your area code here!)

In Charlotte, this means 30% of the profits from all 704 hats help cover the expenses of vital programs and services that are not reimbursed through insurance at Levine Children’s Hospital.

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library

Have you guys heard of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library? This program is AMAZING. We received a flier about it in the hospital after Ryder was born and my book-lovin’ heart soared. Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library provides free, high-quality books to children from birth until they begin school. We just received our first book — The Little Engine That Could — and I knew the program was something I had to highlight on the blog because I am such a firm believer in the importance of reading to children from a young age.

One of my friends who is a teacher showed me this infographic that I found fascinating and it further reiterated in my mind the importance of reading to kids:

(Note: The data refers to reading to children for 20 minutes a day once they begin kindergarten but why not start early!?)

Anyway, back to The Imagination Library! The program works by partnering with “Local Champions” (businesses, schools, large or small organizations or even individuals) who help bring the program to cities, towns and communities around the world. To see if it’s available in your area, you may visit the Find My Program page of The Imagination Library website.

American Eagle Sweaters + Sweatshirts

(Plush Hometown Sweatshirt — available in 8 colors! I think this one will be perfect for top knot days with a cozy blanket scarf! // Cloudspun Sweater — available in 8 colors and crazy comfy! Planning to pair this one leggings or distressed jeans and ankle booties or my leopard mules… Yep, I ordered them. I couldn’t resist this pair when I saw them for 40% off + an additional 15% off with the code RMN15 I found through RetailMeNot!)

Chalk one up to Instagram targeted marketing! I had an ad for American Eagle sweaters and thermal tops pop up as I was scrolling through Instagram earlier this week and thought everything looked so darn cute that I was inspired to pop into the store late yesterday morning when I was making a return at a nearby shop. Ryder slept through my fashion show (Chase was at preschool) which worked perfectly because I was able to try on a bunch of different tops and was very impressed with both the flattering fit and the comfort of most things I tried on.

I’m actually slightly annoyed because when I went to link to the sweaters to share with you guys, I saw that I could’ve saved some money if I would’ve purchased my sweaters online versus in the store (the code FALL4U gets you $20 off purchases $75+, $30 off purchases $100+ and $40 off purchases $150+ online) so keep that in mind if you are hoping to do some shopping before Sunday when the code expires!

Oh! And if you’re sporting a baby bump, check out the City Sweatshirt. They restocked it this fall and I lived in mine last winter when I had a growing belly!)

Botanics All Bright Eye Roll-On

This roll-on eye brightener feels so incredibly refreshing and cooling and does a lot to help me feel more awake in the mornings. It doesn’t eliminate dark circles but if you feel like you wake up with puffy eyes, I think it’s worth a try! It seems to help me look more awake and alert after sleepless nights and I apply it first thing in the morning and also before bed at night.

Friday Flashbacks

5 Meatless Meals (A short roundup of 5 meatless meals we loved. Check this one out if you’re looking for some delicious vegetarian dinners to add to your weekly meal plan!)