Things I’m Loving Friday #579

The first full week of 2026 has come and gone and I’m over here wondering how it went for you. Are you feeling energized by new beginnings? Overwhelmed by post-holiday catch-ups? A little bit of a lot of things? I was admittedly not in a rush (at all) to get back into the swing of things after winter break but once all the boys were back in school on Tuesday, I found myself surrounded by quiet for the first time in weeks and an undercurrent of excitement to get back into my usual work routine bubbled up. Hooray! So I’m excited to be back to blogging and thrilled to have time to chat with all of you again.

Right after publishing this blog post today, I’m actually off to the airport to celebrate Ashley, one of my best friends from college. She’s getting married in February and a big group of us rented a large house on Anna Maria Island in Florida to spend her bachelorette weekend together. I’m ready for sunshine and quality time with some of my very best friends!

But for now, keep on scrolling if you’re here today to check out this week’s roundup of favorites!

Things I’m Loving Friday

• Rat a Tat Cat Card Game

Our boys have loved UNO for years but I am admittedly sooo over UNO. Enter Rat a Tat Cat!! I included this card game in Chase’s Christmas stocking for semi-selfish reasons (no more UNO, pleaseee) and it ended up being the biggest hit for kids AND adults!! It’s a super fun game to play with memory, a little risk and some strategy involved but simple enough for young kids to learn and play. (Even Rhett at 5yo picked it up after being on a team with me for a couple of rounds, though I do think ages 6+ are probably best.)

A quick summary of how to play: Each player is dealt 4 cards they place in front of them face down. Each player then peeks at the two cards on the outsides and flips them back over. The two cards in the middle remain a mystery! Players then take turns drawing a card or picking up a card from the discard pile, trying to swap out their cards for the lowest number cards possible. (There is some risk involved since you don’t know your middle cards! There are also a few cards in the game that shake things up.) When you think you have the lowest number cards, you call out “Rat a Tat Cat” ad everyone gets one more turn before revealing your cards. It’s a blast, I’m telling ya!! Also, so far it’s caused less fights/intense emotions than UNO, so I’ll take it!

• Slip-On UGGs

I’m not sure what to call these UGGs — slippers? slip-ons? booties? — whatever they are, they are wonderful and I’ve been wearing them non-stop since I got them for Christmas… maybe a little too much, honestly, because they’ve zapped my desire to get dressed in anything other than sweats all week long. It’s been a few years since I’ve had a new pair of UGGs and the interior feels a little more plush now, making them extra comfy and cozy! (As far as sizing, I am wearing my usual boots/sneaker size which is 1/2 size up from my sandal/flats size.) And just FYI, this Amazon version looks very similar with great reviews and is quite a bit cheaper — I had a good experience with a pair of cozy Project Cloud boots I ordered in the past in case that’s helpful!

• Wellious Vegan Almond Protein Powder

I cannot tell you how pumped I am about this protein powder! I had NO idea a protein powder like this even existed — one made solely with almonds and NOTHING else — and I ordered it so fast when I saw it on Amazon. I love almonds and had a feeling this unflavored almond protein powder would be something I would enjoy. I’ve been loving it so, so much, especially stirred into a warm bowl of oats, added to my basil/chia pudding and blended into smoothies. I just had to share this one in case any of you out there have always kind of wondered why a more neutral plant-based protein powder (that didn’t rely on pea protein) didn’t exist?  (FYI, they also have chocolate and vanilla almond protein powders but I’m not a fan of monk fruit as a sweetener so I’m a little hesitant to try them.) Note: This is NOT a sweet protein powder and definitely tastes like almonds/almond flour which I love but it’s important to note since it’s a pretty big departure from most other protein powders out there.

I’m pretty excited because now I feel like I have a few go-to protein powders in my arsenal that I genuinely enjoy and look forward to using and that’s something I’ve struggled to find for a while now. If you’d like a more detailed breakdown of the protein powders I use and love and how I prefer to use them (what recipes, etc.), let me know and I’ll add it to my list of blog posts to write!

• Birdie & Harlow by Taylor Wolfe

Genre: Memoir / My rating: A- 

My first book of 2026 set the bar high for the rest of my reads for this year. Birdie & Harlow is a memoir by Taylor Wolfe — known on IG as the hilarious @thedailytay — and it’s a book that’s been on my radar for a while now. I knew the memoir mainly focused on Taylor’s relationship with her vizsla, Harlow, and her transition into life as a new mom but I had no idea I’d find it so immensely relatable, hilarious and emotional. We have so many shared experiences — namely a serious infatuation with our dogs, miscarriage and motherhood — and the way Taylor shares her life through this book had me laughing out loud, sobbing and seeing myself through her words in such a strong way.

If you adore your dog in an intense way, have experienced a miscarriage or are in the postpartum period of life or newly removed from it, I think this book would be one you would immensely enjoy. And if you like to laugh out loud one moment and find yourself with tears rolling down your face the next, you might like it, too.

Also, I have to give the author of this memoir a shout out because we lost our first vizsla, Sadie, around the same time that her vizsla Harlow passed. I reached out to her on Instagram because I was so devastated and more heartbroken than I thought I would be… and I thought I would be really heartbroken. I knew she was deeply affected by the loss of Harlow and the messages we exchanged made me feel less alone in my intense grief over the loss of our beloved dog. Whenever I see good people doing good work, it’s so fun to support them and she definitely deserves a lot of praise for this heartwarming and heartbreaking memoir.

• Top 10 of December 2025

Sharing your top 10 favs from 2025!

Blog Posts

• Lasagna Recipe Using Cottage Cheese
• How to Make German Pancakes
• PBF Gift Guide: For Her (2025)
• How to Make Salmon Bites
• Cottage Cheese Baked Pasta
• PBF Gift Guide: Stocking Stuffers for Him and Her (2025)
• PBF Gift Guide: Stocking Stuffers for Kids (2025)
• Welcome Comet!
• Easy Orange Juice Marinated Chicken Thighs
• PBF Gift Guide: Kids Ages 8-10 (2025)

Your Top 10 Favorites

• Clare V. Moyen Messenger (My most-used beloved bag. Absolutely gorgeous, perfect for mom-life and holds a ton without being too big or cumbersome. I love swapping out the straps to add interest and change up the look!)
• Mini Epicurean Cutting Board (The cutting board of my dreams — super slim, non-toxic, dishwasher safe and non-porous so it doesn’t retain smells/flavors. The mini size is perfect for slicing up an apple, bell pepper, etc. and is one of my most-used kitchen items.)
• BaubleBar Tennis Bracelet (The small stones give this semi-fine bracelet such a gorgeously feminine and delicate feel. I never take mine off and it’s held up perfectly. I have the 1.5mm stones and the 6.15in circumference and love that it doesn’t feel as floppy/fall down into my palm.)
• Deep Storage Bin Boxes (Hugely helpful for art supply organizations. Unlike other bins I’ve tried, the vertical bins in these boxes are deep enough for colored pencils and Crayola Clicks markers.)
• Material Microplastic-Free Large Cutting Board (Slim, non-toxic, dishwasher safe! I got it because it’s large but, most importantly, it has a groove along the outside to keep juices/liquids from running off. If you love Epicurean boards, you’ll love this one, too!)
• Tongue Scraper (Random but useful! Comes in a two pack. Ryan and I use ours every day and truly believe it helps keep our breath fresh and our mouths feeling cleaner.)
• Box Cutter (The best of the best for breaking down boxes.)
• Parallelle Makeup Bag (One of my fav finds of 2025. Stores makeup/beauty products vertically so they’re a breeze to find. I leave mine out on my vanity and use it very day — I have the large!)
• Battery Daddy (Very handy for keeping batteries organized and accessible.)
• Mini Massage Gun (Small but mighty and way less cumbersome than the larger massage guns out there. I honestly reach for this one over our bigger, much more expensive massage gun.)

 

• Friday Flashbacks

Spinach Banana Muffins (I made these again this week and they continue to be a big hit with our whole family.)

Chicken and Chickpea Salad (For anyone looking for a meal-prep friendly, high protein lunch option!)

QUESTION OF THE DAY

What is one thing you’re loving this week?