Things I’m Loving Friday #582

Friday is here!!! I mean, I think it’s Friday? With 5,642 snow days popping up for our kids recently I feel like I’ve been living in a weird extended winter break. We haven’t had a “normal” week of school since the middle of December but maybe next week is our week!?

This is not a complaint, however, because aside from feeling behind on all things work-related, the novelty of snow in Charlotte wasn’t lost on our crew one bit (see below)! Though most of it will be melted and snow play will be a thing of this past this weekend, we absolutely made the most of it while it lasted.

As for this weekend, since we’ll be at a wedding on Valentine’s Day next Saturday, we’re planning to do our annual Valentine’s Day mission a week early with the boys. It’s truly one of our family’s absolute favorite traditions and we all get so excited for it every year! I hope to share a weekend recap on the blog on Monday but until then, keep on scrolling to check out this week’s round of favorites!

Things I’m Loving Friday

• SNOW!

This one had to claim the top spot on today’s list of favorites because it felt like such a treat to us! We always cross our fingers for one decent snow a year in the Charlotte area and unfortunately haven’t had much to write home about the past few years. Well, snow overdelivered last weekend and we got a full foot — the most in 20+ years! We spent hours and hours outside, sledding our hearts out!

The big kids were all about finding or building jumps on the hills so they could “catch air” and ya know Rhett wasn’t far behind. Ryan and I know this snow will be one we talk about for years to come as it’s not likely to repeat anytime soon!

• Geometry Kitchen Towels

(Red + Pink Plaid / Kind Spirit Heart Plaid / Stitched Heart)

Last year for my birthday my friend Carrie gave me my first Geometry kitchen towel. I didn’t take note of the brand of the kitchen towel at first, but as I began using it, I quickly found myself telling her how much I loved it! As it turns out, Geometry towels are a bit of a thing and I can see why. They’re super soft, very absorbent and never wrinkle. They’re also quick-drying and wash well. I put a few on my Christmas wish list and my mom gifted me a couple holiday kitchen towels by Geometry this year, too!

I was bummed to put my Christmas kitchen towels away and when I saw Lindsay share their Valentine’s Day collection, I ordered a few more (one as a gift). They add a little functional joy to our kitchen and I love them!

After sharing my Valentine’s Day order on Instagram, Geometry passed a coupon code along to me to share should any of you wish to try their towels: PBFINGERS will save you 15% sitewide. (I actually used it earlier this week to order kitchen towels as one of my “favorite things” for our upcoming annual Galentine’s Favorite Things Night + I used it to order myself one of their butter blankets after seeing Lindsay rave about hers so much!)

• “Candy Salad” (featuring Percy Pigs!)

Talk about a true social media trend. I never thought I’d see the words “candy” and “salad” together but social media has a way of making just about anything a reality these days. I saw this trend pop up a couple years ago around Valentine’s Day when people would combine a bunch of red and pink candies as a fun little treat and call it a “candy salad.” I knew our boys would love it (I mean what kid wouldn’t!?) and when Ryan returned from his India trip with a bunch of bags of some of our favorite gummy treats he grabbed at the London airport during a layover, we made it happen!

Of  course it was a giant hit but I think it was especially yummy because of the candy we used. England knows how to do gummy candy, I’m telling you! After one of Ryan’s coworkers turned him onto the glory that is a bag of Percy Pigs during a prior business trip, they’re a must-buy for Ryan to bring back to our family whenever he travels through London. And I have good news: Target very recently started selling one kind of Percy Pig gummy candy (one of the best ones!) if you’re looking for a slightly unique, absolutely delicious and dye-free treat to include in a little one’s Valentine’s Day basket this year!

• North Face Boots

Over the course of the past few weeks, my North Face boots have been doing some heavy lifting in the ice and snow. I initially bought them over the summer for our Alaska family vacation and have only grown to further appreciate them for their warmth, comfort and snow/waterproof capabilities. I’ve been slipping them on a couple times a day for my walks outside with the dogs since it’s still wet and snowy and they’ve been fantastic. I’ve worn them to walk 5+ miles and cannot get over how comfortable they are, especially for snow boots which can often feel a little too stiff or too heavy on my feet.

• Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young

Genre: Mystery / My rating: B+ 

This book completely sucked me in and when I was halfway through I found myself pleased to realize I had NO idea as to how the main mystery would unravel. (Fast forward and it was a little unsatisfying to be honest, however as someone who finds most mystery novels very solvable, I did like not feeling like the book was overly predictable in that aspect.) It’s a mystery ripe with secrets, family drama, love and magic and it’s also a book I absolutely flew through.

From Amazon: Emery Blackwood’s life changed forever the night her best friend was found dead and the love of her life, August Salt, was accused of murdering her. Years later, she is doing what her teenage self swore she never would: living a quiet existence on the misty, remote shores of Saoirse Island and running the family’s business, Blackwood’s Tea Shoppe Herbal Tonics & Tea Leaf Readings. But when the island, rooted in folklore and magic, begins to show signs of strange happenings, Emery knows that something is coming. The morning she wakes to find that every single tree on Saoirse has turned color in a single night, August returns for the first time in fourteen years and unearths the past that the town has tried desperately to forget.

August knows he is not welcome on Saiorse, not after the night everything changed. As a fire raged on at the Salt family orchard, Lily Morgan was found dead in the dark woods, shaking the bedrock of their tight-knit community and branding August a murderer. When he returns to bury his mother’s ashes, he must confront the people who turned their backs on him and face the one wound from his past that has never healed—Emery. But the town has more than one reason to want August gone, and the emergence of deep betrayals and hidden promises spanning generations threaten to reveal the truth behind Lily’s mysterious death once and for all.

• January 2025 Top 10

Sharing your top 10 favs from January 2025!

Blog Posts

• Lasagna Recipe Using Cottage Cheese
• How to Make German Pancakes
• Cottage Cheese Baked Pasta
• High Protein Oat Bran
• Best Books I Read in 2025
• Cottage Cheese Baked Pasta
• Recent Looks #13
• Anna Maria Island Bachelorette Party
• High Protein Broccoli Cheddar Soup
• How to Make Salmon Bites

Your Top 10 Favorites

• Long Amazon Vest (One of my most-worn winter purchases. I love the long length and warmth but also the ability to have my arms free.)
• Eby Briefs (My underwear is now 95% Eby — I love these seamless briefs because they stay in place and don’t slip. Currently on sale for 5 for $60.)
• No Makeup Makeup Duo (The looks-so-natural-feels-so-light makeup that blew me away. A tiny bit goes a long way and works as a foundation/concealer/color-corrector. I do think the brush is important with this one as it gathers the perfect amount of product and applies it in a way that almost looks airbrushed.)
• Amazon Workout Top (I love the high neck on this one and the super-soft fabric.)
• BruMate Tumbler (My go-to water bottle for travel + mom life when I can’t lug around my 64-oz monstrosity. Why I like it: Leak-proof + Soft silicone straw exterior with a stainless steel straw interior + Handy little handle +Keeps water cold)
• RUTI On the Loose Pants (Without a doubt my most-worn pants of fall/winter. I adore the super-flattering fit, the lightweight + breathable fabric that feels comfortable enough to walk in for miles + the alternative to leggings for a pulled-together look in everyday casual mom life. Code PBFINGERS15 saves 15%)
• SkinnyTaste High Protein Cookbook (I’ve loved every single recipe I’ve made from this one!)
• Quince Oversized Boyfriend Cardigan (The perfect layering piece. I have it in gray and cream. You may see it on here and here.)
• ARMRA Colostrum (I take this daily to support immune health, gut health, lean muscle mass, aid in recovery, hair/skin heath, etc. It’s a powerhouse supplement! Code PBFINGERS saves 15%)
• Corkcicle Water Bottle Sling Bag (The bag I never knew I needed! I take it on every walk and it easily holds my water bottle, keys, phone, dog treats and dog poop bags.)

QUESTION OF THE DAY

What is one thing making you smile this week?