I am glad the weekend is here and am looking forward to some fun with my family as well as some kid-free time on Saturday night. Ryan and I have plans with some of our friends for dinner in the city and this is actually the first time we’ve had a babysitter since Ryder was born so I think it’s safe to say some adult time is much needed! We are really looking forward to it!
As far as the rest of the weekend is concerned, our plans are up in the air and wide open. Thankfully it looks like the weather is going to warm up considerably this weekend so I have a feeling we’ll be enjoying some time at the park if the sunshine on the forecast sticks around.
But for now, let’s stick to the usual business around here and dive into my weekly Things I’m Loving Friday roundup of favorites! Below you will find a short list of some things that are making me smile this week and, as always, I’d love to hear a little bit about something that is making you smile this week as well.
Things I’m Loving Friday
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Work Your Way Up Run/Walk Workout
After streaming The Bachelor during my workout last week, I did the same thing this week and I kind of forgot how much watching a favorite show can make the time fly by! It’s been a while since I’ve felt into The Bachelor but for some reason I am all about this season. I broke up this week’s episode between a couple of workouts (and skipped over some of it because I am not into the Demi drama) and time flew by!
I also wanted to highlight another treadmill run/walk workout here because this one was a great one. I basically matched one minute of incline walking with one minute of running and then added a minute to both each time so my workout looked like one minute walk, one minute run, two minute walk, two minute run, etc. It was a great way to fight treadmill boredom along with The Bachelor so I just had to share it here!
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One Day in December by Josie Silver
After a few back-to-back more serious reads, I was on the lookout for a an easy, breezy read and this one fit the bill. One Day in December is the wintery version of a beach read and I enjoyed curling up with this book at the end of a long day.
The book begins with Laurie feeling the most intense jolt of love when she sees a man from her seat on a bus window in the middle of winter. She feels frozen but also battles the intense urge to get off the bus when the man locks eyes with her… and then it’s too late and the bus rolls on. A year passes with Laurie looking for her beloved bus guy until one day her best friend Sarah introduces Laurie to her new boyfriend, Jack. Laurie cannot believe it when the new boyfriend Laurie’s heard Sarah rave about also happens to be the very man Laurie fell in love with at first sight from her bus seat one year earlier. One Day in December follows the next 10 years of Laurie and Jack’s lives through fierce friendship, heartbreak, missed opportunities, growth and change as they strive to find happiness.
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Hearts on Kid’s Doors for Valentine’s Day
I saw this idea on Instagram and thought it was just the cutest thing! Beginning today, February 1, up until Valentine’s Day, tape one heart a day on your child’s door featuring one reason why you love them. Easy and so darn sweet! I cannot wait for Chase to wake up this morning to find his heart and explain to him one of the many reasons why Mom and Dad love him so much. And for sweet little Ryder, I’ll be sure to brew up some extra loving breast milk up for him in lieu of the hearts since breast milk is his current love language.
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Edible Cookie Dough
One week I will learn how to tame the sugar monster that lives inside of me but this week was clearly not that week. Ryan bought a jar of JUST edible cookie dough last weekend and we went to town on that thing! It was so, so good and the birthday cake flavor was fantastic. I was half expecting the dough to taste highly processed and a little strange but it tasted like homemade dough through and through. Apparently you can also bake the dough but that never happened in our house because we couldn’t resist the dough. I’m sure this goes without saying, but it’s incredibly addicting so don’t open up a jar of that stuff and think you’ll have “just one scoop” because I’m convinced that’s physically impossible.
The team behind SuperFat nut butters sent me a few of their new blended nut butter packets to try this week and I think I went to heaven when I opened up the cacao coconut pouch. It was perfectly creamy, lightly sweet and so delicious right out of the pouch, though I am now having visions of swirling it into a hot bowl of oatmeal! The company is brand new so the nut butters are not available for purchase yet — they’re launching a KickStarter on February 4 — but their blended base of macadamia nuts and almonds was irresistible for this nut butter lover!
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Friday Flashbacks
Sharing a few of my favorite easy party food recipes just in case you’re looking for something delicious to make for a Super Bowl party this weekend!
Black Bean and Brown Rice Salad: A cold and tasty dish bursting with color, texture, flavor, healthy veggies and whole grains.
Paleo Coconut Crisps (You only need 10 minutes and five simple ingredients to make this deliciously crunchy treat!)
Chocolate Chip Almond Butter Bars: Made with coconut oil, oats and honey, these bars come together quickly and disappear even faster once you take them out of the oven.
Simple Shrimp Dip: A crowd-pleaser that’s easy to make and one of my most popular blog recipes ever!
Cold Quinoa Salad: Light, refreshing and easy to prep ahead.
Paleo Lemon Cupcakes: A citrusy sweet treat that’s Paleo-friendly.
Easy Cilantro Shrimp Appetizer: A one-dish recipe bursting with flavor thanks to cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
Question of the Day
What is one thing you are loving this week?
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Thank you for sharing the heart idea, love it!!!!! ❤️ Also always love your book reviews! Hope you have a great weekend!!
Isn’t it so sweet!? Hope you have a fantastic weekend as well!!
I love cookie dough but wanted to make a healthier version so I tried chickpea cookie dough and it is awesome! There are a lot of recipes online, you basically blend chickpeas, peanut butter and maple sirup until smooth and add chocolate chips. Super easy, very tasty, inexpensive and no artificial stuff. Only downside is that it’s all ingridients I always have at home, so I eat tons of it which contradicts the “healthy” part 😀
Haha! I could see how that could be addicting, too! I’ve seen cookie dough hummus before but need to give this a try!!
Hi Julie! I’ve been reading your blog for years so I know you aren’t at all a fan of deprivation, but have you ever considered Whole 30 for taming your sugar addiction? I do one every January to reset after the holidays and the inevitable sugar bingeing I do and it makes such a difference. It also helps me keep track of what foods I might be sensitive to. Just a suggestion!
I’ve seen it all over the place and actually have read the book as well but haven’t really wanted to try it myself because I (thankfully) don’t feel like I have food sensitivities which I think Whole30 can help people uncover — however,, I DO think I could benefit from completely eliminating sugar from my diet for a period of time because I’m definitely the kind of person who can’t have “just one bite” of something sweet and sugar seems to open up the flood gates and I just want it non-stop! But I know I’d miss it from an emotional standpoint because I truly do love sugar/ice cream as a treat for the emotional side of it too (makes me happy, feels fun, etc.) Definitely something to think about though! How long do you feel like it takes you to feel a reduction in sugar cravings after Whole30?
I always feel like after about 2-3 weeks my sugar cravings are gone completely. I completely get the emotional standpoint of sweets! One year I didn’t start my annual Whole 30 until the end of January because I had a family event midmonth and didn’t want to deprive myself. Whole 30 has really taught me what is worth it, and how to make better choices when it isn’t. For example, I’ve learned that eating savory breakfasts helps me crave less sugar throughout the days. This way, when I’m faced with a homemade treat, I indulge because I really want it, not because I’m just craving sweets. I never feel bad when I make an emotional decision to have something, but I do if I eat something just to fulfill a craving, especially if that craving could have been prevented!
I am totally taking that heart note a day idea! I mentioned it to some friends and hope we can all do it together and help keep each other accountable! Thank you for the idea! ❤ My 2-year-old will love it and I’m sure Chase will love getting the notes from you and Ryan! & I love what you’re doing to Ryder. I have a 9-month-old and it’ll pretty much be the same haha
Oh my goodness I love the heart idea!! That is the sweetest idea ever! All I’ve done for Vday for the kids so far is buy some dollar spot goodies and a book for each of them, so this would be another fun way to really celebrate the holiday with them!
Was just about to come on and suggest considering a whole 30! I don’t know about doing one in winter though… as when I want something sweet having delicious fruit on hand is a winner! But it’s been amazing for taming the sweet tooth, making some new habits and getting the snacking addiction gone! It doesn’t feel like a diet at all because there’s no quantity restriction, so if I’m “hungry” I just have to ask if I’m hungry enough to get some veggies or something and usually I’m not ? I probably don’t follow it strictly enough, but at least my sugar is coming from fruit and not just eating a tub of ice cream! (I do need to cut out the nightly ritual I started of eating almond butter off a spoon…. eating dinner early with kids is a killer for 9pm hunger!)
I’m totally sucked into watching The Bachelor. Every season I say this will be the last one and then somehow I start the next season and can’t stop watching. I do skip parts now though. This last week has been so much inside time because of the cold! This mama (and my toddler) were both going a bit stir crazy. More Daniel Tiger than usual 🙂 I can’t wait to get outside more so I hope it gets at least a tiny bit warmer sooooon!
I have never missed a season of the Bachelor! All the way back to Alex Michele! I definitely wish they focused more on people who actually want to get married and have kids…rather than people who want to be Instagram stars and celebrities but I still watch! Of course I can’t blame this current group because they are all so young! Although look at Lauren from Arie’s season! Every one thought she was too young (even Arie! Which is why he picked Becca) and now she’s married and pregnant!
I just finished reading One Day in December yesterday! I read it in two days and loved it! Poor Laurie…such a “no win” situation to be in. It reminded me a lot of Emily Giffin’s Something Borrowed. I would love a movie version…and a sequel! Especially if it followed their 30s-40s. I just watched This Is 40 which I first saw at maybe 32 (I am 38 now!). It is soooo funny now as a mom of two! Have you and your husband ever watched it?
Always a sucker for a new nut butter – can’t wait to get my hands on some of that! Yum!!