Things I’m Loving Friday #351

Hello, hello! Happy Friday! I hope you’re checking in today feeling nice and full.

We had a delicious spread of all the usual Thanksgiving fare and though we obviously missed getting together with our extended family, our low key Thanksgiving was really nice. The boys asked if they could do a “jammie day” on Thanksgiving and since we didn’t have any big plans and 5 and 2-year-olds are awfully easy to please, their day was made when we told them they could be comfy in their pajamas all day long. Despite a dreary start to the day, we made it out for a walking family 5K and turned on the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade when we got home. It was a cozy holiday all around!

As for the weekend ahead, our big plans include putting up our Christmas trees! Yes, that’s trees, plural. I’ve stopped fighting Ryan on his desire for two trees and just embrace it now. We put up one fake tree and one real tree and our house feels oh so festive! I’m hoping to snap some pictures and share a recap of the weekend with you guys on Monday, but until then, here’s a little roundup of my weekly favorites!

Have a great weekend and thanks so much for making PBF a part of your holiday season!

Things I’m Loving Friday 

• Speedway Christmas at Charlotte Motor Speedway

On Monday night, we got all comfy cozy in our Christmas jammies and drove to the Charlotte Motor Speedway to check out the holiday lights. Speedway Christmas includes more than four million lights along a NASCAR race track (a major highlight for our race car loving boys!) and the lights are all set to music so it’s quite the sight! We visited the annual Charlotte-area event for the first time last year and it was so awesome that I knew we had to head back again this year. (Hooray for a holiday event that is actually still taking place and feels safe for the whole family during this crazy time!) It was a great way to kick off the holiday season for our crew!

P.S. Any longtime blog readers recognize my snazzy Christmas onesie from SantaCon in NYC back in 2013? Memoriesss! 

• Tripod for My Phone

I have a feeling this little gem of a purchase is going to come in handy throughout the years with our family! Ryan and I both hate asking people to take a family photo for us when we’re out and about but then I also regret not having more pictures of all of us together so this little phone tripod seemed like the perfect solution. I ordered it from Amazon and it could not have been any easier to set up. My phone hooks right into it and it is controlled by a remote (via Bluetooth) or you could also always set up your phone’s self timer. As an added bonus, the boys think it’s some kind of an awesome toy and love being in charge of the remote. Chase’s stellar pose in the above Christmas pajama picture can be attributed to him having control over the tripod remote. Haha!

• Target Winter Gear

When it comes to cold weather outerwear and accessories, over the course of the past two years, I’ve had the best luck at Target! Last year, before our annual mountain vacation, I was in the market for a parka that would look cute with jeans and booties. I wanted something warm and cozy but not a traditional puffer jacket and totally lucked out when I stumbled upon this $60 find! It was such a steal and is so warm and comfy! I got the olive green color (it also comes in black, gray, white and red) and love that you can pull in drawstrings at the waist to give the jacket a little more shape. I am also a HUGE fan of the Universal Thread brand of ear warmers and hats. I now have two of the ear warmers (in green and rust) and recently bought their pom beanie in a rust color and love the way it’s fleece-lined and not at all itchy. Target for the win!

• Black Friday Sales

Just in case you’re hoping to take advantage of some of the Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales out there today and all weekend long, here is a brief roundup of some of the sales that popped out at me!

Our Bounce House: The bounce house the boys love so much is on super sale! Ryan actually bought it for them on Black Friday last year and it was the hit of Christmas! We use it mostly inside and it saved us in the early rainy/cold days of quarantine.

Old Navy: 50% off everything (I bought these high-waisted jeans last month after I saw them on a friend and they are AMAZING. Such a steal and so cute! Here they are in a medium wash. I also have this oversize fleece hoodie and it’s so cozy.)

Caraway Cookware: Up to 20% off (This is HUGE, as they rarely do sales. We love these beautiful, non-toxic pans so much!)

Gap: 50% off everything + an extra 10% off with code GAPFRIDAY (I cannot recommend their softspun joggers enough — I now have 4 colors! And our boys have these puffer vests and they’re great!)

L.L. Bean: 15% off with code THANKS15 (Includes my beloved XL camo tote — aka the best pool + travel bag ever because it holds so much stuff!)

Aerie/American Eagle: 40% off everything (I took advantage of their 10 for $35 underwear this morning)

Anthropologie: 30% off everything (This daydream throw blanket + this alpine faux fur blanket look so warm and cozy)

Branch Basics: 20% off Starter Kits, the Travel Kit and the Glass Bottle Kit with my code pbfingers (This is my go-to safe + natural cleaning supplies for everything!)

Lululemon: Major discounts on some favorites including High Rise Wunder Under Leggings and Align Leggings — I also got my mom their On The Fly Pants (currently more than 50% off!) last year and she loved them!

Bare Minerals: 30% off with code SHARETHELOVE (Bare Minerals makes a lot of my makeup go-tos, including the Complexion Rescue Tinted Moisturizer, Complexion Rescue Foundation Stick and Prime Time Primer)

Athleta: 20% off everything (I am in love with their Run With It shorts — they’re best for those with hips and a booty!)

Boll & Branch: $25% off orders $150+ (I’ve been eyeing this bedding + the waffle-weave bed blanket for the longest time!)

LOFT: 50% off with code BESTWEEK

Nordstrom: Up to 50% off + Extra 25% off clearance (includes lots of BOMBAS socks!)

Blue Apron: $80 off your first four boxes

Madewell: Up to 50% off with code VERYMERRY

• Around the Internet

Food: Caribbean-Inspired Vegan Bento Box / Overnight Crockpot French Toast Casserole / Pumpkin Goat Cheese and Kale Lasagna

Fitness: Tabata Strength At Home Workout / Bodyweight Glute and Ab Workout

• Friday Flashbacks

Cucumber Dill Rotisserie Chicken Salad (Swap the chicken for turkey in this recipe if you have some turkey leftovers to use today!)

Legs + Abs + Arms Boot Camp Workout (A 32-minute total body workout I planned for a previous boot camp class I taught!)

Question of the Day

What is one thing making you smile this week?