Things I’m Loving #504

Hey friends! How are ya? How was your week? My week flew by but I suppose that’s how things go when travel sandwiches the weekdays. After arriving back in town on Monday afternoon, the week passed by quickly and then I’ll be taking off for West Jefferson for a baby shower for my cousin this weekend. Thankfully it’s not too far (less than a 2-hour drive) and I’ll likely be back home before lunchtime on Sunday. I’m really, really looking forward to time with my mom’s side of the family because we always have the best time together and it will be so wonderful to celebrate Andrew and Morgan’s baby boy!

I’ll be heading off once Ryan is done with work for the day but until then, I am hoping to soak up time with the boys, my mom and sister and my nephew, Luke who arrived in town last night. I hope you all have a fantastic weekend!

Things I’m Loving Friday #504

• Owala Water Bottle

I’ve had my Owala water bottle for years but for some reason never thought to mention it in today’s blog post until I had so many of you say you love it as well in my Instagram DMs when I shared it on IG Stories during my travels to Arizona. (This tumbler + this tumbler = My favorite for everyday use but the Owala water bottle is my go-to for travel or when I want to put a water bottle in a bag.) A few reasons I love it so much: It’s leak-proof! It fits in a cup holder! (I have the 24-ounce size.) It’s insulated! Once you pop open the top, you can sip out of a straw or gulp like a typical water bottle! It’s basically a slam-dunk travel water bottle and clearly there’s a reason so many of us out there love it so much.

• Recent Etsy Order: Bag Tags + Silicone Water Bottle Name Bands + Stanley Name Plate

Esty is just the best for personalized gifting. Whenever someone has a baby, I immediately think: Etsy! (Actually, I instantly make a beeline for their registry and throw in a few of my personal baby favorites but then I think Etsy!) I recently placed a semi-large Etsy order because my best friend Merri recently had a baby girl (she had JUST found out she was pregnant and told me during our husbands’ Half Ironman race in Roanoke last year!) and my cousin Andrew and his wife are expecting a baby boy very soon. Cue the Etsy orders!

Personalized Bag Tags:

I ordered these to tie on top of the gifts because they are so handy. Whether you need a bag label for gym or church childcare, preschool, daycare, etc. bag tags are so helpful. And these are adorable!

Silicone Water Bottle Name Bands:

You may remember these from when I initially ordered them for the boys’ water bottles a while back. Rhett lost his water bottle over winter break so I ordered him a replacement and also ordered a few as gifts, too. They’re great because they can be used on bottles, sippy cups and water bottles and I’m all about a gift that lasts!

Stanley Name Plate:

I had no idea this was a thing until it popped up on Etsy as a suggested item for me. (I’m apparently an online marketer’s dream.) The color of my Stanley is crazy-popular (I have the rose quartz) and at Burn Boot Camp, I’m always triple checking to make sure my Stanley is actually mine. I figured a name plate would make this a lot easier and couldn’t resist this red-and-pink-heart name plate. It’s adorable and I love it! I do wish it fit a little more flush/clicked into place but it stays on the lid and works very well for its intended purpose.

• Loom Bracelets

At the beginning of the school year, Chase regularly came home with a new rubber band loom bracelet on his wrist. He got really into them with some of his friends from school and they regularly made each other bracelets, chokers, anklets, etc. I ended up ordering a loom bracelet kit of our own for Chase and Ryder to use during our drive to Augusta for the Half Ironman Ryan and my brother-in-law did together back in September. They spent a good portion of the drive creating bracelets for our whole family and continue to make little creations for friends, family and themselves regularly. Loom bracelets are one of those great quiet activities our boys enjoy and at less than $10, the kit was money well spent for easy kid entertainment, especially on long car trips!

• February 2024 Top 10

Last year I began sharing a top 10 list at the end of every month as a way to give you guys a glimpse back into some of the blog posts you may have missed or some of my favorite finds you may have had on your radar that got lost in blogging and social media mayhem. A handful of you said it was helpful so I’m doing the same again in 2024! Please see below for February’s top 10!

• Favorite Books of 2023
• Currently: January 2024
• Egg White Oatmeal Protein Pancakes
• Top 10 Best Sellers of 2023: Fashion and Beauty
• How We Plan Our Galentine’s Favorite Things Night
• Breakfast Meal Prep Recipes
• Cottage Cheese Zucchini Breakfast Casserole
• A Day at Magic Kingdom (Our First Time with Kids)
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Fudge
• Turkey Vegetable Meatloaf

Your Top 10 Favorites

• Kur Illuminating Nail Concealer (Bless you guys for bringing this magic into my life! It really does blur any nail ridges/peeling and is exactly what I was looking for after two back-to-back gel manicures destroyed my nails.)
• Owala Water Bottle (My favorite travel water bottle. It doesn’t leak and you can sip it out of a straw or drink out of it like a traditional water bottle.)
• Crayola Twistables (Our boys’ favorite twistable crayons.)
• ELEMIS Superfood Glow Priming Moisturizer (The magical primer that blurs imperfections and makes my skin look bright and healthy.)
• Black Wide Leg Lounge Pants (Ridiculously comfy and flattering and perfect for travel, lounging and wearing out and about.)
• Silicone Water Bottle Name Band (Our favorite way to label the boys’ water bottles. Easy to transfer to other water bottles and dishwasher safe, too!)
• Crew Socks (Perfect thickness and height — aka no cankles!)
• True & Co. Racerback Bra (Crazy soft and comfy and perfect to wear under our favorite Target tanks.)
• Weekender Puff Bag (Holds a TON and works well for travel if you have a rolling carryon and want to bring another large bag that fits under the seat on a plane.)
• Puracy Stain Remover (The natural enzyme stain remover we’ve been using for years.)

 

• Friday Flashbacks

Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken and Broccoli (Made with pantry staples and comes together quickly — a perfect easy weeknight dinner!)

Sesame Cucumber Salad (I made this last night for our family and my mom and sister as a side with dinner and it was a hit as always!)

Question of the Day

What is one thing you’re loving this week?