I could not be more excited for a LOW KEY weekend ahead. Throughout the past few months we’ve had so many visitors and when people weren’t staying with us we seemed to be traveling somewhere, so I am beyond psyched for a weekend of N-O-T-H-I-N-G with my little family. Bring on the couch time, baby!
I’m sure we’ll also sprinkle in a decent amount of time outside and we have plans for a date on Saturday (Chase will be coming, too… does that count as a date?), so I’m really looking forward to the next couple of days.
And now, since it’s Friday, it’s time to dive into your weekly Things I’m Loving Friday blog post where we all share a little bit about what we’re loving most each week. As always, feel free to join in the fun in the comments section of this post!
Things I’m Loving Friday
- Celebrating 12 Years
(Pic from our early days in college!)
On Monday, Ryan and I officially celebrated 12 years together! Our first date took place on February 1, 2004 and since Ryan says we’ll never stop celebrating our “dateiversary,” we’re heading off to the place where it all began on Saturday to celebrate. You will find us sharing a slice of banana cream cheesecake at the world’s most romantic establishment: The Cheesecake Factory! Haha! The Cheesecake Factory was the place where we went for our first date, so it’s only fitting we return there each year to reminisce a bit. (We took a few years off when we lived in Ocala because there wasn’t a Cheesecake Factory nearby.)
- Surprise Sweet Treats
Since Chase and I were still acclimating to “real life” after our weekend travels on Monday, I told Ryan I’d prefer to celebrate our dateiversary on Saturday rather than on the actual day this year so he arrived home from work with an assortment of sweet treats from Maddy Fatty’s for a mini-celebration at home. That man knows sugar is the way to my heart, I’m tellin’ ya! We shared and enjoyed everything but the vanilla bean crème brulee was the standout.
- Applegate Pepperoni
If you’ve ever purchased pepperoni at the grocery store and glanced at the ingredient list, it can be quite horrifying. I noticed a package of Applegate Naturals pepperoni for sale at Publix the other week and since Applegate is one of my go-to brands for deli meat, I picked up a pack of their turkey pepperoni. I immediately recognized all of the ingredients and the flavor of the pepperoni was slightly spicy and delicious! It’s a great grab-and-go high protein snack option for me and I also used it to make Danielle Walker’s pepperoni pizza pasta and it was AMAZING. Annnnd this is a decent segue into my next “Things I’m Loving Friday” feature…
- Against All Grain by Danielle Walker
My friend Leah was my Secret Santa this year and she apparently caught wind of how much I loved Juli Bauer’s Paleo Cookbook and gave me Danielle Walker’s Against All Grain cookbook for Christmas. It is wonderful! The photography in the cookbook is stunning and every recipe we’ve made so far has been fantastic. Many of the recipes are also quite simple and perfect for an easy weeknight meal. Some of my favorite recipes I’ve made so far include Danielle’s chicken curry, pepperoni pizza pasta (<— the BEST), chipotle barbacoa and the garlic-herb chicken thighs.
And because I’m sure I’ll get this question, no, I’m not eating a paleo or gluten-free diet – yesterday was a beast and I’m pretty sure 80 percent of my diet consisted of refined carbs – ahem, cereal – but I do appreciate delicious, clean recipes and find that paleo recipes often taste amazing and focus on veggies and quality proteins.
- Finishing A Cup of Coffee Before Chase Wakes Up
File this under things I would think sound totally lame pre-kids, but now that I have a rambunctious little six-month-old in my life, this is definitely something I’m loving this week because it happened TWO days in a row. Glory, glory!
- Lindsey’s Handmade Key Fobs
Chase’s Burn Boot Camp BFF, Miss Lindsey, is one of the craftiest people I know. In addition to creating some of the most adorable baby artwork with Chase’s hand and footprints, Lindsey always seems to be creating something beautiful at home, too, and this week, she shared an image of homemade key fobs on her Facebook and Instagram pages.
Lindsey ended up with a bunch of orders from Burn Boot Campers and I bought four! I couldn’t resist picking up the teal and gray fobs for myself for the random house keys we give to guests who stay with us or take with us on runs/walks around the neighborhood. I also sent a screen shot of Lindsey’s Instagram photo to my mom and sister and they both wanted one, too! I asked if Lindsey might be willing to ship them out to any of you guys if some of you are interested and she said yes! She’s asking $6 for them (that does not include shipping) and you can feel good about supporting an awesome woman, too! Lindsey is looking into setting up an Etsy shop, but in the meantime, you can order them by emailing her at lindsey.tyner06@gmail.com (she accepts PayPal) or reach out to her on Instagram at @ltyner87.
The Pampered Mommy Box team sent me a sample of their January box and it was such a fun treat to receive in the mail! Those who sign up for a Pampered Mommy Box receive anywhere from five to seven carefully selected bath and beauty products and small gifts selected especially for moms every month. My box was filled with an assortment of beauty products, including an organic sugar scrub, blow-dry spray and tea bags for the eyes as well as a lovely mini candle and the cutest MagSoul headband that a few of you asked about when I posted some pictures of it last week. If this seems like a box you or a mom in your life would enjoy, they’re offering PBF readers $5 off with the code PBFINGERS. Enjoy!
- Around the Web
23 Incredibly Helpful Charts For New Parents (Super interesting!)
The Best Restaurant In Every State (And I’ve been to none of them.)
A Friends Reunion Is Finally Happening (Yessssss.)
10 Most Romantic Restaurants in Charlotte (For the locals!)
- Friday Flashbacks
Winter Boot Camp Workout (A boot camp style workout from 2014 that works your whole body while seriously elevating your heart rate!)
Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake (I shared this recipe last February and it truly is the most decadently delicious gluten-free chocolate cake I’ve ever had. The recipe is also relatively simple for a made-from-scratch cake. Don’t skip the icing!)
- Bouqs and Blue Apron Giveaway Winners
Congratulations to Jillian, Sarah M. and Liliana, the three winners of the Bouqs.com giveaway, and Brittany B., the winner of the Blue Apron giveaway. All giveaway winners were emailed first thing this morning. Thanks so much to everyone who entered!
Question of the Day
- What is one thing you are loving this week?
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Chocolate cake looks epic!!! Love the head bands…I have a funny relationship with my forehead though so I never feel they look right on me!
i’m loving feeling better, spending time with my family, and looking forward to a super bowl party with ridiculously good food (i’m hosting!!) have a great weekend! happy 12 years to you and ryan! 🙂
You guys don’t age! Happy Anniversary
It’s honestly been a rough week for me (break-ups stink, especially in a new town where you don’t know anyone else!) but at the same time, I’ve really been spending time on myself and trying to really treat myself with care. I bought a 2 week unlimited membership to a nearby hot yoga studio and have already gone a few times. That time has been truly precious to me and I’m already figuring out how to make a membership fit into my monthly budget.
Awww Happy Date-aversary to you two! Love that you still spend time to celebrate it 🙂 I always joke with my boyfriend that I’m so excited to get a NEW anniversary if/when we get married because our dating one is smack-dab in the middle of Christmas and New Year’s and both our birthdays and it’s just a bit too much at once haha. Enjoy your low-key weekend!!
So many great favorites! Happy anniversary 🙂 I just checked out a book at the library that’s all gluten free recipes with 4 ingredients or less. Makes meal planning a lot easier!
Have a great weekend!
I love that you guys still celebrate your dating anniversary! My husband and I’s would be 10 years this summer, but I have no idea the actual date.
Enjoy your low-key weekend. I’ll be having one of those too and I can’t wait!
I think the only reason we remember ours is because it was on the FIRST of the month AND Super Bowl Sunday at the time. I think that definitely helps!! 🙂
So funny–my husband and I had dinner at the cheesecake factory this past week–delicious! Happy 12 years to you both 🙂
I love a no-plans kind of a weekend its great! This weekend I’m going to be celebrating my cousin’s babies 1st birthday. So spending some fun time with family and some great food will be great!
I’ll have to pick up that cook book…i might have to stop eating gluten (getting tested for many things right now) so this would be perfect! Have a good weekend!
Happy anniversary! I love that you guys celebrate your dating anniversary. I agree-why should that date and the years you spent dating just go away because you got married? Plus it gives you another date to celebrate 🙂 Those key fobs are super cute! I love the paw print one. I might have to consider ordering one because I’m always losing my keys in my black-hole of a purse.
Happy 12 years! Time flies when you’re having fun!! And that Target mug is too cute!
YAY I’m so glad we’re not the only ones who celebrate our date-aversary! 24 years this past December 23rd! Oh Lord I sound ancient!
That’s so wonderful!! Definitely something to celebrate!
Ha, those throwback photos of you and Ryan are awesome!! Happy 12 years 🙂 It’s crazy how fast time flies by. Here’s hoping you have a relaxing weekend my friend! xo
I love looking at old pictures of me and my husband from high school. Time flies!
It will definitely count as a date. We are doing the same thing this weekend with our 7 week old. You gotta do whatcha gotta do.
There is just something about enjoying a steaming cup of coffee all by yourself. I totally get it! Enjoy your weekend and big slice of cheesecake!
Yes! It’s something I never really cherished enough before but MAN I love it now!
Happy date-versaray! You’ve got a good man, bringing you home treats 🙂
I’m loving baked oatmeal this week!
Happy Friday! Congrats on 12 years! That is an amazing and wonderful occasion to celebrate 🙂
Love it! Pampered Mommy looks like the perfect gift for some girls I know having wee babes in the near future, although I (non-baby having yet) love that headband!
This weekend, I’m most looking forward to the Big Broncos (cough cough) game. Although our dativersary is actually next Tuesday and we’re celebrating Saturday night, too. We’re making steaks at home and watching ESPN’s “1985 Bears” 30-for-30. Hopeless romantics to be sure… Ha!
Have fun celebrating your 12th!
XO, Jessica
30 for 30s are AWESOME! So entertaining — and that’s even coming from someone who isn’t the biggest sports fanatic!
Danielle Walker was on Jamie Ivey’s Happy Hour Podcast yesterday, I loved hearing about her story and now I can’t wait to check out her cookbooks! You should listen to the podcast if you have a chance!
Thank you for the recommendation! I’ll check it out! I’m always looking for new podcasts to listen to on walks with Sadie and Chase!
Yum Yum! We don’t have a publix but I”m definitely going to need to hunt down uncured turkey pepperoni! heck yes!
Happy anniversary! Have a great weekend 🙂
Happy 12 years! I love that you guys still celebrate that along with a wedding anniversary. Those key fobs are adorable! My step mom gets us some of those each year with our names embroidered in them. Have a great and relaxing weekend 🙂
My hubs and I celebrate our “meeting” anniversary, because that’s essentially when we started dating. It happened in January. And we actually go to The Cheesecake Factory on the regular. People don’t love chain restaurants in the Bay Area, but I’ll always have a place in my heart for the Factory. Enjoy the weekend, Julie! 🙂
I’ve never heard of Pampered Mommy but it seems like such a great gift idea! Every mom deserves to be pampered every once in a while. 🙂 Have a great weekend!
I’m trying out the Bob’s Red Mill new nutritional boosters which I am SO PUMPED about.
LOVE the charts for new parents! I’ve bookmarked it so I can go back to it as my little guy gets older. So interesting and awesome to have all of that in one place!
My husband and I are celebrating our 12 year dating anniversary this year, too! We got married at 10 years so it’s easy to count 😉 I love Danielle’s cookbook & website. I have to be gluten-free because of celiac so her recipes are game changers in our house. I think a sign of a good allergy friendly cookbook is when people who can eat anything want to use it!
Sounds like a good weekend. Superbowl weekend is the best for that. lots of good food and time to relax! Hope you soak it all up!
Those throwback photos of you and Ryan are so fun! We too have a nice, low-key weekend for the first time in weeks and weeks, and I’m SO happy! Low-key for the win! Also me and my husband still celebrate our date-aversary too (we also met in 2004! Good year for happy couples!)
THANK YOU for the heads up on the applegate pepperoni! Lately, the pepperoni on our go-to pizza place nearby has tasted….I don’t know what the best word to use is, but maybe…game-y? Safe, but not palatable to ME (fine to hubby, but to me, it’s been off for awhile). So I’ve suggested to my husband, “maybe we should order cheese pizza and ADD our own pepperoni?” But I wanted a healthier, less-weird-ingredient pepperoni. This solves that problem! Woo hoo!
This was a super fun post, and I love those key fobs. And those desserts! Yummmmm! Happy Friday!
YAY for a relaxed weekend! I’m really excited about this for you. Also, a big happy 12 years to both you and Ryan! You are such a sweet couple, and I wish you the best in your next 12 years of love.
On another random note: I’ve been reading your blog for at least three years now (maybe four), and I’ve never won a giveaway! I’m so determined now, more than ever. 😉
Have a wonderful weekend!
Happy 12 years of being together! That is so awesome! 🙂
Congrats on your dateiversary! Feb 1st is my birthday! My husband and I will celebrate our 10 year dateiversary this fall although he would rather just celebrate our wedding anniversary. He thinks it’s just an excuse to buy presents I guess.
Well now all I can think about is chocolate cake…..
Oh man! That pepperoni sounds fantastic! I need to find it ASAP.
That’s so cute you celebrate your date-iversary. Now my husband and I try to avoid chain restaurants to support the locals but we had ours at Carrabba’s. And can’t go wrong with the Cheesecake Factory! And those meals from your cookbook sound delicious. I put them both on my amazon wish list. Also loving the headband and CLEAN pepperoni (WIN!) so many great favorite this week!
That pampered momma box sounds so fun- what a great idea!
Oh and having coffee before the kiddos are awake is an amazing treat! My 10 month old has been waking up around 6:30 everyday so when I drink my coffee it’s usually a little bit here and there until it gets cold. Sigh!
Happy anniversary to you and Ryan! Those little desserts look delicious. And those mommy boxes are so cute- I would love to treat my mom to one! I am looking forward to the Super Bowl on Sunday. I’m a huge football fan and have a few football-themed snacks that I am excited to make. Happy Friday, Julie! 🙂
Happy Anniversary! My husband and I met June 2004 and our first date was at Cheesecake Factory too! Yay!
Also, I’d love a house tour of your new home. I think I’ve seen parts of it but from all your photos I love your style. In your headband photo I see that adorable bird cage and mirror. I’d love to see more!!
Aw!! Happy Dateiversary! You guys are just too cute! Have fun celebrating!
Hope you have a wonderful as relaxing weekend filled with lots of time as a family-yay!
This week I am loooving an afternoon cup of tea! So delicious and relaxing 🙂
OMG! My son is 17 months old and I find myself waking up half an hour before he gets up normally just so I can sip a cup of coffee in peace. 🙂
That never goes away until they are 18 and off to college is my guess! 🙂
Happy anniversary for last Monday! I am absolutely loving my new Manduka yoga mat. Admittedly, I haven’t actually done any yoga on it yet, but I have been working my way through some Fitness Blender workouts and I love that it is totally non-slippy.
A hot cup of coffee enjoyed in one sitting is a HUGE luxury as a new Mama!
I had the same kind of weekend with nothing to do. It was amazing (:
Yay for finishing a cup of coffee! Have you tried a mug warmer? I have two of these, one in my kitchen and one in my office upstairs and I use them every single day since it takes me forever to drink my coffee and I can’t stand it when it’s not hot. This works great! http://www.amazon.com/Mr-Coffee-MWBLK-Mug-Warmer/dp/B000CO89T8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1454881427&sr=8-1&keywords=mr+coffee+mug+warmer
Sometimes, couch days are necessary! [I’m having one today.] Happy anniversary, belated!