The weekend is here! Hooray! I am so pumped for this weekend for a number of reasons: 1.) I have a day-date planned for me and Ryan for Saturday 2.) My mom is coming in town later this evening 3.) I’m off to Vermont for the first time ever on Sunday for a super-short blog trip! Lots of fun stuff goin’ on over here and I’ll be sure to bring you along for the ride.
But now it’s time to dive into our usual Friday business: Things I’m Loving Friday! Below you will find a short roundup of things that are making me smile today and, as always, I’d love for you to join in and share a little bit about something that is making you smile in the comments section of this post as well.
I hope you all have the best weekend!
Things I’m Loving Friday
I briefly mentioned my new food photo backgrounds on the blog last week but they are amazing! I was feeling a little uninspired by food photography lately and, as it turn out, adding some fun new photo backgrounds to my collection was exactly what I needed to look forward to snapping food photos again. I browsed Etsy for options and stumbled upon Ink & Elm’s shop and had a bit of a field day as I added four new backdrops to my cart. (FYI, they have a buy 3 get 1 free deal.) I tend to gravitate toward clean, white backgrounds but with the fall and winter months here, I wanted some bolder, moodier backgrounds and have really enjoyed toying around with richer blues and textured backgrounds. Definitely check out their shop if you need some inexpensive but high-quality photo backgrounds for products, food, etc.
- Celebrating Ryan’s Birthday
Ryan’s birthday was yesterday and we had a fun little celebration at home once he was off work for the day! Chase and I made “Happy Birthday” signs and decorated and we all ate birthday cake while Ryan opened his presents after dinner. In keeping with our love for experience-based gifts, I planned a date for tomorrow with him (I’ll be sure to recap it next week!) and another short weekend getaway since we loved the two days we spent in Hilton Head so much. Weekday birthdays can feel a little rushed sometimes but this was a good one!
- 1000 Rep Workout
Yesterday morning I headed out to the 6:30 a.m. class at Burn Boot Camp to work up a sweat before the craziness of the day set in. Whiteboard workouts are some of my favorites because they allow me to go at my own pace and make me feel victorious as I complete various exercises down the board. Thursday’s workout was a core + agility workout (aka core + balance + cardio) and I made sure to snap a picture of the whiteboard before I left because I liked this one a lot! The only two exercises I would’ve preferred to go away were the one-legged burpees (ughhhh) but other than that, this workout challenged me without making me want to throw in the towel every second.
In case you want to give a similar workout a try, here are some high-rep workouts I’ve shared in the past: 1000 Rep Workout / 500 Rep Workout / 50 Rep Workout (plus Part Two and Part Three)
- Mom’s Night Out
I got together with some of my closest girlfriends for dinner earlier this week and it was so nice to relax and connect with friends without our little ones interrupting us every 2.5 seconds. I love, love, love our play dates but there’s nothing like a night of unwinding, laughing and completely relaxing with girlfriends when you feel like you are fully present. We had the dinner on the books for a couple of weeks and ended up morphing the meal into a surprise birthday dinner with balloons and a group gift for Danielle who seemed shocked so I’d consider it a success! (And thanks for the pic, Danielle!)
I bought these crispy cookie chips at The Fresh Market earlier this week when I thought they would work well in a recipe I was creating. Unfortunately they didn’t hold up in the recipe but I had no problem snacking away on the cookie chips because they were so light and crunchy. They were chocolaty but not overly sweet and the punch of sea salt was a fantastic addition. Keep these on your radar if you like super thin, crispy cookies!
- Around the Web
Food: Shrimp Curry Noodle Bowls (I made this last night with chicken thighs and it was fantastic!!) / Bacon Brussels Sprouts Fried Rice / Sweet Potato Brownies
Fitness: Stair Circuit Scorcher / Resistance Band Glute Workout
Columbus Day Weekend Sales: Extra 20% off at Macy’s with code STYLE (Lots of great moto jackets for fall) / Extra 20% off at Pottery Barn and Pottery Barn Kids with code FRIENDS (If you need a baby gift, we received this stroller blanket from Pottery Barn Kids for Chase at LOVE it. So soft and cozy and the perfect size.) / Extra 40% off at LOFT (Love this gorgeously simple shirttail sweater)
- Friday Flashbacks
Pumpkin Spice Bark (This pumpkin spice bark combines coconut oil, pumpkin puree, vanilla almond butter and festive fall flavors for a sweet treat that only tastes indulgent!)
Spooky Circuit Workout (I named this circuit the “Spooky Circuit Workout” to be a little festive back in 2012 even thought there’s nothing inherently spooky about this workout… unless burpees freak you out, which I fully understand.)
Question of the Day
What is one thing that is making you smile this week?
Can’t wait to hear about you and Ryan’s day date – may give me some ideas in the LKN/Charlotte area! I just ordered a bunch of backdrops too! The buy 3 get one free deal is a great one. Have a good weekend, Julie!!
Sarah @ Bucket List Tummy(Quote)
i love that you plan experiences instead of giving gifts. My husbands birthday was Wednesday and I surprised him with lunch at work and enough mini cupcakes I secretly made while he wasn’t home for his whole football team. He was totally surprised. We plan to spend some time together out to dinner or something too then this weekend. Can’t wait to hear about your day date and trip to Vermont. Happy Weekend!
Patricia @Sweet and Strong(Quote)
I hope you have a great time in Vermont! I went there several times for work and LOVED it, but I never got to go in the Fall, I bet it is extra beautiful right now. Happy weekend!
Christina @ montessoriishmom.com(Quote)
Happy Birthday Ryan! I need to make that pumpkin spice bark! I’ve been making chocolate bark a lot lately.
Bethany(Quote)
Hope you love it if you decide to give it a try!
Julie(Quote)
I’m hoping to make it too. Question–we have nut allergies in my house. Do you think it would work as well with sunbutter? Enjoy VT!
Jess(Quote)
Three cheers for the weekend! I’m loving all of the rain today after 90 degree days. There’s something so relaxing about the sound and then curling up on the couch.
Brynn(Quote)
Love the new food photo backgrounds! I have a stack of cutting boards, small slabs of marble and other random boards that are not for cutting on – photos only!
Aimee(Quote)
Love this post! Happy Birthday Ryan 🙂 Can’t wait to see what you have planned to celebrate his birthday this weekend!
That workout looks so intense – 1000 reps sounds so daunting but it’s nice that it’s broken up – I bet that made it go by so much quicker! Enjoy your weekend!
Erinn(Quote)
What a great idea!! I’m looking for fun date ideas for my boyfriend and I other than just the usual dinner that aren’t super expensive. Thoughts? I can’t remember if you did a post about this lol. But I cannot wait to hear all about it and you and your friends just look beautiful!! Happy Friday xoxo
Darby(Quote)
Hi Darby! I want to jump in since I was looking for this post a few days ago lol. Here’s the link to it 🙂 https://www.pbfingers.com/12-inexpensive-date-ideas/
Maureen @ Maureen Gets Real(Quote)
yes!!! Here ya gooo: https://www.pbfingers.com/12-inexpensive-date-ideas/
Julie(Quote)
Normal burpees are death so I can’t imagine how a one-leg burpee would be! Vermont will be beautiful this time of year with the fall foliage.
Maureen @ Maureen Gets Real(Quote)
they were definitely the worst part of that workout!
Julie(Quote)
Happy birthday to Ryan! Hope you guys have an awesome day date.
Emily @ Pizza & Pull-Ups(Quote)
You will love Vermont! It’s so beautiful this time of year.
Shannon(Quote)
Your new backgrounds do look great!! Have such a fun weekend!
Alexis deZayas(Quote)
I have been to Vermont in October and it is gorgeous! I hope the leaves are at peak while you are there!
Ginger G.(Quote)
Have fun in Vermont! I live just over the border in Saratoga Springs, NY and its beautiful here right now! Pack something warm to wear though 🙂
Christen(Quote)
i love that you have such a tight-knit group of girlfriends! i did back home in NY, but it’s been harder to find here in LA. it’s always so nice to catch up over dinner with any friends, though! and i’m totally checking out that etsy site – my counter tops are terrible for photos and i need to spruce it up! thanks for the recommendation 🙂
jordan @ dancing for donuts(Quote)
Happy birthday to Ryan! I hope you both have a fabulous date celebrating his birthday! I am big on planning experiences, especially weekend getaways, for celebrations! I hope you have a great time in Vermont too! That will be fun! 🙂 xoxo
Kayla(Quote)
Vermont? Please tell me you are going to the Ben & Jerry’s Factory! I went in May and it was fantastic. Either way, enjoy your weekend and your trip. 🙂
Amy(Quote)
Oh I WISHHHH!! I am hoping to find time but the trip is with Stonyfield and I’m not sure what the itinerary will hold. Really looking forward to it though!!
Julie(Quote)
ahh yay! so glad you liked the curry. glad to hear it works with chicken too!
Lindsay@theleangreenbean(Quote)
It was SO good! Just texted it to two of my girlfriends this morning!
Julie(Quote)
Sounds like you have a fun weekend ahead of you! Vermont is one of the 3 states I haven’t ever been to in the US (the others being New Hampshire and Maine).
I had a rough week physically with being sick and then taking a faint (and thus fall) at work that has made me need to take the workouts off the radar. I went for a 2 mile run this afternoon which felt pretty good so that’s making me smile for sure!
Katie(Quote)
Wow – you made that workout in 2012?? I feel like I can vividly remember when PicMonkey first rolled out their festive holiday stickers/designs, and the blog world went crazy for them. I remember reading that post when you first published it, and I can’t believe it was so long ago!
Chelsea @ Chelsea Eats Treats(Quote)
I hope you and Ryan have fun during your time away!
Fiona @ Get Fit Fiona(Quote)
I love those backgrounds! I’ve been getting into food photography lately and know this would definitely help with inspiration. 🙂 Also, that cake looks amazing. Birthday cake all day everyday FOR EVERY MEAL.
Kaitlyn @ Powered by Sass(Quote)
Vermont!? That’s my home state (Charleston, SC girl now)! You are picking a great time of year to go. Have fun and please find somewhere to have cider donuts!
Mallory(Quote)
Happy belated birthday to Ryan! That cake looks so delicious I could eat it through the screen! (Buttercream is my weakness.) Sounds like you have a fun weekend ahead, hope it’s a great one! Thanks for another fun Friday post!
Kim from MN(Quote)
Oh, that workout looks fun!
My husband and I do trips (experiences) instead of gifts for our anniversary and birthdays. It has been fun “exploring” our state. For our 5 year anniversary, we did a road trip to Yellowstone. Our 10 year anniversary is next year so we want to go to a National Park-maybe the Grand Canyon??
Amy Ramos(Quote)
Used the “Spooky Circuit” workout while I was travelling last week after seeing it on an earlier post. Perfect workout for a hotel gym and when you’re short on time. Still felt like I got a great workout in. Thanks for sharing!
Katie(Quote)