Hey friends! How are you!? Ryan, Chase, Sadie and I arrived back in North Carolina late last night after spending some much-needed time with family over Christmas. We extended our stay a bit to be in town for a procedure my mom had scheduled for yesterday morning (all is well, no worries) and I’m glad we were able to spend so much time together!
The post-holiday blues always tend to kick in for me after Christmas and extending our stay a bit helped fight the sadness I often feel once Christmas is over. Since we were quite busy with my family and traveling back home, I didn’t have many opportunities to sit down by myself and blog last week. I really missed chatting with you guys! Things should be back to normal around here next week!
For now, let’s dive right into my usual Things I’m Loving Friday blog post where I share a short roundup of small things that make me smile every week. (Be sure to scroll to the bottom and check out today’s sneaky $250 giveaway!)
Have the best weekend!
Things I’m Loving Friday
- Pie Heaven
When my mom and I planned my sister’s bridal shower years ago, we ordered quiche from Pie Heave to serve along with other brunch favorites and I’ve been dying to order quiche from the adorable local bakery again ever since. We prioritized a trip to Pie Heaven a couple of days before Christmas and ended up returning to the shop again a couple days later because my entire family inhaled our first round of quiche Lorraine and southwest quiche.
We ended up trying a few of their dessert pies for the first time as well (wild blueberry, peach and apple) and every single one was absolutely unreal. Pie Heaven truly lives up to its name and the pies are beyond fantastic. A must-try if you’re a local or ever find yourself in the Jacksonville area!
Also, I must give a shout out to the two women who own and run Pie Heaven because they were so kind and wonderful to our family. We arrived with Chase and they gave him a holiday bear Beanie Baby and he was beyond thrilled (hence the above picture)!
A new robe was one of the top items I had on my Christmas wish list this year and my sister and brother-in-law surprised me with the coziest robe in the world. I LOVE it. The robe is fluffy and soft and meets three of my biggest requirements: It’s long, has two pockets and feels incredibly warm and cozy when I slip it on. I also love the aesthetics of the fuzzy trim along the neckline and wrists and know this robe will be worn non-stop in the coming winter months. (I guess this means I can finally retire the hot pink Charlotte Russe robe I bought for myself for like $25 when I was in college. It’s borderline gross at this point with stains and singe marks on the sleeves from less-than-careful cooking mishaps.)
- Family Zoo Day
The weather in Jacksonville on the day after Christmas could not have been more beautiful – upper 60s and sunny – and we took advantage of the gorgeous day and headed out for a family trip to the zoo. I’m continually impressed with the large exhibits at the Jacksonville Zoo and love the way it feels spacious and clean. Plus, the zoo has a large train that choo-choos around the exterior of the park which is heaven-sent for a train-obsessed toddler. We rode the train for a solid 45 minutes during our visit and had a great time waving to elephants, giraffes, rhinos, coyotes, monkeys and more.
- Park Playtime + ChunkaBuns Pants for Chase
Chase cannot get enough of playing outside lately (nothing new around here!) and we’ve taken him all over Jacksonville over the past week. His favorite park is, without a doubt, Sunshine Park in Jacksonville Beach. It’s huge and fenced in (hooray!) and Chase had a ball exploring every inch of the park during our visit.
The super-soft pants he wore to play and explore came to us from ChunkaBuns, a company specializing in adorably soft, sustainable and organic eco-friendly pants. The pants could not be softer and they are made to grow with your toddler with a foldable waistband and cuffs on the bottom to give your little one extra length when you need it. These pants are fantastic and I find myself reaching for them right after I wash them because they’re so great.
- $250 VISA Gift Card Giveaway from RetailMeNot
Thank you to RetailMeNot for sponsoring the following giveaway!
And now for today’s sneaky giveaway!! A little over a week ago I shared a giveaway with you guys from RetailMeNot – the BEST site I use every time I want to find the most amazing deals, coupon codes and cash back opportunities when I do my online shopping – and the giveaway was such a huge hit that RetailMeNot reached out for Round Two! We’re teaming up today to giveaway another VISA gift card valued at $250 for you to use toward the amazing post-holiday sales that are popping up all over the place right now.
To enter this giveaway, simply click here to visit RetailMeNot and then leave a comment on today’s post telling me about a specific store/sale you’d be most excited to shop at should you win the gift card. I will randomly select a winner first thing next Friday morning. Good luck!
- Puzzle Time with My Mom
I don’t get many opportunities to kick back and work on a puzzle and the fact that my mom and I were able to complete one together in less than 24 hours this past week felt like such a treat! It’s such a great way to completely relax and unwind while sipping a hot mug of apple cider or hot cocoa. I need to do more puzzles in my everyday life. Now to find the time…
- Friday Flashbacks
Cold Brew Protein Smoothie (Just in case you’re craving a cold mocha smoothie but don’t want to down a total sugar bomb.)
Cardio + Core Burn Boot Camp Workout (This was the first BBC workout I ever did!)
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Sephora! I’ve never shopped there due to the price and teacher budget I have, but I’ve always been curious. It’s be cool to buy some non-drugstore makeup 🙂
Bed Bath and Beyond! About to buy a condo so could use help furnishing!
Bath and Body Works 20% off! My family and I love the products and holiday candles 🙂
Bed bath and beyond or Barnes and Noble!
I would love Amazon or Home Depot
I’d love Amazon!!
I am excited about the Target $5 off purchase of $50 or more promotion!
Target $5 off $50 and Amazon Coupons and Deals. Thanks for the chance to win!
Target! Is there anything they don’t have? 🙂 Happy New Year!
Macy’s! Would love to get some Christmas dishes for next year:)
Sephora!! I put myself in a time out for 2017 and did not allow myself to buy anything from Sephora, so I’m dying to go shopping again!
I would use the Kohls coupon! Always my go-to store!
I’m most stoked about the VITACOST deals. $25 off orders of $150+ & Free Shipping. It’s time to reboot and get the supplements to start the year off on the right foot.
Toys R Us! My little one turns in a few weeks, so I’m excited to get her the horse and carriage cozy coupe.
i’d like to use the bed bath and beyond coupon!
Love the reminder about VS’s semi-annual sale!
I’m always up for Ulta and Carter’s for my kiddos!!
Oh, it’s so hard to choose! I’ll probably shop at Bed, Bath, and Beyond because they have such a wide variety and I love it all! Although it’s hard to turn down Sephora…. 😉
The Bare Minerals deal is super!
Amazon! It’s the new target!
Sephora! Always splurge on that site! Thanks for the chance and happy New Year!
So hard to choose but probably ultra or Home depot
Amazon!!! Need new running shoes!
Ulta and sephora . I’m going back to work after a6 year “break” to be with my girls and desperately need to upgrade my look!
I’m all about the 20% off Old Navy deal!
I would love be able to shop the Victoria’s Secret sale!
I always need something from Target!
LOFT! I could definitely use some new outfits for work!
Cold brew protein smoothie looks amaze balls!
Express or J crew!
Macy’s! Looking to replace a few bowls and plates that we have broken. 🙂
Sephora! Gotta get those gifts I didn’t receive over the holidays!
I really need new running shoes, so this deal sounds perfect: $20 Cash Back on Online Purchases of $100+
I’m ready to have warm feet and would use the gift card for the offer on the Ugg Closet website where the Uggs are up to 50% off. That’s amazing!
Bath and Body Works!
I would be most interested in Express for some cozy new sweaters with the temps in the single digits this week. Looks like a great site. Happy New Year!
Target!
I’d love to do some shopping at Kohl’s and score the $25 cash back through RetailMeNot! I’m really in need of some cardigan sweaters that I can pair with a maternity t-shirt for the rest of this cold Pacific NW season.
Target! They take most of my money anyway! ??♀️
Amazon. I find myself on there shopping for my 5 month old in the middle of the night pretty often.
I’d love to pick out some new products at Sephora!
20% off a World Market — I LOVE that place!
Super excited for the Target promotion. My 4-month-old keeps outgrowing his clothes already!
Target or World Market! There is not a World Market open by us currently but they are building one! Can’t open soon enough ?
Happy New Year, Julie! I like the sounds of the $5 off $50 plus free shipping from Target – can’t go wrong with that!
Would definitely go for Target I can always find tons i need there!
This was hard to pick, but I’m going with Target- you can get (almost) anything there- I’m an addict!
Bath and Body works, love the candles! 🙂
Oh Target! I’m one of the poor souls that lives over an hour to the closest Target, so anytime they offer free shipping, I stock up!!
15% off select beauty items at Amazon. I shop there a lot