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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Kohl’s! They have so many sales right now
It looks like you guys had a great time in a Florida! I’m soaking in all the family time here in MO too. The store I would look forward to shopping at through retail me not would be Macy’s since I received a gift card there!
I need to look up their site more often. I did download the app last time but still forgot. The papa johns deal looks really good right now. 🙂 Your Christmas sounds so nice! I know what you mean about the blues after Christmas. I used to feel that way until my husband had more vacation time and took more time off after Christmas. I had a question, Julie. The cardigan from Nordstrom’s that you linked before, does it come down to your thighs or is it longer. It looks thigh-length on the model but your last post you had one that was a lot longer and I was just making sure it was a different one before purchasing. Hope that made sense.
I’d treat myself to a little after-Christmas present at Tory Burch!
Bath and Body Works! I’ve heard their candles are great!
We just bought a new house so definitely Bed Bath & Beyond 🙂
What a fun little week! I’ve been telling myself that I want to do a puzzle and I think I may go order myself one on Amazon now 🙂 And that robe looks all kinds of cozy!
Dicks sporting goods. This mama would love a new pair of running shoes! And Jacksonville is so fun love seeing your phtotos!
I would definitely shop the Half Yearly Sale going on at Nordstrom right now!
I’ve got my eye on the RetailMeNot’s 20% off Care.com Premium membership for date nights with my hubby ❤️.
Definitely the Nike deal!
Old Navy…such a good place for wardrobe staples!
Target, to stock up on discounted holiday decorations!
Doesn’t 10% off Expedia sound fantastic?? (I saw it on the app),
Most excited about the Kohl’s sale!
I’m obsessed with that Christmas puzzle! I could use some clothes (specifically sweaters) from Express, so that is the deal I’d Be taking advantage of if I won!
Friday is pizza night and I’m excited for the Papa John’s coupon.
Loft!!
I would be most excited to shop at LOFT!!
I’d love to use it for Nike – need some new sneakers! 🙂
I love the retail me not website! I always check it when shopping online to make sure I am getting the best deal.
There is a 20% off code today for bath and body that I might check out. I can stock up on holiday candles for next year.
Looks like Papa Johns is running a deal for 50% off pizza. That sounds really good, I am kind of over the holiday food and ready to just relax and enjoy some pizza on this Friday night.
Happy New Year to the Fagans!
Cash back at Express! I need to buy work clothes for a new job and that would be perfect!
I would love to have a giant shopping spree at Hobby Lobby! I could get lost in that store looking at ALL of the cute house decor.
I woukd use the 10% off at Dick’s…i need running shoes and my son needs snow gloves!
There’s cash back at Home Depot and Amazon, I would love to have a new kitchen faucet, ours has been leaking for an embarrassing amount of time?
Old Navy for sure! My 3 year old is growing like a weed! ?
I would use it at Macy’s! Entirely too many good things that I want from there! Have a happy new year Julie!
I am your average new mom, still trying to figure it all out. The one place I go to regain my sanity and bring me back to life – TARGET!!! $5 off $50 select items, HEAVEN. :):)
Old Navy! I need to stock up on cloths for my toddler!
Express! I need to get new jeans and I also love a lot of their tops.
The 20% off one item from Best Buy would be amazing!! Need a new camera 🙂
Looks like you had a great holiday!!
I love retail me not. I would use the gift card to shop at Ulta Beauty and old navy!
Lyft for some free rides!
Fios internet for $39.99 would be awesome! Looking to switch from optimum 🙂
Gap outlet!! Time for new workout clothes!
Target or bed bath and beyond!! Can’t go wrong either way!
Definitely eyeing the Nike sale!
Just having a new baby the Care.com premium membership caught my eye- would give me the push to sign up and check it out!
Amazon and Target!
I’ll definitely be using the $10 off ubereats code!! Hope you had a wonderful Christmas 🙂
I would use it at Bath and Body Works -they have the best candles which make great gifts! Or Ugg because they’re having a great sale, and my husband could use some cozy slippers for his birthday 🙂
The cash back Ugg offer, I have a pair of Ugg slippers and may need some boots to match!
I see a code for Redbox, and I was thinking of getting a movie there this evening that wasn’t available yet on streaming!
I need some new workout clothes for 2018! Old Navy has up to $20 cashback with online purchases. woohoo!
Target! Or Old Navy
Bath and Body Works for sure! I could live in that store LOL
J Crew- 30% off!
Bed Bath and Beyond – always nice to stock up on lotions and candles
Nike! After taking more days off than usual over the holidays, I’m looking to kick my workouts into high gear in the new year! Some new kicks would help with that 🙂
I used the app this morning for 15% off at Kohls! I might go back to check out a few more items with a gift card 🙂