How are you guys doing today? I hope the rest of your week was a good one. I had my first parent-teacher conference at Chase’s preschool earlier this week and though it was all of 15 minutes long and super informal, I loved hearing more about how Chase is doing at preschool two mornings a week. (To quote his teacher, “We’ve never seen him tired. Ever.” Yeah, tell me about it!) The highlight of my week came on Wednesday at my 20-week prenatal appointment. We heard our baby’s heartbeat and our little one was crazy-active again. You better believe we left the appointment feeling incredibly grateful (I will never, ever take one of these appointments for granted!) and celebrated with a trip to Duck Donuts for sprinkle doughnuts at Chase’s request.
As for the weekend ahead, Chase is excited to celebrate his friend Cooper’s birthday on Saturday morning and then Ryan and I may try to squeeze in a date night on Saturday night if childcare works out in our favor. I will also be attending a baby shower on Sunday for my friend Macie who just adopted the sweetest baby boy before Christmas and is currently expecting a baby girl in April. Lots of fun stuff on the agenda!
Before our Fridays pass by in a flash and the weekend officially arrives, let’s dive right into my weekly Things I’m Loving Friday blog post! Below you will find a small roundup of a few things that made me smile this week and, as always, I welcome you to share something you’re loving with me below in the comments section.
I hope you have the best weekend!!!
Things I’m Loving Friday
- Thayers Witch Hazel Toner (Alcohol-Free)
This witch hazel toner was a recent (cheap!) Thrive Market purchase that I added to my cart after reading rave reviews. I’ve been on the lookout for a natural toner that doesn’t contain alcohol and after a few weeks of using this toner, I am addicted! I apply it to a soft cotton pad and use it on my face and neck every morning right when I wake up, immediately when I get out of the shower and then again after washing my face at night. It’s so incredibly refreshing and I love that it contains aloe vera which is naturally moisturizing so the toner doesn’t make my face feel tight or dry. It’s also a good source of Vitamin C, Vitamin B and Vitamin A – great for natural skin brightening and anti-aging! While I cannot claim that this toner helped my skin since I know my hormones are all over the place right now, I have not had any break outs or cystic acne since I started using it which is awesome. Win!
- Mini Cleaning Projects
As I’m making my way through A Simplified Life, I’m feeling more and more motivated to donate and throw away the superfluous stuff we’ve accumulated in our house over the years. Sometimes I get majorly burnt out on deep cleaning, so I’m trying to tacking home organization and cleaning on a MUCH smaller and more manageable scale right now.
Since I typically use Chase’s nap time for work, I’ve been limiting my cleaning projects to the small windows of time during the day when Chase is really into solo play (typically with his trains) which usually occurs in the late morning when we arrive home from an activity and the 30 minutes or so before Ryan arrives home from work. This small window of time means I’m tackling VERY small areas of the house on any given day, such as a single cabinet in our kitchen, a couple of overflowing drawers, etc. (Above is a before/after photo of the pot holder/kitchen towel drawer that took me all of 5 minutes to sort through and organize.) I’m hoping this mini cleaning spree sticks because it’s so much less overwhelming than feeling like I need to deep clean the entire kitchen in one day. Plus, I feel an odd sense of joy when I open a drawer that used to be filled with junk and find something streamlined, organized and filled with only items we need and use on a regular basis.
- Bodyweight Total Body Workout
Earlier this week, I took myself through this at home total body workout and it was a fast one but still managed to make me feel like I did something good for my body! The workout is a bodyweight only workout but calls for mini bands. (I love these mini bands from Amazon.) If you don’t have any bands, you can easily omit them from the circuit. (My modifications in this workout included all push-ups on my knees and I also walked my feet in and out for my burpees.)
- Homemade Natural Household Cleaner
My sister whipped up a bottle of this natural household cleaner for me and my mom as a Christmas gift because she knows we’re both increasingly interested in switching the products in our homes to more natural options. Leslie followed this household cleaner recipe to make our sprays and I’ve really loved it! I use it to wipe off our kitchen counters every single day and think it does a great job. It has a slight vinegar smell, so if we’re having guests over I still opt for my Mrs. Meyer’s or The Honest Company cleaners because I prefer their scents, but for everyday use, it’s a cleaning solution I feel good about using in our home.
- Friday Flashbacks
In honor of Super Bowl Sunday this weekend, here’s a roundup of flashback recipes I think would make a tasty addition to any Super Bowl party spread! I’m planning to make a batch of Honey Sriracha Chex Mix even though we have zero plans to do anything for the big game.
Simple Shrimp Dip (A great recipe to feed a crowd!)
Easy Cilantro Shrimp Appetizer
Honey Sriracha Chex Mix (So addicting.)
Chocolate Chip Almond Butter Bars (I make these for friends a lot and they’re always a hit!)
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cereal Bars
Sweet and Spicy Roasted Almonds (An easy-to-make healthy snack.)
Question of the Day
What is one thing you are loving this week?
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So glad you
Had a good appointment and the baby was active for it, that is the best feeling. I am about a quarter of the way through a yoga and meditation program I am doing and have been loving it this week.
Glad you had a good 20 week ultrasound. Looking forward to mine this afternoon :). And you are not alone with the conference. I loved hearing how my toddler was doing. Probably because I’m a teacher and usually at the other end of conferences :). Have a wonderful weekend!
Sounds like you had a sweet week! I’ve been wanting to try some natural cleaners. Going to check that one out!
Totally random and unrelated, but have you read The Last Mrs. Parrish? Just started it, and it seems like one you would love!
I haven’t but I’ll look into it! Loved your last recommendation!
Hi Julie,
Definitely read The Last Mrs. Parrish! I’m 50 pages away from the end.
So glad the appointment went well! And I’ve been wanting to try that Witch Hazel toner, my sister uses and love it too!
I am loving my Friday rest day! A lot of the time I’ll schedule them on work days to make the work day easier but then I feel like I never mentally benefit from them! Glad your appointment went well!!
I’m definitely going to try the idea for making my own household cleaner, it sounds like it would be much safer and healthier to use!
I am so happy your appointment went well!!! One thing I’m loving right now is the Shoot & Share Photo Contest! Over 400,000 photos from all over the world are in the contest and the best part is, you have no idea who took what photo (it’s not one of those, “Hey friends, please vote for me” contests) Voting is very addicting but so, so fun!! This contest only happens once a year! http://contest.shootandshare.com/vote
So happy your appointment went well! I know you are waiting to find out the sex until he/she is born, but I’m dying to know! 😉
Thank you for the link to the witch hazel, I’ve been breaking out like crazy lately and need something to work!
And I can’t wait to try that workout! I recently purchased some resistance bands and am loving them so far!
Enjoy your weekend 🙂
Im glad to hear chase has solo time during the day, i think thats awesome! I read this article, and it talks about how important it is to not facilitate play for kids all the time. It’s a good read!
http://deeprootsathome.com/kids-friendless-bored-impatient/
I’m so glad your appointment went well! I know you are so relieved! I can’t WAIT to find out the gender, I love that you guys are waiting to be surprised but I am just itching to know! And I am currently loving the slightly warmer temperatures…I’m ready for SPRING!
I can’t wait for a high school friend to come in town for an art show tomorrow. Looking forward to catching up & checking out her fabulous jewelry! Have a great weekend!
Thanks for the witch hazel recommendation. My tween daughter has been dealing with breakouts on her nose and we are going to give this a try!
Also, have you heard of Norwex for cleaning products? It is all natural, like you use a cloth and water to clean. Soooo much easier and something that you can get Chase even involved in. My neighbor sells it and I fought trying it for a long time, but when I saw that it would get the built up grease off my stove area, I was sold.
I definitely love the feeling of cleaning up my home and simplifying things, I may have to check out that book!
Sounds like you’ve had a good week! It must feel amazing hearing your baby’s heartbeat, so happy your appointment went well! Have a great weekend! Xoxo
i’ve been seeing that witch hazel all over the place and NEED to try it! my skin has been a disaster lately (stress never fails to prevent itself on my face, yay!) and i’ve heard good things. i love the price point, too!
I want to try that toner!
I used your Holiday Puppy Chow recipe for the Super Bowl last year and it was a HUGE hit! Perfect for when everyone gets the 3rd & 4th quarter munchies. My friends made fun of me for sorting through bags of M&Ms for the right colors but it was worth the effort! Red and blue for the Pats and brown for footballs 🙂 Planning on making it again this weekend! Go Patriots!!
I LOVE that idea!! So creative! And totally worth the extra effort if you ask me! 🙂
Glad to hear that your appointment went well!
I also use a toner that doesn’t contain alcohol and I love it. Alcohol can be tough on your skin (especially when you have sensitive skin like I do), so it’s been great to feel like my skin is clean without feeling dried out too.
I love that toner too!!
So happy to hear you had a great check-up! And it’s awesome you guys are fitting in the date nights now! We’re in need of one, but as you know, no child-care options currently! Also, I have been starting to do more non-toxic household products and LOVE that your sis made you that cleaner — what an awesome gift! Happy Friday, Julie! 🙂
I am in the process of switching to more natural products too. I use Thieves cleaner for everything. I used to think that Mrs. Meyrs was great until I scanned it with the Think Dirty app and saw how toxic it was. Eek.. The things we change when we have kids–I have a 5 year old and 2 month old. I recently switched my deodorant and make-up…game changers!
I love witch hazel! SO perfect for after the gym to prevent sweaty breakouts!
We haven’t got to the point where we are doing natural cleaners yet, but my hubby did start ordering natural soap and shampoo! I’m totally listening to that book1
I was so so excited to see your baby news! I’ve been hoping for this for you!
Do you still use the Rose Hip Seed Oil? I started using it after reading your post about it and I think it has really helped my skin. If you are still using it, how do you use it with the toner? Do you apply the oil after the toner? (Can you tell I am just starting to get into skincare beyond washing?) I love using more natural products so I’m intrigued by the toner.
Thanks!
yes! i use it immediately after the toner!
One thing I’m loving this week is my slightly altered morning routine. Instead of waking up and heading straight to the gym, which I notice made me kind of cranky, I now take 20-25 minutes to drink my coffee and stretch in my living room before heading over. It’s a small change that makes a HUGE impact on my productivity + happiness!
I have been reading your blog for 8 years. I feel like I know you. You are so interesting and funny and gorgeous; I want to be like you! Thank you for this blog.
Thank you so much for reading so long, Emily! <3 YOU are wonderful!
We use Better Life cleaning products for everything in our house and love them! Bath, kitchen, baby stuff, laundry
That witch hazel is what I used postpartum! ? Yay for a good 20 wk apt.!
I’m loving season 2 of “Home Town” on HGTV. I also read Erin’s blog on the Laurel Mercantile site.