Hi friends. I’ve been rolling through this week feeling one day ahead since Tuesday (so yesterday felt like it should’ve been Friday) and I’ve been draaaagging! I’ve also felt a bit down all week and really need this weekend for a number of reasons, most of all because I just want some uninterrupted time with my family. They always, always make me smile and feel better about anything and everything and I’m looking forward to some quality time together as well as some time with friends!
The weather is supposed to be a bit cold and dreary in Charlotte so I’m hoping we can find some fun things to do indoors and if I can sneak in a little extra reading (I just started The Keeper of Lost Things), then that’s all the better!
Before we’re all off to enjoy the next few days, I wanted to be sure to share my usual Things I’m Loving Friday post with you guys. See below for a short roundup of some small things that made me smile this week! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!
Things I’m Loving Friday
- The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn
THIS BOOK. Phew! If you previously read and enjoyed The Girl on the Train, you have to add The Woman in the Window to your must-read list ASAP. It’s a psychological suspense novel centering around an agoraphobic woman who thinks she witnesses a crime in her neighbor’s home. The first half of the book is a little slow to start but once it took off, it REALLY took off and I could not put it down. I found myself flying through this book and loved trying to figure out what was real, what wasn’t, who did what and who might be in danger.
- Goody Ouchless Hair Ties
I recently found my new go-to gym hair tie! Hellooo, Goody Ouchless Forever! The packaging of this hair tie says the hair ties “hold like new every time” and bounce back and as someone who typically doubles up on hair ties at the gym and loops them around my hair as many times a possible for the absolute tightest hold, I had my doubts.
The first time I used it, I actually didn’t even think about the hair tie at all until after my workout was done which pretty much says it all. My messy bun didn’t budge during my workout and the Ouchless Forever hair tie has been my go-to gym hair tie ever since. If you find yourself having to stop mid-workout to tighten your ponytail or re-do your bun because it’s too loose, check this bad boy out! I think you will very quickly fall in love! (And, just to alleviate any confusion, I still absolutely love the Invisibobble hair tie I’ve mentioned on the blog in a past TILF feature and use it every night. It’s my preferred hair tie for sleep and preserving waves in my hair overnight without causing any creases. The Ouchless Forever hair tie is now my preferred GYM hair tie. Different hair ties for different purposes!)
- Pick-Me-Up Flowers
I’ve had a few rough days this week for personal reasons and earlier this week, Ryan brought home this beautiful bouquet of flowers for me which absolutely made my heart swell. (These flowers were the gift that kept on giving when Chase commented on them the next day and said, “Dad gave Mom flowers!” This made me smile so big for these reasons. I hope and pray Ryan and I raise a thoughtful, kind and generous man and that gestures like this toward loved ones continue to stick out to him and impact his heart.) Also, is it just me, or would you guys also rather receive flowers at random times when you could really use a smile over the traditional flowery holidays? A surprise bouquet when I’m feeling blue means so much more to me than Valentine’s Day flowers. I truly could’ve cried when Ryan brought them home for me because they were completely unexpected and so, so appreciated.
This is kind of a random story but it goes along with this line of thought… This year when Ryan was leaving work on Valentine’s Day, he called me and said there was “a decent amount of traffic” on the road. I had a feeling this was code for “I need to stop and grab you some flowers,” so I quickly told him to drive safe and that if the “traffic” he was in involved a pit-stop for flowers, I’d rather him come home and see us 10 minutes early than receive flowers for Valentine’s Day. He burst out laughing and said I saw right through his plan. Can you tell quality time is one of my love languages?
A few weeks ago, I mentioned my experience with professional eyebrow tinting (you may see a before/after here) and it’s something I quickly fell in love with as a natural blonde with the lightest eyebrows (and eyelashes) in all the land. After commiserating over light eyebrows with a blonde friend of mine, she recommended I check out a super-cheap tint kit on Amazon for a DIY eyebrow tint I could do at home in between professional appointments.
I was incredibly apprehensive and nervous to try it out, but now that I’ve used it twice, I can say I am a BIG fan. It was really easy to use and the intensity of the tint was just right for my brows. (I used the light brown color but they have many shades available.) The first time I used it, I got nervous and wiped the tint off early, but it’s very easy to immediately add more back on and allow the tint to deepen. Of course I prefer the professional tint and shaping, but at $10 for four applications, this kit breaks down to $2.50 per application and you can’t beat that price! (Note: The kit says it’s for hair, but a TON of the reviews are user experiences with eyebrow tint so check those out if you’re on the fence!)
- Friday Flashbacks
Six Things That Changed The Way I Approach Fitness (A blog post about a few things that impacted my workouts and my overall approach to health and fitness.)
Five Simple Weekday Lunches (Check this one out if you’re on the lookout for easy, healthy lunch ideas!)
- Around the Web
Food: Vegetarian Black Bean Enchiladas / Oatmeal Banana Coconut Cookies / Slow Cooker Shrimp Boil
Fitness: 5 Home Workouts for Moms / Lower Body Slider Workout / Total Body Dumbbell Workout
Weekend Sales: Buy One Get One Free Shorts at American Eagle (Includes the finally restocked TomGirl denim shorts I discovered last summer and LOVE for their distressed look and slightly longer length) / 30% off at J.Crew with code WORKIT / Extra 20% off at Kohl’s with code EXTRA20 (Includes the Instant Pot)
Question of the Day
What is one thing you are loving this week?
![\"Quantcast\"/](\"//pixel.quantserve.com/pixel/p-1e3-7hOJ_U8Bg.gif\")
I will have to check out that book, one of my favorites for the week is being able to read more. It’s been a hectic last few weeks, so it’s nice to be snuggled up and reading more.
Agreed! And I really hope you like the book if you give it a try!
Oh I love your book suggestions so I’ll definitely need to check that one out. And I TOTALLY agree with you about the valentines day flowers, I always tell my husband not to waste the time and money. Little gestures throughout the year mean so much more to me. Hope you have a nice and relaxing weekend!
Sorry you are feeling blue. My theme this week is: Parenting is hard…..Found this great article about the loving ourselves unconditionally :http://www.ahaparenting.com/blog/The_Secret_of_the_Full_Cup
When you are ready for a new read, try The Magician’s Daughter by Judith Janeway. Fast-paced and fun with interesting characters.
Hope things turn around this weekend with lots of cuddles and snuggles and laughter and fun!
Ooooh, I’ll be on the lookout for those hair ties. Nothing worse than having to fix your hair multiple times during a workout or deal with hair falling down/in your face. The struggle is real! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Sorry you’ve had a tough week 🙁 Hope things start to look up for you! Time with family heals everything for me as well.
Thanks for the recommendation on those hair ties…I have super fine hair and really struggle getting a firm hold with my regular ones! Enjoy your weekend 🙂
oh those hair ties look awesome. I’m not sure if you posted a how to before…but how exactly do you put your hair to keep the beach waves/curls over night ? Every time I attempt to put my curls in a bun it still looks like a half curly half mess the next morning. Any tips would be appreciated 😉
Hope you have a fun family weekend to cheer you up 🙂
I actually just pull my hair up in a SUPER high ponytail right on the very top of my head!
I’m so sorry you’ve been down this week and hope you have a great weekend!
I too told my husband that I wanted more time with him for Valentine’s Day this year instead of flowers!
I hope you have a great weekend with the family. I feel like you exactly this week. I also love random flowers. I’ve called my husband out for different holidays too! I’d much rather have him home early and flowers at some other time.
Thank you for the hair tie recommendation! I also am so glad I’m not the only blonde who still can’t break the habit of buying black hair ties. Ha!
Enjoy the family time this weekend, and hope it is what you need to restore yourself!
I just put that book on hold at my library. It must be popular because it says I’ll have to wait 6 months to get it!
I hope your weekend is a better than your week was!
That’s hilarious about flowers. Random flowers are always the best 🙂 Sometimes my husband will randomly come home with flowers from Trader Joe’s and it’s always my favorite. I hope your weekend is better than this week, and that your mood is happy! I’m sorry you’ve had a few rough days!
I hope you feel better soon! Weekends with family are the best cure.
Random question about your hair being up when you sleep. Do you wear it in a bun? Or a high ponytail? Curious because I’ve never really though to do this as I just assumed it would be uncomfortable. I tend to sweat when I’m sleeping (TMI, sorry!) and then I wake up to a frizzy mess on the back of my head and neck.
I do a super high ponytail!
Where did you buy the Goody ouchless? What store?
Walmart!
Where do you buy those specific hair ties? I was searching around of Amazon, but shockingly they don’t seem to have them!
Walmart!
Yessss girl, I need to read that book! I always know you will have awesome book recommendations! That is my next book I will be reading, thank you for that! I’m also feeling a bit down this week so I am definitely looking forward to this weekend also. I hope you feel better after some much needed family time! Xoxo
Sorry to hear you’ve been having a down week. Hope the weekend will help ❤
Hi Julie, can you please share where you found those hair ties? I couldn’t find the “forever” version of them on Amazon or on the Goody’s website. I’m always frustrated by my hair ties when I work out – I have super thick hair – so I would love to try these. Thanks for the recommendation.
Walmart!!
My ex boyfriend of four years used to send me flowers all the time. Holidays, random days of the month, etc. I used to think that these gestures were really important. We had a lot of issues and eventually broke up. Now, everything is different. My boyfriend (of two years) had never once bought me flowers but he prioritizes me, responds to my text messages no matter where he is or what he’s doing, spends lazy nights on the couch with me, and the relationship is overall richer. I guess what i’m saying is I prioritize the quality time over the gestures and I realize that now whereas I hadn’t before. It means more. So I completely understand what you’re saying with your little Valentine’s Day anecdote. 🙂
However I do think flowers are a great gesture and agree that random, surprise flowers in a time of need (although for me it’d probably be a random, surprise bowl of ice cream LOL) are so much more appreciated. I’m sorry you had a bad week. Hope that this weekend can make you smile!
I’m sorry that you have been feeling down this week, and hope you feel better soon (and glad you are getting family time!). Where did you get your hair ties? I did online searches and actually went to a Walgreens and CVS, but could not find the “Forever” brand of Goody elastics. Thanks!
I think they must be some sort of promo item she got because the only image in google of these elastics is the one in this post! I just broke my elastic, so I was googling to see if the CVS near my work has them, so I could just stop on the way home … but I don’t think they exist yet!
Thank you, Laura! I’m hoping it’s a test product and that it will be available everywhere soon!
Hi Laura! They’re from Walmart! Sorry I totally missed this question until your reply to Gina’s comment brought them to the top of the comments through WordPress. CVS is probably worth a check, too! They’re usually my go-to for hair ties!
So sorry I am just seeing these comments! They’re from Walmart!
I love that tint kit! I use it on my eyebrows every few weeks! My pro tip is to rub coconut oil on the skin around my brow so I don’t get any dye leftover on my skin.
Sorry to hear you’re feeling blue. Uninterrupted weekends with the family always make things a little better <3
I'm loving that tomorrow is our town's St. Patty's Day parade. It's nothing big, but so much fun! Especially after a long winter hiding away in our houses.
you should try Just for Men beard dye for your brows! it’s like $7 for the package, you can squeeze out just as much color and developer as you need (really only a tiny bit for eyebrows haha) and seal the tubes back up after you use it. I’ve used this one kit probably 20 times so far over the past 6 months and haven’t even come close to running out. Wayyy cheaper than $2.50 per use 🙂 I have super blonde eyebrows too and their light brown works perfectly.
I’m looking forward to spending the weekend with family! I’m working my last night shift tonight, and after a rough set of days at work I just want to hang with my sisters, nieces and nephews.
I love getting flowers on random occasions, and seeing your beautiful bouquet I think I’m going to buy myself a pretty bouquet to cheer myself up:)
I read that book a couple of weeks ago and I could not put it down. I finished it very quickly! I’m always looking for the perfect hair ties, so I’m going to check those out:)
Enjoy your weekend!
Thanks for the book recommendation! I read Final Girls because of you (my first thriller) and really enjoyed it.
As for brows, have you thought of semi-permanent microblading? I had my brows microbladed 1.5 years ago and love it! It’s natural looking, you don’t have to re-touch for maybe 2 or so years. I had my brows done so that it was a bit thicker and darker than my natural brows. I highly recommend it!
https://www.amazon.com/Godefroy-Instant-Eyebrow-Light-Brown/dp/B01LZ4JHRP/ref=sr_1_19_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1520637923&sr=8-19&keywords=godefroy+eyebrow+tint
This other version from Godefroy is better since each capsule can be separated into multiple uses…I’ve used one capsule about 5 times and the kit comes with 4 or 5 capsules. Yes, it may be harder to break them open to separate into smaller portions…but you get the hang of it!
I just recently invested in getting microblading done and absolutely LOVE it. Now I don’t have to tint or fill in my brows and they look so natural! 🙂
I already read Woman in the Window and loved it. Your book recommendations are always on point!
I love your TILF posts – I’ve picked up so many great tips and products from them!
The book is currently now on my list (as soon as I finish the Handmaid’s Tale).
I also tried looking for the Goody Forever hair ties but cannot find them online and I even went to Walgreens where they have a ton of Goody products but did not find this specific one – do you mind sharing where you found them? I am always looking for a “perfect” gym hair tie but still havent found one yet. (Currently using two invisibobbles but even they need re-tying in the middle of a particularly high intensity workout)
Hi Sue! They’re from Walmart!
I’m excited to read The Woman in the Window soon! I have so many books on my night stand waiting to be read so this one will have to wait for awhile! Sorry to hear you aren’t having a good week but hopefully a weekend with extra family time will lift your mood!