As for the past week, it was a good one! Chase seemed to enjoy being back at school (although the mad rush of weekday mornings is NOT something any of us missed) and Ryder, Rhett and I had a blast hanging with friends and family and soaking up lots of sun and pool time. I’m sure next week will look like more of the same!
Before signing off for the weekend, I wanted to take a moment to roundup some favorites for you guys in keeping with my Things I’m Loving Friday tradition. Keep on scrolling to check out some of the things that are making me smile this week!
Things I’m Loving Friday
My friend Lauren had these charts hanging on her fridge a few months ago and when I saw them I thought they were the coolest! Our boys have certain daily tasks they know they have to complete, but I loved the idea of a chart that can easily change that can also serve as a visual reminder of their responsibilities. They boys think they’re cool and moving the little “x” to a “check mark” seems to encourage them to follow through with whatever they’re expected to complete that day. I also highly recommend adding “Mom and Dad’s Choice” to any daily tasks charts; it’s a great catch-all and we use that to encourage the boys to help with various tasks that pop up like carrying in groceries, cleaning fingerprints off windows, etc.
Also, funny story: Chase took Rhett’s chart (which clearly isn’t used as much as the big kids’ yet) and wrote “Wake Up, Poop, Destroy Everything” as his daily tasks. He’s not wrong. Haha!
(Note: This is the Etsy shop I used and I highly recommend them! They allowed me to completely customize our charts. They’re currently taking a short break but you may find similar options on Etsy like this one, this one and this one.)
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Secrets of the Zoo
I’ve shared how much our boys love movie night in the past but more often than not, our weekend movie night looks like a couple episodes of Octonauts or Wild Kratts while Rhett runs around all of us because real movies are too long to keep the attention of a toddler. Enter Secrets of the Zoo! I’m not sure what it is about this National Geographic show but it’s magic for our whole family!
Rhett is learning his animals and animal noises now and pops in an out of paying attention which is adorable and the rest of us love watching the behind-the-scenes stories about animals at the Columbus Zoo and aquarium and the conservation park, The Wilds. We also love Secrets of the Zoo: North Carolina (a spin-off of the original) because we love our (semi-local) zoo and recognizing the various habitats makes watching the show even more fun for us. It’s a great family-friendly show, especially for animal lovers!
(Crop Top: Amazon / Leggings: Lululemon Align Super High Rise <– you can only get these online and I love the extra high rise! / Sneakers: New Balance)
New Balance is a go-to brand for me for casual sneakers because the comfort cannot be beat. I still wear and love the fresh foam cream + black leopard print New Balance sneakers I got after Rhett was born and recently added this pair of blush pink sneakers to my collection thanks to an Instagram collaboration. They are so incredibly comfortable and I’ve already worn them to walk miles and miles. I am a sucker for anything blush pink and love the pop of navy, too! Since I wear sneakers all day every day, these are already getting a lot of use and have quickly become a staple for me. I love them paired with leggings, joggers, shorts and even jeans with a casual tee.
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The Rumor by Elin Hilderbrand
My rating: A-
I’m making my way through all of Elin Hilderbrand’s books because every single one is just so darn summery and entertaining. The Rumor is another Nantucket-based beach read — the author’s specialty — and perfectly juicy in a way that felt like an escape to dive into at the end of the day.
A rumor begins swirling around Nantucket. Best friends Madeline King and Grace Pancik are known on Nantucket for their picture-perfect lives. They have adoring, hard-working husbands and wonderful children (two of whom are dating each other!), not to mention Grace’s gorgeous garden on her 3-acre estate and Madeline’s best-selling novels and new writing apartment.
But rumors are flying about the friends and their families and everyone is left wondering if there might be truth to the rumors, especially those in the middle of them. Could there really be more to Grace’s relationship with her landscape architect than just gorgeous roses? Is Madeline’s new apartment used for more than just writing? As Madeline and Grace fight against the rumors, the truth begins to surface and they’re left wondering if the truth might be worse than the rumors.
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Friday Flashbacks
Instant Pot Butternut Squash Beef Stew (Keep this one on your radar for fall + winter stew season! One of my all-time favorites!)
Go-To Mom Hacks (A few things I do that make mom life a little easier.)
Question of the Day
What is one thing you’re loving this week?
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Those chore charts are adorable! I may have to keep it in mind for when Ansley is a toddler.
I love those New Balance tennis shoes! So stylish.
Today is Ansley’s second day of her two trial days at KinderCare! So far she’s doing amazing. We’re so proud of her! She smiled at her teacher immediately & seems to love getting to know other babies. She’s a social little girl. We’re still working on getting her to accept the bottle, so that’s been the only big challenge. She was so tired from yesterday that she slept all the way through the night! She’s done so a few times with some nights sprinkled in where she wakes two to three times. She’s the best!
Aw I’m so so glad to hear she’s doing so well!! Yayyy Ansley!
Hi Julie! If you guys enjoy that show you should check out The Zoo. Very similar but it talks about the Bronx Zoo. It’s an Animal Planet show and really good. They come up with some really cool ways to help animals.
Oh thanks for this rec! Sounds right up our alley!
I just finished The Rumor yesterday! I’m moving onto Hotel Nantucket – which has already referenced some of the characters from The Rumor on the first page 🙂 I agree about Elin’s books being perfect for summer.
Ah yes! I read them in reverse order from you. Both such great summer reads!
Loved The Rumor!! I’m reading 28 Summers now and have another one of hers packed for vacation. Slightly obsessed 🙂
Have you moved into your new house? I was loving the house updates!
We haven’t! We are now in a rental and will be here until we move into the new house (hopefully November)!
Glad to see so many of us going through Elin’s backlist. I’m reading and loving her winter in paradise series! It takes place mostly on St. John so it doesn’t feel like winter to me! I also just read the perfect couple and have the rumor on hold on Libby!
I love Elin Hilderbrand’s novels, too, especially this time of year! I will have to see if my library has this title. You may enjoy Nancy Thayer’s books, also coastal vibes and very summery. She is a new to me author, but I have liked what I have read so far, especially Secrets of Summer and Summer Breeze. Happy reading!
Oh awesome!! Thank you for this recommendation, Kaelin!
You all MUST watch Alaska Animal Rescue!! We also love the Columbus zoo show but we love this one even more!! We are all (even my parents and sis and brother in law) super sad there is no 3rd season. It is SOOOOO good! Our 3 and 5 year old can’t get enough- same with my husband and I! 🙂 I hope y’all love it too!!
Thank you for this recommendation!!! We’ll check it out!