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Things I’m Loving Friday #484

September 15, 2023 by Julie 10 Comments

Friday is here and today should be a fun one. Chase’s second grade teacher is a huge animal lover (it was truly the first thing two of the moms I know from Chase’s school told us about her when I told them who his teacher was this year) and their shared passion for animals has been the biggest gift these first few weeks of school. His teacher keeps her classroom stocked with National Geographic KIDS magazines and they have a class pet (a tortoise) and she even said “yes” when Chase asked if he could bring his leopard gecko in to meet the class. Well, today is the day Lucky gets to go on a little field trip and Rhett, Ryder and I will be bringing Lucky and a little lizard toy for each kid into Chase’s class this afternoon. Chase is beyond excited and we worked together to make a mini “Lucky Facts” poster about his favorite reptile to share more about her!

As for the rest of the weekend, we have a mix of random necessities on the agenda (car inspection and oil change appointments) but we’re also hoping to sprinkle in some fall fun in the form of a festival or maybe even a trip to our favorite local corn maze. And of course we have another birthday party on the calendar because I swear they are endless when you have three kids! Haha!

I hope to share more on the blog next week but until then, keep on scrolling for this week’s roundup of Friday favorites!

Things I’m Loving Friday

  • Apple Picking at Carrigan Farms

Last Saturday Ryan and I were on the ball and took the boys apple picking at Carrigan Farms before the apples were all gone and the season was over. We’ve learned our lesson over the years and know apple picking in our area is more of a sweaty sport versus a “let’s look cute in cozy fall flannel” affair.

It was a drizzly, overcast day but we made the most of it and loaded up our bags with tons of apples! We’ve made no less than three batches of oatmeal apple crisp from our haul so far so I’d call this year’s apple picking adventure a success!

  • Free People Quilted Carryall Bag

free people quilted bag

I’ve been in the market for an oversized bag that is big enough to hold my laptop but I also wanted something that would double as a great catch-all style bag I could carry on an airplane for travel. I have a girls’ weekend trip coming up in a couple of weeks with my college friends so I was a motivated shopper and when I saw this Free People bag pop up in an Instagram ad, I added it to my cart after reading the positive reviews. It’s lightweight and even cuter in person and I love all of the extra interior and exterior pockets for easy organization. It’s also available in 20 colors and I was torn between the sky blue and the khaki colors but opted for khaki because I figured it would go with more but man oh man that sky blue is calling to me, too!

  • Kids’ Athletic Socks

I’ve been on the struggle bus when it comes to finding cute athletic socks for the boys. I had a few pairs I loved for them from Carter’s and Old Navy but holes have started to pop up in the toes and heels so I needed another option. I am also picky about the length and so many crew-style socks seem to reach their knees or upper calves. Thankfully a couple of weeks ago I found a few winners on Amazon I figured are worth sharing for anyone else out there who might be in the market for athletic socks that have a semi-retro look that don’t hit too high on the leg. For Chase and Ryder, I ordered the black and gray versions of these Cotton Day socks and for Rhett I ordered these organic cotton socks in a variety of colors.

  • The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue - Kindle edition by Schwab, V. E.. Literature & Fiction Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

My rating: B-

Before diving into my review of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, I should begin by saying I listened to the audiobook version of this book. While I love audiobooks, I personally believe some books don’t translate as well in this format and I think this novel could be one of them, as it’s a very long book without a lot of action. Since I was listening rather than reading, this made it easy for my mind to wander and yet when I’d find myself focusing on the story again, I never really felt like I missed anything pivotal which also made me feel like maybe this book just wasn’t a great fit for me. It never really pulled me in and while I loved the premise of the book (it’s immensely creative!) and appreciated some truly beautiful writing in the book by the author, it felt unnecessarily long and a little too drawn out to feel like a page-turner. I felt like I could’ve walked away from finishing this one numerous times and really only held onto it because of the rave reviews. It’s not a book I personally loved but I also know it wasn’t a bad book if that makes any sense. I guess my review for this book boils down to this: The author of this novel is very talented and her writing is beautiful but I did not find the book captivating.

From Amazon:

France, 1714: in a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever—and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets.

Thus begins the extraordinary life of Addie LaRue, and a dazzling adventure that will play out across centuries and continents, across history and art, as a young woman learns how far she will go to leave her mark on the world.

But everything changes when, after nearly 300 years, Addie stumbles across a young man in a hidden bookstore and he remembers her name.

  • Friday Flashbacks

Cinnamon Ice Cream (The perfect pairing with apple pie or apple crisp!!)

cinnamon ice cream

Air Fryer Pesto Salmon (aka our dinner last night!)

Air Fryer Pesto Salmon

Question of the Day

What is one thing making you smile this week?

Is there anything in particular you are looking forward to this fall? 

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Filed Under: Things I'm Loving Tagged With: Things I'm Loving, Things I'm Loving Friday

About Julie

My name is Julie and I am a full-time blogger, new mama, fitness enthusiast (certified personal trainer and group exercise instructor) and food fanatic (mostly healthy... but also not-so-healthy) living in North Carolina with my husband, dog and baby boy. Thank you for visiting Peanut Butter Fingers! I hope you enjoy little glimpses into my life and have fun trying the sweaty workouts I frequently share and making some of my favorite recipes along the way!

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Comments

  1. KatieS says

    September 15, 2023 at 8:09 am

    I made a batch of your apple crisp last weekend and it was gone in 24hours!!! It’s our go-to every year 🙂

    Reply
  2. ariane S buffum says

    September 15, 2023 at 8:44 am

    thank you for the sock recommendation!
    Plus your recommendation a few weeks ago on kids pod casts was great, story pirates has become a favorite!

    Reply
  3. Amy says

    September 15, 2023 at 8:51 am

    I felt the same way about the book! Did not get the hype at all and DNFed it

    Reply
  4. Kayla says

    September 15, 2023 at 9:49 am

    You’re now my official sock recommendation person lol we have the grippy ankle socks you’ve mentioned before and love them for both my 4yo daughter and 2yo son.

    Reply
  5. Cris says

    September 15, 2023 at 9:59 am

    Super random… I’m not 100% sure about the kids socks, but both my husband and I love the Aldi athletic socks- I bet kids socks would be great too!

    Reply
  6. Sara Wilson says

    September 15, 2023 at 10:30 am

    I just read Shari Lapena’s new book, Everyone Here is Lying! I thought the beginning dragged a bit and it has an ending that leaves you wanting more, but I’d still recommend it! I just started Lisa Jewell’s new book, None of This is True!

    Reply
    • Shannah says

      September 15, 2023 at 12:24 pm

      I just finished both those books! The new Lisa Jewell book is so good!

      Reply
      • Sara Wilson says

        September 23, 2023 at 9:53 pm

        You were so right! I just finished it and it is crazy, creepy, fun! The pace and how the book is organized is perfection!

        Reply
  7. Sarah says

    September 15, 2023 at 5:01 pm

    Where is your apple picking dress from? It’s so cute!

    Reply
  8. Rachel says

    September 15, 2023 at 6:40 pm

    Such a coincidence that you listened to that book, as I just finished reading it myself! I actually quite liked it but can totally see that it wouldn’t translate into audio as well. I thought it was interesting but you’re right in that it’s not a lot of action so maybe without focusing on the words in the page I can see how ones mind would wander. I never really thought of the difference before (reading vs listening to certain books). I always love hearing others reviews so glad I stumbled across this post today! Happy weekend!

    Reply

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Hi! I’m Julie and I am a mom to three energetic boys and a personal trainer and blogger living in Charlotte, North Carolina. Welcome to my blog! Peanut Butter Fingers follows my life and my interests in food, fitness, family, travel and (mostly) healthy living.
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