Things I’m Loving Friday #580

Hiii! How’s it going? Are you settling into a routine? Feeling like real life came at ya a little too fast after the holidays? Maybe a little bit of both? I always feel like the week after a weekend away feels a bit frazzled but things are settling into a normal groove and going well. But it’s COLD. Like, temperatures in the 20s cold! (All the northerners are laughing at me right now, I know, but with icy winds whipping, it feels freezing!) There’s a teeny chance of some snow this weekend so we are triple crossing our fingers because the boys are dying for snow over their three-day weekend. We’ll see!!

As for now, let’s dive right into the meat of this post and chat about some of the simple things bringing us joy these days. Feel free to chime in below because I always love reading about what you’re loving each week!

Things I’m Loving Friday

• Fresh Notebooks, Planners, etc.

Anyone get get a little giddy over fresh notebooks, new planners, a new pen, a fun set of highlighters, etc.? I love the fresh start feeling that comes along with a new planner or a completely blank notebook. I’ve sworn by these thin stitched notebooks for years and fill them with daily to-do lists, blog post/work ideas and pretty much anything else I need to get out of my brain and onto paper. A new notebook is one of those fresh restart finds that isn’t a big thing but also kind of feels like a big thing thanks to the little spark of joy it brings me whenever I use it!

Also, I realize I still owe you guys a Skylight calendar update but, honestly, we still haven’t really had the chance to fully utilize it yet. (Can I blame holiday craziness? I’m blaming holiday craziness.) I’m still relying on my paper calendar for my personal work stuff but for the kids’ stuff, the Skylight has been great. Plus, the boys absolutely love it and use it every single day to stay accountable with their responsibilities and chores. My overall opinion is currently undecided so I’ll try to plug into it a little more before fully reviewing.

• Custom Alpha Tote

Bag Details: Size: Large: / Color: Blue Denim / Letter Color: Pure White

What a fun tote! I got this custom alpha tote late last year and I’m fairly certain I never mentioned it on the blog. I’m not quite sure why because I adore it! I ordered the large size so it’s not a tote I use daily but it works great as a catch-all for family life when I need a vessel for all the things and it was also perfect for me as a carry-on bag option for my trip to Anna Maria Island last weekend.

(Outfit + Accessory + Luggage Details: Everything linked here) 

Here’s a little peek inside for anyone curious about how much it holds:

Can ya tell I put basically everything I own in a pouch when I travel? And yes, yes I do still have my Vera Bradley curling iron cover from my college days. It’s goin’ strong over here!

• Air Fryer Scallops

Fellow seafood lovers, please promise me you’ll make scallops in the air fryer if you haven’t already. They’re so good and so, so easy! I just sprinkle them with a little garlic salt and air fry them at 400 degrees for about 8 minutes. And for my ALDI shoppers out there, I cannot recommend ALDI’s Specially Selected scallops enough. They’re wild caught, large and so, so good (and, in true ALDI fashion much cheaper than most wild caught scallops I’ve found). I find them in the freezer section near the frozen shrimp.

• Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson

Genre: Family Saga/Domestic Fiction / My rating: B+

I finally got to finish this one! I initially started reading Black Cake back in early December but began reading it at the end of the borrowing time limit through Libby so it was automatically returned when I was only halfway through (I was kicking myself for not putting my Kindle on airplane mode to avoid this). I clearly wasn’t enthralled with the book enough to pay for it (which is saying a little something, I suppose) but I was awfully excited when it came available again and I immediately dove right back into this family saga.

This book has a little bit of everything — family drama, murder, mystery, a sprinkle of suspense, flashbacks that reveal just enough, thought-provoking content and beautiful writing. It felt a little long-winded at times but I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am hoping to checkout the corresponding Hulu show soon.

Amazon summary: In present-day California, Eleanor Bennett’s death leaves behind a puzzling inheritance for her two children, Byron and Benny: a black cake, made from a family recipe with a long history, and a voice recording. In her message, Eleanor shares a tumultuous story about a headstrong young swimmer who escapes her island home under suspicion of murder. The heartbreaking tale Eleanor unfolds, the secrets she still holds back, and the mystery of a long-lost child challenge everything the siblings thought they knew about their lineage and themselves.

Can Byron and Benny reclaim their once-close relationship, piece together Eleanor’s true history, and fulfill her final request to “share the black cake when the time is right”? Will their mother’s revelations bring them back together or leave them feeling more lost than ever?

• The Three Lives of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan

Genre: Contemporary Fiction / My rating: B

From almost the very beginning, this book gave me major Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo vibes and while I liked Evelyn Hugo much more, Cate Kay thoroughly entertained me from start to finish. The book is written as a fictional memoir of sorts about Cate Kay, a woman who essentially lives three different lives following a tragic accident that happened in her childhood. While I felt like the book started strong and the middle was meaty, the end wrapped up too quickly and too perfectly for me, and I felt like it didn’t really mesh with the rest of the book. The Three Lives of Cate Kay is packed with miscommunication leaving readers guessing who impacted Cate’s life in what way and while it was mostly predictable, it was still a creative and mostly enjoyable read.

Amazon Summary: Cate Kay knows how to craft a story. As the creator of a bestselling book trilogy that struck box office gold as a film series, she’s one of the most successful authors of her generation. The thing is, Cate Kay doesn’t really exist. She’s never attended author events or granted any interviews. Her real identity had been a closely guarded secret, until now.

As a young adult, she and her best friend Amanda fantasized escaping their difficult homes and moving to California to become movie stars. But the day before their grand adventure, a tragedy shattered their dreams and Cate has been on the run ever since, taking on different names and charting a new future. But after a shocking revelation, Cate understands that returning home is the only way she’ll be a whole person again.

• Weekend Sales

40% off everything at Old Navy: This sweater is adorable for Valentine’s Day / I want this girls’ tee in my size / I saw someone share that these are a decent dupe for my beloved Ruti pants but I’ll reserve weighing in myself as I haven’t personally tried them and I REALLY love my Ruti pants / If you like a casual long-sleeve baseball tee, I have this one and it’s great / I also love their soccer socks for the boys — they stay up but aren’t so crazy compressive that kids can’t pull them up themselves (my soccer pet peeve) and they’re priced well

End of season sale at lululemon: They never include black align leggings in their sales but shockingly included a bunch of align styles this year! Woop!

40% off bundles (bedding, towels, etc.) + 15% off everything at Brooklinen: We have these sheets and Ryan described them perfectly when he said they’re “soft but feel crisp and freshly washed every time you crawl into bed.” I also cannot tell you how much I love their plush terry robe I got last fall. It’s like a cozy hug in a fancy spa robe form.

25% off Ruggable: I ordered this runner for our bedroom hallway during Black Friday and bless the washability of this one during this phase of puppy life! And we have their Kamran rugs all over our house (the coral Kamran in our kitchen/mudroom and the ivory opal Kamran in our living room + the small 2’x3′ size in our bathroom + downstairs 1/2 bath + the boys’ bathroom)

• Friday Flashbacks

Cottage Cheese Baked Pasta (I made this one on Monday night! I swapped at large container of fresh spinach for the grated zucchini and it worked perfectly if you’re looking to change it up a little bit or if you want to save time.)

High Protein Broccoli Cheddar Soup (Making this one this weekend! A favorite year-round but especially when it’s freezing outside!!)

QUESTION OF THE DAY

What’s one thing making you smile this week?