I’m sure I’ll share more on the blog next week but until then, keep on scrolling to see this week’s roundup of favorites! And to catch up on anything you may have missed on the blog and social media, feel free to check out my weekly Substack newsletter: Sticky Notes!
Things I’m Loving Friday #604
Hooray for open-ended play toys! Pix Brix pixel puzzle bricks have been such a hit with all three of our boys ever since my mom gifted them to Ryder for his birthday. They’re exactly the kind of toy I love having in our house because toys that allow our boys to create, imagine and build are the kind of toys that get years and years of use. Pix Brix mini bricks allow the kids to make everything from animals and people to buildings, fun shapes, villages and more. They also come with an inspiration booklet kids can use as a launching point that directs them through building a few fun creations before their imaginations take over and they’re off creating their own mini masterpieces!
(Note: They can be a little tricky for Rhett to take apart/break down himself so keep that in mind if you have a younger one you are considering gifting these to!)
I’ve been through the frother wringer when it comes to finding the ideal frother to mix powders into my drinks. I have my milk frother dialed in (you cannot beat the SMEG frother for hot, foamy milk for lattes), but when it comes to mixing electrolyte powders, collagen, protein powders, etc. into water, milk or almond milk, frothers I’ve tried have either felt too fast, too slow or just right… but then they’ve died and completely stopped working within a couple of months. Enter this Amazon beauty! It’s rechargable (a necessity for me) and has THREE speeds which is what sold me on this one to begin with. The low speed is *chef’s kiss* for electrolyte powders while the medium is great for my matcha lattes and protein powders. It mixes without overmixing (anyone else annoyed when protein powders get almost fluffy!?) and I love it so much.
I absolutely love checking out cookbooks from the library. It’s led me to discovering some of my very favorite cookbooks and also helps give me a feel as to whether or not it’s a cookbook I’d actually use before buying it for our home collection. I can confidently say Cookie Club is a library find worth buying for me! When it came time to return this cookie cookbook, I knew I neede my own copy because we enjoyed every single cookie recipe we made!
The photos are mouthwateringly stunning which always adds to a cookbook’s appeal but it also helps when the boys want to be involved because they definitely gravitate toward recipes based on visual appeal. And who can resist a delicious cookie photo!? A few recipes we’ve made and loved from this cookbook so far include the edible cookie dough (dangerously delicious), brown butter chocolate chip cookies, birthday cake cookies and sticky toffee pudding cookies.
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SIX the Musical Soundtrack
I am SO excited!! My college friends and I are all getting together for a long weekend split between New York City and Connecticut next weekend and I cannot wait! Our time together is only all the better because we’re going to see SIX! the Musical on Broadway! I’ve been streaming songs from this musical for years and when we were looking for a show to see during our night in NYC, I suggested SIX! My friends were all on board and I could not be more thrilled because it’s a musical I’ve been dying to see. If any of you have seen it, how was it!? Tell me everythinggg!
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Hello Stranger by Katherine Center
Genre: Contemporary Romance / My rating: B-
I typically adore Katherine Center’s romance novels and find them fun, funny and upbeat. Hello Stranger is a bit far-fetched but I don’t mind suspending my sense of belief for a romance novel, especially one with a unique premise (facial blindness is at the center of the plot). I enjoyed it enough to keep reading but not enough to highly recommend it. One important call-out: The author’s note in the back was my favorite part of the whole book and captured the way I feel about romance novels so well! Don’t skip it!!
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Weekly Looks
A quick snapshot of a few outfits I wore this week (and the end of last week)!
Jeans: FRAME (PBFINGERS15 saves 15%) / Tank: EVEREVE / Sneakers: Reebok / Bag: Clare V.
Top: Z Supply / Pants: Albion Fit (PBFINGERS10 saves 10%) / Shoes: M.Gemi (gifted) / Bag: Madewell (but old) / Chunky Bead Blue Necklace: BaubleBar
Tank: Amazon / Pants: Albion Fit (PBFINGERS10 saves 10%) / Sneakers: Nike / Bag: Walmart
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August 2026 Top 10
Sharing your top 10 blog posts + favorite finds from August!
Blog Posts
- Lasagna Recipe Using Cottage Cheese
- Everything I Read This Summer: Ranked
- Whole Wheat Pumpkin Muffins
- How to Make Salmon Bites
- How to Make German Pancakes
- Key West Summer Vacation with Kids
- Day Trips from Charlotte
- Recent Looks #14
- Carrot and Apple Slaw
- Last of the Firsts
Favorite Finds
- Epicurean Cutting Board (The cutting board of my dreams! Super slim, non-toxic, dishwasher safe and non-porous so it doesn’t retain flavors or smells.)
- Barely There Pajama Pants (The Amazon find that blew me away — super similar to the Negative whipped pajama pants I was gifted in a PR box that feel like a dream)
- Amazon Flowy Drawstring Pants (Crazy comfy and a great summer-to-fall transition pant. See them on me here.)
- OK Play Travel Game (A great one for on-the-go entertainment. Our whole family enjoys it!)
- Quince Boyfriend Cardigan (A best seller for a reason. One of my favorite layering pieces for fall/winter. I sized up for a slouchy, oversized fit. See it on me here and here.)
- BaubleBar Custom Mini Bag Charm Bead Kit (We gifted this to two of the boys’ girlfriends for their birthdays and it was a BIG hit!)
- Mercy Watson Beginner Chapter Book Series (The early-reader chapter book series our 6-year-old adores.)
- Portable CD Player (How the boys listen to their audiobook library CDs! They can listen with headphones but it also has a speaker so they can all listen at once.)
- Biom Wipes Dispenser + Non-Toxic Wipes (We keep these all over our house — and the mini size in our cars — and they are so useful for wiping countertops, cleaning up messes, sticky hands, etc.)
- No Bite Me Nature Insect Repellent + After-Bite Cream (This one surprised me but I hope it’s been as helpful for you guys as it’s been for us! It’s a great non-toxic way to keep bugs away but especially helpful for taking the itch away after bites, too.
QUESTION OF THE DAY
What is one thing making you smile this week?
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Never forget 9/11.
I’ve seen Six several times including once on Broadway in March. It’s a ton of fun! They’ll usually make an announcement in the MegaSix at the end that you can record that song (New York, get your phones out for this! type of a thing). It usually starts 6 minutes after the scheduled time, runs 80 minutes, no intermission, so it definitely feels like more of a concert than a traditional musical!
I have that same frother and it is POWERFUL. I can only use it on low and with a mug half full or less. It’s nice that it comes with other attachments, though. I’ve used the whisk to make whipped cream. And the battery lasts forever. I use it every day and finally had to charge it after a year.
oh that’s incredible about the charge — I have yet to need to charge mine and was wondering when I might!!
SIX is the absolute BOMB! I first saw it 4 years ago when I won a pair of lottery tickets. Since then I’ve seen it a few more times, including it’s recent release in movie theaters last month (with the original British cast) and I always catch something different about it each time. When it was in Chicago last year, a group of my friends and I even went to see it in costume, and everyone got such a kick out of us! We went to the stage door afterward, the cast LOVED us, and we even got a quick choreo lesson from one of the cast members who showed us how to make a crown with our hands.
During that same run, I won lottery tickets for myself and a friend again, and by pure luck it turned out to be a sing-along show, in which we were encouraged to sing along with the show, which made it even more fun!
If you’ve been listening to the soundtrack for a while, I can guarantee that you’re going to love the live show even more!
oh my gosh this is incredible!!!!!! can i be in your friend group!?!? so so fun!
Yes, ABSOLUTELY!! We always need more Queens!
You will LOVE Six! It’s feels like a broadway show, but also has Spice Girls/Fifth Harmony total girl power vibes. It’s the perfect show to see with girlfriends!
If you don’t have plans after the show, I highly suggest Bar Centrale for post show cocktails. You need a reservation, but I’ve been a handful of times and it’s always perfection. It’s also a spot actors and Broadway performers tend to frequent which adds to the classy NYC atmosphere!
thank you for this recommendation!!!!
You will LOVE LOVE LOVE SIX! My husband and I randomly picked this musical on our drive down to NYC and we both loved it. Like the other commentors mentioned, it borders on concert but I also loved the storytelling and the ending was just awesome. I did not know anything going into it and honestly it is now on top of my list for all of the broadway musicals I’ve seen in NYC. Have a great time!