Things I’m Loving Friday #609

Hey friends. How are you? I hope your week was a good one. We had one major update over here: Our middle man got braces!!

The first evening was a little rough for Ryder (lots of sensitivity, etc.) but he’s settling into his braces well and looking awfully handsome with his new gear. Chase actually begins round 2 of braces in December so soon enough we’ll have two metal mouths in the house! Aside from braces, Ryan traveled to California for work (he left Sunday night and took a red-eye back — ooph), Rhetty had his first kindergarten performance which was all kinds of adorable (he was cast as the “director”) and we welcomed two new foster kittens into our home (3-month-old sisters Saiba and Sunny). It was a good week overall and we’re looking forward to the weekend ahead! Plans include a triple date night to celebrate a friend’s birthday this evening, soccer and flag football games for the boys and the Panthers/Bucs game for our crew on Sunday!

For now, let’s get to the real reason you’re likely stopping by the blog today and dive into this week’s roundup of favorites, Things I’m Loving Friday style!

Things I’m Loving Friday

• 100% Organic Cotton Quince Cardigan: A New Length!

Sweater: Quince / Pants: Target — but old / Shoes: adidas / Blue Bead Necklace: BaubleBar / Rainbow Bead Necklace: BaubleBar

Sweater: Quince / Jeans: FRAME / Clogs: Birkenstock / Red Bead Neclace: BaubleBar / Rainbow Bead Necklace: BaubleBar

I hesitate to call the slightly shorter length of our beloved Quince sweater “croppped” like they do online, but a shorter version of the sweater recently debuted and I LOVE it. Like love it enough to get it in three colors kind of love it! While the original Quince sweater is a favorite of mine for layering, the shorter version is the kind of cozy, drapey sweater that hits at what I feel is the most flattering place on the body: just below the pant line (and I have a long torso — to me it’s not cropped)! The fabric is the same as the original (incredibly comfortable 100% organic cotton) and it feels like a cozy hug you never want to take off. (Sizing notes: In the original boyfriend cardigan, I wear a medium for a slightly oversized fit. In this shorter version, I wear my true size small.)

• $4.94 Walmart Ribbed Glass Tumbler

This $4.94 tumbler has got to be the best $5 I’ve spent in a long time. I grabbed it during a trip to Walmart a month or so ago and am so impressed with the thick, high-quality glass both in the tumbler itself and the straw, especially at such a low price point. I love the rich purple color (which they finally restocked!) but it’s also available in clear and a gorgeous mauvey-brown. I think it would be such a pretty addition to a holiday gift basket, especially with a festive bow tied around the straw.

• Mini Car Makeup Bag

Mom hack alert! If you’re someone who is frequently running out the door to take your kids to school but then find yourself wishing you’d had time to put on a little makeup to last you through whatever else you have on your agenda after drop off, allow me to introduce you to… the mini car makeup bag! A while back, I began keeping a small bag of makeup essentials in the center console of my car (tinted SPF, concealer, mascara, lip gloss) and it’s come in handy many times over. (Is it also a crutch I use to delay doing my makeup as long as possible? Yes, yes it may just be that, too.) The mini car makeup bag has been such a handy little hack that I figured it might be worth a share!

• Stinky Kid Feet Solution: Alba Botanica Scrub

We officially have a tween in our house and after chatting with some mom friends about our boys, I quickly discovered super stinky feet are not an isolated issue in our house. I figured super-sweaty feet regularly finding their way into stinky shoes and cleats inevitably leads to some pretty smelly feet but one mom took it upon herself to dig a little deeper. She said she learned that extra smelly feet are often caused by bacteria. This bacteria needs to be killed by an acidic scrub in order to get rid of the smell. Apparently she was right because after ordering the scrub she redommended — this Alba Botanica scrub — and having Chase use it only a couple of times, the horrible foot smell faded completely. The putrid stank is gone and now I’m recommeding this scrub to anyone out there looking to help their kid with super smelly feet! The scrub can also be used on the face and body but it’s a foot scrub in our house and works so well for that purpose.

• A Killer Wedding by Joan O’Leary

Genre: Mystery / My rating: B- 

This was a fun and twisty read I liked but didn’t love. It’s the author’s debut novel so she deserves a lot of credit for writing a mystery that kept me guessing but I had a hard time feeling fully immersed in the story. It was the kind of book I felt like I could walk away from at anytime, despite not knowing who commited the crimes at hand. The story centers around a billionaire family and includes plenty of intrigue but I didn’t really love (or love to hate) any of the characters and found them all a little underdeveloped to really feel much pull toward them.

A Killer Wedding kicks off when Gloria Beaufort, the powerhouse founder of a massive billion-dollar beauty empire, is found dead in her suite the night before her grandson’s opulent wedding. Instead of calling the police right away, the wedding party and the wedding magazine editor reporting on the nuptials decides to delay reporting it. The story is told through multiple points of view (which I loved) and weaves in flashbacks (which I also loved) but overall it was a sold “B-” book for me. 

• Amazon Prime Day Creator Favorites

My fellow curious friends have found these post Prime Day roundups interesting, so for the Nosy Nellies out there, below you will find the best sellers across ALL categories from all creator shares on Prime Day. Amazon sends these lists out after sales and I always think it’s so interesting to see what people went crazy for each year.

Top 4 Sellers Overall: ANUA PDRN Hyaluronic Acid Moisturizing Cream / Kindle Paperwhite / Shark FlexStyle Hair Tool / Apple 13-Inch MacBook

Top 4 Women’s Fashion: Ribbed Long-Sleeve Shirt / CRZ Yoga Butterluxe Leggings / Cashmere Sweater / Levi’s Cinch-Waist Baggy Jeans

Top 4 Men’s Fashion: T-Shirt Multi-Pack / Levi’s 505 Jeans / Fleece Hoodie / adidas Track Pants

Top 4 Shoes: Slip-On UGGs (I checked the price history and these are still on sale and only $3 above their Prime Day price) / Lattice Jelly Flats / New Balance 237 Sneakers (I’ve had and loved these for years! Our boys love the kids’ version.) /  Cole Haan Men’s Oxfords

Top 4 Home: Hatch Restore Alarm Clock (my favorite for gentle morning wake-ups) / UGG Plush Blanket / Keurig Single-Serve Coffee Maker / Levoit Air Purifier

Top 4 Beauty: medicube Toner Pads / Biodance PDRN Mask / tarte Tubing Mascara / Sol de Janeiro Perfume Mist

Top 4 Fitness/Outdoors: Stanley Tumbler / LifeStraw Personal Water Filter / LifePro Vibration Plate / Bala Ankle and Wrist Weights

• Weekend Sales

25% off sitewide at ALOHA (sneaky sale through my link!): For new and returning customers!! Our entire family eats these bars daily so I’m restocking!! The 25% off only works once so make sure you have everything you want in your cart before checking out. The sale ends Sunday!

20% Off Sitewide + 30% Off $100+ with code FRIENDS26 at Paula’s Choice: The mastermind behind my favorite EXFOLIATE skincare staple! (This kit has a full-size and travel-size EXFOLIATE together if you’re a super-fan like me.) If you spend $150, your order will include a full-size 1% Retinol (worth $65) + a black tote bag.

• Weekly Looks

A few looks I wore over the course of the past two weeks!

Sweater: Quince / Pull-On Trouser Pants: Albion Fit — code PBFINGERS10 saves 10% / Shoes: Banana Republic (but old) / Name Chain Necklace: Oak and Luna

Sweater: Z Supply / Pants: Amazon (but old) / Sneakers: adidas / Purse: Clare V. (but old) / Initial Compass Necklace: Oak and Luna

Top: aerie / Leggings: Athleta / Sneakers: adidas / Socks: BOMBAS

Pants: Amazon / Tee: Nuuds (but old) / Denim Jacket: RUTI (gifted) / Clogs: Birkenstock / Olive Beaded Necklace: BaubleBar / Flower Birth Month Charm Necklace: Etsy / Bag: Clare V.

Jacket: Lands’ End / Pants: Amazon / Bag: BaubleBar / Tee: Nuuds (but old) / Clogs: Birkenstock / Olive Beaded Necklace: BaubleBar / Flower Birth Month Charm Necklace: Etsy

Sweater: Amazon / Jeans: Target (but old) / Bag: Aimee (gifted) / Booties: beek (but old) / Custom Charm Necklace: Amazon

Jeans: Target / Sweater: Old Navy / Bag: Aimee (gifted) / Booties: Amazon (but old) / Olive Beaded Necklace: BaubleBar / Flower Birth Month Charm Necklace: Etsy

• Friday Flashbacks

Whole Wheat Banana Muffins (Made a batch last night!)

Breakfast Hash (For a yummy Sunday morning meal!)