Hello, hello! This week absolutely flew by for me since I found myself in three different states. I’m quite happy to be back in my favorite one right now and am looking forward to a weekend at home with Ryan and Sadie. It’s supposed to be a cold one in Charlotte, so I’m not sure we’ll be spending too much time outside, but if I end up spending all weekend curled up on the couch relaxing with my little family, I’ll be a happy camper.
Today will be anything but relaxing though, as I am about to drive over to the gym to teach two classes this morning. It’s sure to be a sweaty start to the day! As for tonight, Ryan and I are currently flip flopping on whether or not to head out for a fun date night or keep things casual and order pizza at home. I’m leaning toward pizza and pajamas…
But now let’s dive into your usual Things I’m Loving Friday post where we all chat about what we’re loving most each week. Please feel free to share away in the comments section below!
Things I’m Loving Friday
- Bennett’s Doughnuts
During the final morning of our family vacation to Sanibel Island, my family and I biked to Bennett’s for doughnuts, thanks to your wonderful recommendations. All I can say is THANK YOU for putting this coffee and doughnut hot spot on our radar because the doughnuts were fantastic. The orange crunch doughnut reminded me of Pillsbury orange cinnamon rolls (and I mean this in the best way possible – please tell me someone out there shares my love for this childhood treat!) and the Boston crème doughnut is the stuff dreams are made of. (It has homemade Ghirardelli chocolate icing on top, for goodness sake.) Another bonus? Bennett’s iced coffee rocks, too! And now all I want in life today is another one of their doughnuts…
This is 100 percent ridiculous. And 100 percent amazing. Especially if you are waaay to obsessed with your pet. (Cough – ME – Cough.) Cuddle Clones will make a stuffed animal replica of your pet and I’m not gonna lie, I kind of want to order one to freak Ryan out a little bit. But who am I kidding… He’d love it just as much as I would!
- Harry & David Pears
My sweet friend Presley sent me a box of my all-time favorite pears from Harry & David and I ended up eating three of them yesterday. I wanted to space the pears out and savor them, but when a pear tastes as delicious as they do, I cannot be trusted around them! Yum!
I’ve been looking for a pair of strappy nude sandals similar to the pair of Aldo heels I borrowed to wear during the Stitch Fix photo shoot I participated in last summer for months. I fell in love with them and unfortunately when I went to order them online from Aldo, I found that they no longer sell the shoes in nude. I’ve been trying to find a lookalike pair for a while now and finally did… but they come with a $180 price tag. Bummer! I’m hoping one of you out there may own a similar pair that’s more affordable and might be able to tell me where to look! Please let me know! I looove the look of this pair, but they’re also quite expensive.
I owe a big thank you to Nourish Snacks for kindly donating a bunch of their nutritious and incredibly tasty snacks to a Girls On The Run event my local chapter has on the calendar for tomorrow. The snacks contain no harmful preservatives, artificial colors, sweeteners or GMOs and are naturally gluten free, dairy free and vegetarian. I hope the women who attend our local event love them as much as I do… Especially the PB Jammin’ mix which quickly became my favorite pre-workout snack this week.
- Buttered Popcorn Jelly Belly Jelly Beans
Aaand on the totally opposite end of the healthy snack spectrum, we have these jelly beans! Why do I love them so much? I know this flavor is gag-inducing for many, but it’s always been my all-time favorite! One of my clients at the gym brought me this small packet of buttered popcorn Jelly Belly jelly beans yesterday after we had an all-too-long discussion about our favorite jelly bean flavors a few weeks ago. I cannot remember the last time I had them, so the sweet gesture made me smile and the sweet snack was very much appreciated!
These mittens were gifted to me by General Mills during my trip to Minnesota this week and it took me all of 2.5 seconds to fall in love with them! The mittens are made locally and are really are like sweaters for your hands. So soft and cozy… and, most importantly, WARM. And their mission “to promote opportunities for employment for people with disabilities while creating a quality product at a good value” makes the mittens all the more lovable!
Question of the Day
- What is one thing you are absolutely loving this week?
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I was in Target yesterday and they had a pair of strappy nude sandals just like that!
And they are a steal at $24! Here is a link:
http://www.target.com/p/women-s-pamela-heeled-sandal/-/A-16536547#prodSlot=large_1_7
thanks so much for sharing this, kendra!! you are awesome!! and now you are going to think I’m crazy-picky, but I like a REALLY skinny strap on the top and more of a leather look (not as shiny) — BUUUUUT, these may be worth trying on because the $24 price tag is AWESOME. thanks again for taking the time to tell me about them!! 🙂
I’ve been called crazy-picky myself so I totally understand where you are coming from. 🙂
I did see the Schutz Cadey-Lee pair that you linked above on 6pm for $110 so a bit on sale, although it looks like they have limited sizes. May be worth keeping an eye on though! Have a great weekend!
http://www.6pm.com/schutz-cadey-lee-lightwood?zlfid=72&PID=5730947&AID=10538037&utm_source=3687968&Pub_Name=Guotao&splash=none&zhlfid=209&utm_medium=affiliate&zpch=affiliate
Whoa, those jelly beans are blowing my mind!
Oh my gosh they are so good! Fresh Market sells them in their bulk bins (at least they used to!), so you can ask to sample a small amount at first to make sure you like them! The flavor is definitely unique, but I LOVE them!
Yes! My fave, too!!!
Those made me laugh so hard because I loved them as a kid & as an adult I found out the factory was not too far in Kenosha, Wi so I immediately scheduled a middle school field trip there!! Good times 🙂
LOL! I want to be in YOUR class. 🙂
Best ever jelly belly flavor! I’m with you 100%!
http://www.shoebuy.com/steve-madden-stecy/727945/1506432?cm_mmc=googleproductads_pla_with_promotion-_-none-_-none-_-none
These are cute, and have a much better price tag!
I saw those!! They look so similar but I am not crazy about the shiny pleather look… Do you have them by any chance? I am considering ordering them just to give them a try because they are definitely more affordable!
I dont have them yet! I am also thinking about ordering them….its just hard to pull the trigger when I look outside and see three feet of snow!
Haha yessss! I want them for a wedding in May, so I keep picturing warmer temps!!
Buttered popcorn jelly bellys are my favorite flavor! you’re the first person I’ve met that actually likes them too. 🙂
Yessss!!! We have to stick together 😉
I too am looking for a pair of shoes like this. Zara used to have similar ones but they are no longer on their site. Did find these ones on Asos that are similar and not too pricy! http://www.asos.com/ASOS/ASOS-HOSTESS-Wide-Fit-Heeled-Sandals/Prod/pgeproduct.aspx?iid=4380330&cid=4172&Rf989=5029&Rf-200=25,20&sh=0&pge=0&pgesize=36&sort=-1&clr=Nude&totalstyles=19&gridsize=3
Have a great weekend! Love the Friday posts the most 😀
Hey Julie! I have shoes almost identical to those from Payless a season (or two?) ago. They were super inexpensive, I think less than $20. Hope you find a pair you like!
Thank you for the tip!
those mittens are awesome! and the donuts are making me drool… 🙂
Mmm, donuts. Huh?
Those Cuddle Clones are ADORABLE!
I am loving that my nephew is flying home from college right now to surprise my sister/his mom for her birthday today! Can’t wait to see him!
Love this!!! I’m sure your sister will be thrilled!!
I am loving J & P organics! The deliver a box of assorted organic fruits and veggies and cage free, cruelty free, Brown eggs. We opted this week to get flowers too!
I love the convenience and how fresh and delicious every thing is, and for $31, it’s a fantastic deal.
This sounds fantastic!!! Love that they will send you flowers, too
I am loving J & P organics! They deliver a box of assorted organic fruits and veggies and cage free, cruelty free, Brown eggs to our home every week! We opted this week to get flowers too!
I love the convenience and how fresh and delicious every thing is, and for $31, it’s a fantastic deal.
The cuddle clones are hilarious! It’s almost hard to tell which pet is the real one and which one’s stuffed 😉
And any friend who sends you those heavenly pears sounds like an awesome friend to have 🙂 I can’t be trusted around them, either.
Zappos is pretty good! Free shipping and I believe free returns. I think these aren’t as shiny.
http://www.zappos.com/steve-madden-stecy-natural
http://www.zappos.com/aldo-ibenama-beige
Love Steve Madden 🙂
I used to do super low key pageants back in my high school days…usually wore nude sandals similar to those.
I googled nude strappy pageant sandals and found several options at decent prices.
Here’s one of the pairs:
http://www.tjformal.com/p5490322/touch-ups-shoe-genesis-849.html
Hope that helps
I am loving how excited I am to head over to Starbucks today & try out the new Tiramisu latte!! Excited to see if its better than my other new fav, the caramel latte from Panera.
I’ve never heard of that latte flavor — sounds delicious!
I miss those orange cinnamon rolls! I always look for them at the store, but I don’t even know if they make them anymore. They’re SO good, and definitely remind me of childhood!
Me too! My sister and I LOVED them. 🙂
http://www.6pm.com/schutz-cadey-lee-lightwood
They’re still spendy, but not $180
I LOVE the buttered popcorn flavored jelly beans! You absolutely have to try Lindt’s new Sweet Popcorn chocolate bar. I found it at Target in the candy aisle. It is SO good.
http://www.lindtusa.com/shop/sweet-popcorn-hello-bar-422689-p
Cuddle Clones are the most adorable things I’ve ever seen. I thought the photo was actually a 2nd dog. They are spot on!
WHAT IS THIS MAGIC!? That chocolate bar sounds so, so good!
Finally, someone who likes the buttered popcorn flavored Jelly Belly’s. I am not alone!!! 🙂 Someday I want to visit the headquarters outside of San Francisco.
This week I am loving Girl Scout cookies. Five boxes of Samoas and Thin Mints were just delivered from the neighbor girl. So yummy!!!
Oh.My.Goodness. CUDDLE CLONES. I love it!!! I can take my obsession with my dog to the next level 🙂 Also, popcorn flavored Jelly Beans are my favorite with Dr.Pepper ones coming in second.
Those Cuddle Clones make me think 100% of the dog in Friends!
Oooo yes, those pears are delicious. You almost have to eat three in a day though because they arrive so ripe and juicy!
I’m loving the fact that it’s pizza night at my house. All the cheeeese!
Those donuts look heavenly! totally worth a bike ride!
I LOVE the orange pillsbury rolls. YUM!
Piperlime is such a good place to find good quality shoes, and sadly they’re going out of business 🙁 Both of these Steve Madden ones look like what you’re describing. The only difference I can see is that the second has a bit of a platform. Neither have many sizes left to pick from but I’m sure you could Google them and find the styles elsewhere. Happy shopping!
Stecy in Tan
http://piperlime.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=1026803&vid=1&pid=549020082
Rykie in Nude Leather
http://piperlime.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=1026803&vid=1&pid=152925022
thank you!!
Those pears are SO good! Love getting them around Christmas every year. I’m loving my bubblegum pink nail polish! It makes me so happy every time I see it. Can’t wait for summer and warmer temps. 🙂
I’m loving the white chicken chili I made this week! It is delicious and hits the spot since the weather is so stinking cold!
Those mittens look awesome! And I have been thinking about something similar to the Cuddle Clones–good to know someone else has the same crazy love for their pets! haha
A. Cuddle clon!e?! Omg! I’m so excited about this, as my dog is currently laying on my lap!
Oh those gloves look amazing! I know I could for sure use a pair with this negative, and single digit temperatures! And buttered popcorn jelly bellys those used to be my favorite! I haven’t had those in forever! Definitely an oldie but goodie!
FRIDAY!!!!!!!! thank goodness 🙂
I can’t say I’m a fan of the popcorn jelly bellys! I’m not a huge jelly bean fan anyway and these are definitely gag worthy to me! I’m loving my birchbox this week! I got some killer samples in my box on Tuesday and I’ve been having fun with them all week!
http://www.alloyapparel.com/product/tessa+heel+173305.do?sortby=ourPicks&refType=
Cheap nude strappy heels – don’t know if this is what you’re looking for, but the nude doesn’t look shiny or pleathery!
Had a pair of black heels like this and wore them to DEATH. Fabulous.
Mmm, you’ve got me craving a doughnut now!
I knew I couldn’t be the only one who loves the buttered popcorn flavor! I like to mix it with cinnamon.
Pizza and pajamas always wins. I had the choice of Pistons game or girls’ night in with pajamas and movies. I think you know exactly what I’ll be doing later… 😉
There’s LOTS of things I’m lovin’ this week. Such as today I just purchased tickets to go see ‘The Sing off Tour–the ultimate Accapella evening’. My boyfriend and I are obsessed with these types of things. Tonight we are going to go out on a date night to an improv’ comedy show. We’ve been before and we can’t wait to go back tonight. They pull people from the audience (it only seats about 20 max) and you write suggestions on a card before the show starts too, so you never know what you’ll get. Food wise, I love Fiber One mint chocolate brownies. We can’t keep Girl Scout Cookies in our house because they won’t even last a day, so these Fiber One mint brownies totally taste just like them and are way better for you.
I actually thought there were two dogs in that pic, fooled me!
I would love to see a Sadie replica, that would be awesome.
Julie, check out these shoes: http://www.dillards.com/product/Steve-Madden-Stecy-Dress-Sandals_301_-1_301_504421701?df=04232238_zi_blush&categoryId=892&scrollTop=0.
I wanted to get the black pair but they didn;t have my size in store to try on!
thank you!
Those mittens look really, really cozy.
I was on ASOS the other day and saw a couple of options for nude sandals! I think they’d look really good with some cuffed boyfriend jeans, as well!
http://us.asos.com/ASOS-HOSTESS-Wide-Fit-Heeled-Sandals/14k6bk/?iid=4380330&cid=4172&Rf-200=26,20,25&Rf989=5020,5029&sh=0&pge=0&pgesize=36&sort=-1&clr=Nude&totalstyles=34&gridsize=3&mporgp=L0FTT1MvQVNPUy1IT1NURVNTLVdpZGUtRml0LUhlZWxlZC1TYW5kYWxzL1Byb2Qv
http://us.asos.com/ASOS-HEAD-LIGHT-Heeled-Sandals/14wpzu/?iid=4692823&cid=4172&Rf-200=26,20,25&Rf989=5020,5029&sh=0&pge=0&pgesize=36&sort=-1&clr=Nude&totalstyles=34&gridsize=3&mporgp=L0FTT1MvQVNPUy1IRUFELUxJR0hULUhlZWxlZC1TYW5kYWxzL1Byb2Qv
I’ve been trying to find a pair of flattering boyfriend jeans for AGES. Any recs there, too?
Here’s some that are from Express…
http://www.express.com/clothing/sleek+patent+runway+sandal/pro/0311058/cat360027
You definitely need a relaxing weekend after all that travel! I’m loving the weather in the Bay Area right now. We’ve got sunshine and 60s. 🙂 Happy Friday, Julie!
I am LOVING those shoes and this Utah sunshine and 60 degree weather in February!
PS. I have my first GOTR training tomorrow! I have been wanting to sign up for ever but after seeing you constantly rave about it, I made the effort and signed up with the Utah chapter. Thanks for sharing!
Katie @ http://www.runningaragnar.com
The LC Lauren Conrad line at Kohl’s had a strappy pair just like that last summer (I think they were suede though)- keep a lookout, they may come back!
I am also the only one that loves the buttered popcorn jelly beans, more for me!
Here is another shoe option for you- I just got an email from this company today, with these shoes as the headline. 🙂 They have the skinny strap, and aren’t too shiny, with a nice price tag.
It would help if I attached the link and information! 🙂 I’m sending this quickly from work, and got in too much of a hurry.
http://www.justfab.com/index.cfm?action=home.product_public_lp&pid=7896541&ha=05B6A6C256572E1B48C5123F550F3E8E&layout=main&kw=JF%20Rosey
Just Fab JF Rosey
I kind of want one of the cuddle clones, but it takes 8 months to make one?!? Maybe a Christmas gift idea… I love buttered popcorn Jelly Bellies! And I’d love to know what you end up doing about those shoes; I’d love a strappy nude pair of heels.
These are cute! http://www.justfab.com/index.cfm?action=shop.viewproduct&master_product_id=1457023&utn=17&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_term=00_MEMBERSHIP_LEAD_DAY8plus&utm_campaign=MKT_JF_US_022015_NewNeutrals_LEAD&altoken=fa15a20be8259fa0754027adda0a24b4&alkey=239228644
Ross had some Nine West that looked exactly like that! Do you Ross up there? I know in Florida you did, but I have no idea about NC. And they were under $30. Ross is the best.
I haven’t seen a Ross up here just yet! Thank you for the tip though!
I am absolutely loving the fresh flowers I bought at Trader Joe’s! So pretty and springy in all the chilly weather. I mean, seriously, 19 as a high in Virginia today!
Those donuts look amazing. I am always down for a great glazed donut!