It’s Friday and I am so, so happy the weekend is here. Ryan and I are hitting the road for Pennsylvania right when this post goes up and will be staying in an adorable house I found on VBRO.com with my whole family. It will be so wonderful to be around people who loved Mimi most and her visitation and memorial service will take place on Saturday. I know this weekend will likely be incredibly emotional and draining, but I am also hoping it will help the grief we’re all feeling and bring comfort to the heartache we’re all experiencing right now.
Knowing I’ll be surrounded by family in a few short hours is without a doubt what I’m loving most right now (It’s also my sister’s birthday today!), but I still wanted to take some time to focus on the little things in life and share your weekly Things I’m Loving Friday post with you guys where we all chime in and talk about what’s making us smile most every week.
Let’s get to it!
Things I’m Loving Friday
- Flowers from Thoughtful Friends
On Tuesday I received the sweetest bouquet of flowers from a group of my best friends from college who have only the best memories of Mimi. Dealing with the passing of a loved one is hard, but incredibly thoughtful and supportive people help so much. I am so grateful to have such wonderful girlfriends in my life.
- Fresh Cherries
My cravings for fresh fruit knows no bounds these days. I ate an entire watermelon all by myself in two days this week. Ask me what I want for dinner any given night and I’ll probably just say “fruit,” and while I try to get a more balanced meal in, sometimes sitting down with a big bowl of fruit salad sounds way too appealing.
On our Wednesday night boat ride, a giant bag of cherries almost became my dinner and I replenished my supply on Thursday after work only to eat every last one in the bag last night. I love them way too much!
I’ve talked about my never-ending pregnancy thirst on the blog before and have mentioned the fact that I never go anywhere without a water bottle. Well, over the weekend, I found an old Bubba Keg hiding behind my usual water bottles and practically jumped for joy. It holds one liter of water and keeps everything cold for up to 12 hours. I know I probably look like a bit of a spectacle walking around with a big belly, my Bubba Keg and a serious limp (still dealing with lots of pain – I have an appointment with a physical therapist next week and appreciate all of the insight you guys shared on my 32 week pregnancy post!), but my Bubba Keg is the jam and I have been bringing it with me everywhere.
And oh my gosh as I was looking to link to Bubba Kegs online, I found out that they sell travel mugs that hold 34 ounces (this would fit way better in my car’s cup holder) and even BIGGER Bubba Kegs that hold 52 to 70 ounces of water. Someone hold me back before I buy them all…
- Tiny Perfume Dish
For some reason spritzing a little perfume on my wrists and neck makes me feel a little happier, but I would always forget to do it until I bought this little dish on sale from RueLaLa and began displaying some of my favorite fragrances on our bathroom countertop. Now that my favorite perfumes are staring at me as I get ready, I am much more likely to use them regularly and love the little pick-me-up I get from the lovely scents.
- Surprise Teddy Bear from Mema
Last night, after my in-laws left around 7 p.m., I walked past the nursery and an adorable teddy bear caught my eye! Ryan’s mom left a little surprise present for our baby boy and I thought it was so cute. Thank you, Mema!
My sister got me hooked on rosehip seed oil about a month ago. I love it! I use it daily as an eye makeup remover (I apply it to a cotton swab first) and will occasionally massage it into my skin if it’s feeling extra dry. The oil absorbs easily and is apparently a great natural way to fight skin discoloration and sun damage.
One of my best friends’ husbands created this app with a friend and it is totally taking off! I’m so proud of them! The app is pretty cool and if you’ve ever texted pictures of outfits to your girlfriends to help you decide what to wear, I think you’ll love it. Pickfit is an iPhone app that allows you to upload your outfit selections for the Pickfit community to vote on to help you decide which outfit looks best. Bonus: It’s extremely user-friendly!
- Around the Web
12 Netflix Documentaries That Will Inspire You To Be Healthy (For my fellow documentary lovers out there!)
34 Ways to Eat Watermelon At Every Meal (Yessssss!)
Three HIIT Workouts You Can Do Anywhere
General Mills Removing Artificial Colors and Flavorings From All Cereals (Remember that BIG news I alluded to when I visited General Mills’ headquarters? This is it! This was a big piece of the feedback our group of bloggers shared with them and I’m so happy to see the company making huge strides. They’re planning to use natural dyes and flavorings — like radishes, tomatoes, and strawberries to replace the bright colors in cereals like Trix and Lucky Charms.)
Question of the Day
- What is one thing you are loving this week?
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Watermelon everything this week, especially with reduced balsamic. I’m so sorry for your loss and hope you find peace in celebrating her life this weekend.
Hope you have a restful and wonderful time with your family this weekend. I am headed on a beach vacation with my family today and am looking forward to some family time. I bought rosewater toner by boots at Target which I love to use every morning.
Love watermelon so much, could definitely eat it everyday!! That app sounds super cool, what an awesome idea they came up with! I hope this weekend goes as well as it possibly can and that you find peace when celebrating her life with your family.
I love that teddy bear! Do you have a name picked out for your little boy? I noticed that Mema had addressed the bear to someone but it had been crossed off!
We do!! We are 99% sure! 🙂
I am LOVING a new addition to my coffee this week and that is dark chocolate almond milk! Game changer over here! Have a great weekend and safe travels.
have a good trip! sending you prayers and love during this tough time. xo
this week i’m LOVING my ava anderson non toxic products! they actually work, they aren’t expensive, they are organic, and most of all… they are NON TOXIC – so important to me, especially with baby william! (i’d love to send you something – maybe a baby package??? let me know!!) take a look http://www.avaandersonnontoxic.com/itzlinz 🙂 🙂
Fruit cravings? Eating an entire watermelon? Oh boy! Am I pregnant too? 😉
I never had cherries, but I don’t like cherry flavoring. For some reason though, I have really been wanting to pick some up at Publix to try.
Those flowers are beautiful, and that was such a sweet gesture from Ryan’s mom!
Have a safe trip to Pennsylvania!
Wait for the breast feeding thirst!!! That’s if you do breast feed. My friend is drinking 4 litres a day!!!
I have been devouring watermelon this week! Eating a HUGE slice after dinner each night (think a quarter of a melon big), I just can’t get enough.
I hope your weekend with your family is a comforting time for you.
I am loving fresh peaches!!! It sounds like you have amazing friends with great taste in flowers 🙂 Thoughts and prayers with you and your family this weekend.
Dear Julie,
I’m so sorry for the loss of your grandmother. There is nothing as sweet as wonderful grandparents. Memories are a gift!
Things I’m Loving…
I love and appreciate your blog. July 3 will make 2 years since moving to Concord. Your suggestions on places to eat and things to do have been so helpful. My husband and I love 131 Main, walking through Davidson, and hiking Crowder’s mountain.
I always look forward to your sunny outlook on life, and hope that maybe I “bump” into you sometime.
I pray for safe travels for you this weekend. I know being with family will be the best comfort.
Lynn Thow
Thank you so much, Lynn! So glad you’ve enjoyed some of my NC favorites, too!
Fresh Cherries all the way!! And make a cherry pie out of fresh cherries- trust me, it tastes like a whole other world ! 😀
Such awesome news from General Mills, such a sweet surprise from your Mema, and such a cool app idea! Downloading now!!
So sweet of your Mother-in-Law to leave that little gift for your baby boy! I hope you have a wonderful day celebrating your grandmother.
Woo hoo, that news about General Mills cereals is awesome! We can’t seem to get enough watermelon and cherries either lately. Scott says he wants fruit for dinner a couple times a week! Ha. I’ll be thinking of you this weekend. Sending many hugs and prayers your way. <3
I’m 27 weeks pregnant and I laughed out loud when you said you ate a watermelon in two days! That’s my record too! I could eat it at every meal. I feel like I’ve turned into a fruit and water vampire and my thirst is never satisfied until I can’t fit anything else in my expanding belly!
Thank you for sharing your pregnancy story with us. It’s nice to see I’m not the only one who asks for fruit for dinner!
Emilie
Yessssss!! I cannot get enough of it these days!
You’re not alone. I have a Bubba Keg too! It’s the gallon one with water spigot! Also, we should have a “guess the baby’s name” contest because I think I have a few good ones! Lol I hope you have a peaceful weekend with your family.
Iced coffee. I made a big batch of the Pioneer Woman’s cold brew coffee concentrate, and it’s been ready to go when I get ready for work in the mornings. It’s been absolutely lovely. I need to get another dispenser (We have one of those long thin ones that fit in the fridge) so I can make decaf, too! So refreshing!
I hope you have peaceful and comforting weekend with your family. I lost my grandmother last year and we had a memorial service to honor her life last summer. While it was a difficult weekend it was nice that my whole gigantic family was able to get together again and we took comfort in knowing that it was exactly what my grandmother would have wanted – her family gathering around her. While there were lots of tears there was lots of laughter and good memories too. Know that Mimi will always be with you!
As for things I’m loving this week, baking soda and vinegar as simple, effective, and all-natural cleaning products. I feel so much better cleaning my kitchen and bathroom with them than I did with the regular chemical cleaners out there and everything smells so much fresher!
I am totally loving the break in humidity! Finally enjoyable to run outside again! Hope you have a good weekend celebrating your grandmother’s life… Sending lots of thoughts to you and your family.
I am so excited that cherries are back in season. I would eat fruit for dinner most nights of the week if I could.
Don’t know what this says about me, but all summer long, I take a half of a watermelon to work every morning to snack on in between meals. Watermelon is my jam, my favorite is sitting indian style with a big ol’ half a watermelon in my lap while I watch TV. Mmmm.
If you decide to breastfeed, keep that huge water bottle on hand. The thirst while breastfeeding is fierce. And so is the hunger! Little mini snacks to eat in the middle the night after a feeding in the early weeks is a must. Breastfeeding takes a lot out of you!
I definitely will!! You are making me think I should buy the 70 ounce one, too! 😉
Seriously. The hospital gave me a huge water bottle. I drank from that for at least a month! Never been so thirsty in my life!
The flowers are such a nice surprise from your friends.
I’m loving that i finally found a new suitcase. Going on vacation in 2 weeks & have been looking for one like a crazy person. Now to make sure everything fits…
Hope you have a great time on your vacation!!
I’m loving the freebie classes on Craftsy this week. We watched the knife skills class the other day and the new, sharp knives I bought because of it just arrived. I can’t wait to carve up some veggies and meat tonight! 🙂
I too am loving all the fruit!! Gimmmeeeee!
Have a lovely weekend with family–it’s always hard when it’s for a funeral, but it’s also so healing to talk about the person you love together. <3 <3 <3 Hugs & prayers for you all, Julie.
that app sounds so fun!
I am all about fresh fruit this summer! Watermelon and peaches have been my favorite lately. I go throught whole watermelons by myself too, haha 🙂
I hope you have a safe trip to Pennsylvania this weekend and enjoy the time with your family celebrating Mimi’s life. <3
That was great news about General Mills! I heard that this week too. I might try the Rose Hip Oil. I find that eye make up is so hard to remove at night. Safe travels this weekend!
It does a fantastic job of taking off ALL of my eye makeup! I love it!
I’m sorry to hear about your loss of Mimi (Forgive me, I’m a little behind on your posts). Grandmas are always special, they let us get away with things our parents wouldn’t, such as piling us will sugar then handing us back to our parents! I wish you all the best for this weekend celebrating Mimi’s life.
I use the same brand of rosehip oil as a night serum and I think it’s gently lessening my acne scars. I prefer to use coconut oil as an eye make up remover. I can’t believe how efficiently it removes water proof mascara! It’s also a great moisturiser, hair mask for sea salt dried out hair and oil pulling! It’s a cheap miracle worker!
How I love bubba kegs. A sign that we’re in different life stages–I had the 50-something ounce one for floating the river. Would fill it with sweet tea vodka and lemonade, or gatorade and lemonade, and a whole bunch of ice. It rested perfectly on my lap while in the tube and floated in the water if it fell out. #Magic.
Yes to cherry addictions!!!
Safe travels to you, Ryan, and the rest of your family this weekend. Thoughts and prayers will be with you all!
I’m loving the time I’ve been getting to spend with my boyfriend. He travels for work so it’s been nice to have him around this week. I’m also loving HIIT workouts, which is funny you mentioned it in your around the web section!
So glad you’re getting extra time with your boyfriend! Have a great weekend!
I’m SO with you on all of the amazing fresh fruit these days! I’ve been loving on all the raspberries, pineapple, and grapes. I keep waiting for cherries to go on sale because I love those too!
Thinking of you this weekend! xoxo
I am so proud of General Mills for removing the artificial colorings!! Pretty amazing that such a huge company is making such a huge leap! Hope your back pain gets better!! It is so frustrating but you are also so close to the end! 😉
I am loving that I had the day off from work today, baby books (Eat, Sleep, Poop is my favorite one so far) and eating at home after a lot of takeout and busy weeks!
I hope you have a nice weekend. I know it will be hard, but it will be so nice to be with your family. Your teddy bear picture reminded me… When my grandma passed, my aunt had teddy bears made out of her sweaters and gave them to all of the grand kids. It is one of my most prized possessions and always makes me think of her. Might be something comforting that you could do to keep in the nursery!
Sending warm thoughts your way!!
Hi Julie! Longtime reader here. I always end up loving the books you recommend on your blog. Liane Moriarty is my official new summer author!
I actually gave you a shoutout/link-up for the recommendation over at my fledgling blog’s first Five for Friday post! Here’s the link!
Thanks so much, Julia! So glad you’re enjoying her books, too!
At least you get to be with your family this weekend, because you can turn it into a celebration of life, instead of something sad. Right? And I’ve never booked a house on VRBO, but that seems like the best way to get everyone under one rough. This week, I’m loving my new puppy, the beautiful sunshine, and of course, all of my group fitness classes — which have been packed. Have a safe trip! Lots of stops for pee breaks? 🙂
That app is genius!! Where was I on that idea?!
I’m so sorry for your loss 🙁
I’ll have to try that rosehip oil. I’ve done tea tree and argan oil (I’m a fan of oils) but have never tried that one.
I’m loving that I’m going to the Rochester Jazz Fest tonight because I love live music!
OMG I need that app. I’m THAT girl who lives alone but still texts me college girlfriends, “Which outfit do you like better?!? Does this go?”
Sending love your way this weekend! xo
That app is awesome! Everyone needs help dressing themselves sometimes, right? 😉 And I’m loving fruit right now – summer fruit is the best.
Absolutely thinking of you and your family this weekend. Safe travels and enjoy the time with your family and the memories as much as you can.
The bubba keg water bottle sounds so perfect for summer!
I’m loving marriage equality! What a great day for our country!
I tan super easily and get freckles shortly afterwards, so i may have to try this rosehip seed oil. Hope you have a good weekend despite the circumstances. Prayers to you and your family!
So sorry about your grandmother, Mimi. You will have to make some of her special sugar cookies as a little memento! Hope all goes well at the service with your family. Take care, Julie!
Yumm for extra watermelon ideas!!!
I am loving plain Greek Yogurt with banana bread and sliced strawberries mixed together. The banana bread MUST have chocolate chips and walnuts haha!
I want one of those bubba’s! I always hate refilling my water bottle or carrying around a warm bottled water from my garage!