Friday is here!!!
What am I looking forward to this weekend? A massage! Ryan booked a couple’s massage for us as a Valentine’s Day present and our Saturday appointment can’t come soon enough. We’ve enjoyed one other couple’s massage together and yes, there was giggling, and no, it’s not nearly as “romantic” as you’d think, but we had a fun time and I’m ready for someone to work out the kinks in my lower back. Hurry up, Saturday!
Moving right along to your regularly scheduled programing…
It’s time for Things I’m Loving Friday! This is my favorite post to write every week and I love reading your comments, so, as always, feel free to share something that is making you smile in the comments section of this post!
Things I’m Loving Friday
When my family and I went to Gettysburg in January to go through my grandmother’s house, I was in charge of cleaning out Mimi’s bathroom. I quickly learned that Clinique is her makeup brand of choice! In her cabinet, with the makeup she didn’t want, I found a perfectly new Clinique Chubby Stick in a soft pink color (“wooping watermelon”) and immediately tried it out. I was a fan instantly thanks to the soft, moisturizing feel of the balm and the subtle touch of pink it left on my lips. It almost feels like a grown up version of tinted chapstick, and I say that in the best way possible!
More of my favorite lip colors: Josie Maran Magic Marker Lip Stain (in “waltz”) and Maybelline Super Stay 24-Hour Color (in “continuous coral”). <— This is the one you guys seem to ask about whenever I wear it on the blog. Super cheap and it lasts for hours!
- Grapefruit
I’ve been buying clementines and oranges all winter but when I saw grapefruit on sale this week, I bought a bunch and have enjoyed one every single day since Monday. I forgot how much I love the sweet, tangy flavor of this beautiful fruit!
If I could replace tap water with this stuff I would in a heartbeat. I adore flavored water without any sugars (real or artificial) and this herbal water is unbelievably delicious. The flavors are unique (lemongrass mint vanilla is my favorite) and I’m so, so happy the Earth Origins near our house started offering Ayala’s herbal water. (I wish they had the sparkling flavors, too!) Every single sip tastes incredibly refreshing. I can’t get enough!
- Oversize Clutches
Hooray for clutches that are basically a Mary Poppins bag in disguise! In college, I remember feeling frustrated that most clutches barely had room for a phone, let alone my wallet, camera, lip gloss and anything else I might want to bring with me. I am loving all of the oversize clutches I’m seeing lately and hope this trend lasts forever and ever. Some pretty oversize clutches that caught my eye: Sparkly envelope clutch, Mod Cloth sand dollar delight clutch (so cute for summer!) and the Topshop black fold over clutch. And I just bought this neon clutch on super sale on RueLaLa last week and think it will jazz up a little black dress for a date night or a fun night out with my girlfriends!
As a serious coconut lover, I am ashamed to admit that I had never tried coconut butter until last week. Every time I’ve seen Nikki’s Coconut Butter pop up on Tina’s blog, my mouth starts watering, so I jumped at the chance to try it out when I received an email from Nikki’s. Are you ready to start salivating? Here are their flavors: Chocolate Hazelnut Brownie, Vanilla Cake Batter, Macadamia Nut Cookie, Honey Pecan Pie and Pumpkin Spiced Donut (<— seasonal). I went through the vanilla cake batter coconut butter in no time at all and enjoyed it on top of Ezekiel toast, stirred into oatmeal, drizzled on top of a sweet potato at dinnertime and, yes, straight out of the jar. Nikki’s Coconut Butter tastes like dessert and fortunately isn’t packed with the freaky ingredients many other nut butters out there include.
Have you guys heard of this app? My friend Merri showed it to me during our NYC sleepover earlier this month and I could not stop laughing at the concept… And then I downloaded it and thought it was way too fun. I’ll be the first to tell you that I am not the best singer, but I love to sing, so this app gives me an outlet to sing my heart out anonymously. You can sing with friends or other people (again let me emphasize the anonymous option) and there are a bunch of fun song options to choose from. It’s a riot and extremely entertaining.
- Polar Loop Giveaway Winner
Congratulations to…
Joni L.: “I love the inactivity notification! I think this would be great when I get sucked in at work, it would help remind me to get up and move! This sounds like a great product that would be a great motivator!”
Joni has been emailed! Thank you to all who entered!
Past Things I’m Loving Friday posts:
Questions of the Morning
- What is one thing you are loving today?
- Have you recently discovered any awesome apps?
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I really like making my own coconut butter in the food processor. And then adding unsweetened chocolate to make the most amazing intense chocolate stuff.
that sounds fantastic. i need to try this soon!
You can also pour it out on wax paper and refrigerate it, then break it into bark-like chunks. Yum.
oh i bet that would taste amazing with a little peppermint extract added as well. like peppermint bark!
You both have my mouth watering right now! Never thought of making my own!
I’m totally downloading that karaoke app! It sounds too fun not to. Have fun at your couples massage!
Love the favorites this week! Enjoy the massage!!!
I’ve never had a professional massage, ever. 🙁 I want one so badly!! I’ve also never had coconut butter… I must live in a hole, haha!
I am not much of a coconut lover but for whatever reason Nikki’s Coconut Butter looks delicious! I’ll have to give it a try!
We are on the same page! I love those lip crayons. They’re so easy to apply! And I just bought a leather oversize clutch from the J Crew factory outlet last week! (Yay for 50% off!)
Today and all week, I’ve been loving breakfast bars! They’re so easy to make over the weekend and take to work with me during the week. Love them!
That Clinique lip balm looks like the Revlon Just Bitten balm that I am obsessed with! They have the best colors and its so moisturizing. I’m also totally loving coconut butter and coconut oil for cooking – coconut everything, please!
I’ve been loving hot yoga and BBQ chicken nachosi had for dinner last night!
Mmmm that coconut butter sounds so so tasty!!!
Lately, I’ve been obsessed with avocado. Yum!! But that coconut butter?? That sounds fantastic. I need to find some!
I still haven’t tried coconut butter and I have no idea why. Actually, it’s because I can’t find it in the grocery store. Maybe I should order some Nikki’s.. Coconut is one of my favorite flavors! Enjoy the massage! I try to get a massage once a month and afterwards I always come out feeling like a new me haha
I am obsessed with grapefruit a recently too! And yes couples massages aren’t very romantic…what’s romantic about other people rubbing you and your significant other at the same time? Massages themselves are pretty awesome though, I would love to go for one!
I have not tried coconut butter yet. It’s going on this weekends shopping list for sure! I’m loving smoothies lately & Greek chia pudding for breakfast.
I am loving coconut butter lately as well! Also I am loving frozen berries in my oatmeal in the mornings.
Julie, delighted and honored to be on your ‘Things I’m Loving Friday’ list! XOXO
I’m loving the fact that I get to spend quality time with the BFF:) Also, oversized clutches all the way!
Yayyyy!
omg you’re making me want to buy ALL THE CLUTCHES! Haha
I’m so jealous of your couples massage. Enjoy it!
I’ll have to try the coconut butter and one of those lip balm/stains. I always forget to buy lip color since my lips are naturally red. Most of the time, I don’t wear anything which is horrible since my lips are not being protected.
I just actually booked a massage and Facial. My neck and shoulders need some attention! Hope you too have a relaxing session tomorrow!
This week a couple things Im loving are:
-Week night dinner dates with my mom. My husband and I live about an hour from my parents so getting to see her on a work night was such a treat!
-Smoothies! I just invested in a good blender and I can definitely tell the difference from this blender and my magic bullet (could not handle any ice).
Hope you have an awesome weekend!
I just ordered my first jar of Nikki’s coconut butter– I can’t wait to try it!
Hope you like it as much as I do!!
Enjoy your couple’s massage! My husband and I got one of those when we were on our honeymoon and LOVED it! I wish we could do it again!
I have been wanting to try the Chubby stick for a long time, I think i might just have to buy one this weekend! I am loving my new Camelbak Eddy water bottle. It holds 32 oz of water and with a straw I am always chugging the heck out of the thing!
I have been loving my morning juice. This week I was on a huge kick and love starting my morning feeling light, hydrated and refreshed!
I need to hop on the coconut butter train. These days, I’m really feeling COOKIE butter. In fact, I just made French Toast with it 🙂
I’m still in love with the Nike Training Club app
I’m loving oatmeal, in any form. Baked, overnight, perfect microwave, in protein pancakes, in a peanut butter jar. I’ve seriously had it every day this week and I’m never tired of it! I’m also loving my upcoming trip to Ireland: only one month to go! I actually sent you an email (pbfingers@gmail.com, is that right?) last weekend so if you could answers my questions that’d be so great!
🙂
You might have just convinced me to try some of that coconut butter……
i’m loving my lekue steamer i got for christmas. i actually posted about it today, it’s amazeballs!
After this crazy busy week, I’m lovin’ the fact it’s the weekend! 🙂
I think Sing! is put out about the same company that makes Magic Piano (Smule), and I loooooove Magic Piano. Almost all of my apps are useful, practical apps–maps, list apps, transit trackers, weather apps, etc.–and Magic Piano is the only game I have on my phone. It’s so much fun, though! I get ads for Sing! all the time on Magic Piano, and it definitely intrigues me…if only I didn’t live with roommates who would be able to hear me using it 😛
I love grapefruits! I like to peal them completely (like they do with canned tangerines) and eat them like that. So good.
Oh my lord I need that app! That sounds like TOO much fun!
In college, I owned a couple of clutches that didn’t even fit my phone! All I could put in was my ID/credit card and a lip gloss. I even had to take my keys off the key chain to get them to fit.
Over the holidays I bought/received FOUR oversized clutches – WIN! Now I can even fit in a pair of flats.
What a nice treat you have planned this weekend! I am loving this list today. Those clutches are so pretty and chubby sticks are just perfect for a nice pop of color. I feel a shopping trip coming on!
I have a prenatal massage schedule for Sunday and I caaaaan’t waaaaaait. Lacrosse balls and foam rollers work great, but every once in a while I need a professional’s help!
I really need to try that Coconut Butter. The Honey Pecan Pie sounds like something I could really get into!
My husband and I are loving spaghetti squash. Every week we make something different with it. So yummy!
My older daughter just discovered grapefruit…I can’t buy them fast enough. A little brown sugar sprinkled on top and she’s one happy camper. I’d forgotten how good they are. Not as if I can ever get any because she’s eating them too fast!
Ive heard so much about that clinique lip stuff. I think next time theres a free gift I’ll treat myself to some.
Just downloaded the karaoke app and can’t wait to use it! I am loving the Bigelow Green Tea with Mango. I drink a big cup in the afternoon. The flavor is so delicious!
The app is a lot of fun once you get over the embarrassment! 🙂
I’ve been wanting to try that coconut butter too! It sound delicious! I’m loving relaxed nights of drinks with my girlfriends!
I’m loving the warmer weather! Sunshine is my favorite
Holy Moly! that coconut butter sounds fantastic! I just received a food processor this year and I have yet to make my own, but I hear you can do it easily! I’m a huge coconut fan so I’ll have to give it a try. I hear it tastes fantastic on toast!
Confession – I have no idea what to use coconut butter (or even oil!) for. But I’ve always been curious; do you have a direction to point me in so I can try it?
Oh man, I’m jealous of your upcoming massage! I had my first hot stone massage a few months ago, and I’ve been dreaming of another one ever since!
Oh my goodness, I am obsessed with this app now! I feel like someone should’ve told me earlier, I am addicted to karaoke. Thanks for the find, Julie!
That water looks so refreshing and delicious! I’m usually not a fan of flavored water, but those herbal flavors sound awesome.
I’ve been loving the Mediterranean herb veggie Pop Chips— they are so addicting! And an app that I’ve been loving recently is called Coffitivity. It has three different tracks of background noise that you would hear at a coffee shop, which totally helps me focus on my work. The low mumbles and chatters are perfect since I can’t stand it when the room is dead silent! It’s pretty neat!
Duolingo is a great free app for learning languages.
I’m loving date night! My husband and I have one on the books for this weekend and it’ll be our first one since having our son 2.5 months ago!
I LOVE Artisana Coconut Butter! Nikki’s sounds amazing but don’t they ship to here! Loving asparagus being in season!