Hello from the other side of the holidays! They seem to go faster and faster each year, don’t they? I took down all our decorations on Wednesday, Ben is back to work, and while the cozy, magical feeling of Christmas has left the air, I will admit that it’s nice getting back into a routine. Ask me if I feel the same in a month when the snow just won’t die and I’m dying for something to look forward to!
That being said, I think we’re ready to travel with Lincoln again this spring/summer. I believe it was somewhere between praying the too-loud music at a breakfast joint wouldn’t wake him up, and Ben and me taking turns eating dinner at my cousin’s wedding to tend to our screaming infant when we traveled to Denver a few months ago, that I actually said “we are never doing this again.” Hmmm…
Looking back it wasn’t bad at all. He did really great for only being 3 months old, plus as Lincoln’s gotten older his moods and needs are much more predictable. So, where should we go? What’s your favorite family-friendly destination in the US? Spring break has always been one of my favorite travel times during the year!
In the meantime, I hope you have a wonderful weekend, and please enjoy my favorite finds from around the web and beyond in this week’s Friday Favorites!
Click the light blue link to be taken to the source.
Favorite thing ever: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream Sandwiches. DYING over this creation. Sheer brilliance!
Favorite kitchen. This kitchen island is making me all sorts of giddy and I adore how the cooking area can be closed off by barn door-style cabinets. What an awesome space.
Favorite dinner: Mexican Quinoa. Loving the flavors in this one-pot quinoa dish. Looks like a perfect weeknight meal.
Favorite find: Picture Rail Inspiration. I finally ordered picture ledges (I got these and love them) for the big long wall in my long and narrow awkward-shaped living room and this picture is my inspiration for how to style them. Need to stock up on frames, knicks, and knacks, then they’re goin’ up!
Favorite crunch: Thai Chicken Salad with Spicy Peanut Sauce. A reader sent me a link to this recipe earlier this week, thinking Ben and I would enjoy it – she knows us so well! I’m on a huge Thai peanut-sauce kick right now – stay tuned for a recipe using it on Monday!
Favorite place: Grand Hotel, Lake Misurina. O.M.G. This hotel in northern Italy has officially made my bucket list. What a breathtaking shot!!
Favorite stuffed: Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Style Burritos. Me thinks I don’t eat enough burritos. Will have to change that ASAP with these babies.
Favorite bling: Love Knot Stud Earrings. I pretty much only wear stud earrings so I like that these guys are studs, but fancy, know what I mean?
Favorite flavors: Brown Rice Bowl with Asian Vegetables and Sesame-Lime Dressing. Got the ingredients to make this for dinner tonight. Can’t wait!
Favorite tip: How to Travel-Proof Your Razor. One life hack I will definitely be using.
Favorite idea: Smoothie Packs. I’ve been on a big smoothie kick the past couple of weeks and while they’re awesome, it’s definitely a pain in the butt to get out all the ingredients, load them in the blender, put them away, etc. Love the idea of spending some time pre-making smoothie packs to make the whole process go much faster!
Favorite natural: Citrus Kitchen Cleaner. My sister-in-law turned me onto this tip – use leftover lemon or lime segments to clean sinks and cutting boards, then send ’em down the disposal (if they’re cut small enough, of course) to get your sink smelling nice and clean. I rubbed a leftover lemon all over my stainless steel sink a few nights ago and it seriously looked brand new.
Favorite bake: Italian Chicken. Tomatoes. Basil. Chicken. Artichokes. Cheese. One pan. ‘Nuf said!
Favorite tips: 10 Ways to Declutter Your Day. Wonderful ideas on how to stay focused throughout the day. I especially love the one about the laptop – if my work didn’t involve the computer/internet so much I’d be all over it!
Favorite upgrade: Braided Brown Sugar Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Danish. Regular danish? Snore. Brown Sugar Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Danish?! YES!
Have a great weekend!
A bonus with the razor/binder clip trick is then you can use the clip to secure the blackout curtains in a hotel room (they never want to stay all the way closed). I never travel without a couple binder clips or giant hair clips specifically for this purpose!
A week after my daughter’s first birthday we traveled to Warren Dunes State Park in Michigan for a family reunion. We live in Waukee so it was a manageable trip to get there in less than a day. The park has great trails for walking and we all loved the beach. Next door to the park was a blueberry patch so we did some picking. A great, simple vacation. We plan to go to Omaha this year for a week and spend a lot of time at the zoo.
A nice family friendly place not TOO far from home would be the Wilderness Resort in the Wisconsin Dells. Lots of families do Spring Break up there. Nice Tanger Outlet to shop at close too! And lots of great places to eat. You would Love Sorrento’s that is right next to the resort. You can get a beach feel here as they have a GIANT wave pool and a glass roof that you can tan thru. check it out!
I’m seconding Wilderness Resort in Wisconsin Dells! I went there with my Girl Scout troop years ago and it was a big hit with everyone.
Wow—I love this list of EVERYTHING. Pinning away!
thank you so much for mentioning me!! :)
that quinoa is calling my name. so.much.cheese.
Love that your favorites list is back this week! Have you ever been to Savannah, GA? It’s an amazing town with a lot of charm, delicious seafood, and the beach is nearby too – Tybee Island has a great pier, lighthouse, and sandy beaches. I was there this past November for a wedding and loved it!
ooooh, i love the razor trick and the ice cream sandwiches of course ;)
We went to Emerald Isle, NC for a beach vacation when my son was 2 years old and he loved playing in the sand and the water. Fast forward a few years and he is now 8 and our daughter is 3. This past summer her first beach trip was to Tybee Island, GA. They both had a great time playing in the sand and water and they were both old enough to take a boat tour to see the dolphins and eat lots of shrimp !
The danish is amazing! OMG! There goes healthy eating for a bit longer.
My husband and I just got back from our belated honeymoon trip where we spent a week on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina…about an hour east of Savannah Georgia. It was a great place to visit! I’d highly recommend!
My family and I have also gone to Hilton Head before. If you’re up for the beach it could be a great spot! Or if you want to stay in the midwest, maybe nashville or graceland? Those are both on my travel list :)
I just moved to Florida and I would agree with Kim, above me, it would be a great destination! These are all such great ideas/ things that my face wants to eat yesterday. Those cookie dough ice-cream sandwiches….That kitchen…dying over this list!
Lincoln may be a little too young for the beach this year, but one of my family’s favorite vacation destinations is Destin, FL. That kitchen is fabulous and the Italy shot…. just made my bucket list too! Hope your new year is off to a great start!