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!
Thanks for sharing! The Mexican quinoa bowl looks great!
Have to agree with the people that said Wisconsin Dells. We live 2 hours away, go often, and never get bored. There’s not a lot of trips that can be appreciated with a baby, but the Dells has something for all ages, and Lincoln would love getting in a little water park time, I’m sure. The Wilderness is definitely a good family- friendly spot.
You should check out Captiva Island, FL. My family and I have been going there almost every year since I was four months old. It’s a gorgeous, tiny island in the Gulf of Mexico. The shrimp tacos from Captiva Cantina and the Bubble Bread from the Bubble Room are worth the trip alone. :)
Are the pin icons on Friday Favorites new? I’ve never noticed that before. It seems kind of shady to have a pin on other peoples’ recipes so that it will take the person back to your page. They should have to go to the source to pin it.
They are new as of today – site-wide (definitely NOT just for Friday Favorites.) I agree that it’s not ideal for these types of post. I’ll look into a solution ASAP.
Hey Sarah, thanks for bringing this to my attention. We’ve disabled the feature until we can figure out a work-around!
Love these! If you want to keep your trip closer to home this year, we always head to Lake Okoboji at least once every summer…and the babies/kiddos have a blast. Barefoot Bar anyone?
A plumber once told me that citrus rinds are horrible for your disposal…proceed with caution!!
I second that. A plumber told me the same thing about NOT putting rinds in the disposal.
My brother is a plumber. He said it’s not an issue of citrus rinds being horrible for your disposal, but the size of the rind is the issue. Don’t shove half a lemon or orange down there; instead just use a wedge or two or a couple of slices. That’s plenty to create a nice smell.
Okay..I am DEFINITELY making those smoothie packs! What a great idea. Those will save me a TON of time in the morning when I am already running late ;).
My family and I just got back from Sanibel Island, FL! Although my sister and I are in our 20’s, there were a lot of families with kids of all ages! My parents kept saying,”Wow, why didn’t we come here sooner with you guys?!” There are a lot of beach front condos that are reasonably priced and allow for privacy– great for avoiding crowds and relaxing. You can rent bikes (I saw some with additions for babies/kids) and bike all around the island. There are also AMAZING restaurants there with something for everyone (lots of seafood, but really anything for anyone, we didn’t have a bad meal there). There are a couple reviews up on my page if you want to check it out or want more info!
Ok so I don’t know what your budget is, but I have two recommendations. First, we rented a house several years ago in Isle of Palms near Charleston SC. I know you and Ben went there a while back so you may not want to go back again so soon, but it’s right off the beach, really family friendly and super laid back. Also, my husband and I just got back from Maui, Hawaii (again I don’t know your budget) and we loved it! We stayed at the Honua Kai resort where we had a condo so we could cook meals twice per day and go out once to save money – it’s expensive down there! However, it is a super family friendly resort and we saw tons of young families spending time at the pool, on the beach, or doing all sorts of other activities. These are two of my faves – can’t wait to see where you end up!!
Love the 10 Ways to Declutter your Day post. Some great ideas that I can definitely use in the new year :-)
I just pinned (almost) all of these today! Thanks, have a great weekend!
Yay for Friday Favorites! I’m kind of drooling over those cookie dough ice cream sandwiches. Happy New Year and happy Friday!
Those cookie dough ice cream sandwiches look epic!! Definitely not waiting till summer to try those out ;)
Wow, that hotel in Italy is breathtaking. Amazing how beautiful the natural world can be.