Friday Favorites

Happy Friday everyone – how was your week?

As I mentioned on Wednesday, it’s been cold, cold, and even more cold here in central Iowa. Totally over it! The closest we’ve gotten to outdoor living in the past two weeks is gazing into the sun through oversized shades out the window. Bahahaha, I can’t even handle this picture. Ben recently had his first eye appointment ever – let that sink in – and Lincoln thought the shades he brought home were pretty hilarious. This kid is too cool for school (and bottom teeth, apparently. My little Jack o Lantern!) ;)

I’m not sure what’s on tap this weekend besides spending time with a friend on Saturday and going through a pile of mail that’s so large it’s rivaling the leaning tower of Pisa in height and instability. Oh and a haircut – FINALLY! So, SO excited! It’s the little things, right? ;)

Well wherever you are and whatever you do, have a wonderful weekend and in the meantime please enjoy my favorite finds from around the web and beyond in this week’s Friday Favorites!

Click the light blue links to be taken to the original source.

Favorite indulge: Chicken Bacon Ranch Fries. THIS PICTURE. Totally my kind of meal! Love that the fries and ranch seasoning mix are homemade, too. Makes me feel a bit better about the fact that I would undoubtedly demolish an entire sheet pan of them.

Favorite look: Looks I Love: Spring Edition. No offense to my collection of black fleeces, but I am so ready for springy cuts, short sleeved shirts, and COLOR! By the way, if you need some chic style inspiration be sure to sign up for Desiree’s daily newsletter. I save almost every one!

Favorite side: Lemon Herb Roasted Potatoes. The method used to make these potatoes crisp and crunchy is one I’ve seen on America’s Test Kitchen before. Glad to know it works in real life. These potatoes look mouthwatering!

Favorite sip: Blood Orange Bourbon Smash with Spicy Vanilla Sugar. Mention bourbon smash and my ears immediately perk up – they’re one of my favorite cocktails. This version using in-season citrus fruits looks totally thirst-quenching.

Favorite DIY: DIY Laundry Pedestal. Have I shared this before?? Maybe I just needed a reminder to keep this project in mind. We have the tiniest laundry/mudroom so having extra storage space below our washer and dryer would be so clutch. Now I just need someone to come lift said washer and dryer as I’ve been banned from asking the men in my life to move heavy things since the time I had them transport a treadmill between two houses about three times each.

Favorite fresh: Pomegranate, Pear, Pistachio Salad with Creamy Pomegranate Dressing. Filling, fresh and colorful. What a feast! I especially like the addition of pistachios in here – love that salty crunch.

Favorite decor: DIY Canvas Art. Super cool tutorial for making a standard poster print look like an expensive canvas for under $25. Winning!

Favorite devour: Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna. I want to dive face first into a big plate of this sweet and savory lasagna. Gooey, golden brown cheese – is there anything better?

Favorite fashion: Verda Maxi Dress. I can’t tell if I love this dress. I think I do? The only thing that’s throwing me is the cap-ish sleeves, which tend to only look great on models with long and skinny arms (aka not quite me!) Design is super cool though, and it comes in petite which I’m loving.

Favorite feast: Thai Steak Salad w/ Sweet + Spicy Tahini Dressing and Sesame Chili-Lime Cashews. I think Ben would flip for this filling salad with our favorite Thai flavors. The dressing recipe sounds crazy-good, too!

Favorite snack. This month I concocted a sweet and savory snack for my partnership with The Laughing Cow: their Swiss Cheese wedges smeared onto gluten-free graham crackers then topped with fresh strawberries and a drizzle of melted chocolate. Sounds crazy, but it was absolutely delicious! The perfect after dinner snack for when you need a little something sweet, but not over the top.

Favorite combo: Salmon Guacamole Bacon Wraps. This is one of those combos that you look at and think, why didn’t I think of that? Love all three ingredients and I bet I’d love them even better all together.

Favorite refresh: 30 Minutes a Week to a Cleaner Home. Lately I’ve been getting into the idea of creating a weekly cleaning schedule – Monday: vacuum downstairs + clean downstairs bathroom, Tuesday: wash sheets + do laundry, etc. Otherwise I don’t do anything at all until I feel I can’t go on with life until it’s all done in one day. You’ve been there. Anyway, I’m also loving this once a week, year-long checklist for the deep cleaning tasks you don’t necessarily need to do every week. Who’s with me?!

Favorite decadence: Decadent Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake. I will leave you with this. YOU’RE WELCOME. ;)

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Have a great weekend, everybody!