Happy Friday everyone – I can’t believe how fast this week flew by!
We’ve finally got a warm (well, above 32 degrees) weekend in our sights so we’re planning on taking Lincoln out to do some sledding. I walked into BuyBuyBaby to return some baby gates that didn’t fit our space this week (I hate you, baby gates!) saw a display of sleds and said, yep, this is happening! I can’t wait. The sled is red, plastic, and I probably paid way too much for it given how poorly it’s likely to work, but oh wow, this could be super duper cute. Details to come in Lincoln’s (gasp!) 18 month update in a couple weeks.
Oh I know what else I’ll be doing this weekend, replacing all the social media icons on my iPhone’s home screen with my kindle app! I’m in the middle of a 3 part Digital Lifestyle Hacks course and one of the hacks is to put all your social media stuff – Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest – on the second or third swipe screen (out of sight out of mind, right? Hopefully?) and open your Kindle app to read anytime you have a free moment standing in line at the grocery store, at the bank (just kidding, do people still wait in line at banks?) etc, instead of incessantly checking to see what your friend Susie had for lunch. I can’t even count the number of times I check social media on my phone during the day. Enough to make it through a book in about a week instead, that’s for sure!
Random ramblings aside – warm, cold, here, there – wherever you are and whatever you do have a wonderful weekend and in the meantime please enjoy my favorite finds from around the web in this week’s Friday Favorites!
Click the light blue links to be taken to the original source.
Favorite take out fake out: Thai Basil Chicken. Having to give up eating at many of my favorite Thai and Chinese restaurants over the past year has been brutal so I LOVE finding authentic dishes I can adapt and enjoy at home. This Thai Basil Chicken is making my mouth water – can’t wait to make it for some lettuce wraps!
Favorite looking forward: Looks I Love: It’s Sunny Somewhere. My motto for the next three months is I think I can, I think I can, I think I can! I WILL make it to spring, and the warmer temps that come along with it, and looks like these help keep the dream alive.
Favorite soup: Potato Soup Recipe. I’ve never seen a creamier nor dreamier looking potato soup than this one from my girl Ali at Gimme Some Oven. Fantastic!
Favorite find: I’m Done Making My Kid’s Childhood Magical. I about cried with relief when I saw this article on a friend’s Facebook feed a few weeks ago. If have been in a constant battle with myself over the past 17 months, feeling so much pressure to provide the “perfect” childhood for Lincoln. Want to know what I remember about my childhood? Jumping on my brother’s bunkbeds, building cushion forts, riding bikes all day, and having my birthday party at Chuck E Cheese. Not color themed lunches, egg carton sorting activities, and Pinterest-perfect parties (not that there’s anything wrong with that, it’s just too much pressure for me.) My parent’s didn’t have social media at their fingertips when they raised my brothers and me, and my childhood could not have been any better. There is no wrong (right) way to raise a child but I’m so glad I don’t feel alone in thinking that letting kids be kids serves them so well in the long run, and not everyday has to be Pinterest perfect. Be sure to watch the video that accompanies the article, too!
Favorite bite: Crispy Caprese Meatballs Stuffed with Mozzarella. Can I have 10,000 of these always??? Hon-est-ly!
Favorite tip: How To Remove Labels from Wine Bottles. It feels so tragic recycling wine bottles every week so often. Cough. I just feel like there’s something fantastically crafty I could be doing with them, you know? That’s why I’m loving this label-removing tutorial so I can keep a few around for when inspiration hits.
Favorite dinner: Angel Hair Pasta with Italian Sausage and Mushrooms. This is totally the type of dinner we love to eat around here. Pasta, veggies, sausage, spices, a little cheese. Quick, easy, satisfying.
Favorite crunch: Boom Chicka Pop. I’ve been seeing this popcorn everywhere lately so I was excited when my Mother-in-law bought a couple bags for our trip to the Cabin at Wintergreen. Oh my gosh I could not stop eating it, and for 35 calories a cup, I didn’t. For like five days straight! So addicting.
Favorite treat: Individual Frozen Key Lime Pies. I’ve been dreaming of Key West lately, particularly of their dreamy key lime pies. If I can’t be there, I’ll imagine its turquoise waters with these adorable, portion-controlled key lime pies.
Favorite home: 12 Things Every Home Should Have. Great little list of home essentials. I especially love the art @ 57″ rule – great tip!
Favorite fresh: Kale + Brussels Sprout Caesar Slaw w/ Pine Nut “Parm”. I had a kale caesar salad at a neat restaurant over a year ago and I still think about it regularly. I mean that’s how good caesar salads are made with kale. Add b-sprouts and it’s game on. Can’t wait to try this.
Favorite decor: Quoatation Mark Bookends. MY BUILT INS ARE COMING TOGETHER!!! After nearly 2 years of living in our house I still hadn’t finalized the builtins around our fireplace until these past couple of weeks. It’s all about having a theme, man. I chose “European travel” (yep, getting that specific,) so I stocked up on globes, really cool vintage airplanes, travel books, lanterns, old hotel keys – basically wiped out Home Goods and World Market, yet managed to keep the bill low (it’s all about raiding your house.) Anyway, these bookends aren’t travel related at all, so I don’t even know why I’m going into this much detail, but I need a bookend and really like them. Crazy expensive though. The end.
Favorite yum: Lightened Honey BBQ Chicken Enchiladas. Don’t these look so delicious? Lightened up BBQ Enchiladas – I can definitely get behind that!
Favorite snack: Reinventing Trail Mix. I’m partnering with The Laughing Cow cheese again this year to pair they’re creamy, dreamy cheese wedges with filling, fresh, and healthy kitchen finds each month! This month I’m pairing their white cheddar cheese wedges with my favorite homemade trail mix I keep around for snacking which includes walnuts, chocolate chips, dried cranberries, pistachios, and almonds. This is an afternoon snack I can always count on to tide me over until dinnertime.
Favorite shirt: Dip Dyed Linen Tee. Is this as cute as I think it is? With chino shorts and a jean jacket?
Favorite skillet: Apple & Spinach Pork Chops with Bacon. What a fresh, hearty, and satisfying dinner. I think 2015 is the year I get back into cooking pork chops. Who’s with me?!
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I’ve never heard of the 57″ rule before. Brilliant!
And thanks for featuring my soup full of spuds! ;) I totally appreciate it! :)
Oh my gosh thank you so much for posting the tutorial on wine labels. I will totally be saving that for later!
Not normally a fan of dye, but yeah, super cutes. ;) Great round up!
This is my favorite Friday Favorites ever! I want all that food and all of those things. Thanks for the great ideas.
I love the tie-dye linen shirt, but I wish it weren’t $88!
Art hung too high makes me CRINGE. Thank you for sharing the 57″ rule PSA. People need to know.
Also! Your first link made me think of on of my favorite recipes for spicy basil chicken served over rice. It is so good, and so easy, and includes your beloved shallots.
http://preventionrd.com/2012/05/spicy-basil-chicken/
Now I’m craving Key Lime Pie! It’s been so long since I’ve had one. One of my faves is the frozen slice dipped in chocolate I’ve had in Key West. SO GOOD
Thanks so much for sharing my pork chops Kristin!
I was so excited to see the potato soup recipe from Gimme Some Oven. I just made it this past Monday and can’t believe how delicious it is! Perfect for these freezing cold days!
Boom Chicka Pop is the BEST! Angie’s just released a barbecue flavor that is apparently exclusive to Hy-Vee. I’m going to buy a bag this week and check it out!
Ben actually picked up a bag last night after I had written this post – it tastes like kettle corn with BBQ seasoning. Really good!
Yay, I’m excited to try it!!
Thanks for the link love, Kristin! Loving that Apartment Therapy article so much. I’m obsessed with that Boom Chicka Pop popcorn too. They sell it in massive bags at my Costco and I can never leave without grabbing at least two. It’s a healthy snack so whatevs ;) I hope you have a great weekend! xo
Yes, yes, you can get an “Amen!” from this one about “the magical childhood.” And it doesn’t stop there….the pressure people put on themselves to have the perfect wedding, birthday party, whatever-event is ridiculous. It’s about the experience and not the décor / image. Who remembers those details anyway? Expecting our 1st in March and hoping to create wonderful memories and raise a happy, healthy, society-contributing person with a full, generous, giving heart!
We have the same sled for our toddler…..he LOVES it! And it’s most definitely a better workout than you think it’s going to be. Pulling that sled gets heavy after awhile.
LOVE the list of 12 things every home should have. Thanks for sharing it!
Have a great weekend!
I read that same exact article about childhood and felt exactly the same as you. SO true!! Sometimes (actually, a lot of the time) I think the internet is just too much info for our own goods. Gah!
But anywho…I owe you an email! On it, hopefully today. ;) xoxo
You always have some of the best recipes! I love the idea of bbq enchiladas!
thank you SO much for including my enchiladas in this roundup Kristen, I’m so excited!!! I always appreciate fellow bloggy support, so thanks a mill – have a wonderful weekend! xx
Disclosure: I am not a parent and I do not plan on ever becoming one.
I read the article about magical childhoods and want to jump through the screen to hug the author. I’ve actually had a few conversations lately where I’ve bemoaned the fact that my generation (I’m around the same age as you) is so preoccupied with making a memorable, magical childhood for their kids that they’ve forgotten what the real job is for parents: To raise decent human beings.
The way I see it, is that if at the end of the day when you’re gone, you have left behind a good person who is generous, considerate, and kind, you have done your job right, and this becomes your legacy. Not how much of a production the child’s most formative years were (spoiler alert to those kids: adulthood will let you down exponentially when there is no longer anyone there to act as a personal event manager for your daily living).
Thank you for sharing, and please do let yourself off the hook. Parenting is so hard (see disclaimer) on a most basic level. Nobody wins when we culturally make it harder by raising the bar for that short-lived “reward” earned from some humblebrag.