Hey, hey, happy Friday!
My schedule has been all out whack this week, what with the holiday on Tuesday, then having Ben home from work, then not – I feel like I’ve lived 3 Fridays already!
I’m looking forward to a quiet weekend at home, including making homemade sushi for dinner tonight with Ben, then STEAM MOPPING my entire house this weekend with the new STEAM MOP I’m buying today. I could not be more excited, if you can’t tell (what has my life come to…) All I can say is keeping the tile in my entryway, kitchen, and bathrooms is, well, it’s a challenge my friends. One I’m going to tackle head on with the power of steam on my side, muwahaha!
At any rate, let me in on your fun plans for the 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.Â
Favorite mini: Birthday Cake Brownie Pops. How adorable and intricate are these cake pops? Totally appeals to my miniature-obsessed self.
Favorite reads:Â The Violets of March by Sarah Jio. I have now read all of Sarah’s books and The Violets of March might be my favorite. I read it in one day over Christmas break (which seems to be a pattern with her stories – I cannot put them down!) and was enchanted by the tale of a mysterious novel that the main character finds in a drawer at her great Aunt’s house, whose story somehow weaves itself into her present-day life. LOVED it!
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. I also read this book over the holidays, and it is warped in the best possible way. It’s a tale of a toxic, he said/she said relationship that has the craziest ending. This was a day and half read – again, totally sucked me in!
Favorite bite: Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups. Mini, browned butter, chocolate chips, plus a gooey center? ‘Nuf said. Oh, one more thing, YUM!
Favorite fitness: Brazilian Butt Workout. I find walking incline workouts to be much tougher than running workouts. They BURN to the point where running feels like relief! That said, I can’t wait to try this one out. :)
Favorite sip: Spiced Ginger Pear Cocktail. Festive for the season, but also really fresh too. This actually sounds like it’d make a really good tea blend!
Favorite tip: Pashmina Wrap. I have tons of pashminas which I love taking with me to weddings and events to drape around my shoulders if I get chilly, but they’re hard to wear as scarves because they’re so long, and I’m so short! I think this simple way to tie a pashmina as a scarf, with a unique little wrap on top, is sooo cute though. There’s also a video which show’s you how to do it!
Favorite dish: Roasted Corn Pasta Salad. To be honest the gemelli is what first caught my attention (my favorite pasta shape!) but the flavors of chipotle and sweet corn in this recipe had me hooked.
Favorite space saver: Bed Sconces. None of the bedrooms in my house are particularly huge so I’m always looking for ways to save space. This sconce solution would totally work for me!
Favorite yum: Honey Mustard Glazed Chicks in a Blanket. Because, what isn’t made better by wrapping in bacon, and glazing with honey mustard sauce??? Love the super-short ingredient list in this recipe, too.
Favorite funny: Trust Fall. Ok, this video is really stupid, but it makes me laugh really hard. I TRUST YOU!
Favorite sweet: Fresh Strawberry Cake. While it’s definitely not strawberry season – far from it – I’ve been seeing strawberry recipes everywhere lately. Perhaps its our collective wishful thinking for warmer weather? Whatever the case may be, this Fresh Strawberry Cake is the best looking recipe I’ve seen yet.
Favorite place. If I can’t be twirling in strawberry fields, I’ll take a cup of hot chocolate and a good book in front of this roaring fire in my cozy, log cabin thankyouverymuch.Â
Favorite fresh: Deviled Egg Chef Salad. I am a total sucker for Chef Salads (sans bleu cheese) and Deviled Eggs. What a great, fresh combo of the two!
Favorite furball. Been there, done that…
Favorite brunch: Coffee Crunch Cake. Oh crumble topping, take me away!
Favorite funky: Herringbone Scarf. How chic would this look with a nice black wool coat for a night out?
Favorite devour: Low-Carb Caramel Machiatto Tiramisu. Oh the humanity! Would you believe this epic dessert is low-carb, too?!
Have a GREAT weekend, everyone!
the best steam mops 07.01.2013
This is awesome!
Liz N. 01.11.2013
I did the Brazilian Butt treadmill workout last night. WOWZA! That was a good one. I wasn’t able to jog the high inclines but I was able to get my heart rate up! I love your posts about treadmill WODs.
Veronica 01.10.2013
Just had to tell you that I tried the Brazilian butt workout and it was awesome! It was my first incline walking routine, and you were right, it was much harder than my normal jogs. I feel like I can see results after two times! Also wanted you to know how much I enjoy your blog and recipes. Keep up the good work.
DG 01.08.2013
thank you for including the link showing how to wear a pashmina as a scarf!!! I love my pashmina and now can wear it more often as a scarf and not just a wrap at formal events
Allison 01.07.2013
I had already read Gone Girl when I friend suggested I read the other books by Gillian Flynn – Sharp Objects and Dark Places. They were both nail-biters! I couldn’t put them down!!
Chicken-Sausage Pasta Toss with Broccoli and Feta | Iowa Girl Eats 01.06.2013
[…] 6, 2013 0Hello!Whew – busy weekend ’round these parts, what with testing out my new scarf wrapping technique (still needs a bit of work – I was slightly gagging here…)And steam mopping all the […]
Sue {munchkin munchies} 01.06.2013
You have some great links here! Thanks so much for including my Birthday Cake Brownie Pops! Happy New Year!
Shannon 01.05.2013
Love it all! So much fun!! Happy New Year!
Andrea 01.05.2013
I am obsessed with Sweaty Bands. They stay so well and there are so many adorable ones to choose from!
Cathy 01.05.2013
I am excited to try the new books!
And I would love to win the sweaty bands!!!
nosogirl 01.05.2013
If you’re looking for a lighting solution for a small space, the sconces are a good idea. I did that in one of my guest rooms and then am having shelves installed (metal ones from IKEA, although the clear plastic ones from The Container Store would work well, too, by not taking up a lot of visual space) to take the place of nightstands.
Another option is to do what I did in my master bedroom. Instead of bedside lamps, I dropped pendant lights from the ceiling! They match the chandelier in the room and look FABULOUS if I do say so myself!
Kate @ quartercenturysouthernliving.wordpress.com 01.05.2013
The sushi and the cookie cups look out of control amazing! I am obviously hungry. Thanks for sharing, Happy weekend! :)
Sloane @ Life Food and Beer 01.05.2013
I’m a fan of Tosh.0 and I always love his Trust Fall videos!! And the salad sounds amazing!!
Ashley @ Wishes and Dishes 01.05.2013
Ahhhh I hope I win! Love all of this!
Debbie (Accidently Delish) 01.05.2013
this is probably one of the most amazing packets for a giveaway!! i would love probably every part of it!
thanks for the giveaway!!
Emily 01.05.2013
I have a steam mop, too! It is the BEST THING EVER! You’re going to love it. And be completely amazed by how clean your floors get in such a short amount of time – mopping time is reduced by more than half!
Thanks for the great giveaway. Fingers crossed that I win!
Tina B 01.05.2013
Ha ha we laughed over the “trust you” dude” ;) Ouch some of those landings had to hurt! Love the peek a boo hat-I need to get my daughter one of those-I didn’t know they were out there! Keep up the geat work :)
Amanda 01.05.2013
I loved the last Sarah Jio book you recommended, Blackberry Winter,so I am sure this one will be just as good! I just read Gone Girl too. Good description of it, that book was crazy! I started reading another of hers but stopped to get back into the Alex Cross series by James Patterson. I just started the series this summer so I have a lot of catching up to do! Also, I just had to let you know that I love, love, love reading your Friday Favorites and your daily posts! I’m the creepy blog reader who talks to my fiancé about the things you are making like we are best friends and just got done texting about it(probably shouldn’t admit that outloud). I am very excited for the homemade sushi. That is on my to do list so now that you’re going to post about it I have no excuse but to attempt to make it!
Lisa @ SoTeaBeeZa 01.05.2013
Yes, I’m one of those people, too; people who get excited about a steam mop. I got one for Christmas, and by the end of the day, all my floor were clean. :)
Hey, who said mopping isn’t fun!!
Jodea @ chillichocolatelove.com 01.05.2013
What a brilliant giveaway! If only I lived in the US! I love Fitness magazine. Your health and fitness magazines are much better than ours in the UK.
I’m off on a mini-break to Oxford with my boyfriend today – our Christmas gift to each other. Can’t wait!
Your reference to the short ingredient list made me laugh. That’s what I always look for!