Howdy, people – TGIF!
The day has already gotten off to a great start. Slept in a bit, had coffee with a friend, and now only have a short meeting this afternoon before I can pry my Tracy Anderson-ized arms open to welcome the weekend. Seriously, that arms workout I linked to in last week’s Friday Faves is bananas. I’ve been enjoying the pain all week. ;)
Ben and I have zero plans over the next two days, except to finish up some Christmas shopping (which I haven’t told him about yet – you know how that goes) and get some freelance work done. Should be a cozy weekend at home. A cold weekend at home, as highs are expected to be in the 20s, which is crazy since it was so nice this week that Ben played golf yesterday, but thanks to a working fireplace and freshly stocked wood pile, a cozy one.
Before I go, I wanted to announce the winner of the Just BARE Chicken Prize Package. Congrats to:
Entry #1104: Megan T.
Congrats, Megan! Email your shipping info and phone # to [email protected] and we’ll get that right out to you!
To everyone else, check out a YUM-filled giveaway from Harry & David below (you will freak over the Moose Munch) and in the meantime, please enjoy my favorite finds from around the web in this week’s Friday Favorites, and have a great weekend! :)
Click on the light blue link to visit the original source.
Favorite dip: Peppermint Crunch Cookie Dough Ball. OH YES!!! A wickedly delicious cookie dough ball laced with peppermint, slathered on top of Oreos. This would be such a hit at a holiday party. Or, you know, on a Friday afternoon. By yourself. Watching Ellen.
Favorite furball. This is how I feel when I have a mouth full of bacon, too. Drool included. ;)
Favorite splurge: Kate Spade Baublebox Bib Necklace. Pricy, but so elegant and gorgeous. Beautiful statement piece.
Favorite wake up: Vanilla Honey French Toast. Love the looks of this sweet, thick-cut French toast dotted with fresh berries. French Toast is one of my favorite, special ways to wake up!
Favorite cozy: Hello Pullover. So adorable, and perfect for lounging around the house!
Favorite feel good: FREE 1 Cup Water Charity E-Cookbook. Recently I teamed up with Dana from Minimalist Baker, along with a bunch of other bloggers, to create an e-cookbook that benefits the Charity Water organization, which helps fund water projects in Ethiopia where 60% of the population does not have access to clean drinking water. The cookbook, which features recipes with 1 or more cups of water is FREE to download, we just request that you consider donating to Charity Water in exchange! Check it out >
Favorite sip: Cherry Whiskey Smash. It’s time I stop denying it. I’m a whiskey girl. I want to shout it to the rooftops – I’m a whiskey girl!!! I can’t wait to have Ben whip me up one of these cherry-flavored smashes (smashi?) as he’s the resident bartender of the family.
Favorite place: Red Steepled Church, Vik, Iceland. This church sits on a hilltop looking down on the city of Vik. What an incredible backdrop. I bet it looks even more stunning in the winter, all lit up for Christmas!
Favorite nosh: Baked Potato Grilled Cheese. I can’t even TELL you how crazy Ben would go for this over-the-top grilled cheese with POTATOES in it! Ok, me too. Num num.
Favorite outfit. Yeeep. Still obsessed with vests…and animal print accents! How cozy does this look?
Favorite healthy treat: Greek Yogurt with Warm Black and Blueberry Sauce. I would eat this over a Blizzard any day. Unless of course it was a Pumpkin Pie Blizzard, but, you know what I mean. :)
Favorite learn: Email Marketing for the Rest of Us. My brother, the web guru, recently launched an email marketing webinar that teaches you how to grow your email marketing lists, and build effective newsletters and campaigns. I took it earlier this week, as I’ve been thinking about sending out IGE newsletters for, um, YEARS, and thought it was fantastic! The next one is December 12 and IGE readers can get 15% off until midnight tonight (Friday) using the code: IOWAGIRLEATS. Click here to sign up >
Favorite sweet: Churro Chex Snack Mix. A cinnamon-sugar spin on standard Puppy Chow. I could totally get into this!
Favorite small space. Gorgeous color combo, and awesome use of space by putting the desk at the end of the bed. Too-fab chandelier, too.
Favorite fashion: Lucky Brand Emmie Ballet Flats in Herringbone. Super-cute, preppy pattern. These would add a pop of fun to so many outfits.
Favorite DIY: How to Juice a Pomegranate. Recently I wrote a post for Delish Dish on how to juice pomegranate seeds. It takes a bit of effort, but OMG I can’t even tell you how delish fresh pomegranate juice is. I felt so healthy slurping it down! ;)
Favorite devour: Caramel Toffee Crunch Cheesecake. Does a gal need an occasion to make then devour one of these babies? No? GREAT! :D
Month of Holiday Giveaways
One of my favorite parts of the holidays is giving (and receiving!) big, festive gift baskets filled with tons of yummy goodies inside. Know who’s the king of gift baskets? Harry & David! (Edited to add: Giveaway is now closed)
You know, the hand-picked, gold-foil-wrapped pears that absolutely melt in your mouth? Chocolate covered Moose-Munch Popcorn? To die for Chocolate Truffles? All the things! To get you into a festive, holiday snacking mood, Harry & David is giving away one ha-UGE Holiday Tower of Treats Gift Classic filled with…
- 5-6 Royal Riviera® Pears
- Milk Chocolate Moose Munch Popcorn
- Mixed Nuts
- Original Baklava
- Raspberry Galettes
- Chocolate Cherries
- Assorted Truffles
***Giveaway is now closed. Winner Alissa W. has been notified by email!***
Enter to win this Harry & David Holiday Tower of Treats Gift Classic by using the following widget to enter by 11:59pm central time on Saturday, December 8. Enter by clicking on the “+1″ button then clicking “Enter.
Please note that the widget may take a few moments to load, it may not work in Internet Explorer, and that you must have a Facebook account to enter. If you do not have a Facebook account, email [email protected] for one entry. The winner is chosen at random by Random.org, and will be notified by email.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
[…] Camel, leopard and black is always a classic combination. Throw on some jeans for a casual Friday look or for lunch with friends! Image source […]
I absolutely love the vest! It popped up on Pinterest and would like to know what brand! Since you like vests and in new to then.. Any suggestions!? Thanks!!!
have you ever had the pears? to die for!!!!
Yes they are seriously one of the most delicious things on earth. Each one is PERFECTLY ripe!
That cherry whiskey drink looks amazing… I know what I’ll be serving at Christmas!!
Wonderful prize!
I agree that pomegranate juice is great – makes a special start to my mornings.
Always look forward to Friday Favorites. However, your website is hard to read on an iPhone, with the share the love thing on the left, and the advertisement on the bottom. When I first clicked to visit, I must have clicked the ad by mistake and got stuck in an endless loop of the ads popping up in another window. Frustrating and not user friendly! Had to move to the computer, and will now read and enjoy :)
The hello pullover is SO CUTE! I am also loving the idea of churro chex mix! Yum :)
The dip, the grill cheese, the chex mix, the cheesecake…I can’t wait to make them all…i may do that right now. Love your friday favorites, I look forward to them every week!
I love Harry and David but I have a pretty funny story concerning them! During college I worked at a phone center for a salon called Kenneth’s, (Columbus Ohio) I answered the phone one day and a man was making an appointment for 2 little boys named Harry and David, so I said “cute, like the fruit company!” And he yells back, “no like the Limited, have you ever heard of it?” Apparently Les Wexner’s assistant was making appointments for his kiddos, oops, my bad!
Is it open to Aussies? Or Us only? That pink necklace is hot!