Friday is heeere! Any fun weekend plans out there? Our weekend will be a full one as we have a birthday party on the agenda and my in-laws in town. It’s been so nice having them here as we say goodbye to summer and soak up the final few weeks of lake season.
As for the past week, it was a good one! Chase seemed to enjoy being back at school (although the mad rush of weekday mornings is NOT something any of us missed) and Ryder, Rhett and I had a blast hanging with friends and family and soaking up lots of sun and pool time. I’m sure next week will look like more of the same!
Before signing off for the weekend, I wanted to take a moment to roundup some favorites for you guys in keeping with my Things I’m Loving Friday tradition. Keep on scrolling to check out some of the things that are making me smile this week!
Things I’m Loving Friday
My friend Lauren had these charts hanging on her fridge a few months ago and when I saw them I thought they were the coolest! Our boys have certain daily tasks they know they have to complete, but I loved the idea of a chart that can easily change that can also serve as a visual reminder of their responsibilities. They boys think they’re cool and moving the little “x” to a “check mark” seems to encourage them to follow through with whatever they’re expected to complete that day. I also highly recommend adding “Mom and Dad’s Choice” to any daily tasks charts; it’s a great catch-all and we use that to encourage the boys to help with various tasks that pop up like carrying in groceries, cleaning fingerprints off windows, etc.
Also, funny story: Chase took Rhett’s chart (which clearly isn’t used as much as the big kids’ yet) and wrote “Wake Up, Poop, Destroy Everything” as his daily tasks. He’s not wrong. Haha!
(Note: This is the Etsy shop I used and I highly recommend them! They allowed me to completely customize our charts. They’re currently taking a short break but you may find similar options on Etsy like this one, this one and this one.)
I’ve shared how much our boys love movie night in the past but more often than not, our weekend movie night looks like a couple episodes of Octonauts or Wild Kratts while Rhett runs around all of us because real movies are too long to keep the attention of a toddler. Enter Secrets of the Zoo! I’m not sure what it is about this National Geographic show but it’s magic for our whole family!
Rhett is learning his animals and animal noises now and pops in an out of paying attention which is adorable and the rest of us love watching the behind-the-scenes stories about animals at the Columbus Zoo and aquarium and the conservation park, The Wilds. We also love Secrets of the Zoo: North Carolina (a spin-off of the original) because we love our (semi-local) zoo and recognizing the various habitats makes watching the show even more fun for us. It’s a great family-friendly show, especially for animal lovers!
(Crop Top: Amazon / Leggings: Lululemon Align Super High Rise <– you can only get these online and I love the extra high rise! / Sneakers: New Balance)
New Balance is a go-to brand for me for casual sneakers because the comfort cannot be beat. I still wear and love the fresh foam cream + black leopard print New Balance sneakers I got after Rhett was born and recently added this pair of blush pink sneakers to my collection thanks to an Instagram collaboration. They are so incredibly comfortable and I’ve already worn them to walk miles and miles. I am a sucker for anything blush pink and love the pop of navy, too! Since I wear sneakers all day every day, these are already getting a lot of use and have quickly become a staple for me. I love them paired with leggings, joggers, shorts and even jeans with a casual tee.
My rating: A-
I’m making my way through all of Elin Hilderbrand’s books because every single one is just so darn summery and entertaining. The Rumor is another Nantucket-based beach read — the author’s specialty — and perfectly juicy in a way that felt like an escape to dive into at the end of the day.
A rumor begins swirling around Nantucket. Best friends Madeline King and Grace Pancik are known on Nantucket for their picture-perfect lives. They have adoring, hard-working husbands and wonderful children (two of whom are dating each other!), not to mention Grace’s gorgeous garden on her 3-acre estate and Madeline’s best-selling novels and new writing apartment.
But rumors are flying about the friends and their families and everyone is left wondering if there might be truth to the rumors, especially those in the middle of them. Could there really be more to Grace’s relationship with her landscape architect than just gorgeous roses? Is Madeline’s new apartment used for more than just writing? As Madeline and Grace fight against the rumors, the truth begins to surface and they’re left wondering if the truth might be worse than the rumors.
Instant Pot Butternut Squash Beef Stew (Keep this one on your radar for fall + winter stew season! One of my all-time favorites!)
Go-To Mom Hacks (A few things I do that make mom life a little easier.)
Question of the Day
What is one thing you’re loving this week?
Source by www.pbfingers.com
