Hello & happy Friday, all! I hope everyone is safe and warm wherever you may be. My heart goes out to all those experiencing pain and devastation right now. Its been awful to see so many people without heat and water in their homes. Praying for relief for them soon. Today I’m back with The Friday Five, where I share a few tidbits from throughout the week, new finds, sale items and whatever’s on my mind!
So come on in and cozy up!!
To catch up on all of the posts in The Friday Five series, go here!
The kids have been home all week due to President’s Day and a “remote snow day” on Tuesday, so I’m ready for the weekend [and for the boys to get back to school on Monday]! Their in-person days are Mondays & Tuesdays so they haven’t been for almost 2 weeks!
THE FRIDAY FIVE
ONE // BIRTHDAY SNAPSHOTS
Such a fun-filled weekend celebrating Valentine’s Day & my birthday! I officially entered the 2nd half of my thirties, when I turned 36 on the 15th. Am I still mid-30’s or do I now classify as upper-30’s?!!
I guess I’ll find out soon enough 😉
My boys sure know how to make me feel so special and loved as I was pampered all weekend long. My MIL babysat on Saturday so we could go out on date night. We actually snuck out a little early and went shopping and grabbed a drink and appetizer at our favorite sushi spot before our dinner reservation at Scotty’s [the same place we went to celebrate my birthday last year]!
Then on my birthday, my sister came over and helped the boys decorate the house to “surprise” me. Streamers on the banisters, doorways and chandeliers and then tissue paper pom-pom buntings were strung across the mantel and an assortment of balloons everywhere!
We rounded out the holiday weekend with cupcakes and candles, then ended up cozied up on the couch by the fire.
It was exactly how I wanted it to be!
TWO // TRAVEL FAVORITES
I’m working on putting together a round-up of my favorite travel gear and accessories but thought I’d share a few here.
The whole idea behind the Friday Five series was to be able to share my favorite things with my favorite people! I can dish on all the randomness and musings from the week all in one place here on the blog.
THREE // CHEESEBURGER CASSEROLE
A new recipe to the rescue! The weeknight dinner rut is a tough place to be in and sometimes hard to get out of. If I’m not organized, I end up making 3+ different meals each night which gets out of hand pretty quickly.
Being intentional about meal planning takes some time and truthfully, I was out of practice.
I cooked up a bunch of ground beef one night to have for tacos, etc. for a couple meals, but one night, my crew admitted they were taco’d out [I didn’t even know that was possible, but apparently its a real thing!]
Instead of throwing the meat into a spaghetti sauce or making another Mexican meal [nachos, quesadillas, etc.] I landed on a Cheeseburger casserole recipe on Pinterest. I improvised slightly, but otherwise, followed it pretty closely.
The boys devoured it!
Not only did I use up the ground beef, but also several other pantry and fridge items! Love when I can make something without having to go to the store, even when it’s unplanned at the last minute!
I need to revive the “My Crew Approves” series so I can start sharing more dinner winners! Are you interested?!
FOUR // WHITE SWIMSUIT COVER-UP
With all of the snow we’ve got in the last 2 weeks, it’s no wonder I’ve been dreaming of being back in the warm weather. I bought a new swimsuit cover-up while in Arizona last month and it quickly became a new favorite. I found myself reaching for it more than some of my others because it’s more like a shirt versus a dress or kimono.
And the long sleeves are great for cooler days or when the sun starts to go down.
The cover-up is a white, collared, button-down with lace crochet detail and looks great buttoned or undone!
cover-up // sunglasses // hat
I’m planning to share some new swimsuits and cover-up options, but until then, I thought I’d share this darling find here today!
FIVE // LOVING LAVENDER
I recently added a touch of purple to a client’s bedroom to pull out an accent color from a piece of art she had hanging on the wall. I installed these pillows that are such a gorgeous color and look beautiful on the bed near the art.
Ever since, I’ve started to notice purple a bit more and have been drawn to everywhere I see it. Especially a light shade of purple, commonly known as lavender. After talking with my girlfriend yesterday, I may just be sprinkling this color into my home for Spring. Stay tuned to see what I end up with!!
Here is some of the lavender I’m crushing on right now:
To catch up on all of the posts in The Friday Five series, go here!
Have a great weekend, friends! I hope to be able to get back to posting 3-5 times per week, but I just need these kids back in the classroom first!! I’ve got Spring content and even a couple room reveals on the way 😉
