Things I’m Loving Friday #541

Thank you all so much for your comments, prayers and kindness following Wednesday’s blog post. When I asked my mom if she was okay with me sharing her diagnosis on the blog, she didn’t hesitate. She said she welcomed the support and prayers and I understood completely because you guys have poured out so much kindness and buoyed our family through some of our hardest times. The internet can be a messy, angry place but it can also be a place of immense support and connection. While the hard stuff is horrible, it’s through the hard stuff that I always feel most connected to you guys through our shared experiences. Thank you for sending me your love through our screens. I feel it and it helps keep me going day in and day out. I always. always know I’m lucky to have this space but I feel it more acutely during the tough stuff.

As for this past week, it passed by quickly, as Ryan was traveling for work all week (he arrives home today) and we lucked out with a short-but-sweet visit with my Aunt Laurie who spent the night on Wednesday. My time with my aunt never fails to fill me up and our boys absolutely adore her. She’s a mom of two boys herself and is the queen of creative kid entertainment. She arrived with a streamer ball with hidden pieces of candy tucked inside and it was the biggest hit! (Maybe something to keep in mind for a small but fun Valentine’s Day surprise for little ones?)

And as for today’s blog post, I wanted to share what you’ve likely come to expect from me on Fridays if you read this blog with any regularity. I started my Things I’m Loving Friday blog posts years ago as a way to reflect on the simple, small things that bring me joy every week and writing this blog post is always a bright spot in my week. Keep on scrolling to check out this week’s favorites. (I promise not to talk about Younger again but man I am still absolutely LOVING that show!!!) As always feel free to share something that is making you smile this week in the comments section below. Enjoy your weekend, my friends!

Things I’m Loving Friday

• Girls’ Weekend in the Mountains

There is something so rejuvenating about uninterrupted time away with girlfriends. I spent last weekend with friends in Blowing Rock, a beautiful little North Carolina mountain town, and had the best time. We  enjoyed cozy mornings at the house, a rejuvenating hike, a delicious brunch and the most relaxing facials and of course we stayed up waaay too late chatting by a roaring fire (until after 1 a.m. — who am I?).

My friend Lauren’s parents are away on a trip and offered up their home to us to enjoy for the weekend. It ended up being the perfect place for a getaway. Their home is about 25 minutes from downtown Blowing Rock, an area I’ve really only passed through during a past family mountain vacation (<– awww Sadie!). I loved getting the chance to spend more time popping in and out of shops in downtown Blowing Rock, grabbing coffee and ice cream and enjoying a wonderful dinner at The Speckled Trout. I am already itching to go back!

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: One added benefit of a girls’ trip is that I also always seem to discover some new favorite things to try! We’ll often swap beauty and fashion finds on girls’ trips (as well as book recommendations, favorite snacks, recipes, etc.) and it’s one of those small things that adds to the fun for me. On this past trip, I shared a room and bathroom with my friend Lauren and tried out her Tower 28 Sunny Days Tinted Sunscreen and quickly fell in love. She discovered it at Sephora (it’s one of their clean beauty brands) and I wore it on my face during our morning hike. I love that it offered clean sun protection with a little bit of color that felt light but still made my skin look more even and my face look brighter and more awake. I already ordered my own and I am thinking this will become a daily staple for me because it’s that perfect no makeup makeup kind of look that provides daily sun protection. (I ordered the shade 20 Mulholland.)

Can you tell I’m still over here doing my best to increase my protein intake? It’s not a simple thing for me and definitely takes effort, especially as someone who does not naturally crave protein. But protein pancakes? Sign me up! I’ve been making my banana bread protein pancakes on repeat (no protein powder required) but now that I have a protein powder in my life again that I love, I’ve been giving more protein powder recipes a chance. Here’s my latest favorite recipe: 2/3 cup protein powder (I love Equip Prime Protein vanilla or salted caramel in this recipe) + 2/3 cup Kodiak Power Cakes buttermilk pancake mix + 2 eggs + enough almond milk (or water) to create a pancake batter you can pour. A huuuuge bonus? Every single one of our boys love these pancakes!

Genre: Romance / My rating: B+ 

Christina Lauren novels are some of my favorites in the romance genre, though I’ve come to realize some books by this author duo are much better than others. When they’re good, their novels are breezy, steamy, funny and creative (like Soulmate Equation!) and when they’re not, they fall flat in a big way (ahem, Something Wilder). Thankfully The Paradise Problem was exactly what I’ve come to expect when I think of a good Christina Lauren novel! The plot of this book sucked me in immediately and I really looked forward to reading this tropical escape of a novel before bed every night.

From Amazon: 

Anna Green thought she was marrying Liam “West” Weston for access to subsidized family housing while at UCLA. She also thought she’d signed divorce papers when the graduation caps were tossed, and they both went on their merry ways.

Three years later, Anna is a starving artist living paycheck to paycheck while West is a Stanford professor. He may be one of four heirs to the Weston Foods conglomerate, but he has little interest in working for the heartless corporation his family built from the ground up. He is interested, however, in his one-hundred-million-dollar inheritance. There’s just one catch.

Due to an antiquated clause in his grandfather’s will, Liam won’t see a penny until he’s been happily married for five years. Just when Liam thinks he’s in the home stretch, pressure mounts from his family to see this mysterious spouse, and he has no choice but to turn to the one person he’s afraid to introduce to his one-percenter parents—his unpolished, not-so-ex-wife.

But in the presence of his family, Liam’s fears quickly shift from whether the feisty, foul-mouthed, paint-splattered Anna can play the part to whether the toxic world of wealth will corrupt someone as pure of heart as his surprisingly grounded and loyal wife. Liam will have to ask himself if the price tag on his flimsy cover story is worth losing true love that sprouted from a lie.

How We Plan Our Galentine’s Favorite Things Night (This is coming up for us next week!)

High Protein Breakfast Burrito (Quick and easy to make, this burrito is the perfect on-the-go breakfast for busy mornings!)

Question of the Day

What is one thing you’re loving this week?