Favorites

I'm a big fan of podcasts. I listen while I workout, while I clean, while I'm driving to preschool pickup, etc... One of my all time favorite ones is The Happy Hour with Jamie Ivey. She is a worship pastor's wife in Austin, Texas. On her show, she invites a girlfriend on and they discuss everything.. from mothering to adoption to books to what shows their watching to decorating to marriage to food..everything! It's a great and easy listen.

 At the end of each episode she asks her guests, "What three things are you loving right now?" I love this part of the episode because I learn about new fun things.. recipes, makeup, books, good food, etc! My bestie, Bridget, recently came up with a list of her three favorite things and then asked me to come up with my list. I thought about it all day and here's what I came up with:

1. Apple pears. Do you know about these? I didn't even know about this fruit's existence until my friend Stephanie bought some over to share with us. They are delicious! They are big and crisp like an apple but oh-so-juicy and sweet like a pear. Do yourself a favor.. go to Costco and buy some. You will love them. We have been eating them like they're going out of style.

2. Friday Night Lights. Obviously we are pretty late to this party but oh my word.. I adore this show! We just finished up some pretty intense and heavy series (Blacklist and Making a Murderer) so we needed something a little less high stress. Several people have recommended this to me over the years so we finally started watching. I was hooked right away. It reminds me a Parenthood - you start to love the characters and they seem like real people to you. Love.it.

3. Friday night happy hours. I have a super smart friend who has started doing these recently and the idea has caught on. You invite a family to come over Friday late afternoon/evening. Dig around in your pantry and bring any snacks you have. The kids play and maybe come up from the basement for a couple of slices of frozen pizza, or chicken nuggets, or whatever someone found in their pantry to feed them. The adults sit on the couch with a glass of wine and some snacks and hang out, totally informally. No fancy meal, zero prep time, no awkward scenes getting everyone around the table. Totally low stress way to connect and celebrate surviving the week! Plus, you're home in time for the kids' bedtime and can still fit in a few episodes of Friday Night Lights. ;)

Okay, there you have it. The three things I'm currently loving! Bridget has a great list, too, so you need to share it with us!

Now you're turn...What three things are you loving right now??

Friday Faves

Here's an ode to all my current faves...

Nalgene sippy cups for my kids

Are you a sippy cup hater like me?  I have tried every.single.cup on the market, looking for one that doesn't leak. This is the only one I've found - the Naglene Grip and Gulp. My kids each have one and really, they don't leak! Plus, it's 12 oz so it holds a lot more than your traditional sippy, which means you don't have to fill it up as often. Holla!

Aldi's Gyro Kit

Aldi's Gyro Kit

If you know anything about me, you know I'm a huge Aldi shopper. I don't care how you justify or do the math, you simply can't beat their prices. The quality is also great and backed by the double guarantee.  If that's not enough, knowing they are owned by the same company as Trader Joes should get you in their doors. And the prices will turn you into a loyal fan. Promise. Anyway, I recently discovered their Gyro Kit. Holy smokes, this is delicious! It takes about 5 minutes to make, costs $6.99, and left our family stuffed. Try it... you won't be disappointed. 

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

Just finished this book by Liane Moriarty. It was a page turner! I couldn't put it down. Everything I've tried to read since just hasn't been able to keep me engaged the way this book did. Really, really good.

Benjamin Moore's revere pewter

I painted our family room this color last week. It's such a great neutral. It changes slightly depending on the lighting, sometimes looking more grey and sometimes more tan.  A very warm, soothing color.

Crazy Joy - my friend Katie's  blog

This girl is one of my absolute faves and she's recently revamped her already fabulous blog. She has a gift for writing - she's funny, she's real, has the best tips, and is just generally awesome.  Plus, she loves Jesus.  This post was one of my recent favorites. And this one... it's a few years old but such a great, hilarious story.  You have to read it.. I promise you will laugh. You can read the rest of her stuff here. 

There you have it, folks! A few of my favorites that are too good not to share.  xoxo

What are some things you are currently loving?