Currently: October 2024
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Currently celebrating… Ryan’s Birthday + A Special 5K
This past weekend was filled with celebrations for our family, including Ryan’s 41st birthday and a special 5K race! We celebrated Ryan’s birthday with a family hike followed by slot car racing in Kannapolis and an afternoon spent at a local fall festival before filling up on cake — a combination of funfetti and strawberry cake at Ryan’s request!
Sunday was extra special as well as Ryan and Chase headed out to run in a 5K together. Ryder, Rhett and I served as their cheer squad and had a lot of fun rooting for our guys! Chase’s goal for the 5K was to run the whole race and place in his age group. (The race was quite small so we tried to keep his expectations low but knew he had a chance based on the small size of the race.) Chase was so proud of himself for running the entire time and but his excitement really kicked into high gear when he found out he placed first in his age group. As a mother, I must say watching your children create big goals for themselves, set out with determination to work toward their goals and then achieve them is something so, so special.
My friend and the boys’ former ISR instructor, Faith, started Back to Play last week, an initiative dedicated to filling backpacks with essential items as well as some sweet surprises for children impacted by Hurricane Helene. Each backpack will be filled with hats and gloves, a warm blanket, a stuffed animal, coloring supplies, books, small toys and a toothbrush and toothpaste among other items. Faith’s efforts have received an incredible response and she’s someone I can personally vouch for if you’re looking for ways to help in the aftermath of this horrific hurricane. You may find the Amazon wishlist to support Back to Play here if you are interested in supporting this incredible effort.
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Currently watching… Ted Lasso + Nobody Wants This
Ryan and I are still all-in on Ted Lasso and absolutely adore the show. Why we waited so long to give it a shot, I’ll never know but it’s such a funny, feel-good show and we look forward to watching an episode together every night before bed. I know we’ll be so bummed when it’s over!
I’m also currently streaming Nobody Wants This like seemingly every other woman out there right now. Ha! I am streaming it during my at-home workouts so I’m making it through the show on the slow side but I’m about four episodes in and loving it! The show feels like a prolonged funny chick flick with a little extra sprinkle of heart and conflict and I adore it.
- Currently anticipating… Thanksgiving with family
We just got word that my parents and my sister and her family will be joining us for Thanksgiving again this year which has me feeling all kinds of excited! We had so much fun hosting last year and cannot wait to have a full house during the holiday season again.
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Currently researching… A summer Alaska vacation
It’s happening!!! One of the biggest “bucket list” trips Ryan and I have had on our radar for years is in the works. We’re celebrating multiple special milestone occasions (both Ryan’s -belated- and my 40th birthdays, our 15-year wedding anniversary and Chase’s 10th birthday) with a family trip to Alaska in the summer of 2025 and are triple-crossing our fingers we’ll be able to see whales in the wild, bald eagles and lots of Alaskan wildlife. We’ve done enough research to realize a cruise is probably the best fit for our family (to eliminate the need for hours and hours of driving to see what we want to see) but danggg is it overwhelming to compare all of the options out there. I’ve spent hours reading blogs and reviews but would love to hear any of your firsthand experience if you’ve even been to Alaska and might have some travel tips to share.
Ryan is Ultima-obsessed and keeps an assortment of flavors on hand to aid in his post-workout recovery. In the past, I’ve occasionally added a scoop to my water (usually when the boys request “lemonade” — aka a scoop of lemonade or pink lemonade Ultima) but more recently, I’ve started adding a scoop of Ultima to my water every day. I like it slightly watered down (I’ve never been big on syrupy/too-fruity drinks) and find that one scoop in about 24 ounces of water (aka one scoop in my Stanley cup) is perfect for me. I’m not the best at drinking a lot of water throughout the day but this seems to help, especially in the afternoon, and I love that it’s giving my body a boost of 6 electrolytes (calcium, chloride, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, sodium) as well as vitamin C.
I nabbed this flowy Amazon dress last month and have been reaching for it on repeat because it’s so comfy and also very easy to dress up or down. It works so well as a transitional dress from summer to fall and I’ve worn it to church, dinner with girlfriends, volunteering at the boys’ school and an event in Charlotte. I love it with sandals, booties, sneakers… you name it! (For sizing reference, I am 5’7” and wearing a size small. It’s very flowy and not too short.)
After finishing The Measure, I was in the mood for a thriller and when Lock Every Door became available through the Libby app, I was excited because I’ve enjoyed Riley Sager’s novels in the past. I’m about halfway through this one though and the verdict is still out. I’m no stranger to understanding the need to suspend my sense of belief in order to enjoy a novel but I’m having a hard time feeling invested in this one, and find myself feeling more frustrated by the main character than anything. I’m enjoying it enough to continue reading though so we’ll see how I end up feeling when I wrap this one up!
You may remember when I could not stop making Pinch of Yum’s air fryer chicken a while back? Well, they’ve done it again with these chicken tacos! Who knew combining soy sauce and taco seasoning could yield some ridiculously delicious chicken!? And the avocado aji verde sauce? It just takes the chicken to the next level. Add this to your must-make dinner list ASAP!
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Currently browsing… Amazon Big Deal Days
Amazon Big Deal Days kicked off this morning (October 8-9) and if you’re hoping to do a little browsing and possibly get ahead of some holiday shopping, I wanted to share a roundup of the deals that caught my eye below. (I tried to include a handful of holiday-specific items!) They’re a combination of items I personally own and love and a few finds I’m planning to purchase myself.
You may browse all of the items I found here on my Amazon Storefront and I will continually update this page as I discover new deals over the course of the next two days.
Home
- Skoy Non-Scratching Dish Scrubbers (I adore these! They clean pots and pans so well and you can just toss them in the dishwasher to clean + reuse them.)
- 6-Foot Pine Garland (for holiday decorating — there’s a clippable coupon and it stacks with the code 77IQUDN8 for extra savings. Great for ordering multiple for a fluffy garland look across your mantle. )
- Waffle Maker (our family’s favorite — I make a ton of waffles to freeze so we can easily pop them into the toaster on busy weekday mornings)
- 4-Pack iPhone Chargers (to keep all around your house)
- Reusable Swedish Dish Cloths (I cannot tell you how obsessed I am with these things and attribute them to using a LOT less paper towels in our kitchen)
- NodPod (this thing has been a game-changer for my sleep)
- PackIt Freezable Snack Pouch (the best for keeping perishable snacks cold on the go)
- Bissell Little Green Machine (I bought this when the boys were toddlers and continue to use it to treat carpet/upholstery messes)
- Brown Bags (with the code 50A8F904 these come down to $0.28/bag — great for goodie bags or if you have a lot of holiday gifts to give out this year)
- Cozy Blanket (I bought a few to include in holiday gift baskets this year)
- Electric Lighter (another great one to grab a few of while they’re on sale to pair with a candle for holiday gifting)
- Mesh Pouches (so many uses for home/kid stuff organization)
- Rug Gripper Pads (the pads we use to keep our runners in place)
- Clear Drawer Organizers (a dream for an organized junk drawer/bathroom vanity)
Fashion
- Oversize Button-Down Flannel (I ordered this one a few weeks ago and love it. I sized up and it’s long enough to cover my booty when I pair it with leggings and it gets softer with every wash.)
- Duster Cardigan (aka the cardigan I pair with everything all fall and winter long)
- Flowy Maxi Dress (I have this one in the floral “red” that’s not really red and it’s so beautiful. I swear it looks very Anthropologie in person, especially paired with a cute pair of booties!)
- Heart Pendant Necklace (the chunky gold heart pendant I’ve been wearing lately is only $11.99!)
- Western Boots (I ordered these in tan because I love my white pair so much. Great for my fellow wide-calf friends out there!)
- Our Favorite Amazon Sports Bra (10/10 quality — there’s a reason we’re all obsessed!)
- Bubble Initial Necklace (such a cute little find)
- Oversized Corduroy Jacket (would look adorable with leggings, a cozy sweatshirt and lug boots)
- True & Co. Racerback Bra (the comfiest bra and perfect for wearing under our beloved Target tanks)
- Adidas Sneakers (these cute platform sneakers are only $35 today)
Kids
Beauty
- Clinique Black Honey Tinted Lip Balm (You have no idea how thrilled I was to find this again! It was my favorite in college and I swear it’s a shade that looks good on everyone. It adds the perfect moisturizing pop of color to pale lips.)
- Flat-Top Kabuki Foundation Brush (The brush I use to apply base-layer makeup — aka foundation, CC-cream, ILIA super serum skin tint)
- IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream (I was talked into trying this at Sephora and love it for the days when I want to put a little extra effort into my makeup because the coverage is amazing. A little bit goes a LONG way and I’m nowhere near halfway through the tube I bought at the end of spring.)
- Living Proof Triple Bond Complex (I use this in my hair when it’s damp after washing and swear it’s increased its strength and overall health)
- CHI Flat Iron (the only straightener I’ve owned since college and it still works like a charm. 10/10!)
- ELEMIS Toner Pads (the exfoliating pads I use every single morning to help exfoliate, brighten, even skin tone and texture, and reduce dark spots and age spots)
- Paula’s Choice Exfoliate (I bought this months ago and use it 2-3x a week so it’s lasting me a long time! The reivews don’t lie and I swear it makes a noticable difference in my skin tone.)
- Lumify Eye Brighening Drops (Oh my gosh these really work! I use them before special events and swear they make the whites of my eyes brighter.)
- Beauty by Earth Sunless Tanning Lotion (The best for a natural-looking tan that doesn’t make you stink like sunless tanner. Just apply like a regular lotion — no tanning gloves required!)
- Retainer Cleaner (for those whose nighgards/retainers also horrify them)
- Mighty Patch (at the first sign of a zit, I slap one of these on and swear it reduces the amount of time a pimple sticks around)
- Julep Eyeshadow Stick (I run this over my eyeliner to make it look less severe and a little more smudgy)
Question of the Day
Pick a few “Currently” prompts and play along!
- Currently watching…
- Currently reading…
- Currently sipping…
- Currently celebrating…
- Currently anticipating…
