Hi friends!! Oh my goodness, what a week. How was yours? Anything eventful? We had a good week, but upon reflection it was a bit chaotic. It kicked off with my having a reaction to my allergy shot, where I ended up ripping open a Benedryl package in a grocery store and downing one while driving myself to the allergy clinic where they gave me a shot of prednisone and liquid zyrtec to try and combat the hives that had broken out all over my body. Exciting, but all is well that ends well, as my friend was able to pick the girls up from their creative writing class they were at (thank you, Danielle!) and I felt fine after passing out on the couch for a few hours at home in the afternoon.

Our heat also went out, our toilet broke, and we discovered flying squirrels in our attic. It’s been a busy week of coordinating people coming to check things out and quotes coming in. David can fix the toilet, the Critterman handling our squirrels is on top of it, and I’m hoping we can avoid a new furnace, but we shall see. Though it’s never fun when unexpected expenses pop up like this, I am grateful for our savings and being able to take care of the issues at hand.

Onto happier things, today is Kaitlyn’s opening for her first musical theater performance and I am SO excited to watch her on stage. All the kids have worked so hard and I can’t wait to see the production. I’ll be seeing it once today and twice tomorrow, so I’ll have a lot of opportunities to soak in the moment 😉 But before we jump into the weekend, here are a few things I’ve wanted to chat with you about recently…

Cozy Books

I’m so sad. I’m at the end of the third book in the Winter Street series and I’m just not ready to say goodbye to the Quinn family. I’ve listened to one of these books for the past three Decembers and really need something just as cozy to fill its place. I know this is an unpopular opinion, but I didn’t love Lovelight Farms. Does anyone have a recommendation for a book that can match the love I have for Winter Street?

For kids books, we just finished Winterfrost, which was a super cute and cozy story. Kaitlyn especially liked it, but Hailey tends to like more action and adventure. We are about to relisten to The Christmas Pig, a favorite from last year, and we are all excited.

Cut Da Carb

I ordered some Cut Da Carb wraps after seeing them on Lillie Eats and Tells IG account so much. I was intrigued by the size and ease of wrapping things up, then pan frying/searing them. I’ve only tried it with breakfast eggs so far, but I really like them. They don’t have much (any) flavor on their own, but filled with something good and toasted, they’re great! I look forward to experimenting with them more and reporting back.

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Acrylic Picture Frames

This year I upgraded my favorite Christmas decorations, our framed family Christmas cards. I had a hodgepodge of cheap frames and after seeing Christina recommend these acrylic frames, I went for it. And I LOVE them. They hold together with tiny magnets and really work well in this situation by not distracting from the picture. They are thick and sturdy so they stand up well (be careful because some knockoffs are not as thick and topple easily). When Kaitlyn was helping me switch them out she found a gem- Christmas cards from 2009 and 2010 when David and I were engaged and newly married. I didn’t even know I made cards back then! But I did and now I’m thrilled to have them added to our display.

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Less-Alcohol Helpers

I won’t lie, it’s not the time of year where I’m super focused on cutting back on alcohol but I am staying aware of not having it be a mindless habit. Two things I’ve been reaching for when I want a glass of wine but not really is my sleepwell mocktail or Apothkary’s Stop Your Wine-ing. Apothkary’s blend does not taste like wine but it definitely makes me feel more relaxed/less on edge. And the mocktail, everyone can get behind. David and the kids both love it.

Sleep Well Mocktail: This delicious cherry limeade tasting concoction has become my evening sipper of choice. I drink it while I cook or after dinner. It’s delicious! The magnesium (get the right kind- a glycinate or bisglycinate- I use this one) helps promote relaxation, reduces anxiety, promotes bone health and exercise recovery, among other things. You want a magnesium glycinate or bis-glycinate for this purpose (there are multiple forms of magnesium). I add a scoop of magnesium bis-glycinate to tart cherry juice, which is rich in antioxidants, can help muscle recovery, and is a natural form of melatonin (great for sleep). I use about 1/4-1/3 c (I don’t measure) tart cherry juice, then fill the rest of the glass up with a lime Spindrift. It will bubble because of the magnesium, so have a big enough glass. The result? A delicious beverage that will help promote a great night of sleep!

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And that’s all I’ve got for the moment. Though among all my pain points from the week, there was a lot of goodness, too. The girls and I baked cookies and used a grinch filter to share it on IG which had us all in stitched. I nailed the cook on my pork tenderloin (this method and marinade is the best), and the weather was beautiful and we enjoyed a lot of time outside, playing basketball, going on walks, and stacking wood. Ok, the last part wasn’t fun necessarily, but it was satisfying. Bring on the cool weather and cozy indoor fires! I hope you have a fabulous weekend; thanks for stopping by!