Lots of Henry snuggles!
Our Cheesecake Factory date night!
Hope you are all having a great week so far! We had a slow weekend and just went to the Cheesecake Factory, ha! I told you all I rediscovered it after not going for 15/20ish years. It's delish, and it was the first time I've ever had a cocktail there. I got a martini, and it was perfect, and the blue cheese olives were wonderful and rivaled any good steak house! I could not get over how crowded it was! We ended up just sitting at the bar, which turned out to be lovely.
This week is very 'typical'. Overall, January is a low-key month for us this year and most years, and I'm good to just hibernate! Henry and I have spending lots of time snuggled under
the green blanket. I ended up going over to my parents' house earlier this week just for a change of scenery and worked from there all morning. I felt like I was getting cabin fever, so it was nice to hang out with them all morning.
It’s still a while away, but I am counting down the days until we head to Florida because I am fully over the snow and cold. We’re staying on 30A, so it won’t be hot, but honestly, I’ll take 40 degrees and sunshine over single-digit lows, snow squalls, and no sun any day.
I know many of you can commiserate, and I also know those of you in the south are bracing for an unusual winter storm. I'm praying you all stay safe and warm!!! We had to drip our faucets earlier this week because it was so cold. That’s my biggest tip: drip your faucets when it’s frigid and open your cabinets so warm air can circulate around the pipes.
I’m generally anti–space heater because they make me anxious about house fires, but we did get one last year during extreme cold when I was worried about frozen pipes. If you use one, you can place it by open cabinets if needed (make sure you read the space heater manual and keep the heater far away enough from the cabinets or anything else). Be
very careful: never plug space heaters into extension cords, and only run them when you are alert, in the same room, and able to monitor them. There are
more tips here and
here. Read them. I don't want to sound alarmist about this, but just be cautious.
At the beginning of winter, we always make sure exterior water sources (like hose hookups) are completely drained, and the lines are shut off. You can use an insulated faucet cover (it looks like a mitten), though I don’t know if that is necessary... it might just ease my mind more than it actually helps.
This is also the time of year I keep multiple blankets in my car, along with gloves and a hat. If your car ever breaks down, or if it starts snowing while you’re out, you’ll be very glad you have them.
Since this weather has me spending more time at home and indoors, I've been tackling some small chores I have been putting off. This past weekend, I cleaned out our under-sink cabinet, and let me tell you, I felt so good after that! It's so organized and tidy now, and that brings me lots of joy! Another random chore I've been doing is washing all of our pillows! I wash our linens twice per week, but I definitely don't wash our pillows as often as I probably should.
My dad did
Legacy Box for my mom for Christmas, and we have all been enjoying watching our home movies. We had such a great life growing up, and I've always been thankful for that, but these videos are just precious and make me even more grateful. My favorite part of the home movies, though, is seeing those who are no longer with us, like my grandma and pap pap on my mom's side and my grandpa on my dad's side. Hearing their voices again is priceless. If you are on the fence about using
Legacy Box, I would recommend it. It's been nothing but seamless!
Wearing: Honestly, nothing that interesting lately! It's too cold to wear anything but fleece and heavy sweaters. Usually at home, I just stay in cozy lounge clothes unless I have to venture out! We are going out to dinner tonight, so I'll dress up a bit and share my outfit with you all!
Eating: I could eat
this flank steak recipe every single night and never tire of it. It is SO good. We have made it many times before, but hadn't made it in a while, and I was reminded this week of just how good it is. Also, major props to my husband for being willing to grill outside in these crazy cold temps! We ate it with a baked potato and veggies, and then we always use the leftover steak for quesadillas. It makes the best flavor for quesadillas- you could do steak tacos, too!
These pants are such a good look for less than the Ruti barrel pants that I love. They are on sale now.
Watching: I am absolutely captivated by
Taryn Smith, who is a rower, documenting her journey rowing across the Atlantic ocean.
This is her website where you can learn more. It's absolutely fascinating. She is the first solo American woman to compete in this race. I am not only in awe of her athletic ability but also her bravery. I can tell you immediately, I would be *terrified* to do something like that, would you?! Her journey is benefiting Girls on the Run, a youth development non-profit that supports girls through lessons and running to build confidence. Talk about inspiring.
Loving: At the beginning of this month, I took off my gel and have had bare nails ever since. My nails were so wrecked from having constant gel, so I am taking a break and letting them breathe and grow out. I've been using this
Bond Repair for the last several weeks and it's really helping to strengthen my nails, though the brush applicator is a little hard to work with, it's still fine to use. It's clear, and you just swipe it on, and it dries in a minute or two, and it doesn't look like you put anything on your nails. I apply it every night before bed. It's similar to the OPI repair treatment, which is good, though I think this is working a bit quicker than the OPI serum, and it's about $4ish less. Once I finish this, I'm going to try
this nail strengthener as the reviews and photos have me totally intrigued.
It was serendipitous timing when I was gifted this
Manicure Set from a new-to-me brand. The packaging is stunning and luxurious, which gives me high hopes! I'll report back once I actually give myself a manicure. I think I'll do that this weekend to test it out!
My sister gave me this for Christmas, and it's such a fun little accessory to stash in a handbag. It's only $10 and can be personalized!
Amazon Rec: This is niche, but I'm so glad this exists! I was looking for something that would attach to my planner and hold pens so that I could toss my planner in my bag and know I have the colored pens I like to use right with it. This is perfect because when it's not in use, it's very flat. It just sticks right to the planner!
You can find more of my
Amazon favorites, here on my Amazon page where I am constantly updating it with all of my finds and top picks from home, beauty, fashion, and more!
Quoting: 'It won't happen overnight, but if you quit, it won't happen at all.' // See more of
my favorites, here.
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