Happy Friday!
Yesterday marked one month from Baby Boy’s due date (February 14), which is hard to believe. This pregnancy has gone by so fast in many ways! Maggie was a full two weeks late, though, so we might have a couple of extra weeks to go. We’ll see!
In the meantime, I’m trying to soak in this precious time with our family of three as much as possible. While we know this new addition will be so joyful, it will also be a major transition, and that reality isn’t lost on me. Maggie, who’s always been independent and not one to cry when we leave or be especially clingy, has started to do both of those things over the past few weeks. She’ll get teary when we drop her off at school, or want to be closer to me than usual. She’s definitely anticipating the upcoming change.
Overall, though, the mood in our house is one of excitement. Who’s this little person? We can’t wait to meet him and see the role he’ll play in our family.
Today, though, I wanted to share a few favorites (it being a Friday and all). Here are some things I’ve been loving lately:
–Ted Lasso (available on Apple TV): WATCH THIS SHOW. We signed up for Apple TV to be able to watch it. It’s delightfully uplifting (without being cheesy) and hilarious, and is just what the world needs right now. (I’d heard great things, but knew I needed to give it a watch when I heard Brené Brown rave about the show — and interview its co-creators and writers — on an episode of her podcast.) Kevin and I blew through the first (and only) season and can’t wait for the second one later this year.
–This Hearty Vegetable White Bean Soup recipe has been on my blog since 2016, but it continues to be a favorite at our house (and one we’ve enjoyed a ton recently), so I wanted to give it a shout-out here. Soup has turned out to be a go-to meal for me during this pregnancy (it makes for a tasty breakfast, even, as it turns out), and this recipe by far is my top pick. I love that this soup is crammed with some of my favorite veggies, including Brussels sprouts, parsnips, carrots, and kale. If you give it a try, please let me know what you think! (Oh, and it pairs particularly well with a slice of homemade sourdough, just as a heads up.)
–This quilted pullover (from Walmart, of all places) is a new favorite — so much so that I have it in two colors! My sister initially told me about this great pullover (just $19.96!), and I now own it in both white and gray. It’s really well designed and doesn’t look or feel at all inexpensive. A great find!
–Beautycounter’s Clean Deo launched this week! This long-requested product has been five years in the making (perfection takes time!), and I love that it a) works to control both odor and sweat (I had my friend and marathon runner Suzy put it to the test and she gave it two thumps up!), b) is refillable (which is good news for the environment AND your wallet), c) comes in three wonderful scents (rose is my top pick, which is odd because usually I’m not at all a fan of rose-scented products), and d) is already getting great press and reviews! I feel like I’m a bit of a clean deodorant expert because my sister and I tried and then reviewed tons of brands a couple of years ago, and I can confidently say Beautycounter’s is truly awesome. (Oh, and that press I mentioned? Check out what Allure and Nylon had to say about our Clean Deo!)
–Last up for this week: I found a new water bottle I adore! I don’t know about you, but I’m quite picky when it comes to water bottles. I’d been on the hunt for one for a while, and was looking for it to meet the following criteria: to have a straw (I always drink more water that way!), to fit well in my car’s cup holder, to be made of safe ingredients (glass or stainless steel, for example), and to be sealable. I found one that checked all the boxes, and it’s by a brand I’ve used before and loved, ello. The best part? It’s less than $20 on Amazon (and comes in eight colors!). I grabbed the gray one!
I hope you have a fun weekend ahead, hopefully one that’s relaxing after such a crazy week as far as news and events here in our country.
