Friday Favorites

Apolis totes, Shipt, staging jobs, Instant pot meals and family milestones are a few of my very favorite things for this week’s Friday favorites!

It’s been a while since I’ve shared Friday favorites so I thought it was time. I’m linking this post with Andrea over at Momfessionals.  Jimmy and I recently celebrated 16 years a couple of weeks ago! We have officially been together 23 years this summer if you count dating. 

I’m missing Italy, especially the food so we had some tasty pizza for our anniversary. And ice cream. Don’t worry. We brought our lactaid pills. 😀

We did an overnight at a local hotel and it was so much fun. I used to think a staycation wasn’t worth the money but I’ve since changed my mind. I love a nice hotel and this one was convenient enough that there was no traveling involved. If you book last minute hotel stays online, you can usually find a really good deal. We are totally doing this again soon. 

We had the best view!

I’m really thankful for this guy. We like a lot of the same things like chicken wings and DIY.  

Have you heard of a company called Shipt? Oh my goodness. It has changed my life. My sweet friend, Adrienne gave me a membership for their services and it has been the best thing ever. You basically have your groceries delivered to your doorstep. NOT just any grocery store. They deliver my Costco groceries. Do you hear the choir angels singing? You can check your area to see which stores you can deliver from. If you are not a Costco member and they provide service from there, you can get Costco groceries without the membership!

We usually go to Costco on the weekends and I’m so glad we don’t have to hit the crowded store with the kids. There are no additional fees and you can opt to pay a tip for your delivery person. I always tip the delivery person because they have all been amazing.

Honestly, I have seen a savings in Costco spending every month since using Shipt. I somehow find myself spending more when I’m physically there because I want to try all the new things and I accidentally buy doubles of stuff that are sitting in my pantry and fridge. 

Services like these really help alleviate some of the stress of running errands and it helps simplify my life. Okay, enough about that. This isn’t sponsored but it has just been such a great service that I’ve been loving lately. The fact that I can order everything from the convenience and comfort of my home is wonderful . They also have great customer service so if there are any issues, they will refund any items. 

Emmy gives this service 2 thumbs up while drinking her peach banana almond smoothie. With Shipt, you can get groceries and more delivered from stores you trust in as soon as 1 hour. Use this exclusive referral offer to become a member for just $49 (reg. $99), and enjoy a full year of unlimited delivery service. Again, NOT sponsored! 

We just got back from fun little overnight trip to Chattanooga during a long President’s Day weekend. We went with our friends and had the best time. We usually visit Chattanooga once a year and it’s such a family friendly city. If you’ve never been, I highly recommend visiting Rock City, the Children’s Museum, Aquarium and walk across the pretty bridge over the river. 

I am loving my Instant pot lately. I mean, I’ve always loved it but I’ve been using it a ton this winter. One of my newest obsessions? Instant Pot Steel Cut Oatmeal. Here is the recipe that I use. I love mine with sliced almonds, extra milk, peanut butter, chia seeds, a little bit of maple syrup and blueberries. 

You need to make this! It’s seriously so so deliciously creamy and satisfying.

Jimmy ran his second half marathon with a friend. This time, he did a trail run which is much harder than a regular half marathon. He did great! My friend and I are contemplating running our first marathon this Fall. I want to do it but I don’t. 😉

Staging homes has been keeping me quite busy the last few weeks. Here are some photos of homes I did recently. If you want to see more photos like this, I share a lot of behind the scenes over on Instagram.

Jimmy and I hit a 90’s birthday party last weekend and it was a blast from the past. Can you believe he still kept his letter jacket? 

Our little Emmy had her first father daughter dance. After watching her big sis go year after year, she was so excited to have her turn.

She’s so cute! 

I think they had a good time. 

Lastly, I want to talk about this company called Apolis. They contacted me to try out their durable carryall bag and I chose the detachable handle market bag. The handle is made from leather and the bag is even better in person. The construction is well made and I’m really impressed with the craftmanship. 

I had mine personalized with my business name and it’s perfect! It has a waterproof lining, holds a great shape and can hold over 100 lbs. 100 lbs?!!  You could put a mini cow, bunch of bricks or a few children in there!

The great thing about this bag is that the company helps to provide jobs by creating fair wages, profit dividends and retirement fund to the Bangladeshi mothers who made these bags. Cool right? I just love that!

Anyways, I’m totally digging it and will be using it for All The Things. It makes for a great weekender bag and perfect for my Trader Joe’s runs. When I was telling my sister about this company, she told me she has been wanting one of these bags forever and has been following this brand for some time now. The personalized bags would make such great gifts and you’ll have to check them online because there are so many different kinds of other products. If you decided to purchase one, you can use my name “loveyourabode” for free shipping. This code will last 24 hours so hurry and snag one for yourself or a friend.

Thanks for reading, friends! I’ve got some wild news coming up in about a week so stay tuned!

xoxo,

 

 

 

Let all that you do be done in Love. 1 Corinthians 16:14

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