Friday Faves

Happy Friday, and Halloween-eve! Hopefully the week wasn't too long or scary, and even if it was, it's Friday now so don't worry about it!

Let's talk some favorites from this week, shall we?

Friday Favorites // Friday Favorites // Oh Hey Friday// 5 on Friday

{1} Favorite New Fall Polish
You all know of my obsession over Essie's Bahama Mama polish a few weeks ago, but I have a new Essie favorite. Merino Cool is the perfect gray color, with a hint of purple to it--I'm obsessed!

the purple tint is harder to see in this photo, but in person, it's there

{2} Favorite Song 

"Hello" by Adele

This song and all of the feels. I've had it stuck in my head since I heard it on Monday and have been playing it ever since. Adele, you know just how to pull on my heart strings!

(Fast Forward to 1:15 for the start of the actual song)

{3} Favorite Work Moment

Today I'm getting a new work laptop! This might not seem like a big deal, but I've had mine for the last 4 years (and it was around a couple before I got it). It's slower than slow, doesn't hold a charge, and freezes randomly. I'm SUPER excited to have a fully functioning brand spanking NEW laptop for work. Just in time for Report Cards! (it's the little things in life, right?)

{4} Favorite Flats

{via}

Thanks to Jess, I purchased these adorable nude flats the other day from Target. I have a patent leather pair but they hurt my feet when I wear them for a long time. I have these pair in the camel color and they're super comfy!
Thanks, Jess, for the great find!

{5} Funnies

When you want to keep all of the Halloween chocolate to yourself

{via}

When you unexpectedly walk into someone else's cloud of fart in public

{via} Shout out to Jem and the Holograms!!

When you order something online and then get the dreaded email that they can't fulfill your order for this reason or that reason

{via}

When playing with your food happens to fit in with the upcoming holiday

{via} don't pretend like you never did this with Bugles growing up!

Hope you have a great Halloween weekend, and nothing too spooky happens to you! If my school costume comes out the way I plan it to, I'll share that with you guys on Monday!

5 Things You Need in Your Life

This is a hodge podge list of 5 things I think that you need in your life, mainly because they've made my life a little better and easier!

*This is NOT an affiliate or sponsored post! These are all things that I have myself, and recommend. I am NOT being compensated for this post*

Baking Mats

Amazon $16.95 for the set

I got these as part of a bridal shower gift and have used them to make a variety of things from meatballs to cookies (like I showed you earlier in the week). You don't have to scrub your baking sheets anymore with these, and everything cooks on it, without the need for grease or oiling. If you haven't gotten a set yet, go get one--you won't regret it.

The ones I have here are identical to the Sur La Table Silpat ones, but these are $10 cheaper!

Fabric Shaver

{via}

You know how your sweaters, shirts, and leggings sometimes get those little fabric "pills" or nubs on them, especially after you wash them? It makes clothes look older and kind of ratty. Well, this will solve your problem! You can find this at Target for $6 (I found it in the laundry detergent section). All you do is run it over your clothes, in the areas that have the pills, and they instantly disappear!

We even used this on our fabric ottoman that had some pills, and it looks brand new!
Here are some others on Amazon.

Immersion Blender

If you like making soups, especially thicker ones, then you probably want an immersion blender. Have you ever had a recipe that told you to take portions of the soup out, blend it in a blender and then put it back in? Ain't nobody got time for that! Get an immersion blender. They blend things up, work fast, and are small enough that you can store them pretty easily. I've used this a bunch when making soups and things in my crock pot. 
You can get one on Amazon for $33 here. Or, keep an eye out on Groupon--that's where I got mine two or so years ago for I think $15 (yes, it's called "Big Boss" which makes me laugh). It's worked like a charm!

Phone Screen Protector: 
anti-glare, anti-fingerprint

{via Amazon} $5.99 for 3-pack

But not just any screen protector, the anti-glare, anti-fingerprint screen protectors are the best. I've dropped my phone several handfuls of times and I have a regular case (not a lifeproof one), but I DO have this awesome screen protector, and I've never shattered my screen. (*insert me knocking on wood right now*)
I love these protectors because they don't have all of the fingerprint smudges that you get with some of the other kinds. And the anti-glare makes it easy to see in direct sunlight. Amazon has some great options for pretty cheap!
You can find them for $6-12, which is much less expensive than getting a screen replaced!

A good pair of texting gloves

It's getting colder, which means it's almost glove weather (if it's not already where you are). The last thing you want to be doing in the cold is pulling your hands out of any warm gloves or mittens you have in order to text. I found a great pair for $12 at Costco that have an awesome grip, and the texting part actually works (I can't tell you how many I've found that work like total crap once you put them on). These have been worn in the mornings on my cold drive to work. Not only do I have good texting abilities in these (without many errors from super bulky fingertips), I have an awesome grip on my coffee cup, too. Win!

Do you have any of these items? Any others on your list of must-haves?

What's Hap-"Pinning"? Wednesday {#13}

Happy Hump Day! It's Wednesday which means that it's time for another round of What's Hap-"Pinning" with Jessi and I! 

You can link up about ANYTHING that's happening (it doesn't have to be Pinterest-related), grab our button to show us some love, and link up  below! Easy peasy!

What's hap-"pinning" around these parts is the most recent Loft sale (although, to be fair, I feel like they have a sale almost every day lately--no complaints here...except maybe from my wallet). So I figured I'd share with you some of my most recent Loft purchases at 40% off:

This necklace--I love the tassel detail, and the light pink stone. I can see getting a lot of wear out of it:

Gem Tassel Necklace

This sweater/shirt is already on its way to my doorstep (arriving today!) and I'm probably the most excited about this piece out of my purchases! It's been sold out at least twice since going on their website, and was sold out as of Tuesday morning. Hopefully it comes back in stock so you can get your hands on it, too!

Medallion Mixed Media Sweater

I admit it. I have a problem. It's called: I'm obsessed with stripes. Black and white stripes are such a good backdrop for so many things: vests, scarves, cardigans....I have too many stripes in my closet...well, one more won't hurt, right?

Striped Long Sleeve Tee

I already have a lighter chambray shirt, which I LOVE (also from Loft...I know you're surprised by that one), and I wanted to add a darker one to my closet. Hoping this one turns out super cute...I could totally pair that necklace above with it too. Or my new booties that I showed you here...?

Chambray Tunic Softened Shirt

You all know how much I LOVE my striped tunic (dang, there's the obsession again) from Loft that I talked about here. A lot of you loved it, too. This is just a light gray tunic top. I can see pairing it with navy or cranberry leggings and some black or brown boots, or darker skinny jeans. I love tops like this that are soft and make you feel cozy all day.

Relaxed Turtleneck Tunic

This one comes in 5 other colors, too.

And this one didn't make it into my shopping cart, but I totally want to get them and attempt to rock them. Something about this pattern just makes me happy:

Foulard Pencil Pants

Just to round out this clothing-heavy post, I found a couple of quotes that I loved.

In light of Halloween approaching, I thought this one was pretty funny

{via} SO scary! haha

And this one just made me smile

{via}

Now it's your turn to link up with Jessi and I and show us what's hap-"pinning" with you!

{Recipe Files}: Sriracha Teriyaki Meatball Bowls

Oh boy do I have a suuuuuper delicious dish to share with you guys today? Not only is it mega flavorful, it's way better for you than take-out food is! And, it only takes about 30 minutes to throw together. 

In the words of Baker by Nature: "it's a win-win din-din!"

It looks like a lot of ingredients, but if you've made anything Asian-inspired before, you likely have a lot of this stuff on hand. And if you don't, just buy it, so you can make Asian-inspired meals in the future!

What You Need:

For the meatballs:

~1 lb ground turkey

~1.5 tsp minced garlic (3 cloves)

~1 large egg

~1 Tablespoon Sriracha

~1 tsp soy sauce

~3 tsp fresh ginger, grated (or about 1/4 tsp from spice jar)

~1 cup Panko bread crumbs

~1/2 tsp ground black pepper

~1/2 cup warm water

 For the sauce:

~1/2 C soy sauce (low sodium)

~1/3 C honey

~1/2 Cup + 3 Tablespoons water, divided

~1 Tbsp sesame oil

~2 Tbsp Sriracha

~2 tsp fresh ginger, grated (or about 1/8 tsp from spice jar)

~2 1/2 tsp corn starch

~about 1 Tbsp sesame seeds

*Other igredients:

~ 2 cups instant rice (white or brown rice)

~1 package frozen edamame, shelled and cooked

What You Do:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, or a baking mat (if you haven't gotten a baking mat, get one--they are amazing!)

2. In a large bowl combine ground turkey meat, garlic, egg, sriracha, soy, ginger, pepper, and panko. Slowly add the water, a few tablespoons at a time. Everything should be moist but still hold its shape when rolled into meatballs (I used slightly less water than the recipe called for to avoid it being too soggy).

3. Scoop about one heaping tablespoon of the meat mixed and roll into a ball. Place on the parchment paper/baking mat. Continue until all the meatballs are made. Bake for 12 minutes.

*The original recipe called for frying the meatballs. I didn't want to do this because of time so I just baked them at they turned out ok. If you want to dry your meatballs, do so at this point and then add them to your baking pan and bake).

(this is a photo from another recipe, but since I didn't take pictures when making this one, I wanted to show you the baking mat I was talking about)

4. Wait until about 5 minutes before the meatballs are going to be done and then make the sauce/glaze. In a small sauce pan, combine the following ingredients for the sauce: soy sauce, honey, 1/2 C of water, Sriracha, and ginger. Heat this over medium-low heat, stirring frequently until the honey is dissolved (~3 minutes).

5. While that is cooking, in a small bowl mix together the corn starch and the remaining water. Mix well, and then pour into the glaze. Mix well and heat over medium-high heat until slightly thickened (about 2 minutes).

6. Remove the sauce pan from the heat and stir in the sesame seeds.

7. Once the meatballs are out of the oven, transfer them from the baking sheet into the sauce pan and coat each in the glaze (you may have to do this in smaller batches depending how large your sauce pan is).

8. Place rice, edamame and meatballs into each bowl. Top with the remaining glaze and serve!

This may look like a lot of ingredients and a lot of steps, but it seriously is SO easy and comes together so quickly. And the flavor is absolutely delicious! It has a nice kick to it, too.

This will definitely be being made in our home again...and often!

*Sorry for the lack of pictures like I normally do. When I made this, I was just trying out the recipe, and didn't think to take pictures. Honestly, it's easy enough to follow along without the pictures tho*

Check out some of the other recipes I've made on my Recipes Page!

Weekending Highlights

Happy Monday, friends!

{via}

This weekend was pretty relaxed, which was much needed since I spent all of last week sick.

My "highlights" this weekend included:

~getting these booties online; can't wait for them to get to my doorstep!

~ordering in Chinese food Friday night and watching Entourage with MG; and a pretty awesome fortune

~Finished book #2 of The Selection series

~watched some tv...Cooper likes Bravo too

~Saturday errands

~Getting out of the house for a super delish dinner at Sweetwater Tavern (and leftovers for lunch the next day): lobster bisque and their signature bacon cheeseburger with wicked sauce

~Reading book #3 of The Selection in one day (soooooo good)...with some Cooper snuggles

~a little Loft online shopping, thanks to the encouragement of Pinterest Told Me To; this gem was my primary reason for shopping the sale

~some house cleaning and laundry

~Nyquil, cough syrup, tissues, and hot tea

~went for a 3.5 mile walk with MG to get in a little bit of exercise on my sicky weekend

~watched some football

~made chili Sunday night at the request of MG (woohoo for lots of delicious leftovers today!)

~took it easy the rest of the night and rested up for the week

I'm glad we had a weekend at home where I could be lazy around the house. My body definitely needed it, and even though I'm not 100% better (that pesky cough is still lingering) I feel a LOT better than I did last week.

Hope your weekend was healthy and fun!

Linking up with these pretties today:

Friday Faves

Happy Friday!!! This week's been kinda a blur for me with taking off Monday, and being sick this week, so I'm happy that it's Friday and I have the weekend ahead to rest up, with no major plans on our agenda.

But first, some faves!

Friday Favorites // Friday Favorites // Oh Hey Friday// 5 on Friday

{1} Sleepytime Tea

{via}

This has been my saving grace at night this week. Not only does it taste great, but the warmth soothes my cough so that I can sleep through the night. That, and Nyquil.

{2} Favorite Sweet Moment

On our drive to the airport on Monday, I sat in the back with our friend's two littles, and the littlest little fell asleep, gripping my finger in her hands. Talk about making my heart have all the feels, and then melt

{3} Favorite Meal

I meal prepped on Tuesday while at work, and my wonderful hubs went out and did the grocery shopping (he's a winner)...unbeknownst to me, MG was in the mood for an Asian dish. We must have been on the same wavelength because I'd planned to make Spicy Shrimp Lo Mein. Boy was it good...annnnd spicy! (Recipe coming soon)

{4} 2 Randoms from the Week

~When MG and I caught our plane back from MN on Monday and got seated, the person across the aisle from us was putting his stuff in the overhead compartment. And there we saw....a carton of eggs. Can't say I've ever seen that before (but I'm glad my stuff wasn't in the same compartment)

Not sure how they didn't explode during the flight...

~This week we got our school photos back--it's so funny to have a record of your "teaching years" through school photos (my mom still has each one at home, from when I was in school, and from teaching). I'm pretty pleased with this year's:

{5} Funnies

When you can't figure out why something won't work, despite your best efforts

{via}

When someone says "cake"

{via}

When someone's "fashion sense" doesn't quite hit home with you

{via}

When it's Friday and your fabulous plans for the night include the couch, pizza and movies

{via}

Hope you have a great Friday and a fantastic weekend!

Fall About Me

I saw this super cute idea over at See You in a Porridge and had to copy!

Favorite candle scent — hands down I love apple and apple cinnamon scents. They make me happy.
This one has been a new favorite this year, tho (and smells like apples, despite pumpkin being in the name):

Best fragrance for fall — I dont really have a different fragrance for Fall than I do the rest of the year. Maybe I need to change that...

Coffee, tea or hot chocolate? — Yes to all three! Usually coffee is at the top of my list, and then tea, followed by hot chocolate. But on a cold day, any of them would do!
And when I get coffee, and a Cooper cuddle...perfection!

Favorite Thanksgiving food — Stuffing. And my mom's squash casserole. It's my absolute favorite!

What is the best fall memory you have — since we were just talking about Thanksgiving, one of my favorites was hosting Thanksgiving for my parents and in-laws at our house last year. It was so fun to have everyone in our first home together, cook together, and celebrate together

Favorite type of pie — Apple. Gimme all the apple pie! 

Most worn sweater — I'm not sure I have just one that I wear a lot, but one of my most comfy ones is this white and gray striped tunic I got from Loft last year--it's perfect with jeans or leggings and is SO warm and cozy

What is autumn weather like where you live — it can vary, but this year we've been easing into Fall--cool, crisp days. Some mornings are cold, and the days end up in the 60's. The leaves are just starting to change colors now which is really pretty!

Football games or jumping in leaf piles — is it bad that the first thing I think of when I think about jumping in a pile of leaves is ticks? So I'd definitely have to say football games. Especially when you get the hook up and have field passes with friends

What song really gets you into the fall spirit — I can't think of any that remind me of Fall. I can think of about 100 that remind me of Christmas tho...

Which makeup trend do you prefer: dark lips or winged liner — On myself? probably the winged liner. Dark lips have to be done on the right person, the right way. I've seen it done well, and I've seen it done...ew.

Is pumpkin spice worth the hype — I think they're delicious--but a little over-hyped, and definitely pricey...sometimes regular coffee with some pumpkin spice creamer is just fine too (and not as many calories)

Favorite fall TV show — Probably The Good Wife or Married At First Sight (The First Year)

Combat boots or Uggs — Uggs all the way. Warmth and comfort! I dont care what they look like if they're keeping my toes warm!

{via} I have this pair and absolutely LOVE how warm and comfy they are!

Skinny jeans or leggings? — Both! I feel like Fall is the perfect time to rock some leggings under tunics or longer shirts/dresses (I just got a tan pair and a cranberry pair last week!). But I also love my skinny jeans, too. 

Halloween: yay or nay — Is 'meh' an option? I don't really care about Halloween anymore. I think I'll care more about it again once we have kids.

What do you think about Black Friday? — I think people lose their sh*t over Black Friday for some mediocre discounts. I'd rather spend my time at home with my family, in the warmth, not battling and elbowing people for a pair of pants or an Xbox. Getting a great deal doesn't make memories (and I love a great deal)

Fall mornings or evenings — Mornings. When the sun rises in the morning, and it shines on the changing leaves...something about that just feels kind of magical and looks stunning

{via}

One Fall 2015 trend you love — The poncho. If you've been around here before you saw my most recent poncho purchase and let me tell you, that thing is comfy (and I could possibly fit a small brood of children, animals and/or snacks under it as well lol). Love the baggy/comfy look and feel of it!

I thought this was a fun little "get-to-know-you" type of post! Feel free to join in on the fun!