The trickiest gift guide of the holiday season is here! The gift guide I share with gift ideas for men is always the most challenging gift guide for me to create every year. Thankfully I have a little help in the form of some of the guys in my life who weigh in and help me create this list.

As always, this year’s gift guide includes gift ideas at a variety of price points and many gifts included are practical gifts because something it seems like the men in my life appreciate is a highly practical, very usable gift. I hope a couple of these gift ideas help you as you brainstorm ideas to help make the men in your life feel a little extra loved this holiday season.

Note: You may also check out my Amazon shop where you’ll find my Gift Guide for Him page for anyone who might want to reference it in the future for last-minute ideas and shopping.

As just in case you missed them, here are the first three gift guides I shared earlier this holiday season:

• Gift Guide for Her
• Gift Guide for Toddlers + Little Kids
• Gift Guide for Big Kids

Gift Guide For Him

• A Gift to Support His Hobby

When I brainstorm gifts for the men in my life, I start by thinking about their hobbies and the things they do in their free time that they seem to enjoy. Maybe he’s an avid reader or enjoys woodworking or gaming. Perhaps gardening or music or painting or spending time fishing or hiking is something that brings him joy. Finding a gift to support his hobby might be something that would be appreciated.

For the reader: LED Neck Reading Light / E-reader / Bookmark (Etsy has some gorgeous leather options — I love the idea of personalizing it with their name, the initials of their child(ren), a favorite quote or favorite scripture) / Beautiful coffee table book catered to his interests (Some options: Ballparks: Past and Present, 100 Hikes of a Lifetime, Golf Courses: Fairways of the World, National Parks)

For the traveler: Personalized Luggage Tags (these are so unique!) / Burton Clear Dopp Kit (I bought this for Ryan after seeing him use a clear plastic bag for his toiletries. Great for a low-maintenance man who likes all of his toiletries visible when he travels.) / TUMI Backpack (A splurge but Ryan loves his so much and uses it for work every single day and also takes it on all of his work trips. I’ve borrowed it for travel and can attest it is expertly designed and the quality is unparalleled.) / Cord and Cable Organizer

For the outdoorsy guy: Camping Hammock (Ryan even sets this up in our yard and the boys love it!) / Portable Rechargeable Hand Warmers / Helinox Chair (the chair Ryan and my brother-in-law geek out over — great for everything from camping to tailgating) / Outdoor Rinse Kit (to clean up after camping, hiking, a day at the beach, etc.) / Fishing Rod Bag

For the musician: Vintage Records + Bluetooth Record Player (I gave this to Ryan for our anniversary paired with records that meant something to us and he loved it) / Custom Guitar Strap

For the guy who loves his yard: Leather Work Gloves / Portable Neck Fan (for those hot summer days) / Cordless Leaf Blower (Ryan’s love for this thing knows no bounds)

For the tinkerer: Cordless Screwdriver (Worth its weight in gold!) / Multi-Tool Pen Set

For the artist: Leather Paint Brush Holder / Personalized Leather Sketchbook

• For the Fitness Fanatic

If there’s a man in your life who is all about fitness, a gift centered around exercise or his favorite athletic activity might be a hit! Ryan falls into this category big time so he was instrumental in this section of this year’s gift guide.

Headphones: Apple AirPods / Bone Conduction Headphones (so nothing is in his ears but he can still safely listen to music, podcasts or audiobooks during workouts) / Waterproof Bone Conduction Headphones (for swimmers!)

Health/Exercise-Related Gift Certificate: For a stretch session, cryotherapy, IV hydration (I gave this to Ryan for Father’s Day and he was psyched), sauna session, deep tissue massage, ski pass, etc.

Fitness Apparel: Lululemon Linerless Shorts (Ryan’s favorite) / Under Armour Compression Shorts (Ryan wears these under his shorts for all of his workouts) / Under Armour Heat Gear Leggings (the running tights Ryan wears for winter running)

Athletic Socks: BOMBAS are Ryan’s staple athletic socks (He loves the ankle socks and the performance calf socks)

Fitness Watch: Garmin (Ryan loves his and we got one for my dad last year and he loves it, too) / Apple Watch / WHOOP Fitness Tracker

Custom Golf Ball Stamp: For the guy who loves to spend all his time on the golf course

Recovery / Fuel Favorites: I love filling Ryan’s stocking with some of his fitness fuel/recovery favorites including: Ultima Electrolyte Powder / Honey Stinger Waffles / GU Energy Gels / Huel Protein Powder / Ka’Chava Shakes / Dr. Teal’s Muscle Recovery Soak

• For the Techy Guy

Massager: What area does he mention bothers him most? His back? Feet? Hands? There are so many massage options out there to choose from! We love our Hypervolt but I’m awfully intrigued by the Theragun mini (or this $20 version!) for on-the-go massages. This hand massager and this foot massager also look great!

Bose QuietComfort Wireless Headphones: Comfortable, noise canceling and perfect for work, listening to music, podcasts, etc.

Portable Charger / Extra Phone Chargers: A great stocking stuffer. Some personal favorites: Built-In Portable Cable Charger (I just ordered this one a couple months ago and love how it shows how much charge remains) / Small Portable Charger (the ultimate tiny charger for on-the-go charging) / 3-Pack iPhone Chargers (because you can never have enough)

Apple Air Tags: We bought one of these for Pepper to wear in case she ever dashes out the door when our boys are coming in and out of the house but they have so many applications. Maybe he travels a lot and might like to slip one in his suitcase in case it gets lost? Perhaps he frequently misplaces his car keys? (Pair it with this keychain!) Maybe he has a laptop he wants to make sure he doesn’t lose in his workbag that might be work tracking?

Portable Projector: This one comes with a screen and can be used indoors or outdoors. This one looks amazing if you’re looking for something super compact.

Bluetooth Speaker: We use this JBL Speaker for on-the-go listening / Marshall Speakers have a vintage look we love (Ryan has one in his work office)

• Something For His Closet

My dad and Ryan both always seem to appreciate a little something to update their closet. A few favorites: lululemon ABC Joggers (these always make my list because Ryan, my brother-in-law and dad all have and love them) / Vuori Tuvalu Tee (I gave one to Ryan for his birthday last year and it quickly became his favorite tee. He now has it in multiple colors.) / Vuori Zip-Up Hoodie (a super-soft fall and winter layering staple) Carhartt Beanie (a viral favorite for good reason) / New Balance Fresh Foam Sneakers (Ryan continues to re-order these as his favorite kick-around sneaker) / Columbia Jacket (lightweight but still super warm) / Nike Jordan Retro 1 (another pair of sneakers Ryan has and loves) / Adidas Slides (a classic)

• For the Guy Who Loves Food + Drink

Is your loved one someone who enjoys spending time in the kitchen? Is he a foodie or someone who appreciated a good cocktail at the end of the day? A food-related gift might be a hit! Some ideas: Art of Mixology Cocktail Book / Rolling Outdoor Cooler (I got this one for Ryan for Father’s Day and he loves it!) / Experience the World’s Finest Coffees Gift Box + Ember Mug (to keep his coffee hot!) / Electric Kettle (the one we have and use daily) / Personalized Family Movie Night Popcorn Bowl (the boys gave this to Ryan one year and it’s super cute) / Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker / Meat Thermometer (so handy) / Meat Shredding Claws / Outdoor Pizza Oven / Personalized Recipe Book (I can only imagine how treasured this would be if it was all filled up by hand and passed from generation to generation) / Ninja Creami (for super-fast smaller batches of ice cream, acai bowls, etc. — this one also went viral in the fitness community for “protein ice cream” creations) / DIY Whiskey Kit

Shop This Gift Guide

The post PBF Gift Guide 2023: For Him appeared first on Peanut Butter Fingers.

Happy first day of December from our Elf on the Shelf!

Fisbee is back and the boys are psyched! Honestly, I think I like this crazy elf tradition as much as the boys for the first week or two and then Ryan and I inevitably forget to move him after bedtime and panic in the morning as the boys emerge from their room and one of us chucks him into the Christmas tree and crosses our fingers that the boys don’t see us in action. Ooooh Christmas traditions.

Another Christmastime tradition? We’re heading to Great Wolf Lodge with the boys this weekend!

When I say the boys are next-level obsessed with Great Wolf Lodge I mean it (we tried to book it for Ryder’s birthday but it was totally full in June) and the holiday season is such a fun time of year to visit. It’s all decked out in holiday decor and even “snows” in the lobby! We’ll be wearing Christmas pajamas and swimsuits all weekend and plan to spend our time in the indoor waterpark and conquering various MagiQuests as we sprint all over the lodge. (Chase is 100 percent obsessed with MagiQuest.) I still need to pack up our bags for the weekend and meet up with our neighbor who is helping watch Pepper but then we’re off!

I hope you all have a great weekend and enjoy this week’s roundup of favorites, Things I’m Loving Friday style!

Things I’m Loving Friday

• Quarter Crew Socks

At long last, I found the crew socks of my dreams! I love the look of crew socks over leggings but have struggled to find a pair of socks that hit at a flattering spot on my leg. Most hit at the bottom of my calf and cankled me (unacceptable) or felt too thick and made my feet excessively sweat during workouts (also unacceptable). And then these beauties entered my life!

They’re cushioned enough to prevent awkward rubbing and blisters in sneakers but hit at a slim part of the leg to eliminate tree trunk legs. I love the three colors that came in the pack I ordered (white, gray and a super-subtle pink) and am all-in on this retro look!

• Holiday Card Album

I cannot remember if I gave this holiday card album to Ryan for Christmas last year or the year before but regardless it’s been such a fun gift to break out of our Christmas storage bin. Our whole family had fun flipping through the album and looking at our past cards and the boys especially enjoyed seeing pictures of themselves as babies and remembering Sadie and her silly antics. I just wanted to share this here in case you’re looking for a more personal gift for a loved one in your life that they will enjoy for years to come! I can only imagine how treasured this would be by grandparents if there was a way to roundup family cards from decades ago! I hope this album will be something our family and our boys will enjoy for years and years to come! (Note: If you don’t love this specific album, there are tons of alternate designs on Etsy!)

• Color-Your-Own Cardboard Playhouse

This cardboard playhouse was the hit of Thanksgiving for our crew! I picked it up thinking it would be a fun activity for the kids since we were hosting a big gang over the holiday but, at one point, I think almost every adult in our family got involved in coloring the playhouse, too.

Ryan put it all together for the kids once we were done decorating the outside of the gingerbread house and the boys have been playing in it every single day, turning it into a dog house, Santa’s workshop, a car garage and more. I bought the playhouse at Target but it looks like it’s sold out (I think they do regular restocks?). There are also a bunch of cardboard playhouse designs on Amazon (this holiday house looks like ours) and I cannot recommend this activity enough, especially if you’re hosting a gang of little ones over the holidays!

• The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

My rating: B+

This book was my latest audiobook “read” thanks to my mom’s recommendation. She’s the queen of recommending a good mystery novel and this one was all kinds of twisty and intriguing. While I anticipated the major twist (I think once you’ve read a lot of mysteries, twists are easier to see coming), I still enjoyed the book and the way all of the pieces fell into place.  (Note: I had a friend tell me this novel is nearly identical to The Last Mrs. Parrish but I haven’t read that one so I cannot compare the two.) It was the perfect entertaining audiobook to listen to while multitasking as it roped me in immediately and held my interest. While I think the characters lacked some depth and I didn’t find myself overly invested in any of them, the book was a solid background listen and an audiobook I’d recommend to anyone who typically likes twisty mysteries.

From Amazon: 

Every day I clean the Winchesters’ beautiful house top to bottom. I collect their daughter from school. And I cook a delicious meal for the whole family before heading up to eat alone in my tiny room on the top floor.

I try to ignore how Nina makes a mess just to watch me clean it up. How she tells strange lies about her own daughter. And how her husband Andrew seems more broken every day. But as I look into Andrew’s handsome brown eyes, so full of pain, it’s hard not to imagine what it would be like to live Nina’s life. The walk-in closet, the fancy car, the perfect husband.

I only try on one of Nina’s pristine white dresses once. Just to see what it’s like. But she soon finds out… and by the time I realize my attic bedroom door only locks from the outside, it’s far too late.

But I reassure myself: the Winchesters don’t know who I really am.

They don’t know what I’m capable of…

• Friday Flashbacks

Gingerbread Oatmeal (So fragrant, so festive and so tasty!)

Winning Cornbread Recipe (Because soup, stew and chili season is in full swing and this is the perfect side!)

Question of the Day

What is one thing making you smile this week? 

The post Things I’m Loving Friday #493 appeared first on Peanut Butter Fingers.

The past few weeks flew by in a blur of Thanksgiving hosting and gift guide creation. (I still owe you one or two more — my Gift Guide for Guys is always my trickiest to assemble and I want to do it justice!) I’ve been meaning to snap pics of everyday life and share a day-in-the-life blog post with you guys for weeks. It’s finally happening today! We’re rewinding time to the old school blogging days when I had the ability to pop in and share my day-to-day happenings (3x a day!) before kids and craziness took over.

Picture an Hour: November 2023

• 6:20 a.m. Coffee + Devotional 

I set my alarm for 6 a.m. yesterday and let Pepper out before putting the boys’ lunches in their bags, refilling water bottles and getting everything organized for the day ahead. Then it was time for coffee, glancing through my calendar and my morning devotional. My friend Lauren and I are making our way through The Well-Watered Woman together.

• 7:15 a.m. Breakfast + Playtime 

Ryan had an early meeting yesterday and after we all said goodbye to him, it was time for breakfast and Botley! Botley is a coding robot toy we gave to Chase for Christmas a few years ago that was a bit of a bust. He thought it was really cool for a week or so but lost interest. (Honestly, this was probably our fault for not properly showing him how it works because I think it was over his head when we initially gave it to him.) I’m so glad I didn’t give it away because somehow Botley came back from the dead and has been the biggest hit with Ryder and Chase these past few weeks.

• 8:35 a.m. School Drop Offs + Cleaning Sweep + Mad Dash to Boot Camp

(Sparkle Leggings: Beyond Yoga — Ryder tells me I look like a Christmas tree whenever I wear these / Shoes: New Balance / Socks: Amazon / Top: Beyond Yoga but old / XL Scrunchie: Nike) 

(Okay, who is stressing over our unorganized dishwasher?)

After dropping Chase off at school a little before 8 a.m., we came back home and Ryder and Rhett played for 35 minutes or so while I did a quick cleaning sweep and got dressed for boot camp. Then it was time to head back out for preschool drop off before making a mad dash to boot camp.

• 9:25 a.m. Burn Boot Camp: Biceps, Triceps, Chest Workout  

The workout of the day at Burn Boot Camp focused on biceps, triceps and chest. We went through four rounds of the following exercises (40 seconds on, 20 seconds off): Chest press, triceps extensions, single-arm biceps curl with alternate arm in an isometric hold, chest flyes, triceps kickbacks, dead hang biceps curls and push ups.

• 10:15 a.m. Shower + Get Dressed

(Sweater: Target / Jeans: Levi’s Ribcage Jeans / Clogs: Amazon / Headband: Target) 

Quick shower and time to get dressed for the day before busting out some work on the computer at home.

• 11:00 a.m. Work + Love on Pepper

Excuse me, Pepper, why are you so cute? Pepper in a sweater is my new favorite thing. I figured you’d rather see a picture of her than my computer. Pepper served as a fabulous furry coworker and curled up on my lap as I worked for a few hours.

• 12:25 p.m. Lunch + Work

More work time as I ate leftover turkey soup for lunch! I also ate a million and one Chica’s lime tortilla chips out of the bag because I cannot be stopped with those things.

• 1:45 p.m. Angel Tree Shopping

After picking up Ryder and Rhett from preschool, we drove to Target to do some shopping for the children we selected from an angel tree. The boys wanted to buy them everything in all of Target (Ryder insisted a 5 month-old-boy needed Nintendo) but we did our best to make sure their wish lists were filled (and then some)!

• 2:55 p.m. Back at Home

We went straight to Chase’s school pickup from Target and then back home. I always get a kick out of looking through the boys’ schoolwork after they unload their backpacks. Yesterday Chase wrote all about the time we caught a giant snapping turtle over the summer. That thing was huge and shocked all of us when Chase reeled it in after I felt something pulling intensely on my rod.

• 3:45 p.m. Home Playtime + Random Household Clean Up 

I love Tuesdays because Tuesdays and Fridays are our “free days” with zero activities for the boys, meaning we get more time to simply be home or do whatever we want to do for the afternoon. The boys thoroughly entertained themselves by running all over our house, playing in their cardboard playhouse, building with Legos and tackling each other during indoor football (their latest obsession) with breaks sprinkled in only for snacks. When they were playing well and distracted, I knocked out some laundry and a few other household to-dos.

• 4:30 p.m. New Table Runner Arrives 

I was so excited when I opened up a package that arrived yesterday afternoon and found our new table runner! I ordered the same runner in blue earlier this year but wanted one with a little more of a holiday flare and opted for a deeper red this time around. (I initially found the table runner on Etsy when I was looking for extra long runners that would fit our table.) I love it so much and topped it with a faux garland and flameless candles I placed in gold candlestick holders. Bring on all the holiday flare!

• 5:45 p.m. Dinner

Dinner time! Last night’s dinner looked like leftover ham with peas and a Daily Harvest grains mixture.

• 6:50 p.m. Bed Time Routine for the Boys

Ryan and I tag-teamed bedtime as usual last night and while I didn’t snap any pictures, this morning I found the above pic on my phone from last night. Hiii Ryder! The pic was saved to my phone from the Colgate Hum app and oh my gosh that toothbrush has been the best thing to happen to the boys’ toothbrushing habits in long time. I bought the Colgate Hum Kid’s Toothbrush back in October after a friend recommended it to me and really need to add it to an upcoming Things I’m Loving Friday post because it has skyrocketed the time our boys spend brushing their teeth and makes them more thorough brushers. It was well worth the $15 I spent!

• 7:30 p.m. Holiday Mug Exchange 

Last night I hosted the annual holiday mug exchange my girlfriends and I have been doing for 5 years! It’s one of my favorite holiday traditions and began several years ago when we wanted to do something easy yet fun to celebrate the holidays together. Everyone simply brings one holiday mug to the exchange and then we all draw numbers to determine the order in which we get to pick a mug. When it is your turn, you may “steal” a mug from someone who has already opened one or pick a new one from the pile. Mugs can only be stolen three times before they’re “frozen” and the person who picks first gets to go again one more time at the very end. It’s always so fun to see which mugs people love (and why they love them) and we’ve even started including little extras along with the mugs like hot chocolate bombs, peppermint pretzels, a pair of fuzzy holiday socks, etc., but no one spends more than $15-25. We love this tradition so, so much!

• 10:15 p.m. Wrapping Up Our Holiday Mug Exchange 

Once all the mugs were exchanged, we chatted and laughed for a few hours before calling it a night! I joined Ryan in bed a little after 11 p.m. once everyone was gone and read my latest book until my eyes could no longer stay open.

And now I’m off to get this Wednesday rockin’! I hope you all enjoy the rest of your week!

The post Picture An Hour: November 2023 appeared first on Peanut Butter Fingers.

I love a long weekend. And I love it even more when family is in town and holidays are involved. As I mentioned in Friday’s blog post, my family arrived early to celebrate Thanksgiving at our house and we made the most of it.

Friday

Friday was our last full day together and I booked our crew a reservation for a wagon ride at Lazy 5 Ranch in Mooresville, North Carolina. We visited Lazy 5 years ago when Chase was a toddler and I had a feeling it would be a hit with our animal-loving gang on Friday. A wagon meanders through 3.5 miles of land and visitors can see and feed more than 750 animals from 6 different continents, including cows, pigs, deer, antelope, birds, sheep, goats and even giraffes!

It was chilly on Friday and we were grateful for the blankets and jackets we brought along on the wagon ride. We had a great time feeding the animals and laughing at the animals who were especially brave, inserting their large heads and long tongues between us on the wagon.

The kids were really into it as well — even the littlest members of our family — and we agreed Lazy 5 was a great way to spend our afternoon!

(I love this pic of Chase and my dad. I swear Chase was in heaven and thought he was on a Pop playdate during my parents’ entire visit.)

We spent the rest of our Friday eating Thanksgiving leftovers, puzzling, coloring the giant cardboard playhouse I got for the kids, exploring the little island near our house (the one that’s walkable since the lake is currently so low!) and enjoying our last evening together.

Saturday

Our family planned to scoot out on Saturday morning to avoid heavier holiday traffic on Sunday (they all remember horrific traffic returning to Florida from the mountains on the Sunday after Thanksgiving a few years ago) and we spent Saturday morning helping everyone get out the door. By 10 a.m. everyone was on the road and our family was ready to pile into the car to get our Christmas tree!

We were blown away by the trees at Josh’s Farmer’s Market and when we commented on how beautiful and full they all looked, a man working at the farmer’s market said they are the best trees they’ve seen in several years. They were stunning and we didn’t have any trouble finding a 9-foot tree that called to us!

(Sweater: Target / Jeans: Levi’s Ribcage Jeans / Boots: Amazon) 

By the time we made it home and got the tree into our living room, we were hungry and dug into lunch before bundling up for a family bike ride.

We rode to a little neighborhood park where the boys had a blast playing in the trees, swinging on the swings and exploring the little hidden trails.

As we biked home, the big kids loved flying through the leaf piles in the street which made me and Ryan smile and remember for the one millionth time how awesome it is to be a kid. There’s something about kids (and dogs!) that always serves to remind me to remember the little joys in life like leaf piles, sunny days and a great climbing tree.

Saturday evening looked like picking up my car (we took it in earlier in the day for new tires and an alignment), a quick stop at the grocery store, Thanksgiving leftovers and movie night!

We’re getting a jump start on some holiday movie favorites this year and watched The Grinch for the first time this season. Our kids are not the bravest when it comes to movies (even a lot of Disney movies are still too spooky for Ryder and Rhett) but the 2018 version of The Grinch was a huge hit! (We streamed it on Amazon Prime.) The big kids cracked up throughout the movie and Ryan and I love it, too! Even Rhett sat still cuddled up in my arms for the movie and liked it. A win all around.

Sunday

Sunday morning began with waffles, indoor football and Christmas stories on the couch before it was time to head off to the 9:30 a.m. church service.

(Sweater: Target / Pants: Pilcro via Pilcro via Anthropologie / Boots: Amazon / Satin Bow Barette: Target) 

After church, we made our way to Lowe’s to pick up lots of lights for our Christmas tree. I wasn’t feeling the lights we used last year and am a bit of a psycho about lights looking too white/blue (I prefer an old school golden glow) so we loaded up our cart with my favorite lights and a few more odds and ends because Ryan cannot be stopped at Lowe’s.

After lunch at home, we decorated our tree and I love it so much!

Also, I will recommend the ornament storage box I bought last year for all the years to come because it’s been such a game changer.

It truly made decorating our tree this year a breeze — no unwrapping individual ornaments and everything remained in-tact and unbroken. Win!

Once our tree was up, the boys were ready for some outside time, so they played on the beach near our house with Ryan while I made a big pot of turkey soup with the final remains of our Thanksgiving turkey and knocked out a little online shopping.

In case you’re nosy like me, here’s what I bought over the weekend when basically everything on the internet was on sale (and still is for one more day):

Gifts (I am not going to specify who these are for to try to keep things a little bit of a surprise for loved ones over here): Dohm White Noise Machine / Bentgo Kids Lunchbox / Anthropologie Mini Hair Clips + Beaded Bracelets + Maeve Fuzzy Slippers / Rifle Paper Co. Stitched Notebooks + Nutcracker Puzzle + Holiday Candle Set / Satin Bow Barrette / Christmas Chickens Sweatshirt / BOMBAS Socks / Mini Claw Clips

For the boys: Western Chief Rain Boots / Cotton Day Crew Socks / Crayola Twistables Crayons / New Balance Slip-On Sneakers (the next size up in our boys’ favorite sneakers — they reach for these over all others) /French Toast Joggers (another great find for slim kids) / Nerf Guns / Turtle Ornament / Hand-Painted Pet Ornament (of Pepper for Ryder this year!) / Crocs / Metal Racer Remote Control Cars / Reversible Reindeer Plush

Personal buys (aka my daily staples I stocked up and a few things I couldn’t resist): ELEMIS Pro-Collagen Naked Cleansing Balm + ELEMIS Resurfacing Pads / Philips Sonicare Toothbrush (my electric toothbrush recently died a slow death and needed replacing) / Target Velvet Bow Barrette (in black) / Pilcro High-Rise Taper Jeans / Tarte Blush Tape + Shape Tape

For the home: Poppi Prebiotic Soda / Branch Basics Cleaning Concentrate and Oxygen Boost / Huge Thrive Market Haul / Dog Bed (yes, Pepper gets Christmas presents)

We then did the whole evening routine — baths, pajamas, stories and bed! Thanksgiving break flew by for our family and it’s back to our usual weekday routine this morning. The holiday season is officially in full swing! I hope you all have a great week!

The post Lazy 5, Christmas Trees and My Black Friday Buys appeared first on Peanut Butter Fingers.

Happy belated Thanksgiving! I hope those who celebrated Thanksgiving yesterday are checking in feeling very full and very loved this morning. We hosted our first Thanksgiving in our new home and it was wonderful. Of course you know having family here for the holiday is what I’m loving most today (more on Thanksgiving fun below!) but, in keeping with my typical Friday blog posts, I still wanted to check in and share a short roundup of favorites today. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Things I’m Loving Friday

• Thanksgiving 2023

It felt like Thanksgiving began a few days early for us this year as family began arriving on Sunday and we had a completely full house by Tuesday. This meant we spent a few days prepping for Thanksgiving and our house was filled up with the best smells and my favorite people.

We kicked off Thanksgiving with a neighborhood turkey trot and the weather could not have been better.

It was sunny and temperatures hovered right around 50 degrees! Since the race was very family-friendly, scooters, dogs and strollers were all welcome which suited our crew well.

Chase and Ryder rode their scooters the entire time while the younger members of our crew wagon and strolled hopped with each other throughout the race. The kids were especially thrilled to win a medal but we all joked that no one was more thrilled than my mom, as she was still sporting her 5K medal at dinner later that night. In her words, “This is only the second medal I’ve won in my life, so I’m going to wear it!”

Once we made it back to the house, we spent our day cooking, hanging out in the backyard around a bonfire, coloring a giant cardboard playhouse I got for the kids and enjoying the time together.

Of course dinner was a highlight and we filled our plates with all of our Thanksgiving favorites… a few times!

I went to bed with a full belly and a full heart.

• Snap Circuits

Our friend Ben joined us for Thanksgiving dinner yesterday and when he asked what he could bring to contribute to dinner, we assured him we had plenty of food and encouraged him to simply come and enjoy! He was so kind and showed up like Santa with a gift for each of our boys and they were absolutely thrilled. One of his gifts was particularly unique and something I’d never seen before so I wanted to give it a shout out today, as it’s definitely something that would’ve made my Gift Guide for Big Kids had I known about it a week ago!

Ben surprised Chase with Snap Circuits, an electronics exploration kit that makes it easy for kids to snap pieces into place to create more than 100 different electrical projects. Chase was laser-focused on this gift and it was the first thing he wanted to do this morning when he flew downstairs! I think this would be such a great gift for a big kid who likes to tinker around, experiment and create and just had to share it here in case it might be a hit with a kid in your life this holiday season!

• Horse by Geraldine Brooks

My rating: A-

My mom and I regularly share book recommendations and she’s usually the queen of great recommendations for books that fall in the mystery/suspense/thriller category while I’m the one who gravitates toward historical fiction. When my mom came to me with a historical fiction novel recommendations, I couldn’t read it fast enough! It’s captivating, beautifully written, thought-provoking, layered, poignant and interesting to me as someone who knows very little about horse racing and the history of horse racing in our country. I broke my heart on numerous occasions, shocked me once or twice and kept my interest until the very end, despite its length.

From Amazon: 

Kentucky, 1850. An enslaved groom named Jarret and a bay foal forge a bond of understanding that will carry the horse to record-setting victories across the South. When the nation erupts in civil war, an itinerant young artist who has made his name on paintings of the racehorse takes up arms for the Union. On a perilous night, he reunites with the stallion and his groom, very far from the glamor of any racetrack.

New York City, 1954. Martha Jackson, a gallery owner celebrated for taking risks on edgy contemporary painters, becomes obsessed with a nineteenth-century equestrian oil painting of mysterious provenance.

Washington, DC, 2019. Jess, a Smithsonian scientist from Australia, and Theo, a Nigerian-American art historian, find themselves unexpectedly connected through their shared interest in the horse—one studying the stallion’s bones for clues to his power and endurance, the other uncovering the lost history of the unsung Black horsemen who were critical to his racing success.

Based on the remarkable true story of the record-breaking thoroughbred Lexington, Horse is a novel of art and science, love and obsession, and our unfinished reckoning with racism.

• RoRo’s Cinnamon Rolls

This is a random share but I had to give these cinnamon rolls a shout out because they’ve been such a hit with our boys. I actually ordered RoRo’s rolls to be delivered to my mom and mother-in-law for Mother’s Day before and was thrilled when I saw them for sale locally at Harris Teeter. Let’s just say the love our kids have for these cinnamon rolls is strong and I knew I wanted to make them a part of our Thanksgiving Day morning. Our boys honestly like RoRo’s cinnamon rolls 10,000 times more than the cinnamon rolls I’ve made from scratch on Christmas morning that take me 100 years to make. The RoRo’s rolls are light and not too dense which I think makes them appeal more to kids and I always slightly underbake them by a few minutes. They’re so good and the two packs I heated up for our family before our Turkey Trot disappeared in a flash!

• Black Friday Sales

Just in case you’re hoping to take advantage of Black Friday sales to do some holiday shopping today, here’s a roundup of the sales that jumped out at me!

• Up to 70% off at Pottery Barn Kids (The vegan leather loungers we use non-stop are $80 off! / We have and love this refillable advent calendar / $80 of the Foamnasium couch our boys use all the time / My nieces love their Anywhere Chairs / I bought this Santa crib sheet for Chase’s crib when he was a baby and all three boys have loved it)
• 30% off at Anthropologie (Their Gifts Under $25 section is always amazing / I ordered a few of these beaded bracelets to include with gifts this year / This match cloche is on my personal wish list / We have these clover sconces in our powder room + this capiz light in our primary bathroom and I ordered them both on Black Friday two years ago)
• Up to 40% off clothing and boots + Up to 50% off toys at Target (The satin hair bow I love is only $5.60 / The sweater I have in 3 colors is on sale for less than $20 /$50 off this Tonies starter set / Up to 50% off Lego sets)
• 50% off everything at Madewell with code LETSGO (This tennis bracelet is lovely)
• 50% off everything at Old Navy (Two long-time favorites: My fav holiday onesie pajamas / Pull-on Toddler Jeggings — the best jeans for slim kids)
• 40% off at DSW plus a free weekender bag with code PLAID (I ordered the next size up in our boys’ favorite slip-on New Balance sneakers + These are the New Balance sneakers I have in multiple colors that I love so much — size up 1/2 size!)
• 50% off everything at GAP (Their modal pajamas are a favorite of mine because they are so soft but still lightweight)
• 20-25% off sitewide at Hati Home (Black Friday is when I ordered our kitchen island stools last year after waiting for more than a year to order them. They were a huge splurge but worth every penny. They are family-friendly, wipe clean and are incredibly comfortable.)
• 20% off everything at Branch Basics (I use their safe + all natural cleaning products for everything from bathroom cleaning and laundry to kitchen cleaning and more. I also love refilling everything in their glass bottles!)
• 30-40% off everything at American Eagle + Aerie (I love their High-Waisted Super Flare Leggings)
• Up to 50% off McGee & Go. (Sales are basically the only time I shop this site. We ordered our extension dining table on Black Friday last year! We also have and love these mirrors in our primary bathroom.)
• 25% off lots of rugs + 20% off everything at Ruggable with code BF22 (We have the Kamran coral runner and kitchen sink mat in our kitchen and the runner in our mudroom, the Kamran ivory opal rug in our living room and Kamran ivory opal mat in front of our vanity in our primary bathroom)
• Up to 70% off at Serena & Lily (These lidded baskets are our favorite to hide the boys’ toys. The quality is fantastic — our boys literally sit on the lids and they hold up!)

Question of the Day

How was your Thanksgiving? Did you travel? Stay close to home? Host? 

Are you taking advantage of Black Friday sales and shopping for anything fun today? 

The post Things I’m Loving Friday #492 appeared first on Peanut Butter Fingers.

Hot on the heels of my Gift Guide for Toddlers + Little Kids and my Gift Guide for Big Kids comes my Gift Guide for Her… aka the gift guide that makes me want to put a little too many things on my personal Christmas list. Every year, when creating my Gift Guide for Her, I try hard to include a myriad of gifts I hope will appeal to women across varying age groups and phases of life.

Whether you’re shopping for a mother, grandmother, mother-in-law, sister, daughter, aunt, friend or anyone else on your list of people to surprise this holiday season, I hope my gift guides are helpful to you and make it a little easier to shop for someone special on your list!

Note: You may also check out my Amazon shop where you’ll find my Gift Guide for Her page for anyone who might want to reference it in the future for last-minute ideas and shopping.

Gift Guide 2023: For Her

• A Gift to Support Her Hobby

Hooray for hobbies! Sometimes life can feel so crazy that hobbies can fall to the wayside but if you know a hobby your loved one enjoys or previously enjoyed, a gift catered to their hobby might be a welcomed surprise to support something they love or even help reignite their enjoyment of a prior favorite past time.

For readers: Monogramed Stitched Bookmark (these are beautiful!) / New Book (especially one you personally read and loved!) / Embroidered Bookmark / Take a Look, It’s In a Book T-shirt (for former Reading Rainbow fanatics like me) / E-reader (I am partial to my Kindle for a myriad of reasons. I especially love that I can read it in the dark — the black background with white text is my favorite for nighttime reading — and, as someone who never thought I’d be into an e-reader I love that my Kindle makes it easy to fly through books and have the next great read at my fingertips. Once I discovered Libby and Hoopla, two apps that allow you to download books for free through your local library, a whole new world opened up.)

For puzzlers: Puzzle Board (for organized puzzling) / New Puzzle (this is our family’s favorite holiday puzzle — also, my mom loves puzzles and I love to gift her puzzles related to something she loves — her hometown, a nostalgic memory, etc.) / Photo Puzzle (turn any picture into a puzzle)

For fitness fanatics: The Amazon sweatshirt we all love so much / alo, Bombas or lululemon Crew Socks (love the retro look!) / Massage for sore muscles / New Balance 237 Sneakers (Comfortable enough to walk a million miles! I have them in multiple colors because I love them so much. Size up 1/2 size.) / lululemon All Night Festival Bag (my favorite for the gym but also everything else in life — I gave it to my mom and she loves it, too!) / lululemon Align Leggings (Another one I’ve gifted to my mom and sister. A huge hit with so many people for good reason.)

For gardeners + Plant lovers: Vegetable/Herb Garden Markers (these ceramic markers are on my personal wish list + I love these simple markers + these are hilarious, especially for a first-time gardener), Personalized Garden Trowels / Personalized Flower Pot (such a sweet idea for a grandmother) / Just One More Plant Sweatshirt

For those who love a needle and thread: Embroidery Kit (this Etsy shop has some of the most gorgeous designs) / Knitting Bag (to hold their supplies / Crochet Kit (could be fun for a mother or grandmother to try this Christmas kit with little ones) / Punch Needle Kit (I’m dying to try this!) / Blanket Knitting Kit

For creatives: Sketchbook / Watercolor Painting Travel Box

• For the Foodie

Whether your loved one is someone who enjoys spending time in the kitchen or is simply someone who likes to eat and appreciates good food, a food-themed gift is one I think many would appreciate!

For the person who loves to cook: Personalized Recipe Book (I can only imagine how treasured this would be if it was all filled up by hand and passed from generation to generation) / A New Cookbook ( The Well Plated Cookbook, Half Baked Harvest Every Day / The Defined Dish)

For the baker:  Set of Measuring Cups + Spoons (this set is lovely and it’s the set I own and love) / A new cookbook (Martha Stewart’s Cookies, Betty Crocker’s Cooky Book <– all kinds of nostalgic!) / Baking Spirits Bright Sweatshirt

For the bread enthusiast: Sourdough Starter + Proofing Baskets (I got a sourdough started from my friend Brittany and paired it with proofing baskets for my sister for her birthday and it jumpstarted her love of sourdough bread baking!) / “Breaducated” Sweatshirt / Sourdough Starter Kit / Bread Basket with Terracotta Warmer (gorgeous and practical)

For the coffee or tea fanatic: SMEG milk frother (the retro-inspired frother we have and love) / Gooseneck Electric Kettle (another one of our favorites) / Anthropologie Holiday Initial Mug / Rifle Paper Co. Holiday Mug

For the ice cream lover: Ice Cream Maker (we have this Cuisinart ice cream maker and use all year long) / Rubbermaid Brilliance Glass Containers (we use these to store the ice cream we make) / The Perfect Scoop (so many delicious ice cream recipes to make!) / Ninja Creami (for super-fast smaller batches of ice cream)

• All Things Cozy

As I get older, I’ve found myself increasingly appreciating all things cozy. Home is my favorite place to be and when a gift makes home feel a little more warm and comfortable, I’m all about it. Plus, cozy gifts are some of the most fun for me to shop for and give! A few ideas:

Cozy robe: UGG Marlow Robe (the robe I wear all winter long) / Barefoot Dreams Robe (the beloved Barefoot Dreams blanket in robe-form) / Lightweight Robe (I have this breathable Amazon robe for spring + summer weather — it’s great if you’re one who often gets overheated in warmer robes)

Candle: ILLUME Woodfire Candle (a woodsy, cozy scent) / Anthropologie Capri Blue Volcano Candle (the scent every person on the planet loves) / Voluspa Candle Set (I received this one year and it was such a fun way to try a bunch of new luxurious candles) / Thymes Frasier Fur (a holiday dream candle)

Comfy slippers: Platform Cloud Slippers / Shearling Slippers / Maeve Fuzzy Slippers / UGG Tazzlita Platform Slippers

Eye mask: NodPod Gentle Pressure Sleep Mask / Musicozy Sleep Headphones (perfect for those who like to listen to an audiobook, podcast or meditation before bed) / Silk Eye Mask

Pajamas: GAP Modal Pajamas (the softest fabric) / Amazon Cotton Pajamas (I have this set in blue and it’s lovely)

Silk pillowcase: Blissy Silk Pillowcase (I sleep on mine every night)

Soft throw blanket: Ultra-Cozy Christmas Tree Throw / Cloudy Boucle Blanket / Windowpane Buttery Blanket

• For the Super-Organized

If a friend or family member is someone who likes things super-organized, a gift to help them keep things in order might be appreciated! A few ideas:

New Planner + Pens: TUL Pens (the only ones I’m mentioning because they’re a dream) / Rifle Paper Co. Monthly Planner / Anthropologie Simple Planner

Milestone Memory Box: Perfect for a mom of little ones with a desire to keep projects and memories organized.

Family Wall Calendar: To keep the whole family organized.

Label Maker + Assorted Mesh Pouches: Ridiculously handy! I used them to organize our electronic junk drawer but I’ve seen people use them to organize everything from kid crafts and puzzles to travel essentials.

For Keeping Things Clean: Handheld Vacuum (a game changer for keeping my car clean, vacuuming out cabinets/drawers, etc.) / Little Green Machine (essential for carpet and upholstery cleaning) / Tineco Wet Vac (You know my love for this wet vac runs deep! / Amber Glass Soap Dispenser (gorgeous — we have them all over our house) / Entry Way Organizer (We have this one to hang keys and Pepper’s leashes on and it’s stunning)

• Beauty Gifts

A few beauty-related ideas for the woman who loves all things beauty!

Makeup/Toiletry Bag: Large Capacity Makeup Bag (the bag I use to store ALL of my makeup!) / Hanging Toiletry Bag

Beauty Extras: LANIEGE Lip Mask / Light-Up Travel Mirror (I use this when I travel but also at the kitchen counter when I want to do my makeup while the boys eat breakfast. So handy!) / Makeup Eraser (My mom has a knack for discovering viral products years before they catch on and this is one that found its way into my Christmas stocking years ago. I works so well and is incredibly soft.) / Mighty Patch (for spot-treating blemishes– I use one whenever I feel a zit coming on to get ahead of it) / Under Eye Patches / Tweezerman Eyelash Comb (my favorite for separating eyelashes after mascara for a natural yet fluffy, voluminous look)

Hair Favorites: VOLO Quick-Dry Towel (I use this every time I wash my hair to reduce dry time, frizz and breakage)/ BaByliss Hair Dryer (The blow dryer I bought after using it at a friend’s house because it was so amazing and made my hair feel so silky! I’ve had it for 8+ years.) Silk Hair Ties (I use one in my hair every night — so soft and great for reducing bumps from too-tight hair ties.) / Hair Growth Oil (I apply this nourishing oil to my scalp 2+ hours — or overnight — before washing my hair to help with growth and hair strength)

Makeup Favorites: Julep Eyeshadow Stick / Tarte Maracuja Juicy Lip / ILIA Super Serum Skin Tint / Tarte Blush Tape / NYX Lip Oil / Dr. Brandt Liquid Sun Shield / Jane Iredale Lip and Cheek Stain / Beauty By Earth Sunless Tanning Drops

• For the Pet-Obsessed

If your loved one is pet-obsessed (ahem, raises hand), they might appreciate a gift related to their beloved best friend. A few ideas: Embroidered Pet Portrait (I gave this to Ryan after Sadie passed and to one of the boys’ teachers after her dog died and both were treasured gifts) / Custom Pet Sweatshirt / Custom Embroidered Pet Hat / Watercolor Pet Painting / Pet Mug / Custom Clay Pet Figurine / Custom Pet Ornament (I actually ordered this one of a picture of Pepper for Ryder’s annual ornament this year because Pepper is his favorite thing on the planet)

• Something for Her Closet

For the woman who appreciates a little update to her wardrobe or jewelry collection, a new addition for her closet might be appreciated. A few personal favorites: Free People Quilted Carryall Bag (holds so much!) / Ankle Booties (I have them in black and cognac and love them dressed up or down) / Stacking Rings (love these birthstone rings and these simple ultra-thin gold stacking rings)  Extra Long Puffer Vest (I’ve been throwing this one over a sweatshirt and love the layered look) / Satin Bow Hair Barrette (I love that bows are making a comeback and ordered this one for myself! It has such a lovely, romantic look at a great pricepoint.) / Soft Puff Weekender Bag (another one I have and love for travel) / Oversized Super-Comfy Sweater / Personalized Jewelry (I ordered this initial bracelet for my mom 2 years ago with all of her grandchildren’s initials and this birth flower pendant for my sister after the birth of her first child) / Target Slip Skirt (The skirt I have in 4 colors because the fit is so great. Cute with a sweatshirt and sneakers or dressed up with heels!)

Shop This Gift Guide

The post PBF Gift Guide 2023: For Her appeared first on Peanut Butter Fingers.

Hello friends! I’m back in action today with my second gift guide of the season. This one is a follow-up to the first Gift Guide for Kids I shared with gifts primarily for toddlers and little kids ages four and under. Today’s gift guide is for big kids!! We’re talking kids who are not yet teens but fall in the 5-year-old to early elementary school age range.

You may see a couple of repeat gift ideas from my toddler + little kid gift guide below but that simply means they’re either the unicorn gifts that last for years or are gifts our boys (ages 3, 5 and 8) all love.

As in years past, I’ve divided my gift guide for kids into the following categories:

• Something they want (subdivided into a few additional categories)
• Something they need
• Something to wear
• Something to read

I hope this gift guide gives you some ideas for the awesome big kids in your life!

NOTE: You may find a bunch of these items rounded up together in my Amazon shop! Also of possible interest are the posts I wrote the past two years after the holidays featuring the gifts our boys loved and still played with over and over again after Christmas: Holiday Gifts: The Hits Two Months Later (early 2023) + Holiday Gifts: The Hits One Month Later (early 2022)

GIFT GUIDE FOR KIDS: BIG KIDS

Something They Want

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY + GET THAT ENERGY OUT: 

• Nighthawk Electric Ride-On: This ride-on toy was the hit of our big kids’ summer birthdays and is my number one recommendation this year! (Ryder at 5-years-old loves it but it goes fast enough to be cool and fun for an 8+ year old!) It’s the first thing the boys’ friends want to do when they come over. They all LOVE it and the learning curve was practically non-existent for all the kids who have tried it at our house.
• Bike/Skateboard/Scooter Ramp: This is going under the tree for our boys this year. They’re always creating their own makeshift bike jumps so we’re thinking this will be a hit!
• Kid Kayak: This one is obviously location-specific, but if you live in a warmer climate with access to water in the winter, I highly recommend these kid kayaks. Our boys lived on them this summer!
• Bike: We typically use Christmas or Easter to upgrade our boys’ to the next bike size. We’ve had great luck with this bike in all sizes for our boys and it passes the hand-me-down test.
• Gymnastics Bar: One of Chase’s best friends has a gymnastics bar at her house and it’s the first thing he wants to do whenever we go to her house for playdates!
• Sports Cones: The gift that keeps on giving! Our kids use these for everything from creating courses for their bikes/Plasma Cars/Nighthawks to making up various games, sporting goals and more.
• Mini Hockey Set: A birthday gift our big kids continue to play with multiple times a week.
• Ninja Warrior Outside Obstacle Course: Another one the boys love to use at a friend’s house.
• Razor Scooter: Our big kids got these scooters for Christmas last year and we love how they easily collapse, making them a breeze to throw in the car and bring along when we go to a park, greenway, etc.
• Glider Airplanes: Our boys throw and chase these glider planes all over the place.
• Chasing Fireflies Game: Such a fun one for kids who love to seek and find.
• Pop-Up Goals: We got these when our big kids first got into soccer but they use them for a lot more than just soccer!
• Zebco Fishing Rod: The rod all of our boys used to learn to cast and fish.

IMAGINATION: 

• Picasso Tiles: These will make every kid gift guide I create for all time. The BEST. If you don’t have magnetic tiles for your little one, let this be the item you get them this year. I recommend getting a pack with at least 100 tiles because your child(ren) will play with them for years and make increasingly impressive creations!
• Pokémon Cards + Pokémon Essentials Handbook: I don’t get the hype on these cards at all but our boys are so into them it’s insane. If your kid is the same way, I cannot recommend the Pokémon Essentials Handbook enough. Our boys pour over it to learn more about their cards, Pokémon characters, damage points… and whatever else Pokémon cards mean to them that I don’t understand.
• Squishmallows: These adorable, super-soft and squishy pillow-liked stuffed animals are huge right now.
• Foamnasium Couch: Our kids drag these cushions everywhere. So great for fort building, story time relaxation, imagination play, clubhouses, etc.
• Fort-Building Kit: Our boys and Ryan have created some awesome forts with this kit. I know air forts are a big favorite for kids at this age, too!
• Walkie Talkies: For a three-pack of inexpensive walkie talkies, these have held up great for us!

Educational + Creative

• Loom Bracelets Kit: These are all the rage in Chase’s second grade class. The kids are always making and swapping bracelets and chokers in various colors and patterns.
• Melty/Perler Beads: You knew this one would make the list! Our boys are obsessed with melty beads! Our kids love this kit with the beads divided into separate sections based on color. Just make sure you get boards and a pattern book, too!
• Legos: A hit every time with our big kids.
• Mini Karaoke Machine: Ryder loves to sing so this will be under the tree for him this year!
• Ant Farm or Live Butterfly Lifecycle Habitat: For animal lovers! These kits are the coolest and had our animal-loving kids in awe.
• Science Experiments Kits: If you ask our boys if they want to do a science experiment at any time, their answer will always be yes! We’ve loved the National Geographic interactive experiment kits and this Crayola Color Chemistry set.
• Surprise Inside Bath Bombs: Our boys flip for these.
• Kid-Friendly Digital Camera: The gift we gave to a bunch of the boys’ friends for various birthdays this summer. It’s a small camera that’s a HUGE hit for kids, especially those with an interest in taking lots of pictures! The boys also had a blast with this mini underwater camera all summer long.
• Puzzles: We do puzzles in our house daily! The Mudpuppy reversible animal puzzles are some of our big kids’ favorites.
• Games: Don’t Break the Ice (our kids get SO into this one), Outfoxed (a favorite for years over here), Clue Jr. (Chase and Ryder reach for this one a lot)
• Electronic Safe: Chase loved this last year and uses it to lock away little treasures.
• Flower Crown Kit: We’ve given this as part of a birthday party gift a number of times and it always seems to be a winner.

SOMETHING THEY NEED

• Pottery Barn Loungers: If your little one is in need of a larger (but still kid-friendly) chair or place to lounge, I cannot recommend these loungers enough. We have a pair in our living room and in our play loft and sit in them all the time. They’re the boys’ favorite spot to curl up with a book and the large size works for our whole family. (You may see ours in action in this post.)
• Silicone Water Bottle Name Bands: We love these name bands because they can be used on any water bottle and they help easily identify the boys’ water bottles with their name! We went the tie-dye route for their name bands because they stand out a little more in a sea of water bottles. Pair this with a new water bottle (YETI 18 oz water bottles are our fav for big kids) for a fun gift idea!
• Name Blankets: Our boys love to get “cozy-cozy” as they say under blankets! We got them personalized name blankets for Christmas last year. These personalized holiday blankets are all kinds of adorable.
• Daily Task Charts: Our boys are majorly motivated by these charts and they’ve been great for teaching responsibility.
• Memberships/Lessons/Experiences: The best gift!!! Consider gifting a membership to a favorite museum, lessons for a favorite sport or activity, etc.
• Arts and Crafts Supplies: KwikStix Fast-Drying Paint Pens (the best for making posters/banners — we use our butcher paper roll all the time), Crayola Marker Caddy (great for small hands + organized markers), Window Crayons, Retractable Markers (to eliminate the frustration of losing caps!)
• Sporting Goods/Activity Supplies: A new soccer ball for a soccer player, a new leotard for a dancer, etc.

SOMETHING TO WEAR

• Slippers: Our boys inherited my love for slippers and get so excited for a new pair. Some of our favorites include these UGG look-a-likes from Walmart (I got these for them this year!) and these reindeer slippers (their Elf on the Shelf delivered them on December 1st last year!)
• Winter Outerwear: Some of our favorites the boys include this lightweight puffer jacket, this ski jacket and this ski jacket for super cold weather and skiing and these UGG look-a-like boots
• Pajamas: We love these Amazon pajamas so much and they have the cutest holiday prints!
• Crocs: Crocs are taking over the world. Our boys will each be getting a new pair on Christmas morning!
• Cozy Robe: I wear a robe non-stop in the winter months and the boys love robes as well, especially for lazy mornings and cozy evenings. I ordered these smiley face robes for the boys for Christmas and these strawberry robes for my nieces!
• Rain Boots: If you have adventurous kids who love to explore and get muddy, rainboots are a must.

Something To Read

Beginner Chapter Books: 

• Owl Diaries (Lots of pictures and text bubbles to hold the interest of young readers)
• Unicorn Diaries (If your kid loved Owl Diaries, they’ll love this series by the same author, too!)
• Dragon Masters (A dragon lover’s dream series. Lots of not-so-scary adventure.)
• Dragon Kingdom of Wrenly (The first boxed set in this series is going under the tree for Chase this Christmas. His best friend Jack loves them and his mom, who happens to be a former second grade teacher, recommended them to us!)
• Magic Tree House (The first chapter book series both of our big kids loved)
• Press Start (The first and second grader obsession with these books is REAL)
• Harry Potter Illustrated Edition (A great way to introduce the magical wizarding world to kids)
• Diary of a Pug (Another series we’ll be gifting to the boys this Christmas.)

Picture Books Big Kids Love: 

• The Circus Ship (A gem of a book! I cannot recommend this one enough. I broughtit to read to Chase’s first grade class last year and they absolutely loved it.)
• Dragons Love Tacos (A fun and goofy book)
• Those Darn Squirrels (This book cracks our kids up)
• Elephant & Piggie (Perfect for kindergarten + first graders)
• The Snail and the Whale (Because all Julia Donaldson books are a hit)
• Any of the “How to Catch a…” Books (A silly series of books our boys enjoy)
• Cat in the Hat Learning Library Books (Educational and fun!)

Shop This Gift Guide

The post PBF Gift Guide 2023: Big Kids appeared first on Peanut Butter Fingers.

It’s the Friday before Thanksgiving! Are you feelin’ the holiday season yet!? Earlier this week, Ryan said, “I’m really feeling Christmas this year,” and I agree 100 percent. I loved putting our decorations up early and think they’re contributing to the holly jolly feeling we have in our household right now. Don’t worry though, we aren’t overlooking Thanksgiving! We’re definitely looking forward to celebrating with family and friends on Thursday and plan to kick off the day with a turkey trot in the morning.

We have family arriving on Sunday and cannot wait for everyone to get here! It’s our first Thanksgiving in our new house and we’re hoping it will be a good one.

Though Thanksgiving craziness is about to kick into full gear next week, in true Things I’m Loving Friday fashion, I wanted to take some time today to slow down and chat about a few simple things that are making me smile right now. I’d also love to hear a little bit more about something you’re loving this week and your Thanksgiving plans in the comments section of this post if you’d like to share. Enjoy your weekend, my friends!

Things I’m Loving Friday

• New 2024 Planner

(Planner + Best pens ever!) 

Every year, a new planner is on my Christmas list. And, every year, I feel a little flustered as January approaches and I don’t have a calendar on hand to jot down upcoming events for the following year. This year I pulled the plug and ordered myself a new planner from Rifle Paper Co. and I love it so much already. I don’t typically opt for weekly planners as I feel like they make me miss something and gravitate toward planners that allow me to see the full month on one page. My new planner does just that! It’s thin and beautiful with multiple pages for notes at the end. Also, if you happen to be on their site browsing their planners (they have weekly and monthly planners in a variety of sizes), don’t miss their holiday mugs (I bought 2 as gifts already — I love the holiday book mug for bookworms) and their stitched notebook sets (a favorite of mine to divide up and include with teacher gifts).

• Vintage Christmas + Home Finds

Last night, my friend Lauren and I had a festive girls’ night out at a little vintage market pop-up at Camp North End in Charlotte. The pop-up wasn’t huge but it was jam-packed with eclectic vintage and beautiful handmade holiday decor, ornaments, gifts and more. I was especially excited about the vintage brass angel candle snuffer and the kissing Santa and Mrs. Claus salt and pepper shakers I found! The boys were thrilled with the ornaments I brought home since we got them their own mini 4-foot Christmas tree for in their room this year!

• ILLUME Woodfire Candle

Oh my gosh this candle. It was an impulse buy at Whole Foods earlier this week and I cannot tell you how much I am enjoying ILLUME’s woodfire candle for its unique, woodsy scent. As someone who gravitates toward balsam and cinnamon-scented candles this time of year, this one is blowing me away for the way it makes a whole space feel a little extra cozy. I’ve been burning it at my desk as I work every day and it brings me so much joy. For me, candles have always been a little indulgence that equals big happiness.

• Walmart $13 Kid Slippers

I had no idea our boys would flip for these slippers the way they did. They put them on the minute I took them out of the box and are raving about how comfortable and warm they feel on their feet. (I included them in my toddler + little kid gift guide for good reason!) I think they’re well worth the $13 I paid and Chase immediately asked if he could wear them to school the next day. (I actually then looked for an ankle boot version that he actually could wear to school and ordered these lookalike UGGs from GAP for only $13 with the code ADDON. They haven’t arrived yet but hopefully they’ll be a hit, too!) Also, a quick note about the slippers: They seem to come in and out of stock a lot. I had to check back a few times for the sizes we needed so if they don’t have the right size for your little one, don’t give up hope yet!

• Thanksgiving Menu Planning

As I mentioned above, we are hosting Thanksgiving this year (my sister and her family, my parents and a couple of friends) and cannot wait to have our house filled with people we love so much. I must admit, I’m feeling thankful we tackled decorating our house last weekend because I’m not feeling the stress of getting everything ready for our family’s arrival on Sunday. That is DONE!

One thing that isn’t quite done is our menu planning but I’m getting a jump start on that as well and that’s making me feel a little less stressed about the food side of things. My family will be staying with us for 6 days and everyone is so good about contributing but I still like to have a rough outline of meals planned so we aren’t all looking at each other at 5 p.m. like, “Umm, what’s for dinner?”

Here’s what I’m currently planning for all of us to enjoy:

Breakfasts: An assortment of eggs and sausage or bacon, super seed oatmeal, cottage cheese zucchini breakfast casserole, cinnamon rolls, yogurt bowl bar with fresh berries, granola, etc.

Lunches: Instant Pot chicken soup with grilled cheese, Greek yogurt rotisserie chicken salad, tuna salad, dinner leftovers, sandwiches, shrimp and edamame salad

Dinners: Instant Pot butternut squash beef stew, shepherd’s pie, Whole Smiths’ whole chicken (I always triple the veggies), crockpot chicken corn chili, Thanksgiving dinner, Thanksgiving leftovers, pizza night

As for Thanksgiving itself, everyone is chipping in (bless my mom for making her stuffing!!!) but I’ll be making the following dishes: The turkey (Ryan is handling that one and we swear by Diestel Farms organic turkeys!), slow cooker holiday mulled wine, Bubbee’s glazed carrots (Ryan’s grandma’s recipe), sweet potato casserole, my winning cornbread recipe, pumpkin pie (the recipe on the can never steers me wrong) and oatmeal apple crisp with cinnamon ice cream

• A Lady’s Guide to Scandal by Sophie Irwin

My rating: B+

Having thoroughly enjoyed A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting by Sophie Irwin, I put the follow-up novel on hold at the library and was thrilled when it became available earlier this week. A Lady’s Guide to Scandal has all of the wit and fancy-schmancy upper class intrigue of the first novel and is another fun, lighthearted read. While I preferred A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting, the character crossover in A Lady’s Guide to Scandal was enjoyable and the book was a little escape I looked forward to at night before bed.

The book begins soon after the passing of the Earl of Somerset when Miss Eliza Balfour, now Lady Somerset, finds herself widowed and no longer tied to her much-older husband and a marriage that left a lot to be desired. Eliza is now rich and free and determined to make her new life one she actually enjoys. The caveat? She must avoid all scandal or her fortune, controlled by her late husband’s nephew, who also happens to be the man who’s held her heart for years, will be revoked.

Eliza’s first move is to relocate to Bath with her cousin Margaret where she quickly takes up with an interesting assortment of people, including the handsome and infamous Lord Melville. As Eliza begins to enjoy life for the first time in years, she must keep the conventions of high society in mind while staying true to herself, something she is realizing may be increasingly hard to do.

• Around the Internet

Blog Posts: Everything I Read in October (Grace’s blog is a go-to for me for book recs!) / Organized Thanksgiving Meal Plan / Black-Eyed Pea Salad (I made this earlier this week and it was wonderful. I just omitted the hot sauce.) / Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Menu

Current Sales:

40% off + and extra 20% off at GAP with code ADDON — price appears in your cart after you enter the code! (I ordered these UGG lookalike boots for Chase for $13 and these Mickey Mouse socks for Rhett. At $16, these sweats are calling to me because I’m all about that cozy life this time of year. I love the teal!)

30% off Levi’s Ribcage Straight Ankle Jeans (These jeans are SO good. I bought them in 3 washes thanks to @morgbullard‘s recommendation.)

30% off Melissa & Doug Toys at Target (Some of our favorites: Wooden Puzzles — 10/10 recommend for toddlers! / Ice Cream Scoop Set — I gave this to my nieces and it was a huge hit / Tool Set — We’ve had this for years. The boys have played with it HARD and it’s still held up! / Water WOW! Books — so helpful for road trip/travel entertainment)

20% off my favorite ankle booties (Very comfy + I have the black and cognac colors. I love them dressed up or down. You may see them in the first pic of this past Recent Looks post!)

20% off Natural Gemstone Advent Calendar (For anyone else with little ones who are gem-obsessed.)

• Friday Flashbacks

10 Recipes to Make for Thanksgiving (A collection of our favorites!)

My Mom’s Stuffing Recipe (The dish that makes Thanksgiving taste like Thanksgiving to me. It’s comfort and home in one deliciously savory dish.)

Question of the Day

What are your Thanksgiving plans? Hosting? Traveling? Relaxing at home? 

What recipe/dish is the one that makes Thanksgiving feel like Thanksgiving to you?

The post Things I’m Loving Friday #491 appeared first on Peanut Butter Fingers.

The holiday season is officially in full swing! I am trying my best to be on top of things and get my gift guides out early this year for those who want to knock out holiday shopping and possibly keep an eye out for extra Black Friday savings on certain items!

I’m kicking off my 2023 gift guides with Gift Guide for Kids (part one!) because it is, without a doubt, the easiest gift guide for me to create every year. I have a million and one kid gift ideas in my brain and absolutely LOVE shopping for kids. (I swear my dream job would be people hiring me to shop for their children.) It’s oddly fun for me to pick out gifts for little ones and this year I figured I should divide up my gift guide for kids into two separate gift guides, as our boys’ ages mean the gifts they love and want are becoming increasingly different. (What we’d get for 3-year-old Rhett is quite different than what we’d get for 8-year-old Chase.)

Today’s gift guide focuses on gifts for the toddlers and little ones. I think most gifts in this gift guide would be loved by children ages 2-4-years-old, but of course you know the littles ones in your life best.

As in years past, I’m dividing this years’ gift guide for kids into four categories:

• Something they want (subdivided into a few additional categories)
• Something they need
• Something to wear
• Something to read

This is the way I approach gifting to our boys as it includes a mix of practical gifts as well as the fun stuff they love. I hope this gift guide gives you some ideas for the little ones in your life!

NOTE: You may find a bunch of these items rounded up together in my Amazon shop! Also of possible interest are the two posts I wrote after the holidays featuring the gifts our boys loved and still played with over and over again after Christmas: Holiday Gifts: The Hits Two Months Later (early 2023) + Holiday Gifts: The Hits One Month Later (early 2022)

Gift Guide for Kids: Toddlers and Little Kids

Something They Want

PHYSICAL PLAY:

• Plasma Car: These make my gift guides every year for good reason. We discovered them through the boys’ preschool and all of the kids are obsessed and love flying around on them. We also have this knock-off version and the differences are very minimal if you’d like to save some money!
• Little Tikes Bounce House: Our quarantine discovery and the best for indoor winter playtime. This is the bounce house we got for Chase and Ryder when they were younger and it’s the perfect size for toddlers.
• Push Car: File this under great gifts for a 1-3 year old! We especially appreciated this one when our boys started to protest walks in the stroller.
• Side-by-Side Push Car: A push car that seats two! If you have multiples (or even one kid who likes a little more room), opt for this one! It’s also more comfortable for bigger kids so it will last longer.
• Balance Bike: I credit a combination of the Balance Bike + a small bike with training wheels for making it so easy for Ryder to learn to ride a big kid bike in less than 5 minutes (yes, truly!) when he was 4-years-old. It blew my mind and was night-and-day different from Chase who never really go into the Balance Bike. Rhett is also obsessed with the Balance Bike!
• Bike: We’ve loved this bike and have it in two sizes. It’s passed the hand-me-down test and our smallest version of the bike (12”) has now been through three boys and held up well.
• Scooter: Our boys have all started on a three-wheel scooter at first!
• Chasing Fireflies Game: Such a fun one for kids who love to seek and find.
• Zebco Fishing Rod: The rod all of our boys used to learn to cast and fish.

IMAGINATION: 

• Picasso Tiles: These will make every kid gift guide I create for all time. The BEST. If you don’t have magnetic tiles for your little one, let this be the item you get them this year. I recommend getting a pack with at least 100 tiles because your child(ren) will play with them for years and make increasingly impressive creations!
• Costumes: You can never have enough! Costumes are the gift that keep on giving for hours of imaginary play.
• Musical Instruments: Another idea that will be used for years and years.
• Train Table + Trains: A big gift for sure but one we’ve had for 6+ years and won’t get rid of anytime soon because it’s still played with so often.
• Pop-Up Play Tent: Great for imagination play! I cannot tell you how much time our boys have spent in their pop-up rocket ship tent. Bonus: It looks like a BIG gift to a little kid but it won’t break the bank.
• Foamnasium Couch: Our kids drag these cushions everywhere. So great for fort building, story time relaxation, imagination play, clubhouses, etc.
• Unlocking Car Garage: This was recommended by one of my occupational therapist friends and Rhett (2-years-old at the time) loved it last year! He continues to reach for it regularly.
• Tonies: Great for quiet time and road trip entertainment. Our boys love listening to the stories from their favorite Tonies and often put on a Tonies story on to listen to for background entertainment. (Definitely get this carrying case to keep everything together!) Our youngers boys’ favorite Tonies characters: All of the Paw Patrol characters, Super Wings, Christmas Mickey Mouse, Daniel Tiger
• Walkie Talkies: For a three-pack of inexpensive walkie talkies, these have held up great for us!

EDUCATIONAL + CREATIVE:  

• Munchkin Color Mix Bath Toy: This is one of my top recommendations this year, especially if your little one likes bath time. Rhett constantly requests a “color bath” and loves mixing colors and playing in the colorful water. We have these Color Buddies that also use the color tablets for a colorful bath. So fun!
• Biggie Beads: Think melty/perler beads but bigger! Great for fine motor skill development. This kit comes with everything you need (other than an iron but honestly we don’t even iron their Biggie Bead creations that often)!
• Surprise Inside Bath Bombs: Our boys flip for these.
• Water Doodle Mat: Create fun pictures using only water! The mat size is nice and big but folds up easily. Just make sure you get one that comes with a little backpack for easy storage so you can keep everything together and organized.
• Kid-Friendly Digital Camera: The gift we gave to a bunch of the boys’ friends for various birthdays this summer. It’s a small camera that’s a HUGE hit for little kids, especially those with an interest in taking lots of pictures!
• Puzzles: We do puzzles in our house daily! These 4-in-1 wooden puzzles are high-quality and fantastic for younger puzzlers. We have all of them!
• V-Tech Rock and Bop Music Player: So helpful for us for toddler car entertainment! All three boys loved this one!
• Games: Duck Duck Dance (an adorable game for toddlers that gets your little one laughing and dancing), Hoot Owl Hoot (a great game for collaborative play), Don’t Break the Ice (our kids get SO into this one)
• LeapFrog Learning Laptop: I swear this thing helped all of our boys learn their letters early. They still play with it and pretend to “work” on this laptop! It’s a go-to gift for me for a 2-year-old.
• Decorate Your Own Treasure Chest / Jewelry Box: My kids can’t be the only ones who love putting “special things” away in a treasure chest! These decorate-your-own treasure chests/jewelry boxes are great for kids who love to save their little treasures in a special place.
• Easel: We’ve had ours for years and it’s still in constant use.

Something They Need

• Silicone Water Bottle Name Bands: We love these name bands because they can be used on any water bottle and they help easily identify the boys’ water bottles with their name! We went the tie-dye route for their name bands because they stand out a little more in a sea of water bottles. Pair this with a new water bottle (YETI 12 oz water bottles are still our favorite) for a fun gift idea!
• Daily Task Charts: Our boys are majorly motivated by these charts and they’ve been great for teaching responsibility.
• Phone Number Temporary Tattoos: These are going in the boys’ stockings this year after we were out with friends earlier this fall and they could not find their 4-year-old for 30 minutes. It was terrifying and I’m planning to use these temporary tattoos on the inside of our youngers boys’ forearms when we go out to crowded places, amusement parts, etc.
• Memberships/Lessons/Experiences: The best gift!!! Consider gifting a membership to a favorite museum, lessons for a favorite sport or activity, etc.
• Arts and Crafts Supplies: KwikStix Fast-Drying Paint Pens (the best for making posters/banners — we use our butcher paper roll all the time), Crayola Marker Caddy (great for small hands + organized markers), Window Crayons, Retractable Markers (to eliminate the frustration of losing caps!)
• Sporting Goods/Activity Supplies: A new soccer ball for a soccer player, a new leotard for a dancer, etc.
• Step Stool/Name Puzzle Stool or Kitchen Helper Cooking Stand: Our boys all began using our kitchen helper stand right around age 2. It’s great for “helping” in the kitchen but also allowing them to stand at counter-height safely. Pair this one with children’s knives to let them slice soft foods (hard boiled eggs, bread, berries) and feel like a big kid! And a Name Puzzle Stool is always a hit for little ones just beginning to potty train and wash their hands by themselves. We have stools readily available in every room of our house with a sink!

Something To Wear

• Slippers: Our boys inherited my love for slippers and get so excited for a new pair. Some of our favorites include these UGG look-a-likes from Walmart (I got these for them this year!) and these reindeer slippers (their Elf on the Shelf delivered them on December 1st last year!)
• Winter Outerwear: Some of our favorites the boys include this lightweight puffer jacket, this ski jacket and this ski jacket for super cold weather and skiing and these UGG look-a-like boots
• Pajamas: We love these Amazon pajamas so much and they have the cutest holiday prints!
• Crocs: Crocs are taking over the world. Our boys will each be getting a new pair on Christmas morning!
• Cozy Robe: I wear a robe non-stop in the winter months and the boys love robes as well, especially for lazy mornings and cozy evenings. I ordered these smiley face robes for the boys for Christmas and these strawberry robes for my nieces! (I got them at 50% off and checked this morning and the code LTK50 is still working!)
• Rain Boots: If you have adventurous kids who love to explore and get muddy, rainboots are a must.

Something To Read

(You may find a bunch of our family’s favorite Christmas books in this post if you’re looking for some Christmas-themed reads!) 

TODDLER BOOKS

• Little Blue Truck (We have and love them all)
• Daniel Tiger 5-Minute Stories (Our 3-year-old’s favorite!)
• Little Excavator (Adorable and loved by all 3 of our boys)
• Poke-a-Dot Books (Cute and engaging for 1-to-3-year-olds)
• Brown Bear, Brown Bear (A classic for a reason — we love the slide-and-find version)
• Go Dog Go (I think our whole family has this one memorized)

LITTLE KID BOOKS

• The Circus Ship (Such a gem of a book!)
• Pete the Cat (We love this take-along collection, as it has many books in one case)
• Pout Pout Fish (One of my personal favorites! Such clever rhyming!)
• The Gruffalo (Cute, funny and fun to read)
• Excellent Ed (Sweet story and a simple way to teach kids about individuality)
• Cars and Trucks and Things That Go (Don’t forget to search for Goldbug on each page!)
• Press Here (Creative concept and a very interactive read)
• The Snail and the Whale (You can’t go wrong with a Julia Donaldson book)
• Paw Patrol 5 Minute Stories (For kids who are Paw Patrol super fans)
• Are You My Mother? (One of my favs as a kid and still a hit)

Shop This Gift Guide

QUESTION OF THE DAY

If you have any gift recommendations for toddlers and little kids, please share them below! 

The post PBF Gift Guide 2023: Toddlers and Little Kids appeared first on Peanut Butter Fingers.

I loved this weekend so much for one reason: Its simplicity. I adore jam-packed weekends filled with fun and activity but after quite a few full weekends in a row, a weekend where we stayed close to home was just what we all needed.

Saturday

Our main mission this weekend was to flip our house from fall to Christmas! We packed away the pumpkins and brought out the ornaments, wreaths, reindeer, angels and Christmas trees. Our house was feeling all kinds of holly jolly on Saturday!

Before we broke into our storage bins, we eased into the day with coffee, cinnamon rolls and melty beads.

The boys are on a mission to make melty bead ornaments as gifts for loved ones this year and figured they should get a jump start on their creations. (We just leave one bead off the creations and will thread ribbon through the hole to hang them on our tree.) Of course Ryder’s first ornament was an ornament of Pepper for Pepper! We find a lot of the patterns through Google Images or Pinterest and then the boys just count the number of melty beads needed in each row. I think this will be a fun little project this holiday season, especially since the boys’ love of melty beads has been holding strong for months and months.

We then set out to begin to decorate our house for Christmas and, while this is the earliest we’ve ever decorated, it felt wonderful to see red and green take over our house. We’re hosting Thanksgiving this year (everyone arrives next Tuesday!) and have plans the first weekend in December so we figured we should jump on a free weekend to decorate while we had the chance. I’m loving it!

A few years ago, Ryan convinced me into getting two Christmas trees and we’ve never looked back. We put the artificial tree we’ve had since we first got married in the play loft on Saturday and it made the space feel a little more magical. (We are going to wait to get a real tree for our living room until after Thanksgiving.)

Worth noting: Last year I bought an ornament storage box from Amazon and can officially say that thing is worth its weight in gold. It made decorating the tree a breeze since everything was organized and I didn’t have to unwrap individual ornaments. Game changer!

The boys absolutely love it when we break into our decorations because they get to play with a lot of the Christmas toys we pack away at the end of each holiday season. Most of the toys are actually from advent calendars from past years! I thought it might be helpful to highlight some of the advent calendars that were slam dunks with our boys and have continued to be hits for years to come just in case you’re looking for an advent calendar for a little one this year.

• Thomas the Train Advent Calendar: This one comes with mini trains and is a 10/10 advent calendar for any train-loving kids. We actually keep the mini trains out year-round (we store them in a mini train case) and the boys play with them constantly throughout the year.
• Playmobil Advent Calendar: This was a generous gift from my mom and it’s the gift that keeps on giving for imaginative holiday play. The boys loved receiving a new toy to create a Christmas scene each day and continue to use the pieces to play imagination games each holiday season.  (Note: This is the exact one the boys have and love but the price has skyrocketed because it’s from 2018 and no longer in production. This is this years’ version that looks great.)
• Elf on the Shelf North Pole Advent Calendar: Another one that’s great for train lovers! It’s a happy little calendar that made the boys smile and the train, adorable animals and elves get a lot of love every year when it comes out of storage during the holiday season.

This year I ordered a little wooden tree advent calendar for our family because it reminds me of something similar we had when I was a child. I think it will double as an adorable, whimsical holiday decoration for the boys’ room or the play loft for years to come. I also couldn’t resist this gem stone calendar for the boys because they’re gem-obsessed. Can you tell I’m a sucker for advent calendars!?

We didn’t leave the house until after 2 p.m. on Saturday when Ryan had plans with a friend and I promised the boys I’d take them to Spare Time.

(All about cozy looks for daysss around here lately! Vest: Amazon / Leggings: Lululemon / Boots: UGGs / Top: Amazon) 

Ryder and I actually went to the bowling alley/arcade together on Friday night for some one-on-one time. He picked Spare Time because he was so bummed to miss a friend’s birthday parties at the arcade over Ryan’s Ironman race weekend. We had the best time together on Friday night but the power went out at the arcade before Ryder could redeem his tickets. This suited his brothers quite well because it meant a quick return trip to the arcade on Saturday where I was suckered into letting them play games for a little while.

We left the arcade around 3:15 p.m. and realized we were close enough to make it to Discovery Place Kids before it closed for the day. The boys always have the best time at DPK and we ran all over the place until 4:30 p.m. when it closed.

We picked up pizza on our way home and pulled into our driveway just as Ryan and our friend Ben were arriving back at our house, too. We dug into pizza and laughed at Pepper and Remi, Ben’s golden doodle, as the two dogs ran around like little maniacs.

They were adorable together and I don’t think their tails stopped wagging even one time as they played. Another dog is on our radar eventually (we’re still likely years away) and I’m pretty sure nothing would make Pepper happier than a big, furry playmate. She’s Sadie’s exact opposite in this way. Ryan and I repeatedly joked about the side-eye Sadie would’ve given us forevermore had we brought another dog home to co-exist with our princess.

Sunday

Sunday morning began with more decorating mayhem. Ryan tackled the outdoor lights and even added a 12-foot blow-up Santa and reindeer to our roof. Yes, we are officially a blow-up family now. Gone are the days when I wanted only classy-looking white lights on our home. Our kids could care less about beautiful decorations and watching them light up over the holiday blow ups and colorful lights they saw on other houses over the holiday season had us changing our tune a few years ago.

I didn’t end up taking too many pictures on Sunday mainly because it was another mostly at home day. I actually got out by myself for a couple of hours in the middle of the day to knock out some holiday shopping and told Ryan the joy I felt roaming through Target and HomeGoods alone during the holiday season was next-level.

I arrived home and added the two sherpa peppermint pillows to the faux-leather loungers in the play loft and I love the way they add a whimsical feel to the space. (I got the pillows at Target but couldn’t find them online. Walmart has almost identical peppermint pillows online for less than $7! And I couldn’t resist ordering this sherpa Christmas tree pillow I found when I was looking for that peppermint pillow online, too!)

(Rug: Chris Loves Julia / Faux-Leather Loungers: Pottery Barn) 

You better believe those loungers will be making my gift guide for kids this year. We have them in our living room and bought two more for our play loft because we use them so much. They’re super comfortable and if they happen to be on your radar, definitely get the large size. Even Rhett (age 3) sits comfortably in the large size.

The rest of our Sunday passed by in a blur of outside time, movie night (the boys love the Elf on the Shelf mini movies on Netflix), bath time, stories (we broke into our favorite Christmas book collection!) and early bed times.

The lake near our house is really, really low right now so a lot of the areas that are normally covered in water are exposed and walkable. The boys LOVED walking out onto this island we normally have to kayak to get to in the summertime.

As for today, it should be another normal week around here before holiday craziness sets in next week. The big kids also begin basketball (it’s a first for both Chase and Ryder) which should be fun. I’m off to get this day rockin’! Hope you all have a fantastic Monday!

The post A Holly Jolly Home Weekend appeared first on Peanut Butter Fingers.

Friday is here and we are ready for what we’re dubbing “Home Weekend.” After a few back-to-back weekends of guests, Halloween craziness and travel, Ryan and I are determined to stay close to home this weekend and knock out some household to-dos. We’re planning to fill our days with super glamorous things like yardwork and taking down fall decorations and, hopefully, decorating for Christmas both inside and outside, too.

I hope to have a weekend recap to share with you guys on the blog on Monday but, until then, I hope this week’s roundup of Friday favorites makes you smile! Enjoy your weekend, my friends!

Things I’m Loving Friday

• Platform Slippers

(Slippers: Amazon / Leggings: Lululemon / Cardigan: Amazon / Bag: Free People)

There are certain cozy household comforts that call to me more than others. Throw blankets, a seasonal candle, a fuzzy robe, comfy pajamas… I love them all so much. Slippers absolutely fall into this category as well and I’m always on the lookout for slippers that look cute but also function well out of the house as I am often in and out with the boys and Pepper in our driveway. When I saw these platform slippers, I thought they looked cute enough to wear for school drop offs in addition to slipping on inside when I’m hanging out at home. I love them so much! They took a little longer to ship than most Amazon purchases but they were worth the wait. I love the light tan color (they look nearly identical to the $130 Ugg Tazz Slippers I could not find in stock anywhere in my size in the light beige color) and I think they look cute with leggings, joggers, sweats and even jeans. (Note: I’m typically an 8 or 8.5 in shoes but I ordered these slippers in a size 9 and was very glad I did. I’d recommend sizing up in these!)

• Return of Dove Peppermint Bark Chocolate Promises

I majorly lucked out at Target earlier this week when I walked past the holiday candy aisles and saw a man stocking the shelves with my beloved Dove Peppermint Bark Promises. I cannot tell you the joy these little chocolates bring me every year! They’re perfectly creamy and minty with a tiny crunch from peppermint candy pieces. I bought 12 bags and I’m wondering if that will be enough to tide me over until the next holiday season when I can replace my stash again? I might have to pick up another couple of bags just to be safe. Gosh, I love those things so much!

• Theme Week at Burn Boot Camp

(My pajama onesie is 50% off at Old Navy right now! I wear this thing non-stop around the holidays! It oddly comes in handy.) 

I love a reason to lean into a fun theme so when my local Burn Boot Camp announced a theme for each day of the week in honor of their 5-year anniversary, you know I was all about it. Honestly, anytime a gym does a theme week, I am reminded of Jazzercise with my mom because Jazzercisers are the queens of going all-out for a themed workout! It just makes the gym a little more fun and even though I was a little hot in my long-sleeved holiday onesie on pajama day, I still had a blast!

• Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano

My rating: A

Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano is one of the best books I’ve read in years. It kept me reading late into the night because I felt deeply invested in the characters and relationships in this novel. The writing is wonderful and the way the author touches on love, familial bonds and grief made me want to highlight certain passages so I could remember the author’s poignant words. (It was a library rental for me, otherwise I would have! It’s also a book I can see myself re-reading in the future which is something I almost never do because there are too many good books out there.) If you’re struggling after the loss of a loved one, I think this book might be a read you would enjoy as the author’s words about loss and grief felt so deeply accurate and really stuck with me.

From Amazon:

William Waters grew up in a house silenced by tragedy, where his parents could hardly bear to look at him, much less love him—so when he meets the spirited and ambitious Julia Padavano in his freshman year of college, it’s as if the world has lit up around him. With Julia comes her family, as she and her three sisters are inseparable: Sylvie, the family’s dreamer, is happiest with her nose in a book; Cecelia is a free-spirited artist; and Emeline patiently takes care of them all. With the Padavanos, William experiences a newfound contentment; every moment in their house is filled with loving chaos.

But then darkness from William’s past surfaces, jeopardizing not only Julia’s carefully orchestrated plans for their future, but the sisters’ unshakeable devotion to one another. The result is a catastrophic family rift that changes their lives for generations. Will the loyalty that once rooted them be strong enough to draw them back together when it matters most?

• Around the Internet

Blog Posts: Best Fictions Books / Honey Dijon Roasted Root Veggies / Pecan Swirl Ice Cream Pie / Easy Crockpot Family Dinners / No Bake Healthy Pumpkin Cookies / Pumpkin Bread

Current Sales:

50% off The Styled Collection (on top of sale prices!) with code LTK50: I went to town on this sale for holiday + future gifts! My exact order: Smiley Checkered Robes (for the boys) / Pink Strawberry Robes (for my nieces) / Smiley Children’s Blanket (for 2 friends having babies this spring) / Buttery Pumpkin Blanket (for our family — only $20!) / Butterfly Blanket (for one of Chase’s girlfriend’s birthdays)

Up to 20% off Caraway Cookware: The stunning pots, pans and bakeware we trust and love

40% off everything + 50% off holiday pajamas at Old Navy

30% off clothing, shoes and accessories at Target: Some items I own and love: High Rise Joggers / Comfy Cargos /Ribbed High-Neck Tank (You guys know how obsessed I am with this one! Only $6 on sale and great under sweaters + cardigans.) / Tapered Jeans / Pullover Sweater (I love this so much I have it in 3 colors now!) / Hoodie Sweatshirt (I have the light purple and it’s beautiful. I sized up!) / Kids’ Relaxed Fit Joggers (I know these say they’re for girls but I bought these for Rhett and Ryder because they are a slimmer fit and love them. Super soft and they don’t look too big/sloppy on slim kids.) / Mock Neck Turtleneck Sweater (slouchy, cozy and comfy!) / Kids’ Fleece Jogger Pants (These also say they’re for girls but they’re definitely unisex and I bought them for Chase for a not-too-boxy jogger on his slim frame.)

• October 2023 Top 10

A while back I began sharing a top 10 list at the end of every month as a way to give you guys a glimpse back into some of the blog posts you may have missed or some of my favorite finds you may have had on your radar that got lost in blogging and social media mayhem. See below for October’s top 10!

Top 10 Blog Posts

• Easy Cheesy Crockpot Chicken Corn Chili
• Girls’ Weekend in New Hampshire
• Books I’ve Recently Read and Loved (2023)
• Recent Looks #4
• Instant Pot Butternut Squash Beef Stew
• DIY Memory Boxes
• Whole Wheat Pumpkin Muffins
• Winning Cornbread Recipe
• A Wednesday Afternoon Check In
• Cinnamon Apple Pie Ice Cream

Your Top 10 Favorites

• Target Comfy Cargos (After months of searching, I finally found the perfect pair of comfy cargos!)
• Free People Quilted Carryall Bag (The lightweight bag that holds a TON! Perfect as a carryon for travel but I also use it as my work bag when I work from a coffeeshop as it easily holds my laptop and much, much more.)
• Target High Rise Joggers (With a true high rise — over my belly button — these joggers are equal parts trendy, cute and comfy.)
• Crossbody Bag + Letter Patches (I shared this DIY gift idea on IG for one of Chase’s 8-year-old girlfriends and love how many of you are doing this one, too!)
• Target Tapered Jeans (My first pair of Target jeans and I love them! They’re a great in-between jean for those who want something a little slouchy but not oversized/sloppy.)
• Duck Duck Dance (A game for toddlers that Rhett reaches for over and over again!)
• Marble Stone Drying Mat (Aka the dish drying mat that’s not a total eyesore on your kitchen counter)
• Julep Eyeshadow Stick (The eyeshadow I use to run over my eyeliner to give it a slightly undone/smudgy look)
• Slouchy Duster Cardigan (The long, comfy sweater I’ve been pairing with everything this fall.)
• Hanging Toiletry Bag (A travel game-changer. So helpful for organizing lots of toiletries.)

• Friday Flashbacks

Pumpkin Icebox Cake (Such a simple dish and a fun alternative to pumpkin pie this holiday season.)

Chopped Broccoli and Brussels Sprouts Salad (Finally a salad you can prep ahead without worrying about it getting wilted!)

Question of the Day

What is one thing you are loving this week? 

The post Things I’m Loving Friday #490 appeared first on Peanut Butter Fingers.

It’s been a hot second since I’ve shared an updated skincare routine. I’m loosely interested in skincare in that I believe it’s beneficial but I also know myself enough to know I’m not going to do some elaborate 30-minute skincare routine every single day. I want something easy and something I believe is impactful for my personal skincare goals which, at 38-years-old, primarily look like keeping my skin clear, brightening dull skin, evening skin tone and fighting age spots, fine-lines and wrinkles.

I’m breaking this post up into my morning skincare routine and my evening skincare routine but both are quick and easy and don’t take much time out of my day or night.

My Skincare Routine

Morning Skincare Routine

Get ready for a really short skincare routine. Everything below takes less than 90 seconds from start to finish. For me, morning skincare is all about ease, efficiency and prioritizing products I believe make a difference for my skin. Here are the products I use every morning, in order of application.

• ELEMIS Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Pads

It’s taken me 38 years to realize I will not wash my face in the morning (unless I take a morning shower). If my plans for the day do not include a workout or a shower first thing, there’s a zero percent chance I’m going to wash my face. That’s where these facial pads come in! I use them every single morning right after I wake up to gently remove dead skin cells, improve skin tone and texture and give my skin a brighter appearance while increasing my skin’s natural cell turnover. They’re the ONLY product I’ve found that I’ll stick with when it comes to morning skin pseudo-cleansing.

• Vitamin C + Ferulic Acid Serum (NOW Solutions Vitamin C + Ferulic Acid or SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic)

Okay this is where I get a little ridiculous. I’ve been a huge believer in vitamin C for skincare for years. It’s a product I swear by because of its ability to brighten skin and reduce hyperpigmentation. I have two vitamin C products I use regularly — one is fancy schmancy and one is much more affordable. NOW Solutions Vitamin C + Ferulic Acid is the less expensive vitamin C product I use and it’s the one I use most often. It’s also the vitamin C serum I’ve been using the longest and believe in wholeheartedly! (Note: NOW is not sponsoring this post but I do have a code for their site if you’d like to use it! PBFINGERS will save you 20% off anything on NowFoods.com all year. I do not receive any commission from purchases made but feel it’s important to note that I love NOW and occasionally partner with them through Instagram collabs.) 

A couple times a week, I use SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic which is the vitamin C serum that always seems to get a lot of love from dermatologists and beauty gurus… and the price reflects this 100 percent. It’s basically a bazillion dollars but I was convinced to give it a try after following a dermatologist (@derm.talk) who said vitamin C products are not created equal and said it’s a product she splurges on every time. She highlighted SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic as the most-studied vitamin C serum on the market and called it her “holy grail” and I was sold. I hate to say it, but I have noticed improvement in my skin since incorporating it into my skincare routine, even as minimally as I have. You better believe I am stretching out my billion-dollar bottle as long as possible!

• NOW Solutions Hyaluronic Acid AM Moisturizer

Hailey, my go-to local aesthetician at Meraki Aesthetics (and the woman I trust completely with my skin), highly recommended adding hyaluronic acid into my skincare routine to help reduce fine lines and wrinkles. I use it as a moisturizer in the morning and apply it after my vitamin c serum dries. I love the way it makes my face feel plump and hydrated.

Another benefit: It can help reduce scarring and since I’m at the age in life where picking a zit means I’ll have a scar on my face for the rest of my days, I appreciate this benefit a lot!

• DR. BRANDT LIQUID SUN SHIELD DAILY BRIGHTENING MINERAL SUNSCREEN (SPF 50)

The love I have for Dr. Brandt’s Liquid Sun Shield Daily Brightening Mineral Sunscreen knows no bounds. This stuff is a dream for your face. It is so smooth and lightweight and DOES NOT feel like sunscreen. We’re talking no thick, sticky mess and it glides over my skin almost like a makeup primer. (Truth be told, I feel like this stuff makes my makeup look even better when I apply it over this sunscreen.) It leaves absolutely NO white cast and goes on completely clear. I am a stickler for wearing sunscreen on my face — something I wish I took more seriously when I was younger — and love the SPF 50 protection from this mineral sunscreen. I even have Ryan and my dad hooked on it, too!

One note: I’ve heard some complaints about the dropper in this one and found this video SO helpful if the dropper in your bottle is giving you trouble.

Evening Skincare Routine

My evening skincare centers are around cleansing and moisturizing before bed. The below products are listed in application order.

• ELEMIS PRO-COLLAGEN NAKED CLEANSING BALM

It took me a long time to find an evening skincare routine I genuinely enjoy but I’m finally there. I think my lack of enjoyment related to evening skincare centered around washing my face and the pool of water I’d find myself in at the bathroom sink. Enter: ELEMIS Pro Collagen Naked Cleansing Balm. The application process for this cleanser is unique and, to be honest, the whole process feels oddly luxurious and relaxing. (Important note: I prefer the “naked” version of this cleansing balm as it’s unscented.)

To use this cleansing balm, you rub it all over your face and then use a damp wash cloth to wipe your makeup and the dirt of the day away. (It comes with a soft wash cloth for you to use.) There’s zero watery mess around your sink and using this cleansing balm before bed feels nourishing, hydrating and lovely. Applying the balm feels almost spa-like and as someone who finds washing my face tedious, it’s nice to have a product on hand that I genuinely look forward to using at the end of the day. I still prefer regular cleansers in the shower (I regularly rotate between this one, this one and this one) but the cleansing balm is my go-to for washing my face at my sink at the end of the day.

• In-the-Shower Cleansers: Botanic Tree Vitamin C Brightening Face Cleanser / Amara Beauty Vitamin C Cleanser / NOW Solutions Clarify & Illuminate Cleanser

My shower time varies day-to-day depending on workouts and when I can squeeze it in (and whether or not I want to wash my hair — ha!), so the time of day I use one of these cleansers is all over the place. I’m adding it to the evening section of today’s post but I truly grab a shower at any point in the day. If I shower in the evening, I do not use the ELEMIS cleansing balm above but opt to use one of three cleansers in the shower: Botanic Tree Vitamin C Brightening Face Cleanser, Amara Beauty Vitamin C Cleanser or NOW Solutions Clarify & Illuminate Cleanser. I use all of these interchangeably and, perhaps most importantly, I double cleanse in the shower to make sure I get all of my makeup and the dirt of the day off my face. Lately I’ve been reaching for the Botanic Tree Vitamin C Cleanser most frequently (Ryan actually ordered this first when he saw it on sale on Amazon because he knows I’m all about vitamin C for my skin) but I truly love all of the cleansers mentioned and have used Amara Beauty and NOW Solutions cleansers for years.

• NOW Solutions Hyaluronic Acid PM Moisturizer

I double down on hyaluronic acid every day and use NOW Solutions’ Hyaluronic Acid PM Moisturizer before bed every night because why not increase my skin’s exposure to anti-aging products!? Plus, this moisturizer feels like a big gulp of hydration for my skin at the end of the day and I love the way it easily absorbs into my face, neck and chest.

• NOW Solutions Organic Rosehip Seed Oil (+ Beauty By Earth Tanning Drops)

If I had to eliminate every single thing from my skincare routine and could only keep one product, rosehip seed oil would be my winner. It’s been the backbone of my skincare routine for more than seven years and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. (You may see a blog post I wrote back in 2016 dedicated to this natural beauty rockstar!) I truly believe this is a gift to my skin (its know for its ability to reduce fine lines and wrinkles, correct dark spots and hydrate the skin in a natural way) and the joy I get from rubbing this oil all over my face and neck at the end of the day is on another level. I make myself look like a glazed donut before bed every night and I love it so much. It’s also, hands down, the BEST makeup remover I’ve found, especially when it comes to stubborn mascara and dark eye makeup. Nothing else compares!

While this doesn’t exactly fall in the skincare category, I wanted to mention Beauty By Earth Self Tanner Tanning Drops here as well because I mix them with my rosehip seed oil twice a week before rubbing the combined products all over my face. I love the way the tanning drops give my face a little boost of natural-looking color, especially this time of year when any tan I had over the summer is long gone.

Questions of the Day

Skincare! Let’s talk about it! What does your skincare routine look like? Any “holy grail” skincare products out there to share? I’m also loosely interested in adding a retinol to my skincare routine and would love to hear your recommendations and/or first-hand experience with incorporating retinol into your skincare regimen. 

The post My Skincare Routine appeared first on Peanut Butter Fingers.

It’s official! Ryan is an IRONMAN!

After 140.6 miles — a 2.4 mi swim + 112 mi bike + 26.2 mi run — Ryan crossed the finish line of his first full Ironman race on Saturday and it was incredible. It was inspiring and emotional and I don’t want to forget a single moment of watching Ryan accomplish something so physically and mentally demanding so please let this serve as your warning that this recap is going to be long one. Buckle up, my friends!

The Road to 140.6

Prior to this race, Ryan completed four 70.3 Half Ironman races. Just in case you’d like to start from the beginning, here are my past blog posts recapping his prior races and a little Q&A he did on the blog about his first Half Ironman experience:

• North Carolina 70.3 (October 2021 — His first race and the start of it all!)
• First Half Ironman Q&A (Ryan answered a bunch of your questions about his first 70.3 experience)
• North Carolina 70.3 (October 2022 — the race where my dad, brother-in-law and I joined him and did the relay while he did the full 70.3 miles)
• Virginia’s Blue Ridge 70.3 (June 2023 — the one with the crazy-hard bike course + his bike crash)
• Augusta 70.3 (September 2023 — the one he did with my brother-in-law!)

After each Half Ironman race, inevitably everyone around Ryan would ask the same thing: Are you going to do a full? After his first 70.3 race in 2021, I remember his answer vividly. “A full has never felt further away.” It was a tough race and a learning experience but it also seemed to light a fire within Ryan that made him want to push himself and sign up for more Half Ironman races.

I knew Ryan was toying with the idea of signing up for a full Ironman after his Roanoke race earlier this summer. He didn’t let up on his training and couldn’t get a full out of his mind. He waffled back and forth a lot but also recognized he was fairly well trained at this point in the summer to set a goal to cross the finish line of an early November full Ironman. A couple months later, at the end of the summer, Ryan told me he was officially registered for Ironman Florida, a 104.6 mile race in Panama City Beach on November 4. Training was about to kick into high gear!

He spent the next few months waking up hours and hours before dawn to train. I kept waiting for him to hit a wall and find himself completely spent and exhausted but it never happened. (Remember how he ran a marathon one morning and then somehow still wanted to go to the pumpkin patch with our family right after he was done!? Superhuman, I’m telling you.)

Witnessing someone train for such a grueling endurance race only made me respect the athletes who train for something like this all the more. It’s hours upon hours, months upon months and, in some cases, even a year or more of dedication and sacrifice. Understanding all the time and effort that goes into training and learning more about the “why” behind many of the athletes’ decisions to make something like this their goal (it’s often incredibly personal) is a big reason why I feel like a big ball of emotion all day on race day.

Ironman Florida: The Race Expo

Our family made the 9-hour drive to Panama City Beach on Wednesday, arriving in the early evening. On Thursday morning, we made our way to the race expo so Ryan could check in, pick up his bag and everything else he needed for race day on Saturday.

It was the 25th anniversary of the Florida Ironman which made the race feel a little extra special!

I typically use race expos to talk at length with the people working at the expo for spectator tips (I also look for moms with children who may have spectated before and they often provide valuable feedback as well) but since Ryan had to come back to the expo to drop of his bike the next day, we didn’t spend too much time at the expo on Wednesday. After the expo, we made our way to Frank Brown Park, a large park with multiple play areas located less than a mile from the expo. I was psyched to find this park because I knew it would come in handy on race day as well and our boys had a blast playing at the park for a solid two hours.

On Thursday, Ryan had to drop off his bike and the bags he needed for the race (the transition was a bit different for this race compared to any of his Half Ironmans) and my brother-in-law accompanied him to the expo this time while I stayed back with my sister and all the kids. Leslie and Ross surprised Ryan on his 40th birthday by telling him they were going to join us for his big race and it meant so, so much to Ryan to have them there to support him. Since Ross was heading to the expo this time, I sent him with all of my spectator questions and he helped us get a feel for how to best navigate spectating the race from a logistical standpoint on race day.

One takeaway I’ll share for anyone who might be spectating an Ironman in the future: Book a hotel or lodging that’s as convenient as possible to the race. (Walkability is HUGE.) We opted to stay in a VRBO along 30A because it’s an area we’ve been dying to visit and while we loved the area, it made getting to and from the race a little more of a hassle due to traffic, road closures, etc. Lesson learned.

On Thursday evening, we ordered pizza and pasta for dinner and went to bed as early as possible.

Ironman Florida: Race Day!

On race day, Ryan was up at 4 a.m. to eat and get himself ready for the race. After a sleepy “I love you” and “good luck” from me, Ross took Ryan to the race start and I started to organize snacks, signs and race-day entertainment for the boys before we needed to head out to catch Ryan as he finished his swim.

I was shocked when the Ironman tracker app pinged and told me Ryan was already in the water before 7 a.m. as we’ve often had to wait quite a while after the start of a race for Ryan to enter the water. Thankfully Chase and Ryder were already awake but I woke up Rhett and we piled into my car and took off for the swim-to-bike transition.

(The swim course took the athletes out and around the pier two times. This video shows the swim start on race day.) 

The 2.4 mile swim was Ryan’s first open ocean swim that was not in a river, lake or protected ocean channel which admittedly had me feeling a little nervous. When we walked out onto the pier a few days before the race, we saw a lot of jellyfish which also concerned me so you better believe I sighed a gigantic sigh of relief when the Ironman tracker app told me Ryan completed his swim in one hour and 13 minutes. He was on land again and I was happy!

Unfortunately traffic and road closures meant my sister and her gang didn’t make it to this part of the race but thankfully the boys and I were able to cheer our faces off for Ryan as he ran from the swim to the bike transition!

Ryan looked strong and excited which also helped calm my nerves for him a bit! After high fiving Ryan, the boys and I made a beeline to the beginning of the bike course to cheer for him again as he began his 112-mile bike. I cannot tell you how excited we all got every time we saw Ryan and the boys loved searching for Dad among the athletes and cheering like crazy!

With Ryan set to bike for 5+ hours, we knew we had a lot of time to kill, so we hopped into my car to head to the park the boys loved the day before to meet up with my sister and her family. Road closures and race-day traffic meant it took us a looong time to travel a single mile but once we were there, the kids had a blast.

We hit race-day traffic again as we left the park but knew it was coming this time and I had a chat with the boys about patience and the importance of supporting family as we set out to accomplish big goals. Spectating endurance races with kids is amazing but it’s never perfect and seamless and this was the point where I was honestly beginning to dread dragging the kids to the rest of Ryan’s 10+ hour race because Rhett was hitting a serious wall. Thank goodness a reset back at our rental house — and donuts! — seemed to do wonders for his mood and the hour or so we spent back at the house where the kids had some downtime and played outside was just what we all needed.

Soon it was time to make our way back to the transition area to see Ryan finish the bike. We majorly lucked out because the road from our rental house to the transition area took us along part of the bike course and the Ironman tracker app made me realize Ryan would be passing us along the other side of the road as we drove. I quickly pulled my car over and we all hopped out and three minutes later Ryan whizzed by us at mile 102!

Ryan was shocked to see us and said it was such an awesome surprise for him at the tail-end of the bike. Ryan said the bike portion of this race felt really, really good to him (a stark contrast from his first Half Ironman) and he felt like had enough energy at this point in the race where he easily could’ve kept going on the bike. We could tell because he truly did look so strong out there!

My sister and her family also saw Ryan a little farther down the same stretch of road which gave him an additional boost of support on the bike! Our families then met up at the transition area to cheer for Ryan as he began his run — all 26.2 miles of it!

(For those who may be wondering, Ryder’s sign says, “Slingshot, boomerang, set me free” — lyrics from the Diplo song “Set Me Free” which is an EDM jam Ryan liked to blast in our house after his training sessions.) 

At this point, Ryan looked solid but I also knew the run portion of the race was the area he was most concerned about going in into the race and the temperature outside was only increasing. Ryan is a solid runner but after all of his 70.3 races he repeatedly said he had “nothing left to give” on the run and that was after 13.1 miles… He needed to double the mileage on Saturday and knew he’d be asking a lot of his body at this point in the race.

Ryan said his main thought during the entire race was to “chill” and pace himself. He was concerned about “bonking” during the run (aka completely hitting a wall and running out of glycogen and energy) and I was happy when I saw his splits during the first part of his marathon were significantly slower than his usual half marathon splits because it told me he really was making an effort to slow down and pace himself.

Ryan later told me he walked through all of the aid stations and that placing cups of ice in his hat did wonders for cooling his body down in the hot Florida sun.

Our plan at this point in the race was to stay out until the finish but we knew we had some time to kill before we could see Ryan at the halfway point of his run so we took the kids to the Target located a half mile from the finish line so they could play in the toy aisle.

It worked like a charm and all of the kids were easily entertained for an hour or so and added approximately 100 items to their Christmas lists.

When the tracker app told us Ryan was about two miles out from the halfway point, we high-tailed it back toward the turnaround spot of the out-and-back run course to see him.

My first thought when I saw Ryan was that he looked HOT. I knew the heat got to him during the Augusta Half Ironman, so I hoped he still had enough energy in the tank to not struggle through the second half of his run.

We cheered for Ryan and yelled out words of encouragement but I couldn’t help but feel a little concerned. I told my sister I wanted to run and catch up with Ryan after he passed us to check in on him and she kept an eye on the boys while I sprinted to catch up with Ryan to ask him how he was doing. He was breathing hard but did one of those “so-so” motions with his hand which told me he was okay and not completely tanking. His pace was still solid (I mean I truly had to sprint to catch him!) and I had no doubt he would finish the race. He was almost there!!

Since our gang had a good spot in the shade along the course at this point, we hung out on a blanket and cheered for the athletes, danced with a man dressed up as a shark and walked up and down the course to look at the creative signs and soak in all of the race day fun. I also broke into some of the Dollar Store finds I picked up for the kids and they seemed to enjoy playing with some new Hot Wheels cars, gem dig kits and surprise balls. Less than $10 well spent!

(The gem dig kit doubled as sidewalk chalk and I thought it was cute when I saw Chase drawing the Ironman logo on the sidewalk!) 

When we saw Ryan was about 2 miles away from the finish, we made our way to the finish line and claimed our spot so we could watch Ryan cross the finish line of his first FULL Ironman!

Ross spotted Ryan first and when he yelled out, “There he is!” I felt my whole body buzz with excitement and emotion. He was doing it. He was almost there! Ryan reached out and rang the first time Ironman bell and we cheered as loud as we could as he ran toward the finish! The energy around us was incredible and I hope Ryan felt every ounce of the love, support, encouragement and pride we were pouring out to him as he crossed the finish line.

One piece of advice Ryan received from a coworker who has completed an Ironman before was to either slow down or speed up at the finish but make sure you run through the finish alone so the announcer can call out your name on its own and not as part of a list of names. Hearing the announcer say, “Ryan Fagan, YOU ARE AN IRONMAN” made the tears start flowing and I honestly cannot even write about this part of the race without crying again.

Ryan clapped his hands in front of his body before running through the finish and seeing this small display of enthusiasm and pride in himself for this accomplishment is something I’m replaying in my mind over and over again. Ryan is someone who sets big goals for himself but seems to shy away from praise and attention and can sometimes downplay the big things he does in his life. Watching him clearly express pride in himself in the moments before he officially became an Ironman was huge. While I hope he knows how proud we are of him for his achievement, I hope the pride he feels in himself is even stronger. He did it! And it was incredible.

Ten hours and 39 minutes after he began his first full Ironman, Ryan crossed the finish line!

This goes without saying but training for an Ironman and completing such a mentally and physically demanding race is so, so huge. But, honestly, as Ryan’s wife, my front-row seat to his training has me feeling even more impressed by the journey he was on leading up to the finish line. I’ve said it before but I’ll say it over and over again: The way Ryan builds his intense training around family time and a demanding job, always making us feel like his priority, is what impresses me most.

As Ryan ran through the finish line on Saturday, I saw an Ironman but I also saw a dad who regularly set his alarm for 3 a.m. Saturday and Sunday mornings so he could knock out hours of training before our boys were awake so he didn’t have to miss out on family time. I saw a hard-working man who kept up with his training despite a demanding job and work travel. I saw a husband and a father who sets big goals for himself but keeps the bigger things in mind, always. There is a reason my eyes filled with tears as Ryan ran through the finish line of his first full Ironman and it goes far beyond the fact that he accomplished something so mentally and physically demanding. He’s officially an Ironman but he’s so, so much more than that to us.

We are just so freaking proud!!! He did it!!

The post Ryan is an Ironman!!! appeared first on Peanut Butter Fingers.

Hello from Panama City Beach! We arrived in the panhandle of Florida in the early evening on Wednesday after a 9+ hour drive. It was a long one but we made it and we’ve been enjoying sunshine and salty sea air.

We’re here because Ryan is participating in his first full Ironman race tomorrow. He said he’s feeling a whirlwind of emotions — anxious, excited, nervous, intimidated — but he also feels ready. He knows this race will be different from his four previous half Ironman races and will demand much more from him and his body. I am admittedly feeling nervous for tomorrow because I fully realize that what Ryan is about to do is incredibly intense and demanding. I just want him to finish feeling okay and injury-free (clearly his bike crash from his Roanoke half is still in the back of my mind) and know tomorrow is going to be an intense and emotional day for a myriad of reasons.

I’m also incredibly grateful my sister and her family surprised Ryan on his 40th birthday by telling him they’d be joining us to cheer for him and having more race day support is only ever a wonderful thing. The day after the race will be a travel day for our family but I will do my best to have a race recap up on the blog as soon as I can next week. In the meantime, keep on scrolling for this week’s roundup of Friday favorites!

Things I’m Loving Friday

• ExprEssie Left On Shred Quick-Dry Nail Polish

I love the look of dark nails in the fall and winter months but for whatever reason I don’t feel like I can pull off black nails. I just feel ridiculous whenever I try but I found a color that’s a little less intense than a jet-black but still dark and fun for fall. Hellooo ExprEssie Left on Shred! This navy blue polish found its way into my Amazon cart earlier this week and I couldn’t apply it to my nails fast enough after it arrived. It’s actually my first time trying Essie’s quick-dry polish and I’m a fan. I love a wide nail polish brush for easy application and, true to its name, it dried quickly on my nails. The darker color meant my nails needed two coats but I loved the look once they were done and know I’ll be reaching for this color on repeat in the coming colder months.

• Purely Elizabeth Granola

I’ve been on a huge granola kick lately and repeatedly find myself reaching for granola when I’m feeling snacky. I typically make my own granola (this easy coconut granola is my go-to right now) but I bought a bag of Purely Elizabeth granola at Whole Foods last weekend and flew through it! The granola was sweet and salty with the perfect amount of crunch, a stellar ingredient list and even a little boost of protein and fiber. I ate the granola by the handful but I would imagine it would be a fabulous topping for yogurt or smoothie bowls, too.

• The Happy Ever After Playlist by Abby Jimenez

My rating: A-

I stand by my thoughts that Abby Jimenez is the queen of witty, fun and hilarious dialog. Her books are always filled with banter that makes me laugh out loud and The Happy Ever After Playlist was no exception. It’s the second book in a trilogy (The Friend Zone is book one and Life’s Too Short is book three) but every book can stand on its own. (For what it’s worth, I liked it more than The Friend Zone but slightly less than Life’s Too Short.) While the plotline in this book was not exactly believable, I still thoroughly enjoyed this novel and flew through it in three days.

The Happy Ever After Playlist begins when a lost dog finds its way into Sloane Monroe’s car. For the past two years since she experienced a heartbreaking loss, Sloane has been a hollow version of herself, shutting herself off from the world and the things she loves most. Something about the lost dog begins to pull Sloane out of her shell and she quickly realizes Tucker may be exactly what she needed to find happiness again. And then she gets a phone call from Tucker’s owner, Jason, a musician currently on tour in Australia, and he says he wants his beloved dog back when he returns.

As Jason and Sloane discuss Tucker, Sloane realizes he really loves his dog and she shocks herself by feeling a connection to this man she’s never met through their texts and conversations over the phone. When they finally meet in person, all of Sloane’s expectations are blown out of the water… but where can this connection really go? Jason’s career is on the cusp of exploding and Sloane is still feeling guarded after her loss? Is it all worth the risk?

• The House in the Pines by Ana Reyes

My rating: C+

I had high hopes for this book when I saw it was part of Reese’ Book Club as I’ve read and enjoyed a lot of books recommended by this book club. Unfortunately this one fell flat for me. I listened to the audiobook version and while it entertained me enough for me to finish listening to the story, I never really felt invested in the characters or the plot. Though I enjoy a book that jumps back and forth from the past to the present, I found this one predictable and unrealistic and not really all that thrilling for a book that’s supposed to be a suspenseful thriller.

From Amazon: 

Maya was a high school senior when her best friend, Aubrey, dropped dead in front of the enigmatic man named Frank whom they’d been spending time with all summer.

Seven years later, Maya lives in Boston with a loving boyfriend and is kicking the secret addiction that has allowed her to cope with what happened years ago, the gaps in her memories, and the lost time that she can’t account for. But her past comes rushing back when she comes across a recent YouTube video in which a young woman suddenly keels over and dies in a diner while sitting across from none other than Frank. Plunged into the trauma that has defined her life, Maya heads to her Berkshires hometown to relive that fateful summer—the influence Frank once had on her and the obsessive jealousy that nearly destroyed her friendship with Aubrey.

At her mother’s house, she excavates fragments of her past and notices hidden messages in her deceased Guatemalan father’s book that didn’t stand out to her earlier. To save herself, she must understand a story written before she was born, but time keeps running out, and soon, all roads are leading back to Frank’s cabin…

• Friday Flashbacks

Winning Cornbread Recipe (Pairs perfectly with a warm bowl of chili!)

Pumpkin Spice Rice Krispie Treats (A kid-friendly fall favorite!)

Question of the Day

What is one thing making you smile this week? 

The post Things I’m Loving Friday #489 appeared first on Peanut Butter Fingers.

November is here and that fact alone is blowing my mind. How are there only two months left of 2023? How has Halloween already come and gone? I have no idea but Halloween this year for our crew was a good one.

I feel like we’ve been Halloween-ing for the past week thanks to a plethora of fall and Halloween-related festivals and activities that popped up on our agenda. Over the weekend, we attended Owl-o-ween at the Carolina Raptor Center, a trunk or treat event at Ryder and Rhett’s preschool and a fall festival at Chase’s school.

(Rhett’s line leader costume was all his idea. When you’re three years old and Mom asks you what you want to be for Halloween, you tell her the coolest thing you can think of: A line leader! I just love Rhett’s brain right now.) 

You’d think overloading on candy for the days leading up to Halloween would make the novelty of trick-or-treating wear off for our kids but that certainly wasn’t the case. They were amped up to go door to door on Halloween evening so that’s just what we did! But let’s back up a bit and recap the day beginning in the morning…

Morning

Halloween began dark and early for me. We left for Panama City Beach for Ryan’s first FULL Ironman this morning (I’m blogging from the car using a mobile hot spot) and since there’s an almost zero percent chance I’ll squeeze in a workout while we’re away, I felt a little extra motivated to wake up early and knock out a quick upper body workout before the boys were awake for the day.

Caroline Girvan’s YouTube station is a go-to for me for at-home workouts because they’re short, challenging and effective. I did this biceps, triceps and shoulder burner and then took a quick shower and got dressed in my best attempt at orange(ish) and black attire for Halloween.

(Pants: Anthropologie / Sweater: Maglia — old via Zulily but this one is similar / Booties: Amazon / Bag: Amazon) 

Once the boys were up we said goodbye to Ryan as he headed off to an early work meeting and then did the whole breakfast and school drop off routine. Yesterday looked a little different, however, because Ryder, Rhett and I grabbed doughnuts while we waited 30 minutes for the annual fairytale parade at Chase’s school to begin.

On Halloween, all of the students at Chase’s school are encouraged to dress up as a character from a book they love for a small parade around the outside of the school. The costume we bought for Chase for Halloween this year actually worked well for the parade since he wanted to be Harry Potter!

I’m pretty sure Chase’s school could’ve doubled as Hogwarts yesterday with the number of Hermiones and Harry Potters we saw walking in the fairytale parade. My favorite costume of the parade was one I saw on a teacher who dressed up as the gray-haired mustached man from the original 1980s version of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. She had all different kinds of fake food hanging from an umbrella she carried over her head and it was so creative!

After the parade, we high-tailed it to preschool drop off and I said goodbye to Rhett and Ryder before making my way home to film an Instagram Reel of our family’s favorite whole wheat pumpkin muffins. (I’m hoping to use today’s 9+ hour road trip to Florida to edit and share it!)

I also used my kid-free time to continue packing for Florida and used my go-to kid clothes packing hack I learned from a friend over the summer. I’m telling you it’s a game changer and I managed to fit all of the boys’ clothes for a 5-day trip in one shoe organizer before rolling it up and zipping it inside a carryon suitcase.

I then ate a quick lunch and picked Rhett and Ryder up from preschool before heading back home to knock out some laundry while the boys played before we had to pick up Chase from school as well.

Afternoon + Evening

Chase had an orthodontist appointment after school yesterday so we headed directly there after pickup and we learned he might be able to get his palate expander out in January. He’s handled braces and his palate expander like a champ and honestly never complains but he seemed excited about the possibility of having the roof of his mouth clear of all that dental hardware soon.

After the orthodontist, we drove home and got a super-early dinner into the boys before Ryan was done with work for the day and our Halloween plans took us to a friend’s house for a little Halloween party before trick-or-treating.

The boys went with a Harry Potter theme for Halloween this year with Chase dressing up as Harry Potter, Ryder as Hedwig the snowy owl and Rhett as the Golden Snitch! (When their costumes first arrived in early October, I cannot tell you how many notes Ryder aka Hedwig delivered back and forth from me aka Dumbledore to Chase aka Harry Potter. They were all in on their costumes this year!) Ryan and I initially planned to be Professor McGonagall and Hagrid but time slipped away from us so we went with a semi-festive yet comfy look for trick-or-treating this year.

We also figured Rhett might want to stick with the line leader costume he wore all weekend but all it took was showing him a snazzy pair of gold wings for him to decide he most definitely wanted to be a Golden Snitch on Halloween.

We joked that our boys were on the express trick-or-treating train last night and Ryder and Chase sprinted all over our friends’ neighborhood with their buddies filling their bags with candy. Rhett was more interested in hopping in and out of a stroller and collecting a few pieces of candy whenever the mood hit him.

Our crew arrived home past the boys’ bedtimes but that didn’t stop us from sorting through the boys’ Halloween candy haul and ranking our favorites.

To my dismay, the boys didn’t get a single Almond Joy this year but apparently I’m in the minority when it comes to loving that particular candy. Also, when I look at the boys’ top candy choices, Ryder’s selections remind me of my pregnancy with him when gummy, fruity candy was my jam. Maybe my pregnancy preferences passed through the womb? Watermelon Sour Patch Kids = The stuff of my pregnancy dreams.

And now I’m starting to feel a little nauseous — blogging on a laptop in a moving car isn’t the best when you’re someone prone to motion sickness — so I’m off to hang with the family and hope this long road trip somehow flies by!

I’m planning to check back in on Friday once we’re in Florida. Enjoy your first day of November, my friends!

The post Halloween 2023 appeared first on Peanut Butter Fingers.

Only two days remain in October so I’m clearly squeaking in today’s Week of Weeknight Meals blog post in at the last second. I didn’t want to miss recapping what one week of weeknight meals looked like in our house this month and I picked a good one to recap because we had some really delicious eats on the menu last week.

As always, pictures in this post are snapped in real-time and no fancy food photos are allowed. Last week’s meals included leftovers, freezer food shortcuts, a new-to-us simple baked chicken dish and a long-time favorite chimichurri recipe. I hope something below pops out at you the next time you’re on the lookout for dinner inspiration!

Week of Weeknight Meals: October 2023

• Monday: Leftover Instant Pot Butternut Squash Beef Stew

On Sunday, I made a big batch of Instant Pot Butternut Squash Beef Stew and the leftovers made the perfect reheat-and-eat dinner on Monday night. I love the way soups, stews and chilis often taste even better as leftovers! This stew recipe is our family’s favorite because it’s packed with vegetables and gets its velvety broth from butternut squash — but you’d never know it! We topped our stew with fresh parsley and served it with a side of toasted sourdough bread. My sister left a loaf of her homemade sourdough behind in our freezer and it’s been such a treat to take out a few slices to toast when we’re in the mood for sourdough.

FYI for anyone who might be more visual, I recently made a Reel featuring this recipe on Instagram if you’d like to check it out!

• Tuesday: 30 Minute Baked Chicken Thighs (via Family Style Food) with Arugula and Baked Sweet Potatoes

This recipe was sent my way by one of you when I said I was in the mood to try a new recipe last week. It immediately caught my eye when I realized we already had almost all of the ingredients on hand in our fridge and pantry. (The only change I made to the recipe was swapping out shallots in favor of a large sweet onion.) To be honest, when I tried the marinade before pouring it over the chicken and onions I wasn’t sure it was going to be that good but after the flavors combined in the oven, it was such a wonderful meal! We loved it and will absolutely make it again. I’m all about easy weeknight meals and this one certainly fits the bill! We ate the chicken on top of a bed of arugula for some greens and served it with a side of baked sweet potatoes.

• Wednesday: Thai-Style Coconut Chicken with Curried Brown Rice

Wednesday’s meal was a combination of pre-made items from our fridge and freezer. I combined a package of Kevin’s Thai-Style Coconut Chicken (I order it through Thrive Market) with Daily Harvest Curried Brown Rice and Green Chickpeas. I added a bunch of frozen edamame to the skillet after combining everything for additional texture and flavor and we loved this easy meal.

• Thursday: Chickpea Pasta with Easy Marinara Meat Sauce

Thursday’s meal is one I always have in the back of my mind as a quick dinner option for busy weeknights because it comes together in a flash. I try to keep ground beef or turkey on hand in the freezer so I can thaw it out and then combine it with jarred marinara sauce to serve over pasta of some sort. On Thursday this looked like chickpea pasta and organic marinara (both from Thrive Market), topped with fresh parsley.

• Sunday: Chimichurri Chicken with Baked Sweet Potatoes and Arugula Salad

Confession: I forgot to snap a picture of Friday night’s dinner. My parents were in town (they stopped by en route to a couples’ vacation in the mountains) and I got distracted at dinnertime. I forgot to take a picture of the chimichurri skirt steak, rosemary potatoes, asparagus and fresh bread we ate together but remembered to document our dinner on Sunday night so let’s chat about that one instead!

On Sunday evening, we had rotisserie chicken topped with the leftover homemade chimichurri I made for Friday night’s dinner and paired with baked sweet potatoes topped with butter. We had a simple arugula salad on the side to round out our meal.

Question of the Day

Any delicious dinner recipes to share? I’d love to try a new soup, stew or chili recipe if you have one you’d recommend! 

The post Week of Weeknight Meals: October 2023 appeared first on Peanut Butter Fingers.

Hi, hi! How are ya? I’m coming at you today with an old school-style in-the-moment blog post. I love when I have the chance to chat with you guys in real-time. It takes me back to the early days of blogging before kid craziness took over and blogging in real-time on a daily basis became unrealistic.

Today has been all over the place but we have a two-hour break at home before it’s time to pick up Chase so I’m taking advantage of this breather to blog at the kitchen counter while Ryder and Rhett play nearby.

Morning

Today began at 6 a.m. when I woke up, got dressed and ran through the day’s to-do list over a cup of coffee.

(Duster Cardigan: Amazon / Sweatshirt: Free People / Workout Top: Amazon / Leggings: Lululemon / Quilted Bag: Free People / Boots: UGGs)

We’ve been all over the place today and everything kicked into high gear right around 7 a.m. when Chase, Pepper and I left to take Pepper to the vet.

Pepper has a few stubborn baby teeth remaining in her mouth that concerned our vet so she needed to get them removed this morning. She was a little nervous when we brought her in but the vet called me about 20 minutes ago and said she did wonderful under anesthesia. We get to pick up our girl around 3 p.m. and plan to spoil her with a lot of love and soft foods over the course of the next week.

After Pepper’s drop-off, Chase and I made our way to his school where we walked in together and he joined his classmates before school officially began while I had a quick parent/teacher conference. I adore Chase’s school and his teacher is wonderful and it was fun to hear a little bit about how he’s doing  so far this year from his teacher’s perspective. I also love any chance I get to peek around his classroom and couldn’t help but smile when I saw this little sign he made about his talents.

“I am a STAR because I can play soccer and make birdcalls.” If that isn’t Creature Man Chase in a nutshell.

Our conference was done within 20 minutes and I then walked to a nearby local bagel shop to meet up with Ryan, Rhett and Ryder at 8:30 a.m. We had a super-quick breakfast date before Ryan headed into work which felt like a nice little mid-week treat!

After saying goodbye to Ryan, we swung by Rhett and Ryder’s preschool to drop off a big box of toys, school supplies and cleaning supplies. The boys’ preschool is still closed following the fire that happened in the school building two weeks ago and is relying on donations in order to reopen. We are completely in awe of the way the church, preschool families, community and teachers have rallied around our little preschool and I’m blown away by the fact that the school will be opening again on Monday.

I’ve been a member of our preschool’s board for three years and learning more about the behind-the-scenes operations of the preschool, helping out in any way I can and noticing the immense amount of time and effort that goes into handling something like this only makes me love and appreciate the school our boys love so much even more. This morning, I saw several teachers cry when a retired teacher brought an entire SUV filled with labeled school supplies to the gym to donate. So, so incredible.

After dropping off our box and saying hello to the teachers we adore so much, we made our way to Burn Boot Camp where I met up with my friend Lauren for an upper body workout while Ryder and Rhett played in child watch.

After boot camp, we made our way to Sweetwater Farms for a playdate with a bunch of the kids from the boys’ preschool since our kids have been missing each other while the school has been closed.

The boys loved seeing their buddies and visiting with the animals and after about two hours, we said our goodbyes and headed home for lunch.

I had hoped that a little break at home after a busy morning would mean that Rhett and Ryder would be in the mood for a little downtime and quiet play at home. Thankfully this worked out well for me and gave me the chance to quickly type up this blog post and chat with all of you. A treat for me for sure!

Plans for the rest of the day include picking up Chase and Pepper, piano lessons for the big kids and hopefully some playtime outside at home because it’s absolutely gorgeous outside today. Time to get to it!

I hope you all enjoy the rest of your Wednesday!

The post A Wednesday Afternoon Check-In appeared first on Peanut Butter Fingers.

Hey friends! How are you? How was your weekend? We were thrilled to have Ryan back in town and spent most of our time together as a family, having fun at our local Renaissance Festival, playing around outside, attending church and hanging out around the house. I kept my phone away for most of Sunday which doesn’t make for a great weekend recap so I’m pivoting my initial plans for today’s post and focusing on fashion instead in the form of my latest “Recent Looks” blog post.

Today’s roundup includes a lot of transitional looks since we’re in that strange time of year in North Carolina where it can be in the low 40s in the morning but temperatures can hit 70+ degrees in the height of the afternoon. I’m all about layering right now and am admittedly a little too excited to bust out my sweater and cold weather clothes on the chillier days.

Recent Looks

• Look #1

Occasion: Church

Outfit Details: Sweater Vest: Free People (old but I found it resale on Poshmark) / Long-sleeve ribbed top: Amazon / Pants: Anthropologie / Booties: Amazon / Paperclip Chain Necklace: Amazon

• Look #2

Occasion: Kid’s birthday party at The Pit (arcade/laser tag)

Outfit Details: Cargo Pants: Target / Tank: Target / Denim Jacket: Daze Denim (part of my Nuuly rental) / Shoes: Reebok / Bag: Amazon

• Look #3

Occasion: Discovery Place Kids with my mom, sister and all the kids

Outfit Details: Pants: Target / Lug boots: Amazon / Sweater: Target (so incredibly soft and I loved it so much I bought it in cream, too)

(I promise my mirror has since been cleaned of little kid fingerprints.) 

• Look #4

Occasion: Work from home + Car appointment + Martial arts class for Chase and Ryder

Outfit Details: Sweatpants: Target / Cardigan: Amazon / Tank: Target / Boots: UGG Ultra Minis / Quilted bag: Free People

Outfit Details

• Look #5

Occasion: A HOT fall festival

Outfit Details: Skirt: Charlie Holiday (part of my Nuuly rental) / Tank: Target / Sandals: Francesa’s but old / Bag: Cuyana (old but I found it resale here)

• Look #6

Occasion: Travel day for a girls’ weekend

Outfit Details: Bodysuit tank: Amazon / Cropped button-down top: Target / Slip skirt: Target / Sneakers: New Balance / Suitcase: Samsonite / Quilted bag: Free People

• Look #7

Occasion: School field trip with Chase’s class

Outfit Details: Sweater: Target (the same one as the gray sweater a few photos up but in cream)/ Slip skirt: Target / Lug boots: Amazon

• Look #8

Occasion: Work from home + Errands

Outfit Details: Jeans: AGOLDE (part of my Nuuly rental)/ Sweater: Target / Bag: Amazon / Clogs: Amazon

• Look #9

Occasion: Coffee shop work day + Play date at a park after school pickup

Outfit Details: Pants: Amazon / Sweater: Amazon / Bag: Amazon / Shoes: Reebok

• Look #10

Occasion: Patterson Farms

Outfit Details: Sweater: Urban Outfitters / Skirt: En Elly (part of my Nuuly rental)/ Sherpa Crossbody Bag: Target / Boots: Amazon

• Look #11

Occasion: Church

Outfit Details: Cardigan: Amazon / Tank: Target / Slip skirt: Target / Shoes: Kork-Ease (but old) / Bag: Cuyana (old but I found it resale here)

• Look #12

Occasion: Kids’ birthday party at a trampoline park

Outfit Details: Sweatshirt: Alpha & Omega (merch from a local farm) / Denim Shirt: Liverpool (via StitchFix) / Colorful Beaded Necklace: Amazon / Leggings: Athleta / Shoes: Vans

• Look #13

Occasion: Work from home + Big kids’ martial arts class

Outfit Details: Oversized Sweater: Amazon (size down!) / Seamless Ribbed Tank: Amazon / Leggings: Athleta/ Quilted bag: Free People / Colorful Beaded Necklace: Amazon / Sherpa Sandals: Old Navy but old (these are similar)

PAST RECENT LOOKS BLOG POSTS

• August 2023
• May 2023
• February 2023

Question of the Day

Any fun fall fashion finds to share?

The post Recent Looks #4 appeared first on Peanut Butter Fingers.

Hey friends. How are you? How have you been? It’s been a hot second since I’ve checked in to chat but lately life has felt like a bit of a whirlwind.

Ryan has been gone on back-to-back business trips for 10 days but is returning from India late this evening. A fire occurred at the boys’ preschool late last week at the time of pick-up and thank goodness everyone is okay. We are feeling so fortunate everyone was alright but the preschool experienced damage and has been closed all week and will be closed next week as well. (From there we are awaiting updates.) I’ve been in major mom mode without too many breaks but feel very grateful my mom, sister, nieces and nephew planned a visit to come our way while Ryan was in India and extended their visit which was the biggest blessing. My Aunt Laurie also came in town so we’ve had a full house! Little blessings that feel like big blessings, especially with the way the world is right now.

Like all Friday blog posts, today’s roundup of Things I’m Loving serves as a reminder to look for joy in the little things in everyday life. Below you will find some things that are making me smile right now and I hope you’ll share a little bit about what you’re loving lately as well in the comments section of this post. Have a wonderful weekend, my friends!

Things I’m Loving Friday

• Family Time

You knew this one would be number one on today’s list, didn’t you? The extra time with my mom, sister, nieces, nephew and aunt was the highlight of my week. We filled our time with visits to some of our favorite local hot spots, including Sweetwater Farms, Patterson Farms, Hope Park and Discovery Place Kids. The boys absolutely loved playing with their cousins and my mom, sister and I stayed up way too late after the kids’ bed time just talking and catching up. It’s hard to sneak in adult conversations with all the kids around so we treasured our evenings together. I’m so grateful they made the trip up to see me and the boys and their visit absolutely flew by!

• Family Photos

Two weeks ago we booked a mini session for family photos through a fundraiser at the boys’ preschool. The photographer, Yulanda, did such an incredible job and it was one of the easiest family photo sessions we’ve had to date. Pictures were snapped in less than 15 minutes and booking our photos for 9:30 a.m. was amazinggg since our kids were all happy and energetic versus the fussy and tired kids we’ve had on our hands when we’ve booked “golden hour” photos at sunset in the past. I’m convinced morning mini sessions are where it’s at with kids! And now our holiday card photos are d-o-n-e!

• Amazon Duster Cardigan

(Cardigan: Amazon / Tank: Target / Slip skirt: Target / Shoes: Kork-Ease but old / Bag: Cuyana) 

I’m feeling this cardigan and have been pairing it with everything… and I mean everything. A midi skirt? Yes! Jeans? Yep. Leggings and sneakers? So cute! Sweatpants around the house? Of course. It somehow seems to work with so many different looks and is the perfect throw-it-over-anything cardigan for fall. I have it in the khaki color in a small and it still has a slouchy, oversized fit so I’d recommend staying true to your typical size even if you’re looking for a slightly baggier look. I love this one so much!

• His & Hers by Alice Feeney

My rating: B+

Talk about a whirlwind of a book! His & Hers is filled with twists and mystery and plenty of page-turning intrigue that lasts right up until the very end. It’s a murder mystery that left me clueless about the identity of the murderer for the vasty majority of the book which only served to increase my interest. While I saw the major twist coming it didn’t make the book any less enjoyable and it’s a novel I’d recommend to anyone who loves a good thriller.

From Amazon: 

When a woman is murdered in Blackdown, a quintessentially British village, newsreader Anna Andrews is reluctant to cover the case. Detective Jack Harper is suspicious of her involvement, until he becomes a suspect in his own murder investigation. Someone isn’t telling the truth, and some secrets are worth killing to keep.

• Friday Flashbacks

Chia Seed Oatmeal (My mom’s oatmeal recipe and my absolute favorite for a filling bowl of oatmeal with a lot of texture.)

Easy Marinated Pork Chops (Simple, incredibly flavorful and perfect for busy weeknights.)

Question of the Day

What is one thing making you smile this week?

The post Things I’m Loving Friday #488 appeared first on Peanut Butter Fingers.

Hey friends! It’s been a hot second since I’ve shared any kind of book-related roundup but if you check in on Fridays on occasion, you know that doesn’t mean I haven’t been reading. I’ve been a bookworm since I was a kid and I don’t see that ever stopping. Snuggling up in bed with a book at the end of a long day is truly one of the highlights of my day every single day.

For my fellow readers out there, I wanted to share a roundup of books I’ve recently read and loved. To make this list, the book needed to receive a B+ rating or above from my very random book rating method! I’ve also organized them in order of the book I loved the most to the least but every single book on this list is one I’ve read and thoroughly enjoyed!

Books I’ve Recently Read And Loved

• NORA GOES OFF SCRIPT BY ANNABEL MONAGHAN

My rating: A 

When my friend Gina described this as a “sweet little cupcake of a book” and rave about it, I borrowed it from my library immediately as I was looking for something light after I finished The Forest of Vanishing Stars. This book is simply a delight. I smiled so much while reading it and while it absolutely falls into the romance/beach read category, it feels like more than that and comes along with humor, a creative plotline, likable but not too predictable characters and dialog that that’s not at all eye-roll inducing. It’s a fantastic summer read and one I wholeheartedly recommend to anyone looking for something light but packed with wit and sweetness that feels a little more special than your average beach read.

The book begins with the filming of The Tea House, a movie created around a script written by Nora Hamilton, the woman behind countless cheesy movies features on The Romance Channel. Only The Tea House is different. It’s a film that bares Nora’s soul and shares the real deal behind the relationship she shared with her ex-husband, Ben, a relationship that was a lot more “take” than “give” on Ben’s part. Leo Vance, the most popular actor in Hollywood, is cast in the film to play the part of Ben and shows up along with the whole crew in to Nora’s home to film the movie in her backyard tea house.

When the movie wraps, everyone leaves… except for Leo. He offers to pay Nora $1,000 a day to let him stay for a week as he’s feeling increasingly lost in the world of glamor. He’s oddly infatuated with simple things — shopping for bananas, her 10-year-old son’s school play — and Nora finds herself agreeing to his offer and making a deal that will change her life.

• PART OF YOUR WORLD BY ABBY JIMENEZ

My rating: A

I listened to the audiobook version of Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez and it felt like such a happy little escape. The dialog between the main characters and one of the main characters and her best friend had me smiling so much and laughing out loud numerous times. It was just a treat and made me genuinely look forward to folding laundry and unloading the dishwasher so I could listen! (I also may or may not have had a “book crush” on Daniel. Haha!) This is the third book I’ve read by this author and it was my favorite of the three.

The narration of Part of Your World flip flops back and forth between Alexis and Daniel, an unlikely pair who meet when Alexis finds herself in a small town in need of a tow after she swerves off the road to avoid hitting a racoon. She’s fresh out of a 7-year relationship with her surgeon boyfriend and no one is more shocked than Alexis when she finds herself making a pre-dawn escape back to her house in the hoodie of the man who saved her, a sexy carpenter named Daniel.

Daniel is a decade younger than Alexis and her complete opposite on paper. Alexis is a successful and very wealthy doctor, tasked with carrying on her family’s 150-year medical legacy, while Daniel is struggling to save the family home-turned-bed-and-breakfast that’s been in his family for years. Despite their differences, they’re drawn to each other with an intense ferocity, both intellectually and physically, even though they both know their relationship can never be more than surface-level. Their lives are too different and their worlds are completely incompatible… so why can neither of them break it off?

• A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES SERIES BY SARAH J. MASS

My rating: A

I’m going to rope this series into one mention so ACOTAR books don’t dominate this book list! It has been been a hot second since I read a fantasy novel but Sarah J. Maas’ A Court of Thorns and Roses series was recommended by so, so many of you that I had to give it a shot. I was ALL IN on this series. It was imaginative, action-packed, steamy (x10!), creative and intriguing enough that it kept me reading way too late into the night. Books 2 and 3 were my favorite in the series! (Note: Book 4 was the biggest disappointment and felt like a “filler” book to me so it wouldn’t make this list on its own.) If you’re looking for a series that will rope you in and make you want to talk about the books with anyone and everyone, I cannot recommend it enough.

• FOURTH WING BY REBECCA YARROS

My rating: A

Fourth Wing was recommended to me by many, many of you when you heard how much I loved the ACOTAR fantasy series. I was going through serious withdrawals when I finished the fifth and final book in that series and immediately put Fourth Wing on hold at my local library. It took nearly two months to become available but it was worth the wait. It’s another action-packed book with interesting characters, twisty plotlines, some steaminess and plenty of adventure. Fourth Wing hooked me from the very beginning and I felt like I was speed-reading my way through it because so much action was happening at all times! The second book in this mini series is coming out next month and I cannot wait!

From Amazon: 

Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general—also known as her tough-as-talons mother—has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders.

But when you’re smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away…because dragons don’t bond to “fragile” humans. They incinerate them.

With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her mother’s daughter—like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant.

She’ll need every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise.

Yet, with every day that passes, the war outside grows more deadly, the kingdom’s protective wards are failing, and the death toll continues to rise. Even worse, Violet begins to suspect leadership is hiding a terrible secret.

Friends, enemies, lovers. Everyone at Basgiath War College has an agenda—because once you enter, there are only two ways out: graduate or die.

• BEFORE WE WERE YOURS BY LISA WINGATE

My rating: A- 

A couple of months ago, while sharing a VRBO and cheering on our husbands as they completed a Half IronMan together, my friend Merri and I began chatting about books. We swapped recommendations and she highly encouraged me to read Before We Were Yours, explaining that while the book is heartbreaking, it is also an incredible story. (Note: I typically avoid books where horrible thing happen to children and if you’re the same way you may prefer to avoid this one as well.)

Before We Were Yours ripped my heart right open. It’s based on the true horrors surrounding the Tennessee Children’s Society, a Memphis-based adoption organization that kidnapped and sold poor children to wealthy families all over the country in the first half of the twentieth century. While this book is historical fiction and the characters are not real, it’s horrific to read about because it’s so strongly based on the atrocities behind this organization.

That being said, the book is a really, really good book. The writer is very talented and I especially loved the chapters that followed Rill, an incredibly brave 12-year-old girl, whom I found myself fiercely rooting for throughout the novel. Rill’s life changes when her mother goes into labor and is rushed to the hospital by her father, leaving Rill in charge of her four siblings on a shantyboat in the Mississippi River. When Rill and her siblings are discovered and taken to the Tennessee Children’s Society under the pretense of reuniting with their parents, Rill is terrified, devastated and more determined than ever to keep her siblings close and her family in tact.

The book flip-flops back and forth between 1939 through Rill’s story and Avery’s story in the present day. Avery is a successful lawyer poised to continue her family’s political legacy as her father, a prominent senator, is struggling with his health. When she comes into contact with an elderly woman at an assisted living facility who recognizes the dragonfly bracelet she’s wearing on her wrist, a treasured gift from her Grandma Judy, Avery is flooded with questions about her grandmother and her family’s history… and her future. As Avery begins to dig, she learns more about the Tennessee Children’s Society and her curiosity has her wondering if what she uncovers could change everything she’s ever known about her family and flip her sure-thing future upside down.

• YOURS TRULY BY ABBY JIMENEZ

My rating: A-

It’s official: Abby Jimenez is the queen of witty, realistic and laugh-out-loud dialog. I adore her books and Yours Truly was another winner. It’s the semi-sequel to Part of Your World and while I preferred Part of Your World to this one, both books have the perfect amount of depth while also remaining light and easy to read. This book also has a main character with anxiety and it’s a topic that is approached in way that’s thoughtful (and, honestly, at least for me, educational which I thoroughly appreciated) and only served to add to the appeal of this book. Abby Jimenez has a gift for writing developed characters who are likable, interesting and often hilarious and there’s a reason I find myself reaching for her books again and again.

Yours Truly begins when a new doctor is hired at the hospital where Dr. Briana Ortiz has worked for years. Dr. Jacob Maddox quickly earns the name “Doctor Death” after losing several patients on his first day and after a rocky first meeting involving a broken cell phone, Bri isn’t sure she wants Jacob to stick around.

And then he apologizes… with a letter. A sincere, funny and interesting letter that directly combats all of Bri’s preconceived notions about Jacob. She decides to write him back and the two become office pen pals of sorts until things take a turn and Bri learns it is Jacob who anonymously volunteered to donate a kidney to her brother, Benny. Bri is determined to show her appreciation, agreeing to help Jacob in the most unorthodox way, and their friendship slowly starts to change in a way neither of them ever saw coming.

• THE BOOK OF LOST NAMES BY KRISTIN HARMEL

My rating: A- 

The fact that I stayed up waaay too late reading The Book of Lost Names and finished it in two nights should speak volumes to this book. It’s a page-turner, full of suspense and intrigue and characters you find yourself  fiercely rooting for throughout the book. As a huge fan of historical fiction, I love when novels in this genre teach me something and this book provided a little insight into the life of a forger during WWII which I found particularly interesting. I wish the romance between two of the main characters would’ve been developed a little deeper (while I rooted for them, I didn’t deeply feel their connection) but it was easy enough to get wrapped up in the plot and lean into their developing love story, too. (For what it’s worth, The Winemaker’s Wife is still my favorite novel by this author but I liked this one more than The Forest of Vanishing Stars.)

From Amazon:

Eva Traube Abrams, a semi-retired librarian in Florida, is shelving books when her eyes lock on a photograph in the New York Times. She freezes; it’s an image of a book she hasn’t seen in more than sixty years—a book she recognizes as The Book of Lost Names.

The accompanying article discusses the looting of libraries by the Nazis across Europe during World War II—an experience Eva remembers well—and the search to reunite people with the texts taken from them so long ago. The book in the photograph, an eighteenth-century religious text thought to have been taken from France in the waning days of the war, is one of the most fascinating cases. Now housed in Berlin’s Zentral- und Landesbibliothek library, it appears to contain some sort of code, but researchers don’t know where it came from—or what the code means. Only Eva holds the answer, but does she have the strength to revisit old memories?

As a graduate student in 1942, Eva was forced to flee Paris and find refuge in a small mountain town in the Free Zone, where she began forging identity documents for Jewish children fleeing to neutral Switzerland. But erasing people comes with a price, and along with a mysterious, handsome forger named Rémy, Eva decides she must find a way to preserve the real names of the children who are too young to remember who they really are. The records they keep in The Book of Lost Names will become even more vital when the resistance cell they work for is betrayed and Rémy disappears.

• A LADY’S GUIDE TO FORTUNE HUNTING BY SOPHIE IRWIN

My rating: A-

This was just a delight of a book! I listened to this book and read it simultaneously (thanks to double availability through my library + the Libby app!) and I must admit this is one I almost enjoyed listening to more than reading. The narration is great and something about listening to the audiobook of this one made me feel like I was escaping to listen to some kind of a Netflix/Bridgerton show… and I mean that in the best way. It’s fluffy and fun but not so cheesy that I found myself rolling my eyes. It was simply an enjoyable read and a great little escape novel!

The book follows Kitty Talbot, a young woman determined to save her four sisters from ruin. She has a plan: She will find a husband… a very wealthy husband. The only problem is Kitty isn’t exactly “high society” so the chances of her running into someone of stature is slim. She decides to take her destiny into her own hands and, together with her sister Cecily, moves to London to stay with her aunt and find her way into London society. Kitty soon sets her eyes on Archie, a young man set to inherit his family’s fortune. Kitty believes the only thing standing in her way is her past until she comes face-to-face with Archie’s older brother, Lord Radcliffe, a handsome man who immediately sees through the clever ruse Kitty has built around her. Kitty fears her future is in jeopardy but her intellect and quick thinking work together to take her on an unexpected route to amass the fortune she desires so deeply.

• SAME TIME NEXT SUMMER BY ANNABEL MONAGHAN

My rating: A-

I adore this author. Annabel Monaghan’s Nora Goes Off Script was one of the best books I’ve read this year so I had high hopes for Same Time Next Summer. I’m happy to say it delivered. While Nora Goes Off Script remains my favorite for its witty dialog and creative and surprising storyline, Same Times Next Summer was another gem of a book. Though a little predictable and not as compelling as Nora Goes Off Script, Same Time Next Summer held its own and did a wonderful job capturing the magic and intensity of the feelings that come along with falling in love for the first time.

Sam is a 30-year-old woman who is engaged to a doctor and lives her life by the book. After having her heart broken by her first love more than a decade ago, she finds comfort in routines and predictability and is looking forward to married life. Sam and her fiancé return to the beach town Sam visited every summer with her family to look at a wedding venue only to find Wyatt, Sam’s first boyfriend (and her everything), visiting at the same time. Sam is forced to face her past and reexamine her future as unanswered questions surface and the connection that was so palpable between teenage Sam and Wyatt is still there and as undeniable as ever.

• THE FOREST OF VANISHING STARS BY KRISTIN HARMEL

My rating: B+

While I was on the waitlist for The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel I opted to dive into The Forest of Vanishing Stars by the same author since it was immediately available. I previously loved The Winemaker’s Wife by the same author so my hopes were high.

The Forest of Vanishing Stars is interesting and intense and… just a lot. While most WWII historical fiction is hard to read because of the atrocities surrounding the Holocaust, this one was particularly difficult. Plus, the plotline of this book stressed me the heck out! If you’re looking for a page-turner this book certainly fits the bill and I was stressed out enough by it to finish it in two nights. (I was up past 1 a.m. reading because I had to know what happened.) Did I like the book? Yes. Did it turn me into a giant ball of anxiety? Also yes.

From Amazon: 

After being stolen from her wealthy German parents and raised in the unforgiving wilderness of eastern Europe, a young woman finds herself alone in 1941 after her kidnapper dies. Her solitary existence is interrupted, however, when she happens upon a group of Jews fleeing the Nazi terror. Stunned to learn what’s happening in the outside world, she vows to teach the group all she can about surviving in the forest—and in turn, they teach her some surprising lessons about opening her heart after years of isolation. But when she is betrayed and escapes into a German-occupied village, her past and present come together in a shocking collision that could change everything.

• THE BREAKDOWN BY B.A. PARIS

My rating: B+ 

I’ve read a handful of B.A. Paris novels and The Breakdown was one of my favorites. It was the kind of mystery that has you suspecting everyone and I especially liked the ending and the main character’s approach to unraveling everything. It’s a quick, entertaining read!

The book begins when Cass finds herself on a rural road in the middle of a horrendous storm. She notices a car on the side of the road and a woman sitting inside and pulls over, waiting for a sign from the woman that she might need help. When she doesn’t do anything, Cass continues home and never could’ve imagined the news she’d receive the following morning. The woman was brutally murdered soon after Cass passed her and Cass quickly comes to realize she knew the woman. The murder of Cass’ new friend sends her into a tailspin of guilt and despair that is only amplified when Cass begins forgetting things, something she fears may be genetic as her mother suffered from early Alzheimer’s. When mysterious phone calls begin, fear begins to join Cass’ whirlwind of emotions and she’s not sure who she can trust… even herself.

• WINTER STORMS BY ELIN HILDERBRAND

My rating: B+

I just adore Elin Hilderbrand’s Winter Street series so much! The characters are interesting and different and the family has their issues and drama but somehow you root for every single one of them. (If this interests you, start with book one, Winter Street, or you’ll likely be a little lost!) Winter Storms was the third book in the series and just as enjoyable as the first two.

I don’t want to reveal too much as it could ruin the first books if you haven’t read this series yet so here is the summary from Amazon if you’re looking for more info:

Some of the stormy weather of the past few seasons seems to have finally lifted for the Quinns. After a year apart, and an ill-fated affair with the Winter Street Inn’s old Santa Claus, Mitzi has returned to rule the roost; Patrick is about to be released from prison; Kevin has a successful new business and is finally ready to tie the knot with Isabelle; and best of all, there’s hopeful news about Bart, who has been captured by enemy forces in Afghanistan.

That doesn’t mean there aren’t a few dark clouds on the horizon. Kelley has recently survived a health scare; Jennifer can’t quite shake her addiction to the drugs she used as a crutch while Patrick was in jail; and Ava still can’t decide between the two lovers that she’s been juggling with limited success. However, if there’s one holiday that brings the Quinn family together to give thanks for the good times, it’s Christmas. And this year promises to be a celebration unlike any other as the Quinns prepare to host Kevin and Isabelle’s wedding at the inn. But as the special day approaches, a historic once-in-a-century blizzard bears down on Nantucket, threatening to keep the Quinns away from the place–and the people–they love most. Before the snow clears, the Quinns will have to survive enough upheavals to send anyone running for the spiked eggnog, in this touching novel that proves that when the holidays roll around, you can always go home again.

• THE RULES OF MAGIC BY ALICE HOFFMAN

My rating: B+

The Rules of Magic is one of the more unique books I’ve read this year. It’s creative and interesting and explores sibling relationships with magic sprinkled in throughout the novel. The book is filled with emotion — sadness, longing and love — and the feelings that come along with complicated relationships, both within the family dynamic and within romantic relationships. The book was a nice change of pace from the the typical novels I read but lacked a little of the page-turning intrigue that makes me want to fly through a novel.

From Amazon: 

For the Owens family, love is a curse that began in 1620, when Maria Owens was charged with witchery for loving the wrong man.

Hundreds of years later, in New York City at the cusp of the sixties, when the whole world is about to change, Susanna Owens knows that her three children are dangerously unique. Difficult Franny, with skin as pale as milk and blood red hair, shy and beautiful Jet, who can read other people’s thoughts, and charismatic Vincent, who began looking for trouble on the day he could walk.

From the start Susanna sets down rules for her children: No walking in the moonlight, no red shoes, no wearing black, no cats, no crows, no candles, no books about magic. And most importantly, never, ever, fall in love. But when her children visit their Aunt Isabelle, in the small Massachusetts town where the Owens family has been blamed for everything that has ever gone wrong, they uncover family secrets and begin to understand the truth of who they are. Yet, the children cannot escape love even if they try, just as they cannot escape the pains of the human heart. The two beautiful sisters will grow up to be the memorable aunts in Practical Magic, while Vincent, their beloved brother, will leave an unexpected legacy.

More Book-Related Blog Posts

• All the Books I’ve Read So Far In 2023 (March 2023)
• Thriller Audiobook Recommendations (December 2022)
• 15 Best Books I’ve Read So Far This Year (August 2022) 
• 15 Beach Reads for Summer (May 2022)
• Book Recommendations by Category (December 2021)
• 10 Books I Recently Read and Loved (July 2021)
• 10 Books I Recently Read and Loved (November 2020)
• 10 Books I Recently Read and Loved (June 2020)
• 15 Books I Recently Read and Loved (February 2020)
• 12 Books I Recently Read and Loved (September 2020)
• 10 Books I Recently Read and Loved (February 2019)

Question of the Day

What is the best book you’ve recently read? Any cannot-put-it-down page turners out there to share? 

The post Books I’ve Recently Read and Loved (October 2023) appeared first on Peanut Butter Fingers.