Friday Favorites

Happy Friday! Even though it was a shorter week, it felt like it creeped by. Definitely happy we've reached the weekend. Before we get to the weekend plans, on to the favorites...

I swear the only pictures on my phone are of house related stuff, so sorry for the overload, but that's my life currently!

Our tv stand was delivered last week and we're really loving how it looks. Sammy built it one day before his shift and insisted some of the shelves were scratched, so he called customer service and they offered to send an entire new piece which was awesome. If ever I needed a reason to continue shopping with Wayfair...

I spent a lot of time loving on these hydrangeas this week. They make the house feel a lot more complete. 

Was finally able to display the book my momma got me. 

Our rug was delivered Wednesday night and we love the way it looks (and this picture is further reminder of how I can't wait until that back wall is painted haha).

Very excited that almost our entire first floor is done in terms of cosmetic updates and furniture purchases. We need some floating shelves for the wall the couch is on, a runner in the entryway, new blinds, new light fixtures in the kitchen, entryway, and hall bath, and a few more decorative touches throughout.

I've been indulging the urge I have to document every meal we cook in the house haha. On Tuesday night I threw together some meal prepped chicken with sweet corn, black beans, tomatoes, a little greek yogurt, and some chili powder for taco filling and threw some corn tortillas onto the oven rack to make curved shells. 

Wednesday night I used the other half of the meal prepped chicken and mixed it with broccoli and a teriyaki sauce I bought at Aldi and served it with rice. Our meals have all turned out decently well so far! It's been fun (which I doubt will last super long haha but I hope it does!) to get into a routine with it. I handle dinner on the days when Sammy works as he can only come home for a half hour to eat, and he handles dinner on days during the week when he's off. It's a benefit to his work schedule that it forces us to split the responsibility without even thinking about it so one person doesn't get stuck doing the cooking all the time. I look forward to my days when I know I'm cooking but also look forward to coming home knowing dinner will already be done or started ;)

And last night was leftover night haha which conveniently fell on one of Sammy's nights to cook ;)

We had some leftover apple pie from Monday night but no ice cream, so Sammy ran out before dinner to grab some and he came back with some angel food cake cups and cool whip as well. I threw some strawberries in and we had a random dessert night. 

Last night was one of the first nights we were both home and got to spend a leisurely night together since we bought the house and I was so happy to just lounge around. I read while he watched the NBA Finals and it was lovely.

This is probably going to sound weird (and, per usual, very dramatic) but I had a hard time reading or listening to music last week when I was having a harder time (than I had hoped) adjusting to our new house, town, and routine. I have an anxious mind and reading and listening to music weren't stimulating enough for my brain. I had to be constantly watching something or talking on the phone in order to distract myself from my own thoughts. But this week I've been playing music in the house while cooking and cleaning and on my (slightly longer) morning commute. I've been loving Bailey's (@balancedmissbailey on Insta) "morning coffee" playlist on Spotify. I've also been playing "Girls Like You" by Maroon 5 and Cardi B on REPEAT.

Our niece's first birthday is this weekend and we picked up some very summery items for her gift.

Sammy's brother and SIL have a big backyard that's perfect for an inflatable pool and we felt like this was one she could definitely grow into over the next few years.

In other (non house/kid...) purchase news, I grabbed these rain boots from Target a few weeks ago. I needed something new for my commute (I walk and plan to bike to and from the train station) when the weather isn't great, and I loved that these were ankle length 'cause ya girl has some meatier calfs that don't always fit into "regular" sized boots. They don't look like much here, but they're so cute on and I feel like a badass walking around in them. They're no longer available apparently, but if you're in need and ever see them in the store, grab them. Can't beat the $24.99 price tag either.

I also grabbed this backpack from Amazon because I wanted something that's easier to carry while I'm biking but didn't look athletic or too utilitarian. It's convertible so you can wear it like a backpack, hold it like a tote from the top loop, or wear it as a cross body by pulling on the straps. It delivered yesterday and I really like it, but the zipper is a little wonky. Hoping someone can fix it for me so I don't have to return and wait for a new one.

That's all for me!

I'm excited for some slightly cooler temps this weekend (and hopefully sleeping with the windows open!) since it's been so hot lately. We have dinner plans tonight with some of Sammy's coworkers and their girlfriends, two birthday parties on Saturday, and I have my cousin's bridal shower on Sunday, so lots to celebrate! 

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

xo

Linking up with April and Andrea!