Five on Friday - Carolina Charm

Happy Friday!

We have a big weekend ahead!

Tonight we’re staying IN for a low key Family Movie Night, homemade pizzas, and an extra special treat to celebrate great report cards for both kids!

Tomorrow, Thomas has two basketball games and Caroline is skipping hers because she has a FULL day Little Mermaid Rehearsal. Then we’ll finish packing our bags and the car because…

Sunday we are heading to Winston suuuuuper early to drop Mabel off with Mimi & Grandad…before heading to West Virginia to take the kids skiing for their (and my) first time! We are going with friends and I CANNOT WAIT.

I hope you all have a great Super Bowl weekend. And if you need any recipes, don’t forget to check out my Super Bowl Recipes post!

Alright, let’s get down to it…

In Case You Missed It

A few things I shared this week…

This Week’s Top 5 Reader Favorites

Squishy Valentine’s Day Cards: I’m so glad y’all loved these!!!!! Caroline has already stuffed all her cards and cannot wait to pass them out! If you have a squishy-obsessed kid, this pack of 32 squishies (and cards) are a super fun, non-candy classmate card idea.
Pullover Sweater: This sweater makes me feel pulled together even when I’m wearing leggings. I wear it SO much. It’s an oversized fit, comes in a rainbow of colors, and is seriously so cozy and comfortable.
Boys Twill Pull-On Shorts: Another week in the top 5! These budget-friendly pull on shorts are our favorite shorts for Thomas. They sit ABOVE the knee (which I swear is so hard to find for shorter boys) and are available in 5 colors.
Self Tanner Mousse: I love that it is made with clean ingredients, free of chemical dyes, parabens, and toxins. I just ran out of the lotion and bought the mousse to try and oh my gosh, I LOVE IT even more than the lotion! It’s lightweight and fast-absorbing making it easier and quicker to apply. I skip the mitt and use my hands so I don’t waste any of the product, and then just wash my hands after. I use medium-dark and it’s a great color to build on.
Powersoft Adjustable Sports Bra: I have not purchased or worn any other sports bra since discovering this one in 2021. It really is an incredible sports bra. It’s comfortable, has adjustable straps, is affordable (& currently on sale), provides great support and has SEWN IN CUPS. This bra really is the total package.

1. What We Ate This Week for Dinner

As promised, here are the links to all the recipes I made this week for dinner. I made extra buffalo chicken sweet potatoes so I could eat them several days for lunch this week too — so good!

2. Pool Progress

We made a tremendous amount of progress on our backyard this week! We have been waiting months for some 24×24 marble squares and they FINALLY arrived.

The crew has been working so hard from sun-up to sun-down every day, including weekends to get this project completed.

For so long the backyard has been a ginormous mud pit with a concrete shell filled with disgusting water…and now we can see it taking shape and are SO excited!!!

Once we finish all the hardscaping, we can move to landscaping, and then we can finish the last few steps for the pool!

3. Workout Outfit

I shared this workout outfit earlier this week and y’all LOVED it! A few notes on why I like it too…

Long Sleeve Top: This is my second favorite long sleeve top to workout in! I love the square neck and the fabric is stretchy, lightweight and moisture-wicking. My favorite long sleeve top is in the dirty hamper but it’s from Target and is definitely more budget-friendly. However, it’s cropped and a thicker material so I like to wear it with my higher waisted leggings — and when it’s really cold outside.
Spanx Booty Boost Leggings: Hands down, my favorite leggings to work out in. I prefer the 7/8 length to the full length. Their sculpting performance fabric is breathable, sweat-wicking and have a built-in booty lift. Worth every penny.
Powersoft Adjustable Sports Bra: I have not purchased or worn any other sports bra since discovering this one in 2021. t really is an incredible sports bra. It’s comfortable, has adjustable straps, is affordable (& currently on sale), provides great support and has SEWN IN CUPS. This bra really is the total package.
No Bull Trainers: SO MANY OF YOU agreed these are the BEST training shoes, and that says a LOT for me because I absolutely LOVE my Nike MetCon shoes! But I have to admit that the No Bulls are more comfortable and provide great support. I just wish they had the Nike lock lace feature!!!

Outfit Details

4. Charlotte Family Restaurant

After church on Sunday we grabbed lunch from one of our favorite restaurants — Burtons Grill & Bar! SO MANY of my Charlotte readers raved about this restaurant when I ran a poll on Family Friendly Charlotte Restaurants awhile back — and we have been hooked ever since! Their allergy-friendly commitment is amazing and I love that how many gluten-free meal options they have. They also have such a good kids menu (the best in town, in my opinion) and excellent cocktails. We DoorDash from there a lot too and the quality is just as good as in the restaurant.

If you haven’t been, you have to take the fam there! The gluten-free General Tso bowl (pictured below) is sooooooooooo good — bronzed chicken, general tso glaze, charred broccoli, quinoa rice blend, julienned vegetables, toasted almonds, sesame, scallions, cilantro, and ginger aioli. Matt and I both order this almost every time!

5. The Meaning of Marriage

The spring semester of bible study kicked off this week and we are reading The Meaning of Marriage by Tim Keller. It’s been more than a decade since I last read this book so I am excited to see how much more I glean from it 10 years further into marriage. If you haven’t read this book, I highly recommend it.

Speaking of bible study, I wanted to re-share my bible for anyone in the market for one! This hardback women’s study bible is packed with study notes, reflections, and STUNNING illustrations. I absolutely love it!