Five on Friday

Happy Friday!

We’ve had a packed and exciting week!

I mentioned last week that I was going to attempt sourdough bread — and I made my first loaf this week! It was an overwhelming experience if I’m being honest, but I’m really excited to perfect the recipe. We all crushed the loaf in one day and while it was pretty good, there is definitely room for improvement!

We also started some fun house projects this week, Caroline won her softball game on Tuesday night, I won my tennis match yesterday, and I hosted Supper Club last night!

In Case You Missed It

A few things I shared this week…

• I gave this month’s Coffee with Christina (March 2024) a little twist!
• I re-shared The Jennifer Aniston Friends Salad. It’s my highest trafficked blog post right now so it deserved a re-post! And y’all LOVED the sassy comments. Even if you aren’t interested in the salad, the comments are worth peeking at.
• I shared Caroline’s favorite Starbucks drink over on Instagram earlier this week! It’s what all her girlfriends order every time I take them! And honestly, it really is a delicious treat! Thomas orders it too. The drink is a Grande Pink Drink with light ice and cold foam. However, one of my followers shared her daughter orders the same thing — but asks for double strawberries! Love that!

This Week’s Top 5 Reader Favorites

1. Swimwear for Girls: The Old Navy, J.Crew Factory, and Abercrombie Kids suits have all been super popular. And for good reason — they are all super cute and have been on big time sale!
2. Twisted Bangle Bracelet Stack: Such a good Walmart find!!!! This stacks goes with everything and I love that the bracelets are intertwined and don’t loosely slide around on my arm. Oh, and they are less than $6!
3. Rainbow Scratch Art Mini Notes: A really fun Easter basket filler! Caroline uses these ALL the time!
4. Lume Acidified Body Wash: A product I am forever repurchasing. I even gifted this last year at my Favorite Things Party! This body wash works better than soap and is pH optimized to control odor – perfect for showers after a sweaty workout!
5. Water Football: Still a top seller so far for Easter baskets. Thomas has and loves this waterproof football. It’s perfect for the beach or pool. Lots of color options too.

Alright, let’s get down to it!

1. St. Patrick’s Day

For St. Patrick’s Day last weekend, we celebrated with Lucky Charm Milkshakes! They were too sweet for me but Matt and the kids went crazy over them!!! Big hit!

Recipe for 2 Milkshakes:

• 3 cups vanilla ice cream
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup Lucky Charms cereal
• A few drops of green food coloring
• Toppings: Whipped cream + Lucky Charms marshmallows

Blend ice cream, milk, food coloring, and 1 cup Lucky Charms cereal together. Pour into glass and top with whipped cream and Lucky Charms marshmallows.

2. Basketball Hoop

We surprised the kids with a basketball hoop this week! Both of our kids love basketball and we have been wanting a hoop for a long time but wanted to wait until the pool and backyard was finished. They were so excited to see it installed when they came home from school! Lots of Knockout to come…

3. Private Chef Dinner

Last weekend McKinsey and Bobby hosted 6 couples from our neighborhood for a private chef dinner in their home by Chef David! This was our second year doing this dinner (see last year’s dinner here!) and it was even more fun this time around now that we know all of the couples so well. All our kids ride the bus together, go to the same school, and live on the same street (or a few streets over).

As we arrived, McKinsey had the most delicious Spicy Prickly Pear Margaritas waiting for us and they were so good that I stole the recipe from her and made them last night for Supper Club too!

All 5 amazing courses were incredible:

1. Salmon lomi lomi. David cured the salmon himself and served it with tomatoes and a pineapple ring
2. Cider braised pork belly tacos on sourdough tortilla with apple fennel red onion slaw and apple cider reduction
3. Sorbet trio
4. Bone-in short rib, veal jus, petite smashed potatoes, brussels sprouts, and asparagus
5. Nutella espresso brownie with caramel and gelato or sourdough bread pudding

4. A Fun (& Useful) Hostess Gift

I wanted to share the hostess gift I brought to my girlfriend who hosted us for a dinner part last weekend — Maldon Sea Salt Flakes and a beautiful Marble Salt Cellar! This exact gift was brought to my Favorite Things Party two years ago by my friend April. And it has been one of my favorite things and a go-to hostess gift! We use the sea salt flakes daily and sprinkle it on just about everything — veggies, peanut butter toast, cocktail rim, and so much more!

5. Birthday Party DIY Sweatshirts

A few weekends ago Caroline attended her friend’s 10th birthday party where they made their own sweatshirts! Each girl got a pink sweatshirt and then glued patches to it! This DIY project was a really big hit and when I shared a pic of Caroline in her sweatshirt I got flooded with DM’s asking for the details. So here’s everything you need

DIY Sweatshirts

• Assorted Patches
• Fabric Glue
• Sweatshirt