Five on Friday

Happy Friday, friends!

What a whirlwind of a week it’s been! With the kids home Monday and Tuesday, we managed to cram what felt like two weeks’ worth of activities into these few days — from playdates and sleepovers to squeezing in doctor’s appointments and everything in between. Somehow, it’s been both the shortest and longest week ever!

And let’s talk about Daylight Saving Time — it is getting to me this year! I don’t think I’ve ever felt it quite like this. By the time 8 p.m. rolls around, it might as well be midnight.

Anyway, I am so excited about the long weekend. Our Saturday line-up includes flag football for Thomas, Caroline has a birthday party, Matt and I have so much stuff to assemble/hang on the walls in the playroom, and I will start working on my Thanksgiving meal plan! And we’re going to the mountains for a glamping adventure on Sunday since the kids are out of school on Monday for Veterans Day!

Alright, let’s get down to it…

Gift Guides I Shared This Week

Now that we’re in November, you’ll see my gift guides rolling out! I have spent SO much time digging for the best gifts and hope you love them!

I also wanted to share that I worked with a web developer to create a new, beautifully organized, and user-friendly Gift Guide Page!! You can find ALL my gift guides on this page! I love how it turned out!

• Gift Ideas for Tween Boys: There are more than 32 ideas on this list! Our longest time favorite item would be the Laser Tag Set, a personal favorite item of Thomas’s is the I Survived Series Box Set, and his most wished for item is the Football Passer Machine!
• Gift Ideas for Tween Girls: My favorite guide every year! The longest time favorite item is ALWAYS the Confetti Slime Kit which Caroline gets every year, her personal favorite item on the list this year is the Hover Board, and her most wished for item is a tie between the Tazz Platform Uggs and Vanity Desk with Mirror.
• Favorite Things Party Gift Ideas: A gift list I update annually with NEW faves from our fave things party! The Hall of Fame winner is still the Kosterina Extra Virgin Olive Oil with a close second being the Maldon Sea Salt Flakes + Marble Salt Cellar. And my personal favorite from the list this year is What to Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking!

Other Things I Shared This Week

• Snaps from our 13 year anniversary including our staycation (our anniversary gift to each other) and the delicious anniversary dinner I made us!
• An updated tutorial for Oven Dried Orange Slices. I made a bunch of these last fall and used them for so many things throughout the holiday season — a garland for my mantel, recipe and cocktail garnishes, and even tied them to my gifts!

My Top 5 Favorite Items This Week

Five items I have been loving this week! If you can find my Top 5 Amazon items HERE which includes the dress I cannot wait to wear 7 times to all of Caroline’s Nutcracker performances!

1. Knives: See #5. They deserve their own post.
2. Bistro Apron: Caroline surprised me with this cute apron for my birthday this year and I don’t think I’ve shared it! I’ve worn it a lot this week and love it so much. It’s even prettier in person.
3. Autumn Delights Cakelet Pan: I’m hosting a soup party in a few weeks and just scooped up this festive heavy cast aluminum pan for making bite-size cornbread muffins!
4. PUR Mints: I’ve been chewing this brand’s gum for a while, but recently tried their mints and am hooked! They’re made with clean ingredients, free from aspartame and artificial sweeteners, and use xylitol instead. I especially love the Peppermint and Spearmint flavors—refreshing without any artificial aftertaste!
5. Gold Sequin Bead Drop Earrings: These were a splurge but I’ve been swooning over them for a long time (and used my friend Stephanie’s code (STEPHANIE-20) to save 20%!

1. Waxhaw Pump Track

I want to highlight a fun spot we explored for the first time while the kids were home this week — the pump track at the park in downtown Waxhaw! The kids and their friends brought their rollerblades and scooters, and had an absolute blast! Watching them speed down and around the track shaved a few years off my life, but they left saying it was one of the best days ever (and with only a few minor bumps and bruises!).

2. Amazon Alexa Hack: Disabling Shopping Notifications

Have your kids figured out they can ask Alexa about package deliveries? If so, they might be getting some early hints about their holiday gifts! To keep surprises under wraps, you can outsmart them by disabling Alexa’s shopping notifications.

Here’s your annual reminder on how to do it: Open your Alexa app, head to Settings, then Notifications, and select Amazon Shopping. From there, you can turn off Alexa’s ability to announce item names on your orders. Now your holiday secrets are safe (unless they manage to guess!).

3. Frasier Fir Laundry Detergent

Speaking of reminders, I also wanted to share my annual reminder about the Thymes Frasier Fir Laundry Detergent! It smells ahhh-maaaaziiiiinngg — like a Christmas tree forest! I especially love washing our blankets with it; it makes everything feel so cozy and festive! Plus, this bottle will last you through the season and beyond, since it’s super concentrated — just a small amount goes a long way.

4. Fave Things We Ate This Week

I was busy in the kitchen this week! I baked a few loaves of sourdough bread and made sourdough everything bagels for the first time which turned out delicious!

For dinners I cooked mostly out of What to Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking — Crunchy Harrisa Fish Tacos (omg, so good), Cheesy Rice & Beans, and Saucy Eggs with salty sourdough bread (I’m making these weekly now — I am addicted).

But I’d have to say the best dinner I made this week was our anniversary dinner. Everyone always gets so excited when I make steak — cooking a great steak is one of my super powers! And I served it with the crispiest air-fried potatoes and a kale salad!

And tonight we’re making BBQ chicken pizzas on homemade sourdough crust. We cannot stop making these every Friday now!!! They are just so insanely good and everyone loves them!

5. Paring Knives Set

My friend McKinsey (who always has the best recommendations) told me to buy this set recently and said these are pretty much the only knives she has used daily for years! Her aunt, a chef, shared them with her forever ago. Anyway, I recently scooped up a set and she was spot on. These wavy edge knives are a game-changer—super sharp, lightweight, and perfect for everything from cutting and fruit to slicing sourdough bread. These are the knives I reach for most now too and the colors make it easy to remember which knife I’ve used for different foods. They’re affordable, and McKinsey’s set has held up perfectly through years of dishwasher cycles. McKinsey, Aunt Linda, and I all highly recommend!!

November Promo Codes

• Cozy Earth: Use code CE-CAROLINACHARM at checkout for 40% off! The pajamas, sheets, and joggers are some of my favorite luxury gift recommendations!
• Avaline: Use code NOVEMBER15 for 15% off sitewide!
• Nuuly: Get $30 off your first month’s subscription.