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Five on Friday

Happy Friday!

It’s been a great week with a few curveballs! Mabel just wrapped up her first week of dog training and has one more to go. As much as I miss having her with me all day, it’s been nice to work without the distraction of puppy paws begging for walks or her barking at every single leaf blowing by the window. Bonus: she’s been coming home absolutely exhausted!

But of course, the quiet house didn’t last long—the kids were home for a day of remote learning this week after the heat went out at school. Bah! Talk about trading one kind of chaos for another!

We’ve got a fun, sports-filled long holiday weekend ahead! Both kids have two flag football games and two basketball games on the schedule—so we’ll definitely be spending a lot of time cheering from the sidelines and the stands!

Alright, let’s get down to it…

In Case You Missed It…

This week I shared…

  • Our Soup Cook Off Party: All the details and the winning soups from our Soup Cook Off — the most fun (and delicious) night!
  • The Best Damn Chili: I updated and re-shared this 2013 recipe after we made it last weekend for Soup Sunday! This thick, hearty chili has been feeding me lunch all week!
  • Chai Martini: My favorite fall cocktail from last year that is still my go-to for hosting the girls or cozy nights in!

1. What We Ate This Week

Our dinner line-up this week was SO good! The family favorite? My go-to Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken! The Chicken & Bacon Salad with Bacon Vinaigrette from Danielle Walker’s cookbook was our runner-up! The rest of the meals are staples I’ve been making almost weekly lately.

For date night this week, Matt and I finally made it to Oshen, and OH. MY. GOSH. It was truly one of the best meals I’ve ever had in CLT! The service was outstanding—we planned to walk in and sit at the bar, but the hostess went out of her way to shuffle tables around and get us seated. The ambiance was spot on too—not overly loud or too dark (things I’ve come to appreciate more now that Matt uses readers!).

Sushi lovers, take note: the chef comes from Nobu Miami, and the food and drinks were absolutely spectacular. Tons of gluten-free options, too! Everything we ordered was incredible, but if you go, you must try the scallop nigiri. It’s topped with soy butter and torched tableside—unbelievably good!

While we’re on the topic of things we ate…I had to share the homemade sourdough cinnamon toast crunch cereal I made last weekend! It was definitely more work than I’d normally put into a family serving of cereal, but honestly, no more or less time-consuming than other sourdough breakfast treats I’ve made. Plus, it turned out so good—and it was fun to make! Pro tip: the thinner you roll out your dough, the better it turns out.

2. Pedometer

It’s been a heavy content-writing week, which means I’ve logged a lot of time on my walking pad while working at my desk. I decided to grab an inexpensive pedometer to compare it to the step count on my Apple Watch, and guess what? My watch has only been capturing about half of my steps! All this time, when I thought I was hitting 10-20K steps, I was actually doing way more!

After sharing this on Instagram, I got tons of messages about step tracking hacks. A popular suggestion was wearing your watch on your ankle. I gave it a try, but it meant buying a bigger band (to avoid cutting off my circulation), and I didn’t love not having access to my watch. Another thing I tried was tucking my watch flat inside my waistband, which worked slightly better for accuracy—but again, I missed the convenience of checking my watch. Ultimately, the pedometer has been the easiest solution for me!

3. Tween Classroom Valentine’s Day Cards

The kids’ Valentine’s Day cards arrived this week, and I have to share because they’re seriously so fun! We ordered from Minted again this year, and I was thrilled to see some hilarious options for tweens. Caroline wasted no time picking out the “My Mom Made Me Pass These Out” cards because she thought they were absolutely hilarious. Meanwhile, Thomas went straight for the “You’re So Sigma” cards and, of course, added a joke on the back—classic Thomas.

The cards are fully customizable with tons of colorways, shape options (wavy, straight, etc.), and of course, paper type. And yes, there are matching stickers, which aren’t totally necessary—but since this might be Caroline’s last year handing out Valentines (sad!), I went all in on the accessories. Highly recommend checking out Minted’s tween/teen section—it does not disappoint!

And I’ve got a promo code for you! Use code XOCAROLINA2025 at checkout for 20% off + a free 24 pack of matching stickers!

Some of my Valentine’s card faves

4. Topsail Steamer

We recently tried the Shark Bite bucket from Topsail Steamer and not only was this such a fun meal to eat as a family, it was incredibly delicious and clean-up was a breeze!

Here’s how it works: Pick your custom seafood bucket, packed with fresh ingredients and their signature seasoning. Add a little liquid, steam it to perfection, and dig in.

Charlotte friends, you’ve GOT to try Topsail Steamer. You can use code SHELLYEAH to get a free pound of crab! If you’re ordering online, don’t worry about adding it—they’ll just throw it in for you.

5. Loft High Rise Slim Jeans

Over winter break, my sister was rocking these High Rise Slim Jeans, and I loved them so much that I immediately ordered a pair for myself! The slim fit is so flattering, and I was thrilled to find out they come in petite sizes too. Here’s the crazy part: they’re currently on sale for just $22. Yes, $22!!! They’re still stocked in most petite and regular sizes, and I’m wearing the Mid Vintage Wash. Such a steal for such a great fit!

January Promo Codes

  • ShopMy: The affiliate platform I love for linking products. If you’re a creator looking for an affiliate platform, I have a referral link that can help get you in the program!
  • Topsail Steamer: use code SHELLYEAH to get a free pound of crab! If you’re ordering online, don’t worry about adding it—they’ll just throw it in for you.
  • Nuuly: Get $30 off your first month’s subscription. I have had so much fun renting all my holiday party outfits this year and now using it for some fun winter sweaters that I wouldn’t normally splurge on.
  • Cozy Earth: Use code CE-CAROLINACHARM at checkout for 40% off!
  • Minted: Use code XOCAROLINA2025 at checkout for 20% off classroom Valentine’s cards + a free 24 pack of matching stickers!

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Caley

Monday 20th of January 2025

Those Valentines cards are so cute! x