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Happy Friday! This week has been a crazy one for the south. Most everywhere has seen winter weather in some form. I can’t believe how awful it is in Texas, Oklahoma and Eastern Kentucky. My heart goes out to everyone. I cannot imagine going without electricity and water for that long. It is 2021, this should not be happening. Lindsay has a blog post on ways to help in Eastern Kentucky, so I am dropping that here.

Here in Alabama, we were under a winter storm warning Monday going in to Tuesday. They had predicted ice, but when I woke up Tuesday morning…I was shocked to see it snowing! It snowed steadily for several hours, but we only accumulated maybe 2-3 inches. It was completely gone by the afternoon. It is still cold here, but not Texas cold. I think it is warming up here this weekend.

When I went outside to see the snow, I saw 7 deer walking in our caldesac into the neighbor’s yard. It was so cool. They stared at me as I stared at them. I saw three of them a few week ago casually hanging out in my front yard. They must live close by.

Favorite Purchase: My favorite soup pan was starting to flake along the bottom and I had to get rid of it. I decided to purchase a Lodge Dutch Oven instead, since they come with a lifetime warranty and shouldn’t need replacing. I am very impressed with the quality and the actual look of it. Very pretty and sturdy. I don’t really see the need to spend $350 on Le Creuset when this is the same thing for a fraction of the price.

I also grabbed this Soap & Glory cleansing balm. I tend to use Garnier Micellar Water to remove my makeup before washing my face at night because it is easy, but my favorite is the Clinique Cleansing Balm. I don’t feel like spending $35 on a face wash, when I do a double cleanse every night…this is half the price.

I started putting stuff aside for Zoe for Easter, and I loved this unicorn soccer ball! Ships free from Nordstrom.

Favorite Recipe: I made a keto taco soup from Stay Snatched this week. She shares a TON of amazing looking recipes on her Instagram, so definitely follow her if you are looking for healthy and/or low carb options.

Favorite Aldi Finds: Aldi has stepped up their Keto and health food game lately. I found a lot of new products this trip. The Flex Popcorner chips are a GREAT way to add some protein to your diet. I grabbed some Keto cookies for Chris, they are a lot cheaper than the High Key version found at Target. Chili Lime Pork Rinds? Sign me up! We also love all the Parmesan/Cheese crisps flavors, Aldi has these Everything ones now. YESSSSS.

Favorite Workout: I usually stick to Heather Robertson workouts most days of the week, but I was in the mood to switch it up. I tried out Sydney Cummings, and I am quite enjoying her. I did this arm workout Monday, and not joke…by the second circuit my arms were burning, and half way through they were starting to shake. My arms never shake during workouts, so I KNOW this one worked. She also killed my legs Tuesday.

I did a shorter circuit workout on Wednesday, and I needed like 10-15 minutes of something to pair with it. I had A LOT of fun with this love dance workout from Pamela Reif.

Favorite Funnies:

Linking up with A Little Bit of Everything. I hope you all have a great weekend!

This post is not sponsored, I just wanted to share my thoughts on Thrive Market after placing a few orders. If you don’t know what Thrive Market is, it is a online market/grocery store that has lots of organic, GMO free foods and allows you to shop by your dietary needs whether you are keto, gluten free, vegan, etc. They have filtered by 70+ dietary and lifestyle needs.

The annual membership costs $59.95 (or $5/month) and is billed once yearly. If you opt to do a monthly membership instead, you’ll pay $9.95 per month. You’ll get free shipping on your first order over $25, plus all orders $49 or more.

If you use my link here, you can save  25% off your first order and sometimes get a free item. I will get a credit to my account if you join, so a win win.

They claim that their members save an average of $32 on every order. Plus, if you have an annual membership and you don’t make back your annual membership fee in savings, they will give you store credit. I am going to say that in my experience so far, they have the lowest prices I have seen on many of the items they offer, or the same price as some stores. The thing for me, is that most of these brands are very hard to find in stores around my house. We have a Whole Foods, but it is about a 35-40 minute drive from me, and I just am not going to make that trip on a regular basis. This is much more convenient!!!

My initial impression is that the items come packaged very well. I was impressed by how everything was separated and wrapped. I didn’t have crushed bags of chips or broken glass bottles, which was nice. None of the canned items had dents in them…which is more than I can say for my grocery deliveries from local stores.

Above are some of my recent hauls. As you can see, there are plenty of repeat items…and a few new each time. Some of my must haves are the organic coffee, the brown rice thin stackers, Whisps (which are $2 cheaper on Thrive than at Publix), plantain chips, chomps, Simple Mills Almond Flour Crackers and Mary’s Gone Crackers Real Thins. The only thing I have not loved, was the HU pizza crackers. Maybe I was spoiled by pizza Goldfish? I don’t know. Not a fan of those, but it is literally the only thing I have ordered out of all my orders that I did not absolutely love.

It has been a great resource for me to find healthier alternatives for things that Zoe likes to snack on. She is obsessed with this Pipcorn. I feel much better about giving her this, than the orange cheese balls from Target! We have really liked the Alaffia shampoo and body wash for her as well. It smells like delicious strawberries and we haven’t seen any bad reactions on her very sensitive skin. That hazelnut butter HU bar was YUMMMMM.

I have also loved their selection of the harder to find items like cacao nibs, cacao powder and some flour substitutes. They have a lot of healthier candy options as well.

The Thrive brand has been great for basic pantry staples like like olive oil, almond milk, organic canned beans, coffee, etc. On my next order, I plan to try their collagen and some other vitamins and supplements and I will report back. Chris really liked box of Ultima hydrate that I got on our last order. He said it was perfect for a day he wasn’t feeling his best after consuming a few adult beverages the night before.

Also, for every paid Thrive Market membership, they match it with a free one for a low-income family, student, teacher, veteran, or first responder. Which I think is awesome.

Have you thought about trying Thrive Market? If you are a member, let me know some of your favorites to order! Drop me any questions you might have, I am no expert….but I may be able to help.

It is supposed to drop down in the teens here today. We haven’t seen anything below the 20’s all this winter. I was hoping we would see some snow!!! But I think we are just getting some lame ass ice storm. Either way, I am thankful to be working from home and not having to worry about getting out in it and getting stuck somewhere.

We kicked off the weekend on Friday morning with a Dunkin Donut run! I wanted to make sure to get Zoe some heart donuts, since donuts are her favorite. I grabbed a Cupid’s Choice for myself, and we got Zoe one of those and the Brownie Batter one to have the next day. They were so cute and delicious!

Friday was a bit crazy, so I am glad we got that fun outing in early. I made some bacon meatballs Friday night for dinner that turned out pretty good. Both Chris and Zoe liked them, so I plan to add them in our regular rotation. I made some peas for Zoe, and had an apple spinach salad for the side myself.

We spent some time downstairs playing Big Buck Hunt and Ninja Turtles. Ninja Turtles is pretty cool, because you can have up to 4 players at one time!

Saturday morning I did some laundry and made breakfast, and we headed out for our car ride. We ordered some Landmark BBQ and drove by our old house while we were out that way. It is so crazy to go back into that area. I cant believe we lived that far out for so long!

We all ordered burgers for lunch. Their burger is always the best! We made some stuffed sweet potatoes with the chicken it for dinner. Yummmm.

After lunch, we got started on our sugar cookie baking!!! We made hearts, unicorns, X’s and O’s and teddy bears. I love baking things with Zoe! It reminds me of being in the kitchen with my mom when I was younger.

Saturday night after dinner, we played lots of rounds of Don’t Break the Ice and Cootie. I had both of these games when I was little…and I am glad we were able to find them in stores again for Zoe to enjoy!

Sunday morning I made heart shaped cinnamon rolls and set up a little surprise for Zoe. I always like to make sure she has a fun Valentine’s Day, even though Chris and I usually just exchange cards and have a nice dinner in. It is more fun to make it special for the kiddo.

Zoe fit in her Valentine’s Day dress from last year and wanted to show off the card that she made for Chris. It was so cute seeing her get all excited to color and decorate it. She even wrote her name inside for him.

Speaking of making Valentine’s special…our mail carried dropped a special surprise in our mailbox on Saturday. I have never had such a sweet and carrying mail carrier before. It is quite refreshing from the one we had at our old house that broke our mailbox about a million times. Something little like this absolutely made Zoe’s day and had my heart expanding three sizes.

Zoe made a thank you card and is putting it in the mailbox this morning for her. She also colored her a picture from the coloring book that she left.

Sunday afternoon, Chris and I spent 3 hours putting together our new coffee bar! And by we, I really mean Chris. I just assisted and was there for moral support. I cant wait to get it styled!

Last night I made filets for dinner, and that was a wrap on our Valentine’s Day weekend! I highly recommend an indoor grill. They make life so easy.

It is a rainy and dreary here. Sometimes I crave a rainy day. It is relaxing, and you don’t feel like you have to get out and do anything. When I worked all day yesterday, I didn’t feel bad that we were missing some great outside play. But also, I am needing a good walk in the fresh air something fierce! They have become a crucial part of my every day over the last year. Even just a short half mile one invigorates me.

It has been a busy week at work, but I did take some time on Wednesday for my mom to come over for awhile! It was a GORGEOUS day outside, 67 degrees. We sat out on my back deck and just chatted for a few hours, watching Zoe play. She had brought her over a load of goodies that kept Zoe entertained. She also brought her this chiffon Dr Seuss dress which is absolutely gorgeous!!!! It is on sale at Target for 20% off right now, would make the perfect Dr Seuss day outfit! (March 2 is Dr Seuss day!!)

My mom is officially retired as of the first of this month. I am so happy for her. She worked a very physical, labor intensive job that has taken a toll on her body the last few years. Her retirement is much deserved. It also makes me happy, because that leaves a huge window of extra time that we have to see her!

Last night we had virtual dance, and the last two weeks Zoe’s teachers actually called her name out during roll call because they know that we are doing the virtual option. Last night the whole class turned around and said “Hi Zoe! Happy Valentine’s Day!!!” And it was the sweetest thing ever. Zoe’s face just lit up and she said “Mommy they know I am dancing with them!” Of course, cue all the tears for me. I just really appreciate that they are acknowledging her, it makes her feel so special.

Favorite Purchases: The Osmo is on sale this week at many retailers. Since most days I just do worksheets with Zoe, and we haven’t been doing as many activities…I thought this would be a great addition to our routine. Plus it gives her more technology practice. We LOVE it!!! It is so amazing to see her create the letters and pictures. I got her the Little Preschool Genius Starter Kit that I gave her this week. I also picked up the Disney Princess kit that I am saving for her Easter basket. And the Pizza Co. one that I will give at some point in the future. Since it deals with math, she is a little too young for it right now but it will be great to start on when we have mastered the Genius kit.

With Valentine’s Day coming up, I always get Zoe a few little things. I gave her Love is a Tutu last night after dance, and I am saving Angelina Ballerina Dancing Day and Dresses Up to go in a little basket on Sunday with a few other items.

Favorite Recipe: I don’t know why I have never done this before….but I made a skillet Philly Cheesesteak this week that was so simple, but so good! All three of us enjoyed it. I kept it low carb by omitting the bread, and serving it with some citrus slaw instead. I just took a flank steak, sliced it thin and sprinkled onion powder, salt, pepper and garlic powder over it. I cooked it in the skillet until it was near done, then took it out and cooked up some onions and green bell peppers for a few minutes, added the steak back in, covered with provolone and cooked until the cheese was melted. So easy, so delicious!

Favorite Workout: Unless I am outside walking, cardio day is NOT my favorite day. Heather released a new cardio workout this week and since it was raining, I figured why not. It had me drenched by the end. She really knows how to kick my butt!

Favorite Funnies:

Linking up with Friday Favorites. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Linking up with Steph and Jana. I can already tell you that one, probably two, of these books is making my list of top picks for 2021. I recommend all of them, so go ahead and get your add to TBR list ready!

The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren

Christina Lauren is one of my favorites, and this book delivered. I absolutely loved it! It reminds me of their older stuff that made me fall in love with them. I loved Jess and River, the build up is completely believable. I am never one to turn down an enemies to lovers story, that is for sure. And Fizzy, Jess’s best friend?? I absolutely adored her and their relationship. Even the kid and grandfather won my heart over. Since Chris and I met on a dating site many years ago, before it was completely accepted, I love reading other stories about it. This one goes a step further with all the science and genetics, made my nerd heart skip a beat. Both characters were quirky enough to keep it interesting. The only thing I wish, is that we got a little more of River’s background. Just because I loved him so much too.

Bottom Line: Read it! This is going to make my top list for 2021.

**I received a copy of The Soulmate Equation from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are of my own.**

The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins

This was our book club book for January. I was excited to read it because it took place around Birmingham! Mountain Brook and Center Point are just a quick drive down the road for me. I have been to English Village, La Paz, and know of all the areas mentioned in the book.

What do I want to say about this book? It definitely had me hooked, I blew through it so fast. I didn’t really like any of the characters, but that is the way you are supposed to feel…I think? I found Eddie the most fascinating character. It was rather predictable, but I liked the way it all turned out in the end.

Bottom Line: Definitely held my interest and I enjoyed reading it. The consensus around book club was that no one really liked it….but I did. So take with that what you will.

The Switch by Beth O’Leary

I thought the audio version of this was done wonderfully. I like how it switched back and forth from Leena to Eileen, and that they used two narrators. I just loved Eileen, I think her story was my favorite!!! The idea of switching places for two months was fun, reminded me a bit of The Holiday. I loved all the friends that both Leena and Eileen met along the way. While some of the book was completely predictable, it was just a joy to read. (Or rather listen to.)

Bottom Line: Read it!

**I received a copy of The Switch on audiobook from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are of my own.**

You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle

I wasn’t sure if I was totally into this book starting out. We got to hating each other without seeing the relationship progress, or understand how we got here. But then the shenanigans started between Naomi and Nicholas and I LOL’d SO MUCH!!!! Naomi had my brand of crazy I think, and it was so relatable. You get to see these two rediscover each other, and that was really special and different than most love stories I have read. I think we can all relate to the misunderstanding and communication issues that this couple struggled with. I couldn’t put this down, and can’t wait to read the next book Hogle writes!

Bottom Line: Read it! You will definitely laugh out loud, and don’t we all need that right now?

Every Last Fear by Alex Finlay

This is supposed to be one of the most anticipated books to come out for 2021, and I can see why! Wow! So you know right in the beginning of the book that most of the Pine family dies while on vacation in Mexico. The book alternates from present and before, and you get some documentary snippets at the end of a lot of chapters. I was immediately caught up in the story, and loved reading it from the alternating characters in the book. I really loved how smart Maggie Pine was. And Agent Keller was pretty bad ass! I really enjoyed the side characters that Matt introduces us to, especially his friends Ganesh and Kala. There is a lot going on, and there were several twists to the story. I was surprised at how it all played out, didn’t see it coming.

I think I read that this was a debut from the author. Ummm sign me up for auto request on future books! This would make a fantastic book club read.

Bottom Line: Read it!

**I received a copy of Every Last Fear from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions my own.**

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