Hi there! Happy Friday! I hope it’s been a great one and you’re looking forward to some fun and relaxation this weekend. I have some fun shopping (it’s a tax holiday weekend!) and another much-needed friend day planned. And I’ll probably squeeze some baking in somewhere, because that’s what I do. 🙂 Anyway, let’s end this week right by talking about some of the little things that made it lovely.
- The weather
I don’t think I ever expected to love early August weather in Ohio. Usually, I would consider it pretty miserable and avoid being outside at all costs. Not right now, though. It’s not too hot! It’s not too humid! It’s been sunny! Yesterday barely broke 70°! Life is good 😀
We pretty much only ever make Texas Toast when we have spaghetti, lasagna, or manicotti. When we made lasagna the other night, we didn’t have any on hand, so we did without. Since lasagna makes a ton of leftovers, my dad picked some up at the store the other day. We ate lasagna leftovers with Texas Toast last night, and I remembered how much I love it. It’s so light and fluffy with crispy edges and such great buttery, garlicky flavor! So… I should make it more often.
Keeping up with current events makes me feel better about myself. I like to be informed. Alternatively, it makes me feel terrible about the world because wow is it screwed up. However, I’ve (re)started spending some time each day reading and skimming the Wall Street Journal, thanks to my dad’s subscription. It makes me happy.
Trying peanut butter – and any nut butter, really – is one of my favorite hobbies. Okay, it’s not a hobby, but I do try a lot of them. (Side note: should I do a post with a round-up of reviews?) This has great texture thanks to the crunch of those seeds and is still super creamy and richly peanut-y. It’s great with apples, berries, bread, and spoons.
- “The” gold nail clippers
Growing up, I pretty much just stole a random pair of nail clippers from my mom or dad whenever I needed them. Until high school or so, I usually took my mom’s. They were smaller and I assumed they’d cut my (small) nails better. For one reason or another, though, I took my dad’s a couple times. Specifically, I used the above gold-colored ones. Soon, they were the only ones I wanted to use. They have a little nail file attached, but they cut so perfectly that it’s pretty unnecessary. I don’t know if they’re particularly sharp or something, but they are the best.
Anyway, I lost them over a year ago. We searched high and low for them, and then we searched stores and the internet for a similarly great pair of nail clippers. I found serviceable ones, but none of them rivaled the ones I lost. I was deep-cleaning the dresser in my room a few weeks ago and I was so excited when I found them hiding in the back of one of the drawers. My nails grow fast and I cut them at least once a week, and finding the magical gold nail clippers has made that process much quicker and more pleasant.
And now you probably think I’m weird because I am deeply emotionally invested in peanut butter and a pair of nail clippers. That sounds like a good place to end this. Have a wonderful weekend, everybody! Talk to you on Monday!
What kinds of bread do you favor?
What are you a little too invested in?
Tell me what you’re loving this week!
I’m all about the bagels! Texas toast is classic though. Have a great weekend!
I love bagels! Thanks, Kate. I hope you have an awesome weekend, too!
So funny about the nail clippers!! I want to try those. I don’t think I would like that pb though because I really don’t like any crunch in my nut butters… creamy all the way for me 🙂
Haha I won’t hold that against you 😉 Nah, most of my faves are creamy, too, actually. Have a great weekend, Hayley! 😀
I love trying new pb, and I love trader joes, so this new product definitely kills. The funny thing is that my nails are all always variable lengths. One will be incredibly long and nice looking while the one next to it is a stub because it became a hangnail and I had to cut it off. Nail attractiveness is definitely not my forte :P.
Haha my nails drive me crazy when they get long/different lengths. Just a weird quirk I guess 😛
The weather has been super nice this week here too!
That TJ pb is super good!
Love it!!
I really enjoyed your anecdotal telling of the lost nail clippers- glad you found them! 🙂 Have a great weekend Ellen! 🙂
Thanks, Julia! Have fun moving back to SDSU 🙂
That peanut butter looks fantastic! I’ve been looking for a new peanut butter because the company that made the kind I love went out of business. Thanks for posting!
Of course! Hope you give it a try 🙂
I got that peanut butter a couple days ago, actually, and have yet to try it! Thanks for reviewing it. I’m even more excited to try it now 😉 Have a great weekend, Ellen!
Hope you enjoy it, Alison! Have a wonderful weekend!
Yes!!! Definitely a nut butter round-up post! Bring on more nut butter taste-testing! 🙂
I am too invested in way too many things, but what comes to mind is – okay, this is really weird coming from an almost-25-year-old – the two stuffed animals I sleep with at night. I have special places I tuck them when I sleep. 😛 I leave them at home when I go anywhere overnight, and then I miss them when it’s time to go to bed. Pretty pathetic for a semi-grown-up, but there you go. 😉
Lol, we are SO particular about our nail clippers around here! In fact, we *just* ordered a duplicate of a certain brand we all love. Although I must say, I was really hoping you’d divulge where you got the magic gold clippers, because we could really use finding another good kind. I guess they just don’t make things like they used to!
I tend to like the hearty breads, particularly the more artisan or “healthy”, whole-wheat-type breads, though I wouldn’t pass up a slice from a good bakery-style, sturdy white French bread. 🙂
Late to the party again, but this is Friday Favorites are one of *my favorite* parts of the week, so I wouldn’t miss it. 😉 What I’m loving this week!!
1) Old Disney classics. We didn’t watch a ton of Disney as little kids, but we’ve seen more and more the older we get (I know that might seem kind of backwards…). They make me smile as I recognize similarities and experience the charm.
2) Freshly-picked blackberries. I know I just did fresh fruit, but I couldn’t help myself, because I just spent a couple of days at some friends’ house, and they have cultivated blackberry vines. Needless to say, even though I don’t tend to be that big into berries, I basically ate my weight in them, fresh off the vine!
3) Battleship. My sibs and I rediscovered this childhood favorite game, and were talking about how there was probably a high-tech version now. Of course, we had to see if there was an app for that, and there was a bajillion *different* apps. Soon we were all playing a modern-day-version of Battleship with each other…bringing back all sorts of childhood memories.
4) Newborn baby holds. It’s been a *really* long time since I’ve held a baby less than 24 hours old, but this week, I had the pleasure of helping out a family who was just welcoming a new little one into the world. I got to hold him, enjoying the tiny baby sounds and his tiny baby self. It was the best, and I could’ve gone on pretty nearly all day! 😉
5) This quote by Alexandra Franzen: “Today is not over yet.” The idea that there is always enough time left in the day, even if it is only one minute, to do something wonderful, fun or productive, something that can turn a downer day into a terrific day, has really taken my week by storm and reminded me to live with a purpose every single moment.
Wishing you a beautiful and extra-special week this week, Ellen!
I wish I knew where the magic nail clippers came from, but I can’t even tell what brand they are 🙁
1.) Love all things Disney.
2.) I could eat a a million blackberries and never feel too full for more. Adore.
3.) Battleship! I used to love that game!
4.) It’s been ages since there was an itty bitty baby in our family. They’re so sweet <3
5.) That's such a great point! I'll try to think of that more often. 🙂
Thanks, Hannah! I hope your week is fabulous 🙂