Happy Friday everyone! I can’t believe January is almost over! Did you feel like it flew by or has dragged on?? I’m feeling a little of both.

I have a super exciting update in the realm of parenting… BLAKELY TOOK HER FIRST STEPS!!! On Saturday, January 22nd she walked 3 or 4 steps towards me! We even caught it on video (you saw it first if you follow my Instagram!). That was one proud mama moment. Since then, she’s continued to take a few steps here and there, but she still thinks she can get places faster by crawling. I can’t complain!

Other than that huge milestone, we have had a pretty chill past weekend and week! The weekend was slow and we got a lot of house work done which made me happy. We worked on Blakely’s nursery and FINALLY…and I mean finally got the prints I ordered when I was pregnant hung over her crib! WHEW yay! We also hung her mirror over her changing table and just reorganized!

This coming weekend will be more exciting since I have a fun girls trip to Greenville, SC and Casey has a trip with his guys to NC! Blakely will be staying with her Kiki & GB (Casey’s parents) for the weekend!! Can’t wait! Now let’s get into this week’s Five Friday Favorites:

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CURRENTLY…

Reading: Night Road by Kristin Hannah! As you may or may not know, Kristin Hannah is my favorite author… and I know I’m in for an emotional roller coaster, but her books make it worth it!! I’m about 100 pages in and it is so good. I love how quick I can connect and relate to the characters in her book!!

Listening To: The Morning After with Kelly Stafford podcast! Growing up in the south, my family was huge on college sports and not NFL. After living with Casey, I’ve discovered how important NFL is to him (and his Sundays lol). Kelly Stafford is a mother to 4 girls and wife to NFL quarterback Matthew Stafford. Her podcast is hilarious and entertaining as she tells stories about motherhood, football & her husband and more. And a plus is that now I feel like I know more about NFL and can (kind of) understand what Casey is talking about now :))

Loving: my new Stanley 40oz water bottle! What I love most about this cup that my hydroflask doesn’t have is how the bottom is slim and can fit perfectly in any cupholder!! I’ve been seeing all the hype about these cups and how they sell out SO FAST, but Casey’s aunt actually had an extra she gave to me!!! Seriously going to be using it all the time now, and it makes it so much more fun to drink water out of a straw!

Watching: I used to watch YouTube all the time, but since I had Blakely I’ve been more into reading and listening to podcasts. I did stumble across this sermon the other day that was amazing. It’s from Elevation Church and the pastor’s wife Holly Furtick preached a sermon called “Say Yes To Simple”. She reveals simple and practical tips on how to get through a hard season… definitely give it a listen if you need a word of encouragement! They also have it on their podcast on Spotify.

Looking Forward To: going to Greenville this weekend! It’s my college friend Julie’s birthday on Thursday, so a friend and I are going to visit her Saturday to celebrate!! A much needed girls weekend 🙂

Following: Chrissy Marie Blog! If you haven’t checked out her blog, get ready to scroll for hours. Her blog is not only aesthetically pleasing, but is packed with helpful home tips and decor ideas. My dad is a custom home builder, so I grew up in and out of homes which sparked a passion and admiration for home decor and all the details… so if you need me I’ll be stalking her blog!

Watching: How I Met Your Father on Hulu! I’ve never watched How I Met You Mother, but I’m assuming this is a spin off to that show. I watched the first episode and it was a little cheesy but super cute. I love that it has Hillary Duff in it!!

Using: our shark vacuum! We were lucky enough to be gifted this vacuum, and it has really come in handy. We don’t even have a pet, but I highly recommend the pet hair version whether you do or don’t! Especially if you have women in the house who might shed just as often…LOL. I couldn’t find the exact model we have, but the one I linked is very similar. They also have cordless options if you’re looking for that!

Wearing: my North Face insulated jacket! I have it in the “Blackberry Wine” color, and wear it almost everyday to and from the gym! Since it is in the 30s in the morning, this coat has come in handy and is seriously so warm.

Wanting: the Half Baked Harvest newest cookbook!!! It comes out March 29th, but they have an option to preorder now! I absolutely love Tieghan’s recipes, and am excited to get my hands on this book!!

PHOTOS FROM THE WEEK

5 ATLANTA RESTAURANT RECS

King & Duke

• Located in Buckhead, King and Duke is filled with a warmly-lit interior + unique cozy decor, delicious cocktails and even better food. They display a beautiful 24-foot open hearth in the center of the restaurant where they use only locally sourced ingredients that are cooked over wood.
• Casey took me here for our anniversary dinner in October and it was amazing. Both the cocktail and dinner menus were seasonal and creative which I loved. I ended up ordering a fall themed spiced cocktail and the smokebox half chicken. Incredible!!

Superica

• Delicious southwestern Tex-Mex cuisine. Lively atmosphere, large menu that’s decently priced, and INCREDIBLE margaritas. Perfect for a girls night or casual double date spot.
• Superica is a chain located in GA, NC, and TX… and it just so happens to be my favorite. I’ve been here way too many times, and just will never get tired of it!!! My favorites are the salsa and queso starters, the chicken and shrimp fajitas, oh, and did I say the margaritas!!!

The Select

• The Select is where it is HAPPENING. Located in Sandy Springs, I went here for a girls night and we were welcomed with a buzzing atmosphere, incredible live music, & beyond fabulous service & delicious cocktails and food! We ordered duck meatballs as an appetizer and then I got the roasted chicken. It was to die for!!
• Inspired by French restaurant Le Select, the interior decor is as breathtaking as the food. We went during Christmas time and they had trees hanging from the ceiling!!! How cool!! I recommend going early because this place gets packed!

Le Colonial

• Le Colonial is a classy, upscale Vietnamese restaurant. Located in Buckhead, is is filled with sophisticated decor and really gives a luxurious feel. Perfect for a date night or fancy coworker dinner!!
• I went here for dinner with some ladies from my MOPs group, and we were all impressed. We sat on the patio which was covered and got to watch the beautiful sunset. The menu was a bit overwhelming since I’m not familiar with Vietnamese cuisine, but I ordered the spicy chicken stir fry and asked for them to hold on the spice. A lot of the women ordered the salmon. It was all amazing!

Bartaco

• Bartaco is known for their upscale street tacos & cocktails, coastal vibes and a lively and relaxed environment. Located in 12 states, I’m lucky to have one only 10 minutes from me in Buckhead!
• I ordered a delicious spiced chicken rice bowl + a margarita (or 2). Dress up or down and be instantly transported to a buzzing restaurant on the beach!!!

THIS WEEKS MEAL PLAN

MONDAY: Shrimp scampi

Monday was a whirlwind and Casey so kindly offered to cook dinner… and it turned out *chefs kiss.* I wish I had a recipe for it, but he totally eye balled everything while I was getting Blakely ready for bed. I know he used frozen raw shrimp (deveined & tailed on) from Trader Joe’s, fresh minced garlic, linguine, lemon, butter… and I think that’s it! Super easy last minute meal where you probably have most of the ingredients stocked up anyways. Pair it with a side salad and you have yourself a gourmet meal!

TUESDAY: Tacos

Duh, it’s Taco Tuesday. We (usually) do some kind of Mexican themed dish on Tuesday’s to stay on brand for Taco Tuesday.. and it just makes it easier to meal plan. For this meal, I got some Doritos Locos Taco shells from Publix and we loaded them up with the ground beef (mixed with taco seasoning), lettuce, black beans, cheese, and cilantro!

WEDNESDAY: Chicken thighs, sweet potatoes, & arugula salad

Bringing it back to the basics – a protein, a green, and a healthy carb! I used this new recipe I found to bake the chicken thighs and y’all… the flavor was soooo good. I cut the sweet potato into cubes and air fried it. And the arugula salad was a kit I bought from Trader Joe’s with a delicious lemon and basil dressing. It doesn’t get easier than that!!!

THURSDAY: Breakfast for dinner

You can never go wrong with breakfast for dinner! We had a lot of random leftovers & breakfast foods so we decided to do a fridge clean out meal // breakfast for dinner! For me this consisted of a little leftover shrimp scampi, cheesy eggs, grits & bacon, and for Casey it consisted of leftover shrimp scampi & leftover tacos!!

BLAKELY’S FAVORITES

Loving: sipping water out of a straw!! Big girl! I just got her these straw cups from Target, but she also has tried these sportee bottles and can sip out of both perfectly!

Watching: Cocomelon. Girl loves her some Cocomelon on Netflix!! My mom even got her a Cocomelon toy set for Christmas lol… she loves it!

Using: this baby walker! Although she took her first steps, she is not walking completely by herself yet. This walker has been amazinggg to give her that independence and help her get more confident on her feet. I’d say it’s a must have for babies around the age of 1!!

YAY and that’s a wrap on this week’s Friday Favorites! I hope y’all enjoyed the update, and I’d love to know in the comments what your go to weeknight dinner is!!! Always looking for inspiration to change it up! Have a great weekend! 🙂

Stay Well,

Courtney