Hello May and goodbye April!

Between wedding planning, full time moming, and frequent traveling this year seems to be flying by!

This past weekend I went to Charleston, SC for a quick 24 hour trip to visit one of my best friends since middle school. If you didn’t know, I moved to Charleston from Lexington, SC when I was in 6th grade, so I feel like I did the majority of my “growing up” years there. It was super nostalgic to be back!!

I got in to Charleston late Saturday morning and my friend and I grabbed lunch at Five Loaves Cafe… my favorite lunch spot ever! I get the broccoli cheddar potato soup & a Caesar salad with tortellini and grilled chicken EVERY time.

We then ventured to Towne Center in Mount Pleasant for a little shopping. I got a cute vaycay dress and green top (pictured below in #2 faves) from Style Exchange! After lunch and shopping, we were ready to chill for a bit before heading back out for dinner. We got home and started watching the new season of Selling Sunset.

We later met some friends out for drinks and dinner at Saltwater Cowboys on Shem Creek! Highly recommend this spot to anyone visiting Charleston. Great food, beautiful views, and a fun lively vibe.

On Sunday, I drove back to my parents house in Lexington, and then drove back to Atlanta with Blakely on Monday. What a whirl wind!

This past week was nice to just get everything back in order and find a routine again. I was basically gone for almost 2 weeks so it felt good to be home.

Blakely is almost 17 months, and is currently going through her final leap right now (a jump in mental development), which is also a fussy phase. And to be honest – it might be one of the worst ones yet. She is more whiny and clingy than ever, and the temper tantrums have started! Send prayers!!

On this week’s Friday Favorites we go over current favorites, photos from this past week, my favorite workout of the week from my Madeline Moves program, this weeks meal plan and Blakely’s favorites at 16 months old!! Hope you guys enjoy!

1) CURRENTLY…

Loving: Spring candles from Target…. to freshen up your home! We have this one and I not only love the scent, but also the floral design.

Ordered: The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth. After finishing The Good Sister by Hepworth, I knew I needed to read more of her books!!

Using: Olaplex Bond Intense Hair Mask. My mom gave my sister’s and I this as well as a few other goodies for an Easter basket gift! For best results you’re supposed to use it consistently and weekly, and I have used it twice now. The smell is incredible!! I’ll keep you guys posted on how it works in a few weeks.

Reading: Still working on One Italian Summer as mentioned in last week’s Friday Favorites. A few ATL friends and I are doing a book club on this book next week!

Buying: I just bought the cutest maxi dress for my upcoming summer trip out of the country! I can’t wait to wear this while sipping on an ice cold margarita. Hint hint!

Wanting: to go wedding dress shopping. The gals in my family are going to come up in June to help me shop and pick out a dress! It cannot come soon enough!!!

Drinking: iced coffee!!! I have been a hot coffee gal since I started drinking it after having Blakely, but am slowly transitioning to iced now that it’s warmer outside. And I love! Okay, but how do you guys make your iced coffee at home?? There must be a better way to do it than pouring your hot coffee over ice lol.

Listening to: “Our Current Beauty Favorites” by Gals on The Go Podcast. If you need any summer skincare, haircare or makeup recs for the summer this is the podcast to tune in to!

Watching: Selling Sunset season 5 on Netflix. The teaaaa in this season is hot. I flew through this, but was so sad they left the show on such a cliffhanger! I can’t wait for the reunion on Netflix on May 6!

2) PHOTOS FROM THE WEEK

3) FAVORITE WORKOUT OF THE WEEK

I got back in the gym this week and it felt so good! I missed it! I took a rest day Monday since I was traveling back from visiting my parents in Lexington. The rest of the workout week looked like: legs on Tuesday, upper body Wednesday, cardio conditioning Thursday, and rest day Friday.

As always I use the Madeline Moves workout app so this is a sneak peak at one of the days. If you don’t know what an exercise is, Google will be able to help!

UPPER BODY + CORE

*warm up*

Circuit 1: 3 Rounds

1. Burpee to Dumbbell Press (10 reps)
2. 3 Point Lateral Raise (5 reps)
3. Opposite Shoulder Taps (30 reps)

Single Exercise: 3 Sets

1. Seated Arnold Press (10 reps)

Challenge Dropset: 2 Rounds

1. Hammer Curls with 3 Second Eccentric (6 reps – heavy weight)
2. Hammer Curls with 3 Second Eccentric (8 reps – lighter weight)

Core Superset: 2 Rounds

1. 1 Leg Raise + 6 Flutter Kicks (8 reps)
2. Side Plank to Leg Extension (6 reps each side)

Superset 2: 2 Rounds

1. Bicep Curl with Underhand Front Raise
2. Stationary Hip Bridge with Skullcrusher

*cool down + stretch*

4) THIS WEEK’S MEALS

MONDAY – Pizza night! Casey flew in from his boys trip and I drove in from Lexington… so easy dinner with pizza delivery from Blue Moon!

TUESDAY – Air-Fried Chicken, Roasted Sweet Potato Cubes, & Roasted Green Beans

WEDNESDAY – Crock Pot Pot Roast

THURSDAY – Chicken Thighs, Brussel Sprouts, & Leftover Sweet Potato Cubes

FRIDAY – Leftover Pot Roast – easy peasy dinners this week!!

5) BLAKELY’S FAVORITES (At 16 Months)

• Dr. Suess books – we read Green Eggs and Ham about 20 times over last night… she loves it!!!
• Little People School Bus – I don’t know what it is about the schoolbus, but this is her current favorite toy. It was actually my toy when I was her age so I couldn’t find the exact one to link, but when I was looking I found a Cocomelon musical school bus that I know she would go crazy for.
• Snack Cup – if you have a one year old and you’re an on the go mama, you need this snack cup!! Even though I stay home with Blakely, I feel like we are always out doing something whether that’s playing at the park or running errands. I usually put this snack cup in the diaper bag with either a handful of puffs or cheerios while we’re out and it holds Blakely over until we’re home for lunch or dinner!
• Honest Products Shampoo + Body Wash – This is my favorite bath products to use for Blakely! I was first gifted their baby bath bundle when I first had Blakely, and have been using their products on her ever since.
• Bathtub Crayons and Bathtub Drops – If you’ve been following me on Instagram, you know that Blakely has a recent fear of the bathtub. A few mamas and friends reached out and said to purchase these to try! They come in Saturday so I hope it helps!!
• Little Tikes Water Table – This water table entertained Blakely for HOURS when we stayed with my parents over Easter. It is affordable compared to some on the market AND so fun for any child who loves playing in water!
• Rufflebutts Brand – The absolute CUTEST brand for baby and toddler swimwear!!! I mean the ruffle butt is too adorable.

Stay Well,

Courtney