5 Friday Favorites: February 21, 2025

   

It's time for my Friday link up with  A Little Bit of Everything and Momfessionals. 

On Fridays I share things that made me happy from the week - a photo, a song, a quote, a beauty product, a recipe, a pair of cute shoes, etc. If it's a product, sometimes it's something I actually own and sometimes something I just saw online that gave me a smile. Sometimes it's serious and sometimes it's silly. I suppose I believe that God is in the simple details of life and yes, I can even find Him in a tube of lipstick.

Hi and happy Friday. It is currently 23 degrees and we are planning to head to North Carolina to be at a baseball field tomorrow for a gazillion hours where the high is predicted to be a balmy 45 degrees. Despite that, I am looking forward to it since last weekend's games for Drew were canceled. Since the weather scrapped our original plan to be watching baseball on Valentine's Day you might think that the love of my life and I would have taken the opportunity to have a candlelight dinner or watch a sweet romantic comedy. You would be incorrect. Steve and I spent most of our weekend flipping between various livestreams of other college games so that we could watch some of our other children - friends of our boys who were able to get their games in. I will never tire of watching our neighborhood kids who played Little League one minute ago continue to play this game into college and even beyond. I have exactly zero chill about seeing them on my television screen.

Here are some other favorite things from the week.

1. The Housemaid

My sister-in-law gave me this book for Christmas and OH MY WORD. It is wild. It is creepy. And just FYI, it might give you nightmares, so proceed with caution.

2. Martha Stewart Cap Sleeve Puffer

Since Drew's team colors are navy and gold I got this cute cap sleeve puffer jacket in navy and thought I could wear it with a long sleeve gold tee or a striped navy and white one to the games. Alas, this weekend, I'll have to wear the coat I have mentioned 7,000 times again because February doesn't care that baseball season has started. I have high hopes that the cap sleeve puffer will make its debut soon.

3. Think Girl Scout Thin Mint Protein Bars

Well, it's the time of year when I have to sprint past the Girl Scouts parked out in front of my grocery store shouting apologies because I have no self control when cookies are in the house. I tried to make myself feel better by purchasing these Think Thin Mint Protein bars. They have 20 grams of protein and 0 grams of sugar. I had very low expectations, but they are surprisingly good and don't taste chalky like a lot of protein bars do.

4. Cottage Cheese Queso

laurenfitfoodie.com

First, the Girl Scout cookie substitute and now this madness. I know what you're thinking:

I understand. I thought my sister was going to hang up on me when I was telling her about it. If you grew up in a house that was never without a block of Velveeta "cheese product" first of all, you are my people. And second of all, you are going to struggle with this, but hear me out.

In an effort to eat more protein (blah, blah, blah) and clean ingredients (eye roll), I made this cottage cheese queso this week and I know you don't believe me, but it was actually really good. I ate it with these grain free Siete tortilla chips which taste a little bit like sadness, but aren't tragically bad. It's worth a shot, I promise. 

5. This Too Shall Last

I am speaking at the women's retreat on March 8th at Arcola Methodist Church so I've been spending a lot of time this week working on the message I'll share that day. I want that message to be meaningful and uplifting, of course. As I sat down this morning, it seems that I'm fresh out of those kind of words. My apologies. You've been warned if you'd like to "dip" now, as my kids would say. 

The winter keeps wintering. Not just outside of the walls of my house, but on many days inside of my heart and mind and body. 

I'm more overwhelmed with missing my mom than I have been maybe since those first few months without her. This grief, this longing, this anger, this absolute soul-crushing shock that she is not here and the panic that follows that shock comes at me so randomly. I have moments when I am utterly stunned that I haven't heard her voice in the last few days, much less the last 23 months. I've tried to figure out why. Is it because the house is so quiet and empty after the chaos of the holidays? Is it because I've been in such pain from this aggravating neck and shoulder issue which has caused me to be pretty depressed and needing my mom to tell me it's going to get better? Is it because I've been writing a lot lately and I desperately need her razor-sharp editor's eye and her unwavering belief in me?

Several times in the past few weeks, when I have been alone, I have shouted in my house or in my car or in the shower or at my desk,  "WHAT THE HECK, GOD? THIS CANNOT BE REAL. THIS IS THE DUMBEST PLAN EVER. I WASN'T READY. I WANT MY MOM BACK." (Insert lots of cursing. Also, the chances I used the word "heck" instead of another word that ends with "k" are exactly zero. My language since she died has really been in a downward spiral.)  

I just want to talk to her. And I know what she would say because she said it to me a million times. First she'd tell me to put on some blush and lip gloss and go for a walk. And then she would say, "Honey, this too shall pass."

You were wrong on that one, Mom. It didn't pass. It isn't passing. It won't pass. I miss you so much, you big liar. Sorry for all the bad language. I'll see ya later. 

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