Friday Favorites #13

Happy Mother’s Day weekend! My mom is in town, and I am thrilled to spend the special day with her. My parents arrived yesterday, and we’re excited for some quality time with them. They are lucky to be here when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom! We’re actually doing a mini photo session this evening with them. Family photos can certainly bring some stress and anxiety, but they’re always worth it in the end!

The boys have a soccer game tomorrow morning and the rest of the weekend we’re going to figure out as we go. Ryan and I are doing date night Saturday evening which is far overdue. I’ll be sure to do a recap of my parent’s visit on the blog next week. Until then, keep scrolling to read this week’s roundup of favorites.

Cherry Blossoms!

As I mentioned above, the cherry blossoms are in full bloom, and they are gorgeous! Each season brings a certain level of beauty up here and the fields of white blooms do not disappoint. Every time we pass by a field Owen shouts out “Cherry trees! Look! Cherry trees!” The little things bring him so much joy, which brings me to my next favorite…his worm farm!

Owen’s Worm Farm

Owen has a great love for God’s little critters. Lately it’s been salamanders and worms. He’ll turn over every rock in the garden to find worms, which mom doesn’t always appreciate but it’s hard to stop his little curious mind. Ryan gave Owen a plastic shoebox to fill with dirt, sticks, etc. He drilled holes in the lid and now Owen has his own worm farm. He’s so excited about it and has been finding worms all week to add to it. Some even have names: Wormsie, Bertha, and Worm. I love his passion for nature and caring for God’s littlest creatures. He’s such an animal lover!

Heart Bones by Colleen Hoover

I picked up Heart Bones at the Blue Vase Book Exchange a few weeks ago when Ryan’s parents were in town. I needed a break from historical fiction and this quick Colleen Hoover read was perfect. This book does not lack emotion and you become invested in the characters quickly. It’s essentially about two broken young adults who find love in each other. It plays like a movie in your mind and was giving some Outer Banks vibes as far as the setting and characters go. Heart Bones is a pretty typical Colleen Hoover read, so if you love her books, you’ll definitely enjoy this one. It’s a great beach read!

Bamboo Ziplock Bag Organizer

I’ve said before that I love to organize and have actually had this Ziplock bag organizer in my Amazon cart for a while. It happened to go on sale, so I snagged it up! The individual boxes in the drawer were working just fine, but this handy organizer makes them much easier to grab and reduces clutter. There is an option to add the gallon bags (the label comes off with magnets), but I am using that space for chip clips and other miscellaneous items right now. It sure makes my organizer heart happy!

Lake Ann Outing

When we first moved up here, I had a hard time finding Nala a dog groomer. The closet one with availability was a half hour drive to Interlochen. It’s called Happy Paws and we’ve been happy with the service so plan to keep taking her there for now. Since I had Owen with me, I figured we would make a morning of it with some nearby stops after dropping Nala off. First, we went to Inland Township Park. It was our first visit, and I would definitely return. There was a nice playground area, shelter with picnic tables, basketball court, and walking trails nearby.

After the park, we drove down the road to a coffee shop I’ve been wanting to try called Red Door Coffee House. What a little gem! It’s quaint, cozy atmosphere could be right out of Stars Hollow. Even though Luke didn’t serve me my coffee, the staff was very pleasant. My latte was delicious (not too sweet like some places). Owen and I shared a breakfast sandwich which we both thoroughly enjoyed. There was a little gift shop of unique items made my local artisans and even a play corner for children. Loved everything about it and will be back!

Owen spotted a playground right across the street, so of course he wanted to play. I finished my coffee and pushed him on the swing as we soaked up the beautiful spring morning.

Have a great weekend! I hope all you wonderful mothers get some well-deserved rest and relaxation.