Brrrr. It’s so cold as I sit here in my kitchen this morning finishing up this week’s Friday Favorites. We’re heading to South Bend early this afternoon for what might be Leo’s last sports banquet. I say “might” because he still has one year of eligibility left—and he’d love to play. And I’m over here saying, “Let it rip, my boy! What’s one more year when you have the rest of your life to work?”
The only hiccup is that he doesn’t want to pay for that opportunity. He’d like a team to take a chance on him, and I’m really hoping the right one finds him. Leo will be the soul of whatever team is lucky enough to get him. But because nothing is guaranteed, we’re soaking up every minute of celebrating him and the Irish in the Bend tonight.
Otherwise, this weekend should be pretty quiet. I have a few projects I’d love to wrap up before the kids get home on the 20th, and I’m planning to go to the Lake Bluff History Museum’s Holiday Home Tour on Sunday. I heard there are still tickets available if you’d like to join me.
All right—now that we’re all caught up, let’s jump into this week’s Friday Favorites!
- Do you still need some inspiration for your holiday shopping? I was featured on the Hiya Gorgeous podcast episode that came out on Monday with my friends Nina Vallone and Martha Zeeman. We talked all things presents and I think we came up with some good ones. Here’s the link if you’d like to listen.
- Speaking of gifts, here are my guides for the guys and gals in your life. My goal is to pop around town over the next week and give you a peek at what the local retailers have in store, too.
- I just saw that J.McLaughlin is offering 25% off sweaters this weekend. This one and this one are so pretty. I’m also a huge fan of their Arlette turtlenecks. The sale is a great time to buy some of these great closet staples.
- If you’re a local, Elawa Farm’s Holiday Market is taking place all weekend. I always love supporting them. Here is a link to the featured vendors and their hours.
- I interviewed a former colleague yesterday about a Christmas movie he and his wife just wrote and directed–Exes of Christmas Past. Jake Jarvi and Eliza Toser collaborated on this happy and wholesome family flick that was filmed in Libertyville last April and stars Lake Forest’s very own Jeremy Warner. So exciting! We have to check this out! This link tells you where you can watch it.
- This week, I’ve been listening to the new book out–Dianarama–about the conspiracies surrounding the fateful interview Princess Diana did with BBC journalist Martin Bashir. I have such a new appreciation for the fragile state Diana was in those years before she passed away. So sad.
- Last year, I bit the bullet and bought these dreamy duck boots. They’re a little pricey but I have been living in them this week. They are great in the ice and snow and so warm! I wore them to the cold ND games this fall and they saved my feet. I think these would make a great gift for the winter dwellers on your list!
- I started on Christmas cooking baking yesterday. Baking might actually be an overstatement. I’m more of an “assembler.” Here are links to the ones I made: this one and this one.
- I know a lot of you will be traveling over the holidays and wanted to remind you that I have a “Travel” section on my blog with lots of recaps of places we’ve recently been. Charleston, London, Paris, Cabo, Newport—I’ve shared where we’ve stayed, what we’ve done, and our favorite places to eat.
- If you need a protein-packed, holiday-flavored sweet treat, these Peppermint Bark bars from Barebell are delish! Twenty grams of protein and they taste like Christmas. You’re welcome!
Okay, friends! That’s all for today! Happy weekend!
xo,
Disclosure: If you make a purchase through one of my links, I will make a small commission–almost as if I were your personal shopper. I appreciate your support!
Photo of me by Jenn Marie Edwards
