Good morning and happy Monday to you!
We’re back from our vacation. We had a wonderful time with our friends in Maine, but we’re happy to be home now. Although, I have to admit, it was kind of crazy coming “home” to a brand new house. It didn’t totally feel like home, but I still enjoyed sleeping in my own bed.
We drove home from Maine on Friday night and then we proceeded to have quite a busy weekend. Guys, this summer has been insane. I feel like I need a vacation from our vacation! Haha! Anyway, here are some of the things that made me smile this weekend!
Saturday morning KFIT workout at Pond Meadow Park. It was a great way to kick off the day, and I loved catching up with everyone!
Snacking on Medjool dates from Trader Joe’s. They’re like candy, especially when stuffed with chocolate chips and peanut butter. Mmm!
Enjoying a “mama’s morning out.” Mal watched Quinn while I had a little morning to myself. I went to KFIT, grabbed Starbucks (iced Americano with coconut milk), and then shopped at Target and Trader Joe’s.
Celebrating our friend Josh’s birthday. It was so great to see our hometown crew, especially baby James and the moms-to-be. Almost all of our friends are pregnant right now.
Our new couch was delivered. Yayyyyy! We love it!
Our Mal’s new chair also arrived. Clearly, he was pumped. Look at his face! Haha!
Drinking Dark & Stormys and watching Big Brother on Saturday night. Mal and I were absolutely exhausted, so it felt awesome to just relax. (Vacation with a 14-month old really isn’t a vacation. Chasing after our little peanut all day + staying up late with friends + early mornings = so tried.)
Receiving beautiful housewarming sunflowers from Elizabeth. She and her family joined us for lunch at our house on Sunday afternoon. As always, it was so nice to see them!
Murphy started climbing stairs. He’s had trouble with stairs ever since his surgery, but he got a little more confident and even made it to the very top this weekend. Unfortunately, though, Murphy won’t go down stairs, so we always need to rescue him.
We cooked bacon in our oven. People, this is life-changing. Dave and Marie taught us this super easy, mess-free way to cook bacon and we’re hooked. You ready? Here’s how to make the easiest and tastiest bacon ever: Put tin foil on a baking sheet, spread slices of bacon on it, place in a cold oven, turn it up to 375 degrees F, and cook for 20 minutes. You’re welcome.
Nikki’s Coconut Butter Giveaway
Thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway to win some Nikki’s Coconut Butter. Here are your winners:
Stacey
I am REALLY excited for the mint chocolate chip, but the chocolate hazelnut brownie sounds amazing too!!!
Debbie F
The chocolate hazelnut brownie sounds delicious!!!! Love coconut butter. Thanks!
Sarah
Chocolate hazelnut brownie – oh my!
Congrats! Please email me at tina@carrotsncake.com with your full name, mailing address, and choice of coconut butter you would like to try in addition to the Mint Chocolate Chip””unless you want two jars of Mint Chocolate Chip and then just let me know.
If you didn’t win and would still like to try Nikki’s, you can save 15% off your next Nikki’s Coconut Butter order with code ‘carrotsncake’. They also offer free shipping on 5 or more jars, so you can totally stock up and save! The code is only good through next Friday, August 14th, so be sure to hop on it!
Question of the Day
Your turn! Name a smile-worthy moment from your weekend!
These pictures put a smile on my face! 🙂 I am obsessed with your sofa table! I love the vintage style. So beautiful! & Murphy is so cute – but I feel sorry for the poor guy that he has trouble with the stairs. By dog had too. She was, however, 60 pounds, so she wasn’t that easy to carry around 😀
I have heard so many people rave about cooking bacon in the oven, I really need to try this out!
Smile worthy moment: drinks On the riverside with friends and cousins.
Such a nice weekend! I can totally relate to needing a vacation after vacation with the kiddos! I cook bacon the same way and it always comes out AMAZING!
What a great weekend. I went on my first stroller run with a new group in our new town. Then we tried out a new church at the beach and then spent the day at the beach. Loved it!
A sprinkle of brown sugar on top of that bacon before cooking… AMAZING
Omgggg, yes! Next time for sure!!
@Annie Atherton:
Another notch – mix some cayenne pepper with that brown sugar. Even better!!
I never thought about cooking bacon in the oven! I’m definitely going to do that!
Oh poor pug! Too bad you can’t make him a little ramp for the stairs. I feel his pain. I’m on crutches for awhile and boy do I regret buying a two story house now.
Putting my son in his new bike seat and going on family bike rides.
Ps- if you want to make the bacon crispy, put it on a baking rack over the cookie sheet. The grease drops off and the bacon is so good!
GREAT idea! Thank youuuuu!
I love you new couch! Also Murphy always makes me smile. He is just so cute and hilarious. This weekend I got lots of smiles by spending time with my own fur-love my cat Marley.
i went on an 18 mile bike ride!
Nothing better than a Target trip sans toddler. My son loves Target, but I’m still never able to browse and chill as much when he’s with me!
Getting a pedicure was my highlight! #shineytoes
I’ve gotta try cooking bacon in the oven! I make SUCH a mess whenever I cook it on the stove (but it’s worth it because… bacon). My smile-worthy moments from the weekend included a lot of tax-free shopping and spending time with some friends from high school. It was lovely 🙂
The first time I made bacon in the oven I didn’t fold the foil up at the ends so the bacon grease just ran under the foil and I thought, well that was pointless. Thankfully I realized I had missed a step because it is the best way to make bacon!
Also snacked on Trader Joe’s medjool dates (auto correct changed it to me drool…sounds about right:-) with a little dab of their cashew butter and a pinch of pink Himalayan salt. YUM!!!
Wow, love the new house! You’ve got to do a house tour when its all finished!
We always cook bacon that way! So easy!
And I agree – vacation with a 14 month old is not always a vacation. Can’t wait to see more pics of the new house!
What is the brand/color of your couch? I love it.
I have been cooking my bacon in the oven for a few months and I don’t know how I ever did it before I learned to do it that way! It definitely is life-changing! And, our lab is scared of our steps…we have had him since he was born and the steps haven’t changed; we just have to go and rescue him sometimes, too!
Your new house is so pretty! I love your couches 🙂
Those sunflowers are beautiful!
Date night with my boyfriend made me smile over the weekend. He cooked dinner and it was delicious as usual.
Ahh my Grandma is known for those tricks like cooking bacon in the oven! And I know I am all for things I can stick in the oven and come back much later to check on 🙂
Who are you liking on Big Brother this season? 🙂 I thought Vanessa was playing a great game but now she seems to be a mess! Did you see the visit with Derek & Cody from last season? I love that you share my guilty pleasure for this show, hahaha.
I was routing for Vanessa too! Dentist John might be my new favorite. I’m not sure. I kind of like James too!
I ONLY cook bacon in the oven now. For crispy bacon, I just flip it half way through cooking. Works every time!
We cook our bacon in the oven too but on a cooking rack. It’s so life-changing 😛 http://altonbrown.com/roasted-bacon-recipe/
the new couch looks great!!
Dinner out with my hubby!
Could stair pads make it easier for Murphy to climb up & down? It helped my dog tremendously! Just a thought..
Murph gets dizzy on the stairs, so I’m not sure pads would help. You can see it on his face when he’s climbing up them. Poor pug.
I have so many smileworthy moments from this past weekend because we spent it in Newport!
#3 Celebrating a good friends wedding on Goat Island!
#2 sharing an amazing dinner with my husband, daughter and my in laws at Scales and shells! Evelyn had her first scallops, and of course she’s in love. #newenglandbaby
#1 taking Evelyn to the beach for the first time and seeing her in the ocean and sand and loving it. best weekend ever.
I saw all of your adorable photos on FB. You guys are the cutest family. I’m so glad you had a nice time! 🙂
Medjool dates and homemade almond butter are one of my favorite snacks!!
I had my best friend’s bachelorette party this weekend (so, so tired today). But mostly I wanted to comment to say THANK YOU re: dates and pb and chocolate chips. My boyfriend thinks its so weird that that’s my go-to after-dinner sweet. Hello, it’s a delicious combination and he needs to get on board.
HE DOES!!
Eating brownies and watching Girls with John. I am easy to please 😉
Haha I love how Mal gets his own VIP chair with a foot rest!
I LOVE finding other Big Brother fans out there! Who are you routing for this summer?
I just figured out the oven bacon thing myself! LOVE IT!
Try putting a cookie cooling rack on top of your tin foin and then spraying with Pam before putting the bacon on the cookie racks. This keeps the bacon up off the (delicious) bacon grease and makes me feel better about eating one too many pieces. Helps them crisp up a bit more too.
Love the couch! I just bought those dates from TJ’s and bit into one and there was dirt?/brown powder? inside. It was SO weird and traumatizing lol. Now I always break open my dates before eating them.
Tina love your couch! We just moved to Newport, RI and bought the same couch…hope you love yours as much as we do! Have been following your blog for a few years now and was excited to finally experience Mary Lou’s when we got here. Hope you are well and would love to meet ya’ll if you ever make it to Newport!
My mom always does bacon in the oven and it’s glorious (as is the fact she never fails to make sure we know if you fry it then the BAKEcon is FRYcon). As an adult though, I have figured out an easier way if you just want one or two pieces. Put two pieces of paper towels on a plate and put bacon it it and one more sheet on top. Then microwave in one minute or 30 second increments until it’s done the way you like it. Easy clean up and you don’t have to turn on the oven for one or two pieces of bacon.