Things I’m Loving Friday #607

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 13:49:47 +0200

Hi friends! I hope you’re checking in today after a good week. How does your weekend ahead look? It’s looking like another sports-filled weekend for our crew (if the forecasted rain holds off, that is), but it should be a good one! Fall in North Carolina is my favorite so even if it rains, I’ll be okay with that because it just may inspire us to light our first fires of the season for some extra cozy vibes.

I hope you all have a fantastic weekend and for those of you stopping by the blog today to check out this week’s roundup of favorites, keep on scrollin’!

P.S. If you’d like to subscribe to Sticky Notes, my weekly newsletter, to make sure you don’t miss anything I share on my blog and social media, I would love to have you! You may see my latest newsletter and subscribe (for free!) here: Sticky Notes

Things I’m Loving Friday

Cyklar Vanilla Verve In-Shower Body Balm

Ya know my skincare empties review post from earlier this week? Well, I have a few more coming across a few different categories (body care, hair care, household items, etc.) but couldn’t resist sharing one a little prematurely. We ran out of this Cyklar Vanilla Verve In-Shower Body Balm this week and when I say “we” ran out, I really do mean “we” because my entire family decided to hijack this balm after I put it in our shower. Even the boys love this stuff! (Not exactly sure how I feel about that, to be honest, because it’s kind of a luxury shower product in my eyes, but here we are…)

I ordered the Cyklar Vanilla Verve In-Shower Body Balm a while back after one of you recommended it to me following my rave reviews of the hanni splash salve in-shower moisturizer. This is similar in that it’s a product you use in the shower but the texture is very different. (You also apply it after cleansing once the water is off, unlike the hanni product.) This body balm is luxuriously silky and easily melts into your skin leaving it feeling incredibly hydrated and so, so smooth. The smell is lovely and lingers just enough to feel subtle without becoming overly perfumey. This is the kind of product I am keeping on my radar for holiday gifting, especially for those hard-to-buy-for people, as it feels uniquely elevated. Plus, it clearly was a hit even with those waaay outside their target market (my kids — haha)!

Mini Velvet Jewelry Pouch

I’ve tried a few different things for storing jewelry when traveling over the years. My all-time favorite for years has been putting the jewelry I want to bring in these individual velvet pouches and then putting those into a larger pouch. It’s worked well and is still the best solution I’ve found for keeping everything organized as I even leave some pieces in their pouches in my dresser drawer at home.

When I saw this mini velvet jewelry pouch pop up on Amazon, I was intrigued because it looked like a great compact way to bring my jewelry essentials on a shorter trip. At $13.99 I figured it was worth a shot and I was surprised by just how much I liked it during my long weekend trip to NYC and Rowayton. (Also, I’m a sucker for anything chartreuse, so I had to get that color.) It kept everything organized in one spot and the way I could easily flip through the small compartments made it a breeze to find the jewelry pieces I was looking for (and they weren’t tangled — hooray)! It was expecially helpful for bracelets, rings and earrings which is what I’m primarily planning to use it for in the future.

Barefaced Toning Pads II

These Barefaced Toning Pads II got a little shout out in my blog post about my Skincare Empties but I wanted to highlight them here as well because they’ve been such a wonderful find for me. I’ve followed the nurse practitioner behind the Barefaced brand since before she launched her skincare line finally gave these toning pads a try a few months ago. I jumped right into the Toning Pads II despite reading that they can be intense and beginning with the original Toning Pads is recommended for sensitive skin. (I would definitely echo this sentiment!) My skin isn’t overly sensitive but even with some fairly resilient skin, can feel these working their magic! They’re now a crucial step in my skincare routine and something I use 3-4 times a week. While their main benefits include refining skin texture (aka smoother, more even-looking skin), improving skin clarity, clearing pores and calming skin, I’ve come to really LOVE the way they exfoliate and enhance the absorption and efficacy of the additional skincare products I apply after using one of these pads. I swear I can FEEL my serums working more deeply after swiping one of these pads over my face, neck and chest.

Health-Ade Ginger Cheers Kombucha

I’m sharing this one for my fellow kombucha fans! My all-time favorite Health-Ade seasonal kombucha flavor is BACK!!! But it’s been rebranded: Holiday Cheers is now Ginger Spice & Everything Nice and I am 100 percent okay with this name change if it means we get a few more months of this seasonal favorite. If you like a snappy, gingery flavor with warmer notes of vanilla, cinnamon and allspice, you’ll love this one. I’m so happy it’s here again!

Skincare Empties: Honest Reviews and What I’d Buy Again

Wed, 30 Sep 2026 01:30:56 +0200

Have you heard of the term “empties” — aka products you’ve liked enough to use to the point that there’s hardly even a drop remaining? A few years ago, I remember seeing a beauty influencer highlight her “empties” and it stuck out at me because I knew she was someone who used a LOT of beauty products. I figured that this woman’s “empties” had to actually be decent if they were products she used in their entirety. I slowly started accumulating a bag of my own empties, not quite sure what I would do with them.

And then this week it hit me: A rapid-fire empties rundown on the blog!

Skincare Empties Review: What’s Worth a Repurchase?

I’m going to start with skincare empties because, as it turns out, my skincare products are the ones I tend to fly through fastest. My goal with this post is to give you a very brief (lolll, I’ll try) skincare product empties review where I’ll highlight a product and share whether or not it’s something I’ve repurchased or would repurchase in the future. All of the empties below are products I liked enough to use in their entirety (so no mega-duds!) but not all of them were huge hits worth repurchasing. These reviews are coming after the skincare products have been used in their entirety and some of them a few times over because I’ve repurchased a few of the favorites featured.

Skincare Empties

I’m sharing my skincare empties in the order I apply them: Cleanse → Tone → Treat → Moisturize. Let’s do this!

Cleansers & Exfoliators

Bubble Skincare Fresh Start Gel Cleanser

What it does: A gentle but thorough science-backed cleanser that washes away pore-clogging dirt and debris without leaving skin dry or irritated.

The verdict: This is one of those simple but great products. It’s a no-frills cleanser Ryan and I both liked using in the shower. FYI for anyone with teens, I’ve read this is a great cleanser specifically for teen skin as well.

Repurchase status: Yes! A gentle but effective cleanser that’s priced well.

Honest Gentle Gel Cleanser

What it does: A gentle everyday facial cleanser made with a clean vegan forumla that calms the skin without over drying.

The verdict: Felt great on my face and left my skin feeling clean without any post-cleansing tightness/over-drying sensations.

Repurchase status: Yes. Does the job at a good pricepoint.

Paula’s Choice EXFOLIATE

What it does: Noticeably unclogs and clears pore congestion, combats blemishes, improves clarity, and smooths skin

The verdict: This has been an integral part of my skincare routine for years and I don’t see that ever changing. It use this 3-4 times a week after cleansing.

Repurchase status: YEP and I have about a million times.

Toners & Toning Pads

Barefaced Toning Pads II

What it does: Refine texture, improve clarity and reveal smoother, more even-looking skin. Clears pores, calms and soothes skin, exfoliates and enhances absorption and efficacy of additional skincare products. Supports healthy skin turnover over time.

The verdict: Holy heck, I love these things. LOVE LOVE LOVE. They are intense but you can truly feel and see them work. I’ve experienced a noticiable positive overall difference in my skin since using them and love the way they prep my skin for the additional serums I apply after I use them. They’re legit and have been one of the best additions I’ve made over the past few months to my skincare routine. (Note: I use the Toning Pads II which are a step up from the original Toning Pads. They’re intense and I would opt for the original Toning Pads before progressing to Toning Pads II to gently ease into them if you have sensitive skin.)

Repurchase status: 100% yes. These are incredible.

Serums & Treatments

Dr. Brandt Dermal Micro Points (Microneedling Serum)

What it does: Mimics the benefits of in-office microneedling! Renews and revives the skin, paired with skin-lifting actives and anti-wrinkle peptides that penetrate the skin’s surface to boost collagen, even texture, and smooth fine lines. Natural spicules (microscopic structures) enhance ingredient delivery deep into the skin and replicate the benefits of microneedling by stimulating the body’s natural healing process.

The verdict: This stuff is WILD… and it works. I got it when it was recommended to me as an “in home microneedling” product and figured it was worth a shot. It’s kind of insane because you will feel a light tingling-stinging sensation as you apply this cream. It’s not too intense but you will definitely feel it! I use it twice a week and will continue to use this as part of my skincare routine.

Repurchase status: Yes and I have!

Timeless 20% Vitamin C + Ferulic Acid + Vitamin E

What it does: Brightens skin, fades dark spots, and builds collagen. It combines a HIGH concentration of vitamin C with vitamin E and ferulic acid

Best Building Toys for Toddlers & Preschoolers (Ages 2–4)

Let’s start with the best building toys for littles ones in the toddler and preschool 2 to 4-year-old age range. These are great introductory building toys for little ones who are first beginning to stack, build and create.

These are the first building sets our kids loved in their younger years BUT every single item on this list can STILL be found in our home because even though our boys are now in elementary school, they’re building toys they continue to love and play with enough for me to keep around. Please know the building toys mentioned in this seciton are great for both young kids AND big kids!

Note: If you have children in this age range, this PBF Gift Guide 2025: Little Kids may also be of interest!
Of course the animals were a big highlight of the zoo portion of the Greensboro Science Center. We felt extra lucky because the cats within the zoo all seemed to be extra alert, playful and fun to watch when we were there. We had the best time observing the playful serval kittens that were born last spring. They reminded us so much of the pouncing, playful kittens we’ve been fostering lately but obviously much bigger. They had all of us cracking up!

Greensboro Science Center Aquarium

As big-time lovers of marine life, we adore aquariums! The aquarium within the Greensboro Science Center was not massive by any means but it also wasn’t a tiny little place. It felt modern and clean and featured large tanks filled with vibrant fish, rays, sharks, octopus, sea horses and more! The boys thoroughly enjoyed the touch tanks and watching the penguin feeding.

Butterfly Garden

When our original Labor Day weekend plans changed at the last minute, Ryan and I scrambled to put together a fun weekend for our family since we already had non-refundable boarding arranged for our dog and wanted to make the most of the time off. We tossed around a few options but the minute the words “Great Wolf Lodge” left our lips, the decision was all but made when our boys flipped out and said, “Yes! Yes! Yes!” As seasoned Great Wolf Lodge visitors (we’ve easily gone 7+ times at this point), Ryan and I knew enough to know that booking last minute is often the BEST way to book a stay at Great Wolf Lodge, assuming they have availability. And they did!

15 Great Wolf Lodge Tips for the Best Family Trip

We nabbed a room at the Concord, North Carolina location of Great Wolf Lodge for a fraction of the price of the typical room. When I mentioned this on Instagram, my DMs were very quickly flooded with requests for more Great Wolf Lodge tips we’ve come to learn over years of visits to this family-friendly hot spot! So that’s what we’re chatting about today: 15 Great Wolf Lodge Tips! These are the tips we’ve picked up on from trial and error, in-person experiences and years of visits with three boys ranging in age from babies under one year old to a tween who is now 11 years old.

In case you’d like to check out a more in-depth review-style post with FAQs I’ve received about Great Wolf Lodge, this post may also be worth a read: Great Wolf Lodge Review

Also worth noting: Our family was invited to Great Wolf Lodge for a media visit in the past but we’ve paid for our stay and returned to visit many, many times over on our own as well. This post is not sponsored or affiliated with GWL in any way and is an honest rundown of our experiences as repeat patrons of the Concord, NC location.

Great Wolf Lodge Tips for Families

When it comes to booking a stay at Great Wolf Lodge and making the most of your time at the resort, there are few things are worth mentioning that can make a big difference in both your family’s overall enjoyment of your time at Great Wolf Lodge as well the amount of money you spend or can potentially save.

Please note that the Great Wolf Lodge tips I am sharing below may be specific to the Concord, North Carolina location as that is the only location we have visited as a family, however there are lots of GWL locations all over the United States and many appear to be very similar.

1. Look for a Great Wolf Lodge Discount Before Booking

This is my number one tip when it comes to saving money at Great Wolf Lodge! If you are flexible with the dates of your visit, certain times of year are more expensive than others and booking during an off-peak time will save you hundreds of dollars — truly!

We’ve found the summer months and the holiday season to be the most expensive (but December is SO FUN because the lodge is transformed into a winter wonderland!) while January through March and September through November are typically the less expensive times of the year to visit. We’ve also had great luck booking discounted rooms at Great Wolf Lodge when we’ve booked at the last minute (48 hours or less before our stay).

Additionally, Great Wolf Lodge is wonderful about offering a lot of seasonal sales and promotions we’ve found through their email lists as well as following them on Instagram.

2. Consider Visiting During the Week

If you have weekday availability, that’s often also where you can save the big bucks! Planning a trip to Great Wolf Lodge during the week or during non-holiday times of the year will help you snag lower prices and you’ll also enjoy the benefits of shorter lines and a less crowded water park.

3. One Night May Be Enough

Our family has stayed at Great Wolf Lodge one night and two nights and, for our family, one night is our sweet spot. Why? We only live 30 minutes away, so it’s not a long journey to get to Great Wolf Lodge (it’s one of our favorite day trips from Charlotte) and, honestly, we don’t sleep great when we go. We stay up late because our kids want to take advantage of all the activities (like the 9 p.m. snowfall in the lodge during Snowland) and then they’re all up before 7 a.m. because they’re so excited to start the day.

Also worth noting: If rooms are available, Great Wolf Lodge will often roll out a super-discouted rates on a second night stay when you’re there. This has happened to us almost every time (except a couple of times during the holiday season) and we’ve been offered a second night stay for $150, so keep that in mind if you might be on the fence about extending your stay and have some flexibility. You can also often pay for a late checkout (2 p.m.) so you can leave our belongings in your room if you know you’ll want to go back and forth a lot which can be handy especially if you’re flip-flopping back and forth between the water park and other activities.

Here’s how we maximize one night at Great Wolf Lodge: We arrive in the late afternoon on our arrival day so we can do the water park and a few activities on day one. Then we stay all the way up until dinner time on the second day and maximize the heck out of the water park and additional activities. During our most recent visit, after check out, we just locked our belongings in the car and went bac...
Things I’m Loving Friday #603

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 13:19:51 +0200

Hello, hello! A three-day weekend us upon us and while our initial plans to head to the mountains with friends got postponed until October, Ryan and I threw together a last-minute plan for the weekend that should be a fun one. We grabbed a deal on a room at Great Wolf Lodge and also hope to tak the boys apple picking, as a handful of orchards in the area open this weekend. Do you guys have any plans for the next few days?

As for last week, all of our fall activities began so it was a little taste of what fall in our house will look like on a weekly basis with school, sports and piano in full swing. Thankfully it all feels managable and the boys are into it! But now it’s time for my weekly roundup of favorites, Things I’m Loving Friday style. Let’s do this!

Things I’m Loving Friday
- Sticky Notes: A PBF Weekly Newsletter!!!
How many of you have signed up for blog post emails and never received them or randomly stopped receiving them without warning? A LOT, judging by the emails, DMs and comments I’ve received over the years. So I’m doin’ it! I created a newsletter you can subscribe to via Substack that will actually be reliable and that will serve as a “home base” of sorts where you can see a roundup of any blog content you may have missed that week, links and finds I’ve shared on social media, meal ideas and anything else my mile-a-minute brain feels like sharing at any given time. I’m calling the newsletter “Sticky Notes” and my goal is for it to serve as a hub you can visit if you’ve taken some time away from the blog or social media or when you might simply want a quick overview of anything you may have missed! I hope it’s a helpful resource and I’m also very open to your feedback if there’s anything you would like to see me include in Sticky Notes!
- Blog Talk Friend Catch Up Time with Brittay and Lexi
A highlight of my week occurred on Wednesday morning when Brittany, Lexi and I got together for several hours. I first connected with Brittany through the blog world when we moved to the Charlotte area over a decade ago (she’s since moved to South Carolina) and Lexi and I became fast friends when she moved to the area from Boston four years ago. I value our time together so much from a work perspective but also from a friendship perspective. Blogging is a weird but wonderful job and it’s so incredibly helpful to be able to connect in-person with women who do what I do and openly share, encourage, root each other on 100% and brainstorm together. I always leave our time together feeling so energized. These two are every bit as positive and genuine as they come acoss online!
- Stickerbox
Stickerbox was the hit of Chase’s birthday this year but all 3 boys love it and think it’s the coolest! (It honestly blew our adult minds as well!) You tell Stickerbox out loud what design you want it to make and within seconds it prints out a crazy-accurate sticker depicting the sticker design you requested. Our boys get very specific with their requests — we’re talking “make a sticker of a sailfish jumping over a little fluffy dog” and it does it time and time again. It’s wild and has been an instant hit with their friends, too. They’ve created stickers to decorate just about everything but especially love putting them on their school folders. Keep this one on your radar if you’re looking for a unique gift this holiday season. (It’s currently $20 off for Labor Day weekend!)
- Summer Fridays Lip Stain
Holy heck this Summer Fridays lip stain is LEGIT. It’s everything I want in a lip stain: Precise, extremely long-lasting (through eating and drinking, too!), pigmented enough to bring my dull, lifeless lips back to life and it doesn’t feather/bleed out into my lip lines (thank you, aging). The tip has two sides — one is more pointed for a super-precise line while the other side is a little feathered for a softer application. I prefer the precise line for the outside of my lips and the feathered side to shade them in and have truly been blown away by just how long color stays on my lips when I use this stain. My favorites are the rosette shade for a deeper color when I’m going out or wearing a little more makeup while I prefer the slipper shade when I am not wearing makeup or just want a more subtle pop of light color on my lips. I like it best with a little lip balm on top. So pretty!
- Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan
Genre: Contemporary Romance / My rating: A

I adore Annabel Monaghan as an author. Her books are the perfect blend of light and breezy but with a few nuggets that feel a little deeper. Her dialog between characters is full of witty banter that adds a lot to the entertainment factor of her stories and often makes me chuckle as I read. As much as I loved Nora Goes Off Script (it’s one of my favorite beach reads!), I’d rank Dolly All The Time right up there with it! The book...
Celebrating SIX!

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 16:44:34 +0200

Things I’m Loving Friday #602

Fri, 28 Aug 2026 11:00:53 +0200

Week of Weeknight Meals: August 2026

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 11:00:14 +0200
Lake Norman State Park Hiking

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 11:00:59 +0200

Lake Norman State Park is one of our favorite places to go in the Charlotte area when we’re looking for a gorgeous lakeside hike. The myriad trails provide stunning hikes year-round as the vibrant foliage in the fall is gorgeous, the lake views in the winter months are plentiful thanks to fallen leaves and the lush greenery in the summertime offers plenty of shade when hiking feels extra HOT!

As you guys know if you’ve been following this blog for more than a hot second, Ryan and I absolutely love hiking. It’s something we fell in love with when we were dating and it’s a hobby we’ve continued to enjoy for years. We’ve scoped out awesome hiking trails every place we’ve lived – when we lived in Orlando we loved Weikwa Springs and our favorite Ocala trails were located in Silver Springs State Park – and it didn’t take us long to find a favorite hiking trail after we moved to the Charlotte area.

When you ask many Charlotte residents where to go for great hiking relatively close to the city, many people will point you toward the Whitewater Center (love it!) or Crowders Mountain. Crowders Mountain is a great recommendation and a wonderful hike but it’s almost always a little too popular to feel like you’re getting away from everything and enjoying the quiet calm of nature.

Our go-to recommendation for those who want to get out and explore and experience some of the best hiking in the area is to make the drive up to Lake Norman State Park in Troutman, North Carolina and hike the Lake Shore Trail!

For today’s blog post, I wanted to break down a handful of the trails you can find within Lake Norman State Park as well as a few other things you may want to do within the park in case you find yourself in the area!

Lake Norman State Park Trails
- Lake Shore Trail — This is Ryan and my favorite trail!! It’s a 5-mile loop; moderate; good for lake views, a longer quiet hike, birdwatching, and adventure! There are lots of little outcroppings on this hike where you can get right up close to the lake, throw rocks along the beaches, etc. In my mind, this is the perfect hiking distance for a long morning or afternoon hike that feels both challenging and rejuvenating. The hike is one large loop which I also appreciate since I’m not the biggest fan of out-and-back trails. (You get to see more with loops and I don’t find myself fixating on when I’ll get to the turnaround point.) The Lake Shore Trail is also extremely well marked with both mile-markers and white diamond blazes (more than 400 of them!) hammered into the trees to make it easy to know you’re on the right track at all times.
- Lake Shore North–Short Turn Loop — 2.6-mile loop; moderate; good for a medium-length hike toward the swim-beach side of the park. We love do to this one with the boys!
- Lake Shore South–Short Turn Loop — 3.2-mile loop; moderate; good for a medium-length hike toward the campground side of the park. This is another one of our favorites to do with the kids!
- Alder Trail — 0.8-mile loop; easy; good for a short woodland walk, young children, and visitors wanting a quick hike near the visitor center
- Dragonfly Trail — 0.25-mile paved loop; easy and accessible; good for strollers, wheelchairs, toddlers, and a very brief nature walk
- Lake Shore Trail and Group Camp Spur — 6.3-mile loop; moderate; good for hikers wanting the park’s longest hiking-only route and additional shoreline and woodland mileage.
One big perk for the animal lovers out there: Lake Norman State Park is very dog friendly! We always see dogs trotting along on various trails and our dogs (all three of them — even teeny Pepper!) have absolutely loved the days we’ve spent at Lake Norman State Park.

(Hi Sadie!)

In the summertime, I think the dogs especially love the way many of the trails offer multiple lake-access points where pups can hop in the water to cool off for a bit before continuing their hike.

Itusi Trails

Breakfast Hash Recipe

Mon, 24 Aug 2026 13:39:20 +0200

Things I’m Loving Friday #601

Fri, 21 Aug 2026 14:27:49 +0200

Everything I Read This Summer: Ranked

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 11:00:13 +0200

Peanut Butter Fingers - Living a Life Fueled by Healthy Food and Fitness

Things I’m Loving Friday #607

Things I’m Loving Friday

Health-Ade Ginger Cheers Kombucha

Skincare Empties: Honest Reviews and What I’d Buy Again

Skincare Empties Review: What’s Worth a Repurchase?

Skincare Empties

Cleansers & Exfoliators

Toners & Toning Pads

Serums & Treatments

Dr. Brandt Dermal Micro Points (Microneedling Serum)

Best Building Toys for Toddlers & Preschoolers (Ages 2–4)

Greensboro Science Center Aquarium

Butterfly Garden

15 Great Wolf Lodge Tips for the Best Family Trip

Great Wolf Lodge Tips for Families

1. Look for a Great Wolf Lodge Discount Before Booking

2. Consider Visiting During the Week

3. One Night May Be Enough

Things I’m Loving Friday #603

Things I’m Loving Friday

Blog Talk Friend Catch Up Time with Brittay and Lexi

Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan

Celebrating SIX!

Things I’m Loving Friday #602

Week of Weeknight Meals: August 2026

Lake Norman State Park Hiking

Lake Norman State Park Trails

Itusi Trails

Breakfast Hash Recipe

Things I’m Loving Friday #601

Everything I Read This Summer: Ranked