The Friday Five, Issue 11

Welcome to the Friday 5!

Every Friday I will highlight 5 things I am currently loving.  This can be anything from habits that are currently serving me, clothes, apps, people I am currently loving, podcasts, food, mom hacks and everything in between! 

What I am currently loving:

Kerrygold Butter

Guys, I thought butter was butter, no matter the brand.  Boy, was I wrong.  Matt went to Alaska last fall on a fishing trip with his dad and brother and of course came home with an ice chest full of fish.  They fished for 7 days straight. He brought back some of the most beautiful looking salmon filets you’ve ever seen.  Now, we love to eat it raw and make sushi, but I went on a hunt for the easiest and best way to make salmon.  Enter my girl Anna Mae Groves, if you aren’t following her on Instagram, click here and do it now.  She has some of the best beauty, style and home content you will find.  She is also known for this salmon recipe. It is so easy, and the main ingredient is Kerrygold Butter.  She says in the recipe that you can use any butter or ghee, but that the Kerrygold just makes it better.  She’s right.  This is now the only butter I will buy.  I buy the salted one and use it for everything.  I’ve been on a quest to perfect scrambled eggs in a stainless-steel skillet and the salted Kerrygold just makes them perfectly.  I don’t know why, but I feel like making eggs in a skillet without nonstick just means I’m really a cook.  It probably doesn’t, but it just makes me feel better.  It’s great on toast, waffles and pancakes.  You name it, Kerrygold makes it better.

Lincoln Park After Dark, by OPI

This may be one of the things that drives Matt craziest about me.  I love to get manicures and pedicures; they just make me feel better and force me to sit still and do something for myself.  But, I always get the same color.  Every single time for probably the last 2 years.  I’ll come home and ask him if he likes my nails, to which he replies, “they look exactly the same as yesterday.”  I’ve been wearing this color since I was 21, that’s almost a 16-year relationship.  I used to mix it up every now and then, but I never liked anything as much.  At the advice of my mom and friends, I didn’t wear it on my wedding day on my hands, I had a beautiful light pink that was very subtle.  They all told me I would regret wearing the dark color and would see it in the pictures and just cringe.  Well, I regret not wearing it.  It’s my color and I love it, I should’ve stayed true to me and done it anyway.  It’s my signature thing.  Maybe that’s dumb, but I love it.  It is my signature nail color.  So, if you see me, I will either have bare nails, chipped polish or freshly manicured nails that are dark purple, almost black.  Even in the dead of summer.  The moral of the story has nothing to do with nail polish, but to stay true to you.  If you love it, wear it.  Don’t let anyone tell you any different.  And if you are looking for a new color on your nails, I suggest Lincoln Park After Dark.

Electrolyte Tabs

I started using these when I was pregnant with Ruby.  I was complaining to both my OB and Chiropractor that I was constantly thirsty.  No matter how much water I was consuming, I always felt thirsty.  After making sure nothing series was going on, my OB recommend adding in a drink with electrolytes.  That maybe because I was drinking so much water, my body just needed some electrolytes.  My chiropractor came to the same conclusion.  She suggested I try coconut water.  Which if you buy the plain coconut water, the ones that aren’t flavored with all kinds of added sugar, I think they taste like dirty gym socks.  If you like plain coconut water, more power to you.  I can barely smell it without cringing.  So, I did some wondering around in the supplement aisles at Whole foods and found these.  Not too much added sugar and they had several flavors and types to choose from.  I buy all different ones and use depending on what I’m doing that day.  I really like the sport one on the days I have a really sweaty or hard workout, the vitamin C one on days I feel like I might be fighting off a cold or the vitamin one for just everyday wellness.  They are super easy to keep on hand, I even will keep the tube in my car during the week if I know I will be running around all week. 

Baking Soda on the Carpet

I feel like most people know this, but just in case you don’t, baking soda is basically magic.  I don’t know how or why it’s so glorious, but it just is.  It’s uses are endless, but, my favorite way to use it, is to help get the smell out of carpet.  When the pandemic hit last year and Matt started working from home every day, the dog started hanging out with him in his office all day.  His office is also our guest room, which has carpet flooring.  Admittedly, my poor old dog has taken a back seat to her 3 sisters now and does not get a bath as regularly as she should.  She is also old and has potty accidents when we don’t force her to go outside every couple of hours.  The dog and urine smell started to hit me in the face every time I would walk into Matt’s office.  So, I came in and started shaking baking soda all over the carpet, Matt thought I’d lost my mind.  Most people tell you to let it sit for a few hours then vacuum it up, but we needed a little more this time around.  I let it sit for 2 days.  This room doesn’t get much foot traffic from anyone except Matt, so it didn’t matter.  After I vacuumed, the smell was completely gone.  It really is magic.  So, if you have a room that has carpet and can get a little stinky, throw some baking soda on it and you will be good to go!

Shaving Your Face

I know most of you will think this is nuts, but it’s really amazing.  I learned about this from Landyn, go follow her on Instagram if you are not already.  She is a huge advocate for shaving your face and I’ve been doing it for a while now and I love it.  The benefits of shaving your face are a smoother, softer skin, exfoliation and helps your skincare products penetrate the skin better.  Honestly, your face will just feel so smooth!   I find that my makeup goes on so much smoother and looks more natural when I am regularly shaving my face.  I have not had any issues with my hair growing back any different than it was before, no dark hair or 5 o’clock shadows.  I’ve used both a straight eyebrow blade as well as a traditional men’s facial razor.  I prefer the men’s razor, as it gets more hair and dead skin off for me.  If you’ve never tried it before, make sure you start with a clean face and don’t have any cystic acne.  I use a cream face cleanser like I would shaving cream and shave my whole face.  Just be very careful around your brows, I cover them with my finger when I am shaving anywhere near them.  I am terrified of losing a brow.  If you are someone who gets bad razor burn or irritation when shaving your legs, I would skip shaving your face, as to avoid any irritation.  But if razors don’t typically bother you, go for it! 

I hope you found something helpful or inspiring in this week’s Friday Five! I’ll have 5 new favorites to share with you next week, have an awesome weekend!