i'd rather be baking

We’re heading to Seattle for the weekend and I am READY…at least mentally. The house never really got cleaned this week and I’m definitely behind on workouts…but shoot, come tonight we are out of here. It’s been a long time since we’ve taken a weekend trip and we’re excited!

We definitely never take a trip of any kind without snacks. To be real, I rarely go anywhere without a snack! That’s just how I roll. Things get ugly when I get hungry. We refer to it as “hangry” (hungry + angry).

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1. Yesterday I dropped my iPhone for the zillionth time…I’ve dropped it so many times that the possibility of it breaking no longer occurs to me. Until yesterday, when the screen shattered.

2. Today was my little sister’s 20th birthday. I’m getting old. And Mary, let’s celebrate your next birthday on the west coast. Deal?

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…you go outside.

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I’ve been dreaming of a tropical fruit crisp for a good week now. I love a good crisp! The pineapples at our grocery store have been beautifully golden and sweet lately — thank you, California — and I can’t get enough. The smell of fresh pineapple never fails to take me back to standing in my grandparents’ kitchen as a child and hearing my grandpa come home from the store with a pineapple in hand. My grandma would fuss over the mess of cutting it up, and my grandpa would promise to do it himself. Now I can appreciate her fussing! Those dang pineapples; they’re a sticky mess but always so worth it.

I used a heavy helping of fresh pineapple here, as well as some frozen mango and peaches from last summer. I’m pretty proud that we’ve eaten summer fruit for this long! Ryan makes fun of my “end of the world freezer” from time to time because I have a tendency to stash a little of everything in there, but shoot, many a tasty dessert (and meal) has come from that freezer.

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I’m in the midst of projects and cookie fails…whoops. I hate it when that happens. So, today I’m sharing five of my current favorite things…it’s a homework assignment from Joy and Tracy! This is totally a thing and I’m all over it.

Trader Joe’s Cookie Butter. I have no words. Have you tried this yet? If you don’t have a TJ’s nearby (I’m sad for you), I’m told that Biscoff Spread is similar. This totally tastes like graham crackers and it’s equally delicious straight out of the jar and on anything you can think of…including Cheez-Its. Don’t ask me how I know.

Essie’s Turquoise & Caicos and Tart Deco. I have equally undying love for them both! I realize it may be a bit strange to feel so strongly about nail polish…but there you have it.

Another recent TJ’s favorite is this Soy Milk Creamer. I stir a generous amount of this into my coffee every morning and can almost pretend I’m drinking a latte. It’s creamy and delicious (and free of scary chemicals)!

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