Friday Favorites, 1.16.2026.

 

Happy Friday, friends! How has your week been? Mine has been really good! I'm glad it's Friday and that it'll be a long weekend. I'll jump right in with some favorites from my week.

Running errands with Marilyn on Saturday was my favorite this week! We saw this sign with a Bible verse on it in Hobby Lobby and cracked up, because she said that she couldn't say that she wouldn't laugh without fear at her future. This sounds so morbid, but I promise that we aren't those people. We often say that if we couldn't laugh, we would cry all the time, and who wants to do that?  

This little stress cube is my favorite! I have this with me at work all the time, and I love to fidget with it when I'm bored or tired. 

I'm not sure why this keeps happening, but I love getting notifications of my old Andy the Wonder Dog on my Facebook memories. Andy was my favorite dog of all time! He was the best boys in all of the world, and such a gentle giant. He came to live with us when he was three; he was the same age as Jonah and Noah! He lived to be twelve, and we were all devastated when he died. 

Getting dressed each day is still my favorite! And so are these outfits of the week. Do you have one that you like more than any other? The red sweater with pink hearts came from Walmart! Here's a link if you'd like to check it out for yourself; know that this is very short, so consider sizing up for length. I didn't and wish I had done that. Walmart has tons of great clothing right now! I've gotten a lot of wear out of my Amazon vest this week. I love adding it to an outfit as a third piece! 

Here it is again, and here's a link. The one I ordered is the color apricot. The one pictured in the link is not the color of the one I ordered. I love mine and wear it all the time! It runs true to size. 

This is my new favorite lip product, and you won't believe where it came from! The Dollar Tree. This stuff has done such a great job at keeping my lips moisturized all week. I put it on after I brush my teeth in the morning, and again before I go to bed at night. 

I also love these two products above that I got from The Dollar Tree last weekend. The shea butter lipstick is in the color "mauve". I have one of the Palmer's lip balm sticks all over the place: in my car, in the kitchen, at Chris' house...I love this stuff.

It wasn't my favorite when Chloe ate the stuffed elephant I sleep with every night. This is something new that I've started doing when my ex-husband left; since I sleep alone, I have loved having something small and squishy like this to cuddle with at night. Though I didn't really cuddle with my ex-husband while I slept, I guess it's just having a big king-sized bed to myself that makes me feel a little lost. This little thing has helped, but Chloe tried to kill her. I will be replacing this over the weekend! Stay tuned to see what I replace her with!

Bunco was my favorite this week! These ladies are so much fun to be with. I love a good theme, and appreciate that our host had these little things to wear! Another favorite thing from Amazon that I've ordered are these earrings that I love. 

A new journal is my favorite, and so was this day of reading along with The Bible Recap community! I loved this quote by Charles Spurgeon that Tara Leigh Cobble mentioned on the podcast this week.

This was one of my favorite things that I saw on socials this week.

Sorry for the word in this one above, but this made me laugh out loud this week. 

This was my favorite night this week! 

Taco soup was my favorite this week!

This is the first fire I've had in my fireplace since the winter of 2024! This is something that makes me proud, because I'm scared of indoor fires. Jonah made sure the damper was open and then we made this together yesterday afternoon. I kept it going all afternoon! I'm writing this at ten o'clock Thursday night; as I write this, it's almost out. I let it die down the last couple of hours.

A favorite moment this week was when I cleaned out my closet yesterday. I've been needing to do this for months, but I haven't had the emotional capacity to make myself get it done. I did yesterday, though! I purged two big bags full of clothes, I organized the hanging things differently, I neatened the hangers up and switched some things to velvet hangers, and I pulled this little blue shelf inside to hold my pajamas and tee shirts. I love the results! This felt amazing, and I keep finding myself walking in and taking another peek. I love this picture of my dad and me; I don't want any remnants in my house that have anything to do with my wedding, but this picture will always be hanging. I remember taking this picture and us laughing right afterward. It's one of my favorite memories, because we were both nervous.

Being sick isn't my favorite, but laying on the couch to read yesterday was. 

This is my favorite cup to drink coffee in right now. I don't always use the lid, but I did yesterday. I used it twice...once for coffee that morning and again for hot chocolate after dinner.

This was me at the doctor's office yesterday before work; right before I was diagnosed with flu A. It's not my favorite thing in the world to be sick, and neither is being sent home from work for the rest of this week. Looks like I've got a five day weekend coming up! This is why I had the time to clean my closet yesterday; I was home and comfy again by nine o'clock yesterday morning. Here's to hoping my medicine kicks in and I'm able to get better quickly! I'm glad I went to the doctor, and I'm grateful for medicine that will work.

Last but not least...this is one of my favorite memories; it was eight years ago, when I'd gone to Colorado to celebrate my great nieces' birthdays. It's so crazy to think that Kinsley and Kylie will be nine tomorrow! Time flies when you're having fun. 

I can't wait to see these precious girls (and their sisters and all of my Colorado family) in a few weeks! I'll be going there over spring break in March; I'm flying with Mom and Trish this time, and we'll be celebrating these girls' mom (my niece Erika) having girl number FIVE in May! I can't wait to have another little great niece! 

What was a favorite of yours this week? I'd love to hear from you! Thanks for reading my blog today, friends. Love to all!

Jenn 

thankful Thursday

 

Happy Thursday, friends! I hope you've had a great week so far! Mine has felt both fast and slow...do you ever feel like that? We're doing statewide testing at school this week (it started last week), and it's affected everyday just about. This just means that nothing on my schedule is actually happening. I don't mind this, though; I actually love this part about my job. Everyday feels different! It keeps me on my toes, and I feel like it keeps me feeling refreshed with my job, if that makes sense. 

Anyway, that being said, I have so many things I'm grateful for this week! Here's my list.

I'm grateful that God is patient with me; on the days when I mess up, I know God is right there to offer me grace upon grace.

I'm grateful for the word of God and the things that stand out to me when I listen to it being read to me everyday. Yesterday the thing that stood out to me about God was how patient and loving He is with His kids. I was reading in the book of Job and finished it today. Another thing that stood out to me about God is that He can handle my questions. 

I'm grateful for friends at work that feel like family. 

I'm grateful for the sweet students that I get to see everyday! The goal is for them to move on from our room into their regular classroom full-time. I get sad over the thought of them leaving us, even though that is the ultimate goal for them in our room. I love them so much and feel so thankful to be even a small part of their little lives. They inspire me daily; I hope and pray that I do the same for them.

I'm grateful for afternoon chats with Jonah.

I'm grateful for the communication that I have with my other sons: Snapchats from Noah, texts from Drew, and random drop-ins from Graham. 

I'm grateful for the dogs that live in my home; Chloe and Stella bring me immense joy. They make me laugh and shake my head every single day, and I honestly can't imagine this home without them.

I'm grateful for fun weekly traditions, like meeting up with Kendra on Wednesday nights at Rotolo's.

I'm grateful to have amazing health insurance, and a free clinic that I can go to for my school district. I don't even have to pay the co-pay, and the prescriptions are filled in-house. If they don't have something in stock, they'll deliver from a neighboring town to my school, all for free. (I went to the doctor first thing today before work, because I'm tired of having a sore throat and feeling sick.)

I'm grateful for Marilyn. I can list a million reasons why, but the one thing that stands out about her is that she is the kind of friend who shows up, no questions asked.

I'm grateful for clothing that makes me feel great.

I'm grateful for Chris; he makes me feel loved everyday of my life. I've never experienced this before, friends. I thought I knew what it meant to be loved well by a man, but I had no idea until I met Chris.

I'm grateful for things that put a smile on my face...things like twinkling lights, a beautifully decorated home, art for my TV that makes it look like a framed piece of artwork, candles that smell good, soft skin from the lotion I use, the ability to feel confident in myself, and seeing texts on my phone from people I love throughout my day. 

What are you thankful for this week? I'd love to hear from you! Thanks for reading my blog today, friends. Love to all!

Jenn 🖤

the Wednesday hodgepodge

 

Happy Wednesday, friends! I'm here with Joyce again today for the weekly hodgepodge...this is a post that I dearly love; thank you, Joyce, for your inspiring and thought provoking questions each and every week! I'll jump right in!

1. What kind of snow person are you—snow lover, fireplace snuggler, winter adventurer, or indoor hibernator? Elaborate. I am a snow lover (I'll elaborate more in a minute) because it forces me to be a fireplace snuggler. Okay, maybe not, because I don't actually use my fireplace, but I plan to start soon. I am a snow lover in theory, but truth be told, when the white stuff starts falling and keeps going, I start to feel claustrophobic. Ideally, I'd love it to snow once this year, but only if it sticks around for just a few days. I also want it to fall on a weekday and not over a weekend. I'd love some snow days off from school! Here's to hoping that happens this year. And yes, I realize that I have very strong opinions.

These are just a few images I've captured over the years. I'd love to be snowed in for a day or two and then to have the option of curling up with Chris to watch a marathon of movies. I don't think that'll happen, but it's fun to think about. Isn't this picture of the snowflake beautiful? My son Drew took this several years ago when he was into photography. 

2. The Pantone color of the year is Cloud Dancer, described as a gentle, billowy, off white shade. The color symbolizes 'peace, clarity, quiet reflection, renewal, and a soft reset'. Of the terms just listed, which do you need most of this winter season? First off, I love finding out the Pantone color of the year each year! I love the idea of this color, because I'm really into neutral paint colors at the moment. Of the terms listed describing this color, the one that resonates the most with me right now is renewal. This seems to be the theme of my life at the moment, and I'm here for every moment.

3. Every cloud has a silver lining, on cloud nine, head in the clouds, storm clouds gathering, or cloud of suspicion...which cloud idiom do you relate to currently? Explain. I am definitely a "every cloud has a silver lining" type of person. I've always looked on the bright side of things, I'm always looking for the good in situations and the people around me, and I believe that God truly works out everything for the good of those who love Him and who are called according to His purpose. I don't like to fixate on negative things, and I try to be mindful of my mood. I don't ever want to grow into a bitter person, or one who complains. 

4. Coconut, cauliflower, cottage cheese, mayonnaise, onions, ranch dressing...of the off white foods listed, which would be the hardest for you to give up? Do you like all or any of the foods on this list? I would have the hardest time giving up coconut. I don't eat it all the time, but my favorite coffee creamer has that flavor, and it's amazing. 

I am addicted to iced coffee right now. 

5. Thomas Wentworth Higginson is credited with this quote—

"How many lessons of faith and beauty we should lose, if there were no winter in our year."

Do you agree or disagree? Tell us why. 

I wholeheartedly agree with this statement. We have to go through winter to get to spring, summer, and fall! The seasons that are lonely and dark are worth it for whatever is waiting on the other side. 

What if I went through all the bad stuff in my life recently to get to someone wonderful like this man? What if this season of my life is more beautiful, more faithful, more fruitful than any other season I've walked through prior to now? What if my future actually turns out far, far better than my past ever dreamed of being? I'm hopeful, friends. Not just for love, but for an abundant life. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. Life is good, friends. I know I have days that are up and down and then write about them here on my blog, but please know something: I wouldn't go back to my old life for all of the money in the world. I love my life right now. I love living with my son, even though he's not home a lot; I love dating Chris; I love having a home that I can fix up with only me in mind; I love having freedom and not having to think about considering anyone when I make plans. 

Like I said, life is good, friends. I just didn't want anyone to think that I'd want to be married again; I don't. I honestly don't think I'll ever want to get remarried at this point. And guess what? I don't have to! I also could change my mind, but the beautiful thing about this is that I don't have to figure anything out anytime soon. I'm enjoying life as it is right now, and I'm not in any hurry. 

I write about things here to help me process things, and I've always been an open book on my blog. I know a lot of people disagree with me on a lot of things, and some have strong opinions of me sharing too much here, but it's my life. This is how I process, and it ends up being like therapy to me. I also know from a lot of you who have emailed me or messaged me on socials that I've been able to encourage here. If I can do that for even one person, then it's all worth being willing to be raw and vulnerable here with you. I write for myself honestly, but I consider it a bonus when it helps someone else. And I know my words are reaching people, because so many of you have thanked me. I don't need or want accolades, but it does inspire me to keep doing what I've been doing for twenty years. 

And on that note, thank you. Thank you for always being here to support and encourage me. Your words mean the world to me! I have my love and respect in my heart for all of you. I'll see you back here tomorrow, friends. 

Jenn