Friday Finds: Volume 1

We made it to Friday, you guys! After some weeks, I feel like that fact alone is something to celebrate. 😂 I thought I would start a series to share things with you that I love or have found useful and think that you will too. Here’s to powering through your workday and I hope that you have a fantastic weekend!

– Local Pumpkin Patches: Speaking of weekends, this year’s October weather has been stunning here in Seattle… it’s cooled down so that we can start wearing sweaters, but is still sunny enough that we are able to enjoy being outdoors for autumn activities! During this season in years past my husband and I have traveled to Eastern Washington to visit his family and to enjoy some of the amazing farms/pumpkin patches in the town of Green Bluff. This year we’ll be staying closer to home so we started searching for local pumpkin patches for a fun (seasonal) weekend activity. In our research we came across this incredibly helpful post by Seattle blogger Kristina Moy (of Red Tricycle – a great local blog for parents!). My husband and I can’t wait to find a pumpkin patch to go to for annual traditions! Kristina has compiled a great list with all the details you could need for making an informed decision on where to best spend your time. This year I’m hoping to find some decorative gourds and maybe some pies to bring home for a Friendsgiving!

– Seasonal Cleaner: Okay, so I know that Mrs. Meyer’s® products have been around for a long time, but we’ve only just started using them in our home. My husband’s hands are prone to dryness and a lot of soaps on the market are too harsh on his skin (looking at you, Dial®), causing irritation and cracking after even just a few hand washes. We bought one bottle of Mrs. Meyer’s® Lemon Verbena scented hand soap and now we’re hooked! We always stock up on their little refill jugs so that we can keep all of our soap dispensers full.  While perusing through Target recently, I noticed an end cap display with Mrs. Meyer’s® hand soaps in seasonal fragrances and OMG do they smell yummy! Of course I had to get the Pumpkin scented hand soap because, well, I can’t help myself. It was certainly a tough decision to make because the Apple Cider fragrance smelled absolutely heavenly too.

– Soy Candles: We first discovered Sydney Hale Co. candles in a little boutique shop called Lucca Great Finds in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood. The candles are fragrant without being overpowering and their scent combinations work so well together! They are made of a premium soy/wax blend, burn very evenly and last for quite a long time — my husband and I have both been super impressed by these candles. You can buy Sydney Hale Co. products through their website (they also offer soaps, lotions, room spray, etc.), but I highly recommend checking out their list of “Stockists” (which are retailers all over the country) to see if there are any local shops in your area where you can sample their fragrance options in person. You may enjoy an unexpected combination!
Top tip: Sydney Hale Co. is always coming up with new scents and rotating through their fragrances, so if you find some that you enjoy, STOCK UP while you can! My husband and I made this mistake when we fell in love with their “Oaked Bitter Orange” (which is phenomenal and our current favorite Sydney Hale Co. candle fragrance). If you’re interested in candles with this scent they’re currently in stock on their website — I just ordered some for our house!

– Slippers: It’s gotten to a point this fall that I have already brought out my trusty UGG® slippers for when we are at home. I know that people have opinions on UGG® boots, but I truly cherish my slippers. They’re so cozy and comfortable! I think it’s so great that they actually have a durable rubber sole so that they won’t wear out quickly and I can wear them to pop outside and grab the mail. You could probably get away with wearing them as actual shoes, but I prefer to keep mine as clean as possible so that I can wear them around the house. I bought the Dakota moccasin style with the pom poms, but was seriously tempted to get the ones with the bows. So cute!

– Sparkling Wine: My husband and I have been down to Napa Valley four times now, and every time we go we fall more in love with the area. One thing we have done since our first visit has been to attend a tour and tasting at Schramsberg. It’s such an educational experience, especially if you have any interest in the méthode traditionnelle (the special process for making sparkling wine in the same manner as they do in Champagne, France). We LOVE Schramsberg’s sparkling wines,m so much that last year we signed up for their wine club and it has been such a great treat throughout the year. We receive shipments of special bottles of sparkling wine over the course of the year (totaling 8-10 bottles) with the last shipment of the year arriving just in time for the holidays. We love to share our favorite bottles with guests, usually toasting with it during the holidays or really any time we have the opportunity to host meals. The Schramsberg brand is becoming more and more available for purchase outside of California. We have found multiple varieties at specialty liquor stores (e.g. Total Wine) throughout Seattle and have even purchased their classic Blanc de Blancs style at our local Safeway grocery stores. If you enjoy sparkling wine, Schramsberg is a house you should definitely seek out.

– New Movie: It’s finally Aladdin‘s turn for a live-action recreation and I couldn’t be more thrilled! I’ve already watched the trailer multiple times. 🙈 The original “Aladdin” continues to be one of my all-time favorite Disney movies (how can it have been released twenty-six years ago?!) — I can’t wait to see how Guy Ritchie reimagines the story. Get your popcorn ready for its theatrical release on May 24th, 2019.

Cheers to an amazing weekend! What do you have planned? Let me know in the comments.

xx, Natalie