Friday Faves

Hello and happy Friday Faves!

Unless I’m taking photos of my meals (like this week’s dinner of Thai chicken lettuce cups), I avoid having my phone at the table. And I REALLY hate it when others check their phones instead of focusing on what they’re eating. Or worse, ignoring the people they’re eating with.

Earlier this spring I talked about my need to disconnect from the virtual world that is literally taking over all our lives—just check this out. The mobile phone has become our newspaper, our phone book, our camera, our movie theater, our scrapbook, our Thomas Guide, our written note delivery system, our spur of the moment encyclopedia. I don’t need to tell you it’s entertainment at our fingertips.  I look around and see people in restaurants, waiting in line, even while watching sporting events, and everyone is heads down, thumbs scrolling, ignoring the world happening around them.

And sorry friends, you can harp all you want on “kids these days,” but when was the last time you checked in with your own phone habits? Adults, the internet’s virtual voyeurs on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, are the worst offenders IMHO.

I’ve made some good progress on realizing when the phone is a helpful tool—Maps, the Weather app, Find My iPhone so I can stalk my teenager’s whereabouts—and when to put the phone away and pay attention to those around me and what is going on. I’ve checked my personal Facebook account only three times since January (and I don’t miss it!). I left my phone at home when my husband and I went golfing—unintentionally—but still, I survived. I took 2 full days off of checking or even posting to Instagram, and I had a serious heart to heart with my daughter about her constant check-ins every time she got a notification (turn those suckers OFF!) and her overuse of Snapchat, TikTok and of course Instagram.

Changes are afoot. And this weekend is going to be the one where we put it away. My daughter and I are making it a social media phone-free weekend.  Will she be happy about it? Not at first. But I hope she’ll appreciate later realizing she CAN put it away. She IS strong. She HAS willpower. Together we will succeed :)

On the flip side, when I do come back to the phone, I am thinking I should try this method for accounting for my time. Could it really make me more productive? We shall see!

But enough about me. Let’s dig into this week’s Friday Faves.

It’s now officially proven true: You are your cat.

What is it with millennials and cactuses?

Is it time to just give up on finding work life balance?

and…

Tips to take time off when your job is forever on. 

This Pinterest board totally takes me back to my favorite 4th of Julys.

If you’re trying not to eat out as much, here’s a great way to rethink you habit. 

The 5 best cities for people who love a great farmers market.

Summer essential: The best way to pack a cooler.

Okay this is about to be summers MOST FUN fruit tray you’ll ever show off.

S’mores brownies. Holy yes.

An easy Indian chickpea recipe you’ll make all year long.

Oh man! This dinner looks amazing—and easy to clean up after.

Instant Pot recipe alert: Lemon chicken with artichokes.

These zucchini noodles would make a great summer side.

Keep it easy: 10-minute summer cheese board. 

These turkey burgers will boost your weekend’s flavor quotient.

These beef noodle bowls are totally up my alley.

Ahhhh. Homemade limeade. Slurp.

Comfort food in 30 minutes: Chicken and dumplings.

10 women talk about how to learn from failing. 

Google says these are the most popular home styles of 2019. What say you?

Ew. How to spot mold toxicity.

time to get out…

I’m heading to Napa in August so this will help: How to navigate a winery tasting room like a pro.

How to plan a trip to Paris. Oui Oui!

A cuter citronella way to keep the bugs away.

and…

I ordered and received my favorite candle (on sale!) so my office now smells divine.

Forget the kids, I kinda want this picnic table DIY for myself.

At-home waxing…has anyone tried this?

Okay, instead of getting an eye lift, I may have to try these. Anyone else?

I bought this refreshing spritz when I was in Paris and it’s my absolute favorite for a quick freshen up, especially when flying.

Okay, that’s it for this week! Have a fantastic weekend everyone. And put your phone away when you can!

Craving more life balance, less stress, and better health? Check out my Nourished Planner, the daily planner to help create simplicity and under-schedule your life.

We send good emails. Subscribe to FoodieCrush and have each post plus exclusive content only for our subscribers delivered straight to your e-mail box.

Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter for more FoodieCrush inspiration.

As always, thank you for reading and supporting companies I partner with, which allows me to create more unique content and recipes for you. There are affiliate links in this post of which I receive a small commission. All opinions are always my own.