links + loves vol 5

1.20.2017


I don't know about you, but I am really happy it's Friday. I had Monday off, but is it just me or do those four-day work weeks seem to be the slowest? We are finishing up a big project at work and it's been really stressful for the past few weeks, so I'm excited for the weekend.

On the way home from the gym on Tuesday, I stopped at the grocery store to get a few things and also picked up these $5 tulips. They have really brightened up our table this week. Today I'm just going to share a few recent links and loves. I hope you all have a great weekend, and I'll see you back here on Monday!

-I've never been a fan of the amount of sugar in pasta sauce that comes in a jar, and a few weeks ago I finally tried my hand at making my own sauce at home. I used this recipe for homemade crockpot marinara sauce, and it was great! I froze some in 1- and 2-cup portions and it thaws well for an easy spaghetti dinner. I think next time I'll try to mess with the seasoning a bit, but it's a great base to start with if you don't want to use pasta from a jar.

-We live in an age where our personal information is a lot more available than it used to be, and for the most part that doesn't bother me all that much (as long as I don't think about it too hard). But this freaked me out. I tried it for myself, and it's a real thing. Follow the instructions in the link to opt out if you want!

-I've started doing these workout videos a few times a week from BodyFit by Amy on YouTube. She's got some great prenatal strength and core workouts!

-I finished this book in one day last week. Recommend if you like murder mystery/thriller-type novels. The style reminded me of Girl on a Train, with the difference being that I did not like Girl on a Train and I liked this one. I just picked up Lauren Graham's new memoir, so I'm excited to get to that after I finish the book I'm currently reading.

-Last year I shared about this book. Highly recommend for anyone wanting to know about feeding a baby/toddler. Each chapter includes healthy recipes, and I have tried four or five recently and loved every single one! I think this book would be a great baby shower gift.

-Isn't this puzzle so fun? I want to get one for R. (Thanks, Amy, for sharing it!)

-I recently used some tips from this post to organize my freezer and it has changed my life. I'm not being dramatic.

-Yet another organizational hack from my "Be Organized" Pinterest board. I want to try this!

-I am obsessed with the gorgeous prints from this shop. I purchased her 2017 calendar, and it's sitting on my desk at work!

*For previous link love posts, click here. For link + love: the baby edition, click here.
Courtney said...

Ughhhh I hated Girl On The Train. I'm so mad I spent my time reading it! Blarg.

I mentioned the Gracelaced calendar in my Friday post today too! :) Thanks to you!

Audrey Louise said...

I saw that weird website with all the information floating around on FB. Freaky!
I'm going to start The Woman in Cabin 10 soon for the challenge I'm doing! I'm glad you have good things to say about it!
Love the tulips!

Chesson | Magnolia+Main said...

We've started making our own spaghetti sauces rather than buying the stuff in the jar at the grocery store and it's the BEST! I haven't tried a marinara sauce yet (we usually do a meat spaghetti sauce) but I'm adding that to my list to try. Happy Friday!

Mrs. V said...

OMG HOW SCARY!! I'm a faithful reader who never comments, but WOW that is freaky! Thank you for the heads up.

Kari said...

I sometimes wonder if the "opting out" or name-search processes on sites like those actually contributes to the information gathering (via identity confirmation, cookies, email/phone/IP address, etc. Kinda like clicking on a suspect email attachment opens Pandora's box. Just a thought.

Meredith said...

I haven't read The Woman in Cabin 10, but I'm currently reading her other book, In a Dark, Dark Wood and I would highly recommend it. Same vibe, very suspenseful.

Rach said...

The book on feeding babies and toddlers looks awesome! I'm definitely going to tuck that away for later. A good gift idea for sure!

Maria said...

Umm, that Family Tree site is terrifying. I'm going to look more into it.

Thank you for the link to prenatal workouts! I've been trying to find some short, effective ones I can do at home. Energy is back (well, for the most part).

The Lady Okie said...

Yeah who knows. It's definitely not out of the question. Of course on this one you can opt out for anyone, not just yourself, so you aren't technically "confirming" anything. But yes I don't know! That site has like 4 past addresses (including my current one), all my relatives, birthdates... it's just freaky to see it all out there open like that even though I know there are very likely other sites just like it.

The Lady Okie said...

Yes I'm planning on read that one too! I've heard it's good. Thanks for the recommendation!

The Lady Okie said...

I got it from Blogging for Books, and it's been super helpful and I love the recipes!

Amy @ A Desert Girl said...

Spaghetti sauce with sugar added gives me heartburn! My mom always made it from scratch, which I love, but K's mom always did the jarred stuff, so that's what he prefers. We are trying to find a good compromise. Ah, marriage.

Those puzzles are great - I know you'll love them.

Okay - I liked the story in The Woman in Cabin 10, but I made a big mistake - I listened to it and the narrator drove me bonkers. I did not like the main character for most (if not all...) of the book and I think it was basically because of the narrator.

Angi said...

I love making marinara/spaghetti sauce from scratch! I really like being able to adjust the sugar content, too, along with the other spices and such, and it really does freeze very well.

I wish I liked The Woman in Cabin 10 more than I did. I really disliked it, unfortunately. I've just had it up to here with alcoholic, unreliable narrators as main characters.

Beka @ Sunshine to the Square Inch said...

I have been making my own marina sauce for years but I never thought to put it in the crock pot! That's genius.

That Family Tree website is crazy! I just deleted myself out of it. I wonder how many more websites are like that out there? Scary stuff!

The Girl who Loved to Write said...

Okay that Family Tree website is FREAKING ME OUT. HOW DO THEY KNOW THESE THINGS?!

Julie @ Just the Joy's said...

That family tree crap is just freaking freaky! You know what I wonder, you know how people list each other as family members on Facebook?? I think that has something to do with it... either way. The internet is creepy.

I make my own spaghetti sauce too. I like to can some in pints and quarts and then I freeze some as well. This past year since I didn't have a garden I wasn't able to grow tomatoes and make anymore so now I'm running low.

I just reserved the woman in cabin 10 from the library. Hoping to get it before our road trip next week!

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