Friday Faves

Hello hello and happy Friday!

At least I think it’s a happy Friday since I’m making this mac and shrimp salad for my 3-day weekend sampling. But sometimes when I look around me I wonder if other people are thinking the same thing.

Case in point: I was checking out at the grocery store the other day with a young checker I see there every so often. She’s very good at her job, always asks if I found everything okay, and is very precise and official. But there’s something I notice she’s missing, something important not only in customer service, but important in every day living.

See, the thing she’s missing is a smile. I’ve never seen her smile. It’s not like she’s rude or dismissive, she’s just a little stern and a little serious. Not to say that being serious about your job isn’t a good thing, but wouldn’t it be even better if you added a little happiness to it too?

One of the games that I play with myself is smiling at people I don’t know. I purposely walk around with a smile on my face to see if it lights other people up. And so, I did the same thing with my serious young checker.

That day it was my mission to get her to crack a smile.

So I asked her how her day was. I cracked a couple of jokes. I smiled a big smile, caught her eye, and she finally, Finally, FINALLY gave me a smile back. It made me so happy. And I hope it made her happy.  However, this game comes with its own risks when you are the mother of a teenager who thinks you are absolutely out of your mind and the most embarrassing mother on earth because why would you walk around acting like that all of the time?

Why? Because maybe one day your teenager will recognize that passing a smile along to someone else is contagious.

Want to be more happy yourself?

• Listen to this podcast (I can’t stop thinking about it.)
• Add more of this to your diet
• Move to one of these happiest places on earth

So here’s a question, what makes you happy? Share one simple thing in the comments below and spread a little happy to our day.

But enough about me and all of my silly ways, let’s dig into this week’s Friday Faves.

Awww, this little girl just breaks my heart, but look at what she becomes!

If you’re due on Sept. 9, you could win $11K for your new baby’s college education. But would you really name him or her that?

Attention Harry Potter fans, guess what’s coming your way?!

Meryl Streep found this Pasadena beauty and now is moving outta NYC. Wanna move in?

I really like this list of podcasts and books about improving your relationships, maybe because I am reading this one right now.

It’s all about the routine, and this is how to create a wellness routine. 

plus…

The busy boycott: how to trade busyness for what you really want.

This breakfast is all you need this weekend.

These rolls, because you don’t always need a doz.

Another delicious excuse to eat more burrata.

Three pasta dinners that’ll keep you twirling:

• This pasta with all the flavors of everyone’s favorite bruschetta.
• A summer pasta with browned butter because isn’t a touch of butter bettah?
• This creamy chicken pasta and don’t forget the bread for dippin’.

This trail mix that will keep you actively climbing mountains (or sedately watching Seinfeld reruns.)

Lemon poppyseed me these.

This is every nibble you need for easy entertaining.

This is the best reason to have dessert for breakfast: a waffle Sunday with a healthy twist.

And the nominees are…Saveur food blog awards. Is your fave on the list?

If you like ramen, you’ll like watching this.

and…

If you’re heading to L.A., check out these must-go foodie destinations.

Now following this Instagram account, pretty dang funny.

and…

You might be doing your Instagram photos all wrong if you do this.

and also…

I’m bored with my photos so I bought these to see if I can get inspired to switch things up.

Totally downloading this new Google tool for booking holiday flights at the best price.

I’m on a purging spree and have a bunch of furniture I need to get rid of and while I had to delete this site because the neighbors who relished in minutiae posted in droves, I’m going to sign back on because this article confirmed the tips I’d heard that it’s a great spot to sell stuff locally.

Now that we’re back to school, these memory binders are an easy way to keep track of all their finished “art” and stuff.

These would be super fun gifts for any cat or dog lover, or maybe a white elephant?

My Ali Smudge is finally getting into the barest of makeup (hello high school) and says she “needs” this. I say she “needs” to crack open that wallet of hers and pay for it herself. Can anyone out there vouch for it?

I gotta say, Uggs, you did it again.

I am such a sucker for a cozy sweater. 

Love the straps on this cami, plus, rainbow option too.

And this wrap top, it totally gets me.

Okay, that’s it for this week!

Do you have any recipes you’d like to see? Send me an email and let me know at heidi@foodiecrush.com.

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