Nine Favorite Things.

Thanks for joining me for another Nine Favorite Things post.

(edible flowers brighten my day via Gourmet Sweet Botanicals)

I get the feeling you guys can all relate to what I’m about to say, but there isn’t much happening around here these days. With the holidays behind us, the craziness has definitely slowed…though we’re still very, very busy here at HBH. But that’s nothing new. I’ve been dividing up my time between the blog, social, and outside projects (some of which I can finally share soon!!), but at the same time trying to carve out more time for family, more time to chill, and a slightly earlier bedtime too.

I’m trying…

Keyword trying. Some days have been better than others, but I think I’m making some progress. Little by little, right? I read a story on habits this week and found it so interesting. It can take up to sixty-six days to form a habit. In order to break bad habits, you need to work slowly each day to form a new habit. So in a way, I guess that’s what I’m working to do. And trust me, I am a real creature of habit. Once habits are formed, they’re hard for me to break.

My biggest focus is on an earlier bedtime. Which has been my focus before…but I clearly have not succeeded. Looking at my late bedtime as a bad habit though has changed my view and given me some tools to actually break the habit. Before I just kept saying I wanted to get to bed earlier, but I wasn’t thinking of it as a bad habit. Now that I’m viewing it as what it really is…a bad habit, I’m implementing a plan of action using some of the ideas listed in the blog post.

The other thing I’m working on is stretching. I’m thinking of signing up for Melissa Wood Health after so many of you recommended her flows the other week. I love that she offers ten to seventeen minute flows. My time is limited for sure, but I can carve out ten minutes to do a quick yoga flow, you know?

So that’s what’s currently on the top of my head for me! How about you all? How’s the new year going? Anything you’re trying to switch up in your daily routines? Any habits you’re trying to break?

In other, much more fun news, Asher and I finally got to give my mom the birthday gift the two of us had been working on since new years. We got her a one night stay at The Little Nell in Aspen. If you’ve ever been to Aspen, I’m sure you’ve seen The Little Nell. It’s certainly the cutest little hotel in the heart of Aspen and the only ski-in and ski-out hotel. My mom loves a mini trip, so we knew that she’d be so excited, and she was!

BUT we didn’t just gift her a stay, we had to come up with a fun way to give it to her. I put Asher in charge of this and boy did she deliver. She had the genius idea to play a little game with her. We bought her a ski outfit that you’d only see worn on the Aspen slopes. ‘Twas a really special cheetah print ski suite. To complete the ensemble, we got leather gloves with fur. The only thing missing was ear muffs, but I had a hard time finding the right pair. Anyway, we knew my mom would never actually wear this outfit, but we wanted her to be confused by the gift. And she was…but she sure did play along with our “game”. You had to be there, but our family had a pretty good laugh.

Once she put on the suit, Asher gave her a card that said, “can you guess where you are going yet?”. When she read this she said, “going?!”. It took her a second to figure it out and we had to give her a clue, but she finally guessed Aspen. Asher made her the cutest slide show on her computer that ended with a gift certificate for her one night stay. It was all perfect, and really fun too! And now, we’ve got a trip to Aspen to look forward to!

Question: What has been one of your most memorable birthday gifts? Any that are fun and out of the ordinary?

Coming up this week, I have a fun vegetarian recipe for Monday that’s bright, colorful, and healthy…but feels more indulgent. Then on to something sweet, but lightened up for a little Tuesday baking. Then, we’ve got some tacos lined up. And for Thursday, some easy but delicious pasta. And for Friday? Everyone’s favorite candy bar, but made at home and made healthier too. Any guesses?

Question: What was your favorite recipe this week? Mine was certainly, the chocolate chunk banana bread mug cakes. They turned out SO GOOD and they’re the easiest to make. Has anyone made one yet?

Enjoy this week’s favorites! And as always let me know if there is anything recipe wise, product wise, or anything in between that you would love to see!

1. Things i’m loving, wanting, and excited to try…

watching…Sex and The City the Movie. OK. So I haven’t watched this series, but the movies are now on Netflix. I didn’t know what else to watch, so I gave it a try and I got sucked in. I can’t say it’s my favorite, but I can now say I’ve watched it. The question is, do I need to watch the series from start to finish?

baking…Homemade Twix Bars. I’m really into homemade takes on our favorite store-bought or restaurant foods. What should I make next? Any requests?

loving…my Alo Leggings. You guys. I genuinely LOVE these leggings. I’ve been looking for a pair of leggings that fit like a glove but are not so tight that you’re just uncomfortable all day. These are the perfect leggings. They’re soft, breathable, and cute. 100% recommend these leggings.

loving…the Zwilling USA Pro Line. In fact, I use these knives daily!

ordered…this Song Of Style Oversized Knit Polo. In both colors, because it truly looks like it was made for me.

listening to…Life with Marianna. Such a good podcast you guys. My favorite episodes so far are Jen Atkin Shares Her Career Journey and Advice For New Brands and Melissa Wood on Setting Intentions For The New Year and Being The Best Version of Yourself (this might have convinced me that I need to meditate.

ordered…basically ALL the Boy Smells Candles. Slow Burn (in the size magnum size, which is incredible. I have it burning now), Broken Rosary (which I have now ordered twice), and Park Life (haven’t lit this yet, but it smells incredible.

also ordered….Diptyque Baies/Berries Candle. I’ve waited the longest time to splurge on this candle and all the hype is true. It’s incredible.

watching…Being Hailey Langland. Hails is like family. Yes, she’s my brother’s girlfriend, but she’s been apart of the family for years. She is the toughest woman I know and the girl can ride a snowboard like no other. If you love an inspiring story, watch this.

And a quote from Hails, “if not now, then when”…love this.

ordering…Terrain Fresh Flowers. I need some color back in my life. Ordered these branches.

loving…everything from the new Zara Home drop. Their stuff is just so good.

thinking about ordering…a Dyson Vacuum. We NEED a new vacuum and I’ve only heard good things about the Dyson’s. Does anyone own one? Thoughts?

2. My favorite winter lemon recipes.

Swirled Blueberry Lemon Thyme Cake

Lemon Sugar Coconut Cream Pie

Earl Grey Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Salted Maple Butter

Raspberry Lemon Brioche Rolls with Whipped Ricotta Cream

Blueberry Lemon Thyme Smash

Lemon Strawberry Dutch Baby with Ricotta Cream

Vanilla Chai Lemon Ricotta Muffins

Lemon Poppy Seed Cake with Citrus Honey Glaze

One Skillet Greek Meatballs and Lemon Butter Orzo

Simplest Whipped Ricotta Toast with Lemon Thyme Honey

Herbed Garlic Butter Scallops with Lemony Feta Dressing

20 Minute Lemon Butter Pasta with Ricotta and Spicy Breadcrumbs

Sheet Pan Cuban Chicken With Citrus Avocado Salsa

3. New Kitchen Finds from Anthro…

4. Favorite questions of the week.

q: What do your parents do for a living?
a: My mom is actually my business partner and works on the back end of HBH. She manages the ads, upkeep of the site, copy edits all blog posts, and a million other things in between. Couldn’t do it without her 🖤 My dad is technically retired, but he’s my right-hand guy for pretty much anything and everything from grocery shopping, to cleaning, to every last “shit” job there is. Also, couldn’t do it without him.

Working closely with family can be extremely challenging. But I also wouldn’t be able to trust anyone else with these tasks. I know they’ve always got my (+ HBH’s) best interest in mind when making any kind of decision, big or small.

q: Do you like the snow? If not, how do you deal? 
a: Yes! Love the snow…but only from about November through January. Once March hits I’m so ready for spring and warmer days…which I will not get until June. Soooo…I just make recipes inspired by the tropics and pretend I’m there. It’s not the same, but at least it’s good food 🤷🏻‍♀️

q: What is your favorite quote? 
a: I don’t know if this is a quote, but I live by the saying, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all”. My mom instilled that in all of us (as in my siblings and me) and it’s never failed me.

q: Do you have someone who helps you write the blog?
a: Nope! It’s me 🙂 and all my typos. Though like I mentioned, my mom has always copy edited every last blog post since our very first post. Without her, you guys would be left wondering what on earth I was trying to say. Spelling/grammar have never been my strong points.

q: What are some of your other hobbies besides cooking?
a: Anything revolving around any kind of styling. Putting together outfits or re-styling my house I could do all day long if I had the time. I love to make things look pretty or reinventing a space if it’s feeling boring. I also LOVE a good craft project. Oh, and organizing too.

q: Is your pizza oven inside or outside?
a: So many questions about this pizza oven! It’s inside our studio space. I know it’s only a pizza oven, but I literally stood by it all day today and worked on the computer. I LOVE having it going in the winter.

5. New Year, New Home Inspiration.

Architectural Digest – what an incredible shower

Leanne Ford for Domino

Amber Interiors

Amber Interiors

EyeSwoon

Source Unknown

Source Unknown

6. Inspiring me this week…you guys!

First, I want to say thank you to you guys. The responses I received to last Sunday’s Favorite’s post pretty much blew me (and my parents too) away. So much kindness, so many incredible and encouraging words, and the most inspiring quotes. My dad has had the idea for me to share some of the quotes today since so many of them are just what we all need to read these days.

So. with that, here are some of our favorite uplifting quotes!