Friday Favorites, 12.20.2024.

 

Merry Friday, friends! I'm linking up with Andrea and Erika for today's blog post. I hope you've had a good week! I'm having a hard time believing that by this time next week, Christmas will be over and done with. Are you excited about the thought of it being over or glad? I'll confess that I think I'll be glad to have the day over with; it'll be one more "first" that I can cross off my long list of them. And even before the circumstances of my life changed so drastically, I've always felt a little sad on Christmas day. I love the season leading up to Christmas, not the actual day of Christmas. 

I'm pretty sure I shared this same image last week, but it bears repeating, especially as the day draws nearer!

Waking up to these goodies on my front porch was my favorite on Saturday morning, and though I didn't eat the cinnamon rolls that day, I did eat one this week. My friend Abbey said that this is her favorite type of cinnamon roll, and it's from Aldi; I wholeheartedly agree with her on this now that I've had one!

This Gilmore Girls pouch might be my favorite thing ever; and so are the candles I got! I've enjoyed them all week. 

Having these sweet friends around one table was a favorite from my week for sure! 

Christmas programs are my favorite! This was mine at church last weekend. 

Every year for either my birthday or Christmas, one of my sons gives me one of these. Have you ever had one? They're solid chocolate with an orange flavor and are shaped just like an orange; to eat it, you whack it on the counter and the orange splits apart into segments just like a real orange. These are seasonal and can be found online and at Walgreen's. 

My lap is Chloe's favorite place to be!

Steak is my favorite, and I have perfected cooking a medium rare sirloin on the stovetop in this cast iron skillet. I heat up the skillet that has a little bit of oil in it, and while waiting on that, I coat both sides of  the room temperature steaks with pepper and flake salt to give it a crust. When the oil is hot enough, I arrange the steaks in the pan (you want to hear it sizzle) and let them sit for three minutes before flipping them. At that time I add two pads of butter to the skillet and let it melt, then I tilt the pan and spoon the butter over the tops of them, like I'm basting them. I let the second side cook for about two minutes, then I remove them from the heat and let them "rest". 

This was the rest of our meal that night. These little sirloins come in a four pack from Walmart for about $10; you cannot beat that price!

Watering the poinsettias at work is not my favorite job, but look at me not killing them this year! It takes me one hour to water them all each week; I pick off the dead leaves, clean them up, and rearrange them around the giant Christmas tree in the grand foyer of our church. 

I think it's beautiful, don't you? What was a favorite thing from your week? I'd love to hear from you! Thanks for reading my blog today, friends. I do plan on being here next week, so I'll see you then. Love to all!