Friday Things
1. It’s a big week for Joseph! On Monday, I had him at the allergist to do a test to see if he could tolerate baked eggs, after avoiding for nearly a year. He passed! It was such a long morning for him (we were there for 3.5 hours!) – he had to eat portions of muffins in increasing quantities, waiting after each batch to see if there was a reaction. No reactions at all, so he is cleared to eat foods with eggs baked into them. In a few months, we are going to test for cooked eggs.
I’m excited for him since we are having his birthday party tomorrow and he’ll be able to eat a real, legit cake! Last year, I had to make one with mashed bananas and applesauce. I can’t believe he’s going to be two already!
2. I feel like every single time Dominic wakes up in the morning or from a nap, he looks a little different and has gotten bigger. Must be that 3-month growth spurt!
3. Tomorrow would have been Einstein’s 10th birthday; I still miss that dog so freaking much.
4. I’ve talked previously about how much I love ButcherBox (you can read more about them in my posts here and here), and they’ve been kind enough to offer BEB readers a special for January. Sign up HERE and receive $10 off your order + two free 10-ounce ribeye steaks. Mmmm!
5. For all of you who made purging one of your resolutions >> 60 Things to Toss Out in the Next 60 Days
6. Once I learn how to knit, this is going to be my first hat project – so pretty!
7. Did you hear that Sephora is discontinuing their Formula X nail care line? I’m so bummed! Their combination of nail cleaner, base and top coat has resulted in the most long-lasting nail polish for me. Ugh!
8. What are some of your favorite movies from the last year or so? My husband and I realized we haven’t watched a movie in AGES and I’m sure there are a ton of new ones on demand and on the movie channels that we would like.
9. On the TV front, we are so crazy psyched that the new season of Sherlock has started – it has to be one of the absolute best shows on TV right now. And the last episode? Incredible! Also… Homeland starts on Sunday night! Finally some new shows to watch!
10. TGIF! Duke is very skeptical about all of this party talk, ha!
Oh my God. Joseph is so cute! Congratulations on having such a beautiful child and I’m happy everything is going so well in your life. I love your blog, it’s part of my life already.
Dominic is just the cutest baby ever, I love when you share photos of him and Joseph…my husband probably doesn’t though-because they give me baby fever! Thanks for sharing your week :)
xoxo, SS
Southern And Style
Your babes are just cute as a button.
My BF and her daughter are allergic to all things fowl, so I am familiar with your concerns. They can tolerate small amounts of cooked egg, as in cake or pasta, but it ends there. Cross contamination is a big concern but they’ve been doing this for decades. Keeping good thoughts for y’all on this. A limiting allergy for adventurous eaters.
I’ve had great success with Sally Hansen Diamond Strength polish. No peeling and very little to no chipping for two weeks. May last longer but at two weeks I’m ready for a change.
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Congrats to Joseph for passing the baked egg challenge! My 8 year old is anaphylactic to peanuts and eggs. We learned of his peanut allergy at 15 months when a few bites of a PB sandwich resulted in a 911 call, and eggs a few months later. We’ve been through the food challenges a few times, but he’s never passed them. In March he gets to challenge both (a week apart).
Also, an early happy birthday to Joseph! He and I share a birthdate, so it’s an easy one for me to remember :)
I can imagine how much you miss Einstein. Hugs to you.
Yay for Joseph (and you!). That must have been so hard as a baker not to make him things with eggs in it? I miss Einstein too! And my golden who we lost to cancer in June. I still am touched that you sent me a condolence email when I mentioned it in your comments. We’ve been 6 months without a dog and we just got a rescue lab mix. It helps, but no dog ever takes their place! For your first knitting project, I’d recommend  Susan B. Anderson’s Kids’ Knitting Workshop. https://smile.amazon.com/Susan-Andersons-Kids-Knitting-Workshop/dp/1579655904/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1484349307&sr=8-1&keywords=susan+b+anderson+knitting+books  It’s written to teach kids to knit so it’s very simple to understand. She has basic hat patterns you could knit for the boys, then work up to that other beautiful one! Kids hats, knit in the round on heavier yarn are the best beginner knit IMHO, and she’s the best teacher!
Did you watch the “Great American Baking Show?” The finale was last night and I thought you would have been a great contestant. I know it’s a busy time of life. But maybe in the future!?!
I have not seen it, but have heard about it! Might try to check it out on demand!
One suggestion on the knitting – Â start with a washcloth. Scarves take forever but with a washcloth you get the hang of the basic stitches and have a sense of accomplishment sooner. And if it’s not perfect, who cares. It still works to wash dishes with
The Age of Adaline on (Amazon Prime) was such a classic, wholesome love story! And Blake Lively is just perfect in it!
Regarding nail polish – have you tried Gel Couture by Essie? I am totally sold. I can get it to last almost two weeks with just touching up the tips and a topcoat after the first 6 or so days. It comes off with acetone nail polish. No UV light needed. Two base coats and one top coat. Goes on wonderfully and looks like you had a professional manicure.
Hi Stephanie, I have tried it, and it just didn’t work well for me – chipped way sooner than the Formula X regimen :(
Yay on Joseph being able to eat things with cooked eggs and having a legit cake! Such a handsome boy deserves a real cake:) Dominic is growing up so quickly – and he is looking a little more like Joseph did at that age – I will have to check out the purge list…lol…though I have been doing very poorly on purging so far. I can’t wait for Homeland – I have to know what’s going on with my favorite spy peeps – I need to catch up on Netflix stuff too
all I had to read was your post about missing Einstein—my eyes welled up with tears. I sooooo miss seeing him in your Friday things—Duke is adorable–but I still miss Einstein in the photos and his presence in your home and lives.
p.s. Happy Birthday to Joseph. So glad he can enjoy one of your beautiful and delicious cakes. Think I have enjoyed a cake or two of yours that my sister made. Dominic gets cuter by the day–
On This is Us–was really enjoying the show–but was not super happy with the finale–too many cliché things—
Happy Birthday Joseph! Nice to hear he can eat cake at his party. I recently watched St. Vincent and really liked it.Â
Go Steelers!
Reading about Joseph’s birthday and wondering what kind of cake you’ll bake for him made me go back through your recipe index of cakes.  You have quite an impressive  repertoire, all so beautiful and delicious-looking!  I’d like to start with the first listed and work my way through your cache of cake recipes. Â
Happy Birthday to Joseph and here’s to hoping Duke gets to enjoy a few morsels that may just happen to drop ;)
Here We Go, STEELERS!
If you’re serious about learning to knit, http://www.newstitchaday.com is a fantastic website – they have really good videos and explanations and a large variety of stitches from beginning to expert.
I wouldn’t recommend that as a first project-sorry.
If you are just learning to knit, the best to do is a scarf with a basic purl or knit and purl stitch.
Sorry.
My husband and I LOVE Sherlock!!!! Your boys are so cute?
Homeland is returning to Oz soon too, cannot wait, we now expect these shows at the same time as you (& rightly so IMHO! ?)…we are also getting This Is Us soon (not sure why we didn’t get that sooner) and 24 again. Â Just watched Miss You Already which I loved but did not match Beaches…will anything ever?
No wonder you’re still missing Einstein…I still miss my last cat and it’s been almost 3 years. Â They just tug at our heartstrings. Â Duke is adorable.
I am  doing a purge of my house pre-selling/pre-retirement…it’s amazing how much stuff I’ve amassed that just sits there!
Happy birthday to Joseph! Â I’m sure you’ll have a fun and yummy party.
Have you watched the show, This Is Us? Â I’m hooked!
I have not! Everyone keeps talking about it though, so I might have to give it a try!
Your boys are just the cutest, Michelle! And the photo of Duke tugged at my heartstrings ? Right after as you got Duke, I moved out of state to care for my older sister who had been diagnosed with cancer. Looking at Duke’s puppy pictures became something we both looked forward to on Fridays. I can’t believe how grown up he looks now! I know this picture would have made her smile. Thanks so much for sharing him, Einstein (miss him too!), and your beautiful sons with all of us! Have a wonderful celebration weekend ?