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Hey y’all, happy Friday! The big story here today in the south is the weather… we’re expecting a massive winter storm to hit our area, and while the meteorologists can’t fully predict who will get ice, who will get snow, and who will get freezing rain, we know we’re going to get at least one of those this weekend, so it should be interesting.
Here in the south, we’re not equipped for extreme cold temperatures like that, and often, we have widespread power outages when it does happen, so I’m praying that we don’t have to worry about that. And as much as I love the snow, I don’t want a foot of it like they are predicting in parts of Tennessee and North Carolina… if we get a foot of snow, we’ll be buried for days!
Anyway, this is my first “normal” Five on Friday post of 2026, and today I’m sharing some favorites with you… it’s been so long since I’ve done a favorites post that I have SO much to share… and still plenty leftover for next week, too!
O N E – Electric Kettle
Where oh where has this electric kettle been all my life?! Y’all. I am a big tea drinker – I drink at least two cups a day – and I have never owned an electric kettle until recent weeks. This electric kettle has completely elevated my entire tea drinking experience because it is SO EASY to use. It brings my water to a boil in just about three minutes with the push of a single button, and it looks so sleek and beautiful on my countertop while doing it. I cannot recommend this teapot enough… I just know I’ll use it for far more than tea!
T W O – New Devotional
I grabbed this devotional for 2026, and I’m loving it so far! Each day, there is a Bible verse, a devotional, a prayer, and a suggestion on what you can do each day to respond to God’s call based on what you just read. Each day is just one page, and each devotional is written by a different woman. I think that’s what’s making this devotional experience so unique – because you get to hear a perspective from someone different each day. Sometimes, devotionals get a bit repetitive by the end of the year when they’re written by the same person, so I do feel like this one will stay fresh all year!
T H R E E – Sleek Tissue
Box Covers
I mentioned this on the blog already, but I just started following @carissacleansitall on Instagram, and she has been suuuuch a motivator for me to get my house not only tidy, but CLEAN. In all her Reels, she tidies and/or cleans areas of her house, and every single time she cleans her nightstand, I swoon over her tissue box cover. SO RANDOM, I KNOW. After seeing it several times, I decided to check out her link expecting them to be super expensive (because they look so dang sleek!), so imagine my surprise when I found out that they were under $16 for a two pack!!
We have had metal (silver) tissue box covers in three spaces of our house for more than a decade, and no matter how often I clean them, they alwayssss look dirty because the lint from the tissues gets all over the top and eventually it gets all stuck on there and hard to clean because of the humidity in the bathrooms. It’s so annoying.
When I saw how inexpensive these were, I grabbed two packs of two, and I replaced the one in our bathroom, the one by Brian’s side of the bed, and the one in the kids’ bathroom, and I FINALLY added a tissue box next to my side of the bed. I have lived without a box of tissues by my bed for the last 16 years (since we moved in this house) and I don’t know why I never just put one there. Haha.
Now, I have the convenience of having the tissues close (yes, I use them multiple times per day year-round because my allergies are so bad), and they don’t look tacky and/or gross from all the tissue lint. The cream leather box totally elevates the space, too. Simple things like this truly bring me joy. Haha! Oh, and these come in lots of different colors and patterns... and you can also purchase them in single quantities. You don't have to purchase a two-pack. Also, that brand name is only on one side of the box, so you don't have to display it.
F O U R – Stainless
Steel Gua sha Tool
I already mentioned this stainless steel gua sha tool on the blog, but now that I’ve been using it for a couple of weeks, I thought I’d report back to let y’all know what I think. I love this thing, y’all! It’s large and it’s contoured perfectly for using on my jaw. I clench my jaw when I sleep, and this has helped smooth the knots out of my muscles and make them feel more relaxed. I use it every night before bed by rubbing some lavender oil on my jaws first (for the calming scent) and then I run the gua sha over my jaws from my chin up towards my ears. I cannot explain how good this feels after living with aching jaws for 20+ years and I wish I’d gotten one of these a long time ago. I’ve always used my fingers to massage the knots, but after a while, my fingers get tired, and they’re also not as firm as stainless steel. Haha.
And it’s not
just for jaw clenchers… it can be used to enhance facial contours, stimulate
lymphatic flow, reduce puffiness, and boost circulation. Since this gua sha is stainless steel, it
stays freezing cold, so it’s perfect for resting on undereye bags to reduce
puffiness. It’s also easy to clean!
F I V E – Hair Wrap
Olivia got this hair wrap for Christmas, and she has used it every single night since then. She gets out of the shower and immediately puts her hair up in this, and it has cut way down on the drying time for her hair. I was extremely skeptical that this was touted for cutting drying time down (because how can your hair dry when it’s wrapped up in a towel?), but there’s something about the microfiber that just sucks the moisture right out of wet hair. Instead of using a hair dryer she has been wrapping her hair up in this towel for an hour or so each night, and by the time she’s ready to go to bed, her hair is nearly dry. It's super absorbent, and it helps tame frizz as well. It's useful for all hair types, too. Aside from her iPad and her Taylor Swift autographed CD, this was probably her favorite gift. It’s cute, too! ;o)
Friday Funnies &
Feels
On the Blog This Week
Our Week - The One with Cleaning Out and Organizing, SNOW!, Mini Golf, and a Sleepover
Icon Glasses for Every Occasion
Happy Friday, y’all!
