Things I Love Thursday // 3.13.14

• The lady who ran to our rescue with a monogrammed towel from her car this week while my littlest, suffering from Strep Throat, threw up in the parking lot at the pharmacy
• These tulip bulbs I found (at my grocery store!) for the dining room table ~ We have enjoyed watching them change over the past 2 weeks. 
  
  
• This genius idea to freeze herbs and flowers in ice cubes for cocktails
• Finally finishing the Harry Potter series ~ I read the first four books back when J.K. Rowling was still publishing them. I finished The Goblet of Fire before the The Order of the Phoenix was published. Then I just stopped. A few years ago G got into the HP series (as I'm sure you know if you've been following this blog for very long). My dad gave her his set of hardbound books last year. She's whizzed through the first 5 and I've had to keep ahead of her to be sure they aren't getting too dark. (And by the way, we've put the brakes on the series for her after The Order of the Phoenix--too dark for now. However, once I got rolling again, I couldn't stop.) 
• Catching up with this lovely lady in NYC while celebrating her Big Birthday ~ Oh yeah, and being IN New York for the firs time of my life. :) 
  
• The start of Spring soccer season ~ Looking forward to watching the monkeygirls tear it up this Saturday at their first games.
• Anticipating my brother Bobby's arrival from California next month to visit us ~ Every time I think about his arrival I do a little happy dance. :)
• Chocolate Sea Salt Butter Toffee from The Secret Chocolatier 
  
• Driveway Tennis ~ The girls started tennis clinics a couple weeks ago and G loves it so much that any free minute she has, she wants to rally in the driveway with whoever is willing. (I'm getting pretty good. Almost as good as she is.)
• Putting the screened porch to use this weekend for the first time this season
• My new Soi Candle and Moisturizer ~ This is the coolest thing. I love it. According to the SOi website, "SOi candles are created from soy oil that is naturally rich in Vitamin E, essential fatty acids, and lecithin which benefit the skin when applied topically, the melt pool can be used as a skin moisturizer and help remedy dry or irritated areas."