friday favorites #26: week of june 24, 2016

I think I'm settling pretty comfortably into an every-other-Friday Favorites pattern! Here are some things I've been enjoying over the last couple weeks:

1. Cleaning

If you know me, you know cleaning is never one of the top things on my to-do list. But last weekend, the bug hit me, and I'm so glad it did! I moved into my house almost three years ago, and I still had several boxes that I never unpacked. So I did it. And I rearranged. And I hung pictures. And my parents came to haul out my old electric stove that's been sitting there ever since my dad put in my gas stove last summer. Now I'm loving my back storage room--and so are the cats! I should have done this months (years?) ago.

2. So Delicious Chocolate Coconut Milk "Ice Cream."

I have been completely craving ice cream lately, but I'm still basically dairy free. (I do goat and sheep cheese, but no cow dairy yet.) At Walmart last weekend, I decided to see what kind of diary free treats they might have--and I found this! It still has some ingredients I'm not crazy about, but I can live with them. At $5 for a pint, it's expensive, but it's SOOOO worth it for a treat every now and again! And no, it doesn't taste like ice cream, more like a fudgesicle ... but I can live with that!

3. Eggs
Eggs may seem like an odd choice for a favorite, but bear with me! Eggs are not allowed on AIP, the diet I began in September in an effort to reclaim my health. It worked wonderfully (I know, a full post about this is needed!), and I'm feeling better than I've felt in years. Early on in the reintroduction process, I tried eggs, and it didn't go well. But I recently tried again, and eggs have become my new best friend, especially since it's too hot to turn on the oven most of the time. So I'm praising God for better health and for the incredible, edible egg!

4. Spotlight
I've wanted to watch Spotlight ever since it first started generating awards buzz. It showed up on Netflix two days ago, and I watched it right away.

It. Is. Fantastic.

The plot centers around the Boston Globe reporters who uncovered the extent of the Catholic Church's priest abuse coverup. In some ways, it reminded me of All the President's Men, and that's definitely a good thing. The film is rated R for language, and it includes some very uncomfortable discussions about molestation. But I also think it's a film worth watching.

5. Mended Hearts series by Varina Denman

This week's book recommendation is actually a series: Jaded, Justified, and Jilted. These novels tell the story of a small Texas town, dealing with issues like unplanned pregnancy, abuse, infidelity, mental illness, and corruption within the church. I know that makes this series sound like a serious downer, but it's really so good! I read all three books this week, not because I had to (I'm on a tour for Jilted but not the other two) but because I wanted to. This is some excellent writing! You can check out my review of Jilted (the others will soon follow) here.

As usual, I'm linking up with Erika, Christina, and Karli. What are some things you've been enjoying this week?