Lunchtime Links for April 15th, 2020

• Crazy for Crust: 30 minute pasta sauce.
• Handle the Heat: Brown butter brownies.
• Gimme Some Oven: Flour tortillas.
• Oh Sweet Basil: Homemade pancake mix.
• Kirbie's Cravings: Banana bread mug cake.

Smoko - Dumpling and Toast

Ever since I started following Smoko on Instagram a while back, I've been obsessed with their cute and fun products!  I first got the little dumpling lamp, which gives off a gentle glow while being super cute and squishy.  I recently got two more items that I had ordered a while ago - a dumpling mug and toast mug!  The dumpling mug has the same dumpling character in various drawings, which remind me of the delicious soup dumplings at Din Tai Fung :o) The toast mug is slightly smaller and square, like a thick piece of toast (with a face on it, haha) If you're also a fan of food/cute themed items (or know someone that would love them as a gift), be sure to check out all of the fun items that Smoko offers! 

Rachel Allene Fall Goodies + Starbucks PSL Day

If you're a fan of pumpkin spice anything like I am, hopefully you got a chance to enjoy the debut of the fall drinks at Starbucks yesterday!  I was very happy that my order from Rachel Allene's online shop arrived right before Pumpkin Spice Latte day, so I could go enjoy my first fall drink in my new steel mug. 

As an added bonus, you get $0.10 off of your drink at Starbucks if you bring your own mug - all the more reason to have a fun themed mug, right?  Even though it's not officially fall yet, it's never too early to enjoy some fun fall items!     

Bucknell University - 15 Year Reunion

I hope everyone had a great weekend!  I got to spend some time back at Bucknell University in PA for my 15-year college reunion, which was a lot of fun!  It was great catching up with friends and enjoying our time on campus - especially with so many updates and new buildings since we had been there even for the last reunion.  Of course I also had to get a new mug (the dark grey one in the photo below) and the "new" logo waffle maker in the cafeteria, haha.  I'm already looking forward to the next chance to get back there with friends!

Christmas Mystery Grab Bag - Chalkfulloflove

I've been following Chalkfulloflove on Instagram for a while now, but it was her recent Mystery Grab Bag sale that prompted my first purchase from her online shop! And it is sort of funny that I happened to order the Christmas Mystery Grab Bag, and it arrived the night before a pretty significant snowstorm that started this morning.  It feels like Christmas all over again with these cute gifts!  I especially liked a lot of her mug designs when she posts them on Instagram, so I'm happy that this set came with a mug.  It's very sturdy and the lettering is too cute!  Be sure to follow her on Instagram or check out her page if you're also a fan of cute lettering-related gifts!

TJ Maxx - Valentine Mug

I always enjoy seeing holiday-specific items in stores, and right now there are so many cute Valentine's day-themed goodies at HomeGoods/Marshalls/TJMaxx!  I love all of the different kitchen items most of all, like this salt and pepper mug I saw on the shelf recently.  Those little faces on the shakers are too cute :o) If you're a fan of pink/red/heart decorations be sure to get over to these stores soon because Easter items are already starting to fill up the shelves!

Marshalls - Treat Yo Self Mug

Happy Friday everyone! While it's a grey and rainy day over here, just a friendly reminder to enjoy your weekend - maybe even with a doughnut or two, haha.  I came across this cute pink mug at my local Marshalls - there are always so many cute mugs at these stores!

Home Goods Mugs

I had to laugh when I came across these mugs at HomeGoods recently - they are perfect for anyone that loves shopping there!  The mug color is definitely that "HomeGoods" color, and I love that they used the exact logo design too, haha.  At $2.99 each, these are the perfect way to show your love for HomeGoods shopping with your morning coffee!  

Extra Fries Mug

 

Just a little Monday Motivation for us to start off the week, haha!  

Marshalls/TJMaxx/HomeGoods always has the most random and fun mug designs, and I always love seeing what's in store.  The food-related ones are always good for a chuckle as you enjoy your morning coffee.  Let this be a reminder for you to go to the gym - or eat a pile of fries - later today :o)

The Candle Creative - Galentine's Day Gift Swap

This year I participated in the Galentine's Day swap hosted by The Candle Creative, which was a fun way to send gifts to someone to celebrate! I got matched up with Diana of Our City Lights, and I knew immediately that it would be really fun to shop for her.  Check out her Instagram feed and you can see our mutual love of cupcakes, Hello Kitty, Mindy Kaling, to just name a few things! 

I received Diana's package over the weekend, and as you can see she totally picked out things that I love haha!  Red Velvet, mugs, cupcakes, and Kate Spade :o)  I can't wait to use everything ASAP!  Thank you to The Candle Creative for hosting such a fun gift swap! 

Hello Kitty Cafe Truck - Bethesda

A few weeks ago I met up with my friend L to check out the Hello Kitty Cafe truck's pop-up shop event in Bethesda - along with about a million other Hello Kitty fans, haha.  The line moved pretty slowly but I am generally OK with lines (v. Japanese of me, ha), and it was fun to see all the different Hello Kitty outfits people were wearing in line.  

 

Below are the items that I got:

- T-shirt (for a friend that couldn't make it)

- Mug

- Free button and sticker from the event

- Frosted cookie set

I am SO happy I got the mug - it is super cute and even has a little Hello Kitty doughnut that you can see when you finish your drink.  I hope more Hello Kitty events come to this area in the future!