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I'm Shay! I’m a cookbook author, lifestyle blogger, travel agency owner, wife and mama who loves making every day special for my family.

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Mix & Match Mama

Fashion, Friday Favorites, Shay's Closet ·

Friday Favorites 01.22.21


Happy Friday, friends!

I hope you have cozy plans this weekend.  I started The Queen’s Gambit earlier this week, so I am thinking I might try to squeeze in a few episodes of that before the weekend is over.  I’ve had two of my friends (that I love and always agree with!) tell me that The Queen’s Gambit was their favorite show of 2020…I’m still not so sure about that though.  Have you watched it???  I’ve only just started the third episode, but I feel like something’s about to happen that is going to suck me in.

Okay, as always, I’m linking up with my friends Andrea and Erika .  Today’s blog post is themed “speaking of…” as everything connects from one fave to the next.  It’s like playing 6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon but with my blog post today 😉 .

Happy weekend!! xo

Speaking of games, we very much like to play games around here.  My preference are games that you can easily whip out, set up and put away.  As much as I love a good board game (well, except I hate Monopoly…), we reach for those basic games nine times out of ten.  My parents recently bought Kensington…

…Bananagrams and I AM OBSESSED!

It’s like playing scrabble but at your own pace and you don’t have to take turns.  I’ve loved playing it with all of my kids plus, it’s great for all of them to practice their spelling.  The other night, while we were watching TV, I dumped the tiles out and kind of played by myself too.  My mom said it best, there’s something “soothing and relaxing” about this game.  This is most definitely a fave this week!

Speaking of things my mom has bought us recently…

…if you missed this post…

…I’m officially madly in love with the stick attachment on this Dyson cordless vacuum.  If you go back and read the comment section of Tuesday’s post, most of you guys are too!  Ha!  Who knew?!  Right now, even my kids are getting a kick out of vacuuming.  What?  Yes!

Speaking of Tuesday, for Taco Tuesday, I wore my new tee from Target…

…adorable, right?!  Everything you need to make guacamole 🙂 .  When I tucked my little girls into bed that night, Madeley gave me a hug and then she said “When I’m a mom, can I have your guacamole shirt?”.  Bahahaha!  How sweet is that?!  Our love runs deep for guac over here friends!  If you haven’t made…

…our super easy Avocado Mash, you should!!

This week, the theme has been hustle, hustle, hustle as I have been really busy working at Mix and Match Travel Agency.  My uniform three days in a row…hat, leggings and some sort of sweatshirt.  I wore this one yesterday, and it was too good not to share!  It’s an Amazon find and comes in many different colors!

Speaking of Amazon, a sweet blog reader emailed me earlier this week and shared this new coloring book with me…

…and it arrived at my door the next day!  I bought each of the girls one (and Britty too!).  We’ve had so much fun going through the pages, discussing why each picture is there, talking about the traditions, symbols, language, geography…all of it is amazing!  It’s the cutest coloring book!!  It’s also really special because at the beginning, there are questions about your adopted family and then also what you think your bio family might be like.  It was really sweet walking through those pages with Ashby.  I love hearing her talk about what her family must be like and draw their pictures in the space provided.  If you know a sweet kiddo who has been adopted from China, this book is for them!

This is exactly what it says online about it: This interactive coloring book encourages Chinese adoptees and their families to explore their culture and heritage through activities and coloring pages. The activities are conversation starters that help initiate conversations about your child’s life in China before you met. The whimsical coloring pages explore facets of Chinese culture like it’s cuisine, Chinese New Year, the animals the Chinese zodiac and more. 43 single sided pages are perfect for coloring (add a blank piece of paper between pages if using markers so as to prevent bleed-through).

I’m adding this fave as a last minute addition…

…after yesterday’s makeup tutorial post, I had several DMs, messages and comments about my mirror.  I bought it over the summer when my bathroom was being gutted and have LOVED it!!  It would make a great gift for that person who “has everything” too!

And finally…

…I have 26 Crazy Good Breakfast Casseroles for your weekend!  You are going to want to try one of these recipes!!

That’s it for Friday!  I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! xo

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Comments

  2. Erika Slaughter says

    Awww Madeley!! And Britty and I started going through her book last night! She’s a fan!

  3. Stacy says

    Queen’s Gambit…is AMAZING. Yes. You’ll get sucked in. By the 4th episode I had my entire family (husband, 21-yo daughter, 18yo daughter and 14yo son) hooked. It is just that good!!

    • Kandi L Barber says

      See I was not a fan and don’t get the hype but everyone likes their own thing i guess. You and tons of others loved it!

  6. Mindy Tierney says

    I enjoyed Queens Gambit but only could watch one episode a day. Stick with it. My favorite that I LOVED and was obsessed with Season 2 of Virgin River. Also, not big board game people here but my sister-in-law got us Monopoly Deal Card game. We are loving it. Each game lasts about 15 minutes. It’s quick and fun! That says a lot from us and my 16 year old daughter!!

      • Leah Z says

        I hate regular Monopoly because of how long it takes, but we got Monopoly Deal for Christmas and it’s so fun! My husband bought a ton of new board games during the pandemic since we’re home all the time. My favorites are the simple ones with no set up too. I LOVE Sushi Go, Exploding Kittens, Point Salad, and Bananagrams!

  7. Sarah Langley says

    I HATE MONOPOLY!!!! ??? We received Blank Slate for my daughters birthday and it’s so much fun!!! Also the games that are from the Tenzi Makers!! We love Slapzi, and Itzi!! Hope your weekend is sunny!!! This rain is getting us down.?

  8. Hollie says

    Hi Shay! So, the QG…the best show of 2020? I can’t say that I agree totally but it was good. For me, the first several episodes went really quickly and I was really into it. There were a few later ones that were much slower for me, but then I felt that the final episode finished strong. It was definitely worth watching – I only ended up wishing it was a true story, because it feels that way 🙂
    Besides other non- mini series shows(ozark, homeland, the last kingdom), I’d say that The Undoing was the best of 2020. (I was only slightly disappointed in the last few minutes.) Happy watching!

  9. Sarina says

    Love Queen’s Gambit!!

    What trips are people booking for 2021?! I had to cancel my trip to Italy with Clare in 2020 and would love some inspiration! What trends are you noticing?

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      Well, we’re booking a lot of cruises for this summer, fall and 2022 plus European trips for later in the summer/fall and 2022. Right now, we have a ton of people doing Disney World, Mexico, the Caribbean and Hawaii. People are booking travel (between now and the end of 2022) like crazy.

      • Dana says

        I’m glad you answered that because I was very curious too! Maybe a blog post about it with more info and details? So so happy to hear people are making plans to start traveling again!!

  10. Alicia F says

    Ahhh. That coloring book is sitting in my cart right now! My daughter is 4, so I wasn’t sure if this would be something to do with her when she is older?!

  11. Christina says

    What kind of leggings do you recommend? I am on the hunt for a few new pairs. You haven’t linked any, but I noticed you have been wearing some this week

  12. Melissa says

    I love Bananagrams too! It’s a great game to play for all ages.

    I’ve heard great things about The Queen’s Gambit. I’ve watched 4 episodes now, and while it’s interesting (and has inspired us to play more chess!), I’ve been slow to finish the episodes.

    Bridgerton is on my to-watch list this weekend. Lupin too. Cozy, cold & snowy weekend ahead.

  13. Kristen says

    Just finished Queen’s Gambit and it was amazing! Makes me want to learn how to play Chess and I hate Chess!!!!

  14. Tara G. says

    Farkle is easy & fun. Just get 6 dice & you can find directions online. We keep a bowl of dice in the living room. Yahtzee, too.

  15. Amy says

    Hi Shay! I purchased the beige sweatshirt you linked from Amazon last Friday. I bought it in black. The tag says dry clean only. I was just wondering if you’ve washed yours yet and how you washed it. The amazon listing says cold water. I don’t want to have to go to the cleaners for a sweatshirt if I don’t have to! Haha. Thanks!

  16. Brooke Richardson says

    I didn’t fall in love with QG. It was good but that’s all from me. But you know my preference in shows, lol!

  17. Clare Butler says

    Ok that guac shirt is EVERYTHING! And keep going with QG, it really is good! Also, I’m sending you Monopoly Deal – check your mail! You and K will love it!

  18. Chrissy says

    Queen’s Gambit was also my favorite show of 2020!!!! I was hooked from the get-go though so if you don’t love it yet, maybe it’s not your cup of tea 🙁

    But keep going, it definitely finishes strong! Happy Friday!

  19. BF says

    Hi Shay!
    I did NOT love the Queens Gambit. I liked it okay and it was interesting, but I did not love it at all. Like, I don’t get the hype at all!?? I found it to be very slow at times. But it seems most people have loved it!
    Have a great weekend!

  21. Darcy says

    Absolutely loved the Queens Gambit…the story, the overall style, her clothes!!! My only suggestion would be to watch the last 2 episodes on the same night. The 2nd to the last episode is a bit dark.

  22. Sarah says

    My husband and I love the card game Skyjo. We found it on Amazon and it’s a quick 2 person (or more people) game!

  23. Gina says

    Great post today. Can you please do a post on yours and Andrew’s closet, we only see a small section of yours. Thank you and happy weekend!

  25. Patty Anderson says

    I’m SO excited about the coloring book, so thank you! My grandson is waiting in China for my daughter and her husband to pick him up. They were in the final stage of the process and were just waiting for word to get him when covid happened and the borders closed in China. It’s been a VERY long wait, but we’re hopeful they’ll get him soon. Would so appreciate prayers!

      • Patty Anderson says

        Thanks, Shay. I knew you would “get it.” But we’re hopeful that they’ll SOON have him. He’ll turn 8 soon and they started this process when he was 6. I can’t wait to meet that little guy!

  27. Allison says

    Hi Shay!
    You have to try Pack O Game, Perplext.com by Chris Handy. He designs games for all ages/levels & they are very compact (smaller than a pack of gum). Our family has all of them and we love playing. Your family will love the games!

  28. Danielle Finzel says

    We love Bananagrams here too! I HATE regular Monopoly as well, but have you guys tried Monopoly Deal? It’s a Monopoly card game that takes 10-15 minutes to play. Super fun. It’s probably our #1 family quick play game.

  29. Stacey Blackford says

    I loved the Queen’s Gambit, but definitely made me not want to learn Chess. Yikes, looks really hard.
    In the last month, maybe less, I’ve watched The Queen’s Gambit, both seasons of Virgin River, both seasons of Dead to Me, and first season of Sweet Magnolias. Loved them all.

  30. Julie says

    We too fell in love with Bananagrams…but then we found Double Banaagrams (just double the tiles) and love it even more. Having more tiles has allowed us to make larger words and slows the pace a little so the kids don’t feel the pressure to spell as fast!

  31. Angela says

    Your dainty cross necklace and the little one you wear with it…it’s so lovely! Do you have links for those?

  32. Erika Mills says

    My kids got shut the box for christmas and love it! I’m all about easy games too but we also got Clue and have been obsessed! Shut the Box is awesome for math factor families, quiet, no batteries and small! The perfect game!

  33. Tricia says

    Hi Shay!
    I hope and your family are having a wonderful weekend! I wanted to comment on The Queen’s Gambit… Both my bestie and my sister-in-law loved and recommended that I watch it as they both binge watched it over a weekend. We all enjoy the same kinds of shows (The Crown, Virgin River, Emily in Paris… to name a few) so when they both suggested The Queen’s Gambit I thought I’d love it immediately… Two episodes in I was questioning why they both recommended the show?!?! I wasn’t feeling the main character or truly engrossed in what I was watching… I forced myself to keep watching as I truly value what my bestie and sister-in-law think/share/suggest… I’m now about to watch episode 7 and I’m so hooked!! Each episode gets better and better and I can’t wait to see how it’ll all play out! Hang it there! It does get better…!
    We also have Bananagrams at our house and we too love it!! As a teacher, I love that my girls are practicing their spelling without even realizing it!!
    Lastly, this has nothing to do with your Friday Favorite’s post, but I just finished reading “Winter Garden” last night. OMG! I loved it and couldn’t put it down!!! I always read books from your reviews (I’ve loved so many of them). Having a Ukrainian background this book touched me in so many ways (plus I loved that I could read the Slavic print ??). Thank you for your book reviews!! I always look forward to them!! ❤️

  34. Beka says

    I agree with your game philosophy!!! Try the Monopoly Deal card game. So quick and amazing adaptation of the same ideas. It is so clever. And again, quick!!