Hello! Shew! What a week. I swear we went from 0 to 100 which has left with less time to blog. It’s been a while since I’ve shared a little update on each of us, so today, I’m sharing Three Things.
on the field after the big UK vs Florida victory!
The middle school cross country season is wrapping up, and Hayden has had a great season, especially considering the adjustment to running with 7th and 8th graders! His team celebrated their successes yesterday with a party after school. They still have the state meet left and then Hayden will also run a bit competitively this fall. He’s also started basketball which is another love of his!
Hayden finished reading the Hunger Games book and immediately started the second one, Catching Fire. I always love when my kids find books (or a series!) they love to read.
Hayden’s had a successful start to middle school. As the first quarter is wrapping up, he said his favorite class is art (and he’s not mad to have PE this semester as well!).
xoxo
Hadley has doubled down on dance with dancing for her school and in the studio. In the studio, she’s taking ballet, tap, and jazz as well as competition team. Middle school dance was paused for a bit with some many out due to quarantine, but Hadley’s happy to be back with that crew and looking forward to cheering and dancing at an upcoming school basketball game.
Over the weekend, Hadley and a friend took a babysitting class at the YMCA and passed! Hadley is so good with younger kids, and now has the credentials to prove it 😉
Hadley is also loving middle school. Besides dance, she’s signed up for Student Council, and says her favorite class is Life Essentials. She’s extra excited because first quarter was all about kitchen safety, and second quarter they get to bake!
**I think it’s interesting both kids chose their electives as their favorite classes. Middle school perks!
Travis is glad to be back to work. Also, he’s officially recovered from his knee surgery and happy to get back to working out and running. He’s been helping Hayden with cross country when Hayden missed school. After the state meet, Travis will keep training Hayden for other races.
I’m happy to be back to school as well now that everyone is healthy and resumed their normal activities. This is the first “normal” year of my academic intervention job, and I’m really loving it. I feel pretty good about our school routine, and I’ve been able to get a workout routine going. I still love the Beachbody app, and have started a new program: Morning Meltdown.
Homer sure loved having us home so much over the past few weeks. While he’s still ornery, I really do think he’s maturing. It dawned on us recently that he hasn’t destroyed much lately! He still likes to dig holes in the backyard, but that’s better than chewing the remote or shoelaces!
So that’s bit of what’s going on with each of us. These feel like seasonal posts to me! I’m sure the next update will be in the winter!
Hello and Happy Monday! I know most people either love Mondays or hate them. I fall somewhere in between, but today I’m loving this Monday. Even though fall break is now over, this is the first Monday in almost three weeks that all of my family is going to school or work after being sick and/or in quarantine. Travis went back to work last Monday, Hayden went back to school last Tuesday, and now it’s Hadley’s turn to head back to school. Hallelujah!
Today is our Not Just a Mom link up, and I’m co-hosting with these lovely ladies:
Our topic this month is: how we handle busy nights.
Well, I know this is shocking, but I always have a plan! 😂
Every Sunday, I write our weekly activities and dinner plans on our fridge calendar. I always try to use my slow cooker or have leftovers on busy nights, so I plan those meals accordingly.
Also, if we are double booked with the kids, I make sure Travis can pick up or take one of the kids while I handle the other one’s activities. Also, I have a great group of mom friends, and if we can carpool, we do.
If our evening is so busy that we don’t have time to come home after school or between activities, I pack a few snacks for the kids to grab if needed. I try to make those options as healthy as possible: granola bar, Chomps, cuties, variety pack of chips, etc. That way they eat something somewhat healthy to hold them over until dinner.
Also, if needed, I make sure the kids have practice clothes laid out (or packed) in the morning, so we can use our time as efficiently as possible after school.
Since the kids are in middle school now, they have to manage their time wisely with completing homework on busy nights. On Sunday, we try to look at their evenings and deadlines for assignments, so they know on less busy nights, they may need to complete more work to make up for more hectic evenings when they may have less time to complete schoolwork.
…and then…
What about you? How do you handle busy nights? I will take any tips I can get!
Next month’s topic is: favorite small shops.
Make sure check out everyone’s posts. I hope you have a great week!
Hello! How’s your week going? We’re hanging on around here, but I’m very excited because today is the first day of our (short) fall break! I will take what I can get. Today, I’m sharing some bits and pieces of what we’ve been up to, so it’s just a little bit of some Life…Lately.
I had a Bath and Body Works coupon (two, actually) to spend, and when I parked outside right by the store, this Lexington mural caught my eye. I don’t think I’ve ever noticed it before, and it looked so pretty on a beautiful Saturday. When I left the store, a family was taking a photo in front of it. So fun.
Speaking of Bath and Body Works, here’s my haul:
I knew the three wick candles were on sale, and I had a coupon for 20% (or maybe 30?) plus a coupon for a free small item.
I purchased Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin body wash, Marshmallow Pumpkin Latte lotion for Hadley, Marshmallow Fireside candle (one of my favorite scents!) and Pumpkin Apple hand soap for my bathroom.
Next time I got to BBW, it will be for Christmas fragrances!
This Kroger pumpkin roll was an impulse buy a couple of weeks ago, and now I’ve picked up a couple more. It’s the perfect fall dessert, and doesn’t last long in our house!
I won a book! I got a notification on the Goodreads app about a give away for the Christmas in Peachtree Bluff book. I received an email a couple of weeks ago that I won one of the copies! It arrived this week, and I plan on reading it in November before sharing some previous Christmas reads before the holidays. I love books by Kristy Woodson Harvey.
I was so excited to get this new mirror from Wayfair. (The app says it will be back in stock soon, if interested) This wall in our living room has been blank for 7+ years now, and I’ve always wanted a mirror there. I saw one years ago that I loved at Hobby Lobby but never got it. When I checked out Hobby Lobby recently, I didn’t see any that I liked, so I searched Wayfair next. This one was on sale and just my style. What I’d really like to do is put some ship lap on that wall and then hang the mirror, so that’s a project I may move up on our “to do” list. For now, I just have it sitting on the antique chest.
…and I love how it looks with the glow of my pumpkins and candles.
Another new item that arrived this week is this new rug (the Rachel) from Boutique Rugs. We’ve had the same runner rug in our hallway for a few years, and Travis, of all people, mentioned that it’s always bugged him how short it was. So, when Tina (@to_mimishousewego) shared her Boutique Rug code on Instagram for some of her favorite rugs, I went for it. BR was having a FALL60 sale, but Tina had MIMI70! Even better. The rug is going down a different hall, but I moved it here for the photo with better light.
I try to keep it pretty light-hearted around here, but we’ve had a rough couple of weeks. Our family has either been sick or in quarantine for the past two + weeks. Unfortunately, Travis was the first one diagnosed with Covid and was very sick for a few days. Four days after Trav’s symptoms, Hayden started having symptoms, and four days later, you guessed it…it was Hadley’s turn. My people have taken turns living in the basement, I’ve been wearing a mask non-stop, and it’s been a crazy couple of weeks with some sleepless nights and lots of stress. I knew vaccinated people could still get Covid, but I didn’t realize how sick they can still get. My kids were a couple months shy of being eligible for their vaccine. Thankfully, the kids had pretty mild symptoms (low grade fever, headache, and congestion) and after a few days and some medicine, Travis turned the corner. Travis finally went back to work Monday, Hayden went back to school Tuesday, and Hadley can resume normalcy tomorrow (with school on Monday). It’s been hard, and this mama is tired, but very grateful for all the love and support from family and friends over the past couple of weeks.
If you need Covid care tips, well, I’m ya girl: I’ve never been so thankful to have a basement for immediate and easy isolation. I wore my mask at all times, and served all food on disposable plates, bowls, and cups that they would throw away on their own in Kroger bags. Once Travis and Hayden were both in the basement, I bought basement snacks and breakfast items. The basement fridge came in handy for Gatorade, water, fruit and lunch meat. I disinfected the house and basement many times a day and even bought fabric disinfectant for couches and chairs, especially in the basement. And needless to say, stock up on the Clorox wipes! Also, all the vitamins are necessary: C, D, Zinc and whatever else you can get your hands on. I hope I never have to be the expert on this topic again!
Also, the school work, y’all! The kids’ teachers have been great and the amount of work is manageable, but it’s been full time job helping our kids get caught up, especially with the end of the quarter drawing near and them missing ten days of school.
Speaking of the generosity of others, we’ve had lots of fun and thoughtful porch packages from lasagna to Trader Joe’s faves, to margaritas and wine, to milkshakes, groceries and more, we’ve felt the love. While I could still go do what I needed to do, I still worked some days, helped the kids, tended to the sick, and more! We are so appreciative, and thankfully, the worst is past us now.
Just in time, I was able to get my Covid booster on Monday as well as my flu shot. Walgreens came to our school to give flu shots and added the booster as an option. Y’all, just like with the second vaccine, this one DID. ME. IN. Big time. Like this post was going to be for yesterday, but I was down for the count all day Tuesday and still didn’t feel 100% yesterday. Still, I’m thankful to feel like I have the extra protection now given what we’ve been going through.
I did rally for Hayden’s last regular season cross country race Tuesday night. I honestly physically didn’t feel like going, but I didn’t want to miss it. I showered beforehand, and the fresh air did me some good. Hayden always gives his best effort, but this race was a test after missing over two weeks (He was able to run some at home), three races, and running while still congested. As if that wasn’t enough, he didn’t tie his shoes tightly, and ran half the race with one shoe! 😆 It wasn’t his fastest time, but he still did great, and the boys team placed with their best score of the season!
I started fall break off right last night. I picked up a London Fog tea (thanks to a gift card from a friend), and was in my pjs by 4:18 PM. My neighbors are used to seeing me on my porch in my pjs these days! 😂
Weekly Recap:
I’m going to take tomorrow off from blogging, so no Friday Favorites for me, but here are my posts from this week:
Hello! It’s the first Tuesday of the month, so I’m linking up with Tanya for this month’s Prime Purchases.
This month, I bought a few things for me, a few things for the kids, and a few things for fall.
Here’s what I bought:
For the Kids:
Hadley has had the same lunch bag for a couple of years, and after a spill, she needed a new one. I let her click around, and this is the one she chose:
She said her lunch table friends said it was so cute. That’s a win for sure in middle school.
Speaking of lunches, since Hadley still takes her lunch most days, I restocked my favorite lunch box notes. I used these last year as well. They have such cute sayings and are on good, quality paper.
I bought these cooling towels for Hayden for after his cross country races. I can’t believe I didn’t buy them in the summer when he was playing so much baseball in the heat. He’s used them after some hot races, and they will be perfect for baseball season as well.
I purchased this runner for my kitchen table, and it’s the perfect touch of fall. (It comes in a variety of colors, and I got the 14″ x 108″ for our large kitchen table.)
I’ve been buying this base and top coat combo for a couple of years, and it was time for more. The top coat helps my at home manicures last at least a week!
Y’all these earrings are my fave. I only typically wear stud earrings, and these have been my “go to” pair for a couple of years. Sadly, I lost one at school a couple of weeks ago, so I just went ahead and ordered this same pair. I love the rose gold color, and they are less than $9 (with an extra $1 coupon too!)
My watch band that I’ve worn for almost two straight years broke recently, so I purchased the set to replace it. I’ve never been good about changing watch bands, but I’ve switched these out a few times already. I love this color set, but there are other color options as well.
Hello and Happy Monday! Today, I’m sharing a recap of this past month. It was the first full month of school, we had lots of activities…and then everything came to a halt.
9.1.21
At the beginning of the month, we celebrated Hadley with the You are Special red plate for making her school’s dance team.
9.2.21
On this day, I swung buy the library to pick up some books, we had breakfast for dinner, Hadley had dance, and Hayden had golf.
9.3.21
After a busy day at school, middle school Hadley wanted to go to my school’s football game to see her friends.
9.4.21
We kicked off Labor Day weekend with Hayden’s cross country meet, followed by Hayden’s golf match and Hadley tailgated with friends.
9.5.21
We had a lazy rainy Sunday with IHOP for brunch and soup for dinner.
9.6.21
On Labor Day, I got caught up around the house, the kids went to the pool for a couple of hours, and we grilled out for dinner.
9.7.21
It was back to school, grocery pick up, and a cross country meet for Hayden.
9.8.21
Hadley was excited for her first middle school dance practice, and then we had no other evening activities! Hallelujah!
9.9.21
On this day, more golf for Hayden, and more dance for Hadley.
9.10.21
After school on Friday, I had my monthly facial followed by…
Hayden’s end of the season baseball party (with special guest UK pitcher Alex Degen)
9.11.21
Wow! The 11th marked twenty years since 9/11, a cross country meet for Hayden, and then family fun at the UK/MU game.
9.12.21
On the 12th, Hayden had his last baseball tournament, and Hadley had her final bridging ceremony as a Girl Scout.
9.13.21
On Monday the 13th, we went to Hadley’s friend’s volleyball game!
9.14.21
The kids had an early morning ortho appointment, Homer got his allergy shot, and Hayden had a cross country meet.
9.15.21
This day was rainy, and we had no evening activities; I decided to get a pedicure after school and chose a fall-ish color for my toes.
9.16.21
This was a busy day from start to finish with school, golf for Hayden, the kids attended their school’s football game, we had leftovers for dinner and then the kids had some homework to do before bed.
9.17.21
This was my favorite kind of Friday when I picked up pumpkins at Kroger and my favorite garden center.
9.18.21
On Saturday, Hayden had a cross country meet, a golf match, and I decorated the front porch and then had dinner with Hadley.
9.19.21
On this Sunday, we went to church, I finished a book, and the Chiefs were on Sunday Night Football.
Homer was ready to cheer on the Chiefs.
9.20.21
It was a rainy Monday with lots of driving: errands after school, I picked Hayden up from cross country practice, I took Hadley to dance, and ended the evening just hanging out watching KC Royals on TV.
9.21.21
Another rainy day, and I spent the evening getting my inside fall decorations finished up.
9.22.21
We had more rain, soup for dinner, and my mom came to town.
9.23.21
*This is when life slowed down a bit.
The kids were quarantined due to a Covid exposure, and my new Amazon fall pillows arrived.
9.24.21
I picked up donuts for breakfast, the kids did school from home, and my mom and Gus came to visit.
9.25.21
This was an unexpected lazy day that started with a rainy morning,
a beautiful afternoon with MU football on TV, and UK football on in the evening.
9.26.21
On this day, my mom went home, and the weather was so pretty that I finished up the front porch.
9.27.21
I stayed home with the kids all day, and they continued to do school at home.
9.28.21
I went to school, Hadley was home to check the mail when her new sweatshirt arrived, and I ended up going on an evening walk.
9.29.21
My new mirror arrived!
9.30.21
On Thursday, I went to school, Travis stayed home with the kids, and we had a sweet drop off from friends.
As you can see, the end of the month was kind of a blur and also felt like the movie Ground Hog’s Day all at once. It sort of felt like the wheels fell off the September bus! Thanks for hanging in there with me 🤪 I’m sure October will be better.
Tomorrow, I’m sharing my September Amazon purchases.
Hello and Happy Friday! Even more importantly….Happy October 1st!
I start getting serious about fall on September 1st. The autumnal equinox is September 22nd, but October 1st is the most official day for me because the weather should start cooling off, and the leaves on the trees will start changing soon.
Well, my first favorite is pretty obvious…
…but I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika to share the rest of my favorites this week.
Homer looking so handsome is a favorite. Although I felt like he was judging me during my workout.
*Funny Homer story: When I make pancakes, I always make a couple of little ones to give him. I made some on Wednesday, and put them on everyone’s plates. Well, I turned around and saw him sitting on the rug in the kitchen just looking at me (kind of like in the photo above). He was waiting patiently for his pupcake! I just know it. Hadley and I were laughing, and I can’t believe I almost forgot to make him one.
Another favorite was a visit from my mom’s dog Gus (and my mom). Gus is a good front porch visitor.
My front porch (and other decorations) continue to be a favorite. They bring a smile to my face when I pull up to our house.
Hadley made me this cute note! #shegetsme
Favorite Moment:
Saturday morning was dreary and I was tired. I needed some quiet in the chaos of life, and I loved my morning view.
FavoriteClothing Item:
Even though my Tigers keep losing, I’m loving my new MIZ sweatshirt from Sweet Momma Blair Etsy shop. I bought Hadley a sweatshirt from them last year as well as my KC Chiefs sweatshirt. You should check out the shop!…especially my Missouri and Kansas friends.
Favorite Mom Meme:
Am I right?!
That being said, I’m still fussing at them no matter how many countdowns I give them!
Favorite Amazon Purchase:
Is Hadley my daughter or what? She’s been a trooper this week, and I know she loves a seasonal sweatshirt as much as I do. This one from Amazon is so cute! We ordered her a women’s small, and she’s loved wearing it with shorts and leggings.
One more fave:
We received a couple of sweet porch drop offs. Our friends know us all too well. Hadley said, “Well, mom, the wine must be for you!” Treats for everyone!
Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday
This 2011 flashback is giving me all the feels. My kids used to love these motorcycles, and Hayden looks “bad to the bone” with his paci and bunny! 😂
I remember he was home sick this day which is why he was still in his pjs. We’d gone outside for some fresh air. Such a cutie!
Weekly Recap:
This week, I’ve shared some memes, my fall decorations (AKA my most favorite post of the year), and the one book I read this month along with what the kids have been reading too!
Hello! As this month wraps up, I’m sharing what I read this month.
Well this is probably my saddest post to date. I read one book. One. I thought about saving this book for my October book post, but I like to share as I go. To be honest, I just haven’t had much of a desire to read lately. There’s been too much going on, and I’ve been too tired at night to even think about reading. I find myself choosing an episode of The Golden Girls before bed rather than reading a few pages of a book.
So, without further adieu, here’s the one book that I read:
Yoga Pant Nation:
{As always, book summaries are from Goodreads…}
Summary:
Jen Dixon of Overland Park, Kansas—fearless mother of a fifth-grade boy and two thirty-something daughters—is used to juggling a lot, from her mission to become a spin instructor, to stepping in as the most acerbic class mom ever (again), to taking care of her two-year-old granddaughter. But when the PTA president throws her a mandate to raise $10,000 for the fifth-grade class, even unflappable Jen is going to need more than her regular spin class to get her through this final year at William Taft Elementary School.
In the midst of new complications—organizing the class overnight to Topeka, an unexpected spin class fan in the form of her husband’s crazy ex-wife, and trying to navigate her parents’ sudden descent into apparent delusions—Jen hardly has the patience to listen to yet another half-baked idea (come on, ladies, another wrapping paper sale?) from WeFUKCT (We Fundraise Until Kingdom Come Team), her fundraising committee. But if anyone can get elementary parents to pull off the impossible, it’s Jen Dixon.
With her always irreverent and laugh-out-loud humor—boldly holding forth on those things you’re thinking, but would never dare say out loud—Laurie Gelman shines a light on the indignities and hilarities of modern parenting.
Quick Thoughts:
This is the third book in the Class Mom series. (Book 1: Class Mom, Book 2: You’ve Been Volunteered), and I enjoyed it. The main character is Jen, a sarcastic mom from a suburb of Kansas City. I mean, she could be me. I am her.
Kind of like with most books in a series, the first book is the best and then it kind of tapers off from there. I enjoyed Class Mom so much! I loved it, and have recommended it to friends many times. I’d still recommend You’ve Been Volunteered and Yoga Pant Nation, but book one is definitely my favorite.
In this third book, it’s nice to get an update on all of the characters. Jen, her children, her husband, and even some of her friends. With her son being in the 5th grade, she’s wrapping up her time at the elementary school with the same funny and sarcastic class mom emails that she delivered in the other books. I like that there’s that common thread of the emails in all of the books, and it really shows her personality. By the end of the book, there seemed to be a sense of finality for the characters and the plot.
I wonder if there will be a spin off for her time as a parent of Max when he goes to middle school? 😉
Rating:
I’ve downloaded The Wrong Family to my Kindle, so I’m hoping to get into it soon.
Since I did very little reading this month, I thought I’d take the time to share some books that my kids have read lately. I’ve never done that before, and maybe I have a reader or two with a tween who needs some books ideas!
This summer, the kids chose two books from their school’s reading list. I’ve shared before that Hayden is my big reader, so this wasn’t much of a task for him. Hadley has always preferred shorter reads, graphic novels, and daily devotionals. Hayden loves to read before bed, and I think Hadley prefers something shorter to read because her attention span tends to be, well, short!
Also, new to them, is Accelerated Reader. They now have to read books and earn AR points by the end of each quarter in their Language Arts class. While the summer reading was a choice this year, I didn’t give them a choice. (Funny story: I didn’t tell Hadley it was optional and when they resent the list before school started, she said, “Moooom! It says the reading was optional!” 😂Well, she ended up thanking me because she was able to take two AR tests the first couple weeks of school and have all her points for the first quarter!
Also, the kids have a reading class this semester (math enrichment next semester), and they read The Hunger Games. Hayden loved the book so much, he asked me to check out book two, Catching Fire, for him from the public library.
Here’s what they’ve read lately:
Hayden
Summer Book 1: Fantasy League by Mike Lupica
Summer Book 2: Strong Inside about Perry Wallace.
The Hunger Games
Catching Fire
AR book: Lone Stars by Mike Lupica
Hadley:
Summer book 1: The Mother Daughter Book Club: Camp (She’s read other books in this series in 4th and 5th grades)
Summer book 2: Grace, Gold, and Glory by Gabby Douglas
The Hunger Games
AR book: Lila and Hadley by Kody Keplinger
What book suggestions do you have? …for me and for my middle schoolers? I clearly need some great reads to get me motivated again!
Hello! With September wrapping up and October right around the corner, I’m sharing the fall decorations at my house!
I think this is my favorite post of the year!
October 1st is like my Christmas morning. It’s seriously one of my favorite days of the year because it starts my favorite month! October is full of fun and no stressful holidays. We go to football games, the pumpkin patch, eat apple cider donuts, enjoy the wonderful weather and so much more.
My fall decorating style could best be described as “pumpkin, pumpkins and more pumpkins.” I’m the Oprah of pumpkins! …and if the pumpkins light up, that’s a bonus! 🤣
This year, I only purchased a few new things, but otherwise, this post is probably pretty similar to what I shared last year!
Front Porch:
My front porch is my favorite place to decorate for fall. When we purchased this home in September of 2014, I remember thinking how fun it would be to decorate with pumpkins and mums. I think I add more each year 😉
I’ve had the door hanger for years, and purchased it on Etsy. The doormat is a few years old, and I believe I got it at JC Penney. Lastly, a few pumpkins on our little porch table are so fun. The teal stand was something I picked up at Hobby Lobby last week.
I purchased these fall pillow covers (pack of 4) off Amazon after I realized how torn up my previous fall pillows were after six or seven years on our porch during the fall months.
Ta da! It was a pleasant surprise to tie the black and white checkered rug with the new pillows and W garden flag.
I usually purchase mums from the Mum Man who comes to Trav’s work, but I couldn’t resist the smaller yellow ones in the cute half peck baskets from Trader Joe’s. Then, I purchased larger mums that I put in the planters from the kids’ school. I picked up the shock top at Fresh Market.
As I previously shared, the pumpkins came from Kroger, Trader Joe’s, and my favorite garden center.
I really love how it turned out.
Entryway:
I keep it pretty simple on the hall entryway table. Some pumpkins, some fall faux flowers, and a tea light holder that I’ve had for years.
Living Room:
In the living room, I have one of my favorite light up (plug in) pumpkins. I also add the wooden pumpkin to where I usually have a candle.
I have the same pumpkin pillows that I purchased at Target last year.
I switch out my usual white candle for this orange one, add little pumpkins on our built in and switch out some of the decorative basket items for a few pumpkins. The orange, white, and green pumpkins came in a pack I picked up at Hobby Lobby.
This new round tray from Target is perfect for our coffee table with my favorite light up pumpkin from Michael’s that I got last year. This year, I picked up a fall berry candle wreath to put on the pedestal with a Bath and Body Works candle. This is where I sit most mornings and love the candle and glow of the pumpkin.
Office:
In our office area, I just switch out our usual pillows for the “Morning Pumpkin” pillows that one of my former students made me a few years ago. I also added a silver pumpkin to the table between the chairs.
Kitchen:
In the kitchen, I put this cute pillow on one of our chairs. I also added my pumpkin sign to the holder that usually has a cookbook in it. Lastly, I added a few small pumpkins and gourds to my fruit stand.
This year, I put a candle from Trader Joe’s in the spoon rest on my island tray. I love lighting it while I cook dinner!
This year, I changed up the kitchen table center piece. I purchased this runner from Amazon. Then, I moved in the long tray that usually sits on our coffee table, and kept some of our essentials on it like napkins and the salt and pepper. Then, I added a few more small pedestals from Hobby Lobby and mixed in some more small pumpkins and gourds. I picked up the melamine plates at Target a few years ago.
I’ve had this buffet in this location before, but recently it’s been against another wall. I decided to move it back over to its original spot for the fall season.
I basically set up the buffet exactly like I did last year with the burlap pumpkins on the cake stand, the white light up pumpkin, my favorite little pumpkin plates in the cabinet with a few other festive decorations.
Like in the front room, I switched out my white candles for these burnt orange colored ones. I added the pumpkin garland that I think I picked up last year. This year, I did purchase new leaf garland at Michael’s. I’d been using the same garland for over ten years, and it was just time for something new. Last year, I hammered two nails into the mantle to string the pumpkins. Much to my surprise, the leaf garland was able to hook on to the nails too! Perfect!
Sun room:
I don’t think I did much in the sun room last year besides add some fall items on the tray. This year, I put the pumpkin pillows that I typically use in the basement for the sun room couch and used the other two pillow covers from the Amazon four pack for the chairs.
I added a Bath and Body candle (from last year!) to the tray with a metallic pumpkin that I picked up at Target.
Homer approves!
I think last year was the first year I hung this wreath on the back door, and it’s so pretty.
I snapped this photo on Saturday. The morning was unexpectedly dreary, and I was tired. While sipping my coffee, I looked up and smiled at the view. It’s the little things!
Bedroom:
I only have one touch of fall in our bedroom. Like I mentioned before, I loved the living room pumpkin so much I picked another one up last year for the bedroom. I love falling asleep to the glow of this gorgeous pumpkin.
It may seem like a lot and so much to do, but it’s worth it for me. I’m a home body, and while I love a lit Christmas tree, the coziness of my fall decor is good for my soul. I feel like I can enjoy these decorations for a few months rather than a few weeks! We’ve had some unexpected extra time at home for the past week, and in the chaos of life, it’s been good for me to light a fall scented candle and enjoy the glow of a pumpkin or two!
(Bonus: all the decorations fit into one big tub and one zip up storage bag for the pillows!…that way Travis can’t grumble too much when I need help lugging them up from the basement 😉)
Do you decorate for fall??
I hope your week is off to a great start! Happy fall, (y’all) !
Hello! Well, since it’s the end of the month, I’m sharing some of the memes that have made me laugh over the past few weeks! I hope they start your week off right!
1.
It does feel like the holiday wheels are in motion once all things pumpkin begin!
2.
#awkward I often feel like I should have said more or said too much when meeting someone new…
3.
#teamILoveNaps
4.
6th grade pre-Algebra, y’all! 😩
5.
Besides my own passwords, now the kids have some that I need to know. Also, I feel like my school computer always forces me to change my password at the most inconvenient time!
6.
I used to be so good at parallel parking in college. Nothing makes you fit your car in the tightest space possible like being five minutes late to class. I can still parallel park, but don’t feel as accomplished with this task as I used to!
7.
Am I right?!
I’ve also heard people mention having “trust issues” thanks to trainers telling them it’s the last round or “one more minute” only to add in a bonus exercise. 🤣
8.
I live for coffee. I could give up any beverage but not coffee. I love nothing more than starting my day with a couple cups. It’s the little things in life!
I hope you have a great week. I can’t believe it’s almost October. That’s my favorite month of the year!
Hello and happy Friday! I’m so glad that it’s Friday. This week turned out to be more than I expected it to be, so I’m jumping right in to this week’s Friday Favorites.
Here’s a peek at some favorites from the week.
Favorite Pic:
Well, even though the Chiefs lost in a heart breaker Sunday night, my favorite pic from the week is still sweet Homer in his Chiefs scarf!
Favorite Moment:
My favorite moment from the week has to do with all things fall. I finally got a few touches of fall throughout the house, and I’m pleased with how everything turned out.
One of my favorite decorations is still my light up pumpkin that I got at Michael’s last year. I loved it so much that I purchased a second one for our bedroom last year too. This year, I picked up the small autumn berry wreath to add to my pedestal with fall candle.
I tried something different with the kitchen table this year with a new runner, some new cute pedestals from Hobby Lobby and pumpkins from Trader Joe’s.
My front porch is coming right along.
This year, I picked up mums from Trader Joe’s because I couldn’t resist the great price, and they were in cute baskets!
I also ordered the big mums in the planters from the kids’ school, and they arrived this week as well. Lastly, my front porch pillows that I ordered off Etsy seven years ago, needed to be tossed. I ordered this four pack of pillow covers from Amazon and used two for the porch and two for my sun room chairs.
Favorite Kid Quote:
My kids got in trouble earlier this week for not meeting my bedtime curfew for them. After a couple of days of no Xbox, Hayden said, “Mom, the punishment doesn’t really fit the crime.” I laughed and asked where he heard that saying. He said his social studies teacher says that sometimes! Good to know he’s listening at school.
Favorite Clothing Item:
Did you seem my Walmart post this week? So many favorite clothing items that I’m wearing on repeat, especially the crew neck sweatshirts!
Lauren shared about her Trader Joe’s candles. In all my years going into Trader Joe’s, I’ve never known they had candles. When I went there last week for some of their mini pumpkins and gourds, I asked one of the employees if they had any candles…and she pointed me in the right direction. The Honeycrisp Apple was the only one they had in stock; I picked up two! Y’all, it smells so good!
Favorite Fall Quotes:
I love these quotes:
Just my favorite ways to think about fall!
Favorite Mom Meme:
My Gma sent me this, and I laughed…and can relate!
And this…I feel this one deeply.
Another Fave:
After three rainy days, yesterday was beautiful, and I was able to get out for a walk. I needed the fresh air.
Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:
How about this memory from 2011? They look so alike in this pic….I’m either bribing them with a snack, or they might be looking at me like I’m a moron. #itstartedyoung
Weekly Recap:
I had three posts this week! I recapped the weekend, shared our Fall Fun List, as well as What I’ve been Wearing (all from Walmart).
What are your plans for the weekend? We have a cross country meet on tap and not much else. Remember when I said that last weekend, but ended up super busy? I think this week I actually do mean that we don’t have as much going on…and I’m here for it.
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