I hope you are having a great week. The day off yesterday was just what I needed to have a bit of downtime mixed in with productivity. Now we’re on the downhill slide to the weekend.
I had to double check my calendar. I can’t believe it’s the second Wednesday of the month! That means I’m linking up with Shay and Erika for Let‘s Look.
I skipped October because I’d already shared a post about fears for the blog challenge.
This month we are looking at…stocking stuffers.
Tis the season, y’all!
I looked back at my Amazon history, and today I’m sharing a few favorite stocking stuffers.
I know it seems random but this tissue box cover “elevates” an eyesore on the counter. There are a variety of colors, and it’s less than $8! I have this “pastel gray” one and have gifted it to others as well.
I stuck this razor kit in Hayden’s stocking last year. While he doesn’t need it often ☺️, it has definitely come in handy.
This heatless curl set is Hadley approved. It comes in a few different designs…including “candy cane!”
Both Travis and Hayden have these stocking caps with a light for running. It’s the perfect gift for a runner during the winter months.
I hate to exaggerate, but this ground meat chopper is a game changer for cooking! I use it every time I cook ground meat.
I have this watch band, and I love the scallop detail. It comes in so many cute colors; maybe I should grab another one.
These rose gold earrings are my favorite, and I wear them almost every single day. They are less than $10, and have a $1 off coupon.
These socks are fun for any gamer or teen in your life. For only $6, they’d be a perfect stocking gift. I got them for Hayden a couple of years ago.
Bananagrams is a fun game for all ages. It’s the perfect size to take for family fun when you travel.
I’ve shared these portable chargers before, and they’ve worked great for us through the years. They got us through the five day power outage last spring. I have my eye on this one because it’s slimmer, and we could use one or two more.
Honestly, stockings have always been my favorite part of Christmas morning.
Happy shopping!
{This post contains Amazon Affiliate links. Thanks for supporting my blog.}
Today is a Tuesday with no school, so I’m going to make the most of it.
A few weeks ago, I shared a Top 10 Tuesday post all about my favorite nail polish colors.
Today, I’m sharing some of my favorite movies.
There’s something about this time of the year, and when I have time in the fall and winter months, I like to watch movies whenever I can.
If I see that these movies are on, I will watch them. Some of them, I make a point to watch, especially during winter break when I have some extra time on my hands.
Here are my top 10 favorite movies:
These are in no particular order until I share the top 3.
10. You’ve Got Mail – I love the fall/Christmas setting of New York…and the dial up AOL gets me every time! Hadley and I watched this last winter break, and she loved it. Just this weekend, she asked if we could watch it again.
9. A League of Their Own
Tom Hanks yelling, “There’s no crying in baseball!” Classic. Also, Alice’s bruise…ouch! The end with the former players coming back to see the hall of fame is such a touching scene.
8. An Affair to Remember
I don’t remember the first time I saw this movie, but I just love it. Romance at its best and amazing actors. This is a timeless classic.
7. Swiss Family Robinson
This Disney classic is one from my childhood. When we took the kids to Disney World in 2019, and we visited the tree house, they thought it was so cool. As soon as we got home, Hayden wanted to watch the movie and enjoyed it.
6. Top Gun
This movie is so exciting, and just one of my favorites. Of course, we saw Maverick when it was in the theater in 2022. The kids loved it too.
5. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
This musical is the best. I love the actors, the songs, and the dancing.
4. Home Alone
Holiday classic for sure! We always watch this one around Christmastime.
Top 3:
3. While you were sleeping
This movie is so sweet and funny. I’m a big Sandra Bullock fan, and Bill Pullman is great too. The entire cast is great. I love Saul and Elsie….and Joe Jr. are my favorites too.
2. Sleepless in Seattle
This is just such a sweet movie. I love Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks.
1. The Parent Trap
My all time favorite movie is the originalParent Trap. Again, it’s a Disney classic that I remember watching as a kid. I even had a VHS of the movie, and I watched it time and time again.
Of course, I’ve seen the Lindsay Lohan version, and it’s fine, but I love the Hayley Mills version the best.
I wish I had time to watch a movie today. What are your favorite movies?
Y’all, I forgot all about Daylight Saving Time until Friday when I read a couple of other blog posts! Then, I forgot all about it again until Saturday night…when I went ahead and set the clocks back.
I know it’s an annoying adjustment, but I definitely appreciated the extra hour yesterday.
As I always do on the first Monday of the month, I’m linking up with Tanya to share my Amazon purchases.
This month was pretty much all about me. Whoops. That being said, a few purchases were from late September, but I wanted to wear them before sharing.
Here are my purchases from the month:
Before our fall break trip, I picked up this cover up and swimsuit. I haven’t bought a new swimsuit in a couple of summers, and I can pretty much say the same thing about swim cover ups too.
Anyway, I thought this one would be a good option because I knew we might be going from beach to restaurants occasionally, and this one is even styled as a dress on Amazon.
Anyway, I really like it, and it comes in a variety of colors.
I have shared this swimsuit time and time again, but this swimsuit is a new fave for sure. I realize it’s fall right now, and you might not be going anywhere warm, but if you are, this one shoulder suit is legit.
It comes in a variety of colors and patterns, and I just bet I will share it with you all again this summer.
The thing about me and athleisure is that I tend to keep most leggings and tanks for quite a while. I did go through my athleisure drawer recently, and got rid of a few pieces.
I was trying to find another 7/8 length pair of leggings, and these are it. The fabric is soft, they hold you in, and they have the side pocket which I prefer. These are a new fave for sure.
I shared these in a previous post, but wanted to include them again in my monthly Amazon post.
These are definitely more of a yoga style with softer, thinner fabric. That being said, I’ve used them for low-impact workouts and just casual wear, and I don’t regret this purchase. The price is great too!
What caught my eye is side slit which I thought was a fun detail.
Real talk – I was influenced by Jen Reed when she shared this purse. What I like about this purse is that it is nice, sturdy, cute, and a crossbody. There are times, like when I go to Keeneland, that I take a clutch purse, but I wanted a nicer crossbody, so I’m not holding my purse the entire time.
This purse is on the smaller side, but it held what I needed it to hold for the day. It also comes with a longer adjustable strap too, but I used the shorter one that came attached to it.
Lastly, I’ve been using this magnetic meal planning pad to keep on the fridge, and needed to order another one after using it for a year. It’s the perfect size to write our activities and what we are having for dinner as well as using the right hand side for my grocery list.
So those are my purchases for the month. It’s hard to believe that November purchases might include birthday gifts for a couple of fourteen year olds as well as some possible early Christmas gifts.
{This post contains Amazon Affiliate links. Thanks for supporting my blog.}
This week really flew by for me. I’ll take it considering Halloween was on a Tuesday. That should never be a thing!
As always, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.
Here are my favorites from the week:
I took the day off last Friday because we had friends coming into town to go to Keeneland.
I really like the corduroy dress that I got from SSYS a couple of months ago. I wore it with the suede boots that I got on clearance from Target at the end of last winter.
The weather was overcast and blustery, but we had a good time.
We had a table in the clubhouse, so we were mostly out of the elements. It was nice to step outside and watch the races when we wanted to and walk around the paddock.
Afterwards, we went to dinner with other friends who could join us.
It was a long day and a late night, but we had fun with our friends.
Last weekend, Hadley went to Great Wolf Lodge with the Young Life school group, and she had a blast. This is the third year she’s gone, and she always comes back with so many fun stories and wonderful memories.
We carved pumpkins on Sunday evening which is a favorite tradition…at least for me!
The kids had lots of fun trick-or-treating despite the freezing temps.
On Wednesday, Travis had the end of season cross country banquet. We were able to cater in food from a nice local restaurant, and Travis talked about each of the runners. Of course, the kids loved the dessert too. It was nice to get together to celebrate all of the runners.
I can’t believe this is Hayden’s last middle school cross country season.
School volleyball officially started this week. We’ve had fun watching Hadley and her teammates play.
Favorite Mom Meme:
This is 100% Hadley!! Hayden mostly just leaves his clothes on the floor…lol
Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday :
This little graphic popped up in my Facebook memories, and I could add a current photo. I thought it was a fun side by side for comparison.
There’s nothing crazier that school on the day after Halloween. I’m glad we’re a day closer to the weekend!
I’m a bit behind, but today I’m sharing the books I read in October.
I wanted to read so much more this month, but life and just not having a lot of extra time has gotten in the way of reading…haha
That being said, I enjoyed all three books I read this month, and they were all so different.
Here are the books I read this month:
{As always, book summaries are from Goodreads…}
Mad Honey:
Summary:
Olivia McAfee knows what it feels like to start over. Her picture-perfect life—living in Boston, married to a brilliant cardiothoracic surgeon, raising a beautiful son, Asher—was upended when her husband revealed a darker side. She never imagined she would end up back in her sleepy New Hampshire hometown, living in the house she grew up in, and taking over her father’s beekeeping business.
Lily Campanello is familiar with do-overs, too. When she and her mom relocate to Adams, New Hampshire, for her final year of high school, they both hope it will be a fresh start.
And for just a short while, these new beginnings are exactly what Olivia and Lily need. Their paths cross when Asher falls for the new girl in school, and Lily can’t help but fall for him, too. With Ash, she feels happy for the first time. Yet at times, she wonders if she can she trust him completely . . .
Then one day, Olivia receives a phone call: Lily is dead, and Asher is being questioned by the police. Olivia is adamant that her son is innocent. But she would be lying if she didn’t acknowledge the flashes of his father’s temper in him, and as the case against him unfolds, she realizes he’s hidden more than he’s shared with her.
Quick Thoughts:
I read this one on fall break, and two of my friends who were with me had read it. Both of them said, “just wait until you get to the twist.” Holy moly was there a twist.
This book was filled with love, secrets, vulnerability and more! I can honestly say I’ve never read a book like it.
Rating:
Before We Were Innocent:
Summary:
Ten years ago, after a sun-soaked summer spent in Greece, best friends Bess and Joni were cleared of having any involvement in their friend Evangeline’s death. But that didn’t stop the media from ripping apart their teenage lives like vultures.
While the girls were never convicted, Joni, ever the opportunist, capitalized on her newfound infamy to become a motivational speaker. Bess, on the other hand, resolved to make her life as small and controlled as possible so she wouldn’t risk losing everything all over again. And it almost worked. . . .
Except now Joni is tangled up in a crime eerily similar to that one fateful night in Greece. And when she asks Bess to come back to LA to support her, Bess has a decision to make.
Is it finally time to face up to what happened that night, exposing herself as the young woman she once was and maybe still is? And what happens if she doesn’t like what she finds?
Quick Thoughts:
The premise of this book is what first caught my attention. It initially reminded me of Amanda Knox’s story.
I liked that Joni and Bess were so different and handled that life changing period of time in their own way. I loved how this book was organized with flashbacks to what happened ten years before to the present day. I do wish there were more details in some parts of the past….just meaning I felt like there was a gap in time when they were being held for the crime.
Overall, it was definitely a great read.
Rating:
Coronation Year:
Summary:
It is Coronation Year, 1953, and a new queen is about to be crowned. Thepeople of London are in a mood to celebrate, none more so than the residents of the Blue Lion hotel.
Edie Howard, owner and operator of the floundering Blue Lion, has found the miracle she needs: on Coronation Day, Queen Elizabeth in her gold coach will pass by the hotel’s front door, allowing Edie to charge a fortune for rooms and, barring disaster, save her beloved home from financial ruin. Edie’s luck might just be turning, all thanks to a young queen about her own age.
Stella Donati, a young Italian photographer and Holocaust survivor, has come to live at the Blue Lion while she takes up a coveted position at Picture Weekly magazine. London in celebration mode feels like a different world to her. As she learns the ins and outs of her new profession, Stella discovers a purpose and direction that honor her past and bring hope for her future.
James Geddes, a war hero and gifted artist, has struggled to make his mark in a world that disdains his Indian ancestry. At the Blue Lion, though, he is made to feel welcome and worthy. Yet even as his friendship with Edie deepens, he begins to suspect that something is badly amiss at his new home.
When anonymous threats focused on Coronation Day, the Blue Lion, and even the queen herself disrupt their mood of happy optimism, Edie and her friends must race to uncover the truth, save their home, and expose those who seek to erase the joy and promise of Coronation Year.
Quick Thoughts:
Hi, my name is Jen, and I love historical fiction.
You know I’m all about the Royal family and all things British, and this book didn’t disappoint. I loved that the Blue Lion hotel was the central figure for the characters who were so different and meaningful to the plot.
There’s a bit of history along with sadness, mystery and romance with so many great details in between.
I loved this book so much.
Rating:
4.5 stars!
In November, I plan on reading at least one Christmas book, so I can share that with you as we move into the holiday season.
Wow! That escalated quickly. I feel like October went by in a blink, and November is one of our most hectic months. I guess I’d better buckle up!
Well, I guess we’ve hit the “new norm” of having older kids on Halloween. For the second year in a row, Travis and I sat on the front porch and passed out candy while the kids did their own thing.
Here’s a recap of our Halloween festivities these past few days.
Last Thursday, Hayden and a few friends went to a nearby haunted house. The mom who took them is officially the “fun mom!”
They had a great time, and let’s just say that the “creatures” at the haunted house quickly determined that Hayden was the “weak link.” lol
No pics, but Friday night the kids went to their school’s haunted house and had lots of fun.
Over the weekend, I made Pumpkin Crinkle Cookies. I’ve made this recipe before, but I don’t know what went wrong. They tasted delish, but were flat and sticky even after baking.
I put out my “scary” skeletons in my mums. My porch is still decorated with pumpkins and mums, but right before Halloween I usually put a couple of these guys out. They prop up nicely in my mums.
Then, I typically put spider webs and spiders on the front bushes, but with the really soggy weather this past weekend, I never got to it. I will save the cobwebs for next year.
On Sunday, we had mummy dogs, “brains,” and “eye balls” for dinner. It’s a family favorite.
Sunday night, we found a bit of time to carve pumpkins. I still love this tradition and will cling to it!
Hayden carved “UK” for Kentucky, and Hadley found this “scary” face online with little horse shoe shaped eyes and a big mouth. After she carved it, we laughed because we thought it looked like a bear! Oh well.
Yesterday, at my school, the teachers decided to dress like students (& it was a surprise to the students! 😆) *not pictured: my AirPods I’m my ears*
Hadley and friends had a last minute idea to be Alvin and the Chipmunks for Halloween. Their costumes were so cute!
Hayden and friends…had no theme! haha…but they had fun. Hayden didn’t grow a mustache week, per my suggestion, but he still wore his Travis Kelce jersey.
Oh! It was a cold evening, but Travis and I passed out candy while the kids had fun with their friends.
Alvin and Kelce!
It was so cold that I wore my winter coat and warm boots.
We ended the evening at our friend/neighbor’s house for chili and s’mores.
Her “spooky” charcuterie board was so cute (and delish!)
Now that it’s November, it’s time to focus on the kids’ birthday and Thanksgiving. How much longer until I put up my tree?! haha
I haven’t written a “this or that” post in quite a while, so I thought a Halloween one would be fun. I found this one on Pinterest.
This or That:
Trick or Treat
Definitely treats, please!
Spooky stories or Spooky movies
While I love reading books that are suspenseful, a spooky movie is fun this time of the year. That being said, I’d take a Halloween/fall themed movie over a spooky one.
Apple cider or pumpkin spice latte
I like apple cider, but I prefer coffee with a splash of cream and a dash of pumpkin spice.
Hocus Pocus or Nightmare Before Christmas
I definitely prefer Hocus Pocus. We watched the new one last year on fall break.
Hay maze or haunted house
I definitely prefer a hay maze. I don’t think my anxiety could take a haunted house. haha
Hayden and friends went to a haunted house last week. My friend who took them definitely wins for “fun mom!”
Then, my kids’ school hosted a haunted house for the community like they did last year. The kids went last Friday night and had fun.
Carve a pumpkin or paint a pumpkin
We always carve them. I love that tradition…and I’m clinging to it.
Scare someone or be scared
Neither!!!
Buy a costume or make a costume
Through the years, we’ve always bought them. When the kids were little, my mom did make one of their costumes…just like she did my brother and I were little.
Trick-or-treat or pass out candy
We are back to passing out candy after many years of trick-or-treating. I do think the kids will go out tonight for a bit. Hadley and friends have a group costume, but Travis and I will be on the front porch handing out candy.
Halloween party or cozy spooky movie night
Definitely a night in would be on my list. It’s not spooky, but I miss the tradition of watching It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.
Pumpkin patch or apple orchard
You know I love a pumpkin patch!
That being said, I grew up across the street from an apple orchard, and I loved going to pick apples. I haven’t done that with my kids though!
What would your answers be? I will post this one on Insta!
How was your week? Ours was pretty good, and we had some downtime in the evenings which was very much needed.
As always, I’m linking up with Erika and Andrea for this week’s Friday Favorites.
Here are some favorites from the week:
Hayden had a lot of fun with this friends at a UK basketball/football charity event last week. They bowled with some of the players and got autographs and pictures.
It’s almost middle school basketball season, so Hayden’s on a rec team, and it’s always fun to watch him play basketball.
We enjoy watching him run, but we think it’s important for him to have other interests, and I’m glad he still loves basketball.
The cross country season wrapped up a couple weeks ago, and Travis is having the end of season banquet next week. We got the team and individual pics back, and I can’t believe how great they turned out.
Here he is in 6th and 7th grade. My oh my…no one prepared me for how quickly kids grow up in middle school!
My mom & Gma visited this past weekend, and it was nice to see them. It was a very low key weekend with not much on tap, so we had time to hang out, play a few games, and the kids loved their souvenirs that my mom picked up for them on her recent trip to Ireland.
I love the view from my front porch this time of the year. Unfortunately, many of the leaves have already fallen off. I hope they can hang on a bit longer.
Favorite Clothes:
It’s a simple sweatshirt, but I was at Walmart recently and snagged this hooded sweatshirt in two colors and two sizes. I got my regular size large in the gray, and then I sized up in the blue color, so that I could wear it with leggings. You can’t beat the $9 price tag!
Favorite Food:
Random photo, but I was kind of in a lunch rut, and tried something different for me. I made pita pocket sandwiches for lunch a couple of times this week.
One has rotisserie chicken and shredded mozzarella. After I warmed it in the microwave, I added some BBQ sauce. The other one has Pepperjack cheese and turkey pepperonis. I’ve also made both and put them in the toaster when I’m home. That’s the preferred method, but the microwave melts the cheese and makes for a decent lunch.
This weekend, I’m hoping we can squeeze in our traditional “spooky meal” & pumpkin carving.
Favorite Mom Meme:
This has been true for a long time. lol
Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday
With Halloween next week, I’m always nostalgic for the years when the kids were little. This Batman and Robin duo will always be my favorite.
Weekly Recap:
I shared a little bit of everything this week: memes, holidays, clothes, and musings!
What are your weekend plans! My weekend starts today with a fun day at Keeneland with friends. Also, Hadley has some fun weekend plans, and Hayden has a basketball game. We hope to make it to the UK football game too.
Well, it’s almost time to turn the page of the calendar to November, so today I’m sharing my answers to Patty and Holly’s fun end of the month link up.
This month’s topic is Thanksgiving prep.
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. We get to see family, enjoy great food, and don’t have the stress of gift giving!
1. What are your Thanksgiving plans?
We typically alternate staying home vs. going to KC for Thanksgiving. This year is a KC Thanksgiving year.
I love green bean casserole at Thanksgiving. I always just use the classic recipe on the side of the French’s fried onion container.
I also love corn casserole, but I tried to make it once, and it was a fail. I will leave it to the Thanksgiving pros (AKA my sister-in-law and/or Trav’s aunts)!
3. Best food prep tips?
I’ve really only hosted Thanksgiving a time or two, and it’s so much work. I’m really grateful for those who have hosted through the years.
Of course, making a list is always helpful, and asking others to bring some of the food is essential too.
4. Favorite Thanksgiving traditions?
I love starting my Thanksgiving morning with the Macy’s parade.
5. Turkey? Ham? Other? Both?
To me, turkey is for Thanksgiving and ham is for Easter!
6. Apple pie? Pumpkin pie?
Pumpkin pie all the way. I love my pumpkin pie served cold with a dollop of Cool Whip!
7. Football or family movie?
There’s typically football on in the background while everyone hangs out and eats at Thanksgiving. Christmas movies start the Friday after Thanksgiving.
8. Stuffing or dressing?
It’s the same thing, right? But…one is inside the bird and one is out?! I definitely don’t like stuffing, but I’ve made sausage dressing a time or two, and I really like it.
9. Turkey trot or Thanksgiving parade?
Thanksgiving parade all the way.
10. Have you ever done Friendsgiving?
Our neighbors hosted a Friendsgiving a few years ago, and it was so nice to get together. That being said, the month of November about takes me out every year with Travis working so much, the kids’ activities and birthday, holiday travel, gift buying and more. So, it’s hard to find the time, at this stage of life, to do some of the extra fun things like Friendsgiving.
Thanksgiving always has been one of my favorite holidays. What’s your favorite part of Thanksgiving?
It finally has been feeling like fall, but the temps are on the rise again this week. I’ve definitely be wearing a mix of clothes lately, and I’m sharing those with you today.
Last Monday, I wore one of my favorite types of outfits: leggings, sneakers and one of my favorite quilted SSYS tops.
On Tuesday, I was feeling fall festive and wore my new jack-o-lantern sweatshirt and black cropped flare jeans with and the mules I bought last fall.
With warmer temps, I wore one of my favorite midi dresses and favorite cardigan on Wednesday.
How cute this this lavendar SSYS poplin top? I bought it this summer. It’s sleeveless, so I paired it with my favorite cardigan (again!) but in black, skinny pants, and the Amazon mules.
I apparently love a popped collar.
I was very casual on Friday with a hooded sweatshirt, jeans, and sneakers.
On Saturday, after my workout, I threw on my Old Navy sweatshirt and a hat to run errands. The temps were warmer, so I threw on my favorite slides. I will wear sandals as long as possible!
I love these new Amazon yoga leggings. Sorry for the awkward side pose, but I was trying to show you the side slit. These leggings are high waisted and so soft. They are not the “suck you in” type of leggings, but the high waist is appreciated, and I did do a low impact workout in them just fine!
On Sunday, I wore one of my favorite Target dresses and boots from last year to church. Obviously, I love a cardigan, so I threw the Amazon one on again. I wore this same outfit yesterday. I usually try to wear my church outfit one day of the week to school. The less decision making the better at 7 am!
After church, I got into comfy clothes ASAP.
On Monday, I wore my favorite pink pullover with my new chinos that I snagged with Old Navy’s recent 50% off sale and the mules. I’ve only had the mules a year, but they are the perfect fall shoe!
So that’s what I’ve been wearing lately. With the up and down temps, I like to mix and match what I wear as much as possible. It will be full on sweater weather soon, I’m sure.
{This post contains Amazon Affiliate links. Thanks for supporting my blog.}
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