I can’t believe my November gratitude challenge is almost over. I only have a few days left.
Picking up where I left off…
Day 27: holiday traditions you are grateful for…I’m grateful for many traditions. Of course, Thanksgiving and Christmas typically have quite a few traditions. For us, Thanksgiving looks different year to year. Some years, we stay home (but have to travel to E-town or Louisville for Thanksgiving), and other years we are in KC.
On Thanksgiving, a tradition I have no matter where I am is to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade.
As for Christmas, we always bake cookies at some point during the holiday season. We also go to the Horse Park to drive through their lights display.
One of my favorite traditions is letting the kids pick out a gift for each other to open, usually on Christmas Eve if we are home. It’s always fun seeing what they pick out for each other.
Day 28: something that made you smile today…
Thanksgiving always makes me smile. It’s my favorite holiday…great food, time with family, and no stress of buying gifts!
Gobble til you wobble! If you need a way to use up your leftover turkey, this recipe is a day after Thanksgiving tradition in our family.
If you need me, I will be sipping my coffee and watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade this morning.
I forgot to finish up this post last night, so it’s coming to you a bit late!
Well, unfortunately, another month with minimal reading.
{As always, book summaries are from Goodreads…}
The House in the Pines:
Summary:
Maya was a high school senior when her best friend, Aubrey, mysteriously dropped dead in front of the enigmatic man named Frank whom they’d been spending time with all summer.
Seven years later, Maya lives in Boston with a loving boyfriend and is kicking the secret addiction that has allowed her to cope with what happened years ago, the gaps in her memories, and the lost time that she can’t account for. But her past comes rushing back when she comes across a recent YouTube video in which a young woman suddenly keels over and dies in a diner while sitting across from none other than Frank. Plunged into the trauma that has defined her life, Maya heads to her Berkshires hometown to relive that fateful summer–the influence Frank once had on her and the obsessive jealousy that nearly destroyed her friendship with Aubrey.
At her mother’s house, she excavates fragments of her past and notices hidden messages in her deceased Guatemalan father’s book that didn’t stand out to her earlier. To save herself, she must understand a story written before she was born, but time keeps running out, and soon, all roads are leading back to Frank’s cabin….
Quick Thoughts:
I haven’t read a book by this author, and I thought the book was ok. I liked the sense of mystery, but I had a hard time making connections with Maya’s past and how the story ended. I liked the flashback elements, but that took me a bit to get in a rhythm of reading. So, while I wasn’t disappointed, I was kind of surprised that this was a Reese’s book club book.
Rating:
‘Tis the Season for Holiday Reading:
I hope December is a better reading month for me. I shared this photo last year, and I just love it:
I love reading in December and the past few years I’ve read winter/Christmas themed books. I hope to do the same this year and can’t wait for some downtime over Christmas break to read hopefully more than one book! I’ve already added a couple Christmas books to my Kindle.
My favorite series is the Elin Hilderbrand’s Winter Street series…
Sunday seems like the perfect day for gratitude and today I’m talking about my proudest moment.
What I’m finding with this challenge is it is kind of difficult/awkward to write about myself. haha
As for myself, I guess one of my proudest moments was finishing my second Master’s degree while having two young kids. I earned my “rank 1” in about a year and a half while the kids were two/three year old. The grant that my school was taking part in offered a reading specialist degree for me as I was our school’s literacy coach. Anyway, I had a short timeline which meant lots of late nights, but I got it done! I’m so thankful for that degree as it was completely paid for and it’s opened a few doors for me.
I’m not a big risk taker, but I was really comfortable at my previous school, and I had so many great friends there. When the kids were in kindergarten, I realized that it wasn’t convenient for our family for me to have a 30 minute commute, and I wanted to be on the same calendar schedule as the kids. I’m really happy with my choice, but it was a difficult one to do at the time.
I’m always proud of Travis and what a hard worker he is and all he does for my family. There’s not a single person who could say anything but great things about Trav. It’s the running joke between us that he’s the “perfect” one. He just earned a much deserved new job title, and it’s another great accomplishment for him.
Of course, my kids make me proud, but parenting is hard, y’all. They make mistakes and aren’t perfect, but they make me proud in small and big ways. Seeing them set goals and achieve them, taking the high road when it would be easy to take the low road, working through personal struggles, and more. They are figuring out who they are, and sometimes that’s easy and sometimes that’s hard for me as a mom. Also, they’ve done a really good job making the transition to high school. Again, it hasn’t been perfect, but freshman year is about figuring out how to navigate classes while preparing for their future.
I know it’s a surprise to hear from me on the weekend, but…I was scrolling Instagram yesterday and stumbled upon @mirabellecreationsand this graphic for a November Gratitude Challenge.
I always encourage the kids to be grateful and to even look at the little things for gratitude as well. Anyway, I’m going to try to blog every day in November and kind of use my blog as a journal, of sorts, for November.
I’ve already missed the first day, so today, I’m reflecting on days 1 and 2.
November 1st:
3 things you are grateful for today (Friday):
I was grateful for extra time with Hadley yesterday morning. The kids actually don’t ride to school with me most days. We car pool with another family, so that gives the kids 20-30 more minutes at home in the morning because I have to be at school earlier. Anyway, yesterday, Hayden was with Travis since he had an early morning PT appointment. Hadley needed a ride since the other family couldn’t take that morning, so I bribed her with Starbucks to get out of bed. We left right on time, and I was grateful for the car ride buddy that morning as well as the extra cup of coffee.
Once I got to school, I was grateful that my co-teacher was back. She’d been out on Wednesday and Thursday, so I was happy to have her back to co-teach for two classes.
On Friday, our admin grilled hot dogs and provided that for our lunch along with a bag of chips. The gesture was nice, and it was so nice not to pack my lunch on a Friday!
November 2nd:
Three Things you love about your favorite place:
Well, I could say that my favorite place is home…and that I love my favorite bed pillow, Homer, and reading on the couch.
Or…I could say my favorite place is KC, and I’d say three things I love are my family, the Plaza lights, and Topsy’s popcorn (and cherry limeade)…)and the Chiefs and Royals…)
Or I could say that I love Keeneland, and three things I love are the excitement of the races, a good bloody Mary, and dressing up for the Clubhouse.
That being said, I’d say my favorite place is the beach because that means it’s time to spend time with family and friends while getting in some relaxation. I have lots of favorite beach cities/towns…like Delmar, California; Charleston, SC; Siesta Key, Florida; and Seaside, Florida.
So, three things I love about the beach are:
Sunshine
My toes in the sand
Sunsets
This was a fun little bonus post. My hope is to be able to write my “gratitude” post every day. That means some days, I will have two posts. For example, on Monday, I will share my Amazon purchases this month, and then write a second post answering the gratitude prompt. I’m sure there will also be days, where, like today, I double up and share couple of days in one post.
Anyway, I hope your weekend is off to a great start!
Feel free to join me, and share what you are grateful for today!
Besides October, November is another favorite month of mine. The weather finally gets cooler, it’s the kids’ birthday month, and Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays!
How was your week? Ours was pretty good. We didn’t have a ton going on in the evenings which was nice. I feel like it made the week feeling longer…in a good way.
As always, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.
Here are some favorites from the week:
Last Saturday, Hayden ran in the regional cross country race. This the last stop before the state meet.
It’s been a long but good season for him. He’s had some frustrating races and ones that he’s really proud of his progress. I do think it’s been a huge adjustment for him running varsity, and he’s close to logging 1,000 miles this year.
He’s been going to PT a few days a week for his hip, so I’m hoping that’s feeling better for him for the state meet.
We’re always proud of his effort and dedication. At the regional race, there are only seven runners per team, so it was nice that the course wasn’t so crowded. His team placed 3rd in the region, so that’s quite the accomplishment as well.
You know we lost the one tree in our yard, but the other one is still so pretty. I snapped this pic of the kids after church on Sunday, and I love it.
Guess what….as of yesterday, all of those leaves are on the ground.
On Sunday, I bought some new mums. My other ones didn’t last very long, and these two color ones from Kroger were a good price and so pretty.
I put my spider webs out and put my little skeletons in the mums. Festive and cute!
When my mom was in town, she helped the kids put together this “spooky” house that my Gma sent with her. I put two flameless tea lights under it, and it’s so cute lit up.
Sunday night, Hadley went to her Young Life group, and they painted this cute pumpkin.
On Monday, Hadley and friends helped at their former elementary school’s trunk or treat. They said they saw some of their former teachers and other friends they knew. Hadley was a Dalmation (she was hot, so not all the way zipped up at this moment) to her friend’s fireman. Hayden went too, but he couldn’t go until later.
Wednesday night, my heart was so happy. We had mummy dogs and macaroni and cheese brains before…
…carving pumpkins.
Hadley’s Chick-fil-A idea turned out so cute, and Hayden carved a skeleton (with a little help from Travis and me!)
Fave Outfit:
I snagged the “Lucy” scalloped pullover from SSYS, and I got so many compliments when I wore it this week. Some colors and sizes are sold out, but there are still a few color/size combos left.
Fave Meme:
‘Tis the season for all the things!
Favorite Mom Meme:
Relatable!
Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday
This time of the year, I always reminiscence about all the fun (and cute!) costumes the kids wore though the years…
What are your weekend plans? I’m grateful for a pretty slow weekend…and I’m one of the ones who loves to “fall back.” I know it’s crazy, but I like when it gets darker earlier and lighter out when we wake up.
It’s officially the last day of October (and the last Thursday of the month), so I’m linking up with Holly and Patty for Monthly Musings.
This month’s topic is…Halloween and Fall Fun.
Let’s get to it….
1. What do you usually do for Halloween?
Well, times have changed. For years, I hosted two of my friends’ families for trick-or-treating and chili for dinner. My brother and his fam would join as well. Then, once the middle school years hit, the kids went off on their own around the neighborhood. This year, Hadley is going to a friend’s house for a get together, and Hayden and Travis will help me pass out candy.
This Halloween post from a couple of years ago was a fun little stroll down memory lane.
Halloween is usually a time when I’m pretty reminiscent about the younger years, but thankfully we get lots of trick-or-treaters, so at least I get to see little ones in their costumes.
2. Favorite fall traditions?
I love when we go to the pumpkin patch. We get apple cider donuts and pick out our pumpkins to carve. This year, we never made it to the pumpkin patch, and I was pretty bummed.
Besides that, I love when we can go to Keeneland in the fall. Travis and I were able to go last week on a really pretty afternoon.
Also, it’s fun when we can go to a Kentucky football game, but the kids end up going to those more than we do now.
Another favorite tradition is carving pumpkins. I wasn’t sure if it was going to happen, but we did that last night.
Chick-fil-A and a skeleton!
3. Milky Way or Snickers? Starburst or Skittles?
I definitely prefer Snickers to a Milky Way. I like Starbursts and Skittles equally.
4. Trick or treat or host a party?
How about sit on my front porch and pass out candy? Like I said above, I miss the trick-or-treat days…and hosting friends for a casual evening.
5. Hand out candy or go out with trick or treaters?
These days, I’m on my front porch handing out candy.
6. Do you trick or treat on Halloween or is there another day?
We trick-or-treat on Halloween. A few years, they’ve moved the day because of rain. My kids would usually get a couple or wears out of costumes with trick-or-treating at church, class parties, and then on Halloween.
On Monday, my kids helped at the trunk or treat at their former elementary school which was sweet of them to do.
7. Do you decorate for Halloween?
When I decorate, it’s usually for fall since those decorations can stay up for a couple of months.
I do put out a couple of cute Halloween things like this black cat that I’ve had for years.
8. What do you do with leftover Halloween candy?
If we have any leftover candy, I take it to school to give to my students as a reward. When the kids were little, they’d get so much candy…and I’d sneak some to take to school.
9. What are your trick or treat hours?
I think our trick-or-treat hours are from 6-8.
10. What do you have for dinner on Halloween?
For years, I would make “bloody finger” hotdogs and “brains” (mac and cheese), and “eyeballs” (grapes) on the night we carved pumpkins a few days before Halloween.
Then, a couple of years ago, I started making “mummy dogs” along with the other items. Last night, we had that for dinner before the kids carved their pumpkins.
I love these seasonal posts. It’s fun to look back on our traditions and special activities we do during the season.
What are your Halloween plans this year? Of course, we’ve been in a drought and there’s a chance of rain tonight! I hope it holds off for the little (and big! ) trick-or-treaters.
Say a prayer for me today…there’s nothing “scarier” than trying to teach high schoolers on Halloween. haha
Wow! I feel like this week crept by. On Tuesday, I said, “How is it only Tuesday?”…and then I said the same thing on Wednesday!
Anyway, as always, I’m linking up with Erika and Andrea for this week’s Friday Favorites.
Here are some favorites from the week:
Since last Friday, I recapped our fall break Florida trip, I have few pictures of favorites from last week as well as from this week too.
Hadley’s volleyball season wrapped up last week. They had such a great season and finished third in the city tournament. Then, they had one more home game and won it to cap off the season.
It’s hard to believe her first high school season is over, but it was a good one. She also had a lot of amazing older varsity players to look up to, and senior night was fun to watch.
Trav’s brother came and snapped a few pics, and I love the action shots.
She has a little break before club season starts.
The cross country season is still going on. Right now, just the runners who are running at the region and state meet these next two weekends have been practicing, but last Thursday, the whole team met up to run through a neighborhood and look at the Halloween decorations and lights.
I’d say that’s a fun way to do a workout!
Friday night, we went to our school’s soccer game. It was a beautiful night, and they won the region game.
Saturday night, the kids went to “Fright Night” and had a great time. Hayden was there too…but he does a great job dodging photos. haha
On Sunday, Hadley was all dressed up…
…to celebrate her friend’s birthday. This is such a sweet group of girls.
Our front yard tree’s leaves finally changed colors.
She’s a beaut but missing her friend…
I was very happy about some chocolate cake on Monday!
Travis and I were able to spend some time at Keeneland this week was nice! The fall meet ends tomorrow, so I was glad to go there for a bit before the season ends.
The second horse is by one of his farm’s stallions…and she tied for second in this race.
Favorite Mom Meme:
This couldn’t be more true…
Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:
Whenever I think of Keeneland, I think of this sweet memory…The kids were cheering for a horse, and I guess the horse lost…by a nose!
Weekly Recap:
Here are my posts from the week in case you missed one:
I’m always interested in all the Enneagram stuff, and follow @mirabellecreations who always posts fun graphics on Instagram.
‘Tis the Halloween season and all things scary. I stumbled upon “What Scares” for different Enneagram types, and I’m taking a deep dive into my 5w6 self for…
What Scares Type 5s:
Being helpless or incapable:This for sure applies to meas I prefer not to ask for help and like to be prepared.
Someone who asks too many questions:I hate nothing more than being peppered with questions. A conversation is one thing, but when I feel like I’m constantly answering questions, and I feel like the person has an ‘angle,” I definitely disengage.
Being overwhelmed by their own needs and needs of others:In this busy season of life, I do feel overwhelmed by my own needs more than my family’s needs. Sometimes I just have “decision fatigue” and will feel overwhelmed.
A huge party:I much prefer a small gathering with people I know.Small talk at a huge gathering is definitely not my favorite thing.
Being pressured or obligated:I definitely don’t want to feel pressured or obligated to do anything.Well, who does?
Not having the right answer in every situation:It must be the teacher in me, but I like being prepared.
Their private info being shared publicly:Well, this is ironic considering I have a blog, but of course I choose what I share and when.
What Scares Type 6s:
Everything going wrong:I like to have a plan, and I like for that plan to go accordingly. haha
Danger ahead signs:What’s around the corner? What’s the danger? Of course I want to know and be prepared.
People who are not dependable: Oh…that’s a big pet peeve of mine.
An unpredictable or unsafe environment:I definitely like to know what’s going on…and don’t like surprises.
Being accused of just being a “scaredy-cat”: I think I do a good job of keeping my worries on the inside. haha
Being called negative or pessimistic:I’m a realist!
Not having an escape route:I definitely like to know where the exits are!
Movie Quotes:
I thought these movie quotes were fun for each type:
…and this one:
Anyway, just a fun look at what scares certain types of people!
This month’s topic is let’s look at..how we prep for the holiday season.
Oh…well…even when I try to prep, I don’t feel very prepared when the season comes. That being said, here are a few things I try to do.
1. Notes/Lists
I keep a note on my phone with gift ideas as I think of them throughout the year.
I also make notes of recipes for the season and activities or traditions that I want to make sure that we do.
2. Amazon list
The past couple of years, I’ve made an Amazon list that I share with my mom, sister-in-law and grandma with gift ideas for the kids and me. That way, once the items are purchased, they are taken off the list. This has been a nice way to stay organized and share ideas.
3. Decorate when you can
In 2020, on Election Day, I put up my two skinny Christmas trees. One was in the living room and the other in the sun room. My kids rolled their eyes and even ask “Why are you already putting up Christmas decor?,” but the truth is that’s a day I have time to do so….so I do.
And, thanks to this blog, when I put out the rest of the decorations, I can look back on where I put my seasonal decor, so that saves time and energy.
4. Plan ahead
Once November hits, I always find time and pencil in some of our traditions like going to the horse park lights and baking cookies. I also always write down parties and plan accordingly. That has worked well to make sure we get some family time in or know when I might have time to wrap presents.
5. Stay Organized
Like I said, I have lists for gifts, meals, and activities. I have a note on my phone of things I need to buy for the next year. For example, if I’m running low on wrapping paper, I make note of that to purchase for the next year.
Also, I get rid of seasonal items if I don’t use them to help keep some of the holiday bins organized.
I’d love to hear how you prep for the holidays; give me all the tips!
How is it already the end of September? I feel like once we get through August and we are in a back to school routine, the school year really starts to fly by!
I’m linking up with Holly and Patty for this month’s Monthly Musings.
This month’s topic is…Back to School Routines, Recipes and Fall Fashion.
1. What are your best tips for getting into a fall/back to school routine?
Well, I don’t know that I’m the best one to answer this question….we kind of just “rip the Band Aid off” and go for it.
That being said, I do try to buy school supplies in late July and do other school errands a couple of weeks before we go back to school, so we aren’t scrambling once summer is over.
2. Please share your favorite fall recipes.
One of my favorite fall recipes is Pumpkin Penne Sausage Pasta, which I’ve been making for years. I found the recipe on the side of a box of Kroger pasta.
I’m no fashionista, but I always answer this question with the fact that I love adding cardigans to dresses in the fall. I have my favorite cardigan in three colors!
4. Favorite part of back to school this year?
This year, my favorite part has been seeing my kids and my kids’ friends in the hallway. It’s still a surprise for me to turn the corner and see a familiar face. The highlight of my day is when the kids (and their friends) come to my classroom when school is out.
5. Do you celebrate Homecoming where you are?
We do celebrate Homecoming, and our school dance was last weekend. Hadley went and had a great time with her friends.
6. Apple pie or apple cider?
Both!
It’s pretty rare that I have apple pie though…
I did grab these apple blossoms and Trader Joe’s, and they are great with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top!
I always get hot apple cider when we visit our favorite pumpkin patch!
7. Do the leaves change colors where you live? If so, when?
They do…and it depends on the temps, but I feel like the leaves peak around the middle of October, and then we have leaves on the ground by Halloween. Our front yard trees are stunning, but they don’t last long enough!
8. Favorite fall sweet treat? Do you have an recipes to share?
Apple cider donuts are my guilty pleasure in the fall! Hadley does’t like apple cider donuts…which is about the only time I wonder “how can she be my daughter?” haha
I made this cake for the first time last year, and I made it again last weekend.
10. Movies that give you the back to school feels?
I’m not sure why, but Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and Back to the Future were the first two to pop in my mind. I guess because Ferris skips school and Marty is in high school.
I loved writing this post as fall is certainly my favorite time of the year. I can’t wait for October!
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