Monthly Musings ~ October 2020

 Hi guys.  Today I am linking up today with Patty & Holly for Monthly Musings....

1.  Favorite Thanksgiving traditions? My favorite Thanksgiving traditions include eating good food and always watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.  That has been a staple since my childhood and I still enjoy it.  It is fun to see the Broadway performances, marching bands, new floats and I always stop to watch the Rockettes performance and of course, see Santa!

2.  Favorite Thanksgiving dish?  I do love a good turkey because I really don't eat turkey too much at other times of the year.  For side dishes, homemade mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese are classic favorites.  

3.  Football game?  I really don't watch football on TV, but I think it is a good background for the holiday :).

4.  Talking Turkey?   Speaking of turkey, I am a white meat kind of girl.

5.  Stuffing or dressing?  I call it dressing and I do like a good homemade dressing too!

6.  Thankful for? I am thankful for good health, time at home and my family.

7.  Thanksgiving pie? I am not a big fan of the traditional pies, so I would choose a cheesecake or just a good ol' chocolate dessert of some sort.

8.  Christmas tree?  The past few years, we have traveled at Thanksgiving.  Therefore, I like to decorate before Christmas so that when we get home, the house is decorated.  This year, I will wait until after my birthday and then will decorate.  Last year, we spent the holiday just the 4 of us at a cabin in Helen, Georgia.

9.  Black Friday?  I have been a Black Friday shopper for years.  I have been known to go out in the dark  to wait in line for a few stores.  However, I have never been one to really fight the crowds either.  I always got a good pair of shoes and usually went grocery shopping that morning because the store was never crowded!  These days, I am an online Black Friday shopper.  Here is a picture of my oldest daughter and I standing in a Target parking lot at midnight about 8 years ago now,

10.  Formal or casual?  We always sit at a table for our Thanksgiving meal, however, it is a very casual atmosphere, so it is a good mix.  

This is such a fun post as we quickly approach this fun Thanksgiving season!

What's Up Wednesday ~ October 2020

October came and went in a flash.  I have no doubt November and December will go by even faster.  Today is the monthly edition of What's Up Wednesday!

What we're eating this week..........

I am not on my game with meal planning this week as seen in the evidence below!

Monday - hamburger and fries

Tuesday - pot roast with vegetables

Wednesday - leftover pot roast!

Thursday - ?

Friday - ?

What I'm reminiscing about............

What I'm loving...........

I am loving the weather and feeling cool again!  It is so fun to wear boots and jackets!

What we've been up to.........

We have been celebrating birthdays and babies! My great nephew turned 4!

I will have a new great niece soon so we went to a baby shower for my niece.

What I'm dreading............

Not sure at the moment

What I'm working on..........

I am working on learning Quickbooks.  I am self-teaching myself with the help of videos online.

What I'm excited about............

I'm excited to keep meeting with some people I haven't seen in a while and to get a few things done around home.

What I'm watching/reading............

I am watching lots of things.....morning talk shows, The Voice, The Bachelorette, and of course, Hallmark Christmas movies!

I am reading the devotion 100 Days to Brave and On The Bright Side.  I am really trying to cultivate a habit of reading, so I am starting with some stuff I really enjoy and something lighthearted.

What I'm listening to.............

I am listening to Podcast more and more these days.  It seems it takes me almost a week to get through them all.  I am still faithful to Office Ladies & The Big Boo.  I listened to Something to Celebrate, as recommended by Tanya.  A few of my other regulars are Rhythms for Life, The Open Door Sisterhood, Daily Grace, Proverbs 31 and Focus on the Family Marriage Podcast

What I'm wearing............

I am wearing jeans and long sleeve shirts or sweaters so far most days.  I do enjoy a day at home at least once a week and opt for some comfortable jogger pants those days :)

What I'm doing this weekend..........

I am sure we will work on some house projects then will go to a friends house for Halloween festivities.

What I'm looking forward to next month..........

November is my favorite month of the year.  I really feel like this month truly ushers in the holiday season.  Things get more festive with decorations, music and movies.  There are lots of sales.  There are lots of good recipes and food to eat.  The weather has cooled off in most places by now.  People reflect on being thankful for things we often overlook throughout the year.  And, it is my birthday and this year is one of the milestones.

What else is new..............

We got new carpet in our bedroom last week and it has been so nice!  We have needed this for a while and the timing was right after most of the work has been done in our master bath remodel.  It is a light gray color.

Before

After

Before

After

We also got a new ceiling fan.  We rearranged our furniture, so it feels like a new room.  We have some new nightstands coming and I'll take some pictures once we get it all organized, hopefully by next week!

Have a great day!

 

Weekend Wrap-Up ~ October 26, 2020

 Happy Monday to you!   Somehow, last week ended up being busy and went by fast, so blogging took a backseat.  But, there are lots of little updates to share this week.  The weekend was pretty much low key for us.

Friday night, we stayed in and I was pretty tired after a doctor's appointment and a busy week.

Saturday, my husband did some work around our house and I worked on the computer self-teaching myself quick books.  My husband finished some flooring in our hallway.  We had a strip that had been missing, so it so nice to have it finished now!  

Saturday night, I cooked some BBQ chicken, roasted veggies and homemade mashed potatoes.  It was a good meal and we watched the movie from 1980, "9 To 5"!  It was funny, but probably would be rated PG-13 if made today.  My husband also made our first fire of the season in our wood burning fireplace & I lit some candles, so it was cozy.  Afterwards, I watched the first Hallmark Christmas movie of the season.

Sunday, we went to church then went to a baby shower for my niece.  I will have a new great-niece in December!

This week, I will be back on Wednesday for What's Up Wednesday.  I am taking a road trip today, so more on that later.  Enjoy your day!

Weekend Wrap Up ~ Brook's Birthday October 19, 2020

It was a relaxed weekend and we celebrated my daughter's sweet 16th birthday.  It was a low-key day too, filled with church, lunch out, an afternoon at home and a dinner with friends. 

The birthday fairies decorated so she would have festive decorations the morning of her birthday.

She opened some gifts with such joy!

A random tradition I started years ago with my girls is to put streamers on their bedroom door on their birthday.  This year, I had this streamer set that came with some decorations I ordered.

I am so thankful to be this girls' momma.

It seems like yesterday she was this little....this is from her 4th birthday party and one of my favorite pictures.

Hope it is a great start to the week for everyone!

 

Friday Favorites ~ Weekly Catch Up October 16, 2020

 Happy Friday!  I have taken the week off from blogging due to a road trip and fall break for us until today.  Here are some favorites from our week.

ONE

I was in need of some new pajama pants so while at Wal-Mart last week, I found these Pajama Pants,  They are soft, wash well and have a cuffed hem, which is great for people like me who are not tall.

TWO

We had a great long weekend away visiting our college girl.  

This is a random picture, but one of lots of sweet college people....plus my husband and daughter.

We headed to a cabin and my in-laws met us there too.

Reunited after 2 months!

We had an early celebration for our youngest daughter's birthday this weekend.

This was the view from the back of our cabin.

We enjoyed the view of the lake and sat outside one evening.

My girls!

THREE

We took a stop on our way home to visit this state park I visited as a child.  It is beautiful and was nice to see some fall foliage along the way. 

FOUR

I spent a day this week doing some birthday shopping with my girl who has a birthday this weekend!

FIVE

Ending with a re-post that I saw which made me laugh!

Have a great weekend!

Friday Favorites ~ October 9, 2020

 Welcome to Friday and a fall weekend ahead!  I am linking up today with Friday Favorites.

ONE

I added a few more pumpkin touches to my house with this pumpkin in my entryway and changed out the wreath on our front door.

TWO

I was so excited to have not only some cool mornings, but a few cool days where I wore my favorite boots!  This always makes me happy.  

THREE

I shared some recipes I have tried lately on my Currently post this week.  I also tried this one on Tuesday.  This is Shay's Bacon & Pumpkin Pasta.  It turned out so good and I made some grilled chicken we served with it.

FOUR

I have started watching Chesapeake Shores series on Hallmark and have really enjoyed.  They are showing the episodes now for a limited time.  It's been fun to find a new show to enjoy!

I hope it is a great weekend for y'all. Thanks for reading.