Fall Decor ~ September 25, 2023

 Hello Monday!  Hello blog friends!  I am linking up today sharing my fall decor in light of the first day of fall that occurred Saturday, along with a weekend re-cap as well.

Fall at home....

It looks a little hidden in this picture, but I added a thankful sign on my entryway table.

A few fall pillows on the sofa

The vase on the mantle is a new addition this year.

I picked this up at TJ Maxx last week.

Just a simple pumpkin candle on the coffee table, with a few pumpkins in a bowl.

Above my cooktop is a painting my daughter did at a women's paint class she taught a few weeks ago.

Fall colors on the kitchen table

Dining room table

Outdoor table on back porch

In the guest bath, we have fall soap, candle and a little pumpkin.

I bought this pretty hand soap, which smells amazing for my bathroom.

The weekend was pretty laid back, but I was able to get some little things done around the house and relax too, which felt nice. I also did some cooking which, I will share more of later this week.  

Saturday night, my husband and I went to our local AAA baseball game where it was Grizzlies night.  Desmond Bane, one the Memphis Grizzlies starting players, threw out the first pitch and it was fun to be there.  It was a great game and the weather was perfect. I'm so thankful for a nice weekend at home.

Go enjoy fall and cooler weather this Monday!

Friday Favorites ~ September 22, 2023

 Happy Friday folks!  Today is the last day of summer and that is something to smile about. Here are some Friday Favorites from the week.....

Monday, it was so nice to not have to get up early and go to work.  I did a little work at home then went to the office for a few hours to get caught up on some organization.  Not leaving my house at 7am was a favorite!

Tuesday was my husband's birthday, so we both took the day off work and went to a lake, about an hour away.  He has a raft with a motor we attach to it, so we took a ride and then he showed me how to cast a fly fishing rod, something I have always wanted to learn.  This was just practice, so maybe I can actually go and do this one time soon. I think I like this better than regular fishing though!

I put out a little birthday decor.  Funny thing, I have a happy birthday banner on our mantle and as I opened this other banner to hang in the kitchen, I realized it says Happy New Year.  I thought I would hang it anyway as it is a new year for him!

I made a sausage, egg and cheese quiche and served it with sourdough bread and pineapple for breakfast.

It was so peaceful on the lake and we were the only ones there.

Thankful to have spent the day with him and the 26th birthday I have celebrated with him.

Wednesday, I did some work from home and early voted.  Also, a favorite to have a morning at home, run errands, do laundry and vote.

Today I am having lunch with a friend, going to a baseball game this weekend and hoping it is a good one for you!

Weekend Wrap- Up ~ September 18, 2023

Hi guys!  I am back after a whirlwhind last week of non stop things. I was able to catch my breath a little bit over the weekend and here are some highlights...

I was by myself for the weekend, so it was quiet for the most part.  I watched a Hallmark movie Friday night and got caught up on some podcasts.

Saturday morning, I met my sister at her local farmers market then went to her house afterwards.  Her girls and their kids were there, so I got to see my greats, two of which are not pictured below.

I went by to see my parents too after being at my sisters.  Saturday evening, I did more of the same...a Hallmark movie and podcasts.  I thought this was pretty funny as our dog seemed to be interested in this one!

I sat outside for a bit Sunday morning then went to church.  Due to other things, I had not been in about 6 weeks, so it was good to be back.  Sunday afternoon I mowed grass and went grocery shopping.

I made this for dinner Sunday night when my husband returned home.  This is tomato spinach pasta, but I added some cooked shredded chicken to mine.  I made broccolini & served it with sourdough rosemary bread.  The bread came from a sourdough bakery that I have become obssessed with!  The store is about 45 minutes away, so I have only been twice, but I loaded up on lots of goodies when I was there Saturday.

Hope you all have a good Monday and I will be bck later this week with more updates.

Linking up with Holly and Sarah.

 

Grocery Shopping Routine

It is quite interesting to see all the different things/ways we all do our grocery shopping.  Today, I am sharing a little bit of my process, which admittedly does change from time to time!

The 4 places I grocery shop are Kroger, Wal-Mart, Aldi and Trader Joe's.  I honestly probably go to Kroger the most, yet I rarely do Kroger pick-up. I really don't mind grocery shopping and it gets me out of the house.  I may be picking up some more part-time work this fall, so if that happens, I may use the pick-up option more.  Kroger and Wal-Mart are 10 minutes from my house and Aldi and Trader Joe's are 15 minutes, so all are convenient.  I usually only go to Wal-Mart if I need some other random household items as well.

Here is a sampling of some of my standard groceries/pantry items:

Fruits & produce - bananas & at least one other fruit, like grapes, apples, cantelope, or strawberries

avocadoes, onions and peppers, potatoes, carrots, broccoli

Packaged items - canned tomatoes, canned corn/green beans, pumpkin (especially during the fall months!), crackers, unsweetened applesauce, chips, whole wheat pasta, brown rice, cooking spray, cereal, sugar free bread, Coke zero bottles, sugar free/decaf sweet tea, sugar free BBQ sauce, sugar free chocolate sauce, tortillas, hot tea bags, ground coffee, coffee pods, peanut butter

Baking goods - almond flour, sugar/brown sugar substitutes, spices, salts, grapeseed/avocado oil

Refrigerated/frozen items - nonfat greek yogurt, Oikos yogurt cups, nonfat cottage cheese/cream cheese, cool whip, almond milk, 2% milk, low fat cheese sticks, shredded cheeses, mild cheddar cheese block, eggs, deli meat, sometimes hot dogs, frozen strawberries, Carbmaster vanilla ice cream, frozen veggies

Meats - turkey sausage, regular bacon, chicken breasts, rotisserie chicken, 90/10 ground beef, salmon, pork chops, roast

Speaking of roast, if you don't have time for a slow cooker or oven roast, this is a delicious option.  This is sometimes cheaper than buying a full roast and is the perfect amount for 2-3 people.  It is also so, so easy.  Just pair it with your favorite sides.

*I don't always have all the meats on hand at the same time, but I do rotate between these.

I don't have standing food items I get at Trader Joe's, but they certainly have fun seasonal items and easy packaged meals, so I always find something when I am there!  I do like buying some of their misc. items, like their hand sanitizing spray, candles and hand soap.  That being said, I went to Trader Joe's yesterday and I didn't buy any of those things!  Their fall items come today in store, so I will go back at a later time for some of those goodies.  Here is what I bought yesterday:

I bought salmon, milk, chocolate chip cookies, corn, orange chicken, some veggies and arepas.  We actually have been making arepas every week homemade at home lately, but I was trying to think of quick easy foods when Brook is back at school.

I also bought more bananas, flour, dog treats and then some chocolate and chips to have for our road trip.

Here is a picture of some items I purchased recently at Aldi:

The sweet potato chips were so good!  This doesn't show the refrigerated items, but I did pick up a face roller and this candle below.  It is a pumpkin scent and has a wood wick!  I have this on my desk at work.

While on the subject of food, I made this banana bread last week.  We rarely have ripe bananas, but I had brought home a lot from the 5K the weekend before and made the recipe that Andrea mentioned on her blog.  

I have made lots of other breads before, but honestly, I think this was the first time I had made banana bread and it turned out pretty good. 

Now to get motivated on what to cook!

After an unusual week of me posting 4 days in a row, I will be off until mid-next week. Hope you all enjoy the weekend & thanks for reading!

Currently ~ September 2023

 Happy Wednesday!  I am linking with my friend, Jennifer, today for the Currently series.  We are highlighting what we are loving, seeing, dreaming, eating and using to decorate

Loving

I am loving the last few days with my youngest before she returns to college this weekend.  These past 3 months with her were pure joy.  I tried to get a hug in most every day.  I will sure miss those.  I am loving that after today, the weather looks to be in the 80's going forward.  

Seeing

I enjoy seeing the sky, but it has been especially beautiful these past few weeks.  

Last week, we went on a hike and I was struck by the markings along the trail on the trees which reminded us we were on the right track.  I began to think about how I am asking the Lord to remind me that I am on the right track.  Sometimes, life gets messy and I am asking for gentle reminders that I am on the right track or wisdom to know to take another direction.

Dreaming

I am dreaming about how the 2nd half of life will look.  Being over 50, I am dreaming that there will be times of fun, family, forgiveness and flourishing.  

Eating

This was dinner last Saturday night.  I cooked salmon, served over a brown rice/quinoa mix, sauteed squash and zuchinni.

Other food we have or will eat this week includes lasagna, crawfish & chicken nuggets with broccoli and shrimp with rice and veggies.

Using to decorate

I was going to wait another week, but admittedly, most of my fall decor is out.  While there are small touches, I feel like I am more comfortable with my decor each year as it looks like the season, but not too much.  I am using mostly pumpkins to decorate for fall. I will post later with my fall decor, but here is one picture until then.

I love these short weeks, especially when there is another trip out of town.  I am always thankful for the time to get away.  One more thing I am currently loving!

Labor Day Weekend

 Good morning!  I am back today with a quick recap of the weekend.  

I was able to have Friday morning at home and honestly was mostly lazy, which felt great.  Mid-day, Brook and I ran a few errands, including a trip to Target for some college essentials. 

Her housing was changed 2 weeks ago, so we are shifting on what she needs.  She was originally scheduled to live in a new high rise dorm building, but all students assigned to that building were advised that the new dorm would not be ready for move in this weekend.  It actually went to our favor though, because all of those students are now going to live in an apartment building, although it isn't owned by the university.  She will live with the same roommate as last year, but will now have her own room, own bedroom, a full kitchen and a washer and dryer in the apartment!  The full kitchen requires us to purchase some basic kitchen supplies and I think this living situation helps her create a feeling of home vs. a dorm room.

We live in the Memphis area and our area code is 901.  September 1st is known as 901 Day and there are lots of events around town commemerating this.  There was a community mural painting and we stopped by to contribute.  

After spending a little bit of time there, we had a late lunch/early dinner with my sister at one our favorite restaurants so that she could see Brook before she returns to college.  At the parking garage, they have this fun photo opportunity! The 3 Kings of Memphis, if you're wondering, are Elvis (of course :)), Jerry Lawler (a wrestler) and B.B. King (famous blues musician).  

Saturday morning, I spent time outside sweeping the back porch, cleaning up a little and dragging so many limbs to the curb.  Thankfully, weather has been in the 80's the past few days, so while it felt warm after working outside for a little bit, it was totally bearable.  

I spent the afternoon inside doing a few things, including beginning to pull out some fall decor!  My husband and I went out to the gun range and then watched tv.  This is something he enjoys and I enjoy going from time to time with him.  

Sunday was low key, except for dinner with my parents so they could see Brook before she leaves.  She is staying busy this week seeing all the people!

Monday afternoon, we went to a town's festival/winery, about 45 minutes from here.  They had live music and it was good for people watching. I loved looking at all the grapes in the vineyard.

Now back to work today and to be off on my days for another week, but that's okay by me.

Have a good Tuesday!

Linking up with Holly

Prime Purchases ~ August 2023

 

Happy first week of September and Labor Day!  I am linking up wtih Tanya today for Prime Purchases. 

Tumeric supplement

I have heard about taking tumeric for different benefits and have ordered this from Amazon. It will be delivered this week, so I am curious to know if I feel any benefits from it.  Have any of you taken tumeric before?

e.l.f. Cleansing Balm

This is my go to cleansing balm these days to wash my face at night.  I have used Colleen Rothschild, Clinique and Neutrogena cleansing balms as well in the past, but this brand works just as well for me and is at a great price point.

Silverware and tray

My oldest moved into a house with new roommatesand they had no silverware, so I ordered this for her house.  It was nice that it came with a utensil organizer as well.

Open Your Bible Bible Study book

A new friend and I are co-leading a bible study one night a week and are using this book, Open Your Bible.  The authors are the women who are behind She Reads Truth, a community of people who have different reading plans to encourage people to read their bibles.

Rechargable lighter

I have one of these and it is one of my favorite Amazon purchases!  I just ordered one for my mom to make lighting candles easier for her.  I probably need to order a 2nd one for me too! I totally recommend this if you don't have one already.

These are some Target purchases, but these can be found on Amazon and other stores as well.

Hask Dry Shampoo

This is my tried and true go-to dry shampoo.  I keep it in stock and give it to my girls as well.  I know there have been many a blog posts on dry shampoos, but this one is my favorite and I recommend it!

Viactiv Calcium Supplement

This was recommended by Tanya this summer and I ordered it and take them daily.  Being in my 50's, calcium and bone strenthening is more important these days.

I hope you all enjoy some rest and fun on this holiday and can we all cheer to hopefully some cooler weather coming everyone's way?

Happy Day!