What's Up Wednesday ~ September 2019 Edition

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

Monday - grilled chicken, veggies, sourdough bread

Tuesday - late lunch for Brook and I so hot dogs for Avery :)

Wednesday - church

Thursday - tacos

Friday- out!

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

Our college girl came home Labor Day weekend.  It was so good to see her again and we went to a football game.

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

Y'all, I am loving watching the A Very Brady Renovation show on HGTV.  I loved this show as a child and my girls loved watching it too.  I even said last week I am so glad I am alive to watch this happen!  Two years ago when we went to Los Angeles, we drove by the house and took a photo, which was before they put the house up for sale.  

And, you may know I am a fan of Pioneer Woman, especially after visiting her ranch in March. So this picture of two of my favorite things really made me smile. She will be cooking in the Brady kitchen on this weeks episode of Pioneer Woman!!

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

It's been a busy month with little things, but one of the fun things was spending time with my greats on a Saturday morning. We shopped and went to Chick-Fil-A.

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

I am totally dreading more heat.  Come on fall weather!!!

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

I am planning a few fall quick weekend trips and thinking about travel next year.

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

Seeing our college girl (pictured here with her sweet roommate) this weekend! I am also looking forward to a day off work and eating out that comes with the weekend away :). 

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

Like I mentioned earlier, I am loving the Brady Renovation show and am also excited for the new season of the Voice with Gwen Stefani.  And I'm hoping the Yankees do well in post season baseball!

What I'm reading is our new devotion book, New Morning Mercies by Paul David Tripp.  The cool thing about this is that all 4 of us got this before Isabella went to college.  We facetime every other week (the goal was once a week, but every other week is how it is working out for us) to talk as a family about what we have read since we are all reading the same devotion book.

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

Currently, a Huey Lewis playlist on Spotify!  I am a huge Huey fan and am grateful to have met him twice :).

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

I am a jeans and a short sleeve shirt girl, often found with a cardigan for cooler temperatures inside.  But I am hoping this time next month I can respond with boots and long sleeve shirts!!!

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

We are taking a road trip to go see our college girl!

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

Have I mentioned cooler temperatures yet??  I know everyone south of Minnesota is in agreement! 

I mean, next month is October which begins the true holiday season trilogy.  In October, we celebrate my youngest daughters birthday and I still love watching the excitement leading up to the birthday.

Pumpkins, pumpkin food, cooler weather, birthdays...I mean so many little things that make life happier  :).

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

Typically in the last few years, I put out fall decorations on September 1st.  Due to the heat in September, I just couldn't bring myself to put out fall decorations that early.  Now that the official start of fall is here, I have decorated the house.  I keep these decorations out for almost 2 months until Christmas, so I am thankful I didn't put them out any earlier than I did this year.  Here are a few pictures, or okay, my home fall tour.:

Like the rest of the south, I am waiting on fall temperatures before I put out any mums. I did get this new wreath for our door.

Dining room table

We still have a Happy Birthday banner up in honor of Avery's birthday last week.  We have family birthdays the next 2 months, so we just may keep it up until mid-November. I did get some new pillow covers and covered up some old pillows.  I really like these pumpkins.

Here you can see another pillow cover that came in the same set. 

Happy Fall! We finally made it! Go enjoy your day!

Thanks for recapping the month with me and have a great day!

Prime Purchases ~ August2019

Hi.  Today I am linking up with Prime Purchases.  Some of my purchases this past month were some not so glamorous, but necessary things for a college dorm.  Below are some other items to share that I have enjoyed using.

Makeup Remover Reusable Microfiber Cloths

These makeup remover cloths are so soft and are great to use in the evening.  The package I received had 6 cloths, so I shared some with my girls.

Hask Dry Shampoo

I use dry shampoo sometimes a little more than I should :), so I am happy to have found a quality dry shampoo that doesn't break the bank.  This is also sold at Target and WalMart.  

Revlon Hair Dryer and Volumnizer

After all the rave reviews on this dryer online, I ordered one during Prime Day and it has been a great one step to dry and smooth my hair at the same time.

Hint Sunscreen

This sunscreen actually worked and smelled good this summer for my girls.  They liked using it and their friends wanted to use it too. There are no parabens or chemicals in this spray, so that is a bonus!

Tom and Sheri's Iron in a Bottle

I ordered my first bottle of this last year and it has come in so handy, especially for a quick spray down of cotton fabrics (a lot of t-shirts).  I finally re-stocked on this when it was on sale last week.  I love having the travel bottle and sent some back with my college girl.  A little goes a long a way, so it will last a while.

Happy Tuesday!

What's Up Wednesday ~ August Edition

Hey y'all!  It's that time for the What's Up Wednesday post, which I love doing each month.  It is for sure my re-cap of the month these days :).

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

Monday - Chicken alfredo pasta

Tuesday - chicken fingers and tater tots from Trader Joe's

Wednesday - church

Thursday - slow cooker King Ranch Chicken

Friday - fundraiser event

Saturday - out for hamburgers

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

I officially have a college student and we moved her in a few weeks ago.  Move in weekend was actually very smooth.  It hasn't been all smooth since then, but overall good.  

Brook drew this sweet picture of she and Isabella when they were kids as a going away present before she left. 

This is one car packed.  We drove 2 cars packed with stuff! 

Breakfast on move-in day

Dorm rooms have a come a long way in 31 years....this one has a full kitchen! 

Her bedroom 

Saying so long...before some tears were shed

While we were off moving her big sister, Brook stayed in town and got to spend some time with this cute great of mine :)

What I'm loving......

We got a new dishwasher!  When we moved back to the USA 2 1/2 years ago, I swore I would get all new appliances.  Well, other things took priority and it has been a slow process.  The dishwasher that came with our house had not been working well for a few months.  We finally bought a new one and I am so thankful.

Before 

After!

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

Transitions

August was a month of transitions for our family. My husband started a new job, I began working from home 3 days a week (& I still go in the office the other 2), my oldest daughter started college (so we facetime a lot these days) and my youngest daughter started the new school year.  

This was after the first day of class, so her first day of college photo :)

First day for my youngest

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

The first thing that comes to my mind is heat for another month.  Oh, please let it begin to cool down soon!

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

I am working on just a few little things like cleaning out drawers/cabinets in our house, planning a meal for our Sunday School class to serve to a local college ministry, thinking ahead of small trips this fall, and the normal stuff like home and work.

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

Our daughter is coming home from college this weekend!!!

One of many facetime pictures!

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

The newest show I've added this month is Cash Pad.  It features JoJo and Jordan from the Bachelorette who remodel random spaces to rent as an Air BNB.  

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

I am not watching Bachelor in Paradise this season, but I have listened to a podcast on an episode and that was enough this season!  I have been listening to some random music lately, but nothing in particular.

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

I am basically wearing jeans and a top to work these days and days I am home, I could be found in lounge pants and a t-shirt :).

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

We are attending a fundraiser, going to a college football game, and enjoying a long weekend with our family since our daughter will be home.

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

September brings the official beginning of fall, so even if the temperatures don't show it, mentally, it is still a good thing!

I am also looking forward to a weekend trip we will take to visit our college girl, which includes a day off work for me...Yay!

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

3 random things from this month..

I made brisket for the first time, which turned out so tender and delicious!  I bought it at Trader Joe's and basically just followed the instructions exactly on the package.  I covered the meat with chicken broth and baked in a pot for several hours.  Yum!

We went to see Jim Gaffigan, who is one of our favorites, and as you would guess, he is hilarious.  It was fun to finally see him in person after watching all of his specials.  

Back to food, we went to a Japanese steakhouse last weekend.  We have wanted to do that with our youngest for a while now.  We declared it her back to school celebration and it was a fun experience.  We had soo much food and it was very good and fun to see it cooked before your eyes.

Underneath the first plate of veggies on the bottom shelf, was a plate of rice, noodles, then a plate of meat. 

We made it through August! September and fall are coming!!!

Thanks for reading and have a great Wednesday!

What's Up Wednesday ~ July Edition

Hi!  I am linking up today for the fun What's Up Wednesday post.

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

Monday - baked chicken, green beans, roasted veggies, sweet potatoes

Tuesday - fajita salad

Wednesday - roast

Thursday - ?

Friday - out

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

I had a college reunion with my sorority roommate and suitemates last weekend.  We met 31 years ago and it had been 22 years since we had all been together.  It was so, so fun!

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

Because I haven't said it in a while, I love these two little people :).  

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

Summer has been about the same for me....just work.  However, last weekend, we did something fun and different and went to the batting cages.  Brook had not done this before and did pretty good.

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

Last week we said so long to a friend who moved.

In less than 2 weeks, we move our daughter to college.  This is a dread and an excitement....mixed feelings for sure!

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

I am working on a checklist before Isabella moves to college.

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

While I have some dread about the college experience, I am also very excited for our daughter and praying for us all in the transitions.

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

I just finished the Bachelorette, minus the Men Tell All, which seemed toxic to me and not like an escape.  Another show we like to watch is Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee with Jerry Seinfeld.

Meanwhile, I am still working through the book, Winning the War.

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

We went to see Hamilton last week and loved it.  I had been listening to the music a lot before going to the play and it helped me enjoy it more.

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

Whatever is cool and comfortable these days!  I am ready for fall!

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

lunch with a friend and some time with family

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

I actually am going to work from 3 days a week and look forward to that.

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

I ordered a few things from the Nordstrom sale, Target and Amazon Prime Day.  It looks like more than it is, but a lot of this is college stuff and a few Christmas gifts. 

Here we are at another mid-week, end of the month wondering where did summer go.  I guess it is because I work, but while I do enjoy the break from school for my daughters, I am not sad to see summer begin to fade away.

Have a great day!