Our Weekend - The One Where I Barely Took Any Pictures

Hey y’all!  We had a rather uneventful weekend for once, and this post is going to likely end up being one of the shortest you’ll ever see from me!  That’s probably a good thing as I’m typing this on Sunday afternoon like I always do, but I have very little time to do so.

Friday evening we had a nice, quiet evening at home.  We haven’t had the chance to do that in quite sometime and we probably won’t again for a while, so it was a nice change of pace.  We got Carrabba’s take out, B and I opened a bottle of wine, and then we had a family movie night to watch Bolt.  It was really cute and the kids loved it, so it was an evening well-spent.

Saturday morning B left the house early for a tennis match and I stayed home with the kiddos.  Homemade chocolate chip waffles were consumed for breakfast, and then the morning was spend tidying up and watching cartoons until it was time to get ready for Jacob’s soccer game.

His game was at noon and it was BLAZING HOT… seriously beyond ridiculous for this time of year!  Jacob primarily played defense and he did a great job defending the goal for his time spent on the field.  They still ended up losing 9-6, though. 

We hightailed it home after his game to catch up on the Georgia game which had also started at noon.  It was originally scheduled for 7:15, but they ended up moving it up earlier in the day due to the impending hurricane, so we missed the first hour and a half or so.  We ended up whooping Middle Tennessee (naturally) so we’ll hopefully still be sitting pretty in the top three this week!

The rest of the day was spent being lazy, watching football, and hanging out.  I painted an old serving tray white (pictures coming soon!) and got some pictures organized while we watched the LSU/Auburn game, and then we picked up Cracker Barrel veggies for dinner and brought them home.  I did happen to catch a quick glimpse of the sunset Saturday evening and it was a stunner!

Sunday morning was pretty lazy as always.  After breakfast the kids were watching cartoons and Brian just happened to look over at them and they were like this on the couch:

I think my heart melted into the biggest puddle!  We didn’t pose them or prompt them to sit like that.  They were just doing that on their own… and y’all, they were holding hands!  Oh my heart! 

We had lunch at my MIL and step-FIL’s Sunday afternoon and my step-SIL and nephew were able to join us because they had evacuated their home in Myrtle Beach because of the hurricane.  It was our first time seeing the baby since they live so far away, and Jacob and Olivia had fun playing with him.  His first birthday is coming up next month so we went ahead and gave him a birthday gift since we won’t get to be there for his actual birthday.  We stayed over there longer than usual and then had to run a couple of errands on the way home.

And thank you for your thoughts and sweet comments on Friday… so far their home in Myrtle Beach is hanging in there.  They are one of the few who still have power and there is no major damage or flooding just yet.  Just some debris around the front yard.  Fingers crossed it remains that way!  At this point they are mostly just worried about flooding.

We had Sunday dinner with my family and we celebrated my uncle’s girlfriend’s birthday over there.  It was a weekend filled with lots of family time and a good bit of downtime and we are prepared for the busy week upon us!  My alma mater (and Jacob’s and Olivia’s current school) has homecoming week this week, so there is a ton going on… themed dress-up days each day, a bonfire, a gala, a pep rally, an alumni social, and the homecoming football game Friday night!  It’s going to be a good one!

Don't forget to link up with Heather, Johannah, and myself... just grab our new fall graphic (seriously how cute is it?!) and link up below!

*Linking up with B Loved Boston for Weekending and HoHo Runs for Weekly Wrap.

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Five on Friday - Happy Mail, House Project, & Jacob's 7 Year Check-Up

Happy Friday, y’all!  It’s been productive week!  I’ve crossed a lot of things off of the to-do list this week – purchased birthday gifts for all of the birthdays this month (5 total), gotten paperwork filled out for various things, run lots of errands, and accomplished many other time-sensitive tasks.  I was also asked to be on the Fall Carnival Committee at the kids’ school and I attended the first meeting this week and got lots of good information to get started on my tasks for that. 

I went into this week thinking it was going to be fairly slow since the grocery shopping and laundry were all done last week, but my oh my how wrong I was!  I think I’ve told Brian almost every single day since the kids went back to school that I have NO CLUE how I ever had time to work 40 hours per week at a corporate job while also holding down my jobs as a wife and mother.  Whew.  This season of life is busy.

Now for some favorites!

O N E – New Planner

Last year around this time I ordered my very first Plum Planner to use for 2018.  I have loved many things about this planner, but I realized early on this year that there is just not enough space for each day to meet my needs.  Because there hasn’t been enough space, I’ve been using my planner for appointments, meetings, and reminders, but I’ve had to write my to-do lists for each day on a notepad which drives me crazy.  I know, #FirstWorldProbs, but if I’m going to spend lots of money on a planner then it should be exactly what I need. 

Enter the Emily Ley Simplified planner. 

I’ve been a huge fan of Emily’s and have been following along with her for several years because she’s just so darn cute and she fills my Instagram feed with positivity and light.  Her quest to simplify her life to make room for the more important things (family, friends, hobbies, etc.) has really intrigued me all these years, so I decided that I would try a Simplified Planner for 2019.  My goodies all arrived in the mail this week and I could not be more excited!  Can it please just go ahead and be 2019 so I can dig into this baby?!  Haha.

I’m working on getting it set up for 2019 during the next few weeks and then I’ll probably do a full blog post about it.  Until then, I’m just going to sit and stare at it because IT’S SO PRETTY!

T W O – Surprise Happy Mail

Emily at A Little Bit of Emily and I have become close this past year and we often chat back and forth via text during the day.  She sent a little surprise to me in the mail earlier this week and I thought it was just the sweetest thing!  I LOVE fuzzy socks like these… I wear them every single day during the fall and winter.  I also obviously love a good notepad, too, since I’m a master list-maker.  And the fact that they’re both fall themed?  Well, not much else makes my heart happier!  Thank yoooou, Emily!  You made my day!

T H R E E – New Pictures

I shared this on my Instagram stories a couple of weeks ago but I never shared it on the blog.  I recently developed new pictures for several of the frames around our house, and that simple little update has been so refreshing! 

We have five 8x10 frames hanging down the little wall between Jacob’s bedroom and the kids’ bathroom, and I have always used that wall as a family portrait gallery of sorts.  There’s one frame for each person in our family (including Maui) and I have always filled them with black and white pictures.  This time I decided to develop some color photos for the frames and I love this wall even more now! 

Before

After

F O U R – Millennial Apartment Bingo

This was making the rounds on Instagram a couple of weeks ago as well, and it made me laugh.  I’m not even technically a Millennial (I’m a Xennial – the microgeneration between Generation X and Millennials) but apparently I decorate like one.  I checked off half of the boxes, and of the boxes that are unchecked, at least three of them are on my wish list. 

How many boxes can you check off?

F I V E – Jacob's Seven Year Check-Up

Jacob had his seven year well visit this week and he's as healthy as a horse!  Tiny, but healthy.  Here are the stats:

Weight - 41 lbs. (4th percentile)
Height - 44 inches (3-5th percentile)
Blood pressure - 85 over 54
Oxygen - 100%

The doc isn't concerned about him being tiny because his BMI is perfect, meaning his weight and height are proportionate.  He'll grow eventually! 

Before I go, on Wednesday I talked about fashion for my favorite season – fall!  The post is all about leggings and sweaters and scarves and boots… bring on the layers!  You can see the post here.

Finally, thanks to everyone who has texted or emailed to check on us since the state of Georgia declared a state of emergency due to impending Hurricane Florence.  Fortunately we are not in its direct path and at the very most we should just have some rain and breezy conditions.  My sister-in-law and brother-in-law, however, live in Myrtle Beach and my uncle has a house in Hilton Head, so we are on pins and needles and praying for the best outcome possible for everyone.  My sister-in-law and nephew evacuated here to our hometown, but my brother-in-law stayed behind to keep an eye on things, so please keep him in your prayers.  And to everyone in its path, you are in my prayers.  Stay safe!

And one last thing, I just want to remind everyone about our Girl Chat link-up next Thursday.  We are sharing our fall bucket lists and we would love for you to join us!

*Linking up with A Liz Adventures and Carolina Charm for Five on Friday, A Little Bit of Everything for Friday Favorites, Meet @ the Barre for Friday Favorites, and Cup of Tea for High Five for Friday.

Fall Fashion Faves

*This post may contain affiliate links, which means at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through or make a purchase.

Not only is fall my favorite season, it’s also my favorite season for style.  Fall fashion is just so much more interesting to me, probably because there are so many layers and so many combinations and possibilities.  Today I’m linking up with my girls Emily and Sarah to share some of my favorite fall fashion staples. 

Leggings

I have really taken my leggings game to the extreme this past year since I’m no longer dressing for Corporate America.  When it’s cool outside, there is just nothing better than a comfy pair of leggings and an oversized tunic or sweater.  My very favorite pair of leggings of all-time are these Zella Live-In Leggings.  They’re pricey, but as someone who prides herself on being a bargain shopper, these are worth every single penny. 

These from Amazon are excellent duplicates of the Zellas, but I can honestly tell the difference by the end of the day because the seams on the legs seem more prominent than in the Zellas.  The great thing about this version is that they come in every color of the rainbow, 19 colors to be exact!  And they are about a third of the price.  

Long Sweaters, Cardigans, & Tunics

If you’re going to wear all the leggings you must have all the long tops to cover your hiney.  Or at least that’s my opinion, anyway.  :o)  Here are a few that I have my eye on...

This sweater

This chunky long cardigan

This off-the-shoulder sweater

This striped tunic

And, of course, my favorite tunics from Amazon... I own these in 5 or 6 different colors.  They're only $15.99!

Scarves

Whoever decided to make scarves a part of everyday wear is a friggin’ genius.  Adding a simple scarf to an outfit can completely change the whole look!  Not to mention it keeps eternally cold people (like me) nice and snug.  Blanket scarves like these are my favorite!  And I love this buffalo plaid one!

Boots & Booties

I love a good pair of brown flat boots for every day wear and I love a good pair of heeled booties to dress things up a bit.  I have these exact boots and I ADORE THEM.  They are SO comfy, they're warm, and they look great with everything!

I also have these booties from Old Navy and I love them as well.  They have held up so well for three whole years now and they're still going strong!

Vests

Another fun way to layer up for the crazy fall weather here in the south!  I've already professed my love for these quilted vests that I got from none other than Walmart... they come in so many different colors and they're only $12!

Graphic Tees

I never get tired of a good graphic tee, especially around the holidays.  They can be worn alone for those warm fall days (y’all know what I’m talking about down here in Georgia!) or they can be paired with a long cardigan sweater when that beloved chill finally reaches the air.  Here are a few on my wish list...

Pumpkin

Grateful Thankful Blessed

It's Fall Y'all

I am Freaking Cold

Eat Sleep Tailgate Repeat

Happy Fall Y'all

If Loving Pumpkin Spice is Wrong

Football Gear!

It wouldn’t be fall without football and we wouldn’t be good team supporters without the appropriate gear!  Our favorite place to shop for Georgia gear (aside from shopping in Athens, of course) is Fanatics.com.  They have team gear for all sports (NFL, college football, MLB, etc.) and they have the widest assortment of stuff I've ever seen!  They even have stuff for infants and toddlers, which is pretty hard to find elsewhere.  And this is not in any way sponsored... we just love them!

Well, I’ve shared my fall favorites… now it’s your turn to share yours! 

Don't forget to link up with us below!  

Your Hosts! 

Whitney at Polka-Dotty Place / Bloglovin / Facebook / Instagram / Pinterest / Twitter 

Stefanie at Lexie Loo, Lily, Liam & Dylan Too / Instagram / Twitter / Pinterest / Facebook

Keri at Keri Lynn Synder / Faceobok / Instagram / Twitter / Pinterest 

Mauri at The American Patriette /  Facebook /  Pinterest / Instagram

Sarah at Sarah E. Frazer / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / Pinterest 

Lindsay at Lindsay's Sweet World /  Bloglovin / Facebook / Instagram / Pinterest / Twitter

*Linking up with The Pleated Poppy for What I What I Wore, Pumps & Push Ups for Oh, Hey Girl! Link-Up, The Mummy Chronicles, Tucker Up, Shopping My Closet for Style Me Wednesday, Classy Yet Trendy for Trendy Wednesday Link-Up, The Blended Blog and Jessi's Design and Going the Distance for What's Hap-"Pinning" Wednesday.

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We Will Never Forget…

Just as it is for many others, every single detail of my day on September 11, 2001 will be forever ingrained in my mind. 

I remember…

… Parking my little maroon Honda Accord in the parking lot of my hometown university and reveling in the glory of the cloudless, deep blue sky that was overhead as I walked to class.  It was a gorgeous morning right at the start of my very favorite four months of the year and everything around me seemed to whisper a promise that it was going to be a lovely day.

… Barely getting settled in my seat for my 9 AM sophomore health class when one of my old friends from high school burst in the room saying that one of the twin towers had been struck by a jet.

… Thinking how awful that sounded and discussing it a little bit with the professor but proceeding with class, business as usual, because nobody quite knew the severity of the situation just yet.

… Learning that another jet had struck the other tower as I walked across campus to my Microeconomics class and wondering how on earth it could have happened twice. 

… Hearing the words “possible terrorist attack” for the first time from my Microeconomics professor and quietly calling my Mom from my cell phone while hiding under my desk in class.  I was anxious to know what was going on and, of course, nobody had internet on their phones back then.

… Listening to our professor cancel class and the university announce that they were setting up extra televisions all around campus so students could stay informed.

… Watching the coverage with a bunch of other students on a TV that had been wheeled into the library and feeling completely horrified, confused, and helpless as I watched the events unfold.

… Feeling relieved when my afternoon class was canceled because all I wanted to do was go home and be with my family. 

… Stopping by the movie theater (where I worked as an assistant manager) on the way home and discussing what to do with all of the Spiderman movie trailers and posters that were plastered all around the building.  They all featured the twin towers so we wanted to be respectful.  (They were ultimately pulled by the movie company and all of them had to be sent back.)

… Heading home and changing into my turquoise wrap top and gray pants to get ready for the special mass that our church had arranged due to the day’s events.

… Attending mass with my Momma and brothers and crying most of the way through it.  We sat in a different spot than we normally do… I’m not really sure why we did, but I will always remember that.

… Stopping by our favorite local diner to grab dinner on the way home from church but barely touching anything on my plate because I wasn’t hungry.

… Sitting on the couch all. night. long. with a box of tissues at my right side and watching the news coverage and crying right along side my Mom, my brothers, and Peter Jennings.

… Feeling sad that my Daddy was not able to be with us all night because he was in the newspaper industry which meant he had to work around the clock during major news events.

… Feeling so devastated for all of the people who had been directly affected by the tragedies of the day and feeling sad for our country. 

… Feeling so grateful to not have been directly affected by the tragedies of the day and feeling grateful that I had a place to sleep that was safe and warm. 

I still lived with my parents at that point, but I was in college and working full-time, so I rarely ever spent time just sitting around in the living room with them because I was so busy and rarely at home.  That day changed everything, though.  It made us slow down, reflect on our blessings, and just BE together.

Where were you on that fateful day?

We will never forget.

Our Weekend - The One with the Baby Shower & Jacob’s First Soccer Game

I don’t know about y’all, but I’m ready for a much slower week this week!  Last week was a short week due to the Labor Day holiday and it also coincided with my Momma and I throwing a baby sprinkle for my brother and sister-in-law.  I only had four days to do #AllTheThings when I originally thought I had five, therefore, I pretty much ran around like a crazy woman all last week to prepare.  This week I’m looking forward to a whole lot of nothing… aside from our regular shenanigans, of course.

As I said before, Friday evening we threw a baby sprinkle for my bro and SIL.  They are due with their second baby sometime in October, and since it’s a second baby they already have most of the baby items they need.  Since the first baby was a boy and this one is a little girl, they were in need of some girly items, so my Momma and I decided it would be a good idea to throw a little sprinkle for them. 

We kept it pretty low-key just inviting their close family and friends, and we decided to forgo the traditional shower food and do a taco bar instead.  We whipped up a slow cooker of shredded chicken as well as a slow cooker of ground beef and laid out all the fixins – taco shells, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, taco sauce, sour cream, and of course, chips, salsa, and cheese dip (from our favorite local place) along with a fruit tray and called it a day!  After dinner we opened gifts, served cake, and then everyone headed out to the back porch to hang out for a bit before heading home.  It was the perfect way to celebrate my sweet little NIECE and we cannot wait to meet her!

Saturday morning we got up and had our usual homemade waffles with a little side of ESPN College Game Day for breakfast, and then it was time to head to Jacob’s first soccer game of the season.  His game was at 12 and it was HOT, y’all.  His team was behind for most of the game, but then in the last few minutes they scored two goals to tie it up 9-9.  Then in literally the last second of the game Jacob’s teammate scored a final goal so they ended up winning it 10-9!  It was exciting! 

Jacob hung back a bit for the first half of the game (he’s still not a super aggressive player) but in the second half HE WAS ALL UP IN IT.  We were so proud!  He ended up being the one to help get the ball over to the little girl who scored the winning goal so we were really proud.  And he was really excited, too.

After soccer, we stopped by Chick-Fil-A to grab some lunch and then we took it home where we watched football for the rest of the day and night.  Georgia played South Carolina at 3:30 and we ended up whooping them.  Woop woop!  A little more than halfway through the game we were getting hungry for dinner and both of us were craving pizza from our favorite local place (who doesn’t deliver), but neither of us wanted to leave to pick it up since the game was still on.  B downloaded the Waitr app, ordered our pizza through it, and it was delivered straight to our door without us even having to leave the couch.  What a time to be alive, y’all!

Sunday morning we were up before the sun to make it to 8 AM mass since we had skipped our usual 5:30 PM Saturday mass due to the Georgia game.  We ended up making it there early and the kids were angels the whole time so we grabbed donuts on the way home for breakfast as a little treat. 

We had lunch at my MIL and step-FIL’s and B’s aunt and uncle were in town visiting.  They are from Minnesota but they moved to Florida a few years ago to escape the harsh winters and to be closer to their kids and grandkids.  They still live in Minnesota during the summer months and then they journey back down to Florida every September where they spend the entire winter.  They were making their annual trek back down to Florida this weekend and they stopped here in Georgia to visit and to have Sunday lunch with us.  It’s always a treat to see them because they are always full of stories from their adventures!

Sunday evening was the usual dinner at my parents’ house.  My Momma made her famous baked ziti (the BEST!) along with salad and bread.  We popped open a bottle of TJ’s Three Buck Chuck and a good time was had by all!

Happy Monday, y’all!  Cheers to a slower week… for us, anyway!

Don't forget to link up with Heather, Johannah, and myself... just grab our new graphic and link up below!

*Linking up with B Loved Boston for Weekending and HoHo Runs for Weekly Wrap.

An InLinkz Link-up