Monday, December 28, 2020

Life Lately: Christmas 2020

 Happy Monday everyone! 

Are you emerging from the holiday craziness too? I have been exhausted the last few days! There's something about preparing for the holidays and then watching how fast everything you prepared is over and done. I think about how much time we spend wrapping gifts for them to be torn open so quickly... it's a ton of work!!

I hope you had a wonderful holiday and were able to enjoy some down time. I took off three days from work last week and that combined with Christmas Day and the weekend, gave me six whole days off and it was glorious! I didn't get any of the projects I wanted to done, but simply enjoyed some down time- it was so nice. Back to work today is definitely going to be difficult, but at least I still get to work from home!

I took limited pictures over the past week, but I thought I would share them with you anyways.


Sophie was looking very human-like the other day when I snapped this picture! We put bandanas on her almost every day last week and she looked so adorable in them. 


Here she is on Christmas morning. It was pouring rain here on Christmas Day and of course she got soaked! 

This year we were lucky enough to see both of our immediate families. On Christmas Eve we stopped by to visit my mom and dad then we headed to Tims dads house to see his parents and siblings. Christmas morning we stayed home and celebrated as family of three, then headed to my parents house to do gifts with them, my brother and my brothers girlfriend Marie.  We had Christmas Day dinner with Tims parents and siblings. 

My parents have been super careful and haven't interacted with many people and my brother works with my dad so they all see each other daily. I am still working from home and Tim is off for the winter so we were all pretty safe. Almost all of Tims family has already had covid (the exception being us, his dad, one of his brothers and his girlfriend) so we felt safe being around them knowing they couldn't carry it (as far as we know!).


Sophie loved cuddling all our family members. Here she is cuddling Marie on Christmas Day.


She was exhausted by the end of the day, but loving her cuddles from Dan and Nicole. 


Also loving belly rubs from Matt!

Sophie also loved spending time with her cousins (Kai- my brothers dog and Attie- Tims sisters dog)

Here she is with her cousin Attie on Christmas Day:



Attie doesn't want much to do with Sophie, but that's okay! They both looked super cute in their new bandanas!

Have you guys cleaned up Christmas yet? I have everything ready to be taken down into the basement but really want to make some labels with my new Cricut, so I'm holding off on having Tim bring them down. 


I also might need some more bins....When I took this picture I hadn't taken down any of the garland in the kitchen yet and that almost needs an entire bin to itself. Plus I haven't hit up the after Christmas sales yet, so there may be more decor entering our home!


I purchased this unsolved case files game on a whim for Tim this Christmas and we played on Saturday night. It was definitely a play it once and can never play it again type of game but we had a fun time! It took us a couple of hours to read through all the files, finish our objectives and solve the mystery. I would definitely recommend them if you are into this sort of thing. We will be passing it on to friends that we know like doing this sort of activity!

I didn't do a good job of taking family pictures, I definitely need to be better about that in the future.

I hope you had a wonderful holiday and are ready to head into 2021!!





Thursday, December 24, 2020

Merry Christmas!!!




Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to every single one of you who takes the time to read my blog. I see you and I appreciate it more than you'll ever know. 

I hope that you are able to enjoy this holiday season this year and are able to spend time with loved ones, whether virtually or in person. Be safe, stay healthy, and I will see you on Monday with a new post.


 

Monday, December 21, 2020

Under Bathroom Sink Organization Project

Happy Christmas Week!!

I can't believe it's the week of Christmas- this month has flown by! Today I just want to share a quick organizing project I did recently. Under our bathroom sink has looked like this since we moved in:


A total disaster. I literally would just toss products in here because there was no place for them to stand upright. I had no idea what was in the back and it was just a nightmare trying to find anything.

So I did what I always recommend everyone to do- pull everything out, organize into categories and put everything back in! Remember it always gets worse before it gets better. 

I picked up two new organizing products from The Container Store to help me organize.

The first is the Silver 2 drawer mesh organizer which is a reasonably priced container at $25. I feel like sometimes organizing products can get a little ridiculous, but $25 doesn't seem bad for the amount of products it holds!

The second product is the iDesign Linus Deep Turntable  which I think is another reasonable product, the large one I got is $19. I decided to use this to store all my cleaning supplies.



The only other product I used was a basket that I bought at Target years ago. Everything fit back in the cupboard neatly and having just a few places to corral products truly made a huge difference! 

It's definitely not "pinterest worthy" but not every organization project has to be about that. Most of the time you simply need to be able to organize in order to make your life easier! Every day I benefit from this project and I'm so glad I finally completed it!

Guys, I have so many projects (organizing/cleaning/redecorating/renovating) that I want to complete in the near future, so make sure you stick around!!


Have a great day!!

 

Monday, December 14, 2020

DIY Homemade Bath Bombs

 


I've been dying to make bath bombs for years and this weekend I finally got the motivation to get it done. If you've never made homemade bath bombs before it's not a hard process at all, but definitely does require a little bit of planning.

Here is everything I needed for this batch of bath bombs (made 4 for me, but if I hadn't spilled some of my ingredients I might've been able to get 5 out of this)

Ingredients

  • 1 cup baking soda
  • 1/2 cup citric acid
  • 1/2 cup corn starch
  • 3/4 cup epsom salt
  • 20 drops essential oil (I used peppermint)
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil
  • coloring pigment
  • bath bomb mold
some notes on the ingredients....

  1. Citric acid took me forever to find in Walmart. Turns out it is in the canning section with the glass canning jars. I hope you manage to find it faster than I did!
  2. I purchased my coloring pigment here. Mine is specifically made for making soaps and things like that. I like that this kit came with quite a few colors, but I used almost the entire pink bottle to make these few bath bombs, so I might look for a larger kit in the future. 
  3. Here is the bath bomb mold I purchased. This is a set of two which would be great if you are making more than one color/scent and don't want to wash in between. Also, super cheap which I appreciate. 
  4. I did not melt my coconut oil, but I would recommend that you do. It will definitely combine easier and that makes the whole process go smoothly. 
  5. I did add a little bit of water to my mixture because it wasn't sticking together easily. I think if I had melted my coconut oil I wouldn't have needed to use water, but if you are struggling definitely add a little water.
Directions

  1. In a large bowl (I used a metal bowl, but I'm not sure that it matters), mix baking soda, citric acid, corn starch and epsom salt. Be VERY careful with the citric acid.  It does react and rise up and it is awful when it gets up your nose. 
  2. After combining dry ingredients, carefully add your essential oils, coconut oil and coloring pigment.
  3. Once everything is combined well you can begin scooping into the mold. 
  4. Make sure you pack the mold really tight. Really push the mixture down into it. Pack each side tightly and overfill each side so you can connect them together. 
  5. Once both sides are overflowing, push them together. Push really hard. When you think that you've pushed long enough, push some more. Then twist and pull one side of the mold off and carefully remove the bath bomb.
  6. Leave out for 24 hours before using to dry!

This time I made peppermint bath bombs, but I am looking forward to using different oils in the future. I foresee myself making lavender bath bombs soon, and would love to make more seasonal ones as gifts for friends and family!

I want to try to make some body scrub next and I could definitely see myself making lotions and candles as well. What are some of your favorite DIY recipes?

Monday, December 7, 2020

Holiday Gift Guide 2020




Hey everyone! Today I thought I would share some ideas for this holiday gifting season!

We've been doing a ton of Christmas shopping around here and I think I'm finally done. My husband has a bit left to do and I do need to wrap a few things but I'm done ordering online and shopping in store. More than ever this year I ordered the majority of my gifts online since it's been so hard to shop in person but we did make an effort to shop small and local in order to support some of our favorite local shops. I'll be highlighting those here for anyone who is in the Rhode Island area, but also sharing links for online items if you are looking to shop from home this year.

Dog Dad


Are you married to a dog dad? Well here are some items he might like.

How adorable are those socks?! I ordered these socks for Tim for his birthday but ended up giving them to him within five minutes of opening the package up. Pupsocks are super customizable, you upload a picture you want to feature and pick the sock color as well. Tim has given them great reviews which is saying a lot since he is a sock connoisseur. I think they are absolutely adorable and I love how sweet Sophie's little face looks on the socks. You can check out their website here.

Doodle Dad T-shirt- If you also have a doodle dad in your house, this shirt is super cute! I gave this to Tim for fathers day and he wears it all the time.

Doodle Dad Coffee Mug- Also a big hit in our house- so much so that the first one broke and another has been ordered as a Christmas gift (shhh!)

You can also find a ton of personalized dog items on Etsy. I've seen t-shirts, ornaments, paintings, mugs...definitely a great place to get something personalized for your family.


Books

So many great books have come out recently and I have quite a TBR (to be read) list. Here are some of the books I think would make a great gift this holiday season

One Day in December- Josie Silver

Obviously all these recommendations are for adults or young adults. Since I don't have kids I don't have any specific book recommendations for children however I know when I was a kid I loved to read and was so happy to get a gift certificate to the book store so I could go pick out a book I wanted to read! If you have any kids in your life who haven't been introduced to Harry Potter yet, it might be a good time to start!

House Stuff

This year we have purchased so many items for our home that we did not have previously in an apartment. If you know someone who has just purchased a home you can never go wrong with a Home Depot gift card. However, if you want to make sure the person you are gifting to has a physical present under the tree here are some things we love in our home or are looking to purchase someday.


Bamboo Sheets- These sheets are so soft! Everyone loves a good set of sheets, and these are so affordable.

Coffee Organizer- Great for anyone with a Keurig!

Power Washer- This was my birthday gift to myself and it works great. I highly recommend it.

Portable Carpet Cleaner- I clean my couch with this little machine and it picks up so much dirt. 


Dyson Cordless Vacuum- Need a big gift? You can never go wrong with a cordless Dyson vacuum!!

Home Painting- These home watercolors are beautiful! I know anyone who just purchased a home would love to have one of these.


For Your Puppy


Obsessed with your dog too? Here are a few items you can put in your pups stocking this year.

KONG Wobbler- We picked this up for Sophie in the spring and use it all the time! It's great for keeping her busy and also giving her some treats!

Dog Treat Molds- Interested in making homemade dog treats? I know your dog would enjoy them!

Biosilk- For anyone with a long haired dog...this is a lifesaver!!

Cheese Chews- These are a great treat for dogs because it takes them awhile to get through them. We pick these up at our local pet store Fetch RI (linked for you) and we always feel great about supporting this small, local, woman owned business!

Earth Animal No-Hide Chews- Sophie loves these in every flavor and we get them all the time. Great chews for a once in awhile treat.

Barkbox- We are obsessed with getting Barkbox each month. You would think the excitement level would go down after a year but it hasn't at all. Every month the toys are high quality and Sophie truly plays with all of them. We have lost very few over the last year so we just keep collecting them. 

Neighbors/ Co-Workers/ Secret Santa/ Yankee Swap

It's so hard to buy gifts for people when you don't really know them well or in a yankee swap situation where you don't even know who will get them! Here are some ideas that are simple but also are loved by (almost) everyone. 

Candles- I personally can't get enough candles! My favorites for this season are from Bath and Body Works and are Tis The Season and Marshmallow Fireside. Both are a great winter scent that aren't too strong so they make a great gift. Bath and Body Works candles have great scent throw and often are on sale so you can really get a bang for your buck.

Chocolates-  I know everyone thinks their local chocolate shop is the best, but ours truly is! I absolutely adore Sweenor's Chocolates and you will too! They have many of their products online so you can order from anywhere but if you are local to RI you can stop in their shop in either Wakefield or Cranston to witness the best smelling shop you've ever been inside!

Simple Pleasures in Charlestown- One of the best shops in Charlestown Rhode Island! Unfortunately you do have to be local to purchase from here but they have the cutest items around! There are many "beachy" items but they also sell clothing and jewelry. It's a wonderful store to poke around and so many great gifts to be found.

Blankets- I don't have a link for this item but I think everyone appreciates a really nice blanket. I received one from Marshalls as a birthday gift this year and it's so soft and lovely. I don't think you can go wrong with anything that makes you cozy!

Soft Socks- Speaking of cozy...these are the best soft socks! The aloe really makes them so comfortable and once you use these you will never find any other socks as soft again.

Puzzles- During 2020 is anything more appropriate than puzzles? These Thomas Kinkade ones look like a great option for any Disney lover!


What great gifts are you buying this year? I would love to know! 

Monday, November 30, 2020

Things Not To Say To Someone Struggling With Infertility (Or Anyone For That Matter....)

 Good morning and Happy Monday!

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Ours was super low key but it was really nice considering everything happening this year. While we missed many family members we are glad that everyone is staying safe. We have quite a few people on one side of our family who were exposed to covid at work and have tested positive. Luckily everyone is okay so far, just feeling flu-like.

Today I want to share a list of things you should NOT say to someone struggling with infertility. Or anyone for that matter. But especially not someone who struggles with infertility. 

When you want a baby and are struggling to get pregnant it insanely difficult. Through my own experience I feel very weepy and sometimes very "rage-y" and it is hard for me to listen to a lot of comments people make. Although people don't truly know what it's like to deal with infertility until you have actually experienced it yourself, everyone can certainly watch what they say and be kinder. 

THINGS NOT TO SAY TO SOMEONE STRUGGLING WITH INFERTILITY

(OR ANYONE FOR THAT MATTER....)


  • Why aren't you pregnant yet? What's wrong with you? 

Believe it or not this one is from personal experience. NEVER, NEVER ask someone why they             aren't pregnant yet. Just because you've been married for an entire year does not give anyone the right to ask why you aren't pregnant yet. You can take as much time as you want. However if you have been trying this comment cuts you to your very core. Why aren't you pregnant yet, well you don't know what the reason is because you've been trying! This comment cut me deep and I know that it must feel the same for others. Also, it's never okay to ask a woman what is wrong with her. Specifically in this case if she has issues with her period. Sorry, but that is not something I want to discuss with a random family member unless they happen to also be my gynecologist.

  • Be thankful you don't have to deal with X, Y, Z....
Guess what? I would gladly deal with the mountains of laundry you have for your two children. The screaming fits? I'm sure they seem like the end of the world in your eyes, but I envy them. Do not complain about your kid to me, I would give anything to have my own! I know so many people who only complain about their children and it absolutely kills me. I get that you have been at home with your kids during the quarantine. I get that it's a lot to be with your children all day everyday, but while I'm struggling to get pregnant it's the last thing I want to hear. 

  • You should adopt/ I will carry a kid for you
Sometimes this is said as a meaningful generous comment but it is not heard this way. Maybe we will adopt someday, but maybe not. Adopting is expensive. Also, I don't want someone else to carry my baby for me. I want to experience pregnancy. I want to carry my own baby. Part of having a baby is getting to carry them and experiencing pregnancy and having that taken away is not my first choice. If this is the route that you choose to go I have absolutely no judgement but as of right now that is not my path and when people suggest these options to me they are essentially suggesting I should give up hope on getting pregnant which is frustrating.

  • You have plenty of time/ You're young
Well I'm 32 currently and don't exactly feel young anymore. Also, the last thing you want to hear when you want to be pregnant now is "you have plenty of time". There are many reasons why you want to have a baby at a certain point of your life and you feel that is the best time to have one and it is honestly not anyone else's business. Do not tell people they have plenty of time because you truly have no idea what someones timeline looks like/when they will go through menopause/etc... Unless of course you are their gynecologist then feel free to chime in.

  • It will happen when it happens/ God's timing
I am allowed to want children when I want them. Fate, God, whatever you believe in should not control me being able to have a baby. Other people get pregnant on the first month they try, it is okay to be upset when you haven't been able to get pregnant after months of trying. I emailed one of the bloggers I have regularly read for years who once struggled with infertility and now has children. She basically told me I needed to trust God when I asked for advice. As someone who is not super religious and doesn't participate in organized religion, this wasn't helpful or needed advice. I needed someone to tell me that this sucks and that they were hoping it would work out for me, not that I needed to trust in Gods timing.

  • What is the reason? Who is at fault?
There is something called unexplained infertility and it's no ones fault. I know I've talked about this before but my husband and I went through quite a bit of testing. My husband came back clear and so did I. This means there is no real reason we haven't been able to get pregnant, it just hasn't happened yet! I've had people push and say that there must be a reason behind our infertility. 15%-30% of couples experience unexplained infertility after they get their fertility workup, so truly there is no known reason. It is painful to have someone continue to press that something must be wrong. 

  • Don't be upset/ sad/ angry
Well this one is just plain stupid. Don't tell me not to be upset because I am allowed to feel however it is I feel. If I find out someone is pregnant and want to be sad I can be sad! It's not that I don't feel happy for whoever is pregnant but I am allowed to mourn the fact that it is not as easy for me as it is for everyone else. I am allowed to be angry and weepy when I get my period. I am allowed to be upset when someone says something that hurts my feelings in regards to my infertility. Telling someone to not feel what they are feeling is not okay. I have had many people tell me things along these lines and it is unbelievably frustrating. 

  • At least you haven't experienced X, Y, Z
Okay, I get it. You had a terrible pregnancy, you experienced a miscarriage... all of these things are terrible. I feel for you, I do. I know a lot of people who have experienced miscarriage, I get how terrible it can be but that doesn't mean that infertility is any less terrible. I'm not diminishing your pain and your struggle so do not diminish mine. It must be terrible to lose a baby that you are growing inside you, that pain must be indescribable. What's also terrible is every month for 18 months taking pregnancy tests and never seeing a second line. For 18 months waking up to your period and wondering what is wrong with you. Crying to your husband that you don't understand why your body just can't get pregnant. Wondering if you will ever be able to have a baby and if any of the treatments you will do will work. Wishing, hoping and wanting every month for 18 months is exhausting. So before you start comparing your pain and struggles to mine, stop. I won't compare my pain to yours if you don't compare your pain to mine.


I hope this post didn't come across as insensitive and rude. As I have mentioned before we finished our fertility workups. I have started clomid and one of the symptoms is feeling rage-y so I have decided to channel my rage into this lovely list that you just finished reading. If you made it to the end...thank you.


Monday, November 23, 2020

Our Fence is Complete!!!

 Yesterday was a very special day around here.... our backyard fence is complete!!!


If you've been following along you know that the privacy fence has been up for a few weeks (read more here) but we hadn't fenced up the back part yet. Saturday was a beautiful day so Tim and I headed outside to start attaching the wire fencing to the posts. We ended up getting about half of it done on Saturday and then finished up on Sunday. Guys, it was so overdue. I felt so much relief when it was finally done. We can finally let her run around with just her collar on and no leash trailing behind her. We can finally leave her in the backyard and run back inside to use the bathroom if she's not ready to come in yet. It is a huge relief and I wish we had done it a year ago!!


I have plans to plant some shrubs on the sides of the privacy fence so you will be unable to see the wire fencing from the street. I plan on allowing the woods to grow as close to the fence as it can. I really want it to fill in so I will be encouraging any natural growth that happens.


Wow, my husband is really the best husband around! He pushed through to get this project done for me! (Well for Sophie....)



Once Tim got the hang of hooking the fence up it seemed to go pretty quickly. 


On day two we started on the opposite side of the yard and then used a third roll of fencing to connect the two.


Now, you may be curious how Sophie is reacting. She doesn't seem to notice there is a fence....

Or maybe she has noticed but she just doesn't care. She's a happy girl running around the fenced in yard and she  doesn't seem to care that she's trapped. 


Our yard is pretty big but pretty much full of dirt. Hopefully next year we will get grass but honestly it bothers Tim more than it bothers me. In the above picture you can see our fire pit which next year will be surrounded by rocks and Adirondack chairs. (Side note- if you want Adirondack chairs apparently you have to buy them early in the season- there were none left come July this past summer!!!)

You'll also notice that the posts are taller than the fence which was not intended. However, I think it will work out because I want to put solar lights on all the posts. We have lights on the back of our house but they don't reach all the way to the back of the yard which I would like to have lit up so Sophie isn't afraid to venture all the way back there. If you have any suggestions for solar lights please let me know!!


Isn't this picture adorable?! The only time she seems to care about the fence is when someone is on the other side and we don't intend on hanging out in the woods much, so it should be just fine :)

Phew. Another BIG project done!!!

Have a great day everybody!!!



















Monday, November 16, 2020

Christmas Decor 2020

I totally meant to have this post up last week, but my computer has been so weird and I've been having a hard time loading pictures from my phone to my computer, so I think I've finally managed to get everything in the post and can now officially share my Christmas decor for this year!


I found this pretty wreath at Christmas Tree Shop a few weeks ago when I went shopping with my mom. I didn't know it when I bought it, but this totally set off my decorating style for this year. My living room is completely a woodland theme and I LOVE IT. I never really thought about it as I collected my decor but it is a woodland theme and I think it looks so pretty. I am pretty obsessed with it and think I will continue collecting items for this theme as the years go on. 


Last year I placed Christmas ornaments inside this vase but so far I have left it empty. I may find something to put inside but for now I'm enjoying the simplicity here on the kitchen counter. 


I still love this little bear I've had for years and here is one of my mini flocked trees.


My mom bought us this snowman set of salt and pepper shakers last year at Christmas and they are very cute. I'm not sure we will actually use them for salt and pepper but they look cute sitting on my counter!


Just like last year I put my garland on the top of my kitchen cabinets and decorated it with picks and flowers from Walmart. I didn't put the lit garland up there this year it's just very plain and it really brings some more Christmas cheer to the kitchen. 


I have a few sets of Christmas dish towels but here is one set hung up on the stove. I have a slight problem with collecting dish towels so I am not allowed to shop for them anymore. We have a whole drawer full and that's only because I donated a ton when they didn't all fit in one drawer. 


I love this little reindeer! I bought him last year and I think he's just the cutest. 


This is the only area where my living room is not woodland theme. This little elf was in my grandparents house growing up and my grandma let me take him home with me. I always smile when I pull him out. 


Same Christmas pillows as last year, I might need some more Christmas pillows....


I love my little houses that I picked up in the Target dollar spot! They were $5 for the set and I just love how they look with my little flocked trees. 


This reindeer is new this year too. He came from Christmas Tree Shop and was a total impulse buy. I cannot say no to cute animals. 


More garland on these kitchen cabinets.


Here is the snowman cookie jar that my mom bought us last year, he matches the salt and pepper shakers and doesn't hold anything but looks super cute on the counter!



I initially brought up the Christmas tree I bought last year (and had in our office last year) but it looked so huge and ridiculous in our small living room I decided to get a small pencil tree. This one was $79 from Walmart and I of course went with a flocked tree. I absolutely love it and it allows us to have Christmas spirit but still have our living room be mostly useable. 


Someday we will be able to fit a huge tree in our living room, but right now it's really not a possibility. The tree skirt is new as well and is also from Walmart. 


It is a very small tree but right now while it's just the two three of us we really don't need anything huge. 


Sophie doesn't really care about the tree...or any of the decorations. That was a little shocking to me, but I am thrilled that she is living everything alone.


Are you all decorated for Christmas? I need to do my outside decorating, but I am pleased with the inside so far!

Wednesday, November 4, 2020

Outdoor Christmas Decor Inspiration

 I know, I know. Halloween was less than a week ago and not everyone is ready to jump into Christmas. I am totally ready however and am starting to gather inspiration for decor. I want to get everything ordered that I need and make sure I am ready to go.

Last year I decorated pretty minimally outside and used some cheap pre-lit garlands on our handrails and the same on our mailbox. This year I want it to look a little nicer since I have had time to think about what I want. I know I didn't do much for Halloween and truly want to make up for it with my Christmas decor.

Here's what I'm thinking...

                                                                            Source

I would like to get some nicer pre-lit garland to put on our new fence. I think it will look so nice against the white! I just need to find garland that looks nice, is pre-lit with a battery pack, and doesn't cost a million dollars. Let me know if you find anything!


                    


 

We have a very small area to work with at our front door. It's very narrow and we can't place too much on the steps or we won't be able to use the front door. I bought a wreath a few weeks back that I will be putting up. I am also trying to think of decor I can place along our walkway since that is a new feature this year.  Someday our boxwoods will be large enough to wrap lights around, but right now they are still tiny and would look silly. 

I'm also thinking about doing either just lights or a lit garland to frame the doorway, that is something we could definitely incorporate.



I am planning on decorating our mailbox again this year but I'm hopeful I can make it look a little nicer this year! I have something similar to what is in the picture above that my mom bought for us. Last year I wrapped a garland around the base on my mailbox but it didn't match at all. I still want to use the top part but will be on the lookout for other ideas for the base. 

What do you do to decorate for Christmas outside? I am wishing I put in window boxes this summer because they would look so nice! I will definitely continue to scour pinterest for decor ideas but it's hard when most of the pictures are huge houses with big front porches! I keep dreaming up my big house that we will build someday! I will keep on wishing for it, and my big front porch!!



Monday, November 2, 2020

Halloween Weekend 2020

Hey friends! Did everyone have a great Hall-o-weekend? It was very low-key around here (like most weekends around here) but I thought it was great to have Halloween on a Saturday. I think we should observe Halloween on the last Saturday of October every year, anyone else with me on that?


Sophie loves her toys from her Barkbox and I love that each month the theme changes. We were of course thrilled to see Halloween themed toys and Sophie has been enjoying her Vampy-corn, Barry Bones, and Ghouly Worm. If you haven't signed up for Barkbox and you have a pup it's a great idea to get a year-long subscription as a Christmas present for them! We truly enjoy having this box come each month and I think the price is 100% worth it!


Guys, it snowed here on Friday!! My poor pumpkin and mums enduring the storm, they look so sad!


We spent a lot of the weekend cuddled up on the couch and Sophie was thrilled with all of it! I love how sweet her face is in this picture. 


I feel so lame. This is what I did for Halloween trick-or-treating. I made 30 treat bags and left them out for our neighborhood kids. We ended up with 5 leftover so it ended up being just about the perfect amount. Even though I put out a pumpkin and some little Halloween decals on the door, I didn't really do much outside decorating for Halloween. I always intended on going back out to pick up more pumpkins/gourds and make the front steps look nicer but I just never did. I felt especially bad about my decorating skills when I saw what The Blonde Abroad had done....


(This picture is a screenshot of @theblondeabroad Halloween post on Instagram)

How cute is her setup?! Her dog Bailey looked so cute as Harry Potter and I couldn't believe all the awesome decor she had. If you aren't already following her on Instagram she is one of my favorites. Normally she is traveling non-stop but has recently purchased a house in San Diego and is doing some home decor content which I love! I felt very inferior when I saw her decor versus what I had going on outside!! I always say next year....



Last week at BJs I picked up a huge box of Swiss Miss Hot Chocolate mix and I kicked off hot chocolate season on Halloween! I love fall and have enjoyed having my fall decor up inside our house but I am ready to decorate for Christmas. 

It seems like more than half the people I follow on Instagram started decorating yesterday for Christmas. I didn't start yesterday but I am planning on starting very soon. Tomorrow I have the day off from work so I will be taking down all of my fall decor and giving the house a good deep clean and I plan on decorating for Christmas maybe next weekend. Let me know when you are planning on decorating for Christmas, I would love to hear how long you are waiting this year.

Speaking of tomorrow, it's my husbands birthday!!!


Happy Birthday Tim! You are the most patient, kind, wonderful person in the world and I cannot imagine my life without you. You are my match in every way and I am so lucky to be married to you!!