Five on Friday - Girls Night, an Old Picture, Candy, and a Cute Dress

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This week flew by.  I feel like we blinked and September came and went.  The weather here has been so freaking hot which has been frustrating, but I’ve been watching Gilmore Girls all week while I work so it has helped keep me in a fall mood… aaaand maybe even a Christmas mood, too, since I’m currently watching one of the Christmas episodes as I type.  I have to say I’m not mad about it.  ;o)

Now if we can just get the weather to cooperate!  We’ve had a bit of a reprieve for the last couple of days due to some rain that has been sweeping through, but unfortunately, the ridiculously hot temps will be back next week.  And the weather in the mountains isn’t looking much better for our trip either.  Apple-picking in the 80 degree temps, anyone?  Sigh.

Anyway, time to share some favorites from the week!

O N E – Girls Night

My girlfriends and I met up Monday night to celebrate two birthdays – one for April, and one for Katie – since they are both September babies.  The birthday girls chose Bonefish because it was Martini Monday and we spent the evening sipping on all the Pomegranate Martinis, eating all the delicious food, and chatting away.  We also had a chance to discuss Friendsgiving plans and I think we’re actually going to be able to make it work!  I’m SO excited, y’all!  Looks like I might get that check on the ol’ bucket list after all!

T W O – Comparison Pictures

Last weekend the kids were dressed in their Saturday best (AKA Georgia gear) for church, so I stopped them on the way in to take a picture because they looked so darn cute. 

Later that evening, when I was going through the pictures I realized that it looks a whole lot like this one from two years ago…

But where have my babies gone?!

Oh man, it broke my heart in two to see how drastically they’ve changed in such a short amount of time.  That picture from two years ago has been my wallpaper on my phone ever since I snapped it, so I’m thinking that now is the time to finally replace it.

T H R E E – Best Candy Ever

My favorite candy of all-time is Kit Kats and my favorite kind of chocolate of all-time is dark chocolate.  Put the two together and you have one of my favorite things EVARRRR.  I’m only ever able to find the dark chocolate Kit Kats around this time of year, and I usually have to buy a multi-pack with the regular Kit Kats and white chocolate Kit Kats that I don’t want, so I only get to have a few of the dark chocolate ones each year. 

Well friends, THIS YEAR THEY HAVE ENTIRE BAGS OF JUST DARK CHOCOLATE ONES!!!! 

Ask me how many bags I bought.

Go ahead, ask!

THREE. 

Face palm.

I cannot stop eating them.  But you can bet that I’m going to go buy some more to ensure that I have enough to last until next September when they put them out again.  Haha.

F O U R – This Dress

As you all know, Facebook and Instagram are always sliding little ads in between posts these days, and the other day an ad for Walmart fashion popped up in my feed.  This dress was the cover photo and it is so cute that I actually clicked over to check it out.  I need another dress like I need a hole in the head, so I didn’t buy one, but I sure do want to!  It’s only $15.98 and it comes in four different colors.  It would be cute with wedges during the hot months and it would be even cuter with booties and a long sweater cardigan during the cold months.  Walmart fashion is just killing it, y’all!  (And apparently so are the marketing people for Facebook and Instagram.  #clickbait)

F I V E – Planner Review

Did you catch my review of my new Simplified Planner earlier this week?  It might just be my favorite planner ever, so if you’re looking for one for 2019, head over to the post to check it out!  You better hurry, though, because once they are all sold out, they will be gone as the company doesn’t restock. 

I cannot wait to start using mine in 2019 and I’m planning on doing an entire post on how I use it.  I’ve been asked repeatedly to do a post about how I use my planner, but I’ve never been able to find a planner that I love enough to feel comfortable sharing.  Since I’ve finally found THE ONE, I will hopefully be able to crank out a post early next year.

Happy Friday, y’all!

*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.

Why You Should Purchase a Simplified Planner for the New Year

*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.

I’m a natural born planner.  If I had to describe myself in one word the first word that always comes to mind is organized.  I make lists.  I plan ahead.  I’m always a few minutes early when I have to be somewhere.  My mind is always running a mile a minute and I’m constantly thinking of new things to organize/do/create/see/explore.  I have lots of hobbies and projects and I always have my hand in many things.  Basically I’m about as Type A as they come which means that I am also a very busy person. 

I have used a paper planner/calendar every year since fourth grade to keep my life on track.  Things are obviously much more complex these days since I’m the keeper of our entire family’s schedule, but I still use a paper planner/calendar every single year to keep track of everything. 

Because our lives and schedules are so complex now I need something that really and truly works for me, and for some reason I have never been able to find a planner that does.  I used to buy generic planners at Target every year but found those to be lacking, so in 2014 I decided to spring for something more substantial.  I used an Erin Condren Life Planner for four years and then switched to a Plum Paper Planner for this year, but just like with the generic planners, I just couldn’t make it work for me 100%.  Something has always been missing.

For 2019 I have decided to make the switch to the Emily Ley Simplified Planner and I already know that this is going to be the one that finally gives me exactly what I need.  Here are the reasons why!

O N E – Daily Edition Option

The primary feature that made me make the switch was that the Emily Ley Simplified Planners offer a daily edition.  This means that instead of the usual weekly spread with seven days crammed into a single two-page spread, each day has its own page.  IT’S OWN PAGE!!!!  Y’all, this is a complete game-changer!  I don’t know about you, but we are so incredibly busy in this stage of life that having a tiny column for an entire day’s worth of activities just isn’t enough.  This year I’ve had to use a notepad in conjunction with my planner just to keep track of my daily to-do lists because there just isn’t enough room in my current Plum Paper Planner.  Having to use the notepad is just silly and it drives me bonkers that I can’t just fit the to-do list in my planner along with all of my other stuff.

The Daily Edition Simplified Planner has one entire beautiful page for every single day Monday – Friday and then half pages for Saturdays and Sundays.  Each page is split into three sections:

A column down the left-hand side with blank lines for each hour from 6 AM to 9 PM.  This will be where I write down appointments, meetings, after-school activities, and any other events that require us to be there at a certain time. 

A column down the right-hand side with 16 blank lines for my to-do list so I will no longer have to use a notepad. 

A large blank space across the bottom which allows you to use the space however you like.  LOVE!  I’ll be using that space for meal planning and recording my exercise for each day (something that I have always written down in every planner).

There’s plenty of room for me to write down every single thing that I could ever possibly need to write, even on the busiest of days! 

And for those of you who are not as busy and don’t require as much space, she does offer weekly edition planners, too!

T W O – It’s Designed Minimally on Purpose

Emily Ley, the creator of the SP, is a mom of three littles and a regular person just like you and me.  She designed these planners minimally on purpose because she knows that life is hectic and that we should all try to keep things as simple as possible to leave more time in life for the good stuff.  As someone who has been on a mission to simplify my entire life this year, this completely speaks to my soul, so this is definitely my second favorite thing about the planner. 

With previous planners, (especially the Erin Condren Life Planner) there were SO MANY PAGES that I never used – pages of inspirational quotes, pages of cutesy little designs, pages for subsequent calendar years, and pages and pages of stickers that I never used.  I’m in no way knocking the other planner brands because I’m sure there are plenty of people who appreciate these things, but for me personally, those pages were just extra bulk that I didn’t need.

With the Simplified Planner, you get everything you need and nothing you don’t need, hence the name.  There is a two-page calendar for each month of the year (which I use fully), one page for each day of the year, and only seven other pages besides those.  (More on that below.) 

Simple.  Easy. 

T H R E E – Better Coil That You Can Fold Over

Another great thing about the Simplified Planner that the others lack, is that you can fold it over and not worry about messing up the coil.  With previous planners, they packed so many pages into the small coil that I couldn’t fold the planner in half because the coil would get all wonky.  This meant that every time I had to write on the left page of each spread, the coil in the middle would get in the way of my writing which made my hand-writing awful.  I’m a perfectionist so bad handwriting is just not something that I’m okay with.  Haha. 

With the SP, the coil is larger which gives the pages more room to breathe so you can fold it completely over.  This means – no more coil getting in the way, no more bad hand-writing, and no more coil tangles.  #YES

F O U R – Other Extras

As stated before, there are seven pages at the front of the planner which include a letter from Emily (and y’all, I just love her!  Follow her on Instagram if you don’t already… she is so inspiring.), simplifying tips, how to use your Simplified Planner, 2019 holidays, and some blank pages where you can fill in your daily routines, your morning and evening routines, and your goals for the upcoming year.  I personally find these pages extremely useful and have already started filling them out for 2019.  Being organized from the beginning sets a positive tone for the whole year.  It truly does!

F I V E – The Accessory options

Finally, there are many, many gorgeous, high-quality accessory options to complement your planner and allow it to work to its maximum potential. 

Paper Clips – These are perfect for attaching important documents to your planner that you need for any particular day.  And these are definitely not your basic paper clips.  These are all gold and you can get sets of arrows, stars, flags, pineapples, coffee cups, or hearts.  So many beautiful options.

Pens – There are several options for pens, my favorite being her collaboration pens with Pilot.  The Pilot Precise V7 pens have been my favorite since high school, and Emily just so happened to design a multi-colored pack of the Pilot Precise V5 pens which make a slightly thinner line than the V7s.  I bought these this year and I cannot tell you how much I love them.  They are perfect for color-coding.  I’ll be assigning a different color to each member of the family and filling out my monthly calendars accordingly.  EEK!  Color coding!

Stickers – There are several different sets to choose from including some cute little doodles, flags, color coders, icons, and labels.  I personally love the doodles because they add a little flair to an otherwise plain page. 

Stretchy Bands – These are perfect for holding your planner and all of the contents inside closed.  They come in several different color options and Emily’s are by far the best I’ve seen because they are made of high-quality silicone so they won’t slip!! 

Washi Tape – Who doesn’t love washi?  It’s also perfect for color-coding.

Mini Notebooks – These are plain, lined notebooks that slide perfectly into the front pocket of the planner.  They are offered in many different adorable patterns like gold pineapples, gold dots, gold floral, watercolor floral, stripes, pineapples, navy dots, and many others.  This little notebook is perfect to use for my blog.  I’ve always kept a separate space for it, but now I can have it right there in my planner!

Page Markers – This is by far my favorite of all of her accessories!  These are super thin magnets that clip to the page to hold your spot.  They are seriously genius!! 

Since there is so much to choose from, they do offer planner bundles, and I opted to purchase one of those because it saves money in the long-run if you’re planning to buy some of the accessories.  The bundle comes with your choice of planner (daily or weekly edition) plus one each of the pens, stickers, paper clips, mini notebook, page marker (my favorite thing ever!!), and set of stretchy bands. 

In addition to all of these things, she also offers many other non-planner items for your home, kitchen, and office, and I pretty much want it all.  Haha.

The Simplified Team only releases planners twice a year – once in September for the January – December planners (these are the ones that are on sale now!) and once in May for the August – July planners, so if you’re thinking of getting one for 2019, YOU BETTER BUY IT NOW!  They are already sold out of several of the designs for 2019! 

If you get one I hope you end up loving yours as much as I love mine!  I’m so, so excited about the year ahead because I can’t wait to use this baby!!!! 

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*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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What’s Up Wednesday - September 2018

*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.

It’s What’s up Wednesday… on a Tuesday again!  Let’s get started recapping the month!

What We’re Eating This Week

Mon – Bonefish with the girls for me… the rest of the fam is on their own!

Tue – Teriyaki chicken, brown rice, broccolli

Wed – Either a freezer meal or breakfast for din after soccer!

Thu – Honey Mustard and Lime Chicken Tostadas

Fri – Out

Sat – Take-out because Georgia plays at 3:30!

Sun – Sunday dinner at Momma and Daddy’s

What I’m Reminiscing About

I honestly haven’t been reminiscing too much lately because I’ve been so busy looking forward to the next three months and just enjoying the present.  These four months are truly my favorite and there’s nowhere else I’d rather be mentally and physically than right here with my little fam soaking up all of the little gifts that this time of year brings.  Chilly fall air, football games, the scent of my Sweet Cinnamon candle wafting through the air, and lots of couch time with my three favorite people in the whole world.  It doesn’t get much better!

What I’m Loving

This one is an EASY one… my new Emily Ley Simplified Planner!  Oh.  My.  Goodness.  Y’all know I’m an organizational freak and I’ve had a paper planner since I was basically old enough to write.  I’m a paper and pen kind of girl and I will never go digital so I’m constantly on the hunt for the perfect planner.  In the past I’ve used Erin Condren planners and also Plum Paper planners, but it has always felt like something was missing. 

I ultimately made the switch to the SP because they have Daily Edition planners.  I cannot tell you what a difference this is going to make for me!  I’m now going to have so much space for each day and I won’t have to supplement with a notepad like I’ve been doing basically all year. 

The SP is GORGEOUS.  It’s so well-made, the paper is thick and sturdy, and all of the accessories that came with it are just darling.  I think I have finally found the perfect planner, y’all!  I did an entire review about it here so if you're in the market for a planner for the new year, be sure to check it out!

What We’ve Been Up To

September has been a good month!  We decorated for fall, B and I went on a dinner date, we hosted a baby shower for my brother and sister-in-law, we watched lots of football, we have been going to ballet lessons and soccer practice and watching Jacob’s soccer games on Saturdays, we went to a gala, we celebrated Homecoming at my alma mater, we picked out the kids’ Halloween costumes, and we celebrated my Momma’s 60th birthday.

What I’m Dreading

Dare I say nothing?

What I’m Working On

As always, I’m staying busy…

1. Planning the birthday celebration for Jacob’s teacher’s assistant later this week.
2. Planning the fall carnival at the kids’ school.
3. Planning something fun that I can’t discuss just yet on the blog.  ;o)
4. Planning our upcoming mountain trip.
5. Preparing for the upcoming holiday season. 
6. Setting up my new planner for 2019.  There is just something about getting a new planner and new pens and color-coding and filling in reminders and events.  I will always and forever be a planner nerd and I will admit that loud and proud!
7. Slowly working my way through my Master To-Do List.  I have always kept a Master To-Do List in an Excel spreadsheet with every single thing that I want/need to do for our house/the kids/my life/etc.  I used to keep it on paper but there are soooo many items and I’m constantly making changes to it that it just works better in an Excel spreadsheet.  Now that I’m not working I’ve been tackling all of those little projects that I’ve always wanted to do and I’ve been crossing items off of my list that have been on there for years.  It feels SO GOOD, Y’ALL.  While I know that the list will never be fully accomplished (as it’s a constant work in progress) I’m hoping to whittle it waaaay down.  Just to give you an idea, the list currently has 516 items on it so it is LONG.  Having that many items on a to-do list probably sounds crazytown, but just keep in mind that this is every single thing that I want to do for our house, the kids, myself, our lives, the blog, and everything else in between... from things like “have a swimming pool installed in our back yard” to things like “rebrand the blog” and “implement a chores/allowance routine for the kids”, there’s a lot to do and a lot to dream and it keeps me busy in whatever free time I have after all of the day-to-day things are done.
8. Still organizing my Music folder on my computer (one of the items on my Master To-Do List).  When I decluttered my office I ripped and got rid of all of my old CDs (probably between 400 and 500 of them!), so I have a folder on my computer containing a couple thousand songs that need to be named appropriately, added to my main music file on my computer, added to my iTunes library, and synced to the already thousands of songs on my phone.  It is a HUGE job but it’ll be worth it when it’s done. 
9. Still organizing the rest of the files on my computer (another one of the items on my Master To-Do List).  I have every single file that’s ever been on any computer that I’ve owned since probably 2003, y’all.  We’re talking, over 20,000 files (excluding music and pictures).  That is BAD and it is taking forever, but I’m bound and determined to get it done by the end of this year. 
10. Still planning Olivia’s new big girl room.  I’ve been so busy this has kind of stalled, and likely won’t be implemented until the new year, but I’m still trying to get my ducks in a row for all of it now.

What I’m Excited About

All of the fun things we have on tap for the rest of the year!

What I’m Watching/Reading

Watching – Brian has started Ozark season two, and while I don’t love it I guess I’m technically watching it since I’m always with him when it’s on.  We’re also excited about all of the new fall TV starting this week.  We’ll be watching Big Bang Theory, a little bit of Dancing with the Stars (only because I love Bobby Bones), This is Us, and Modern Fam as always, and this season we’ll be adding A Million Little Things to the list as well.  I am SO EXCITED for that show!  We are also going to watch the pilot episode of Manifest, too, because it looks intriguing. 

Reading – I’m still on When Life Gives You Lululemons.  Since the kids went back to school and we’ve been so busy, I’ve been exhausted at night and haven’t been reading nearly as much, because I’ve pretty much been passing out as soon as my head hits the pillow.

What I’m Listening To

Still rocking the standards – Steve Tyrell, Rod Stewart, Michael Buble, Frank Sinatra, etc. – my cozy music.  <3

Last week we also made sure to listen to this:

Because it was the twenty-first night of Septembah!  How appropriate.

What I’m Wearing

Why oh why am I still having to report that I’m still living in jean shorts and sleeveless tops?!  This weather is driving me positively batty and there is no end to the heat in sight.  Olivia and I did bust out the fall tops this past weekend, but it was miserably hot and I ended up ditching the cardi by evening time. 

What I’m Doing This Weekend

Watching my Boo Boo play soccer, watching the Georgia/Tennessee football game (and trying not to be too sad that we couldn’t go to the game because of said soccer), and going to a baby shower on Sunday afternoon, plus the other usual Sunday things.

What I’m Looking Forward To Next Month

Checking off several things from our fall bucket list and soaking up the little pleasures that October brings.  In addition to the little things, we’re also heading to the mountains for our annual trip!!  I’m hoping for some cooler temperatures and a whole lot of fun time with my little family.  But above all, my sister-in-law is due with my niece in mid-October, and we cannot wait to meet her and snuggle her and love on her!  We are so ready to meet you, baby Chyler!  (But please don’t come while we’re in the mountains, mkay?  Haha.)  And now for a few mountain pictures from last year...

What Else Is New

I really just need to delete this question because I never know what to say here.  Haven’t I covered enough?!  Lol.

Happy Tuesday, y’all!  Don’t forget to come back tomorrow for my planner review!

*Linking up with Jessi's Design and Going the Distance for What's Hap-"Pinning" Wednesday and Mix and Match Mama for What's Up Wednesday.

Our Weekend - The One with All of the Homecoming Festivities

We had a great weekend but before I get started with the recap I just wanted to give a shout-out to my Momma because today is her birthday!!!!  And not only is it just a birthday, it’s her SIXTIETH birthday!!!!  Momma, I hope you have the best day… sixty looks freaking fabulous on you and I only I hope I look that good when I’m sixty!  If y’all don’t believe me, just look at my pictures of her from the gala below.  ;o)

This past week was Homecoming at my alma mater and the kids’ current school.  They had themed days each day at school (you can see the recap here) as well as a gala, the alumni social, and the football game Friday night. 

The gala was to honor the sixtieth anniversary and diamond jubilee of the school (yes, it was “born” the same year as my Momma!) and everyone was encouraged to wear red because it is the school’s primary color.  I just so happened to have a dress in my closet that I had purchased two or three years ago for another ball, but I never ended up wearing it because it arrived too late.  Y’all, this dress might be one of my favorites that I’ve ever worn – it fits like it was made for me – and I’m going to let y’all in on a little secret… it was only $12-ish from Shein.com.  Not even kidding.  The sleeves are AH-MAZE!!!!

My mother-in-law came over to our house to watch the kids since it was on a Thursday night and they needed to be put to bed at their usual time since it was a school night.  Before we left, she was kind enough to snap a few pictures of me and my handsome date.  We sure do clean up nice! 

We arrived at 6:30 and headed straight to cocktail hour in the hallways of the high school.  B and I grabbed a beer and a glass of cabernet respectively and then we roamed the halls and chatted with old friends before the main event.  I’ve been walking those halls since 1992, books in hand, and I’m still walking them today in 2018… wine in hand.  Lol.

The gala was held in the high school gym, and the steering committee made the most incredible transformation I had ever seen using plush black velvet curtains and string lights galore.  You would have never even known that we were in a gym!  One of the best chefs in our city catered and we sat down to a dinner of Caesar salad, chicken, rice, a zucchini and squash combo, and red velvet cake for dessert.  That fancy thing on top of the salad tasted like a homemade Cheez-It, but better.  It was soooo yummy! 

After dinner the president and high school principal spoke for a bit and then introduced the guest speaker for the evening, who was the old bishop from our diocese.  He also happened to be the pastor at our church (and my mom’s old boss since she works in our church office) so he was also the priest who baptized me.  I don’t get to see him too often anymore so it’s always nice to get to spend some time with him when he’s in town. 

After he finished speaking, one of the current teachers at the school (who also graduated from there just ahead of me) spoke as well and she brought up so many sweet memories of teachers past.  Her speech was so heartfelt and it made me that much more proud to be a graduate and to have our babies there, too.  Once the speeches concluded we hung around a bit longer to chat with the other guests and then it was time to head home since we had to be up early to get the kids to school the next morning.

Friday evening was the alumni social and the homecoming game, so we headed back to the school at 6.  Olivia was going to make her little cheerleaders debut that evening so I let her wear a touch of lipstick because, “Mommy, cheerleaders always wear lipstick.”  She was pretty much thrilled so I had to capture her happiness on the drive there.  And on the way, we jammed out to one of our favorites because – it just so happened to be the twenty-first night of Septembah.  ;o)

The alumni social was Mexican themed so there was a spread of quesadillas, chips, and salsa as well as lots of other treats.  B and I grabbed a couple of beers and tried to make the kids eat something with little success.  Their friends were running around everywhere so we just caved and let them run around, too, while we visited with my family and some old friends. 

Since Olivia is a little cheerleader this year that means that she gets to go practice the cheers with the big cheerleaders and then do three cheers on the football field before the games.  Unfortunately on the way down to the field she was trying to keep up with Jacob and one of his friends and she skinned both knees and her little wrist, which pretty much killed her spirit.  One of my friends had Band-aids on hand, but she still looked so sad when she was practicing and she wouldn’t really get into it.  Fortunately once they got out to the field her little smile returned and she started having fun again. 

After she was done cheering, the game started and both kids took off to run around with their friends while we watched the game.  My Mom, Dad, both brothers, sister-in-law, and nephew had all come as well, so they sat with us.  I was able to chat with several of my friends whose kids also go to the school (one of whom is Jacob’s current teacher) and I also got to chat with a couple of old classmates who I rarely get to see these days.  It was such a fun evening, but we cut it short a little after nine because we had an early morning ahead on Saturday.  

We were up bright and early Saturday morning because Jacob had a 9 AM soccer game, but he was also scheduled for team pictures at 8:15 AM so we had to be there reeeeally early.  His game followed just after and they ended up losing 8-3 which was a bummer because we played so well for the first 45 minutes of the game.  It was close until those last 15 minutes when the other team completely started running over us.  Jacob played defense again and I was so proud of him because he had so many good saves.  I think this was the most aggressive he’s been in a game so far and also probably the longest he’s stayed in.  At this age they have to rotate in and out frequently but he probably stayed in for 80% of the game. 

We headed straight home after soccer and spent the afternoon watching the Georgia game (another win!) and then we headed to Saturday evening mass where we all wore our Gameday best!  I had to snap a few pictures of the kiddos because they were just so darn cute.

After church we went to Longhorn with my whole family and then we made a stop by DQ to get some Blizzards to go.  The kids were both so exhausted that Olivia couldn’t even stay awake on the ten-minute drive home.  She was out cold by the time we pulled in the garage but that didn’t stop her from eating that Blizzard.  Haha.  After the kids went to bed, B and I enjoyed our Blizzards on the couch and watched football and then it was time to call it a night!

Sunday morning was for homemade waffles with orange and black sprinkles, and later, we headed out to have lunch and run some errands.  Olivia has been begging to wear some of her new fall clothes and even though it was still blazing outside I finally obliged because you know what?  I'm ready to wear mine, too.  So we both did.  And we brought the garage pictures back to document the moment!  :o)  My MIL didn’t cook so we had lunch at Chipotle and then we grabbed some new cleats for Jacob before heading to the Halloween Store to peruse costumes.  Olivia found what she wants to be so we went ahead and bought it, and Jacob has decided what he wants to be as well, but we have to see if we can find the costume elsewhere as they didn’t have his size.

When we got back home the kids helped me bake a birthday chocolate cake with chocolate chips and chocolate frosting with Oreos on top for my Momma (can you tell she really loves chocolate?) and then we spent the afternoon getting ready for company. 

I made vodka sausage pasta, steamed green beans, and garlic breadsticks for dinner and then we finished the evening with the cake.  My Momma opened her gifts and we had the best evening celebrating her!! 

Another wonderful weekend in the books and we get to do it all over again in just a few days!  Have a great day, y’all!

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.

An InLinkz Link-up