I had debated on whether or not I was going to create a fall bucket list this year, but after pinning things to my “Fall” Pinterest board (which, if you haven’t already, you can read more about these pins here) I decided I would go ahead and make one after all.
So here it is!
We had such a fun time with our summer bucket list this past summer, and although we didn’t finish everything on our list, the fact we even created one helped us to make an effort to get out and do more. I’m looking forward to having some fun this fall!
I hope you all are having a wonderful week so far!
Soooo…I did mean for this to go up yesterday, but after having a full day I didn’t quite make it. Since I know it’s not the end of the world to anyone, I figured it would still be acceptable to still post a day late, even though we’re now in October.
It is officially fall, but it feels more like winter here. I’m calling it Finter (Fall +Winter = Finter). We already had our first snow fall in SEPTEMBER! It usually averages 65-70 degrees still in September during the day, but we’ve been hanging around the 50’s and 60’s, with the last weekend being in the 40s. Bbbrrrrr!!!
We haven’t been up to too much this past month, except we did manage to make it the fair and that was fun! Gryffin still loves horses, as do I, and the Mutton Busting (kids racing on sheep) is still a favorite to watch.
I’ve seen episodes here and there, but I’ve never watched actual seasons, until now. I’m bummed we waited so long to get into it. I know Netflix lost the contract and I haven’t looked up to see when it will be leaving, but I know it’s coming at some point. *sigh*
Currently Reading
Ugh, I promise one day you will see something here that I’m actually reading!! I refuse to take this section down.
This is my favorite pre-made cookie dough. I even like it better than Toll House cookie dough. I don’t typically make so many brownies or cookies, but I just can’t seem to help myself lately, especially with it being cold now.
I do plan on making a few recipes from scratch soon, so stay tuned for a more exciting Making/Baking section next month!
P.S. I definitely need to increase the amount of workouts I do each week, because this sweet tooth I have is just not good.
A very dear friend of mine is getting married next summer and I couldn’t be more happy for her! She has asked me to be a bridesmaid and I haven’t been able to stop looking at dresses ever since! She was a bridesmaid in my wedding 11 years ago and I’m honored to be in hers. The Azazie website has an amazing selection and I love their prices.
I’m not 100% sure yet if this is where I’m going to get my dress, but we shall see. It’s between Azazie and David’s Bridal.
Let me know if you’re interested in seeing what I pick out!
I think my favorite on this list might be the Burlap and Lace, but there’s a few different ones on here I would like to try. Of course, I love that they’re DIY and from the dollar store!
I didn’t end up making the summer wreath I posted about last time, but it’s still on my list!
I love soup and chili, especially in the fall and winter. As you can tell from the picture, this is gluten and dairy free recipe. My little guy at home is dairy intolerant so finding favorite recipes of mine in a dairy free option is always awesome.
I looove soft and chewy snickerdoodle cookies and I love that these have a fall twist to them! I haven’t made this recipe before so I’m excited to try them!
I went to a baby shower in winter once and the host had made apple cider in her crockpot. I’m not typically a huge apple cider fan, but it was sooo delicious! While I don’t have her exact recipe, I found this recipe that looks pretty similar! I’m excited to make it this fall.
Bonus Pin! I was going to stop at 5, but I didn’t want to leave this one out.
I wanted more activity ideas for Gryffin this fall and I thought this was a fun list. I love the gathering and counting acorn idea and the leaf color hunt.
I was thinking of skipping a fall bucket list this year, but this made me change my mind!
**Cheers to Fall! I hope you all are having a wonderful September so far!
Financial instability, challenges within work, and life circumstances can be really hard to deal with.
Certain situations have been personally rough, both at work and in my personal life. For weeks, even months, I was waiting for these challenges in my life to get easier or to flat out go away. Nothing catastrophic happened, just a lot of little things were adding up to make it really difficult to deal with.
Thinking it was just a phase, time kept passing and if it wasn’t one thing, it was another. After a while it felt like I was carrying around one giant, heavy pit in my stomach.
That’s when it hit me – I need to accept the fact that it’s not going to get easier. I honestly don’t mean for that to sound negative – it’s just reality.
Life is hard and that’s ok!
The fact I needed to change my mindset finally clicked. I needed to move beyond the simple fact that life is hard to the part where I say “that’s ok”. It was time that I accepted it and stopped fighting.
We are all dealt lemons in life that we don’t like. I finally stopped whining and complaining about mine. I looked at the different situations with fresh eyes and said “okay, what can I do with this” and then started taking action.
Because I had been carrying that heavy pit for so long I had
to do a mental inventory and pin point each topic on my heart and mind that was
causing heaviness and/or pain and really examine it to find out the root
problem and find a solution.
I’ve been asking myself questions like:
Does this really matter?
Does this need to happen right now?
This is my current situation, so how can I make this work?
Some situations require different questions and sometimes it’s a matter of simply accepting “it is what is” and moving on.
Praying and keeping close to God has helped me the most. I’ve reminded myself that God is good. The situation might not be, but God is and He can be trusted with all of this.
There’s a saying that says God doesn’t give us more than we can handle – but that’s not true. We are often given situations in life that we can’t handle and that’s why we need God so much in our life to lean on Him and let Him handle it.
I don’t know if this helps anyone by sharing any of this, or if you can relate, but this is just where I’m at in life with certain circumstances and it’s ok. Life is a journey with ups and downs.
I have so much to be thankful for and am so glad God knows the future and has a plan for my life. When I keep Him in perspective, all things fall into place, even the ones that are still up in the air, and I can find it easier to rest.
I have mentioned it before, but I like seeing what other people carry in their bag. Here’s what’s in mine!
Bag
I love a good deal. I bought this Nine West purse at Ross for $24.00. No, it’s not super fancy, but it works and I love it! It has the perfect amount of pockets and I find the size to be just right. It’s very easy to keep organized
Cell Phone
Can’t go anywhere without it! Especially while my little one is at daycare. I bought my phone case at Walmart and it’s done its job!
Keys
Again, can’t go anywhere without them…
Wallet
My wallet is also a Nine West brand that I bought on sale during the last cruise we went on. I love it!
Some people buy refrigerator magnets as souvenirs, others buy Christmas ornaments…I like to buy accessories!
Hand Sanitizer
Any hand sanitizer will do, but Victoria’s Secret PINK Fresh & Clean is my favorite!
Lip Gloss
I rotate between different brands and shades, but NYX Lingerie gloss in Honeymoon is the current lip gloss in my bag.
Coupons
Have you ever been out shopping to one of your favorite stores and then realized you left your coupons at home? I do this all the time! My purse has a zipper divider pocket right in the middle and it’s the perfect spot for these coupons. I go through often and throw out any that have expired.
Dog Waste Bags
Ok, what?! This actually makes a great ” mom hack”.
1 – I have a kid who gets car sick and these have come in handy.
2 – unexpected stinky diaper you had to change? Throw it in the bag and tie it up until you can throw it away in a garbage can without smelling up your whole car.
3 – you can use these for small wet clothing items
Feminine products
Not much explanation needed there. These go in the small peachy pink pouch. The pouch is one of my favorites that I got from Mary Kay back in the day when I used to sell it.
** What you will NOT find in my purse – Opened packaged snacks.
This became an official rule after I cleaned out my last purse. It’s hard when you have a small child who doesn’t always finish his snack but you don’t want to throw it out. My last purse was disgusting with all the crumbs. No more!!
Simply Blissful 