I was glad to welcome the fall season this year. I enjoy the fall days at home, especially when it’s extra warm and cozy inside. This year I’m looking forward to a slower pace. We don’t have a lot of plans this year and I’m perfectly okay with that. With that being said, I still made a fall bucket list – this one is just a little more focused on things we can do at home.
I also have a blank list at the end that you can print to make your own!
Food & Drink
Chili bread bowl night
Bake a pumpkin pie
Bake pumpkin bread
Make apple cider
Make cranberry chicken
There is something so cozy about baking in the fall! I’m looking forward to all these yummy eats!
Out & About
Go on a fall scavenger hunt
Have a fall photo shoot
Check out books at the library
Play in the leaves
Buy a new fall candle
Creative
Decorate for fall
Carve pumpkins
Make a fall decoration (I’m thinking a wreath or table centerpiece)
Make a thankful tree
Organize a room or closet
Rain or Shine
Go puddle jumping
Costume dress up night
Have a game night
Donate to a food bank
Mail a handwritten card
For those who want to create your own, you can print a blank list by clicking on the download button below.
Playing catch up!! Our September was packed! First, our family went on a vacation. If you missed the recap, you can read all about it by clicking here. Then, my parents came to visit for 2 weeks the following weekend after we got back. It’s been a whirlwind!
This month I’ve been resting and trying to get caught up on house work, (along with catching up on work, work). Now that it’s fall, I’m really wanting to do a deep clean of the house. I’m thinking of dedicating a month to deep cleaning and trying to get it done little bits at a time. I’ll keep you posted if that happens!.
Anyway, here’s what else we’ve been up to…
Currently Watching
Jurrasic World: Fallen Kingdom
I’m not typically a huge fan of Sci-Fi movies, but I’ve always been able to make an exception for the Jurassic Park movies. I enjoyed this one. It was your typical Jurassic movie, but the story line was a little different than I was expecting. I have a feeling it’s going to lead up to more of what I had in mind in the next movie (assuming there will be a next movie). I missed some parts of the movie here and there since Gryffin was having a hard time with going to bed, but my husband bought it so I’ll be able to re-watch it soon!
While the last month and a half has been fun, it’s also felt a bit chaotic, so I decided to go with something light hearted and comforting, which ended up being a children’s book. I finished this book, so I’m on to the next one in the series!
I can’t remember if this recipe has made it on the blog before or not, but either way, this has become my most favorite fall recipe so far. The only thing I do different on this recipe is leave out the heavy cream and I add a can of mild green chilies. It’s the best!
While I like to listen to music with lyrics, I often find it to be distracting when I’m trying to focus, so I was happy to discover this Youtube channel. There are so many different scenes and sounds to choose from! Just staring at the pictures is calming, then you add the sounds and I can feel my stress levels evening out.
My current favorite scene is this cozy ship cabin. The dim lights, tea, and book is extremely inviting. This is the epitome of relaxation to me.
My second favorite has been the Cozy Fall Coffee Shop.
You’ll have to let me know if you have any favorite channels or apps like this!
I had hoped to get this up last month but we had so much going on that it was impossible! I honestly wasn’t sure if this vacation was actually going to happen but I am happy to report that we were able to get away and spend a whole week in Oregon! Unfortunately, as you may (or may not) have seen on the news, there were terrible, heartbreaking fires and the smoke was pretty bad, but we still managed to get out and enjoy what we could!
Here’s the recap!
Where: Seaside, Oregon
When: Tuesday, September 8th – 12th
(we spent a couple days in Canby, Oregon first to visit some friends. We were so busy hanging out and having fun that I didn’t end up documenting that part of the trip – although I’m sad because we took Gryffin to the Oregon zoo for the first time but somehow didn’t mange to get a single picture.)
After being in Canby for 3 days, we made our way to the beach!
Day 1: Playground, The Ocean, and The Beach House!
We made it in to Seaside around 3:30 in the afternoon. Check-in wasn’t until 4:00, so we headed to the park that was directly across the street from the house. We went with some friends who also have small boys and they had a blast playing together and getting their energy out.
After they were done with the park we walked down to the beach. It was smoky but there was relief by the water! The weather was in the 80’s and perfect!
After running around in the waves and watching Gryffin make “snow angles” in the sand, we headed back to the beach house to check in.
I loved the little chair in the corner. It was the perfect reading space!
The house was small for 6 adults and 3 little boys and a baby but not overcrowded. It was just a couple blocks from the beach access and the perfect distance away from downtown – close enough to walk, but far enough not to have crowds.
I’m honestly not sure which I miss more, the beach or this jetted tub!
The layout was a little weird, but I definitely would stay here again!
Day 2: Downtown Seaside and More Beach
After making breakfast (cinnamon rolls, sausage, and orange juice) and getting ready for the day we walked to downtown for some fun and shopping.
First stop was the Carousel Mall. All the boys got to ride and it was pretty fun hearing Gryffin yell “ye-hawww!”, haha.
We went back for naps and then a little more beach time.
Day 3: Cannon Beach
I honestly can’t believe it’s been 8 years, going on 9 since we left (For those who don’t know, Mikey and I lived in Cannon Beach for 7 years. It’s where we met, dated, and lived during our early married years)! It was crazy to see how much had changed and how much the little town had grown.
Soooo smoky and foggy :(
We walked around a bit and I got to see one of my favorite people I used to work with. It was so nice to catch up! After visiting for a while, we did a little bit of shopping before stopping at Fultano’s Pizza for lunch and then headed back to our beach house where we got in the hot tub since it was freezing outside (I realized I also forgot to get a picture of the hot tub outside)! It was wonderful!
Day 4: Aquarium, Beach, and Buried Treasure
We spent the last day much like the second, except it was so cold that we drove to downtown Seaside instead of walked. We walked around a bit and then ended up at the aquarium where Gryffin got to feed the seals! Yet another memory missed with my camera, but we had been soaking in the moment!
Octopus!
After the aquarium we walked to the beach where the boys dug for buried treasure. This was an amazing idea our friends came up with! We had spent the previous few days finding and purchasing little trinkets to put in the boxes. Our friend, David, left to bury the treasure and then the boys came over to dig it up. They had a blast and were so excited! We will definitely be carrying on that tradition for every beach trip we take.
Once they dug up their treasure we headed back to the beach house and rested before soaking in more time on the beach again.
Day 5: Going Home
Before we knew it our time at the beach had come to an end. It was sad to go but we were ready to be home at the same time. I missed our dog and being in our own space. The drive felt long and the smoke made it really difficult! I felt so bad for everyone who had to evacuate their home and for those who lost so much! There was definitely a heaviness throughout the week as we knew of the devastation that was happening around us. Praying for all who were affected by the fires everywhere.
It’s hard to believe we’re at the end of summer! It’s been a really, really strange summer, but it’s nice to look back over the last couple months and remember the fun we were still able to have. I don’t think we managed to even get half of our Summer Bucket List completed, but we still managed to have fun regardless. I will share our Summer Bucket List recap next month.
As for this month, it has been a constant cycle of work, play, repeat all month long! Our weekends have been full of friends and food (don’t worry, they’ve been very small gatherings), and then we hit the ground running during the week balancing work and home life.
Aside from that nothing too exciting has gone on. Here’s what else we’ve been up to this month…
Currently Watching
This month’s Friday family night movies have included:
Lilo and Stitch (I don’t recommend if your kid picks up on bad behavior)
Dora the Explorer (I didn’t think Gryffin would like this since it wasn’t a cartoon and out of his age range, but he actually watched quite a bit of it)
Angry Birds 2
A Bug’s Life
Currently Reading
Haha, apparently I’ve been on a “self-help” kick lately. I started the first 2 books a while ago and just wanted to finish them up, however the last one is new.
Finished! This book gives you a nice kick to get you motivated and moving toward your goals. Some chapters were more relatable to me than others. While I didn’t necessarily love this book, I still thought it was good and worth a read.
I made it through 85% of this book before it expired on the library app. It’s on hold so I will have to wait for it to come around again. I also want to check out his book “Boundaries with Kids”.
I’ve read some controversial reviews on this book, but I decided to check it out anyway. There have been some things in my professional life I would like to work on and this book addresses these issues and topics. I’m not very far into it, but flipping through there is a lot of helpful advice.
Currently Making/Baking
Homemade salsa and Pork Carnitas!!
Yeah…I’m not the best at food photography
Making homemade salsa was on my Summer Bucket List. It turned out good, but not the best salsa I’ve ever had. I’m now determined to find the perfect recipe. The pork carnitas on the other hand were amazing!! We have a Ninja Foodie and used the recipe that came in the cookbook. We will absolutely be making them again!
I’ve been feeling extremely overwhelmed and dealing with some major stress. My sister suggested that I try listening to some Christian meditations before bed to try and help me sleep. I hesitated at the thought of it at first, but then I remembered Psalm 1:2 “But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night”. The Bible also references meditating on scripture more than once, so I decided to follow her advice.
That’s when I discovered the Abide app. The free version comes with 2 sleep meditations and then a daily meditation. I find it extremely soothing and also really helps me focus on God and reminds me that He IS GOOD and to put my faith and hope in Him. If stress and anxiety are keeping me up at night I put on one of the sleep meditations and most of the time I’m asleep within 15-30 minutes. The daily meditations are great for the morning and it tends to give me food for thought throughout the day. I highly recommend.
And just like that, there goes July! We had a pretty quiet 4th. We spent the afternoon with my brother and his family. Gryffin had a blast playing with his cousins that we hadn’t seen since the shut down. I also made these delicious red, white, and blue brownie kabobs. They were as sweet and refreshing as they look! You can bet I will be making these every year.
After my brother’s house we went out to dinner at our favorite Mongolian grill restaurant. With the majority of fireworks shows being canceled, there were quite a few illegal fireworks going off so we had fun running from our back deck to the front window to watch them all, haha.
The only other thing I can think of that happened out of the ordinary was that Gryffin and I came down with small head colds (I got covid tested just to be safe and we’re clear). It made me realize though I need to be more diligent about cleaning my home’s high touch areas and making sure I’m washing HIS hands as much as I’m washing mine. Regardless of Covid, it’s not fun being sick, no matter what sickness it is.
Here’s what else we’ve been up to this month…
Currently Watching
The BBC version of Pride & Prejudice. I’m leaving this on here because I’m not done yet. I haven’t made too much of an effort but I’m also not giving up.
Also, Friday nights have officially become our family movie night! Gryffin is now old enough to sit through most of a movie – granted he gets some toys to play with when we’re about 3/4 of the way through, but we’re completely fine with that. Our Friday night movies have included
Sonic the Hedgehog
Trolls 2 (Gryiffin really liked this one),
Emporors New Groove
Scooby (we watched this one tonight!)
Currently Reading
I don’t have quite as much to share in this section as last month, but I’m still working on a couple books.
I started this book over a year ago when I was looking at starting up my own freelancing business. This book is super motivational when you’re looking to chase after your goals and dreams. I took a long hiatus from this book after I put my freelancing dream on the back burner. I’ve picked it up off and on throughout the year, but I’m determined to finish it.
I made it through 60% of this book before it expired on the library app. I need to check this out again so I can finish it though. There are so many good points and I really find it helpful regarding different areas of my life. I also want to check out his book “Boundaries with Kids”.
Seeking Him by Nancy DeMoss Wolgeuth & Time Grissom
This is a devotional I recently started. I sometimes have a hard time being consistent with online devotionals and was wanting a hard copy to go through – this fits exactly what I was looking for and in need of.
Currently Making/Baking
Homemade salsa and Pork Carnitas!!
Yeah…I’m not the best at food photography
Making homemade salsa was on my Summer Bucket List. It turned out good, but not the best salsa I’ve ever had. I’m now determined to find the perfect recipe. The pork carnitas on the other hand were amazing!! We have a Ninja Foodie and used the recipe that came in the cookbook. We will absolutely be making them again!
Current Favorite
Summer days!
I have really enjoyed the warm weather and getting outside more.
This book was from last month
Gryffin is at daycare and I have Friday afternoons off during the summer which gives me 4 uninterrupted hours to relax and/or get things done. 9 times out of 10 I choose to relax and enjoy the quiet. Reading outside is definitely one of my favorite summer activities.
Simply Blissful 