Fall

Currently November 2020

/ Cami Grace / Leave a comment

Here we are on the last day of November. Between this month and last we have checked quite a few things off our Fall Bucket List. Last week we celebrated a very COVID style Thanksgiving. I was sick with a cold so it was just me, my husband Mikey, and our Gryffin. It wasn’t the first time it was just the 3 of us for Thanksgiving so it wasn’t that bad (aside from being sicky). Actually it was really nice because Mikey didn’t have to work for the first time in years!

We usually wait to put our tree up until the Saturday after Thanksgiving but we decided put our tree up Thanksgiving night. Gryffin was pretty excited about it! I’ve had a hard time getting into the holiday spirit, but since we’re the keeper of our own happiness I refuse to let my dismal feelings take control.

Anyway…here’s what else we’ve been up to.

Currently Watching

Mikey and I haven’t really watched anything this past month aside from the family movie night movies so I’m just going to jump in here.

Friday family night movies have included:

  • Big Hero 6 (I really like this one – it’s sad but good!)
  • Scoob (This is a repeat. Gryffin really likes this movie. I honestly thought for sure it would be too scary for him and was ready to stop it at any moment, but he loves it!)
  • Frozen II
  • Robin Hood (we went old school)
  • Planes

Currently Reading

Farmer Boy (Little House Series) by Laura Ingalls Wilder

This has been taking me a long time to get through since it’s not holding my interest quite as much as the first book. I still plan to read the next one but I’m hoping there’s a little more story line to keep things going a littler faster.

The Little House Cookbook by Barbara M. Walker

To go with the Little House books, I discovered there was a Little House cookbook! I was thinking of buying this but discovered the library had a copy so I checked it out! I’m glad it’s not something I bought because most of the recipes I don’t think I would actually make, but it’s been fun to flip through.

Martha Stewart’s Organizing by Martha Stewart (of course!)

I’m not quite sure what brought me to this book, but I’m all about making my house a home and this book had a lot of good information in it. I really enjoyed her monthly calendars and gleaned some good ideas and inspiration. Definitely contemplating buying this book.

Currently Making/Baking

Pasta E Fagioli soup by Kristen with MakeTheBestofEverything.com.

I found this copy cat recipe on Pinterest and loved it! It was a big hit with Mikey and Gryffin too. I always order soup, salad, and breadsticks from Olive Garden and this is one of my favorites. Bonus, this recipe makes a lot so it’s great for a crowd!

Current Favorite

Color Street Nails!

I have tried a few different types of nails (salon, Jamberry, glue on, press on), but these are my new favorite! I love that you don’t need heat to apply and you can easily take them off with nail polish without completely ruining your nails. I’m a fan! I just ordered a couple more sets for my stocking for Christmas this year (from Mikey of course ;). These nails are sold by consultants, but I hear Dashing Diva‘s nails are similar if you don’t want to go through a consultant.

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Anyway, I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and have a wonderful holiday season!

Much love to you all,

Cami

P.S. I would love to hear about your Thanksgiving! Leave a comment below!

2020 Fall Bucket List

/ Cami Grace / Leave a comment

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.

Fall Bucket List PrintableDownload

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I hope you all are having a wonderful Fall season so far and had a safe and Happy Halloween!

Much Love,

Cami

Currently September/October 2020

/ Cami Grace / Leave a comment

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!

Friday family night movies have included:

  • The Incredibles
  • The Incredibles 2
  • Wreck-it Ralph

Currently Reading

Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder

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!

Farmer Boy (Little House Series) by Laura Ingalls Wilder

My goodness, these books talk about all sorts of yummy food. It’s hard reading before bed because it makes me so hungry lol.

Currently Making/Baking

White Chicken Chili from the Salty Side Dish

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!

Current Favorite

Calmed by Nature YouTube Channel

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!

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I hope you all are having a wonderful fall so far!

Much love to you all,

Cami

Currently – November 2019

/ Cami Grace / Leave a comment

Compared to last month, this month has been quite eventful. The first weekend of the month I went to a small baby shower for my sister-in-law. The second weekend we watched my nephews overnight at their house – 3 small boys in one house and another cousin that came to visit the next day, so make that 4 small boys. It was super fun, but super exhausting!

Mikey and I were also able to go on another date night (woot woot!). No pictures this time, but we went out to our favorite all-you-can-eat Mongolian restaurant and chatted the night away.

Then we went to a Friends-giving this past Tuesday, which was really nice and then there was of course acutal Thanksgiving…which turned out to be kind of a bummer. Gryffin came down with a nasty, awful cold, complete with a 103.5 fever…poor guy! We got his fever down, but stayed home all day and missed out spending time with family. My brother was awesome and brought us over some turkey, stuffing, etc. and we traded them with rolls and a bottle of sparkling cider. The fact we still ended with some turkey and pie made it somewhat better. :)

Anyway…here’s what else we’ve been up to this month.

Currently Watching

Helllooooo Disney +

Image result for disney plus

There has been lots of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (thank goodness we have a break from Blippi!), The Little Mermaid, The Aristocats, Cars, and Monster’s Inc.

Also, Doug! Did anyone else grow up watching this?? Gosh, it’s so nice to see parts of my childhood back! It was kind of exciting.

Currently Reading

Cold Tangerines: Celebrating the Extraordinary Nature of Everyday Life by Shauna Niequist

I finished a book! This, in and of itself, deserves to be documented because it has been that long since I have finished a book cover to cover. Granted, this was an audio book, but it still counts!

I enjoyed it overall. It’s not going on my “favorites” book list, but I don’t regret reading it either. This book was full of little snippets of the ups and downs in her life. Some parts were more relate-able than others, but I absolutely loved the way she wrote. Her descriptions were perfectly detailed, making it an enjoyable journey as she took you along with her as she shared each part of her life story and the lessons she learned.

My only “complaint” is that the stories she shared of her life were not in order. She organized them by subject rather than consecutive events. This kind of drove me nuts and made me wonder if I somehow had the book on “shuffle”. With that being said I wouldn’t let that stop you from reading it.

Unseen: The Gift of Being Hidden in a World that Loves to Be Noticed by Sara Hagerty

Ok, this is back on my list. I had to re-check it out as an audio book after I finished Cold Tangerines. This is the kind of book you let certain insights sink in and your marinate on it for a bit. I think it would be better if I read this as a book book, so I could underline and highlight and take my time, but for now I’m making progress with the audio book and it will do.

Currently Making/Baking

Dairy Free Potato Corn Chowder – You can click the link to the recipe and photos here.

This is my most favorite fall and winter soup recipe! I’ve mentioned many times that my little 2 1/2 year old is sensitive to dairy so it was so exciting to find the perfect fall soup that we can all enjoy. *happy sigh*

PC & Recipe from Regina with leelicious.com

Current Obsession

Deep cleaning!

While spring seems to be the most popular time to deep clean for most people, there is something about the holidays that makes me feel the need to clean like a crazy, mad woman.

After being cooped up inside for so long I start really noticing the grime that settles in over time – anywhere from the extremely dusty blinds in the bathroom, to the laundry room floor that I keep putting off, to the dishwasher base and filter.

I took advantage of daycare this week (before Gryffin got sick) and took some extra time off so I could spend an entire day scrubbing the bathroom from the ceiling to floor.

I created a detailed bathroom deep cleaning list and plan to share that with you in the months to come. I would share it now but I need to make a few tweaks to it. I also want to work on a few more deep cleaning lists as well, including the kitchen, laundry room, and living room…so just something to look forward to in future. ;)

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I honestly can’t believe December is here tomorrow! I hope you all had a wonderful November and a safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday!!

Much Love,

Cami

Currently – October 2019

/ Cami Grace / Leave a comment

This month has been pretty relaxed…and I’m perfectly okay with that. I created a fall bucket list, but we haven’t been very proactive with it. It’s good to have this check-in because I’m determined to check at least a couple items off the list!

The highlights of the month happened within the last week. I was able to meet up with a dear friend of mine for lunch. She is expecting her second baby and she’s having a girl! She was there for me during one of the scariest moments of my pregnancy and showered us with gifts after Gryffin’s arrival. She will always be near and dear to my heart. Aaaand the second highlight is that Mikey and I were actually able to go on a date! More on that below. :)

Here’s what else we’ve been up to this month.

Currently Watching

Friends…kinda. Our 2 1/2 year old has been really struggling at bedtime, so Mikey and I really haven’t had time to watch anything before he goes to work, but we try and catch an episode here and there when we can.

Currently Reading

Unseen: The Gift of Being Hidden in a World that Loves to Be Noticed by Sara Hagerty

Cold Tangerines: Celebrating the Extraordinary Nature of Everyday Life by Shauna Niequist

*gasp* I’m reading two books! I am loaning both of these from the Hoopla app through our library. I downloaded Unseen as an eBook and Cold Tangerines as an audio book. I’m finding it much easier to find time to listen to the audio book than to sit down and read the e-book. My loan will expire before I get a chance to finish Unseen, so I will check it out as an audio book next….and stick to just one book at a time.

More on these later (I think I always say I’ll do a review and then never do. Hopefully I can actually do one this time!)

Currently Making/Baking

I’ve finally started cooking again. I made Tamale Pie again and a super easy sausage and rice dish.

I thought about taking pics for the blog and then chickened out because I was using different colored plates, and then the lighting was bad, and then I was worried about “what if someone thinks my food looks gross?” lol. But really, I probably just need to get over it and post some pics.

Current Obsession

The Dating Diva’s

This site is the best! There are tons of date night ideas and free printables on their website – everything ranging from stay-at-home dates to more adventurous date nights. If you are running out of date night ideas or just want do something different, go check them out!

I’m not going to lie, after having Gryffin our date nights became almost non-existent. In the early days we were tired and trying to figure out home and work life after a baby. After that there was guilt of asking friends and family to watch him. Then there were times that money was tight. On and on our excuses went…

I have been following The Dating Divas on Facebook and Instagram and watching their stories and seeing the feedback from other couples, and that’s when I realized we needed to get back into the dating game with each other again.

We’re on a roll now. The first date we tried from the Dating Diva’s was the Internet Scavenger Hunt. It’s super easy to prep and very low key, which was perfect for easing ourselves back into date night. Also, this can easily be done after the kid(s) go to bed.

Then, we went on a bigger date. We actually got a babysitter (ok, well, my brother and his family watched Gryffin for us) and we went to an actual sit-down restaurant just the two of us. It was soooo nice.

We started with some garlic and onion bread and I got the French Dip. They won the award for the most unique French Dip I have ever had. It had a caramelized onions – almost like a relish, and horseradish mayo. It was very interesting, but in a good way. Mikey got the Shrimp and Scallop Linguini, which he thought was amazing. It was a really great ending to our week and we felt so re-energized after. Much needed.

I’m super thankful for the Dating Diva’s and helping us get our date nights back.

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I hope you all have had a wonderful October and have a Happy Halloween!!

Much Love,

Cami