friday favorites || long weekending love

Can I just say, that after three weeks of working M-F how much I appreciate this Friday + Monday OFF!?  That's pathetic!  I know.  I've definitely got my head in the clouds this Friday morning☺️

I'm probably most excited about actually getting to take Cam to school this morning & pick him up this afternoon!  And have a long day with Conley.  We have so much to do!  Let the errands begin!

Happiness sprinkled throughout this last week:

one. supper club

Cade cooked "his legendary breakfast" or so he claims (okay, he is a great breakfast chef, the best) for our sweet neighbor friends & it was a great evening of laughter & kid messes, & gravy.  Lot's of gravy.  Don't tell him I like it.

 

two. sister sister

Bebe & Joe Daddy came to take the boys shopping for a few school things this past weekend, & while a lot of that free time was spent doing a much needed house cleaning, my sister & I took a break + snuck away for a few short hours to do a little window shopping (something i m p o s s i b l e with a bunch of boys!).  Didn't buy a thing but a refreshing cup of coffee & sunflowers at Trader Joes, but oh the things I had all the heart eyes for.  Such a fun day, & it ended up being about 90 degrees, but that morning totally felt like fall!  Next time we go shopping, it will be my turn to buy school/winter/church clothes + a side of holiday pj's for our little stinkers! 
How can straight leg pants be so hard to find for a 5 year old boy??

Pottery Barn finds that I'll never be able to afford:
THIS DESK & chair.  NEED.

That galvanized pumpkin at the bottom has given me all the inspiration for my mantle.  I'm keeping my eyes peeled for a sale or a cheaper version... if you find one I'm all ears!

I need this pendant in my entry.  Isn't she pretty?

All the cute Halloween stuff! 😍

And a few favorites from Altered State.

This dress just screamed fall pictures to me...


three.  new work bag to the rescue!

Totally sold a watch I got from Christmas a couple years ago (thanks to my apple watch taking over my life) & in return, snagged this bag for work. That is kind of my way of buying things.  Sell on eBay & buy something I'll use.  🕺🏿I may or may not empty this tote on the weekends & use it for a purse, because I love it so much.  It's huge, stands up on it's on (which is contrary to the one I currently carry) & has the cutest Dalmatian/cheetah-ish print on the inside. 
I've been eyeing it for probably half a year thanks to @thesisterstudioig.
 I will affirm.  It is as dreamy as she claims it is. 

four.  favorite people in the world

My preschool staff at my old school (old as of spring).  I love & miss them so.

Talk about the most precious snail mail to receive a card from them delivered to my new school this week.  It will stay in my bag to pull out when I need it!  Love, love.

five.  long weekend, here we come!

SO to do, but at the top of my list, a few simple things:

---

1. Actually read the entire Fall Magnolia magazine.  I tend to get to look at one picture & end up storing it away for a time when things slow down & "I can."  Yeah, right!

2.  A little shopping + haircuts for the boys!

We've got birthday presents to buy & my shaggy brothers need a good snip!

3.  PSL!  I just got an email they are b-aaaaack.

4.  Stay up late & binge watch Very Cavallari.  I shouldn't, but I can't stop.  Thanks, Bebe!  I'm an old Laguna beach junkie from "way back in 2002" & I think my main obsession with this show is Nashville.  I love that city.  I want to go this fall so bad!

5.  I'll probably spend the rest of my free time when the boys are asleep printing + laminating new therapy materials +listening to Laura Mize podcasts.

I am in pediatric SLP m-o-d-e.

 

A little update  To save my sanity, but preserve this sweet space, I'm going to shoot for two (vs. three) posts a week.  The usual Friday favorites & then a side of something else during the week that I have on my heart.  Something I feel that is less diary like & more worth sharing. 

I have a post I've been writing about my "journey" for lack of better words, to becoming a morning person.

Should be fun!

 
And way more importantly (than morning people), Cam is hard at work sneaking my phone away making more videos.  Caught him red handed.
Stay tuned.😜

Happy long weekending, sweet friends!



Soup Sunday Bucket List

There is just something about sitting down to a warm bowl of soup in the fall. 

Does it make sense that it's even b e t t e r when you walk in the door from church s t a r v i n g like Marvin, but alas, you catch a whiff of lunch ready to go in the crock pot. 
Football games blaring in the background.  Leaves dancing in the wind.
Ahhhhhh. 

the lady chicken noodle soup recipe

It's like this, you know how Cheryl said April 25th was the perfect day?
All you need is a light jacket.
Well I'd say September 25th is.
All you need is a soup in the crock pot.

It seems as though I unconsciously trickle it off of dinner rotation the minute spring has sprung

& just as withdrawals begin to hit -

It's that time again!
 

All the feels, guys.  All the feels.

 And yes, I just basically wrote a love letter to soup.

Some classic favorites around our home are taco, chicken noodle, potato, & I personally love my vegetable soup & my mom's broccoli & cheese.  But I couldn't force that down all THREE of my boys (yep, hubs included) throats with a ten foot pole.  "Broccoli???  Are you kidding me, mom?"

I can hear Cam now.

"Mom!  That is from the 1980's, gross!"

Just so you know, he thinks the 1980's might as well be the 1890's.

And that's his new zinger phrase.

Also see:

"Mom, did they have water when you were growing up?"

Totally had a gray hair at work last Friday.  Glowing so much so, I plucked it out.

THEY are why, friends.  My kids are why.

This Sunday marked the end of reintroducing our "tried & trues" & now it's time to add some new to the mix!  I thought I'd share to give you & your family a place to come for inspiration if you're into soup, too.

tomato + basil tortellini

ravioli soup

*creamy sausage and tortellini soup

cheeseburger soup

chicken fajita soup

creamy chicken + corn chowder

white chicken lasagna 

cheesy southwestern chicken tortilla

*dixie stampede vegetable soup

* = I've made & it's delicious.

I could scroll Pinterest for days looking at soup.
I have to know, what's a soup without a garnish?
Grilled cheese (love to cube & drop in & totally want to try these for the boys!), saltine crackers, sour cream, green onions, monterey jack cheese, + crushed up bacon + ritz.

I'd love to know some of your favorites!
Happy Soup making. 

 

friday favorites || it's friday, friday, friday

The work grind.

Going on week # 2 at work and is it crazy to say I’m scared to death to feel like everything is going ok?

🙈

A few happy things to highlight this week:

 

one.  Cam's First (half) day of Kindergarten in pictures

5 am

 

  

6 am

 

7 am

 

 

8 am

 

9 am

 

10 am

 

 

11 am

 

12 pm  Slushies to celebrate!

 

very proud of his first day tattoo...good behavior tattoo...

Conley will never experience this moment.😂

 

2.  Podcasts!

My morning commute is about 30 minutes & I have loved taking advantage of that time for podcasts!  Education, encouragement, guilty pleasure dorky listening...whatever the topic it's so nice to unwind to & from work with these.  How have I never done this before?  Oh, that's right...I have games blasting through the speakers & most of the time, yes-I'll admit it-😬 surrender my phone for the sake of peace & quiet travel.

 

three. & the fall decorating begins

this will be a Friday favorite until November.

Just get used to it!

 

four.  remind app

Cam's teacher uses this remind app & I LOVE it!!  Teachers, administrators...your staff & coworkers must know about this!  Maybe you already do?  We get updates via pictures, behavior, homework assignements, dress up days at school, field trips-you name it!  The pictures are my favorite!!  Cam you spot Cam working hard?

 

five.  the fact that today is FRIDAY.

need I say more???  no picture or fluff needed!

 

Happy weekending:)

 

Let's Catch Up!

I can already tell this is going to be one of those posts that I continuously question with how off topic & rambling I sound without making any point whatsoever,
BUT I've got to end the ongoing hiatus & catch back up at some point, right?

 

Summer is officially over for us as work & soon to be school (Cam starts full time tomorrow) are in full swing! 

What about you guys, is summer over when school starts back or do you hang on to the very last ray?

 

I've really had a hard time putting my thoughts & emotions into words lately.

On top of that, so much is going on & I am overwhelmed in finding my pace again.

Laundry is piling up, the house is turned upside down most days, & do dishes ever end?

My job is very needy right now as I learn all new students & a whole new way of doing things. 
 I've been making materials like cra-ZY.

  Finding time to blog has been at the END of my list.

Unless I find time before work, which I am already getting up to workout, pray, & read my bible, I just can't bring myself to do it instead of spending time with my boys. 
Bear with me as I work through all the kinks & figure out what works for me!

 

I'm just going to do a photo dump of sorts with little details of life lately.  I love to tell my life in picture form.  Totally speaks to the visual person that I am!  I would like to note that we sprinkled bits & pieces of fall around the house *basically in hopes that the new season ahead would inspire us to work hard so we can "play hard."

 Cade even put on a vest Sunday for church to, as he described it, "usher in fall."

 

I am a broken record about fall & Christmas (& probably how proud I am of Cam & how I can't believe he's going to kindergarten), but I am a pediatric speech therapist... so it's what I do. Repeat, repeat, repeat!  #sorrynotsorry

 

 Crisp air, "You've Got Mail" on repeat, spotting pumpkins on every door step, & sniffs of apple pie in the air can't come into my life soon enough!  Not to mention soup Sunday & all the football games we get to watch together as we toss the soft football + Cade & Cam argue over who is better-the Seahawks or the Panthers. 

I don't know how many more, "Mommy, don't leave me! Don't go to work" snuggles I can take.
 


 
 
 
I am so excited to spend football game days like THIS (okay, & maybe a little laundry)...
  So many years he has been away!!  Not taking anything for granted these days.

 

Wishing you all a beautiful Tuesday, sweet friends.
Let the games begin!!



friday favorties || soakin' up the last sunrays of summer

Totally soaking up the sun & have a lack for inspired blogging lately...

Thus the lack in life around here!

 

Just going to leave a few pictures here & unplug.

 

One. Beach days

(even rainy ones...)

It's rained every day we've been here but ONE... but that's okay!
Oh,the funny stories I have to tell about my boys this week. 
Never a dull moment!
 

 

 
 

 
 
And what's even better, my Mr. unexpectedly got the day off Friday, so he headed down to join us Friday evening!  I used to be without him for months, & a couple days is killing me now... so thankful he doesn't work off anymore.
 

Two. Impromptu trips to Dollywood

We just wanted to see fireworks.  Folks, never go early (3-4pm wish) to see fireworks set to start at 9:30 pm with small children.  It's not for the faint of heart.  Cam & Con about took out the juggling entertainer while we waited they were so high strung with all their tired energy.

Yep, we caught them from the parking lot.

 

Three.  Back to school supplies

Pens are my weakness.  Probably the most boring thing you'll see all week

 

Four.  Cam's attempt at YouTube fame

I can't, you guys.  Is he the cutest five year old, or what???

 Excuse the long pauses-it's worth the wait.  And yes, yet again, don't be alarmed at the end...Conley is involved in another accident-he flipped off the couch into the door.
He's okay!  Just another battle wound to the face.
(this isn't a public video-you will only have access from here)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXnnOVYlLNQ&feature=youtu.be
 

Five.  Can I just have this outfit for the first day of work?

k, thanks.

 

Have a great August-y kind of weekend;)

Also, on a completely random but exciting side note...totally going to be listening to my Christmas jams on the way home in a few days.

Just dropping this right here...

 

Linking up with the girls of High Five for Friday, Friday Favorites, & Five for Friday.