Sunny Saturday

Happy Easter weekend, friends.  We are soaking up time with family today before we head back home to celebrate Easter tomorrow at our church.  Although this week was full of all the fun things of Easter, it's been a somber few days to remember Christ's death on the cross.  The weight of his sacrifice is too heavy for words.

But, tomorrow we celebrate!  We celebrate his mighty resurrection and death being defeated!  It will be a good day, indeed.

Today, I'm sharing some things that made my week a bit sunnier.

Last year I picked up this print from The Written Tree and it came out during this Easter season.  It's simple and beautiful and the words are a good reminder of what this weekend is all about.

I have been wanting to plant some herbs for awhile now.  I finally found some time to grab some from Home Depot and get them in some pots.  I picked up some thyme and rosemary (for pizza!) and still want to pick up some basil.  My window behind my sink is looking pretty now.

Tomorrow I'm making a quiche for Easter.  It will just be our little family. We will be eating 'pie' as the kids call it and some yummy Easter candy for a treat.  How will you be celebrating this weekend?

I hope you have a wonderful Easter weekend.

Happy Sunny Saturday, all!

Sunny Saturday

We started the week in the desert in swimsuits and sunscreen and are ending the week with raincoats and chicken pot pie.  It's been a wonderful week, one I'm thankful for.  It is always good to be away, but it is always so so sweet to come back to my babies.  Absence makes the heart grow fonder, right? 

Today I'm sharing some things that made my week a bit sunnier. 

Reading is one of the things Kevin and I love to do on a trip away.  I am currently finishing up Jamie Ivey's If You Only Knew.  If you have been around here long, you know I am a BIG Jamie Ivey fan.  Her story is real and vulnerable and I love how she tells it like it is and challenges us to tell our stories.  Friends, this book will not disappoint you.  If you are a wife, woman, mother, daughter, sister, friend...this book will inspire you to love the ones around you well, to tell your stories, and to understand nothing is unforgivable. 

Ritter chocolate.  Have you had it?  They are a German candy company and since you can't pick them up everywhere, I am easily persuaded to buy them anytime I see them.  Trader Joe's sells a few varieties, but World Market has more options.  I'm not sure I could choose a favorite, but Peppermint is high up there...and it's not one I often see.  I might be making an Easter basket for myself this year.

Many of you know I am a Rodan and Fields' girl.  Not that I sell it, but that I use it.  After being in the sun for a few days, their Soothe moisture replenishing cream is helping my skin come back from the dry heat and into the cool spring.  It makes my skin feel so good.

Grilling season is coming.  We have been grilling about once a week for a month or so now and it's one of my favorite nights.  It's easy and eliminates a lot of mess and I'm not the one manning the grill.  Burgers are our go-to, but we do fish and steaks as well.  I am hoping to add this recipe for beef tenderloin on the grill this spring.

Today Kevin and the bigs are at an event at church and I am home with our sweet Jude.  Hope you have a great weekend.

Have a Sunny Saturday all!

Sunny Saturday: Girl-y Things

Happy Saturday, all!  Today we are spending a family day watching Kevin run a 5K and then doing some fun things around town before we head home for the day.  
Last weekend I was able to meet some high school girlfriends for a night away. We browsed shops, talked about great big things like gun control and itty bitty things like what podcasts we are listening to and books we are reading, and had the absolute best time.  It was good for my soul to be with two friends that have known me my entire life.  

And, as girls do, we exchanged gifts with one another.  We are only all together about once a year, so it's a great time to bring each other a little gift.  I LOVE all the gifts I received, so I thought I would share them with you today.

First up, this simple, beautiful mug.  We own eight mugs at the moment and I think one is going to be donated, because this one is a keeper.  My friend introduced me to Rae Dunn pottery and I really, really love it.  They are pricey online, but I was told they are sold at Home Goods, so I might have to check them out there.  My friend, Paige, had a funny story of going to Home Goods with a die hard Rae Dunn fan and waiting by the warehouse door for the truck to come in because I guess people love this stuff.  I am behind on the trend, but I sure am into it now.

Paige also gave me a tea towel with the image of a drawing from her son, Cooper.  He is my godson and I love him dearly.  This is a brilliant idea, isn't it?  This towel is hanging in my kitchen right now.  I am thinking these towels would make great gifts for grandparents, friends, or extended family for Mother's Day or Christmas. 

My sweet friend, Anne, brought some fun gifts for us from World Market.  She lives in Chicago and has an eye for classic, cool things.  (She's maybe my hippest friend.)  This hand soap smells so good. Lily was the first one to use it and she kept sniffing her hands after she had washed them.  And the bottle is just so dainty and pretty.

Last is this vintage looking candle.  It's teeny tiny and perfect for right behind my kitchen sink.  It's the scent of spring and will be burning all weekend long.  Give me all the smelly things.

I hope you enjoy this (almost) spring day!  Have a Sunny Saturday, all!

Sunny Saturday

A beautiful Saturday I have ahead of me.  I am spending today with two girlfriends and we have 24 hours to ourselves, sans kids.  

This week was the right amount of slow and full.  We had days at home and days with friends.  We had easy mornings and dinners that lingered and then some early mornings and crescent rolls for dinner on our way out the door to church. I really like when I can balance our week out that way with easy days and full days.

Today I'm sharing some things that made my week a bit sunnier.

I can't not mention these tulips.  They have been bringing me joy every single morning with their vibrant pink blooms and the way they stand taller each and every day gives me a little something to look forward to when I walk into the kitchen.  I picked them up at Trader Joe's (shocker) and they were worth every penny.

Last week, I spoke to one of my MOPS groups about simplicity.  It's a subject I am passionate about and if you've been around here long you already know all about my journey towards simplicity.  I'm talking more about it over at A Simpler Motherhood.  When preparing for this talk, I did a big purge and it felt good.  I love decluttering and refocusing on what is important, which is not my stuff.  Last week I included Soulful Simplicity in my Sunny Saturday post and as I finished it this week, I couldn't help but want to dive in to a more simple lifestyle. She talks about her journey over at bemorewithless.com.  Check it out.

The Life Giving Home by Sally and Sarah Clarkson has been a book I read a bit out of every morning.  It's an incredibly well written book about creating a loving atmosphere at home.  I love homemaking so much and it's a good balance to my want-to-get-rid-of-anything minimalism persona.  This book touches on how to create space in your home for connection and love and practical ways to do just that.  It is broken up into months and while I know I should be waiting for May to read the May chapter, it's a library book so I must return it soon. However, I think this is one I could go back to again, so it might end up on my book wishlist.  

My last item is a silly one.  Dips.  Vegetable dips.  Kevin and I have been trying to squeeze more raw veggies in our diets and dips are helping me get there.  I heard on a podcast to use dips to start eating more raw vegetables and it's working for us.  I have been buying them, but I am going to try and make one here one of these days.

I hope you have a splendid weekend wherever you may be today.

Happy Sunny Saturday, all!

  

Sunny Saturday

Good.  Good.  Good.  This week was a good one.  The beginning of the week was full of friends and chocolate and Valentine's Day everything.  The latter half of the week was slow and sleepy and just what we needed.  Today I am looking forward to being home with my people, soaking in these last unhurried, cold Saturdays of winter.

Today I'm sharing some things that made my week a wee bit sunnier.

First up is the book, Soulful Simplicity by Courtney Carver.  She is the originator of Project 333, a capsule wardrobe movement.  She writes on her blog, Be More with Less, about living an intentional life with less.  Her book is full of practical advice as well as her inspiring story of living life with multiple sclerosis.  If you're into simple living or just want some advice on how to simplify your life a bit, check our her blog and her book.

Most everyone loves a bite of chocolate every now and again.  These cute little heart cookies from Trader Joe's have me exerting quite the amount of self control.  (I am not winning the battle.)  They are bite-sized and perfect to curb my sweet craving.

I have been waking earlier and earlier in the morning to do some things for me before my littles rise.  I used to get about an hour earlier, but I have stretched it to about two hours.  These precious hours give me time to move my body, talk to God, read, and enjoy a cup of hot coffee.  I didn't know how much I needed these hours until I had them and now I find myself wondering if I should add another fifteen minutes.  It fills my cup and prepares me for the day ahead.  

It's the week for flowers.  I was lucky enough to have a sweet friend and my husband gift me some blooms.  When it's brown and muddy and brown outside, a fresh bouquet is just what I need to brighten things up inside.

Only two more weekends left in this short month of February!  Have a Sunny Saturday, all!

Sunny Saturday

Today we are celebrating our littlest's first birthday.  It is joyful, exciting, and a bit bittersweet.  Where did the past year go?  I can't tell you.  But time passes and Jude is one and we are going to celebrate today!

Here are some things that made my week a bit sunnier...

These barkTHINS are quite possibly the best little 'snack' I have ever eaten. I say snack because it sounds a bit healthier.  Yes?  Anyways, they don't have anything too terrible in them and the ingredient list is readable.  AND they are delicious.  I call it a win.

I have not done well taking care of this hyacinth from Trader Joe's.  In my defense, it did so well on it's own, I kind of thought it was one of those plants you don't do anything to for months.  I was wrong.  It just needs rotated in the sun and it won't flop over.  Regardless, I still find it charming and whimsical and a flowering plant in February makes me happy.

This week I tried this Salsa Verde Honey Lime Chicken for tacos and it was incredible.  And easy.  And we had no leftovers.  I was trying it out for Cooking Club this month and I think it's a keeper.  Tacos could be one of my love languages.

I can't believe it, but Jamie Ivey's first book, If You Only Knew: My Unavoidable Story of Becoming Free, came out this past week.  I feel like I have been waiting so long to hold it in my hands.  I preordered it and was giddy to open the box knowing it was inside.  Jamie is real and vulnerable and I can't wait to dig into this one.

Today is all about celebrating.  I love a good party.  Hope you have a fun Super Bowl weekend.

Have a Sunny Saturday, all!

Sunny Saturday

Saturdays are for lounging.  My new mantra.  Today marks the second Saturday in a row with 0 plans.  We like to roll that way around here.  Cue the pancakes, pjs, and two full hours of reading during nap time.  A lounging day indeed.

Today I'm sharing some things that made this week a wee bit sunnier.  

Flowers.  It has come time for fresh flowers in the house.  I picked up these beauties last weekend and they're still going strong.  A $3.99 bouquet at Trader Joe's does wonders for my countertop and my mood.

Who says Christmas lights are just for Christmas?  I picked up this copper string of lights on clearance two years ago and recently pulled it out (after all my Christmas things were stored). It brings a bit of warmth to our space during this gray winter season.  Anyone else still have lights up?

I love a beautiful card.  A dear friend gifted me this for my birthday and I just adore the simple and sincere message.  It doesn't hurt that it's super cute (possibly frame-able) and was made by my friend's sister-in-law. 

On Monday everyone got a snow day except for us.  The surrounding areas received a dumping of snow while we sat gray and brown and muddy.  (I might have been a little bit jealous and bitter.)  I pretended it was a snow day, nonetheless, and made this yummy no peek beef tip recipe.  It's always a winner and super easy to throw in the oven on a slow afternoon.  

Whether you are lounging on your couch like me today or out and about doing all the things, I hope you have a great day.

Have a Sunny Saturday, all!

Sunny Saturday

Hey friends.  What a week.  After a long, fun weekend last weekend, this week was all about getting back to our routine and our normal.  We had a few playdates on the calendar, but otherwise we were home doing life.  It was cold anyhow.  

Here are a few things that made my week a tad bit sunnier.

Have you heard of May Designs?  I heard Mica May, the founder of May Designs on The Happy Hour podcast with Jamie Ivey and decided to order one of her notebooks to try out for a planner this year.  You guys, it's beautiful.  And customizable.  I chose a marble pattern and then was able to customize the inside pages to fit my needs.  It is so so cool.  I am using it as my to-do list/planner and am loving it so far.  It works because I can keep my to-do list in it as well as my lesson plans for preschool and appointments and playdates.  Because it is a semi-blank slate on the inside, I can make it be what I need it to be.  Love it.

Deep breathing.  Some podcasts I have been listening to lately have talked about meditation.  The last few weeks I have had an ongoing headache and have found a few deep breaths give me some relief.  It grounds me and helps me to focus on the present.  Also, we talked about it in our Journey Group this week. I think God is giving me a nudge.  My next step is to try and set aside a few minutes at the beginning of my day to get some breaths in. It's good to have goals.

Christmas decorations are down.  Except for one.  This beautiful ornament was made by my dear, dear friend, Nicole.  She creates canvases, notebooks, and works of art over at Natural Joy Boutique.   This one might be up for awhile.

Laundry is a never ending chore.  Literally, never ending.  This week I have made it a priority to keep up with it so it doesn't become overwhelming.  I have read in a few different places to throw in one load of laundry a day, so here I go.  One load of laundry a day, maybe two if I want to get ahead.  As if.  

Last, but not least.  Chili.  Winter around here calls for chili on a weekly basis.  I try to mix it up a bit with different recipes, but it's always on the rotation.  This week I tried a version of this recipe and used ground pork instead of beef and it was delicious.  The only bummer about chili is there are usually limited leftovers, which is because of few in my clan eat seconds and thirds.  Also, I always throw in frozen sweet corn because it is the best.   

We have a slow weekend at home and I am going to bask in staying in my pjs all day.  Have a Sunny Saturday, all!

Sunny Saturday

This week was full...of good things.  It was a MOPS week, so I was able to connect with friends.  Unfortunately, one of my MOPS mornings was cancelled due to some winter weather.  My mom was also here, so I was able to knock out some meetings and see some friends.  Kevin and I are sneaking away today for a delayed birthday date.  I am one excited girl.

Today I'm sharing some things that made my week a bit sunnier...

Last Saturday I was not feeling the best.  I was taking cold medication habitually and the only thing I was drinking was water, both hot and cold.  I ate spoonfuls of honey to soothe my sore throat and kept Kleenexes in my pocket at all times.  It wasn't the end of the world, I didn't have the flu or anything.  Just a cold.  But it still made me feel crummy enough to cancel plans I had for the day.  One thing that made that day so much brighter, were fresh flowers scattered through my home.  I received some beauties from various friends and family.  There is nothing like flowers to make a girl feel loved.

Caramels.  I am a caramel lover.  Kevin brought a Shotwell Candy Company box home from work and they are so yummy.  The box is adorable and would make a perfect gift.  Buy one for you and a friend.  So good.

I was absolutely spoiled last weekend.  A dear friend of mine drove to my home with all kinds of goodies, this magazine included.  She gifted me a subscription to The Magnolia Journal and those of you who know me well know I love Chip and Jo.  A year and a half ago I made the trip with girlfriends down to Waco and loved every minute of it.  I am super excited to have this arrive in the mail.

I would be remiss to not mention my mom and hubby this week.  I had a full week and they were by my side (not literally) cheering me on.  They watched the kids and fed the kids and did 'all the things' for the kids.  I was able to have have some meetings and time away with them at home in my corner.  Thanks, guys.

Last, but not least, this yummy Beefy Tomato Soup has been making the dinner rotation often.  It is perfect for cooler weather and super filling.  It comes together quickly and I have made big batches to feed friends and family.  This week I ground up a bunch of hamburger on Sunday to use throughout the week to make this recipe even simpler.  

You can find me snuggled up with my man somewhere in downtown Omaha.  It's going to be a good day, friends.  

Have a Sunny Saturday!

Sunny Saturday

Today we are headed to the Santa Express, a dream train ride for kids mirroring the story, The Polar Express.  We are surprising the kids and I just know they are going to be head over heels excited about this one.

As we come out of the Thanksgiving day fog and are sprinting into the Christmas season, I am equal parts excited and, if I'm being honest, a bit anxious.  I have many plates to keep spinning and I don't want to drop one.  On Monday morning I sat down to map out this week and realized next week is what really matters...and the next.  The weeks leading up to Christmas are some of my most favorites and on Monday morning I started to sweat thinking about all I had to do and think about and prepare for.  Then I took a deep breath and told myself it will all be okay.  And it will absolutely be okay.  Things will or will not get done and it will all be absolutely fine either way.  I looked at my calendar and decided to take two things off and to write on my calendar 'home days' to make sure I stay home those days to enjoy the season, drink hot cocoa, wrap presents, do Christmasy-y things with the kids, and truly remember the reason for the season.  

This week I'm sharing some things that made the first week of the Christmas season extra sunny.

First up, this cute little plant.  I decided I needed some more Christmas in my life and Hy-Vee had the perfect little guy to spruce up my kitchen.  I am a fan of real plants in my home and this one adds something extra with the red cardinal in the middle. 

I am reading Loving My Actual Christmas by Alexandra Kuykendall, a perfect book to get me ready for this time of year.  She also wrote Loving My Actual Life. I got together with some girlfriends this past week to discuss it and the reminders to keep my brain and heart focused on the reason we celebrate Christmas are priceless.  I highly recommend it.

My crock pot is getting worked in my kitchen.  It gets used about every other night and makes the 4:00 hour a little less hairy.  This week I made this yummy Italian Chicken Pasta dish.  It was super easy to throw together and super delicious.  I made it for Kevin's parents when they watched the kids one night this week and then we had it for leftovers the next night.  Put this in your dinner rotation, friends.

Last, but certainly not least, The Next Right Thing Podcast by Emily P. Freeman.  Guys, you have to give this a listen.  My dear friend, Annie, recommended it to me and I am enjoying/needing/devouring it right now.  Her topic of 'the next right thing' is so timely in my season of life.  When you start to listen, make sure you start at episode one and work your way through. This one is so so good for my soul.

I hope you enjoy the first weekend in December.  It's going to be a good one.

Sunny Saturday

We are coming off a tough week. I received a good reminder from one of my favorite little girls: My God is so BIG, so STRONG and so MIGHTY...there's nothing my God cannot do.  That girl is a truth teller.  And then there were glimmers of hope and redemption in some lives that are so dear and close to us. I am so thankful to serve a God that is bigger than the hard and ugly things of this world and can redeem anything and anyone.  

On a lighter note, it was a beautiful sun-shiny week on the Trail.  We had five stellar days of sunshine and 70 degrees and it doesn't get much better. Today I'm sharing some things that made my week a bit sunnier and a lifted my spirits.

Reading is one of my favorite things to do when I get the time to do it.  Tsh Oxenreider released a new book At Home in the World this spring and after reading it I have been going back and reading her other books.  Organized Simplicity is a book about intentional living and I am speed reading it.  A lot of the tips I already have implemented because I read Tsh's blog as well as devour other simple living books, but it's a good read nonetheless.  I just love Tsh...check her out at http://theartofsimple.net.  On a side note, I recently started checking out books from the library and have already saved loads of money.  And, guys, I can put them on hold online and just pick them up. Genius.

Give me all the white pumpkins.  One of these years I'm going to do my wallet a favor and buy some white pumpkin seeds.  #nextyear?  I picked this guy up at Trader Joe's and he is as imperfect as they come, which is why I love him.  It sits simply on the brick by my wood burning stove.  Jude uses it help himself stand up and Luke and Lily sit on it and take turns trying to pick it up while I tell them in my nicest mom voice to 'please-put-it-back-down-noooowwww'. This scenario is on repeat all day long.

Do you have a friend who just oozes love and thoughtfulness?  I am blessed with many and one of them sent me this beautiful runner for my dining room table this week.  It was a sweet surprise and perfect for this time of year.  It came from Etsy if you want to find one similar.  Thank you dear friend.  I love you!

It is soup weather!!!  I love a good soup, especially if it's served with some fresh bread.  My gardener extraordinaire mother-in-law has a bunch of butternut squash and I have used them to make this delicious roasted squash soup twice in two weeks.  The hardest part is cutting the squash, but I have a trick passed down from Kevin's Grandma Turner.  Simply slice a few lines down the squash and microwave for 3-4 minutes and it is much, much easier to cut.  (Thanks Grandma Turner!!) You should definitely get this soup in your dinner rotation.  

We are spending the weekend with family, which is always so good.  Have a Sunny Saturday, all!

Sunny Saturday

What a week.  We actually had to crank on the heat in the middle of the week, because it got chilly...around 40 degrees.  And then today I am sitting outside typing away in the sunshine.  Oh the diversity of fall!  This week was a MOPS week, so I was able to be with my mom friends and, as always, it filled my cup.

Today I'm sharing some things that made my week a bit sunnier.

First up, I am on a bread making kick lately.  My Cooking Club girls have tasted my failed, unleavened bread, but I think I might have turned a corner. #fingerscrossed  This week I whipped up a loaf that looked and smelled and tasted heavenly.  One of my goals in life right now is to be a woman who bakes bread.  You could call it one of my values (ha).  Practice makes perfect and my carb-loving children don't mind the job of taste testing one bit.

Being flexible.  My personality wants to know what is going on a week from now...yesterday.  Unfortunately for my brain, the world doesn't quite work that way.  Instead, I am left being pulled in a different direction at 1:00 in the afternoon than was on my schedule at 6:00 in the morning.  On Tuesday of this last week as we headed home from the city, we watched combines, grain carts, grain trucks, and tractors busily working on our fields across from our home. I was planning on completing some school activities, but instead, spent the next hour and a half either riding in a combine or watching one.  Don't get me wrong, it was an absolute joy for me to watch my babes get giddy with excitement over the big green machines.  The discomfort I felt with the change in schedule was not fun, but so worth it after I watched my children's wide eyes and thought about it later that afternoon.  They learned so much more watching and riding in those combines than I could have taught them in an hour at the kitchen counter.  Flexibility is a skill I am attempting to obtain through practice and experience.  I have a feeling it will be a life long journey...

Pumpkins.  You probably have one on your porch right now.  We have little ones scattered throughout the house and I picked up a bunch of small ones at a farm stand down the road.  Luke and Lily painted a few this week and it kept them busy for a good thirty minutes.  One can never have too many pumpkins.  Yes?

Beyond Belief is a campaign our church is currently engaged in to surrender more of ourselves to God and grow in generosity.  I love how our church community intentionally thinks about the future and dreams of more people hearing about Jesus.  I'm all in and am personally praying to hear from God to see how He would use me during this endeavor.

Today we are watching football (obviously) and prepping for our Journey Group bonfire tomorrow afternoon.  Fall really is one of my favorite times of year! Have a Sunny Saturday, all!

Finally, Fall

Finally, fall.  It is absolutely here.  The perfect season in rural Iowa when the temperature drops just enough to dig out leggings and hoodies and the fields are golden with the glow of harvest just around the corner.  I am donning leggings as I sit with my feet up and windows open wide.  Like everyone else in the country, I am singing the praises of this glorious season.  There is something about the change in what we see, eat, drink, and smell that makes us feel more alive.  I am on the fall bandwagon.

Today I'm sharing some things that have made life just a bit sunnier.

First up, MOMCon.  If you follow me on Instagram, you know I attended a conference with mommas from around the world in Kansas City.  I was only able to be there for twenty four hours, but I packed a lot in.  I was able to hear from Bob Goff, worship with Elevation Worship, have Erin Loechner all to myself, and the best part of all, spend some quality, uninterrupted time with some of my favorite girls.  It was splendid.  Although I didn't purchase any momentos while I was there, I did get this nifty water bottle in our welcome bag and I have been using it all week long.  Lesson of the week: two littles who can reach the counter requires a water bottle with a lid.

Next up, this Wax Buffalo 'The Orchard' candle.  It is bursting with the scent of fall and I am absolutely in love with it.  Enough said.

Kevin's grandpa passed away two weeks ago.  He built the house we are now raising our family in and left a strong farming legacy to the next generation. His life was honored last weekend and for a guy in his 90s, he sure did have a lot of people come out to celebrate him.  These flowers have been brighting up our kitchen and reminding us of him. 

Anyone else making applesauce?  There is a lot more input than output for a jar of homemade applesauce, but I find it's a simple luxury.  It's not complicated, but not easy, and takes some time and care.  The result, though, is warm, smooth fall-in-a-jar goodness.  Most of the time, I leave out the sugar.

Today is my sweet husband's birthday.  We will be celebrating by staying home and eating good food and watching football all day, per his request.  I can definitely get behind that.  Have a Sunny Saturday, all!

Sunny Saturday

Fall might be just around the corner, but it still feels a bit like summer here on the Trail.  It hit 90 degrees a couple days this week and as badly as I wanted to pull on my sweat pants, mother nature had me reaching for my shorts for a little while longer.

Our homeschool routine is getting a little bit better each week and I feel like we maybe, could be, in a bit of a groove.  I have had to say 'no' a few times to friends getting together and playdates, but I know it's all part of this season.  We try and say 'yes' as much as we can, but know we need to be home a certain number of days during the week to complete preschool activities.

This week I'm sharing some things that made this week a bit sunnier.

Youtube.  As a new homeschooler, I have been using Youtube for mini lessons and songs and a reward for completed school work.  They are almost always short and under ten minutes, but they provide value to our learning and give Luke an extra incentive to get his work done.  

Our preschool theme this month is apples.  We have been painting with apples, performing apple experiments, counting with apples, and reading loads of books about apples.  Even though we have a plethora of apples right outside our door, a friend asked us to go to the apple orchard and it was a perfect way to tie everything together.  Tress, Shrubs, and More is a sweet orchard.  It is small and quiet and my littles loved running down the rows and pulling their wagons while apples bobbed inside.  After we tasted all the apples we could, we went to the nursery and I picked up this ornamental kale and purple aster.  The kids helped me plant them this week and they look so fall-y on the back deck.

As most of you know, I am an avid reader of anything in the genre of simple living.  I recently subscribed to a quarterly online magazine called Simplify Magazine.  I signed up for a lifetime subscription for a mere twenty bucks and have loved every single article that has come across my screen.  Two of my favorite simple living gurus, Joshua Becker and Tsh Oxenreider, created this magazine, among others.  You can still snag a lifetime subscription for $20 if it's something that peaks your interest.

As I mentioned in my last post, Kevin's parents are raking in the homegrown goodies.  They have been so generous with their zucchini and I have been baking bread like it's 1950.  This zucchini bread is so tasty, my kids will stuff it into their tiny mouths any chance they get.  In college I would make zucchini bread with a hand held shredder like those mommas doing their thing in the 50s and this time around I am using my food processor and it. is. life. changing. I can whip this bread up and have it in the oven in twenty minutes.  It's perfect for a mid morning snack break.

I am spending today celebrating a friend's birthday and then it's football, football, football all weekend long.  Hope you have a Sunny Saturday wherever you may be today! 

Sunny Saturday

I know fall is officially a few weeks away, but everyone knows after Labor Day it's okay to pick apples, order a pumpkin spice latte, and cozy up in leggings and sweaters (weather permitting).  I'm not in full fledged fall mode, yet, but this week we did sleep with our windows open a few nights and pick some pumpkins because the kids were begging to...so I guess I'm easing into it.  

Today I'm sharing some in-progress fall things that made my week a bit sunnier.

My in-laws are pros at growing things on the farm.  Bless them, we get to benefit from the apples, zucchini, squash, grapes, and green beans they have carefully grown from seed to plant this time of year.  We have been eating all we can of the fresh produce and have enjoyed picking apples every chance we get. On Monday we even borrowed their juicer and made fresh apple juice.  The kids love this time of year almost as much as I do.  Luke has been begging to make a pie, so we are going to try this recipe sometime soon, with a Pillsbury crust of course because momma doesn't have time for that.

It was a Cooking Club week.  Horray for extra time with girlfriends!  My cup was filled in the midst of our first days of homeschooling.  I needed some adult conversation, friends.  My friend, Nicole, picked the theme of Mexican night and it was simply delightful.  The food was over the top and the conversation just what I needed this week.  My friend, Lydia, literally threw together this incredible dessert and we all were speechless as we ate it.  She did something similar to this ice cream cake, except substituted roasted pumpkin seeds for cornflakes and put a layer of salted chocolate sauce in the middle.  There isn't much I wouldn't do for another piece of that deliciousness.

Football.  Kevin and I always look forward to the last weekend in August because: football.  My Hawkeyes are playing his Cyclones today and you can better believe our house will be divided for a few hours this weekend...all in good fun.  This is the one time we will fight over who gets to dress all the children.

Many of you know our family took a two week road trip a few weeks back.  It was absolutely wonderful, but I did lose a few house plants during our time away. I feel it's my duty to tell you about one of the few that made it.  This jade plant looks exactly the same since the first day I planted it.  After two weeks without water or sun rotation, it is still kicking.  This is a public service announcement for all you black thumbed girls like me.  It seems this plant can't be killed.

This last one was a gift from a dear friend.  This Be You print from lovewell handlettered means a lot to me because I have found myself in a season of rediscovering who I am not just as a mom, but as a woman.  Motherhood is my dream come true and part of my identity.  However, God created me with other gifts to use on this journey.  I am working on honing in on those gifts and using them for good.  

I hope you have a great weekend.  I could be hiding all the Cyclone gear before the game starts this morning in hopes all three of my littles will be adorned in Hawkeye attire.  If I can pull it off, you can catch it on Instagram.  Have a Sunny Saturday all!