Meals This Week

Here are a few recipes I have on my radar for this week...

Trying to use my crockpot more, especially on extra busy work days. I have been known to put all of the ingredients in the crockpot the night before, throw it in the fridge then pull it out to get it started the next morning. Makes life so much easier.

Tortellini Sausage Soup

Easy Rigatoni with Caesar Salad

Chicken Bowls - rice, chicken, cucumbers, feta, tomatoes - I have the kids make their own so they'll actually eat it.

That's all I have on the menu so far. I'll usually throw a chicken or shrimp night in there and serve with fruit and green beans. Could also add breakfast for dinner. Soon I want to do pork chops and baked apples. That screams Fall to me and reminds me of when my Mom made it for dinner when we were growing up. 

Easy is the name of my dinner game.

Football Game and Halloween Party

It's a teacher workday here. Have I mentioned how much I dislike teacher work days on a Monday? It's just so hard with work. Kevin and I have been splitting the day when this happens but ugh!

Okay weekend recap. 

Friday night we headed to the high school football game for Homecoming and Western night. They love going to the football games, for different reasons. Molly Anne likes to socialize and Grady likes to watch the football players. And both like to have a sweet treat!

The rainbow in the background!

The most loyal puppy. 


Grady had a good soccer game on Saturday morning and played defense really well. 


The buddy boy puts up with anything and everything!


We went to dinner at Brixx before going to a Halloween party in our neighborhood. 


Gonna be in trouble with this one!


Mario and Princess Peach


Two Marios of course - Thomas and Grady

Sunday we laid low, picked up groceries and got ready for the week. The kids made some cupcakes to deliver to neighbors too. Good times!

We ended the weekend with an impromptu framily dinner of burgers, slaw, beans and wine....and a good fire! 

Have a good week friends and see you back here real soon!

Five on Friday - friends and recipe

ONE. 

My cup is full this week because I got to go out with my friends from Molly Anne's 3's class to Foxcroft Wine. We started getting together about 5 years ago  and it was monthly then but now it's mostly quarterly. These are true friendships. We are all different but there is zero judgement in this group and any one of us would help any other at any time. We all have 8 year olds too! Ha. The other good part is that we all work so it's nice to have those kinds of friends too. We all get it! I always feel so good when I leave this group after a night out. That's a good thing.

TWO.

Loving these clean beauty products. I know I've already talked about the blush but the lip oil is so good too. Hydrating and it actually made my lips not dry this week after a few times using it. I got color Sangria for the fall. It's very shear but still some color. 

THREE.

Raise them up right. Grady asked to help so I just let him do it by himself. He did great! He's such a good little boy and easy to hang with. I know, I know...but he melts me!

FOUR.

This one LOVES to walk Mills. And Mills likes it too. Grady is super far ahead on his scooter flying down the road. The two wheel scooter has been no problem for this dude since May when Nana and PapaG gave it to him.

FIVE.

I made this baked potato soup this week and I must say, it was pretty good. Yes I'm now getting recipes from Instagram. I needed some news stuff to make! Grady is into soups right now. He downed some chili last weekend!

Ole Trusty and Some Cuteness

1. I'm on the hunt for comfortable work pants again this winter. Saw these in the store and they look dressy enough and I can throw them in my washing machine ....they don't have to be dry cleaned. WIN. 

2. Perhaps I need to add candlestick holders to my wish list because I think these and these are so pretty and would definitely freshen up my all blue rooms!

3. LOVE this flowy dress. 



4. Took the plunge and ordered my ole trustys. I like to be practical (sometimes) and not go nuts on shoes but you gotta stick with what you know and what works. Really needed these for work for the past two years so here I am. I was so excited to have them that I wore them right away. That means I needed them!

6. Fleece sweatshirt that can be dressy too?! 

Randoms

 1. Amazon Prime wears me out on these special days they do. Actually it's the constant "you need this and this is the best vacuum cleaner ever!" Ahhhh!! I know, I know I shouldn't be like that!

2. Been slacking on the exercise situation minus tennis and some walks here and there. I just haven't felt like being in the gym at night to do strength. I'll be back to it soon. 

3. Inundated with work is an understatement. It's zapping me. My brain is on overload.

4. Had a great parent teacher conference for Grady the other day and he got a good report. It was interesting going from day care where you hear how their day was every day to then knowing nothing. Part of that is boys versus girls too. He doesn't give nearly the amount of info that Molly Anne does. And part of that is big boy kindergarten right?!

A Good Weekend

We had originally semi planned to go to the beach this weekend but we honestly were like let's just stay here when it was 2pm on Friday. I love that we can do that and understand it's a luxury. Sometimes it's just nice to be home home. 

On Friday, Grady had a field trip to Hunter Farm. His first time on a school bus! 

After school we got to go to a friend's home and swim in his pool! 

That night we headed to our club for a quick and easy dinner. We chilled with Molly Anne that night after Grady fell asleep. She loves that extra parent time! 

I played tennis early Saturday then sports! Grady scored a goal again at his game! Whoop whoop! 


Molly Anne and I did a bunch of errands on Saturday afternoon. Again, she LOVES that one on one time. We went to a cute shop, Barnes and Noble, Michaels and Sephora. Of course Sips and Dips on the way home. She loved shopping. And especially for books and makeup and crafts. Her ideal day!!

And she got to share some crafts with friends when we got home. 


Then the four of us headed to Mexican food for dinner then Hall Family Farm for an evening farm visit. Count this as a bonus of having "older" kiddos that can hang later. It was so nice to knock this out when it wasn't a zoo there! 

You don't wear bright red lipstick to a farm that you just got a few hours prior?

We saw some friends of ours there and that was fun. 

She grabbed my hand on our way back from the corn maze and I loved it! Didn't know she still wanted to hold hands with her ole mama but who am I to judge?!!!

Sunday morning at the church family fun event. Good times!




Then we hung with friends to watch the panthers lose again!




A fun weekend for sure! Always good times!! Live it up! 

Five on Friday - letter, lunch, soccer

Wanted to share a quick recipe that's nothing fancy but took me about 3 minutes to make this week. I'm now at the point of getting recipes from Instagram. I am who I am. This is a chicken and rice casserole and super easy to make in the morning then throw it in the oven while the kids are showering that night. 

Dinner continues to be the hardest thing in my little world despite the meal planning, grocery ordering, fruit and veggie cleaning and cutting. It's a lot of work to feed these people that live in our house! Who's with me?! We won't discuss the laundry that just randomly occurs at all hours of the night. 

1. Found this letter that she wrote him and tucked into his new book that he picked out from the library this week. I mean cutest ever right?

2. Building a teepee in a Lilly dress. This is what kids should be doing. Playing and creating outside! Not doing hours of homework and competing on every ball field at age 8! I'll stop now. 

3. Obsessed with my @heatheropal.art pumpkins! She is so talented!


4. Got to have lunch with both kids this week. Molly Anne LOVES when I come see her for lunch. Like I need to be soaking this up much more. Grady did too. This was my first time for him since he's just now in Kinder. They opened it up this week to allow parents in for lunch and I'm thrilled I got to go so soon. Molly Anne's teacher loved the little break!

5. Grady has been playing Champ soccer at Calvary Church and has really enjoyed it. I must say, it's a great program. They have a little devotional in the middle of their hour long practice each week. Then at their game on Saturdays they have to recite the verse they learned! Little churchy soccer going on! There are worst things! Plus the league is super organized and the practices and games are same day/time every week. Win!


Happy Weekending!