Hello! I’m smack in the middle of a 4-day weekend of sorts! The kids are off of school for a teacher conference. This week my son’s elementary school celebrated Veteran’s Day early. They gathered information (name, rank, branch) about the veterans in each student’s life. So, for instance, my son has 3 grandparents that served in the military and he was able to honor them with a paper cut-out posted inside the school. They held an assembly on Wednesday and invited local veterans to come to school for the event. I don’t know how many came to the actual assembly, but I do know that 35 veterans agreed to come…

Hello! How was your week? How was Halloween? Our Halloween, if you follow me on Instagram, had a fun event and I’ll tell you about it next week. However, let’s focus on the now. Can you believe it is NOVEMBER!?! Yes, I know I say that every time we start a new month, but I am in no way prepared for the holiday hub-bub. This week was ALL about Halloween on the blog. I shared the pictures Handy Husband took of our mantel. Then I shared some pictures of Halloween and fall in rural New Jersey. On Instagram this week I shared some pretty great Halloween photos and on Facebook…

Welcome! I’m glad you’re here. I’m glad it’s Friday. I’m just a bundle of cheer today. It could be because this week I wrote about a super fun trip to Hershey, Pennsylvania. Or it could be because I shared all the card stock bats and mice taking up residence in my home. Who knows? Let’s roll with it and see what’s on the Happy List! ZUPPA TOSCANA SOUP It’s soup season! HURRAY!!! This Zuppa Toscana Soup by This Mess Is Ours looks so warm and filling. It has Italian sausage, potatoes, bacon, cream… Did I mention bacon already? (image: This Mess Is Ours) YOU BELONG BY RACHEL PLATTEN If you…

Hey Everyone! Does it feel like autumn in your part of the world? It finally does in mine. Temperatures have dropped and the leaves are finally starting to turn colors. (I think all the rain on the East Coast this summer slowed them down.) I’ll probably be over the cold temps way before short sleeve weather comes back though. Grass is always greener in a different season! On Monday I shared what I’m doing with the souvenir pennies my son is collecting. On Wednesday I shared a story about a broken pitcher, a headache and how I ended up on the kitchen floor thinking about empathy. My life sure sounds…

Hello, again! My kids had Monday off in observance of Columbus Day. Do you know what they asked me on Tuesday? When is our next day off of school? Of course they did. I kid you not, they have only had one full week of school this entire school year. On Monday I shared how I am bringing rattan swivel chairs back into the mainstream. Although, in fairness, I’m not sure the mainstream knows I’m doing this. Or cares. On Wednesday I wrote about a recent thrifting trip to Antiques on Broadway in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania. I can’t stop thinking about my visit to this neat town! Also, if you…

Hello! On Monday I shared some tips on visiting Valley Forge. I like to include just a teensy bit of history in these posts as a refresher course on why you should add these places to your must-visit list. On Wednesday I told a tale about my recent garbage and thrift store finds. I’m having a lot of fun right now creating a home that is not cookie-cutter. Apparently, digging in the garbage for home decor helps with that mission. Go figure! Now, speaking of cookie-cutters cookies! Here’s the Happy List. NO BAKE SALTED CARAMEL MACAROONS I’m a rebel because at the height of apple and pumpkin season, I’m sharing a…

Hello! Do you know what I’m feeling happy about today? Routines. I’ll be over them by Christmas, but right now it feels good. A lot of newness all at one time is stressful – for all of us. It feels good for the kids to go to school each day knowing what to expect. It feels good for me to know that they are doing okay in their new schools. I hope to be able to volunteer at school soon to see the kids in their natural habitats, but I have to wait for my fingerprinting appointment! In the meantime, routines for the win! This week I shared my piano room…

Hello, everyone! This has been an interesting week for us. My children were off school on Wednesday for Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur or Day of Atonement is the holiest day of the year in Judaism. This is our first time living in a part of the country with a strong concentration of Jewish people, so it was a good opportunity to learn more about Judaism. On Monday I wrote about Maple Glazed Apple Pull Apart Bread. You should really try it. If I’m not feeling lazy, you can come over and I’ll bake it for you. On Wednesday I shared my latest DIY project: leather drawer pulls! I do hope…

Hi! Hello! Happy Friday! While things in my world are normal, I know there are millions of people in the path of Hurricane Florence and I’m thinking of them today. This week I shared our tips for keeping our kids safe while traveling in foreign countries. I’m serious about hearing from others who have tips to share on this topic. Especially as my kids get older I know our needs will change and it is a good discussion to have. I also shared a recent pet project of mine – a dresser makeover. I really love how it turned out and it didn’t give me nearly as much trouble as…

Hello, hello. Thank you for thinking of me my kiddos this week. They are such troopers and roll really well with change – or as well as can be expected. It’s been a learning curve, especially on the middle school front, but they had a fantastic week. My son would probably say I’m overselling it with the ‘fantastic’ word, but he’s 8 and school isn’t his favorite thing in the world. On the first day of school I predictably asked him, “How did it go? How was your day?” And he replied, “Great!” Then he followed it up by saying, “My teacher said you were going to ask that and to…