Halloween this or that 👻

 

Hello Friends!  

Since tomorrow is Halloween, I thought it would be fun to do a quick Halloween this or that.

Please leave me your answers down below so I can see how you like to celebrate your Halloween! 

 Trick-or-treating or handing out candy?

Trick-or-treating! It's where all the fun is!  Sadly, our trick or treating days are over. Now I'm the candy-giver-outer, which is dangerous because I have to stay awfully close to the candy bowl! 

Scary movie night or costume party?

Scary movie night for sure! That's my kind of Halloween party...but not too scary of course : ) 

Gory makeup or cute spooky makeup?

Oh, I don't like gory at all. 

Candy apples or caramel apples? 

Caramel! Even better if dipped in chocolate! 

Drink apple cider or a pumpkin spice latte? 

Duh?!  Just kidding! I love hot cider too! But if given the choice I will choose a PSL! 

Scary costumes or pop-culture costumes?

I think the fun costumes are so much better than the scary ones.  There is nothing more terrifying than a scary clown.  No. Just no. 

Haunted house or corn maze?

Corn mazes can be just as scary as haunted houses.  They remind me of those creepy fun house mazes that are all mirrors.  Every turn looks the same and you can't escape. I would rather a haunted house (especially if it's the one in Disney...which isn't scary at all! : )

Bobbin for apples or carving pumpkins?

We carve pumpkins every year! I've never bobbed for apples.  Come to think of it, I don't think I've known anyone who's ever bobbed for apples.  Have you? I just know it from the Charlie Brown Great Pumpkin movie (which I watched last night!). I mean, who's dunking their head in a bucket of water to get an apple?  

Would you rather be a vampire or a werewolf?

Well, I've seen Twilight so naturally I'd rather be a vampire! 

Happy Halloween eve, friends! What are your plans for tomorrow? 

xx 

A big thank you and a walk on the beach ♥

Hello Friends! Happy Tuesday! ♥

I want to send a BIG thank you to my friends who commented on my post about John not going to traditional college.  Your kind words and comments made me feel like we aren't alone in this decision.  It happens more than you think these days, but people rarely talk about.  People automatically assume failure if someone doesn't have a college degree and that's just not the case. 

 Thank you for your support.  

As parents we just want what's best for our kids and that's different for everyone. 

♥

In other news...♥

Today was another beautiful fall day.  It was sunny and blustery.  Leaves were flying everywhere!  

It's hard to believe that only 15 minutes down the road from our house is this beautiful beach, where it doesn't look like fall at all.  On Sunday Rob and I took a walk down here.  It's so nice during the off season. The crowds are gone and it's so peaceful.  

I've been coming to this beach my entire life and I've never loved it more than I do now.  

I find it's a perfect spot to escape to and embrace the quiet (especially when the world seems overly loud right now...) 

I hate the heat in July & August.  I hate the crowds. I hate finding parking (and paying through the nose for it!)

But in October there is none of that.  It's cool and you can actually feel the ocean air going into your lungs when you take a deep breath in (I love that in January!). 

 There are people walking, all bundled up with coffees or hot chocolates, and there's always dogs which is nice too.  Also, no crowds and plenty of parking : )

The ocean and sky were like glass on Sunday.  

We walked and talked and then we came home and it was still fall 🍁

That's what I call the best of both worlds.  

Have a cozy evening friends! xx 

Pumpkin Spice Crumb Cake ♥

Hello Friends!  ♥

Happy Halloween week! Wow, that came fast.  It's hard to believe Halloween is on Thursday, but here we are. 

I hope you all had a nice weekend.  Ours was very good.  The weather was perfect October.  Cool, crisp, and colorful.  

We got some things done around the house, but also took some time for R&R which was very needed and honestly, the best part of the weekend. We ran errands Saturday morning and then Rob suggested a walk on the beach, which was wonderful.  It beat cleaning the bathroom, which was my original plan, so I was in!  

 I'll share pics of that tomorrow : )

All of our Halloween decor is up, and YES I did finally get the Halloween candy! :) 

The bags I got have Charlston Chews in them and it's taken all the willpower I have not to rip a bag open. They are so good!!  Especially frozen!! Am I the only one who freezes candy? It's something I've always done and on any given day you will find some piece or random candy in the back of my freezer. 

Sunday morning, I wanted to do a little baking, so I tried a recipe from Pinterst called Pumpkin spice crumb cake.  It came out delicious. The only change I made was adding a half tsp of cinnamon to the batter because I wanted to punch up the flavor a bit. We had it warm and it was delightful.  I might add chocolate chips next time and maybe a drizzle of icing.  

I added the link below if you want to try it.  I had a piece for breakfast this morning with coffee and I can confirm it's just a good the next day :) 

Pumpkin spice crumb cake 

I hope you had a nice weekend and a lovely Monday.  I have a busy week ahead but will be sure to take some time for myself to enjoy these last few days of October.  Hard to believe another one has come and gone (almost).  And I still have never seen Hocus Pocus! 

Stay cozy and see you tomorrow! xx

Weekend plans 🍁

Hello Friends! 🖤

We have arrived at the end of the week. Today was a beautiful fall Friday. I worked for most of it, but I was able to sit out on my back porch for a bit this afternoon and sip a coffee while taking in the foliage. That's all I needed and it was lovely. 

Nothing exciting going on this weekend and that's just the way I like it. I love a slow, boring weekend. It's honestly my favorite thing! (I'm not even kidding :)

Tomorrow John has a driving hour in the morning and then the three of us are going to our favorite coffee shop. Later in the afternoon/evening John is going to something called "screamfest" which sounds terrifying to me, but he and his friends are awfully excited about it. It's a haunted amusement park... 

Rob and I have some projects and chores to get done around the house. I'm planning a roast chicken for dinner and I'd like to make a fall-ish dessert (that I haven't decided on yet). 

We'll go to mass Sunday morning before breakfast. John is working at the theater in the afternoon, so I'll probably drag Rob to Walmart with me to get Halloween candy, before settling in for a cozy day of football watching, reading my book, and maybe a nap :)  Sunday night I'll catch up on blog reading and get ready for the new week. 

It's almost Halloween! 🎃 

And I think that's all the excitement I can cram into one weekend...lol

Whatever your plans, I hope you have a cozy October weekend! 

Xx

 (Thank you all for following along with my daily ramblings. I'm enjoying posting every day!)

What's on my mind ♥

Hello Friends!

All day today I kept thinking it was Wednesday. Thankfully I was wrong because it's Friday eve and it's almost the weekend.  Today was pretty uneventful...well to blog about anyway.  All blogs aside, I worked all day and caught up with paperwork and emails that had been piling up.  I had lunch with my Dad which was nice, and I also managed to get three loads of laundry done in between emails.  A perk of working from home : ) 

John and I had a long talk tonight about the future and his schooling.  He's decided not to go to a traditional 4 year college after high school.  He says it's not for him and Rob and I respect his decision.  However, he would like to study music, so we are looking at local schools in and around Boston with music programs.  He wants to live at home and work while taking courses.  There's a lot of options out there, we just have to find the right fit for him. I've always felt that it would be wrong to push him into going to college if it wasn't something he was truly passionate about.  College isn't for everyone and that's OK.  There are plenty of other options out there and opportunities for kids to have successful careers. We found a few prospects online and will look into those next week. He's also making an appointment with this guidance counselor.  Stay tuned for updates ♥

So that's what I'm going to bed thinking about.  That and the fact that a week from tonight is Halloween and I don't have any Halloween candy yet! I have to get myself to Walmart this weekend and pick some up.  Hopefully they aren't sold out of all the "good" candy.  Do you have yours yet?  If so, have you dipped into it?  Maybe it's a good thing I haven't bought it yet.  It could be gone by next week! LOL

Have a wonderful night my friends.  Maybe by the time you read this it's already Friday! YAY!

Xx 

A little reminder...🧡

 

I came across this today on Pinterest and wanted to share it with you.

  Every day I try to not get caught up in the "busy" and make time to slow down and be as present as I can be.  

This fall I'm enjoying watching the leaves change, fall, and blow by the windows.  I love my hot drinks in big chunky mugs that warm my hands on chilly days.  Fleece blankets on the couch, warm cozy socks, cardigans, old library books, candles, and of course Hallmark movies.  

These are the things that bring me joy.  

Oh, and pumpkin spice everything :) 

I'm trying to appreciate each day, as they tend to go by too fast : ) 

Happy Wednesday, my friends! Xx 

Dear October, you're so pretty ♥

 

Today was such a beautiful day I had to take a few pictures around the yard to document it.  

This is why I love October so much.  

Lovely days like this ♥

Xx

Weekend wrap up ♥

Hello Friends! ♥

As I'm typing this it's 9:12pm on Monday night.  I decided to do some evening blog reading in bed.  I had a busy afternoon, and the day got away from me.  I decided (because I don't want to break my daily blogging streak :) that I was going to settle into bed early tonight with a cup of tea and catch up with my blog friends.  

So here I am, tea on the nightstand, laptop on my lap : )  

Today was a Monday...for sure.  It was one of those busy days where you're on the phone all day...making appointments, rescheduling appointments, taking to a computer for 20 minutes just trying to get a live person on the line for customer service, etc.  I'm sure you've been there.  Thankfully, I got everything I needed to get done, done...and no one got hurt :) 

But enough about my crazy Monday.  How was your weekend?! 

We had a lovely one and very Fall-ish too!  Friday night was the homecoming football game and the school band was playing on the field.  John had a great time participating in that! 

On Saturday afternoon  we were invited to Rob's sister's house for lunch.  

She set the most beautiful table.  

Lunch was delicious and such a treat!  She served autumn chili in a pumpkin and apple pie for dessert. 

So yummy and cozy!  

But the reason for the gathering was to celebrate their puppy Enzo's 2nd birthday! Yup, it was a dog's birthday, and it was FABULOUS!  ♥

He's so cute!  Rob made his fair share of jokes but it was all in good fun and we had a great time. 

We also got to spend time with our new niece who is a doll! ♥

Straight from the puppy party, John had to get ready for the homecoming dance.  He went with a few of his friends.  

All dressed up! 

It's hard to see in this picture but his tie has Elvis on it! He has a whole collection of Elvis ties given to him by his uncle.  A love for Elvis runs in our family! LOL 

(did you notice the haircut and shave? :) 

They had a great time! 

 Sunday was a quiet day at home.  I did some cleaning, laundry, and filled two donation bags.  Yup, I'm still filling bags!  It's endless but we are making progress.  Funny thing about getting rid of things.  The more you do it, the easier it gets. To reward ourselves Rob and I went on a quick coffee date.  

And all of a sudden, we are back to Monday. 

Side note: did you notice John at the homecoming game had a winter coat on? That's because it was freezing cold that night.  We had the heat on.  Today was 80 degrees.  I put the a/c on.  What the heck?

Let's hope this burst of heat is short lived.  I'm already in sweaters and I'm not going back.

Happy Monday friends.  Time to get some sleep.  Update: it's 9:50pm.  I did good! ;) 

Talk to you tomorrow.  Night! xx 

Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies ♥

 

Hello and happy Friday!  ♥

I hope you all had a nice last day of the week!  What are your plans for this Friday night?

John is feeling better today and is going to the homecoming football game tonight.  The rest of us are getting pizza and staying cozy at home.  I'm already in my PJ's and have no shame throwing a coat on and picking up the pizza as is.  That's about as crazy as I get on a Friday these days :)

To end this week, I wanted to be sure to share with you the pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipe I made yesterday.  These came out so good!  Very soft and pillowy, like pumpkin bread but in cookie form.  Delicious with a hot tea or coffee.  I'm a dunker and this cookie didn't disappoint : ) 

The best part was I was able to mix everything by hand (no mixer required) all in one bowl.  The only thing I added was a little sprinkle of sugar on top, which honestly wasn't needed but I thought it looked pretty.  

Enjoy!  ♥

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Have a great weekend Friends!  ♥

Stay cozy and I hope you do something that makes you happy : )

xoxo

An ordinary October day ♥

 

Good Afternoon, Friends! ♥

As I'm writing this it's that bewitching time between 3 and 5 pm. If I laid down right now I could most definitely take a nap, but I'm not going to let myself do that.  Not today : ) 

My workday is winding down and I'm starting to think about supper.  I just made a quick batch of pumpkin chocolate chip cookies which are cooling on the stove.  They smell amazing and I'll share the recipe tomorrow. It was sunny and cool today and really felt like an October day.  I had my pumpkin spice candle burning all day while I worked, and it reminded me of my mom ♥

John is getting over a cold and is currently on the couch wrapped in a blanket.  Unfortunately, the change in seasons (although I love it) always brings sickness. He's the first victim. Fingers crossed the rest of us don't get it! (I've got my Lysol ready:) 

I was planning on making pork chops for dinner tonight, but I changed my mind and decided on BREAKFAST.  It feels like a comfort food night.  I'm going to make pancakes, sausages, and fruit salad. 

Have a wonderful evening friends.  I'm off to steal a cookie and put my feet up for a few minutes before I make dinner. 

Happy Friday Eve! 

xo

Wednesday Hodgepodge ♥

Hello Friends!  ♥

Today I'm participating in the Wednesday Hodgepodge link up (here).

I saw my friend Debbie did it on her blog and I loved reading her answers. 

I thought I would give it a try, so here goes...

1. How did you meet your significant other? If you don't have a significant other, tell us how you met your best friend.

Rob and I met at my cousin's wedding.  His family were neighbors with my aunt and uncle at the time. It's very cliche but I saw him across the room and thought he was cute.  I was 19 and he was 21. I thought, what better place to meet someone. 5 years later we got married and had our reception at the same venue...in the same room. 

2. It's Department Store Day (October 16)...do you still shop in department stores? If not do you miss that kind of shopping experience? Do you have a favorite department store? Any fun memories of department store shopping when you were a child? 

This question is so funny to me because it's something I think about a lot.  I miss department stores!!  I have such fond memories of going to Sears and Jordan Marsh and all those classic department stores I grew up with.  Going to the mall as a child was so much fun! I would beg my mom to take me to the toy department.  Especially at Christmas time! When I got older, I would LOVE to browse the kitchen sections and look at the pretty china place settings and crystal glasses. Dresses on the 3rd floor and car parts on the 2nd floor.  Something for everyone in the family.  It's a shame they have slowly disappeared.  Nowadays I do still like going to Macy's, but something about it just isn't the same as it used to be.  

3. Something you're currently nuts about? 

Currently I'm nuts about FALL.  I love this time of year.  I love the cool dark mornings.  I love the smell of bonfires at night.  The foliage is just starting to pop in my neighborhood and it's so pretty.  I wait all year for pumpkin spice season and now it's here. Why does my morning coffee taste better this time of year?  I can finally start wearing my sweaters and extra cushy socks.  Warm & cozy and I love everything about it.  I also love the thought that winter is coming.  I'm one of those crazy people that love snow.  I really do : ) 

4. What's your favorite nut and is there a favorite recipe where this nut is used? 

My favorite nuts are almonds.  I don't buy them very much anymore since John had his nut allergy.  I miss baking with nuts but it's safer to not have them in the house.  There are so many yummy Italian desserts that have almonds.  I also really love hazelnuts and have been known to eat my weight in Nutella. I used to love adding a big tablespoon to a mug of hot chocolate.  It's so good! 

5. On Wednesday we officially reach the '70 days until Christmas' mark. Have you purchased any gifts? If you don't celebrate Christmas then how about Hanukkah presents? 

I have not bought any Christmas gifts yet. I'm usually pretty early with my gift buying but this year I'm trying not to rush the season.  Sometimes I get so caught up on getting things done that I miss the joy.  It's not supposed to be stressful. This year I'm going to try and live in the moment and take my time.  I will start to make some lists soon though and maybe start my shopping sometime in November.  Let's get through Halloween first! 

6. Insert your own random thought here.  

What are your feelings on candy corn?  I love it.  I don't know why it gets so much hate.  It's just not Fall without apple cider and candy corn! 

Thank you SO much Debbie for this idea!  Here's the link to Debbie's beautiful blog: 

(Millies Cozy Cottage Life).

WE are both linked up with From This Side of the Pond for this fun challenge! 

Have a wonderful evening everyone! xx 

♥

3 cozy FALL Hallmark movies ♥

Hello Friends! ♥

I'm going to discuss a controversial topic today.  Hallmark movies!  I say controversial because people have very strong opinions about Hallmark.  They either love them or hate them.  I love them with my whole entire heart! I watch several every week and they always, always bring me joy.  

Yes, they are corny, predictable, and mostly unrealistic.  The acting is sometimes bad and the plots are definitely reused over and over again.  However, Hallmark is warm and cozy.  The aesthetics are everything in a Hallmark movie.  The quaintest towns with the coziest coffee shops, bakeries, and community centers. Where are these places? Do they exist?  Don't tell me you haven't googled "Hallmark town" before because I certainly have. Book me a one-way ticket now please. 

Everyone is adorable and the drama is low. Happy endings are a MUST in a Hallmark movie and I for one, love happy endings and I love corny!  Hallmark and I were made for each other. 

If you are not an avid Hallmark movie girlie like I am you may not know that Hallmark isn't just for Christmas.  They have movies for every season.  Including FALL! 

Choosing favorites is nearly impossible, but off the top of my head here are 3 Fall Hallmark movies that I would never skip past if I saw they were on.  I've seen each at least 10 + times (I'm not even joking) because they bring the vibes I'm looking for this time of year.  

I took the pictures and descriptions directly from the Hallmark movie website.  Check there to see program guides.  You can also watch them on YouTube!  

Ten years ago, Faye and Lydia each opened their own bakeries in Emeryville, Ohio, after a personal and professional fall-out during a local Pumpkin Pie contest. Now their children, and co-workers, Casey and Sam, are set to carry on the rivalry as they go head-to-head in the same contest. There's only problem for these two people who are supposed to hate each other, they start to fall in love. Starring Julie Gonzalo (“Dallas”) and Eric Aragon (“The Perfect Wedding”).

*Pumpkin Pie Wars is always the first one I watch when the weather starts to get chilly and I'm craving pumpkin bread.  It's basically a Romeo & Juliet premise with two feuding families and a son and a daughter from each family that should hate each other but they don't. Do they join forces to help reunite the families at the big pumpkin pie bake off? Oh, the drama.  It's fabulous!*

                                               

After fast-paced New York City high-end real estate broker Fiona Rangely (Lacey Chabert) gets dumped by her boyfriend, she escapes to her family’s quaint Vermont Inn for a few days to slow down and evaluate her life. When her ex-boyfriend Nate shows up at the Inn with a brand new girlfriend, Fiona quickly devises a plan to win him back: pretend the handsome and very laid- back head chef Derek (Carlo Marks) is her new boyfriend! Much to the surprise of Derek --and to Fiona herself-- in pretending to be in love, she realizes that she’s been thrown a curveball: sometimes the best things in life are worth the wait. Starring Lacey Chabert and Carlo Marks.

*Moonlight in Vermont has it all.  Firstly, Lacey Chabert (the Queen of Hallmark in my opinion) whom I would want to play me if there was ever a movie about my life.  I adore her and her smokey eyeshadow.  She's flawless.  It takes place at a Vermont Inn which is too dreamy for words.  There's a maple festival (of course there is), a love-hate thing going on between the two main characters, and it all ends with a horse and carriage ride through the country.  Also, Tony Bennet's version of the song Moonlight in Vermont is played during a romantic dance scene that actually takes my breath away. I just love it.  Maple syrup is also used as a metaphor for love. You've got to see it for yourself to believe me.*

 

While planning a fundraising event, a small New England town’s radio station manager meets her match in a visiting businessman who can’t seem to see beyond the screen of his laptop computer, until she ropes him into participating in her bachelor bake-off to help save the station. Starring Taylor Cole and Tyler Hynes.

* If Lacey Chabert is the Queen of Hallmark, then Tyler Hynes is the King.  He always plays an easy-going laid-back kind of guy that is so nice and loveable you wonder if his kind actually exist.  In Falling for You we get to see him in many cable knit sweaters which is also fun.  This movie has a bake off (another reoccurring troupe) and a beautiful evening lantern festival that is my favorite scene in the movie.  I also really love Taylor Cole's character because she reminds me of me. She loves desserts and sweet coffee and everything about Fall.   

To me a Hallmark movie is like a hot cup of cocoa.  Highly recommend if you're having a bad day.  Wouldn't we all love a Hallmark movie life? I know I would ♥

Let's see what's on tonight :)

XO 

I went apple picking ♥

Hello Friends! ♥

I hope you all had a nice weekend!  It was beautiful here on Saturday.  It was the FALL day I have been waiting for. It was a long week and I was hoping for a nice sunny day because we had plans to go apple picking.  I couldn't wait to get outside in the fresh air and experience autumn.  I talk a lot about it and look at pretty pictures, but it's never real to me until I actually go out and feel it. 

 Well, I finally felt it : ) 

Before I tell you about that I have to show my new sweatshirt....  

I picked this up at Kohls over the summer when it was a thousand degrees out and cold weather felt like it would never get here.  It's been tucked safely in my drawer since July until this weekend when she made her debut.  I love it and have a feeling people will be sick of seeing it because I'll be living in it.  

It says "Stay Cozy"... don't mind if I do ♥

Anyway, back to Saturday....

It was lovely and so many apples!!!! 

I was in apple heaven! : ) 

My friend Julie and I filled our bags while John and Julie's 2 boys, Sean and Michael, helped.  This has been an annual tradition for us since John and Sean were in first grade.  We look forward to it every year.  I used to have to pick John up to reach the high ones...now he gets them for me!  

It really was a perfect sunny day, which made it even better.  In past years we've gone when it's still warm (and sometimes humid) and it's just not the same.  Luck was on our side this time.  

I love being outside with the smell of apples in the air and the beautiful foliage as a backdrop.

It's why I love fall.  

My head goes to all the pies and desserts I'll make with these ♥

After our bags were full, we headed over to the farm stand.  I managed to grab some mums and a pumpkin to take home too.  I really wanted apple cider donuts, but the line was too long. It was crazy!

 Now I'll be on a mission to find them elsewhere : ) 

My loot! ♥

Before we left that morning I had put a pot roast in the crock pot.  I was so glad I did because I didn't have to worry about cooking dinner when we got home.  It was all done! 

Honestly, aren't crockpots the best?! I've had mine for 26 years and it's still going strong! 

I could literally smell my dinner bubbling away from outside.  How nice that was because I was pretty tired when I got home.  

On Sunday I made Susan Branch's cranberry apple crisp.  It's my favorite apple crisp recipe.  The only change I made was I used honey crisp apples instead of granny smith because that's what I picked.  Crisps are the best because you can eat them hot or cold.....for dessert or breakfast! 

No judgement here :)

This one even looks good before you bake it...♥

Even better after...so yummy!!!  I've been picking on this non stop. 

It's starting to get darker earlier now and we've put our heat on for the first time already.  

The coziness is setting in and I can feel myself going into nesting mode.

I really love this time of year ♥ 

Have a wonderful week everyone! ♥

I'm going to try to start to post here daily!  Yup, you heard it right.  I might only be a quick little thought or snapshot of something I find pretty or interesting that day, but I'm going to see if I can do it.  Fingers crossed! See you tomorrow...xo