Coffee and Cocktails at the Casa

Friday, October 31, 2025

Happy Halloween! It’s also my birthday weekend! It’s so odd that I never thought my birthday was close to Halloween growing up. It’s two days after! It’s also time to fall back on my actual birthday (Sunday) at 2 am so I guess I get an extra hour to celebrate!

This week was cool and rainy. It rained from Monday until yesterday!

Let’s share some favorites with Andrea and Erika! You guys liked my holiday pre-gaming post this week. After Halloween, you can go back and read my thoughts! Please read the comments because there are lots of good suggestions that I am going to take, too!

I was happy to get this in the mail…

and this at the library…

It’s really looking like fall…

This was before the rain started and now we have a bunch of wet leaves, which I also like. I walked Eddie Otis outside and tried to sit outside a bit but it was really just too cold and rainy so I am feeling a bit nature deprived.

I am back to this hairspray. It is a fave to have a hold that doesn’t feel stiff. I need to be able to comb through.

I’m trying out a less curly look…

I am drinking an afternoon tea to warm up outside or after being outside and it’s divine. A couple of other faves in this photo – new Anthropologie mug, faux Birks, and a library book.

I went to the Walmart Neighborhood Market this week to look for some things Kroger doesn’t carry. It’s not a big Walmart, but just the grocery part of Walmart so it’s not too bad.

You guys – these rolls are dangerous. They are so good. I learned to make copycat Chick Fil A chicken minis!

I wanted to try this flavor and I can really taste the apple cider vinegar. So, I’m not sure…

I got Iowa Pine for December and Snowdrop for January. I also need to find the peppermint for December, and I need one more acorn spice until then. Yes, I do love Mrs. Meyers.

Walmart also had some flavors that Kroger didn’t.

I’m trying Chestnut Praline Latte this week and it’s yummy and very fall adjacent!

And, it’s my birthday weekend so why not get Birthday Cake Pop! So sweet, but I like it! It comes in an adorable smaller size.

We had burger bowls one night. Tom and Mason don’t love this meal, but I think it’s so good! I made the Sunday night chili meat at the same time I made the burger bowl meat.

Tom, Mason, and I decided we needed Brit Box streaming service – we reallly need to weed some of our streaming services out – and started Ludwig and it’s so good!

I bought a body wash without a pump and was going to order a pump and then decided why not do what I had originally thought I would do. Look how cute! And, they were a steal – less than $13 for all three with labels included.

Posting these again for me and you:

See your name, Jenn?

Last week we received an offer on my mom’s house that has been on the market since the end of June. The wife went to my mom’s school where she taught forever, and the husband lived in China for work for a bit (my mom traveled to China 15 times). The realtor told us this and she couldn’t help but think it was the right couple for the house. It will be bittersweet, for sure, since it was our parents’ home for 13 years and my mom lived there alone for another 6 years. The kids don’t remember going to any other home to see them.

I have found and booked an Airbnb for my side of the family to spend Christmas in our hometown together. We plan to go after Christmas and stay two nights. It’s such a cute space. It used to be a roller rink and it’s the entire third floor of a historic building.

So, I have had some favorites this week from the little things to the massive things in my life.

I hope you also had many favorites this week.

Thanks for reading!

Amy

Thursday, October 30, 2025

I can’t believe it’s already Thursday and I can’t believe how few outfits I have to show you! Ha! I am linking up with Kellyann and Jill for Fashion Files, nevertheless.

It’s really starting to feel like fall around here. I am taking this opportunity to wear old fall things and see what I want to keep and what I want to let go.

Last Thursday night I got to attend a fashion show at a nearby outdoor shopping center. This center contains a few boutiques that I like to pop into from time to time and a few restaurants that I love.

Here is what I decided to wear. It was at 5:00 and it was sunny but a bit cool. I should have worn pants, but I have been wanting to wear my two new Old Navy skirts – burgundy and black that I got for next to nothing. They are pull on and a good length. I wore a last season Umgee blouse and an old consignment wrap. I should have worn tan boots instead of black. I have the same boots in tan.

I wore this to dinner Friday night (that just turned into getting takeout) because everywhere was so busy. Oh well. The outfit was striped Halara jeans with new this season Umgee blouse. I love the print of the blouse.

Saturday I wore the same jeans and my new this season black Umgee top with my new this season leopard Dolce Vita Mary Janes. Darn it if they didn’t rub a blister. Why, oh why? I even added moleskin and they still rubbed a blister.

Because my Friday outfit didn’t really get to go out I did it again Saturday night but wore my darker Halaras and my favorite Hush Puppies pumps. They are tan with a wooden heel and super comfortable. I should have ordered them in black but they are no longer available. Can you spot Eddie Otis’ chicken stuffed animal in the shot?

For my jacket, I decided to just wear this fuzzy, hooded vest that I love so much. I bought this from an online boutique years ago.

Tom’s oufit at the going away dinner. Tom has quite the vest collection.

My sister Kate meanwhile met up with her high school friends in Columbus, Ohio. I thought they all looked so cute! Kate is three years younger than me. I know all her friends really well, too.

On Monday I tried on and wore a really old fall blouse from Target. I wore it with my black Halaras and my black Lucky brand booties. Do you have black jeans? I think they can be a great option to have!

I am working on an outerwear post where I want to talk about coats, jackets, and vests because they do make an outfit sometimes. I have the long sweater coat that many have but I want to update it this season to one with lapels. Look at Pioneer Woman’s mom and sister in their chic coats. Let me know if you have a rec!

And, I have so many wraps and shawls, you guys. I really need to weed some out. Pioneer Woman wears hers well and this is a great outerwear option for this time of year.

Remember how I wasn’t going to shop in October but wait until my November 2nd birthday to shop? Yeah, me neither!

I have been shopping with my digits. But, look at it this way…they will arrive around my birthday, right? Happy birthday to me from me!

I ordered this…eek!

I just thought it was so cute. Now, let’s hope I ordered the right size because mama don’t want to do returns.

I ordered these:

I ordered these:

I ordered an Anthropologie scarf necklace that made me look like a thick necked flight attendant. It has been returned. If you follow Melanie Shankle, it is from her recommendation. It was too expensive anyway. So, I ordered a regular scarf from Amazon for the price of a coffee. Much better.

I pre-ordered a pair of Halara high waisted pull-on jeans in extra petite. There was only one wash that came in this length, and I am hoping it will be the perfect length for me. Did I really need them? Probably not. We aren’t talking NEED here. But, as you can see above, I am getting lots of wear out of them.

I do get dressed most days. I get out of athletic clothes around 10 and put on a real outfit. I think it’s good for me.

What have you been wearing? Any recommendations for me or thoughts on my outfits. Be kind. I’m fragile.

Amy

Wednesday, October 29, 2025

It’s Wednesday and time to link up with Joyce for Hodgepodge. Let’s do it!

1. Are you a risk taker? To what degree? 

I am not a bungee jumping kind of risk taker, but I have been pretty bold in a few instances in my life. I went to Spain alone as a 17-year-old and lived with a strange Spanish family – meaning I didn’t know them; they were pretty normal. I went alone to do semester abroad in Spain when I was 21. I didn’t have a friend that did it with me or anything and I was the only one from my college. I moved to Louisville alone and lived alone for a time.

I think I take social risks and put myself out there sometimes.

2. What’s your favorite candy? Would you say you have a sweet tooth? 

I love chocolate and peanut butter. I like pb M&Ms but rarely eat them. I like Reese’s Pieces (ET Phone Home) but rarely eat them. I like Reese’s shapes but like my homemade buckeyes better. I do have a sweet tooth, but I would pick a good quality baked good over candy.

3. Somewhere you’ve been recently that had you feeling ‘like a kid in a candy store’? 

World Market a couple of weeks ago! I do more consumable gifts these days for my adult kids and they had so much Christmas stuff out. I appreciate things from different countries, too. Anyway, don’t sleep on World Market for gifts, stocking stuffers, decor, and more.

I always feel like a kid in a candy store in the library!

4. What do you think is the most effective way to make a positive change in the world? 

Maybe this sounds bad, but I felt like my job that I did for 31 years was the most effective way to make a positive change in the world. I hoped to give kids a foundation in Spanish to go out and do some good in the world. As time went on, I realized I wasn’t just teaching Spanish, but I was teaching kids. It was about so much more. I hope I gave them job skills, people skills, organization skills, coping skills, and more. Also, as a Spanish teacher I got to talk about different cultures coming together, immigration, current events, and more.

I also think pouring into the children in your life – your kids, your nieces and nephews, friends’ kids, neighbor kids – is another effective way. Kids need real life role models more than ever.

5. Do you like surprises? 

Not really. It depends. I like to be in control. I like to be the one doing the surprise. I surprised Tom for his birthday one year with all his friends meeting us at a Reds game. My sisters and I surprised our parents at a winery for their 70th birthday (and my mom wrote about it in her Storyworth stories) with all their friends and family.

6. Insert your own random thought here.  

Halloween falls on a Friday this year and that is weird because high school football games are on Fridays! Well, my high school (that I just retired from) is playing my first high school where I started my career back in 1994 on Thursday night (I guess they changed because of Halloween), so I plan to walk over! Full circle! I am hoping Tom and Eddie Otis will go with me but if not, I am fine to go alone.

I just read that some neighborhoods are trick or treating on Thursday due to this. So, smart kids out there will go trick or treating both nights and score!

Tuesday, October 28, 2025

Now, I don’t want you to get mad at me because I do realize Halloween hasn’t even happened yet. If you have littles that is a big one for you! Maybe favorite or screenshot this post for after you get through Halloween!

Here are some things you can start doing right now to be calm in the next two months.

Clean out freezer – I did this recently and we still had last year’s ham, some Christmas gift bacon?, and Tom’s bean soup from January. You will need your freezer space, and nobody got time for Salmonella!

Clean out coat closet and try on – People need your coats that you aren’t wearing! I plan to do this soon. Tom and I have way too many jackets and coats. We have started needing to wear them and this is great motivation for us to see what we have.

Make plans with family, reservations, order food – It’s time to start talking to people about the plans. I have been bugging my sisters already because this is going to be a hard year for us. I think we have figured out our plan.

What will you buy and what will you cook? I have started seeing Thanksgiving offerings from restaurants and markets.

Buy plane tickets if you need to and haven’t already if you have to fly.

Reflect on last year – what went well? What didn’t go well?

What matters? If there is something you did that doesn’t really matter and it stressed you out – let it go.

Make list of who you will buy for – I usually just put this on my phone and I can add ideas as I get them.

Some of you have gained fiances, sons in law, daughters in law, etc. this year. How will you stay flexible to allow for more complicated family dynamics? That’s a tough one!

Do you plan to bake? Make a list of what you plan to make; the stores are already discounting baking supplies. You could add a few things each week to your grocery order.

Buy this Fiona Ferris book! It really made my holiday last year! I do believe that I had a chic and simple Christmas!

I enjoyed my red/green purse strap and got dressed in somewhat festive attire to run my errands last year. I ordered what I could to help make it easier on myself, but when I did need to go in person shopping, I felt happy and lucky to get to do these things.

Advent calendars – if this is your tradition, there are so many cute ideas out there. Some are pricey so really think about if this matters to you. I know I am getting Mason a tea advent calendar!

Look at pictures from last year to jog your memory as you are making plans.

Start marking down community events in your calendar so you can plan to do some of them.

Start going to stores for inspo if you have time. World Market, Anthropologie, Hobby Lobby, TJ Maxx might get you in the mood!

Do not buy anything until you look at your holiday bins. You might want to do that early to see what you have.

Donate any holiday stuff that you don’t love. Others can use it and you will feel happy making someone’s day! If you have a kid who has just gotten their own place, they might want some. They also might not and don’t take it personally.

I incorporated some fun things we saw in England, Scotland, and Spain because it was so special to me. For example, last year I did an appetizer spread like what we would have in Spain.

If you do the new pajamas, now is the time to start ordering those. I have looked at Old Navy’s offerings.

Last year, we did a new tradition of a new book and good chocolate on Christmas Eve and we all loved it. I think we might do that again.

On Eve, we(I) decided to eat at an Irish restaurant and I loved it!

Is it Christmas morning if you don’t have monkey bread? You decide.

We got to go to this quaint church on Eve! Jack sings there.

Tom and I give each other magazines in our stocking, and it was mild enough last year that I got to read them outside!

Chex Mix! Why is it a Christmas thing? I don’t know!

Eddie Otis also wanted to hand out puppy chow.

Buy your pets their gifts! Eddie took up smoking last year.

I love going places that have decor and twinkle lights. Life is short; wear the Prosecc Ho Ho Ho shirt.

Personal opinion: I think the reason why we as women get stressed out is because we don’t do the above things and we don’t take the time to reflect and be intentional. I ask my kids what their favorite things are and what matters to them. Keep it simple and don’t do things that are causing you stress. Delegate. You know what has always come up with the best gifts for our kids – Tom. Yup, shocking.

Your teens and adult kids want money. Period.

We always did the “something you want, something you need, something to wear, and something to read”. Loved it!

This year is going to be hard. If you are in a similar situation, try to do something different. Can you go away? Do a scavenger hunt? Do a Goodwill fashion show? Prices have gone up. Can you do a talent show and give a gift of your talent instead of tangible gifts? Can you just draw names? Can you do a group charity gift and feel good about helping others? If you bring this up with family, you might be surprised at the relief of the others.

Change is hard and change is scary, but sometimes you gain a lot from doing things differently.

I hope I have given you some food for thought and not given you a whole new bundle of things to stress about! I hope I have helped more than I have hurt!

Leave your ideas and suggestions in the comments and I am sure I will talk about this topic again!

Amy

Monday, October 27, 2025

Well, here we are – last week of October. Ay ay ay as they say in Spanish. Did you have a good weekend? Let’s link up with Sarah and Holly and share…

In my new role of SAHDM (stay at home dog mom) and TW (trophy wife) I don’t have much of a routine. I want one. The Type A First Born person that I am wants to have a certain day to go to the library but I don’t have a certain day yet. On Thursday I had a book request ready for me and I made it one of my errands.

I snapped a photo of the Halloween/scary book display:

Over the weekend I finished this:

It wasn’t nearly as good as a Kristin Harmel – The Winemaker’s Wife, The Stolen Life of Colete Marceau, or The Room on Rue Amelie – but I did like it. A couple of the details were confusing and a couple of things bothered me, but I did like it.

I stayed in Paris for my next book – he, he

I just barely started it. All this Paris is gonna make me crave some baguette!

Thursday afternoon I went with my friend Jessica to a fashion show! She snapped my outfit pic for me…

First, we had drinks from a mobile bar…

Then we had a food from each of the restaurants in the shopping center…

Then we saw fall fashions from all the boutiques in the center. There were also models with doggies up for adoption because the humane society was a sponsor.

It was a fun thing to do!

Friday little boy jumped up on this bench to be closer to me and it was so cute!

He seems to enjoy laying outside more now that it’s cooler outside. He is a little stinker because I always use a torn piece of paper for my bookmark and he loves to pull it out of my book and eat it. He’s part goat.

Ok…short story time…

Have you heard of Storyworth? It would make an excellent gift for someone this Christmas, I think.

So, I gifted this to my mom about 3 years ago. You receive a question about your life via email, and you answer it and add photos where you see fit. The gift includes one hard back book where all of your answers/stories are compiled. My mom loved this gift! She did a great job answering her questions and adding photos. I am super impressed that she added so many because sometimes technology was not her friend.

My mom loved it so much she bought herself another year’s worth of questions and bought three more book credits for each of us.

I gave the job of editing and creating the final book to my sister Kate in exchange for writing her thank you notes. Lol. I said, “I will do your thank yous if you do this huge project that is daunting to me”. We had hundreds of thank you notes to do and we divided them up based on who knew who and then some were just random. Yes, our mom taught us to write them as children and Kate always cried over hers and never did some of them!

I did her thank yous and she didn’t do the Storyworth project. But, she did do so much of the getting ready for the estate sale and so much more. I have talked about this before, but we really did divide up the work according to each of our strengths. I took on most of the business and phone calls where they were better at the cleaning out and dealing with the stuff.

So, since I retired the Storyworth was mine to do. It wasn’t super user friendly at first and I got frustrated. I had to call a couple of people from the company. I’m not selling this gift very well now, am I?

Also, it was quite emotional to read my mom’s stories to be honest.

Well, Friday was the day that I called the customer service again and got help and finished the editing and designing of the book. I added one more copy of the book and one will go to my sisters, me, and then my mom’s two siblings.

Anyway, it felt like a big accomplishment!

Tom and I are trying the Scandinavian way and it looks a bit weird but we really like it. We have two twin sized down comforters and two twin sized duvet covers. Here is what our room looks like now…

We need to get rid of the armoire that used to house our smaller tv…

My favorite red trees by my house are showing off!

Saturday, I had an Anthropologie return that I had ordered online and I browsed around…

They have shoes now in my store…

I bought these two from the sale room…

Love this mug and love this drinking glass. Yes, I only bought one of each!

Test run…

Eddie Otis cannot get close enough to Tom -look at EO’s smile…

We had some Saturday sports ball and a fire!

At 5:00. we went to a pizza place for a going away gathering for our friend…

She took pictures with the different groups that came trickling in. We stayed to eat with her.

Tom and I split a yummy salad with focaccia and then ordered, as well…

The guest of honor gave me an early birthday present of this pretty mug! How thoughtful!

Sunday morning, I researched Diane Keaton movies and watched part of one I had never heard of.

Tom and I went to Costco and did a Kroger pick up, too.

I missed my Amylus and I need the protein.

I was most excited about these wedge salads!

“Daddy went to Home Depot without me”, said EO.

Not a fan of falling back…

By the way, I have to fall back on my birthday!

Loved this…

I planned out my meals for the week…

Chili, Grilled cheese

Burger bowls

Chicken, potatoes, broccoli

Fish, peas, Mac n cheese

Mummy dogs, fries, salad

Leftovers – chili again, hot ham and cheese

Amy

Friday, October 24, 2025

This week flew by! Did you have a good week? I am linking up with Andrea and Erika to share some faves! I know my Tuesday post kind of read like a Friday Favorites, but it was all about the little things that are saving my life right now! Go back and check it out if you missed it and make your own list, too! I really enjoyed the comments on that post, too.

Thanks for being here! I haven’t said that for a while. I am really having fun blogging lately and having more time to do so has made it even more fun!

I enjoyed one of my cans of Trader Joe’s peach wine one night while dinner was cooking. Always put it in the pretty glass!

This week held hair day! I always do my makeup so I don’t scare myself looking in the mirror. I get highlights and now that I am seeing some grays I am doing lowlights to cover those up.

It’s not just hair day, but it’s catch up with my stylist Laura day. She is so fun to talk to and is also like a therapist. She’s my hairapist.

I sent my hair day selfie to Tom and…

Unbeknownst to me, he had hair day, too! He doesn’t like to tell me when he has a haircut appointment because hair is a sensitive subject for him but aren’t we in synch? N’sync?

Grown men taking selfies is weird, no? I can’t take one either, though.

Let’s talk about Mah Jong. I took a lesson at the beginning of June and haven’t played since. I have seen leagues you could join for $300 and events that were really pricey and I didn’t want to pay that amount or commit.

My friend found out about a free play at Captain’s Quarters (we go there all the time, close to home, on the river) and I went and I was mortified as I had forgotten all the rules. Also, we played with tiles that looked different from the ones we learned on. The beginning of the game where you discard and pass to the right and pass to the right takes a sweet forever. Then the game starts and some people are super slow. I just don’t know if I like it that much. I like Euchre. I like Rummy. I like Go Fish. I like Slap Jack. I also would rather play during the day when I can focus more. I was fading as 8:00 approached.

So, a favorite is that I am glad I tried again and went to this free play but I am not sure it’s for me. Chime in if you have opinions!

I definitely do not want to be a sheep and just play it because everyone is doing it!

I found this book really cute!

Then, I went back to WWII Paris!

I had a Crumbl gift card with some money left on it so I bought this Fruity Pebbles cookie…

and this M&M cookie.

I think there’s something weird about Crumbl that I can’t pinpoint. I don’t plan to go back unless I have a gift card. It has an artificial aftertaste? I’m not sure. Mason and I split them over a couple of days. So, I didn’t have trouble eating them; I’m just making an observation. I mean even a bad cookie is still a cookie, no?

Tomato soup and grilled cheese hit the spot for dinner one night this week…

Tom and I are trying the Scandinavian way. We bought two twin sized comforters and duvets for our bed. I am so happy with this print and I think it looks really good in my room. I will take an updated photo soon of the whole room. It’s not quite done but it’s getting there.

It turned cold this week. EO and I got out early and it felt so good!

My shadow…

Tom’s lap dog…

I have been watching Real Housewives of London through an app called Hayu using a VPN. Yes, Amy understands all this now. It is not shown in the US so this is what I had to figure out. Look at the striped jeans one lady is wearing.

Mason went to Kroger with me on Sunday. I had no inspiration for meals. Nothing sounded good. Nothing looked good.

So, we basically just bought snacks.

Bacon was $9.49.

I did a black mani that will hopefully last til Halloween. I decided not to go with any fun mani this year because I couldn’t find one I really liked.

If you haven’t watched Season 1, get on it! It’s so cute. Mason loved it, too. We are so excited to start Season 2.

Die, mosquitoes!

I grabbed this from my Facebook memories. I have not made it yet this season but plan to make it soon.

I need to get on some of my fall bucket list items!

Do you have fall plans this weekend?

How was your week?

Amy

Thursday, October 23, 2025

It’s Thursday and time to link up with Kellyann and Jill for Fashion Files!

Today is even more fashionable for me! Want to know why? I get to go to a fashion show! There is a shopping center near me that has restaurants and shops and many of my favorite boutiques are located there. They have an annual fall fashion show, and I get to go this year! 5:00 starts the food and cocktails and 6:00 starts the fashion. There is shopping starting at 7:00 with some discounts involved. You also get a swag bag.

So, last week I told you about my two little Old Navy skirts that pull on. I wore the burgundy (the other is black) with this fall blouse from last season and my new Frye & Co. vegan boots to brunch for my friend’s birthday last week.

When I went to my friend’s new distillery I bought a sweatshirt and paired it with my gray Amazon leggings for Friday errands.

I wore this blouse and jeans to dinner Friday night.

I thought my Spanish burgundy velvet Mary Janes looked good with the sunset. The brand is Cayumas if you are curious.

I love wearing my Adidas to run errands. I hope these don’t look summery.

I had fun getting some fall aesthetic photos in my boots…

Tom and I ran some rainy errands Sunday and I just threw on my pumpkin graphic v-neck tee with my rain jacket.

I wore my Witching Hour with jeans and my new scalloped cardigan for dinner the night before.

Monday I ran errands in the softest J.Jill consignment fall vibes button up blouse (several years old), jeans, and my Adidas.

And, Monday night I wore jeans, my leopard Mary Janes (Dolce Vita), and my new black Umgee blouse for a game of Mah Jong.

Instagram knows how to get me!

Look at this Old Navy SLEIGH sweatshirt!

Look at this one!

Monday’s errands took me near one of my consignment stores – Clothes Mentor. I popped in but didn’t see anything I needed. I would say I leave empty-handed about half the time. You just have to browse frequently, you know?

I’m not technically a boomer, but apparently leggings are a sign that you are not young!

Are we gonna stop wearing our leggings? I’m not!

I said I was going to try not to shop in October and I wasn’t able to make that goal. I bought two Umgee blouses, a Old Navy Christmas graphic tee, and two Old Navy skirts. I think that is all I bought so that isn’t too bad!

Amy

Wednesday, October 22, 2025

It’s Wednesday and Hodgepodge day with Joyce!

1. What do you like most about your family? 

We love to laugh and there are some really funny people in my family! Did you catch my kids’ funny things post last week? My Dad loved to laugh and joke, and my sisters and I laugh together so much. I think we value humor quite a bit. Tom and I laugh together, and we think we produced some funny kids. I have some funny nieces and nephews, too. We are either laughing at you or with you! That causes problems sometimes, too, if you are the butt of the joke.

I also have some very creative people in my family, and I have always valued creativity, too.

2. What’s something nice that’s happened to you recently? 

I got to retire! Ha!

It’s still so weird! I am on an emotional rollercoaster most days flipping between feeling so free and lucky to questioning my life’s purpose and how I got to this age/stage so quickly.

3. Do you like the color orange? Besides a pumpkin and an actual orange, what’s something orange you love?

I love the color orange! I have a few orange pieces of clothing, I love an orange sky, I like orange in decor sometimes. I like orange candy! I like orange mimosas a lot! I like aperol spritzes! Orange is a happy color to me.

At my friend Erica’s birthday, I wore an orange/salmon dress and it matched my orange aperol spritz.

4.  What’s something you have now you couldn’t have imagined having five years ago? How does that make you feel? What’s possible now because of it? 

Time. I have more time. It is a gift to have more time at home now. It makes me feel a bit unanchored at times. I remember reading blogs of people who didn’t work or didn’t work full time and just feeling so envious. I am figuring it out and trying to give myself grace. I am a stay-at-home dog mom right now. I am a trophy wife. Ha! But seriously, I have always had to be so organized with me time and now I can slow down. What’s a First-Born Type A to do?

5. Let’s wrap this one up with an October this or that…

• pumpkin bread or apple cider donut – I just picked the bread, but I don’t think I have had a really good cider donut.
• cozy sweater or cozy hoodie – I am not a big hood person.
• apple picking or pumpkin picking – Neither. How about wine picking in a vineyard?
• scary movie or Hallmark movie – Hallmark movie – My job was scary enough.
• hay ride or corn maze – Hay ride. I have gotten lost in a corn maze. It’s terrifying. Have you seen Children of the Corn? I’m from Indiana. Enough said.
• twinkle lights or candles – I like both but fire over electricity, you know?
• autumn hike or autumn bonfire – I like both, but I love sitting by a fire. I love the smell of fire on the crisp fall air.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

It’s so exciting that it is feeling like fall! I tried to take an aesthetically pleasing photo in my new boots and my new burgundy Old Navy skirt!

I have not bought any more pumpkins (just have the two snowball baby pumpkins) or mums. I am enjoying seeing the fall displays around town but maybe I am ok with not buying and killing mums this year. Lol. I do so love watching the squirrels eat the pumpkins, though.

Amy

Tuesday, October 21, 2025

This is a bit dramatic sounding, but I am going the route of Modern Mrs. Darcy and The Lazy Genius because I enjoy these so much! It could be a show, a book, a product, a song, really anything!

It’s a way to put a positive spin rather than a negative spin on life, too. It’s easy to sit around and say what’s driving us crazy, right? I don’t ever want to fall into that trap where all I do is complain. I would rather say to someone, “tell me what’s really working for you right now.” The conversation suddenly becomes so much more uplifting.

My frother! I splurged (relative) and got the frother that isn’t handheld and I love what it does to my coffee so much!

My library and all the great books I get!

Reading outside!

Old Navy graphic tees! They are soft as soft can be, good quality, and the price of a coffee. I think they are so fun to throw on.

Phone calls, texts, and usually one on one brunches, lunches, happy hours, and dinners with friends! I try to connect with someone once a week.

Press on nails! But only Impress brand!

Pull on jeans by Halara!

A smallish fall wardrobe of things I really love! Getting dressed is easy!

My old Swiffer and my new heavy duty cloths!

This creamer! Yum!

Love is Blind! It’s been fun!

What is saving your life right now? What’s really working for you or enhancing your life?

Amy

Monday, October 20, 2025

I had a really good weekend! Let’s link up with Sarah and Holly to share! And all of a sudden, it’s looking and feeling like fall here in Louisville, Kentucky!

What about you? Did you have a good weekend? Is it looking and feeling like fall? And, just like that we only have eleven days left of the month! Talk about scary!

Let’s go back to Thursday. It was Brunette Heather’s birthday and we knew we weren’t going to be able to go to dinner as couples for a few weeks so we spontaneously did a brunch during Brunette Heather’s workday. She works from home and we picked a place close to her house.

As a reminder, I met both of these girls on day one of college. Well, I met the blonde at orientation in July and then we decided to room together. Then, we met the other one like day one and we have been tight ever since. We all live within a few miles of each other now.

It was so lovely out and we sat on a patio! After we ate we went across the street to a couple of little boutiques. I went home and napped! Tom came home from work, we ate Mexican lasagna for dinner, and that was that.

Friday I went to Trader Joe’s – it had been a few weeks!

I bought these brie bites and the best rice cake I have ever tried. Seriously. Both of these will be repeat buys!

Even though I like pumpkin, I didn’t enjoy it in this kringle.

I didn’t like cinnamon bun nearly as much as brown sugar so I am going to stick with my Starbuck’s brand creamer from Kroger since brown sugar is gone from Trader Joe’s now.

I love this salad mix and I had this for lunch with Trader Joe’s already cooked chicken on Friday.

Fig butter for grilled cheese and raspberry to go with the brie bites…

Jack came home to do laundry, and I made lunch for him and he and Mason spent some nice time together all afternoon. I offered to buy them dinner if they went out together because neither of them had plans. This has been a big change for both of them, and I will never understand the twin bond but it’s a special thing. I remember Gretchen Rubin saying her parents paid for her sister to travel to her and vice versa so I try to help with that bond when I can.

Tom almost always says “yes” to my schemes. He had had a long week at work, but I wanted to go to this bar in the river/on the river before it closes at the end of October…

I do feel that going out on a Friday (even briefly) makes you feel like you had more weekend.

You can park your boat there or go by car and we went by car. I had a delicious blackberry margarita.

They had an authentic-ish Mexican food stand on one end of the bar. Ok!

Neither of us felt really confident that the floating barge bar would hold up but sometimes you have to live on the edge.

We saw the most gorgeous sunset from the bar. The drive home with the horse farm fences and the sky darkening was gorgeous, too.

This little outing made me so happy! Maybe I am a quality time person instead of words of affirmation person now?

Tom brought me home a new laptop! His work allows them to buy old phones and laptops. He was worried about my lack of Ls on my old laptop even though I bought a new keyboard. My new laptop is so nice!

I woke up Saturday and immediately went outside. Then, I decided to spend some time reading outside and it was a nice way to start the day. Saturday is my day off from Eddie Otis – lol.

He hung out on the porch with me for a bit and then he got to have a field trip with Daddy. I balanced so much cleaning with a bit of self-care and reading before they returned home…

Tom had to mow before the rains came and then he blew some leaves and Eddie Otis “helped”. Eddie Otis was beside himself when Tom climbed up on the garage roof to blow leaves and clean gutters. He just didn’t know how to get to Daddy to “help”. Yes, we do call ourselves “Daddy” and “Mommy” to Eddie Otis. What are you even doing if you don’t? Also, what do people do without a dog?

We did sheets, more cleaning inside, watched some football, and all kinds of boring things and then Tom and I went to my favorite street to get a gift from the bookstore and to eat at our favorite pizza place currently. We usually just order it but we wanted to go eat there.

We came home and watched a bit of tv and then woke to rain yesterday…

I lit my new Trader Joe’s vanilla pumpkin…

Tom and I ran a couple of errands together, but it was a cold, windy, lazy Sunday for us!

Amy