Seasonal Puzzles

 So this may be the most niche post of all time but I am SO EXCITED because I'm not sure there's anything I love more than a seasonal puzzle. I'm super picky about puzzle designs and feel like I've curated my preferred brand list down to *chef's kiss* so here we go with my seasonal recommendations in case you like to have a fun puzzle going on your table at all times but especially during the "ber" months ;)

I literally can not with this Halloween puzzle.  I ordered it as soon as I saw it and can't wait to do it!

Meal Planning - JUST DO IT

 I've had several questions about meal planning lately (typical for the start of a school year) and what a week of meals looks like at our house and so I thought I'd share my process and a few little tips and tricks that I use.  

First of all - I was anti-meal planning for YEARS but then it got to a point where I literally dreaded dinnertime not because I hate cooking (I actually love to cook), but because of the mental energy I was spending figuring it out every single day to say nothing of the grocery trips, etc.  

I decided just to suck it up and be a grownup and start meal planning and it has been the BIGGEST HELP OF ALL TIME! It's such a streamlined process now and we're not making 5 trips to the grocery store every week and while it feels like "a lot" to plan it every week it really takes the guesswork out daily which was my big struggle. 

Weekend Happies

Happy Monday! Today I'm sharing a few "weekend happies" because I can't wait until Friday to share ;) hahaha

This weekend was McKinney's Oktoberfest festival and Frank competed in the weenie dog races!

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday, friends! Erika and I are so excited that lots of y'all are linking up with us every week.  Make sure that you're grabbing our graphic, linking back to us and sharing your own Friday Favorites post ;)

Short and sweet again because this week has been BUSY and your girl is tired!

Chapel this week was a FAVE...

Homemade Hamburger Helper

I made this for lunch last Saturday and all three of my kids gobbled it up. It was quick and easy and one pot which I LOVE! This is on my keeper list and think it should be on yours too!

What's Up Wednesday

         Today I'm linking up with  Shay and  Sheaffer to talk a little bit about what's been going on around here!

I made a homemade hamburger helper situation this weekend and it was SO GOOD! I took the leftovers for lunch yesterday and it reheated perfectly - come back tomorrow for the recipe! ;)

Acupressure Mat - Info

Any time I show or mention my acupressure mat I get a TON of questions so I thought I'd do a quick blog post that can "live" here and that I can refer people back to.

I started seeing target ads for acupressure mats a couple of summers ago and started to do some research on how to use them as well as the benefits.  As someone with headaches and who carries stress in their back I decided to try it out and OH MY WORD I love it.

Reading Recap

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion was recommended to my by my friend Jeni and it was short and sweet and totally unique and I ate it up!  It took me a minute to get used to the writing style but I found it charming and can't wait to read the second journal.

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday, friends! Erika and I are so excited that lots of y'all are linking up with us every week.  Make sure that you're grabbing our graphic, linking back to us and sharing your own Friday Favorites post ;)

This week absolutely FLEW by and, honestly, I'm not complaining ;) 

We had our FAVORITE extra dog at our house last weekend and, as always, she's the sweetest! 

Garlic Parmesan Orzo with Chicken Meatballs

I made this orzo and chicken meatball recipe last weekend and immediately added it to our meal plan for the following week.  It was quick and easy and SO DELICIOUS!

Cards for Hospitalized Kids - Fall Edition

 I've shared about Cards for Hospitalized Kids before as it's one of my very favorite organizations and projects to do with my kids.  Today I'm sharing some Fall/Halloween ideas in case you need a quick project for this week/weekend.  If you want to make seasonal cards you need to get them done pre-season so this is PERFECT!

Teacher Tuesday: Binders and HW

   

I first blogged about this new "binder system" I had put in place in my classroom back in September of 2019.  I'm happy to report that it's STILL going strong and still one of the best things I ever did for my sanity ;)  Today I'm resharing the post since it's the beginning of the year and lots of us area looking for organizational tips and best practices.