Happy Friday! How are you today? I’m slow to wake up this morning (cloudy skies…) but am hoping that an hour of hot yoga can wake me up. David and I did 90 minute Bikram last week and had forgotten how intense that is. I’m thinking 60 minutes might be more our speed.

This week marked our official household switch over to fall schedule, which we will punctuate with watching Kaitlyn play her first soccer match of the season tonight. It’s supposed to be a rainy weekend so we plan to have friends over for football and food on Saturday, but otherwise stick around the house- maybe some baking, or working on photo albums, or watching seasonal movies is in store (You’ve Got Mail anyone?!). But before I sign off for the weekend, I’m excited to share a few favorites from the week…

ONE: Finley’s Birthday

Finley had a wonderful birthday yesterday. After getting our school work done for the day, the girls baked her a pup-sized cake from spinach, apple, blueberries, egg, flour, and peanut butter. We took her to the pet store and let her sniff out and pick a new toy. Then we took her on a three mile hike at Lake Norman State Park, which surely was the highlight. The kids had such a fun time getting to dote on her, though I don’t think she loves wearing props…

TWO: Pantry Organization

Perhaps the shift to fall schedules has everyone wanting to tidy and organize their homes, but I’ve had several inquires lately on the gram about the containers I bought this summer for pantry storage. You can see the ones I’ve had for years on the upper shelf, but I’m slowly transitioning them to all match the newer ones on the lower shelf. The upper ones were fine enough for a while but the plastic seals kept falling off and I felt like I was reassembling them every time I opened them.

The new ones are LEGIT. They hold so much more flour than I anticipated, seal easily and airtight, and are easy for the kids to use, too. I bought in addition to the coffee container. If you’re looking for a more basic set, I found this 6 piece from the same brand on Amazon.

THREE: Pumpkin Chicken Chili

Add this pumpkin chicken chili to your meal plan. Every time I make it I’m reminded how much I love this recipe. It’s easy to make, cooks quickly for a chili, and BOTH kids gobble it up with a hearty spoonful of sour cream on top. Great for nights when everyone has to eat at different times and dinner is a “help yourself when you get the chance” event. I’m thinking I’ll be making this twice a month at least.

Homeschool Update

We had our first day of co-op this week and the kids and I had a ball with returning friends and some new faces as well. I feel like with returning for year 2, the co-op is leveling up to be even better than it was last year with science (the kids used a glow light to learn about germs and handwashing), art (learning new techniques and about artists this year), Spanish (lots of vocabulary, so we are going to learn how to use Quizlet), and PE (where they did physical challenge exercises). The social lunch time is always the best part though; it’s a great group of families.

We also began our next Gather Round unit- Farming & Food. It doesn’t even feel like school; we are having so much fun with it. It’s brought up some great topics of discussion (GMO’s, pasteurization, etc) and the kids are super engaged by it. So far, my curriculum plan seems to be working well.

Cleaning & Candles

I filled up my Branch Basics all-purpose spray the other day and realized I’ve been using them for years at this point. I love when I find something that works and I love. Read my detailed review of Branch Basics here and get a discount code.

So in that same train of thought, I’m looking for a great, dependable candle. Yes, I want a subtle fall scent, but I can use a simmer pot for that if needed (or a diffuser, though I don’t have a diffuser that I like… any recommendations there?). What is most important to me is a candle that burns clean (beeswax or soy) that doesn’t break the bank (because I have a candle burning a lot during the next six months). Do you have a candle rec that fits that description?

That’s all for now, friends! Off to get Hailey breakfast before her Synthesis class, meal plan for the next week, and sweat my eyeballs out in yoga. I hope you have a fun and relaxing weekend!