Hello! How was your week? Mine was a good one but I sure am glad it’s Friday. David was out of town and I was the only driver for activities. Yesterday my driving time clocked in at 4 hours and 20 minutes between a doctor appointment, co-op, theater, and soccer- whew. Good thing I love audiobooks*.

*However, I don’t always love the timing of audiobooks because us pulling in the driveway at 9:00 last night aligned seamlessly with a pivotal moment near the end of Where the Red Fern Grows which led to me holding Kaitlyn on the garage floor while the poor girl sobbed.

On tap for the weekend is some soccer for the kids, some football and family time, biking on the Swamp Rabbit Trail (so excited!), and hopefully, maybe, ripping up my summer garden so I can plant some things for fall. But now, let’s jump into this Friday’s FIVE!

ONE: Reader Top Five

• Premium Edition Jewelry Cleaner – transformed my daily ring and made me realize how dirty it actually was; quick and easy to use.
• Artificial Mums – such a win for outside spaces; realistic pops of fall color with no need to water.
• The Best Can Opener – easy turn, smooth edges, and the tiny little claw teeth that grip and pull off the lid are clutch.
• Slim Ice Packs – Ideal for lunchboxes and small coolers because they aren’t bulky, yet they are effective at keeping items cold.
• MAPS Book – we still use this almost daily in our homeschool- an engaging and beautiful depiction of the countries of the world sharing in great illustrated detail about the animals, food, landmarks, culture, and more of each.

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TWO: Fall Movies

Do you love cozy, seasonal flicks? I sure do. It’s one reason I think the December feels so cozy; watching movies that evoke nostalgia and comfort. My fall list is shorter than my Christmas movie list, but I still have a few favorites that I like to turn on while cooking or folding laundry. I really don’t even need to sit down and watch them; having them on in the background just adds a hint of hygge to our home, like the sounds of a football game.

Here are a few of my favorite fall movies (not including any Halloween movies because that’s a different category): You’ve Got Mail, One Fine Day, Anne of Green Gables, When Harry Met Sally, Pride & Prejudice, Harry Potter, Little Women, Sweet Home Alabama.

A few I might try this year that I’ve heard recommended: Knives Out, Practical Magic, Dan in Real Life

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THREE: Primally Pure Baking Soda Free deodorant

I got a breast ultrasound yesterday with HerScan. The tech was so nice and knowledgeable and we had a good conversation during the scan. She told me she has been shocked at how the rate of breast cancer has grown so quickly in younger women. I asked her thoughts as to why that was. She had several thoughts but the first one she mentioned was the chemicals and fragrances we are putting on our bodies, especially near sensitive areas like breast tissue, through lotions and deodorants.

I’m not one to fearmonger or assign simple blame for complex issues, but I am a believer in doing what we can with the knowledge we have and I feel like natural deodorant was an easy switch for my family. David uses Dr. Squatch and both my girls and I use Primally Pure deodorant (this one is their favorite) for a long time and are big fans.

Recently Primally Pure released two baking-soda-free deodorants for those with super sensitive skin. It’s made with magnesium from dead sea salts to neutralize odor, tallow from grass-fed cows to nourish + strengthen the skin barrier, and organic arrowroot powder to absorb moisture + keep underarms fresh. Use code AHEALTHYSLICE10 to save an additional 10%.

FOUR: Butcher Box Deal

I’ve purchased from Butcher Box for years and while I am shifting my meat purchases to local sources when I can (I have a half cow from SawSutt Farms in my freezer currently), I still appreciate the convenience and selection of ordering from Butcher Box and use it to fill in the gaps; their meatballs are excellent.

I share this because if you’ve been curious about trying them, now is the time. It’s the first time they’ve offered two lifetime products, which means you get two pounds of grass-fed ground beef and 10 oz bacon FREE in every delivery for the life of your membership, PLUS $100 off your first 6 boxes ($16.66 off each box). Get the deal here. The offer runs through 9/25.

I used some Butcher Box sirloin to make vegetable beef soup last week and added a 1/2 c of barley- DELICIOUS!

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FIVE: Chicken Update

The chicken tea is hot over here. (Well, that attempt at sounding hip was a fail…)

What I mean is that there is constant drama with the chickens right now. At 14 weeks I am trying desperately to figure out who is a he and who is a she. Hailey and I painted Duck’s “fingernails” the other day to try and track to see if s/he was the only one crowing. When I heard a faint crow yesterday morning I went to observe and ended up seeing the girls’ FAVORITE chicken attempting to crow.

That led me down a rabbit hole of how to properly sex chickens and ultimately has me deciding we just have to wait and see who lays eggs and who doesn’t. I’ve started putting out feelers for new homes for our potential roosters and made the girls cry yesterday when I delivered the potential update. Well, Kaitlyn cried and Hailey (the strong kind of sensitive) took a minute to reflect then followed up with, “well, I thought you were going to say one was dead, so I guess this is better than that.”

In lighter news, they love the overgrown cucumbers from my garden. And if you know anyone in the southeast in need of a sweet young rooster, please message me.

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I hope you have a great weekend; thanks for swinging by! <3