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You know I love my weekends, and this one was no exception!

We had Friday night at home with our favorite dinner and then had some friends/family over later on for dessert and conversation. I was craving something pumpkin (because who isn’t this time of year?!) so I made this pumpkin-yogurt crisp thing and it sorta turned out, and it was a really fun evening with some great friends. We were hoping to spend the evening outside on the patio, but it was too rainy and cool to do that, and really it was RAIN so I didn’t mind at all, hehe.

Saturday was a big home project day and we felt like we got a lot done, which is always a nice thing to feel at the end of a day. We went into Lowe’s in the morning to pick out a new dishwasher and to check out other things for our kitchen remodel…cabinets, countertops, etc. I think we know what we want, so fingers crossed it actually works out that way. The rest of the day was spent mowing, more garage organizing, hauling things to the thrift store donation box (i though we got ride of everything we could when we moved…turns out we still have a lot we don’t really need. downsizing will do that to ya, haha.), and other odds and ends that needed to get done. It was another rainy day, so I made a big pot of chili for supper because it just felt right, Ayla went down for an early bedtime, and we spent the rest of the evening with a movie and snacks. Such a perfect Saturday!

Ben had plans for the day with some of the guys from work, so it was a quiet, slow Sunday for us. We actually slept in until almost eight o’clock (that hardly ever happens around here), and I always get this strange sense of accomplishment when I can stay sleeping past six thirty on the weekends. It just seems like the fun thing to do on the weekend, huh? Ayla and I were just at home for the day, taking naps (well, she did), reading, a little walk in the morning, and being cozy. She has suddenly become so much more interactive and is full of smiles and giggles all day long. I think she is discovering emotions right now because she will go from super-duper happy to super-duper upset in five seconds flat…it’s actually kinda cute, hehe. I really do love seeing her personality emerge more and more, and even if that means we have more attitude to deal with, it’s ok.

Here are five things I love:

– this inspirational act
– this recipe
– this song (on repeat for days)
– this snack
– this perfect cardigan

Have a superb week, dears!

…slowly getting into the fall spirit. Normally, I’m pretty ready for the briskness of fall weather and cozy sweaters and hot drinks all day long…but for whatever reason, this year I’m having a hard time getting “into it.” Don’t leave me yet, summertime!

… trying to decide on a kitchen style. We want to update the kitchen in our new home, both for our own benefit and for resale value down the road. I’m both excited and a little terrified about doing this, because as I’ve said before, decorating and paint colors and flooringandcabinetknobsandcountertops andcoordinatingitallsoitlooksright is not my thing. Ok, sorry…I just got a little overwhelmed there for a second. Anyway, it needs to be done and so we’re trying to work on deciding on all of that. We have a tiny kitchen so I don’t want too many dark colors going on that make it feel even tinier…so I’m thinking white cabinets, medium dark flooring, and no ideas yet on the countertop. #sendhelp

…loving my new things from ThredUp. I haven’t actually found anything for myself, but I’ve gotten quite a few things for Ayla…all for free, thanks to a few people who used my referral link to grab their own free $20 credit (thanks, dears!). You know how most times when something sounds too good to be true that it usually is? Well, a totally free $20 to spend on clothes is pretty fun, and as I’ve found out, actually totally true. Can’t lose with that!

…still drinking smoothies almost every day. It’s turning a little chilly, but I can’t stop making my mid-morning or afternoon smoothies! My current favorite is blending frozen bananas, coffee ice cubes, milk + coffee, a few heaping tablespoons of cocoa powder, maple syrup to sweeten, a good dash of salt, vanilla extract, and a dash of cinnamon. It’s so yum and the perfect little pick-me-up.

…enjoying a week at my parent’s house in South Carolina! Ayla and I drove down on Monday, and it’s been a fun week full of family time and going out with friends. I had lunch out with a friend on Tuesday and a night out with more friends last night while my mom kept Ayla, so I’m feeling pretty spoiled! We sleep in and take extra naps and spend the afternoons sitting in the sunroom…it’s like a vacation, hehe!

…attempting to be more intentional about taking time to just sit and be. I have a hard time just sitting without doing something…I’m either scrolling through my phone or reading a book or magazine. I’m not talking about getting into meditation or anything like that…but just sitting without doing anything else. I especially want to be more intentional about this when I’m holding Ayla. She doesn’t very often like to just sit and snuggle for long, but lately she’s been a lot more snuggly and will sit on my lap longer. I love it! But too often, I get distracted during these special moments with other things (laptop, books, phone, etc.) and so I’m learning to make myself just let it all go for the sake of just being. Just holding her, doing nothing else.

What about you: what are you trying to be intentional about doing and/or changing right now?

I’d love to hear your thoughts!