Happy Friday, friends!
1. Spooky Seas
Last weekend we took the kids to Sea Life’s Spooky Seas event! We had so much fun at this event last year and were excited to be invited back again this year. So many sharks, turtles, stingrays, jellyfish and more to see! It was a really fun morning at the aquarium!
2. Cozy Earth Pajamas (Oprah’s Favorite Things)
I am unbelievably excited to share these Cozy Earth pajamas with you today, friends. Honestly, they are pricey. But they are worth it. And I’ve got a promo code for you.
So here’s the deal, I recently selected the Bamboo Jogger Pants & Bamboo Pullover to review (and share, if I liked them). Y’all…as soon as I put them on I felt like I melted into a cloud. In fact, I became lazy for the rest of the day. So buy these (or put them on your Christmas list), but be warned…you will want to relax as soon as you put them on.
Cozy Earth didn’t ask me to put these on my blog (and I don’t get compensated in any way for promoting them), but because I agree with Oprah that everyone deserves a pair of these I wanted to feature them here too with the very generous promo code I received.
So go ahead and send this promo code “CAROLINACHARM50” to your husband or mom to use at checkout when they are buying these for your Christmas gift.
3. Pumpkin Treats
Last weekend we whipped up our favorite pumpkin treats — pumpkin dip and pumpkin bread! Caroline actually made both of them and did a great job. We gifted some of the pumpkin dip to our teachers too!
4. Fall Porch Decor
Last weekend we decorated the outside of the house for fall and Halloween! The kids are so happy with all of our spooky decorations (full post on this to come soon!) and I am pumped with how our porch turned out. Now I just hope I can keep these mums alive!
You can find last year’s porch decor here!
5. From Chaos To Connection
A few years ago I shared an article on my blog that was posted in a mom group written by local marriage-counselor, Lori Epting. The post was “Dear Busy Spouse…Sincerely Your Marriage Counselor,” and I’ve been a loyal reader of Lori’s blog, Marriage Sense, ever since! So I was absolutely thrilled and honored when she reached out to me at the beginning of the year and asked me if I wanted a sneak peek copy of the manuscript for her book, From Chaos To Connection.
I’ve read many marriage books and this one was unlike any other I’ve ever read before. Lori has two young kids and knows exactly what it feels like to drown in the demands and expectations of being a (working) mother and wife.Through her years of counseling couples, she’s heard the same stories, fights and struggles from couples struggling with the overwhelm of raising kids in this modern age of social media and unrealistic expectations.
So she wrote a book to speak to the couples who are immersed in the demands of busy jobs, potty training, soccer practices, and carpooling. The book is light-hearted, relatable, hilarious and encouraging. And she’s transparent about her own marriage and struggles, giving hope that yes, even an expert marriage counselor struggles too.
I devoured this book and often found myself giggling and shaking my head YES to so many stories I could identify with. The book is chock full of practical marriage advice, tools and strategies for modern couples. In fact, one of my favorite tools I immediately shared with Matt and we implemented in our own marriage is the “do-over.” You know when you’re tired, short-fused and totally botch it up at times? When you ask for a do-over, whatever you previously said should be considered null and void. Obviously, you have to use this sparingly for it to be effective, but it’s really saved me and Matt when we’ve said things we really wanted to take back while stressed…or hungry.
Anyway, I highly recommend From Chaos to Connection.
In Case You Missed It
Whether you’re looking for casual play dresses or an outfit for holiday photos, I’ve rounded up some of the cutest options from Amazon for little girls. Almost every single one of these dresses comes in a rainbow of colors and styles, so make sure you click through the options to find your favorite!
1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9
Here are a few more casual options. We’ve purchased from almost all of these brands over and over again and the dresses hold up so well. Every fall I grab some of the same prints that we love and a few new ones.