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Five on Friday

Happy Friday!

I thought re-capping the week with a high-low-buffalo was fun last week, so let’s do it again!

  • High: There were some fun highs this week, but my favorite has to be basketball tryouts! Our school’s co-ed team for 4th and 5th graders is competitive, and Caroline and her friend made it to the final round, which is tonight! With over 40 students (mostly boys) competing for just 12 spots, even if she doesn’t make it, I’m so proud of her for putting herself out there and giving it her all.
  • Low: Mabel has struck again and chewed up another corner of my rug, despite my best efforts with bitter spray (which, clearly, she doesn’t mind). Normally, I’m home with her most of the day, but now, even if I leave for a quick errand, she’s getting playpen time. It breaks my heart a little, but the rug can only take so much!
  • Buffalo: The funniest part of my week? Chaperoning Thomas’s 3rd grade field trip to see The Wild Robot. Honestly, it was the perfect field trip to chaperone—watching a movie in a comfy seat with a bunch of giggling kids devouring buckets of buttery popcorn? Yes, please! The movie was adorable and hilarious — highly recommend it!

We’ve got a fun and festive weekend ahead, and I’m so excited for all of it!

I’m playing in a Halloween tennis mixer this morning— in costume! Tonight is the final round of basketball try-outs as I mentioned in my high, and then we’re heading to our neighborhood Halloween party in our family costume. The Spooktacular is hands down the best event of the year in our neighborhood, and we’ve been looking forward to it for weeks! Tomorrow we’ll be putting the play room back together now that the painting is done and then have an afternoon filled with flag football. Tomorrow night we’re having some friends over and I cannot wait to have our families together. And on Sunday, we’ll be keeping things more low-key, aside from Caroline’s Nutcracker rehearsal.

In Case You Missed It

This week I shared…

Top 5 Reader Favorite Items This Week

Highlighting a few items that y’all loved this week! Separately, I’ve also rounded up my personal Top 5 Favorite Items This Week HERE — the LED collar for Mabel has been SO great for walks after dark!

  1. The $10 Walmart ballet flats: Most of the colors were restocked! I cannot get over how comfy these are — and for only $10!!
  2. Girls Follow Your Heart Sweatshirt: On clearance for $15 from Old Navy, this oversized sweatshirt is one of Caroline’s favorite tops to pair with jeans or athletic shorts!
  3. Bead Kit: The bead kit that is shaping up to be one of the top reader favorites for the entire month! This kit really is SO good and inexpensive. This was previously our go-to birthday party gift before skincare, and is also just really great to have on hand for rainy days, snow days, teacher work days, etc.! It’s still 70% off and has a coupon — so VERY cheap!
  4. Sol de Janeiro Cheirosa Perfume Travel Set: THIS is the set I drove Caroline around town to multiple stores to find. The ladies in Sephora said this is THE gift all the tweens have been coming in for and it’s sold out in most stores. So, if you’ve got a tween girl, buy it online NOW!
  5. Pine Garland: Also still on sale — and surprisingly IN STOCK! Once you go faux, you’ll never go back to fresh! This garland is stunning — I own 10 strands!

Alright, let’s dive in!

1. The Play Room Update

This week, we’ve kicked off a new house project—giving our playroom a little refresh! When we first moved in, we didn’t touch this space at all. I wanted to live in the house for a while and see how we naturally used it before making any changes. It turns out, this is the most loved and used room in our entire home for our kids — and their friends! It’s where Thomas plays video games with his friends, where Caroline’s endless supply of craft materials lives, where Sprinkles has her cozy corner, and it’s the designated sleepover room.

Recently, Craftwork reached out to partner on a paint project, and after giving it some thought, Matt and I decided the playroom was the space that deserved the attention most.

What started as just a fresh coat of paint quickly grew into a more fun makeover project, and we’re all excited to breathe some new life into this room that we use so much.

Updates to come!

2. Amazon Fall Outfit

I pulled down my winter clothes box earlier this week and have been excited to see all my fall clothes in my closet! Here’s one of the outfits I wore this week!

Speaking of sweaters, now is a good time to remind y’all of the best cropped sweater hack for when you don’t want to actually tuck your sweater into your pants/skirt! I LOVE The Tucky, an undergarment accessory that allows you to tuck your tops into a crop, or get the tucked-in look without the bulk. It is so easy to use and is fully adjustable. The Tucky would be a great gift for a Favorite Things Party, stocking stuffer, or for yourself! You can also find a cheaper belt version on Amazon!

PS – This Chunky Knitted Pullover Sweater is one of my longtime favorite sweaters from Amazon. I purchased several colors back in 2020 and they have held up SO well after many washes.

3. Halloween TV Art

I’ve had a few requests to share the spooky art we use on our Frame TV!

To be honest, I find the process of adding new art to the TV far more complicated than it should be—it’s definitely a bit of a hassle. But, I have to admit, the finished result is always worth it. I love how it transforms the TV into a true statement piece, especially during the holidays.

We like to rotate through a few of our favorite spooky themes, and I’ve linked them all here for you here:

4. What to Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking

Last weekend, my friend McKinsey surprised me with Caroline Chambers’ new cookbook, What to Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking, and I’ve been cooking out of it all week! To make the gift even more special, she marked all of her family’s favorite recipes with sticky notes so we’d know exactly where to start.

This week, I’ve made Peanutty Pork and Brussels, Cheater Chicken Tinga Tostadas, and Italian Stallion sandwiches—every single dish was incredible.

I love how the cookbook is organized by how much time each recipe takes, with the option to search by protein. The pages are filled with helpful tips, easy swaps, shortcuts, and gorgeous photos of both the food and Caroline’s family. I’ve followed Caroline Chambers for a long time, so it’s been extra fun to cook from her newest collection of recipes!

This cookbook would make the perfect gift—for your best girlfriend, a gift exchange, sister or SIL, mom or MIL, or even yourself!

5. Holiday Gifts Checklist

With the holiday season ramping up, it’s the perfect time to re-share my Printable Christmas Gifts Tracker! This handy checklist will help you track what you’ve bought, what’s left to purchase, and most importantly, where you’re hiding it all. Let’s be real—nothing kills the holiday surprise like stumbling upon hidden gifts early, so make sure to keep this tracker out of sight! Download it, grab some hot cocoa, and let’s stay on top of holiday chaos together. It’s the perfect way to stay organized and keep those gift surprises intact!

The checklist below is an image, so you can either right-click it and download it OR I’ve created a PDF version that you can download and print!

Happy weekend, friends!

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