47: week in review

November 26, 2023

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Happy Thanksgiving weekend! I totally didn’t realize it was Saturday until after dinner when I was like, “wait! I have to work on my blog post tonight!” I’ve always loved the long holiday weekend and we’re soaking up all the extra family time with Matthew who has been off work. He’s been so busy with his new job this year that even one day off is wonderful.

WHAT WE ATE

I plan to share the meals I made the previous week, with links if possible, as some inspiration for your own menu planning.

MONDAY- Smoked Ham Hock Soup– My cousin was in town so we had this simple soup recipe that was really yummy! It’s a unique take on a typical ham and lentil soup and we all loved the spices!

TUESDAY- Chipotle Burrito Bowls– This was a hit! The marinade on the chicken was really yummy and made a big difference. We did cut back on the spice a bit though.

WEDNESDAY- Sheet Pan Salmon with Smashed Potatoes- We wanted to keep dinner simple knowing Thanksgiving was a day away.

THURSDAY- Thanksgiving – We make this herby mushroom croissant stuffing every year and it’s our favorite!!

FRIDAY- Thanksgiving 2.0- Hosting is always so busy that I almost don’t get to enjoy it so I love Thanksgiving dinner leftover night!

SATURDAY- Sweet Potato Pierogi- I’ve been wanting to make the cover image of the Half Baked Harvest Every Day cookbook since I got it. I’m not sure how traditional these perogis are but we all loved them! I even had extras to freeze!

SUNDAY- Acorn Squash Stuffed with Curried Beef– Trying to get back to our healthy eating this week. I’m curious about this recipe and hoping the kids like it!

Those sourdough chocolate chip pumpkin cookies I made last weekend have been such a nice treat this week! I’m definitely going to make them again!

WHAT I WORE

For Thanksgiving, I wore this beautiful dress from Baybala and somehow didn’t get one picture in it! It’s such a pretty print though and I’m always so impressed with the quality of their pieces, especially the items I’ve gotten for the kids. Augustine has worn this sweater for 2 days in a row because he loves it so much. And Corinna has been reaching for this dress quite regularly. They’re having a 25% off sale right now too!

SALES TO NOTE

Not one sale going on right now, can you believe it?? I wish that was the case. It always feels so overwhelming to be inundated with all the Black Friday sales and I tried to stay very focused on Christmas presents but of course, there are some that are hard to resist.

J.Crew– 50% off everything! I picked up a few gifts and also some staples for myself like this white v-neck tee. Ok, and I also bought this sweater and skirt, thinking it would be a pretty December outfit.

Shopbop– 25% off with code HOLIDAY

Anthropologie– Another favorite for holiday gifts. 30% off sitewide!

Abercrombie– 25% off everything

Target– Lots of deals and gift cards with purchase! Take a look at their books, movies, and CDs too because they have a Buy 2 Get 1 Free Promo! Some of my favorite cookbooks this year have been Cook Beautiful, What’s Gaby Cooking Take it Easy, and Smitten Kitchen. Hearth & Hand with Magnolia is one of my favorite lines and there’s a lot on sale too.

GAP– I always try to stock up on some staples for the kids during Black Friday and Gap’s deals are the best! 50% off everything (and some is 60% off!)

ON MY MIND

I feel like the past few days have been so frantic shopping sales which I know is not good..trust me! My goal though is to get done with all my shopping by December 1st so that I can truly enjoy the holiday season without unnecessary, last-minute stress. The commercialization of Christmas can be so over the top and while I love finding special things for my people, I don’t want that aspect to take away from what the season is truly about. Even with what I share, know that you don’t have to get anything. There will always be another sale, or not and that’s ok too. Buy what you want/need in a mindful way. That’s my goal anyway!

We’re starting out Treehouse Schoolhouse Christmas study on December 4th and I’m so looking forward to it! There’s still time to order the digital copy and print. You can use code MARAFERREIRA for a discount too.

I’m not sure I’ll have everything wrapped by December 1st but I’m going to plan a night where I can wrap while watching a Christmas movie. I got this wrapping paper and just need to find some ribbon to go with it. I love the idea of green velvet but white might be more versatile. This trio might be the winner though.

We’ve started decorating for Christmas a bit and I’m hoping we’ll get our big tree up before the weekend is over. It’s going to be so festive around here and I love that we will be able to enjoy it all for the whole month of December!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I appreciate you all so much, truly!

xox

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Home, Living

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46: week in review

November 19, 2023

Comments:

Happy Thanksgiving week!! This is one of our favorite weeks of the year and I am so happy it’s here. We are hosting this year for the first time and it will be so nice to celebrate with our in-town family members. My plan tonight (Saturday) is to finish this blog post and then get my giant grocery list written and organized. I know I’ll feel so much better once that is done.

WHAT WE ATE

I plan to share the meals I made the previous week, with links if possible, as some inspiration for your own menu planning.

MONDAY- Immunity Soup – one of my friends brought this to a Mom’s Favorite Soup Night and I LOVED it. The source is random but the soup is delicious! I think I’m going to always add 10 cloves of garlic to my soups now. I mean, of course, right?

TUESDAY- Cheesy Baked Tacos

WEDNESDAY- Blackened Chicken and Sweet Potato Bowls– This was so yummy! The hot honey mustard dressing was beyond delicious!

THURSDAY- Balsamic Marinated Grilled Skirt Steak with Basil Vinaigrette– I mean a favorite is a favorite! This is going to be in our rotation from here on out, I’m sure!

FRIDAY- Pork Chops and Mac and Cheese for the Kids

SATURDAY- Spinach Pumpkin Lasagna– We made this for our friends and everyone loved it, especially the kids!

SUNDAY- Sheet Pan Salmon with Broccoli and Rice- an easy freezer/pantry go-to!

I also made these sourdough pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and they were so yummy! The recipe makes 2 dozen so I happily have some in our freezer for last-minute get-togethers or surprise treats for the kids.

We’ve been making these spiced banana pancakes this fall and they’re so delicious with the warming spices! I’ve been playing around with different combos and today I subbed in some cinnamon and nutmeg and decreased the pepper.

WHAT I WORE

Turtlenecks are the perfect layering piece during winter and I’m already reaching for them. I especially love them under this Hatch dress with the v-neckline.

I got this brown quilted jacket from Jones NY and it’s such a great piece for fall. I sized up so I can wear it with light sweaters but I like the slightly oversized look.

SALES TO NOTE

Anthropologie– Their sale section is an extra 40% off right now! I always love searching for unique gifts on their site.

Everlane– Up to 50% off almost everything!

GAP- 40% off your purchase & 50% off jeans!

ON MY MIND

Boise friends, you have to go to see Amber Rose for a facial. I went today and it was so amazing. I’ve been wanting to book an appointment to see Amber for at least the past year. She is so sweet, very knowledgeable, and gives the most amazing facials with really good, clean products. I can’t wait to go back to see her again.

I know I mentioned last week that Amazon Prime Video is streaming some of my favorite movies this month. I watched Oklahoma and I’m currently watching Notting Hill when I go on our elliptical. It’s been a good encouragement for me to get my workout in because I want to continue watching!

This past week (tonight excluded) I’ve been going to bed a lot earlier. It’s been so nice to get some extra sleep because we have very early risers around here. I’m looking forward to taking advantage of getting extra sleep this winter but I also want to catch up on some projects that have been neglected. I realized the other day that we never made a wedding album (from our wedding 12 years ago!). I would love to do that, along with finalizing Baby Beatrice’s Baby book and working on our yearly photo album. Basically, I’m going to be spending a lot of time on Artifact Uprising (Or Minted!). If you have a recommendation for quality photo printing, let me know!

Matthew and I are talking about planning a trip this January to break up our winter. While we haven’t had snow yet, the temperatures are definitely dropping. It will be nice to be here for the holidays, but if we can get somewhere warm for a few weeks this winter that would be amazing!

I loved how much time the kids spent outside this week! They were outside for 3 hours at least every afternoon. We’re soaking in the sunshine when it’s out. I can’t believe a year ago there was already snow on the ground. I don’t think we’ll have snow by Thanksgiving but I’m guessing we will the first week in December. We’ll see!

I hope you all have a joyful Thanksgiving week!!

xox

Labeled:

Home, Living

3 LIKES THE POST

45: week in review

November 12, 2023

Comments:

Hi! Ok, how are we almost at mid-November?! I feel like we’re already getting in the holiday mood around here. In Idaho, people put up their exterior Christmas lights early because no one wants to be doing that when it’s icy/snowing! The children have been asking Matthew for the past week and today was the day. I love seeing a little glimmer of the lights when I walk by the front door.

WHAT WE ATE

I plan to share the meals I made the previous week, with links if possible, as some inspiration for your own menu planning.

MONDAY- Sausage, Fennel, and White Bean Soup– We all loved this soup and made extra to freeze for an easy dinner over the holidays.

TUESDAY- Fish Tacos– Not the most fall meal but we had some mahi mahi in our freezer. This recipe reminds us of tacos we got in Dana Point on our babymoon with Augustine!

WEDNESDAY- Pot Roast– We have some big roast meats in our freezer that we’ve been wanting to use so I made this delicious roast and saved the extra for Saturday night enchiladas.

THURSDAY- Baked Salmon Sushi Bowls– I loved how flavorful this was. We’ll definitely make it again for an easy weeknight meal.

FRIDAY- Pork Ragu (from this cookbook but found online here) with the best focaccia and a chocolate brownie pie– We had family over so wanted to make something special! Everything was devoured…so good and kid-approved!

SATURDAY- Beef Enchiladas– We used up the rest of our roast with these enchiladas. This recipe is so simple but has become our go-to.

SUNDAY- We’re going to a friend’s house today to celebrate Friendsgiving! Making this green bean casserole and a (hopefully) kid-approved mac and cheese, along with a loaf of sourdough.

Sadly, I didn’t do any extra baking this week. Beatrice has been my busy girl and she’s been fighting her second nap of the day which makes it hard to even put dinner together. I need to start being more strategic about meal prep!

WHAT I WORE

The Way High Jeans I got from Everlane are so good! I wore them this week with a knit and my camel coat. Also, the Margaux Downtown boots look super cute with these jeans too.

SALES TO NOTE

Anthropologie– 40% off furniture and home decor- These frames are so pretty and would make a great grandparent gift with a photo inside!

J.Crew– 30% off full-price styles

There are so many good early Black Friday Sales popping up! One I had to take advantage of was from my favorite hat brand Gigi Pip. I love their hats and this is one I’ve been really wanting: the River Guatemalan Palm. I just got it in the mail and it is so cute! The fit is perfect and I’m especially excited for the leather chinstrap. This is the kind of hat that would probably look good on anyone. It’s such a flattering style! MARAF15 should get you an extra discount too.

I’ve had my eye on these Mason Cash bowls for our kitchen, but they’d make a great gift as well- especially this batter bowl.

ON MY MIND

Augustine and I are about to start Week 11 of his Term 1 which means we only have 2 weeks left until we can take a break. Instead of jumping back in to Term 2, I’m going to do a Christmas study in December along with our Math and Language Arts. Then we’ll start Term 2 the first week of January. I have been looking into different studies and decided to go with A Connected Christmas by Treehouse Schoolhouse. I have a homeschooling mama friend who says it’s such a special study and one they go back to each year. I can’t wait for it to arrive! While I bought the study myself, I did sign up for their affiliate program so I could share a discount with you. You can use code MARAFERREIRA for 10% off anything on their site! Their studies all look so good!

If you’re looking for something to watch, Amazon Prime Video currently has some of my all-time favorites! Oklahoma, South Pacific, and Notting Hill! I was so so excited when I logged in and noticed the most recent additions to their catalog. Oklahoma is my absolute favorite movie and musical and I know every word and scene by heart. I’ve been singing so many of my favorite songs this week and it’s made me so happy!

I got this new bundle from King of Christmas and I had to open it up to share it with you all before it sells out! Two mini trees, a wreath, and a gorgeous garland! They have battery packs to hold the charge and a timer that goes on for 6 hours, turns off for 18 hours, and then turns on again. Even though it’s a little early for Christmas decor, I have loved seeing the pretty glow from these trees by our fireplace. It’s making me excited to decorate more after Thanksgiving!