I hope you all are enjoying your weekend! It’s been a fun one over here. Today I had some of my Book Club girlfriends over for a pie brunch. I really want to work on my pie skills so I thought it would be a good opportunity for me to try one out. I made one from The Book on Pie (a rental from the library but I would highly recommend for anyone serious about their pie game). It was a German Chocolate Pie with a coconut and pecan topping that was so yummy. My crust wasn’t perfect but, like I said, I need the practice. I was thinking that maybe next year I should challenge myself to make a pie a month. It could be fun, don’t you think? It would be so nice next December if I felt like I knew what I was doing.
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- Southwestern Sweet Potato Chili- from this cookbook but this recipe on her blog is very similar.
TUESDAY- Roasted Mushroom and Onion Quesadillas- easy and delicious! We made guacamole to go with it…yum!
WEDNESDAY- Skillet Orzo with Turkey Meatballs, Green Olives and Feta– This was an easy one-pan dish, although I did make the meatballs the night before.
THURSDAY- Salmon Larb Bowl with Coconut Rice- We are all obsessed with how good this coconut rice is!
FRIDAY- Pesto Lasagna Bolognese- very similar to this recipe which has rave reviews
SATURDAY- Grilled Flank Steak with Crispy Roasted Potatoes– We made the basil vinaigrette (of course), and I topped the potatoes with a delicious mustard herb vinaigrette
SUNDAY- Chicken Parmesan Tagliatelle- from this cookbook (like most from the week to be honest)- Trying to use up some of our freezer and pantry items before heading into the new year.
WHAT I WORE
I love the look of a black turtleneck tucked into jeans, a silk skirt, or a pair of trousers. For brunch today, I wore one tucked into these pretty pants from Baybala. The quality of the pants is so good and even the kids commented on how much they liked them. They felt festive, too, in an evergreen shade.
I got this v-neck sweater from nuuds and it’s so cozy and soft. I love how luxe it feels and I know I’ll be reaching for it a ton!
SALES TO NOTE
Not quite a sale but Everlane is offering free expedited shipping on orders over $200. They have so many great pieces that would make wonderful gifts. It could be a one-stop shop!
Gap– 40-60% off their best gifts
J.Crew– Extra 70% off 3+ sale styles
LOFT– Up to 60% off
Sephora– Beauty Insiders get 20% off full-sized fragrances
Williams-Sonoma– If you know anyone who loves cooking/food, they have so many great options on sale, including $100 off Kitchen-Aid Mixers.
Nordstrom– Up to 70% off Designer Clearance- Always a fun sale to look through!
ON MY MIND
On Monday, Tidy Style Home came to reorganize my closet and WOW I am still so beyond impressed with how they were able to rework the space. It is so incredibly organized and I just love how they maximized every inch. My biggest takeaway was how they hung up everything. I had some shelves that had tee shirts and sweaters tumbling down and matching loungewear pieces piled up. They hung everything, even grouping the matching loungewear pieces together. The sweaters are folded on the hangers in a way that prevents them from stretching out and it just makes so much sense. On the shelves they brought in my underwear and socks that were previously in my dresser and put them in woven bins. I love that I can now get completely dressed in my closet without the need to go back into my bedroom. If you’re in Boise, I highly recommend them. They have implemented systems in our kitchen that we still use 3 years later, and now I’m so happy my closet is organized as well. You can also follow them on Instagram for their tips too which I find so helpful!
In-N-Out opened in Boise this week which has been a HUGE deal! For the past few years, everyone has been counting down. I wasn’t planning on going during the opening week because I heard the lines were crazy. On opening day I had a friend wait for 5 hours! She said it was worth it, but that is just way too long for me. My friend Halley convinced me though so I joined her in line at the end of the week and luckily we didn’t have to wait more than 30 minutes. In-N-Out is so nostalgic for me because it was a special treat when we’d go on family road trips to see my grandma in northern California. I have so many memories of those meals off the I-5 with dog, and then dogs, in tow. My order is a Grilled Cheese with grilled onions and pickles. The best! I had to get fries too (with mustard) and I couldn’t resist adding in a chocolate milkshake! The kids were extremely excited, and Matthew was very jealous because he was working. We’ll have to go back again, although it might be in California next month !!
This year I have removed a lot of the typical Christmas pressure I’ve felt in previous years. We’re keeping things simple, I’m not sending cards out and I’m not doing an elaborate Advent calendar. We only give a few presents to the kids and thankfully I bought gifts in November so this has been a slow and sweet month savoring the Christmas season. I know many of us sometimes think or wish we could be doing more but it’s been good to remind myself what Christmas is truly about. Also, the stage of life we’re in sometimes dictates what we can and can’t do. Resting in that has been so freeing.
It’s been getting so cold here lately but I’m still trying to get out for afternoon walks when we can. Augustine and Corinna have found a play spot along our neighborhood creek trail and that has been filling our afternoons lately. In the right clothing, the weather is tolerable, but it still feels extra nice to walk inside a warm house after playing outside.
I hope you all have a wonderful week! Can you believe next Sunday is Christmas Eve?!
xox
