Hi everyone! I hope you’ve been enjoying your weekend. November is here and I feel like we’re all looking forward to the holidays. We’re hosting Thanksgiving this year for our family in Idaho so that will be a first for us. Send tips and prayers! This week the weather took a significant nose dive so I’m scrambling a bit to make sure I have proper cold-weather gear for all the kiddos, and myself. I was chatting with a friend this morning and she mentioned looking for a snowsuit for herself so she could be out in the snow with her kids, and I was, “yes, of course!” I want to be out there in the snow with them too so I need to make sure I have the right clothes as well.

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- Joanna Gaines Country Potato Soup – perfect meal for a cold night!

TUESDAY- Chili with Spaghetti- a favorite fall meal I used to have as a kid.

WEDNESDAY- Chicken Taco Salad– loved this cilantro vinaigrette

THURSDAY- Roasted Sheet Pan Salmon & zucchini, eggplant and tomatoes

FRIDAY- Sourdough Pizza with Carmelized Onions and Carmelized Mushrooms- We’ve been loving our Friday pizza nights!

SATURDAY- Cast Iron Steak with Mashed Potatoes and Maple-Roasted Kabocha Squash– this felt like a very fancy Saturday night dinner. So yummy!

SUNDAY-  Sheet Pan Honey Roasted Chicken with Brussels and Carrots– We made this a few weeks ago when Matthew was out of town and loved it so I’m making it again!

I made pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies today and they were SO good! I need to grab a photo of them tomorrow. I tried to cut back on the sugar just a tad because it seemed like a lot but they were delicious. I loved the chewy texture and the flavor of the pumpkin and browned butter. By the way, Corinna called them snicky doodles and it was the cutest thing ever!

WHAT I WORE

I got this pair of black boots from Zodiac and I love how versatile they are. They make a legging outfit feel more put together, and they give a little edge to a dress.

To the shower, I wore this Emme Mama dress which works during pregnancy and nursing too.

SALES TO NOTE

GIGI PIP– Their Black Friday sale has started and hats are up to 25% off! I couldn’t resist getting this hat that’s been on my wishlist for the past two summers. I’m so excited to wear it, hopefully on a mid-winter getaway! Use code MARA15

Anthropologie– Extra 40% off sale – These earrings would make a great gift for a friend or mom. Or friendship bracelets!

GAP– 50% off sweaters, flannels and sweatshirts

ON MY MIND

This weekend I went to a baby shower for my friend Tiff. It was so nice to get together to celebrate her pregnancy and this sweet little life. My friend Jasmine hosted at her home and every detail was so beautiful!

All of a sudden it hit me that Christmas is 7 weeks away which seems like a lot of time but it will sneak up so quickly! I’m really hoping to get as much of my Christmas shopping done in November so that I can enjoy December more fully. My plan is to make a big shopping/errand/task To Do list this week and start working away at it.

On Friday my plan was to stay home but at the last minute we decided to meet up with our nature group and I am so happy we did. We went on the most beautiful walk at the Star River Walk. It was a misty morning but it felt like we were in a special little woodland village. The trees were canopied across and leaves blanketed the ground. I never regret getting outside for adventures like these!

I hope you all have a wonderful week!

xox

Happy weekend everyone! I’ve had a busy weekend of meal prep over here. Of course, I decided to be busy in the kitchen when Matthew is off camping, but thankfully he came back a little early (his choice not mine) so I will have some extra help today (Sunday). I made granola, bread, pizza dough, sandwich loaves, salad dressing, and cookies for the adults and I still have more to do! I try to do what I can when I can because it does help the week go more smoothly.

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- Turkey Meatballs with Corn Rice– These were amazing! I wish I had doubled the recipe because I seriously can’t wait to make them again.

TUESDAY- One-pan Roasted Chicken, Cauliflower, and Potatoes with a Ridiculously Tasty Green Sauce– This is a keeper of a recipe! The cauliflower was loved by all, especially baby Beatrice!

WEDNESDAY- Green Chicken Tortilla Soup– this was so yummy! I’ve been enjoying the leftovers all week.

THURSDAY- Sheet Pan Sausage with Apples and Sweet Potatoes– so amazing I’ve already written it down. It’s simple but so delicious and perfect for fall. Another kid-keeper!

FRIDAY- Healthy-ish Turkey Bolognese– I cooked this from morning to evening and it was delicious! I was especially happy to find out that Baby Beatrice loved it too! There are lots of hidden veggies in here and I also added some mushrooms as well.

SATURDAY- Sourdough Pizza (I used Ken Forkish’s recipe and it’s so good! I love that it uses discard from making a sourdough loaf)- we topped ours with eggplant, red onion, garlic, mozzarella, Parmesan, fresh oregano and thyme. One of the best!

SUNDAY- Pork Chops and Farrotto

As you can see, this week I made a lot of recipes from Caro Chambers. My best friend gifted me a trial to her paid Substack and I have loved cooking her recipes. They have all been hits not just with me, but especially the kids. As some of you can attest, cooking for the tiny humans isn’t always easy. They can be opinionated and like what they like when they like. All of the recipes I’ve made this week- all of them- have been hits! I have to say, life is so much easier when my little ones go to bed happily fed with full tummies!

As a special treat for Mom and Dad, I made Caro’s Coronado Cookies (no raisins). They were so good and definitely a keeper of a recipe. I love the oatmeal, chocolate chip, and rice crispy combo. And the peanut butter (I didn’t have almond butter) made the base flavor so good. Also, kid-approved (of course!).

And for the kiddos, I made some pumpkin bread with cinnamon maple butter. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I love fall baking!

WHAT I WORE

It’s time to bring out my favorite Jenni Kayne sweater. It’s so incredibly soft and comfortable and, while it’s a splurge, it’s held up so well the past 2 seasons. You can also get 20% off right now!

I found my Made by Mary birth flower necklace in my jewelry drawer the other day and I’ve loved wearing it again. It’s so pretty and would make such a sweet gift for a friend!

It’s definitely been a little chilly in the mornings so I’ve been needing to wear my black puffer jacket. This puffer jacket comes in a bunch of color options and it packs up well.

SALES TO NOTE

Everlane– 25% off Friends & Family Sale- I have loved so many of Everlane’s pieces. The price is good and the quality really holds up! I found so many great things and linked them below:

I ended up buying these Levi’s that I’ve had my eye on. Did you know that Levi’s direct site has an amazing free member program? You can get $50 for signing up too (with my link) which I wish someone had passed along to me. I did get my jeans on sale though, and they were full-priced on Shopbop. So definitely a site to keep an eye on if you have specific styles in mind.

Jenni Kayne– 20% off sitewide! I love so many of their sweaters. The Alpaca Cocoon Cardigan and their lug boots are on my list.

ON MY MIND

I’ve realized that I need to get new shoes for the kids since they’ve outgrown everything from summer! I’m looking for a pair of snow/winter boots and another boot that can be dressed up or worn casually. If you have any suggestions, send them my way! I did find these cute Mary Janes for Corinna that I’m excited about. I love the L’Amour brand because of all their sweet classic styles.

I’m hoping we can take some family photos this year since we didn’t take any last year. As a mom, those things are what I cherish most. I picked out some cute outfits from our absolute favorite children’s clothing brand Baybala (they have cute mama pieces too!) and I can’t wait to see everyone dressed up!

I picked some of our hydrangeas to bring inside and the color is so pretty. Last year I missed cutting them at the fuschia stage and they were more mauve/brown- still pretty but I love this shade. It will be nice to have them brighten up our winter.

I hope you all have a lovely week!

 xox