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

I hope you all are enjoying your weekend! My friend posted this meme the other day where Idaho asks something like, “Hey Fall, you coming?” and Fall answers, “Yeah, me and Winter are about to pull right up!” It’s a joke because it seems like right when fall comes winter is close behind. That couldn’t feel more true after a weekend where our lows were in the mid 20s. We went on a walk yesterday morning at 10 am and it was still 27 degrees out! So cold but thankfully the sun was shining. This was a special week because we celebrated our Beatrice’s 1st birthday! How has it been one whole year?! For some reason, the first birthday always feels bittersweet. Her birth doesn’t feel all that far away and it’s just hard to believe we now have a one-year-old. What a special year it’s been with her. Beyond thankful the Lord blessed us with her sweet life!!

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- Grilled Steak & Halloumi Salad

TUESDAY- 30 Minute Al Pastor Enchiladas– quick and easy! Matthew didn’t think it was authentic enough for his liking but I enjoyed it!

WEDNESDAY-  One-pot Crispy Chicken and Orzo– we are always fans of orzo! The flavor profile was so good and it would be a great meal to make for guests.

THURSDAY-Sheet Pan Macadamia Nut Halibut

FRIDAY- Pan Roasted Pork Chops with Shallots, Fennel and Arugula– We’ve made this before and loved it. From this cookbook

SATURDAY- Classic Meatloaf with Root Vegetable Puree and a Celery Salad- from this cookbook. So delicious and the kids loved it too!

SUNDAY- Pan Roasted Chicken with Shallots and Dates– love a Sunday night chicken dinner (says the ex-vegetarian!) This recipe is a keeper for sure. We all loved it! 

For Beatrice’s birthday, I made these sourdough cinnamon rolls which I made last year the day I went into labor with her. I think they would make a special birthday tradition for us!

I also made these Bake Sale winning gooey chocolate oat bars and they were delicious! I rarely make bars, usually skipping straight to the cookies, but they’re actually a favorite style of mine because they usually have a shortbread-type crust. This recipe was so yummy that I’m inspired to try more bar recpes!

WHAT I WORE

I challenged myself to wear a new outfit each day this week. Sometimes I gravitate towards the same things but it was a good exercise to reach for pieces I don’t usually wear. My hope is that I can keep this up and whatever I haven’t worn at the end of the year, I can donate or sell on my Poshmark. (Use code MARAFERREIRA when signing up for Poshmark and get $10 to spend!)

I got my Everlane jean order in and I love both pairs! These vintage indigo high-waist jeans are aptly called the Way High Jeans but they’re really cute. And the black jeans have a vintage look to them and I love the relaxed cut. I’m always so impressed with Everlane’s quality for the price.

SALES TO NOTE

Everlane– 25% off Fall Icons Sale (these jeans are included!)

Nordstrom– Fall Sale- up to 50% off

Anthropologie– Get Ready for Guests Sale- up to 30% off dinnerware, bedding, candles and more. Lots of home items and essentials like these fluted taper candles. This winter I want to make different areas more efficient and I love the idea of organizing our bathroom with canisters like these. Also it could be a good time to think ahead to Christmas gifts. These personalized mugs are always nice, this pitcher is unique, and look at this pretty candle!

Mango– 30% off everything spending $230 or more. use code MANGO30

LOFT– 40% off and Free Shipping

ON MY MIND

One of my favorite things we did this week was watercolor. I got these nature journals for the kids (and myself) along with compact watercolor sets months ago but we haven’t gotten around to using them. We decided to paint our backyard tree though and it was such a fun process to sit together and paint.

We are blessed with such wonderful friends in Idaho and I love that our friends love autumn like we do! We walked to this beautiful pond with my friend Natalia and her sweet kids the other day and it was so fun to see the kids running around, climbing trees, and using their imagination. Beatrice sat in a pile of leaves picking each one up and studying it. Next year I’m sure she’ll be running around in them too!

Have a lovely week everyone!

xox