Random Friday

     Now that Thanksgiving is over, I am really excited to begin decorating for Christmas. I can't wait to have a Christmas tree in this house (though I am praying that Owen will not be tempting to climb it or knock it down or unwrap every present underneath). This weekend, I'm hoping we can get a tree and begin unpacking all our other decorations. Tim was really sweet last week and put up our icicle lights on the house on Black Friday while I was shopping. We need a wreath for the front door since the ornament wreaths that I made last year didn't survive the move and maybe some garland and ribbons and then our outside with me finished too. And speaking of shopping, I am almost done with all our Christmas shopping already. I took advantage of a lot of Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals and we also had a couple presents that we bought earlier this year. Other than getting into the Christmas spirit, the other big event going on this weekend is....

1. SEC Championship

      Our college alma mater, The University of Georgia, is playing in the Southeastern Conference Football Championship tomorrow and we will be parked in front of the TV to watch the Bulldogs play. As Owen would say, "Yay football!" Whoever wins this game will play Notre Dame in the national championship. The game will air on CBS at 4 p.m. I am even making our dinner in the slow cooker so I don't have to miss anything while preparing it. Tim and I have a tradition (starting when we were dating in college) where we kiss after each touchdown Georgia scores. Here's hoping we have a full-on make-out session tomorrow!

2. What I'm reading now. 

       I am currently reading "The Light Between Oceans" by M.L. Stedman. Here's a synopsis from Amazon: "After four harrowing years on the Western Front, Tom Sherborne returns to Australia and takes a job as a lighthouse keeper on Janus Rock... After two miscarriages and a stillbirth, his grieving wife Isabel hears a baby's cries on the wind. A boat has washed up onshore carrying a dead man and a living baby... Against Toms judgment, they claim her as their own and name her Lucy. When she is two, Tom and Isabel return to the mainland and are reminded that there are other people in the world. Their choice has devastated one of them." So far the backstory is making it hard to really get into the book, but the brief introduction where they find the baby has me really interested to see the story unfold. 

3. Get paid to shop!

       I know I am probably totally behind when it comes to sites like Ebates, but for the three or four of you out there who have no idea what I'm talking about, this is for you. The site that I'm signed up with is Ebates and it basically pays you back a portion of the money you spend buying things on the Internet. Register (for free) with an e-mail address and click on one of the 1,500 retailers listed on the site to shop and then get an e-rebate on your total purchase (for instance, 6 percent cash back at Macy's.) There are no fees or forms to mail in - they just send you a check in the mail. I love online shopping, especially now that I have an energetic, impatient toddler who hates shopping. And if you're going to do some online shopping, what's the harm in getting paid to do it? And there are several sites that offer this. My mom has a deal through her Internet and cable company that deducts from her bill when she buys stuff online. Great idea, right? So far, I have made three purchases through the site and though my cashback payments are only a little at a time, eventually it should add up. And some stores even offer extra cashback through the holidays. For instance, Old Navy is offering 15 percent cash back on your purchases instead of the usual 2 percent.

4. Julep pick.

      Last week I chose my Julep Maven box for December and for the second month in a row, I chose the It Girl box. The box comes with, from left, Vivien (a full-coverage multi-dimensional gold glitter), Ivy (dynamic sapphire microglitter metallic), and Harper (full-coverage opalescent mermaid blue multi-dimensional glitter). Like every month, I had a really hard time choosing which box to go with and changed my mind at least three or four times. And because their new system is kind-of irritating because of how they allow you to redeem your jules (rewards points) or pay with cash, and not a combination of both, I just got a box and no add-ons, though I would have liked some of the reds and pinks too. Which is just as well, I guess because I have tons of nail polish at the moment and need to use them up some before I buy more. If you're interested in signing up for Julep Maven, visit their website here and take a style quiz to find out how they will tailor your selections to your personality and style. Use the code COLOR2012 to receive your introductory box for just a penny. 

5. Owen's first Disney movie. 

        Because I am a total mom-brain and forgot to use my Disney gift card from our friends Katie and David while we were actually at Disney World, I have been looking for a Disney movie to buy from the online Disney store. (And speaking of Katie and David, congrats to them on expecting a baby GIRL!) Anyway, I figured it was time we started collecting Disney movies for Owen since the majority of mine from childhood are on VHS. I ended up choosing the collector's edition of "Finding Nemo," which will be released on December 4. I figured it was a boy-friendly movie with colorful and beautiful animation. And it has a sweet message about a daddy who would cross the entire ocean to find his son. Currently, you can preorder the movie for $24.95 at Disneystore.com, which is an even better deal than the current one on Amazon. And if you preorder, you will later be e-mailed a discount code to get $20 off a future order of $40 of more at the online Disney Store. We are super excited about watching Disney movies with Owen as he grows up. Which others should we buy?

6. Look what the stork is bringing!

       The baby and toddler subscription company Stork Stack offered a deal earlier this month for 20 percent off their December box. I signed up in hopes of getting some fun, small items to include in Owen's stocking. And when they had an even better deal for Cyber Monday, I refrained to save us some money though I was definitely tempted! The theme for this month's box sounds really fun: Rock, Roll, and Roar! I love when a theme isn't specific so that what's inside is really a surprise. Themes like "Bathtime Fun" and "Fun with Food" don't leave a lot of room for interpretation. The box should ship today and I will review the items once it arrives next week. I have been interested in comparing Stork Stack to Citrus Lane and since I will be getting a box from both companies this month, I will be able to do so. 

7. Bible App

       My Sunday School class is going to be reading through the Bible together starting in January so we all downloaded the same Bible app on our tablets and e-readers so we could do it together. The one that we downloaded is the Youversion Holy Bible. On my Nook, it was called Bible and said Lifechurch.tv underneath. It is free. I really am enjoying this app because it has so many features. You can read the Bible in pretty much any version you prefer or have it read aloud for you. And it has tons of Bible reading plans and devotionals as well. I recently started the She Reads Truth Advent Plan which I found by browsing their plans by topic and selecting Christmas and Advent plans. There are 10 plans available with advent reading schedules. If you are interested in having a Bible app, I definitely recommend this one. 

Random Friday

1. Cute pics of Owen

          The two photos of Owen from this week that were super cute are from our fingerpainting session last week and a dinner late last week. Owen used his paints made from powdered vegetables which are safe and nontoxic for babies. Which is a good thing because Owen did taste them and rubbed them all over himself. He is big on rubbing stuff into his hair at the moment. Peanut butter, paint, whatever. He enjoys painting, but more on other surfaces than the paper in front of him. His finished painting is on our fridge. The other photo is from pizza night. We put Owen on the countertop so he could help put toppings on our pizza. He loved throwing cheese on the pizza, but when it came to pepperoni, none of them made it to the pizza, just his mouth. Haha. What a stinker. 

2. Julep polishes of the month.

       I received my November Julep Maven box recently. I chose the It Girl box which included two nail colors: Hailee, a khaki green suede and Nora, a silver aubergine suede. The box also included a matte top coat and three nail polish remover pads. The colors are really gorgeous and the suede finish is really neat by itself and with a shiny topcoat. The problem with the polishes is that they chip very easily. So it almost makes them unusable unless you are willing to touch them up on a daily basis or change your polish frequently. I have tried all the tips and tricks to try to make the manicure last longer, but nothing seems to make a big difference in their ability to last. 

     I am really looking forward to seeing Julep's nail colors for December. From the sneak peaks I've seen on Facebook, I think they are going to be glitter polishes and they are going to be so beautiful. If you want to join in time to get a December box, you need to do so before November 20. It's the best (and cheapest) way to buy Julep products because you get discounts on everything and access to colors before everyone else! Plus, you can join now for just a penny (see the code below). Here are some others benefits of the Julep Maven program. 

• $40-$60 worth of nail products delivered to your door each month for only $19.99.
• You get to preview the colors you will receive each month.
• You can skip receiving a box if nail polish isn't in your budget for the month or you dislike all the colors. 
• You can earn a free month by referring two friends to the program using your referral link. (Mine is below and I'd be so happy if you used it!)
• You can cancel at anytime simply by giving Julep a call.

     Sound good? Then fill out a style quiz HERE so Julep can tailor your boxes to your personal style and use the code COLOR2012 or PENNY to receive your introductory box for just a $0.01. 

3. House projects.

       We haven't done much work inside our house for a while, but we were able to finally do some more painting this past weekend. I have had our hallway taped off with painter's tape since August (embarrassing, I know) and we finally just now got around to matching the paint color from our kitchen/dining area through the hallway. The previous owners had painted the kitchen and dining area a dark green color and the hallway was a yellowy beige color. We thought it looked weird since the walls connect to have them painted two different colors, so we decided to paint it the same color as our kitchen. We also bought paint for our living room so I hope we will be able to tackle that job soon. 

4. Christmas planner.

        Last year I made a Christmas planner to keep track of all my purchases, to do lists, and menus for the holidays. When I saw online that the bloggers who created the design for my planner last year had made a new design for this year, I was excited to make another. But then the realities of my lack of time and Owen's now shorter naptime made me realize that making an entirely new planner was kind-of silly. Instead, I just tore out the pages from last year and replaced the 2011 decorations with the new 2012 ones. And what was a couple hour project last year became a five minute project this year. Bam! If you are interested in making a similar planner, check the blog Eighteen25. 

5. Advent update. 

        Now that I have all the books I need for our Christmas book advent, I have started wrapping the books up and labeling them for each day. I am also starting to investigate some craft ideas and recipes to go with some of the books so we can have even more fun with our advent idea. I also figured we could watch some of the movies based on the books too, like Polar Express and The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. I found the numbers on Pinterest and if you are searching for printable colored numbers, you can find them here. 

6. What I'm reading now. 

      I am finished reading "Broken Harbor" from last week and boy, did it not disappoint! It was such a suspenseful creepy book to read before bed. And it definitely ended completely different from how I thought it would end. I recommend it. Now, I decided to switch it up with something a little lighter - "When In Doubt, Add Butter" by Beth Harbison. Here's the synopsis: "As far as Gemma is concerned, her days of dating are over. In fact, it’s her job to cater other peoples’ dates, and that’s just fine by her. At thirty-seven, she has her own business, working as a private chef, and her life feels full and secure. She’s got six steady clients that keep her hands full. For Gemma, cooking is predictable. Recipes are certain. Use good ingredients, follow the directions, and you are assured success. Life, on the other hand, is full of variables. So when Gemma’s takes an unexpected turn on a road she always thought was straight and narrow, she must face her past and move on in ways she never would have imagined. Because sometimes in life, all you need is a little hope, a lot of courage, and—-oh yes—-butter." It is pretty funny so far and I'm definitely digging the sense of humor of the main character's romantic interest as well. 

7. We won!

      Earlier this week, I submitted a photo of Owen for a contest on Facebook for the company Stork Stack and was surprised when I found out that we were one of the winners. Stork Stack had joined with Funny Face Cranberries to give free product to 10 randomly selected winners. Everyone was asked to post a photo of their child making a funny face so I sent in a photo of Owen making his "sour face." And then on top of that, they chose Owen's photo when they announced the winners. Check it out! 

Random Friday

1. Downton Abbey.

      After hearing so much about the television series Downton Abbey, I finally decided to check it out last weekend when I was sick. It is my new favorite show and I am busily trying to catch up on the first two seasons before season three begins in January in the U.S. The show begins in the years leading up to World War I with the drama centering on the wealthy Crawley family of the estate Downton Abbey and their servants. If you are a fan of period drama or of Pride and Prejudice, then chances are you will love it too. I love all the characters and the forbidden romances, and the great writing (particularly the biting one-liners of the Dowager Countess, played by Maggie Smith.) If you're interested in trying out this series, Netflix Streaming has the first season online and you can rent both seasons through their mail system, Hulu Plus has both seasons online, and you might even be able to find them at your local library. The third season (which is already underway in England) begins on PBS on January 6.      

2. What I'm reading now.

      I am currently reading "Broken Harbor" by Tana French. Here's the synopsis from Amazon: "On one of the half-built, half-abandoned luxury developments that litter Ireland, Patrick Spain and his two young children are dead. His wife, Jenny, is in intensive care. At first, Detective Mick Scorcher and his rookie partner, Richie, think it's going to be an easy solve. But too many small things can't be explained. The half dozen baby monitors, their cameras pointing at holes smashed in the walls. The files erased from their computer. The story Jenny told her sister about a shadowy intruder who was slipping past all the locks. And Broken Harbor holds memories for Scorcher as well. Seeing the case on the news sends his sister Dina off the rails again, and she's resurrecting something that Scorcher thought he had tightly under control: what happened to their family one summer at Broken Harbor, back when they were children."
     I first started reading Tana French with her first novel "In the Woods" several years ago. I also loved her second book "The Likeness." This is her fourth novel and her signature blend of police procedural and psychological thriller is really fascinating to read. I have never been able to guess the ending of one of her books before I read it. She is a writer that truly surprises me every time.        

3. 31 Days of Loving Your Husband

      I finished my 31 Day challenge, but I haven't had the time to blog about it. It was definitely a challenge toward the end when I started having trouble coming up with something to do for every day. But rest assured, I figured it out and I think Tim had a really great month. A few of the things that I did in the last week were preordering him Halo 4, renting him a "man" movie full of explosions and guns instead of another romantic comedy, and putting away his clean laundry instead of just folding it and waiting for him to put it away. The whole experience has been really fun and I have seen improvement in the way that Tim and I both take time for one another even when we're busy. 

4. 45 Days...

     Not to stress you out, but there are only 45 days until Christmas. I have been starting to buy presents for our family to spread out the spending over a longer period of time and scouring the Internet for deals. I have already bought gifts for my father-in-law, my brother-in-law, and one of my sisters-in-law. And a couple for Owen. Hopefully this weekend, I can sit down with Tim and brainstorm some ideas for our own Christmas wishlists and also come up with some ideas for the rest of the people in our family. 

5. Coffee Lovers Cravebox

      Drawings for the limited edition Coffee Lovers Cravebox are now open. I signed up in hopes of winning one for my coffee-loving husband. You have to fill out a survey when you sign up and it gives you a few hints as to what is in the box. I think it will come with coffee (of course), flavored syrup, cereal, and maybe some other type of coffee related snack like biscotti or something. Cravebox has two other boxes currently open if you're interested: the holiday spruce-up box of cleaning supplies and the Ultimate Thanksgiving box. You can click here to check them out. 

Random Friday

1. Operation Christmas Child

        One of my favorite Christmas traditions that Tim and I began when we were first married is participating in Samaritan Purse's Operation Christmas Child program. Essentially, the program encourages people to pack shoeboxes full of toys, personal hygiene items, school supplies, and clothing items and then they ship them to children around the world. This year the nonprofit anticipates reaching the milestone of having passed out more than 100 million shoeboxes since the inception of the program in 1993. How amazing! I love shopping for Christmas presents in general and I really enjoy shopping for all sorts of little goodies to pack into our shoeboxes. Some of my favorite finds to include this year were cute water bottles, animal-shaped bath mitts instead of plain washcloths, jump ropes, and little wooden buses and trucks. I shopped for items at the Dollar Store and Walmart. I also highly recommend Target because they generally have a lot of great things in their dollar section this time of year. Unfortunately, we live an hour away from Target (I know, it's a travesty). Now that we have Owen, my plan is to continue this tradition with our children by having them pack a shoebox each year for a child their age and gender. So the first box we packed was a 2- to 4-year-old boy box (the youngest age group). We also packed a box for a 2- to 4-year-old girl and a 5- to 9-year-old boy. And then because my MOPS group is packing even more shoeboxes today, I have another shopping bag full of random extra items to help make up a few more boxes. Because we paid for the shipping for our three boxes online, we will receive tracking information in an e-mail once they are shipped and we can see what countries the boxes are shipped to. Once Owen and any future brothers or sisters are older, it might be fun to then research those countries a little. If you're interested in participating in Operation Christmas Child, you can still put together and turn in a box through the week of November 12-19. If you check the above link, you can find more instructions as well as local drop-off sites for your area. 

Here are the contents of our little girl box.

Here's our little boy box. 

Owen helped to "pack" a box for a boy his age.

2. Halo 4

       Because I am the best ever a pretty great wife, I headed over to Gamestop yesterday to pre-order Halo 4 for Tim. As a college student, I am pretty sure Tim played through all the previous Halos (well, except Halo Reach which came out the year after we got married) and I think he's pretty excited about this newest installment which will be released next Tuesday. I have enjoyed playing Halo over the years too and we have a really fun time playing through the cooperative campaign together. Tim also plays online multiplayer with friends across the country. It's a fun way for him to reconnect with old college roommates, former coworkers, and others that we don't see often. I, as a girl, am really excited about the story that will be told in this game, particularly that of the relationship between Master Chief and Cortana. Tim, I'm sure, is mainly excited about killing things. 

3. My little pumpkin

     Owen and I made Skinny Taste's Pumpkin Cupcakes with Pumpkin-Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting yesterday. The recipe is super easy and uses very few ingredients. Just a box of cake mix, canned pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, vanilla, cream cheese, and brown sugar. It doesn't use any eggs or oil and is actually fairly healthy (for a cupcake.) Owen helped me by stirring the batter and putting the paper liners in the muffin pan (over and over). We shared one after they finished baking and then I said "all done." Owen went off to play (I thought), but then just a minute later, I feel a little hand grab mine and plop another cupcake in it. Then he gave me a big grin and I laughed for about five minutes. He had reached up and grabbed it off the counter and was so proud of himself for finding more. How could I refuse him?

My little helper. 

Mine didn't turn out this pretty, but they were tasty!

4. Influenster Goodies.

     I was recently chosen for another free box of goodies from Influenster. The company allows you to fill out some information so they can find out more about your lifestyle and interests and then you are chosen based on qualifying criteria related to the information you provide to receive free items in exchange for your honest review of the products. I previously received the Summer Beauty VoxBox and this time I got the Palmolive Fresh Infusions box. I received three full-sized bottles (one to share with a friend) of Palmolive's new Fresh Infusions dish detergent. There are three scents: lemon thyme, ginger white tea, and lime basil. The box also included several coupons for me to hand out to friends. My favorite scent is the lime basil and I am really enjoying using it. You know, as much as you can enjoy anything that involves washing dishes. The scents are really fresh and unique though and a lot better than most dish detergents. Particularly that normal yucky fake lemon scent of most detergents. The bottles are also a lot prettier than typical dish detergent bottles and I don't mind leaving it on the counter for all to see.  If you would like to join Influenster, let me know as I have a limited number of invites to send out to anyone interested. 

5. Trader Joe's Finds.

    On the way out of town last weekend after my cousin's wedding, Tim and I stopped at Trader Joe's for a little shopping trip to stock up on some of their fall products. We bought spiced apple cider, pumpkin pancake and waffle mix, pumpkin bread and muffin mix, pumpkin butter, and apple cranberry butter. There were tons more pumpkin and other fall-flavored items that I would have loved to buy, but they all needed to be refrigerated or frozen. I have yet to use any of them so far because I know I can't replace them. They will probably be used for a special occasion or when we have company. If you have a Trader Joe's in your area, I highly recommend their pumpkin cheesecake. It's delicious! 

6. Bye bye baby. 

    My baby is getting so big. Now that the weather is firmly set in the fall weather temperatures and wind, I stored all of my favorite spring and summer outfits of Owen's away for future babies or friend's babies. It always makes me so sad when I have to put away a certain size because Owen outgrows it. I'm actually really lucky though because Owen was born in April and fits into the size that matches his age, he always gets to wear a certain size through a complete pair of seasons. By that I mean he wore 12-18 month all through spring and summer and will wear 18-24 month all fall and winter. So I don't have to buy him a certain season's clothing in two sizes. It's pretty awesome. And to make myself feel better about packing away some of my favorite outfits (I'm talking about you alligator seersucker shorts), I went on a shopping spree for Owen at Children's Place and Gymboree. Now he has several new pairs of jeans, a bunch of new tops, a couple new sweaters, an overalls outfit, and some new pajamas. 

7. Christmas Book Advent update

     We are making a lot of progress on collecting Christmas books for the advent activity that I want to do with Owen this year. You can see my most recent updated list of the books we have here. I have started giving credit on the blog to those who have graciously donated books to Owen for this Christmas. And I am happy to report that we are eight books away from having a total of 24. I most recently purchased three new books from the new website Bookworm. If you are in the market for some new books, I highly recommend this company. They have ridiculously fast shipping and their customer service is really helpful. When putting in my information, my books were accidentally shipped to our old address (2,000 miles away - oops!). When I discovered the error after I received an e-mail telling me that my books had shipped, I called the company and they reshipped new books to my current address no problem. They were great. I currently have three promo codes for Bookworm. Use BOOKSABOGO to buy one book and get one free or use the code BOOKWORM30 to receive 30 percent off up to three books in your first order from the company. If you use my unique code JESS833854, you can receive 15 percent off your entire order and the company will donate up to $45 to an assortment of charities.  

8. November Julep picks. 

    My November pick for my monthly Julep Maven box should hopefully be shipping any day now. This month's theme was suede nail polishes, which have a unique matte look. I chose the It Girl box, which included Nora (silver aubergine suede), Hailee (khaki green suede), and a matte topcoat. I also added on an additional color: Minka (copper red suede). I was able to receive all my items for free using my referral and rewards credits (now called jules). The new program rewards you for purchases in addition to referrals so there are now more ways to earn free products. If you're interested in trying the program, click my referral link of the righthand side of my blog to head over to the Julep website and sign up. Use the code COLOR2012 to get your first box for a penny. 

Random Friday

1. Book Lover's Cravebox

      Last week I received the Book Lover's Cravebox. I snagged this special edition box a few weeks ago and was interested to see what would be inside. I received a book, a couple snacks, and a bracelet. The book that came in the box was "How I Came to Sparkle" by Kaya McLaren. Here's a synopsis: "Set in a Colorado ski town, How I Came to Sparkle is a remarkable breakout novel that chronicles three people and their journey from loss to love; heartbreak to hope." I haven't started reading the book yet, but I'll get around to it at some point. It's not really the type of book that I would normally pick out for myself, but we'll see. The strawberry-flavored Natural Vines premium licorice was super delicious. I did not like the snack mix because I don't really like soy nuts that much and they were the predominantly featured ingredient of this mix. It was a little too salty as well. The bracelet is not something that I would ever wear as it's a cheesy "count your blessing" beaded bracelet. Overall, I don't think I would do another book box because people's taste in books varies so greatly. 

2. Julep add-ons

      My Julep add-on nail polishes came in the mail recently too. I added on "Keira" and "Sofia." Keira is the burgundy color and I love it so much. It's currently my pedicure color. It actually looks a little more purple-y than it does in the bottle. Sofia is a really pretty sheer glitter and while I haven't used it yet, I plan to layer it over blue for my next pedicure. As far as Julep goes recently, the company has revealed a new website design and a new rewards system. The rewards system gives subscribers points for more than just referrals, which is nice. So far they are still transferring over everyone's saved referrals and getting stuff set up. I'm assuming they will be finished by the 20th, when they reveal the colors for November. 

3. Little man (aka Cute Pics of Owen)

       Owen's newest clothing accessories are two new ties. We bought them for Owen to wear to the wedding last weekend and he looks so stinkin' cute in them. They cost $7.95 each at The Children's Place. I think that they were 25 percent off when we bought them. We have the red one you see below and a green and navy striped one as well. Don't mind the jeans shorts in the below picture. He wore them with dress pants at the wedding, but I wanted to have him try them on and see if he would have issues with a tie and try to strangle himself. Luckily, he seemed to agree that he looked super cute!

4. Pantry organization

      One of my recent accomplishments this week and something I've needed to do since we moved in, was organize our pantry and food cabinets. They were packed with a bunch of random things and I wanted to have things a little neater and better organized. The motivation for this project came after we visited Katie and David in Florida and I had major pantry envy after seeing her super huge pantry filled with basically any nonperishable food you could ever want. Tim helped me to organize everything because he's really good at that sort of thing. So now we have baking supplies (and my stand mixer) on the top shelf, boxes of pasta, rice, breadcrumbs, and more on the second shelf, snacks and a basket of onions on the third shelf, and breakfast foods, breads, and more on the fourth shelf. In the food cabinet, we put all jarred and bottled foods on the top shelf and canned goods and broths on the bottom shelf. Another cabinet holds oils and vinegars and spices. I feel so happy about having everything organized and I'm getting a good stockpile of extras so that I don't have to buy so much at the grocery store each week. I will keep it up by buying items when they are on sale 10 for $10 at Kroger. 

5. Halloween costume idea

     Because I am the worst mother on the planet, I haven't really given too much thought to what Owen will be for Halloween. He's too old for all the baby-ish costumes and he hates having anything on his head. So my options are kind-of limited. I also don't want to go overboard and spend a ton on a costume that he's only going to wear for one day, and more accurately, just a few hours. We aren't taking him trick-or-treating or anything, so it's basically more about taking a few pictures. I was trying to come up with an idea for something we could do on the cheap and after buying him a white button down and the ties, I had the idea of having him wear a Superman onesie underneath and have him be Clark Kent changing into Superman. All we'd need to buy is the Superman onesie and maybe a cheap pair of black glasses. And I found this photo online to illustrate what I was thinking. What do you think? Any other ideas?

  6. Pumpkin obsession

       Oh Fall. My favorite season of the year. And one way that I celebrate the season is to indulge in all things pumpkin-flavored and scented. If it's pumpkin, I will buy it. Below are some of my recent pumpkin finds. Do you have any favorite pumpkin products?

7. Fall recipes

      Another reason I love fall is because of all the delicious soul and tummy-warming meals. My favorite recipe blog Skinny Taste has tons of great fall-inspired recipes that I can't wait to make. Some are old favorites and some of ones I haven't tried before. Anything with pumpkin (of course) or a tasty-looking soup is right up my alley. If you're interested in some yummy fall recipes from Skinny Taste, go here to check out all the recipes for fall from this awesome food blogger all in one convenient place.

Autumn penne pasta with sauteed brussels sprouts.

Pumpkin cupcakes with pumpkin cream cheese frosting.

Crockpot turkey white bean pumpkin chili.

Apple spiced scones with spiced glaze.

Chicken pot pie soup.

Pork chops and applesauce.