Back To Homeschool!

Hello! And Happy Friday, my friends. Well, Flynn and I are back to school; truthfully, we are glad. I am so thankful she enjoys the time we spend together each afternoon. Although I am struggling to comprehend how that little girl with the long curly hair who sat at a little white table and colored letters and numbers in our little preschool classroom is now a beautiful, intelligent teenager talking about PreAlgebra, Biology, and English Literature with me as a freshman, I am here for it!

My desk

And Flynn's. However, in the interest of complete transparency, I must tell you she spends more time on the comfy little couch than at that desk!

I know. I know. She is in high school, But I will never lose my love of seasonal children's books! 

We have a family tradition that goes back almost twenty-five years: Each child chooses a Back-to-School meal. Flynn is my last remaining one, so I was so happy to plan her special dinner. Her choice? Hotdogs, Kraft Spiral Macaroni and Cheese, and peas! And an easy, peasy chocolate chip snack cake for dessert. The other kids came to celebrate her first day of high school, and it was a fun night for my girl.

Superintendent Steve surprised me with these pretty flowers on the first day!

And lastly, I have to share a little about Steve's birthday dinner this week. I was so happy and proud of my children. They planned a special night out for Steve's birthday, and it was perfect. They set the date, chose the restaurant, made the reservation, and arranged for his favorite meal that wasn't on the menu; Steve loves veal chop parmigiana and has it maybe once a year. They also arranged for a special birthday surprise for dessert and even went together and paid the bill. I was so happy for Steve, who always has and always will make caring for his family his priority. That evening at dinner, we both realized how blessed we are that our children want to give us the happiness we have given them. Beautifully blessed. 

 I hope you all have a beautiful, cozy, fun weekend! Enjoy! We are halfway through this amazing month of September! Which reminds me...Here are the ways I tried to enjoy September one day at a time this week.

1. Decorated my planner for fall. 2. Enjoyed my first Pumpkin Spice Latte. 3. Read a fall magazine. 4. Helped Flynn decorate her room for fall and Halloween. 5. Ate a piece of pumpkin spice coffee cake. 5. Hung a fall wreath on my front door. 6. Noticed all the changes outside, like pinecones on the ground, leaves starting to fade, air slightly cooler, and evening coming sooner.

If you want a quick, easy snack cake, here is the recipe we use. It calls for a chocolate cake mix and chocolate instant pudding, but I used vanilla this time!

( I may have told you this before, but it is called SIn Cake because years ago, Peyton had it for dessert the night of her First Confession! )

Billie Jo

Fall In Our Home

Last week, on a slightly cooler and cloudy afternoon, I decorated our home for the fall months and am really enjoying the cozy touches of red, orange, yellow, and brown scattered around. Fun fact: My favorite color is brown. I am an autumn soul, after all. So, pour a cup of your favorite coffee, tea, or cocoa, have a seat, and spend some time with me in our cozy, fall home.

I desperately needed a new wreath and was so happy to find this one on Etsy.

This is the entryway, complete with fairy lights and a sweet sign given to me years ago.

We spend most of our time in the family room, but getting a good shot of the space is hard! I have a fall ambiance YouTube station on almost every day. This is one of my favorites. The space under the television is great for displaying some old favorite wooden pumpkins and a ceramic one, too.

Behind the couch, I put more lights and two of my favorite fall photos. 

From the family room, you can see into the room we call the Bird Room, mainly because you can see the birds from those windows. I love sitting there with my coffee and the pups early in the morning, watching those birds as the world wakes up and a new day begins. Lastly, the kitchen, where we gather to share meals and moments of our lives. 

And off the kitchen, a cozy little spot for this cute guy to hang out. Peyton and Chris got him for me, and I think this is the perfect spot for him. And that is it! As I am putting this post together, I notice that most of the things I have here are things I have had for years and years. I do buy new things occasionally to add, but for the most part, I use the things that symbolize home, comfort, and cozy for my family. The pumpkin on the fireplace hearth is called Big Pumpkin, and I bought that at a store called Ames over twenty-five years ago! Each of my children has played with that pumpkin and continues to look for it every year. The  Spiced Pumpkin Yankee Candle is the signature scent of our home and family. I have burned one every single fall since I can remember, and when my children smell it, they know fall is here. I think that is something to remember in this society of indulgence, commercialism, and influencer-driven buying. Just because Target, Pottery Barn, or Walmart come out with a brand new line of cute-themed things every year does not mean I have to buy them. For me, older, unique, more sentimental things are what I want my kids to remember from their childhood, just as I remember certain things from mine.

In a few weeks, we will add the not-so-spooky Halloween decorations, but for now, we are all enjoying our cozy autumn home together. We will sip pumpkin-spiced flavored everything, snuggle under pumpkin-covered throw blankets, and soak in this beautiful, all too short, comfortable time of year.

Have a lovely Wednesday, my friends!

Billie Jo

Monday Morning Coffee Talk

Good Monday morning, my friends! We spent the weekend at the condo celebrating Steve's Birthday! We came over after mass on Saturday, and on Sunday morning, we went to lunch at the cutest little town near here. It is like Amity from Jaws merged with Stars Hollow from Gilmore Girls. And I loved it.

Then, it was back to the condo for Steeler football. Or, as I call it, an afternoon nap. Afterward, we went down and sat on the beach. Late afternoon/early evening is my favorite time to be there. Nothing but waves and water and peace and quiet. And, yesterday, this little guy.

He literally stood beside me the entire time. Creepy.

We ended Steve's special day with pizza, presents, ice cream, and candles, singing Happy Birthday. And to show you that we don't always take ourselves seriously...

Happy Birthday to the guy that keeps all of us happy. 

And then, with an evening of football watching with the guys ahead of him, I headed off with these two for some Alfred Hitchcock Presents. This morning, I am going to swim, shower, and have lunch before we head back to the house so I can finish up Flynn's schoolwork for Wednesday!

Lastly, I want to share the link to my friend Leslie's YouTube Channel! It is called The Cozy Yellow Cottage, and it is just that—all things cozy. Her latest video is all about her fall kitchen decor. To visit her, just click HERE. Enjoy!

Have a lovely Monday!

Thank you for spending some of it with me.

Billie Jo

(Google)

A Few Friday Photos

I don't know how, but it is Friday already. I say that, yet Monday seems like a long time ago! This week's weather is beautifully pleasant and cool enough to make my autumn decorations look right at home. Outside, the leaves give the tiniest hint of what is to come; the birds seem to enjoy it, too.

Flynn was practicing her piano yesterday, and Marty decided to join me, Mocha, and Cosmo for our afternoon cozy hour. We were happy to have him!

And I have a very important PSA. Every year at this time, I indulge in one of my many autumn obsessions: stocking up on Dannon Lite + Fit Pumpkin Pie Greek Yogurt. That is until I discovered this.

My goodness, this is delicious. And I feel good knowing it is filled with ingredients I can actually pronounce. Fall in a little plastic cup.  

I mentioned in a previous post that I am trying to do one little thing each day in September that will help me pause and appreciate this beautiful time of year. How is it going so far?

1. Listened to my Spotify playlist called Cozy and Spooky  2. Decorated the house for fall. 3. Made a fall fruit salad  4. Had Pumpkin Spice Yogurt  5. Lit my Pumpkin Spice Yankee Candle 6. Yet to be determined!

Have a wonderful, cozy weekend, my friends.

Thanks for visiting!

Billie Jo

Pinterest for the cozy image.