Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

A wonderful friend brought us a homemade super tasty lunch the other day...

and we baked and visited all afternoon!
Now that's my way to spend a day!
I felt so renewed and refreshed afterward.

We made Pampered Chef's Pumpkin Whoopie Pies.

And wow.
They.are.amazing.

I was lazy and didn't type out the recipe.
You should be able to click on the picture below to make it larger.
If you still can't see it very well, email me and I'll send it to you.

Seriously, if you're looking for a new, fun fall recipe...
this one is it!
I'm adding it to my make every year list.

T. G. I. I. F.

I love Fridays.

Because I love the weekends.
And I love Insta-Fridays.

Last Friday night
(Katy Perry's song is now stuck in my head...so nothing like my last Friday night...
& this mom from the burbs is cool with that)
I went out with a couple friends for frozen yogurt.
Yummy...I mean crazy yummy frozen yogurt, inexpensive...as in only $2.15 inexpensive and good conversation. A perfect way to kick off a fabulous weekend.
And the beginning of a new tradition.

Sunday was brunch with my BFF and a trip to Joann's.
More fabulous food and good conversation.
Therapy for the soul.
And one step closer to actually making that princess dress for Girlfriend.

One day mid week I taught AJ how to hand crochet with yarn.
So bringing back old school memories of hand crocheting miles of yarn
with my little sister as kids.
Seriously. It would entertain us for hours.

Lots of bonding time with this lil' man...

Lunch with Andy and a trip to the cupcake shop.
Already daydreaming about a return trip to that amazing little place.

If Abby were a cupcake, she would absolutely be the birthday cupcake
with pink frosting and sprinkles...
AJ went for the seasonal candy corn...
I went for the chocolatly chocolate covered cherry...and shared a little with Andy.

I love this picture AJ drew of me holding Brody.
There is something so pure and sweet about a child's drawing.
He said Brody is all wrapped up in a swaddle. Indeed he is.

Lovin' this lil' monkey up in his hip lil' hat.

And here it is Friday of fall break and
we have yet to start AJ's school project he was suppose to work on this week.
He needs to disguise this turkey so the farmer will not make turkey dinner out of him.
AJ decided to make him a pirate turkey.
I'm down with that.
Part of me wants to go to Michael's and get all kinds of crafty stuff and pimp this pirate turkey out, but I know I have to let AJ make his own pirate turkey...

I'll just help...a little.

Tangled Pumpkins!

Inspired by Lil C, we made a little fall craft this week.

Abby, the messiest child I know, was freaked out by the stickiness of the glue.

So cute!
Love them!

Today

I wore fuzzy socks, yoga pants, and a sweat shirt...

because it was a snowy, stay in all day kind of day.

I drank hot coffee and ate pumpkin muffins.

I decluttered the kids' rooms...

Did dishes, cleaned the oven, swept, mopped the floor...

fed and snuggled loved an adorable baby while the other two played in the snow...
and washed, folded, and put away a TON of laundry.
whew...
I'm exhausted.

On The First Day Of Hunting Season...

Andy took our children on a hike in the forest.

nice...

He didn't mention that it was the first day of hunting season until they got home...

because I might have flipped out.

Insta Friday! Whoop! Whoop!

Wow. It's Friday again!
The days are long, but the weeks seem to be flying by with three bambinos.

Get in on some insta action with:

So, here goes...
The real day-to-day life of this SAHM:

Purple toes and comfy pumpkin pj's make me happy.
You have no idea. Pure contentment.

A neighbor and friend with the biggest heart I know surprised us with
this lovely little combo this week. And I love her. Love her.
And I have to say.
Genius! Seriously genius! Pizza AND chocolate chip cookies in one box!
Someone at DiGiorno truly gets my family.

EEEE! Do you feel the excitement?!
That, my friends, is my new phone!
My old phone had barely survived Abby and AJ.
It had issues. Serious issues.
It's white! You may not know the power of a white phone after two black phones...
It's not just a color people. It's so much more.
I told the kids only grown ups are allowed to touch white phones.
It's fabulous.
I don't have to fight my children just to see who texted me...or search for my phone for ten minutes calling myself...or clean GoGurt off my touch screen so it senses my finger.
White...ahhh.

Miraculously, we made it out of the house with everyone in pressed, clean clothes and orderly hair for family pictures up in the mountains.

My children do not cooperate for pictures.

They did...for about 5 minutes....then we start the endless bribes and threats..."smile or no yogurt...listen and you get a sucker."...while you're pitting out, plastering a huge, fake smile on your own face and silently in your head thinking "smile normal or I'm gonna knock you out."
I'm sure you've been there...or you will be one day.
I'm just saying. It's hell.

It will be amazing if we end up with any picture where I am not shooting death daggers out of my eyes at my sweet, precious bundles of pain in the ass...or where AJ is not sticking out his tongue or Abby has one eye shut making her pirate face.
Thank you children.

I feel really, really bad for our photographers.
I am sorry. I truly am.
There's not a big enough Starbucks thank you card.

On to a much lighter note, I got my hair cut and colored this week!
Such a treat!

Signs of the season.
Cranberry Sierra Mist only comes out in the fall and winter.
I get so giddy when I see it on the shelf and proceed to fill my cart up...ya' know for my stockpile.

And drinking hot drinks again means super cute coffee cuff.
It's the little things in life.

I also cleaned the microwave, caught up the kids' laundry, and cleaned out the fridge this week.
They felt like big events around here, so I had to mention them.

Love you!

One Month

(click on pic to make it larger)