Audrey Holidays & Celebrations!

Hello You Snuggly, Cozy, Warm, Spooky Season!

Fall always makes me want to write, even when I’m technically on a hiatus 🍁

This is Moo’s first fall! And I turn 30 next month! Despite 2020’s best efforts, we’re going to enjoy these last three months. (I’m ignoring the fact that the election is happening during this time- not neglecting to vote, though!) (Also ignoring the fact that my wallet was stolen from my car yesterday. Grrrrr.)

I dyed my hair purple for the spooky season. It took a few attempts but I’ve got it where I want it and our shower is 100% purple now. (From washing- I had it professionally done.) It is what it is.

We’re still having our annual Halloween party!! I’m excited. We’ve revamped it for COVID, of course. It will be outside in the backyard, lots of social distancing, masks and hand sanitizer available. Instead of an evening party we’re doing a kid-friendly afternoon bon fire. I’m pretty snobby about COVID protocol so you can rest assured that it’s going to either be safe or cancelled. Ha.

Speaking of Halloween, I have a pretty good idea of what our first family-of-5 costume will be… We’re not going to take M trick-or-treating (because safety and because she has no clue), but if our town decides to still have trick or treating I saw this cool idea in Parents magazine (I’m a real mom if I reference Parents magazine, right?) where you decorate the front door and post treat bags there. I’d still sit on the other side of the porch to ensure greedy little fingers only take one 😉

My bday is mid-October and we haven’t made any real plans yet… What I want to do and what we’re able to do/comfortably doing doesn’t really line up so we haven’t decided on anything. Hopefully we figure it out soon…

I’ll be around a little more in the next few weeks. (Fall gives me that creative spark ✨) Next Monday I’m remembering Lylee a year after her death, on Thursday I’m recapping my 3Q goals & sharing my new ones, & then the following week is SUYB day!

So I guess I’ll see you around 🧡

Audrey Movies & Television

Unconventional Halloween Movies

It’s no secret that I am not a fan of horror or violent films. I don’t mind creepy or sinister, but seeing people mutilate and harm other people isn’t my cup of tea. But I freakin’ LOVE Halloween. I love fake blood on the bathroom mirror, skulls on the mantel, bottles of ogre teeth and witches brew on the bar cart. LOVE. IT.

And I love watching films that put me in that spooky mood, even if they’re not traditionally Halloween movies. (Some of these are, though. I’ve written about my favorite Halloween movie before here.) This is the unconventional list that I’m planning to tackle this year!

Beetlejuice is one of my favorite films of all time. I’ll watch it all year long. | Every year around my birthday I watch the film Clue. I don’t know why I started this little tradition, but I did and I love doing it 🙂 | I don’t know that I’ve ever seen Rocky Horror Picture Show all the way through but it’s one of my mom’s favorite films. This year I plan to watch the whole thing. | I watched The Haunted Mansion a looong time ago- probably when it first came out. I love that it reminds me of the ride at Disney World! | Sleepy Hollow is such a strange film. It’s definitely not my favorite on the list but it’s spooky without being too gory. | Admittedly, Hocus Pocus isn’t my favorite Halloween movie (gasp), but I know it’s a classic and I still watch it almost every year. | I know Coraline is a kids movie but it freaks. me. out. Perfect for Halloween time. | I’ve never seen The Monster Squad but it looked cheesy and classic so I added it to the list.

I added some not-so-spooky but still fall-flavored films, too. Fantastic Mr. Fox is one of my all time favorite films ever in the history of me. If you haven’t seen it, go watch it. It has nothing to do with Halloween and it’s the most adorable, quirky, witty movie ever. | The Blind Side is one of those movies that sucks me in every. single. time. I always laugh and cry and worry like I’m watching it for the first time. | Last but certainly not least, It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown is a classic and deserves to be watched every single year 🙂

**You can find The Monster Squad on Hulu & Coraline on Netflix. There are also a bunch of cute monster/Halloween kids movies on Netflix, too.

What movies are you planning to watch this fall?

Audrey Goals etc.

The Fall Bucket List 2018

One Monday morning, not too long ago, a co-worker arrived & I greeted him cheerfully. He gave me a sideways look because a) it was a Monday and b) it was morning. Then I saw a lightbulb go off and he laughed and said, “You’re in a great mood because it’s cold outside.”

YOU BET YOUR ASS, I AM.

And that is my classy intro to this year’s Fall Bucket List.

This year’s list feels a little light but life has been busy and I won’t pretend like I’d enjoy filling all my free time with traditional fall activities. I tried to stick to stuff that I either enjoy doing or stuff that really need done.

Outside Stuff

  • Go to at least one festival
  • Take a vacation
  • Family Thanksgiving trip to Williamsburg
  • Get some mums
  • Get some pumpkins
  • Carve some pumpkins
  • Do a fall craft
  • Take a dog or two on a fall hike

Inside Stuff

  • Gather the necessary items for our costumes…
  • Host our annual Halloween party!
  • Decorate the house
  • Start & finish a project I’m working on with K
  • Try out three new recipes for dinner
  • Bake a new fall cookie
  • Drinks lots of apple cider
  • Meet my cousin-in-law’s new baby! (She’s due early Oct.)
  • Celebrate my bffs’ birthday!! (One in Sept. & one in Nov.)
  • Find a new fall cocktail to make at home
  • Get a PSL
  • Get 50% of my Christmas shopping done
  • Paint the house
  • Hang 90% of all art/pics once house is painted
  • MAKE. ICE. CREAM.(If I don’t do it this time around I’m selling my ice cream machine)
  • Scrapbook Year 4
  • Order Year 5 photos
  • Continue working on office & emptying my parents’ basement

Do I already have some things crossed off? Yes. Am I ashamed that I jumped the gun? Hellz no.

I’m working on my overhaul goals, too. This month has been… rough. But I’ll recap that during Kristen’s link-up at the start of October.

What’s on your fall bucket list?

Audrey Goals etc.

Fall Stuff List 2017

Before I begin… Today, four years ago, we moved into our house 🙂
Also, Happy Birthday to my cousin Sam!

On to some fall time goodness…
I’m always more motivated this time of year and it’s reflected in my goals and seasonal bucket list. (Last year I killed it.) This year I’m combining everything into one list and I’m going to be more specific and intentional with each goal 🎃

fall_bucket_list_2017

  • Go to at least two fall festivals (examples below)
    • Yankee Peddler Sept. 9 & 10, 16 & 17, or 23 & 24
    • Swiss Festival Sept. 29 & 30
    • Atwood Area Fall Festival Oct. 6, 7, & 8
  • Move into the new house! (We close the first week of Oct.)
  • Host our annual Halloween Party!
    (This is year it’s more housewarming and less costume. I know, I’m sad about it, too.)
  • Visit a nursery and get some mums for the front porch
  • Pick/buy pumpkins
    • Carve them
  • Get a bay of straw for the front porch
    (Sidenote: You should always buy straw for decorations. Hay is food for animals.)
  • Work on meal planning and try out these recipes:
  • Find a walk route in the new neighborhood with pups
  • Get a few rooms in the house decorated
    • Living room
    • Master bedroom
    • My office
  • Get 25% of my Xmas shopping done by the end of Oct.
  • Visit an apple orchard
  • Bake a new fall cookie
  • Drink some apple cider
  • Watch It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and Beetlejuice
  • Find cute booties (*part of 30×30 list)
  • Take a dog or two on a hike (*part of 30×30 list)
  • Scrapbook. Even a little bit. Just get something done… lol
  • Dog park with E (in Columbus)
  • Homemade ice cream, damn it

For the sake of consistency and closure, I guess I should touch on my summer goals and bucket list items…

Bucket List

  • Go on a mini-golf date with K
  • Finish Year 3 scrapbook
  • Beach house vacation with the whole family
  • DCI Championships with K in August
  • Finish backyard landscaping
    • & host a cookout for the company
  • Take Enzo to the dog park
  • Outdoor concert with K & friends
  • Garage Sale (#2)
  • Visit the farmers’ market
  • Make a serious dent in Erin’s reading challenge
  • Drink more water
  • Make homemade ice cream
  • Take the pups on an adventure

Recap: I sucked… Most of the things I crossed off were already in the works when I made the list. Also, Ly and Enz got a bunch of time at the dog park thanks to open houses and showings so…. I feel like that counts as “an adventure.”

Goals

  • Clean junk out of basement & utility room (Yay house-selling!)
  • Get spare bedroom clean and de-cluttered 
  • Wash cushion slips
  • Wipe down fans, baseboards, etc.
  • Go for a bike ride once a week
  • Go putt-putting/mini-golfing (With the fam, but not as a date with K)
  • Tackle three books per month (…ish)
  • Clean out/update my Spotify playlists
  • Finish Year 3 scrapbook
  • Order pics for year 4

Recap: Slightly better than the bucket list. Opening the house to strangers forced me to clean a lot.

For being an insane season at work and selling the house (twice), I feel ok about those goals. Plus, we all know I’m not that tough on myself anyway with these. *shrug*

What’re you hoping to accomplish this fall? How’d you do over the summer?

Audrey Holidays & Celebrations!

It’s Coming… 🍂

It seems that the majority of us are ready for a seasonal shift…

I am anti-wish the days away, but I’m so pro-fall someone should give me a crown and call me Queen of October. Seriously, though…

Today I bring you a list of late summer things that remind me fall is coming. (I feel like a GoT reference could be made, but I don’t watch it so I’m going to let that opportunity slide.)

Humidity-Free Breezes
You know what I mean. It’s that cool, fresh breeze that interrupts an 82 degree afternoon. We feel it, we suddenly crave more, and we obsessively check our weather apps to see if the windows can be cracked that night.

That Bonfire Smell
My husband says bonfires smell like ham. I don’t agree since I dislike ham but love the smell of burning logs.

Movies on Television (that are just a tiny bit premature)
My heart actually leaves my chest when I see films like Beetlejuice on TV. #MyFav

The Leaves
Most of ours are still green but if you look toward the top of the trees you have a few rebel leaves that are starting to protest in red and orange. Be still my heart.

The Produce Aisle
The squashes and pumpkins and other gourds are coming out to play. Is it too soon to carve a pumpkin? Asking for a friend.

I have zero shame in my fall obsession. I’m glad summer is packing her bags. Please Lord, give us a cool, breezy, uneventful fall.

Got any fall plans this year? Hopefully we’re moving houses, going on a small trip, and celebrating my b-day. (We’re definitely doing the latter 😉 ha.)