Hello hello hello! Is it feeling like fall where you are now? It's rained all weekend here and beginning to feel a little like fall here in Carolina country. Even though it rained all weekend, we still had one soccer game, and my husband and I took the twins to their first college football game. They had a blast, but only lasted until halftime (it was an evening game, so even that was way past their bedtime). In between all that, I've been going through all my kids' outgrown clothes, toys, and baby equipment to list for the seasonal consignment sale. It's amazing how well my kids have been playing with less toys. Getting all this stuff out of the house is exhausting, but it's so worth it!! Fall is busy, but it brings some of my favorite foods--soups, crockpot meals, and fall produces like winter squash, sweet potatoes apples, and pumpkins!

Wow...this weekend was a teeny bit crazy. I managed to squeeze in a consignment sale on Saturday morning. I was looking for a couple of specific items, and we found almost everything. (Check out my tips on how to shop seasonal kid consignment sales here.) I think I attained my personal best for this sale - in and out in less than an hour. I was only a few minutes late to the twins' soccer practice, which is followed immediately by a game. Then Lil Bit's game was right after. Today was full of reclaiming my home from toys and other kids' clutter--and 4 hours later we can see the floor in the bonus room and the kids rooms. We literally threw out over a garbage bag of junk and I have over 2 dozen items from their toys that we're selling at the upcoming consignment sale that I'm selling at. I feel like I've accomplished something!! But now it's time to look forward to a crazy week full of a school open house, soccer pictures, a new Bible Study, and a football game! It's weeks like this that make me a little overwhelmed to plan a menu, but planning is what makes it manageable!

Here's the plan for the week:

Hi everyone! How are you doing today? Are you enjoying the kick off weekend for football? My husband and I do fantasy football so it adds some extra craziness to opening weekend! At least this year, we are on separate leagues - we learned our lesson from last year. But in addition to NFL kicking off this week, we also kicked off soccer season for all the kids. Needless to say, we no longer have a Saturday morning to run any errands. So it's even more important for me to have a meal plan (and flexibility within that schedule) so that I stay sane and have food on the table!

If you are like me, you start craving fall & fall flavors way before the weather cooperates. This week, it's been in the 80's and 90's and all I've been wanting is pumpkin everything. I really don't want to bake pumpkin bread or bake any other pumpkin yumminess because...well, who wants to make the kitchen that much hotter? Not me!! That's why I love pumpkin ice cream.

You get a lighter, cooler flavor than pumpkin pie but it is so smooth and rich...and oh so easy to make--did I mention that it's no churn?!? Yep.

I love fall....don't you? Sometimes, here in the south, it's hard to get in the mood. After all, it's still supposed to be in the upper 80's to low 90s all week long this week. That makes it hard to look for snuggly clothes or make a pumpkin recipe. But I still do...I think it's something about autumn's constant change...the weather, the colors, the holidays that makes me love it so much. What other season (unofficially) starts with cookouts and fun at Labor Day (at least here in the US) and ends (again unofficially--I know what the calendar says) with giving thanks with family and friends for Thanksgiving.

Do you remember a couple of months ago how I told you a that I wanted to start to share with you books that I am reading...mostly because when you love to read, you look for opportunities to share your love with others!?! Well, this is my next installment of this series (I told you that it wouldn't be too often!). With the changing of the seasons, I'm looking forward to curling up with some new design books—some from favorite authors, and some that are completely new to me. 

I think I'm going to have plenty of opportunities to read a few pages here and there while I'm waiting around at soccer practices and other activities. A good book is a great way to get inspired in those in-between times! I'm hoping that these books will inspire me and you!