Thursday Thoughts

Lots of randomness today! 

*I'm burning a "Candy Corn" Prize Candle and it smells delicious in here. Not like candy corn, but some type of baked goodie. Delicious and very October-like!

*I'm halfway finished with Christmas shopping for the kids, and it's not even the middle of October. This "Something you want, something you need, something to wear, something to read" is awesome and easy! I also have a fun idea for handmade gifts for my family and friends, I just need to get some supplies ordered soon.

*Do you need some Fall/Winter clothing for your kiddos? Finish up clothes shopping online at Moxie Jean! With this link, only available for a few days yet (expires Oct. 15th), you can get $15 off your first order (and shipping is free over $50!). You can see my previous review here. I've never had a bad experience with them and there customer service is the best! Halloween costumes were just listed too, along with coats, winter wear, and boots!

*The 4 winners of the NuNaturals packages were randomly drawn by Rafflecopter and are: Babsi Bee, Kathy, Elizabeth S, and Antonia M. All have been contacted and the packages will be sent out soon! Thank you for entering!

*I'm dropping several subscription boxes. :( Birchbox, which I loved, is the next to go. I'm still keeping PopSugar and Ipsy for sure though!

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Disclaimer: Referral link included in post.
 

Thursday Thoughts

Where has this week gone? It's crazy to think it's already Thursday!

We awoke to windy, grey, chilly weather. With a high below 60 degrees today we are breaking out the long sleeves and pants. This is early for us, and there is already talk of a slight chance for frost this weekend.

If you want your indoors to smell like fall you have to try the Pumpkin Sugared Doughnut candle from B&BW works. It is amazing and fills my whole house with a delicious fresh baked pumpkin yumness!

 

We hit up some garage sales yesterday, probably some of the last of the season. I had to wait to leave town until my favorite one opened (Keens, Mini Boden, Gap, Hanna Andersson at awesome prices each season!) but was sorely disappointed when she said that the majority of stuff wouldn't be put out until today. I'm *almost* tempted to go back today but don't think it would be worth it to drive the 30 minutes in hopes of finding more. I think it's several people's favorite garage sale as while I was there a lady bought a garbage bag worth of clothes and another filled her whole laundry basket with items! Wow!

I had to snap a photo of this and text it to my husband yesterday. Why? Because it's like the second Starbucks drink that I have bought in my lifetime. Peach Green Tea has been all the rage online so I finally broke down and tried it. It's good. But totally not worth the $3.25! Oh my gosh, I can't believe that people would buy this regularly when it tastes almost exactly like the Arizona tea that you can buy for $1 in huge cans. It must be the status symbol of the cup. 

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Thursday Thoughts

My Ipsy early sneak peek went live today and I'm not very happy with my bag. The bag itself is okay but my contents are a bit boring (a makeup brush, eyeliner, deep conditioning mask, face wash, and lip gloss). I was so hoping for the Harvey Prince Hello perfume or something a little more exciting. Maybe I'll like it all better once I receive it!

We watched my cousin's little girl yesterday (who is about the same age as Amy) and the kids all had a blast together! So cute to watch them interact.

I'm hoping to get started with some cute fall decorating soon. I need to look up some frugal but cute ideas on Pintrest this week. Do you have a "go to craft" for fall?

My new dishwasher is arriving today! We've been without a dishwasher for over 6 months and I am so excited to have one once again. It is crazy how quickly our sink gets filled with dirty dishes - now they can be hidden away until it's time to wash.

Our third week of school is going well. We are starting to get into the groove and so far it's still review work so nothing too hard. We are often finished well before lunch and have time to enjoy sunshine outdoors.

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Thursday Thoughts

Here is a bit of an Instagram dump for you...

This weeks CSA share. Lots of yummy goodness which we are enjoying greatly! Those blueberries taste nothing like the ones in the store - these have flavors and depth that taste like candy! Amy literally screams for more!

Speaking of Amy, she often brings me the oddest assortment of items. The other night it was my keys and some hair spray. I wonder what she was trying to tell me?

My kids play to their hearts content each day and have the dirty faces, hands, and feet to prove it by the end of the day!

I don't have a picture but the other day a whole load of my clothes went through the dryer with a green crayon or marker (I didn't ever find the culprit). The whole load is now tie dyed green, and not in a good way. Scrubbing, soaking, vinegar, dish detergent, hot water, hanging on the line, and crying didn't work. Two of my favorite pairs of capris are ruined. I'm tempted to still wear them like that, as they are so comfortable. Sigh...I knew I should have hung them on the line in the beautiful sunshine we were having but I felt lazy that day. Look what that got me.

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Thursday Thoughts

I'm loving the extra room we have in the dining room since I've moved the table against the wall. The kids love it too...they now dance in the middle of the room together. :)

I'm also loving this cute little IKEA lamp that I bought at a garage sale for $1. I'm not sure where it will end up but it's adorable.

I'm starting to feel like I need to buy everything in bulk. My kids are eating me out of house and home (seriously, 12 string cheese sticks in less than 24 hours? A bag of apples in an afternoon?!) and I run out of toilet paper, dish detergent, hand soap at an alarming rate. I feel like I'm always at the store. I'm wondering if a big stock up day monthly would work out better. Maybe just for the household goods.

I'm still not back to a budget just yet. I realized, after asking myself why, is because I just don't care right now. There is a lot I just don't care about this summer. And that's okay. I'm not going to push myself right now when I can't/won't/don't want to handle certain things. 

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Thursday Thoughts

Yesterday I woke up and was just sick.and.tired of my house. It's been feeling tiny, crowded, and cluttered. I've felt down about not having the money to decorate it the way I want and finally came to the conclusion to use what I have and shake it up a bit. So I used the time when the two oldest were at Vacation Bible School and had Amy "help" me rearrange the dining room, fill a bag for donation, and am liking the space better already. Once it's where I want it to be I'll post some photos (I wish I had thought to snap a before photo).

Little Amy has been pretending to be a puppy lately. She even crawls into the kennel, shuts the door, and barks. What a cutie! 

 One sister for sale,
One sister for sale,
One crying and spying young sister for sale
I'm really not kidding so who'll start the bidding
Do I hear a dollar?
A nickle?
A penny?
Oh isn't there isn't there isn't there any
One person who will buy this sister for sale
This crying spying young sister for sale.”

― Shel Silverstein

While I homeschool, and don't have to do "back to school shopping" in the traditional manner, I do enjoy buying the kids new socks, underwear, and clothes before the beginning of fall anyhow. Actually, any excuse to shop for kids clothes is fine by me. ;) I still try to do it on the cheap. Luckily, I have $50 credit to Moxie Jean for a bag of clothing that I sent in and have a Rue La La voucher to Boden to use (I paid $35 for a $50 voucher and will combine it with free shipping and the 15% off code). My aunt's consignment shop also just put all their fall stuff out and I found the cutest GAP birdie sweater for Amy. I really need to go through the tubs of out of season clothes I have because I really don't think the kids need a whole lot this coming fall. One of the benefits of buying ahead at garage sales and consignment shops!

Don't forget to enter for the $50 Boden gift certificate! It ends in a few days!

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Thursday Thoughts

We have a sick baby in our household. Little Amy has a summer cold and is whiny and crabby. Yet, she is so angelic when asleep!

I realize I need to take more photos of Becca! She's been off on her own much of this summer; reading, writing, rollerblading, playing with the dog, at her friends house that she often misses our photo opportunities. I must resolve that this week! It's strange having a tween in the house - moody, opinionated, and not always welcoming to her younger siblings!

I have a lovely to-read pile for reviews coming up. I'm reading an amazing devotional right now and a fun fiction read - I can't wait to tell you all about them!

Saturday marks 11 months since Jacob has been gone. It's an amazingly long time to be without my little boy. You know how after you have a child and you can't remember life without them? Sometimes I can't remember life with Jacob. It all seemed like a dream that was over too quickly. It's the worst feeling in the world...to be without your child. Seriously, this summer has been so hard. I may not write about it all often, as it seems too personal, and when I do the words may seem a bit detached. But I think about Jacob all the time, he is in my heart and soul at every single moment.

The weather has been gorgeous. It feels more like Fall than July. I think I will take the kids hiking today, if my foot stops hurting. I think I have a piece of glass stuck in my foot but can't see it or feel anything poking out...all I know is it is painful! Any tips on getting an invisible ouchy out of your foot?! 

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Thursday Thoughts

I forgot that today is Thursday for a bit. My husband's word schedule is constantly changing and when he works the weekend he has a weekday off. Which means he had Tuesday of this week off, which means that was our Sunday, which means that I thought today was Tuesday. Confusing, I know.

Have any of you seen these little chairs in bathroom stalls?: 

Oh my gosh, they are genius! Seriously, a mother had to have come up with this. They are perfect for keeping a child contained; no more sitting on the floor or playing on a grubby bathroom floor. This was at our Wal-Mart, I haven't seen them in any other stores...yet. I hope it's a sign of things to come.

Our town has a parade not on the 4th of July but rather on the first day of the county fair. It runs right past our street and the kids were so excited that Joe sat his chair near the curb hours before and was waiting 2 hours before the start of the parade. Look how excited he was!

And Amy, well, Amy was tired of waiting since she didn't even know what she was waiting for. Once it started she was amazed that people were throwing candy to her and she may have been more interested in the candy than the actual floats (then again, aren't we all?).

I was looking through my closet the other day and ran across a cool pair of cowboy boots that I had picked up at a garage sale. My question is are cowboy boots even in style any more for fall with dresses and skirts? I need to know these things...yet I'm never up to date on the trends!

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Thursday Thoughts

I was at the Orthodontist on Monday and heard them talking about school starting somewhere around August 20th. Considering it was June I figured I had a lot of time to plan our studies for fall. Then I realized that this week marked the start of July, and that if we start our homeschool the same week as the public schools here that only gives me 7 weeks to plan. And that's really not that long at all.

So I spent the past few days going through the books that we do have in order to figure out what we need. I placed two orders for curriculum and now feel somewhat on my game.

When does school start in your area?

Amy made me get this shirt the other day at Goodwill. She is a total Daddy's Girl and even though she can't read and had no idea what it says she wouldn't let go of it when I showed it to her. She will be rocking it this winter. (Though, serious question, why do clothing companies make anything in white for babies and kids? I never willingly buy white clothing because it's pretty much a wear once and toss kind of thing. My kids are messy!)

Speaking of messy, our weather has been messy. This whole week has been wet or cloudy, or both. Even during our walk yesterday I had to snap this photo because it's been dark this week (and I have a dark mood to match). And wet! Oh my goodness, everything in my garden is rotting before it even gets a chance to mature. My broccoli has bloomed before it was ready to pick, the cauliflower is molding, the tomatoes seem wilted and dead, and the peppers turned to mush. It's a disaster out there.

We've had downpours of rain. Strong winds that have done much damage around town to the tree population. The wind on Monday blew the telephone line right outside across the road. Lots of basements have flooded (knock on wood, but ours stays relatively dry, which says something for those 120 year old stone foundations.

Then yesterday we were back in jeans with temperatures under 70 degrees. Highly unusual for Iowa in July.

I'm linking up with Jennifer for Thursday Thoughts!

Thursday Thoughts

*I hate it when you have to call a company to cancel an auto-ship account. Luckily, the subscription boxes that I love can all be canceled through e-mail (so easy!) but just yesterday I had to call two companies to cancel. The Honest Company now sells their diapers at Target so there is no reason for me to have a subscription when I can watch for Target sales, use my debit Redcard for 5% off, and get free shipping. Luckily, besides the long wait time, the subscription itself was easy to cancel.

Proactive, on the other hand, is insane. First of all, I had to try them out again as nothing I try is helping my breakouts. I don't know if it's hormones or stress or both but my skin is like a teenagers again. So I wanted to try Proactive again. Silly me, I didn't read the fine print and didn't realize that future shipments, for a 3 month supply, would be $109! No way - even if it works great I can't afford that! So, I call to cancel. And I can't. The guy is giving me the run around and I get flustered. I push auto-ship back to November and plan to call later to cancel. Seriously, it shouldn't be this hard to cancel and at this point I don't want to purchase from a company that is so pushy.

*Matilda Jane is having a good sale on some of their items. My friend got me hooked on their adorable clothes when she sent me the above dress for Amy. I die of cuteness! Their prices are way out of my price range, except for this sale, and some used pieces on Facebook. Goodness, it's dangerous on the pocketbook to have a girl!

*This may be an odd question, but how many dishes do you have in your cupboard? I'm constantly washing dishes, it seems, and I think I realize now that the problem is that we have too many dishes so I let them pile up longer than I should. Really, does one need 15 coffee cups or 12 plates? What is a reasonable amount of dishes for someone who doesn't entertain?!

*My goal for cleaning today is one garbage bag filled for donation and one garbage bag filled with garbage. I'm sure I can get a bag of garbage alone from my desk, which needs to be sorted and organized. :/ I've put it off long enough!

*Giveaway winner of the Willow & Sage magazine is Luna Lissa. Please e-mail your address! The winner of Snack Girl to the Rescue! was Jill G. and it's already been claimed and sent. There are some fun giveaways in the work so stay tuned!

I'm joining Jennifer in Thursday Thoughts! 

Thursday Thoughts

I'm linking up with Jennifer for her Thursday Thoughts.

Why is it that the outdoors can instantly settle a fussy baby down? Amy loves outside. To the point that she fusses the minute we step inside. It's not exactly a relaxing time outdoors with her though. No sipping tea or reading books on the porch while she plays in the yard. She is on the go, and fast, so must be followed and watched at all times. And corralled back into the yard countless times.

A new obsession of mine is the Salt Water Taffy candle from Bath & Body Works. I had ordered it online last week during a sale, after reading the good reviews on it. When I happened upon a B&BW store before receiving my order, I sniffed it to see how I would like it. I was so disappointed - it smelled bad at the store. Luckily, when I received my order a few days later it smelled totally different and  I am loving the smell of it. It reminds me of cotton candy, without being a sick sweet. 

Speaking of candles, Yankee Candles had their big clearance sale this past weekend. I had no intention of shopping there, but stumbled in and fell in love with the "Root Beer Float" candle. It sounds gross, but smells exactly like root beer and the memories of Jacob just slammed into me as I sniffed it. He loved root beer. So I had to buy it! I was just wondering, as the saleswoman asked if I would like her to trim the wick for me for my first lightning, why all candles wicks aren't sold trimmed already to begin with?!

Do any of my readers live in the Midwest where the storms have been hitting? We spent some time in the basement on Monday. Luckily, we just had some big branches to clean up in the yard but several whole trees were down around town and a roof was blown off a home in the country. We were all lucky to be spared the worst...those poor folks in Nebraska who had to deal with dual tornadoes! Those pictures were terrifying.

Does anyone have a good cat grooming tool to recommend? Our 12 year old cat just isn't grooming herself as well this summer and has lots of tangles in her fur. I've been using the dog's brush, which gets deep into the undercoat, but she isn't liking that one bit. Is there something a bit gentler that still works?