the unexpected sleepover

Right before I am ready to go out to dinner with friends, my kid pulled out a last minute sleepover at a friend's. Yay! Go for it! We love the friendships that she has. But, seriously? 10 minutes before I leave?

I do dinner and it is a lovely combo of mom friends, laughter, nachos, and margaritas. Just sitting around the table with like-minded women sharing stories is a good night out. I was 8 whole minutes from my house in leggings. Party animal, I know ;) Sometimes that is all it takes. It is definitely the little things that count.

When I got home, I just sat. I played on my phone. I crafted. I caught up on true crime. I didn't do "nothing". I relaxed! 

We had a lovely day of Meijer and walking around a local tree farm with family. Today's theme was easy relaxation. No need to ruin it with real pants and expectations! I have to remind myself that just like me reminding my kid to take it easy and enjoy some downtime, I should do the same. It's not doing nothing. 

It's resting and recharging. It is important for your body, your mind, and sometimes your mindset. Fun one night, early night the next. That's how we roll.

pumpkin time has arrived

Tis the season for the baking to begin! We have already started trying out some new recipes for all of the upcoming holiday events. It is amazing what you can do with a basic can of pumpkin. I enjoy baking and my mini-me enjoys trying everything I bake. Let the baking showdown start.

We attempted a pumpkin roll, but I overfilled it. It ended up goozing cream cheese frosting everywhere. Despite this, it was gone in 3 days. Next time, less cream cheese. Lucky for me, no one I live with cares how nice the pumpkin roll looks!

Next up was pumpkin bars. These were perfectly perfect in every way. My favorite part is garnishing powdered sugar on the top like a gentle snowfall. It tastes good AND looks good. These are quick and easy for everyone and can hold walnuts or coconut if you like the extra.

Dog treats with pure pumpkin are an easy way to share treats with dogs. That is an easy crafternoon for a kid. If you buy a dog bone cookie cutter, then the dog treats are the cutest gifts ever. We got our cookie cutter at a Hallmark store. Just keep them stored like a normal baked good and you are good to go.

Add pumpkin pie, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin cookies, and pumpkin bread to the list. Then you have a complete list of pumpkin baked goods for a fun holiday season. It is our favorite time of year- Baking time!