Friday, October 2, 2026

Friday Favorites! October 2, 2026

 



Happy Friday, friends! I hope your week was good; mine went by really fast. I have some favorites from the week that I thought I'd share today! 




I haven't decorated for Halloween outside in years, but this was the year I decided to do that again. I love my new lighted witch pumpkins! I bought them on Amazon last week; one is on the deck, the other is on the front porch. I also have this new white pumpkin you see in my flower bed. You should see some of the decorations in my neighborhood! Some go way above and beyond, so I decided to add mine. This really is my favorite time of year! 




Writing Scripture out has been my favorite thing for many years, but I stopped several years ago. I'm thinking of picking it back up again, and I'll start with one of these! 



My little M went into the guidance counselor's office yesterday during her PE time; my friend Heidi (the 3-5 guidance counselor) has the most adorable, cozy, and relaxing office. I could have spent hours in here, honestly; she even had music playing to add to the atmosphere. What a sweet job she has to be able to do nothing but pour into students everyday! I love this friend so much, and she also happens to be one of my favorite people at Crosswind. She has a little poster with feelings and emotions on it, and when M came in, she asked her what emotion she was feeling at that moment; M pointed to the proud feeling, and my heart swelled in size. I got so emotional over the fact that she felt proud of herself! Her mom loved that, too, and we both shared a moment as I put her in the car that afternoon. I love my job!




I let M pick out a new screensaver for my phone this week; she chose the pink toned one. I love it so much! I'm going to switch it to the pumpkins, though. I love changing my phone wallpaper; do you do this? I get the images from Pinterest, screenshot it, then set it to my phone. 





The Sing devotional is still my favorite. Check out the lyrics to this newly written hymn! It got me this week. My friend Cathy who shared this with me just hugged me for so long in the hallway on Wednesday after we listened to this on our own. I love how we talk about it together each morning! I am so thankful for my work people; I already loved them, but the death I've experienced has bonded us for life.



This dinner was a favorite of the week: a Mississippi mud roast. To the crock pot I added two packs of Italian dressing seasoning, two beers, two cups of water, and the meat. I let it cook on high for one hour, then I turned it to low and added a large jar of the banana pepper rings and the juice and let it cook all day. It was delicious and falling apart by the time I got home. I laughed at the guys here with me...they complained of this making them hungry all day. I think it made the dogs extra hungry too! 



This meal was killer! An arugula/spinach mix salad with oil and vinegar dressing, the best golden herb Kinders' brand fries, and salmon fresh off the grill. 



I loved this image I found on Instagram! I am going to try to do this in October. You know I love a good prompt! I think that additionally I'm going to try to write a blog post each day of this month. Some of it will be fun, some will be serious, some will be excerpts from my journal.



Getting boo'ed at work yesterday was a favorite! I got a candle, some candy, my favorite snack, and a Diet Coke. It was a great way to start a Thursday! 



I'm in love with my front porch, and the pink/orange combo...all of my home, actually. Most of all, I love the peace I have when I'm here. It feels like exhaling after a long day. 


What are you thankful for this week? I'd love to hear from you! Thanks for reading my blog today, friends. Love to all!

Jen



Thursday, October 1, 2026

happies from the week

 


Happy Thursday, and happy October, friends! I thought I'd talk about a few things that have made me happy this week. I'll jump right in!

The crisp mornings have been amazing! They make me smile. 

Talking on the phone Monday morning out on my deck made me happy this week. It was so refeshing!

Old comforting shows make me happy.

Reading at lunch makes me happy! But so does talking with co-workers when they come into the lounge.

These ridiculous dogs make me both shake my head and laugh. All the time. 

My sweet little M at school makes me happy! I love it when she tells me she loves me. 

Hearing her mom say that they pray for me everyday also makes me happy! I need all of that I can get.

Greeting students each morning makes me smile so big.

Fresh water makes me happy! 

That first cup of coffee also brings me joy. 

Writing here makes me happy, and it's therapeutic. 

Making lists and using my down time at work makes me happy! 

Having last minute, impromptu plans makes me happy. 


What is something that's a happy from your week? I'd love to hear from you! Thanks for reading my blog today, friends. Love to all!

Jen 




Wednesday, September 30, 2026

the Wednesday hodgepodge

 


Happy Wednesday, friends! I'm linking up with Joyce for today's hodgepodge post. I'll jump right in!


1. When you think of autumn, what sounds come to mind? I love this question! The crackling of a fire comes to mind. I love nothing more than sitting around a firepit in the cool season of the year; even when it's more than cool, it's still so much fun to drag blankets outside and sit by a fire. We don't have a regular firepit this season; ours was pretty warped, and when Drew moved in with Mallory, he brought his gas powered one here. It's not the same! I want a firepit back. 




2. Is a trip to the mountains something you enjoy? What's your favorite mountain? Wholeheartedly, YES! I cannot wait to get up into the Colorado Rockies in a couple of weeks. I can't wait! I think they're my favorite to date. 










I love it in Colorado.


3. What's something that once felt like a mountain, but now is just a molehill? I once felt like it was a mountain trying to navigate life on my own, one in which I don't have a husband. Now? It's way less of a mountain and more of a molehill. I'm grateful for this! My life exudes peace; I don't have to ever worry about someone else's bad mood, bad attitude, or bad day. I don't ever have to experience a marital fight or disagreement; I don't have to care about what someone else wants for dinner. It almost feels selfish to say and think these things, but I'm too happy to care what that makes me sound like. 




This night was an ultimate example of that peace. 


4. Let's play this or that, fall foods edition. Yes, you have to choose. 

  • pumpkin spice latte or chai latte
  • apple cider or hot chocolate
  • stew or chili
  • sweet potato casserole or green bean casserole
  • butternut squash soup or creamy mushroom soup
  • cranberry sauce or gravy








Take me back to this time last year, when I had Maine to look forward to, please! 


5. Sum up your September in a sentence or two. I don't know if I can do this in just a sentence or two, but here goes. September has been a month of learning how to hold grief and gratitude in the same hands. I've missed someone I loved, while also discovering that there are little pockets of joy waiting for me—in my sons, my friends, my family, my faith, the Lord, my writing, my cozy evenings, and the ordinary moments that make up a life. I'm not the woman I was before this season, but I'm beginning to see that I don't have to be. I'm simply learning how to keep going, keep loving, and keep becoming who I am meant to be. 


6. Insert your own random thought here. I love this Chat GPT trend! Ask it to make an image out of your life and turn it into a movie poster. She nailed it, y'all! 




I shared this on socials last night, and I used the song Keep On by Emily Ann Roberts as the background music. This is a great song! It's about persevering when life hurts and you're hurting enough to want to give up...but also that as long as you're still here, your story isn't finished. The central them is to keep moving forward. Here's a video to it, if you want to listen!




Thanks for reading my blog today, friends! Love to all. 


Jen



Tuesday, September 29, 2026

fashion files: fall is here!

 


Happy Tuesday, friends! I'm linking up with Amy for the weekly Fashion Files; I wasn't going to link up today, because this is a bonus post I'm making later in the morning. Under this post is the Share 4 Somethings, so if this isn't your thing, keep scrolling! Here are my outfits from last week. 



Monday was still hot! I wore this dress to work, but on Tuesday...



...fall had arrived! I wore real pants to celebrate. 



I still love this fall colored poncho; I've had it for years, and I'm pretty sure my mom cringes every time she sees me wearing it, but it's one of my favorite pieces in my closet. I only wear it from September 20 something until Thanksgiving, and then it gets put away for next year. 




I wore this on Thursday, because it was comfy/cozy day again. I don't have an outfit pic from Friday, and I can't remember what I wore. I'm loving pulling out some fall pieces, though! I ordered some new Halara jeans and leggings; I can't wait for them to come in. I needed these! 


Thanks for reading my blog, friends! See you back here for the Hodgepodge tomorrow. Love to all!


Jen 


Share 4 Somethings, September 2026

 


Happy Tuesday, friends! Thanks for being here today to talk about something you loved, something that sustained you, something you're carrying forward from this month to the next, and something you're making space for. I'll jump right in!


Something I loved this month...




Celebrating these girls birthdays...




re-watching and watching the old and new versions of Practical Magic...



...late season days of swimming...



...darker nail polish...



...and goat yoga at school!


Something that sustained me...



...morning quiet time and the word of God and reminders just like this, that nothing can ever separate me from the love of God.


Something I'm carrying forward from this month to next is the reminder to keep going, keep breathing, keep living, keep trying. Not everyday is perfect or even good, but there's always the promise of tomorrow. 


Something I'm making space for is the continued balance of work, home, and fun. I like to stay a little bit busy, but I'm also okay with being home on some nights as well. For instance, last night I was at home, and tonight I'll be at a concert with a friend from work. Life is all about balance, and I like how all of my people intersect with events in mine. 


I can't wait to read your posts! Again...I'm so sorry that I forgot about this over the weekend. We will keep doing this on the last Saturday of each month, today is just a one time thing. Love to all! 


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Friday Favorites! October 2, 2026

  Happy Friday, friends! I hope your week was good; mine went by really fast. I have some favorites from the week that I thought I'd sha...