Friday Favorites.... Goodbye September

Hey friends. Gosh I cannot believe that we only have a few more days left in September. I feel like the  month was just kind of a whirlwind of getting into our school routine!! I would like one more week of September to do some more apple things, before I move into all things pumpkin come October.😉

So as always I am linking up with some of my favorite bloggers, Erika, Narci & Andrea to share some of my favorite things from this week...it's a short and sweet list!

What's Up Wednesday September Edition

Are we really in the last week of September?? In some ways this month has flown by...like please not one month closer to Winter?!? And yet in other ways I feel like it has been September forever... like the kids have been back in school for what seems like longer than 3 weeks???
Anyway, here we are. Another month of 2018 in the books. I am linking up with Shay. Mel and Sheaffer for What's Up Wednesday... September Edition. 

 A fun monthly post where we answer these questions....

What we're eating this week......
Still using up some Summer veggies and I shared a few great recipes to do just that!

Summer Vegetable Couscous with Shrimp

Zucchini Lasagna Rollups
And lately we have been obsessed with all things chickpeas!!

What I'm reminiscing about.......
Last month we went to Boston and we just fell in love with the city!

It was such a fun trip with my parents and sister, that we are still reminiscing about it.

You can read all about our fun.
Boston Day 1
Boston Day 2

What I'm loving.....
We have had a beautiful last couple weeks of Summer and I have loved stealing a few more days on the water.

What we've been up to......
We are slowly getting into our back to school routine. Although I am still not used to the kids being on two different schedules. Ella had her picture day last week and I was sad to not take her picture with Luke. He has his next week and was still sleeping when she was off to school. They have been on the same schedule the last 5 years, so it's little days like this that get me when they aren't together.

The kids brought homework on the boat last weekend and thought it was so fun to do out on the water! 

What I'm dreading....
I think I say this every year, but I am really dreading the darker nights. I just hate when it is dark right after dinner or even before. Combine that with the cold temps coming and it's like I just shut down after 6pm!! 

What I'm working on......
Figuring out what is next for me. If you missed my post in May, I unexpectedly lost my job in the Spring. While it took a minute to get over the shock of it, I truly enjoyed my Summer home with the kids. We did lots of fun stuff and took full advantage of a carefree schedule. Now that the crew is back in school, I am looking to get back in the workforce again. I am still busy with the kids' schedules and life at home, but I miss the challenge and stimulation of a career. So I am looking for something to keep me challenged and that allows for a bit of flexible scheduling, so I can still be there for the kids activities. Some days it feels like I am looking for a needle in a haystack, but I just started looking so I am hopeful that perfect fit will come along soon😉

What I'm excited about......
I am so excited to have celebrated my 2 Year Blogaversary last Friday!

It's crazy to think I have been here sharing my world for two years. I am celebrating with a fun giveaway, so check out my post and enter to win!!

What I'm watching/reading.....

We are finishing up Season 2 of Ozark and are patiently waiting for Ray Donovan to return! I have heard good things about Jack Ryan and The Crown, so those are both on our Winter watch list!
I have been slacking with reading lately... not sure why?? But I just got this one from a girlfriend and can't wait to get into it!

What I'm listening to......

Honestly not much. I really do love the silence some days😊

What I'm wearing......
This week it is officially feeling like Fall, so I guess it's time to start dressing like it!!! I rounded up some of my favorite pieces from Target that you can add to what you already have and feel updated for Fall. Here are some favorites.

Let me tell you, Target's shoe game is pretty amazing for Fall. They have so many cute styles of booties in the $30 range!
I love, love, love this pair. I tried them on in store and they are adorable. With white denim, distressed denim or a dress.... cute, cute, cute!

Perforated Booties
And they come in this light color too!

I love the detail on this braided bootie and they also come in a great light taupe color. I just think the detail makes them a little more fun!

Braided Bootie

These are simple and you probably need them in this cognac color and the black! So basic to wear all Fall long and they would be adorable with a dress now.

Cognac Ankle Booties

If you are looking for a higher heel, this option is perfect. The hardest part will be deciding what color to get.. taupe, black or the super cute olive?!?! Friends, the olive color is really great!

Stacked Heel Bootie

This peep toe style is a dupe for a much more expensive designer style. I am always unsure how I feel about the peep toe, but at this price it's worth giving them a shot!

Peep Toe Bootie

This military vest is the perfect transition piece and under $30!! I am partial to the olive, but it comes in black too. It's a longer style that would look great with tanks now and your white jeans. Then you can take it into Fall with long sleeved tops.

Military Vest

My favorite transition piece is the military jacket. I have had mine forever and get so much wear out of it! I love the cinch waist on this one and the longer length...perfect with leggings! Again, I love the olive as a neutral choice, but like the vest, it comes in black too!

Military Jacket

This backpack is adorable. You can use it as a purse, as you can see with the strap there, or tuck it in and carry as a backpack. There are so many cute backpack styles out there. As a mom, it's so functional to have room to throw what you need in there and then put it on your back and be hands-free!

Universal Threads Backpack

This gray backpack is a little dressier and I think it's a great bag for late Fall/Early Winter. Like Christmas shopping, errands, sightseeing with this bag...perfect. Ok, no more talk of Winter😉

Gray Backpack

This crossbody is a great everyday bag and really roomy. I used it for our trip to Boston and it was perfect!!! Big enough for your essentials and easy to throw over across your shoulder- perfect for apple picking, pumpkin patches, all the Fall things!

I like the size of it and you can wipe it clean. And it comes in olive..my favorite neutral!

Crossbody Bag

I kind of fell in love with bralettes this Summer. I like the look of them peeking out of a tank or showing with an open back shirt, but even better was how comfortable they are! No wire to deal with... gosh that was a game changer. If you want to try one out without spending a lot,  I would recommend this one. Really comfortable, washes well, 4 colors and under $13!!! 

Lace Bralette

What I'm doing this weekend......

We are celebrating Ella's 11th Birthday! I cannot believe I will have an 11 year old tomorrow!

We have a fun morning with some friends at an Escape Room then out to lunch and then celebrating again the next day with the family! I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little sad that we are not having a cute themed party. I do love throwing a cute party, but at some point... a special day and lunch with friends is cooler. The last few years have been some fun parties though......

We celebrated 8 with a  Paris themed art party...

We dressed to the "9's" to celebrate 9,  Hollywood style...

And we brought in double digits, the big 10 with the cutest  Fixer Upper, DIY style party....

What I'm looking forward to next month.....
We have a family wedding on Paul's side and the kids are both in it! They were ring bearer and flower girl five years ago and I cannot wait to see them take on that role again! I mean look at how little they were here...

My heart!!! 

This wedding is near wine country in the Finger Lakes and it will be just beautiful in early October!

What else is new.....
We did our first Slow Roll last week. Buffalo has a Slow Roll on Monday nights in the Summer. Everyone meets at a designated spot and takes a 10 mile slow roll bike ride through the city. We have been wanting to do it for a while and it never worked with our schedules. We were so excited to do it and had the best time!

The kids did great and we met up with friends, which made it that more fun! 

Bonus question...What's your favorite way to eat/drink pumpkin?
I am big pumpkin fan. Not crazy about all the pumpkin spice flavored everything. More like pumpkin pie, cupcakes, bread, donuts....you know give me all the pumpkin baked goods! This is the recipe for the pumpkin cupcakes I used to make at our cupcake shop. They are pretty amazing and would be a perfect treat for your weekend!

Pumpkin Cupcakes
I do also love the PSL from Starbucks, but I request just 2 pumps of the pumpkin flavor in my grande. They usually put 4 and it's too much for me. 2 pumps is perfect!

Enjoy your last few days of September friends!

See you soon....there's always room for one more at our family table.
xoxo
Genevieve

Something New for Your Family Table Week #33 Summer Vegetable Couscous

Happy Monday friends! So I know the calendar says Fall, but my heart is still in Summer. So I have one more Summer-ish recipe to share with you.

Celebrating 2 Years!!!

Happy Friday friends!!! Today is a super special day for me, because 730 days ago I published my very first blog post. And today I am sharing my 474th post!
Happy 2 Years to me!!!!

It is still kind of surreal to me that I have stuck with this the last 2 years, and how much it has grown!

So as always I am linking up with some of my favorite bloggers, Erika, Narci & Andrea to share some of my favorite things of the last 2 years in my little blogging world.

A Little Life Lately.......

Hey friends! So I had big plans to share some life lately around here and realized we have not been up to a whole lot! This has been our scene this past week and that's ok!! Also, please note that the dog is not allowed on our furniture, but when I look down and see the three of them snuggled up I have a hard time saying no. Yep.. I  am a complete sucker.

Before the kids started school, we enjoyed Labor Day on the water. It was a beautiful day, beautiful Summer and we loved every minute! 

Ella has done a great job transitioning right into middle school. She is so organized and ready to go out the door every morning! 

Maddie is still adjusting to everyone being gone during the day. She spends most of her day watching for the bus to come home. The rest of the day she can be found as close to me as possible. 

You know that saying, "it takes a village"... well I am a strong believer in that. I love our neighborhood and we often find ourselves with some extra kiddos getting on the bus. Our elementary bus comes late, so if someone needs to get to work early... we are happy to have some extra kids in the morning! 

\Apparently Fall came to make a preview after we had a hot first week at school.  It got so cold here....leaves on the ground... it felt like Fall. So naturally I had to make something pumpkin. These Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins from Mix & Match Mama are super simple and yummy! When I say simple, I am talking 3 ingredients. You should make them soon. They will give you all the Fall feels! 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

The Clydesdale horses made a stop into town and Ella and I went to check them out. It's not everyday you see a horse drawn wagon delivering beer to the restaurants along Main St!!

And that's about it for us! We are just getting into the swing of back to school and back to activities routines.

We will see you on Friday....with a super fun Friday Favorites! Celebrating our 2nd Blogaversary! Yep, we have been blogging here for 2 years!
See you then, there is always room for one more at our family table.
xoxo
Genevieve

Something New for Your Family Table Week #32.....Zucchini Lasagna Roll Ups

I am always looking for fun ways to use zucchini in the Summer. You can always find it at local farmers markets and it's one of those things that seems to grow abundantly in gardens, so people seem to pawn off their zucchini on anyone that will take it!

I found this recipe, made a few tweaks and we all loved it!

The recipe called for ground Italian sausage, but I had a few links of chicken sausage that I just thinly sliced. You could easily skip the sausage to make this a vegetarian dish. First step was thinly slicing the zucchini (I used my mandoline slicer), salting it, and layering it between paper towels to try and draw out some water. It said to do this for 15 minutes, but i would recommend closer to 30, as I ended up with a lot of water in my finished dinner.

While the zucchini was drying out, I made the filling.

Then I used about 1-2 TBSP of filling in each piece.  I rolled them a few different ways. The smaller pieces I stood up in my pan and the wider pieces I laid flat. 

I topped the zucchini with the sauce mixture and a sprinkle of cheese. The recipe called for 2 cups of mozzarella, but I only used about 3/4 cup. 

With just 20 minutes in the oven, it came out looking and smelling amazing! 

And I got two thumbs up from everyone at my family table!!

Have the best week friends!

See you soon, there is always room for one more at our family table. 

xoxo

Genevieve