Weekend Wrap Up & Something New for Your Family Table

Happy Monday, friends. Today is feeling extra Monday-like. Coming off of a relaxing week off. It was a great mix of some relaxing time as well as getting some stuff done. Like when you’ve got six bags in the hallway, ready to go to donation! Closet, clean out complete!! And I was winning because I took them the same day. They typically ride around in my trunk for a couple of weeks....and I know I am not alone in that!

I strolled around HomeGoods aimlessly, and got this mug. Do I need another one? No. But it is so darn cute!

I was so happy to have time to try out a couple of new recipes. Ella sent me this one to try, t pumpkin protein bites dipped in dark chocolate. All clean ingredients, and delicious. They are like the perfect little treat in the afternoon or after dinner. You can get the recipe details here. 

I also made this stuffed shell recipe last week as well. I substituted cottage cheese for the ricotta to add some more protein to the dish. You could easily double this one while making it and have a pan freeze. We had this on a night when Paul was out of town, so I made it and separated into two smaller pans. The kids and I had it last week with a salad.  The second one I froze and can use it on a night when I’m traveling or Paul is traveling for an easy dinner during the week. You can grab the recipe details here.

This was a picture of my kitchen on a random Tuesday afternoon. My happy place is in the kitchen!

Thursday night we caught Luke’s volleyball game, and then he was working the football game concession stand and Ella had gone to dinner with some friends. So Paul and I stopped by one of our favorite local spots to grab a cocktail and dinner at the bar while we watched some playoff baseball.

We came home and then snuggled up with these two!

I wore this denim jacket from Target. I love a denim jacket & I have a lot of them. But this one is probably one of my new favorites. The gold stud detail on it is so good, it looks desinger!

This tree in my front yard just makes me happy this time of year.

Friday night we headed out to watch Ella race. It was the Sunset Stampede. She has run this race every year for the last six years. They run close to sunset and then watch the sunset over the lake. Lots of kids actually jump in the lake after the race. This race has typically had terrible weather. We were so lucky to have like 60° and sunny. We took both of our parents and It makes me smile to see their matching white Buicks parked at the house.

Look how gorgeous it is to run along the lake at Sunset!

It really was the perfect night!

After the race, we stopped at Aunt Millie’s family restaurant. It has been our tradition after this race. 

Saturday morning Paul and I headed out to do some kayaking and see the Fall leaves from the water.

It was an absolutely gorgeous day. It is rare to find such a beautiful day in October here in the NorthEast.

We took a break halfway through. It was just so pretty & peaceful. You can see the reflection of the trees in the water.

We packed ourselves a little bottle of wine and some sandwiches and had a little picnic lunch before kayaking back. 

A fun Fall day on the water!

Sunday getting back to all the things before heading back to work. Meal prepping, laundry, & setting up the kids schedules for the week. We have a full week ahead as we wrap up one of the last weeks of the Fall sports season.

And on a super fun note, Ella and I are headed to the Justin Timberlake concert tonight!

Wishing you a great week ahead! See you back here later in the week, there is always room for one more at our family table. 

xoxo

Genevieve

p.s. I get commission for purchases or clicks made through links in this post. Thank you for supporting my blog.

Friday Favorites October 19th

 Happy Friday friends! This has been a great week. I took the week of from work, with no real plans. It has been a long time since I have taken a week to "just be" and it came at the perfect time. I did some of my favorite things, like strolling through Trader Joe's, met up with a friend, tried some new recipes and got a massage. I was also pretty productive and got some little projects done around the house. 

As always, I am linking up with Andrea & Erika for a little Friday Favorites. A peek into a few of my favorite things from the week. 

one 

 So last week the Northern Lights were visible in our neighborhood. I feel like I have missed the boat on seeing this earlier this year. I was seeing pictures on social media last Thursday night and I went outside and I could not see anything. Naturally I googled it and read that if you can’t see it with the naked eye to look at it with your camera on night mode. Well I did that, and oh my goodness. Beautiful! 

Both of these photos were in our backyard and I feel like it looks like something out of a movie. Just so pretty!

two

Last weekend we had a full Saturday of sports so I needed a comfy outfit for the day! I’m loving the rich jewel tones for Fall, like navy, green, and this maroon color. It also happens to be the team color for the kids' school, so it worked out. I’ve shared these before, but these are some of my favorite leggings.

And I cannot quit these Nike sneakers. I have them in six or seven different colors, and they are so comfortable and cute with an outfit. Win-win.

First stop we had the volleyball tournament, so we watched a few of those games and then headed over 45 minutes on the other side of town to see Ella race. 

We had a little time in between because the races were running late so we found a cute little coffee shop and grabbed a bite.

It was a beautiful day to run! 

Luke’s team had made it to the championship, so we literally ran back to our car to try to get back across town to see him. One of my girlfriends was texting me updates, and they ended up winning before we made it. So proud of these boys, this is the second year in a row they have won this tournament. 

three

These are officially my new favorite pajamas. So soft, so cozy, and under $30. I got this oatmeal color, but they also come in a beautiful green that may need to make its way to me. Tuesday this week I enjoyed my coffee in my Pjs and had a slow start to the morning. I did not want to get out of these, they were so comfy!

four

Paul and I found ourselves alone on Saturday night, as per usual with two teenagers! lol!

So we took ourselves on a walk to grab ice cream at our favorite spot, Rosie's Handcrafted Ice Cream.  I love all things pumpkin, so this pumpkin swirl ice cream and a waffle cone was just what my Fall self needed.

We took a walk around the neighborhood, and saw the coolest house. It’s kind of known as "the spider house" in the community. I shared the video on Instagram last week, but the spider actually moves up and down the web. It’s wild!

five

Last Sunday was a miserable weather day- cold & rainy. I sat with my most favorite blanket and watched football all afternoon. 

And then it was time to get this deliciousness started. This Fall weather has me craving cozy meals, and roasted chicken was one of them. I have been using Ina Garten's Roasted Chicken recipe for years!   I shared this and another of my Fall favorites on the blog this week. You can check it out here.

six

I may be alone on this, but one of my most favorite things to do is wander around a grocery store. Now I don’t love it when I am running between 18 different things, but while I was off this week, I had the time. Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods are two of my favorite stores to wander through. They are not super close to my house, so I took advantage of having the time to get up there. 

Ella has been on the hunt for this new flavor of Ollipop.

I felt like Whole Foods was like the jackpot of Poppi flavors!

I don’t need much to make me happy....  a coffee and a grocery store. Also, this nail polish color is not typical for me. But it caught my eye and I thought it looked like a fun Fall color and looks kind of Halloween-ish.  I really loved it once I had it on my nails!

And speaking of coffee...

It’s such a favorite thing when the barista puts a sticker on my cup. So simple, but it makes me smile every time.

seven

I pulled out this fleece this week, when the temps dropped.  I bought it last year, and it’s perfect for this weather. It’s a dupe for a much more expensive version. Comes in several colors, I have the cream & green. 

Here it is in the green. 

eight

Paul was out of town this week, and the kids and I were both off on Monday. We laid low most of the day and were planning to do tacos for dinner.  But the Bills were playing that night, so we decided to just do a big plate of nachos. I mean can you go wrong with a nacho dinner???  

Side note, I got these pans from Target last year and I absolutely love the look & quality of them!

We have another cross country meet tonight & then we are taking our parents out for dinner after. Thene a beautiful weekend coming up with no big plans! Looking forward to enjoying the Fall foliage!

Wishing you a great weekend! See you back here on Monday, there is always room for one more at our family table 

xoxo

Genevieve

p.s. I get commission for purchases or clicks made through links in this post. Thank you for supporting my blog.

Fall Inspired Dinner Ideas

 Hey friends! Not sure what the weather is like where you live, but it has definitely turned to Fall temps here in the NorthEast. While it wasn't quite 90, I feel like we went from 75 to 38 overnight. And yes, there is a chance some areas may see their first snowflakes fly these next few days!

So naturally, this weekend was the perfect time to make a roasted chicken. I made it on Sunday afternoon and it was the perfect Fall dinner. 

I have used Ina Garten’s roasted chicken recipe for years. I omit the bacon part, but I’m sure it would be amazing with the bacon, because what isn't??  Something about the fresh lemon, garlic and thyme just brings so much flavor to the chicken. 

Look at all that goodness ready to make a gravy!!

Not the most colorful plate, but so delicious! You can get all recipe details here.

Last week and I went with a roasting dinner option too. Tis the season, I guess!

This braised beef was just what I was looking for!  It cooked all day long, with an amazing red wine sauce. The meat was so tender, it just fell apart. This will be a Sunday staple for us in the Fall & Winter. Also, this dutch oven is so good & a much better pricepoint than LeCreuset! 

And something about these types of meals seem to call for crescent rolls. Probably something reminiscent of Thanksgiving dinners as a kid. I have been using these lately...clean ingredients than some other options. 

Any Fall meals you are loving? I am always on the hunt for new inspo!  My crew is not a huge fan of slow cooker meals. They say it all tastes mushy. Honestly I don't disagree with them on most dishes!

Hope you are having a great week. 

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

xoxo

Genevieve