The Pumpkin Patch & A Fall Decor Link-Up

It's link-up time again!  The sixth link-up in a series of link-ups hosted by:

Becky @ BYBMG

Elizabeth @ All Kinds of Things

Tara @ Mrs. Coach Sims

Britt @ The Fisk Files

Sarah @ Abiding in Grace

Denise @ Gratefully Inspired

Katie @ The Lane Above

Keri @ Living in This Season

If any of you have been to my home, you know I don't do much in terms of seasonal decorations.  Except maybe Christmas.  Sure, I change a few things here and there, but for the most part the house looks the same all year round.  And, if I do anything different, it's usually very simple.  Enter pumpkins for Fall decor.

Mom, the kids, and I took a trip to the pumpkin patch last week.  It was supposed to happen the week before, but the weather turned yucky, so we rescheduled.  This is the best pumpkin patch ever.  Here, you load up in a wagon and head to the fields with your pair of pruners and rows upon rows of pumpkins on the vine.

The boys all hopped in the wagon (you can barely see the top of John Paul's head...

 ...and Elley got quite the workout.

Soon enough, the boys were out of the wagon and in search of the perfect pumpkin(s).

It was so fun to see how far they've come in a year and how they enjoyed actually cutting the pumpkins off the vine all by themselves (Carter and Peter anyway). 

John Paul was content pulling the wagon.

And, Sophie held tight to me (for a few minutes). 

Elley made sure John Paul collected quite a few itty bitty ones. 

We had to make several trips to the car to unload. 

They even had a stack of hay bales, decorated with pumpkins for photo ops. 

I'm guessing some people get better pictures out of it, ha! 

You see all kinds.

When we got home and unloaded all of our findings, I took a few inside for the dining room table. 

Plus, I have a couple of iron pumpkins next to the hearth. 

They rest are outside, sitting peacefully on the bench... 

...or old church pew. 

They last there for a few minutes before they are used in a game of dodge ball, bowling, or soccer.  And you wonder why I don't invest more in pretty decor?!

How do you liven up your home for Fall?  Link up with us here!

An InLinkz Link-up

September Link-Up: Organization

Well, it's the fifth link-up in a series of link-ups hosted by:

Becky @ BYBMG

Elizabeth @ All Kinds of Things

Tara @ Mrs. Coach Sims

Britt @ The Fisk Files

Sarah @ Abiding in Grace

Denise @ Gratefully Inspired

Katie @ The Lane Above

Keri @ Living in This Season

I like to think of myself as a fairly organized person.  In fact, I'm a little neurotic about some things.  Others, not so much.

The kids' playroom is semi-organized and keeps me sane.  I found these little bins from Land of Nod (they have so many fun colors!) and turned our old book shelve into a part-bookshelf/part-toy bin.  Nothing ingenious I know, but it helps us out.

I found little tags to label the toy bins, and at the end of each evening (sometimes twice a day), we put the toys back where they go.  Maybe it helps the kids with sorting, too?!  If not, it at least keeps me sane.

I also love these book shelves that my husband and I made.  As you can see, we have just a few books in the room, so the extra space for some of them is a must!

In my daily life, all I can say in terms of organization is Erin. Condren. Life. Planner.  Get it - it's revolutionizing!  Ha.

How do you stay organized?

An InLinkz Link-up

Link-Up: Back to School Activities

Well, it's the fourth link-up in a series of link-ups hosted by:

Becky @ BYBMG

Elizabeth @ All Kinds of Things

Tara @ Mrs. Coach Sims

Britt @ The Fisk Files

Sarah @ Abiding in Grace

Denise @ Gratefully Inspired

Katie @ The Lane Above

Keri @ Living in This Season

This time around, we have...

Since we don't have any little ones heading "back to school" quite yet, I took a different spin with this month's topic.  I thought I would focus on a fun back-to-school project for some of our young adult friends (babysitters who might be heading off to college, cousins in college, etc).  So, the boys and I want to share with you a care package idea. 

In college, for me, there was nothing better than getting a package.  The best really were from home and often had some tasty treat in them.  I quickly learned not to open them in front of many people in my dorm or my goodies would vanish ;)  I always loved the handwritten notes, fun trinkets and really just knowing that someone was thinking of me.

So, the boys and I practiced today :)  It's the first time John Paul has helped with our kitchen projects, and we made boxed brownies (personally, I like them more than homemade)...

Along with a homemade goody, I would add a few of the following things to the package:

1.  A note along with a few pictures of the kids.

2.  Artwork from the kids.

3.  A Starbucks card

4.  Quarters for laundry.

5.  A restaurant giftcard.

6.  Desk supplies (pens/pencils).

7.  A good devotional

The sky is the limit.  Make someone's back-to-school a little better by sending them a care package this fall!  And, know that moments like these teach kids about caring for others.  They might not get it now, but it's a fun way to do something together and to also share the treats they are so proud of with others.  

So, what are your favorite things to do as the school year rolls around?  Please share!

An InLinkz Link-up

Link-up: Family Fun Activities

Well, it's the third link-up in a series of link-ups hosted by:

Becky @ BYBMG
Elizabeth @ All Kinds of Things
Tara @ Mrs. Coach Sims
Britt @ The Fisk Files
Sarah @ Abiding in Grace
Denise @ Gratefully Inspired
Katie @ The Lane Above
Keri @ Living in This Season

This time around, we're focusing on family fun!


I feel like we've been running low in the "family fun" department lately.  Well, if you consider getting a newborn fed throughout the day while feeling like all you do is say "in just a minute" to your older childrens' requests fun, then we rank right at the top of the fun meter!

Jeremy has spent a lot of time taking the boys to the park when he gets off work.  We've also enjoyed the 4th festivities and tearing up the yard with our own little soccer players' World Cup-like games.  The boys and I love to bake, and we involve Dad when we bring him the final product for a taste.  So, we've done a little of that here and there, enjoyed nightly popsicles on the porch and have even had a little ice cream sundae party.

However, the most whole-family-oriented fun we've had recently has been simply playing in the water.  When you cannot get to a pool, why not bring a pool to you?

 Even Jeremy got in.

 And after having his fill of water fun, he took Sophie for a dip...

...she didn't enjoy it quite like the boys did.

While I did make a version of Katie's Activity Jar, and have had every intention of doing more than just one of them by this point in the summer, I haven't accomplished that.  In fact, our family activities this summer have centered around spontaneity and compliance with the wee-one's breaks between eating and sleeping.

It's been a great summer, but instead of being filled with well-planned activities and fun outings for the kids, it's been more like this.  However, I have realized it's not really about what you are doing together, but more so the fact that you're doing it together.

What have you and your family been doing together this summer?  Link up and let us know!

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An InLinkz Link-up