Happy Friday! I hope you have had a wonderful week! Just over here waiting for a new dishwasher to be delivered after a week of doing dishes by hand. So, there’s that. Another quiet and simple weekend ahead for us before the teenagers get started in seminary next week. Seminary at our church is a religious studies course. They will both be up and out the door by 5:45 AM every day. I see a lot of napping happening over the next week or so – ha! It’s been a while so let’s dive into another Casual Friday!

Over here, it’s all things football season again!

And I gotta say, I love it and I hate it. If you are a fellow football mom, you most likely are nodding your head in agreement. There is nothing better than watching Tanner play. He is an incredible athlete and a gifted quarterback. But goodness gracious – I am holding my breath throughout the entire game!

They had a kick-off weekend last week and Friday night Tanner took a beating on the field. Far more than he should have. And if you hang out with me on Instagram, yes. That was blood all over his hairband after the game. They are working out some kinks with their offensive line, but it was tough. It broke my heart to watch it and then seeing him come home to nurse wounds was just as rough.

He had to play back to back between Friday and Saturday so by Sunday? He was laid up in bed with all the things. Heating pad, Deep Relief, Muscle Rub, and salt baths. He’s doing much better and we can’t wait to see what this season has in store for him. In the meantime, I will just be over here cheering our Number 17 on, praying for a healthy and safe season, and trying to keep his room smelling as pleasant as I can for the sake of his little brothers. 

Mama, if you need something for this area, I shared all about a deodorizer we use and love. You can catch it right here.

As for another year of homeschooling…

I am a little bit in shock that Brooks is going to be diving into his Kinder studies next month. When did this happen?! It seems just like yesterday that I was sharing all about the postpartum journey with him. Goodness gracious, time flies, and even more when it’s the last cub! And even though educating at home isn’t so black and white when it comes to “grade levels”, we have Brooks diving into Kindergarten studies, Blair will be in her 4th level, Owen in his 5th, Blake will be a freshman (seriously?!), and Tanner will be in his junior year. So grateful for the blessing that home education has been to our family. 

How are things at your house? Are the cubs back in school and so excited for another year? Or are you home educating too?

The fall season is just around the corner!

You know this – I am an absolute sucker for the fall season. I know, I know it seems to be the trend, but my love affair with autumn has a long history. And living where we do now makes it all the more magical. If you need help getting in the mood, just browse my fall Pinterest board – it will do the trick.

(Original image credit unknown)

And over the next week, I will be adding tons more to it so be sure and keep an eye out! Anyway, there are two things I do before I dive into the upcoming season and maybe they will help you out as well. 

First, I go through my decor arsenal.

Re-building after leaving most of what we owned behind in Arizona, has been a slow and steady process. This includes all of my home decor. So each season I have added a few more things. Pulling all of my fall decor out and visualizing how I am going to approach it for the season helps me to shop my home first and foremost. And if I feel the need to add a few things or there is something I have seen and know that I will love having in my home, then I add it to my shopping list.

But less is more in my heart and I like to simplify what I can. We do not need to be buying new things every single season. Consider this your permission slip – wink! And frankly, and I don’t know about you, but my heart and mind are more pulled to preparedness in our home right now anyway. I do, though, want our house to be full of comforting layers, textures, and smells. All the magic of the season within the walls of our home.

P.S. If you are part of the TWL community and on my close friends list on Instagram, I will be sharing all of my fall season must-haves this coming Monday so stay tuned to make sure you can grab what you need to make fall an amazing season at home!

Next, I go through the closets. 

With so many people in our house and the way these darn cubs keep growing, someone is bound to need something new for the upcoming season. Whether it be jeans, boots, or a new jacket. It does get very cold here in Tennessee and I hate shopping in the middle of a season because you can’t find anything in stock. Going through everyone’s closets helps me to curate everyone’s wardrobe for fall and see where the holes are. Then I make a list on my phone to have with me at all times. This way, the next time I am at Target, browsing TJ Maxx, or even online I can double-check to see if it will fill a need if I come across something I love for myself or anyone else in the house. Needs get handled first, everything after that is gravy. 

I’ll be sure to share more on Instagram stories in real time as I work through this process this next week.

Do you have a system that you like to approach each season with? Something that helps you stay on top of things?

Wishing you a wonderful weekend, friend!