Monthly Musings: Back To School: Routines, Recipes, And Fall Fashion

 Another set of fun questions - this time about back to school and fall!

1. What are your best tips for getting into a fall/back to school routine?

Being as organized as possible - which frankly I stink at! BUT I'm trying!! Here's some examples of what's helping us:

• Doing as much as we can the night before - packing lunches, girls picking out their outfits, backpacks packed up, etc.
• Using our Skylight calendar to document EVERYTHING as we adjust to new afterschool activities {tumbling for both girls} or new times for existing activities {Paige's Girl Scout meeting changed days/time}.
• Meal spreadsheet - Brent and I committed to doing better with meal planning, and I have a spreadsheet now to track who is cooking when and what. We have activities almost every night, so we have to be organized here more than ever!

2. Please share your favorite fall recipes. Crowd/family pleasers welcome!

Brent and I LOVE spicy taco soup. We make a non-spicy version that the girls like too, but we prefer the spicy.

3. Favorite fall fashion staples?

Layers! Because our fall isn't very chilly, I would say I dress pretty similarly and just add a cardigan or light-weight jacket. And I also love a themed sweatshirt. And a flannel.

4. Favorite part of back to school this year?

Last year we moved schools, and there was so much involved with that. It's nice this year to get back into school and it be a very easy/smooth transition! So I would say my favorite part was that it was so UN-eventful!

Last day of school 2024

5. Do you celebrate Homecoming where you are?

Homecoming is HUGE in Texas, but our kids go to a smaller charter school without a football team, so the homecoming at their school is linked to a basketball game...not as exciting for the kids. But when I was a teenager {and I know it's the case at the traditional schools here} we were all about homecoming and mums!

6. Apple pie or apple cider?

Either! I love sweets and will take them in almost any form!

7. Do the leaves change colors where you live? If so, when?

Maybe 1 in 100 haha. They just mostly turn brown and fall off. {grin}

8. Favorite fall sweet treat? Do you have any recipes to share?

I love my mother-in-law's chocolate pie and pumpkin roll! I've learned how to make both and will definitely make myself sick on Thanksgiving Day with them both.

9. Hayride or bonfire?

I think I would say bonfire because it's nice to be cozy around a fire with a nice cocktail!

10. Movies that give you all the back to school feels?

I can't really think of anything that makes me think of back to school?

Currently: It's Fall Y'all!

Current Book

Current Song

The girls are really into Olivia Rodrigo, and I like this one!

Jealousy, Jealousy

Current TV Show

Brent and I are re-watching season 1 

now that season 2 is out!

Current Podcast/Audiobook

Might watch the Netflix show too!

Current Drink

Current Food

I made this orzo pasta dish this week,

it was delicious!

Current Shame-Inducing Pleasure

Obsessed with this.

Current Outfit

Since I'm in workout clothes right now, as usual...

Here's a pic of me, my sis, and our cousin where we look cute. {grin}

Current Celebrity Crush

I haven't watched Emily in Paris' 4th season yet,

but this is the duo I'm rooting for!

Current Mood

Not sure if this is a mood, but I'm feeling pretty proud with some 

organizational things Brent and I have been focusing on around the 

house that have been successful for us, yay!

Current Anticipation

We have a trip coming up next month!

I'm starting to plan for it, and I'm so excited!!

Current Wishlist

Still working our way through the living room renovation.

We got the rug laid down, chairs for the living room,

and new bar stools for the kitchen.

We still have a ways to go, but I'm proud of our progress!

Current Movie

Up next!

Current Picture

This guy LOVES my shoes!

Fitness After Forty

I like tracking my fitness metrics through my Apple watch. Not that it's an exact science, but it's fun to see if things are improving or declining over time, especially as I age. I want to do as much as I can to keep my body in good shape but also recognizing I'm in my middle years.

My current trends

I've had some things I've wanted to work on over the past couple of years - standing more throughout the day and flexibility/mobility being 2 of the more recent ones. 

My workouts have been pretty consistent over the past 4-5 years:

• Body Pump - 1-2 times/week {usually just 1 - when I teach}
• Pilates or Yoga - 1 time/week {usually Pilates}
• Jazzercise - 1-2 times/week {which is always a mix of cardio and strength training - about 2/3 cardio}
• Walking - 1-2 times/week was my norm, now it's almost every day {if only a mile} since I'm walking Gus consistently

But I do feel like there is a lot of conflicting information about what is most important for women as we age, and it's frustrating!

• Strength training - super important for women, especially for bone health and counteracting muscle mass losses
• Flexibility - injury prevention, balance/fall prevention, posture, pain reduction
• VO2 Max - this is a newer one to me - and I only knew about it because of my Apple watch {see image above} but this number is a 'key' indicator in cardio fitness and overall health - for my age, 32 is in the 'good' range

Like how many things can we manage at a time that are all 'critical' to our health as we age?!

I ran for the first time in FOREVER this week [2 separate times for 1 mile each time] because I do want to see if I can get my VO2 Max number up {it's only measured when walking or running outdoors} - I don't want to get back into running because I've realized I do NOT enjoy it like I enjoy the exercise formats I mentioned above, and I think if you don't like it, you won't do it - so better to be doing something that isn't THE BEST over doing nothing...but it can kind of all make your head spin when you try to do everything! And let's not talk about sleep and diet and sun protection and hormones...SO MUCH!

What are your thoughts on staying fit as you age?!

The Rest of Our Summer: July

As we march into fall, it's probably a good idea to wrap up the end of our summer!

Working with this pup home is so fun. Love being with him.

We finally had Sarge over for a playdate!

I don't think I shared about Paige's orthodontia journey. *Makes note for a future blog post.* BUT she got braces this summer {among other bits of oral hardware} for a phase 1 of orthodontia. Yay for our pocketbook!

Brace Face!

Lots of puppy love!

We had to wait for Gus to be vaccinated to be able to start walks.

We practiced a lot in the house and backyard to get him used to the leash and somewhat how to behave on walks.

The aftermath {grin}

We had a family reunion in July, where I got to spend a lot of time with my baby.

Patty and I traded kids, and I got Mayer. He lost a tooth with us!

At the end of July, I took Drew's Girl Scouts troop on their cookie season reward trip to Six Flags Fiesta Texas. We did the theme park 1 day and the water park the second. 7 of our 9 girls went, and we had a blast!

The girls and the leaders!

We closed out our summer with our trip to Broken Bow which was an awesome trip with our framily. Now I'm ready for cooler weather and all the fun that fall brings!

Movie Review: It Ends With Us

I cheated on Allison a few weeks back and saw It Ends With Us with my studio instructor friends. {Actually, I asked Allison to go, but she didn't want to see this movie, ha.}

Plot: When a woman's first love suddenly reenters her life, her relationship with a charming, but abusive neurosurgeon is upended and she realizes she must learn to rely on her own strength to make an impossible choice for her future.

Review: Y'all. I didn't love this like I wanted to, boo. I really enjoyed the book [although I've since broken up with Colleen Hoover] and was so excited about the movie...and well, I didn't think it was very good. You might ask why I felt that way, and the answer is: I thought Blake Lively was boring as Lily. Hate on me if you must, but I just thought she did a bad job. She was boring and her portrayal fell flat, and well, she's the MAIN CHARACTER. Sigh. It ended, and I was glad it was over because I was BORED. I hate that! 

Bad picture quality but GREAT friends!

First Day of School 2024-25

We are in week 4 of the school year and things are moving along pretty smoothly. Our biggest issue is timing the dropoff correctly as the process changed this year, and we can't seem to get it right to get Paige to school on time, ha.

We had some big changes last year with all 3 kids changing schools to our new K-12 charter school, so this year felt way less stressful as we had way less adjustment to make. Paige moved up to 2nd grade, Drew to 6th, and Drew to 10th!

Paige was the most excited for school - she has been very happy in the elementary program at Gateway. We were bummed that she didn't have any friends from 1st grade in her class this year, BUT she has the best personality and I wasn't worried about her making friends. Sure enough, she's already got a few friends she's having a blast with.

For most schools in our area, 6th grade is the beginning of middle school, but for us, it's 5th grade, so Drew was going into her 2nd year in middle school. She signed up for pre-athletics and theater, I was so excited to see her branching out to try new things. She doesn't have any classes with her best friend but does have friends in every class, so she has settled in pretty nicely!

And last but not least, our big 10th grader!! I can't believe that in 3 short years, he will be out of the house and in college. Trent is doing great, and while I wouldn't say he's HAPPY, he's content. He has all of his classes with 2 of his best friends which definitely helps! 

It really felt like a non-event after all the changes last year presented, and we all settled in rather quickly. Pickup last year was a huge ordeal, but the process changed this year and is so much easier this year! [quite the opposite of drop-off ha] 

This guy comes with me sometimes to get his friends {grin}