Wednesday, September 28, 2016

What's Up Wednesday

It's the last Wednesday of the month, which means I am linking up with Sheaffer, Mel and Shay for What's Up Wednesday!



What We’re Eating…

We had a tiny bit of a cool front here which means I foresee soup on the horizon, but for the most part this week it’s been simply, quick family-friendly meals like tacos, spaghetti, and meatloaf.  One of my favorite meatloaf recipes I actually found on the back of a Quaker Oatmeal box years ago.  It’s easy to throw together, and the best part; I usually have all the ingredients on hand.  


Click here for the recipe.

What I’m Reminiscing About…

Ranger Baseball in October!  Eeek!  There's nothing better than watching baseball when it's cool outside!  Come on Rangers, let's do it this year!



What I’m Loving…


We were in the upper 90's this weekend, so you can imagine I was overjoyed to finally have a cool, rainy Fall day!





What We’ve Been Up To…


The chill wasn't even out of the air yet, and we hit up the pumpkin patch with my mom last Saturday.  




 The kids picked out a few pumpkins...


Wandered through a hay maze...


And watched a pig eat a tomato???


You know, all typical pumpkin patch things...



What I’m Dreading…



What I’m Working On…

I've been working out for about three months now and am starting to notice changes, especially in my arm strength (which I never really had before).  I remember the first week I worked out my trainer said to bring your exercise ball on Friday for Ball Day.  I thought that sounds fun, like we're going to play a game of beach volleyball or something.  Newsflash...it's not a game.  Most of the exercises we do with the ball focuses on strengthening our core which I desperately need after three children.  

This is my goal by January...


So, yeah.  I just realized my trainer reads my blog, and now I've committed to that.  


What I’m Watching & Reading…

Like everyone else in the blogging community, I am hooked on This Is Us. Even though I have only seen two episodes, I already feel so invested in the characters.   




I had the goal of reading one book this month.  I started reading Uninvited, and although I really like it...I'm still on page 20.  I have a hard time finding uninterrupted down time to read.  



My new goal is to finish this book by 2017.  

What I’m Listening To…

Silence, which reminds me...



What I’m Wearing…

Some of you may remember that I got Red Hunter Boots for Mother's Day, but I haven't had much of a chance to wear them, BUT I am looking forward to cooler weather and hopefully some rainy days so that I can break these out again!  I actually look forward to getting out on rainy days now!




What I’m Doing This Weekend…

My mom and I are going to First Monday Trade's Days in Canton!  Does anyone else think it's odd that it's called First MONDAY Trade's Day...yet it's not open on Monday?  (It's open Thursday-Sunday BEFORE the first MONDAY).  I guess "The Weekend Before The First Monday Trade's Day" was too wordy.  


If you haven't been there and are near by, you should definitely check it out.  I've only been two other times, but am always overwhelmed with how big it is!


What I’m Looking Forward To Next Month…

Two of my children have October birthdays, so we're in full out birthday planning mode around here.  I can't wait to see them enjoy a day surrounded by the people that love them most!  

This little guy will be FIVE years old!!


And, this sweet princess will be THREE years old!



What Is Your Favorite Fall Recipe…

My favorite thing to make in the Fall and Winter is definitely soup.  I plan on sharing some of my favorite recipes over the next few months.  In the meantime, check out Andrea's Pumpkin Palooza for tons of yummy ideas, including this Pumpkin Monkey Bread with Maple Drizzle!


That's what's up with me this Wednesday.  What's up with you?

Emily

Tuesday, September 27, 2016

To Pin Or Not To Pin...That Is The Question

How much do you love Pinterest?  Before this amazing invention, we actually had to walk to our bookshelf and search endless cookbooks (sometimes without pictures) to decide what we wanted for dinner.  Now, we can plan breakfast lunch and dinner, remodel our bathrooms, pick out clever teacher gifts, put together a well coordinated outfit, and learn creative ways to teach our preschoolers sight word...without leaving our sofa.  You know Martha Stewart is kicking herself for not coming up with this idea herself!

If you're a "pinner" you know the trap that you can fall into.  You know what I'm talking about.  We pin things we know we have absolutely no intention on actually completing.  Maybe we pin it because we think, one rainy day, I'll get a wild hair and actually have all the ingredients on hand to make those delicious looking Low Carb Caramel Macchiato Blondies.  Maybe we pin it because we want our friends (and fellow pinners) to be impressed and think we're actually succeeding at pinning.  Whatever the reason, we all occasionally pin with no intentions of following through.  So, today I am linking up with the fabulous Shelly and the adorable Katy for Spiel the Beans with the Queens...Pins You Know You Will Never Try, But You Pin Anyway!


But, first...something we did actually achieve.  Kendall is taking a class at school called Lifetime Nutrition.  She missed a class recently due to a dentist appointment, and her make-up assignment was to make chocolate chip muffins, and then I needed to email her teacher and let her know we accomplished it.  Well, why send an email when we can document these muffins and possible break the internet with our amazing recipe.  Oh yes, we're blogging these muffins!  Hi, Ms. S! :)

Here's what you need: 2 cups of flour, 1/2 cup of sugar, 1 Tablespoon of baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1 egg, 3/4 cup of milk. 1/3 cup of vegetable oil, and 1 cup of chocolate chips.


In a large bowl mix the dry ingredients together: the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  


 Then beat the egg, milk and oil together.  


Stir the egg mixture lightly into the dry ingredients, and gently fold in the chocolate chips.  


Bake at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes.  The hardest part of this recipe is waiting 5-10 minutes for the muffins to cool...


 Enjoy!


With a glass of milk...


Ok, now back to Pinterest...here's a list of things I have pinned knowing I will not attempt.

This.  Hello, if I am patient enough to pour my pancake batter into a ketchup bottle without making a HUGE mess, I am probably capable of making normal pancakes without a batter dispenser.  #truth


I have two preschoolers...this seems like a good idea, but let's be honest.  This organizational tool would last four days, tops.  




This was one of my first pins ever!  I love the look, but let's face it, towards mid-October your fireplace is going to start to stink and one of your pumpkins is going to start leaking...


My favorite thing about Pinterest is definitely the recipes!  It's my go to when I have a specific craving.  After seeing my pal Jenny from California making her own sushi the other day, I started pinning these beautiful Ahi Towers.  Yum!


Then, if that wasn't enough, maybe I'd take it to the next level and add some Kobi beef to my Ahi Tower.  Whatever, Emily, stick to your crockpot meals!


 And, last but not least...this.  If you know me, you know patience is not my virtue.  I like instant gratification.  I don't like projects that take a while.  I like things like chalk paint and mowing the yard.  I want to know that I can do it all in two hours.  That's why the fact that I pinned this tedious project is ridiculous...


Talk about Texas Forever (Hey, Katy), it would take me longer to complete this, than it did Tim Riggins to finish high school.


At what point, do I stop missing Friday Night Lights?

I can't be the only one out there pinning things, knowing I won't actually do it.  Right?  What are you pinning?

Emily

P.S. I'm also linking up with a few of my favorite bloggers for Tuesday Talk.


Sunday, September 25, 2016

Meet & Greet Monday: Meet Andrea

Happy Monday!  On today's installment of Meet & Greet I am showcasing my beautiful friend, Andrea!  If you're not a loyal reader of Andrea's, I bet you will be by today!  Her blog (and Pinterest) is one of my favorite sources of outfit inspirations, as well as recipe ideas.  Grab a cup of coffee, and meet my pal Andrea:

Hello sweet Friends. I'm Andrea Nine from the Blog Living On Cloud Nine. I am honored that our dear Emily her would ask to feature me today. I know I treasure getting to know other bloggers so this is a special thing Emily is doing.


I'm a 40 something Hoosier girl who is blessed with an amazing husband and three teenage sons who I am over the moon for.


How long have you been blogging and what inspired you to start blogging?

I have been blogging for over a year and a half. I actually wrote a whole post on why I started blogging last year called How Blogging Saved My Life.
Something was missing. As happy as my life was, there was an ache in my heart. I knew the ache would get even worse as two of our older sons were getting ready to go away to college. While pondering this ache, I would start to think about all the blogs I was a fan of and how their fun spin on life, love, food and style made a difference in my life. That's it...I wanted to make a difference, make someone smile, feel better or laugh. Fellow bloggers have now become like family. Supporting and encouraging one another and understanding that if you're taking the time to write a blog post, then your heart is truly special! 

How did you come up with the name of your blog? 

For me, this was the easiest part of the beginning blog process. With the last name of "Nine," I knew I wanted it to be called Living On Cloud Nine. I wanted to lift others up so it just made sense. We are huge numbers people and we joke if we ever open a pizza joint, It'll be called "Nine Slices!"

 Of all your posts, which one was your favorite to write and why?

9 Things Every Happy Woman Should Have because it is so vital to be happy in life and do things that help you achieve and feel the love and happiness in your heart.


Also, I have to mention dear to me heart is the post I wrote about my dear Grandma who passed his year called She's A Doll.....so special!



What’s the best piece of advice you have ever received?

 Compliment someone each and every day!

Let’s pretend a big TV executive called you up and wanted to feature you on a popular talk show each week.  Who’s talk show would you want to appear on and what would your segments be about?

100%, The last hour of the Today Show with Kathie Lee and Hoda. My BFF Tami and I even do a little take on them and people tell us we remind them of the two of them all the time. We'd probably go in there and pretend to be them. It'd make a great Halloween show. Even though Tami is older than me, I'm the one who plays KLG. 

What are your go to’s?  In other words, I’m going to give you a scenario when you might find yourself in a time crunch…tell me the first thing that pops in your head.

You need an outfit and you only have an hour to find it.  What store is your go to?

Those of you that know me....Target for sure, especially that last couple years, they have been slaying it in the clothing department. I love Target so much and the bright spot it is in so many ladies weeks that I wrote a humorous post on it called 9 Things That Inevitably Happen at Target.

Here are some Target Fashions I have loved lately:


Friends are coming over for dinner tomorrow night?  What’s your go to entertaining meal?

Chicken Eugene, Crock Pot Texas Potatoes, Green Beans with Bacon and rolls. This is one of our favorite meals on Sunday's and a guaranteed company pleaser any night. I did a whole post on it with the recipes and the memories of Sunday dinner growing up. Dessert would be my most favorite dessert of all time: Pineapple Pretzel Fluff. I was in shocked a few months back when this went viral and has become my most viewed post of all time. But when it is so good that you don't even want to share it with your kids but stand in the kitchen and eat the whole thing, well you'll know why, lol. 


Recipes HERE


Recipe HERE

You're cleaning house on a Saturday afternoon.  What’s your go to CD or Pandora station?

I LOVE so many different kinds of music, but growing up my mama always played country so if I really want to be lifted in spirit or dance naked, JK, lol, it's old school country but as soon as Nov 1st hits, it's Christmas tunes all the way til Dec. 31st Baby. Oh and "Baby It's Cold Outside is one of my favs....

You need to stare mindlessly at the TV to unwind.  What’s your go to TV show?

Hands down, The Goldberg's. My husband and I have been watching this show since day one. I laugh hysterically at this show, relate to this show and sometimes in the moving moments, I even shed a tear. I am an 80's girl, which is when this show is set. Plus, my husband tells me I AM the main mom character: Beverly Goldberg. 

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You’re planning a date night. What’s your go to restaurant for a fun time? 

SOHO SUSHI. It is the BEST sushi place about a half hour west of us and Mr. Nine and I love to go there before a movie and we get the same things every single time because it is SO-HO GOOD!!! We split an order of chicken fried rice, they even double plated it for us, I get the spicy salmon roll and he, the spicy tuna. We start off with edamame of course and a moscato for me, beer for him. We are never overly full and the flavors are the best of anywhere these Hoosiers have had round these parts, lol. Oddly enough neither one of us used to love sushi, guess our taste buds evolve with age, lol. 

You need some encouragement.  Who’s your go to person for a little pick me up?

Ironically, the people I go to are people I've never met. Fellow bloggers like our dear Emily here, Amanda from A Brownie World and Laura from The Horton Family and all my sistas at The Blended Blog!!. Fellow bloggers who are now friends just "get it" and are even more supportive and encouraging that people in my "real life." 

Readers can follow me on Bloglovin, Twitter and Pinterest:



While my blog is eclectic, Two fashion Link-Ups I assist in hosting: Every Wednesday with the Ladies at TBB and the first Thursday of every month called My Refined Style.



Thank you, thank you so much sweet, Andrea, for letting me spotlight you today!  You nailed it!  If you missed any of my previous Meet & Greets, now is the time to get caught up...


Meet Katie from Preppy Empty Nesters
Meet Beth from Our Pretty Little Girls
Meet Johannah from the Sirois Family
Meet Shelly from The Queen in Between 
Meet Amanda from A Brownie World
Meet Jessica from Life.Love.Reality
Meet Jill from Pharr Out Creations
Meet Jenny from California

Have a great Monday!

Emily 

I'm linking up with Johannah for Hello Monday.






Friday, September 23, 2016

Friday Favorites: Bandwagon Edition

 band·wag·on
\ˈbandËŒwaÉ¡É™n/ noun: a particular activity or cause that has suddenly become fashionable or popular.

"the local deejays are on the home-team bandwagon"

Happy Friday!  I am jumping on the fall bandwagon today.  Want to join me?  Here are five thing I'm all about right now...



First, you know one bandwagon I can NOT get on?  The Starbuck's Pumpkin Spice Latte bandwagon!  See, I had a root canal once and they packed it with clove to soothe the root.  Now, every time I taste the all-famous PSL, all I taste is clove...and a root canal, therefore I am NOT a fan.  However, I am a fan of all non-clove pumpkin flavored things, like Dunkin' Donuts Pumpkin Spice Coffee!  Yum!  I may or may not be sipping some right now.  




You know what goes really well with pumpkin spice coffee?  Pumpkin bread, duh!  I made two different options of pumpkin bread yesterday for my kid's preschool teachers (and a little for our house, too).

 I made the Pumpkin Banana bread on the left for two special preschool teachers, that also happen to be fellow Trim Healthy Mama's (low carb & no sugar).  If you're interested, check out Mrs. Criddle's recipe.  

I also made my pal, Johannah's pumpkin bread recipe for three of my daughter's teachers, as well as my family.  Thanks for sharing Johannah!


A delicious First Day of Fall Treat for some special teachers!



Fall decorating is another bandwagon I've jumped on this week.  Although I have scaled it down the past few years, I still like to make it festive and cozy around here.  Here's a peak at a few of my favorites...






I haven't decorated too much outside yet, due to the fact that it's still in the 90's here and no one likes the look of wilted mums and rotten pumpkins, but I do like this wreath that I whipped up on a whim.  This was a *free* wreath, meaning I just took apart some old wreaths and decorations and re-purposed it for a new and improved wreath.  




I was a HUGE fan of Parenthood and Friday Night Lights, so of course I jumped on the This Is Us bandwagon!  If the first episode is any indication of how this show will play out...This Is A Keeper!!  I can't wait to learn more about these likable characters!  

 (Photo from NBC)

But, my favorite character....Major Dad!  I definitely hope he has a reoccurring role, but I'm not getting my hopes up, as it seems he had one purpose and it's over.  Yes, I'm being vague in case anyone hasn't seen it yet.  If that's you, go watch it NOW!

(Photo from when Gerald McRaney stopped by the house the other day...or possible from NBC's website, I can't remember)


If you want to jump on the Simply A Rough Draft bandwagon, here's what we've been up to this week...

On Monday I continued my Meet & Greet series with the fabulously charming and witty Katie from The Preppy Empty Nester.


On Tuesday I shared the cliffhanger story (please note sarcasm) of how I almost had to rescue from daughter from a bathroom using a sledgehammer.  Spoiler alert: she made it out.


Wednesday I linked up with Johannah and Heather for their Recipe Club and shared my recipe for Z.S. Gratin.


That's all I have for you today!  Have a blessed weekend!

Emily 

Linking up with the Friday Regulars...





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