Thinking Out Loud Thursday - November 18, 2021

Happy Thursday friends!  Thanks for stopping by today for Thinking Out Loud Thursday where I share something on my mind and invite you to link up and do the same.

Can you believe we are only a week away from Thanksgiving, which is one of my most favorite holidays?   Life has been happening at what feels like warp speed lately and I'm having a hard time keeping up.  We have emerged from the pandemic where our calendars were empty to now where days are full of activity.  

Today I'm reflecting on last weekend.  After over a year's delay, several of my friends and I gathered for a girls' weekend!

On Friday I traveled to Kansas City knowing that fun was just ahead.  Believe it or not, about halfway across the state of Missouri I ran into snow!  It wasn't sticking on the ground and didn't last long, but it was still a shock to see snow this early in the season.  

As Friday evening unfolded,  one by one we arrived at my friend Linda's house.  We had a lot of catching up to do and did it while munching on appetizers and playing games.  

Saturday morning we leisurely got ready and headed out to do a little shopping.  By mid-day, we were ready for lunch.  We went to the cutest little taco joint in downtown Lee's Summit called Taco Holics Club.

We stayed in the downtown area and ventured to another one of our faves for a cocktail - Hand and Glove.  

More shopping ensued through the afternoon and then we headed back to Linda's to get ready for our dinner out.  The restaurant we were dining at was The Belfry in downtown Kansas City.  Chef Celina Tio puts her touch on bar fare and serves craft beer and cocktails.  To cap off our dinner, we ordered all six desserts on the menu and shared!

Sunday morning we went to The Shack for breakfast and amused ourselves with the adorable names of the menu items.  Have you been to a Shack before?  The coffee drinkers in our bunch raved about their coffee and the food was great.  We feasted on things called Do I Still Look Big in These Pants and Junk in the Trunk.  

All the way home I kept thinking to myself how lucky I am to have friends to share weekends like that with.  We shared books we'd read, television shows we're watching, and recipes we've tried.  These friends definitely make my life better and I'm so thankful for them!

Now it's your turn - what are you thinking out loud about today?  Link up and share!

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Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop - November 17, 2021

 Welcome to another week of the Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop! We are so glad you're here.

It's the final push to get all your plans together for Thanksgiving whether you're hosting this year or traveling somewhere to visit family. Some of this week's features could definitely help you with all that!

Join this week’s blog hop to find inspiration from dozens of bloggers for all things home and family including crafts, decor, DIY, fashion, recipes, fitness, gardening, travel, home improvement, and so much more!

A friendly reminder to our guests that as a courtesy to the hosts, we ask that you follow every host on at least one social media channel.  

If you are a blogger then be sure to link up below. You never know when it will be your turn to be our next feature!

Before we get the party started, let's meet the hosts and check out this week's features.

Meet The Hosts

1. Ahna - HAMMERS N HUGS | FB | IG | PINTEREST
2. Anne & AnnMarie - SIMPLY 2 MOMS | FB | IG | PINTEREST
3. Angela - THE SHORT ORDER COOK | FB | IG | PINTEREST
4. Bev - ECLECTIC RED BARN | FB | IG | PINTEREST
5. Cindy - SIMPLE STEPS FOR LIVING LIFE | FB | IG | PINTEREST
6. Emily - LeCULTIVATEUR | FB | IG | PINTEREST
7. Jana - HARVESTING HOME | FB | IG | PINTEREST
8. Kera - HAUTE HOUSE LOVE | FB | IG | PINTEREST
9. Penny - PENNY’S PASSION | FB | IG | PINTEREST
10. Sinea - DUCKS ‘N A ROW | FB | IG | PINTEREST | TWITTER
11. Tammy - MY LIFE ABUNDANT | FB | IG | PINTEREST
12. Tara - STILETTOS AND SHIPLAP | IG | PINTEREST

Top Viewed

Christmas is on everyone's mind these days. It will be here before we know it. The most popular post this week was this Christmas Wish List. I think a lot of us are still looking for some ideas for those hard to buy for people.

Very Popular

If you happen to have a good source for free pinecones or a stash of them from previous years that have lost some of their cinnamon scent, then this could be the perfect project for you. Without the use of glue or wire, this pinecone wreath would go together so quickly!

Editor's Choice

I think all of us could handle getting just a little bit more organized and if you find hosting Thanksgiving to be a very stressful time for you then this post is perfect for you! She shares tips and tricks and even a Thanksgiving Planner to help you make this day be so much simpler and stress free!

This time of year most of us do a lot more baking and this Cinnamon Roll Pie that Angela shared looks like a must-try to me!

Be sure to grab our Specially Featured graphic below if your post was featured this week, and hyperlink it to this post on your blog or sidebar. We love showing you off!

Let's Get This Party Started

• Please follow all hosts on AT LEAST 1 of their social channels.
• Add as many family-friendly posts as you would like to. NO Etsy shops, adult sites, or blog parties please.
• Visit others. Caring is sharing. Like, comment, and pin posts.
• Party entries appear in REVERSE. This way your entries will be seen no matter when you arrive.
• Please TWEET our party and invite others to join.

Let's Party!

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Five on Friday - November 12, 2021

 Another Friday is here and you know what that means.  It's time for Five on Friday ~

1.  World Kindness Day

Tomorrow is a day we should all get behind - it's World Kindness Day!  It's a day we are encouraged to spread kindness.  There are so, so many ways we can spread kindness around.  Think about helping a neighbor by raking their leaves or taking them some homemade cookies.  Pick up trash in a public park.  There is an endless number of things you can do to show a little kindness.  What are you planning to do?

2. Will

Okay, all you Will Smith fans - this week his book was released and it's getting rave reviews, including Oprah saying it's the best memoir she's ever read.  Here's the summary from Amazon ~

Will Smith’s transformation from a West Philadelphia kid to one of the biggest rap stars of his era, and then one of the biggest movie stars in Hollywood history, is an epic tale—but it’s only half the story.

Will Smith thought, with good reason, that he had won at life: not only was his own success unparalleled, his whole family was at the pinnacle of the entertainment world. Only they didn't see it that way: they felt more like star performers in his circus, a seven-days-a-week job they hadn't signed up for. It turned out Will Smith's education wasn't nearly over.

This memoir is the product of a profound journey of self-knowledge, a reckoning with all that your will can get you and all that it can leave behind. Written with the help of Mark Manson, author of the multi-million-copy bestseller The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, Will is the story of how one person mastered his own emotions, written in a way that can help everyone else do the same. Few of us will know the pressure of performing on the world's biggest stages for the highest of stakes, but we can all understand that the fuel that works for one stage of our journey might have to be changed if we want to make it all the way home. The combination of genuine wisdom of universal value and a life story that is preposterously entertaining, even astonishing, puts Will the book, like its author, in a category by itself.

3.  Advent Calendars

We are closing in on the start of the advent season.  Do you have your kids' advent calendar yet?  Now is the time to get one and have it ready to go.  Legos have so many really cool ones.  I spied this Harry Potter one and wish it had been around when my son was little.  Combing his love for Harry Potter and Legos would have been perfect!

4.  Body Restore Shower Steamers

These babies made Oprah's favorite things list this year and I can totally understand why.  Pop one in the shower and let the water do the rest.  The tables release the calming scent of lavender and you will be able to feel the tension in your muscles fade away.  The pack comes with 15 tablets.  Use them all yourself or share some with friends.  Either way, you are going to love these!

5.  I'm getting old...

Have a wonderful weekend!  I'm headed to Kansas City for a girls' weekend.  Can't wait for the fun to begin!

October 2021 Amazon Purchases

Welcome to Thinking Out Loud Thursday!  I'm going to share something I'm thinking about and invite you to link up and do the same.  Today I'm thinking about all the Amazon purchases I made in October and want to share a few of the best ones with you.

Looking back, I made some really random impulse purchases.  Luckily for me, they all turned out great. The rain shoes and gloves were purchases I made while I was in Austin for work and was flying directly from there to Cleveland.  They had added rain and cooler temps in the forecast for Cleveland after I had already left home and was in Austin, so I decided to purchase the rain shoes and gloves.  I had them shipped straight to my hotel in Cleveland and they were waiting for me when I arrived.  

      

October was full of travel for me, so I knew I'd be wearing masks a lot.  This pack of three solids was a great addition to my already too large collection of masks.  At the beginning of the pandemic, I was determined to not try to match my masks with my outfits.  That went out the window at about month two!  These are a good price and they are very comfortable.  

The other fashion finds were winners, especially for the price!  I'm loving the shoes.  The top comes in 25 different colors.  It's been the perfect blouse to wear under sweaters!  The belts are great too.

With all the threats of shortages for Christmas, I made a couple gift purchases.  Two of my nephews are getting these ~

We also stocked up on Bonine, our motion sickness medicine of choice.  I always take it when I'm flying or having to ride in a car for a long period of time.  Eric went on a cruise with our son for a few days, so I sent a pack with him.  I love that it doesn't make me sleepy when I take it and I can travel worry free of getting sick from the motion.

Now it's your turn - what are you thinking out loud about today?  Link up and share!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop - November 10, 2021

 Welcome to another week of the Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop! We are so glad you're here.

Who else is in that awkward stage where half your house looks like Christmas and half like Thanksgiving? Right there with you! In spite of that fact it's been a wonderful fall so far with lots of days just the right temperature for sweaters but with that crisp feel to the air.

Join this week’s blog hop to find inspiration from dozens of bloggers for all things home and family including crafts, decor, DIY, fashion, recipes, fitness, gardening, travel, home improvement, and so much more!

A friendly reminder to our guests that as a courtesy to the hosts, we ask that you follow every host on at least one social media channel.  

If you are a blogger then be sure to link up below. You never know when it will be your turn to be our next feature!

Before we get the party started, let's meet the hosts and check out this week's features.

Meet The Hosts

1. Ahna - HAMMERS N HUGS | FB | IG | PINTEREST
2. Anne & AnnMarie - SIMPLY 2 MOMS | FB | IG | PINTEREST
3. Angela - THE SHORT ORDER COOK | FB | IG | PINTEREST
4. Bev - ECLECTIC RED BARN | FB | IG | PINTEREST
5. Cindy - SIMPLE STEPS FOR LIVING LIFE | FB | IG | PINTEREST
6. Emily - LeCULTIVATEUR | FB | IG | PINTEREST
7. Jana - HARVESTING HOME | FB | IG | PINTEREST
8. Kera - HAUTE HOUSE LOVE | FB | IG | PINTEREST
9. Penny - PENNY’S PASSION | FB | IG | PINTEREST
10. Sinea - DUCKS ‘N A ROW | FB | IG | PINTEREST | TWITTER
11. Tammy - MY LIFE ABUNDANT | FB | IG | PINTEREST
12. Tara - STILETTOS AND SHIPLAP | IG | PINTEREST

Top Viewed

This week the top viewed post was from none other than our own Tammy at My Life Abundant with her Farmhouse Christmas DIY Projects!

Very Popular

Feet Under My Table shared a fun project making little trees using pinecones and some moss. It's super quick and easy, especially if you have a great source for free pinecones like she did!

Editor's Choice

Linda from Crafts a la mode shared a post full of farmhouse Christmas ideas linking all sorts of helpful posts and diy projects. Be sure to check out each link she shares.

With Thanksgiving drawing ever closer I'm sure many of you are looking to finalize your menu. Look no further! Wanderlust and Wellness shares a fantastic Thanksgiving Salad that is sure to be a crowd pleaser.

Be sure to grab our Specially Featured graphic below if your post was featured this week, and hyperlink it to this post on your blog or sidebar. We love showing you off!

Let's Get This Party Started

• Please follow all hosts on AT LEAST 1 of their social channels.
• Add as many family-friendly posts as you would like to. NO Etsy shops, adult sites, or blog parties please.
• Visit others. Caring is sharing. Like, comment, and pin posts.
• Party entries appear in REVERSE. This way your entries will be seen no matter when you arrive.
• Please TWEET our party and invite others to join.

Let's Party!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Five on Friday - November 5, 2021

Happy November!  I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks this year is flying by way too quickly.  The fact that it's November already has my head spinning!  But, here we are - the first Friday of the month.  That means it's time for Five on Friday.

1.  Turn Back Your Clocks This Weekend

Speaking of time going by too quickly, this weekend could help.  We gain an hour when we set our clocks back in the wee hours of Sunday morning.  Technically, the time change happens at 2:00 am on Sunday morning, but we try to remember to set the clocks back just before going to bed on Saturday night.  What are you going to do with your extra hour?

2.  Sweater from Amazon

Last weekend I traveled to Cleveland with my daughter-in-law for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.  Definitely need to blog about the whole glorious weekend because it was fabulous!  But, I digress.  Kayla had bought this sweater from Amazon and it was adorable!  It comes in multiple colors and I think I might have to add a few to my closet.  Definitely one to check out if you're looking to add a few new pieces to your fall / winter wardrobe.

3.  Stick Cordless Vacuum Cleaner

We were at dinner with our son and daughter-in-law last night and they were raving about the new cordless vacuum cleaner they recently purchased.  If you're tired of having to drag out your big vacuum every time you need to tidy up, this is something you should have!  It's lightweight and will run up to 28 minutes from the battery.  Maybe there will be one under my Christmas tree this year.  😉

4.  Holiday Menu Items

I know most of you haven't even had a chance to finish your Halloween candy, but buckle up because the Christmas holiday is coming at us at full speed.  Dunkin' Donuts and Starbucks debuted their new cups, drinks, and menu items this week.  You'll find the new Toasted White Chocolate Signature Latte at Dunkin' and a new White Mocha Hot Chocolate.  Starbucks is bringing us a Peppermint Mocha, Caramel Brulee Latte, Chestnut Praline Latte, Toasted White Chocolate, and Irish Cream Cold Brew.  Cheers to starting the holiday season!

5.  Story of my life...

Hope you have a great weekend!  We are going to Kansas City to wrap up Eric's birthday celebration.  The plan is to hit a couple bar-b-que joints and go to the World War I museum.  Pop in next week for the highlights.

Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop - November 3, 2021

Welcome to another week of the Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop! We are so glad you are here. It's hard to believe that October is already over and we are now into November. I'm wondering just how many people are ready to break out their winter/Christmas decor and how many are wanting to hold onto their fall decor as long as possible? I think we will be seeing mostly Christmas contributions from this point forward and I'm not mad about it.

Join this week’s blog hop to find inspiration from dozens of bloggers for all things home and family including crafts, decor, DIY, fashion, recipes, fitness, gardening, travel, home improvement, and so much more!

We are so glad you are here.

A friendly reminder to our guests that as a courtesy to the hosts, we ask that you follow every host on at least one social media channel.

If you are a blogger then be sure to link up below. You never know when it will be your turn to be our next feature!

Before we get the party started, let's meet the hosts and check out this week's features.

Meet The Hosts

1. Ahna - HAMMERS N HUGS | FB | IG | PINTEREST
2. Anne & AnnMarie - SIMPLY 2 MOMS | FB | IG | PINTEREST
3. Angela - THE SHORT ORDER COOK | FB | IG | PINTEREST
4. Bev - ECLECTIC RED BARN | FB | IG | PINTEREST
5. Cindy - SIMPLE STEPS FOR LIVING LIFE | FB | IG | PINTEREST
6. Emily - LeCULTIVATEUR | FB | IG | PINTEREST
7. Jana - HARVESTING HOME | FB | IG | PINTEREST
8. Kera - HAUTE HOUSE LOVE | FB | IG | PINTEREST
9. Penny - PENNY’S PASSION | FB | IG | PINTEREST
10. Sinea - DUCKS ‘N A ROW | FB | IG | PINTEREST | TWITTER
11. Tammy - MY LIFE ABUNDANT | FB | IG | PINTEREST
12. Tara - STILETTOS AND SHIPLAP | IG | PINTEREST

Top Viewed

Check out all the amazing treasures that Thrifting Wonderland found on a recent Thrift Store haul. So many good deals.

Very Popular

The Crowned Goat shares some tips on gathering inspiration and creating mood boards for your Christmas decor. Even if you aren't ready to bring out all the boxes and bins and put up the tree(s), it's never too early to start making plans.

Editor's Choice

In spite of the focus moving more to Christmas for so many of us, posts like Fall On The Porch help to redirect us back to appreciating the now.

These Jumbo Pecan Pumpkin Muffins have me wanting to break out the baking pans the moment I finish writing this. They look and sound so yummy and I know they'd go perfectly with a hot cup of coffee or tea!

Be sure to grab our Specially Featured graphic below if your post was featured this week, and hyperlink it to this post on your blog or sidebar. We love showing you off!

Let's Get This Party Started

• Please follow all hosts on AT LEAST 1 of their social channels.
• Add as many family-friendly posts as you would like to. NO Etsy shops, adult sites, or blog parties please.
• Visit others. Caring is sharing. Like, comment, and pin posts.
• Party entries appear in REVERSE. This way your entries will be seen no matter when you arrive.
• Please TWEET our party and invite others to join.

Let's Party!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter