Five on Friday - October 25, 2019

Thank goodness it's Friday!  It's been a long week over here and I'm ready for a couple days to regroup.  To get the weekend started, let's look at my five for this week~

1.  Halloween Cupcake Toppers
Are you still wondering what kind of Halloween snack you're going to make?  Order some cupcakes, get these adorable cupcake toppers and call it a day!  They are available through Amazon Prime, so if you order now they will be on your doorstep in plenty of time for Halloween.  They are so darn cute!  Click HERE to get yours.

2.  Hallmark Christmas Movies
Okay, I'm typically not one to rush the Christmas season.  But, Hallmark has 24 new movie premieres this year and it all starts this Saturday.  Hallmark Channel is celebrating their 10th anniversary this year.  What did we watch at Christmastime 11 years ago?!?  I for one am pretty excited to cozy up on the couch and do some Christmas movie binge watching.  Who's with me?

3.  The Pioneer Woman Cooks - The New Frontier
Just in time for the holidays, Ree Drummond released her newest cookbook on Tuesday.  This new cookbook features 112 brand new step-by-step recipes.  I just love her books because the pictures are true pieces of art.  Her recipes are also ones I can honestly see myself making.  The New Frontier is definitely going on my wishlist!  It's available HERE.

4.  Turkey Cranberry Ravioli

Look what Aldi's is selling - Turkey Cranberry Ravioli.  Starting on November 6 (which will truly be here in just a few days), Aldi's is introducing their new Turkey Cranberry Ravioli.  The package is suggesting serving the ravioli with gravy.  I'm having a bit of trouble wrapping my head around that!  Aldi's is also introducing a Bourbon Sweet Potato ravioli.  It's made up of a blend of sweet potatoes, bourbon and cheese.  Let me know if you guys try either of these.

         

5.  Sign of the times....

Have a great weekend!  I'm going to be dragging out my winter clothes because it's going to get down right cold here next week.  The weatherman actually used the word snow in the forecast!  I'm hoping to get out and see some of the fall foliage on Saturday, but they're calling for rain.  Let's hope they're wrong about that!  See you next week!

Linking up with:

Erika at Little Bit of Everything

Simply Sweet Home
High Five for Friday

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Friday Favorites Linky Party - October 25, 2019

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Giveaway

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Thinking Out Loud Thursday - October 24, 2019

Happy Thursday friends!  Here with this week's edition of Thinking Out Loud Thursday.  I'm thinking out loud about some little things recently that have put a smile on my face, so buckle up because I'm all over the place today.

Last weekend Eric and I decided to pop over to Kansas City to attend a Halloween party we were invited to.  We knew it would be a quick trip because Eric had to work on Friday and Sunday, but we had 36 hours off together and wanted to make the most of it! And it was well worth it.

When we're in the KC area, we love to try new BBQ places.  This trip, at the suggestion of our friend Linda, we dropped in Jazzy B's.  Her sources had suggested we give it a try and they definitely knew what they were talking about!  The owner, Brandon Simpson, was working and made our experience even better by sharing his description of the menu items and making suggestions on things we should try.

Guys - it was mouth-watering, finger-licking delicious!  This little restaurant, located in Lee's Summit, would be easy to drive right by.  Trust me - pull in and try their food.  And don't forget to order an appetizer and plenty of sides!

Before we left for our speedy trip to KC, I got a package in the mail that definitely put a smile on my face.  My friend, which also happens to be my sorority sister, makes jewelry and I had ordered one of her rings.  She's so talented!  Just look at it ~

You can check out her creations on her Facebook page at TouchedByGina. I have my eye on a cool necklace that I'm hoping Eric gets me for my birthday.  I just love wearing unique jewelry and it's a bonus that I also happen to know and love the creator!  If you're in the market for a one-of-a-kind gift, make sure to check out her page.

One last thing I'm thinking out loud about today - last night Ian and Kayla came over for dinner and I just love the way the tablescape turned out.  I picked up some new salad plates at Home Goods and they were perfect for the fall look I was trying to achieve.  They were magnificent with the felt pumpkins I'd picked up in the dollar bin at Target.   Don't you just love it when a look you have in your brain actually turns out!

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

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Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop - October 23, 2019

Welcome!

Our hosts want to say THANK YOU to all those who contributed to last week's party and WELCOME to all the new bloggers who have joined our weekly blog hop. Please invite your blog friends and social network to join us.

Let's Get Inspired!!

Top Viewed

Hammers N' Hugs

Very Popular

My Life Abundant

Artful Homemaking

The Kitchen is My Playground

Nancy on the Home Front

Curly Crafty Mom

Editors Choice

It All Started with Paint

Halloween Extras

She's Crafty Crafty

Across the Boulevard

All Because She Saved

Ann's Entitled Life

Thanks to our co-hosts who share our party on their blogs every week ♥ Please follow them and share our party, too?

DUCKS ‘N A ROW [Sinea] – FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST | TWITTER

ECLECTIC RED BARN [Beverly] – FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST | TWITTER

ENGINEER MOMMY [Jennifer] – FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST | TWITTER

LeCULTIVATEUR [Emily] – FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST

MY LIFE ABUNDANT [Tammy] – FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST | TWITTER

PENNY’S PASSION [Penny] – FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST | TWITTER

SIMPLE STEPS FOR LIVING LIFE [Cindy] – FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST | TWITTER

STILETTOS and SHIPLAP [Tara] – INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST

THE SNYDER FAMILY [Brittany] – INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST

A MEAL IN MIND [Beth] - FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST | TWITTER

• Please TWEET our party ♥
• Add as many of your family-friendly posts as you would like to. No Etsy shops, adult sites or blog parties, please.
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• Thanks! ♥

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Five on Friday - October 18, 2019

Happy Friday!  For the last several weeks, I feel like I've been chasing my tail so today I'm taking a vacation day.  On the agenda are several me things and I can't wait to get started!  First up (right after I get this blog published) is a hot stone message.  Yes, I'm excited!  Then I'm going to do a little retail therapy.  So let's get this day going!  Here's my five ~

1.  National Mammography Day
Okay girl friends - have you had your annual mammogram?  If not, what are you waiting for!?!  Let today serve as a reminder to get your appointment scheduled and encourage all your friends to do the same.  Early detection saves lives.  Just do it!

2.  Pumpkin Rolls from Trader Joe's
With pumpkin season in full force, now is the perfect time to indulge in some pumpkin rolls from Trader Joe's.  I'm going to have to make a trip to pick up this seasonal item because now that I've seen the picture they are all I can think about!  The package comes with five ready-for-the-oven rolls and pumpkin spice icing.  Can you imagine munching on these Thanksgiving morning.  Or Sunday.  I'm going to load up before they disappear.

3.  Olive Again

Were you one of the millions that read and loved Olive Kitteridge?  Well, guess what - Olive Again hit the stands this week and is waiting for you to pick up your copy.  Here's the summary from Amazon ~

Prickly, wry, resistant to change yet ruthlessly honest and deeply empathetic, Olive Kitteridge is “a compelling life force” (San Francisco Chronicle). The New Yorker has said that Elizabeth Strout “animates the ordinary with an astonishing force,” and she has never done so more clearly than in these pages, where the iconic Olive struggles to understand not only herself and her own life but the lives of those around her in the town of Crosby, Maine. Whether with a teenager coming to terms with the loss of her father, a young woman about to give birth during a hilariously inopportune moment, a nurse who confesses a secret high school crush, or a lawyer who struggles with an inheritance she does not want to accept, the unforgettable Olive will continue to startle us, to move us, and to inspire moments of transcendent grace.

                               

4.  Swing Dress from Walmart
Guys - Walmart is really bringing it this year with their Time and Tru items.  I've already added a few of their flats to my closet this year, but last week I ordered a couple swing dresses.  Love them!  This 3/4 sleeve swing dress can easily go from work to evening.  My favorite aspect is the pockets!  Oh wait, my favorite part might be the price - $12.96.  Get it quick because they are selling out fast.  Click HERE for yours.  To complete the outfit, I added a necklace from Amazon (HERE).

5.  Typical day...

Thanks for popping in today.  Hope you have a great weekend.  I'm headed to Kansas City for a Halloween party and some fun with friends.  Next week I'll be sharing more of our Halloween decorations.  If you missed our three-tier stand all decorated for the holiday, you can catch it HERE.  See you next week!

Linking up with:

Erika at Little Bit of Everything

Simply Sweet Home
High Five for Friday

This post contained affiliate links.  I may receive a small commission if you click on the link and purchase.  Thanks

Friday Favorites Linky Party - October 18, 2019

Please support and follow our lovely blog party hostesses:

Jerri at Simply Sweet Home - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst

Lisa at Condo Blues - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst

Amy at A Day of Small Things - Pin

Penny at Penny's Passion - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst

Kelly at Under a Texas Sky - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst | BL

Jennifer at Busy Being Jennifer - Twitter | FB | Pin | Inst

If you are featured this week, be sure and grab a featured button for your blog!

<a href="http://www.simplysweethome.com/category/friday%20favorites/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://www.simplysweethome.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Friday-Favorites-Button.jpg" border="0" /></a>

You can show your love for this week's favorites by going over and commenting on the posts and by pinning or sharing!

And if you love all of this week's favorites, please pin, share, and invite your friends to this week's linky party!

Book Review: Save Me the Plums

Welcome to Thinking Out Loud Thursday!  Today I'm sharing a book review from a book I read while we were vacationing in Ireland - Save Me the Plums - My Gourmet Memoir.  Have you read it?

Click HERE to purchase

Part of planning a vacation for me is making sure I have a couple good books loaded on my Kindle.  Sometimes I have an opportunity to read them and sometimes I don't.  I do know when we are travelling internationally I'll be sitting on a plane for several hours so the chances are pretty good that some of those hours will be spent reading.

I'll be honest, I've found that reading on the plane is one of my most favorite times to enjoy books.  Distractions are at a minimum.  Even when I've carved out a bit of time at home to read and I'm sitting in my favorite chair with a cup of tea in my hands, the laundry seems to call me or that pile of mail is in my peripheral vision.  But if I'm sitting on a plane, those distracts are nonexistent!

Save Me the Plums had shown up on some blogs I read and I thought it sounded like a good vacation book.  Here's the summary from Amazon ~

When Condé Nast offered Ruth Reichl the top position at America’s oldest epicurean magazine, she declined. She was a writer, not a manager, and had no inclination to be anyone’s boss. Yet Reichl had been reading Gourmet since she was eight; it had inspired her career. How could she say no?

This is the story of a former Berkeley hippie entering the corporate world and worrying about losing her soul. It is the story of the moment restaurants became an important part of popular culture, a time when the rise of the farm-to-table movement changed, forever, the way we eat. Readers will meet legendary chefs like David Chang and Eric Ripert, idiosyncratic writers like David Foster Wallace, and a colorful group of editors and art directors who, under Reichl’s leadership, transformed stately Gourmet into a cutting-edge publication. This was the golden age of print media—the last spendthrift gasp before the Internet turned the magazine world upside down.

Complete with recipes, Save Me the Plums is a personal journey of a woman coming to terms with being in charge and making a mark, following a passion and holding on to her dreams—even when she ends up in a place she never expected to be.

A book about food and a magazine - two of my most favorite things!  How could it not make it to the top of my reading list!  And let me tell you, it did not disappoint.  Ruth gave an honest and humble account of her rise, and eventually fall, from her Cinderella life.  Through the pages of the books she intertwines family favorite recipes such as her German Apple Pancakes and Spicy Chinese Noodles.

Several times in the book there were comments that were so profound.  I love when there are statements that make you truly stop and think.  Here's a few examples ~

"Luxury is best appreciated in small portions.  When it becomes routine it loses its allure."

"I'd learned an important lesson:  When something frightens me, it is definitely worth doing."

"Nothing feels as good as building a team and empowering people, watching them grow and thrive."

This is a book I would love to get in hardback and keep on my shelf.  I imagine it with post it notes on the recipes I want to try and eventually it would have stains and spills on the pages like my other favorite cookbooks.  And if Ruth Reichl is ever speaking in a 200 mile radius of St. Louis, I'll be figuring out a way to be in the audience!

Author Ruth Reichl

Add this one to your reading list.  It would also make a great gift for a food-loving friend.

That's what I'm thinking about today.  What's on your mind?  Link up and share!

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