2025 Holiday Spooktacular

 

 "Wake up every morning with the thought that something wonderful is about to happen." (Author Unknown)

 

Hello, my lovely friends!  

 

     Welcome to my 2025 Holiday Spooktacular! Ready or not, the holiday season has officially arrived! Seriously, how did that happen? One minute I'm ringing in the New Year, and the next I'm wondering if this year was secretly moving in fast-forward... or maybe even slow motion on the tough days.

 

It's official: the holiday season has arrived, and I am absolutely living for it! This time of year—encompassing all the wonderful fall and winter seasons—is my jam, and I'm ready to dive into everything that makes it special.

So, what can you expect? Get ready for a joyful whirlwind of:

• 🎄 Decorating

• 🍽️ Delicious Recipes

• 💡 Creative Ideas

• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cherished Traditions

   

I'm keeping the focus firmly on the festive fun for the next few months, which means you'll be getting holiday-themed blogs most days. I'll still keep you in the loop about what's going on in our world, but those updates will likely be reserved for one day a week.

 

 It's been a week since we last chatted, and things around here have done a complete 180! The moment the calendar flipped to the first day of autumn, the weather totally got the memo.

     

We were treated to a solid 24 hours of rain. Not a downpour, but a beautiful, slow, steady soaking that went all day and all night. It was so effective I actually turned off the sprinklers for the week—a nice little break for the water bill! Speaking of sprinklers, that's my cue: I need to call the service to get them blown out for the season. That rainy evening called for a simple but perfect dinner for us: soup and sandwiches.

 

   Did any of you do anything fun or festive to mark the new season? I had a mission to make pumpkin spice pancakes, but alas, I couldn't find a box mix anywhere! So, I rolled up my sleeves and made my own from an online recipe. It was seriously good. I hate it when the spice is too heavy-handed, but this one was really light and just made the house smell incredible.

 

    I'm definitely making them again this week. I'll be sure to snap some photos and write up the recipe for you all. It's super easy and very tasty!

 

     Same old story with my mom—the world keeps spinning, but Kaiser is apparently stuck in slow motion. We're still in the 'who knows when' phase for her treatment. But honestly, that’s just background noise because her pain has actually chilled out and is manageable! That’s a huge win. We're hoping those shots are next up on the docket. She's a total champ, so she'll get through this waiting game.

 

 So glad you stopped by! Wishing you the coziest morning/afternoon/evening ahead. Can't wait for our paths to cross again!