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We’ve had a busy week filled with some great family moments, but we also have been dealing with some sick kiddos who are fighting colds and having difficulty sleeping at night! This means that Eric and I have also been having difficulty sleeping at night. This past week was also Amazon Prime Early Access Deals and Walmart Deal Days, which are like early Black Friday deals, which kept me busy browsing through sales to share with you all! This weekend is also the fall “retreat” for Eric and his student ministry, which is a one-day extended night for youth group that they are calling a Fall Focus Night to look ahead at their ministry year.

life update / favorite finds / playlist picks / on the menu / weekend sales / discount codes / verse of the week / on instagram

life update

family photo day

We managed to get our family photos taken this past week! We previously had plans to get our photos done during a mini-session with a friend of ours, but arrived a few minutes late and then realized that we completely forgot Ainsley’s cute outfit at the house. So we had to reschedule (and I was pretty upset about it) - but it ended up being a beautiful evening for our rescheduled photos and I’m so thankful that the kids did well even though they are both fighting off colds and had snotty noses! I can’t wait to see how the photos turn out and get a few of them printed as artwork to hang on our living room wall. And use for Christmas Cards, of course. I had Eric snap this pic on my phone before we left for the playground at the park.

taking care of sick kiddos

Oliver came down with a fever last week while we were out to dinner to celebrate my dad’s birthday, and has been fighting a runny nose ever since then. This week seems to have accelerated the runny nose into a cough as well with lots of mucous, which has also been passed along to his baby sister. Obviously, I can’t give either of the kids much for traditional cold medicine since they are so young, so we’re using lots of saline spray for their noses (which Ainsley *hates*) and humidifiers, but then I also came across this brand for some natural homeopathic medicines that I can use for both kids. I love these little quick-dissolve tablets for Ainsley - they seem to be helping her to sleep better/longer at night, which is a huge win!

Click on the photo above to shop my favorite sick day necessities for kids

favorite finds

Muted Pastel Highlighters

I was sitting next to a lady at my table group during women’s Bible Study this week and she was using these beautiful muted pastel highlighters for her Bible and I immediately fell in love and added them to my Amazon cart! They are under $8 for the set - they would make a great stocking stuffer gift for anyone who loves to do Bible Study or journaling!

find them here

Beautiful Coffee Maker by Drew Barrymore

Last week our Cuisinart coffee maker decided to stop working (it turned on, but nothing happened when we would hit the Brew (or clean) button), so I quickly had to find a replacement and wasn’t prepared to spend the nearly $90-130 to replace the exact coffee maker that we had. Then I came across this beautiful touch screen coffee maker at Walmart that was just under $50 and it felt like a win! It looks gorgeous on our counter and does just exactly what we need it to - brews a good pot of coffee!

find it here

Plastic Bats Wall Decor

I’ve seen these plastic bats for a few years now but decided to get a set for our living room wall, just for a bit of added fun this month. Oliver thinks they are awesome and they were cheap and easy to stick to the wall above our arched living room entry door.

find them here

Ribbed Pajama Set for Toddlers

Oliver no longer fits into his 2T pajamas (they are all way too short and tight for him now), so I needed to grab some new fall/winter pajamas for him. I love these soft, ribbed pajama sets (we already have one set in short sleeves & shorts), so I picked up this set in the long-sleeved pants version.

find them here

Lou Lou & Co Pajama Set

Oliver’s not the only one growing like a weed lately and I desperately need some 6+ size pajamas for Ainsley. We still have some hand-me-downs and I did grab a set of 3 sleepers from Target that was on sale for under $10, but I also found my favorite baby pajama brand on sale, so I grabbed a set for Ainsley girl. I’ve only ever tried their swaddle blankets and newborn gowns for both kids, but this set of tops & bottoms are so soft and she should be able to wear them for a long time! (They are size 6-12 months and are so soft and should have some nice stretch to them as she grows).

find them here

Farmhouse Soup Bowl & Tray Set

I bought two of these sets a while ago, but they have really been coming in handy recently now that it is “soup weather” - they are currently on sale for under $20/set!

find it here