From the Front Porch
Happy Friday from the front porch sweet friends. I hope your week has been filled with all good things. Thanks so much for making time for us today!
Last weekend, I was on the couch in my favorite football tee watching the game and snuggling up with Piper.
Outside, there was a light rain and a gentle breeze cooling things off. Inside, we had a pot of chili on the stove, I had just taken some pumpkin chocolate chip muffins out of the oven and I had craft supplies scattered all over the breakfast nook table.
And for a moment, the whole scene nearly overwhelmed me because it felt deliciously normal.
Truthfully, it was such a simple day.
But everything about it felt quintessentially fall which made my heart happy after struggling with COVID and Strep for weeks.
While my doctor estimates I still have at least 3 more weeks to go, I’m grateful we’re on the mend and at the halfway point.
There is one thing I haven’t been able to get over though.
And that’s just how truly unprepared we were for this experience. I mean, we didn’t even have a box of tissues in the house at the time much less essentials!
Thankfully, we’ve learned a lot along the way and have been able to pass along your tips and suggestions to family and friends who have just started the journey. They have helped so much!
As of now, we’re restocking our cold and flu kits (I’m sharing the things we used most down below), making double batches of muffins and smoothies, healthy soups for easy meals, and following doctor’s orders to work half days and rest.
It’s not easy going from working 12-hour days to 4 but I know this is a vital step in the healing process and I don’t want to waste the opportunity to recover well.
Thank you again for your continued support and encouragement. It’s been the sweetest medicine!
I’ve been working on returning lots of emails this week so if you haven’t gotten a response yet, it’s on the way!
A Few of Our Favorite Things from Around the Web This Week…
Beautiful Home and Garden Tours:
- This home tour, An Eye for Detail from Atlanta Homes & Lifestyle, is filled with inspiration.
- There are so many beautiful things to love about this Cape Cod Charmer by designer Grace Rosenstein.
- This Traditional Kitchen via BH&G Features French Countryside Appeal (and it’s so pretty)
- Bookmarking The Chelsea Townhouse for a future trip to London. It’s gorgeous and has lots of ideas you can incorporate into your home too.
- 45 of the Prettiest Autumn Wedding Florals (talk about stunning designs and color combinations!)
Seasonal Inspiration:
- This $5 Corn Husk Wreath from my friend Cindy at Reinvented Delaware is fabulous.
- Speaking of fabulous, have you seen the Cozy Fall Home Tour Andrea of Pine and Prospect created? I pinned so many things!
- Nina Hendrick has such a beautiful style. I love her rustic lakeside Friendsgiving tablescape.
- Courtney from the blog French Country Cottage shared, 12 Slow Living Ideas for Autumn recently and now I’m rethinking my Fall Bucket List in the best possible way. On a side note, my Mom is totally obsessed with her new Christmas book!
- How cute is this Halloween Pot Pie?
Health and Wellness Inspiration:
- I’m looking forward to trying these ideas from Sarah Tucker, 10 Ways to Boost Your Immune System
- Is it time for a life edit? Here’s a step-by-step guide.
- How to Protect Your Peace in Any Situation
Style Inspiration:
- LOVED this Fall Lifestyle Guide from Tuckernuck
- 2023 Fall Fashion Trends According to Marie Claire
- This is Glamourous shared how Sporty & Rich recently launched a brand-new essentials collection and their nod to John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette was amazing.
Simple Pleasures and Little Luxuries:
- Dogwood Hill released their 2023 Holiday Collection and it’s hard to pick a favorite.
- How cute is this sweatshirt from H&M. I love the striped one!
- Speaking of stripes, this comes in lots of classic colors.
If You’ve Missed Anything from the Blog or the Archives Recently, Here’s a Peek At What We’ve Been Up To…
5 Steps to Creating an Easy Fall Mantel
Organizing the Week Ahead…
Words to Live By:
Dates to Celebrate:
- 09/22 Native American Day
- 09/22 American Business Women’s Day
- 09/22 National Ice Cream Cone Day
- 09/23 First Day of Fall
- 09/23 National Pot Pie Day
- 09/25 National Daughters Day
- 09/26 Fall Vignette Pinterest Challenge Blog Hop
- 09/26 National Pancake Day
- 09/26 Love Note Day
- 09/29 National Coffee and National Starbucks Day
Weekly Simplified and Organized Home Challenge Task:
- Order or Purchase a New Planner or Calendar
3 Simple Ways to Celebrate the Season:
- Put a Puzzle Together or Host a Family Game Night
- Listen to Classical Music
- Get a Facial or Deep Stone Massage
September Menu Ideas:
You can find all 30 recipes on our September Menu here.
Cold and Flu Essentials We Spotted Online at Amazon This Week…
(Amazon affiliate links have been provided for your convenience. As an Amazon and Impact Media Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Any sales made through such links will support us with a small commission at no extra cost to you. You can read our full disclosure policy here)
***These are the items we’ve used most but be sure to talk with your doctor or healthcare provider about what will work best for you and your specific diagnosis and situation.
PJ Set (I went through so many sets of these) * Thermometer (super easy to use) * Pill Organizer (great if you have am and pm meds to organize) * Tumbler (super handy) * Toothbrush (comes with 8 heads)
Throat Coat Multipack (so many people recommended this to me) * Tea Kettle (we use this daily) * Food Storage Containers (great for small meals) * Instant Pot (great for soups and stews) * Blender (great for smoothies)
VapoSteam (we use this in the humidifier) * Humidifier (we have the older version of this one) * Sinus Steam Inhaler (we have the older version of this one) * Huggaroo (have and use daily) * Heating Pad (recently purchased and love the bigger size)
Weighted Blanket (just added to my Christmas list) * Vicks Shower Tablets and Bath Bombs (love these shower tablets) * Epsom Salts (have and love) * Biofreeze (great for sore muscles) * Cough Drops (I’m not a fan of cherry cough drops so these were a welcome find when I was struggling with a severe sore throat)
Emergen-C (the raspberry is my favorite flavor) * Vitamin Gummies (recently ordered and will report back) * Tissues (have and use daily, they’re soft and have Vicks) * Wipes (have and use daily) * GermX (we have these all over the house)
As always, we appreciate you more than you could ever know, and we hope your weekend is peace-filled and relaxing. We can’t wait to share even more with you next week!
Until next time, I’ll see you on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.
Many blessings,
CoCo
Beautiful post! I’m so glad you are starting to feel better, but I’m glad you’re still taking it easy to fully recover!
The ordinary days you mentioned can be some of the best days! When my daughter was in 5th grade, I was actually her ELAR teacher. I had the students write a paper about their favorite family experience to share for open house. She wrote about a time that we all did yard work together and then played with the dogs in the backyard. I was shocked that she picked that of all things! As I’m older now, I realize that those times really are some of the best moments!
Have a blessed weekend, and enjoy!
Thank you, Susan. It’s been such a long and crazy journey and something I never thought I would go through so I’ll be excited when I finally get the “all clear” Also, I’d LOVE to be able to wear contacts again! I love that your daughter remembers that timet together so fondly. It’s super sweet. I tell ya, the older I get the more I realize the little things are the big things. Sending you lots of hugs and thank yous for your continued prayers and support, CoCo
That sounds like THE coziest day!!! I plan on making some zucchini bread this weekend and I have my Fall scents going in the essential oil diffuser. I’m so excited that it’s Fall! SO glad you are slowly making your way back to ‘normal’, CoCo!! Have a happy weekend!
I haven’t had succhini bread in forever, Rachel. I definitely need to put that on my list to bake! Thank you again for all your sweet support and encouragement. It’s helped so much these past few weeks. I still have your father in law on my prayer list as well. Everyone tells me the cough is the last thing to go! Sending you hugs for an extra special “it’s officially fall” weekend sweet friend, CoCo
So glad to hear you are feeling better! I know it’s going to be hard for you to do, but I hope you will continue to take it easy so you can fully recover! I’m so glad Fall is officially here this weekend! I haven’t made chili yet this year but looking forward to it! Waiting till it gets a bit cooler!! Hugs to you, Donna
I have no idea what is going on with my brain today. In the first line you wrote – I hope your week has been filled with all good things. I read I hope your bra has good things. What tha monkey?! I think I need some vitamins. Very glad to hear you are doing and feeling better. Know you’ll have at least 3 more weeks of prayer from me. Loved your pumpkin. Now I’m off to read Courtney’s slow-living post! Thanks.
Hey CoCo – Sounds like you are on the mend. Thanks for sharing the links and sources. So many good essentials to keep on hand. Those PJs are adorable!!