Celebrating Fall with Cheryl's Cookies

Y’all know we LOVE to host and that we love to celebrate any and everything! The month of October was one of my favorites because it held so many good reasons to do just that. Between my husband’s birthday, celebrating our kids’ amazing report cards, and ending the month with a Barn Party where I board my horses—there was a whole lot of goodness!

Many of my friend have heard of and LOVE Cheryl’s Cookies, but in case you are unfamiliar, this company provides the most delicious, handcrafted cookies and treats delivered in gorgeous gift packaging which were perfect for ALL the occasions! Probably most well-known for its cut-out cookies with buttercream frosting, they also are offering so much Fall goodness with Marshmallow Frosted S’more flavors, as well as Peanut Butter Oat Chocolate Chip. We were also delighted to be the recipients of their Fudge Frosted Cut-Outs. ALL of the hand-crafted baked goods were perfect for all our occasions, and you can guess that our kids were NOT disappointed to be on the receiving end of the taste-testing!

We were able to share a lot of these at my husband’s birthday get together, but it was also fun for me to document our kids having their own little mini celebration on our back deck talking about how well they did in the first grading period of school. These sweet kids of ours are in first and second grade (where did time go?!) and they work SO hard in school and their grades are such evidence of that. Their teachers have nothing but positive and affirming things to say about each of them and they’re both discovering their love of reading, which makes me so happy!

We had plenty of cookies for them to be able to choose from and together as a family we celebrated their school victories—it was so, so sweet. LITERALLY! :)

So, Y’all! If you can’t tell already, Cheryl’s Cookies New Flavors Launch gives you more than enough cookies to share with your friends and family and they’ll all be oohing and aahing over the flavors and fun cut-out shapes. The company was founded in 1981 and is still going SO strong. Head over to their website to check out the ginormous variety of treats they have to offer (psstt…their Christmas selection is unbelievably delicious looking and CUTE!!)

How to Create and Enjoy Your Outdoor Space

I don't know about you, but I basically live for all things outdoor. I thoroughly embrace each season (okay, that's a lie...I think I hate winter!!) so when they shift and each one makes room for more opportunities spent outside, I take every chance! When we moved into our new house last summer, the first thing we noticed was how empty the back deck felt. We already had a gazebo with globe lighting, but I dreamt of outdoor furnituture; preferably some that I could comftorably lounge and get sleepy on. We knew that realistically we couldn't afford to buy anything (buying a brand new house is *kinda* pricey all on its' own.....) so we waited until the time was right. 

See this sectional? You better believe this is where I do the majority of my ME time. Sometimes I let my husband join me... kidding, kidding, kidding! We spend a LOT of time talking and cuddling right there. I remember the first night he set this all up. It was still cool and crisp outside (not 103 degrees as it CURRENTLY is) and we completely dozed off under that Opalhouse blanket. Thank you, Target, for generating a brand new line that basically resembles Anthro, but is way more affordable, am I right, Girls?! 

All of the pillows can be found yet this season at Target. The long rectangular one is not technically an 'outdoor pillow,' nor is the throw, but I decided to risk it anyway. They didn't have many options that I loved that are considered 'outdoors,' so when it rains I just do my best to grab them and put them on our living room couch. 

The sectional is an amazing Amazon find! It is seriously SO comfortable and very easily washable. It IS considered an outdoor couch, so yay. It came with the table, and we went with the Nature Brown option. Honestly the table came broken, with a piece of wood split open on the side. We decided to fix it ourselves instead of shipping it back, and Amazon was great to refund us $100 for the trouble. 

The two side chairs were also purchased on Amazon, but are technically Walker Edison Furniture pieces. They came in a set of two, and while the wood doesn't match 100%, it's very, very close and looks great with the sectional. We love that we can host 6+ people easily on this patio, because one of our biggest passions is gathering and fellowshiping with our friends and family. It's not just us who love lounging in this space, clearly our pets spend a lot of time here as well. Our grey cat, Manny, starts to howl around 6 in the morning to be let out and when I actually get UP for the day, I always smile when I see him curled up in a ball either on the couch or in the circular tray on the table.

My biggest advice for designing your outdoor space, is to create it around your family's needs. Sure, cute things are great, but they're not always functional. We made sure that we had a couch large enough that we could host, but made sure to choose one that could be cleaned and would [hopefully] last a long time. The outdoor rug is also easily sprayed off, and can still be found at Target.  

Pops of color are always great in a neutral space, which is why I went with the Opalhouse line of products that I did. I am obsessed with those salmon, and light pinks, and they look great on that cream colored sectional! And lastly, I am a firm believer that fresh flowers make *every* space better and more appealing. So at least whenever we host or plan to spend a few hours on the deck, I like to buy some and fill a vase. 

I would love to know what your dream deck looks like! Or what projects you're currently working on! I am so grateful to have this space and look forward to many cozy nights spent outside because of it.