Hey y'all! It's officially Fall and you know what that means! Pumpkins, leaves, apples, hayrides, scarecrows and of course cozy sweaters and crisp air! However, one thing that is equally as "Fall related" is... a Fall Bucket List!   Fall bucket lists are a great list to have for many different reasons. 1. You can have a guide for all things Fall to help you plan for the best time of the year! 2. You can make sure to hit all your local favorites that have Fall themed events, Fall goodies and of course, more memories that will last forever. 3. PUMPKINS! I don't know about you, but for me, seeing all those pumpkins make me feel HAPPY lol. I could go on and on about why you should have a Fall Bucket list.. but, to save you time and get you to the the real reason why you are here.. you were looking for a bucket list for your family!  I do want to make note that this bucket list is family friendly and can also be done sans kiddos! Also, as I have stated in the past, my family and I do not observe Halloween so this list will strictly focus on things to do in the Fall excluding Halloween ( but still just as fun!). So, With that being said, check out this Fall bucket list! 1. Go to a pumpkin patch 2. Go to an Apple Orchard 3.Drink a Pumpkin Spice Latte 4. Roast marshmallows ( Trader Joe's has vegan/kosher ones!) 5. Sit by a fire 6. Open the windows on a rainy day 7. Go to the Farmer's Market 8. Take a walk in the early morning 9. Bake a Pie 10. Make caramel apples 11. Drink apple cider 12. Eat apple donuts 13. Take a hayride 14. Go to a Football game ( GO COWBOYS) 15. Host a football game party 16. Go on a Fall leaf scavenger hunt 17. Make S'mores 18. Make pumpkin bread 19. DIY a scarecrow 20. Pick acorns 21. Have a Friendsgiving 22. Decorate a Fall wreath 23. Take a quick family getaway 24. Toast pumpkin seeds 25. Take a family bike ride 26. Visit a corn maze 27. Make applesauce 28. Volunteer at a local charity 29. Stargaze  30. Take Fall family photos 31. Host a dinner party 32. Host Thanksgiving dinner 33. Check out Fall themed books from the library 34. Make Thanksgiving themed decor. 35. Decorate your porch with pumpkins 36. Visit a farm 37. Sit outside and cozy up with a blanket 38. Read a book by the fire or outside 39.Make leaf art 40. Visit a local Fall festival 41. Make homemade popcorn 42. Jump in the leaves 43. Have a picnic 44. Play Football 45. Have a movie marathon 46. Build a fort 47. Visit the drive in theater 48. Visit a flea market 49. Tailgate with friends 50. Have a family "sleepover" in the front room. So, there you have it! My 2019 Fall bucket list! Make sure you Pin this post and print it out so you and your family can have the ultimate Fall bucket list! Have you already done some of these? Did I miss any? What are your favorite Fall activities? LEt me know in the comments below :)!

Hey y'all!

After years and years of preparation, I thought I would be able to handle the day my step daughter turned 13! Turns out... all those talks we had, pep talks I gave myself and all the blogs I read about what happens when your child becomes a teen have severely failed me!

Don't get me wrong...

A lot of the blogs, books and articles I read offered some sound, reasonable advice that I could learn from and try to incorporate into the future.. but what they didn't prepare me for was the feeling of fear and hopelessness that eventually cloud my mind.

We all know turning 13 is a major milestone in a kids life and it can definitely be equally as challenging. They are still technically a kid but tip toeing around the block to adulthood. Yes, they have a lot of growing and learning to do still, but they have begun the process of outgrowing their innocence.


At 13, they are in middle school and let's face it... they are exposed to more "grown up" things than one would hope at that age. And that's ok. It presents opportunities to talk, engage and understand your child as they stagger through this awkward time in their life.

What's not ok is the things they are leaving behind or forgetting.

At 13, the kisses begin to go away and the thought of any form of parental affection towards them in public makes them cringe. The sweet look of pure joy when you lift them up or tickle them becomes a sigh of " MOM" or "DAD".

But all of that will easily be comforted with a simple " I love you". TBH.. kids telling you that they love you definitely helps with a lot of hardships lol.

So, as always.. this post is dedicated to my birthday baby, Phoenix!

My sweet P is so talented, kind, funny, beautiful and truly a gift. Every moment with her brings a sense of completeness and joy within our family. Phe is a great big sister that continues to teach, encourage and love her siblings!



So, there it is.. the beginning of a new chapter. I am officially a stepmom to a full on TEEN. I'm literally tearing up as I write this lol.

Phe, daddy and I love you so much! You will always be our baby no matter how old you get or how many mistakes you make. You make us proud in so many ways that it would take more than a post like this to list them. We love your confidence, smile, your drive, your ability to teach and guide those around you. Keep being Phe and never loose sight of what's real. fake or yourself!
Happy 13th birthday my love!

Want to see how much Phe has changed since 12? Check it out here.