home updates for less with Walmart!

 This post is sponsored by Walmart. All opinions are my own.

Thank you for supporting the brands that support this blog.

I absolutely love getting back into a routine for fall. School is underway in our house and I'm getting back into making dinners regularly, busy mornings getting out the door and also just enjoying being home more. This time of year I always get the urge to fluff the nest a bit. From a new rug, rearranging the plants in the house or adding some new fresh finds to rooms around the house to make it feel more like home.

With Walmart you can do all that with their amazing everyday prices and even bigger discounts with their price rollbacks. They have amazing deals online to help you fluff your nest for fall too. I've been wanting to update our living room to give it a fresh feel for fall and I found these gorgeous swivel chairs for my living room (and you won't believe the price). I love that the chairs are a perfect balance between modern and casual and everyone loves a swivel chair, seriously! This pair of chairs has really spruced up our living room for fall and will be perfect for bingeing our favorite shows or watching football during the upcoming cozy season.

Plus, with Walmart you get FREE and FAST shipping on orders over $35 and FREE returns if an item doesn't work out. It's a win-win!

Shop: silicon cooking utensils, knife set, pots and pans set, full length mirror, down alternative comforter, area rug, faux olive plant, cashmere & teak candle (we LOVE this scent in our house!)

fall porch decor for less with Walmart!

 This post is sponsored by ShopStyle Collective and Walmart. All opinions are my own.

Thank you for supporting the brands that support this blog.

I love decorating my porch for fall. It is a favorite tradition each year in our house. This year I was a touch late getting decorations up on my porch and if you are running a little late too, there is still plenty of time with free and fast shipping from Walmart. 

I started with filling my pots with fall foliage and florals and added a few pumpkins from the local pumpkin patch. From there I spruced up the doormat which was much needed after summer. I chose a gingham doormat and layered a welcome mat over that for an added touch. Then I added in some faux pumpkins in white and orange to my pots and I layered them in with my real pumpkins too for added interest. These lanterns (small, medium and large) are the perfect touch for some extra light for trick-or-treaters. The finishing touch is a new fall wreath for the door and whew, I'm done just in time for Halloween. My fall decor will magically turn to "Thanksgiving" decor once Halloween passes so I still have plenty of time to enjoy it. 

Shopping with Walmart will ensure your fall porch decor is ready quickly and affordably this season with free and fast shipping over $35 and tons of seasonal selections for whatever your holiday style!

in the kitchen for fall with Our Place!

 This post is sponsored by Our Place and ShopStyle Collective. All opinions are my own.

Thank you for supporting the brands that support this blog.

I always think of fall as a time to head back to the kitchen. With the unscheduled and hectic days of summer behind us and school back in session it's the time of year when meal planning and family meals get back on track. And if the schedule gets too busy to feed everyone at the same time... at the bare minimum I will try to pull a rabbit out of a hat and make a meal that can feed everyone in shifts throughout the evening. There is an odd comfort to the busy-ness of the fall season as a mom and delicious family meals definitely play a part in that. As my son enters his senior year this fall I am particularly mindful that these busy fall days will start winding down for good very soon. So it makes our family meal time that much more special. 

We've been cooking with Our Place at meal times in our home for a few years and I just love the simplicity and elegance they bring to our kitchen and the how easy and convenient preparing dinner is with their beautiful kitchen staples. Our Place thoughtfully sources their products, packages them in biodegradable packaging and offsets their carbon footprint. I love that this brand not only makes high quality kitchen staples but does it in a way that cares.

We have loved the Our Place Always Pan in our home for years (we own two!) and I recently added the Our Place Perfect Pot and Ovenware Set to our kitchen repertoire and instantly fell in love with both. With Our Place we have been able to simplify our kitchen and say goodbye to a lot of our old pots and pans. The Our Place Perfect Pot and Our Place Always Pan are lightweight and multifunctional making the need for lots different kinds of cookware unnecessary. And the ceramic coating is non-stick and non-toxic making even pancakes and grilled cheese sandwiches (the two most difficult meals to make in my opinion) quick and easy!

The new Our Place Ovenware Set is just gorgeous and all you need for baking or casseroles. I love that the Our Place Oven Pan works for roasting in the oven AND as a griddle on the stovetop. It's beautiful and functional. And the Our Place Perfect Pot is perfect for fall soups and stews which is one of my favorite fall meals to prepare. And this weekend Our Place is offering 25% off almost everything (with just a few exceptions) so it's a great time to upgrade your kitchen! Their Goodby Summer Sale is happening August 25th through September 7th! You will fall in love with all their pieces and will find yourself using them at every meal. They rarely have promos like this, so you will want to shop this sale!

Recently I prepared one of my families favorite back to school meals, Tortilla Soup for dinner with the Our Place Perfect Pot and a side of cheesy corn bread with the new Our Place Ovenware pieces. You can scroll to the bottom of this post for that very easy and delicious recipe!

Tortilla Soup Recipe

2 - 32 oz containers of chicken broth

1 - 28 oz can of petite diced tomatoes

2 - 4.5 oz cans of chopped green chilis

2 garlic cloves

2 chicken breasts baked or grilled sliced into bite sized pieces (or meat of one rotisserie chicken)

12 corn tortillas

olive oil

salt & pepper

optional toppings:

avocado 

sour cream

shredded cheddar cheese

cilantro

lime slices

1. Set oven to 425.

2. Saute minced garlic with olive oil over medium heat in the Perfect Pot 1-2 minutes.

3. Add cans of tomatoes and chilis to the pot.

4. Saute veggies for 8-10 minutes.

5. Add chicken broth to Perfect Pot and allow to simmer for 20-30 minutes (or longer if you have time to let the flavors really set).

6. While broth simmers slice tortillas into thin strips and toss with olive oil and salt on the Oven Pan. Bake for 7 minutes, toss and bake for 7 more minutes or until crispy.

8. When broth is done simmering add salt and pepper to taste.

To serve: 

Fill bowl with broth and top with tortilla strips, chicken, cilantro, a squeeze of lime and some cheese or sour cream and serve!

This recipe is SO easy and my kids love it because they can personalize it with their own toppings. I love to serve it with corn bread (from a box, it's so good!) topped with cheddar cheese and jalapeño slices. This is a quick and cozy meal for weeknights and makes GREAT leftovers as well.

fall ready at home with Walmart!

 This post is sponsored by Shopstyle Collective and Walmart. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that support this blog.

The back to school season is officially upon us. School is in full swing for my kids and we are back to early wake up calls and busy afternoons. Even though the fall is so busy I am by far much more organized this time of year - probably by necessity - versus the lazy and crazy days of summer. I am MOST excited to get back to meal planning and regular family dinners. Especially with this being my son's senior year, family dinners as we have known them for almost 18 years will be changing drastically in the coming years so I am really savoring them this school year.

These new dishes from Walmart are really helping inspire me for meal planning this fall. They are just GORGEOUS in person. My family has been using them for a few weeks now and my husband and kids keep saying how pretty and unique they are - and it's true! Simple things like new dishes and some beautiful new glasses make setting the table each night for dinner a special evening ritual. Sure my family is still coming and going like crazy and family dinners are more like 3-4 nights a week instead of 7, but we make the most of it. 

Small but beautiful touches like these elevated but casual everyday placemats and pedestal vases make the table look extra special for minimal effort. Right now I have fresh eucaplytus branches in these vases but candles will likely replace them during the colder months or you could even fill them with globe ornaments for the holidays as a fun and festive touch. And a simple serving tray is perfect for helping to set or clear the table.

Walmart has a gorgeous selection of home goods to get your home fall ready and they always have FREE and fast shipping over $35.  Everything featured in this post is under $25 except the dinnerware set that is $60 for four place settings so nothing will break the budget to get your home ready for fall.

While I enjoy sitting down for family meals, meal planning isn't my specialty. Usually I ask the kids or my husband for help or input. If you are the same read on below for our meal plan the first few weeks of school to hopefully help inspire your meal planning during this busy season!

Back to school meal plan (we usually plan about 4 meals a week with the other nights being on your own, take out or leftovers)

Week 1

Tacos (so easy and always a crowd pleaser)

BLT's (we have tons of garden tomatoes to use up, we add a slice or two of turkey to make them more filling)

Pasta/Meat Sauce (we love the Trader Joes bolognese sauce with gluten free pasta and a side salad - so     quick!)

Pulled Pork & Coleslaw (this is such an easy crockpot meal with a pork shoulder and your favorite BBQ sauce so it can cook while everyone is at work/school)

Week 2

Chicken Noodle Soup (this is a back to school tradition!)

Grilled Salmon & Salad (this is another one that is so quick and easy and we are constantly working on eating all the veggies from the garden so it's great for that)

Chicken Greek Salad (grilled chicken sliced on a salad with feta, tomatoes, chickpeas, artichokes and hummus)

Lasagna (this is one of my favorite meals and I cheat and buy a frozen lasagna from the grocery store, it's a not-so-guilty pleasure that I just love)

back to school home finds with HSN!

 This post is sponsored by Shopstyle Collective and HSN. All opinions are my own.

Thank you for supporting the brands that support this blog.

With the back-to-school season comes lots of nesting and to-do lists in my household. From getting the kids organized and ready to head back to the classroom to getting my house organized so we can operate smoothly during the busy school year ahead, it's time to get down to business and make some updates around the house for the school season. 

HSN has tons of items at great prices to get your household ready for the school season this fall. Making small updates in the kitchen like having this Glass Food Prep & Storage Set  at the ready for meal prep, packed lunches and sports snacks will be super helpful. Organizational items for around the house like this Wireless Charging Station will be especially handy with teens and all their screens. This Cordless Handheld Vacuum is perfect for cleaning up small spills, for using in the car or even for a dorm room this busy season. And speaking of teens and dorm rooms this compact Purezone HEPA Air Filter is ideal for dorms or teen rooms. This Dyson Air Purifier and fan has been on my husband and I's wish list for a while and it's such a great price on HSN right now.

HSN offers FlexPay (easy pay) to make purchases easier and you can code: HELLO10 for $10 off your order over $20 or code: HSN2022 for $20 off your order over $40. Plus, they offer FREE SHIPPING on many items to make shopping more affordable.

1. Wireless Charging Station with Light 2. Smeg 2-slice toaster 3. True Seal Glass Food Prep & Storage Set 4. Shark WandVac Cordless Handheld Vacuum 5. Dyson Air Purifier and Fan 6. Pure Enrichment Purezone HEPA Air Filter 7. DeskJet Printer 8. DuraSack Heavy-Duty Yard Bag and Tote Bundle 9. Diffuser Humidifier Globe

fall home finds!

I always love the switch to fall weather and fall clothing... but this year it seems a little more special than usual. We are still spending a good amount of time at home, although schedules have picked up a bit, and I'm ready to hit refresh on a few spots around my house these days too. Fall always feels like a fresh start and that's just what I am craving these days. I love working with neutrals in my home because it's easy to add a new rug, a few new throw pillows or a wreath and everything mixes and matches so easily. This year I'm drawn to moody rust tones and earth tones as accents to my neutrals and of course everything has to look and feel as absolutely cozy as possible as we move into cooler weather.

Today I've rounded up some fall home items that have caught my eye this season. I love these simple striped throw rugs to freshen up an entry way or mudroom and they are great to have on hand once snowy weather kicks arrives. I've had my eye on these gorgeous glass votives for a few weeks now, I can picture them on an entry table, a dining table or even a coffee table. I love how moody and beautiful they are.  This black writing desk seems like it could really inspire me (wink, wink) to sit down at my desk everyday to work - I've gotten in a habit of working from bed over the past 6 months. The throw pillows on our sofa need some updating desperately after we've all spent so much time at home lately. I am loving this knit sweater pillow and olive lumbar pillow, they would work well with a neutral palette but give a very fall vibe to any room. I always get so many questions about the decorative beads I have in my living room and found this very similar set of wood bead garland at a great price. And of course a simple pumpkin candle can go a long way in making a home feel ready for fall!

wood bead garland, down to earth book, habitat book, wheat wreath, glass votives, striped rug, cream knit blanket, black writing desk, knit sweater pillow, taupe boucle pillow, olive lumbar pillow

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale home picks!

I always love perusing the home section of the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. There are usually some really great under the radar buys at really great prices. Every year I stock up on blankets and candles... which sounds a little silly, but I'm always thanking myself when the cold weather comes around and I have plenty of both squirreled away. Plus, if you are in the market for a new small appliance like an oil diffuser (love mine!) or a electric kettle (we have this kettle and LOVE it) the prices are right! Plus basics like glassware and towels are really great prices right now if yours need a refresh.

glasses (I'm really liking this pattern), mini diptyque candle set (I buy these every year, they're so potent you can smell them even when they aren't burning), rose gold electric kettle (we have this and LOVE it, it gets a lot of use), essential oil diffuser (I keep a few of these around the house, they are especially helpful in the smellier parts of the house like where the teens live ;) ), knit throw blanket (I bought this at the sale two years ago, it's so beautiful), throw rug (would be gorgeous in a bathroom!), lifeguard station art (I have a similar print at my desk in the mudroom), nest candle set (these are my two favorite scents from nest!), marble lazy susan (this is so beautiful!), fleece tassel blanket (we have three of these now our family loves them so much! Plus, they wash up really nicely and still look brand new!), clean bath rug (so cute for a kids bathroom or powder room), towel set (simple and classic! I love white towels because I can bleach them)

outdoor essentials!

I don't know about you all, but we have been spending A LOT of time on the patio and porch lately. As soon as I realized that spring break was cancelled I started working on our patio which is still a work in progress. Since then I've been scouting outdoor furniture and accessories wherever I can... preferably in person at Target but more often than not, it's been online at a few of my favorite retailers. I'm always on the hunt for affordable and stylish pieces.  Here are some great pieces I've been bookmarking as I put the finishing touches on our patio and porch.

black/white stripe pillow, black/white diamond pillow, grey Adirondack chair, outdoor pots, geometric rug, faux wood side table, outdoor umbrella, mini fire pit, herb starter kit, outdoor sofa, tassel blanket, mirrored garden orbs