Week of September 11 – 17 | This week we’re diving into fall with some fantastic ideas for decorating and entertaining while saving money.
We were both out of town this week with our parents.
It’s challenging for all of us as they begin to have some more serious health issues.
We’re figuring out how to keep all the balls in the air: work, home, our adult kids, our husbands, and now our parents.
Sometimes, something has to give, and this week it was writing new blog posts.
Instead, we took some time updating a few of our most popular fall posts, and we have a feeling you’re going to love them as much as everyone on Pinterest does!
This week is going to be crazy too as we prepare for back-to-back work trips and our monthly supper club.
We’ve also been working on something for the holidays that we can’t wait to share with you!
AnnMarie’s Week
Last week I told you all that I was in New Jersey visiting my dad in the hospital after a super scary call from a doctor.
Fortunately, we think it was just a flare with his COPD (thank goodness)!
I wound up canceling my flight home on Monday since he was being released on Tuesday and stayed with him until Friday.
I’m grateful I was able to be there for the week to help him and my stepmom out.
I landed in Charlotte late Friday afternoon, drove home, and repacked my suitcase to head up to Boone for the weekend.
It was Gavin’s last family weekend at App State. I can’t believe he’s a senior already.
The whole crew was with us…all three kids, their significant others, and even the dogs.
It was so much fun to be together for a couple of days. It made this mom’s heart so full!
Since it was parent’s weekend it was super crowded so we didn’t get to go to some of our favorite places to eat but we did share a few meals together.
And of course, we tailgated before the game on Saturday.
Then, I volunteered to take the dogs back to the tiny house we had rented for the weekend during the game and took a much-needed nap!
Anne’s Week
I spent most of this week at my parents’ home in northern Maryland.
My dad is having some heart-related issues and they wanted to begin the process of cleaning out 46+ years of stuff in their basement.
The task felt really overwhelming for both of them, but I love these kinds of jobs!
You can see where we started in the image on the left, and where we finished on the right.
We donated 7 medium-sized and 2 small-sized moving boxes of housewares, plus a variety of small appliances. Everything on the bottom right shelf is also donations, but we ran out of room in the van!
And then we got the shelves more organized.
Antiques and collectibles that they’d like to sell to a dealer are grouped in one section.
Their kitchen doesn’t have a lot of storage, so small appliances, bakeware, and serving dishes are all organized in the other section.
We got home late on Thursday night and I got caught up with work and laundry.
Then, this morning I found some expired things in my pantry…
Which turned into me clearing out the entire pantry. LOL
All my storage containers have crumbs in them and need to be wiped out, so I’m getting everything reorganized!
Turns out there was more expired stuff in there than I realized. Oops!
Now that it’s just Kevin and me at home, I also got rid of the things that we don’t eat and sent them home with Livy and Cam when they stopped by this afternoon.
I’ll be sharing the after pictures and video over on Instagram so be sure to follow us there!
This Week on Simply2Moms
This week we’re sharing some great fall decorating ideas.
Best part? All these ideas can be done using things you likely have around your home!
Plus, AnnMarie has an amazing idea to make entertaining a breeze.
Do you love decorating your home for the seasons?
We both enjoy adding some seasonal colors and accents!
We shared everything you need to know to easily dry pampas grass for some beautiful (and free!) fall decorating.
If you’ve been following Simply2Moms for a little while, then you know we love our neutrals!
We shared how to create a beautiful, neutral fall centerpiece using one of our favorite decorating items.
This look would be great on a dining table, console, or coffee table.
We love entertaining and creating themed tablescapes for our supper club.
You may have heard of a capsule wardrobe, but how about an entertaining capsule?
AnnMarie shares how to create a huge variety of tables using a foundation of entertaining essentials.
One of our most popular images on Pinterest is created from these items.
AnnMarie shares simple step-by-step instructions to help you get the look yourself and decorate with a fall basket.
Go see how the basket looks and why it’s such a star on Pinterest!
More Ideas and Inspiration From Our Friends
We love spending time each week visiting our favorite websites. And of course, we share the best things we find with you.
Like these beautiful fall decorating ideas.
This mouthwatering appetizer recipe.
This stunning DIY fall wreath.
A simple way to use vintage crockery.
This single-serve healthy cookie recipe.
And this simple Ballard Designs dupe.
If you have any questions or suggestions, contact us or leave a comment.
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