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Week in Review: October 2 – 15 A look back at our trip to Waco and the Achieve Conference, Amazon top sellers, and fall inspiration.

Fall has officially arrived here in North Carolina!

Temperatures started dropping a bit a few weeks ago, but then third summer showed up and it was toasty again.

Until this weekend.

We had a little rain, and then a lot of wind, and this morning we woke up to a chilly 55 degrees!

Somehow overnight, the trees began changing colors too.

Suddenly, we’re ready to pull out all the cozy sweaters, throw blankets, and pumpkins.

We spent this week recovering from two weeks of travel, tracking amazing deals on Amazon, and doing some planning based on all the things we’ve learned from our trips.

Do you ever get overwhelmed when you learn new things?

We love the learning, but it’s tempting to want to jump in and make all kinds of changes.

This time, we talked through our top takeaways from each trip and are figuring out which items to tackle first.

Last weekend we flew from the conference in Texas to Virginia where we met up with our husbands to visit our friends’ new home in the mountains.

Three men and three women hiking along a stream.

We spent Saturday hiking on their property and exploring their new town.

It was such a nice way to decompress before heading back home last Sunday.

Posts on Simply2Moms may contain affiliate links which means we may earn a small commission on purchases at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  You can read our full disclosure policy here.

Our Top 5 Best Sellers From Amazon

This week Amazon kicked off the holiday shopping season with a new version of their Prime Day sales.

We got to preview some of the items on sale for their Big Deal Days when we were in San Diego, and spent the first half of this week sharing our favorites with you.

There are always tons of things on sale, and it would be so easy for us to just say “buy this, it looks great,” but we just don’t feel comfortable doing that.

What if it turns out to be a dud?

So we only recommend things we already own and love, no matter how great the sale might be.

Here are the top five things that our readers and followers ordered based on our recommendations!

This faux tree that’s indoor and outdoor safe.

A handy portable vacuum that you can charge in your car.

These faux stems that we both have and love.

This awesome organizer.

And our most popular recommendation was this amazing gadget that Anne uses almost every day!

Help Your Home Smell Like Fall, Naturally

Vintage wood tray with fall leaves in an amber glass bottle with a candle and fabric pumpkin.

We both love burning candles in our homes. Not only do they look pretty, but we also love how they smell! 

But not all candles are created equal. Lots of them are filled with carcinogens.

Arizona Desert Glow makes fantastic soy wax candles scented with non-toxic essential oils. The amber glass bottles are perfect for fall and winter, don’t you think?

Use code SIMPLY2MOMS when you check out to get free shipping.

Anne has been loving the Gingerbread Man scent: it makes her home smell like she’s been baking gingerbread!

The Achieve Conference

The best part about any of the conferences we attend is absolutely the people.

Over the years we’ve connected with so many amazing women who are out there doing the same kinds of things that we are.

When we get to see them in real life, it’s just so special!

We got to hang out with two of our blogging besties, Stacy (Stacy Ling Blog) and Rachel (The Ponds Farmhouse), two of the co-hosts of our monthly supper club group.

Our mentor, KariAnne from Thistlewood Farms was a speaker and shared some fantastic tips and ideas.

We also got to meet some of the women who have co-hosted our monthly supper club, like Kate from Southern Home and Hospitality and Libbie from A Life Unfolding.

Another highlight was meeting Jodi from Lyndale Drive, one of the first people we connected with on Instagram!

Then there were the new friends, like Jill from Bungalow 47 who felt like a long-time friend by the end of the conference.

We learned so many things about YouTube, social media, Amazon, and working with brands that our heads are still spinning.

This Week on Simply2Moms

While we recovered from being away for two weeks, we spent some time updating some of our popular fall articles.

Whether you’re looking for an easy dinner recipe, a fun idea for a get together with your friends, a unique fall decorating idea, or a way to treat your college student, we’ve got you covered!

Crock of low fat white chicken chili garnished with fresh cilantro, cheese, green onions on a plate with blue tortilla chips.

Have you ever tried White Chicken Chili?

A rich, creamy broth is filled with shredded chicken, chopped veggies, and white beans.

This simple recipe for White Chicken Chili can be made in the slow cooker or on top of your stove.

It’s easy on your waistline too at under 300 calories per serving with just 5 grams of fat and 21 net carbs.

You can use shredded rotisserie chicken to make it super easy to make too!

side buffet table set up for chili cook off with pots and banner hanging above

Have you ever been to a chili cook-off?

Lots of towns host them this time of year.

It’s fun to sample all the different kinds of chilis and vote on your favorites!

Why not get your friends together for your own chili cook-off this year?

We’ve rounded up ideas and shared everything you need to host a chili tasting party including custom printables for voting and prizes.

Pottery Barn entertainment unit decorated for fall. Shelves are filClose up view of the top of an entertainment center has a large smoky glass vase filled with autumn branches. A textured wood pumpkin is next to the vase. A farmhouse style wood cake stand holds three vintage amber glass bottles and a strand of farmhouse wood beads.

We love collecting amber glass bottles when we visit thrift shops and antique stores!

You can find them in so many shapes, colors, and sizes.

Their warm tones are just perfect when you want to make your home look cozy during fall and winter.

We shared some of our favorite ways to decorate with amber glass with lots of pictures!

halloween candy snacks and treats on wood table

Care packages are such a fun way to surprise all kinds of special people in your life: college students, nieces and nephews, deployed military members, shut-ins, or aging parents in a nursing home.

A Halloween care package would be a fun idea to put together for them!

We’re sharing ideas for things to include in the package, plus some new printables to decorate the box you send it in.

If you have any questions or suggestions, contact us or leave a comment!

Don’t miss any of our tips, tricks, or stories!

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