Happy Fall Y'all!

Yep, I can say y'all now….cause I live in Texas. I fought it for a long time, but now it's natural. At first I thought I would never get used to saying that strange and totally incorrect term, but then I slowly started wanting to use it in my everyday language and I found myself having to stop before I spoke. "I will not use that term…. I am a California girl thank you VERY much.." And then…there it was. Yep, y'all know what I'm talking about! However, I still refuse to use the term, "fixin'" WHAT is that about?
Anywho, it has begun to feel like fall here! We are still in the nineties but we are getting some wind and cloud cover and the mornings are crisp! Finally! I have always loved fall for the pretty colors and warm, rich flavors! But, I feel like it always slips away from me and before I know it I am freezing in my sweatpants wrapping Christmas presents praying for Spring. Well, NOT this year! This year I vow to make the most of this autumnal harvest season! I decorated our house last week while Jackson took a nap and then I got some more little trinkets at Ross, which I LOVE for holiday decor because it is SO cheap! Then, I stole some ideas from other people and now my house feels comfy, cozy, festive!

Top left is our hutch. I stole the idea for the garland from Jen's blog, which she stole from somewhere else, but it is SUPER cute! I got the felt for less than a dollar for all 4 sheets (YAY coupons!) and strung it with a needle and thread! So cute and DIRT cheap! I am in love. I got the pumpkins at the grocery store and painted them myself, this idea I stole my sweet friend Sarah!  Top right is our fireplace and I love these glittery pumpkins! The candles I got at Ross of course and I made that little bouquet out of some fake leaves and orange berry sprigs. Bottom left is an adorable sign that I just HAD to have and I really want to get a scarecrow to hang out next to it :)  Middle is just a centerpiece I made for our dining room table and I got that leaf placemat at WalMart! Bottom right was some leftover stuff I had so I stuck it in a vase and put it on the window sill in front of the kitchen sink along with a pumpkin candle and I feel so serene when I wash the dishes!

One of my other hopes for these fall months is to take advantage of the flavors!!! I am OBSESSED with pinterest and I found some cool recipes on there. So, my goal for October is at least one new pumpkin recipe per week. This morning I made Jackson some pumpkin pancakes! They were so tasty, he ate THREE! I was shocked! Normally he just picks at his pancakes because I make sure he eats his fruit first. But he LOVED these pancakes! I think I will definitely have to make them again, what a great way to get in a vegetable for breakfast! So, I just used regular pancake mix and added organic pumpkin puree and ricotta cheese (just because I had some leftover from my lasagna last night). I think next time I will add some vanilla and cinnamon! Yumma yumma! Here he is chowing down! Oh and before you ask, he took a great, big tumble yesterday on the front porch and fell face first onto concrete. Apparently there was a box in the back of his little John Deere mini tractor and he climbed (surprise, surprise) into the tractor and on top of the box and the box slipped. It's pretty gnarly and now it is all scabbed up and filled with pus and disgusting. This was his first big fall so we were both kind of freaking out, Thomas wanted to take him to the ER, but I assured him they would laugh us out and tell us, "He's a boy.." So anyway, it's pretty gross, but it doesn't seem to bother him at all. 

pumpkin ricotta cheese pancakes

Hey, this is pretty good

Ripping it up!

Gobble gobble gobble!

Then I made a tasty breakfast for Thomas and myself! Pumpkin cream cheese muffins! SO SO SO YUM! If you want the recipe let me know, or you can find it on my pinterest.  May I also mention that Little Master West just so happened to gobble down 2 of these as well.. Piggy piggy.

Pumpkin cream cheese muffins in Halloween wrappers

These ones I used no wrapper and put a pecan on top.  I liked these better because these muffins stuck to the wrapper which I thought was weird and annoying.

Tomorrow we are going to Dewberry Farms Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze and I'm really excited for another way to enjoy the Harvest season! I'll be sure and post some pictures and keep Y'ALL updated on my new pumpkin recipes!