Stone Mountain Pumpkin Festival

I have been in the Fall and Halloween spirit. There's just something about this year's Fall season and Halloween that has me even more excited than usual. I've been crossing so many things off of my Fall Bucket List. Recently, I crossed off a big one from the list.

A few weeks ago, my family and I went to Stone Mountain Park's Pumpkin Festival. I found a really great deal on Groupon for tickets to the festival. With the purchase of the Pumpkin Festival ticket, we were able to enjoy several attractions. There are a ton of family-friendly attractions. 

This pumpkin tree looks absolutely awesome during the day, but at night it's so magical and amazing. Below is a closer look at the pumpkin tree. I love that the mountain is in the background.

The entire festival was decorated in all sorts of pumpkins and other fall-related items. We played mini-golf before we decided to go on a train ride.

The train ride was 5 miles. We saw a few of the former train cars that were used. There was a little fairy tale play during one of the stops. We loved it.

At night, the faces on the pumpkins move, sing, and talk. It is so cute! It was my favorite display at the festival. 

There were so many delicious treats at the festival. There were so many pumpkin-flavored things. My favorite was the pumpkin spice soft serve ice cream. I was so excited to try it that I started eating it...until I realized that I didn't take a picture (#bloggerfail). 

It was a bit difficult trying to get photos at night. Everything was glowing and neon, but it really did look beautiful. There were a lot of fairy tale stories displays around the park. There was a Wizard of Oz section. The characters' heads were made out of pumpkins.

The festival concluded with a glow around party parade. It was so cool. The guests were able to participate in the show. We danced with fairy tale characters. The parade was definitely another favorite part of the festival.

Overall, we had a great time and plan to come back next year.

How have you been celebrating Fall? Do you have a favorite Fall festival?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

10 Things That Made Me Happy This Week

Happy Friday! Today I'm linking up with Charlotte, Lindsay, and Beth for their weekly happy and grateful list link up.

1. Finding the perfect dress for a wedding...for only $30!

2. Holiday outfits for the boys

3. Raphael's first dentist appointment went well

4. Caught up on Mayans M.C. and 9-1-1

5. Finally got a haircut and it feels so good

6. Starting a new book

7. New ideas for a big art project

8. Naps

9. Candy

10. Watching Super Monsters with my boys

What made you happy this week?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

Three Things - October

Happy Monday! I'm dealing with some writer's block...again! And I'm just not feeling like myself. So today I'm going to post my responses to a questionnaire by Steph. I love questionnaires and it's so fun reading other people's responses to them.

Places I never want to go

1. Dentist

2. Hospital

3. Post Office

Places I always want to go

1. Silver Comet Trail

2. Library

3. Newk's

Appetizers I will eat at any time

1. Buffalo Wings

2. Pigs in a Blanket

3. Crockpot Grape Jelly & BBQ meatballs

Things I'm looking forward to next month

1. Thanksgiving

2. Spending time with family

3. Taking holiday photos

Places I enjoyed in my youth

1. Central Park

2. Coney Island

3. Library

Things 10-year-old me never expected to spend so much money on

1. Car related expenses (insurance, gas, etc.)

2. Groceries

3. Electricity


Now it's your turn. Feel free to share your response or a link to your blog in the comments.

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...


Photo by Patrick Fore on Unsplash

10 Things That Made Me Happy This Week

Happy Friday! Today I'm linking up with Charlotte, Lindsay, and Beth for their weekly happy and grateful list link up.

1. Salted Caramel Mocha Coffee

2. Raphael is sleeping through the night again

3. Blue Exorcist

4. My new Dr. Martens boots

5. This adorable outfit

6. Fall weather

7. Matt Haig (His books are amazing and I love his Instagram!)

8. This post by Dana

9. Days Off stamp set by One Little Bird

10. This post by Makasha

What made you happy this week?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

Target Finds

Happy Wednesday! I completely forgot to post a Target Finds in September, so I decided to combine the items that I found last month with the things that I found this month. Surprisingly, I didn't buy too much in September as well as this month (so far). However, I found some really great items this month that I couldn't wait to share with all of you.

1. Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell and Faith Erin Hicks

I was so excited when I found this book. This was the first book that I read by Rainbow Rowell. This was a quick read. The story was so cute. The illustrations are amazing. I'll post a review of the book soon.

2. Rice Krispie Pumpkin Kit

My boys love Rice Krispie Treats (and so do I), so when I saw this kit at Target, I had to buy it. We haven't made them yet because I want to wait until it's closer to Halloween. There is a ghost pop Rice Krispie Treat kit that I plan to also purchase.

3. Hyde And Eek Melamine Bowl

These mini bowls are adorable. I've been using these bowls for ice cream. I wish that the bowls came in a medium or larger size, but these are still useful.

4. Organic Ocho Halloween Mini Variety Pack

As you all may know, I'm a big fan of Organic Ocho candy. I was so excited when I found a Halloween variety pack. The Halloween variety pack has three different flavors. There's coconut, peanut butter, and caramel. It was my first time trying the coconut flavor, and I loved it.

Overall, I really love the items that I found. I can't wait to see what I find next month.

As usual, I was able to save on all of my Target Finds by using the Cartwheel app, buying items that were on sale, or buying things that were at the Dollar Spot section.

What are some of your favorite Target Finds?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

What I Read in September

Happy Monday! Last month, I accomplished my reading goal. I was on a short horror story kick. I really wanted to read some books that I loved when I was a kid, but I also wanted to read scary stories. I ended up selecting Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz.

I didn't read a lot of blog posts or articles in September, but there were a few great ones. It was definitely a great month for reading. I can't wait to see if I accomplish my reading goal for October.

Let's check out the books along with some of my favorite blog posts and articles from September.


Must Read

Last month, I read the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark series. There are three books in the series, and they are all awesome! The books are a quick read. I read each book in one day.

I remember devouring these books when I was a kid. Some of the stories are scary, and some are funny. There are notes and sources at the end of the book. I loved that Alvin Schwartz researched folklore and urban legends. I really loved learning about the origins and variations of some of the stories. Stephen Gammell's illustrations are amazing! Every single illustration is so creepy and perfect for each story. One of my favorite stories is The Bride. I also really loved The Wolf Girl and The Wreck.

Blog Posts I Loved in September

The Things We Choose by Erica

A Radical Guide to Spending Less Time on Your Phone by Ryan Holiday

Finding Your Identity Outside of Motherhood by Jaelan

Madelyn Miles' Crying for My Baby Who Didn't

What did you read in September?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

10 Things That Made Me Happy This Week

Happy Friday! Today I'm linking up with Charlotte, Lindsay, and Beth for their weekly happy and grateful list link up.

1. Happy Hour at Starbucks

2. Marietta Pizza Company

3. Creative work

4. T-Mobile Tuesdays perks

5. Cookie BonBites at Cinnabon

6. Belgian Boys Waffle Chips and Choco Waffle Chips

7. Where to Begin by Cleo Wade

8. Freeform's 31 Nights to Halloween

9. Six Feet Under by Billie Eilish

10. @Rosieraindrops on Instagram - amazing artwork!

What made you happy this week?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

30 Days of Lists - September 2019 - Lists 16-30

Happy Thursday! I cannot believe that it's already October. The 30 Days of Lists challenge ended last week. I had so much fun working in my little book. Using minimal supplies and keeping things simple really helped me complete the challenge.

As promised, below is the last set of my lists.

I can't wait for the next round of 30 Days of Lists.

Did you participate in this round of 30 Days of Lists?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

If You and I Had Coffee

If you and I had coffee...

We'd meet at a little coffee shop and try some seasonal drinks. We'd eat some pastries and then take a stroll in the neighborhood. The weather has been amazing, and it finally feels like fall.

If you and I had coffee...

I'd ask you what are some of your current favorite TV shows or movies? I've been on a horror movie, and Halloween related shows (and movies) kick. I watched In The Tall Grass, and now I want to read the novella. It was a bit scary. There was one scene that left me speechless. Hulu has a section called Huluween, and I can't wait to watch all of the scary movies and shows. 

If you and I had coffee...

I'd tell you that I started watching the news and once again, I'm going to stop watching it. I really don't have the words to even describe all of the terrible things that have been happening. 

Even though it seems like most of the stuff on the news is terrible, there were a few stories that made me happy. This story on an 8-year old dressed like Princess Tiana dancing at Disney World and wowing the crowd was adorable. Another incredible story that I recently read is about Emily Zamourka. 

If you and I had coffee...

I'd tell you that this month is already so busy. We have so many fun plans. Halloween is my favorite holiday and I'm always excited for this time of year. However, I'm more excited this year than usual. 

We attended the Pumpkin Festival at Stone Mountain two weeks ago. Last weekend, we went to a Fall Festival, and we might go to our city's Fall Festival this weekend. We have a few more Fall and Halloween events that we plan to go to, and we're so excited. 

If you and I had coffee...

I'd tell you that I only missed one day of the Season of Habit challenge. It's been bothering me just a little that I missed one day, but I'm trying really hard to give myself some grace. It's a 49-day challenge, and it's halfway over. Honestly, I'm a bit impressed that I only missed one day.

I'm so close to finishing my journal, and I'm excited to start a new one. I'm also planning to work on a new art project soon. I won't go into too much detail, but I can't wait to share it. I'm debating whether or not to share a few pieces here and there or if I should just wait until I complete the entire project.

What would you tell me?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

Photo by Jason Wong on Unsplash

10 Things That Made Me Happy This Week

Happy Friday! Today I'm linking up with Charlotte, Lindsay, and Beth for their weekly happy and grateful list link up.

1. Finally got my kitchen and dining room back!

2. Starbucks

3. Get Messy Season of Habit

4. It's finally October!

5. Naps

6. Huluween

7. Ghostbusters theme song

8. My boys

9. Decluttering

10. TOMS limited edition shoes (I really want to get these)

What made you happy this week?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

October Goals

Happy Thursday! It's finally October, and I'm so excited! October is one of my favorite months. Fall is in full force (even if the weather doesn't feel like it yet) and Halloween will be here before we know it.

Last month was amazing. The boys had their Fall break from school, so we decided to take a staycation. We packed a lot of stuff in that week, and it was glorious. We did so much in September. We went to the Stone Mountain Pumpkin Festival (I'll share about that soon), celebrated John's birthday, went to the Taste of Smyrna, relaxed, and went on a few more adventures.

As you know, it's a new month, so it's time for some new goals. Before we get to my goals for October, let's see how I did on my goals for September.

Recap of September Goals

• Read 2 books: I read 3 books in September. I'm in the Halloween spirit, so I decided to read the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark series. I used to love to read the series when I was a kid. I was hit with a wave of nostalgia when I went to the library to pick up the books. I still love the stories, and the illustrations are fantastic. One of my favorite stories was The Bride. 

• Try 2 new recipes: Once again, this was a fail. I couldn't decide which recipes to try. We were also on vacation and didn't really cook during that time. 

• Complete 1 Skillshare class: I completed Samantha Dion Baker's Sketchbook Illustration for All: Draw Your Day with Watercolor & Pen. I really enjoyed the course and learned a few things. 

• Stay active 3 days a week: I'm not sure whether to call this a fail or not. I didn't really keep track of how often I stayed active, but I do think that I did a decent job. I really have to start actually keeping track of this. I'm going to use my planner to keep track of how active I am.

• Work on 30 Days of Lists challenge: I'm happy to say that I completed this challenge. I kept my lists simple and used only a few supplies which helped me finish the challenge. I love how my little notebook turned out. I posted the first half of my lists here. I will post the second half in the next few days.

• Work in my sketchbook every day: This was a success. I decided to use my sketchbook as part of the Season of Habit challenge by Get Messy. 

October Goals

• Read 2 books

• Finish Get Messy Season of Habit

• Start a new journal

• Stay active 3 days a week (and actually keep track of it)

• Try 1 new recipe

• Write more (Essays, poems, blog posts, etc.)

• Work on a new art project

What are your goals for October?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...


Photo by Maddi Bazzocco on Unsplash