Five Things Friday

 

{terrace mums beginning to wane}

Happy Friday, friends! It's been a long week, and I'm excited to snuggle up tonight with Tuesday's Sons of Anarchy and a glass of wine or two. Tomorrow we had planned to take Penelope to the zoo, but there's rain in the forecast, so it may be a carpet picnic + movie at home kind of day. Sunday we are having some fall photos taken of Penelope and then celebrating my cousin's birthday. Oh and hopefully some football watching thrown in for good measure. I hope you enjoy today's five things and have a fantastic weekend!

{a fun - and long overdue - night out with my NYU friends and our significant others}

 

{cool sunburst chairs}

{local dive for a pre-dinner Malbec}

{some luscious mac 'n cheese}

 

Would you ever put butter in your coffee? Is it that much different than cream?

Easy and instant pumpkin spice ice cream

While we're on the pumpkin spice subject, here's some defense of the pumpkin spice latte.

I want these oreo cheesecake brownies for my life

This gorgeous roasted red pepper soup with corn + feta 

One of my new favorite shows, Married, was renewed for a 2nd season

Ben Affleck's kids are not impressed that he's Batman

George Clooney officially ties the knot to uber smart and equally stunning Amal Amuladin and she looks unreal in all of her wedding weekend looks.

Chelsea Clinton had a sweet baby girl who is already destined for great things

Andrew Lincoln shaved his epic beard and TWD fans are freaking out

Here are 5 Hollywood make up tricks that I could use

Are you worried about Ebola?

This article about being a working mom really resonated with me 

I love this article about the real meaning of being Brave. As a 'no'er' and general anxiety-ridden person about everything, it's refreshing to see that maybe it's just ok to say no.

Surprising uses for apple cider vinegar. I'm going to try this on my teeth! 

salted caramel apple cheesecake bars; fall TV i'm into; what busy moms feed their kids; favorite halloween eats; when is it time to take the bottle away?

What are you loving this week?

Halloween Eats

Sharing my favorite sweet and savory Halloween eats!

{queso with blue corn tortilla chips}

I love this time of year. Not only is the weather near perfection on the East coast {and for such a short time}, but it's such a fun time to get creative with food. Halloween is one of the most fun for food creation and over the years, I've cooked and baked up a lot of great treats. Today I'm bringing you a little Throwback Thursday action and rounding up some spooktacular Halloween desserts to get you all in the spirit.

{ghoulish grilled cheese bites; bone-chillin' cheddar + ahhh-merican!}

{pumpkin-shaped cheddar cheese ball}

{blood spatter cupcakes}

{halloween cuppy cakes}

{pumpkin spice cupcakes}

{pumpkin bars + cream cheese frosting}

{pumpkin pie oatmeal}

{spiced cake batter caramel popcorn}

What are your favorite Halloween or fall-themed eats?

ICYMI: I'm pretty psyched to be included in this article, "What Busy Moms Feed Their Kids," from The Lean Green Bean! If you struggle with what to feed your young kiddos, stop by for some great toddler food ideas from lots of busy moms! Thanks to Lindsay for including Penelope and me and for putting together this helpful series!

Falling for Good TV

We are full swing into fall and I'm rounding up my favorite show picks for the season!

Always first on the list: Sons of Anarchy! It's the final season and though it's been hard to watch (Jax, WWTT?), I'm savoring every last moment, especially those featuring a shirtless Charlie Hunnam and a soundtrack that just keeps getting better and better. I'm not quite sure where this season is going, but I'm happy to go along for the ride.

Favorite new show: How to Get Away With Murder. I knew that any Shonda Rimes show deserved at least a look and I'm so glad we tuned in for this one. There was a lot set up in this first ep and I can't wait to see where it goes. Bonus surprise appearance by the always exciting Billy Brown, AKA Mike from Dexter and Sons' August March.

The Mindy Project: I'm late to the party on this one but this is one of my new favorite shows. So funny, so sweet and features fun guest appearances by Always Sunny alum.

New Girl: I've watched since the beginning and while this one struggles for me at times, the addition of Daman Wayans, Jr. breathed some new life into the show. It's clear he got some of those stellar comedic genes and destined for a long and hilarious career.

Parenthood: Always one of my favorite shows and kind of a sleeper hit in that I always forget how great this show is until I sit down to watch it. It's the final season and I'm sure extra tissues will be needed for these last 13 eps.

Orange is the New Black: It's not new, but we are still getting through it. The second season just isn't as gripping for me as the freshman offering, but I'm still excited to watch the rest.

Jeopardy: Our nightly staple. Is it weird that I was positively giddy when new eps began airing and we could stop tuning in to Tournament of the Decades reruns?

The Walking Dead: Season 5 premieres on Oct 12, and I'm counting down the days. Last season really upped its game (look at the flowers. Lizzie! gah!), and left us wondering...what is Terminus? is cannibalism now a thing? am I crazy or was there something happening between Beth & Darryl? Where is Beth?! These are the questions I need answered.

So that's what I'm loving on TV lately.

What are your favorite shows this Fall?