Good morning! Iām back in Charlotte after a whirlwind trip to Burlington and even though I loved every second of my time in the gorgeous state of Vermont (the fall foliage was unbelievable!), it feels good to be home. I am dying to get back up to Vermont with Ryan and Chase at some point because I think theyād both love it and I feel like my time there was way too limited. Iāll be sure to recap my trip on the blog soon once Iām a little more organized and have the chance to go through all of my photos.
I spent the morning volunteering at Chaseās preschoolās book fair, so Iām sharing this blog post later than usual today but better late than never, right!? As for todayās blog post, I wanted to share a little peek into my day yesterday which began a little after 5 a.m. thanks to an early alarm! I slept pretty terribly during my time in Vermont which was such a disappointment since I usually sleep really well in hotels. Last week I set my phone alarm and it didnāt go off, so I think I was just paranoid about sleeping through my alarm both days I was away and tossed and turned a lot.
The driver who took me to the airport was a ball of positive energy and somehow his energy rubbed off on me and I arrived at the Burlington Airport feeling much more alert. Iām sure the savory veggie crepe and cappuccino I ordered from The Skinny Pancake in the airport helped, too! (Thank you for the recommendation, Katy!) I used my flight time to work which is probably my favorite thing about solo travel these days. Itās the BEST time to hunker down and be productive with zero distractions.
I arrived in Charlotte in the middle of the morning and was so excited to spend the rest of the morning with my mom and Chase! They picked me up at the airport and it was so great to see both of them and smother Chase in a million kisses. (My mom was kind enough to watch Chase for us while I was in Vermont and Iām thrilled that sheāll be here through the end of the week!) Is it weird that I feel like Chase somehow seemed so much older even though I was gone for less than three full days!?
Once we were all reunited, we headed back toward home but popped into The Fresh Market because I had to pick up a few things to make my Halloween Spider Cupcakes again to share on Instagram Stories as part of my partnership with Pure Organic. Once we made it back home, Chase was psyched to help me cook and we whipped up a batch of chocolate cupcakes using Simple Mills baking mix. Once the cupcakes were baking away, we turned our attention to the boxes of fall decorations I drug out of the attic and finished decorating our house for fall!
I think one of the reasons I enjoy decorating for the seasons so much is that a lot of my decorations are actually from my grandmothers so they remind me of holidays with them and our special times together. I could tell my mom enjoyed seeing some of the old pumpkins from Mimiās house come out of storage for the fall, too!
Chase wasnāt overly interested in the decorations until he spied a box of costumes. When I took the elephant head out of the box, he immediately tried it on and refused to take it off for a solid 45 minutes.
The elephantās trunk entertained him to no end and I have a feeling we know what Chase is going to be for Halloween this yearā¦
Eventually we got Chase out of the elephant costume and into his crib for his nap. While he snoozed away, we ate a quick lunch and I knocked out two projects while my mom drove to the airport to pick up my dad. (He had a bike race over the weekend but will also be here through Friday!) They ended up arriving home almost the minute Chase woke up from his nap and Ryan arrived home from work an hour or so later. I missed him, too!!
We spent the rest of the evening hanging out and making a delicious dinner of spaghetti with Brussels sprouts, fresh bread and pineapple. And Halloween Spider Cupcakes for dessert! (An eclectic combination but it was tasty.)
My dad actually arrived in town with a bit of a stomach bug and I was 100 percent exhausted by the end of the day, so we ended up calling it an early night. Chase was in bed by 8 p.m. and we headed off to sleep not long after. I managed to make it though only a few pages of my new book before my eyes were too heavy to keep reading. I just started reading The Woman in Cabin 10 and Iām enjoying it so far. It seems almost Girl on the Train-ish to me at the moment and Iām curious to see how it will end.
And now Iām off to snap some photos for a freelance client before I can fully unplug and spend some quality time with my family! Hope you guys all have a great Wednesday!
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Can’t wait to hear about your recap of Burlington, one of my favorite places!! My sister in law opened a brewery with a few others called Foam. It’s right on Lake Champlain.
Katherine, I live in NY & have heard soo many great things about Foam!! It’s on my list of VT breweries to check out š
Those elephant ears are the cutest things ever!! Chase must be a joy, too adorable. I love how you incorporate baking into your daily life. You’re building wonderful childhood memories. š
He is soooo into cooking and baking right now! It’s been so much fun! I hope it’s an interest that sticks around for him. š
I do the same thing when I know I have to be up early and I’m worried about sleeping through my alarm. I toss and turn and end up not sleeping very well.
Chase is so adorable with that elephant head!
I love Burlington! It is the perfect place to visit with your family. Church street is beautiful and fun!
Those spider cupcakes are so cute, I want to try to make them with my daughter!
We live close to Vermont in Saratoga Springs, and it really is a great time to be here! Such beautiful foliage and you can’t beat all the fresh-picked apples!
I need to come back ASAP!!!
Hehe, I love that elephant costume so much, he is the cutest š
Omg. Those elephant ears on Chase is just TOO CUTE!! Aww!!! Can’t wait to hear about your time in Burlington! I’m going to have to add that book to my Kindle to read next, you always have the best book recommendations! š Have a great Wednesday, Julie! Xoxo
It’s always nice to have a few minutes away and time yourself, but there’s nothing better than coming home! Especially when there are some cute little love bugs waiting for you.
Oh my gosh. Chase is the cutest in those elephant ears!!
Ahh, the pic of Chase with the Elephant costume was so cute! I wasn’t into Halloween until I had my kids and they made making costumes and such so fun! Looks like Chase is into costumes as well. What a cutie! Enjoy your time with your parents, Julie and hope your dad feels better soon!
I am just hoping the novelty of the elephant head doesn’t ware off before Oct 31!!
I’m sure whatever he picks will be so cute! š BTW, I’m curious…is that box of costumes all from your childhood?
I enjoyed The Girl in Cabin 10, but the author’s other book, In a Dark, Dark Wood is so much better in my opinion! I don’t recalbif you have mentioned if you have read that one or not.
Love the outfit combo of the elephant head, diaper and socks! Too cute!!
I’ll have to add In a Dark, Dark Wood to my list as well as The Girl in Cabin 10. I have so many books on my list and I keep adding to it!
Thanks for the book recommendations Julie. We have similar taste in novels. Your selections never disappoint.
Julie,
Canāt wait to hear what you think of the Woman in Cabin 10! I think itās the best book Iāve read in awhile! I just started reading Redeeming Love which came highly recommended so we will see!
I’m envious of the amount of family time you’re able to have! It’s so awesome you all see each other so regularly. And that elephant costume is too cute. He wears it proudly!
You always have the best book recommendations! Hope you had fun volunteering and hope your dad feels better!
OH MY GOSH, Chase!!!!! What a cutie. My goodness- best looking little kid I’ve ever seen.
Vermont is on my GO TO list. It’s so far from SF, which sucks, but the fall foliage— total bucket list item!
So cute in his elephant hat. š
I have never commented before on your blog but have been reading for years and absolutely adore it. You are a bright moment in my day š I am looking for a book bag that is good for travelling and the one you have in the picture looks awesome! What brand is your book bag and do you love it?
Thank you so much for commenting, Jen!! I LOVE this backpack! It’s CALIA by Carrie Underwood and I got it at Dick’s Sporting Goods a month or so ago.
I love that you have your grandmother’s decorations! That is the best!
OMG that elephant costume is the cutest!!!
And I can’t wait to read your recap of Burlington – it’s such a gorgeous place, especially in the fall!
<3
Have you read āTiny Beautiful Thingsā by Cheryl Strayed? It. Is. Amazing. I just finished it in 2 days and thought to comment on your blog because it touches on personal things you have talked about. Itās healing. I highly recommend!!
Can’t wait to hear about your Vermont trip! And I just started The Women in Cabin 10 on Sunday. I can ready about a chapter a night before I need to fall asleep, lol. But I def just hit a pretty good part last night so I know it will be hard to put down.
Can’t wait to hear about your trip. Hope you are having a great visit with your parents.
Definitely report back on the woman in cabin 10! I just started all the missing girls, you read that one right?
The fall colors in that first pic are so pretty — isn’t fall the greatest!?
Chase is cracking me up in that elephant costume! I bet Halloween will be so much fun with him this year š
I think I would fit right in at your house–it always seems full of joy, family, friends, and good food! Thanks for sharing it on the blog and I hope your dad feels better soon. Chase is seriously hamming it up in that costume! I love Halloween and can’t wait for the fall weather to hurry up and get me more in the mood!
This is so random but I noticed your “it” luggage… I just bought a carry-on from that company recently and am in love. Who knew you could enjoy a light, simple carry-on so much?
I can’t wait to hear all about your trip! I’ve always wanted to go to Vermont, mainly to see the gorgeous fall foliage, so I have high hopes for your photos! š
What a fun way to get home from a trip! Enjoy the time with your parents š So hard when they are far away.
What bike race was your Dad doing??
It was a long ride in Mount Dora!
Chase looks so adorable in his elephant costume!!
The girl in cabin 10 was my holiday book this summer and I devoured it in 3 days! I just couldn’t put it down. I haven’t read girl on the train yet so can’t compare but it kept us guessing until the very end and I felt on edge the whole time. Always a winner in my books (pun intended!)
Ha! Love the pun!