Growing up my mother would always tell me stories of her own childhood holidays- recounting stories of hours in the kitchen with her grandmother, making homemade candies by the dozens. Its a sweet memory of hers that I cherish as well- one that conjures nostalgic images of a perfectly simpler time. Maybe a ham baking in the oven, adults drinking egg nog, Bing on the record player. No iPhones, no Sonos, no video chat. Just a little girl making memories. 

Like most years, I've found myself totally smitten with this year's fall. Leaves are changing, the house smells of apple and pumpkin and cinnamon, we're cozying up to spooky movies, and the countdown to the holidays has officially begun. There really is just something about it that feels like "home." And like most things, it feels just a bit more special enjoying it with our girl- watching her devour her first apple cider donut, pick her first pumpkin and play with her first golden leaf making this time of year all the more magical.

Oh, Zara: let me count the ways. There are few brands that can pull off affordable coolness the way Zara can. I've been a fan of their women's clothing for years; and when it comes to their duds for minis- they don't disappoint. I've loved dressing our girl in their chic little dresses {as seen here} since she was itty-bitty. Their prints are adorable, their palette is the perfect blend neutral and girly, and their price point is one that won't break the bank. Perfection.

Just thirteen days left until Halloween, giving us plenty of time to enjoy a few family nights-in with some of our favorite spooky, but kid-friendly, flicks. There's nothing better on a crisp, fall night than cozying up with my love and my mini to enjoy a classic. Last night we opted for my all-time-favorite, It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown. I pulled out some cozy fall blankets, baked some festive sugar cookies {thank you, Pillsbury}, and cuddled-up in front of the fire to watch the Peanuts gang celebrate the season.

If your babe is anything like mine, mealtime can be messy. Since Maddie was itty bitty, bibs became a daily staple; and between the drool, formula, and food, there were times when she may have worn them all day long. While recently she's gotten much better at getting that avocado in her mouth rather than her newly laundered top, there are certain times when a bib is still a must. And there's nothing worse than scrambling for one at the very last minute. So in order to keep one close by for those messy meals, I've used this mom hack to always have one on hand.

So we officially have a sixteen-month-old on our hands. A little toddler that doesn't just walk, but runs; a Chatty Kathy whose pastimes include making pretend phone calls, building little lego lands, hours of board book reading and hanging with Peanuts and the gang.  And while I'm not always sure exactly what she's saying- she's saying quite a lot; those little babbles filling my heart with so much joy and excitement for the words her sweet little voice will someday say to me.

Every now and then Maddie Mae will give me a nice, long midday nap. And I happily receive them as a "thank you" for being her mama. Some weeks, these naps can be few and far between, but we're still working on her manners. But on those days when she does give me a little naptime "thank you," I enjoy a few extra hours of mommy-time: to fold that laundry, tidy up, get some writing done, and, sometimes, even bake a batch of homemade cookies.

Three years ago I walked down the aisle and said "I do" to this man of mine. A leap of faith for both of us by many's standards, being that we knew each other just a hair over a year on that beautiful day in October. Yes, it's true, my husband and I became engaged after just six months, and made it official five months later. Two kids in love that knew from the moment we met that we wanted a life together. Some people may have thought it was crazy; few believed it perhaps a bit hasty; some, hopefully, fancied it romantic. And it's quite possible it was a little bit of all of the above.

When I look back on the holidays of my childhood, I have the fondest memories of our annual family photo shoots. Each year our mama would dress us in perfectly coordinating outfits- matching denims, white button downs, the occasional mixed print- and take us to our local park for our annual day of modeling. The fruits of these labors proudly displayed in our parents' homes- chambray-clad kiddos with goofy adolescent smiles. Some years were more awkward than others- in the most wonderful way possible- and I've always adored remembering different stages of our lives through those images.

TGIF- And a long weekend ahead of us, to boot.

The next week brings us a lot of excitement: a visit from Nana, our three year anniversary, a holiday family photo shoot, and our little one turns sixteen-months old. We're looking forward to enjoying some major family time in this crisp fall weather- walks in the park during the day and maybe a glass of wine or whiskey on the front porch for us adults- cozied up under a comfy blanket.

People said a lot of strange things to me during that year struggling to conceive; most of which I chalked up to the the fact that most people just didn't know what to say. I've been that person, too, at times- one really wanting to comfort or encourage, but at a loss as to how to do so.

In that year most people cheered us on; many asked questions; others said nothing at all. But all of them cried happy tears when they heard our good news. So I believe all of it came from a good place.

There are few things that get us excited the way holiday decorating does- the first glimpses of it conjuring up such excitement for all the last quarter of the year has to offer. For us, the holidays start with the fall; and on that first day we pull out our trusty fall wreath and start mulling those spices. And while we always have pumpkins, this year I wanted to take a more sophisticated spin on the seasonal favorite. So when we found these unique beauties during a recent trip to our local Terrain, it was love at first sight.

It's officially October {yay} meaning the holidays are just around the corner. As Halloween candy fills the market-aisles and all things pumpkin spice come back in season, it can be hard to always make smart, healthy choices. Particularly being that I'm big on seasonal baking { see honey apple galette }.

So tomorrow brings us the month of October- perhaps one of my favorites of the year. It's now officially fall, all things pumpkin are back in style, and autumnal decorations are in full swing. It's also host to one of my most beloved holidays, the day I married my best friend, and the moment I found out I was pregnant with my little love. Not a bad resume for one little month. And while I'm happy you're here, October, I can't deny the beauty that was our September. We celebrated a wedding, showed our girl her first apple orchard, enjoyed a few final beach trips, took a much needed vacation out east; and in its final days decorated our home all-fall-like... And Maddie seems to approve.

For the first several months of her life, if not the first year, I was Madeline's blankie. She had plenty of real life blanket options- hand-knit ones, quilted ones, cotton ones and plush ones- but she was never really interested. Rather than warm up to one of those beauties, she preferred to cuddle her mama. And I happily obliged. But in the last few months this little lady has taken quite the liking to her blankets- one in particular, in fact. 

If you're new around here, let me take a moment to introduce my first born. While not my biological child, this fur baby we call Henry was perhaps my first real love. For many years I happily referred to him as my soul mate. In terms of dogs, you just can't get much better.

He's a love. He's protective- but only when he needs to be. He's easy. He naps and chills. He's active when you want him to be. He's cuddled me through Sunday Scaries. He was my baby when I struggled to be a mom.