Well hello there and Happy Friday! It’s time for another edition of “Friday Five.” This is my time to step away from all things food and recipes and share a glimpse into real life stuff.

The last time I wrote a Friday Five was back in May, which feels like yesterday! But here we are, over three months later. Summer has come and gone and I hope your days were filled with sunshine, good food, and whatever makes you happy.

Here’s 5 things I want to share with you this week:

1. Summer Recap

This summer was filled with lots of days at the pool, a trip to St. Joseph’s Michigan, and a long weekend at Starved Rock (in Illinois) for my nephews wedding. We ended the summer fun with a day at Six Flags Great America right before school started.

How do you feel about roller roasters? I have never liked them, but I powered through because Miles LOVES them all. I kept my eyes closed for all of the scary parts. :) He said it was the best day of the summer, which proves that sometimes it’s worth it to do things that you really don’t like!

I’m a little sad that summer has already come and gone because there’s nothing I love more than warmth and sunshine, but it does feel good to get back into the school routine. Miles just started 4th grade.

2. Birthdays

Both Miles and I have summer birthdays. I turned 41 in June and he turned 10 in August. Double digits! Where does the time go? For his birthday, he asked for two things: a desk for his bedroom and Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cake from Nothing Bundt Cakes.

I found myself up late the night before, trying to decipher assembly instructions. This shirt from Amazon applies to the situation 😂. He was pretty excited that he got what he asked for!

3. Looking Forward to…

A few things I’m looking forward to:

1. The Iowa vs. Iowa State football game tomorrow (go Cyclones!) and football season in general. Who are you cheering for this season?
2. Dancing with the Stars – Pommel Horse guy (if you know, you know) AND Ilona Maher are both on this season and I’m pumped!
3. All things fall decor! Give me all of the pumpkins please.
4. Soup season!
5. Cozy fall clothes.

4. Fall Recipes…

Here are a few of my favorite fall recipes!

• Pumpkin Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips
• Pumpkin Roll
• Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
• Instant Pot Apple Crisp

What are you most excited to make this fall?

5. My Favorite Things…

Here are a few of my favorites lately:

• Valentino Born in Roma – this fragrance smells SO good!
• My guilty pleasure (sometimes 2x a day 😬)
• This color on my nails – it screams fall!
• These for my closet!
• A basic long sleeve tee – cozy, comfy.
• My eyelashes have never looked better!

That’s all for this week! Please feel free to leave a comment on Facebook or send me an email. I love to hear from you!

Have a great weekend.

❤️Ashley