Friday Five {September 2026}

Happy September, Friends!

It’s September 24th as I’ve started to write this post, and it FINALLY feels like fall! We have had some record-breaking HOT and humid temps ALL month, and it has not been fun training for a fall half marathon in this heat. I took this photo recently and thought, WOW… it is starting to LOOK like fall, but it sure doesn’t feel that way! But now I can gladly say… for the last 2 days, it has actually FELT like fall! How has the weather been where you live? Has it started to feel like fall yet?

One – 30 Year High School Reunion

I went to my 30 year high school reunion. Dang, I’m getting old! I went to my 10 year reunion, missed my 20 year (Brian was out of town, so it gave me a good reason to skip it!), and then finally made it back for my 30 year reunion.

We got a tour of the school, which was really neat because they’ve been working on a HUGE renovation project. I’ve been inside the school quite a bit since my daughter is a senior there, but I got to see some areas I hadn’t seen yet… and WOW, it was impressive! The school looks nothing like it did when I went there.

Of course, Brian and I had to get a little selfie outside the school before we went in. 🙂

We also got to take home a glass with our school decals on it as a little keepsake from the night. The food was catered by The Fountain, which is actually owned by one of our classmates! It was also BYOB, and I have to admit, it was pretty fun (and a little strange!) bringing a bottle of wine into my old high school to drink.

Here is our class photo! I’m right in the center of the front row. 🙂

Two – Autumn Senior Year Stuff

OK, there may be A LOT of Autumn senior stuff on my Friday Five’s this year, but being a senior is a pretty big deal! 🙂 They have their “regular” senior photos, but they also have “dressier” senior photos. I think it’s just another way to empty the senior parents’ pockets, ha ha!

Anyway, this is one of the photos from her dressier senior photo session. She wore a pink dress, and I just love how they turned out! We also have her professional senior photos scheduled for an upcoming weekend, and I can’t wait to share those once we get them back!

Here is her field hockey senior photo! She’ll also get a big senior banner from the school with this photo on it. I can’t wait to see it! 🙂

They had a fundraiser at one of their home games to raise money for cancer with a “Chuck a Duck” theme. Sadly, the night didn’t end quite how we had hoped. Autumn got hit in the hand with a ball during the game, and it completely broke her middle finger! Definitely NOT how we wanted her senior field hockey season to end. With only about 3 weeks left in the season, she won’t be able to play in any more games, which is such a bummer. I’m just hoping it heals quickly!

Three – Latest Happenings

Shop These Looks:

I decided to add a few new pieces to my fall wardrobe! The outfit on the left is all from Walmart. I love the longer cropped fit of the denim top, and the pattern on the skirt is so perfect for fall. I can’t wait to add black tights and boots once the weather cools down! The long brown dress is another new find, and I’m planning to wear it for our upcoming wedding anniversary dinner.

I tried a couple more sourdough recipes, including this apple cinnamon loaf. It was SO delicious and the perfect fall bake… even though it was 90 degrees outside that day! Ha!

I tried another sourdough discard recipe, pumpkin chocolate chip muffins, and they were SO, so good! They were perfectly moist and full of fall flavor. One of the ingredients was Greek yogurt, which I think helped make them extra soft and delicious. These will definitely be a repeat! You can find the recipe HERE.

This is my third year (although not in a row!) of doing Community Bible Study. This year we’re studying Genesis, and later we’ll move into Colossians. I’ve met with my core group twice now, and I’m excited to get to know these ladies better as we go through the year together!

I’m also sharing my outfit from our first day. I shared it on IG Stories and mentioned that I can’t believe I don’t own a belt! How is that even possible?! Ha! I definitely need to get one.

Shop Cat Birthday Gifts:

Aurora turned 3 in September on Labor Day! She got a cardboard box house and some new toys. She was WILD for these photos!!

Four – Latest Books
Shop This Book:

The Comfort Crisis by Michael Easter

I had such high hopes for this book, but I struggled through the entire thing. It just wasn’t what I was expecting. Much of the book is built around a 33-day remote hunting trip Easter takes in Alaska and the lessons he takes away from pushing himself so far outside his comfort zone. He does weave in research and other examples along the way, but I was hoping for a lot more practical, everyday tips that I could realistically apply to my own life. I don’t have the time or money to take an expensive, remote, once-in-a-lifetime trip like this, so a lot of the book just wasn’t relatable to me.

Overall, I really wanted to like this book and hoped to come away with practical ideas I could incorporate into my everyday life. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t for me.

 

Five – Latest Finds

I saw these Dot Cakes at the cafe we go to after our Saturday group runs and thought they were SO cute! I’ve never tried one before, but now I’m curious. Have you ever tried a Dot Cake? What did you think?

 

I’m definitely more of a wine drinker, but I saw this Shock Top Twisted Pretzel Wheat beer (Auntie Anne’s Beer Kneads Pretzels) and thought, WOW… I bet this is good! It sounds like such a fun fall beer. Has anyone tried it? What did you think?

Shop These Products:

I always go into Ulta one time a year and get my birthday gift. Unfortunately I was 2 days too late for it this year. Boo! But, I had a gift card and decided to use it. Has anyone tried any of this stuff? I’m curious about the CeraVe Retinal Serum!

I was recently sent this Bella Yard “A Mother’s Journey Bracelet,” and it has been such a pretty addition to my bracelet stack! Each charm represents something different, and it comes with a card that explains the special meaning behind each one. Bella Yard has lots of other jewelry options too, so it’s a great site to check out if you’re looking for a meaningful gift for someone special. 💕

I wanted to share some of my recent Pixi Mail! I already shared these on my IG Stories in more detail, but if you want to check out any of the products, you can find my LTK posts here:
Left: My New Antioxidant Routine!
Center: On-The-Blush NEW Colors
Right: Pixi’s Full Makeup Brush Collection

 

Hope you all have a great weekend!