This weekend we had an impromptu family get together and much to my delight it turnout out to be very fallish. Chris had won a pumpkin spice bundt cake at a silent auction the night before (oh my it was good!), I had some pumpkin caramel kringle in the freezer (from Trader Joe's), and we sliced honeycrisp apples and sprinkled them with cinnamon. We made French press coffee and had cascara vanilla syrup to go with it. I do love a seasonally themed spread.

The house is looking festive too. On Saturday night Chris was at an event and so after the boys went to sleep I brought our box of fall decorations inside. A few touches like a leaf garland, a homemade felt wreath, and a few fall candles make the house feel cozier and ready to welcome a new season. On Sunday the boys helped me distribute a bag of little pumpkins they brought home from the store. I found three in their closet, sitting together on a shelf, when all the decorating was done.

We're just about to get into a long stretch of mild weather and lots of outside time. We are so ready!

Here's what else is happening currently in September...

Thinking about: time-restricted eating, the practice of eating all your meals and food for the day in an 8- to 10-hour window, which apparently can be very beneficial to your health. This isn't a terrible stretch from what I already do naturally so I'm thinking of trying it.

Inspired by: We Are Not the Resistance (love this)

Loving: the shorter days and glowing late afternoon light

Reading: Catastrophic Happiness, a sweet and uplifting read after Fates and Furies, which I really didn't like

Listening: to the third season of Serial and the second Maisie Dobbs mystery, Birds of a Feather

Making: melted crayon fall leaves – the only reliable fall leaf color we'll get in our neighborhood

Eating: slices of honeycrisp apple sprinkled with cinnamon, daily

What's working: planning more involved recipes for Sunday night dinner; I love having the time during the day to prep and the chance to try a new recipe or make something with more involved than I would on a weeknight

What's not working: I've found myself missing carpool time with Chris! We used to have 30 plus minute chunks of time for conversation a few times each week. I don't miss going to work but do miss that time with him. It's harder to catch up about our days now over the interruptions of little ones and the hubbub of dinner. I've been thinking that a solution might be more frequent but shorter date nights, like 5 - 8 p.m. every other Thursday as a way to upgrade our cookie date nights. It would be enough time to get dinner, a drink, or dessert or even just go for a long walk and talk without interruption but wouldn't be terribly expensive to hire a babysitter.

Habits reflection: I'm in a really good groove with exercising three times per week now that I've added Monday night High Fitness classes. I've been thinking I might even up my Orange Theory membership so that I can do Orange Theory three times per week (I currently do two) and exercise in total four times per week.

Recently completed: organizing photos of the boys' art in Google Photo albums. (Here's how I manage all the artwork they create.) Now I need to make a Blurb book for Dash of his preschool art.

On my wish list: botanical green racerback workout tank (it's hard to find workout wear in rich colors and I'm in love with this one), mustard cardigan, and leopard flats.

On the horizon: my parents visiting to watch the boys while Chris and I travel to New York City and New Haven for my grad school reunion – our first time back in over ten years, I can't believe it! I'm so excited to see friends I haven't seen in years, be back on that gorgeous campus, and to get a taste of New England fall.

Happy first week of fall!