It's Officially Spooktember!

 It's Officially Spooktember... Here's How to Celebrate.

Labor Day has passed, and you can't wear white anymore. Y'alloween is just a month (and like 30 days) away. Which means.... It's Officially Spooktember! So how can you celebrate? Follow this guide to make sure you get the most out of the greatest season of the year*.

*I should say second-greatest season, as nothing can beat Jesus's birthday.

Image source: Homeyou

Stock up on the essentials, like hay bales, plastic gourds, and fake leaves to decorate your front porch to look more outdoorsy. Every time you step out your front door, it'll be like walking through a pumpkin patch.

Image source: me, photoshop.

Now that your front porch is all decked out, it's time to decorate the inside of your house. Spruce up your tables with cloths and runners in shades of orange and brown, and replace your old curtains with brown plaid ones for that farmhouse chic look. Remember those white rugs you bought at the beginning of summer? It's time to decorate those, too! Grab a big pot of gravy and dump it all over them to get that fab DIY tie-dye look. And of course, don't forget to fill up your couch with fun, fall-themed pillows!

Image source: Cider

With your house now in order, it's time to focus on yourself with a new fall wardrobe. This year, orange jumpsuits are all the rage. Head to your local TJ Maxx and fill up your closet with these fall essentials!

Image source: Oriental Trading Company

Remember what fall is all about, with fun seasonal toys and activities. Decorate pumpkins to shine with Jesus's light, adorn your door with fun homemade crafts celebrating the reason for the season, and play with toys reminding you that God loves you!

Now that you know how to have the best Spooktember ever, get out there and get started on making fall great again. 

Happy Spooktember!

-Adalynn

Dear Diary: December 2021

Dear Diary… 

December 1st, 2021

Dear Diary,

1:00pm: I saw a Buick Enclave!!!!!! I’ve never seen one before except in commercials, so this is a historic moment for me. I was on my way to class when I saw it, and I got so excited I nearly rear-ended it. I will forever remember this moment. 

December 3rd, 2021

Dear Disry,

11:00pm: I am never playing Minecraft again. After playing for 13 hours straight, I finally found diamonds!! And then I fell into lava while running away from a creeper. I am devistated and will never recover from this loss. This is worse than when my cat died.

December 11th, 2021

Dear Diary,

9:00am: Even though today is Saturday I decided to get up early. I regret it immediately. I’m going back to bed.

1:00pm: Now this is a good time to get up on a Saturday. For breakfast I made toaster waffles, but they got stuck in the toaster and burned. I’m having untoasted bread instead. 

December 12th, 2021

Dear Diary,

12:00pm: I accidentally slept through church, so I guess I have to do extra communion next week to make up for it. Grandma says I missed a great sermon on the dangers of not praying regularly or something. She recorded it for me, but her thumb was covering the camera on her iPad so I can’t see the priest’s PowerPoint. 

December 15th, 2021

Dear Diary,

1:00pm: I haven’t seen that Buick Enclave again since that awesome day. I’ve been taking the same route to class every day so I can see it again, but I don’t know if I ever will. I hope it wasn’t just a hallucination.

8:00pm: I spent 20 minutes pressing the volume button on the TV remote, but it wasn’t working. Then I realized I was holding the DVD player remote.

December 20th, 2021

Dear Diary,

10:00pm: Me and my Facebook group, New Age Witches of the Midwest, are getting ready to do a sacred ritual for the solstice. I finally got to meet Witch Susan! She and I have been trading essential oil mixes for the past few weeks, but we never met face to face before. She looks different than her profile picture though. In her picture she looks like Taylor Swift in a pointy hat, but irl she looks a lot like that guy who licks grapes at Kroger’s.

December 21st, 2021

Dear Diary,

12:00am: The ritual has started! First we take our shoes off, then we dance in a circle around the giant tree stump that used to be a real tree until it was struck by lightning. Witch Carrie Anne says that we use this tree stump because it was used as a hanging tree back in the day. She says all the souls trapped here give it its power.

1:00am: The ritual was a success! I don’t know what was supposed to happen, but after Grand Witch Alisha put the knife in the cow heart, we drank a gross type of wine. Everyone drank it, and is saying that the ritual worked, so I’ll take their word for it. My face feels funny.

December 23rd, 2021

Dear Diary,

1:00pm: I accidentally slept through the last two days. My head hurts a lot, but I’ve got finals today so I have to go to class. The only thing that could make today good is if I see that Buick Enclave again.

December 24th, 2021

Dear Diary,

11:00am: Today is Chriatms Eve!!!!!!!! I love Christmas so much! I asked Santa for a pony, but Dad says I’m not going to get one. 

December 31st, 2021

Dear Diary,

11:00am: I spent thirty minutes trying to jam my car key in the front door, wondering why it wasn’t working.

12:00pm: I put the dogs outside, but when I went to get them back inside, Lucille was next door trying to eat the neighbor’s recycling, and Sydney was across the street eating the snow in the neighbor’s yard. 

Dear Diary: November 2021

 

Dear Diary… 

November 1st, 2021

Dear Diary,

4:00pm: Today I saw a lobster!!!!! I had to go to the back of the store today to buy eggs (Mother said we needed some for Thanksgiving) and I saw the part of the store where they keep the fish!!!!! They're scary, and now I know why I don't look at them.

November 2nd, 2021

Daer Diary,

7:00am: Last night I had a nightmare about the lobster. I had to climb into Mother and Daddy's bed to recover. I am very shaken up still.

November 8th, 2021

Dear Diary,

12:00pm: I found a shiny rock in the road, and it made my hand feel funny. I think I'm going to throw it in the river with Bradford and Alleigh Anne after dinner.
6:00pm: We dropped the rock in the river and now all the fishies float. We saved them from drowning.

November 10th, 2021

Dear Diary,

9:00am: On my way to school today I saw one of my online friends irl (in real life). Her screen name is xX_pRiNcEsS_oF_dArKnEsS_Xx but her real name is Charles. We play minecraft together, and she always builds pink houses and fills them with cats. Her profile picture on Xbox Live is an anime girl, and she doesn't look like her profile picture or avatar at all. She looks very manly, but she is still very nice. She calls me Kitten.

November 15th, 2021

Dear Diiary,

12:00pm: I missed church yesterday, and Grandma said I need to call Father George to make up for it, or I'll go to h*ck. I think yesterday's sermon was about the dangers of owning a cat, but I only have dogs so I don't think I'm missing out on too much. I'll call Father Mark after lunch anyways.

November 18th, 2021

Dear Diary,

2:00pm: I thought today was Thanksgiving, so I went over to Nana's house for lunch. She made her famous boiled ham, and it was delicious. I only realized it wasn't Thanksgiving when I asked about the pumpkin pie and she said pumpkin pie was for Thanksgiving only. Oops.

November 21st, 2021

Dear Diary, 

10:00am: I went to church today, and Grandma introduced me to Kevin, a nice young man from her Bible study class on Tuesdays. He's looking for a wife, and I hope he finds her soon because he seems rather lonely without her. Grandma says I should marry him, but I think I'd only do that if his wife were dead, not just missing. I'd make a good second wife.

November 25th, 2021

Dear Diary,

3:00pm: Today was the real Thanksgiving, and I went over to Nana's house. Mother and Daddy made squashed tots, and Nana made her famous steamed turkey and pumpkin pie. Uncle Henry Thomas made green bean surprise (the surprise is that he's drunk and ate half the dish on the way over), and Aunt Mary Anne (Mother's sister, not Uncle Isaac Abraham's wife) brought her kids Avereigh May, Loueighsa Ray, Jeighcob Bray, and Teighlor Kay. Keightlynn Fay and Meighson Jay were sick with the chicken pox, who gave it to half of their class. Papa told us stories about the war, and Uncle Henry Jacob yelled at the football men. What a wonderful Thanksgiving!!!

November 26th, 2021

Dear Diary,

6:00am: My stomach hurts. I think it was the sweet potato casserole Aunt Mary Anne (Uncle Henry Joseph's wife, not Mother's sister) brought. She said the marhsmallows were past date, but they were only 7 years past date so they should've been fine. I don't think they were fine.

It's almost May... you know what that means!

 

Corn planting season is here!

It's almost May, and like many of y'all, I'm looking forward to October and Y'alloween season. Fall is the most wonderful time of the year (after Christmas of course). And what better way to celebrate fall than a corn maze? Now, if driving all the way out to a farm isn't your thing, that's okay! You can plant your own corn maze right at home. Here's how:

1. Mark the ground where you want your maze to be. Use chalk spray paint to make your design in your backyard, front yard, balcony, or wherever you want your corn maze to be. If you're not a fan of the outdoors, you can also put it in a place with lots of natural light, like a greenhouse or your garage if you leave the door open.

2. Plant your corn seeds. Farmer's Almanac suggests planting your corn 2 weeks after the last frost. That's a good tip to follow. However, they also say to leave 5-6" in between each seed, and that doesn't sound like it would make a good maze. Instead, plant about 1" apart to make sure you have a good solid wall of corn. 

3. Wait, and enjoy. Once it's planted, all you've got to do is wait! Water it well, and once Spooktember rolls around you'll have a cool corn maze, all for yourself and your friends!

Well, what are you waiting for? Head to your local seed store and get planting!

-Adalynn

Dying of boredom? Try these fun tips!

Dying of boredom at home? Try these fun tips!

Many people are stuck at home due to Covid-19, aka the novel coronavirus. I don’t care what y’all call it. I call it boring. It’s not fun to be stuck at home, but since the alternative is possibly dying a painful death, I’ll stay in. But quarantine isn’t all that fun when you don't live in a mega-mansion. So here’s some fun things to try while stuck at home in these trying times. 

• Redecorate your room/house. Spruce up that old place with some fresh decor. If you don’t have any decorations, make some! Check out my page on fun DIYs to try!
• Learn to cook/bake. There's thousands of recipes on the internet. Maybe even millions. And some of them are even tasty! Try some! Check out my page, Toast on Bread for inspiration.
• Try a new hobby. Always wanted to joust, but never had the time? Now's the time to try it! Rent a horse from your local farmer, grab a big stick from your backyard, and hone your skills.
• Have a baby. Children are "vending machines of joy" or so I've been told. Plus, it's hard to be bored when you're just so exhausted. Visit your local fertility clinic, or your state government's site to find resources for adoption. Or get a dog. Your choice.
• Eat a bag of chips while watching Netflix and crying. If none of these tips sound like your cup of tea, you can always fall back on the classics. Grab that party-size bag of chips, scroll through the seemingly endless list of rom-coms, and cry at what your life has become. An added bonus is that you might fall asleep halfway through that yawn-inducing movie which probably has Ryan Gosling.

For the Love of Broccolo

For the love of Broccolo

This post is all about showing love for my favorite Animal Crossing character, Broccolo. That lil dude is SICK and I love him so much <3

Broccolo and I dance to some sick tunes

Ft. Broccolo from Animal Crossing

Of Mice and Men: The Memoirs of Broccolo trailer

A trailer for the movie about Broccolo’s life.

DIYs to try

These DIYs are wacky! Try them yourself!

I am a huge fan of DIY videos. The wilder the better. So I decided to make a list of my favorites. Here you go! And if you're dying of boredom during this pandemic, you now have some fun ideas to try at home.

• Sock vase. I don’t know about you guys, but I think having a cement covered sock as a vase is a surefire way to become the coolest person in your area*! Watch this video to learn how to make one for your home

*no I don’t. Sorry.

• Milkshake candle. I’m 90% sure it’s supposed to be a milkshake. Or maybe a radioactive pint? Whatever it is, it’s actually kind of cute. 

• Clock frame. Once again, I can only guess what this actually is. But it looks neat (maybe?). I had to speed up the video because it was wayyy too long and kinda boring honestly.

• Glitter candle holder. This one is fun and something I might actually make myself, so I hope y’all like it too. 

• Fake flowers. These are so fun and cute. Definitely going to make these (someday). Also might be fun to do with kids?

Here’s my top five DIY videos right now. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Disclaimer: I didn’t make these videos, just edited some of them to make them shorter.