This week, by golly, I'm posting my Theme Thursday pictures on Thursday!

Peter LOVES standing by the screen door and watching everything - it's actually pretty interesting, there are cows across the road in front of the house, and the darned cat is usually around in back, plus there are all those fascinating siblings to watch, too!

However, it's not a great place to get a picture - too much sunlight gives that awkward halo effect ...

A different angle works a little better, although it really just captures the hair I'm in denial is in serious need of a cut... Sadly, it hasn't gotten long gracefully, and is really just scraggly. But I'm afraid that if I cut it it won't be quite so red!

And I was going to try one more angle, but... Well, he was trying to eat the camera. You know how it is.

Linking up with Micaela at California to Korea for Theme Thursday!

Mountain Picnic

Fun fact: Skyline Drive in Virginia gets CRAZY crowded with tourists every autumn as they all decide they want to drive through simultaneously and veeeeery slowly while admiring the views and fall colors.

I figured a Wednesday would be better than the weekend, right?

And it was, but I still got stuck behind very slow cars going there and back...

We met up with some moms from church for a picnic at the rest area - Andrew joked about us really getting our money's worth for the park pass we bought, given the fact that mostly we just go to the visitor center four miles up...

John Paul ran off with the camera and this picture just makes me laugh every time I see it, so I couldn't delete it!

6 moms, 20 kids, and apparently not enough babies for Cecilia (there were 6, plus one in-utero)...

Is it just me, or does it feel like the colors should be more brilliant at this point? There just seems to be a disappointing amount of brown this year, which is sad.

Of course, John Paul's favorite part was the telephone he found by the restrooms... "For Local Calls Only" so of course he called the City of Winchester. Apparently the first two times he left messages asking for bubble gum. But he managed to get through the third time...

John Paul: I just finished making my phone call to the City of Winchester! And this time they actually picked up!

Me: WHAT.

John Paul: I asked them for 10 gum balls and 2 butterscotch candies. I told them to charge it to my account. They asked me for your phone number, Mom!

Me: Did you give it to them???

John Paul: Yup! Then I hung up.

Shockingly they didn't call me to scold me for my son prank calling them... Other than that, though, it was a good time and a beautiful day!

Golden Tote - What's the Scoop?

Have you heard of Golden Tote? It's kind of like all those subscription clothing services you've heard of before, but with a twist - you keep everything in your box (or bag, in this case)!

They've got three options - for $49 you can pick one item from their monthly line (new items come out on the first Monday of every month), and they'll surprise you with another item once you've filled out a style profile. For $99 you can be TOTALLY surprised with 4 items. Or for $149 you can choose two items and you'll get 3-4 others as well. No styling fee, no shipping if you purchase the largest size tote, and no anguish over what to pick - either you keep it all or you send it all back! You can even shop their boutique if you like the look of their styles but don't like the idea of being surprised.

I was pretty excited to get to try the large tote - I love the idea of being surprised, but I really want to be able to control things at least a little! I chose the Fab Flannel Top (above) and loved the fit and the fabric! Do I feel a little bit country? Yes, yes I do. But really, we moved to a farm, so I've only got myself to blame. I know I'll be wearing this top a million different ways this fall and winter!

I also picked the Fall for Florals Dress - I like it better paired with leggings, but I really appreciate the detail in the dress. The skirt portion was lined, buttonholes were finished nicely (nursing-friendly!), and I love the print!

Next came the surprise portion of the box, which I was nervous about... But my stylist (KB) did an AMAZING job, and completely understood my style. The survey was comprehensive and it was really easy to check off what items of clothing I did and did NOT want included. 

The Lani Mineral Washed Maxi Dress and Newbury Kustom Striped Printed Cardigan looked so complementary I had to pair them with each other... Although the dress was long enough that I needed to knot it to keep it from dragging!

I definitely wouldn't have chosen the cardigan myself, but I think the colors actually work really well!

And I'm saving the best for last. I love love loved these two pieces my stylist chose - the Roly Poly Gingko Print Blouse and the Le Lis Textured Skirt. Both right up my alley when it comes to style, super-comfortable, and incredibly flattering! I would wear this outfit every day if I could... I've already worn the skirt twice!

$149 for 6 articles of clothing comes out to about $25 per piece, which is a steal considering retail prices would be much higher. And if you don't like everything in your tote, you can always sell or trade through their facebook group or just share with friends!

What do you think? Would you try Golden Tote? I can't recommend it highly enough, and I'll definitely be trying it again! If you sign up for their newsletter, you'll be notified when the new month's styles are added but you won't be committing to anything - I love the styling ideas they send out! And if you'd like to try it yourself, I'd love it if you signed up through my referral link - I get $10 of credit to try another box for myself if you do :)

I received a complimentary large tote in order to write this post, but all opinions are my own - I wouldn't recommend a service I didn't truly love!

What Would You Do? Housewarming Crowd-Sourcing

I'm gonna sneak in today's post real quick while Peter's napping (!!! Still!!! No way is he sleeping tonight but clearly he needs the rest since he didn't budge when I went in to wake up...) and John Paul's reading to the girls.

We're having our housewarming party this weekend (want to come? The more, the merrier!) and since it's October and kind of chilly, it seems to me that our usual burgers-brats-hot dogs fare isn't seasonally appropriate, right? Andrew still wants to go with that, but I really want to do a soup party, Theresa-style.

The problem?

Well, Andrew doesn't really like soup...

So what's a man-pleasing, meat-heavy soup that doesn't seem like soup? He dislikes most vegetables, and I think his dream soup would probably just taste like a cheeseburger... Pasta e fagioli? Cheeseburger soup? Send me all your links & recipes!

I'm thinking I'll make a big old batch of mac 'n cheese, a ton of crusty bread, chili & corn bread, maybe minestrone, and then whatever meat soup YOU help me find!

So... Help? Please and thank you!

Easy Apple Crumble Recipe

If there's one fruit we can't live without in our house, it's apples. Which is why fall is by favorite - no pumpkin spice for me, I'm baking as many apple desserts as possible!

We've been apple picking three times so far this season, and have probably picked close to 200 pounds of apples at this point. You'd think that'd mean we've made tons of sauce and apple butter but... Not so much. See, my apple storage system leaves something to be desired.

This means I keep ending up with a pile of apples with one tiny bite taken out of each one that I have to do something with immediately! And while I *could* sauce them, an apple crumble is a little more fun, plus I don't have to roll out any dough!

The topping is my absolute favorite part - buttery, crumbly, and sweet but not too sweet. 

But I won't bore you with the details - you've gotta make one yourself!

Affiliate links included below:

Ingredients:

Filling:

6-8 apples, peeled & sliced (this tool will make quick work of them!)

1/4 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 tbsp cinnamon

Crumble:

3/4 cups flour

1/3 cup sugar

6 tbsp butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In large bowl, toss apple slices with 1/4 cup flour, 1/2 cup sugar, and 1 tbsp cinnamon. Spread in pie pan or baking dish.

Cut butter into small pieces and pulse with flour and sugar in food processor until crumbly. Spread over top of apples.

Bake on center oven rack for 40 minutes. Allow to cool at least 10 minutes, and serve.

I love this recipe because you can make it into a pie just by adding your favorite crust to the bottom, or you can make it in a deep pan and double the filling easily. It's even delicious for breakfast!