Friday Favorites - September 26, 2025

 

A few favorites from my camera roll as I was out and about this week.

Hobby Lobby - now is the time to stock up on all things Christmas, and believe me, they've got it all!

Who doesn't love a great sale!

I love these little signs that you can tuck here and there.

Any Grinch fans?

I can see this on our Christmas tree - I think I might actually have a Hallmark Uno ornament.

These two, not so much, especially at $15.99 each.  Anyone else notice the price of ornaments has gone through the roof?

For the Peanuts fan in your life at Target.

World Market - I love Ritter SPORT chocolates.  Their Advent calendar section is getting larger.

This is something new - I've purchased the plain cases before, but these chocolate ones will be yummy served with a chocolate mousse filling.  I'm on the hunt for tiny desserts for my tea in November.

These would make a fun stocking stuffer, again World Market.

Does anyone buy food at Home Goods?  They have such a great gourmet section, perfect for international themed meals or parties.

It's called a Belly Mug but to me it's a Mason Mule Mug!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Around the 'Net

I love a seasonal this and that.

Wednesday Hodgepodge - Volume 621

 Welcome to the Wednesday Hodgepodge!  Here are this week's questions, which you should answer on your own blog and then pop over to Joyce's blog (click on the graphic for the link) Wednesday to add your link to the party.

1. Fall officially rolls into the Northern Hemisphere on Monday (9/22)...what's your favorite thing about fall? 

Anything to do with pumpkins.  Pumpkin patches, Pumpkin Spice Lattes, pumpkin bread, pumpkin decorations, pumpkin candles...all things pumpkin.

2. What's one thing on your real or proverbial autumn bucket list?

I want to go to a pumpkin patch.  I don't think I've been since Sophia was little. 

3. Apples, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, butternut squash and cranberries are some of the top fall foods. Which one is your favorite and how do you like it prepared? Any on the list you don't eat? Which one have you had most recently?

Apples or pumpkins in a pie.  I'm not really bothered about sweet potatoes or butternut squash and we still eat Ocean Spray Jellied Cranberry Sauce in this house.

4. 'Fall is proof that change is beautiful' is a popular sentiment. Would you agree or no? Elaborate.

Yes, I agree and you only have to look at the way the leaves on the trees change to see how beautiful fall really is.

5. Is there a spot near you where people go to see the leaves change color? Will you try to leaf peep somewhere this fall? Lonely Planet lists the following ten places as the best for leaf peeping...of those listed which would you most like to visit? 

Stowe, Vermont~Shenandoah National Park, Virginia~Columbia River Gorge, Oregon~Zion National Park, Utah~Tennessee/North Carolina border~West Virgina~Northwestern Wyoming~Wisconsin Northwoods~Northern Nevada~Ozark Highlands Scenic Byway, Arkansas

We live in the Evergreen State and so we have a lot of trees here that are green year-round.  I don't know if we'll be doing any leaf peeping this year or not.  I haven't visited any of the places on the list above; the closest to a leaf peeping spot was when we visited Maine, where I snapped this photo.  It was in October 2009, and we went to the University of Southern Maine in Gorham, ME for Sophia to participate in a 4-H contest.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I know many of us are reading food labels a lot more carefully these days and I found Whole Foods' current awareness campaign interesting.

If this is Tuesday, it must be England #191

 

Happy 79th Birthday on September 25 to one of my favorite British actresses, Felicity Kendal, CBE.  This is a repost of a blog post from 2023 because I have a couple of new readers who have expressed interest in some of the TV shows, especially British ones, that I've mentioned recently.

The 1975 television series, The Good Life, is one of her best-known works.  It's the hilarious tale of a suburban couple, Tom and Barbara Good, who give up the rat race in favor of self-sufficiency, much to the chagrin of their snooty but lovable next-door neighbors, Margo and Jerry Leadbetter.

Felicity Kendal, Richard Briers, Penelope Keith, and Paul Eddington as Barbara and Tom Good, and Margo and Jerry Leadbetter.

A more recent work, Rosemary and Thyme, is another favorite - Pam Ferris as Laura Thyme and Felicity Kendal as Rosemary Boxer are a sleuthing gardening team.

Rosemary and Thyme is available on DVD as is The Good Life although it is a little harder to find.   Rosemary and Thyme is also available on some streaming services.  I highly recommend both. 

Life Last Week (15-21 September 2025)

  

A relatively quiet week.

The weather for the week ahead:::

The temperatures in the morning are lovely, I wish they'd stay that way all day!

On my reading pile:::

 Sttill working on The Last Dress from Paris by Jade Beer from my bookshelves, finished The Resistance Daughter by Joanne Kormylo, and added The Venetian Daughter by Ella Carey onto my Kindle.  It's nice to have it on my phone to have a bit of a read while I'm waiting for an appointment or waiting for Vic to finish up at Lowe's or Home Depot!

On my TV:::

Loving The Hardacres on BritBox, the Great British Baking Show on Netflix, and the Great Canadian Baking Show on Roku.  I'm learning all sorts of things about Canada and Canadian dishes.

More Fall into Love offerings on Hallmark+ - each one we watch makes me long for New England.

And a Christmas one that's been in the DVR since Christmas in July.

We also watched Tower Heist on Netflix, great cast, funny.

We also watched Episode 8 of Blood of my Blood, the prequel to Outlander.  Only one more episode until the finale.

Checked off the list:::

• Video call with Jodie to chat about all things December Daily and the other scrapbook/memory keeping companies that are bringing out their holiday offerings.
• Hooked up my photo printer and got busy printing photos for the virtual crop coming up this weekend.
• Booked Buckingham Palace tickets for our London trip.  Most tours are offered July through September but we're taking a private, guided tour of the East Wing (that's the front façade and the iconic central balcony shown below.  The balcony is just behind the impressive central gates.

Crafts roundup:::

Keeping current on my memory planning.  December Daily 2021 layouts are complete, just need a few embellishments and it will be done!

 

And in other news:::

Week Four moves us into the master bedroom to deep-clean and cut clutter, creating a serene and peaceful refuge for the busy days ahead. Time for a closet clean-out to make ready for the cooler temperatures for many of us.

Our holiday prep tasks center on home-made gifts, and we’ll begin budgeting “to-buy” items week-by-week.

I'll leave the links up here if you're interested.

Holiday Grand Planners - Get Organized Community | Facebook 

Organized Christmas? Try a Holiday Plan | Organized Home

Friday Favorites - September 19, 2025

A little of this and a little of that, things that made me smile this week.

First, can we just say WOW!

And I loved this photo of Mrs. Trump on her joint engagement with the Princess of Wales - a visit to the Squirrels - a scouting group for four- to six-year-olds.

And from British TV's Facebook page, a write-up from one of my all-time favorite British TV shows.

Though it first aired more than 20 years ago, 'Monarch of the Glen' remains a delicious bit of escapism. Set in the Scottish Highlands, the series follows Archie MacDonald (Alastair Mackenzie) as he reluctantly returns to his family’s estate, Glenbogle, and is soon caught between tradition, responsibility, and the eccentric locals.

The ensemble includes Susan Hampshire ('The Forsyte Saga'), Richard Briers ('Ever Decreasing Circles'), and Dawn Steele ('River City'). Julian Fellowes—years before creating 'Downton Abbey'—also appears as the pompous Lord Kilwillie, adding another layer of fun for fans of British TV royalty.

With sweeping Highland scenery and gentle family drama, the series still charms audiences seeking a comforting escape. And an extra bit of trivia? The central home, Glenbogle, also doubled as Balmoral in 'The Crown'. In real life, it's called Adverikie House.

In the US, you can stream it on Amazon Prime and Pluto TV.

And Christmas is always a favorite, so I was doing a happy dance when the Countdown to Christmas line-up was announced.

Have a great weekend, everyone!