Needles, Thread, and Halloween Dread (Just a Little!)

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Another week in October is DONE and it was another busy one: Donation pick-ups for the band fundraiser, setting up volunteers to sew/reinforce buttons on band uniforms, various doctor appointments for the kids, the Cross Country Leagues race, dinner with my granny and aunt…all good things.

Freshly-Quilted Quilts!

I picked up the freshly-quilted Penguin Party and Layer Cake Crepe quilts from the quilter and they look FABULOUS. I was pleasantly surprised, as was the quilter, that the Layer Cake Crepe quilt turned out so well…it’s kind of a boring pattern, but when you get the quilting done on it, it really starts to sing! I’m looking forward to binding those soon!

Rachel’s Graduation Quilt

I even managed to sneak in some sewing and I am ecstatic to report that the top and backing of Rachel’s Graduation Signature Quilt are pretty much DONE! I thought they were done-done, but then remembered I still have to appliqué a couple of late signature blocks to the quilt.

ASAP Projects

But I can’t get to any of those quilts until I finish up two projects: The Ward Harvest Party Chili Cook-Off Champion apron and the Band vests’ buttons.

Chili Cook-Off Champion Apron

The Ward Harvest (really: Halloween) Party is this week, and we always have a chili cook-off competition at the same time. I’m a huge fan of friendly competition, so I suggested we award some sort of prize with low-key bragging rights and volunteered to make Champion aprons for our various cooking competitions throughout the year. I made one for the cobbler contest we had at our Pioneer Day BBQ and it turned out super cute! I decided to go more gender-neutral on the chili apron because I think we’ll get a lot of guys participating and rick-rak isn’t a favored look by that demographic.

I was having a hard time motivating myself to work on the apron last week because I want to finish Rachel’s graduation quilt, and eventually I had to crowdsource some motivation from my family: Renaissance offered to “bully” me by refusing to watch the series we’re working through together UNLESS I was working on the chili apron. Worked wonders. Something went a little wonky with vinyl placement–shocker (vinyl is not my preferred creative medium!)–so I need to create and cut another little bit of the illustration to fill in an empty spot, but then it’ll be done.

Band Vest Button Reinforcements

The band vests aren’t that big of a deal, but they popped up out of nowhere and it’s just another thing I’m keeping tabs on until they’re done. Our director noticed that the buttons were wearing through their attaching stitches and asked if it was something we could fix before it became a bigger problem. I threw together a Facebook post asking for sewing volunteers. Some people offered to help, I told Nathaniel to bring the vests home from school, and the volunteers came to my house to pick up their assigned vests. No biggie. Love being part of a community that helps!

I did notice some vests were missing buttons, so I’ve taken over those particular ones. Of course, they’re satin-covered buttons that match the vests’ golden-butterscotch color, but I just got off the phone with the company that made the vests and it turns out you can just order the buttons from them. They will be here sometime next week and I’ll reattach them then.

Another Christmas Knitting Project

I also decided to throw prudence to the wind and commit to another Christmas gift project, but discovered that I didn’t own the correctly-sized knitting needles for it. So I ordered those, and they’re set to arrive sometime this week.

Last-Minute Halloween Preparations

Oh, and it’s Halloween Week, duh. So I need to be working on Michael’s and my costumes for the Halloween party, and our trunk-or-treat setup. Might go super simple, might go super creative and awesome. It will really depend on how this week goes.

Last Week’s Progress:

  • Picked up Penguin Party and Layer Cake Crepe quilts.
  • Finished piecing the top of Rachel’s Graduation Quilt.
  • Almost finished the Chili Cook-off Champion apron.
  • Distributed Band vests to sewing volunteers, ordered replacement buttons.

This Week’s Goals:

  • Finish Chili Cook-off Champion apron.
  • Halloween costume creation.
  • Create Trunk-or-Treat decorations.
  • Ward Harvest Party miscellaneous creations.
  • Reinforce Band vest buttons while waiting for replacement buttons.
  • Maybe start working on the new Secret Christmas Knitting Project. I need a good codename for this one…I think I’ll call it “Project Snickerdoodle.” I don’t know if I can pull this off in the time left before Christmas, but the beauty of knitting is that it doesn’t go bad. If I completely miss this year’s deadline, it can always be a gift next year.
    • Milestones I’ll need to hit if I want to finish this in time for Christmas:
      • Oct 26-Nov 1: 13% done
      • Nov 2-8: 25% done
      • Nov 9-15: 38% done
      • Nov 16-22: 50% done
      • Nov 23-29: 63% done
      • Nov 30-Dec 6: 75% done
      • Dec 7-13: 88% done
      • Dec 14-20: 100% done
      • Dec 21-24: Blocking & wrapping

House & Holiday Plan 2026: Week #9: Living Space or Public Space

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This Week’s Focus: Living Room or Public Space

The pace of the season is picking up, with Halloween’s trick-or-treaters at the door. Are you ready to welcome drop-in visitors?

This week, we’re moving to the living room to declutter, deep-clean and organize the place where we entertain guests. Having this area clean and ready means your focus will be on your friends, not on your furniture.

In holiday prep, we’ll prepare for Halloween and make more progress on holiday gifts. Completing our Christmas cards or letters gives a great feeling of readiness as the holiday approaches.

This Week’s Household Checklist

  • Declutter, clean and organize the living room or public space. With the holidays hard upon us, your household’s living room or public space will be on display. Prepare for family events and drop-in visitors! Remove all clutter from the living room using the STOP clutter method, then deep-clean the room. Move furniture pieces and vacuum beneath them, polish fine woods, and clean or vacuum draperies, window coverings or blinds.
  • Pare down living room decor. Once the living room is clean and free from clutter, take a minimalist’s eye to the room ‘s decorations. Will your holiday decor shine, or will it compete with current decor items? Clear tabletops, shelves and corners for the holiday decorations to come.

This Week’s Holiday Prep Checklist

  • Buy holiday stamps. Seasonal stamp designs will be available soon, so buy holiday stamps early for best selection. Ordering online from USPS.Com is easy and convenient, with delivery right to your mailbox!
  • Begin saving packaging materials. Recycling makes sense … and cents. As online orders arrive, begin to stockpile mailing boxes and packaging material for re-use in December. Store them close to your wrap and mail center to speed holiday mailing chores.
  • Prepare to mail Christmas cards or letters. Christmas cards should be nearly finished and ready for mailing. Stamp envelopes and set them aside until it’s time to mail them next month. Tip: leaving envelopes unsealed makes it easy to add a newsy post-script if the spirit moves.

House & Holiday Plan 2026: Week #8: Family Space

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This Week’s Focus: Family Space

Find where the family gathers, and you’ve reached the center of any home. Where does your household come together to enjoy each day?

Whether it’s a great room, a living room, family room or den, this week we’ll tackle this central family space. We’ll toss the clutter, deep-clean the room, and organize media, books and music to prepare for the holiday events ahead.

Holiday prep this week revolves around Halloween, which will arrive soon. The season is coming … so try these ideas to move toward an organized Christmas this week:

This Week’s Household Checklist

  • Declutter, clean and organize the family room or family area. Family room, playroom, living room or den, this week’s assignment is to dig in and declutter, deep-clean and organize the space where your family gathers on a daily basis.
  • Organize media and entertainment. While you’re there, take aim on media and entertainment areas. Reunite video games and DVDs with their missing cases, and create an organized space for them to live when not in use. You’ll make it easier to find holiday music, books and movies as the season progresses

This Week’s Holiday Prep Checklist

  • Decorate for Halloween. Add a few Halloween-specific items to your autumn decorating to bring a spooky shiver to life. After the 31st, they’re easy to remove and replace with a Thanksgiving theme.
  • Costume check! Will the household’s trick-or-treaters be ready? Complete Halloween costumes in time for the week’s parties and events.
  • Start a new Halloween tradition. Ready to join the neighborhood fun? Use our free printables to start a Halloween BOO tradition in your neighborhood. Spread the BOO joy!
  • Will you greet Trick-or-Treaters at the door next week? Stock up on Halloween candy now, before it’s sold out. (Note: if you’re planning to make Thanksgiving Blessings Mix next month, add a bag of chocolate kisses in seasonal colors, and some candy corn to your list. In recent years, many stores have removed these treats after Halloween due to Christmas creep, so stock up now!)
  • Tune time: make a music check. How’s your stash of holiday music? If the sounds of the season move you, review the family’s collection of Christmas music. Note favorites on a holiday favorites planner page.
  • Movie review: check the family’s holiday movie library. Whether it’s A Christmas Storyor It’s a Wonderful Life, review the family’s holiday movies. Is it the year to add new titles to the gift list? Get ready for December popcorn nights!
  • Start amaryllis bulbs. Fresh flowers at the holidays are a fragrant–and frugal–gift. If you’ll be giving holiday plants, start amaryllis bulbs now; they’ll need eight weeks to be ready.
  • Mail overseas gift packages. International mailing can take weeks … or more. If your gift list includes packages to be sent overseas, mailing deadlines loom. Be sure to mail all overseas parcels early, so they’ll arrive by the holiday.
  • Create a holiday housework plan. Many hands make light work and never more than at the holidays. Negotiate a holiday housework plan, assign jobs and work together to keep family spaces clean. Print a chore checklist to remind family members of assigned jobs. Post it publicly to encourage accountability for designated chores.
  • Finish working on Christmas cards. How are Christmas cards and letters coming along? Finish addressing, signing and assembling Christmas cards in the next two weeks.

Forty Pounds of Ground Beef, Amongst Other Things

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Monday

Nothing much to report. Regular stuff.

Tuesday

I dropped off both the Penguin Party Quilt and the Layer Cake Crepe Quilt at the quilter’s house! She’s already begun quilting the Penguin Party Quilt.

I went out donation-hunting with one of the Current Band Moms for an entire afternoon.

Michael, after years of listening to me complain that we need more Halloween decorations in our front yard so that the children will know to come to our house, surprised me and put up a bunch of Halloween decorations while I was at the church running a rehearsal that evening.

Wednesday

Nathaniel had his yearly check-up. While getting into the car to drive to the doctor’s office I received a text from the school informing me that they were in lockdown for a safety issue. “No biggie,” I thought, “my kid’s not even there.”

While sitting in the waiting room, walking Nathaniel through how to fill out his own family medical history form, I got a phone call from Renaissance, who had almost passed out at school and needed me to come pick her up because she didn’t feel well enough to drive. “I can’t do that right now because I’m at the doctor with your brother,” I explained, “but I can come get you when I’m done here.” I phoned Michael, who couldn’t help me, and then I turned to Ren’s friend’s mothers, aka the “OG Band Moms.” I had help lined up in five seconds.

The “Current Band Moms” group text started getting active. The “safety issue” at the high school was a student with a gun on a bus, threatening to shoot up the school with his buddy. Police were swarming the place. The nurse called us back for Nathaniel’s appointment. I tried to be a good mom and not be on the phone during my child’s appointment, but c’mon! Ailing adult child in one direction and potential school shooting in the other. Longest well-child appointment of my life.

Got a new text from the school as I was pulling into my driveway, saying that the threat had ended and that school would return to normal soon. I told Nathaniel to stay home until one of his friends at school called him and said things were definitely back to normal. Then I left with Ren’s buddy, Riley (son of an OG Band Mom), to drive to her school so we could pick her up and Riley could drive her car back home.

Ren’s instructor wouldn’t let her leave until she got to speak to me, so I had to go inside for a chat that made me decide to take Ren to the Emergency Room. Riley drove her car home while I drove Ren home, and then I took Ren into the Emergency Room, where we spent the rest of the day. Seriously. 11:00am-7:25pm.

Silver lining: I finished the Husband Christmas Socks.

Other good news: Kid with the gun on the bus didn’t actually have a gun. But he did make threats and was sent away for that.

Thursday

Football Game! Which meant Pep Band/Band Mom duties! Due to the homecoming game being canceled, this was now our big halftime show, PLUS the regularly-scheduled Senior Night AND Eighth Grade Night, where we invite the eighth grade band students to come play with the pep band so they can get a feel for what it will be like if they choose to continue with band in high school.

As part of this event, we host a Taco Potluck, with food assignments given out by grade level. I started up some taco meat in the crockpot, made two other crockpots of beans, and also posted a reminder on Facebook that we really needed people to send food to the potluck because we were expecting 170-190 kids at the dinner that night. (120 high school kids + up to 70 middle school kids.)

The Cross Country team had a restaurant fundraiser that day as well, so I had scheduled to have lunch with the OG Band Moms and one of their sons (not Riley). As I pulled into the parking lot I got a Facebook Messenger notification:

Hi Cara, I saw your post about needing meat for Tacos tonight. I went to our local butcher and they donated 40lbs of ground beef. I can’t cook all of this myself and I only have one crockpot. HELP!

Wait…WHAT?!

I then spent many minutes phoning the person who sent the message and getting the lay of the land, and then I went into Mission Mode to find people to get the meat, disperse it, and get it cooked. I wasn’t the best lunch attendee for the first part of the lunch, but darn it, that ground beef found places to go. (Credit is really due to one of the Current Band Moms who basically took the project over.)

So that was awesome! We ended up having ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY-TWO band students at the potluck. It was so much fun! They took up twice the amount of bleachers in the stadium and it was such a great sight!

Friday

NO. SCHOOL. (Thank you!!)

I went to the gym for the first time in WEEKS, and then I watched movies with Renaissance, who still didn’t feel well, for the rest of the day. I drifted in and out of consciousness.

Saturday

Woke up at 3:00am. Sigh. Decided to use my early start to get caught up on my Ward Activities Committee and Social Media Director callings. That kept me busy until 6:00am. I then spent the rest of the day getting stuff done around the house while Michael worked on grinding all the stumps down in the front yard. It was A LOT of work!

Sunday

8:30am warm-up call for a small women’s choir I was conducting in two sacrament meetings that day. A year ago, before all the ward boundary changes, I was choir director and we were preparing a beautiful SSA arrangement of “The Old Churchyard,” but it didn’t come to fruition. My friend remembered it a couple months ago and asked if I’d consider resurrecting it. So we got the old gang back together, and since the original singers of the song are split between two different wards now, we decided to just go ahead and perform in both of those wards. I DID try to get singers from the other ward as well, but only one panned out. It wasn’t an exclusionary decision.

But yeah, we performed in the 9:00am sacrament meeting and the 11:00am sacrament meeting.

And there was a Linger Longer after church ended, so I helped with setting that up and making sure it went smoothly.

And then there was ward choir after the Linger Longer, so I went to that. Our pianist had gone home, so I also played the piano (read: plunked out single parts because Cara is NOT a piano player) for ward choir.

And now I am home and I am very tired and I bid you adieu.

This Week’s Progress

  • Dropped off the Penguin Party quilt and the Layer Cake Crepe quilt at the quilter’s house.
  • Tended to a very sick adult child.
  • Finished the 2026 Husband Christmas Socks.
  • Dealt with forty pounds of donated ground beef and heartily fed 192 teenagers.
  • Pulled off a multi-ward women’s choir performance.
  • Helped with a very successful Linger Longer.
  • #absolutelyrockingit

House & Holiday Plan 2026: Week #7: Bath & Bedding

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This Week’s Focus: Linen Closet and Bathrooms

The day before Thanksgiving is no time to discover that your good tablecloth is shredded and stained. This week, we’re diving into linen storage areas and tackling family bathrooms as we prepare for Christmas. We’ll check linens and clean and organize bathroom areas so we’re prepared for holiday primping … and guests!

In holiday prep, we’ll think ahead to what we need to wrap and ship gifts, and continue gift shopping. Try these resources to make the week’s assignments fly:

This Week’s Household Checklist

  • Into the bathrooms to declutter, clean and organize! From the master bathroom to the small half-bath off the hall, this is the week to focus on the household’s “facilities.” Clear away clutter in each bathroom, then deep-clean fixtures, floors and walls. Organize personal care storage and prepare for entertaining guests.
    • Because I had this on my mind, I actually picked up a new shower curtain liner and set of bath rugs for the kids’ bathroom. I should probably order them a new shower curtain as well—rainbow stripes just isn’t really their vibe anymore now that they’re young adults.
  • Declutter the linen closet. Linen storage areas can become a catch-all space, so rout them out this week. Return misplaced items to their homes, then organize sheets, blankets and towels to make them easy to find in busy times.

This Week’s Holiday Prep Checklist

  • Make a pre-holiday linen check. As you declutter and organize the linen closet, make a quick linen check. If you need sheets, towels, or blankets, add them to the shopping list now.
  • Start stocking up on bathroom basics. Running out of toilet tissue isn’t a major problem–unless it happens during a holiday party. Before the season begins, stock bathrooms with ample supplies to ward off embarrassment.
  • Set up a holiday wrap and mail center. Use an empty closet, corner or an under-bed organizer to gather gift wrap, ribbons, bags, tags and supplies. You’ll speed gift wrapping and parcel mailing with supplies all in one place.
  • Simplify mailing chores with an account from USPS.Com. Power to the Postal Service! A free account with USPS.Com makes it easy to buy postage, print labels or arrange for carrier pickup. Better, the USPS will deliver free flat rate mailing boxes to your mailbox, then collect your labeled packages at the door under the Click-n-Ship program. No more waiting in line!
  • Buy, wrap and package overseas gifts for mailing. Next week’s mailing deadline means that overseas gifts must be bought, wrapped and packaged for mailing this week. Check gift lists and complete any overseas gifts.
  • Begin shopping holiday bazaars–or swaps. It’s bazaar season! Service clubs, church groups and school organizations offer great holiday savings–and a lot of fun–at holiday bazaars. Bazaar season starts in early October; add a few events to your calendar to shop for gifts and decorations. Another frugal source for gifts and decor: holiday swaps. Check your favorite online community for active swaps, where members exchange like items for holiday giving.
  • Continue working on Christmas cards. Divide the Christmas card list into five sections. Complete one section this week. Goal: to be finished writing, signing and addressing cards by November 15.

The UFOs are Calling, but so is EVERYTHING ELSE

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I’m just too busy to craft, y’all. Thankfully, I’m busy with good things, so I’ll keep the tiny violin-playing to a minimum, but man, I’m itching for some uninterrupted time in the craft room!

I did schedule a time to drop off the Penguin Party quilt in the upcoming week! And, whilst digging said quilt out of the UFO pile, the Layer Cake Crepe quilt fell out as well and I realized I also had the backing for it, so I think I’m going to drop it off as well. Two Christmas quilts!

I did sneak in time on the Husband Christmas Socks and we are almost to the point where I’ll start the toe decreases. SO CLOSE.

Other than that, not much crafting time. A lot of work is going into Band Boosters right now, and then I was asked if I’d be on the board for another parent support committee, so I was helping out with that until Michael asked me to decline the invitation. [insert sad face here] Lots is happening in my church callings as well with the upcoming Linger Longers, Halloween party, and non-stop social media duties. Busy, busy. Autumn is so much fun, but fun takes A LOT of work!

Cross Country is keeping not only Nathaniel, but Michael and me, very busy as well, but that’s normal. Nathaniel set a PR yesterday, so he’s quite pleased. We then went to watch his friend perform in a marching band competition and it was a nice way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

Things will calm down after a couple of weeks; once Cross Country season ends I’ll get my Saturdays back and that really helps me balance my life. I like the uninterrupted time with Michael and Nathaniel at those Saturday meets, but Saturdays are big work days around the house so all that work gets loaded onto weekdays and it can just feel like a lot while it’s happening. See you next week!

House & Holiday Plan: Week #6: Wardrobe

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With all the craziness that was last week, I haven’t had much time to work on HHP, so I’m just going to drop the checklists for the week here and hopefully I can do a more thorough check-in next week. I hope you’re all finding some time to do a little holiday prep amidst this busy back-to-school season! (Also, please know that you can generally find the next week’s checklists over on magicalholidayhome.com.)

This Week’s Focus: Clothing Care Areas and Clothes Closets

Catching up on the clothes closet is our focus this week, and it’s high time! With Autumn bringing cooler weather and the holidays ahead, it’s time to assess our family’s wardrobe.

While we’re focused on clothing, we’ll also clean, declutter and organize any areas devoted to clothing care. Whether it’s a laundry area, a sewing corner or clothing storage, this week will see us clean and organize the areas where we care for clothing.

In holiday prep, we’ll think ahead to “Secret Santa” or classroom gifts, focus on gift ideas for family members and begin online shopping.

This Week’s Household Checklist

  • Tackle family clothes closets. With cooler weather on the way, a seasonal clothes closet declutter is in order. Make room for holiday finery as you sort and toss summer’s stained garments.
  • Declutter, clean and organize clothing care areas. From laundry room to sewing basket, it’s time to make a clean sweep of clothing care areas. Declutter the laundry room, then clean and organize any other household area devoted to clothing care. Make it easy to do the wash, press a dress or sew on a dangling button … fast!

This Week’s Holiday Prep Checklist

  • Check family wardrobes. Time for a pre-holiday wardrobe check! Fill out the family wardrobe worksheet, and put any “To Buy” items on your shopping list.
  • Plan photo outfits. Check condition and fit for family photo outfits. Save time and tears on photo day!
  • Update individual “gift suggestion” lists for each family member. As you check wardrobes, record current clothing sizes, colors and preferences on the Gift Idea Planner form for each family member. Up-to-date information means fewer gift returns on December 26th!
  • Clear out the coat closet. Colder weather plus holiday guests can make for cramped quarters in the family coat closet. Add extra hangers, and make space for guests’ coats, hats and umbrellas.
  • Brainstorm ideas for Secret Santa or 12 Days exchanges. Workplace, school or social group gift exchanges should be small and sweet. Brainstorm gift ideas now.
  • Begin online shopping. Ordering early pays off if you shop online or through catalogs. Begin now to spread the financial burden of gift-giving and build up reserves in the gift closet.
  • Continue working on Christmas cards. Divide the Christmas card list into five sections. Complete one section this week–then check progress against the goal. You should be more than half-way there … and on track to finish before November 15

So Much for a Breezy Homecoming

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This last week went COMPLETELY SIDEWAYS! Lemme break it down…

Homecoming Chaos

I woke up last Sunday thinking I had homecoming completely under control. No dresses to make or hem, only a tie and corsage to purchase, and that was already done. Dinner and photos set up. This was going to be a BREEZE.

And then I went to church.

I caught up with the other two moms of the boys going to homecoming and found out that one of the boys’ dates was gluten-sensitive. The mom who had originally volunteered to host dinner at her house declared that she was really uncomfortable with feeding someone with a gluten sensitivity, and the other mom, who was already taking the photos, was super busy that day and also not completely comfortable with the responsibility of providing a gluten-free dining experience. So I volunteered to take over. I have a handful of friends with gluten intolerances whom I have fed in the past, so I knew I could handle it.

Alright, I could host a dinner for five teenagers. The theme of the dance was something like “Nights in Rio,” so I decided we’d go with something that would be easy to make gluten-free: Mexican-ish, which I could pass off, in the most white bread of ways, as Brazilian/South American. My husband loves to grill, so he said he’d make carne asada and fajita veggies. The other moms volunteered to bring the cilantro rice and fruit platter, and the grandmother of one of the boys heard of the theme and insisted I take a strawberry horchata drink mix home with me to serve them, which I thought was the cutest thing ever. That left me to prepare the beans, taco toppings, tortillas (wheat and corn), and desserts (which Renaissance took over). Renaissance made her now-famous pumpkin spice cupcakes (not gluten-free) because Nathaniel requested them, and then she also made Brazilian brigadeiros and pineapple-coconut sorbet.

I was thinking about what it would be like to be a teenage girl who just learned that she’d be having dinner at her date’s house, and I decided I wanted to make it a little fancier for them than “dinner at home” because, c’mon, it’s HOMECOMING. I decided to keep leaning into the “Nights in Rio” theme and turn my dining room into an elegant Brazilian(ish) restaurant.

I sent out a request on my ward’s Relief Society Facebook group to borrow anything that would support my vision and my sisters in Christ did not disappoint! Linens, serving ware, lighting, florals, greenery…I had ordered a few things from Amazon to decorate with, but ended up not using any of it because my dear friends came through so generously, down to the fairy lights and LED candles! This was SUCH a fun experience, and a reminder that we are all so much better off within a loving community. These ladies were so joyfully committed to giving these dear boys of ours a beautiful homecoming experience from start to finish, and I love them even more for all their help.

So, yeah, kind of chaotic, but it all worked out in the end.

BUT WAIT, I’m not finished!

Because I said CHAOS.

In my #craftygoals post I mentioned that I almost took the Penguin Party Quilt to the quilter’s house this week, but didn’t end up getting to that task.

You know why that was?

Oh, I’ll tell you. Because, in addition to setting up this charming homecoming dinner at home idea, I’m also the president of the band boosters and homecoming means a parade and halftime performance and all the logistics that go into that. But whatever, I’m old hat at this by now.

And then Wednesday happened.

I was working on the homecoming dinner plans and getting ready to reach out to the quilter to set up a time to drop off the Penguin Party quilt, when my phone buzzed with a text. I picked up my phone and saw that it was the Band Booster Board Members’ group chat.

. Secretary: My son just told me the homecoming football game is canceled tomorrow. ???

Me: LoL if that’s true because I just can’t .

. Secretary: He said the other team canceled the rest of their season.

I’ll spare you the rest of the panicked text conversation, but yes, ten minutes later there was an all-district alert sent out stating that our homecoming football game was called off because the other team had ended their season. THE DAY BEFORE our homecoming football game, we found out the opposing football team had canceled the rest of their season.

The school district made the decision to keep the parade on the books and move all the football-game-related stuff (homecoming royalty, marching band halftime performance) to the next football game, so we adjusted a few things surrounding the parade and went to work. The next day and a half involved a lot of texts, waiting for confirmations, and a general feeling of anxiety. But it went fine! Woo hoo!

Parade? Check.

Game? Canceled.

Dinner? Check. (So good…the carne asada smelled AMAZING and I think strawberry horchata is one of my new favorite things!)

Dance? Check.

Wandering around the house on Sunday in a comatose state? Double-check.

An excellent homecoming week, despite the obvious hiccups!

Crafting

As you can guess, not a lot of time for crafting. But since the Husband Christmas Socks live in a portable knitting bag, I have managed to sneak in a few rows here and there. We’re getting into the home stretch with these, I’m so excited!

I am really pining for some time to work on Rachel’s graduation quilt, but I don’t even remember the last time I was in the craft room.

I’m looking at my calendar for the upcoming week and I don’t think I’m going to find much time to work on creative pursuits this week, either. I need to break down all the homecoming decorations and return them, and it looks like this is THE week for planning meetings and rehearsals for a bunch of other stuff. A big life takes a lot of work! See you next week…maybe I’ll have finished up the socks by then?

No pictures because I’m feeling protective of our guests and don’t want to splash other people’s kids’ photos across the internet, and because the Husband Christmas Socks are a gift.

Rainbow Pencil Crayon quilt in-progress for an artist graduation

#craftygoals: October 2026

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I was sick for almost two weeks in September, so I lost out on a lot of creativity time, AND THEN there was homecoming, which took up a lot of time, which subtracted from sewing and knitting. To be fair, homecoming prep was a very creative endeavor, so I’m not upset about it; I had a grand ol’ time working on homecoming!

Debrief: September #craftygoals:

Rainbow Pencil Crayon quilt in-progress for an artist graduation
  1. Rachel’s Graduation Signature Quilt: I finished the backing with all the signatures. And I sewed up the individual pencil crayons and drawing lines.
  2. Husband Christmas Socks: The goal was to get through the heel and maybe some of the foot. I am definitely into the foot! Woo hoo, Me! I wish I could show you pictures of these!
  3. Penguin Party Quilt: The goal was to drop it off at the quilter’s house. It ALMOST happened. So close. I’ll explain more in my end-of-the-week post.
  4. Wonky Stars Baby Quilt: The goal, which was really just a wish by the beginning of last month, was to finish it and gift it. I still haven’t touched it. I think I may need to release my desire to make this project a reality.

October #craftygoals:

Time-Sensitive Things That Need Working on ASAP:

  • Penguin Party Quilt: Drop it off at the quilter’s house. It’s so late at this point that I may not make the Christmas deadline. Ugh!

Things to Work on After the ASAP Projects:

Machine Stitching:

  • Rachel’s Graduation Signature Quilt: I could conceivably finish piecing this quilt this month. I don’t know if I’m going to quilt it or send it out.

Knitting:                 

  • Husband Christmas Socks: I want these done before the end of the month and blocked. No one’s going to die if it doesn’t happen, but I’d have a lot of peace in my heart if I didn’t have a Christmas gift looming on my mind when November starts.

Summary of October’s Crafty Goals:

  • Penguin Party Quilt: Drop quilt off at the quilter’s house.
  • Rachel’s Graduation Signature Quilt: Finish the quilt top and move forward with the quilting. Possibly finish completely.
  • Husband Christmas Socks: Hopefully finish and block.
House and Holiday Week 5 Guest Room or Extra Room

House & Holiday Plan Week #5: Guest Room or Extra Room

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House and Holiday Week 5 Guest Room or Extra Room

Debrief: Weeks #3 & #4

Are you starting to figure out why I’ve never finished the entire HHP? Back-to-school activity ramp-up is no joke! I’m going to keep to my commitment though, and hopefully I’ll get some prep done in the master bedroom and the kids’ rooms soon.

  • Week 3: I did buy a new return address stamp for Christmas cards. The old one was running out of ink.
  • Week 3: I perused Christmas card designs and I’m pretty sure I know what I want to go with. Just need to order.
  • I’ve continued to work on the Husband Christmas Socks.

Week #5: Guest Room or Extra Room

It’s time to prepare for holiday house guests!

This Week’s Household Checklist:

  • Declutter, clean and organize guest areas.
  • No guest room or guest space? Take a bonus week, tackling another area of the household or catching up on earlier assignments. (I’ll be trying to get caught up on Weeks #3, 4 and 5…)

This Week’s Holiday Prep Checklist:

  • Status Check! Review the progress of the House & Holidays Plan on the first day of the month. If you’re falling behind, adjust goals to a more realistic level.
  • Begin planning holiday decorating.
  • Inventory holiday decorations.
  • Declutter before you decorate for autumn.
  • Decorate for autumn. Choose “generic” decor items. Nearer to Halloween, add a few Halloween items which can be removed easily after the holiday. Come November 1, swap them out for Thanksgiving decorations.
  • Schedule house guest stays.
  • Make a guest room “pamper basket”.
  • Set up the hot drinks station, if you do one. October is peak pumpkin spice season, so create a cozy little nook for cocoa and warm beverages, complete with flavored syrups.
  • Continue working on Christmas cards. Divide the Christmas card list into five sections. Complete one section this week. Goal: to be finished writing, signing and addressing cards by November 15.