Hello Everyone and welcome to the eighth edition of The Nap Times! If you are receiving this and do not want a monthly newsletter from me, simply unsubscribe at the bottom. I totally get wanting to simplify and declutter your inbox and will not take it personally. Also, some of the links in this newsletter are affiliate links.

In this Newsletter, we will discuss:

1. Three ways I welcome fall that don't bring extra stuff into our home

2. Two simple ideas to get in the Halloween spirit with your kids

3. Prepping your fridge and freezer for fall

4. Current things I have read/listened to/watched

Three Ways to Welcome Fall 

{without bringing loads of extra stuff into the house}

First off, I cannot start this section without giving a large shoutout to Myquillyn Smith (aka @thenester). I have been reading her books for years, and her latest book, Welcome Home, is amazing. She is so good at what she does, and makes decorating and loving your home so manageable. While every way I welcome fall into our home did not originate from her book, the concept of decorating with the 5 senses did. She put words to what so many of us are trying to attain! A home that not only looks like fall, but also feels like fall. Smells like fall. A kitchen with foods that taste like fall. It makes me feel cozy just thinking about it! If you haven't read her book, I highly suggest it. It goes through all four seasons and you can start in whatever season you purchase the book. And with that, let me tell you my top three ways I “decorate” for fall.

1. I purchase a fall candle (or ten!)

Scent is one of the strongest ways we can feel connected to home. And the best part? It takes up no space! I love any cider flavored candles and stear clear of sweeter pumpkin ones. My favorites are by Rewined, but I also love walking into Home Goods and taking a half hour to pick out 5 or 6 for an amazing price. 

2. I start to drink fall beverages. 

For me, that means hard cider, bourbon, and red wine. I kiss goodbye my beloved Steigl grapefruit radlers and welcome in all the fall mixed drinks and cabernet. I also start making my hot honey lemon ginger water and swear by this decaf chai tea on chilly afternoons. Also, let's not forget the beloved at-home pumpkin cold foam. 

3. I start to play my fall playlists. 

Music is one of the most powerful ways I set the tone in our home, and come fall I start to welcome all the stringed instruments and piano. Fall can feel really busy and I love having playlists that don't have any words in them. 

My main 3 I play this time of year via Spotify:

My Fall Playlist 

No Lyrics

Peaceful Piano

As you can see, all three of my decorations aren't really decorations at all, and don't require cool weather or a truck load of pumpkins. These are simple ways I slowly welcome in the season before we are in full on cozy blanket and chili in the crock pot mode. 

However, if you are looking for a fun way to decorate for Halloween with your kids, allow me to offer you two:

These bats off of amazon are AWESOME! And I love that they don't clutter counter space. They come with a little adhesive and last year they didn't hurt our walls at all. My amazon shop has two different options for different amounts and sizes. They are so inexpensive you could get both if you wanted. Decorate walls, mirrors, your door…anything! 

Create your very own ghost to hide around the house each day in October. Y'all this is so easy, and free! You can use a paper plate or a thick piece of paper. You can use googly eyes or draw eyes with a sharpie. Keep it simple. I love that ours is white and therefore blends in with the walls. I use a piece of scotch tape on the back so he sticks to walls, cabinets, etc. Each day, I move “Boo” as we call him around the house and the kids have to find him. 

Let me help you prep your fridge/freezer for fall

As the seasons change, so does a lot of what we choose to cook and keep in the pantry. Just as you begin to trade flip flops for socks and shorts for leggings, you might opt for more soups and start to turn your oven on again. Isn't this so wonderful? I love how God created seasons and natural rhythms for us to tune into. 

If I could offer you one piece of advice before you begin to stock your freezer or switch out the main element on those fridges, it would be to clean them. 

And because I love you all so much, I am going to gift you the first episode of The Naptime Kitchen Home Reset for FREE. You might already own this course and therefore have this episode. If that's the case (first off, thank you for purchasing!) allow this to be a gentle nudge to re-listen and print the simple checklist to take a quick glance at these highly used appliances to get them ready to go for the chilly months ahead. I am attaching the checklist and audio below. All you have to do is click the link to listen from your phone and the other link to download and print the checklist. 

(The full Home Reset won't be available till January, but this year I am going to offer it a bit early and at a discount exclusively to me email subscribers; stay tuned for that!)

Also, in next month's newsletter I am going to share some of the top recipes Berta and I love to batch cook for the freezer. So get that freezer ready and stay tuned!

CURRENT READS/LISTENS/WATCHES:

*I am going to use this section to only share things I read/watched I would suggest to another person. I definitely read/listened to/watched some duds! 

READ:

To be honest, reading took a deep plunge this month. I blame the baby and Ted Lasso.

I am still slowly (so slowly) working my way through Parenting by Paul David Tripp. It's challenging and giving me a lot to think about. If you want a small taste of what it's about, my friend Nancy Ray did a book review on it on her podcast. 

LISTENED TO:

With all the planning and thinking for this next season with baby, I have been taking a big step back from podcasts and noise and really leaning into those playlists I shared above. My brain is all over the place and I need help quieting it. 

I did take a quick dive and listened to three different podcasts featuring the couple behind the instagram account @ChrisLovesJulia. They put out a ton of valuable content online all around home design and whenever I start to follow a new (to me) account like this I like to see if they have been on any podcasts. 

Permission to Spend: Why a Budget is Chris Loves Julia's Secret to Reaching Their Goals

Chris Loves Julia: Quality Content Creation is Key to Their Success

Chris Loves Julia's Julia Marcum on What She's Learned After Six Kitchen Renos and a Hack That Will Save Your Budget

I also listened to this particular episode of The Daily and found it is so fascinating. I feel like it brought in some big questions: where do we compromise privacy to protect some of the most vulnerable and at risk? What about when a technological advancement starts with good motives but the technology could just as easily be used for harm? All in all, it was good for my brain to think about the ethics brought up in this episode.

Why Apple is About to Search Your Files

WATCHED:

Y'all we drank the kool-ade. Nate and I finished the first season of Ted Lasso. It was just as amazing as everyone said it would be. And Nate, who really doesn't love comedy, was completely won over by Ted. Oh my word, what a great show. SO many of you emailed me after my last newsletter telling us we needed to watch it. That it's exactly what America needs right now. You were right. Thank you!

That's all I have for you this month. Thanks for reading!