Your New Favorite Frosting, Blog Linkage, The Halloween Fairy, Weekend Happenings

Good Friday morning!

I have so much to tell you, so let's get busy...

DON'T FORGET! DON'T FORGET! DON'T FORGET! - A Simple Life is a Monday and Friday ONLY blog now. I'll have a new post Monday, September 17!

RANDOMNESS #1 - Once again, volleyball played a major role in our middle of the week activities. We played... we won. We played... we lost. We ran the gamut of emotions this past week.

We felt the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.

As Roxie would say, "Mom. You are SO dramatic."

And I would respond, "Yes. Yes, I am!"

Because I'm Roxie's mom, I know this play could be really, really good... or really, really bad for The Chick.

I'll tell you a little secret. The Chick has a HUGE black bruise on her knee, but the ball went over the net.

In volleyball terms, that's a win-win. A battle scar... and a point!

I call these three pics "The Faces of Volleyball." Baleigh and Roxie are showing us their INTENSE look!

Kennedy is all about JOY!

And I'll end this series with a picture of Roxie and Hailey. I call this one "What do you think you're looking at?" It's very intimidating. I do not like it when they give me this look.

I even made a series of "So You Think You Can Dance" pics. Alex is light on her feet!

I don't say this often, but don't look at Roxie. Look at Kennedy and Casey.

It's poetry in motion, I tell you. Poetry in motion!

RANDOMNESS #2 - I came home Tuesday morning to find my FIRST POT OF MUMS on my front porch. I love it when I come home and there is something on my front porch besides giant, dirty work shoes or boots.

This is just a baby mum. It must be loved and nurtured in order to survive and thrive.

I hate to say it, but it came to the wrong front porch.

I'll love and nurture it, but it remains to be seen if it will survive and thrive.

My past experience with baby mums would indicate otherwise.

I'll keep you posted... And thank you, Sweet Angie!

RANDOMNESS #3 - I am ready to make my Annual Autumnal Announcement.

"The pumpkins are here! The pumpkins are here!"

There. You may now begin celebrating the Fall season as you see fit.

But you simply must begin by buying a pumpkin... or two... or six.

Your New Favorite Frosting

I made the Pinterest "How to Make a Cake Mix Taste Like a Bakery Cake" recipe from Monday's post, and it was very, very good.

Since I was in a "Pinterest-y" kind of mood, I decided to make the icing recipe from my Pinterest Board, too.

You will need the following:

1 vanilla pudding packet (small)
1 cup milk
1 container Cool Whip

1. Mix one vanilla pudding packet with half of the milk called for on the package.

2. Whisk until it begins to thicken.

3. Fold in one container of Cool Whip.

As you can see, it has a very good consistency, and I put the icing into a bag before icing the cupcakes.

It tasted wonderful. Unlike bakery frosting (which I happen to love), it is very light. It isn't too sweet, either.

I'll be making this frosting in many different flavors again and again and again.

Blog Linkage

1. Go IMMEDIATELY to www.kellehampton.com and watch today's "Reveal" video. It only takes 1 minute and 39 seconds, but it will make you happy for the rest of the day.

2. Go to "eighteen25" under My Blog List each and every day in September to get tons of ideas (crafts, decorations and recipes) for October. I know you'll find something you can use.

3. I'm always interested in how other families teach their kiddos about money management. Go to "the anderson crew" under My Blog List and read today's post entitled "fifty cent." Since they are working with SIX young children, you might like their ideas if you have several kids in your family. (Simple and doable.)

The Halloween Fairy

This was taken directly from Family Fun Magazine.

Two days after Halloween, we are visited by the Halloween Fairy, who swaps a long-awaited book or another treat for the rest of the kids' candy. Because we talk beforehand about the fairy's visit, the kids expect her and enjoy the new read.

This idea came from a mom named Angie Best-Boss (LOVE her name) in Indiana.

I would have done this each and every Halloween when the kids were small. Great and easy tradition.

Weekend Happenings

We have a tricky, yet promising, weekend ahead of us. Yes, we do.

It has come to our attention that some of The Faulkner Five will be attending the Auburn game tomorrow. It began with Austin and Mikie. JSU has a free weekend, so Austin wanted to go to an Auburn game. (He hasn't been to an Auburn game in three years because of his Marching Southerner duties. No complaints, but he has missed him some War Eagle!)

Mikie and Austin decided to go.

Austin invited Melia who has never been to an Auburn game before.

Josh had a Saturday morning appointment, BUT it was cancelled yesterday, so he's going, too.

Roxie and I are still up in the air because of this and that, but no matter what, some of us are going to be VERY happy tomorrow!

It's the kind of Saturday that hasn't been planned, but it will probably work out really, really well.

I'll let you know.

As of now, Friday night could be anyone or anything. I'm baking a cake and making sliders for dinner. I'll be able to feed two or 20.

Of course, Sunday we'll be attending church. Pastor Kevin sent all the members a note in the mail telling us he would be announcing something exciting this Sunday morning.

I'm telling you, I can hardly wait. I'm thinking about calling him up and asking him to tell "just me." I won't breathe a word of it to anyone else, and I'm losing sleep wondering about the "news."

If we're replacing roof shingles or adding more parking, I'll just tell you now... I'm going to be super disappointed.

Not that those things aren't wonderful, but they are definitely not worth a 51 year-old chick losing three nights' sleep in anticipation.

Nope. A 51 year-old chick needs her beauty sleep.

(I'll let you know about the announcement Monday morning.)

Have a wacky and wonderful September weekend. I'll be here bright and early Monday morning with a HUGE post... and pics. Lots and lots of pics.

Take care, and I'll talk to you next week.

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda