Book Stack of the Week

10/10 Week Book Stack | Fall Books for Kids

 1. Fall Leaves by Loretta Holland

"Part poem, part silent stage, this luminous picture book puts autumn on display and captures the spirit of change that stays with us long after fall leaves. Unlock the secrets of this busy and beautiful time of year as the natural world makes way for winter."

2. Sweep by Louise Greig 

"Ed’s bad mood begins as something really small, hardly a thing at all. But before long it grows, gathers pace, and spreads through the whole town.

Can Ed sweep his troubles away?"

3. Sophie's Squash by Zietlow Miller & Anne Wilsdorf

"On a trip to the farmers' market with her parents, Sophie chooses a squash, but instead of letting her mom cook it, she names it Bernice. From then on, Sophie brings Bernice everywhere, despite her parents' gentle warnings that Bernice will begin to rot. As winter nears, Sophie does start to notice changes.... What's a girl to do when the squash she loves is in trouble?"

4. The Scarecrow by Beth Ferry

"Bestselling author Beth Ferry (Stick and Stone) and the widely acclaimed Fan Brothers (The Night Gardener) present a gorgeous and poignant picture book about two unexpected friends and the special connection they share.

This tender and affectionate story reminds us of the comforting power of friendship and the joy of helping others—a tale that will inspire and delight children for generations to come.

All the animals know not to mess with old Scarecrow. But when a small, scared crow falls from midair, Scarecrow does the strangest thing.…

He saves the tiny baby crow.

Soon a loving bond grows between the two unlikely friends. But is it strong enough to weather the changing of the seasons?"

5. The Apple Pie that Papa Baked by Lauren Thompson 

"These are the apples, juicy and red,

that went in the pie,

warm and sweet,

that Papa baked...

for guess who!"

6. Windows by Julia Denos

"Before your city goes to sleep, you might head out for a walk, your dog at your side as you go out the door and into the almost-night. Anything can happen on such a walk: you might pass a cat, or a friend, or even an early raccoon. And as you go down your street and around the corner, the windows around you light up one by one until you are walking through a maze of paper lanterns, each one granting you a brief, glowing snapshot of your neighbors as families come together and folks settle in for the night. With a setting that feels both specific and universal and a story full of homages to The Snowy Day, Julia Denos and E. B. Goodale have created a singular book — at once about the idea of home and the magic of curiosity, but also about how a sense of safety and belonging is something to which every child is entitled."

7. The Sequoia Lives On by Joanna Cooke 

"This book shares the life story of the giant sequoia, casting light on natural questions: How does this tree grow so big? How does it live so long?

From tiny seed to world's largest tree, the giant sequoia is a living wonder of nature. This ancient and tremendous species grows naturally only on the western slopes of California’s Sierra Nevada. Each sequoia begins life as a seed no larger than an oatmeal flake—yet can grow as tall as three blue whales stacked chin to tale. The oldest sequoias have lived as long as forty human lifetimes. The largest are so enormous, twenty children holding hands can’t wrap their arms around the trunks! In evocative text and vibrant paintings, The Sequoia Lives On reveals all of this fascinating information and more. An extensive author’s note completes the portrait for young readers, inviting them to become the next generation of protectors for this amazing tree."

8. He Came with the Couch by David Slonim

"When Sophie's family purchases a new couch, they get something they never expected. An original adventure that's both zany and tender, He Came with The Couch is silly, sweet, and hilarious good fun!

GOOD FUN: This is a simple, fun story that is a silly read for the whole family!

A CLASSIC BOOK: For fans of classic picture books as well as modern tales of fun, this book has humor for everyone.

A FRIEND FOR THE AGES: Every child will want a friend and protector like the one Sophie has, instilling and cementing the power of friendship and good surprises. You never know what you'll get when you get a new couch!

Perfect for: parents and grandparents, educators, librarians"

9. Fall Leaves FUN by Martha Rustad

"Fun text and charming illustrations show how leaves grow and change throughout the seasons. Critical thinking and comprehension questions help readers understand the text and engage with the changing seasons."

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 FALL MOVIES TO WATCH | COMFY COZY FALL MOVIES 

Looking for Fall movies to watch to feel all comfy & cozy? I gotchu.

There are few things I love more than to cozy up with a fire going, on a lazy fall day, watching movies from my fall movie list! Even when it's not Fall, these movies make me warm & cozy & are my go-to comfort movies. Their soundtracks, locations, etc all just make me cozy.  All of these are best watched with hot chocolate or apple cider in hand of course. You get extra points if you have a pumpkin snack, too! 

I even included some Hallmark movies, yeah they don't just have Christmas Movies. They have a whole Fall movie category. It's glorious. You can thank me later.

AND because I can tell you are a girl after my own heart, that appreciates the cozy, comfort of Gilmore Girls. I went through and found every fall episode for easy watching. It's *chefs kiss*

Here are some of my favorites, You've Got Mail always kicks off Fall movies at our house. Followed by it being watched 1000 times from there forward.  I had so much fun putting together this Fall movie list, I hope you enjoy it!

            LOOKING FOR HALLOWEEN MOVIES?           

           CHECK OUT MY FAMILY HALLOWEEN MOVIE LIST HERE!            

Fall Movies to Watch

Gilmore girls fall episodes

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Thank you so much to Wayfair for sponsoring this post!

Choosing the Right Rug For Your Living Room

Choosing the Right Rug For Your Living Room

Rugs in the living room can be tricky. It can make or break a space! And deciding what to get can be hard! But it doesn’t have to be! Let me help you!

 If you have an open concept home, it can help define a space. But, mostly, Rugs help set the intention of a space, making it feel inviting and cozy. Depending on the color of your rug it can set the tone of the living room. You could go light & bright, or dark & moody. For mine, I wanted to bring warmth & texture.

Choosing a Rug

You want to choose a rug you love! Early on you want to choose what you want the rug to accomplish in your living room. You want to think about the design of your current room. You won't want to buy a rug with a lot of patterns if you already have a lot of patterns throughout your space. You would want a solid color. Or if you have a lot of colors go with something more muted.  If your space is mostly only texture, like me, you would want to bring in texture with a jute rug, something with tassels or textured patterns! My rug shown in the photos is THIS jute rug.

For more high-traffic areas, you think of print or color that will last & not show as much traffic. For example, You wouldn't want a white fluffy rug at a doorway. 

Choosing the Right Sized Rug

Here is where things get tricky and can make or break your space. You have to get the right-sized rug. You want the rug to fit the room, not your furniture.

Typically, depending on your space of cour, an average living room rug is 8x10 or 9x12. I have found that Wayfair has an exceptional amount of various sizes for every home! My jute rug pictured in my space is a 9x12. Always, always measure before you order! I like to take painter's tape & place it exactly the same measurements & where I want I want the rug to make sure it's going to fit & looks great!

  You don't want the rug to be too big as well, going behind all the furniture, or wall to wall it makes it feel like everything is floating.  A too small-sized rug will make a room feel so much smaller than it actually is. When choosing the right size you want the front legs of each furniture piece to be on the rug. It really grounds the space & just makes it look better & more put together.

Some examples of placement are below: 

Don't Forget!

Also-- don't forget to get a rug pad! Wayfair makes it super easy to add one to your order! Grab one with good thickness adds cushion but also protects your floor! Which is key!

Hope this helps you while shopping for your next Living Room rug!

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 Incline Railway with Kids | Chattanooga Family Travel Guide

During our trip to Chattanooga one our stops there was the Incline Railway! It was so fun & such an unique experience! We had such a great time.

You start at the bottom of the train station {on St. Elmo Aveune}. Make sure you buy your tickets ahead of time as they sell out quickly. They make it very easy right on their website. Once you get there you will need to go to the ticket booth to exchange your online tickets for actual tickets. We didn't do this & stood in line for 20 mins & had to get out of line to do that & wait again. Don't do what we did! There are signs saying so if you park in their parking lot but we parked on the road so we had no idea! Whoops!

PRICE:

Prices vary by busy months.

ADULTS: $15

CHILDREN {AGES 3-12}: $7

**A NOTE FOR TOSE READING DURING THE PANDAMIC, MASKS ARE REQUIRED ON THE CARS AS IT IS TSA REGULATED TRANSPORTATION**

WHAT TO EXPECT ON THE INCLINE RAILWAY 

The trains are trolley-style cars. You sit backwards going up so that your view is always in front of you! I really recommend trying to get to the front of the car for on the way up! It is so neat & sorta freaky looking down as you go up more & more! Near the top there is a 72.7% grade, making The Incline one of the steepest passenger railways in the world.The cars are lined with winodws on the sides & ceiling so you always have a great view! The car goes under 10 MPH. You barely can tell how steep you are going until the last 1/4 mile.

A ride on The Incline takes about 15 minutes each direction. Incline trains leave from each station every 20 minutes. In addition to the ride there is an observation deck atop Lookout Mountain, and food service and gift shops available at both stations. It’s best to plan at least an hour for the whole experience.

TIP: There are two cars constantly going they alternate going up & down. Because of this, I suggest getting there early if you want to. They let some on earlier than their scheduled time. This way when everyone is coming at the scheduled time they get full & you have to wait for the next car, making your wait so so much longer.

There is no A/C in the cars. So it is HOT.

AT THE TOP OF THE INCLINE RAILWAY

Once you get to the top, there is  gift shop that has snacks & drinks. They had some yummt fudge! Of course you have to head to observation deck! The views are INCREDIBLE!  From there is actually the highest overlook point on Lookout Mountain! You are able to stay as long as you would like at the top. They have the cars coming and going every 10 or so minutes for you to come back down.

WHEN YOU RETURN TO THE TRAIN STATION

Make sure you grab some ice cream from Crumpies right next to the train station! They are a Chattanooga staple!

MOUNTAIN MEMORIES

On the way up the mountain, you may have noticed the log cabin with a giant QR code on the side. This little shop is owned by the Granddaughter of Leo & Ruby Lambert, the founder of Ruby Falls! Thi is a must stop if you visited Ruby Falls on your trip. They have lots of photos to look & great sovieners. If you re lucky you maybe able to meet the owner yourself & she is the sweetest! They have been open 93 years!!    

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 Rock City with Kids | Things to Do in Chattanooga 

This summer we made our summer vacation trip to Chattanooga, Tennesse! One of our stops was Rock City. I wasn't sure what to expect because the little that I knew was it was a hike. It is a hike, a very easy one but it does cost admission. Which I did not realize prior to arriving. However, we were not disappointed at all! The hike is extremely easy. The views made the trip completely worth it & were just amazing!

Where is Rock City?

Technically it is in Georgia on Lookout Mountain. But it is just a short 6-mile drive from Chattanooga. You really can't miss it as there are actually signed EVERYWHERE for this place. Truly. Every.Where.

Parking is Free!

How much does it cost?

I mentioned that there is an admission price for Rock City. You will need to purchase tickets to hike the trail & see the amazing views.

Adults: $21.95-$24.95

Children {ages 3-12}:  $12.95-$13.95

Children under the age of 2 are FREE.

WHAT TO BRING TO ROCK CITY

As I said, the hike is extremely easy. Like you could do it in flip-flops if you wanted. Though some areas were slick when we were there so I am not sure I recommend it! I wore my Teva sandals, the girls wore their keens & Brandon wore his Murells! Basic tennis shoes work perfectly! 

Dress-wise depending on the weather would be just something comfortable for walking!

While the trail is, from what I  can recall, all paved the trail itself is not stroller friendly. There are some incredibly tight squeezes {one is actually called "Fat Mans Squeeze"} so there is no way to fit even the smaller stroller in areas. We wore Bo, 6 months at the time, in a hiking carrier. Brandon did have to take him off in some tight spaces and carry the pack.

There are vending machines & even little shops to grab food along the way but I would recommend water bottles &/or snacks if you have young ones! Mommas there is a Starbucks right across the street if you need a pick me up!

WHAT TO EXPECT AT ROCKING CITY WITH KIDS

I would plan on being there anywhere from 1.5 hours to 3 hours to not feel rushed & see everything!

I think any age would be great to come to Rock City, however, there are some tight spaces, bridges & heights. You know your kiddo best, but staying on the trail will be important! 

The first trail is so fun for kiddos. You look for gnomes throughout the gardens & get to see some awesome rock formations & plants! You will get a feel for the first narrow passage in the first half. If you have little ones they may be a little nervous, holding hands or having an adult or older sibling go first may help during these tight squeezes!

The paths signs are kinda confusing. The arrows of where to go don't actually point anywhere & it's confusing on which trail to choose. Families around were having the same issue as us. Let me take the confusion away from you & let you know it really doesn't matter which way you take. They all lead to the same place. ha! Definitely grab a map on your way in!

 My favorite thing about hiking Rock City is there is something everywhere along the way to look for kids! It was never boring! My favorite thing was this Rainbow Hall where they put colored stained-glass into this walkthrough & the sun coming through makes a rainbow!

LOVER'S LEAP & 7 STATES LOOKOUT POINT

The ultimate destination at Rock City is seeing Lover's Leap waterfall & the lookout point where you can see 7 states! & holy cow was it amazing! The waterfall has so much power you can feel it. Seeing 7 states was so so neat! They have all of the state flags flying at point, too! They have lots of seating & even a place to eat up here so it is a great place to take a break!

Near the end of the path, you will come across the Fairyland Caverns & Mother Goose Village. I am going, to be honest here & say I thought this place was creepy. But the girls absolutely loved it. There are handmade scenes from fairytales along the way & you eventually make it Mother Goose Village which is a black light lit room where it has more scenes from all of the old nursery rhymes. This area is underground & a little stuffy but a nice break from the sun if you go on a summer day!

Rock City was so much fun with Kids!

Rock City was one of the main highlights of our trip. We had such a blast. It was such a leisure hike with the most incredible views, the girls haven't stopped talking about. We really enjoyed ourselves & it was for sure a stop we won't forget!

LOOKING FOR MORE TO DO IN CHATTANOOGA WITH YOUR FAMILY? VIEW MY CHATTANOOGA FAMILY TRAVEL GUIDE HERE!

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Summer Getaway to French Lick Resort with Kids | 8 Family Fun Activities to do at French Lick Resort

We want to thank French Lick Resort for hosting our family during our stay. We had such an amazing time & made lifelong memories. You made ending summer so perfect!

 Summer Getaway to French Lick Resort with Kids

We were invited back to French Lick for a Back to School, Goodbye to Summer getaway!

If you missed it we had the most enchanting visit during Christmas time in 2019, you can view that HERE. We were so excited to be back & experience the resort during a new season. It was truly the best getaway. Just as it did during Christmas there were endless things to do as a family. We enjoyed ourselves more than words can say. 

One thing I love about French Lick Resort is you almost feel like you go back in time. It's good ole fashion family fun. It simple & timeless time together with the most gorgeous atmosphere. During our time we met so many families that had been coming every summer for years! Grandparents visiting with their children & their grandkids. It was so heartwarming & magical to watch! While showing our visit on Instagram stories {you can follow me HERE} someone said it reminded them of Kellerman's from Dirty Dancing & I totally agree!

As a refresher so you aren't confused throughout this post French Lick Resort is made of 2 hotels. West Baden & French Lick. You can do visit & do any activities at either hotel as it is all on property & part of French Lick Resort as a whole.

First, we stayed in West Baden this trip! A lot of people have asked which they should stay at. Truly, you can not go wrong with either French Lick or West Baden. I will say, I enjoyed the West Baden room so much more, however, I felt as though French Lick had more families running around & a family atmosphere! I was able to go to both Spas at each & they are equally as amazing. Whichever you choose you will have a wonderful stay. 

We got room service for breakfast one morning & oh my goodness. It was DECLIOUS.

Headed to French Lick for Christmas?

Read about the Polar Express HERE

Check out all there is to do at the resort during Christmas HERE

Here are 8 Family Fun Activities to do at French Lick Resort:

1. Swimming

What's summer without swimming in the pool? Between the two hotels, there are 5 pools! At French Lick, they have 2 outdoor pools. One for families & one for adults only! We spent our time at the French Lick pools! They are large & have plenty of chairs to relax on! There is a bar right by the pool, as well as food trucks & a small restaurant for food & snacks! The pools are fantastic & the kids & you will have a great time!

2. Horse Back Riding at French Lick Resort

Just the girls & I went on a horse trail ride. Oh my goodness did we enjoy ourselves. Every single person that was working at the stables was so incredibly kind! The ride up to the stables is beautiful & the ride itself so relaxing. You can one of the resort trolleys right up to the stables. Don't forget to met Pepsi!

Trail rides are reservation only & for ages 8+ and you can expect the ride to last anywhere from 45-90 minutes. 

Ride happen daily at:

10am, 11am, 1pm, 2pm & 3pm

Price:  

$65 per person for 45 minutes

$110 per person for 90 minutes

There are pony rides for younger children as well!

$25 per child

$35 per child with a keepsake photo

*All rides at The Stables are subject to availability, favorable weather, and trail conditions.

3. FootGolf

Head over the Valley Links golf course right on property {again you can take the trolley} & play FootGolf! I had never heard of it prior to our trip & after we left I googled places near home to play! The girls & Brandon had such a great time! It's a mix of golf & soccer! Using traditional golf rules and etiquette, a soccer ball replaces the golf ball and your feet are used instead of clubs — no prior experience needed. Play a traditional round of 9 or 18 holes, or try the 14-hole Short Course with unlimited play all day. Soccer balls are provided. Call ahead to reserve a tee time! When we were there I want to say it had to be after 4 PM to play!

Price:

9 Holes

Adult (walking): $20

Adult (with cart): $25

Youth (16 and under): $15

18 Holes

Adult (walking): $25

Adult (with cart): $35

Youth (16 and under): $20

Short Course (14 Holes)

$15 unlimited play per day for all ages (first-come, first-serve).

No tee time required — simply sign in at Valley Links golf shop to begin play.

4. Surrey Cart Ride

This is what I am talking about when it comes to good ole fashion family fun! Now listen, this wasn't as picturesque as it looks. It's actually much more difficult than it appears! But we sure had fun! Memories were made! You have to try it out! They also have lots of bikes for rent & have helmets in all different sizes for everyone in the family! 

5. Grab Some Ice Cream & Sit in a Rocking Chair

My absolute favorite part about French Lick is the porches on the hotels. They are massive & wrap around the fronts of them. They are lined with rocking chairs both adult AND child-sized, couches & tables. They almost beg you to sit & relax! There is a little window on the French Lick porch where you can order Ice Cream! Grab some & relax on a rocking chair!

6. Check Out the Kids Club

Since COVID, kids club is no longer "Kids Fest" but still offers lots of fun things for kids to do! They have coloring & other free activities as well as a kid's movie playing all the time. There are also great activities that you can pay to do as well! Make sure you stop in when you first arrive, they have fun scavenger hunts you can do around the property for a prize! We loved doing this on our last trip, too! Don't forget there is a bowling alley in the basement of French Lick with an arcade, too! You can see the bowling alley in my Christmas post HERE.

7. Take Trolley Ride

Just as we did in the winter, the trolley streetcar was ridden over & over again! This thing is so just neat & if you are in a rush to get to the other hotel or simply just want to ride it for fun it's so relaxing. The route is scenic & we always see a ton of deer on the way! 

8. Just Relax

One thing you can not, not do at the French Lick Resort is relax. This is one of my favorite places to go as a family for a reason. Time slows down, you get to spend good quality time together & relax & just be. 

We can't wait to get back to French Lick already! We've done Christmas & now summer, when should we go next? 

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