Week in Rewind Volume 125

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Welcome to Volume 125 of the Week in Rewind with Midwest Life and Style. In each recap, I’ll share my most recent posts, favorite finds, and a collection of ideas, tips, and inspiration from other bloggers around the web.

Week in rewind collage featuring shredded beef chili, a football-shaped cheese ball, BBQ meatballs, and a fall chili cook-off party.

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Happy Sunday!

The last two weeks have flown by! We made another trip to Missouri to visit Peyton at college, and in between what feels like never-ending rain, I’ve managed to find a few pockets of afternoon sunshine to photograph some new holiday recipes.

I know it’s not even October yet, and I’m already talking about Christmas, but such is the life of a content creator. While everyone else is settling into fall, behind the scenes I’m usually working at least a season ahead (or at least trying to!).

And speaking of the holidays, my friend Missy from Sonata Home Design and I shared some exciting holiday news on Thursday! If you missed our announcement, I’m sharing more about it below.

And as always, I’m sharing some cozy fall recipes and a few favorite finds for the season. So grab your coffee, get comfy, and join me for the latest week in rewind.

Tidbits from Home

We Wrote a Book!

Missy and I have been working hard behind the scenes to put the finishing touches on our book, and I can’t believe I finally get to say this…launch week is almost here!

In case you missed the announcement earlier this summer, my friend Missy from Sonata Home Design and I have spent the last several months creating our first e-book, Twinkling Lights & Festive Bites.

Two women toast with coupe glasses filled with a red holiday cocktail while wearing red and white sweaters.

What started as a small idea has transformed into an 82-page digital guide filled with some of our favorite things about the holidays, including festive recipes, decorating ideas, entertaining tips, planning help, and even a few personal Christmas stories and traditions.

We’ll be sharing all the details about the official launch next week, but if you haven’t joined our pre-sale list yet, this is your last chance!

Join the pre-sale list here to receive 10% off the sale price when the book launches, plus our free downloadable 8-Week Countdown to Christmas checklist.

I’m so excited (and maybe a little nervous!) to finally send this project out into the world. Stay tuned for more next week!

Twinkling Lights & Festive Bites holiday e-book cover with a Christmas tree and preview pages featuring holiday decorating and entertaining ideas

We’ll be sharing more in the coming weeks, but in the meantime, we wanted you to be the first to know…and the first to get in on a few perks before anyone else!

Just click here to join our pre-sale list, so you’ll know the moment Twinkling Lights and Festive Bites is ready to order, before anyone else.

And, as an added perk for joining our pre-sale mailing list, we’re sharing an exclusive 10% discount code to use when the book launches, plus our FREE downloadable 8-Week Countdown to Christmas PDF checklist, just for signing up.

Save the Date!

Speaking of the holidays, Missy and I shared another fun announcement on Thursday. After having so much fun hosting last year, we’re bringing our Holiday Open House back for a second year!

Kitchen decorated for Christmas with a large spread of holiday food on the island and a decorated Christmas tree nearby.

Save the date for Saturday, November 7! We’ll be hosting here in Lincoln again this year, and we’d love to have you join us.

Jen decorating a colorful Christmas tree with plaid ribbon and holiday ornaments for a holiday open house.

1. Guests gathering near a decorated Christmas tree and holiday display during a festive open house.

We’re already busy planning the menu, with lots of festive bites and treats, along with holiday decor, giveaways, and a few other fun surprises for the evening.

We’ll have more details to share soon, including how to RSVP. In the meantime, you can sign up here to be the first to get all the event details.

I also created an event on my Facebook page, so be sure to follow along there for updates as we get closer!

We can’t wait to celebrate with everyone again this year!

Another Weekend in Missouri

We also made another trip to Rolla, Missouri, to watch Peyton’s first home conference matches of the season.

Three generations sitting together in the stands at a Missouri S&T volleyball match.

Kirk wasn’t able to come because of softball games, so my mom joined us for a fun girls’ weekend together.

Missouri S&T volleyball players greeting the opposing team at the net before a home match.

Sisters smiling and hugging on the volleyball court after a Missouri S&T home match.

The team played a doubleheader Friday night and another match Saturday afternoon.

Four family members posing together on the court after a Missouri S&T volleyball matc

Peyton still isn’t cleared to play as she continues recovering from her ACL injury and the lingering effects of mono, but it was so good to see her in uniform and spend a little quality time together.

Missouri S&T volleyball players, families, and friends gathered outside for a team tailgate before a home match.

Grandmother and granddaughter at a Missouri S&T volleyball tailgate with a Miners flag flying behind them.

Missouri S&T volleyball players sitting together and eating at an outdoor team tailgate

We also got to meet several of the other volleyball parents at a tailgate before Saturday’s match, which was a lot of fun.

The original plan was to bring my grand kitty, Rollie, with us on this trip so she could finally join Peyton at school. But, as you might remember from my last recap, we got some very unexpected news that put those plans on hold.

Black cat with bright yellow eyes wearing a pink collar and relaxing on a white chair.

So, Rollie is still here with us for a little while longer. If you missed how she became our newest furry family member, you can catch up on the whole story here.

A Little Room Refresh

And because apparently I needed one more thing on my plate, I recently started making a few updates to Peyton’s bedroom.

Since she left for college, I’ve been using part of her bedroom as my home office. We don’t have an extra bedroom or dedicated office space in our house, and with Peyton away at college, there’s no reason to let the room sit empty.

Bedroom with a bed, colorful quilt, dresser, floating shelves, and a small home office workspace by the window.

If you caught my Instagram Stories on Friday, you got a little peek at my plans. I’m partnering with Unicurt to add custom bamboo blinds and a new area rug, which gives me the perfect excuse to make a few other updates too.

Small home office area in a bedroom with a standing desk, computer, desk chair, printer cart, floating shelves, and wall decor.

My goal with this makeover is to find a balance between creating a functional space for my day-to-day work without making so many changes that it no longer feels like Peyton’s room when she comes home from college.

Someday I’m sure it will become a full-time home office and guest room combo, so as I make updates, I’m trying to choose colors, styles, and decor that fit with the room now and can transition with the space down the road.

photo of a broken blind hanging from a window

a plant in a gold pot knocked on the floor with dirt all over the carpet

And apparently the timing of this refresh couldn’t be better because a certain furry houseguest got herself into a bit of trouble a few days ago… it’s a good thing she is so cute!

You can follow along on Instagram for more behind-the-scenes peeks as I work on the room, and I’ll share the finished space here on the blog in a couple of weeks, too.

What I’m Loving This Week

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Fall Favorites

Whether you’re full steam ahead with digging out your decor bins, or gently easing into the season ahead, here are a few of my favorite early fall decor finds.

Fall decor essentials including decorative pears, pumpkins, plaid throw blanket, magnolia wreath, woven boxes, brass lanterns, and an acorn branch.

Cooler weather is finally here! If you’re planning to watch the game outside, you’ll want this to keep everyone warm and cozy
I have and love these fun stack bracelets. They’re the perfect addition to your gameday outfit and come in multiple colors!
I’ve had this for a while now, and it’s been perfect for the little home office space I’m slowly putting together.
These fall pillow covers are sitting in my saved cart right now, and I’m seriously tempted.
I ordered this and put it together last weekend. It’s a great solution for my printer and provides some much-needed extra storage in my tiny “office”.
And I couldn’t resist this new office chair. It’s pretty, practical, and most importantly, comfortable!
I also bought these to help me hide some of the clutter and organize all my photography gear.
I’ve been using this as part of my daily routine for over a year and realized I’ve never shared it. It’s definitely become a favorite!

Shop the Collections

Looking to browse a little? I’ve rounded up all my favorite finds, seasonal decor, entertaining essentials, and everyday favorites in one place, so it’s easy to shop by category.

For more great finds, you can also shop with me on the LiketoKnowIt app.

Recently on the Blog

Football season means game day snacks, and these crockpot meatballs with grape jelly and BBQ sauce are one of our family’s favorites. They’re so easy to toss together, which is always a win when I’m making several things at once.

Crockpot grape jelly and BBQ sauce meatballs plaated up and one on a fork with a bite taken out of it

The combination of grape jelly and BBQ sauce might sound a little strange if you’ve never tried it, but trust me on this one. There’s a reason this recipe has been around forever!

Close-up of a Jalapeño Popper Cheese Ball shaped like a football with cheese football "laces" showing bacon, jalapeños, and creamy cheese

Of course, you can’t have a game day watch party without a good cheese ball! This jalapeño popper cheese ball is loaded with cream cheese, bacon, jalapeños, and plenty of other good stuff.

Shape it like a football, add a few simple laces on top, and you have a fun game day snack that’s perfect for everything from Saturday football to a Super Bowl party.

Bowl of shredded beef chili with kidney beans, cheddar cheese, sour cream, and cilantro served with cornbread

Last weekend we made our first batch of chili for the season. And of course, we had cinnamon rolls with it because…Nebraska!

This slow cooker shredded beef chili is a spin on the classic, loaded with tender shredded chuck roast, beans, and plenty of seasoning. It’s hearty, cozy, and makes plenty, which means leftovers for lunch the next day!

Table set fo a chili cook-off party with muffin tins for tast testing and mugs filled with beer garnished with a slice of lime

And if you’re looking for a fun excuse to get everyone together this fall, host a chili cook-off party! Invite everyone to bring their favorite recipe, set out plenty of toppings, and let your guests do the judging. A little friendly competition never hurts.

Coming Soon to MWLS

Things behind the scenes are looking a little more like Christmas these days! I’ve been squeezing in photos whenever the weather cooperates and working on a few holiday recipes and projects that I’ll be sharing as we get closer to the season.

For now, I’m soaking up fall, watching plenty of football, and trying to enjoy October before Christmas completely takes over my house! Stay tuned…there’s lots of holiday fun happening behind the scenes, and I can’t wait to share more soon.

Wrapping Up: The Week in Rewind Volume 125

As always, thanks for following along! If you enjoy these posts, you can find past Week in Rewind posts here.

And… If you are catching up on blog posts you may have missed, be sure to subscribe to become part of the MWLS community and be the first to get all of the latest recipes, DIYs, decor tips, and more sent straight to your inbox.

Cheers,

Week in Rewind Volume 125

Week in Rewind Volume 125

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