I think one of the nicest things we can do for ourselves this time of year is notice the season we're actually in.

Not the one coming next.

Not the holiday we're preparing for.

Not the weather we wish we were having. 😂

Right now.

Late September.

The light is changing.

The evenings are getting shorter.

The produce at the market is shifting.

The house starts asking for lamps instead of overhead lights a little earlier.

And even though we've started talking about preparing for the holidays around here, I don't want us to prepare our way right through fall.

We get to enjoy this part, too.

✨ Sweetpea’s Little Luxury

This week's Little Luxury is:

Create your fall house drink.

Not necessarily a cocktail!

Maybe it's a pot of your favorite tea.

Apple cider warmed on the stove.

Sparkling water in the good glass with an apple slice.

A little evening mocktail.

Whatever sounds like September at my house.

For me, it's my Pineapple Apple Cider. This is an OG recipe, with no recipe card... But, y'all, I *literally* add chunks of pineapple to my apple cider, plus a cinnamon stick... It's not complicated!

But here's the important part: Don't drink it while unloading the dishwasher. Unless that brings you a lot of joy...

Make it.

Put it in something you love.

Go sit somewhere.

Ten minutes.

That's all.

I think we've gotten very good at buying things that promise to make life feel special.

Sometimes the luxury is actually stopping long enough to enjoy the things we already have.

🍎 Around Chez Sweetpea

I've been thinking about how I want the next few months to feel.

And the word I keep coming back to is:

Present.

I want to enjoy the apples while they're here.

I want chili simmering on the stove.

I want people around my table.

I want football on in the background and something cheesy coming out of the oven.

I want the lamps on.

I want candles burning.

I want to use the serving pieces I've collected instead of saving them for some imaginary occasion important enough to deserve them.

I want to live in my house.

That's really the heart of Sweetpea Lifestyle. 🥰

We're not creating beautiful homes so we can stand back and admire them.

We're creating homes that hold our lives.

The Tuesday dinners.

The friend who stops by.

The Saturday afternoon spent reading.

The impromptu happy hour.

The bowl of soup eaten alone at the table.

All of it counts.

🛒 Future Me Approves

Since Prepsgiving officially begins next Thursday, today's Future Me Approves task is very simple:

Give yourself a place to put holiday thoughts.

That's it.

A note in your phone.

A page in your planner.

A Post-it.

A running Google Doc.

Whatever works for you.

Title it: HOLIDAY SEASON BRAIN DUMP

Every time something pops into your head—

I need more food storage containers.

Don't forget Aunt So-and-So's gift.

We need to make the rolls ahead this year.

Where ARE the Christmas tree lights?!

Put it there.

You do not have to handle it.

That's the important part.

Write it down and go back to September.

We're creating one trusted place to hold those thoughts so our brains don't have to.

And if you haven't joined us for Prepsgiving yet, you can still hop in before we begin on October 1.

​[JOIN PREPSGIVING →]​

🥂 Your Weekend Assignment

This weekend?

Do something delightfully September-ish.

Go to the farmers market.

Make chili.

Buy apples.

Watch the game.

Invite someone over for a drink.

Take a drive.

Thrift for a little hosting treasure you'll use all fall.

Make something that simmers for hours.

Put fresh sheets on your bed and open the window if the weather finally cooperates.

Whatever you choose, I want you to resist the urge to make it productive.

You don't have to turn every beautiful seasonal moment into preparation for the next one.

We're making room for the holidays.

But we're living here first.

Enjoy your weekend, Sweetpea.

From my table to yours,
Ashley | Chez Sweetpea 🤍