The Adventures of Julie and Bella 2025

Happy Crockpot Sunday! 🍲🍂

It’s been a little while since I’ve had a chance to sit down and blog. This past week was absolutely crazy, and I just never seemed to find the right time to write. But here I am—finally with my feet up—sharing my weekend adventures with you all.

Today’s Crockpot Sunday brought a little taste of Olive Garden into my home—Olive Garden Chicken! 😋 I didn’t follow the recipe exactly (because when do I ever?). I added some thinly sliced red peppers 🫑 that my friend Jackie shared from her garden, and I left out the spinach this time. Let me tell you—it was absolutely mouthwatering! 🤤

This weekend has been jam-packed. My youngest brother came Friday night, and we rototilled an area for an in-ground garden next year. 🌱 Yes, I know it’s a bit early, but I want to get garlic 🧄 planted there next month! He also helped me take down my canopy for the season. It kinda fell down once we took out the anchor screws 😅—so I’ll be saving up for a new one next summer! ☀️

Saturday morning, I kept busy tearing down my garden beds. Honestly, it’s one of the saddest chores of the year for me. 💔 I had to cut down all my beautiful flower beds 🌸, but with brush pickup scheduled for Monday, it had to be done. Later, my other brother came by to replace my outdoor light 💡—the sensor on my old one went out, and Bella 🐾 and I had way too many close calls with the neighborhood black-and-white striped “kitty.” 🦨 At least now we can spot him before we’re on top of him! After that, he helped me with a few more projects, and then I was off to do my weekly grocery shopping 🛒. Bella and I rounded out the afternoon with laundry 🧺 and house cleaning 🧹.

This morning, I treated myself to sleeping in until 7 a.m. 😴 (which, let’s be real, felt amazing). I prepped the crockpot first thing, then Bella and I got to crafting ✂️—well, I crafted, and she snoozed in her supervisor role. 😉 I can’t share my projects just yet, but I’m excited for when I can! Later, we strung up Halloween lights 🎃✨ on the porch before I finally collapsed into my recliner with my latest book 📖 for a few hours of reading bliss.

Now, Bella and I are winding down for the evening. My body is sore, I’m completely wiped out 😮‍💨, but my heart feels full. ❤️ Here’s to a little less chaos and a little more rest in the week ahead. 🌙✨