VintageMama

Halloween Ideas for Fun and Fright + HM #205

October 11, 2018 by VintageMama Leave a Comment

Halloween has never been one of my preferred holidays. It might be from going out Trick or Treating as a child in the cold, rainy, gloomy autumn nights, shivering in my improvised costume with an old pillowcase to carry home my treats. Not that we got that many since we lived out in the country, but we would go out and knock on a few doors in our lakeside neighborhood, a few of my girlfriends and I, but we were always ready to run home through the misty darkness to the warmth and light of our own little houses. Or perhaps it is that I don’t like spiders, ghosts, witches, or cobwebs . . . or any of the other scary things that come with this particular time of the year. So we don’t actually do very much in recognition of Halloween . . . but we do like to decorate our home to celebrate the beauty of autumn, and pumpkins are so cheerful and happy, that we always have a few pretty pumpkins around our front door. So for this week’s Home Matters Linky Party #205 with the theme of Halloween ideas, I was looking for some new ideas for making our home festive for the whole month of October. #Halloween #HalloweenIdeas #HomeMattersParty

I love the bright colors of this time of year, especially combined with the black and white plaids and polka dots that I discovered, because they make such a bold statement of happiness at the changing of the seasons. The black and white striped rug, the polka dot pillows, the black and white plaid boots, and the cute black and white wreath just look so cheerful combined with orange and yellow pumpkins. The linen handmade pumpkins are such a soft color, along with the white mums and the ivory candles . . . it just says “Autumn is here!” and that is perfect for our little home and family. Here are the Halloween ideas that I found that I thought would work for our family – and if you aren’t a huge fan of all the goblins, ghosts, witches, spiders, and other creepy crawly things, you might find something here that inspires you as you think about getting your home ready for the autumn days of October.

Halloween Porch Decor from HGTV

Halloween Entry Decor from LavieLC

Halloween Decorations on a Budget from Brad Pike

Elegant Linen Pumpkins from House Beautiful

Halloween Home Decor from The 36th Avenue

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Super Easy Two-Tier Halloween Cake from Bird @ Bird’s Party

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Streusel Pumpkin Pie from Jen @ Cincy Shopper

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Rae Dunn Inspired Fall & Halloween Signs from Kippi @ Kippi At Home

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Homemade Poop Emoji Costume for Kids from Tanya @ 5 Minutes for Mom

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15 Easy Recipes using Maple Syrup from Kristy @ Kristy Still

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It’s been a rainy autumn day

October 11, 2018 by VintageMama 3 Comments

We had a lot of fun on our family getaway, even though it rained a couple of the days we were in our rather rustic cottage in the woods. One morning we got up and it was so foggy we couldn’t even see the lake which was just down the hill off the deck outside the kitchen door. It wasn’t cold, so even though it was raining we took a couple of day trips into a little town with an amazing old-fashioned Dime Store, the kind I used to shop at when I was a kid.

Not too far from where we were staying there were a bunch of covered bridges (no, not the Bridges of Madison County, but still . . . . ) so we drove around in the rain to look at a few of them. We drove down winding dirt roads, through cornfields and woods. “Mom, next time can we go somewhere that looks different than it does around our house?” Well, of course, but then we would probably have to go farther away than just 100 miles from home, in a different state. But she was right. It did look an awful lot like the cornfields and woods around our house, but it was a fun adventure searching through the dreary, misty afternoon looking for those rather dilapidated covered bridges.

Actually, there is a rather large man-made pond right across the road from our house with a beautiful covered bridge. It is not for driving on, but it is quite lovely to look at. Especially on a rainy autumn day. So we had a good time just hanging out together, playing Trivial Pursuit every evening, and doing a bit of exploring. One day we drove into Terre Haute, Indiana where we found the CANDLES Holocaust Museum which was amazing! The girls were really interested and we learned so much about the woman who started the museum:

In 1995, Eva Mozes Kor opened the CANDLES Holocaust Museum and Education Center in Terre Haute, with a mission to prevent prejudice and hatred through education about the Holocaust. Thousands of people, including many school groups, have visited CANDLES since it opened. In 2003, the museum was destroyed by a hate-filled arsonist. Eva vowed to rebuild, and with the help of a generous public outpouring of support, the museum was rebuilt and reopened in 2005.

It was such a moving story of how one woman’s experience of terror and tragedy was turned around into a story of forgiveness and kindness. If you would like more information about the CANDLES Holocaust Museum, you can visit their website HERE.

So, even though our little family getaway wasn’t all that exciting, we had a lot of fun together. It was too rainy most of the evenings to have a bonfire, but then we can do that here at home, out on our deck, when the evenings are dry and cool. We did get to check out a few local restaurants which were OK, but I would have to say that the best part of the whole time was just being away for a few days, with no expectations or responsibilities, with time to relax and have fun. I think we need to do that again before another year goes by!

Today, however, I had a lot of work to do! It has been raining most of the day, so it was rather dark and gloomy, so in the afternoon after teaching in the morning and then grading papers and working on an editing project, I decided to get away from the computer and watch a movie. With a cup of tea, a cozy blanket, and a time to relax. Some days it’s OK just to take a break from all of the busyness of life and take time for yourself.

I hope you have time to do that once in a while. I know it is really challenging when you have a family to take care of (my girls came home later and now one is at work and the other one is doing homework so I have a bit of time to catch up on my blogging projects!), but if you can find a few minutes to catch your breath, you’ll find that it is good for everyone in your life. Give it a try, maybe tomorrow, even if it isn’t rainy at your house. You’ll see what I mean!

But don’t forget to join us for the Favorite Things Blog Hop and Linky Party . . . just link up your latest blog post and while you are relaxing with a cup of tea, pop around and visit some of the other bloggers that have joined our weekly party. You’ll meet new bloggers and make new friends, I promise! Hope to see you there . . . .

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Organizing My October

October 9, 2018 by VintageMama 1 Comment

Even through today it still feels like summer outside my kitchen door, I know that the brisk breezes of autumn are just around the corner. There are the pumpkins and the pretty mums huddled together on the deck and the beautiful autumn wreath hangs on my newly painted door, but it won’t be long before the snow descends, covering it all with a silent cloak of white. Perhaps that realization is what makes me feel a little bit like I did back in the early days of spring . . . time to get the house ready for the next season and organize my life. All of which can be challenging when you are still trying to finish up those last few outdoor projects that need to be wrapped up before winter. But somehow, I’m ready to start organizing my October.

When you walk into a store and see the Christmas decorations already sparkling in the twinkling lights on pre-decorated trees, there is a sudden sense of panic. Did I miss it already? But then, you look around and see that, no, you haven’t missed anything . . . yet! On one aisle there are pumpkins and scarecrows, spooky and funny masks, children’s Halloween costumes, and ghoulish yard displays. Since we don’t really pay much attention to Halloween, our autumn themes tend to be more focused on the beauty of the changing seasons and the harvest that we see all around us here in the cornfields and farm lands of northern Indiana.

But just across the way there is a whole array of Thanksgiving home decor, paper plates, cups, napkins, and festive banners with turkeys trotting across them all. More displays of bales of hay with artificial autumn-hued leaves and plastic pumpkins remind me that before we’ve even had time to appreciate the wonderful blessings of autumn, we’re already preparing Thanksgiving dinner. One can even spend hard-earned money buying kitchen towels, rugs, tablecloths, napkins, placemats, and table runners that feature more trotting turkeys. But don’t slow down too long to think about the blessings for which we are thankful!

Because just around the corner you will suddenly find yourself in a holiday / Christmas / winter wonderland where you will be mesmerized by all of the dazzle of ornaments, trees, stockings, wrapping paper / boxes / bows, blinking signs and animated reindeer and Santas telling you what you NEED to buy today. More and more and more stuff to pile under a tree, then shove into the back of a closet or dresser drawer once December has finally come and gone. Today it is still early October, and I refuse to be badgered into wishing my life away for the next three months!

I’ve decided that I am going to focus this week on getting my life, my schedule, my home, and my heart organized, not just for the rest of October, but for the rest of 2018. I am determined that I won’t be rushed through every day at break-neck speed, trying to do everything that the noise all around me tells me I must do if I want a “Merry Christmas” or if we want our family to have “Happy Holidays.” I’ve decided that we are going to have a “Merry TODAY,” and “Happy THIS MOMENT,” and get off the spinning treadmill that dictates what this time of year SHOULD look like. We are going to paint our own picture of autumn, Thanksgiving, Christmas, the holidays, and the rest of the winter, according to our own design.

So, for right now, I’m working on organizing my October. There are a few things that are necessary – dr. and dentist appointments, work obligations, school events, and a few other activities that we have committed to, but I’m taking back my time and dedicating it to doing what is best for my family and for myself, on a daily basis. No more rushing, pushing, calculating how to get a million things crammed into every day. I might even take a walk or go for a bike ride.

Because when the days turn cold and the leaves have drifted peacefully to the ground, I want to be ready to really experience the beauty of autumn. We will rake up the leaves, and clean out the garden; we will prepare the yard for snow, and we will make sure our home is warm and cozy when the winds of winter howl around the corners. And then we will take slow down and rediscover the joy, the beauty, and the wonder of Christmas when we celebrate the true meaning of peace on Earth, goodwill to all men and women.

Making time and taking time to hold each moment as a treasure. That’s why I’m organizing my October . . . so I don’t wake up in January and realize that, yes, I did miss it all. Because I was so frantically busy, I just didn’t have a chance to look around at the beauty of each day. How about you? Do you love this time of year, or do you begin to feel pressured and panicked just thinking about everything you will need to do for the upcoming holiday season? I’ll try to remind you every week that it’s OK to take a deep breath and celebrate the moment. Hope you are having a good week so far!

Favorite Things: Family Get-Away

October 4, 2018 by VintageMama 4 Comments

We are really excited about our autumn family getaway later this month! We’ve been talking about this for several months and it is almost time for us to take off for a few days to a rustic lodge on the shores of a lake in central Indiana. We don’t take time off for a vacation in the summer because all we would do is stay inside where it is cool . . . none of us do well in really hot, humid weather. So the month of October works great for us. A few years ago we went to northern Michigan and stayed in a little cottage by Lake Michigan and we were able to climb the sand dunes, walk on the beach and hike out to the lighthouse.

It rained and was misty and foggy for the whole time we were there, but it was still fun. We played board games and did a jigsaw puzzle, and just stayed together without TV or any other distractions. It was great! This time we didn’t want to go so far away because we didn’t want to spend so much time driving, so we found an old fashioned lodge where we will be able to go fishing, have a bonfire at night, walk on the beach or along the trails, or just read a book and play games. And it won’t be hot and humid!

It might rain, but that’s OK with us. We bought a couple new games we are going to play, along with some of our old favorites, and we are planning on just having a fun time together, just our little family. We’re looking forward to our upcoming getaway, and I’ll be sure to share photos with you when we return. In the meantime, I hope you will join us for this week’s Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop and Linky Party. I’ll do my best to stop by and visit as many of you as I can! Thanks for visiting Vintage Mama’s Cottage. Hope you are having a good week.

Welcome to this week’s Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop and Linky Party!

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Katherine-Katherines Corner

Nina-Vintage Mamas Cottage

Marilyn-Marilyns Treats

Bev-Eclectic Red Barn

Angelina- Petite Haus

Amber- Follow the Yellow Brick Home

Theresa- Shoestring Elegance

Linda- Crafts a la Mode

Pam- An Artful Mom

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The October 2018 issue of RUBY magazine has been published!

October 1, 2018 by VintageMama 1 Comment

Autumn has arrived! With all of the bright colors of autumn leaves, bright blue skies, and brisk breezes, there is so much to be grateful for in this new season of the year. In this issue of RUBY magazine you will find autumn crafts, recipes, short stories, poetry, book reviews, and inspirational articles. RUBY magazine is a great resource for you and your family!

Be sure to check out the autumn recipes in the October issue of RUBY magazine . . . . apple muffins, caramel apple fruit pizza, apple cream cheese Danish, apple cinnamon baked oatmeal, apple and gouda grilled cheese sandwiches, apple compote, and apple butter . . . . from all around the blogosphere in this month’s autumn recipe collection.

Getting ready for the holidays? You’ll find book reviews in the October issue of RUBY magazine for books that will be just right for someone on your holiday gift list: Blessings from the Wrong Side of Town, I’m a 2 Rule Girl, and all of the new books in the Thanksgiving Books and Blessings Collection, all available from RUBY’S Reading Corner.

You will also find the Kids’ Korner featured in every issue of RUBY magazine, where we have a short story, book reviews, and a seasonal activity for the kids. This month our story is “The Lonely Girl” by Shara Bueler-Repka, and we review the book, God Gave Us Thankful Hearts, also available from RUBY’S Reading Corner.

NOW ACCEPTING SUBMISSIONS FOR THE NOVEMBER 2018 ISSUE OF RUBY MAGAZINE!

CLICK HERE TO VISIT OUR SUBMISSIONS PAGE FOR ALL THE DETAILS!

Apple Ideas for Everything! + HM #203

September 27, 2018 by VintageMama 2 Comments

It’s apple harvest time around here, so this is the perfect time for this week’s Home matters Linky Party #203 and the them of apple ideas. Since I don’t do a lot of baking anymore, I wasn’t really looking for recipes . . . but I did come across one that looked like something my family would like. I was actually looking for more ideas for outdoor wreaths, but I didn’t really find anything that I liked so I decided to search for other ideas for this week’s round-up. Here’s what I came up with! #Apple #AppleIdeas #HomeMattersParty

Free Printable Fall Apple Sign from Houseful of Handmade

Best Hot Apple Cider from Blessed Beyond Doubt

Spice Up Fall Home Decor from Our Provident Homestead

Vintage Apple Wall Decor by Jean Plout

Bavarian Apple Oatmeal Streusel Cheesecake from The Sweet Sensations

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Welcome to the weekly Home Matters Linky Party. A great place to come, share your blog posts, and make new friends.

We would love to have you visit our blogs and follow us on social media!

Hosts

Lorelai @ Life With Lorelai — Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

Kristen @ The Road to Domestication — Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

Co-hosts

Sahana @ Vikalpah — Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

Nicole @ Mom Always Finds Out — Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

Emily @ Domestic Deadline — Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

Donna @ Modern On Monticello — Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

Nina @ Vintage Mama’s Cottage — Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

Ashley @ Sweetpea Lifestyle — Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

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Check out this week’s features below.

Fall Family Activity Bucket List + Free Printable from Susan @ Crafting a Family

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Monster Cupcakes from Gina @ Kleinworth & Co

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DIY Checkered Fall Pillows with Stencils from Marie @ The Interior Frugalista

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DIY Pallet Pumpkins from Angie @ Live Craft Love

PIN here.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie from Kit @ The Kittchen

PIN here.

Thank you to all who linked up at last week’s party. We look forward to seeing what you will be sharing with us this week!

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Please link up no more than THREE posts each week–try to make sure that they are new links that you have not shared here previously. (Exception: Holiday/Seasonal specific posts may be shared once per year.)

Please take some time to poke around and visit some of the other links.

Please take some time to check out your hosts and co-hosts on social media.

We appreciate the variety of blogs on the www; however, the Home Matters Party is for links on matters of the HOME. Please link accordingly.

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On the same note, please do not add links of an extremist, political or strong controversial nature. (The hosts and co-hosts read each and every blog post linked and will contact you directly if you have linked something that does not fit into the realm of the party.)

With your help, we can continue to grow the Home Matters Party! Thank you!

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Favorite Things: Bible Journaling

September 27, 2018 by VintageMama 5 Comments

I guess it’s true . . . . what is old becomes new again, sooner or later. Or, sometimes it’s referred to this way: “What goes around, comes around.” And if you live long enough, you will discover how many times that will happen in your lifetime. One of the things that I’ve realized is a “new” trend that lots of people have been doing for a really long time, is what is now called “Bible Journaling.” That’s a catchy name and it is a great way to encourage people to get creative with their study of the Scriptures.

My poor old Bible is pretty much in tatters. But when when the cover started to fall off a few years ago, I couldn’t bear to part with it, so my family bought me a Bible cover to hold it all together. With a pretty pink, black, and white quilted cover, a zipper, and a handle, I can still use my familiar, favorite Bible, probably for the rest of my life. I’ve tried using a new Bible. I even have several other Bibles that are very nice and they are brand-new. But they are not familiar, like my old Bible. I know where verses are that I’ve underlined, circled, and starred over the years. I have notes that I wrote in the margins during times of study, and times of great sadness and despair. It’s like an old friend who knows all my secrets, and a new one just wouldn’t be the same.

With all those notes and squiggles and underlines and circles, I’ve found that my Bible is a precious treasure that reminds me not only of God’s love, faithfulness, promises, and holiness but it also reminds me of the places and times where He carried me through some very dark days. So writing in my Bible was just kind of a natural way of recording those memories of time of joy and times of brokenness. But it never occurred to me to color in my Bible. Until I started reading about all of the “new” ways of Bible journaling. And then I realized that I had been doing that for many years, just not quite so boldly or creatively. I guess it’s time to step up my game!

And then I recalled all of the beautiful illuminated manuscripts that I studied once upon a time when I was doing my academic studies in Medieval Church history. The beautiful drawings and embellishments that were used in those books, hundreds of years ago, are still a testament to the devotion and loyalty to God by the only people of that day and age who could read and write. The monks in the monasteries would write out the Scriptures and other prayer books, by hand, and they would include beautiful colored drawings to help the people understand the story of God’s love and His gift of grace through Jesus. Because the average person back then could not read the words, so the pictures were the best way to tell that story. Bible journaling in the beginning of God’s story of redemption. We continue to tell that story, and we also can bring our own love of God’s Word into our own Bible through journaling the pages of His Love Letter to us.

I guess it is time to begin my own, more colorful and creative, spiritual journey through the Bible and start doing some doodling, drawing, and even painting and coloring in my old Bible. I hope it will hold up for another few years because this it the one that I just can’t part with. Have you thought about Bible journaling? I would love to see what you do with your designs in your Bible. I’ll show you some of my pages as soon as I get up the courage to start adding some color to my drawings, underlines, circles, and starred verses.

Welcome to this week’s Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop and Linky Party!

Please subscribe to ALL of your hostesses blogs

Katherine-Katherines Corner

Nina-Vintage Mamas Cottage

Marilyn-Marilyns Treats

Bev-Eclectic Red Barn

Angelina- Petite Haus

Amber- Follow the Yellow Brick Home

Theresa- Shoestring Elegance

Linda- Crafts a la Mode

Pam- An Artful Mom

An InLinkz Link-up

October 2018 FREE Printable Calendar

September 25, 2018 by VintageMama 1 Comment

Every month we design and create a pretty printable calendar for RUBY magazine and we like to share it here, as well. This month’s calendar was created from a beautiful watercolor image of autumn leaves in bright shades of red / maroon / fuschia, yellow, orange, and dark green all on a gray/blue background. You can use this fun calendar on your blog or website, or you can print it out and use it in your daytimer or calendar / art journal.

To use this pretty calendar, just right click on the image and then “save as” image to your computer. Then you can upload it to your blog or website, or print it out. That’s it! Have fun being creative with the October 2018 FREE printable calendar from Vintage Mama’s Cottage.

Vintage Autumn Giveaway

September 22, 2018 by VintageMama 5 Comments

A new season and a brand-new giveaway starts today!

It’s time for a new giveaway! I’m joining Katherine, her giveaway sponsor La Bella Vita Cucina and some of Katherine’s blogger friends to bring you the Vintage Autumn Giveaway!

One winner will receive beautiful vintage autumn home decor valued at $150 and a $75 Amazon gift card too!

Please Put Prize image HERE

The prize is provided by La Bella Vita Cucina, Katherines Corner, Katherines Corner Shop, and ALL of the lovely giveaway Hostesses.

Please remember to follow Katherine, Roz and ALL of the giveaway hostesses so you can get all of your entry opportunities.

Katherine-Katherines Corner

Roz- La Bella Vita Cucina

Lisa-Casa Bouquet

Bev-Eclectic Red Barn

Shea- The Fogue Abode

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Chicken Recipes to Feed Your Family + HM #202

September 20, 2018 by VintageMama 3 Comments

Since we’ve been trying to pay attention to excessive carbs in our meals, I’ve been learning a lot. And I’ve also been cooking more than I used to. Actually, cooking and preparing meals that are lower in carbs seems easier than some of the meals my family used to prefer. Oh, we still have hamburgers on the grill, as well as spaghetti once in a while, and other ordinary stuff like baked chicken with rice or noodles . . . but I’m discovering that using different cheeses with chicken or riced cauliflower in place of regular rice is just as yummy and my family likes it, too. But I will admit that trying to figure out something new and different to do with plain ol’ boring chicken has been a challenge. So this week for the Home Matters Linky Party #202 when I realized that the theme was chicken recipes, I decided to broaden my culinary horizons even more than I have over the past couple of months. #Chicken #Recipes #HomeMattersParty

I have only had two slices of bread in the past almost two months, and that was because I was busy so I just quick made a peanut butter sandwich. Both times it was the same reason for grabbing the first thing at hand and slapping some peanut butter on it to give me some protein and energy. I survived, but the interesting thing is that I haven’t had any of those midnight cravings for high carb, high sugar junk food. Well, actually I rarely felt the need to get up in the middle of the night to eat . . . when I finally get a chance to sleep, I’m not interested in being interrupted for much of anything these days. I guess so many years of waking up multiple times every night with crying babies, sick kids, teenage drama, and all the other reasons that kids would wake me up at 3:00 a.m. has finally reached my lifetime quota of bolting up from a dead sleep to make sure everyone is still alive. Although there are still times when one of them peeks around the door of the bedroom and whispers, “Mom! Mom! Are you asleep?” Ummmm . . . I was until you just woke me up. “What’s the matter?” I inquire like a zombie waking from the dead. “Oh, nothing. I couldn’t sleep so I wondered if you were awake. Good night!” So pretty much no eating in the middle of the night for me!

But we were getting a bit over it with boring chicken breasts so I was really happy to find a few fun new ideas that can either be made up just the way the recipe is or can be modified to limit the carbs. So we’ll be trying a few of these chicken recipes soon, especially on these (hopefully soon!) cooler autumn afternoon and evenings when I don’t mind having the oven on for an hour or so before dinner time. Here’s what I found for this week’s chicken recipe roundup!

Healthy Baked Chicken Parmesan from Delish

Easy Skinny Chicken Cordon Bleu from The Skinny Fork

Pizza Chicken from Delish

Chicken Caesar Wraps from Delish

Lemony Chicken Brussels Sprouts Slaw from Delish

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Halloween Ideas for Fun and Fright + HM #205

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Organizing My October

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Chicken Recipes to Feed Your Family + HM #202

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