Living La Vida Holoka


How to Easily Transition Your Wardrobe for Fall

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This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SparkleWithGain #ILoveGain #CollectiveBias

Swap out your summer clothes and get your closet ready for cooler weather with these tips to help you easily transition your wardrobe for fall!  Grab Fresh Water Sparkle™ products from Dollar General with the savings above!

 
Fall is my favorite time of year.  I’m definitely in the minority when I say that I actually prefer cold weather to the hot days of summer.  We had our last heatwave of the summer season just a few weeks ago and I cheered when it was over.  It was nice to feel that shift in the air when the humidity dips and cool breeze blows in.  We went from the 90s to the 60s in a matter of days!  It felt amazing to put on yoga pants and an oversized hoodie, and snuggle up under a big blanket!  Of course, in true New Jersey fashion, that weather was just a tease.  The heatwaves may be over for another year, but we still have a few of those upper 80 degree days hanging around.

Besides all of the pumpkins, hayrides, fall foliage, and the chill in the air, one of my favorite things about fall is my wardrobe.  I definitely prefer my cold weather clothes to my summer wardrobe!  I feel like you can get way more creative with outfits when you can layer, mix and match pieces, thrown on a hat, accessorize with scarves, and rock a killer pair of boots!  Despite having a bit of that summer weather linger, I started to transition my wardrobe from summer to fall.


Grab a Dollar General coupon and save on Gain Fresh Water Sparkle™ products by clicking the badge at the top of this post!

 
I devoted a day last week to cleaning out my closet and pulling out some of my fall wardrobe.  There was a lot a laundry about to happen, so I ran to Dollar General to stock up on Gain Fresh Water Sparkle™ products.  It’s an exclusive scent to Dollar General and smells scent-sational! It’s like a splash of Fresh Water Sparkle™ in every load of wash!  I had a lot of laundry to do and wanted to make my clothes #SparkleWithGain, so I grabbed Gain Flings!™ Laundry Detergent Pacs, Gain Fireworks™ In-Wash Scent Booster Beads, Gain Liquid Laundry Detergent and, Gain Dryer Sheets all in the Fresh Water Sparkle™ scent. 

Gain Liquid Laundry Detergent not only makes clothes smell amazing, but cleans great, too! Gain Flings!™ are a convenient way to wash your clothes, have 50% more scent than Gain Liquid Laundry Detergent, and work with any washer setting.  Gain Fireworks™ In-Wash Scent Booster Beads add more of Gain’s great scent to your laundry.  Just shake them into your washer before adding your clothes.  When you’re ready for the dryer, toss Gain Dryer Sheets in with your clothes to fight static, keep clothes soft, while adding another boost of that Fresh Water Sparkle™ scent!  Gain will keep clothes smelling amazing all season long, whether they’re in storage or hanging up in your closet!



Are you getting ready to transition your wardrobe over to fall?  Check out some of my tips below to make the process way easier!

Launder your clothes with Gain Fresh Water Sparkle products before storing them away

Before I store my summer clothing away, I like to make sure they’re nice and clean.  #ILoveGain!  Gain Fresh Water Sparkle™ products have become a staple in my home.  Not only does Gain keep my clothes clean, but it smells amazing, too! Gain Fresh Water Sparkle™ products will keep your clothes fresh even when they’re put away for the season!

Keep some summer staples

Don’t rush to put all of your summer clothes away!  I like keeping solid colored tank tops in neutral colors hanging in my closet.  They’re perfect for layering under off-the-shoulder tops and cardigans.  Plus, those t-shirts and tanks come in handy on warmer, fall days and look super cute with jeans and booties!

Layer with jackets, scarves, and cardigans

One of my favorite things about fall clothing is that every outfit is so much fun to layer and accessorize!  I love playing around with jackets or topping off an outfit with a fun scarf or hat.  Layers not only give an outfit an extra boost of style, but they’ll keep you a bit warmer when it’s cold outside!

Donate items you haven’t worn all season

While you’re cleaning out your closet, find some items that you haven’t worn all season.  My rule is that if I haven’t worn it in a year, it gets donated.  This frees up some space in your closet and you’ll do a good deed while you’re at it.  It’s a win-win!


If you’re ready to say “so long” to your summer wardrobe, head to your local Dollar General for the exclusive Fresh Water Sparkle™ line of Gain products!  You can find them where other detergents and cleaning products are sold.

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When do you start putting your summer clothes away?

How to Make a Rustic Mason Jar Fall Bouquet

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Celebrate all things fall with a charming, rustic mason jar fall bouquet made with scarecrows, corn, sunflowers, and more! 


It’s crazy to think that my both of my baby sisters are now engaged to be married. People keep asking me if that makes me feel old.  Not yet.  Ask me again the first time one of them has a baby!  It’s so exciting to see them experience this period in their lives.  Our wedding was planned in what seemed like only a matter of months, but that time of planning and just basking in our engagement was so much fun!  So this weekend, I get to help them celebrate this special time with an engagement party being thrown by our parents.

When the discussion of throwing a joint engagement party for my sisters first came up, we agreed that I would be in charge of decorations.  Being so close to fall, we decided that we would have a fall-inspired celebration.  The backyard is going to have tents and tables set up, so we needed some nice centerpieces.  I have a ton of quart sized mason jars leftover from canning, so I got the idea to turn them into bouquets.  Last weekend, my sisters and I headed to Michael’s together to pick out fall florals to use inside of the jars.




The three of us together in Michael’s turned out to be a dangerous thing!  Our trip didn’t start off so well.  I mean that our cart started filling up with things that weren’t on our list for the party!  But we eventually got it together and found some really great florals and picks for our bouquets.  We decided to wrap the jars with a burlap style ribbon.  Then, glue a flower in the center.  

We used a vase filler in smaller jars for flameless tealights, but I had a lot of Spanish moss leftover from terrarium projects.  So I used the moss to fill the bottom of the mason jar bouquets and hide the stems.  We toned down the tradition fall colors with creamy neutrals.  Then, we added in fun, little picks like pumpkins, scarecrows, and ears of corn. My mom had some lighted branches from another party, so I ended up using some of those, as well. 

SUPPLIES

STEPS

    1. Measure the ribbon around the mason jar.  Cut the strip.
    2. Heat a hot glue gun and glue the ribbon around the mason jar.
    3. Add a flower to the center of the ribbon, if desired.
    4. Next, add Spanish moss in the bottom of the mason jar, filling about halfway.
    5. Snip the flowers with wire cutters to fit the jar and begin arranging them.  Start with the flowers.  Then, add in the picks and leaves.
    6. If making multiple bouquets alternate colors and picks. Then, display on wood slices with artificial pumpkins for a pretty rustic, fall centerpiece!


I was really pleased with how these turned out and so were my sisters!  I can’t wait to set these up on wood slices with artificial pumpkins and the tealight candle jars.  Make sure to follow me on Facebook and Instagram! I’ll be sharing pics from the party!  If you missed my Instagram Live tutorial, watch how I put one of these bouquets together below!


 

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Sausage, Wild Rice, and Mushroom Stuffed Acorn Squash

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Ready for fall flavors to hit your plate? You’ll want to add this savory and delicious Sausage, Wild Rice, and Mushroom Stuffed Acorn Squash recipe to your menu!


It’s that time of year again when our taste buds start craving things other than summer fruits, salads, and barbecued dishes.  We branch out and delight in all of the different flavors of fall.  Soups begin to get warmed up again and we’re not afraid to turn the oven back on.  We visit orchards, pick the best apples, and bring home all sorts of squash.  One of my favorites to bring home is acorn squash!

I love having a small, local farm nearby.  I make a trip there at least once a month to see what freshly grown fruits and veggies they have in stock.  Recently, I took a drive to the farm with Hunter (I love pet-friendly businesses!) to pick up some apples.  There were a couple bins of different kinds of squash sitting outside of the market.  As I was picking a spaghetti squash to bring home, Hunter took interest in the acorn squash.  I’m pretty sure he thought they were balls he could play with, but it was a good choice nonetheless!  So I brought one of those home, too.

A simple fall dish that’s an easy meal for two!

 
My mom used to make acorn squash with a little butter and brown sugar on it.  I remember it being a simple combo that tasted like fall in every bite.  These days, I’m taking my squash from basic to bougy.  Acorn squash has a naturally sweet, kind of nutty flavor to it.  When it’s roasted, it has a buttery texture that’s undeniably delicious!  It’s the perfect vessel to hold savory rice mixtures.

If you want a simple fall dish with a lot of flavor, this is it!  The buttery, roasted acorn squash gets stuffed with a savory mixture of wild rice, mushrooms, garlic, spinach, and crumbled sausage.  One half of a stuffed acorn squash equals one portion, so a full acorn squash is a really easy meal for two!  

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Sausage, Wild Rice, and Mushroom Stuffed Acorn Squash

Sausage, Wild Rice, and Mushroom Stuffed Acorn Squash

Ingredients

  • Small acorn squash, cut in half with seeds scooped out
  • 1/2 lb. or less sweet Italian ground sausage (I used Hatfield)
  • 1 cup brown & wild rice mix, cooked
  • 1 large clove garlic, chopped
  • 3/4 cup fresh baby spinach leaves
  • 1/4 cup baby bella mushrooms, chopped
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • Optional: crushed red pepper flakes, shredded Parmesan cheese, fresh thyme leaves

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a small baking sheet with foil.
  2. Brush the inside of the acorn squash with olive oil and place cut side down onto the prepared baking sheet.
  3. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the squash has softened and turned golden brown around the edges. While the squash is baking, begin preparing the filling.
  4. Heat a large skillet over medium. Add the ground sausage to the skillet and cook.
  5. Once the sausage is cooked completely, add in the garlic and cook until fragrant.
  6. Stir in the baby spinach and mushrooms. Cook until the spinach has wilted and the mushrooms have softened.
  7. Season with salt and pepper. Then, spoon the mixture into each acorn squash half.
  8. Reduce oven heat to 350 degrees and place the squash back into the oven. Cook for another 8 minutes.
  9. Remove squash from oven and serve with a sprinkle of red pepper flakes, Parmesan cheese, and fresh thyme leaves.
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Nothing against my mom’s simple, brown sugar, acorn squash, but this stuffed acorn squash definitely has it beat!  If you want a perfect Meatless Monday meal for the fall, just ditch the sausage!  It will still be great vegetarian dish that’s full of flavor! 

With squash season upon us, it’s time to switch up the dinner menu!  Looking for a great squash side for fall?  Check out my Parmesan Squash Fries recipe!

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Are you a fan of acorn squash? If so, how do you like to eat it?

Oh For Fox Sake Free iPhone Wallpaper

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Download this free “Oh For Fox Sake” iPhone wallpaper to easily add fall style to your phone!  It’s inspired by our new, woodland friends that have inhabited our neighborhood!


If you’ve been following along on Facebook and Instagram, then you know that our neighborhood now has foxes.  Like a lot of foxes!  This is something very new to us.  During the past year, we’ve heard that one or two have been around.  But this is pretty rare for our neighborhood.  Since then, foxes have shown up in our backyard, I’ve seen them while I’m out running errands, and we’ve even had them hide in our garden and underneath our shed!

All of the foxes we’ve seen have mange.  Thankfully, they seem to be more afraid of us than we are of them and tend to stay away.  Still, this is not the norm for us, so I decided to make some calls a few weeks ago.  Animal control basically threw their hands up in the air and said there’s nothing they can do.  They directed me to call Fish, Game, and Wildlife, but another source told me they would trap and euthanize the foxes.  That’s the last thing in the world that I want for these animals.

Through the power of social media, I was contacted by a local animal sanctuary/rescue zoo. I was told that mange can be easily treated and with treatments these foxes could go on to live a healthy life.  However, the state of New Jersey has certain guidelines against people just coming out, trapping, treating wildlife, and releasing them back in the wild.  The zoo said that they were going to make some phone calls and get back to me.  I’m still waiting to hear back from the zoo.  I’m sure it’ll take some work to get an okay from the state, if they can get any answers at all.

DOWNLOAD THIS FREE IPHONE/IPHONE PLUS WALLPAPER HERE!

 
So to pay homage to our new, neighborhood friends, I created this snarky iPhone wallpaper! It looks really cute with my purple Otterbox and those leaves in the background have me extra excited for fall!  This wallpaper is sized for iPhone and iPhone Plus, so everyone can enjoy it!  Click the link above to download it or save it to your phone!  FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY!

As for the foxes, my latest update is basically that I don’t have one.  The foxes have become part of the new norm around here.  They still run through our yard from time-to-time and as long as they’re not hurting anyone, I have to just let it be.  I’ve done what I can for these animals and now I have to let nature take its course.

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Keep up with all of my fox sightings by clicking the fox icon in my Instagram highlights! 


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