The Great Thanksgiving Sweater

I despise turtlenecks, y'all. Like really can't stand them. They look so adorable on other people, but when I wear them I just look like an actual turtle and it honestly makes me a little claustrophobic! But I love the trend and I don't like having a cold neck, so when I saw this darling "mock neck" poncho sweater at JCPenney, I just had to scoop it up! It looks JUST like a pricier LOFT sweater that everyone's obsessing over but I paid less than $20 for mine! You can shop both sweater options down below.

Of course, Lucy had to match me! I found the cutest little wool hat for her at Target and knew she would love it since it looked like mine. Her sweater is also a Target find that I scored on clearance for under $5! I accidentally got her a size too big but it worked out! I love how much she loves to match me and hope she never outgrows it--my mom and I still match a lot since we wear a lot of the same stuff!

This whole look would really be perfect for Thanksgiving, too! The sweater is flowy and forgiving in a flattering way, warm and cozy, and even long enough for leggings if you size up like I did! I love the heather grey color and I know I'll be wearing this one a ton this fall and winter.

SHOP THE LOOK

Do you know what you're wearing for Thanksgiving yet? What would you wear to the pumpkin patch?

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The Retro Mini Skirt

Y'all know how much I love everything vintage, so when I saw that fabrics like corduroy and suede were coming back I had to hop on board! I'm also really into the multi-stripe sweater trend, particularly these ribbed knits and tighter fits. I just had to pair these two together for a fun, retro look and I love the 70's/90's vibes this whole outfit gives off! My sweater is completely sold out, but I've linked several other super affordable options below along with my exact skirt + a few others! The skirt runs mostly TTS but if you're in between I would size up. I went with a large and I'm glad I did because I can tuck in thicker sweaters than I would have been able to in my usual medium.

SHOP THE LOOK

Not fashion related: Have you tried Scooter's coffee? They're a drive-thru only coffee shop with lots of amazing flavors, including a "Candy Bar" menu where you can ask for any candy bar you can think of and they make your drink taste like that bar! This isn't sponsored, by the way, I just love Scooter's! Their prices are great, too, and the service is always friendly and speedy so if you're looking to support a new local coffee shop, find your local Scooter's franchise here and give it a try! If you sign up for their email list you even get a free drink (+ a freebie on your birthday, too)! I got a milky way coffee this time and it was the perfect mix of mocha and caramel! My favorites are Heath Bar and Kit Kat.

Back to the outfit: Can we talk about these cute buttons? I think that detail is just so fun and makes this skirt so different! I'm working on a round up of different ways to wear this burgundy mini skirt for fall and winter so you can really rock the trend in multiple ways! Let me know if you'd be interested in that post or tell me how you would style it in the comments!

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Fall Fun at Eckert's Millstadt

Y'all know we LOVE our local orchard, Eckert's, and of course any kind of pumpkin patch! We recently had the opportunity to check out their Millstadt Fun Farm for the first time and the kids had the MOST fun! A week later and Lucy is still telling everyone she sees "I went to the pumpkin patch and rode a camel!" I mean, what could be more memorable?! Let me show you a little peek at our fun day there:

First we had to hit the apple orchard! The Eckert's employees are always friendly and helpful, but they really went above and beyond this time! They had samples of the apples available for picking so we could pick our favorite kind (in LOVE with Evercrisp now, btw) and even had helpful tips for which apples were best for baking, eating, etc! It made heading into a huge orchard with multiple choices a lot less overwhelming and allowed us to pick with certainty--and enjoy the process a lot more!

Then it was off to pick our own pumpkins! The patch was way bigger than I expected and full of great quality pumpkins--big and small! We, of course, had to get at least one giant pumpkin (okay, maybe two). Thankful for my handsome pumpkin hauler who handled The Great Pumpkin so I didn't have to get my new sweater dirty ;)

Time for some fun! By FAR, the highlight of this trip was that darn camel ride! We've always been fans of the pony ride at Eckert's but since my kids have been on an Aladdin kick, the prospect of a camel ride was just too enticing and they both had an absolute blast! I thought for sure the height would scare them off, but they both sat atop that gentle giant like they'd done it a thousand times! Lucy is still talking about it a week later so you know it was a good time! The coolest part about Eckert's Millstadt location is that your admission covers almost all of the attractions--as many carnival rides as you can handle + tons of fun play sets and activities! Stay all day and play, then enjoy a snack of kettle corn and fresh apple cider at the Country Store (or grab some BBQ from one of their food stands)--it'll be a worthwhile weekend, and totally within your budget!

I mean, how cute are these little market stands of pumpkins and mums galore! The whole place is just made for photo opps (there are several official ones, too)! Lucy really liked all of the "just-her-size" pumpkins and gourds. Parker was really just partial to running and seeing ALL the things!

If you haven't seen my Eckert's Belleville location posts you can check them out below, plus see our adventures at Eckert's new Boyd's Orchard in Versailles KY! We love our usual Belleville location for it's large country store and family restaurant, but the Millstadt farm was a fun new experience we can't wait to enjoy again! It's definitely a great choice if you've got kids in tow that want a full day of nonstop play! Which Eckert's location is your family's favorite?? You still have another week to take advantage of all the fall festivities!

*Thank you to Eckert's for hosting us at their Millstadt farm!*

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BELLEVILLE IL

BOYD'S ORCHARD KY

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