The Weekly (Joy)Cap

Week of August 16th- August 23rd (24') | Moving, Fall-Scented Wallflower Plug-ins, & A Slow Cooker Recipe to Add to Your Fall Recipe Rotation

This is the (Joy)Cap where I share a weekly reflection or lesson and a roundup of links, recommendations, and everything that’s bringing me joy, inviting you to do the same. Think of this as a weekly coffee date with my close friends. ☕️💕🫶🏾 Join me on a weekly joy hunt and start receiving the (Joy)Cap by subscribing today! ✨

Last week I shared that I believed that me and my family are on the precipice of change. We were waiting for confirmation, but now I can finally say with surety that… we are moving! 😅

We will still be in Georgia, but transitioning to the coast to be closer to my husband’s new route and his side of the family. This year, we have been facing a lot of challenges with his job. Challenges that have led us to step out in faith and seek other opportunities that will better support our family. This is a change that I didn’t see coming, but after much prayer and consideration, this is the decision that the Lord is leading us to make.

And to be honest, it’s a bit scary. In the last (Joy)Cap I shared that I’m not the biggest fan of change. We’re stepping into a season of unknown, moving to a city that we know nothing about, and while my in-laws will be a little over an hour away, we have no friends, family, or community in the area. In many ways, it feels like we’re starting over. Starting from scratch. And I’m still processing my feelings. On one hand, I’m excited and looking forward to a fresh start, but on the other hand, I’m experiencing the waves of grief that sometimes are associated with change and transition.

This was the plot twist that I didn’t see coming. If you told me at the beginning of the year that we would be switching jobs and moving cities, I would be staring at you in disbelief, quite like how my husband and I stare at each other as we discuss the details and the logistics of the move. We are in shock and disbelief, but we are also ready. Ready for this new season and the relief and hope that comes with it.

With that being said, I’m unsure of what my writing schedule will look like over the next few months as we plan, prepare, and pack. I will be doing most of the packing, as he will be on the road working. Some weeks, the (Joy)Cap may be lighter, as I may not have much capacity to share and write. Thank you for extending grace to me as I extend grace to myself as well, as we navigate this equally scary but exciting new season.

What Brought Me Joy ✨

1. Receiving happy mail from a friend. Other than the occasional card from family or a note from Grandma, I rarely receive snail mail outside of bills, coupons, promotions, etc., so when I saw a card in the mail this week from one of my best friends, I was so delighted and surprised. We’ve both been going through it lately and the fact that even in her hard season, she found time to handwrite me an encouraging note humbled me and made my day.

2. A fall-scented wallflower plug-in. On Saturday, I made a quick trip to Bath and Body Works, so I could swap out a wallflower fragrance in my husband and I’s room. I found a new scent called football season, which smells like fall leaves and as they describe it, “cozying up on the bleachers with a warm flannel blanket?” 🤔 I don’t know about that, but it smells like the perfect fragrance to transition from summer to fall.

3. Baking banana bread muffins with the kids. We had a few bananas going bad, so on Sunday, I decided to make some banana bread muffins with the kids. It took way longer than needed 😅 (iykyk), but I loved seeing their joy as they got to scoop, pour, and mix the batter.

4. Listening to audiobooks while cooking dinner. One way I am able to read at such a high magnitude is through audiobooks. I have three littles under four, so I rarely get to sit for a long time to read, but I can listen. I love listening to audiobooks while I cook dinner or tackle other household tasks. Right now, I’m currently listening to Toni Shiloh’s The Love Script.

Currently Reading 📚

• This week I finished Motherhood Without All the Rules¹ by Maggie Combs, This Could Be Us by Kennedy Ryan, and It’s Elementary by Elise Bryant.

• The other week I shared that I had picked up A Run at Love at the library, not realizing it was the second in the series. I’m a stickler for reading series in order, so I borrowed the audiobook for the first one, The Love Script, to catch up before I start the second one.

• My sister and I are still reading the second book in the Sweet Magnolias series, A Slice of Heaven, for our buddy read, and I just started Summer on Highland Beach for another buddy read with another friend of mine.

I’m always sharing my thoughts in real time on Fable and Instagram. For ratings and reviews, check out my Goodreads.

Currently Cooking 👩🏾‍🍳

My husband had some leftover babyback ribs in the freezer from the Fourth. He was going to throw them on the grill, but laziness won out, and I ended up throwing them in the crockpot instead using this recipe I found on Pinterest. I forgot to take a picture (I need to do better 😂), but they came out really good! Good enough to add to our future recipe rotation.

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I would love to hear from you! What brought you joy this week? Leave me a comment or send me a direct message!

Catch up on the latest (Joy)Caps

The Weekly (Joy)Cap

The Weekly (Joy)Cap

The Weekly (Joy)Cap

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