It’s September, and do you love it or do you love it? I love it. Here’s what September has been like for us over here in charming, fall-ish St. Paul, Minnesota.
September Coffee Date – 2019
It’s September, and do you love it or do you love it?
*I LOVE IT.*
Here’s the thing – I adore summer. I am team Summer Everyday Forever.
Buuut… I am wearing a chunky burnt orange sweater with cropped jeans today! As in long pants JEANS! I also made veggie enchiladas and vegetarian shepherd’s pie this afternoon, and apple crisp earlier this week, and chicken wild rice soup last weekend. And wow. Maybe I am kind of also team Fall? Because I feel like I have a new bounce in my step.
The important question this month: how many pumpkin drinks have you had so far this year? because I’ve had at least 73.
Here’s what September has been like for us over here in charming, fall-ish St. Paul, Minnesota.
The House Hunting Never Ends
We’ve been at this for well over a year now. We have looked at honestly probably 1,000 houses or more on all the real estate websites (plus many in person). We have liked a handful of them. We have made offers on three. We have gotten zero.
My main takeaway with the whole process:
WE ARE IMPOSSIBLE, TERRIBLE, INDECISIVE PEOPLE.
Takeaway number two is that what we are looking for maybe, probably, almost certainly does not exist.
Here’s what we want (City Edition):
- Access to fun restaurants
- Access to good grocery stores!
- Access to nice trails and water? like, possibly a lake?
- Diverse community
- Charm, charm, charm
And here’s what we want (Suburb Edition):
- Open floor plan
- Bedrooms on same level
- Big yard
- Quiet
- Good schools
So… I don’t know. Where is the place where you can get all of that rolled up into one house with a cherry on top? We can’t find it.
Tell me your good stories about house hunting. Did you wait it out and find the house of your dreams? Did you buy a house that was like, meh, and then found yourself falling in love with it over time? Did you build a house? Are you team city or suburbs? Please discuss all.
Well, September Dinner Club Was Sure Delicious
I had planned to make us a nice fallish mushroom fettuccine, but then dinner club day arrived, and it was roughly 900 degrees outside, so I bailed and went for something less hot and heavy and a little more puckery, salty, and fresh.
Here was our simple, fresh, perfect early-fall-late-summer menu:
- Bacon Wrapped Dates
- Cheeseboard
- Red wine and white wine, I have no idea which kinds
- No-Cook Puttanesca
- Rosemary Garlic Bread (<- this general recipe, swapping 1/4 cup water for olive oil, plus adding some minced garlic and chopped rosemary)
- Italian Summer Salad
- Brownies
Baby Solvi Turned One
Precious, adorable, sensitive, chill but opinionated Solvi turned one year old this month.
This little love bug is just sunshine. A little run-down of One Year Old Solvi:
- She isn’t walking yet, but she’s a speedcrawler.
- She is a big, big baby. Like, wearing at least 18M and sometimes 24M clothes.
- Her favorite activity is eating. (Okay yes, these are all related.)
- Favorite foods are raspberries and more raspberries, spaghetti, taco-spiced chicken, avocados, sweet potatoes, black beans, and cheese. And a few more raspberries.
- She loves to “dance” – signature move is going into crazy flailing-arms-and-legs mode.
- She loves walks.
- She loves Sage. Sometimes a little too much.
- Riding in the car is not her favorite.
- Her favorite word is “guk.” Our little genius.
How Have We Not Talked About The Enneagram
Have you taken it? What does it mean to you? What number / type are you?
I have taken it several times and listened to several podcasts but this week I just started a real, official Enneagram book (The Road Back To You / affiliate link) and I am already very excited about it.
I test as a Type 6 which feels pretty true for me (like struggling with decision making OH YEAH remember the house thing?), but I also feel some connection to a Type 4 (being a little too emotionally intense for my own good sometimes). I am hoping the book helps clarify this for me a little bit.
I’d love to hear your Enneagram thoughts and experiences!
Who You Should Follow On Instagram
I take my follows very seriously, because what you see and read and look at all the time is what you’re basically feeding to your brain.
Here’s what my brain is thriving on:
- For minimalist, casual, ethical fashion: @natalieborton
- For some help being a more fun person: @etst
- For soul-quenching writing on motherhood and loss: @michaelaevanow
- For fangirling: @sussexroyal
- For faith and critical thinking: @jonathanamartin
- For pretty landscapes: @georgeduluth
- For funny IG story chats and beauty: @confessionsofacleanfoodie
- For things I usually need to hear: @yesandyesblog
- For laughs: @middleclassfancy
- For nerding out about the Enneagram: @justmyenneatype
Who are your favorite follows on Instagram or social media?
Hello From Sage
Important words this month:
Sage wants you to find rest, even right now, even in your season of… stuff everywhere. Hardship. Busyness. Chaos. Heartbreak.
Take an emotional rest, a physical rest, a mental rest. You probably (definitely) need it. Let your shoulders relax a little bit. Leave the junk on the floor. Find a pillow and – literally or figuratively – rest your head for a minute.
Sage knows: this is just good for the soul.
I hope your September was every bit as fallish as ours! Happy weekend! xo
Filed Under: Life
September 27, 2019
Nice to meet you!
I’m Lindsay and I ♡ FOOD. I used to be a teacher, and now making food and writing about it online is my full-time job. I love talking with people about food, and I'm so glad you're here.
Did you make a recipe? Tag @pinchofyum on Instagram so we can find you!
Leave a Reply
74 Comments
Comments could not be loaded. Please try again.
We bought a little house in a historic neighborhood in the city two and a half years ago. The townhouse we moved from in the ‘burbs was 1000 square feet bigger than our current home, but we don’t miss the space at all. Living in the middle of the action has been amazing. We can walk or bike to multiple grocery stores, 2 farmers markets, 2 wine bars, countless restaurants & coffee shops, multiple parks. I can not imagine a life in the suburbs being any better than what we have.
Can I be the one comment that says we didn’t wait for the house of our dreams, we actually settled quite a bit and I got only maybe half the “wants” on my list…but we are doing just fine?? Contentment is best found outside our material possessions, including our homes. We didn’t get everything on our list because we can’t afford the house of “my wants”, and after searching for quite a while, we just decided to go with the best option at that current time instead of continually waiting for all the stars to align with my wants and our budget. When we first moved in, honestly I was a bit frustrated that we didn’t have an open floor plan, or high vaulted ceilings, and the entryway is SO tiny….but living here for over a year now, it is home and I am content. It isn’t perfect, but I know friends who have built their dream home and they still have things to complain about and find discontentment in their home…so I just KNOW this isn’t where inner contentment is found.
My input is if you are tired of the house search, fairly convinced you can’t find ALL the things you want on your list, then prioritize, and swallow the pillow of acceptance that you won’t get ALL the things in your next home, and that’s okay. You will still be able to do ALL the things you want to do with your family and friends, which is most important!
And knowing you have much experience in the developing world, when I compare my house not to my neighbors, but to those in different parts of the world who don’t even have a bathroom or running water in their home, I AM SO BLESSED. My cup overflows, even in my not-so-cute split level 70’s house.
You could follow the advice of those who say, “Just wait until it feels right…it will be worth the wait…” but there is actually a cost to waiting; you miss out on doing other things with your one precious life. And that momentary feeling of joy in finding JUST the right thing will pass, I guarantee it. There are no perfect homes, even when we design/build them ourselves.
I’m not trying to be negative, I do sincerely hope you guys find a house you really love and want to grow old in! I just think our culture is misinforming us on how to make home purchasing decisions by the oversaturation of beauty being SO important, Americans finding their joy and contentment in material possessions, and so many being unable to be content with not getting everything we want in regards to material things.
Hi Lindsay!
We live in St. Paul after doing a year of house hunting a few years back. We had been in Seward previous to this & thought we’d end up there or Longfellow…but we just couldn’t find what we wanted. The hardest to-find items for us were a nice kitchen and a 2+ car garage so we ended up with a teardown/rebuild. It lacks the charm you’re seeking but we’re not handy folks anyway so we decided to buy a house with less maintenance. 🙂
Regarding the burbs, I grew up there & would be fine living the suburban life too. My partner–not so much. You just have to decide what you want & how much you can spend…then go from there. The city costs a lot more and you are unlikely to find one with a big yard…but you’ll have to forgo some of the other wants on your list. Good luck!
I love fall! I am team fall forever. I love everything about it.. the weather, clothes, all pumpkin everything, scary movies! Good luck with house hunting. It is so hard and stressful to find the perfect one. Wilmington, DE
Hi Lindsay, Have you checked out Mendota Heights? We lived there for over 20 years before moving out of state. We loved it. Great schools, cute little shopping area and Axels is just down the road! Good luck
I sent Sage’s sage words to a dear friend having a tough time and thank you for their realness and beauty.
I LOVE THE ENNEAGRAM. I am a 7. Aggressively, down to my bones, in the depths of my soul a 7. The friend that introduced me to it said “whichever one gives you a strong gut reaction when you read the description is your type.” It’s been super helpful for me in communicating with friends, family, and even co-workers. Once I learned their types, I could see WHY we were having trouble communication. It helps me speak their language better. Love it. Can’t shut up about it. Enneagram forever.
1st of all: happy birthday to Solvi!!!
2nd: houses. I’m admittedly totally team suburbs (love the city, love it. But for my home base I prioritize space and function). If you’re not finding what you want, I totally would build. We would’ve built if we could have afforded a good builder, and even though I love my house we still frequently daydream about “If we built someday…” there’s just something about being able to customize your space 100% from day 1 (plus–it’s brand new and not dirty and full of someone else’s issues or mistakes).
Nice one…
So glad to hear the newborn baby is doing well Lindsay 🙂
I just moved to the country and I have 2.5 acres of land to work with. I love making home made food and with those 2.5 acres of land I like to house a big party once in a while.
Thank you for the info on the Zeitcast podcast! I too am struggling with some ideas from the traditional evangelical community and have been feeling that there’s a new day coming. Doubts can become confirmation.
I am glad you liked it Deborah! I find it really refreshing too. ❤️
Please go on Trulia or Zillow or whatever, and take your MSP house budget and see what it will buy you in NYC, and then let that help you feel really zen and happy about your options. I so wish that I could move back but my husband is not on that page, and so here we are, in a 2-bedroom with 2 kids and no outdoor space and a bonkers school system. You’ll find something awesome, don’t worry.
If you get a chance, go to one of Suzanne Stabile’s Enneagram workshops. You are sure to find out more about yourself (and those you love, as well) and are guaranteed to be captivated. As soon as Suzanne mentioned loading the dishwasher in our workshop, my husband and I knew my number was 1.
Yay for the Enneagram! I’m pretty solidly a 9 with a healthy 1 wing that makes me a bit of a procrastinating perfectionist 😉
Type 1 … no surprises there!
My 6 month old is in 18 month clothes, so we are on that large baby bus too 🙂 More for the height and the thigh room!
My sister was just house hunting in the St. Louis Park area, and not only made multiple offers on multiple houses over asking price, but now were told to write cover letters on themselves and how they want the house. I found this super bizarre!
My baby is a few months older than Solvi. The chicken dance came up in conversation and she saw a couple of moves and died of laughter. Now all ‘dancing’ is wing-flapping. Solvi sounds like a potentially kindred spirit and it’s super fun!
I had to screenshot Sage’s message. Sage advice, Lady Sage. All the yes. Thank you <3
My vote is City Dwelling! We live in one of Canada’s smaller capital cities and thankfully could afford to buy a place nearer to downtown. I’ve lived my childhood in a rural town and spent A LOT of time in the car. I’d be hard pressed now to go back to any added amount of driving. I’ve realized that being in a car for more than 15 minutes is a real joy sucker for me. We live right off one of the biggest parks in the city and it is a perfect set up to take that extra TIME not driving from work/daycare/grocery store, etc. (which is of limited supply with two parents working, a baby girl and a dog) to spend outside with our favourite little person and pet. And apparently this has been well studied- For a good read Happy City is a fascinating research story on how we design our cities and it’s impact on our lives.
i always love to read your posts and I quietly cheer for you and you family at every turn! Enjoy the journey of house hunting and sharing your dreams for the kind of life you want to live. Whatever house you pick will be the right home! Happy Birthday Solvi🎂
I am right with you on the Enneagram. I generally test as a 6, but sometimes 4. Basically caught between a 6 and a 4 and now having an identity crisis! 🤣
I hear you on the pumkin drinks! I was almost embarassed this week at how often I went to our local bakery to get one of their pumpkin lattes (though in my defense they are amazing 😅).
On the house front I’m not sure if we waited on finding the perfect house or not. At the start we definitely had no clue what we were doing and it probably took us 2+ years. I think at the back of my mind through the whole thing though was that the house of my dreams was going to come up for sale sometime we just didn’t know when. So we were looking but also kind of taking our time. In the end it did come up for sale and i was ready to pounce by then 😆 Long story short, we knew the people who owned the house and it was clear from our first offer (we had to make 3) that they really wanted us to get the house if at all possible and in the end we did!
You’re house is out there somewhere! ❤
I love the Wisdom of the Enneagram if you haven’t read it. Also, a website called Touched and Transformed by Ben Saltzman has been very helpful. He has these video courses on each type that take you into pretty deep understanding on how your types show up and how to transform.
You can definitely find the suburb edition of what you’re looking for where I live!! Want to move to North Carolina?
Oh, and after having kids fall has become my absolute fav season!