Last year, I decorated our living room for a Halloween movie night at home, and somehow, I never got around to sharing the photos.

I came across them again while thinking about Halloween this year, and I decided it was finally time to put them here.

I've always loved the idea of making little moments at home feel special. Nothing too elaborate or over the top, just little things that make an ordinary evening feel a bit different from the usual.

And I think that's part of what I love about decorating for the seasons. You don't have to completely change your home or buy a whole new collection of decorations. Sometimes, a few small details are enough to make a space feel a little more festive.

For this particular evening, I wanted to create a cozy little Halloween setup in our living room where we could curl up together and watch one of my favorite Halloween movies, Hocus Pocus.

So I brought out some pillows and soft white bedding, draped a sheer canopy over our floor setup, and added a few Halloween decorations to bring everything together.

The floating witch hats were my favorite part. I hung them from the ceiling at different heights and added little black bats around the room. I loved how the black decorations stood out against all the white bedding and neutral colors without making the space feel too different from the rest of our home.

It felt playful and a little magical, but still very much like us.

I wanted the living room to feel like a little hideaway for the evening. Somewhere we could get comfortable, put on a movie, and spend some time together at home.

The canopy helped create that feeling, especially with all the soft bedding and pillows underneath it. It made the whole setup feel a little more special than simply sitting on the sofa to watch a movie.

I also liked that I could use things we already had around the house and bring in just a few Halloween decorations to change the look of the space.

I tend to gravitate toward neutral colors when decorating our home, so I loved keeping most of the setup white and adding black witch hats and bats for a little contrast.

It was a simple way to decorate for Halloween without feeling like I had to change everything about the room.

And honestly, I think that's one of my favorite ways to decorate for any season. Starting with what you already have and adding a few little details can be enough.

The witch hats hanging from the ceiling, the little bats scattered around the room, and the soft bedding all came together to create the look I had in mind.

I didn't need much else.

Sometimes I can get caught up in all the things I'd like to do or create, especially when it comes to making our home feel nice for a particular season. But this was a reminder that a few simple touches can be just as lovely as something much bigger.

I also love how something as simple as decorating a room can become part of the occasion itself. There's something fun about putting a little extra thought into an ordinary evening, even when you're not going anywhere or doing anything particularly out of the ordinary.

You can make a night at home feel a little different just by changing your surroundings, choosing a favorite movie, and giving yourself something to look forward to.

Of course, the plan was to watch Hocus Pocus.

It's one of my favorite Halloween movies, and it felt like the perfect excuse to make a whole evening out of staying home.

A cozy place to sit, a favorite movie, something sweet to eat, and a few Halloween decorations. That's really all you need.

I love the idea of having little traditions like this throughout the year. They don't have to be elaborate or happen exactly the same way every time. Sometimes it's just finding a reason to slow down and enjoy an evening together.

And as the years go by, I hope these little seasonal traditions are things we can look back on and remember.

Not because everything has to be perfect or because every occasion needs to be made into something big, but because these ordinary days are part of our family life, too.

I'm glad I took these photos last year, even though I never got around to sharing them at the time.

It's funny how easy it is to take pictures, move on to the next thing, and leave them sitting on your phone. There are so many little moments that happen throughout the year, and sometimes I don't realize how much I want to remember them until I'm looking back at the photos later.

That's one reason I've wanted to make more of an effort to share these little pieces of our life here.

Not every post needs to be about something big that happened. Sometimes it's just a little look back at something we did, a season we were in, or a moment at home that I wanted to remember.

This Halloween setup was one of those things.

And even though I'm sharing it a year later, it still feels worth documenting.

Maybe this year we'll make another little Halloween movie-night setup, or maybe we'll do something completely different. Either way, I hope we continue finding little ways to make the seasons feel special while enjoying the everyday moments in between.

Because sometimes, a little Halloween magic at home is more than enough.

We wanted to make our gender reveal simple, personal, and easy for everyone to enjoy together. So we gathered a cake, a few flowers, and some ultrasound photos before sharing the moment with our families.

Our families joined us through a WhatsApp video call, with phones propped up so everyone could watch. We decided to try one of those trendy gender reveals where you use wine glasses to cut into the cake—blue for a boy and pink for a girl.

Well…

That day, we saw pink. 💗

I remember feeling nervous right before we cut into the cake. I wasn’t sure whether everyone would actually be able to see the color once we sliced into it with the wine glasses. There were phones everywhere, people talking, and little noises coming from both Kita’s phone and mine as everyone waited for their moment to see.

But apparently, everyone saw everything. 😂

And then came the reactions.

Everyone was so happy. So excited.

The funny thing was that almost everyone had been convinced we were having a girl. So when that pink cake finally revealed itself, there was something really special about knowing that everyone had been right all along.

I remember my parents wearing pink to represent which side they were on, and when I rewatched the screen recordings of everyone’s reactions, I could see the smiles on their faces. Their reactions were especially meaningful to me because I know how special this moment was for them. This would be their second grandchild, and finding out that she was a girl made it even more exciting. 🌸

My little cousin’s reaction was also so special—and very much a mood. When I watched her reaction again, I couldn’t help but smile. She was literally cheering and rocking her head intensely from side to side with so much excitement. It was the sweetest thing, and seeing how happy she was made me feel so full.

But what I remember most is my own reaction.

I was so, so happy.

I really wanted a girl.

When I saw that pink, I think I immediately hugged Liam. I remember squeezing him so tightly, kissing him, and being so excited that I may have hugged and kissed him before I even got to Kita. 😂

Liam, meanwhile, was very interested in one thing:

The cake.

He ate a lot that day.

And honestly, I don’t blame him.

There was also something really special about sharing the moment with Mimi. Since she was physically here in Pittsburgh, I thought it would be nice to go to her house and give her a slice of the cake so she could have her own little reveal.

That ended up being one of my favorite parts of the entire day.

We were all sitting outside when she found out.

And she screamed.

She hollered.

She did not care who heard her. 😂

She was just so genuinely happy and excited, and watching her reaction in person meant so much to me. There was something about handing her that little piece of cake and watching her realize that we were having a girl that made the whole thing feel even more real.

Our little girl.

After all the excitement, I ended up feeling sick for the rest of the evening. Maybe it was too much cake. Maybe it was all the excitement catching up with me. Maybe it was both.

But underneath all of it, I remember feeling incredibly blessed.

Grateful.

Thankful to God.

We had spent the day surrounded by the people we love, celebrating a little girl we hadn’t even met yet.

And somehow, she had already brought so much joy with her.

We saw pink.

And my heart was so full. 💗

I can’t believe I am writing this out, but our family of three is about to become a family of four.

We’re having another baby.

Last year, when I turned 34, I didn’t take my birthday pictures.

That might not sound like a big deal to anyone else, but for me, it was.

It was a Sunday morning, and I remember not feeling completely ready to tell Liam about the next chapter of our family.

Every time someone asks if I’m excited, I smile and say, “I am.”

Because I am.

I know he’s going to love it.

He’s going to make friends, learn new things, come home with stories I wasn’t there to witness, and probably surprise me with just how ready he really is.

But if I’m honest…

I’ve been avoiding what this season actually means.

For four and a half years, we’ve built a life together.

Not a perfect one.

Just ours.

Slow mornings where breakfast somehow takes an hour because we’re talking about planes.

Errands that turn into adventures because he insists on pushing the shopping cart.

The homeschooling.

Library trips.

Park days.

Movie afternoons curled up on the couch.

The little routines that no one else would notice, but somehow became the rhythm of our lives.

When you’re a stay-at-home mom, motherhood isn’t just part of your day.

It is your day.

My days have always been measured by his.

Is he hungry?

Does he want to paint today?

Should we bake banana bread?

Is it already quiet time?

I’ve spent years pouring myself into these ordinary moments because I knew they wouldn’t stay ordinary forever.

And now…

They won’t.

Now there will be hours where I won’t know exactly what he’s doing.

He’ll be making memories that don’t include me.

Meeting friends.

Learning new things.

Growing into someone outside of the little world we’ve created together.

And for the first time in four and a half years…

I won’t know what I’ll be doing either.

That feels strange to admit.

I’ve dreamed about having more time.

Time to write.

To create.

To work on this little corner of the internet I’ve slowly been building.

To drink my iced coffee before it gets watery.

To walk through Target without stopping to admire every toy aisle.

To hear my own thoughts.

But now that it’s here…

I’m realizing I don’t really know who I’ll be during those quiet hours.

For years, someone has needed me every few minutes.

“Mommy, come look.”

“Mommy, watch this.”

“Mommy, can you help me?”

The house is quiet now.

Quieter than it’s ever been.

And I have a feeling the silence will feel a little louder than I expect.

Maybe I’ll finally write all the stories I’ve been carrying around in my heart.

Maybe I’ll decorate the house for the season without tiny hands “helping.”

Maybe I’ll fold laundry in one sitting.

Maybe I’ll sit on the couch and cry for ten minutes before I do any of those things.

Maybe this season isn’t about finding something to fill the silence.

Maybe it’s about remembering the parts of myself that have been patiently waiting while I poured so much love into raising him.

Because here’s the thing no one really tells you…

When your child starts preschool, you’re both beginning something new.

He’s learning who he is without me beside him.

And I’m learning who I am during the hours he doesn’t need me.

That realization hit me harder than I expected.

So I ordered something small.

Nothing extravagant.

Just a little photo keychain to keep on his backpack.

Inside are pictures of us.

A tiny reminder that no matter where he is, home is never very far away.

Maybe he’ll never even open it up.

Maybe he’ll completely forget it’s there.

But I’ll know.

I’ll know that a little piece of me went with him.

Because if I’m being completely honest…

I think the keychain is just as much for me as it is for him.

Maybe even more.

Motherhood is full of these invisible goodbyes.

The last bedtime rocking.

The last time they ask to be carried.

The last time they reach for your hand without thinking.

You never know they’re the last until they’ve already passed.

And somehow one ordinary morning became the first day I watched my baby walk into a classroom with a backpack that suddenly looked much too big on his little shoulders.

But he wasn't scared.

He didn't cry.

He didn't hesitate.

He just stepped into his new world so proudly.

And I held it together.

I smiled.

I watched him walk in.

And then I made it back to the car before finally letting all my tears out.

Not because he was afraid.

He wasn't.

Not because he wasn't ready.

He was.

I think I just needed a moment to let myself feel everything that this day meant.

I know preschool is only the beginning.

There will be elementary school.

Middle school.

High school.

College.

One day he’ll build a life that’s beautifully full of people, places, and memories that exist beyond me.

That’s exactly what I’ve always wanted for him.

But wanting something for your child doesn’t make it any easier when the day actually arrives.

So if you see me crying in the preschool parking lot…

Just know it isn’t because I don’t want him to grow.

It’s because being his mom has been the greatest privilege of my life.

And sometimes loving someone so deeply means learning to let them grow—

One small step at a time.

♡

If You’re Packing Your Little One’s Backpack Too…

If you’re anything like me, maybe you want to send a tiny piece of home along with them.

Here are a few sweet ideas that don’t take up much space but can mean so much:

• A tiny photo keychain with family pictures tucked inside.

• A laminated family photo slipped into a backpack pocket.

• A little fabric heart or wooden heart that fits in their pocket. You keep one too, so whenever they hold theirs, you can hold yours.

• A simple lunchbox note with a doodled heart, a joke, or “I can’t wait to hear about your day.”

• A girls' matching bracelet | boys' matching bracelet if their school allows it.

• A tiny “worry stone” they can rub when they’re missing you.

• A secret ritual before drop-off—a special handshake, three squeezes that mean “I love you,” or a kiss pressed into the palm of their hand for them to “keep” until they need it.

The truth is, he may never need any of these things.

He might run into the classroom without looking back.

And if he does…

That’s okay too.

Because sometimes these little keepsakes aren’t just for them.

Sometimes they’re for us.

A quiet reminder that even when our children begin building a world beyond our arms…

They’ll always carry a little piece of home with them.

And maybe, just maybe…

We’ll learn how to carry this new season too.

Everything I Packed for His First Day

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