Life lately for our family of five has been full of adventures, a lots of real-life moments–both sweet and messy. From an outdoor concert to baking wins (and a flop!) in the kitchen, our days have been anything but boring. Between mowing, keeping up with family life and the housework, there’s always something going on in the Zottola house! Here’s a peek into what we’ve been up to lately.

Outdoor Concert Under the Summer Sky

We attended an outdoor concert event on Friday night and had the best time!

It was the perfect summer night—not too hot, with lively music and a joyful atmosphere all around. The outdoor concert was held on our favorite trail, complete with vendors, games, delicious food, and of course, talented musicians. The best part? My parents made the trek across Pittsburgh to join us, which made the evening even more special.

When Mordecai found my dad, he ran up to him and hugged him so hard. I don’t think he let go or stopped smiling for a solid minute. My dad does give some good hugs!

The kids really enjoyed playing games and got all sorts of treats–ice cream, pizza, and a hot dog! Miss Dakota got a few spoonfuls of ice cream and plenty of snuggles 🤗

Can summer just last forever? I’m not ready for it to wind down!

Baking Wins and Kitchen Flops

Let’s start with a win. I had this idea for cupcakes: honey cupcakes with cinnamon buttercream.

I made it happen and they came out well! I had so much fun tinkering around with these. I will definitely share the recipe soon. I really enjoy baking and decorating cupcakes. Thinking up flavor combinations is downright exciting for me. I can’t believe the only other cupcake recipe I’ve shared here on the blog is my apple cider cupcakes with cinnamon marshmallow buttercream. What am I doing! I need to be sharing more!

Now for the flop. These salted caramel thumbprints!! They don’t look bad, but they were. It was the caramel. The thumbprints came out fine, but the caramel was rock hard. Like break-your-teeth hard 😂

Ya win some, ya lose some! Back to a win now. I made cinnamon swirl challah last weekend and froze a few slices. I pulled some out on Saturday and made French toast! Paired with sausage, scrambled eggs, and Starbucks coffee, it made for a special Saturday breakfast.

A Bike Ride Gone Wrong

The other night, Sadie asked if she could ride her bike while I ran alongside her. We were out for about ten minutes when she slid on rocks, fell off her bike, and hit her lip. Instantly, blood started gushing from her mouth and she was crying. I (stupidly!) didn’t have my phone with me and we were at a park at the far end of our neighborhood so we had to walk up a giant hill to get home. I felt so, so bad for Sadie girl. I was so thankful she was wearing her helmet, though.

Jimmy and I were honestly like “Do we take her to the hospital?” because her lip just looked so bad and we couldn’t see what she did–were her gums damaged? Her teeth? Just her lip? Eventually we figured it was just a really bad bite or hit to her lip and we put ice on it and gave her Ibuprofen. She had trouble eating for a few days so she had lots of popsicles. That was definitely a silver lining for her because she loves a good popsicle!

Right after she fell, she didn’t want to get back on her bike. But the next day? She was out on her bike again with her friends. I’m proud of her resilience and bravery! I know if I hurt myself in the same way, I’d be super hesitant to get back on the bike but she did it! She even asked if I’d push Dakota in the stroller while she rode next to me around the neighborhood a few days later 🫶

Keeping Up with Everyday Family Life

The way to make things work and run smoothly around our house is teamwork between Jimmy and myself. We do a lot of trading off between chores and childcare! On Saturday, I brought the little ones to the grocery store while Jimmy cleaned up the yard with Sadie.

Once I got home, it was time for Dakota’s nap. Sadie and Mordecai were ready for lunch, so Jimmy brought them out for a treat: Chic-fil-A! While Dakota napped, I mowed the lawn. It went pretty smoothly since the grass is so dry. I didn’t break my hand, so that was a win 😉

Once Jimmy and the kids got home, it was time for Mordecai’s nap. Jimmy cleaned out our hot tub and pressure washed the back patio while I brought the girls out for a walk. After dinner that evening, Jimmy hung out in the backyard with the kids while I vacuumed, loaded the dishwasher, and folded laundry. It’s like a constant ying and yang of doing our things and caring for the kids! It’s always a good feeling when we both get our chores done and the kids are happy spending time with us 🥰

I love our everyday moments. Things like taking the kids to the grocery store are chaotically sweet. We went to a local grocery store recently that has a fire truck cart that the kids love and Mordecai pulled out his fire truck shirt to wear to the store. It’s the little things ❤️

Visiting with neighbors, a freshly made bed, pet snuggles, morning hugs from the kids, homeschooling progress, potty training successes, studying to teach Bible school classes, and baking experiments. It’s all so joyful. Even the kids fighting over who gets to hold Dakota is kinda adorable!

Looking Ahead + Other Notes and Thoughts

• I’m shocked that we’re closing in on September. The local public school kids will be back to class on Monday and it will be a big change for Sadie to have all her friends in school after a summer of all day play. It’s bittersweet, but I’m also looking forward to a little more structure as we transition to fall.
• I just ordered Dakota her first sippy cup! We’re going to give her some water with meals so she can get used to a cup.
• Speaking of Dak, she goes to her six month checkup tomorrow. I’ll do an update on how she’s growing and living her best baby life here soon!
• Recipes I’ve been making: maple apple granola, rosemary chicken, toffee espresso blondies, and maple chai snickerdoodles.
• It has been so hot lately that we haven’t used our hot tub in a few weeks. It’s beginning to cool off a little (highs in the 70s next week), and I’m really excited to get back into our happy place. Jimmy got it all cleaned up with weekend and we’re grabbing new filters and refilling it with fresh water!
• I’ve been trying to keep a good momentum going with housework lately: running the dishwasher twice a day, doing as much laundry as possible, prepping snacks like energy bites, and picking out the kids’ outfits the night before church. The little daily habits help things to not become too overwhelming.

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Okay, I’m signing off here! We’re driving home from church and I have plans to do some cooking, cleaning, and baking. I’m thinking of making an apple pie or butterscotch cookies… or both if I get all my housework done 😬

What’s an everyday moment you’re loving lately?