With a new year underway, I have been contemplating what my goals and plans for this year will be. I have been taking time to think about what kind of content I want to create on my little corner of the web this year, what direction I want to take, how I can make a positive impact in the lives of others, and my other personal goals. What keeps coming to mind, though, and what I feel the Lord keeps laying on my heart more than anything else are these words:
"Do not be afraid." 
​
We can find this comforting phrase written throughout the Bible, such as in  Deuteronomy 31:6-8 and Jeremiah 1:8, and I feel like the Lord has been speaking these words to me over and over to be my 
​words of intention for 2019.  

It might not appear this way based on what you see in all of those perfect little squares on your screen, but I have come to realize that I struggle with fear on a daily basis; fear of being true to myself that leads me to compare myself to others, fear of failure that keeps me from pursuing personal goals, fear of the future that keeps me stagnant, fear of the unknown that keeps me in my comfort zone and keeps me from growing, fear of pain that keeps me from getting my wisdom teeth removed to starting a family, fear of rejection, fear of disapproval and disappointment. 
The list goes on. ​

 Even though fall officially began two weeks ago, October always feels like the official start of the fall season to me. It will still take some time before the weather here in Austin starts to resemble fall, but I am doing everything in my power to make it feel that way.
I've already put out my fall decorations around the house like my ceramic pumpkins, pine cones, and fall tablescape. Today, we ventured out to the pumpkin patch to pick the perfect pumpkins to decorate our front porch and to set around the house. The last thing that always makes it feel like fall to me is baking. While I usually prefer cooking to baking, there is something to be said for baking in the fall. Maybe it's because there are so many delicious recipes to try, or maybe it's because of the way it makes the whole house smell like cinnamon and pumpkin spice, or maybe because snuggling up with a freshly baked treat and hot cup of coffee is slightly irresistible, especially amidst a crisp breeze. 
All that to say, here are five pumpkin recipes that I can't wait to try this fall:

​1. Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls courtesy of Averie Cooks

2. Pumpkin French Toast courtesy of Cooking Classy

3. Nutella Swirled Pumpkin Bread courtesy of Cook with Manali

4. Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirl Muffins courtesy of The Novice Chef

5. Copycat Starbucks Pumpkin Scones courtesy of Damn Delicious

I can already practically taste the sweet and spicy goodness from here. I can't wait to try these recipes and fully surround myself with everything fall. 

I found all of these recipes on Pinterest, so be sure to follow along with me for more seasonal and everyday goodies!  Have any other great recipe suggestions for me? Feel free to share!

Little bitty love,

Kimberly